who perceiuing that the Church was like to haue a new Husband to wit an Vniuersall Bishop to be made and to become her head in stead of Christ He confessed with teares that the state of the Church was like to fall to ground For said he k Gregorie lib. 4. Epist 52. 55. Seeing the order of Priesthood is falne within it cannot now stand long without And thus much concerning the fall of the Church especially of that part vnder the Patriarkedome of Rome before there was an Vniuersall Pope established in Rome Now it remaineth that wee see how it grew to perfection vnder Vniuersall Popes in these foure principall poynts Doctrine Faith Religion and generall Apostacie Which God willing shall bee made euident by their owne Writers also 13 Touching the first point their Saint Vincent sayth l Vincent in his Treatise of the latter end The religious orders are become vnto mens soules the way of perdition And a little after hee sheweth the reason to bee this For saith he the most part of Preachers preach now adayes not the simplicitie of the Gospell but the subtiltie of Aristotle Their S. Bridgit speaking in the person of Christ saith m Bridgit lib. 4. cap. 133. They annull and make of no effect my Word they affirme and teach their owne lies and denie my truth c. n In lib. 6. of her Reuelation chap. 26. My Word is vnto them intollerable and my wisdome and doctrine in their account but vaine Therefore o Lib. 4. cap. 132 They doe not preach and publish to the people my Word neither doe they teach my doctrine c. p Lib. 6. of her Reuelat. cap. 26. They follow their owne fancie so that their owne inuentions are vnto them a Law c. q Lib. 6. Reuelat cap. 15. They say â—nd doe boast that they vnderstand my Law and yet it is but for the deceiuing of others c. r Lib. 4.132 For of the vpright man they make a wicked man of the simple they make a Deuill And this commeth to passe as then Cardinall Beno sheweth because Å¿ Beno de vita gesâ—s Hudeb They are led by the spirit of errour and doctrines of Dâ—uâ—ls Whereby as their Bishop Cornâ—luâ—s saith t Cornelijorat Trident. The sauour of life is turned to the sauour of death So as their Matthew Paris the Monke saith u Paris in Henrico 2. sub 1160. Whence Christians were wont to fetch the water of Righteousnesse there they finde a poysoned puddle And euen thereby doth their Abbot â—oacham proue the Pope and his Clergie to be that Whore of Babylon mentioned in the seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation which offereth to the World the Abomination and Filthinesse of her Fornication in a golden Cup. * Ioacham vpon the 37. chap. Jere. The moderne Vicars of Christ saith he doe neglect Incense and Myrrhe but they seeke after Gold that they may with Babylon the great Ladie of the World fill vnto men Wine in a Golden Cup to infect their followers with their abomination Now therefore I demaund of our Romane Catholickes how it is possible for Doctrine to grow vnto any greater perfection of corruption then to be squared by the spirit of errour and Doctrines of Deuils whereby good men are made wicked men and simple men made Deuils 14 Touching the second poynt namely Faith their Saint Bridgit in her fourth Bâ—oke finding Rome to haue seduced the Romish Church from her primitiue puritie calleth her a wretched and an vâ— happie Citie And a little after shee saith x Bridgit lib. 4. cap. 30. Maruaile not that I called Rome an vnhappie and a wretched Citie because of the aforesaid abuses and others the like much contrarie to the Statutes of the Primitiue Church Wherefore it is to bee feared lest the Catholike Faith doe shortly sayle Their Saint Hildegard a Nunne hauing in a vision seene the Pope in the shew of a great and vgly Monster and other fearefull sigues ouer the Church of Rome wrote thus of the head thereof y Hildegard in her second booke of her Sciuias The sonne of perdition shall endeuour through a most wicked deceipt to seduce men for a time sweetely and smoothly by making crooked the path-way of the Christian Faith That Astrologian Ruth speaking of the state of the Romish Church when the Pope should be installed in his Seate wrote thus z Ruth in his 3. chap. of his Booke When as he shall enter into his House then shall the Romans stumble in the Faith Their Abbot Ioacham saith a Ioacham vpon the first and second of Ierem. The Pope considereth not in how peruerse a manner the Lyon of Faith is throwne downe And a little after he saith The religious orders doe defile the Faith by their errours teaching peruersly If in the head saith he is not the soundnesse of Faith much lesse is there in the heart the sinceritie of hope and yet further off from the foote is the diligence of doing charitable deedes And albeit the Faith of Rome was of olde published through the whole World yet afterward her Faith hath beene turned into perfidie and heresie Againe speaking of the whole Church of Rome hee saith b Jbidem This is the Synagogue of Sathan and his Seate This is that Figge-tree which is dried vp in the Faith by the meanes of the curse of transgression c. euen the latter Church the Ship of Saint Peter Their Bishop Cornelius saith c Oratio Cornelij Trident. Would to God they were not falne with one consent from Faith to Infidelitie and from Christ to Antichrist To conclude Ioacham yet sheweth of a more admirable perfection of falling from the true Faith in Christ in that he saith d Ioacham vpon the first and second chap. of Ieremie They haue chosen Antichrist for Christ the Deuill for God and Hell for the Kingdome of Heauen Wherefore whether it be possible for men to fall from the Faith in any greater measure let the learned Reader judge 15 Touching the third poynt to wit Religion Their Saint Bernard bewayling the desperate estate of Religion in his time saith e Bernard supra Cant. Ser. 33. gest Hildebrand Behold these times very much defiled with the worke that walketh in darkenesse Woe be to this generation because of the leauen of the Pharises which is hipocrisie If it may be called hypocrisie which is now so rife that it cannot and so shamelesse that it seeketh not to be kept secret A rotten contagion creepeth at this day through the whole body of the Church And a little after The wound of the Church is inward and incarable Their Cardinall Beno saith f Beno Cardinalis de vita gestis Hildeb Their Religion sauoureth nothing but of traiterousnesse and couetousnesse beeing led by the spirit of Errour and Doctrines of Deuils Their S. Elizabeth thus cryeth out against the Romish Clergie
2. said Antichrist shall sit as God But I demaund how this can be said to be the Temple of God where God neuer sate ne put his name ne was serued but should be built onely for that great Idol Antichrists vse S. Augustine saith a Augustine de Ciuitate Dei 〈◊〉 20. cap. 19. The Temple of an Idoll or of a Deuill the Apostle would neuer call the Temple of God And therefore seeing as we heard before S. Hierome said that by the Temple is meant the Church this can neither bee that Temple in which S. Paul said Antichrist should sit as God nor Bellarmines Iew be that Antichrist which Saint Paul meant should sit in the Temple of God Now therefore the question is whether the Pope of Rome be hee which S. Paul said should sit as God in the Temple of God exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped They say no wee say yea and who then shall determine the matter that shall foure of their owne side Bernard Ioacham Abbas Paracelsus and Auentine Bernard bewailing the state of the Church vnder the Popes of his time saith b Bernard Serm. 6. in Psalm 91. There remayneth nothing now but that the man of sinne bee reuealed euen the sonne of perdition which is not onely changed into an Angel of Light but is exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped Ioacham sheweth plainely in diuers places of his Writings c Ioacham in his Commentarie vpon Jeremie besides other places in diuers of his Predictions That hee it is which exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped which is called holy Lord and most holy Pope Their Paracelsus wrote thus to the Pope d Paracelsus in his 12. sigured Prediction Behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neither shalt thou abide aboue And a little after Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God Their writer Auentine saith thus of the Pope and euery particular of them e Auentine in his Chron. printed at Ingolstade anno 1554. They sit in the Temple of God and they bee exalted aboue all that is worshipped Hee which is the seruant of seruants doth couet to be Lord of Lords as if he were God He speaketh great things as if he were God He changeth Lawes he establisheth his owne he robbeth he spoyleth he couseneth he slayeth that wicked man whom commonly they call Antichrist in whose forehead is a name written a name of Blasphemie I am God I cannot erre He sitteth in the Temple of God and beareth rule farre and wide And thus we see the matter determined by these foure vnpartiall Iudges and the question fully resolued that the Pope is that great Antichrist the Man of Sinne which S. Paul fore-told should Sit as God in the Temple of God exalting himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped And this may also suffice for the answering the third place which hee citeth out of that 2 Thes 2. to haue proued the seat of Antichrist to be Ierusalem Now to the second place The second place which hee citeth is the seuenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation then which he could not haue brought a more plainer place to proue the contrarie For in that the Angel calleth that Citie which he there speaketh of The great Citie which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth He did not onely cleare Ierusalem for that it neuer raigned ouer the Kings of the earth but also certifieth vs that he meant Rome because Rome onely raigned ouer the Kings of the earth and the Emperour of Rome was then Emperour of the World Againe for as much as the Angel noteth out that Citie which