the people in the world may aptlie be divided The Vnchristian people be those that make no profession at all of Christ or Christianitie of which sort be Iewes Turkes and other Infidels of the world The Christian people revera and indeed of which in this distribution I speake be those that professe Christ and beleeve in him and addict themselves onelie to his religion and the rules and waies of it as it is described and set downe in the sacred and canonical Scriptures The Antichristian people be those that professe Christ in words in outward shewes and semblance but yet neverthelesse denie or oppugne him in deeds or in doctrine or in both Whence is concluded that neither the Turke nor Mahomet as I said before nor anie of the rest of the Infidells of the world can properly and according to the Scripture phrase and sense bee tearmed Antichrists or Antichristians fith they make no profession of Christ at all but such are properly to be termed Vnchristian and not Antichristian people and consequently it remaineth that Antichrist and Antichristian people bee onely to bee found within Christendome and amongst those that professe Christ. And who these be within Christendome is easily to be discerned for that the Pope of Rome and his followers be this kinde of covert masked and disguised adversaries and opposites to Christ and that under the name and profession of Christ his church and religion I thinke there is none but doth or may verie readilie perceive But would you know it further and in some particulars For you must indeed come to particulars with them inasmuch as otherwise in general termes and words they will make great profession of Christ and of the rights honors prerogatives to him his Church belonging and yet in the meane time in particulars and indirectlie and by consequent they will oppugne him Inasmuch therefore as he hath the name of Antichrist chiefelie by reason of his opposition unto Christ in this covert and disguised manner let us see how that is verified in the Pope and Papacie For which purpose let us consider our Lord Iesus Christ as he is to be considered namelie in respect of his person and in respect of his offices committed to him from his Father In respect of his person he is both God and Man in respect of his offices he is a Prophet a Priest a King unto us Now in everie of these respects doth the Pope and Papacie oppugne Christ. For first what a God doe they make Christ to be when they preferre the Virgin Mary above him and acknowledge authoritie in her to command him For thus they speake unto her Iube natum Iure Matris Impera redemptori monstra te esse Matrem That is Command thy Sonne and by thy motherly authority command the Redeemer and shew thy selfe to be a mother Is he God and the creator and supreame commander of all things that is thus made subiect to the authoritie and commandement of a creature But doe they not further oppugne his Godhead verie manifestlie when they hold that everie Priest of theirs after breathing of a few words out of his mouth can create and make Iesus Christ his maker for so they say as is before shewed that Sacerdos est Creator creatoris sui The Priest is the Creator or maker of his maker Now then is he a God that can be thus made by men And what doe they else but oppugne his Manhood also verie manifestlie whilest they make his bodie to be multi-present that is present in manie places at one time For they say it is both in heaven and in earth at once yea in so manie places as their Masse is celebrated or their Host reserved at one and the selfe same time which is contrarie to the nature and propertie of a true bodie which we are sure Christ Iesus hath Yea as they hold his Body to be carnallie eaten in the Sacrament with the bodily mouth so doe they hold it also to be void of dimensions and quantitie and to be uncircumscribed and invisible and no way sensible which is likewise as much as to make him to have no true bodie at all When againe they hold that his bodie is made out of the substance of a peece of bread for so much that their verie word of Transubstantiation importeth which was indeed not so made but of the substance of the Virgin Mary doe they not verie cleerelie oppugne his humanitie and the veritie of his bodie You see then how they doe oppugne the person of Christ both in respect of his Deitie and also of his humanitie verie apparantlie Let us now likewise briefelie consider how they oppugne Christ in his three offices namelie as he is a Prophet a Priest and a King unto us The Prophecie of Christ whose voice and instruction as of a Prophet and Teacher all-sufficient we are commanded to heare and obey they oppugne first by teaching that the sacred and Canonical Scriptures be imperfect and insufficient for a Christian mans instruction and salvation without their Traditions secondlie by adding not onlie their owne Traditions but the Apocryphal Bookes and Decretal Epistles also to the Canon of the Bible and stablishing them to be of equall authoritie reverence with the Canonical Scriptures themselves thirdlie by equaling also the determinations of their Popes and the Decrees of their Councels and Church which they say cannot erre unto the divine and canonical Scriptures they holding them to be as undoubtedlie the voice oracle of the Holie Ghost as anie thing is which is contained in those Scriptures fourthlie not onlie in equaling but which is more and much worse in preferring magnifying and advancing of their Pope and Church and their authoritie above the authoritie of the Scriptures and therefore doth Silvester Prierias Master of the Popes Palace affirme that Indulgences bee warranted unto us not by the authoritie of Scripture but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which saith hee is a greater Authority Againe hee saith Whosoever resteth not on the doctrine of the Roman Church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God à qua sacra Scriptura robur trabit authoritatem from which the sacred Scripture draweth her strength and authoritie hee is an Heretick And so saith Eckius likewise that Scriptura nisi Ecclesiae authoritate non est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authoritie of the Church and sundry such waies doe they oppugne the all-sufficient written word doctrine and instruction of Christ our Prophet His Priesthood they also oppugne which consisteth chiefly in these two things viz. in sacrificing himselfe once for all his people upon the Crosse to take away their sinnes and in making intercession for them Now this his onely-propitiatory and only-bodily and all-sufficient Sacrifice they oppugne by erecting of another Sacrifice in their abominable Masse wherein they say their Priests
it gave occasion of the Chiliastick error unto divers Ecclesiasticall persons also after him And he addeth the reason because saith he they pretended the antiquitie of that man Clemens Alexandrinus also was much addicted to unwritten Traditions and therewith likewise much deceived affirming and teaching by reason therof verie erroneous strange and untrue opinions as namely that Philosophy did in times past justifie or save the Greekes that Christ preached onely one yeare that the Apostles after their death preached unto the dead which with the Apostles descended into the vvater and being made alive ascended thence againe that Christians may not contendin judgment neither before the Gentiles nor yet before the Saints and sundry other errors Yea he there further mentioneth a certaine kinde of Gnostici of whom hee delivereth this description saying that the knowledge which maketh a true Gnostick is that which commeth by succession unto few from the Apostles and is delivered vvithout vvriting c. Where may appeare whence the heresie of the Gnosticks which was afterward condemned by the Church did spring and had his original namely out of unwritten Traditions supposed to be Apostolicall Yea sundry other Hereticks also boasted of their doctrines and opinions as if they had received them by tradition from the Apostles For Valentinus alledged himselfe to be schollar to Theodatus who was familiarly acquainted with S. Paul The Marcionites boasted that they had the Disciples of Matthias to their Master and taught the doctrine by them delivered Artemon likewise boasted of his doctrine as if it had come unto him undoubtedly by tradition Apostolicall But Eusebius for all that sheweth that it was not so Excellent therefore and ever memorable is that speech of Irenaeus touching this point where hee granteth that The Apostles did indeed at the first preach the Gospel by vvord of mouth but afterward saith hee by the vvill of God they delivered it in vvriting that so being committed to writing it might be for ever after that the foundation and pillar of our faith So that now and ever since that time wee must hold as S. Hierome also teacheth and holdeth saying thus That which hath no Authoritie of the holy Scriptures is as easily contemned as allowed And againe hee saith directly that such things as men invent and devise of themselves without the Authoritie and testimonie of the Scriptures as it vvere by Tradition Apostolicall the Sword of God striketh downe Yea some Traditions mentioned in ancient Fathers to be Apostolicall even the Papists themselves doe not observe as namely the temper of Milke and Hony given to them that be newly baptized abstayning from washing an whole vveeke after oblations for the Birth-day yearely not to fast nor kneele in prayer or worshipping of God on the Lords day nor betweene Easter and Whitsontide All which be mentioned in Tertullian S. Basil likewise mentioneth it as an Apostolicall tradition for Christians betweene Easter and Whitsontide to pray standing S. Hierome also mentioneth it as an Apostolicall Tradition the Temper of Milke and Hony as also on the Lords-day and throughout everie Pentecost neyther to pray on the knees nor to fast If then some Traditions affirmed by ancient Fathers to be Apostolicall be neverthelesse not observed in the Popish Church it selfe which is a thing very manifest why should anie Traditions be urged or obtruded upon the Protestants under the name of Apostolicall and by them necessarily to be held and beleeved which be not found specified in the undoubted Word of God the sacred and canonicall Scriptures but have onely the Authoritie of some men without the Authoritie of Gods word to testifie the same Yea as touching all points necessarie to salvation the holy Scriptures themselves be abundantly sufficient so that for that purpose there is no need of anie unwritten Traditions as even the ancient Fathers themselves doe also testifie The holy Scriptures inspired from heaven saith Athanasius be sufficient for all instruction of truth Whatsoever is requisite to salvation saith Chrysostome all that is fully laid downe in the Scriptures In the two Testaments saith Cyril everie vvord or thing that pertaineth to God may be required and discussed There vvere chosen to be vvritten saith Augustine such things as vvere thought sufficient for the salvation of the faithfull The Canon of the Scriptures saith Vincentius Lirinensis is sufficient and more then sufficient for all matters What need then is there of anie more speech in a matter so cleere and evident Concerning this point therefore Inasmuch as it is verie apparant that some errors heresies have arisen out of Traditions said and supposed to be Apostolical and that under that pretence and name sundry men in ancient and former times have beene deceived and may now much more by that meanes in these later times so farre remote from the times of the Apostles possibly be deceived it must be concluded that Traditions Apostolicall as they be called not warranted nor specified in the divine Scriptures cannot be held for anie infallible Iudge or infallible rule of truth in this case Seeing then the Church who is her selfe in question may not be the Iudge but must be iudged of and that by the Scriptures for in such a case where the Church it selfe is in question even by Bellarmines own acknowledgement the Scripture is better knowne then the Church and therefore must be the Iudge of it and seeing also that not Councils whether Generall or Provinciall nor Popes of Rome nor ancient Fathers nor unwritten Traditions said to be Apostolicall can be this infallible Iudge what remaineth but that God himselfe speaking unto us in his sacred and canonicall Scriptures is and must be held to be the only infallible Iudge in this case Or which commeth all to one effect if we will have visible and mortall men to be the Iudges The infallible Rule whereby they are to iudge and to be directed appeareth to be the verie same sacred and canonicall Scriptures wherein God speaketh And this also doe the ancient Fathers themselves yet further directly teach and affirme For S. Augustine saith The Scripture pitcheth downe the Rule of our Faith Tertullian likewise calleth the Scriptures the Rule of faith S. Chrysostome calleth them a most exquisite Rule and exact Square and Ballance to trie all things by And Gregory Nyssen also calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a straite and inflexible Rule By this Rule of the Scripture then it is that not only Bishops Pastors and Clergie-men but even everie man else that is able to make search and tryall is to trie and examine these differing and contradictorie doctrines and positions betweene the Protestants and the Papists For how otherwise shall we certainly know what is right what is wrong in them or how otherwise shall we be able to discerne the true Teachers which wee are to reverence honour and embrace from the false
