say that the words are shut and sealed vp to the time appointed Who if we grant to haue foretould of the Romane Empire and of Antichrist he will neither much hurt our cause or helpe theirs For if Daniels fourth beast be the state of the Romane Empire and the 10. hornes the tenne Kings among whom it shall bee diuided and the eleuenth horne springing thence be Antichrist assuredly the Pope who is raised out of the fall and ruine of the Empire is Antichrist Here if you please I will consider of all those places alleaged by Bellarmine and search-out how they agree within themselues and how with the text Bellarmine saith that the fourth Empire Bellarmines contradiction which he taketh to be the Romane shall last to the worlds end And yet hee saith that the Romane Empire shall be vtterly destroied before the comming of Antichrist who shall raigne three yeares and a halfe How can hee then alleage it for a truth that the Romane Empire shall last to the worlds end I send this great Chrisippus againe to Aristotles Analytickes whither some time he sendeth others without cause that when he hath reuiewed them he may teach vs how two contradictions can be true at one time The Romane Empire shall last to the worlds end The Romane Empire shall not last to the worlds end for it must haue the finall destruction at the comming of Antichrist who shall raigne three yeares and a halfe Now let vs consider how Bellarmine and Daniel doe agree Many of our age and those very learned who seeme very exactly to search into Daniel do thinke that the fourth Empire which many other without doubt as well learned as they doe take for the Romane Monarchie was the Kingdome of the Seleucides and the Lagides in Siria and Egypt The exposition of the 7. of Daniel as they afflicted Iury hembd in betweene them and therefore designed to be more terrible then the three former because more dangerous to Iury. And that the ten hornes were ten Kings of Siria Egypt who did successiuely oppresse the Iewes and that Antiochus Epiphanes was the tenth and last who more then the rest did plague them most cruelly and that therefore he was the type of Antichrist who should no lesse afflict the Christians and not Antichrist himselfe as Bellarmine dreameth Let vs if you please alledge some of the reasons drawne out of the Text. Reasons th t Antichrist is not properly in Daniel 1 The fourth beast was a kingdome to be abolished before the comming and raigne of the Messias as the Prophet teacheth cap 7. v. 11. 26. 27. which is true of the kingdome of the Seleucides false of the Romane 2. The fourth beast did make warre with the Iewes and did greuously oppresse them did hinder the worship of God not onely before the comming of Christ but before the purging of the Temple and the restoring of the Iewish worship by Iudas Machabeus cap 7. v. 25. 26. 27. which agreeth with the kingdome of the Seleucides not with the Romane 3. Ten hornes and no more did belong to the fourth beast that is ten Kings I will name them anon who did oppresse Iurie with their tyrannie which being vnderstood of seuen Seleucides and three Lagides is very true of the Romanes very false who after they got the gouernment of Iurie were more then ten 4. Besides those Kings did succeed one another orderly in the same kingdome this is true in the seuen Seleucides and three Lagides but not in them who after descended from the Kings in the Româ— Empire who at the same time did raigne in diuers Prouinces as the Aduersarie himselfe confesseth 5. Lastly the Leopard cap. 7. signifying the Graecian Empire is shadowed by the Goate cap 8. which appeares by that that as the Leopard is said there to haue had foure heads so the Goate when his great horne was broken of Alexander foure hornes are said to succeed in his place i. foure Princes among whom the Empire of the Goate was diuided which to the Romane Empire agreeth not but to the Greeke it doth Alexander and his foure Princes For after Alexanders death Ptolomey the sonne of Lagis held Egipt Philip Alexanders brother Macedon Seleucus Nicanor Syria and Babylon Antigonus Asia the lesse these were Alexanders foure Princes as Hierom obserueth If it bee demanded how the two feet prophecied of by Daniel What is ment by the 2 feete and 10. toes which in Bellarmines iudgment doth fitly resemble the Rom Empire diuided into the East and West from whence ten Kings as ten toes did proceede I answer from those foure Princes of Alexander two of them that is Seleucus Nicanor and Ptolomey Lagis were the most potent who brought the other four Kingdomes by mutuall warres vnder their subiection from him the kingdom of the Seleucides and the kingdome of Syria in the North from this the kingdome of the Lagides and of the Kings of Egipt in the South did descend and both these did with their invasions greatly afflict the Iewes placed in the middest These were the two feet which did so miserably trample vpon the Iewes from whence did spring out ten Kings as ten toes which Daniel describeth cap 11. Daniels litle horne who it is for the three Lagides descended from Ptolomie the seuen Seleucides from Seleucus and from thence in the end of the kingdome of the Selcucides ouer the Iewes a litle horne sprouted out cap 7. 9 that is a King with a bold face that is The ten hornes Antiochus â—piphanes the tenth horne cap. 11. properly and liuely described 1 Ptolomie Lagis The first horne of the fourth and namelesse beast Ptolomie Lagis King of the South .i. of Egipt is described v 5. then Seleucus Nicanor the most puissant of Alexanders Princes v 11. 2. Seleucus Nicanor 3. Antiochus Soâ—er 4. Anâ—iâ—chus Theos the King of the North is the second horne for hee preuailed against Ptolomie and recouered Iurie and all Siria from him and gouerned there himselfe Him did Antiochus Soter the third horne succeed whose sonne Antiochus Theos the fourth horne that he might establish a league betweene himselfe and Ptolomie Philadelphus King of Egipt v 6. tooke Bernice Philadelphus daughter to wife that thereby he might fulfill that part of the Prophecie of the two feet one of yron thother of clay that they should mingle themselues with mans seede and yet should not grow together Dan 2. v. 43. the prophecie was proued true by euent for Antiochus Theos had already Laodice another wife aliue 5. Seleucus Callinicus of whom he begat Seleucus Calinicus the fift horne who slew Bernice her sonne and seruants Antiochus Theos was poysoned by Laodice his wife and Ptolomie v 7. Bernices Father presently after the mariage died for griefe 6. Ptolomie Euergetes But in his place arose Ptolomie Euergetes the sixt horne who being of the same race with Bernice .i. her Brother made warre vpon
Seleucus Callinicus to reuenge his sisters death v 8. and vanquished him and being crowned King of Siria returned into Egipt with his spoiles and prisoners and hauing greater power then Callinicus enioyed Siria many yeeres and Iurie therein v 9. Wherefore the two sonnes of Callinicus Seleucus Ceraunus and Antiochus the Great inuaded Siria and raised a cruell warre Ceraunus against Ptolomie Euergetes v 10. who being dead Antiochus the Great gathered great forces against Ptolomie Philopater the the sonne of Euergetes Of this Antiochus the great the Angell prophecieth from the 10. v 11. 