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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04286	An apologie for the oath of allegiance first set foorth without a name, and now acknowledged by the authour, the Right High and Mightie Prince, Iames, by the grace of God, King of Great Britaine, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. ; together with a premonition of His Maiesties, to all most mightie monarches, kings, free princes and states of Christendome.	James I, King of England, 1566-1625.; Paul V, Pope, 1552-1621.; Bellarmino, Roberto Francesco Romolo, Saint, 1542-1621.	1609 (1609)	STC 14401.5; ESTC S1249	109,056	264

obedience any of you may looke for of any of them de facto he plainly forewarneth you of by the example of Gregorie the Great his obedience to the Emperor Mauritius not beeing ashamed to slaunder that great Personages Christian humilitie and obedience to the Emperour with the title of a constrained and forced obedience because hee might or durst doe no otherwise Whereby he not onely wrongs the said Gregorie in particular but euen doeth by that meanes lay on an heauie slaunder and reproach vpon the Christian humilitie and patience of the whole Primitiue Church especially in the time of persecution if the whole glorie of their Martyrdome and Christian patience shall be thus blotted with that vile glosse of their coacted and constrained suffering because they could or durst do no otherwise like the patience and obedience of the Iewes or Turkish slaues in our time cleane contrary to S. Paul and S. Pe●●rs doctrine of obedience for conscience sake and as contrarie to Tertullians Apologie for Christians and all the protestations of the ancient Fathers in that case But it was good lucke for the ancient Christians in the dayes of Ethnicke Emperors that this prophane new conceit was yet vnknowen among them otherwise they would haue bin vtterly destroyed and rooted out in that time and no man to haue pitied them as most dangerous members in a Common-wealth who would no longer bee obedient then till they were furnished with sufficient abilitie and power to resist and rebell Thus may ye see how vpon the one part our Cardinall will haue all Kings and Monarchs to be the Popes Vassals and yet will not on the other side allow the meanest of the Pope his vassals to be subiect to any Christian Prince But he not thinking it enough to make the Pope our Superior hath in a late Treatise of his called the Recognition of his bookes of Controuersies made the people and Subiects of euery one of vs our Superiors For hauing taken occasion to reuisite againe his bookes of Controuersies and to correct or explaine what he findeth amisse or mistaketh in them in imitation of S. Augustine his retractions for so hee saith in his Preface he doth in place of retracting any of his former errours or any matter of substance not retract but recant indeed I meane sing ouer againe and obstinatly confirme a number of the grossest of them Among the which the exempting of all Church-men from subiection to any Temporall Prince and the setting vp not onely of the Pope but euen of the People aboue their naturall King are two of his maine points As for the exemption of the Clerickes he is so greedy there to proue that point as he denieth Caesar to haue beene Pauls lawfull Iudge contrary to the expresse Text and Pauls plain Appellation and acknowledging him his Iudge besides his many times claiming to the Roman priuiledges and auowing himselfe a Roman by freedome and therefore of necessitie a Subiect to the Roman Emperour But it is a wonder that these Roman Catholikes who vaunt themselues of the ancientie both of their doctrine and Church and reproch vs so bitterly of our Nouelties should not bee ashamed to make such a new inept glosse as this vpon S. Pauls Text which as it is directly contrary to the Apostles wordes so is it without any warrant either of any ancient Councell or of so much as any one particular Father that euer interpre●s that place in this sort Neither was it euer doubted by any Christian in the Primitiue Church that the Apostles or any other degree of Christians were subiect to the Emperour And as for the setting vp of the People aboue their owne naturall King hee bringeth in that principle of Sedition that he may thereby proue that Kings haue not their power and authoritie immediatly from God as the Pope hath his For euery King saith he is made and chosen by his people nay they do but so transferre their power in the Kings person as they doe notwithstanding retaine their habituall power in their owne hands which vpon certaine ocasions they may actually take to themselues againe This I am sure is an excellent ground in Diuini●●e for all R●bels and rebellious people who are hereby allowed to rebell against their Princes and assume libertie vnto themselues when in their