herein giveth us an excellent rule saying Si quem videritis dicentem spiritum sanctum habeo non loquentem evangelica sed propria is à seipso loquitur non est spiritus sanctus in ipso If saith hee yee shall see anie man that saith I have the holy Ghost and doth not speake things agreeable to the Gospel but his owne that man speaketh of himselfe and the holy Ghost is not in him And againe he saith Si quis eorum qui dicuntur habere spiritum dicat aliquid de seipso non ex Evangelio ne credite If anie of them which are said to have the spirit speake anie thing of himselfe and not forth of the Gospel beleeve him not So that it still appeareth that the Gospel of Christ and divine Scriptures is the thing whereby men are to trie and examine all spirits and their doctrines and decrees and to determine who they be that speake and decree by the guidance and direction of the holy Ghost and who not And therefore doth S. Augustine also take it that no man is absolutely bound by the authoritie of Councels though they be generall for thus hee saith to one that obiected a generall Councell against him Neyther ought I to alledge the Councell of Nice nor thou the Councell of Arimine as thereby to preiudicate one another for neyther am I bound by the authoritie of this or thou of that but let matter vvith matter cause vvith cause and reason vvith reason make the Tryall by the authoritie of Scriptures not proper vvitnesses to any of us but indifferent to us both And concerning the Pope that he may erre as well as anie other Bishop in matter of Faith beside that which is before spoken it further appeareth even by Gratian himselfe dist 40. where it is taken for granted that the Pope may be à fide Devius a goer out of the way of faith Lyra affirmeth expresly that manie Popes have beene found Apostotasse à Fide To have been Apostotates or departers from the faith The Councell of Constance calleth Pope Benedict a Schismaticke and an Hereticke and a departer from the faith The like is said of Pope Iohn the 23. Catharinus saith directly Nihil prohibet Papam errare etiam in fide deficere etiamsi quidam novitij Scriptores ausi sint oppositum defendere praeter communem sensum Doctorum Nothing withstandeth but that the Pope may erre even in faith and faile albeit some late writers have dared to defend the contrarie against the common opinion of the Doctors And so likewise testifieth Alphonsus de Castro Papam posse in ijs quae ad fidem spectant errare immo aliquos Pontifices summos errasse in fide compertum est That the Pope may erre even in matters of faith yea it is found saith he that some Popes have erred in faith And againe he saith Omnis homo errare in fide potest etiamsi Papa sit Nam de Liberio Papa refert Platina eum sensâ—sse cum Arrianis Everie man may erre in point of faith though hee be a Pope For of Pope Liberius Platina reporteth that he held the Arrian heresie Yea Panormitan saith that a Councell may depose the Pope for Heresie ut in cap Si Papa dist 40. where it is likewise said That the Pope may be an Hereticke and iudged of Heresie Yea In concernentibus fidem etiam dictum unius privati esset praeferendum dicto Papae si ille moveretur melioribus Authoritatibus novi veteris Testamenti quam Papa In things concerning faith saith hee the saying even of one private man is to be preferred before the saying of the Pope if he be moved by better authoritie of the old and new Testament then the Pope It is therefore evident that neither the Pope by himselfe nor yet ioined in Councel with others is or can be held to be an unerrable or infallible Iudge in this case What then Would anie have the old Doctors and ancient Fathers to be this Iudge But they also may erre and doe sometimes taxe one another for errors Yea themselves as before is shewed doe humbly and reverently submit all their doctrines positions and opinions to the judgement of the Canonicall Scriptures not desiring to be further credited or beleeved then there is warrant for what they speake or write within those sacred writings Whereby they sufficiently give us to understand that God onely speaking in these his Scriptures is to be held for the only Infallible Iudge for the determining and deciding of every controversie in Religion Ista controversia Iudicem inquirit Iudicet ergo Christus This controversie enquireth after a Iudge Let Christ then be Iudge saith S. Augustine Iudicet cum illo Apostolus quia in Apostolo ipse loquitur Christus Let also saith hee the Apostle iudge with him because in the Apostle Christ himselfe speaketh And againe he saith Sedeat inter nos Iudex Apostolus Iohannes Let the Apostle Iohn sit Iudge betweene us In like sort speaketh Optatus Quaerendi sunt Iudices In terris de hac re nullum poterit reperiri Iudicium de coelo quaerendus est Iudex sed ut quid pulsamus ad coelum cum habeamus hic in Evangelio Testamentum c. Iudges are to be sought for In earth saith hee none can be found for this matter from heaven therefore is the Iudge to be sought but vvhy doe vve knocke at heaven vvhen we have here upon earth a Testament in the Gospel An earthly father vvhen he feeleth himselfe neere death fearing lest after his death the brethren breaking peace should fall at variance calling witnesses unto him out of his breast ready to dye putteth his vvill into a vvritten Testament that shall long continue And if variance grow amongst the brethren they goe not to the grave but the Testament or last vvill is demanded and hee which resteth in the grave speaketh out of that his speechlesse Testament vvith a lively voyce viz. that voice which he uttered whilst he lived He vvhose Testament it is is in heaven therefore as in a Testament so in the Gospel let his will be enquired To the same effect S. Augustine saith VVho is he that knoweth not that the Canonicall Scripture is so conteyned vvithin his certaine bounds of the old and new Testament and is so to be preferred before all other vvritings of Bishops that a man may not at all either doubt or dispute vvhether any thing be right or true that he is sure is vvritten in it but the vvritings of all other Bishops which eyther are or hereafter shall be vvritten beside the Canonicall Scriptures alreadie confirmed may be reproved eyther by more grave authority of other Bishops or learned men or by the vvords of any man that is better seene in the matter Again he saith thus Gather not my Brother against so many so cleere and so undoubted testimonies of
your selfe neither eate nor drinke Bee not such grosse impieties and palpable absurdities iustlie worthie for ever to be abhorred and detested FINIS SECVNDAE PARTIS THE THIRD PART of the BOOKE CHAP. I. That the Authoritie of the Church is not above the Authoritie of the Scriptures That Popish Rome is the Whore of Babylon and therein of some special spiritual Whoredomes or Idolatries of the Romish Church BVt yet when they further say that the Authoritie of the Church is above the authoritie of the holy Scriptures what is this but to exalt men their authoritie above the authoritie of God himselfe and to magnifie the creature above the creator and to advance the wife in authoritie above her husband and his will and commandement The Church is the spouse of Christ and therefore is to be in subiection to him as to her head and husband as the wife is to be in subiection to her head and husband for so S. Paul declareth If then the Church be as is evident in subiection to Christ it is cleere shee can claime no superioritie or authoritie over him or his will or word in the Scriptures conteined yea it is the note and marke of an harlot and dishonest woman to challenge and usurpe authoritie over her husband And therefore what doth this position else prove but that the Romish Church is and must needs be the proud insolent false and dishonest Church even the vvhore of Babylon as shee is called in the Revelation of S. Iohn For what may not that Church doe or dare to doe be it never so wicked or ungodly which holdeth her authoritie to be above the authoritie of the Scriptures Is not this a dore that openeth a way to all licentiousnesse and wickednesse and to devise decree and doe in matters concerning Religion whatsoever pleaseth her selfe The right and true Church is of another and a better disposition and is ever content and desirous to live in subiection and in obedience to Christ and to his word will and pleasure and accounteth that as indeed it is her greatest honour And so also Christ Iesus himselfe sheweth that this is her chaste and godly disposition for thus he saith My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow mee and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands Marke that hee saith that his sheepe heare His voyce and follow Him and therefore they follow not others nor their owne unbridled humors lusts or pleasures but desire and endevour evermore to obey him and to doe as he hath willed and commanded them Againe the Church of Christ is expressely charged to observe all those things which Christ Iesus her Lord head and husband hâ—th commanded and therefore is to keepe her selfe within those her limits and bounds and not licentiously to wander or to goe beyond them Wherefore S. Paul also saith thus that the Lord Iesus shall shew himsâ—lfe from heaven vvith his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that know not God and vvhich obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ vvhich shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power vvhen hee shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be made marvailous in all them that beleeve Doe you not here likewise see how great subiection and obedience unto the Gospel of Iesus Christ and to his word and will is required of all men Yea what great peril and punishment they are to undergoe which will not subiect themselves unto it namely that such shall be punished with everlasting perdition Take heed therefore and with as much good hast as ye can declare your subiection and obedience to the Gospel and word of God in the sacred Scriptures conteyned without anie further neglect of it or opposition to it As for the reason that some make that because the Church telleth us that This is the Scripture therefore the Authoritie of the Church is above the Scripture it is but a verie weake and an idle reason and no better then if it should be said that you had not knowne that this were the King but that such a man told you and shewed him to you Ergo this man is above the King Were not this a verie ridiculous and a most absurd inference The Church is by her Ministerie bound and according to her duetie ought to tell testifie and declare the word of God and what Scriptures be canonical and what not to teach the truth in those Scriptures conteyned but this office sheweth rather service and subiection in the Church then anie Soveraigntie or Superioritie in her above the Scriptures Schollers in a Schoole can tell a stranger who is the Master of the Schoole yet is not their authoritie therefore above the authoritie of their Maister Whilest then the Popish Church holdeth that her authoritie is above the authoritie of the Scriptures it is manifest she is not guided as shee vanteth by the holy Ghost but contrariwise with a spirit of pride and licentiousnesse and of opposition against God and his authoritie word and will in those his Scriptures declared And what then can such a spirit be but the spirit in verie deed of Antichrist and consequently what can such a Church be but the erring and Antichristian Church 2 For further proofe whereof give mee leave now to shew unto you that The Popish Citie of Rome from whence as from their mother Church all Papists receive their bane is that very vvoman even that VVhore of Babylon as I said before which is mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn with vvhom the Kings of the earth have committed fornication and vvith the wine of vvhose fornication the Inhabitants of the earth have beene made drunken Which Woman is there further said to be arayed in purple and scarlet and gilded vvith gold and pretious stones and to have also outwardly a Cup of gold in her hand full neverthelesse within of abominations and filthinesse of her fornications and all this to entise and allure Lovers and friends unto her Now if wee would know certainely and assuredly who this woman was which S. Iohn thus saw in vision the Angel telleth us precisely saying The vvoman vvhich thou sawest is the great Citie that raigneth over the Kings of the earth But the great Citie that then raigned over the Kings of the earth in the daies of S. Iohn and had the Empire was not Constantinople nor anie other citie but only the citie of Rome as all men know and therefore only the citie of Rome and not anie other citie is and must needs be there meant under the name of the woman there otherwise called the VVhore of Babylon But for more explication who this woman was it is there further said that there were seven hills or Mountaines vvhereon the vvoman sate Now it is