12. verse to the 20. first of his warres with Ptolomie Philopater and those first prosperous wherein he recouered Siria then vnfortunate 7. Ptolomie Philopator wherein he lost it againe Here Ptolomie Philopator lifted vp into pride by this good successe was the seuenth horne and slew many thousands of the Iewes and therefore shall not alway preuaile v 12 13 14 15 16. After of the warres and victories of Antiochus the Great which hee got of Ptolomeus Epiphanes the sonne of Philopater and of the depopulation of the Iewes whence Antiochus the Great is the eight horne 8. Antiochus the Great He gaue his daughter Cleopatra in mariage to Ptolomie Epiphanes that hee might againe mingle the yron and the clay together but all in vaine according to the prophecie cap 2. when as hee pretended peace and friendship by that mariage but intended destruction to Ptolomie but all in vaine because Cleopatra tooke part with her husband against her Father Lastly v 17. of Antiochus the Great his inuading the Isles of Greece which he subdued v 18. and of the warres he made with the Romanes wherein hee gat great disgrace and of his ignominious death inflicted vpon him in a mutinie by sauage people for his sacrilege v 19. Into his roome succeeded Seleucus Philopator his sonne the ninth horne 9. Seleucus Philopator who did impouerish the people with greeuous impositions and emptied the treasurie and the Temple of Ierusalem and perished not by warre but by treacherie for Heliodore being suborned by Antiochus Epiphanes tooke him away by poyson Now into his place shall step vp saith the Angell a most contemptible fellow .i. there shall succeed Seleucus Philopator in the kingdome of Siria one very base in manners not in his Ancestors Antiochus Epiphanes the third sonne of Antiochus the Great the brother of Seleucus Philopator Demetrius Vnkle the tenth horne 10. Antiochus Epiphanes that litle horne so fully described by Daniel in the rest of the 7. and 11. chap for the Angell doth prophecie of his entrance deeds and end in the rest of the chapter of his entrance to note that he came not to the kingdom of Siria by any lawfull right of succession or election for Demetrius his Nephew was right heire of the kingdome but crept in by cunning and flatterie as a tutor and a gardian of the young Prince and a protector of the Kingdome in the nonage and absence of Demetrius sent to Rome for an hostage in his steed You haue the historie agreeing with the prophecie described both by others and especially by Iosephus Antiq. lib. 12. cap 1. Therefore Antiochus Epiphanes the tenth and litle horne out of small and weake beginnings vsurped the kingdome of Siria a man for his wickednes vile and contemptible who did breake off and cast away by his craft three of the former hornes in the Kingdom of Syria the father the brother and the nephew that he might attaine to the Kingdome And vttered speeches against the Almighty and so oft trampled vpon the Saints of God so that the times of persecuting the people of God Daniels country-men assigned to the little horne do precisely agree with the persecution of Antiochus Epiphanes Foure degrees of deliuerance which are diuersly reckoned vp in respect of the beginning and ending for there are foure degrees noted of the deliuerance from the tyranny of Antiothus procured at foure seuerall times The first cap. 7. vers 25. when the worship of God was renewed and the Temple restored by Iudas Machabaeus for from the prophanation of the Temple which beganne the fifteenth of Casleu anno 145. to this reformation made the 25. of Casleu anno 148. three yeeres and ten dayes came betweene which space Daniel cals a time times a peece of time cap. 7. v. 25. The second degree when the Iewes hauing vanquished Antiochus draue his forces out of Iury and re-established the new reformation P◠Bell. I. de lib. 1. cap. 1. which happened 3. yeeres and an halfe as Iosephus obserues from the time when the daily sacrifice did cease which space Daniel cals a time times and halfe a time cap. 12. vers 7. The third degree is from the prophanation of the Temple to the deadly sicknesse of Antiochus which is contained by Daniel in 1290. dayes cap. 12. vers 11. The last degree is from the profanation to his death which happened 45. daye after and these daies are exactly cast vp by Daniel to be 1335. By all which it appeareth that Daniel did shadow out by the fourth beast not the Romane Empire but the kingdome of the Seleucides and the Lagides The disagreement of Bellarmine Daniel and that he described by the tenth and little horne not Antichrist properly but Antiochus Epiphanes And I pray you marke how ill Bellarmine agreeth with Daniel Daniel describeth a beast with a tenth horne Bellarmines beast hath an eleuenth Daniel speaks of ten Kings who successiuely did afflict the Iewes Daniels country-men Bellarmine speakes of ten Kings who together with an eleuenth at the same time did altogether beare rule in the world but in diuers places Daniel sets downe ten kings whereof the three latter were rooted out in the sight and procurement of the tenth the other sixe either all of them or most of them being dead before he was borne Bellarmine faines that three of them were slaine by him and seuen others subdued at such time as they were not in the world Lastly Daniel saith that his horne or king was broken off being infamous for his cowardly flight and being infected with a filthy disease after hee had tormented the Iewes the time appointed did miserably consume away and perish Bellarmine imagines his horne the Aegyptians Lybians and Aethiopians being vanquished and seuen other Kings subdued should get the monarchie of the whole world for three yeeres and a halfe O admirable Conquerour more renowned then the Antiochi Alexanders and Caesars ☜ Therefore we looke that Bellarmine shall play the Orator for Antichrist who may excellently set foorth these warres and victories as Cicero did Caesars No man hath so flowinng a wit so copious and eloquent tongue and stile who I will not say can paint and set out but point at and reckon vp thy worthy Acts Most Mighty Antichrist Neither could any man so soone passe thorow remote Kingdomes by
the Tridentine heresie a Colos 1.29 God the Father did decree by the testimonie of Paul that his only begotten sonne from all eternitie b Heb. 1.10 the Creator of heauen and earth c Colos 1.16 of Angells and men d Heb. 1.3 the brightnesse of his glorie and Character of his person e Heb. 2.16 should take on him not the nature of Angells but of men f Heb. 7.25 wherein he alone without any fellow helpers might fully finish the whole saluation of man God the sonne g Rom. 9.5 God aboue all blessed for euer though Arrius reuiued burst for griefe h 1. Tim. 3.16 reuealed in the flesh approued in the spirit True God true man brought forth without a father By a maide whom God begate without a mother i Heb. 7.3 As he was shadowed out by Melchisedech and therefore k 1. Tim. 2.5 the onely one Mediator betweene God and man in the fulnesse of time fulfilled the decree of his Father reconciling God displeased with man that was lost by his owne accord The meanes whereby saluation is procured to man by the excellencie of his person the sanctitie of his nature obedience of his life and sacrifice of his death did alone deserue eternall saluation not infusing into him so much grace wherby man himselfe might merit saluation to himselfe m Rom. 4.24.25 but imputing the merit of his death which he might lay hold on with a thankefull and holy minde God the holy Ghost proceeding from them both did lay open to the minde of man saluation which the Father decreed the Sonne deserued and sealed it vp in his heart n Ephes 1.14 giuen not as a pledge but as an earnest which Austin obserueth out of the Apostle o Austin in this place because that mony which was borrowed when it is paide againe the pledge is restored but the earnest when the price is paide againe is not restored because it is part of the price which is not to be taken away but is to be supplied as p Aquin. in this place Aquine teacheth out of Austin Therefore the spirit of Christ giuen to man the earnest of heauenly inheritance is not paide backe againe So the Apostle hath set three foundations of mans saluation more sure then heauen and earth 1. The eternall decree of the Father 2. The infinite merit of the Sonne 3. The irreuocable earnest of the spirit So the worke of our saluation is from God alone the knowledge of saluation from the word of God alone hence he is called the word of saluation q Gal. lib. 2. de sanitate tuenda Galen writeth that the cause of many diseases in the body as hereditarie proceedes from corrupt seede and from putrified nourishment The disease of the soule is hereditarie from corrupt seede as Iob saith which is encreased by custome of sinning as with impure nourishment Now as the diseases of the bodies are cured by contraries so the diseases of soules which God being r Pet. 1.23.2.2 dead begetteth againe by immortall seede being againe begotten feedeth them with pure nourishment being sicke diseased healeth them with holesome medicines that is with the pure word of God who is to be accounted the true Father Pastor and Phisition of the soule Yet he vseth men to that purpose as instruments whom he sendeth and moueth that first they preach forgiuenesse and absolution from all their sinnes promised freely by faith in Christ to the penitent and after enioyne two