of the Doctor what the reason might be that where he bringeth in the words of Giraldus Cambrensis touching this place as an authenticall authoritie hee passeth over that part of his relation wherein hee affirmeth that S. Patrick intended by this meanes to bring the rude people to a perswasion of the certaintie of the infernall paines of the reprobate and of the true and everlasting life of the elect after death The Grecians alledge this for one of their arguments against Purgatorie that whereas their Fathers had delivered unto them manie visions and dreames and other vvonders concerning the everlasting punishment wherewith the wicked should be tormented in Hell yet none of them had declared any thing concerning a purgatorie temporarie fire Belike the Doctor was afraid that wee would conclude upon the same ground that S. Patrick was carefull to plant in mens mindes the beleefe of Heaven and Hell but of Purgatory taught them never a word And sure I am that in the book ascribed unto him De tribus habitaculis which is to be seene in his Majesties Librarie there is no mention of anie other place after this life but of these two only I will lay down here the beginning of that treatise and leave it to the iudgement of anie indifferent man whether it can well stand with that which the Romanistes teach concerning Purgatorie at this day There be three habitations under the power of almightie God the first the lowermost and the middle The highest whereof is called the kingdome of God or the kingdome of Heaven the lowermost is termed Hell the middle is named the present World or the circuit of the Earth The extremes whereof are altogether contrary one to another for what fellowship can there be betwixt light and darkenesse betwixt Christ Belial but the middle hath some similitude with the extremes For in this world there is a mixture of the bad and of the good together whereas in the kingdome of God there are none bad but all good but in Hell there are none good but all bad And both those places are supplied out of the middle For of the men of this world some are lifted up to Heaven others are drawne downe to Hell namely like are joyned unto like that is to say good to good and bad to bad just men to just Angells wicked men to wicked Angels the servants of god to God the servants of the divell to the Divell The blessed are called to the kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world the cursed are driven into the everlasting fire that is prepared for the Divell and his angels Thus farre there Hitherto also may be referred that ancient Canon of one of our Irish Synods wherein it is affirmed that the soule being separated from the bodie is presented before the judgement seat of Christ who rendreth it owne unto it according as it hath done and that neyther the Archangel can leade it unto life untill the Lord hath judged it nor the Divell transport it unto paine unlesse the Lord doe damne it as the sayings of Sedulius likewise that after the end of this life eyther death or life succeedeth and that death is the gate by which wee enter into our kingdome together with that of Claudius that Christ did take upon him our punishment vvithout the guilt that thereby he might loose our guilt and finish also our punishment Cardinall Bellarmine indeed alledgeth here against us the vision of Furseus who rising from the dead told many things which hee saw concerning the paines of purgatory as Bede he saith doth write But by his good leave we will be better advised before we build articles of faith upon such visions and dreames as these manie wherof deserve to have a place among the strange narrations of soules appearing after death collected by Damascius the heathen Idolater rather than among the histories discourses of sober Christians As for this vision of Furseus all that Bede relateth of it to this purpose is concerning certaine great fires above the ayre appointed to examine every one according to the merits of his workes which peradventure may make something for Damascius his Purgatorie in Circulo lacteo for in that circle made he a way for the soules that went to the Hades in heaven and would not have us wonder that there they should be purged by the way but nothing for the Papists Purgatorie which Bellarmine by the common consent of the Schoolemen determineth to be within the bowels of the earth Neyther is there anie thing else in the whole book of the life of Furseus whence Bede borrowed these things that looketh toward Purgatorie unlesse peradventure that speech of the Divell may be thought to give some advantage unto it This man hath not purged his sinnes upon earth neyther doth he receive punishment for them here Where is therefore the justice of God as if Gods justice were not sufficiently satisfied by the sufferings of Christ but man also must needes give futther satisfaction thereunto by penall workes or sufferings either here or in the other world which is the ground upon which our Romanists doe lay the rotten frame of their devised Purgatorie The latter visions of Malachias Tundal Owen and others that lived within these last five hundred yeares come not within the compasse of our present inquirie nor yet the fables that have bene framed in those times touching the lives and actions of elder Saints whereof no wise man will make anie reckoning Such for example is that which we reade in