an Ensigne of honour and as the Sword is before a King to waite and attend upon him So that he is also exalted above this Sebasma Yea what say yee to this that he is exalted even above their consecrated Host which they so devoutely worship accounting it their God and their Maker and affirme to be the verie Body of Christ is not this the greatest highest Sebasma or the most venerable thing in their Service and Religion and yet is even this their god and body of Christ as they call it as well as the Crosse made to waite and attend upon the Pope Ante Pontificem semper praefertur Crux post Crucem portatur corpus Christi super equum album cum campanella The Crosse is alwayes carried before the Pope saith the Booke of Ceremonies and after the Crosse is the Body of Christ carried upon an vvhite horse vvith a little Bell c. Yea the fact of Pope Gregory the seventh declareth how much the Pope when he listeth esteemeth this breaden God and consecrated Host and how farre when he pleaseth he exalteth and magnifieth himselfe above it for He consulting with that breaden god and demanding answers of it for that it gave him no answer he tooke it and threw it into the fire And therefore you perceive how the Pope is exalted advanced even above the greatest highest Sebasmata in the Romish church aswell as above those amongst the Gentiles if the text were of them to bee understood Yea if you would further force the words of the Text and make the meaning of them to bee that Antichrist should bee exalted even above the true God himselfe you may see how even that also is found verified in the Pope For doth not hee exalt himselfe even above the true God which holdeth his Authoritie and the Authoritie of his Church to be greater then the authority of the holie Scripture That without the Authoritie of the Church the Scripture is not authentical Yea that the Scripturs be of as much worth as Aesops fables if they be destitute of the authoritie of the church Doth not Pighius also teach Authoritatem Ecclesiae in ea pontificis maiorem esse quam Scripturae That the authoritie of the Church and therein of the Pope is greater then the authority of the Scripture Doth not Stapleton likewise teach and defend the same and sundry other Popish writers Againe when the Pope dispenceth with the Law Commandements and Precepts of God what doth he else but advance and exalt himselfe above God For In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior VVith the precept of a superior an inferior ought not to dispense Now the Pope boasteth that by that fulness of power which he hath he may lawfully dispence above the Law And they say that the Pope may dispense against the Apostle and against the Canons of the Apostles and in matters of Oathes Vowes Marriages obedience of Subiects and such like and against the Old Testament and the New Yea they say Papam posse mutare Evangelium eique pro loco tempore alium sensum tribuere That the Pope may change the Gospell and give unto it another sence as time and place requireth And that the Scripture and sense of it is to bee fitted to the time and as the practise of the Church is so that it is sometimes to bee taken in one sense and sometimes in an orher and that the Scripture is not otherwise to be accounted the word of God then in that sense or interpretation which the Pope or Church of Rome approoveth and setteth upon it and that if it bee in anie other sense it is not the Word of God but the word rather of the Divell Observe then that they say first that the authority of the Church is above the authoritie of the Scriptures and secondly that the Popes authoritie is above the authoritie of the Church so by this rekoning they make the Pope to be two degrees above God speaking in his Word seeing hee is above the Church the Church above the Scriptures But yet further who knoweth not that an offence against the Pope and his constitutions and the commandements of his Church is amongst them more heedefully regarded and more severely censured and punished then an offence against God and his Commandements Wherby doth likewise appeare that the Pope beareth sway amongst his followers more then God and consequently that he is amongst them exalted even above God himselfe But now lastly consider how much you be here againe mistaken whilst you thinke that Antichrist shall bee exalted above God which the words of the Text doe not affirme Obiect 8. The whore of Babylon in the Revelation of S. Iohn may bee interpreted for the universal Corps or Company of all the wicked in the world Answ. It cannot bee so taken or interpreted For then upon the burning and destruction of that Whore of Babylon should all the ungodly wicked of the world come also to confusion and bee destroyed but it is evident that after her burning and destruction sundrie wicked and ungodly people of the world doe live lamenting that her ruine Rev. 18.9 10 11.15 16. c. Yea the very description of that Whore of Babylon in Rev. 17 and al the circumstances to her belonging doe shew that it is meant of a particular Cittie and even of that particular City which then raigned over the Kings of the earth and was situate upon seven hills namely Rome And therefore doth Bellarmine himselfe confesse that the better exposition even in his iudgement is Per Meretricem intelligi Romam That by the VVhore Rome is understood And againe Cap. 5 he saith Explicat Mulierem esse urbem magnum quae sedet super septem colleâ— id est Romam The Angell Explaineth that woman to be the great Citie which fitteth upon seven hills that is Rome Other Iesuits that have written Commentaries upon the Revelation as namely Ribera and Viegas doe also expresly affirme that it is to bee understood of a particular Citie and namely of Rome Yea whereas Bellarmine for an evasion would have it vnderstood onely of Heathen Rome Ribera against that conceit saith VVee are to understand it not onely of Rome as it was long sithence under the heathen Emperors but also as it shall bee in the end of the world And Viegas likewise speaketh after the same manner saying All that which is spoken in those Chapters doth most manifestly agree to Rome And againe he saith The name of Babylon is to bee applyed to Rome which served Idols before ever it received the faith of Christ and to Rome also as it shall bee in the time of Antichrist And thus you see that not onely the Adversaries themselves do confesse this VVhore of Babylon to be Rome but further also some of them against Bellarmine acknowledge and teach that it is to be understood not onely of
things forbid evill things not onely such things as belong to humane societie but such things also as belong to Gods Religion Can anie thing be more plainely or more directly spoken for this purpose 4 It is true that the Oath of Supremacy conteyneth in it not onely an affirmative clause that The King is the onely supreme Governor of this Realme and of all other his Highnesse Dominions and countreyes c. but a negative clause also viz. that No forraine Prince person Prelate State or Potentate hath or or ought to have anie Iurisdiction power superioritie preeminence or authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme c. And why should wee not all frankely and freely acknowledge this For beside that the effect of this negative clause is included in the former affirmative what hath anie forraine Prince or Prelate to doe within anie the Kings Dominions without his leave and licence For as touching the Bishop of Rome otherwise called the Pope concerning whom all the scruple is made his authoritie is by Act of Parliament directly banished and abolished out of all his Maiesties Dominions So that by anie humane Law or constitution of force in this kingdome he neither hath nor can challenge anie authoritie at all much lesse a supremacy amongst us How then doth he claime it Or which way can he have it Is it by anie Divine Institution That hath been often pretended I know but could never yet be proved nor ever will be For as for those three Texts of Scripture which be usually alledged namely the one in Matth. 16 Tu es Petrus super hanc Petâ—â—â— c. and Luk. 22. Oraâ—i pro te Petre c. and Ioh. 21. Pasce oves meas c. They have beene often heretofore as they be againe afterward examined and cleerely shewed to make nothing for him in respect of anie supremacy eyther Civill or Ecclesiasticall In the meane time will you be pleased to heare what some great learned men even of former times when Poperie was not altogether so grosse and bad as it is in these daies have written of this matter Cusanus a Cardinall did himselfe dispute in his time against them that thought the Pope to have more power and authoritie then otger Bishops Oportet primum si hoc verum foret Petrum aliquid à Christâ— singularitatis recepisse Papam in hoc successorem esse sed scimus quod Petrus nihil plus potestatis à Christo accepit alijs Apostolis First if this were true then must Peter have received something singular from Christ and that the Pope be his successor therein but we know saith he that Peter received from Christ no more power or authoritie then the rest of the Apostles Aeneas Silviaâ— likewise who was afterward himselfe a Pope of Rome hath written a Booke of the Acts and proceedings of the Councell of Basil and first handling that Text Tu es Petrus super hanc petram c. he saith thus A quibus verbis ideo placuit eâ—ordiri quod aliqui verba haec ad extollendam Romani Pontificis authoritatem solen◠〈…〉 sed ut statim patebit alius est verborum Christi sensus Of which words it therefore pleased mee to begin for that some are wont to alledge these words for the extolling of the authoritie of the Pope of Rome but as shall by and by appeare there is saith he another sense or meaning of those words of Christ. Iohn Gerson also Chancellor of the Vniversitie of Paris inveighing against flatterie and flatterers of the Pope saith That this offence was given by such as would prove his Iurisdiction from certaine Texts of Scripture as Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram c. and Oravi pro te Petre c. and such like which Texts saith he bee taken by these flatterers grosse non secundum regulam Evangelicam grossely and not according to the rule of the Gospell Observe well these speeches for they tell you how much these Texts of Scripture both heretofore have beene and still be herein abused it being indeed a thing certaine that neither to the civill Supremacie nor yet to the ecclesiasticall the Pope can make anie good title In times past he claimed the one or at least a great part of the Empire by a pretended gift or donation of Constantine the Emperor But that supposed donation and conveyance hath beene long since shewed to be a forged and counterfeit thing and that not onely by Protestants but by Papists also as namely by Valla by Volateran by Antoninus Catalanus by Canus also loc Theol. lib. 1. cap. 5. and by Pope Pius the second as Balbus witnesseth and by sundrie others In like manner he claimed in ancient time an ecclesiasticall supremacie by a supposed Canon of the Councell of Nice but that was also upon examination found to be a forged and counterfeit Canon and so discovered and made evident to the world by the sundrie Bishops of those times assembled in Councels And divers other forged Authors they likewise alledge for this purpose as for example certaine Decretall Epistles under the nameâ— of Clemens Anacletus Evaristus Sixtus Teleâ—phorus Higiâ—s Pius Anicetus Victor c. of which Epistles Bellarmine himselfe speaking saith Nec indubitatas esse affirmare audeam that neither durst he affirme them to be undoubted or uncounterfeit Such forged suspicious and counterfeit writings therefore can make no good or sure title to the Pope but contrariwise doe make the matter the more evident and the more odious against him Yea even the title appellation of universall Bishop wherin consisteth the summe and substance of the ecclesiasticall Supremacie he claimeth did two Bishops of Rome themselves in ancient time oppugne stand against when it was first affected by Iohn the Bishop and Patriarch of Constantinople for first Pelagius and then Gregory the great both Bishops of Rome withstood it Let no Patriarch saith Pelagius use so prophane a Title Againe he saith God forbid that it should ever fall into the heart of a Christian to assume any thing unto himselfe vvhereby the honour of his brethren may be debased for this cause I in my Epistles never call any by that name for feare lest by giving him more then is his due I might seeme to take away even that which of right belongeth to him For saith he The Divell our adversary goeth about like a roaring Lyon exercising his rage upon the humble and meeke hearted and seeking to devoure not now the sheepe-coats but even the principall members of the Church And againe hee saith Consider my brethren vvhat is like to ensue c. For he commeth neere unto him of whom it is written This is he which is King over all the children of Pride which words I speake with griefe of mind in that I see our brother and fellow Bishop Iohn in despite of the commandement of our Saviour the precepts of the Apostles
and Canons of the Church by this haughty name to make himselfe his forerunner that is the forerunner of the King of Pride namely of Antichrist And he further addeth that hereby Iohn went about to attribute to himselfe those things which properly belong to the head himselfe that is to Christ and by the usurpation of this Pompous Title to bring under his subiection all the members of Christ. And therefore hee saith They must beware that this Tentation of Satan prevaile not over them either to give or to take this title of universall Bishop Gregory the great was likewise verie vehement and earnest against it By this Arrogancy and Pride saith he what else is portended but that the time of Antichrist is now at hand in that he imitateth him who making light of that happinesse which he possessed in common with the whole army of Angels would needs aspire to a singularitie above all the rest Againe hee saith All those that have read the Gospel know well vvhat the Lord said unto Peter c howbeit he is not called the universall Apostle and yet behold my fellow Priest Iohn seeketh to be called the universall Bishop I am now forced to cry out O the times and ô the maners of men Europe is now exposed for a prey to the Barbarians and yet the Priests vvho should lye along in the dust upon the Pavement vveeping and rowling themselves in ashes seeke after names of vanity and boast themselves of their new found prophane Tiâ—les And againe he saith VVhat vvilt thou answer unto Christ vvho is the true head of the universall Church in that day of Iudgement seeing that by this name of universall Bishop thou seekest to bring under all the members of his body unto thy selfe whom dost thou imitate herein save onely him vvho in contempt of those legions of Angels vvhich vvere his fellowes sought to mount aloft to the Top of Singularity vvhere he might be subiect to none and all others subiect unto him Againe he saith The king of Pride is at hand and vvhich I dread to speake an army of Priests standeth ready to receive him For they that vvere appointed to chalke out the vvay of meekenesse and of humblenesse doe now become souldiers unto that neâ—ke of Pride vvhich lifteth it sâ—lfe up And againe he saith Not to speake of the vvrong vvhich he hereby doth unto other Bishops If there be one called universall Bishop then must the universall Church goe to the ground if he vvhich is universall happen to fall but never may such foolery befall us never may this vveakenesse come unto my eares And againe he saiâ—h I speake â—t confidently that vvhosoever calleth himselfe or desâ—reth to be called universall Priest is in that his elation of minde the forerunner of Antichrist And a great deale more doth he write to this effect against it But notwithstanding that both these Bishops of Rome were herein thus earnest and vehement yet neverthelesse after the death of this Gregory