discretions they shall thinke it conuenient And amongst his other Testimonies for probation that all Kings are made and created by the People hee alledgeth the Creation of three Kings in the Scripture Saul Dauid Ieroboam and though he be compelled by the expresse words of the Text to confesse that God by his Prophet Samuel anointed both Saul and Dauid yet will he by the post-consent of the people proue that those Kings were not immediatly made by God but mediatly by the people though he repeat thrise that word of Lott by the casting whereof hee confesseth that Saul was chosen And if the Election by Lott be not an immediate Election from God then was not Matthias who was so chosen and made an Apostle immediatly chosen by God and consequently hee that sitteth in the Apostolike Sea cannot for shame claim to be immediatly chosen by God if Matthias that was one of the twelue Apostles supplying Iudas his place was not so chosen But as it were a blasphemous impietie to doubt that Matthias was immediatly chosen by God and yet was hee chosen by the casting of Lots as Saul was so is it well enough knowen to some of you my louing Brethren by what holy Spirit or casting of Lots the Popes vse to bee elected the Colledge of Cardinals his electors hauing beene diuided in two mighty factions euer since long before my time and in place of casting of Lotts great fat pensions beeing cast into some of their greedy mouthes for the election of the Pope according to the partiall humours of Princes But I doe most of all wonder at the weaknesse of his memorie for in this place hee maketh the post consent of the people to bee the thing that made both these Kings notwithstanding of their preceding inauguration and anoyntment by the Prophet at GODS commandement forgetting that in the beginning of this same little booke of his answering one that alledgeth a sentence of S. Cyprian to prooue that the Bishops were iudged by the people in Cyprians time hee there confesseth that by these words the consent of the people to the Bishops election must be onely vnderstood Nor will he there any wayes be mooued to graunt that the peoples power in consenting to or refusing the Election of a Bishop should be so vnderstood as that therby they haue power to elect Bishops And yet do these words of Cyprian seeme to be farre stronger for granting the peoples power to elect Church-men then any words that hee alledgeth out of the Scripture are for the peoples power in electing a King For the very words of Cyprian by himselfe there cited are That

against a Iudgment that was giuen by the Kings Iudges And likewise Because one entred vpon the Priory of Barnewell by the Popes Bull the said Intrant was committed to the Tower of London there to remaine during the Kings pleasure So as my Predecessours ye see of this Kingdome euen when the Popes triumphed in their greatnes spared not to punish any of their Subiects that would preferre the Popes obedience to theirs euen in Church matters So farre were they then from either acknowledging the Pope for their temporal Superior or yet from doubting that their owne Church-men were not their Subiects And now I will close vp all these examples with an Act of Parliament in King Richard 2. his time whereby it was prohibited That none should procure a Benefice from Rome vnder paine to be put out of the Kings protection And thus may yee see that what those Kings successiuely one to another by foure generations haue acted in priuate the same was also maintained by a publike Law By these few examples now I hope I haue sufficiently cleared my selfe from the imputation that any ambition or desire of Noueltie in mee should haue stirred me either to robbe the Pope of any thing due vnto him or to assume vnto my selfe any further authoritie then that which other Christian Emperours and Kings through the world and my owne Predecessours of England in especiall haue long agone maintained Neither is it enough to say as Parsons doeth in his answere to the Lord Cooke That farre more Kings of this Countrey haue giuen many more examples of acknowledging or not resisting the Popes vsurped Authoritie some perchance lacking the occasion and some the abilitie of resisting them for euen by the ciuill Law in the case of violent intrusion and long and wrongfull possession against mee it is enough if I proue that I haue made lawfull interruption vpon conuenient occasions But the Cardinall thinkes the Oath not onely vnlawfull for the substance thereof but also in regard of the Person whom vnto it is to bee sworne For saith he The King is not a Catholike And in two or three other places of his booke he sticketh not to call me by my name very broadly an Heretike as I haue already tolde But yet before I be publikly declared an Heretike by the Popes owne Law my people ought not to refuse their Obedience vnto me And I trust if