S. Iohn there speaketh of by seauen Hills whereon it is built He not only cleared Ierusalem but also assureth vs that he meant Rome And all that are of any reading doe know that Ierusalem was neuer described by seauen Hils and that Rome and none other City in all the world is so described as Rome is by the names of these Hils Capitolinus Palatinus Auentinus Cicilius Scuen Hills Exquilinus Veminalis and Quinalis So that forasmuch as that Citie mentioned in the seauenteenth Chapter is distinguished from Ierusalem by those two speciall notes namely by raigning ouer the Kings of the earth and by being built vpon seauen Hils it is cleare without all contradiction that Rome onely is that place where the great Antichrist should pitch his Kingdome and consequently that the spirituall gouemour thereof and none other is he But they say no and who then shall be ludge betweene vs that shall their Abbot Ioacham Erasmus and their Bishop Cataldus Finius Ioacham writing vpon that seauenteenth Chapter of the Reuelation saith f Joacham The verie Text it selfe doth teach that the Woman begilded with gold and which committeth spirituall fornication with the Princes of the earth is the verie Church of Rome Erasmus writing also vpon the same Chapter saith g â—rasmus Sect. 3. These Hills agree with the hills of Rome Againe The woman in the great Citie is he which hath exalted himselfe for a Bishop ouer all Bishops and that raigneth ouer Emperours and Kings sitting also in the place of Christ And in the Chapter going before thus h Erasmus That beast of Rome of whom we spake before is the verie right Antichrist which worketh against the Gospel of Christ Cataldus saith i Cataldus Bishop of Trent in a Prophesic of his Rome is Babylon the damned pit of Priests And how then can Bellarmine with any credite or shew of truth say that Antichrist shall pitch his Kingdome in Ierusalem or that the Pope is not he THE SIXT OBIECTION 17 Three principall heads of Antichrists deuillish Doctrine when he commeth are plainely gathered out of holy Scripture The first that he shall denie Iesus to be Christ 1. Iohn 2. cap. 22. and consequently deny Baptisme and all other Sacraments and Doctrines brought in by Christ The second that he shall teach himselfe to be Christ and the Iewes shall beleeue him Iohn 5. The third that he shall affirme himselfe to be God and so require to be adored for God 2 Thessal 2.4 But the Popes of Rome doe not teach these poynts of Doctrine hetherto and therefore cannot be Antichrist THE ANSWERE 18 The former Chapter plainely proueth the Popes of Rome to teach all these three poynts of Doctrine and therefore Bellarmine himselfe must graunt the Pope and euery Pope in his time and place to be that Antichrist THE SEVENTH OBIECTION 19. Againe the Scripture teacheth vs that Antichrist when he commeth shall doe many wonderfull miracles in the sight of men Matth. 24. and 2. Thessal 2. and some of those miracles are specified Apoc. 13. to wit that he shall make fire descend from heauen and the Image of a beast to speake and saine himselfe to die and rise againe But these miracles no Pope hitherto hath
ouer into Asia there haue ye the Church of Ephesus If ye border neere to Italie there haue ye the Church of Rome * Tertullian De praescription Cotra Haereticos These so many and so great Churches are all that same one first Church planted by the Apostles from whence issued all the rest And so are they all first Churches and all Apostolike in that they all follow one vnitie And thus we see that albeit at this present time when Tertullian wrote this Ierusalem was destroyed by enemies Rome was yet then but a chiefe part of the Church and not as they write The mother and mistresse of all neither as they write that c 24. q. 1. c. Rogamas c. Sacro sancta therefore all Churches are subiect to the Sea of Rome because Peters Sea was tranflated from Antioch to Rome seeing Saint Cyprian in the open Councell of Affrica reprehending Stephanus Bishop of Rome for seeking that subiection said d Cyprian ad Qairâ—um Peter was neuer so insolent or arrogant as to aduance himselfe as Primate and one vnto whom nouices and punies should be subiect But here they haue marred their whole matter and ouerthrowne the antiquity of the Sea of Rome which they of long time haue borne the World in hand was established by Christ himselfe and that Peter was installed therein immediately vpon the death of Christ in that they affirme Peters first Sea to be at Antioch where Eusebius witnesseth c Anton. chro part 1. tâ—â— 6. cap. 4. paraâ— 1. Eliseb 〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 1.4 He was Bishop and resident vpon that charge seauen yeeres euen as Gregory the Great also witnesseth before he came to Rome And thus we see how wickedly they haue deluded the World touching Peters supreamacy and the Antiquity of the Church of Rome 19 But now whereas they alledge succession of vniuersall Popes and will proue it both by Saint Ireneus and Saint Augustine in that they numbred the Bishops of Rome from Peter Irenaeus they say * In their Callendar numbred the Successours by name from Peters time thirteene but let them proue that any one of them was by him or any other before him called vniuersall Pope and the victory shall be theirs if they can proue none then it is certaine that to his time there was none Also whereas their Doctor Master Harding saith f Harding Apol. cap. 5. Diuisio 1. Augustine Epist. 165. Saint Augustine hauing reckoned vp in order the Bishops of Rome to Anastasius Successour to Siricus who was the eight and thirty after Peter saith that in all that number role of Bishops there is not found one that was a Donatist and therefore he concludeth Ergo the Donatists be not Catholique So we say by the same rule that forasmuch as Saint Augustine found in all that rolle not one that was or had the title of vniuersall Pope but Bishop onely it is cleare that vniuersall Popes cannot be Catholique Againe that it may appeare that Saint Augustine did not approue of any such haughty titles nor allowed any lawfull but the name of Bishop He with the assent of 215. Bishops in the third Councell of Carthage made this decree g Councel Carthage Cannon 26. It hath liked vs that a Bishop of a First See be not called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest or any such like but onely a Bishop of a First See Which words albeit their Doctor Master Harding h Harding Apolog cap. 4. Diuis 2. would not haue to extend to the Bishop of Rome yet in the words following by a consequence he granteth it doth For saith he By these two words Prima Sedes those Fathers vnderstood any City in which a Patriarke or Primate hath his See I call it a First See or rather if it might be permitted a Primate See In great Cities where the Highest Courts were kept for Iustice and where the chiefe Pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after Christs comming were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weighty matter of Bishops should be decided And we proued in our 5. Chapter and 8. Section that the foure first Patriarkall Cities were these Ierusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria Therefore the words of the Councels Decree must of force as well concerne the Patriarke of Rome as any of the other three Patriarkes And that it may appeare they doe their Gration alledging the words of that Councell applyeth them to the Bishop of Rome Also in the glose are these words i Dist 99. Prime This is the third part of this distinction wherein it is said that the Pope ought not to be called vniuersall Bishop And as to this Councell I finde not in any Prouinciall Councell the name of Pope so neither in the first second nor third generall Councell doe I finde the name of Pope once mentioned but the name Bishop onely True it is that in the fourth generall Councell holden at Chalcedon Councell of Chalcedon Action 16. about the yeere of Christ 451. the name Pope was giuen to the Bishop of Rome but not by the Councell but onely by the Bishop of Romes Legate Lucentius as appeareth in the 16 action Who when hee saw that the Councell had set downe a Decree for the restraining the Bishop of Rome from the vniuersall authority which he challenged and would not reuerse it he said in the behalfe of himselfe and Paschasinus his fellow Legate If ye will not put the matter againe to voyces yet let our protestation against it be set downe in record that we may know what to informe the Pope of the vniuersall Church The Iudges answered That which we pronounced the whole Councell hath approued The title which this Councell gaue to the Bishop of Rome as appeareth in the beginning of this 16. Action was the same which they there gaue to the Bishop of Constantinople which was Archbishop and not Pope 20 And now whereas their Master Harding saith k Harding Apolo cap. 4. Diuision 3. that Gregory the Great affirmeth that this Councell did offer to Leo then Bishop of Rome the title of vniuersall Pope and he refused it this we see not to be so but had it beene as they say that this Councell did offer it vnto him and he refused it it maketh as well to proue the title not lawfull nor to descend from Saint Peter as that the Councell refused to giue it vnto him For if the Title had descended successiuely from Peter and beene a lawfull Title what cause had he to refuse it Againe if the Title bad beene a lawfull Title why did Gregory himselfe refuse it when Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria did offer it vnto him and not simply refused it but thus flowted him for his folly l Gregory lib. 7. Epist 30. Ecce saith he Behold euen the Title of your Letter ye haue written the proud poefie meaning me the vniuersall