things to him that is forgiuen One that he pay backe againe the dutie of holinesse to the blessed trinitie alone for so vnspeakeable a blessing of saluation The other that he afford all the helpe of charity to man for Gods sake being the liuely Image of God setting before the obedient at the last inward peace vpon the earth and an eternall inheritance in the heauens So the men of God doe raise vp a man that is sorrowfull with the promise direct a man that goeth astray with the commandement comfort him that is fainting with the reward but the men of God doe speake outwardly the spirit of God doth worke inwardly They do beate these things into their eares the spirit doth ingender faith hope and loue in the heart faith which doth apprehend the promise hope which looketh for the reward loue which keepeth the commandement Å¿ Colos 1.12 For God doth not finde man fit but maketh him fit to participate the inheritance of the Saints in light whom he draweth being vnwilling and tooke him resisting out of the power of darkenesse and placed him being thus deliuered in the kingdome of light the kingdome of the sonne of his loue t Ephes 2.1 For hee found man not yet regenerated dead in sinnes not halfe dead but starke dead not like to the man with the palsie who lay sicke on his couch but to Lazarus who lay foure daies stinking in his graue So that euery sinner before he heare the powerfull voice of Christ speaking inwardly to him lyeth putrified and consumed in the graue of his sinnes Whence a sinner riseth and commeth forth as Lazarus for the power of the Lord is in both not the power of the dead u Austin in tracta of Iohn 49. as Austin doth expound Saint Paul So that hee hath neede not of helping grace whereby hee recouereth health but creating grace whereby he is againe brought to life And a sinner is meerely passiue and can bring no more help to his conuersion then Lazarus brought to his rising againe In whom Christ doth not helpe his weake wil but create a new x Galat. 6.15 Ephes 2.10 hence the conuersion of a sinner is called new creation not in respect of the naturall faculties and of morall virtues which sinne only corrupteth but of spirituall graces which sinne hath blotted out as the master of the sentences obserued out of Austin Therefore the image of God imprinted in the soule in respect of the substance is deformed in respect of the qualities is cleane put out y Greg. Nyss de orat Dom. Serm 5. as Gregorie Nyssen teacheth The restoring then of the image blotted out is the rising againe of man being dead This is the nature this is the disposition of the Apostles doctrine it doth depresse man that it may extoll God it doth cast off corrupt nature that it may bring in sauing grace A man therefore must liue in God yea farther by God before he can either will or thinke any good a meere passiue subiect of grace at the first while being as it were made warme by the spirit of Christ hee beginneth to will his owne conuersion and is made a voluntarie instrument of grace by no imbred or infused force of the will but by the power of the seede of grace and of the new life which hee had from God Paul doth thus distinguish betweene a man to be converted and converted He maketh him
to be altogether the seruant of sinne because he is ouercome of sinne this free in part because he is made free by the Sonne not appointing him free in part lest he make him sacrilegious nor this altogether a seruant lest he might make him sluggish He doth not therefore take from the vnregenerate all power of willing but all power of well-willing that he may not lift vp the crest of his naturall pride and he granteth to the regenerate some power of well-willing that he may not weaken the strength of spirituall diligence And that God may giue life to the dead and renew and repayre the lost image of God z Ephes 3.10 he doth fasten and imprint the true knowledge of God and our selues into the minde and righteousnesse and holinesse into the will of man he doth enlighten the blinde with the light of his wisdome shining into him he doth couer him being naked with the robe of his righteousnes put vpon him and being vnsauorie he doth season him with the salt of his holinesse infused into him Whereby a 1 Cor 1.30 Christ is said to be made of God to the faithfull man wisdome righteousnes and sanctification Paul makes mention of a twofold righteousnesse and life of a Christian one whereby hee liueth before God thother whereby he liueth before men b Gal 2.20 By faith before God by apprehending of Christ c Gal. 5.6 by loue before men by the practise of holinesse So that good workes are not the cause of iustification but iustification is the cause of good workes as d Aug de Spi li. Austin affirmeth neither do we attaine faith by virtues but virtues by faith as Bede gathereth out of Gregorie One order is in morall matters another in heauenly one in Aristotle another in Paul e Arist 3. ethi There a man must doe iust things iustly before he be iust Here a man must be first iust in another before he can do iust things and iustly in himselfe As Christ is made sinne for vs so wee are made the righteousnes of God in Christ f 2 Cor. 5. vlt. For Christ himselfe most holy was made sinne by the imputation of our sinne we sinners therefore are righteous only by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ At g August in Euchirid c. 41. Austin doth expound the Apostle and Anselme Austin He therefore is sinne as wee are righteousnes not ours but wee are Gods not in our selues but in him as he is sinne not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs. So Austin So h Ansel in loc Anselme He is sin saith he as we righteousnesse not ours but Gods not in vs but in him as he is sinne not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs. Both of them doe acknowledge with vs the imputed righteousnes of Christ with the Apostle howsoeuer the Synode of Trent doe make inherent righteousnesse the forme of iustification and the Rhemists too prophanely scoffe at the imputation of righteousnes which Pighius that arch-papist doth confesse A sinner therefore dead in himselfe liueth righteous in Christ and liueth not to himselfe but to God but yet so liueth that he feeleth in himselfe the fight of the spirit and the flesh which the Apostle acknowledgeth not onely in other Christians but in himselfe for the comfort of others I do not that good I will saith the Apostle but the euill I would not that I do which a bad man did not badly expresse I hate and what I hate against my will must be What I would cast away to beare is greife to me But that the Apostle speaketh of the motions of concupiscence whereto the will doth not consent this of the beastly affections whereto the will is wholy addicted Which notwithstanding by the working of the naturall conscience hee saith he hateth But assoone as a man begins to liue in God sinne begins to dye in man For it hath receiued a deadly wound in the roote in respect of guiltinesse while it be cured by perfect buriall it remaines dead not cut off that we may be humbled not imputed lest we should be cast downe Sin dwelleth in vs as a Iebusite subdued not expelled subdued it taketh feare from vs not expelled it shakes off securitie that to striue with it it is farre more safe than to haue no enemie at all In this fight Gods grace doth helpe vs strengthning vs with a double sacrament of Baptisme and the Lords Supper there the fountaine of regeneration is powred out here the bread of life is set before vs there is a healthfull bathe to wash vs when we are fowle here is a spirituall feast to feede vs when we were faint so that from each we may take strength to resist So the power of God is made perfect in our infirmitie which when out of our owne skarres it stirreth vp in vs a courage to fight so from helpe ministred from thence it puts into vs sure hope that we shall ouercome For it bringeth griefe out of the fall for sinne and stirreth vp strife out of griefe with sinne and out of strife bringeth the victorie of sinne So out of poyson it gets a remedy and out of the sicknesse it getteth health Neither doth it in the meane while depriue vs of inward comfort while wee waite for the eternall tryumph But in the fight it shewes vs the propitiation after the fight which endeth in death it presently openeth the holy place of holyest so that neither peace