the great Sabinianus succeeded who was Bishop but for a verie little space then came in Boniface the third to be Pope of Rome who obteyned of Phocas the Emperor who was a Traytor and murtherer of his predecessor and liege Lord the Emperor Mauritius that new and proud title of universal Bishop or headship over the whole Church For so also testifieth Paulus Diaconus Abbas Vspergensis Platina Otho Frisingensis Marianus Scotus Sabellicus Blondus and other Historians So that this appeareth to be then and in those times a verie new device and a new matter not heard of before in the Church and consequently could not be a declaration of a thing ever before acknowledged as Bellarmine would most strangely perswade Howbeit he alledgeth that before that time Iustinian called the Church of Rome the head of all the Churches And this is true but in that sense in which he called also that other namely the Church of Constantinople by the same name saying likewise that Constantinople is the head of all other Churches both which he so calleth in respect they were Patriarchall Sees and consequently everie of them Head of all the other Churches that were under them in those their severall Patriarchships But saith Bellarmine the Patriarch and Bishop of Rome was called Vniversall or Oecumenicall Bishop before Phocas his time whereunto is answered that so were also the other Patriarchs as well as he for so did Iustinian call Epiphanius the Bishop of Constantinople sometimes oecumenicall and sometimes which is all one universall Patriarch So doth he also call Anthemius and Menna in his Novels And the Councell of Calcedon likewise in sundry places calleth Menna oecumenicall Patriarch And so were other of the Patriarchs also called in respect of the generall charge which iointly together they had over all the Churches and in respect also of all those particular Churches which were severally belonging to each of them in right of those their severall Patriarchships Wherefore the taking of this Title from the rest of the Patriarches within their severall Patriarchships and the peculiarizing and appropriating of it to one Bishop or Patriarch alone as namely to the Bishop of Rome thereby to give him the headship and supremacie over all the Bishops in the world doth still appeare to be not untill this time of that abhominable Traytor and murtherer Phocas who bestowed it upon him about the yeare of our Lord 606. Such a wicked Founder and Author of it hath the Popes Ecclesiasticall Supremacy which as it had his originall from a Traytor so is it still continued upheld and maintained if ye well observe it by Treason and Rebellion But to make this yet more manifest ye may remember that the Christian Churches were in ancient times divided amongst foure or five Patriarches as of Rome Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem who in those ancient times were all of equall authoritie amongst themselves and had everie one their severall bounds limits beyond which they might not goe This is evident even by divers generall Councels and first by the first generall Councell of Nice holden anno 325. wherein were 318. Bishops The words of that Councell Can. 6. be these Let the ancient customes continue in force that are in Egypt Libia and Pentapolis That the Bishop of Alexandria have the governement of all these for as much as the Bishop of Rome also hath the like custome And so likewise throughout Antioch and in other Provinces let the Churches have their Prerogatives upholden by them Where we see that the severall Patriarches and by name the Bishop of Alexandria and the Bishop of Rome had their limits and bounds set them which they might not exceed for the ancient rights and customes touching the bounds limits of Alexandria be there confirmed because the Bishop of Rome who was another of the Patriarches had the like custome as touching bounds and limits set and appointed to him within his
Patriarchship This then sheweth That the Bishop of Rome his government in those times extended but to the precincts of his owne Province likewise and no further For had it stretched over all the world then could not from thence anie good patterne have beene drawne to confirme and fortifie the like at Alexandria which was not to extend it selfe over all the world but to keepe it selfe within certaine limits and bounds onely Yea what resemblance or parilitie was there or could there be betweene him that is an universall Bishop and a Provinciall So that if you will make the Bishop of Rome at that time to have an universall governement over all the Christian world you must conclude the same also for the Bishop of Alexandria that hee had so likewise for there was parilis mos the like usage in both as the very words of the Canon it selfe affirme But if you will say as you must needs that by this Councell of Nice the Bishop of Alexandria had his limits and bounds confirmed to him by the patterne and example of the Bishop of Rome for that is the patterne there proposed for Alexandria then must you also grant according to right and truth that the Bishop of Rome aswell as the Bishop of Alexandria and the rest of the Patriarchall Bishops in those times had likewise everie one of them their severall limits bounds and precincts set them beyond which they might not passe nor extend their authoritie And this you may yet further see by Ruffinus lib. 1. cap. 6. and by the Councell of Africa cap. 92. 105. c. verie cleerely for your better satisfaction Againe the first generall Councell of Constantinople held about anno 381. and consisting of 150. Bishops Can. 2. 3. And the Councel of Ephesus also held about ann 431. Ca. 8. doe both shew that the Provinces of the world were in those times distinguished and distributed and the Bishops and Patriarches so restrained to their owne severall precincts and limits ut nullus Episcoporum alienam invadat provinciam that no Bishop or Patriarch might invade or intrude upon anothers Province or precinct It is true that the Bishop of Rome had the honour of the first place the Bishop of Constantinople had the second place the Bishop of Alexandria the third the Bishop of Antioch the fourth and the Bishop of Hierusalem the fift But this precedencie or prioritie of place all men know is such as may be among those that be otherwise Equals amongst themselves and proveth only a prioritie of order but no prioritie of Dominion or of a Princely power or Monarchicall authority in anie one of them over the rest Yea the generall Councell of Calcedon also held about ann 451 wherein were 630 Bishops Act. 16. hath these words Following the Decrees of the holy Fathers and of those 150 Bishops assembled under Theodosius the elder of blessed memory in the royall Citie of Constantinople and acknowledging the same VVee also Decree and ordaine the same things concerning the priviledges or preeminences of the said Church of Constantinople vvhich is new Rome For our fathers gave those preeminences to the seate of Elder Rome because that City had the Empire And the 150 Bishops moved vvith the same consideration gave the same preeminences to the most sacred seate of New Rome thinking it reason that the citie vvhich is honoured vvith the Empire and Senate should have equall preeminences vvith Elder Rome and in Ecclesiasticall matters should be advanced Equally vvith her being in place the next unto her It is true that the then Pope of Rome by his Legats or Vicegerents did what hee could to withstand and hinder this Decree but for all that it prevayled and was of force as even Cardinal Cusanus himselfe affirmeth thereby proving a Generall Councell to be above the Pope and the Decrees thereof to be good and avayleable though the Pope never give his consent unto them Yea the sixt generall Councell of Constantinople Can. 36. did also long after confirme and ratifie this Decree and accordingly made another Decree to the same effect saying thus Renuing the Decrees of the 150 Fathers that met in this royall City of Constantinople and of the 630 Bishops assembled at Chalcedon vvee likewise decree that the Sea of Constantinople have equall Priviledges vvith the seate of Elder Rome and in Ecclesiasticall matters be advanced equally vvith Rome being the next unto it By all which it is apparant that the Bishop or Patriarch of Constantinople was within his Patriarchship to have as great priviledges preeminences and authorities as touching Church affaires as the Bishop of Rome was to have within his Patriarchship And as you may observe by these Councels that the Primacie which the Bishop of Rome at the first had and obteyned was onely a Primacie of honour or of Order or of place and not anie Primacie of Princely or Regall power over the rest of his fellow Patriarches so you may also perceive that even that Primacy was not given him as belonging to him in anie right from S. Peter as hee now strangely claimeth but by reason onely of the Citie or place whereof he was Bishop namely for that Rome was then the Imperiall Citie or seate of the Emperors But the Bishop of Rome contented not himselfe with this Primacie of honour or of order or precedencie of place but afterward clymbed higher even to a Primacie of Princely power and Monarchicall authoritie and that not onely over his fellow-Patriarches and Bishops but over all Emperors also and Kings and Princes which be his Superiors and over all Generall Councels likewise his Pride and ambition having no meane nor measure in it And yet is this his claymed Supremacie over Councels also but a new devise and of a verie late standing in the world For Councels untill of verie late times were held both for opinion and practise to be above the Pope and the Popes authoritie as is apparant by the Councell assembled at Pisa about the yeare of our Lord 1408. two striving at that time for the Popedome viz. Gregory the 12 and Benedict the 13. This Councell proceeded against both these Popes deposed them condemned them both for hereticks and schismaticks and required all Christians not to take them for Popes or to yeeld obedience to them which Councell is also by Io Gerson much commended Likewise in the Councell of Constance which was called about Ann. 1414. was Pope Iohn the 23th deposed and for confirmation thereof it declareth the right and authoritie of a Councell to be above the Pope The Councell of Basil likewise deposed another Pope namely Eugenius the fourth where againe the authoritie and power of a Councell above the Pope is expresly ratified and confirmed and he affirmed to be an hereticke that shall say to the contrarie How then can Iesuites and others avoid the note and name of hereticks which in these latter times contrarie to the practise and
decrees of these former generall Councels dare and doe affirme the Pope to be above all general Councels to be supreme Iudge over all and not subiect to the iudgement of anie upon earth Is not this intolerable pride and most abhominable licentiousnesse and lawlesnesse in the Pope of Rome and most grosse notorious and palpable flatterie in his followers The Popes Supremacie ecclesiasticall then which he claimeth over all Bishops and Councels and the civill Supremacie which he likewise claimeth over all Kings and Emperors appeareth to be not onely a meere Noveltie but a thing also extreamely iniurious to all Bishops and Councels and to all Kings Princes and Emperors also and is therefore iustly worthie of all to be detested and reiected 6 For must not the Supremacie civill which hee also claimeth over Emperors Kings and Princes to depose them from their Crownes and Kingdomes and to assoile their subiects of their allegeance be a most strange and a most damnable impietie when God himselfe saith thus By mee Kings raigne and not by the commission or permission of anie Pope and when in Daniel a voice from heaven proclaimeth That it is not the Pope but The most high that beareth rule over the kingdome of men and giveth it to vvhomsoever hee vvill and when moreover not the Pope but God himselfe is hee that is intituled King of kings and Lord of lords Besides it is a thing cleerely out of the commission of the Apostles and consequently out of the commission of all Bishops and other Ministers of the Gospel for they be the Keyes of the kingdome of heaven and not of earthly kingdomes that bee committed unto them And therefore it is not within the compasse of this their Divine and Ecclesiastical commission to meddle with anie earthly matters much lesse with earthly kingdomes or to depose anie Kings from their Thrones or to give away their kingdomes or to disanull the duetie and allegeance of subiects which by the law of God and Nature they owe unto their Soveraignes Did anie Apostle yea or all the Apostles together in ancient time take upon them to depose Nero or anie other Emperor were he never so great a persecutor or were hee never so wicked Or did anie Bishops in the ancient Church take upon them to depose anie of them that were hereticall Arrian Emperors in their times and persecuters of the Oxthodox and right beleeving Christians Yea did anie Bishop or all the Bishops in the world together take upon them to depose the Emperor Iulian though an Apostata though a man Anathematized though a most impious person and a scorner of Christ and of all Christian Religion By this one president then of Iulian the Apostata if there were no other you may easily perceive that no excommunication or Anathematization nor anie power of the Keyes whatsoever committed by Christ to Bishops Ministers of the Gospel have anie force included in them to depose Emperors Kings and Princes be they never so wicked or adverse to Christ or Christianitie yea that Bishops in no sort neither directly nor indirectly or in ordine ad Spiritualia as they speake or for advancement of anie pretended or Revera Catholike cause have anie such authoritie For Iulian still remained an Emperor and his Christian souldiers and subiects notwithstanding that he was so great an enemie to their Religion were neverthelesse obedient dutifull and serviceable unto him as S. Augustine also sheweth and affirmeth So farre off were they from rebelling or withdrawing their allegeance from him and so farre off also were the Bishops of those times