forbid and which we ought all to pray God to auert For now we see is the time come for the fulfilling of this Prophesie Lord giue a blessing to my labour and open the eyes of the blinde But now what good effect can wee looke to haue that the fruit of this our labour should any thing at all preuaile to conuert any Papists seeing we finde in the 16. Chapter 10. Verse and 9. Chapter 20.21 Verses of the Reuelation that neither the Word of God nor the iudgements of God shall conuert them surely none were it not that the Lord in the 4. Verse of the 18 Chapter had reuealed that euen to the finall destruction of Babylon he hath yet reserued some to himselfe of which sort therefore we hope it will take effect in some but for the rest we haue had sufficient experience that the more plainer and clearer the truth is made vnto them the more they will labour with their cunning shifts and sophisticall arguments to obscure it yea and if it be possible they will make it seem vntruth Howbeit euen hereby they most euidently declare themselues to be of the fellowship of those Antichristians whom S. Paul 2 Thessalonians 2 chap. sheweth the great Antichrist shall so strongly delude that they shall delight rather to beleeue his lies then Gods truth And that it may appeare to the Reader they are indeed the same what can make it more apparent then their apposing themselues against the Doctrine of Christ himselfe For whereas the Prophet Malachi chap. 4. fore-told of Elias that was to come and that our Sauiour Christ Matth. 11. expoundeth that to be meant of Saint Iohn Baptist in saying of him This is that Elias that was to come Hee that hath eares to heare let him heare They sticke not to appose themselues against his plaine exposition and constantly affirme that the same Elias is yet to come Also notwithstanding the Euangelist Saint Luke in his first chapter 17. Verse sheweth Iohn Baptist to be the same of whom Malachi fore-told who as hee saith Came in the spirit and power of Elias to prepare the way for Christ They say that the end of his comming is to appose himselfe against Antichrist And this is done to make vs beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come But in the meane time their affirming Elias to be yet to come which should come but once and that onely to manifest the Messias to bee verily come What is this but by a consequent to affirme that the Messias is yet to come and so our faith in him that is come is made voyd and of none effect Againe whereas our Sauiour Christ as appeareth Matthew 24. saith And this Gospel of the Kingdome shall be preached through out the whole World for a witnesse to all Nations and then shall the end come They peruert both words sense say And then shall Antichrist come And this also is done only to make men beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come that no man should once suspect the Pope to be he albeit the truth forceth all men to beleeue the contrary But it may well appeare they meane nothing lesse then that the truth should come to light for then N. D. the Authour of the Ward-word in alledging the 8. Verse of the 11. chapter of the Reuelation to proue the seat of Antichrist to be in Ierusalem would not haue taken out of the Text the word Spiritually which all men may see the holy Ghost put in purposely to preserue the sense that he might adde a contrary to wit such a sense of his owne as should shadow Rome for appearing to be the seate and the Pope from being Antichrist I say if hee had beene willing the Reader should haue beene resolued by truth he would neuer haue done it But what hath he gotten by this his adding and deminishing too and from the words and sense of that Prophesie let him looke into the 18. and 19. Verses of the 22. chap. of the same Booke and he shall finde it to be no lesse then eternall damnation both of body and soule because it is wittingly done Againe if he had beene willing that men should haue beene resolued by the truth he might more easily haue found out the seate of Antichrist to be in Rome then in Ierusalem because the 17. chapter of the Reuelation sheweth it to be in the Citie with seauen hills and which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth but Ierusalem was neuer described by seauen hills nor euer raigned ouer the Kings of the earth nor any other Citie in all the world but Rome therefore not Ierusalem but Rome is the seate of Antichrist Againe if he had been willing that the truth should haue resolued the Reader who hee is that is in deed and truth the great Antichrist hee would neuer haue wrested and falsified so many places of Scripture as appeareth in his Ward-word Page 91.92 he hath done wittingly to proue him a Iewe and to dominiere onely ouer that one Nation of the Iewes I say if hee had beene willing that men should haue beene resolued by the truth he would neuer haue done it If he shall charge vs with doing him wrong for saying hee hath wrested and falsified the places he hath cited I say againe not any one of his places doth proue the point if it did then hee hath done himselfe the wrong for that after so many places cited hee bringeth in the 5. Verse of the 13. chapter of the Reuelation which being vnderstood as he would haue it of Antichrist the three next Verses following proueth him a Gentile and a Roman vnto whom as the Text saith Power was giuen ouer euery kindred tongue and Nation and whom the World worshipped So that here he hath vtterly shamed himselfe for that this Text as he vnderstandeth it proueth all his former obiections but Antichristian illusions and fond fables Againe if he had beene willing that the Reader should haue beene resolued by the truth hee would not haue laboured to haue enduced him to beleeue that Antichrist should seduce the Iewes that they should receiue him for their Messias and Sauiour seeing he cannot proue by any one place of Scripture from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of the Reuelation that there shall be any other translation or alteration of the Iewes state to come but onely that in the 11. to the Romans which Saint Paul sheweth shall be their conuertion to Christ and the same to continue to the comming of Christ to iudgement Againe if he had beene willing men should haue beene resolued by the truth hee would neuer haue expounded the Image of the Heathenish Roman gouernement to be a painted picture or a carued Image the likenesse of some kind of cattell or beast onely to blind the World that men should not see the Popish gouernement to be the Image Howbeit let them looke into the 8. verse of the 14. chap. and they shall see and
into the 9.10 and 11. Verses of the same and they shall know to their euerlasting woe that by the Beast is meant the Heathen Roman gouernment and by the image of the beast the Popish Roman gouernment But he that was the author of the Ward-word would not that men should know this Therefore we see he is not willing that men should be resolued by the truth Againe if the Papists in generall had beene willing the truth should haue come to light that men might haue beene resolued in the truth of Babylon they would not in the Remish Testament haue expounded Babylon in the seauententh chapter of the Reuelation to signifie the Vniuersall societie of the wicked seeing the holy Ghost sheweth in the same Chapter that by Babylon is meant the Citie with seauen hils and that raigned ouer the Kings of the earth But to say that the Reprobates of the world are scituated vpon those seauen hils and raigned ouer the Kings of the earth is most ridiculous Therefore we see they are not willing the truth should come to light Againe if they had beene willing that men should haue beene resolued by the truth they would neuer haue giuen that exposition seeing that by Babylon is signified also the woman offering to the World in the name of Christ her whorish Religion as appeareth in the 4. Verse of the same chapter Againe if they had beene willing to haue brought the truth to light that men might haue beene truely resolued in that point then seeing the Angell in the same place shewed to Saint Iohn that hee spake to him of Romes estate offering to the World her Religion in a Golden cup that is in the name of Christ they would neuer haue expounded it of Heathenish Rome vnder the Heathen Emperours for they know as well as wee that she disdained once to handle that cup and persecuted any whosoeuer offered to her any truth therein But why should we stand any longer in the repeticion of these things now seeing that by the holy Ghost the misterie of the Golden cup is reuealed and the truth laid open that it is Christian Rome that the Angell called Babylon the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth And then seeing Christian Rome is the mother of whordomes and abominations of the earth the Pope must needes be the father of whordomes and abominations of the earth and he that is the father of whordomes and abominations of the earth must needes be the great Antichrist Therefore here all their mouthes are stopped and all their cunning arguments desolued and all their chiefe points craftie shifts and vntruths abandoned which they would haue should make vs to beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come that wee should not suspect the Pope to be he As touching the exposition of the Golden cup let them deny it to be the true meaning of the holy Ghost if they dare but they haue denied too much of the truth of that Booke already as one day they shall finde All the benefits of saluation which wee receiue in Christ the Prophet Dauid Psal 116. calleth the Cup of saluation And his name may well be called the Golden Cup because as S. Luke saith Acts 4.19 There is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby men must be saued And yet to shew that all that professe Christ shall not be saued our Sauiour Christ fore-telleth that euen vnder his name many shall be deceiued which surely is a wonderfull great iudgement of God vpon that people whosoeuer they be Erasmus expounding the misterie of that cup sheweth that that which is offered therein is nothing else but the Popes religion which he saith he offereth in the name of Christ to deceiue the world And their Abbot Ioachim witnesseth the same as may plainely appeare in his 37. chapter vpon the Prophet Ieremy where he complaining of