of conscience is wanting to them being aliue and their soules shall haue rest when they are dead Thus it commeth to passe that these broken relikes of sinne in the sonnes of God by Gods grace do much profit when out of them they make an antidote against pride neither are puft vp with the merits of their owne works Wherby the doctrine of Trent ought to be accounted the more abominable which doth decree that eternall life is to be restored to the faithfull for the merit of workes which the Apostle propoundeth not as the reward of a seruant but the inheritance of a sonne not payed for spirituall obedience but giuen to the spirituall generation as Austin expounds the Apostle the crowne of righteousnesse in respect of Christ who merited a crowne of mercy in respect of vs for whom he merited to be giuen by the iust iudge not for the weight of mans merit but for the force of Gods promise to be rendred according to their workes not for their workes Gregor in 7. Psal peniten as Pope Gregorie distinguisheth out of the Apostle The studie therefore of good workes is to be vrged because God shall iudge according to thy works but merit is to be detested because it shall neuer saue thee for good works For whatsoeuer you do well is of God not of the merit of man but of the blessing of God You doe owe it therefore to God as the creature to the Creator as
their speedy iournies as thou I will not say by thy swift marches but by thy swifter victories For thou ô great Antichrist with thine innumerable hoast shalt subdue all the Christians in the world within three yeeres and an halfe and shall obtaine the monarchy of the whole earth And this is the warre of Gog and Magog Let mee then adde the rest which followeth in Cicero All which vnlesse I should confesse to be so great that no mans wit or vnderstanding can conceiue let me be counted for a mad man But an imaginary victory doth befit an imaginary Antichrist Thus out of the premisses I argue against Bellarmine If Antichrist bee found in this prophesie where Antiochus is literally described He is there either in his person or in his likenesse or in his identitie or like substance or in his image The absurdities that follow if Antiochus be Antichrist 2. Macc. 9. If Antichrist be in all things Antiochus certainely as Antiochus is dead as it is in the end of the chapter so Antichrist is dead Then Antichrist must die before his birth but by what kinde of death Antiochus died is declared Lice did crawle out of his swolne bodie in great abundance which did inwardly gnaw vpon him heereby his flesh putrified Wherein Antiochus and Antichrist disagree and fell from him by peece-meales so that the army could not endure the stinch of the beast Antichrist therefore must bee eaten vp with lice and being so putrified must cast out a filthy stinck that Antichrist may be another Antiochus If Antichrist shall get the same kingdome of the Iewes which Antiochus enioyed if he shall cast down and root out three hornes that is three kings next going before in the kingdome of Syria the father the brother the nephew as Antiochus did to get his fathers kingdome by deceit therefore these three must bee aliue after they bee dead and Antiochus the father and Seleucus the brother and Demetrius the nephew must rise againe before the resurrection that Antichrist may depriue them of their kingdome and by his cunning cast them off and destroy them This is the summe of my conclusion Antichrist is Antiochus in his identity or in his likenesse if in his identity it is a great miracle if in his likenesse it is a lame argument for euery similitude doth halt as the Logicians teach and a symbolical argument is not of force to argue as Aquinas saith Yet notwithstanding rather for a flourish then for a proofe of the cause let vs shortly see wherein Antichrist is like or dislike vnto Antiochus Antiochus came not out of a base stocke and kindred as many Popes did but out of a kingly race Antichrist is the sonne of the earth as S. Iohn telleth vs. Antiochus most abiect in his manners but of a great parentage but is farther described by the Prophet to bee by his country a Syrian by religion vncircumcised a breaker of the sabboth an oppressour of the Iewes a worshipper of Iupiter Olympius What Antichrist how is he painted out by you Is he not though base in minde yet baser by birth by country a Iew by religion circumcised a keeper of the Sabbaoth the Messias of the Iewes an enemy to Idols is he not thus described that he may well enough denie himselfe to be Antiochus though hee be hanged vp in his picture You see how vnlike now marke how like he is to Antiochus For I will neuer denie that Antiochus in many things is the type of Antichrist Nay I will say more Antiochus the type of Antichrist wherin they do agree that S. Paul and S. Iohn did bring many things out of Daniels prophesies into their owne wherewith they did liuely set out and expresse that Antichrist Antiochus is an enemy to God and aduersary to the Church lifting vp himselfe aboue all against all that is called God an Out-law whose will stands for a law whose mouth speaketh great things whose hands doe afflict Gods Saints such an one is Antichrist described by the Apostles Antiochus as hee did abrogate his country and false ceremonies so the Iewish and the true ceremonies Antichrist hath ouerthrowen the Idols of the Gentiles and hath altered the true and Christian worship of God Antiochus is inwardly an Atheist and outwardly an Idolater for he did worship Iupiter Olympius in the Temple of Ierusalem and caused others to worship him whom their fore-fathers worshipped not who had worshipped Apollo and Diana So Antichrist is an inward Atheist and an outward Idolater Antiochus shall worship in his place the god Maozim described vers 38. as it is in the vulgar translation So Antichrist also who shall worship the Diuell as the author of his strength and power hee shall worship the diuell against God as your interlined glosse hath it And Bellarmine He shall worship the Diuell after the manner of the Magicians but closely And this is called the god Maozim by whose helpe Antichrist shall worke miracles Antichrist therefore shall be an idolater by his owne confession which elsewhere he often denieth But Antichrist shall fight against all Gods that hee alone may bee taken for God as he lately hath written How then shall hee worship the Diuell as he writ before you see that Antichrist is like to Antiochus in many things I grant then that Antichrist is typically described by Daniel but not prophetically Bell. lib. 2. cap. 21. de Antichr whom euen Bellarmine grants to haue spoken literally of Antiochus when hee seeth that the Pope is so neerely vrged and stung by our men with these notes of likenesse Although hee cite Ierome elsewhere expounding those words 21. v. cap. 11. not of Antiochus but properly of Antichrist Therfore in the same place hee doth both follow and forsake Hierome In Dan. cap. 11. Neither is it maruell when Hierome seemes to forsake himselfe For Hierome in the former part of the 11. chapter confesseth that the Seleucidae are described and Seleucus Philopater in the twentieth And one that is most vild shall stand in his place that is Seleucus Philopater in the place of Antiochus the great What reason had hee then why he should expound the 21. ver And the most vild shall stand in his place Bellarmine contradicts himselfe not of Antiochus Epiphanes Seleucus brother and successour but of Antichrist whom Daniel did not prophetically describe Heere Bellarmine staggers and speakes as it were out of a tottering boat He saith it he denies it that the Angell spake literally of Antiochus and Hierome brings such a reason against himselfe as Hierome himselfe cannot answer But Bellarmine thought it not suffiicient to dissent from himselfe The ten hornes in Iohn and Daniel not the same but hee must set a iarre also betweene Daniel and Iohn For hee saith that the ten hornes in Daniel and Iohn are the very same yet Daniel speakes of ten horns broken off and cast aside before Messias came in the flesh Iohn speaks