I were but a Subiect and accused by the Pope in his Conclaue before his Cardinals he would haue hard prouing me an Heretike if he iudged mee by their owne ancient Orders For first I am no Apostate as the Cardinall would make mee not onely hauing euer been brought vp in that Religion which I presently professe but euen my Father and Grandfather on that side professing the same and so cannot be properly an Heretike by their owne doctrine since I neuer was of their Church And as for the Queene my Mother of worthie memorie although she continued in that Religion wherin she was nourished yet was shee so farre from being superstitious or Iesuited therein that at my Baptisme although I was baptized by a Popish Archbishop shee sent him word to forbeare to vse the spettle in my Baptisme which was obeyed being indeed a filthy and an apish trick rather in scorne then imitation of CHRIST And her owne very words were That shee would not haue a pockie Priest to spet in her childs mouth As also the Font wherin I was Christened was sent from the late Queene heere of famous memorie who was my Godmother and what her Religion was Pius V. was not ignorant And for further proofe that that renowmed Queene my Mother was not superstitious as in all her Letters whereof I receiued many she neuer made mention of Religion nor laboured to perswade me in it so at her last words she cōmanded her Master-houshold a Scottish Gentleman my seruant and yet aliue shee commanded him I say to tell me That although she was of another Religion then that wherein I was brought vp yet she woud not presse me to change except my owne conscience forced mee to it For so that I led a good life and were carefull to doe iustice and gouerne well she doubted not but I would be in a good case with the profession of my owne Religion Thus am I no Apostate nor yet a deborder from that Religion which one part of my Parents professed and an other part gaue me good allowance of Neither can my Baptisme in the rites of their Religion make me an Apostate or Heretike in respect of my present profession since wee all agree in the substance thereof being all baptized In the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost vpon which head there is no variance amongst vs. And now for the point of Heretike I will neuer bee ashamed to render an account of my profession and of that hope that is in me as the Apostle prescribeth I am such a CATHOLIKE CHRISTIAN as beleeueth the three Creeds That of the Apostles that of the Councell of Nice and that of Athanasius the two latter being Paraphrases to the former And I beleeue them in that sense as the ancient Fathers and Councels that made them did vnderstand them To which three Creedes all the Ministers of England doe subscribe at their Ordination And I also acknowledge for Orthodoxe all those other formes of Creeds that either were deuised by Councels or paticular Fathers against such particular Heresies as most reigned in their times I reuerence and admit the foure first generall Councels as Catholike and Orthodoxe And the said foure generall Councels are acknowledged by our Acts of Parliament and receiued for Orthodoxe by our Church As for the Fathers I reuerence them as much and more then the Iesuites doe and as much as themselues euer craued For what euer the Fathers for the first fiue hundreth yeeres did with an vnanime consent agree vpon to be beleeued as a necessary point of saluation I either will beleeue it also or at least will be humbly silent not taking vpon me to condemne the same But for euery priuate Fathers opinion it bindes not my conscience more then Bellarmines euery one of the Fathers vsually contradicting others I wil therefore in that case follow S. Augustines rule in iudging of their opinions as I finde them agree with the Scriptures what I find agreeable thereunto I will gladly imbrace what is otherwise I will with their reuerence reiect As for the Scriptures no man doubteth I will beleeue them But euen for the Apocrypha I hold them in the same account that the Ancients did They are still printed and bound with our Bibles and publikely read in our Churches I reuerence them as the writings of holy and good men but since they are not found in the Canon we account them to be secundae lectionis or ordinis which is Bellarmines owne distinction and therefore not sufficient whereupon alone to ground any article