the corruption of the Popes saith They doe neglect Incense and Myrrh but they seeke after Gold that they may with Babylon the great Lady of the world fill vnto men Wine in a golden Cup to infect their followers with their abhominations And thus by the opening the misterie of the Golden Cup we see the Lord hath now made knowne to his Church that Christian Rome is Babylon and the Pope professing Christ is Antichrist Yea the same of whom Saint Hylary saith Hylary contra Auxenium Antichrist shall be contrary to Christ vnder a colour of preaching the Gospell so that our Lord Iesus Christ shall then be denied when a man would thinke he were preached And herein also the Pope agreeth to the signification of the name as it is in the Greeke namely to be both for and against Christ 2 Thessa 2. to sit as the Church the deare friend of Christ and yet to be as Saint Paul saith An aduersarie Therefore doubtlesse he cannot be said to be the great Antichrist that is not ouer-ruling all both for and against Christ Their Saint Vincent intreating of the end of the World sheweth of two kindes of Antichrists the one he calleth a pure Antichrist to wit the Turke the other he calleth a mixed kind of Antichrist which he saith shall be an euill Pope made by an euill prince of great power alluding to Boniface the third who was made the first Pope by that Murtherer Phocas the Emperour of Rome And their Astrologian Ruth speaking of Antichrist saith Hee shall be called Antichristus mixtus whom the Prelates shall greatly honour And this he spake not of himselfe for hee found it so written in an olde Prophesie as himselfe confesseth in his thirtie foure Chapter of the second part of his Booke To be briefe and to draw to an end this I aduise the Reader to note well that forasmuch as the same Apostle Ephesians 4.6 sheweth that as there is but one God and that he alone is the Vniuersall father of all And that Christ himselfe Matthew 23.9 forbad the title of Vniuersall father to be giuen to any but to the Father of Heauen it is cleare he is a most horrible blasphemer that will call the most holiest man vpon the earth vniuersall Father of all much more hee that will call Antichrist the Pope vniuersall father of all seeing the Holy ghost calleth him The man of sinne and sonne of perdition 2 Thessal 2. Againe forasmuch as the same Apostle Galatians 4.26 saith Ierusalem which is aboue is the mother of vs all he is a most horrible blasphemer that will call the most holiest Citie heere beneath the mother of vs all much more hee that will call Rome the Mother of vs all which the Angell of God calleth Babylon The mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth Againe forasmuch as the very selfe and same religion which Rome now offereth to the world in the name of Christ is by the Angell in the 4 verse of the 17. chapter of the Reuelation compared vnto the stinking filthinesse of a whoores fornication he must needes be a most
may be called before the comming of Christ to iudgement yet all men may see plainely that Antichrist is alreadie come and that the Pope and euerie Pope in his time and place is hee Yea this is the Luciferiall aspiring fellow of whose rise and fall their Paracelsus saith * Parasel in his twelfth figured Prediâ—â— on directed to the Pope Oftentimes one doth place himselfe well but it is in vaine except his seat be such as cannot fall together with him that sitteth thereon And behold thou hast lifted vp thy selfe on high but it is not thy place neyther shalt thou abide aboue for thou are a yoake and a burthen vnfit to be borne hence it is holy Father S.P. that thou fallest Thou hast placed thy selfe aboue God and hee shall returne vnto thee the reward thou hast sought to wit worldly glorie and praise which thou hast greedily heaped vpon thine head but as all worldly things doe so shalt thou perish So that who seeth not but that Antichrist is come THE FOVRTH OBIECTION 11 The proper Antichrist by all reason and likelihood must be a Iewe borne and circumcised and will professe at least for a while to keepe the Iewes Sabbath and other Ceremonies of the olde Lawe to draw them after him and they shall accept of him for their Messias as before hath beene shewed out of Christs owne words which they would neuer doe except he were a Iewe both by generation and profession which two things can neyther bee verified of the Popes of Rome to wit that they are eyther Iewes by birth or doe professe the Iewes Doctrine THE ANSWERE 12 Here Christian Reader is a long circumstance including many properties of Antichrist but not so much as any one Scripture or Father to confirme any one point therefore I may sufficiently answere him by bare denying all that he affirmeth and thereupon conclude that by all reason and likelihood Antichrist shall neither bee a Iew by birth nor yet by profession but a Gentile and a Romane Howbeit for as much as bare negatiues no more disprooue any thing then bare affirmatiues prooue any thing of eyther side the matter shall not so passe First then as concerning Iewish Ceremonies who knoweth not how full of them their Church is as abstenance from certaine meates washings purifyings and sacrificing for sinne As also the retayning certaine ceremoniall garments as the Myter the Cope the Ephod sensing the Priests with Incense holy Oyle holy Bread the Wafer-kake Arons Bell and to many such like too tedious to repeate and for Iewish Doctrine in the maine poynt for the ouerthrow of manssaluation they rightly agree with them who held of iustification by the workes of the Law as they doe Secondly whereas he saith that Antichrist shall be a Iew both by generation and profession it is neither his yea nor my nay that shall serue but wee will haue indifferent Iudges betweene both and who shall these be euen S. Ireneus who they may not refuse and their Abbot Ioacham who they cannot refuse Ireneus out of the number of the Letters Apoccalips 13. saith x Jreneus in his fift Booke and Epistles of Antichrist Antichrist is Zatinos a Roman y Ioacham Abbas Ioacham saith Antichrist long since was borne in Rome and shall be higher aduanced in the Apostolicke Sea So then Antichrist shall be a Romane not a Iew and the same that shall bee exalted into Peters Chaire which he cannot deny to bee the Pope onely therefore he cannot denie the Pope onely to bee the great Antichrist THE FIFT OBIECTION 13 Antichrist when he commeth shall pitch his Kingdome in the Citie of Ierusalem and goe about to restore the Temple of Salomon as is plainely gathered out of Saint Iohns words Apocal. 11. where he saith that the bodies of Henoch and Elias that shall be slaine by him shall lie vnburied in the streetes of the great Citie where their Lord was crucified And the same is deduced out of the same Booke cap. 17. and out of Saint Paules wordes 2. Thessal 2. and by many ancient Writers And how then can the Popes of Rome be Antichrist THE ANSWERE 14 Here now to induce vs not to looke for Antichrist in Rome he telleth vs he shal pitch his kingdome in Ierusalem and for proofe he citeth three places of Scripture the first out of the 8. verse of the 11. chap. of the Reuela which hee abuseth most damnably For all men may see by the Text that the Holy Ghost purposely to preserue the sense put in the middle of the verse these words Which spiritually is called Sodome and Aegypt Which words hee hath left out and cunningly closed vp both ends of the verse together in Roman Letters as though those words had not beene in the originall Tongue which caused mee to haue the Greeke Coppies searched and also to see their owne translation in the Remish Testament in both which these words are extant So that it appeareth that because he saw that neither according to the expresse words of the Text as the Holy Ghost had set them downe nor yet according to the sense the place would proue Ierusalem properly to be the seate of Antichrist he therfore fraudulently omitted those words to frame the rest for his purpose which if he had done the like in the 17. chap. these words A mysterie great Babylon And also these words The seuen heads are seuen Mountaines whereon the woman sitteth all the Diuines in the World could neuer haue found out the great Antichrist nor his seate But the case is cleare that forasmuch as the place where Christ was crucified is there noted to be the seate of Antichrist but in a spirituall signification the Holy Ghost did not meane Ierusalem but Rome because Rome then raigning ouer Ierusalem Christ was put to death in her iurisdiction and by her onely authoritie Iohn 18.31 for Pilate Romes deputie was his Iudge who finding Christ guiltlesse would faine haue shuffeled him off into the Iewes hands to haue condemned him but they refusing said Wee haue no authoritie to put any man to death Whereupon Pilate proceeded and gaue sentence of death vpon him therefore Rome may well be said to be the place where Christ was crucified and the Citie where the Holy Ghost meaneth Antichrist should pitch his Kingdome But they say no and who then shall be Iudge betweene vs that shall that notable Diuine Erasmus who saith thus of Rome z Erasmus vpon the 11. chap. of the Reuela This Citie is in sigure and similitude the Citie of Ierusalem 15 Secondly Sect. 2 out of the same verse he would proue that Antichrist should goe about to build againe the Temple of Ierusalem in which there is not any one word to be found that doth proue it But this glosse also he setteth vpon the Text to blind the eyes of the ignorant and to make them beleeue that that should be the Temple of God in which S Paul 2 Thessal