from perswading abetting or counselling anie such wicked matter unto them Yea whereas Bellarmine and some other Papists affirme that the Christians in the primitive and those ancient Churches were therefore obedient because they wanted sufficient power and force to withstand their wicked Emperors doe they not herein speake more like politicke Atheists then Christian Divines Where is Obedience for conscience sake which God requireth of all Christians as S. Paul witnesseth if such Popish doctrine as this were true But besides Tertullian expressely confuteth it witnessing that such was the affection and disposition of the Christians in those times being ledde thereunto by dutie conscience as that they neither taught nor put in practice any course of disloyaltie or disobedience or bare armes against their Emperor albeit they had as he there sheweth sufficient force to have done it Yea the Christians in those times notwithstanding all their great number strength their sufficient power to rebel if they had bin so ill disposed were neverthelesse so farre from rebelling or procuring rebellions to be made against the Emperor of their times that contrariwise they were quiet and suffered all things patiently and prayed for him that Almightie God would grant unto him A long life a secure raigne safetie in his Court valiant Souldiers a faithfull Counsell dutifull subiects a quiet kingdome and all those blessings and comforts that his heart could desire Sigebert mentioning the Popes proceedings against Henry the Emperor divers hundred yeares since saith thus Bee it spoken vvith the leave of all good men This novelty that I say not heresie had not as yet sprung up in the vvorld that Gods Priests should teach the people that they owe no subiection to evill Princes and though they have sworne allegeance to him yet they owe him no fidelitie nor shall be counted periured that devise against the King yea That hee that obeyeth him shall be counted for excommunicate and he that doth against the King shall be absolved from the guilt of vvrong and periurie Vincentius likewise testifieth the same matter Where you see how directly they both condemne these trayterous and rebellious positions of Poperie which be at this day by too manie amongst them cherished and maintained for points of Catholike doctrine and that notwithstanding the pretence of the Popes authoritie and of a Catholike cause they be long since condemned and accounted and recorded to be meere Novelties if not Heresies Now then you perceive I trust that as the Pope hath no Supremacie lawfull in Ecclesiasticis so much lesse hath he anie Supremacie lawfull in Temporalibus within the Kings Dominions or elsewhere within the Dominions of anie other King And I assure my selfe that such are your loyalties and such the odiousnesse and apparant untruth of the trayterous and rebellious positions delivered in these later times by Iesuites and such like Popish Teachers against Kings for maintenance of the Popes pride that yee unfainedly and utterly abhorre detest those positions of theirs together with their practises as they are indeed iustly worthie I would yee did also detest the rest of their false doctrines as I hope upon better information ye will even for truths sake and the safetie of your owne soules 7 But to proceed what cleerer or greater argument can there be against the Popes Supremacie
some have done that the King is therein called Supreme head of the Church they are deceived The words of the Oath at this day to take away all offence that any might conceive in that point being not supreme HEAD but supreme GOVERNOR And as touching this Title of Governor within his owne Dominions none can with anie reason gainesay it inasmuch as beside that which is before spoken King Alfred reigning long sithence was likewise called Omnium Britanniae Insulae Christianorum Rector The Governor of all the Christians vvithin the Isle of Britanny The Councell also held at Mentz in Germanie the yeare 814 in the time of the Emperor Charles the great and Pope Leo the third calleth likewise the Christian Emperor Carolus Augustus Governor of the True Religion and Defendor of the holy Church of God c. And a little after they say thus VVee give thankes to God the Father almighty because he hath granted unto his holy Church a Governor so godly c. In the yeare 847. there was also held another Councel at Mentz in the time of Leo the fourth and Lotharius the Emperor where they againe call the Emperor Verae Religionis strenuissimum rectorem a most puissant Governor of the true Religion The like was ascribed to King Reccesumthius in a Councell held at Emerita in Portugale about the yeare 705 in these words VVhose vigilancie doth governe both secular things vvith very great piety and ecclesiasticall by his vvisedome plentifully given him of God Where you see it expressely acknowledged that the King is a Governor both in causes secular and ecclesiasticall And this Councell of Emerita had also good allowance of Pope Innocent the third in his Epistle to Peter Archbishop of Compostella as Garsias witnesseth So that the Title of Governor even as touching matters ecclesiasticall as well as civill or secular attributed to the King he governing in them after a Regall manner and not in that Ecclesiasticall manner which Bishops and Clergie men use can no way justly be misliked but must in all reason be well approved and allowed Howbeit I grant that King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt had that Title of Head in their times given unto them but not of the universal Church upon earth as the Pope hath but of the Church onely within their owne Dominions and not within their owne Dominions neither in such sort and sense as the Pope taketh upon him to be Head over all the Churches in the world that is to rule and governe them at his own pleasure and as he lift himselfe Indeed Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester when he was in Germanie upon the Kings affaires was there a very ill Interpretor of that Title Supreme head of the Church vvithin his owne Dominions given to King Henry the eight reporting that the King might thereby prescribe and appoint new ordinances in the Church concerning faith and doctrine as namely forbid the marriage of Priests and take away the use of the Cup in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and in things concerning Religion might do what he listed This manner of declaring the Kings power and authoritie under that Title did so much offend the reformed Churches that Calvin and the writers of the Centuries did complaine of it and that iustly and worthily bearing that sense but in no other sort or sense did they dislike it Yea even that Title of Supreme head being rightly understood needed not to have offended anie for they had iâ— in no other sort or sense then the King of Israel likewise had the title of Head of the Tribes of Israel of which Tribes the Leviticall Tribe was one Or then Theodosius that Christian Emperor had the like within his Empire of whom Saint Chrysostome saith that non habet parem super terram He hath no peere or equall upon earth and affirmeth moreover of him that hee was summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum the Head and one that had the Supremacy over all men upon earth Yea by the Title of supreme Head attributed to King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt was no more meant but the verie same that was afterward meant to the late Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie or to King Iames our now Soveraigne Lord under the title of Supreme Governor for that they are both to be taken intended in one the selfe same sense is verie manifest even by a direct clause in an Act of Parliament viz. the Statute of 5. Eliz. cap. 1. in which also is declared how the Oath of Supremacie is to be expounded And the words of that Statute be these Provided also that the Oath viz of Supremacie expressed in the said Act made in the said first yeare of her raigne shall be taken and expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Maiesties raigne that is to say to confesse and acknowledge in her Maiestie her heyres and successors none other authoritie then that vvhich vvas challenged and lately used by the noble king Henry the eight and king Edward the sixt as in the said Admonition more plainly may appeare Where first you may observe the Authoritie attributed to King Henry the eight and to King Edward the sixt and to Queene Elizabeth as touching this point intended and declared to be all one And secondly you see it enacted how the Oath of Supremacy is to bee expounded namely that it is to be taken expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queens Majesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Raigne The words of which Admonition therefore as more amply conteyning the explanation of the same Oath I have here thought good to adde for your better and most full satisfaction in this matter The Title whereof is this An Admonition to simple men deceived by the malicious HEr Maiesty forbiddeth all her subiects to give eare or credite to such perverse and malicious persons vvhich most sinisterly and maliciously labour to notifie to her loving subiects how by the vvordes of the Oath of Supremacy it may be collected that the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessioners of the Crowne may challenge authoritie and power of Ministery of Divine offices in the Church vvherein her said subiects be much abused by such evill disposed persons for certainly her Maiestie neyther doth nor ever vvill challenge any other authority then that vvhich vvas of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is to say under God to have the Soveraignety and rule over all maner of Persons borne vvithin these her Maiesties Dominions and Countries of vvhat estate eyther Ecclesiasticall or Temporall soever they be So as no forraine Power shall or ought to have any superioritie over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the
forme of the said Oath shall accept of the same Oath vvith this interpretation sense or meaning her Maiestie is vvell pleased to accept every such in that behalfe as her good and obedient subiects and shall acquite them of all maner penalties contayned in the said All against such as shall peremptorily or obstinately refuse to take the same Oath The words of that Admonition being thus set downe I shall need to say no more For hereby you see I trust verie fully the true certaine and undoubted sense scope meaning and interpretation of the Oath Why therefore should anie be so contentious or malicious as to wrest or wring it to a contrarie meaning or such as it never intended For hereby appeareth that although the king be supreme Governor within his owne Dominions yet it is explained That he is supreme Governor under God so that by reason thereof the King neither doth nor can take upon him anie authoritie over Gods word or ordinances to devise alter or frame religion as he list as some verie odiously and no lesse strangely have inferred Such thoughts be farre from his godly minde Neither when it is said at anie time That the King hath Authoritie or Iurisdiction ecclesiasticall is anie other thing meant thereby but his Iurisdiction or Authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes and over ecclesiasticall persons and thereby is not meant or intended as some againe verie absurdly and malignantly have imagined That the King hath anie such authoritie as is meerely Ecclesiasticall and proper to Bishops Pastors and such like Ministers of the Church as namely to preach to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate to absolve to consecrate Bishops or such like for the exposition of the Oath which is before delivered in the Admonition and ratified by an expresse Act of Parliament directly declareth the contrarie to that conceit And therefore his Majesties authoritie in Ecclesiasticall causes must not be conceived to be anie such as is properly Sacerdotall or Episcopall but such as is rightly and properly Regall and Imperiall Which Regall and Imperiall Authoritie ought no more to be denied unto him then that which is meerely and properly Sacerdotal or Episcopal may be denied to Priests or Bishops What should hinder then but that yee all may as ye ought utterly renounce and forsake for ever the Papall and all forraine Iurisdictions whatsoever and further also promise according to the tenor of the Oath to your power to assist and defend all jurisdictions priviledges preeminences and authorities granted or belonging to the King his heires and successors or united and annexed to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme considering that there is no Authoritie in these matters ecclesiasticall granted or belonging to the King or united or annexed to his Crown but such as appeareth to be lawfull and is rightly Regall and Imperiall and which withall in no sort wrongeth the authoritie of anie other Church governors of Gods institution whosoever Yea the King is so farre from encroching or intruding upon or impugning or hindering anie of the offices or authorities granted or belonging unto them from God that contrariwise he leaveth all those rights and authorities wholly and entirely unto them to be executed and which is more such is his most godly and Christian disposition that to that their divine Calling Ambasâ—age and Ministerie enioyned them from God and by them sincerely and faithfully administred himselfe in his owâ—â— person most readily and willingly yeeldeth both reverence and obedience as wel knowing that in respect of God whose Ambassadors and Ministers they be and whose word and will onely they are to teach and deliver the greatest King is but a subiect Howbeit neverthelesse otherwise and in respect of their owne persons it must be confessed that they be subiect unto him and owe him obedience and are in all dutie and humilitie to performe the same unto him So that I hope you now sufficiently perceive that his Maiesties Supremacie under God his government and authoritie as touching causes persons ecclesiasticall being such as is only Regal and Imperial and no way derogatorie preiudiciall or