the life of S. Brendan that the question being moved in his hearing Whether the sinnes of the dead could be redeemed by the prayers or almes-deeds of their friends remayning in this life for that was still a question in the Church he is said to have told them that on a certaine night as he sayled in the great Ocean the soule of one Colman who had beene an angry Monke and a sower of discord betwixt brethren appeared unto him who complained of his grievous torments intreated that prayers might be made to God for him and after sixe dayes thankefully acknowledged that by meanes thereof he had gotten into heaven Whereupon it is concluded that the prayer of the living doth profit much the dead But of S. Brendans sea-pilgrimage we have the censure of Molanus a learned Romanist that there be many apocryphall fooleries in it whosoever readeth the same with anie judgement cannot choose but pronounce of it as Photius doth of the strange narrations of Damascius formerly mentioned that it containeth not onely apocryphall but also impossible incredible ill-composed and monstrous fooleries Whereof though the old Legend it selfe were not free as by the heads thereof touched by Glaber Rodulphus and Giraldus Cambrensis may appeare yet for the tale that I recited out of the New Legend of England I can
know the times and the seasons vvhich the Father hath put in his owne power There is another exposition which the Protestants deliver unto you touching the 42 moneths and 1260 daies otherwise called a Time and Times and halfe a Time mentioned in the Revelation which is this namely that times in Gods appointment certaine of the several persecutions and molestations of the Church be therein limited and prescribed albeit to us they be uncertaine untill the event doe declare them For that a time certaine even in the Revelation of S. Iohn may be thus put for a time uncertaine the Rhemists themselves doe sufficiently declare who expound the Thousand yeares wherein the Divell is said to be bound which in it selfe is a time certaine to be neverthelesse the whole time how long or short soever it be of the New Testament untill Antichrists time If then the certaine time of a Thousand yeares signifie no certaine number of yeares but are put for an indefinite and an uncertaine time as the Rhemists and other Papists also teach what marvell is it or what iust exception can they take against us if wee likewise expound the 42 moneths and 1260 daies otherwise called a Time and Times and halfe a Time for a time indefinite and uncertaine to us untill it be accomplished though God in his foreknowledge hath certainely limited it Yea according hereunto Beda saith By the number of these dayes vvhich make three yeares and an halfe the Holy Ghost comprehendeth all the times of Christianitie because Christ vvhose body the Church is preached so long in the flesh To the same effect he saith upon the 14 verse Hee designeth the vvhole time of the Church comprehended before in the number of Dayes Ambrosius Ansbertus likewise saith The number of 1260 dayes in vvhich the woman tarieth and is fed in the vvildernesse doth so signifie the course of Preaching or end of Persecution in vvhich the old enemy is permitted to rage against the holy Church by that damned man vvhom he shall possesse that neverthelesse it comprehendeth the beginning either of the preaching or of the persecution in vvhich Christ began to preach and suffer yea the vvhole time of this present life which is betweene the beginning and the end Rupertus also expoundeth these daies for so long time as the Church being a stranger in the vvorld suffereth persecution Haymo likewise saith It may be referred unto all the time from the ascention of Christ unto the end of the vvorld Thus you see that even these ancient Expositors expound it not for iust three yeares and an halfe as yee doe but as comprehending in it a much longer time and as being a time certaine put for an uncertaine as wee doe But yet to answere more particularly to those Texts And first to that Text of Revelat. 11. It is there said That the Gentiles shall tread under foot the holy Citie that is the true Church of God two and forty moneths But I will give power unto my two vvitnesses and they shall prophecy saith the Text 1260 dayes clothed in Sackcloth These are two Olive Trees and two Candlestickes standing before the God of the earth And if any man vvill hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouthes and devoureth their enemies For if any man vvould hurt them thus must he be killed These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying and have power over vvaters to turne them into bloud and to smite the earth vvith all maner of plagues as often as they vvill And vvhen they have finished their Testimony the Beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make vvarre against them and shall overcome them and kill them c. You suppose that by these two witnesses here mentioned be meant Enoch and Elias who as you imagine shal come againe personallie into this world to encounter and oppose themselves against Antichrist But first how doe yee prove these two Witnesses to be Enoch and Elias for yee finde them not so named in the Text. And indeed it is but an imagination or surmise which hath no sufficient ground or certaintie in it Yea S. Hierom reiecteth it saith that they be Iudei Iudaizantes