wrought Ergo c. THE ANSWERE 20 Heere hee noteth out Antichrist by three speciall miracles which he saith he shall worke which because no Pope hitherto hath wrought they cannot be Antichrist Touching the first namely that he shall make fire descend from heauen wee say That forasmuch as there is no time set downe when that miracle shall be wrought and that there remayneth a Pope and how many shall succeede him who can tell all which make the great Antichrist therefore till the full end and terme of their reigne and that it can be proued that not any one Pope euer wrought that miracle none of the predecessours are cleared from being Antichrist for we find throughout the whole Scriptures that whatsoeuer is done by any one of them is imputed vnto all 21 But as touching the true sense of those words diuers of the Learned doe conclude that by making fire descend from heauen is meant that he should doe such miracles and so great wonders as should as greatly preuaile to draw the people from God to himselfe as the fire that came downe from heauen at the prayer of Elias did preuaile to draw the people from Baall to God 1. Kings 18â—â— 38.39 and that it is no more meant that Antichrist should cause fire really to descend from heauen then in the eleuenth chapter that materiall fire should proceede out of the two witnesses mouthes and destroy their enemies or in the ninth chapter that out of horses mouthes should issue fire smoake and brimstone to deuoure men 22 Secondly he saith that Antichrist shall make the Image of a beast to speake We answere The text saith not of a beast but of The beast That is as the verse going before saith The Image of the beast which had the wound of a sword and did liue Which as Erasmus expoundeth was the Heathenish domination vnder the Heathenish Emperours of Rome Whose heathenishnesse was almost stricken cleane dead by the sword of the Spirit which Saint Paul Ephes 6. Ephes 6.17 calleth the Word of God which wound was afterwards salued but fully healed by that spirituall beast which the 11. and 12. verses of the 13. chapter of the Reuclation declareth rose vp in the Roman kingdome resembling Christ the Lambe for as the Text saith He did all that the first beast could doe before him Whereby hee brought the latter Domination so liuely to resemble the former as any picture or image could possibly be made to resemble any beast therefore by the second Domination vnder the Popes is meant that image which Antichrist should make to speake that is should cause to publish and proclaime that as many as would not be conformable to all the heathenish ordinances thereof as in the former Domination should be killed By which means it came to passe as who so will reade the latter end of the thirteenth chapter shall see that all were brought to be subiect to his Lore Now therefore whether we may vnderstand this great worke to be accomplished by a painted picture or carued image and that by that same image which Antichrist should make to speake should be meant the image of some carnall beast or whether this be not a meer carnall interpretation of theirs let the discreete Reader iudge 23 Thirdly he saith Antichrist shall faine himselfe to die and rise agayne which thing if any one of his places doe proue I doe heere promise to recant Wherefore as the Popes not working those three miracles actually are not thereby cleared from being Antichrist so do not these miracles proue Bellarmines Iew to worke them to proue him to be Antichrist Therefore let vs come to some further triall with them for the better finding out of Antichrist by the miracles which he shal work in which no better course can be taken then by searching out the place where he shal worke them for if he shall worke them in that one City or Nation of the Iewes then it is likely he shall be a Iew but if all the world ouer in the Cities and Nations of the Gentiles then it is more likely he shall not be a Iew but a Gentile Now as the 13. verse of the 13. chapter of the Reuel Reu. 13.13 saith of Antichrist Hee made fire come downe from heauen so the next verse saith By the signes which were permitted for him to doe hee deceiued them that dwell on the earth By which it is most apparent that Antichrist shall not worke his wonders in that one City of Ierusalem nor yet in that one nation of the Iewes but ouer a great part of the whole earth among the Gentiles therefore this proueth he shall not be a lew but a Gentile Againe Saint Iohn in his 16. chapter of the same Booke speaking of Antichrist and his miracle-monger and the place where they should worke their miracles saith And I saw three vncleane spirits like frogges Reu. 16.13 come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet for they are the spirits of diuels working miracles to goe vnto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world Also in the eighteenth chapter that Angell speaking there of Babylon the seate of Antichrist saith With thine inchantments were deceiued all Nations By which then wee see that the case standeth cleare that Antichrists miracles shall not be wrought in that corner of the world among the Iewes but all the world ouer among the Gentiles therefore Antichrist shall not bee a Iew but a Gentile Also seeing wee our selues in this our age doe see how the Papists euery where incline themselues to miracles and that the Pope doth daily send his Seminaries abroad to worke his wonders all the world ouer by plaine experience wee may be bolde to say the Pope is that Gentile But they say no and who then shall decide the matter that shall hee whom they confesse to bâ—e indifferent betweene both Erasmus who hath thus written vpon the same place of the Reuelation k Erasmus What wonderfull tokens sayth hee haue beene wrought in the Papacie and to what end Christ himselfe did prophecie long agoe vnto his Disciples and gaue them warning of them Againe touching those three vncleane spirits which should deceiue the Kings of the earth and the greatest part of the world by their miracles he sayth l Erasmus vpon the 16. chap. The first is the diuellish Dragon the second is the beast at Rome the very right Antichrist the third is the false Prophet not one person but a whole order and multitude of Bishops and religious persons Monks Friers c. And a little after These are three such foule and vncleane spirits as none can be found more vncleane and yet do they worke miracles Wherefore then seeing that Antichrists great miracles are wrought in the Papacie the Sea of Rome and else where by the authority of the father of Perdition the Dragon of
as the mouth of a Lyon The spirituall Beast is onely said to haue two Hornes like the Lambe Vnder the first Beast Verse 11 was our Sauiour Christ and all his Apostles put to death as also many thousand Christians after them and almost all the Bishops of Rome for the space of neere three hundred yeares This corporall Beast was Heathenish Rome and Regiment which the Papists would make the World to beleeue the Angel in the seauenteenth Chapter onely called Babylon 2 The first Beast wee see is set forth in a visible shape to our corporall eyes the second in no shape therefore to be discerned with spirituall eyes onely it is said to haue two Hornes like the Lambe that is to say to seeme to haue the two Testaments the Law of God and Gospel of Christ to be the onely strength of his Kingdome and Priesthood as Christ himselfe had By which it is certaine that by this second Beast so resembling Christ is meant Christian Rome and her Regiment Now the first beast they confesse was well worthie the name of Babylon for that it did as well resemble old Babylon in tyranny Idolatrie and all manner of abominations as if it had beene the verie same therefore if wee can prooue that the second beast became so liuely to resemble the first beast as the first beast did the first Babylon then the case will stand cleare that the second beast is as well worthie the same name Now for proofe hereof what better Author can wee bring then the Angel himselfe who of the second beast saith thus * Some of our Writers haue doubted that because it is said he did all that the first beast did before him or in his sight that this cannot be meant of the Popes spirituall Regiment but the 20. verse of the 19. Chap. will shew them it is And he did all that the first beast could doe before him and he caused the Earth and them that dwelt therein to worship the first Beast that is commaunded all vpon the earth within his Dominions to lay to their helping hands with him to bring the Christian state into the first beasts forme and order and also to bring all the inhabitants within his iurisdiction to conforme themselues in reuerence and humble obedience vnto the same and so to worship the first beast in honouring his old Heathenish Ordinances by which it is without all contradiction the second beast is no whitlesse worthie the same name 3 But yet for more plainer proofe that by the second beast is meant the spirituall Regiment of Christian Rome let vs heare how Erasmus doth interpret those words of the Angel in the thirteenth Chapter his words bee these a Erasmus vpon the 13. Chap. 5. Sect. When as the Roman Kingdome after the time of Iulianus began to be diuided into East and West and to diminish for a season then began a new Roman Kingdome and iurisdiction namely the Popes pompe And a little after b Jbidem This Kingdome of the Papists tooke vpon it all the power of the first beast the Roman Emperour and compelled the Christians to Idolatrie and seruice of false gods vnder a pretence of honouring Christ and Saints By which it is most apparant that by the second beast is meant the Popish Christian Regiment of Rome And this is very sufficient for the prouing that by the two beasts in the thirteenth Chapter is meant the Heathenish Roman Regiment and the Popish Christian Regiment Now it requireth that we proue also whether by the beast mentioned in the seauenteenth Chapter which the Angel called Babylon the Mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth bee meant Heathenish Rome and her Regiment vnder the Pagan Emperours or of Christian Rome and of her Regiment vnder the Popes 4 Erasmus hauing discoursed at large of the matters contained in the thirteenth fourteenth fifteenth and sixteenth Chapters comming to the seauenteenth Chapter he saith thus c Erasmus vpon then 7. chap. Sect. 1. One of the seauen Angels which spake of the second Kingdome and of the iurisdiction of Rome and of the