iniurious to anie Bishops Pastors or Ministers that be of divine Institution or to their offices and functions but rather verie much helpfull to them in their places is so farre from being to be disliked that contrariwise being rightly understood it is ever to be allowed and that with much praise thanks unto God for the same whose gracious ordinance it is for the further good greater comfort and benefit of his Church and Religion CAP. II. Wherein is shewed That our Church was in the Apostles dayes and in all times and ages since howsoever that which we call Popery did as an Infection or Corruption grow unto it whereof it was againe to be purged and so to become as we call it a reformed Church and that all these things came thus to passe in the Church according to the Prophecies thereof formerly delivered in Gods owne Booke AND What is to be thought of those forefathers of ours that lived and dyed in the time of Poperie AS ALSO That long before the Dayes of King HENRY the eight and long before LUTHER or CALVIN were borne the Pope of Rome was complayned of and exclaymed against and affirmed and published to be Antichrist as also Popish Rome affirmed to be the whore of Babylon mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn BEfore I enter to speake of the other particular points hereafter mentioned it will not be amisse here to speake something in a generall sort concerning Gods Church and his Religion For how confident and resolute soever some take upon them to be in that Popish Religion they hold and professe yet is that no proofe that therefore they be right for not only those of a right Religion but those also of a wrong be verie resolute and confident as appeareth by all Sectaries Heretickes and Schismatickes who be verie pertinacious and resolute for the maintenance of their severall errors and opinions Neither is it a reason sufficient for them to say they follow the waies of their forefathers and ancestors except they be sure that they went the right way for we are not to follow our forefathers and ancestors in anie vices or errours they held be they otherwise never so deare unto us VValke not yee saith God in the ordinances of your fathers nor observe yee their maners nor defile your selves vvith their Idols I am the Lord your God vvalke yee in my statutes and keepe my Iudgements and doe them Yea ye may remember that it is written thus of some people who are therefore much reproved So did their children and their childrens children As did their fathers so doe they unto this day Where further it is said that notwithstanding this following of their forefathers and doing after their old custome yet they obeyed not God Nor is it sufficient for them to say they follow the doctrine or direction of their
of Gods owne voyce and commandement from heaven enioyning them thereunto as is before declared Neither would they have departed or gone out from them that is from the Papists but that they namely the Papists had first departed and gone from the soundnesse truth and sinceritie of the most ancient primitive and Apostolike Churches Well therefore doth one use this similitude that as when a faire poole of water becommeth in time corrupted weedes doe grow mudde increaseth and Frogs be ingendred in it the owner thereof cutteth a channel and leaving the corruption drawes the water to another place and so useth it without danger and the Frogs remaining can take no iust exception for this departure and separation of the water from them nor can claime the water to be theirs so neither can the Papacie accuse us for our departure or going out of their defiled and deformed Church sith God the Lord and owner of his Church would have us so to doe and so long as we left nothing behinde us but the mudde frogges and weedes and that which was the cleere and pure water before their comming we still possesse hold and retaine You now see then I hope where our Church was in all times and ages even during all the time of the raigne of the Papacie and untill wee made an actuall separation from it And much more I trust you perceive it since our separation For the Protestants reformed Churches have ever sithence that time been verie visible and still be thanks be to God verie splendent even to the eyes of the most malignant world 2 If anie doe further aske as they are sometime wont to doe what is become of our forefathers and ancestors that lived and died in the time of Poperie As wee doe and must leave them unto God whose secret counsels and judgements it is not fit for us to search into or to determin of yet this we say That we hope well and make no doubt of the salvation of manie of them First because for a long time there were in the Papacie both true Christians and false Christians right worshippers of God and false worshippers intermingled together namely untill that time aforesaid of an actuall separation yea the holy Scriptures and Sacraments the publique Ensignes of Gods Church were there though much corrupted abused Which Ensignes being displayed in the Popish Church nothing but Christianitie there pretended though indeede there was also direct Antichristianisme intermingled it was an easie matter for manie simple soules that were not able to iudge and discerne of these things thereby to be deceived For as Chrysostome or whosoever was the Author of the imperfect worke saith Antichrist sitting in the holy places of the Church and possessing the Churches vvas to have all that in shew vvhich the Church of Christ hath in Truth viz. Churches Scriptures Bishops Clerkes Baptisme Eucharist c. So that manie no doubt in those dayes under colour of those Ensignes and shewes were as they be also at this day deceived and thinking all to be well followed the Pope and Papacie like those two hundreth who in simplicitie of heart followed Absolon from Hierusalem knowing nothing of his treason and rebellion intended Or like as if a close and hidden Traytor being once and of a long time formerly in good grace and esteeme with his King should under colour and pretence of the King his Maisters service summon all his true subiects to follow him pretending a Commission from him for that purpose which neverthelesse included no such matter in it as he pretended In this case even some good subiects not knowing of his treason and beleeving his Commission to be true and to import as much as he divulged it for and the pretender of it to be a right honest and loyall man and to be still in good grace esteeme with his King receiving no advertisement to the contrarie might possibly so farre be deceived as to follow him for a while untill the Treason were discovered and therein might so farre forth in some sort be held pardonable So concerning such as in those times followed the Bishop of Rome who was once a good Bishop pretending himselfe to be made Head Ruler and Monarch of the whole and universall Church upon earth and that by warrant and Commission from Christ when indeed whatsoever hee pretended hee had no such Commission from him In this case so long as they followed him but in ignorance and simplicitie thinking all things to be right and well and as they ought to be and receiving no advertisement to the contrarie God might and we hope he did receive manie of those to mercie But such as knew the Pope to be an usurper and a traytor to Christ the onely and true King and Head of the universall Church or being advertised thereof would neverthelesse make no regard of anie such advertisement or admonitions but would maugre all admonitions wilfully persist and adhere unto him and to his false and Antichristian doctrine and designes be not so excusable And this kind of difference S. Cyprian maketh when he saith thus If any of our predecessors or Ancestors either of ignorance or of a simplicity have not held and kept that which our Lord taught them by his authoritie and example him the mercy of our Lord might have pardoned and forgiven But vve saith hee for our parts may not hope for the like favour because vvee are now admonished and instructed by him But secondly wee answer That though this mysterie of Iniquity did cast into the doctrine and Religion of Christ a great deale of Poyson so that it hath infected with his venome the most daintie meates that God hath given for the spirituall nourishment of his people yet did God give grace to some to abstaine from it to some others to cast it up againe to others to dissever it from the sound meate to others to overcome it 〈◊〉 that manie escaped the danger of it For example how manie of the common people were in those times never acquainted with those pestiferous distinctions of Merits de Congruo and de Condigno or with that distinction of Doulia and latria and huper doulia c or understood them not or else beleeved them not For even at this day they understand not these distinctions Yea manie of the common people will at this day say that they serve God onely and not Images in anie sort howsoever their great Rabbies and Maisters in these distinctions doe otherwise teach As likewise manie of them at this day will say that they doe not beleeve to be saved by anie merits of their owne but by Gods mercie onely whatsoever Friers Monkes Priests or Iesuites teach or write to the contrarie Yea even amongst the learned themselves also as well as amongst the vulgar and common people there were some that held that fundamentall point of their salvation to be onely of Gods meere mercie and through faith
then the Popish have the soules of men bin bought sold For be not their Priests Iesuits Friers and such other of that counterfeit holie order the men that are imployed as Merchants Factors in such wicked merchandizes Yea doth not everie 〈◊〉 among them take upon him to forgive sinnes verie boldliâ— I know that the Ministers of Christ have power and authorite given them to remit and forgive sinnes But these Priests of theirs bee not the Ministers of Christ whatsoever they pretend but the Ministers of Antichrist and therefore they have no such authoritie from Christ to forgive sinnes but doe onely cousen and abuse mens soules therein For the Pope from whom they derive their authoritie and ordination to that their Priesthood is the verie grand Antichrist as doth alreadie but yet more fullie afterward in good measure shal appeare And yet even the authority also which Christs Ministers themselves have received herein is to forgive sins not absolutelie as pleaseth themselves but ministerially only and declaratively that to such persons as by warrant from Gods word be allowed to receive it that is to say they are to declare pronounce remission of sins to all and everie such person or persons as unfainedlie beleeve in Iesus Christ as in their whole and onely Saviour and Redeemer renouncing utterlie all confidence in their owne merits and righteousnesse and together with a true and livelie faith have an earnest sorrow and repentance for their sinnes formerlie past and a purpose and endeavour of amendment for the time to come And so S. Hierome upon Matth. 16. expoundeth it and saith that the Ministers of Christ have received power to binde and to loose that is saith he to shew or declare who they bee that bee bound or loosed in the sentence of God and before his Tribunal and Iudgement seat And so doe the Schoolemen also interpret it and in all reason it must be so For if anie Minister shall declare or pronounce remission of sinnes to an ungodlie and impenitent or unbeleeving person or to anie whosoever whom Gods word doth not warrant remission of sinnes unto everie man will grant that such a one hath not remission of sinnes at Gods hand notwithstanding the Ministers such pronouncing of remission of them So that if they will have that to bee bound in heaven which they doe binde on earth and that to bee loosed in heaven which they doe loose on earth they must bee carefull to pronounce both remission and reteyning of sinnes to such persons onely as they bee due unto by the warrant of Gods word For if they shall binde the godlie penitent and beleeving Soule whom God looseth and absolveth or if they shall loose or absolve the wicked ungodlie impenitent and unbeleeving person whom God by the tenor of his word bindeth and forgiveth not such binding and loosing is not warranted nor ratified in heaven Howbeit most unreasonable and unsatiable hath beene the covetous merchandizing of mens soules in the Popish Rome not onelie this waie and by buying and selling of Pardons Indulgences but by buying and selling also of Popedomes Bishoprickes Cardinalships Abbathies Benefices and such like Yea from whence else arose the Proverbe so long used in Poperie viz. No penie no Pater noster but from the intolerable greedie covetousnesse of the Popish Priests and Clergie who would doe nothing without money and for money seemed to doe anie thing So that these Romish Merchants bee those that through covetousnesse with fained words doe merchandize men as S Peter foretold they should and as Claudius Espencaelus himselfe declareth But moreover whilst those their filthy Stewes be by publicke authoritie allowed or tolerated amongst them for rent or money do they not sell and merchandize both bodies and soules of men and women Be not also Masses Trentals Dirges Requiems Orizons and Praiers deliverance from supposed Purgatorie paines the supposed merits of the Saints and Martyrs the merits of Christ dispensations against Gods word yea and the Ioyes of heaven and all to be bought and sold in the Popish Church S. Bernard treating of the Psalme which beginneth VVhoso dwelleth speaketh on this manner of that Church The dignities and promotions of the Church are sought after for filthie lucres sake and to keepe revell-rout withall and for these roumes and their revenues they labour and contend in verie shamelesse manner And againe in his Sermon of the Conversion of Paul treating of the governement of the Church under the Pope of Rome hee uttereth the like matter And upon the Canticles Sermon 33. speaking further of the Romish Prelates and Clergie he saith thus of them They beare out themselves saith hee iâ— an honourable port with the goods of the Church vvhereunto notwithstanding themselves bring no credit or worship at all Hence commeth that whorish