An Apologie for the Oath of ALLEGIANCE FIRST SET FOORTH WITHOVT a name And now acknowledged by the Authour the Right High and Mightie Prince IAMES by the Grace of GOD King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Together with a PREMONITION of his Maiesties to all most Mightie Monarches Kings free Princes and States of Christendome PSAL. 2. Vers 10. Et nunc Reges intelligite Erudimini qui iudicatis terram ROM 14. Vers 13. Non ergo ampliùs inuicem indicemus Sed hoc iudicate magis ne penat●s offendiculum fratri vel scandalum ¶ Imprinted at London by Robert Barker Printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie April 8. ANNO 1609. Cum priuilegio Regali TO THE MOST SACRED AND Inuincible Prince RODOLPH the II. by GODS Clemencie Elect EMPEROVR of the ROMANES KING OF GERMANIE HVNGARIE BOHEME DALMATIE CROATIE SCLAVONIE c. ARCH-DVKE OF AVSTRIA DVKE OF BVRGVNDIE STIRIA CARINTHIA CARNIOLA and WIRTEMBERG c. Earle of TYROLIS c. AND TO ALL OTHER RIGHT HIGH AND MIGHTY KINGS AND RIGHT EXCELLENT Free PRINCES and STATES of Christendome Our louing BRETHREN COVSINS ALLIES CONFEDERATES and FRIENDS IAMES by the grace of GOD King of GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE and IRELAND Professor Maintainer and DEFENDER OF THE True Christian Catholique and Apostolique FAITH Professed by the auncient and Primitiue Church and sealed with the blood of so many holy Bishops and other faithfull crowned with the glory of Martyrdome WISHETH euerlasting felicitie in CHRIST our Sauiour TO YOV MOST SACRED AND INVINCIBLE EMPEROVR RIGHT HIGH AND MIGHTIE KINGS RIGHT EXCELLENT FREE PRINCES AND STATES MY LOVING BRETHREN AND COVSINS To you I say as of right belongeth doe I consecrate and direct this Warning of mine or rather Preamble to my reprinted Apologie for the Oath of Allegiance For the cause is generall and concerneth the Authoritie and Priuiledge of Kings in generall and all supereminent Temporall powers And if in whatsoeuer Societie or Corporation of men either in Corporations of Cities or in the Corporation of any mechanike craft or handie-worke euery man is carefull to maintain the priuiledges of that Societie whereunto hee is sworne nay they will rather cluster all in one making it a common cause exposing themselues to all sorts of perill then suffer the least breach in their Liberties If those of the baser sort of people I say be so curious and zealous for the preseruation of their common priuiledges and liberties as if the meanest amongst them bee touched in any such poynt they thinke it concerneth them all Then what should we doe in such a case whom GOD hath placed in the highest thrones vpon earth made his Lieutenants Vice-gerents and euen seated vs vpon his owne throne to execute his Iudgements The consideration heereof hath now moued me to expone a Case vnto you which doeth not so neerely touch mee in my particular as it doeth open a breach against our authoritie I speake in the plurall of all Kings and priuiledge in generall And since not onely all rankes and sorts of people in all Nations doe inuiolably obserue this Maxime but euen the Ciuill Law by which the greatest part of Christendome is gouerned doeth giue them an interest qui fouent consimilem causam How much more then haue ye interest in this cause not being similis or par causa to yours but eadem with yours and indeed yee all fouetis or at least fouere debetis eandem causam mecum And since this cause is common to vs all both the ciuill Lawes and the municipall Lawes of all Nations permits and warne them that haue a common interest to concurre in one for the defence of their common cause yea common sence teacheth vs with the Poet Ecquid Ad te pòst paulò ventura pericula sentis Nam tua res agitur paries cùm proximus ardet Awake then while it is time and suffer not by your longer sleepe the strings of your Authoritie to be cut in singulis and one and one to your generall ruine which by your vnited forces would rather make a strong rope for the enemie to hang himselfe in with Achitophel then that hee should euer be able to breake it As for this Apologie of mine it is true that I thought good to set it first out without putting my name vnto it but neuer so as I thought to deny it remembring well mine owne words but taken out of the Scripture in the beginning of the Preface to the Reader in my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that nothing is so hid which shall not bee opened c promising there which with GOD his grace I shall euer performe neuer to doe that in secret which I shall need to be ashamed of when it shall come to be proclaimed in publique In deed I thought it fit for two respects that this my Apologie should first visite the world without hauing my name written in the forehead thereof First because of the matter and next of the persons that I medled with The matter it being a Treatise which I was to write containing reasons discourses in Diuinity for the defence of the Oath of Allegiance and refutation of the condemners therof I thought it not comely for one of my place to put my name to books concerning scholastick Disputations whose calling is to set forth Decrees in the Imparatiue moode for I thinke my selfe as good a man as the Pope by his reuerence for whom these my Answerers make the like excuse for that his Breues are so summary without yeelding