beast with two Hornes commeth now againe and will speake more plainely So that he giueth vs to vnderstand The spirituall beast in the 13. chap. and that in the 17. chap. are one that the same beast in the thirteenth Chapter and that in the seuenteenth Chapter are both one Now we heard before by what sufficient arguments hee proued that by the second beast was meant Christian Rome and her Regiment but let vs also see by what inducements he is lead to affirme that that beast in the seauenteenth Chapter is the same The first motiue I take to bee this namely for that the same beast which the Angel in the fift verse called Babylon the Mother of whordomes and abominations of the Earth in the 8. verse he saw he had expounded to Iohn to be a Citie Euident notes to proue Christian Rome Babylon and in the ninth verse to be that onely Citie that compasseth within her seauen speciall Hills which was sufficient to perswade him that by the beast in the seauenteenth Chapter the Angel meant Rome Secondly to induce him to vnderstand that the Angel meant Christian Rome he saw the Angel spake of Romes estate in her latter daies for that so soone as he had declared vnto Iohn the beast to bee a Citie and with one and the same breath to adde these words which raigneth ouer the Kings of the Earth And also for that he saw him to preuent Iohn before in the twelfth Verse for vnderstanding them of Kings in his dayes in saying thus of them Which yet haue not receiued a kingdome but shall receiue power at an houre with the beast As also for that by these very words he declared vnto him that he did not speake of the first beast because that beast was then in his full power and raigned ouer both Iewes and Gentiles 5 Thirdly for that hee saw the Angell had declared vnto Iohn that those Kings which afterwards should rise vp with the beast should continue with her to the end of her dayes and should grow into so great hatred against her that they should pursue her to her vtter destruction For as in the twelfth verse he described those Kings by the similitude of tenne hornes so in the sixteenth and seuenteenth verses hee said vnto Iohn thus of those hornes And the tenne Hornes which thou sawest vpon the beast Reuelat. 17. are they that shall hate the Whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire for God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the beast vntill the words of God be fulfilled Fourthly the fourth verse of the seauenteenth Chapter inforced him to vnderstand the beast which the Angel there calleth Babylon the Mother of whordomes and abominations of the Earth to
continued but one yere then next after him entered Antichrist euen Boniface the third who with an impudent face fell to contend openly with the Bishop of Constantinople for his Antichristian title and dignity and by the meanes of Phocas the murtherer and Emperour obtained it and got to be established to him and his successours to be called supreame head of Christs vniuersall Church and father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the mother of all christian Churches And for plaine proofe hereof the Popes owne Decretall saith thus of this Boniface Å¿ Decretall This man by the meanes of Phocas the Emperour obtained against the Patriarke of Constantinople that the Sea of Peter should be the head of the Church As also Platina in these words t Platina of Bonifacius Pope Boniface the third obtained of the Emperour Phocas that Rome should be called the head of all Churches but with great contention and much adoe And heere was now the first singular vniuersall Pope established and marriage making betweene Antichrist and the Church which was no doubt in Gods iustice brought to passe for that she was now become most corrupt in doctrine and lewd in life as not onely Gregory witnesseth but also other histories at large doe declare But of the first beginning of their Church wee shall haue occasion to speake more plainely in the next Chapter in the meane time we will satisfie the reader what manner of supreame gouernment themselues affirme the Christian Church had from the time of the Apostles to the rising of Boniface which will also proue that to his time there was no singular vniuersall Pope allowed and established to be supreame head of the vniuersall Church 8 Their great Doctor Master Harding saith u Harding Apologie chap. 4. diuision 2. In great Cities where the highest Courts for iustice were kept and where the chiefe Pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after Christs comming were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weightie matters of Bishops should be decided Which if he will haue vs to beleeue then must we also beleeue that the first supreame gouernment that was ordained by the Apostles ouer Bishops and their vniuersall causes was by certaine chiefe or head Bishops and not by one and then where was this singular supreame gouernement of the Pope ouer all Bishops to be found But now to salue this fore commeth in their Iohannes Boemos with these words and saith * Boemos in his booke of the beginning of Arts Chap. 12. of the first rising of Christians The holy Apostles did all consent that Peter and all that followed him in the seate at Rome should for euer be called Papa vniuersall Father of Fathers A most horrible and blasphemous title forbidden by our Sauiour Christ to be giuen to any mortall man Matth. 23.9 Call no man your father vpon earth for there is but one euen your Father which is in heauen Therefore seeing this title is proper to God alone The title of vniuersall Father forbidden by Christ and forbidden by our Sauiour to be giuen to any other how can we beleeue that the Apostles of Christ durst consent to giue it to Peter or that Peter durst euer take it vpon him and yet notwithstanding hee addeth further and saith And that he should at Rome be President ouer the vniuersall Church as the Emperour there was ruler ouer the World And to match the Consuls which were twaine they appoynted foure head fathers in Greeke named Patriarkes one at Constantinople another at Antioch a third at Alexandria and the fourth at Ierusalem And hereby he would proue the Bishop of Rome to be supreame head ouer all but if Gregorie the Great had not condemned this for a fond fable by confessing that Peter himselfe was not called vniuersall Apostle and that no Bishop of Rome before his time euer had that title or dignitie yet hee himselfe hath For whereas he affirmeth the Patriarkes at the first ordination thereof to be foure in number which indeed they were before there was a sift at Constantinople and would haue Constantinople to be one of the foure by the Apostles owne ordination it is graunted by our English Catholiques * In their answere to mee about Page 4. that till after the Councell of Nice there was not so much as the name of Constantinople once heard of which was aboue three hundred yeares after Christ and about two hundred yeares after the decease of all the Apostles therefore how Constantinople could be one of the first foure by the Apostles owne ordination and deed let the Reader iudge As for the time before when she was poore and ruinous Byzantium shee could be none for as wee heard by their Doctor Harding right now that the Patriarchall Cities were the great and chiefe Cities But in this his foy sting in Constantinople for one of the first foure Patriarkes we see it euident he did it onely to exalt the Bishop of Rome a degree aboue the Patriarkes which as we heard in the 3. Section Gregorie in my 3. Section Gregorie condemned in that he said If one Patriarke be called Vniuersall hee derogateth from the other Pâ—â—triarkes Also If this name may goe currant honour is taken away from all the Patriarkes of whom he confesseth himselfe to be an equall and a fellow brother Againe seeing hee also confesseth that to his time no Bishop of Rome was aboue a Patriarke he proueth Boemous his testimonie false Also M. Hanmar in his Ecclesiast Historie of the first 600. yeares after Christ Fol. 564. to 600. M. Meredith Hanmar Doctor of Diuinitie albeit he be of their minde that the Patriarkes had their beginning from the time of the Apostles and would proue it by Eusebius Epiphanius Socrates Euagrius and others in this successiue manner setting downe the most ancients first and not last as Boemous doth Ierusalem The foure Patriarkdomes Antioch Rome Alexandria Iames the iust Peter Peter Marke Simion Cleophas Euodius Linus Anianus Iustus a Iew. Ignatius Clement Abilius Tobias Heros Cletus Cerdo Beniamin Corneli Anacletus Primus Iohn Marcus Auerastes Iustus Matthias Cassianus Alexander Eumenius Philip. Theophilus Sixtus Maricus Senecus Maximinus Thelesphoras Celadian Iustus Seraphion Higenius Agrippas Leui. Asclepiades Pius Iulianus Ephrem Philetus Anicetus Demetrus Ioseph Zebinus Soter Heraclas Iudas Babilas Elutherius Alexander Marcus Fabius Victor Dionisius Cassianus Demetrianus Zeuerinus Maximinus Publius Paulus Calistus Theonas Iulianus Domnus Vrbanus Peter Caius Timeus Pontianus Achillas Iulianus Cyrillius Anterus Alexander Capito Dorotheus Fabianus Athanasius Maximus Tyrranus Lucius Gregory Antonius Vitalis Steuen Peter Valens Phiologonus Xistus Lucius Dolichiâ— Eustatisius Dionisius Timothie Narcissus Felix Theophilus Dioâ— Eight yeares it was void Eutichianus Cyrilius Germamon  Caius Dioscorus Gor. Marcillinus Protorius Narcissus and Eulalius Marcilius Timothie Alexander Euphronius Eusebius Basilinus Masabanes Placitus Miltiades Peter Himineas Steuen Siluester