haeretici c. Iewes and Iudaizing hereticks that looke for a corporal or personal comming of Elias And in another place he reckoneth such maner of expectation and opinion touching Enoch and Elias as also the opinion touching the building againe of the material Temple at Hierusalem in the number of Iewish Fable Arethas indeed saith of these two Witnesses that it was constantly received that they should be Enoch and Elias but Victorinus who was more ancient then Arethas telleth us otherwise Many thinke saith hee that one of these two vvitnesses is Elias the other eyther Elizeus or Moses but they are both dead Howbeit the death of Ieremy is not found And all our Ancients have delivered saith hee that that other is Ieremy And S. Hillary thinketh them to be Elias and Moses Such uncertaintie there is even in ancient Fathers as well as in other Writers when they goe by coniectures ghesses and imaginations onely without sufficient warrant from the word of God It is therefore to be observed that the Revelation is full of mystical prophetical and alluding speeches As for example where these two Witnesses be called two Olive trees and Candlesticks he alludeth unto that prophecie in Zachary chap. 4.1.2.3.4.5.6 c. Which witnesses of divine Truth and Preachers and Ministers of the Gospel be not unfitly called Candlesticks inasmuch as they beare and hold out the light of Gods word unto the people as also they be well resembled to Olive trees inasmuch as by the meanes of their Ministerie and Preaching of the Gospell the Oyle of Gods grace and of his spirit is powred into mens hearts to mollifie and to convert them unto God Againe in that hee mentioneth two witnesses hee alludeth unto the Law which requireth the Testimonie of two witnesses the testimonie of which number of witnesses is held sufficient to ratifie and confirme a matter So that by these two witnesses he meaneth that hee will ever have even in the greatest furie and rage of Antichrist a competent and sufficient number to beare witnesse of his truth and religion conteined in the two Testaments of the holy Scriptures Likewise hee alludeth partlie unto the times of Elias and partlie unto the times of Moses when hee saith that If any vvill hurt the two vvitnesses fire proceedeth out of their mouthes to devoure their enemies and that these have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying and have power over vvaters to turne them into bloud c. For so in Moses time in the land of Egypt vvere the vvaters in the River turned into Bloud and sundrie other plagues brought upon that land of Egypt for molesting of Gods
in Christ and not of their owne inherent righteousnesse or through their owne merits or workes in anie sort An example whereof we have in S. Bernard himselfe who though hee lived in the times of Poperie and was himselfe an Abbot yet in the extremitie of his sickenesse and the end of his dayes this was his refuge I confesse saith hee I am not vvorthy neyther can I obteyne the kingdome of heaven by mine owne merits But my Lord obtayning it by a double right by inheritance from the father and by the merit of his Passion he being content vvith the one giveth me the other and clayming it by the gift vvhich he hath made me thereof I shall not be confounded Againe he saith My merit is the Lords mercie I am not poore in merits because he is rich in mercies I have greatly sinned but I vvill remember the vvounds of my Lord c. Contarenus a Cardinal did also in that time hold justification by faith in Christ and so did sundry others in those dayes Now so long as a man holdeth the foundation though he erre in other points that be not fundamentall he may be saved as S. Paul sheweth and S. Augustine Gregory Nyssen doe also declare But thirdly if it were so that some of our forefathers and ancestors were in their life time as likely enough it is that too manie of them were horribly polluted defiled with the corruptions of those times yet who can tell how they dyed For sundrie live wickedly who neverthelesse may dye verie godly and penitently as did that good Theefe at Christ his Crucifixion It is therefore no good argument to say They lived in the profession of Poperie Ergo they died so for diverse we see die otherwise then they lived and God was as well able to give them a right faith and repentance and to convert them unto himselfe before their death or at the instant of their death as anie others Yea I thinke that few or none that be well advised or considerate persons whatsoever they professe at other times will dare to dye Papists that is in a beleefe and confidence to be saved by their owne workes and merits or by a righteousnesse inherent in their owne persons but that they will then at that time of their death relye wholly and altogether upon Gods mercie and Christ his merits renouncing utterly their owne as S. Bernard did For even Bellarmine himselfe also writing in these late times notwithstanding whatsoever he had said before in defence of merits yet concludeth against them and teacheth that Tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere It is the safest vvay to put our vvhole confidence onely in the mercy of God and his bounty But fourthly manie and sundrie living in those times and being much grieved and groning under the Popes tyrannie made hold to utter their complaints and to cry out as loud as they could or at least