any reason vnto them My next reason was the respect of the persons whom with I meddled Wherein although I shortly answered the Popes Breues yet the point I most laboured being the refutation of Bellarmines Letter I was neuer the man I confesse that could thinke a Cardinall a meet match for a King especially hauing many hundreth thousands of my subiects of as good birth as he As for his Church dignitie his Cardinalship I meane I know not how to ranke or value it either by the warrant of God his word or by the ordinance of Emperours or Kings it being indeed onely a new Papall erection tolerated by the sleeping conniuence of our Predecessors I meane still by the plurall of Kings But notwithstanding of this my forbearing to put my name vnto it some Embassadours of some of you my louing Brethren and Cosins whome this cause did neereliest concerne can witnesse that I made Presents of some of those bookes at their first printing vnto them and that auowedly in my owne name As also the English Paragraphist or rather peruerse Pamphleter Parsons since all his desciption must runne vpon a P. hath truely obserued that my Armes are affixed in the frontispice thereof which vseth not to bee in bookes of other mens doing whereby his malice in pretending his ignorance that he might pay me the soundlier is the more inexcusable But now that I find my sparing to put my name vnto it

curse those that worship Images that haue eyes and see not that haue eares and heare not would much more haue cursed them that worship a piece of a sticke th●t hath not so much as any resemblance or representation of eyes or eares As for Pugatorie and all the trash depending thereupon it is not worth the talking of Bellarmine cannot finde any ground for it in all the Scriptures Onely I would pray him to tell me If that faire greene Meadow that is in Purgatorie haue a brooke running thorow it that in case I come there I may haue hawking vpon it But as for me I am sure there is a Heauen and a Hell praemium poena for the Elect and reprobate How many other roomes there bee I am not on God his counsell Multae sunt mansiones in domo Patris mei saith CHRIST who is the true Purgatorie for our sinnes But how many chambers and anti-chambers the Deuill hath they can best tell that goe to him But in case there were more places for soules to goe to then wee know of yet let vs content vs with that which in his Word hee hath reuealed vnto vs and not inquire further into his secrets Heauen and Hell are there reuealed to be the eternall home of all mankinde let vs indeauour to winne the one and eschew the other and there is an end Now in all this discourse haue I yet left out the maine Article of the Romish faith and that is the Head of the Church or Peters Primacie for who denieth this denieth fidem Catholicam saith Bellarmine That Bishops ought to be in the Church I euer maintained it as an Apostolike institution and so the ordinance of GOD contrary to the Puritanes and likewise to Bellarmine who denies that Bishops haue their Iurisdiction immediatly from God But it is no wonder he takes the Puritanes part since Iesuits are nothing but Puritan-Papists And as I euer maintained the state of Bishops and the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie for order sake so was I euer an enemy to the confused Anarchie or paritie of the Puritanes as well appeareth in my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heauen is gouerned by order and all the good Angels there nay Hell it selfe could not subsist without some order And the very Deuils are diuided into Legions and haue their chiefetaines how can any societie then vpon earth subsist without order and degrees And therefore I cannot enough wonder with what brasen face this Answerer could say That I was a Puritane in Scotland and an enemy to Protestants I that was persecuted by Puritanes there not from my birth only but euen since foure moneths before my birth I that in the yeere of GOD 84 erected Bishops and depressed all their popular Paritie I then being not 18. yeeres of age I that in my said Booke to my Sonne doe speake tenne times more bitterly of them nor of the Papists hauing in my second Edition therof affixed a long Apologetike Preface onely in odium Puritanorum and I that for the space of sixe yeares before my comming into England laboured nothing so much as to depresse their Paritie and re-erect Bishops againe Nay if the daily Commentaries of my life and actions in Scotland were written as Iulius Caesars were there would scarcely a moneth passe in all my life since my entring into the 13. yeare of my age wherein some accident or other would not conuince the Cardinall of a lye in this point And surely I giue a faire commendation to the Puraitnes in that place of my booke where I affirme that I haue found greater honesty with the high-land and border theeues