during those fiery fiue moneths mentioned in the 5. Reuelat. 9.5 verse of the 9. chap. of the Reuelation which some of the learned doe interpret to be those last 500. yeeres before Luthers time in which Antichrist was growne vp to his full height and power and euen then did God stirre vp a great company of corragious Champions to withstand the Pope and openly and boldly to write speake and preach against him and his proceedings till well towards the rising of Luther a great part of which we will now produce as they thus follow in particular 3 About the yeare of our Lord 1158. which was almost foure hundred yeares before Luthers daies Garhardus and Dulcinus Nauarenses did earnestly preach against the Church of Rome and taught that the Pope is Antichrist that the Clergie and Prelates of Rome were reiected and were become the very whore of Babylon prefigured in the booke of the Reuelation These as the histories doe testifie came into England The two witnesses as they follow are sayd to be two because thâ—y bear witnesse to the two TestameÌ„ts and brought certaine others with them who were by the King and the Prelaetes burned in the foreheads and sent out of the Realme and afterwards were put to death by the Pope In the yeare 1160. * Waldus Waldus one of the chiefe Magistrates of the Citie of Lyons in Fraunce was terrified at the sight of one that fell downe dead suddenly he shewed great fruits of repentance both by exercising the workes of mercie in relieuing the poore and also by instructing himselfe and his family in the word of God and in exhorting all that resorted vnto him to the same and by translating certaine places of Scriptures into the French tongue which he declared vnto many He and a great number that receiued instructions by him maintained the same doctrine drawne out of the holy Scriptures which we doe now condemning the Masse to be wicked the Pope to bee Antichrist and Rome to be Babylon c. They were threatned and by violence of persecution scattered into many places and some of them remained long in Bohemia In the yeare 1212. An hundred burned in one day the Pope caused an hundred persons in the Country of Alsatia whereof diuers of them were Noble men to be burned in one day for maintaining doctrine against the Romish Church About the yeare of Christ 1230. The Graecians renounced the Church of Rome almost all the Church of the Graeciaens renounced the Church of Rome because of their execrable Simony and such like abominable wickednesse In the time of the Emperour Frederike the second about the yeare 1240. there was in the Countrey of Sweuia many Preachers which preached freely against the Pope and his Prelates affirming that they were Heretiques Simonackes and such like About the yeare 1250. rose vp Arnoldus de nona villa a Spaniard Arnoldus a man famously learned and a great Writer hee impugned the errours of the Popish Church and taught Guilielmus that the Pope led the people to hell About the same time Guilielmus de sancto Amore a maister of Paris and chiefe ruler of that Vniuersitie applied all the testimonies of Scripture which are touching Antichrist against the Popish Clergie About the yeare 1290. Laurence an Englishman Laurence and a maister of Paris mightily proued the Pope to be Antichrist and the Synagogue of Rome to be Babylon the Pope after his death caused his bones to bee taken vp and burned Robert Gallus At the same time Robert Gallus a man of noble parentage impugned the Pope of Rome and his Clergie calling the Pope an idol Robert Grostid Also about the same time Robert Grostid Bishop of Lincolne a man famously learned in three tongues wrote diuers Inuectiues against the Pope prouing him to be an heretike after his death the Pope would haue had his bones digged vp but was terrified by a Vision About the yeare 1350 the Lord raised vp diuers learned men Gregory Arminensis which openly and boldly impugned the Pope and the Church of Rome Gregory Arminensis who layed open the abuses of the Romish Synagogue and confuted the Popish doctrine of free-will In Germany a Preacher taught likewise Petracha Franciscus Petracha at the same time called Rome The whoore of Babylon the Sanctuary of heresie and Schoole of errour Johannes derupe Scissa And a little before that Iohannes derupe Scissa was cast into prison for rebuking the Popish Prelates for their detestable enormities and for that hee called the Church of Rome The Whoore of Babylon the Pope the Minister of Antichrist and the Cardinalls false Prophets And being in prison hee wrote a booke prophecying of the afflictions which hanged ouer the heads of the Romish Clergie Couradus Hager Also there was maister Conradus Hager who taught more then twenty yeares against the Masse hee was afterwards shut vp in prison Gerardus Ridder Michael Cesenas Petrus de Carbona Iohannes de Poliaco Also one Gerardus Ridder wrote a booke against the Monkes and Friers which he entituled Lachrime ecclesiae About the same time Michaell Cesenas and Petrus de Corbona and Iohannes de Poliace were condemned by the Pope and his adherents The said Michaell wrote a booke against the pride tyrannie and primacie of the Pope accusing him to be Antichrist and the Church of Rome Babylon That whoore drunke with the blood of the Saints He left behind him many followers of whom a great part were slaine by the Pope and some of them were burned Two Friers About the same time two Friers were put to death in Auinion for matters which they had against the Pope one of them was called Iohannes Rochetailiada who did preach that the Church of Rome is Babylon the Pope and Cardinalls Antichrist About the yeare 1360. was set forth a writing against the Pope and his Clergie The Plowmans complaint Armachanus called the Complaint of the plow man About the same time Armachanus an Archbishop in Ireland was raised vp against Antichrist he was a man of great learning and godlinesse his troubles were many and his deliuerances great by Gods prouidence In the yeare of Christ 1364. Nicolas Orme Nicolas Orme preached a Sermon before the Pope and his Cardinalls in which he rebuked the Popish Prelates and affirmed their destruction not to be farre off About the yeare 1370. liued Mathew Parisiensis a Bohemian Math. Parisiensis who wrote a large booke of Antichrist and noteth the Pope to be the same About the yeare 1384. Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica Nilus wrote also a large booke against the Romaine Church About the yeare 1390. many were put to death for the Gospell refusing the doctrine and worship of the Church of Rome as at Bringa there were burned sixe and thirty Citizens of Maguntia Many put to death for refusing the Romish religion In the prouince of Narbone there
Church And bid them now bragge of the visibilitie of their Church and of the standing state it alwaies had since it was a Church because thou canst not deny it them but withall giue them to vnderstand that euen thereby is our Church proued that true Church which the Angel in that chapter foretold should be driuen from home and dispierced abroad and theirs to be the tyrannicall and persecuting Church which should driue it out of her Countrie And thus much for the prouing when their Church first began and how farre it did extend it selfe as also the first beginning of vniuersall Popes to bee sixe hundred and sixe yeares after Christ whereby both their antiquitie and vniuersalitie is vtterly ouerthrowne Now to the conclusion of all 8 Forasmuch as we which now are distinguished from them by the title of Protestants confesse that in this their Romish iurisdiction we had no Church left at the rising of Luther they demaund of vs from whence our Bishops had their callings and how our Ministers which they haue ordained euer since can haue lawfull callings seeing there was then no Protestant Bishops to ordaine them neither that by the Apostles euer any Christians had that title giuen them We answer For the title Protestant wee stand not vpon for wee graunt that in the time of the Apostles there was not any Christians called by that name no more then there was any called by that name Catholique The onely title proper to the professours of Christ was giuen by the Apostles in the Citie of Antioch which was to be called Christians as appeareth in the 11. of the Acts of the Apostles but afterwards when as counterfait professours of Christ as the Arians Macedonians Eunâ—nians were growne to be Sectaries and Heretiques and each of them to challenge vnto themselues the title of the true Church There was another sort in Rome called Homousians which were indeede of the true Church these to distinguish themselues from those counterfait Christians intituled themselues Christian Catholiques Whereupon as Socrates testifieth k Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. that worthie Prince Theodosius hearing thereof caused these foure sorts of Christians to be brought before him and euery Sect to bring their seuerall opinions in writing which when hee and his Bishops there assembled had throughly pervsed and examined he tore in pieces the Papers of the three Heretiques and approued onely of the Homousians finding it onely to agree with the Doctrine of the Scriptures And thereupon made this Decree All people subiect to our Empire How and when the name Catholique was giuen to Christians we will haue to continue in that Religion which Saint Peter the Apostle deliuered to the Romans as the faith kept from his time to this day doth declare and the which it is euident Bishop Damassus and Peter Bishop of Alexandria a man of Apostolique sanctitie doe professe to wit that according to the Apostolique and Euangelique Doctrine wee beleeue one Godhead of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of like maiestie in sacred Trinitie The obseruers of this Law we commaund to be taken for Christian Catholiques the rest as mad and frantike we adiudge to beare the reproach of Heretiques which must looke to feele first the vengeance of God and next such penalties as the motion of our hearts directed from aboue shall appoynt And this was about two hundred yeares before the Papists had a Church therefore this act being done onely in our Church it is without all contradiction we onely must needs be of that sort of Christians vnto whom the title Catholique was then giuen and consequently of the true and most auncient Catholique and Apostolique Church So likewise afterwards when as the West part of the Church did vnder the title of Christian Catholiques professe Christ after an Antichristian