left off to be a Paradise Paradise ouerflowne with the flood But this vniesuited Bellarmine that he might preserue that place free from the inundation of waters to be more pleasant and wholesome for Enoch and Elias hath remooued it into a place neere the circle of the Moone Paradise not neere the Moone But the Iesuite Pererius doth proue that it is the more incommodious and vnholesome and altogither inhabitable First for the neerenesse of the Sunne and other starres then for the Element of fire placed next the moone besides for the perpetuall agitation of the place being carried swiftly about with the constant motion of the heauen So that Bellarmine hath prouided very ill for those good Fathers when he placed Paradise so neere the Moone hath done great wrong to the Inhabitants of the earth as Pererius noteth pretily and pleasantly that the height of Paradise being in a place opposite to the east would keepe away the light of the Sunne It is good sport to see these two learned Iesuits wrangling together about the scituation of Paradise Papist against Papist as the Madianites wounding one another with their mutuall blowes Yet out of this their conflict the truth doth appeare that Enoch and Elias is not in the earthly Paradise And yet without all doubt they must be in Paradise then in heauenly Paradise Which when all is done he confesseth they bee not in the ethereall but aeriall heauen Aeriall Doctour who dreames that God will giue but an aeriall happinesse to these his excellent Prophets For whereas he thinkes it is a matter of religion for any to confesse that heauen gates were open for any before Christ and to the proofe therof hath gathered and bent all his forces that most learned Byshoppe of Elie hath so weakened and disperst them that he hath cleane vanquished the Sophister and driuen him out of the field Enoch and Elias are members of the sonne of man the sonne did first ascend into heauen by his owne power Enoch and Elias being members of Christ haue ascended by the power of the sonne of man so that Christ may bee rightly said to tread the way before them both Whence seeing it sufficiently appeares that Enoch and Elias doe now liue in heauen I will demand againe The second Question whether they entred heauen in their soules alone or with their bodies also For if onely in their soules as certaine learned men doe thinke they must twise rise againe if it be true that Bellarmine saith once to fight against Antichrist the second time to conuert the Iewes to Christ If with their bodies also which the greater sort and better learned on both sides do conclude that they may not deny the priuilege giuen to them for our comfort I will not curiousty inquire whether they enioy the blessed vision of God when I heare they be entred into the house of God that is the heauens wherein Christ saith that he hath many mansion places Three examples of God his glory Enoch Elias Christ. It contents me that God for the comforting of his Church vpon earth would haue three examples and shewes of his glorie to appeare Enoch before the Law Elias vnder the Law Christ vnder the Gospell that the two former by anothers Christ by his owne power entred heauen in their bodies Enoch for the comfort of married folkes Elias for the comfort of Virgins Christ for the comfort of either estate who being borne of a Virgin that was espoused did adorne both of them in his life the Virgin by his example the married by his miracle but especially that Enoch being famous for his integritie Elias for his zeale Christ for his perfection in all graces might be openly knowne to haue their entrance into heauen Hence euery faithfull man may behold the foundation of his happinesse in Christ the first fruits in Enoch and Elias in him the working cause in these a warrantable earnest of their resurrection and ascension into the highest heauen with the highest ioy and hence may we conclude against any Iewish heretike that as there was an entrance into heauen to Enoch and Elias to perfect their happinesse so a returne to the earth is denied vnto them onely Christ who ascended vp into heauen not for himselfe alone but for them and vs must come againe in the latter day that hee may bring those that belong vnto him into heauen Nor let any doubt but that Christ by which power hee shall carrie those being changed in the twinkling of an eye into heauen whom hee shall finde aliue at his comming on the earth hath with that power changed Enoch and Elias in the very moment of their translation and assumption that being made like to his glorious bodie he shall as he hath made them so also make vs fit for heauen The third Question Here I thirdly demand how Bellarmine can imagine their bodies to be mortall and corruptible who haue so many ages enioyed in the heauens immortalitie and incorruption for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of heauen and corruption cannot put on incorruption as the Apostle teacheth Bellarmine contradicteth the Scripture whom the Cardinall doth contradict Enoch was translated that hee should not see death saith the Apostle he shall returne that he may see death saith the Cardinall so Bellarmine alwaies beates against the rocke so long till it be to be feared he will be beaten in peeces by the rocke But if so be that Enoch and Elias doe liue in their bodies in the heauens which is Gods house as the wiser Papists doe confesse to be agreeable to Scripture it followeth that their bodies be incorruptible and immortall The fourth Question I demand therefore in the fourth place how it can be that they should be killed by Antichrist in the latter day how they can so die that they be raised vp the third day There is no shew of truth in the inuention no probabilitie in the deuise And yet these two inhabitants of heauenly Paradise the possessors of immortalitie as Hierom calls them not that now they desire but that they now enioy immortalitie as Tertullian speaketh the marke-men and first borne of our resurrection as Epiphanius saith the most ancient inhabitants of heauen in whom the worth of grace hath changed the law of nature as Athanasius saith Immortalitie not ouercome by death euen these two this old doting Doctor Bellarmine doth imagine shall returne againe vpon the earth that they may dye by the hand of Antichrist Mortalitie shall be drunke vp of life but immortalitie shall not be drunke vp of death For God will not giue that glory to Antichrist that he triumph ouer the death of the Saints in heauen for they be immortall If they be heauenly and immortall what businesse haue they vpon the earth to fight with Antichrist whom Christ hath purposed by three meanes vtterly to destroy and abolish 1. By the effectuall ministerie of his word
thinke that these be notable demonstrations in a controuersie of this weight which Antichrists hyred slaues haue vttered as Oracles vpon their bare authoritie against the perpetuall and manifest commandements of Christ and practises of the Apostles In the meane while the Apostles shall be silent the Fathers shall be mute while Kings shall be censured by two of the Popes young and sworne Chapleynes professed and sworne enemies of Kings § 18 But that famous Lateran Councell both for antiquitie and number must fight in the quarrell The Laterane Councell answered We seeke not what euill associates but what good authors you can alledge in this businesse neither must you striue with number but with reason It was no hard matter at that time for Innocent the third to call together 800 Couent Priors and their Vicars his creatures the hungry Friers and drousie pated Monkes for whom it was not lawfull to sit in Councels who might preuaile against 400 Bishops not in weight of reason but in number of voices and coine any decree against Princes at the becke of the Pope their great God and maker But what if at that time nothing at all was decreed but only propounded and deliberaetd on as Platina testifieth that many things were offred to consultation but that nothing could be determined because the Pope suddenly departing to quiet a sedition lately stirred vp died in his iourney And yet will you call the meeting of a number of hunger-starued Fryers onely consulting how the Pope might depose a King out of his kingdome but concluding nothing because the Popes sodaine death preuented it will you call it the most famous generall Laterane Councell And that power which Kings haue receiued from God and that obedience which subiects are bound to performe both by a charge from Christ and rules from the Apostles shall a few of the later proud Bishops 1000 yeeres after Christ and mercenarie schoolemen and