tricking that Stage-like attire that Prince-like pompe vvhich dayly vvee see in them Hence proceeds the gold they use in their Bridles Saddles and Spurres insomuch as their Spurres are more glittering then their Altars Hence came their stately Tables their varietie of Dishes and quâ—ffing Cups Hence issued their Iunkâ—tting Bankets their Drunkennesse and Surfeits Hence followed their Viols Harps and Shawmes Hence flovved their Cellars and Pantries so stuffed vvith vvines and Viands of all sorts Hence gat they their Lee pots and painting Boxes And hence had they their Purses so vvell lined vvith coyne Oh such men they vvill needs bee and yet they are our great Masters in Israel as Deanes Archdeacons Bishops and Archbishops These vvorkes of theirs are little inferior to that filthinesse vvhich they commit in Darkenesse And in his 4. Booke De Consideratione unto Eugenius Bishop of Rome after that hee hath described and detested the pompe of Romish Bishops hee shutteth up the matter in these words saying thus unto him Herein thou shevvest thy selfe to have succeeded not Peter but Constantine the Emperor Peter is hee vvho never knevv vvhat belonged to such solemne shewing of himselfe abroad in braveries of precious stones or silkes or gold or riding upon a vvhite Palfrey or being guarded vvith a troupe of attendants c. Agreeably also whereunto speaketh S. Hillary contra Auxentium of the state of Antichrist saying thus These fellowes doe ambitiously affect the continuance and maiestical port of the secular power and so thinke to uphold the flourishing estate of the Church by a shew of vvorldly Pompe Againe he saith They make great account of this to be greatly accounted of in the vvorld And therefore doth S. Bernard againe in his Epistle 230 further make this accusation and exclamation against those Bishops of Rome saying thus unto them At first indeed yee began to play the Lords over the Clergie contrary to the counsell of Peter And vvithin a vvhile after contrary to the advise of Paul Peters fellow-Apostle ye would have dominion over the faith of all men But yee stay not there yee have taken upon you more namely to have
can he be the Head of Rome that is not the principal and soveraigne Ruler of it Yea no manner of likelyhood is there that the Emperor of Germanie should be this Beast seeing he hath not only no Headship or Soveraigne authoritie over Rome but sendeth also to Rome to tender his submission and obedience to him that beares the sway and principalitie there namely to the Pope to whom for that purpose he giveth an Oath of Homage Allegeance or fealtie thereby declaring himselfe to be in respect of the Pope but as an inferiour to a superiour or as a subiect to a soveraigne Lord. The old famous Romane Empire then and the ample Maiestie of it here appeareth to be now long sithence abolished Which thing even Machiavell himselfe also witnesseth in the first booke of his Florentine History dedicated to Pope Clement the seventh saying Imperio è tutto in terrâ the Empire is fallen flat upon the ground And so doth Lipsius also likewise testifie who spent a great part of his studie to attaine to an exact knowledge of the Romane State So also doth Augustinus Stenchus the Popes Library-keeper in his first booke of Constantines Donation pag. 3. For howsoever Charlemaigne and his successors were stiled Kings of Rome and for a while had led the Popes as their subiects yet this lasted not long but the Pope at last found a meanes for to free himselfe from being under their dominion that hee made the Emperors in the conclusion to be his vassals and at his command and to yeeld him the Soveraignetie And all this have the Popes done under pretence of being Christs Vicars and of the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and of S. Peters Chaire Which things have beene also noted by Guicciardine in the fourth booke of his Historie where after a long discourse of the rising and advancement of the Popes hee shutteth up all with these words The Popes saith he upon these foundations and by these meanes being exalted to an earthly dominion having by little and little neglected the salvation of soules and cast aside the remembrance of Divine instructions bending their mindes how to attaine to vvorldly greatnesse and using spiritual authoritie no further but as it vvas an Instrument to helpe forward the temporal did beginne to shew more like secular Princes then Bishops These words as not pleasing them have the Romish Expurgators razed cleane out of the last Editions of Guicciardine as likewise they have done manie more out of sundrie other Authors where they make against them But thus it appeareth that not the Heathen Romane Empire nor the Arrian nor the Germane but the Romane State as it is setled in the Popes of Rome the now Head and soveraigne Ruler of that Citie is the Beast there as it is most specially meant and intended And this is the Beast whereupon the vvhore of Babylon that is Popish Rome sitteth and whereby she is supported for as his Spiritual authoritie and pretence of the power of the Keyes helped to raise him to his Imperial greatnesse and Temporal Monarchie so this Temporal Monarchie ioined to his Spiritual doe both together make him a complete Beast for the bearing up and supporting of that Strumpet 2 Let us therefore now come to the other Beast mentioned in this thirteenth chapter of the Revelation see what it is and wherein it differeth from the former For a difference there must be betweene them in some respect because it is called another Beast In this verie chapter yee finde that one of the heads of the Beast namely that which was as it were vvounded to death and afterward had his Deadly vvound cured againe is expressely called a Beast by it selfe For upon the curing of this head that was before so deadly wounded it is said that All the earth vvondred after the Beast Againe it is said that the Inhabitants of the earth did vvorship the first Beast vvhose deadly vvound vvas healed And againe that they were willed to make an Image to the Beast vvhich had the vvound of a sword and did live By all which wee see that this Head of the Beast which was so vvounded and healed againe is called a Beast by it selfe and by name and expressely the verie first Beast Now the Head that was so vvounded is before shewed to be the sixt head of the Beast namely the governement of the Romane State by Emperors for you heare before that the Imperial State received a deadly wound in the time of the Lombards and that that deadly wound was afterward healed and cured againe in the Popes in whom the Maiestie and splendor of the Romane Empire was againe revived So that the first Beast is considerable in a double respect first as it was vvounded in the sixt head which were the Emperors and secondly as it was afterward healed againe in the seventh head which were the Popes for the Head vvounded and cured maketh the first Beast Now in the second Beast is shewed How and by vvhose meanes that recoverie and cure was wrought and performed In the first Beast then Antichrist that is the Pope of Rome is described as having both the Episcopal and Imperial Principalitie conioined together in his person which made him so great and mightie and so much to be admired at in the world and for which cause he is also said to be both the Seventh and the Eighth Head of the Beast but in the second Beast Antichrist is described in his Episcopal consideration only and as he is the false-Prophet For he which in this place is called the second Beast is as I said before in other places of the Revelation called the false-Prophet thereby declaring them namely the second Beast and the false-Prophet to be all one Yea even the Rhemists also themselves doe expound this second Beast to be a false-Prophet but they will have him to be a false-Prophet inferior to Antichrist But first he is not onely a false Prophet but by way of excellencie and eminencie above all others hee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The false-Prophet Rev. 19.20 Rev. 20.10 Rev. 16.13 And secondly it appeareth that he is not Inferior to Antichrist but Equal with him for in the first Beast is Antichrist comprehended as even the Rhemists and other Papists also doe themselves affirme now it is evident by the Text it selfe that this second Beast that is this false-Prophet did all that the first Beast could doe or which is all one exercised all the power of the first Beast Rev. 13.12 and therefore as touching authoritie and power hee appeareth to be not inferior to him but equall with him If you say that the first Beast and the second Beast otherwise called the false-Prophet be mentioned sometimes as if they were two it is true But the reason of it is because this grand Antichrist is considered in a double respect namely in respect of his Temporal or Imperial Monarchy in
the Scriptures sentences misunderstood out of the vvritings of Bishops eyther of ours or of Hillary or of Cyprian Bishop and Martyr of the Church for vve must put a difference betwixt this kinde of vvriting and the Canonicall Scriptures for these are not so to be read as though a Testimony might be alledged out of them in such sort as that no man might thinke otherwise if they happen to iudge otherwise then the truth requireth And againe he saith VVe ought not to allow the reasonings of any men whatsoever they be be they never so Catholike and Prayse-worthy as the Canonicall Scriptures so that it shall not be lawfull for us saving the reverence that is due to those men to reprove and refuse any thing in their writings if it fall out that they have iudged otherwise then the truth is the same Truth being by Gods helpe understood either of other men or of us For I am even such a one in other mens vvritings as I vvould men should be in mine And againe he speaketh thus If any question be eyther concerning Christ or concerning his Church or concerning any other matter vvhatsoever which belongeth to our faith and life I will not say If vvee but that which the Apostle further addeth in Gal. 1. 8.9 If an Angel from heaven should preach unto you any other thing praeterquam quod in scripturis legalibus Evangelicis accepistis Anathema sit Beside that which ye have received in the scriptures of the Law and the Gospel let him be accursed Ambrose likewise upon that Text before mentioned of Gal. 1.8.9 giveth this observation The Apostle saith he doth not say If they preach contrary but if they preach any thing beside that which vve have preached that is if they adde any thing to it at all hold him accursed And therefore Si quid dicatur absque Scriptura Auditorum cogitaâ—io claudicat If any thing be spoken vvithout the Scripture the cogitation of the Hearer halteth saith Chrysostome Yea To leane to the Divine Scriptures which is the certaine and undoubted Truth is saith Irenaeus to build a mans house upon a sure and strong Rocke But to leave them and to leane to anie other Doctrines vvhatsoever they be is to build a ruinous house upon the shattering gravell vvhereof the overthrow is easie Here then you may prrceive that even those unwritten Traditions also which yee obtrude unto us under the name of Apostolicall that bee not specified nor found written in Gods booke the sacred and Canonicall Scriptures are iustly refusable as being unassured uncertaine and unwarranted stuffe For so also doth S. Ierome say All that ever vvee speake wee ought to prove it by the Scriptures And so also speaketh Chrysostome saying Therefore neither are they to be beleeved at all except they speake those things which be agreeable to the Scriptures To that which Faustus put forth upon the birth of Mary that shee had a certaine Priest to her father named Ioachim S. Augustine answereth Because it is not Canonicall saith he it doth not bind mee The like answer giveth Tertullian to Appelles which said that the Angels had a bodily substance which they tooke of the Stars There is no certaintie saith he in this matter because the Scripture declareth it not And indeed who can assure such Traditions to be undoubtedly Divine or to be originally and infalibly Apostolicall which have onely Men for the witnessing of them and whereof there is no testimonie in the Apostles writings or in Gods booke to be found For if they be not there specified who as S. Augustine speaketh can say That these and these they are Or if he dare be bould to say so hovv will he prove it But moreover we neede none of those Traditions as I said before inasmuch as the Scriptures themselves bee fully sufficient for us and for our direction and instruction in all things necessarie expedient for us For beside the Scriptures which declare so much Tertullian likewise saith Adoro scripturae plenitudinem I adore the compleatnes or the fulnes of the Scriptures And S. Basil also saith Manifestum est infidelitatis arrogantiae crimen vel reijcere aliquid quod scriptum est vel addere aliquid quod non est scriptum That it is a manifest fault of infidelitie and arrogancie either to reiect anie thing of that which is written or to bring in anie thing of that which is not written Yea such is the sufficiencie fulness perfection and compleatness of the Scriptures in all points and respects that as you heard before S. Augustine denounceth him accursed that shall preach or teach anie thing beside them or which is not therein conteined or thereby warranted And therefore also doth Scotus himselfe say Patet quod scriptura sufficienter continet doctrinam necessariam viatori It is evident the Scripture sufficiently conteineth all doctrine necessarie for a wayfaring man that is for a man whilst he liveth and travelleth in this world 2 But moreover even expositions also of Scripture are to be framed warranted by the Scriptures to be found consonant with them or otherwise they are likewise refusable For it is not any humane or private spirit as S Peter sheweth but it must be a divine spirit even the Spirit of God the holy Ghost from whence all true sence and right interpretation of the Scriptures is to be derived And this S. Paul also declareth saying that As no man knovveth the things of a man but the spirit of man vvhich is in him so no man knoweth the things of God but the Spirit of God If therefore wee would know who they be that have this onely right interpreting Spirit that is the holy Ghost for their guide in that behalfe wee may know it by this If their expositions be such as bee sutable and agreeable to the Canonicall Scriptures without repugnancie of anie one place to another Therefore also doth Origen speake thus VVee must needes saith he call the holy Scriptures to vvitnes because our sences and expositions vvâ—thout those vvitnesses have no credite And so saith Irenaeus Secundum scripturas expositio legitima et diligeus sine periculo sine blasphemia est That is the right and legitimate exposition and the diligent and vvithout danger and vvithout blasphemie vvhich is according to the Scriptures Chrysostome likewise saith Scriptura seipsam exponit auditorem errare non sinit The Scripture expoundeth it selfe and suffereth not the learner to erre And this rule namely to expound Scripture by Scripture and by conferring one place with another giveth also S. Augustine Darke places ' are to be expounded by plainer places This is saith he the sure vvay to expound one scripture by another The same doth S. Augustine againe teach in other places as namely De doctrina lib. 2. cap. 6. 26.27.28 c And Clemens Epist. 5. and Dist. 37.6