manner then certaine true Christians withstanding them protested a contrary manner of Christian profession agreeable to the auncient Catholique Faith and Religion and by their protesting did distinguish themselues from that counterfait companie which they then saw as we now haue declared at large in our former Chapters were cleane swarued from the true Faith and Religion And from thence we following their true Faith and religion retain the same title to distinguish our selues from our most counterfait Christian Catholiques But would God both these new titles were laid away and that both sorts might be called by their owne proper titles to wit Christians and Antichristians for so the Church of Christ should the better be knowne from the Church of Antichrist 9 Now for the lawfulnesse of our Bishops callings wee say that when the time drew neere that the Gospel which Antichrist had suppressed in the Romish iurisdiction should be set vp againe according to that old Romish prophesie intituled Stimulus diuinae contemplationis written I know not how many hundred yeares agoe bearing that after the yeare of Christs Incarnation 1534. In an olde Booke Good Law good Religion good peace together with Faith Truth and sound Doctrine should returne againe into the World in their proper shape and true likenesse then about that time when by the meanes of that man of Cod Luther some Bishops were conuerted to true Christianitie againe and that others had time to conuerse with them concerning the present necessitie of electing and ordaining Christian Ministers then they entered by the olde ordinances of those Christian Bishops which were before Poperie was and so ordained ministers by the rules and authoritie of the first Apostolicke order which had alwaies continued in those other parts of our Churches which as wee shewed were neuer members of the Popish Church For otherwise had they not bin first conuerted they and all the Ministers which they haue ordained should haue been the seruants of Antichrist euen as those were before and at this day are which haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope For so their S. Bernard speaking of Bishops and Ministers which haue their calling from and by the Popes ordination saith l Bernard supra cant Serm. 33. They serue Antichrist Also their Albertus Magnus saith m Albert in Jehn 10. They bee the Ministers of Antichrist and the vnderminers of the flocke of Christ. And therefore whether it be likely that our Ministers which be ordained by Bishops of an ordinarie calling from the Apostles of Christ haue lawfull callings or such as haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope let the Christian Reader iudge And the more to inlighten his iudgement and better discerning the truth hereof let him consider these fruits and effects of their calling Their Saint Bridgit bringeth in Christ thus complayning of the Romish Clergie n Bridgit lib. 1. cap. 56. They faine themselues to be mine and in the meane time they worke wickedly against mee Their Saint Elizabeth bringeth in Christ thus reporting of them o Elizabeth against the corruptions of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They that walk vnder my name doe not feare to
the Countrey why should we thinke otherwise of such now or that Bellarmines consequence can be true That the Bishop of Romes superioritie was euer aboue all 6 About the yeare of Christ 325. the first general Councell was holden by three hundred and eighteene Bishops at Bethynia in the citie of Nice which Councell finding the Bishop of Rome to intrude himselfe vpon the iurisdiction of the Patriarkes of Antioch and Alexandria to preuent his proceeding made this Decree e Nicen Councell Cannon 6. Let the old custome be of force which is in Aegypt Libia and Pentipolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue authoritie ouer all these because the Bishop of Rome obserueth the like custome Whereby wee see that as the Bishop of Rome did gouerne his owne Patriarkedome and would not suffer his fellowes to incroch vpon his right no more would this Councell suffer him to doe vpon theirs but that euen according to the old and ancient custome their priuiledges should be like to his And hereof it is which Ruffinus who liued about the same time wrote thus f Ruffinus of the Histories of the Church lib. 1. cap. 6. It was decreed in the Councell of Nice that in Alexandria and in Rome the olde custome should be kept that the Bishop of Alexandria should rule ouer Aegypt and the Bishop of Rome ouer the Churches of his suburbes And yet more largely it is thus expounded by Nilus g Nilus in his Booke of the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome That it may the more plainly appeare that the Pope hath no gouernment ouer all other Churches reade the sixt Cannon of the Councell of Nice there it is expresly commanded that the Bishop of Alexandria shall haue the rule ouer certaine Churches and the Bishop of Rome ouer certaine and the Bishop of Antioch ouer certaine and that it should not be lawfull for any one of them to inuade anothers iurisdiction if any one not content with his owne craue dominion ouer others he ought of right to be called a breaker of the customes and also of the holy Cannons 7 Now then forasmuch as the first of all the generall Councels reduced the Bishop of Rome to his first order and thereby hedged him in to rule onely his owne Patriarkedome how is that true which Bellarmine affirmeth namely that all Councels and Fathers throughout the Christian World euer approued of the Popes vniuersall supremacy Yea or how can that be true which is so common among them namely that this Councell gaue that prerogatiue to the Bishop of Rome to be vniuersall Father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the Mother of all Christian Churches seeing that great Diuine Athanasius who as some write sate as chiefe in that Councell saith h Athanas ad solitarium vita Magentes Rome is the Mother of the Romish iurisdiction Nay seeing their owne great Doctor Master Harding saith as expresly i Harding Apologie c. 23. Diuision 2. Rome is the mother of the west Churches If but of the Romish or West Churches then not vniuersally of all Wherefore this proueth Bellarmines alligation most vntrue that all the Christian World ouer the Pope was euer held to be supreame head of all Christian Bishoppes and Rome the vniuersall mother of all Christian Churches And the rather because Aeneas Syluius a little before he was Pope Pius the second wrote these plaine and expresse words k Aenâ—as Siluius Epist 288. Before the Councell of Nice euery Bishop liued seuerally to himselfe a little regard was there then had of the Church of Rome 8 About the yeere of Christ 379. the second generall Councell was holden by 150. Bishops in the City of Constantinople where for the conseruing each Patriarkes priuiledges and other Bishops rights it was thus decreed l Councell of Constantinople cap. 2. Let not the Bishops which haue their seuerall Diocesse incroch vpon the Churches that are without their bonds neither let them confound their Churches but according to the Cannons let the Bishop of Alexandria gouerne onely those things that are in Aegypt and let the East gouerne onely the East and let the Church of Antioch retaine her dignity declared in the Nicone Synod Vpon which decree Socrates writeth thus m Socrat. lib. hist eccl 3. They confirmed the faith deliuered by the Nicene Synod and they appointed Patriarkes in the described Prouinces that Bishops being placed and set ouer a certaine Diocesse might not thrust themselues into other mens charges And a little after Notwithstanding reseruing to the Church of Antioch the chiefe degree of honour and dignity Therefore most vntrue is it that all Councels and Fathers granted the Bishop of Rome to be supreame head of all Bishops or Rome to haue the chiefe degree of dignity aboue all Churches 9 About this time liued Saint Hierome who because he saw many flatterers to ascribe vnto the Bishop of Rome to be the alone Apostolicall successour and the Bishops themselues to haue made a custome of vsurping authority ouer their fellowes and to challenge a more excellency of dignitie he wrote thus against their arrogancy n Hierome to Euagrius Neither riches nor pouerty maketh a Bishop higher or lower all Bishops are of one worthinesse and all the Apostles successours What bring you me the custome of Rome being but one City if we seeke for authority the whole World is greater then the City of Rome Now then if this worthy Priest of Rome yoaked all Bishops of the World in equality of dignity with the Bishop of Rome and affirmeth that all Bishops are the Apostles successours as well as he how can the consequent of Bellarmines assertion be true that all Councels and Fathers all the Christian World ouer euer approued of the Popes singular supremacy and acknowledged him to be the alone Apostolike successour 10 About the yeere of Christ 383. liued Saint Augustine who finding the Bishop of Rome to goe about to draw all appeales vnto himselfe and the multitude to begin to flocke vnto him for the redresse thereof he with the assent of 216. Bishops in the Councell of Affrica made this decree o Concilij Affrica cap. 9.2 If any doe appeale to tribunals abroade let none within Affrica receiue him to communion And this is that whereof Saint Cyprian an hundred yeeres before Saint Augustines dayes in the Councell of Affrica reprehended the Bishop of Rome as appeareth in the fifth Section Againe when as the Bishop of Rome had begun to take and receiue proud and haughty titles and other of the Patriarkes to follow in the same Councell wherein Saint Augustine was present it was thus decreed p The third Councell â—6 Cannon Let not the Bishops of any of the first Seas be called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest or by any other like name but onely a Bishop of a first Sea And how then is the consequence of Bellarmines assertion true that all Councels and Fathers all the World ouer euer