as they durst against both Pope Poperie Amongst whom was the forenamed S. Bernard who calleth the Popes doctrines or pastures Daemonum potius quam ovium pascua Pastures rather for Divels then for sheepe where hee further inveigheth against the Pope and his Clergie saying Omiserandam sponsam talibus creditam paranymphis O miserable spouse vvhich art committed to such Leaders or such Overseers And againe he saith O good Iesus all Christendome seemeth to have conspired against thee they are chiefe in persecuting of thee vvhich seeme to hold the Primacy and to beare principality in the Church Iniquitie is come from thy Vicars even from those that seeme to governe thy people They have possessed the Fort of Sion seised upon the munitions and they burne vvith all their power the vvhole City Miserable is their conversation and miserable is the subversion of thy people c. They doe wickedly against Christ and there be many Antichrists in our times A stinking infection this day creepeth over all the body of the Church and the Deeper it is so much the more desperate and the more Inward that it is so much the more perillous for if it vvere an open Enemy he might be cast out and he vvould wither or if it were a violent Enemy a man might hide himselfe from him But vvhat is now to be done vvhither shall the Church drive him or vvhere shall she hide her selfe from him All friends and yet all enemies all kinsfolkes and yet all adversaries They are in pretence the Ministers of Christ and yet they serve Antichrist VVoe saith he to this generation because of the leaven of the Pharisees vvhich is Hypocrisie If yet it be to be Termed Hypocrisie vvhich is not able to hide is selfe it is so abundant nor yet seeketh to conceale it selfe it is so impudent And in another place he saith further That the Beast spoken of in the Revelation cap. 13. to vvhich a mouth is given to speake blasphemies and to make vvarre with the Saints of God is now gotten into Saint Peters chayre as a Lyon prepared to his prey 4 You see then that manie hundreth yeares before the daies of King Henry the eight and before Luther or Calvin were borne the Pope of Rome and his Clergie were complained of and exclaimed against But this shall yet further appeare for your better satisfaction For under the raigne of Hugh Capet in France about the yeare of our Lord 1000 there was held a Nationall Councell at Rhemes wherein was President Arnold that famous Bishop of Orleance It was there handled and proved by the Canons of former Councels That the Bishop of Rome had nothing to doe in France That a Councel vvas more to be respected then his Sea That the time was vvhen Rome brought forth good or tolerable Bishops but now alas saith this Arnold in place of these shee bringeth forth nought else but Monsters And there reckoning up diverse wicked Bishops of Rome and among the rest one Boniface a Monster exceeding in wickednesse and having his hands imbrued in his predecessors bloud he addeth And must so many the good servants of God over all the world needs be subiect to such Monsters and then concludeth Reverend Fathers vvhom doe you thinke this man to be which sitteth upon the high Throne glittering in gold and scarlet For vvhom doe you take him Verily if he be vvithout the love of God and be puffed up and extolled for his knowledge onely he is Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God shewing himselfe as if he vvere God But if he be neyther founded in love nor set up for knowledge he is an Image and as an Idoll in Gods Temple and to goe to him to aske counsell or for answers is to aske counsell of a stone And therefore he cryeth out O Lugenda Roma O Rome to be lamented Againe about the yeare of our Lord 1100 the whole Church of Liege uttered the like voice For where Pope
yee cannot so much as shew the points of your religion wherein yee differ from us by the testimonie of the sacred and Canonicall Scriptures to have beene in the Apostles times and taught or approved by them as wee can doe ours And as touching Perpetuitie your Church hath it not but ours verie clearely hath it as having beene not onely in the times of the Apostles but in all succeeding ages also and posterities as is before sufficiently and plainely declared in the first part of this booke Chap. 2. For the true Church is builded upon so strong and invincible a Rocke namely upon Christ Iesus himselfe whom Peter confessed as that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it If all the power of hell and divels as is here manifest cannot prevaile against the Church of God that is the companie of Gods Elect and the number of his true and right Worshippers It is evident that this Church that is a companie of right and true worshippers of him must be granted to be perpetuall and to have continued throughout all ages and generations especially considering what God himselfe further speaketh saying thus I will makâ— this my covenant with them my spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seede nor out of the mouth of thy Seedes seede saith the Lord from henceforth even for ever Yea that our Church was in Esse and had continuance even during the hottest rage of the raigne of that Romish Antichrist besides all other arguments this is a manifest one namely because the Popish Church still molested pursued and persecuted our Church under the names of Berengarians