then with that sort of people But leauing him to his own impudence I returne to my purpose Of Bishops and Church Hierarchie I very well allowe as I saide before and likewise of Rancks and Degrees amongst Bishops Patriarches I know were in the time of the Primitiue Church and I likewise reuerence that institution for order sake and amongst them was a contention for the first place And for my selfe if that were yet the question I would with all my heart giue my consent that the Bishop of Rome should haue the first Seate I being a Westerne King would go with the Patriarch of the West And for his temporall Principalitie ouer the Signory of Rome I doe not quarrell it neither let him in God his Name be Primus Episcopus inter omnes Episcopos and Princeps Episcoporum so it be no other wise but as Peter was Princeps Apostolorum But as I well allow of the Hierarchie of the Church for distinction of Orders for so I vnderstand it so I vtterly denie that there is an earthly Monarch thereof whose word must be a Law and who cannot erre in his Sentence by an infallibilitie of Spirit Because earthly Kingdomes must haue earthly Monarches it doeth not follow that the Church must haue a visible Monarch too for the world hath not ONE earthly temporall Monarch CHRIST is his Churches Monarch and the holy Ghost his Deputie Reges gentium dominantur eorū vos autem non sic CHRIST did not promise before his ascension to leaue Peter with them to direct and instruct them in all things but hee promised to send the holy Ghost vnto them for that end And as for these two before cited places wherby Bellarmine maketh the Pope to triumph ouer Kings I meane Pasce oues and Tibi dabo claues the Cardinall knowes well enough that the same words of Tibi dabo are in another place spoken by Christ in the plural number And he likewise knowes what reason the Ancients doe giue why Christ bade Peter pascere oues and also what a cloude of witnesses there is both of Ancients and euen of late Popish writers yea diuers Cardinals that do all agree that both these speeches vsed to Peter were meant to all the Apostles represented in his person Otherwise how could Paul direct the Church of Corinth to excommunicate the incestuous person cum spiritu suo whereas hee should then haue said cum spiritu Petri And how could all the Apostles haue otherwise vsed all their censures only in Christs Name and neuer a word of his Vicar Peter wee reade did in all the Apostles meetings sit amongst them as one of their number And when chosen men were sent to Anti●chia from that great Apostolike Councell at Ierusalem Acts 15. The text saith It seemed good to the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send chosen men but no mention made of the Head therof and so in their Letters no mention is made of Peter but onely of the Apostles Elders and Brethren And it is a wonder why Paul rebuketh the Church of Corinth for making exception of Persons because some followed Paul some Apollos some Cephas if Peter was their visible Head for then those that followed not Peter or Cephas renounced the Catholike faith But it appeareth well that Paul knew

little of our new doctrine since he handleth Peter so rudely as he not onely compareth but preferreth himself vnto him But our Cardinall prooues Peters superioritie by Pauls going to visite him Indeed Paul saith hee went to Ierusalem to visite Peter and conferre with him but he should haue added and to kisse his feet To conclude then The truth is that Peter was both in age and in the time of CHRISTS calling him one of the first of the Apostles In order the principall of the first twelue and one of the three whom CHRIST for order sake preferred to al the rest And no further did the Bishop of Rome claime for three hundred yeares after CHRIST Subiect they were to the generall Councels and euen but of late did the Councell of Constance depose three Popes and set vp the fourth And vntil Phocas dayes that murthered his master were they subiect to Emperours But how they are now come to be Christs Vicars nay Gods on earth triple-Crowned Kings of heauen earth and hell Iudges of all the world and none to iudge them Heads of the fayth Absolute deciders of all Controuersies by the infallibility of their spirit hauing all power both Spirituall and Temporall in their hands the high Bishops Monarches of the whole earth Superiours to all Emperours and Kings yea Supreme Vice-gods who whether they will or not cannot erre how they are now come I say to this toppe of greatnesse I know not but sure I am Wee that are KINGS haue greatest neede to looke vnto it As for mee Paul and Peter I know but these men I know not And yet to doubt of this is to denie the Catholique faith Nay the world it selfe must be turned vpside downe and the order of Nature inuerted making the left hand to haue the place before the Right and the last named to