begging Monkes take the same power from Princes by the decrees of men Shall God ordeyne Kings and shall men ouerthrow them Hath Gods word bound vs to obedience and shall mans word release vs of the same But that I may doe no wrong to Gods word I will oppose men to men Catholikes to Catholikes as they be called and ancient to younger ones Otho Frisingensis writes after hee had read ouer and § 19 ouer the acts of the Romane Kings and Emperors Lib 6. cap. 35. that he found none before Henry the 4th Emperor excommunicated by the Bishop of Rome or set beside his kingdom which was first assayed by Gregorie the seuenth in the yeere after Christ 1066. I haue found out Vrsbergensis Vrsbergens in anno 1085. who speaking of the Sinode of Mentz wherein the Popes Legates being present the Bishops that had taken armes with Gregorie the seuenth against the Emperor were deposed and cast out of their Bishoprickes said that there by common consent and counsell was setled the peace of God whence he concludeth that Gregorie was the author of that diuelish garboyle against the Emperor Sigebertus the Abbot speaketh playner Sigibertus in anno 1088. and goeth further if good men will giue me leaue to say so This only noueltie saith he that I may not say heresie did not as yet appeare in the world that his Priests who saith to a King thou Apostata and that causeth an hypocrite to beare rule for the sinnes of the people should teach the people that they ought to shew no obedience to wicked Kings and though they haue taken an oath of Allegeance yet owe no fealtie neither are to be called Periurs if they haue such mindes against Kings yea that hee is accounted for an excommunicant that doth obey the King that hee doth against the King is freed from the fault of iniustice and periurie This was counted noueltie this was counted heresie of your Sigebert about 500 yeares since which doctrine you thrust vpon vs as catholike out of Aquinas Toletane and the Laterane Councell And because Baronius the Cardinall Vincent in Spec. hist lib. 15. cap 84. doth denie Sigebert the Abbot a Schismatike I adde Vincentius the Bishop aboue 300 and fiftie yeeres agoe by whom this very heresie is condemned in the same words wherewith they are taxed by Sigebert And if either Sigebert or your Vincentius haue lost their authoritie because as Schismatikes they were said to take part with Kings against the Pope see that your credits be not crackt by these late writers because the fauourers of this nouell heresie as rebells flatter the Pope against Kings For it is plaine that there were very excellent and sincere Catholikes not a few as they were accounted in those times whom Gregories fact did mightily displease and who did plainely denie that the Apostolike See had any authoritie to depose Henry the 4. Emperor as he did and to absolue his subiects from their oath of fealtie as the Bishop of Mentz who was in great fauour with Gregorie the seuenth Gregor 7. epist 21. lib. 8. apud Sâ—uer ad Conc. writ to him and intreated him to furnish him with those reasons whereby he was moued to depose the Emperor that hee might be the better prouided to answer them that did gainesay him And Gerochus Gregories great champion was constreyned to say Auent lib. 5. fol. 563. as it is in Auentine that the Romanes tooke diuine honor to themselues neither would giue any accompt of their doings neither would endure that any should say to them why doe you so who answer as the Poet writes So I will so I command my will stand for a reason I did first vse heauenly weapons against you Saturnine you made resistance with humane Now I oppose humane against humane yours against yours and I will proue it with a necessarie argument that it was a new heresie which Sigebert so called If that be taken for a good definition of heresie which Robert Grosthead that holy and learned Bishop of Lincolne vnder King Henry the third fetcht out of S. Austen The definition of heresie Heresie in Greeke saith he is an election or choice in Latine wherein an opinion chosen by a humane sense contrarie to the holy Scripture is openly taught and obstinately maintayned By which argument as Matth Parisiensis reports he proued Innocent the Pope to be an Heretike because he thought it in his power to bestow a benefice vpon a childe with the same argument shall Paul the fift be convicted who thinkes it in his power to depriue a King of his Kingdome For this opinion was first chosen by humane sense by Hildebrand to get vaine-glory and enlarge the boundes of the Churches dominion with all humane policies and powers And it is against the holy Scriptures which hath submitted Bishops to Kings not Kings to Bishops as before I concluded And it is openly taught being set out in two Bulles by Paul the fift and it is obstinately defended by the Bishop who forbids vnder the paine
Egyptian Byshoppes to byshoppe Marcus wherein they doe complaine forsooth that the true copies were burnt by the Arrians at Alexandria and therefore required the true coppie of the seuentie Cannons Athanasius Epistle forged And as one lye commonly begets another they counterfeit Marcus answere to Athanasius and the Egyptians giuen the tenth before the Calendes Nouember when Nepotian and Secundus were Consuls which day was neere the end of the 13. yeare of the raigne of Constantine as wee may see in Sozomen the first booke cap. 25. and 28. in which yeare he writeth that Athanasius was absent out of Egypt in the Councell of Tyre and returned not home but fledde to Constantinople and remained there till he was banished into France How then could Athanasius send this Epistle to Marcus out of Egypt where hee was not when the Epistle was sent Againe in Marcus Epistle is mention of the persecution of Egypt which was not at all in Constantines time but long after vnder Constantius when Marcus was dead Tusc 1. Cicero laughes heartily at a Fellow who said hee remembred what was done before hee was borne Who can choose but laugh at your Marcus remembring the persecution in Egypt raised after his death Sozom. lib. 1. ap 17. Beda distinct 16. Nicene canons burnt before they were made Now Marcus went next before Iulius Iulius was byshoppe of Rome when the Nycene Councell was gathered as Sozomen and Bede write Therefore your Athanasius who is said to write to Marcus writes that the Nycene Cannons were burnt before they were made Besides whereas there were twentie Cannons afterward made they were preserued vncorrupt in the publicke § 195 and authenticke recordes of Churches wherein the Creede of the Nycene faith was contained and the Arrian heresie was confuted the other 50. were said suddainely to haue perished through the malice of the Arrians O foolish Arrians who blotted out 50. Cannons which touched no part of the Arrian heresie and spared the Nycene creed and the Epistle sent to them of Alexandria which condemned that whole heresie The Orator doth make himselfe merry with certaine witnesses of Doris Orat. pro Flac. who being produced against Flaccus when they had lost nothing said they had lost the publicke tables O Shepheardes said hee desirous of letters for they tooke nothing from them but letters if they had brought foorth those that had beene true there had beene no fault if false there had beene a punishment for corrupting the letters They thought it best to say they were lost These popish witnesses are not much vnlike The Papists like foolish Shepheards who faine that the Arrians stole 50. Cannons out of the Nycene Councell which hurt them nothing at all and left twentie sound and vntoucht whereby they were to be condemned If the Papists bring foorth the true Cannons they hurt their cause if false they hurt their credit They thinke it the safest course to say that 50. were burnt and that by them who could receiue no profit by this their dealing But if the Arrians were so foolish the Romanistes were wiser then to suffer 20. Canons to remaine among them which did restraine their supremacie and suffer 50. to perish which did enlarge it But we see so little likelihood in the tale The former forgerie reiected by Bellarmine that Bellarmine himselfe hist it out For hee writeth that the burnings of the bookes hapned in the time of Constantius the Emperour whenas Athanasius being banished one George an Arrian was ordained in his place as Athanasius witnesseth in his Epistle to