VValdenses Albigenses VVickâ—evists Lutherans Calvinists Lollards Heretickes Scismatickes and such like And yet very true it is that such may be sometime in some place the state of the Church by reason of rageing persecution against it as that even a right godly man and true worshipper of God may thinke himselfe to bee left alone without anie followers or copartners with him there in the right service of God As for example Elias complained in his time and of that place where he then lived that hee was left alone and That they sought to take avvay his life also And yet for all that was not Elias left alone although he so supposed and spake for God told him that he had even there namely in Israell where Elias then was reserved unto himselfe Seven thousand right worshippers of him which had not bowed their knee to Baal If the Companie of Gods chosen Church and elect people and right Worshippers of him be as is here evident sometime in some place unknowne even to a right godly man and Prophet of God no marvell is it though they sometimes lye hid and be unknowne to their enemies and persecutors to whose devowring pawes and bloodie hands without urgent cause they had no reason to shew themselves It is therfore no good argument which Papists make when they say that at some times during the raigne of Poperie they neither saw nor knew nor could heare of anie Protestants for if it were so as they say that they could finde none nor knew of anie at sometimes yet even then might there bee and were there also some such true and right worshippers of God albeit they lay hid from them and kept themselves as they had reason from their knowledge and mercilesse crueltie The reason then which they make against the continuance and perpetuitie of our Church because it was not as they say at all times seene of the world nor had their exercises of Religion at all and singular times publikely knowne to the world appeareth to be verie idle and of no force As for the answer which the Rhemists make to the former complaint of Eâ—ias that the faithful in his time were forced to keep close by reason of the persecution of Achab Iesabel which was onely in the Kingdome of the ten Tribes that is in Israell and yet neverthelesse that at the verie same time in Ierusalem and in all the Kingdome of Iudah the externall worship and profession of faith was openly observed well known even to Elias himselfe Admit all this were true which is not proved yet what will they then say to this that the Church at other times hath beene so hidden that there was no open or publike exercise of Religion to be sâ—ene no not in Iuda or Ierusalem it selfe no more then in those ten Tribes of Israell as namely in the daies of Ahas the sonne of Iotham King â—f Iuda of whom it is said that hee walked in the way of the Kings of Israâ—ll yea and made his Sonne to goe through the fire after the abhominations of the Heathen and in whose time the Altar of God was removed and an Idolatrous altar by the high Priests consent 〈…〉 Yea in the daies also of Hoseah King of Israell it is testified that not onely Israell but Iuda also kept not the Commandements of the Lord their God but walked according to the fashion of Israel vvhich they vsed How was the Church then visible in that sort and sense that wee speake of that is to say was it such a Church as had publike exercises of Gods religion splendently seene and openly apparant to the world Againe in the daies of Manasseth King of Iuda when Hee did evill in the sight of the Lord after the abhomination of the Heathen and erected altars for Baall and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them and when hee also built Idolatrous altars in the house of the Lord yea when it was recorded that this King Manasseh led the people out of the way to doe more wickedly then did the heathen and made Iuda also sinne vvith his Idols I say when Iuda became thus corrupted and Idolatrous aswell as Israell Had then the Church her outward practise of Religion according to Gods commandement and appointment to bee openly seene of the world And was it not so likewise in the daies of Amon King of Iuda Sonne and successor to Manasseh vvho did evill in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasseh did for he walked in all the waies his father walked in and served the Idols that his father served and worshipped them Thus you see that the Church of God was sometimes not openly seene but lay hidden and that as well in Iuda and Ierusalem as in the ten Tribes But perceiving this Church of Iuda and Israell to make against them then they flie to another devise and say that the Christian Church hath better promises then the Church of the Iewes Howbeit they can shew none as touching this point better for the one then for the other Yea for the Church of the Ievves to continue untill the first comming of Christ there be as strong as good promises to be seene as for