will appeareth in both Quoniam esse vult quod facit aut permittit Because he will have that to be vvhich hee either doth or permitteth to be done Deus vult esse malum in eo non nisi bonum vult God doth vvill evill to bee and therein hee vvilleth not but vvhat is good saith the same Hugo For what is ill done as it commeth from men is vvell done so far forth as God hath to doe in it hee being the orderer and ruler of it and the disposer of it to good uses and ends in his purpose And therefore doth S. Augustine say againe that Deus quasâ— dam voluntates suas utique bonas implet per malorum hominum voluntates malas God doth accomplish his ovvne vvill being verily good by the evill vvils of evill men Although then God moveth and ruleth all men and their wils affections and actions because in him it is that all doe live move and have their being yet is he not for all that the Author of the praviâ—ie or wickednesse that is in those men or in their wils affections or actions no more then he that moveth stirreth or rideth upon a Lame Horse or that ruleth and governeth him can be therefore said to bee the cause or Author of his lamenesse or of any other his defects As touching the fall of Adam then and originall sinne you see how it was caused without anie coaction or compulsion from God and as touching actuall sinnes they flowe and come from that corruption of mens nature accrued unto them by reason of that first transgression If therefore anie here obiect in defence or excuse of Reprobates that since the transgression of Adam they sinne necessarily and cannot but sinne by reason of their Nature corrupted and remaining in them unaltered and uncleansed I answer first that they have drawne upon themselves this Corruption and necessitie of sinning by that their fall and transgression in Adam And secondly although God doth not cleanse purge sanctifie or purifie them nor doth give those saving graces to them which he doth to the Elect yet he is not therfore to be taxed or quarrelled against because God is debtor to no man but may at his owne most free pleasure out of that fallen lumpe of mankinde choose whom he would to salvation and refuse whom he would and accordingly give or withhold his saving graces Thirdly consider that there bee also Elect Angels aswell as Elect Men and consequently Reprobate Angels aswell as reprobate men Now the Angels that fell from their first estate and are become Divels doe sinne as all men know necessarily and cannot but sinne and yet are they not therefore excused If then a necessitie of sinning in Divels will not serve to excuse them how can it serve to excuse reprobate men wherein the difference is ever to be remenbred betweene necessitie and coaction For howsoever reprobate men aswell as Dâ—vels doe sinne necessarily yet doth not God force or compell them to sinne but as they have brought sin upon themselves through their owne default so by reason of their depraved natures they still sin and that willingly and readily of their owne accords without any enforcing coaction or compulsion from God Yea fourthly a necessitie of a thing to bee done in respect of Gods purpose will and decree doth not excuse him that doth it to an other end and purpose as namely to satisfie his owne lewd minde and wicked will and affection This appeareth and that verie specially and particularly in Iudas Iscariot who together with his Complices did nothing in that his sinfull and detestable act of betraying Iesus but what the hand and counsaile of God had before ordained to be done for so the Scripture expresly and directly witnesseth and yet did not this counsaile purpose or decree of God excuse the sinner For Christ Iesus himselfe saith that A vvoe neverthelesse belonged to that man by whom the Sonne of man was betrayed and that it had beene better for that man if he had never beene borne Christ Iesus againe saith thus It must needs be that offence come but woe to that man by whom the offence commeth Where you likewise see a necessitie of sinning and of offences and yet that this will not excuse the sinner or offendour for all that God saith againe hee would send proud Ashur the rod of his wrath against his people the Ievves so that it was Gods decree and purpose which Ashur therein executed yet because he executed this will and decree of God with another meaning and to another end and purpose namely to satisfie his owne cruell proud and ungodly minde therefore he for his part sinned and deserved punishment The Brethren of Ioseph also sold Ioseph into Egypt and it was Gods will providence and purpose that it should be so But God had one purpose and meaning in it and they another for God thereby meant to provide for his Church and people and for the good of Ioseph and they on the otherside did it as being mooved with envie and of an evill meaning toward him and therefore were guiltie of sinne even in their owne consciences notwithstanding that Gods dscree and purpose was therein also executed Shimei likewise rayled upon King David and cursed him and it was Gods decree and purpose that it should be so for the Lord had bidden him to curse David as David himselfe confessed yet hough he therein executed the wil and decree of God was not he therefore for his part excused because God had one meaning in it and he another For God meant so to put David in remembrance of some sinne and thereby to checke and humble him but Shimei did it so to satisfie his owne wicked and malicious minde and therefore was guiltie of sinne for which also he was afterward punished Thus you see I hope that Gods decreeing and purposing in his own hidden counsell and secret will to permit sinnes to bee committed will not serve to excuse sinners sith they commit their sinnes not to anie such end or with anie such minde or purpose as thereby to doe and performe Gods will or any of his secret and sacred decrees which be things for that present unknowne unto them but to another end and purpose namely to satisfie their owne lewd licentious and wicked wills which is alwaies matter sufficient to make them inexcusable And therefore well may that saying of S. Bernard be applied to a reprobate man that Voluntas inexcusabilem incorrigibilem necessitas facit His will doth make him Inexcusable and a necessitie of sinning Incorrigible 3 But against this matter of Gods reprobating or refusall of anie as touching salvation is obiected that place of S. Paul to Timothie where he saith thus I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authoritie
c. for God vvill have all men to be saved But the meaning of these words is evident that he will have of all sorts and degrees of men that shall be saved even Kings and Princes aswell as of anie other sort for of them you see hee specially speaketh And so doth S. Augustine and Gregorie also expound those words And indeede what other sence all circumstances of the Text being well considered can be set upon them For to set this sence upon them namely that God will have all to bee saved in a generalitie without any exception were directly contrarie to the rest of the Scriptures which witnesse directly that God will have some to bee damned Yea if God would have all to be saved in a generality what should or can hinder but that all without exception should be saved accordingly For who was ever able to resist his will or to hinder the execution thereof that it should not come to passe Howbeit they say That God would and men will not and that this is the reason why some are damned because themselves will not be saved But what is this else but to make Gods will subiect to mens will and to be as it were a waiting servant and attendant upon their pleasures so that hee shall will their salvation when they will it themselves and shal also nill it when they nill it which beside that it maketh Gods will as variable and mutable as mens wills a thing dishonourable unto him and untrue it maketh also mens salvation and damnation to consist in their owne power and pleasures which is as absurd as if you should say it is in the power and will of the lumpe of Clay to choose of what sort and fashion it shall bee and to what use it shall bee applied and what part thereof shall bee a vessell to honour and what to dishonour For a Potter hath not more full or more absolute power over the Clay and the Pots which hee maketh thereout then God hath over all Men and Angells and over all other his creatures to doe ordaine and dispose of them and everie of them at his owne most free and uncontrollable pleasure as the Scriptures doe clearely testifie often using and as it were delighting themselves with this comparison resemblance It is true that no father hath such an high and absolute power over his Children nor King over his Subiects nor Master over his Servants the reason is apparant because these be not the makers of their Children nor of their Subiects nor of their Servants but God was the maker of them all as of all things else and therefore as touching this point the cases be not like And yet if Children offend it is in the power and pleasure of the father to correct which of them hee will or if Subiects offend the King may punish or pardon whom soever of them he pleaseth and if Servants offend it is also in the power and pleasure of the Master to punish or to spare whom he list Doth it not then consist much more in the will and pleasure of God the Creator and maker of all men especially after that all mankind was fallen in the transgression of Adam to choose or refuse whom hee pleased If then you doe but observe this comparison and similitude of the Potter which the Scripture so often useth or some such like wherein there is a Maker considered with such power and authoritie as he hath over the thing made by him being the worke of his owne hands This matter will then bee so plaine and evident unto you as that even by light and force of reason you will be compelled to confesse that the thing made is ever subiect to the will ordering and disposing of him that is the maker and not the maker to the will of the thing made And even this doth also S. Paul himselfe acknowledg and teach in this verie particular matter and thereupon he further saith expresly of God that He hath mercie upon whomsoever he will and whomsoever he will he hardeneth And againe hee saith that God spake thus I vvill have mercie on whomsoever my pleasure is to have mercie and I vvill have compassion on whomsoever my pleasure is to have compassion So then saith he againe it is not in him that vvilleth nor in him that runneth but in God that shevveth mercie By all which is most manifest that this great matter concerning the salvation and damnation of men consisteth not in the will and pleasure of men but in the will and pleasure of God and in his ordering and disposing Would you have this matter yet further declared then call to your remembrance what is written of Esau namlie that he would have inherited the blessing and yet was reiected for he found no place to repentance though he sought the blessing with teares Here you see that Esau would faine have inherited and fought it even with teares and yet was reiected and had this speciall grace of a true repentance not yeelded unto him Againe did not wicked Balaam desire to die the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like his Moreover did not the foolish Virgins aswell as the wise desire to enter in unto the Wedding and say Lord Lord open to us and yet were excluded Againe doth not Christ Iesus himselfe say to some Yee shall seâ—ke mee and yet yee shall dye in your sinnes and whether I goe thither can yee not come And againe doth he not say thus Strive to enter in at the straite gate for manie I say unto you shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able You see then that manie and sundrie persons would attaine to the everlasting felicitie of Gods people and to a most blessed happinesse and salvation and yet cannot because God will not as having otherwise ordayned of them And so againe witnesseth S. Paul saying thus Israel hath not obtained that he sought but the Election hath obtained it and the rest have beene hardened Againe Yee beleeve not saith Christ to some because yee are not of my sheepe And againe it is written Crediderunt quotquot erant ordinati ad vitam aeternam Onely so many beleeved as vvere ordained to eternall life And therefore also is this faith called fides Electorum Dei the faith of Gods Elect as being proper peculiar unto them Againe it is written of some people that To them it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven but to others it is not given Yea and Christ Iesus himselfe speaketh thus unto God his Father saying I give thee thankes O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid thâ—se things from the vvise and men of understanding and hast opened them unto Babes It is so O Father because such vvas thy good pleasure Againe it is written of some that The Gospel and vvord of God preached