all the Orthodoxe Marcus receiued an Epistle after he was dead But it appeareth saith he by Ieromes Chronologie that Marcus the Pope was dead at that time Therefore Marcus after he was dead receiued an Epistle from Athanasius And therefore being dead made answere to Athanasius if we giue credit to Bellarmine It is good sport to see how these lying Papists doe couer this tale with their mutuall contradictions But Iulius answer doth confirme Marcus Epistle § 196 wherein there is mention of seuen and twenty Nycene canons A counterfet Iulius besides those twenty which are reckoned vp by Ruffinus Heere wee haue a counterfet Iulius not onely lying for the supremacies sake but also forswearing himselfe though he that is a common lier as it is sayd is a common for-swearer Hee doth not onely counterfet false canons but ratifies them with an oath That I sayd true the God-head is my witnesse as he saith in that counterfet answer But if the answer of the true Iulius sent to the Councell of Antioch in Athanasius quarrell mentioned by Athanasius in his second Apology if it bee compared with this it will lay open all the circumstances of this vntruth and periury I will not goe farre for proofe this blinde and bastardly decretall doth plainly reprooue it selfe It was giuen the first of Nouember as it is written when Felician and his Colleague were Consuls Socrat. l. 1. c. 40 that very yeere wherein Constantine died Now the Councell of Antioch that deposed Athanasius Sozom. l. 3. c. 5. and to which Iulius writ was gathered together by Constantius fiue yeeres after Constantines death So this answer was sent to the Synode of Antioch fiue yeeres before that Synode was assembled Doe you not see with your eyes and feele with your fingers how grosse this lie is Beside Iulius in his answer writeth that Athanasius remained with him at Rome a yeere and a halfe waiting for the presence of the Antiochians after hee had cited them with his first processe whereto is ascribed the calends of October as to the latter the calends of Nouember of the same yeere So betweene the two daies of appearance were one and thirty daies in which short time to goe from Rome to Antioch Pegasi bee horses with wings and returne againe the Popes Paritours had neede to bee Pegasi who were not to gallop but flie But if Iulius sixe canons did more cleerely set out the Popes prerogatiue then that one canon of Sozimus truely you make Sozimus to bee a very wise man who chose one canon and the worst when hee could haue alleadged sixe and those farre better For whereas you bring many other canons of the Nycene Councell as you cal them beside those twenty recited by great authors let your Iesuites make you an answer who distinguish the decrees of the Councell of Neece into two kindes The first kinde they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is constitutions as they interpret them The other they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is properly canons as they with vs confesse They are ignorant as they confesse of the number § 197 of the constitutions and acts But of the canons properly so called they grant that the number is rightly set downe by Ruffinus To the first kinde they refer those your canons improperly so called whereof some they affirme are among the acts of the
he may take from one and giue to another as to his vassals at his owne will and pleasure as Gregrrie the seuenth did And if hee will to vnite each power both the Bishoply and Imperiall in himselfe by the force and right of his Popedome as Boniface the eighth did Whereof the diuine Apostle S. Peter did neither but being poore and lowly who thought that the care of feeding not the power of ruling was granted vnto him and that not the gouernment but the ministery was committed to him As Bernard said to Pope Eugenius Bern. de consid ad Euge. lib. 2. Gouernment is forbidden the Apostles Therefore darest thou vsurpe either gouerning the Apostle-ship or being an Apostle the gouernment The Apostolike forme is this gouernment is forbidden the ministery is enioyned What then will you say did he denie that Eugenius the Pope was the temporall Lord of his prouinces Not so But hee answereth be it that thou challenge them it must bee by some other claime not by the right of an Apostle Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. cap. 20. For Peter could not giue that he had not Which answer the Cardinall doth well allow Whereby it appeareth that these two powers by the force and right of the Popedome either can or ought to be confounded in one person Nich. pa. in epist ad Micha Imp. As Nicholas the first himselfe taught when wee come to the truth speaking of Christ the Sauiour neither did he of his owne accord as Emperour take to him the right of the Bishopricke Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. cap. 5. or being Bishop vsurped the name of the Emperour which place Bellarmine taking vpon him to expound Nicholas the first saith hee doth directly teach that Christ did distinguish the acts offices and dignities of the Bishop and the Emperour lest the Emperour should presume to enter vpon the right of the Bishop or the Bishop vpon the rights of the Emperour And yet Bellarmine doth maintain that these two powers are confounded in the Bishop of Rome Bellarmin contradicteth Christ the Pope and himselfe by the power and right of his Bishopricke which he confessed to be distinguished plainely by Christ and the Pope What will you doe with this good-fellow who contradicts both Christ the Pope and himselfe at his pleasure But I leaue Bellarmine in this point to be fully confuted and confounded by our Counseller Regius Heere only I make it plaine that the Pope doth vsurpe temporall dominion ouer the Emperour which neither Peter nor Christ had The Pope accounted inferiour to the Councell and either of them condemned in a Bishop Peter also was inferior to the Councell of Ierusalem § 215 and the Pope for a long time was accounted De elect electi potesta cap. significasti euen of his owne side inferiour to the generall Councell As Panormitane In matters of faith the Councell is aboue the Pope so that hee cannot decree any thing against the determination of the Councell Councels deposed Popes Hence it is that the Councell may condemne the Pope for heresie as the generall Councels of Pisa Constance and Basill did displace many Popes out of their Popedomes for heresie wherin it was decreed that the Councell was aboue the Pope Concord lib. 2. cap. 34. Hence Cusan shewing the custome of the Church writ that the generall Councell was of the cheifest power in all things euen aboue the Pope himselfe I might alleadge many other notable Papists to be of this minde but I holde it not cessarie in this place But now the Pope is lifted vp aboue the Councels and imagineth that the supremacy is cheifely placed in himselfe that Bishops being cast off and Emperours cut downe Is he Peters successor that is nothing like Peter and Councels supprest he may doe what hee please without controulment And may we thinke him to bee Peters successor that hath nothing in him like Peter which notwithstanding Bellarmine takes for granted when no thing is so much in controuersie As hee doth likewise euery where affirme that he is Christ his Vicar without proofe when as nothing is so necessarie for the Romish Catholike faith then that hee should confirme both these out of the Scriptures The successour of Peter is read in the fathers the Vicar of Christ is not read It is not therefore to be beleeued by Catholike faith but by historicall faith Of the Vicar of Christ I shall consider afterward now in few words of the successour of Peter § 216 Neither will I argue in this place those things which are much controuerted whether Peter were at Rome whether hee were euer Bishop or whether Bishop of Rome neither if he were will I dispute the case whether the personall dignitie of Peter could passe into a successour which is denied when it was granted by Christ in respect of his confession which he deliuered not of the seat which hee possessed Neither if it were in respect of the seat when it is reported that Peter had two seates one at Antioch the other at Rome I will not now enquire why Peters priuiledge should be tied to Rome rather then to Antioch Againe I will not discusse that in this place which shall be enquired after in