be the first in honour that this primacie may be maintained Thus haue I now made a free Confession of my Faith And I hope I haue fully cleared my selfe from being an Apostate and as far from being an Heretike as one may bee that beleeueth the Scriptures and the three Creedes and acknowledgeth the foure first generall Councels If I bee loath to beleeue too much especially of Nouelties men of greater knowledge may well pitie my weakenesse but I am sure none will condemne me for an Heretike saue such as make the Pope their God and thinke him such a speaking Scripture as they can define Heresie no otherwise but to bee whatsoeuer Opinion is maintained against the Popes definition of faith And I will sincerely promise that when euer any point of the Religion I professe shal be proued to be new and not Ancient Catholike and Apostolike I meane for matter of Faith I will as soone renounce it closing vp this head with the Maxime of Vincentius Lirinensis that I will neuer refuse to imbrace any opinion in Diuinity necessary to saluation which the whole Catholike Church with an vnanime consent haue constantly taught and beleeued euen from the Apostles daies for the space of many ages thereafter without interruption But in the Cardinals opinion I haue shewed my selfe an Heretike I am sure in playing with the name of Babylon and the Towne vpon seuen hils as if I would infinuate Rome at this present to bee spiritually Babylon And yet that Rome is called Babylon both in S. Peters Epistle and in the Apocalyps our Answerer freely confesseth As for the definition of the Antichrist I wil not vrge so obscure a point as a matter of Faith to be necessarily beleeued of al Christians but what I thinke herein I will simply declare That there must be an ANTICHRIST and in his time a generall Defection we all agree But the Time Seat and Person of this Antichrist are the chiefe Questions whereupon we differ and for that wee must search the Scriptures for our resolution As for my opinion I thinke S. Paul in the 2. to the Thessalonians doeth vtter more clearely that which S. ●ohn speaketh more mystically of the Antichrist First that in that place he meaneth the Antichrist it is plain since he saith there must be first a Defection and that in the Antichrists time onely that eclipse of Defection must fall vpon the Church all the Romish Catholikes are strong enough otherwise their Church must be daily subiect to erre which is cleane contrary to their maine doctrine Then d●scribing him he saith that The man of Sin Filius perditionis shal exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God But who these be whom of the Psalmist saith Dixi vos Dijestis Bellarmine can tell In old Diuinitie it was wont to be Kings Bellarmine wil adde Church-men Let it be both It is well enough knowen who now exalteth himselfe aboue both the swords And after that S. Paul hath thus described the Person he next describeth the Seat and telleth that He shall sit in the Temple of GOD that is the bosome of the Church yea in the very heart thereof Now where this Apostolike Seat is I leaue it to be guessed And likewise who it is that sitting there sheweth himselfe to be God pardoning sinnes redeeming Soules and defining Faith controuling and iudging all men and to be iudged of none Anent the Time S. Paul is plainest of all For he calleth the Thessalonians to memo●y That when he was with them hee told them these things and therefore they know saith hee what the impediment was and who did withhold that the man of sinne was not reuealed although the mystery of iniquitie was already working That the Romane Emperours in S. Pauls time needed no reuealing to the Christians to be men of Sinne or sinfull men no child doubteth but the reuelation he speaketh of was a mysterie a secret It should therefore seeme that hee durst not publish in his Epistle what that impediment was It may be hee meant by the translating of the Seate of the Romane Empire and that the translation there of should leaue a roume for the man of Sinne to sit downe in And that he meant not that man of Sinne of these Ethnicke Emperours in his time his introduction to this discourse maketh it more then manifest For he saith fearing they should be deceiued thinking the day of the Lords second comming to be at hand he hath therefore thought good to forewarne them that this generall Defection must first come Whereby it well appeareth that hee could not meane by the present time but by a future and that a good long time otherwise he proued ill his argument that the Lords comming was not at hand Neither can the forme of the Destruction of this man of Sinne agree with that maner of spoile that the Gothes Vandals made of Ethnick Rome For our Apostle saith That this wicked man shal be consumed by the Spirit of the Lords mouth and abolished by his comming Now I would thinke that the word of