the Church of the Gentiles to continue untill the second comming of Christ. It is true that the Church of Christ shall never bee extinguished But is there anie such promise that the Church of Christ shall never be hidden For persecutions even of the Christian Church have sometimes beene so great and cruell as that the Christians by reason thereof have beene enforced to lye hid and to be unseene and unknowne to the wicked world as in the daies of Dioclesian and Maximian persecuting Emperors who impiously boasted that they had utterly abolished the superstition of Christ and name of Christians The like divelish boasting also made Nero in his time Yea it is indeed expresly foretold in the Scriptures that such should be the state of the church sometime as that shee should be enforced to flie into the desert or wildernesse where shee should have a place prepared of God to cherish hide and keepe her from all her persecutors And therefore the church is not alwaies conspicuous and openly shining and shewing her selfe to the malignant world Neither doth that Text which yee alledge of Dic Ecclesiae tell it to the Church prove the church to bee alwaies openly conspicuous to the ungodly world It onely sheweth an order of Ecclesiasticall discipline for sinnes and offences how they should be proceeded in amongst brethren and such as professe one and the selfe same religion of Christ which order of discipline may well be observed even in a Christian church and among themselves though the wicked world neither see them nor the exercises of their religion nor know where they are But you say that if they make profession of their faith and religion as all Christians ought then the world cannot choose but take notice of them It is true that they are to make profession of their faith with their Mouth when cause so requireth aswell as to beleeve with their heart yea and to answer everie one in authoritie before whom they shall be convented and called and that with mildenesse and reverence concerning the same their faith and hope as S. Peter declareth But it doth not continually evermore so fal out that Christians be brought before Kings Princes and Magistrates of the earth to be examined and to make answer of their faith but at sometimes it so falleth out and at some other times againe it sufficeth that they make profession of their faith among themselves Neither were it indeed safe or a pointe of christian wisdome in them whom Christ willeth To bee as wise as Serpents though as innocent as Doves and to whom hee giveth an expresse caveat to take heede of men rashly or unadvisedly or without good and urgent cause to manifest and lay open themselves unto the view rage and furie of the malicious and persecuting world But you alledge further that Christ said to his Disciples Yee are rhe light of the world A Cittie that is set on a hill cannot be hid Neither doe men light a candle and put it under a Bushell but on a candlesticke and it giveth light to all that are in the house But none of these words doe proove the Church to be alwaies and evermore apparant to the eies of the wicked world though sometimes it bee For first though it be called the Light of the world yet thereupon it followeth not that therefore it is alwaies and at all times to bee seene Inasmuch as the Sunne and the Moone which be the great lights of the World and so appointed of GOD in the begining be not alwaies brightshining and appearing unto us but are sometimes unseene and covered with clouds and darkened and suffer strang Eclipses And therefore doth S. Augustine compare the Church to the Moone which is often obscured and hid yea he acknowledgeth that the Church may be so hid and secret as that the very members therof shal not know one another And whereas ye further alledge that it is like a Citty set upon a hill neither doth it thereupon follow that it is alwayes to be seene For in a great Mist or a darke night an Hill or Mountaine be it never so great will not be seene So if men be stricken with blindnesse it cannot be seene of them as the Aramites were that could not see the mountaine that was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha nor knew that they were in the midst of Samaria till God opened their eies Likewise though a Candle be set on a Candlesticke and giveth light to all that are in that house yet neither doth it give light to them that be in another house nor to anie that be blinde or shut their eies against it And yet the candle-light it selfe also will somtimes be much dimmed darkned with sundrie occurrents accidents that doe befall it When therfore the world either by reason of their own blindnesse or by reason of fierce and terrible persecutions or by reason of clowdie smoakie and mistie errors raised up bee not able to see and discerne the Church of Christ Is that anie iust cause for anie to quarrell against her as if therefore she had no being at all Yea when the fift Angell blew the Trumpet and the Bishop of Rome being in that time as a Starre fallen from heaven to the earth had no longer the keies of heaven in his custodie but the keies of hell even of the bottomlesse pit and that the smoake of the pit arose as the smoake of a great furnace so that the Sunne and the ayre were darkened by reason of the smoake Is it anie marvaile that the Church was then obscured Your selves doe grant that in the daies and times of the grand Antichrist foretold by S. Paule the church should lye obscured and be hidden And wee say and proove vnto you that those daies and times be come long since and therefore this ought not to seeme anie new or strange thing unto anie in these dayes Yea in the Revelation of S. Iohn you further reade that the Temple of God that is his Church which is there said to be in heaven because from thence she is descended and hath her minde treasure and affection there with Christ her head Phil. 3.20 Coloss. 3.1.2 was sometime shut and sometime opened For in that it is there said sometime to be opened therein is included that it was at other sometimes shut and closed and not open to the view of the world So that the Church of God is not alwaies openly and splendently seene to the persecuting World but is sometimes patent and sometimes latent as I trust you now sufficiently perceive and withall I trust you perceive that the Church was then in esse and had a continuance even when it was most latent For unlesse they even then had been in esse and in being they could not have beene à latent oppressed or persecuted Church Now as touching unitie I must tell you