more words in the whole explication of the Popes Creede whether the Pope haue succeeded Peter in the faith onely heere I will briefely enquire whether hee succeeded in the seat and whether the succession of the Pope whereon all Popery dependeth bee a diuine or humane constitution For if it be a humane constitution and confirmed only by humane testimonies sure it cannot be an article of the Catholike faith as Argentine auerred out of his Doctors If it be diuine let them tell vs in what place of Scripture they finde it written that the Bishop of Rome should succeede Peter or where Peter ordained the Pope or any other to bee his successour They answer for the most part as much as they can that Christ when hee said Feede my sheepe did vnderstand Peters successour in that place to whom together with Peter he gaue the cheife and perpetuall iurisdiction ouer the whole flocke But neither the successour there nor the Bishop of § 217 Rome is named the successour Grant that Peter the Apostle was superiour to the rest of the Apostles in this place doe they thinke that the Bishop of Rome successour to Peter being dead was made superiour to all the Apostles being aliue let them answer and let the Papists vnloose this knot if they can for their liues Baronius writeth that Peter died the yeere 69. and Iohn the yeere 101. so 32. yeeres came between the death of Peter and Iohn Now I demand whether Linus or Clemens succeeded Peter being dead If any should haue the supremacy it was Iohn that suruiued Peter for thereof there is a great controuersie among them whether Linus was aboue Iohn or Iohn aboue Linus if they say that Linus was aboue Iohn
that is a Bishop aboue an Apostle wee will laugh at it if they denie it it followeth that either the supremacie died with Peter or that it came not to Linus the Bishop but to Iohn the Apostle as suruiuor Where is then the succession of the Pope to resolue this doubt Caietaen de di in instit Pont. cap. 13. Bellarm. lib. 2. de Pont. cap. 12 certaine great Papists doe answer that the succession of the Pope in so much as Peter was Bishop of Rome tooke the beginning from the fact of Peter not from the institution of Christ Therefore this is matter of fact not of faith Goe to and what was Peters fact they answer that he appointed his seat Rome and there ended his life Caietane doth adde that the death of Peter did not simply giue the succession of Rome but that hee there died by the especiall appointment of Christ which Caietan proued by a certain historie Peters supremacy depends on a reuelation which shewes that Peter thinking for feare of persecution to leaue Rome and being now gone foorth part of the way Christ met him to whom Peter sayd whither goest thou Lord Christ made him answer I goe to Rome that I may be there crucified whereby Peter being admonished returned that hee might die at Rome Therfore the Popes succession dependeth vpon Peters fact and hath the beginning from thence and out of this fact they take all this as granted that Peter was at Rome that Peter was Bishop of Rome that Peter was put to death at Rome and that by Christ his appointment What certainty was in all these vnles we giue credit to a few humane histories which are subiect to many humane errours such as that errour is cheifly whence notwithstanding Caietane saith the succession was granted to the Pope Acta Petr. Pan. Baron 69. about the returne of Peter by the occasion of the vision § 218 The first founder of the tale was Linus a foolish counnterfet writer Loco Theo. lib. 6. cap. 8. Linus a counterfet writer as it is obserued by Baronius himselfe But be it a historie it comes not from the reuelation of the holy Ghost but from tradition as Canus telleth vs. Againe how doth it appeare that it was the purpose of Christ and Peter so to confirme the succession by this fact so that the Church should bee alwayes bound vnder paine of damnation to be beleeue it for when they say it is of the necessity of saluation to bee subiect to the Romane Bishop as to Peters successour and that by the power of that succession they contend that in all points of faith and saluation hee is set ouer by God himselfe it had beene meete that the succession of the Pope had beene more cleerely and euidently confirmed vnto vs then by a blinde and vncertaine vision the author whereof themselues condemne for a bastard and a foole Francis Vict. relect 2. de potesta Eccles Besides that the election of the Pope is an humane ordination which were absurd if Christ had appointed the succession proper to Rome by Peters fact to alter the forme of the election Therefore none is bound to beleeue that this or that pope imagine Clement the eighth De here lib. 2. cap. 9. or Paul the fift to be Peters true successour as Alphonsus writeth So that it is lawfull for any and at his pleasure to cast off the pope of whose canonicall election he doubteth Wherefore seeing the succession of the pope is so vncertaine he should doe better if as the Emperour doth not write himselfe Caesars successour but Caesar so the pope would not name himselfe Peters successour but Peter himselfe as pope Stephen sometime called himselfe For we will as easily beleeue that Paul the fift is Peter himselfe as Peters true successour Now that I may gather all into a short summe you see most noble Calander in Saturnine Bellarmine himselfe polishing and refining certaine olde arguments of his owne side whereby he doth vnderpropt the supremacie staggering and falling almost to the ground but in vaine doth the Cardinall hope that such silly sleights can deceiue a learned age which cozened a rude and ignorant age For first he alleadged so many corrupt interpretations of certaine places that they may be refuted not of the ancient and our owne but of the new and such as be their owne Doctors Out of whom notwithstanding he bringeth forth certaine figuratiue arguments which necessarily inferre such foolish and damnable consequences that the wise seeme to laugh at and the religious detest Such an one was that interpretation and argumentation § 219 of Boniface the eighth out of the first of Genesis In the beginning not in the beginnings Bonif. 8. extrauag Concil tit de maior de chedi God created heauen and earth when Boniface vnderstood that the pope was vnderstood by the Beginning Hence he doth thus argue Foolish interpretation and worse consequence The Sunne the Pope the Moone the Emperour He therefore that doth not submit himselfe to the Pope doth deuise two principles with the Manichees as Boniface deuised Such another was that out of the same chapter God made two great lights in the firmament when therefore the Pope brought this sense into the text that by the Sunne the Pope by the Moone the Emperor was vnderstood thence he concludeth that the Pope was so farre greater than the Emperor as the Sunne was greater than the Moone What Mathematicall Archimedes could better describe the quantitie of the Sunne and the Moone Such be the interpretations and the arguments drawne from thence by Bellarmine Hee beateth the keyes of the earth out of the keyes of heauen Hee gathereth the honour of ruling out of the labour of feeding he vnderstands Peter for the rocke a metaphoricall head for the visible head of the vniuersall church And out of these allegoricall expositions Arist 1. Metaphys he thinks he can make orderly syllogismes for Peters supremacie Pythagoras was said so to instruct his schollers in the speculatiue science of numbers and to haue imprinted such deepe notions into their mindes that after when they came to the consideration of naturall things they thought that the works of nature consisted of the principles of number So this Pythagoras hath so deepely wouen his symbolicall diuinitie in the mindes of his auditors that out of the metaphors of holy scripture they beleeue that the height of ecclesiasticall Monarchie is erected Whether is hee more craftie that so perswadeth or he more simple that so beleeueth nay more then that this Rom Aduocate doth endite him as guilty of heresie that doth not beleeue so It is well the plaintife not prouing as the Lawyers say he that is accused is set free § 220 You demand further Calander of the iudgement of the primitiue Church whereof the most learned Fathers assembled in the first six generall Councells did not only not acknowledge this supremacie but stroke it dead