as good right and reason say that hee by the vertue and merit of his death and passion hath enabled men to be The Saviour and Redeemer of the VVorld in their owne persons or to be the Mediator betwixt God and them or challenge anie other right or prerogative whatsoever that properly belongeth to Christ Iesus For what may not men frame fancie or devise out of this if they be so disposed and care not to imagine things at their owne pleasure without anie warrant from God or his word Is it not then a most intolerable boldnesse for anie meere mortal and sinfull men to be so presumptuous as to dare to stand in Christ his place or to challenge to themselves anie part of that high incomparable and peculiar honour that properly belongeth to him who is both God and man and our whole onely and perfect Redeemer I pray tell me what imperfection doe you finde in his satisfaction that it should not content you Are your selves better able to make satisfaction to Gods Iustice for sinnes then hee or is his most precious bloud passion and obedience able to satisfie for eternall paines and punishments and not for temporall Shall he be able to satisfie the greater and not be able to satisfie the lesse or if ye grant him to be able to die doe yee doubt of his willingnesse in that behalfe And if hee were both willing and able neither of which yee can denie what question then should be made in this matter It is true that as touching the ungodly reprobates that be without Christ all calamities afflictions miseries and punishments of this life and even the bodily death it selfe remaine to them in their owne nature and be to them tokens of Gods wrath and of his curse and unappeased displeasure and forerunners of their future certaine and undoubted damnation But to the godly Elect that be in Christ Iesus and that have peace with God and with whom hee is reconciled through Christ no afflictions of this life have in them anie token at all of his irefull and revengefull displeasure or of his unsatisfied Iustice but they are contrariwise tokens of his great love and fatherly affection toward them as is before shewed and are to them forerunners of their future certaine and undoubted salvation For toward Gods children the nature of these things is changed through Christ having no Curse at all but blessednesse in them Insomuch that even death it selfe also which to flesh and bloud seemeth most bitter to them neverthelesse is a most welcome and blessed thing as having the sting of it which is sinne taken away in Christ their Saviour and as being the doore that openeth an immediate passage and entrance to an everlasting life in eternall happinesse For vvee know saith S. Paul in the person of all Gods children that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle be destroyed vvee have a building given of God that is an house not made vvith hands but eternall in the heavens for therefore vvee sigh desiring to be clothed vvith our house which is from heaven And Christ Iesus himselfe speaketh likewise thus Verily verily I say unto you Hee that heareth my vvord and beleeveth him that sent mee hath everlasting life and commeth not into Iudgement but is passed from death into life If then which is a thing here evident assoone as this earthly Tabernacle of their bodies is dissolved all Gods children goe to an eternall heavenly habitation and againe if the godly and faithfull man after the death of the bodie doth in his soule immediatly passe to an eternall life which you likewise here see to be verie manifest for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the preterperfect tense what is then become of your supposed Purgatorie Doe you not by these Texts perceive that even that also is to bee utterly banished and abolished as a thing fabulous impious and untrue and not to be beleeved 2 But your Church for all that striveth and strugleth to uphold it as being indeed one of the best fires that ever the Pope and his Clergie have had for the heating of their Kitchins and which in respect of the people who are miserably abused with it is not unfitly called Purgatory-Pickepurse inasmuch as it robbeth them of their wealth and substance But let us see what texts of Scripture they chiefelie alledge and relie upon for this purpose First they alledge Mat. 5.25 26 where Christ saith thus Agree with thine adversarie quicklâ—e whilst thou art in the way vvith him lest at anie time thine adversarie deliver thee to the Iudge the Iudg deliver thee to the officer then thou be cast into prison verily I say unto thee thou shalt not come out from thence until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing Howbeit this text is an exhortation perswasion to peace reconciliation concord agreement betwixt man and man in this life least for not observing of this concord agreement it so fall out as often it doth in the world that the debtor be cast into Prison and depart not from thence untill he have paide the utmost farthing But if by this Prison be meant as they would have it a place of punishment after death yet then is there no necessitie for all that to expound it of their Purgatorie for well may it then bee taken for Hell the place of the damned yea then it must needs be so taken inasmuch as there be but two sorts of people namely Elect and Reprobate and answerably to them there bee but two places after death viz. Heaven and Hell for that the soules of Gods Elect goe immediately after their death not into anie such tormenting place as your supposed Purgatorie but into Heaven is beside the former texts evident even by the president of the good Theefe that was crucified with Christ to whom Christ said thus This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise that is in Heaven the place of blessednesse for all Gods Saints and people That this Theefes soule went that verie day into Paradise is a thing expreslie apparant in the Text and that Paradise is Heaven even the Third and higest Heaven the place of glory is also verie manifest because S. Paul himselfe so declareth and expoundeth it What doubt then can there bee in this matter But it is yet further evident by the example of the Rich man and Lazarus For when the Rich man died hee went to Hell the place of Torments for the Reprobate when poore Lazarus dyed he was carried by Angells into Abrahams Bosome that is into Heaven the place of comfort ioy and happinesse for all God elect For that Abrahams bosome must be taken for Heaven and not for that fained place of Limbus Patrum which Papists make to be a part of hell is manifest by this that beside the solace ioy and comfort that is shewed to be in it it is further mentioned and set
see that hee here teacheth 1290 daies to be the time allotted to Antichrist a part of this time namely 1260 daies he sheweth that the two VVitnesses lived together with Antichrist and the residue of that time which is 30 daies more that is one moneth after the death of those VVitnesses he saith that Antichrist lived If then those two Witnesses did accompanie Antichrist that is came when he came and did prophesie 1260 daies that is iust three yeares and an halfe before they died and that after their death Antichrist still lived and that by the space of a moneth how can it be shifted but that Antichrists raigne must be granted to continue longer then that time aforesaid of iust three yeares and an halfe If you answere as one Master Christopherson in defence of Bellarmine doth that this last moneth is not to be accounted of because Antichrist during that his last moneth raigned not so strongly and firmely as hee did before and that his kingdome was then weake and declining This hindreth not but that his raigne and kingdome did for all that still continue even during that moneth aswell as during anie of those former moneths daies or later times wherein he was in his declination For a man ceaseth not to be a King because he at some time ruleth and raigneth more feebly and weakely then at other-some times And therefore even this last moneth aswell as anie of the rest of the later moneths or daies is to be reckoned accounted part of Antichrist his raign for else you may as well exclude the sixt moneth or at least some part of it or the last day of the sixt moneth as the seventh moneth or the first day of the same seventh moneth because in those daies also Antichrist was declining But what Shall not the raigne of Antichrist or of anie King whosoever be said and supposed to continue so long as he liveth whilest hee is neither deposed nor surrendreth nor yeeldeth up his kingdome to anie other nor hath done nor suffered to be done anie act to the contrarie yea Bellarmine himselfe doth expressely account this last moneth aswell as anie of the former as a part of Antichrist his raigne using the verie word and saying that he is Regnaturus mille ducentis nonaginta diebus to Raigne 1290 dayes Here then you see by this incurable contradiction and repugnant doctrine of Bellarmine and other Papists that the long reteined opinion of Antichrist his raigning iust three yeares and an halfe is either utterly uncertaine or utterly untrue And that you may yet better perceive the uncertaintie or rather untruth of that opinion consider that the Prophet Daniel also mentioneth 2300 daies which text time diverse also of the ancient Fathers as S. Hierome witnesseth did applie unto Antichrist Which opinion of those ancient Writers if a man should hold then must Antichrists raigne be yet of much longer continuance then either 1260 daies or then 1290 daies that is much longer then either three yeares and sixe moneths or three yeares and seven moneths Such uncertaintie there is even in ancient Fathers as well as in other writers when they goe by coniectures or suppositions without sufficient warrant of the divine Scriptures But Bellarmine yet further proceedeth and saith thus that The Prophet Daniel after he had said cap. 12.11 that Antichrists kingdome should endure 1290 dayes addeth vers 12. Blessed is hee vvhich expecteth and commeth to 1335 dayes that is to 45 dayes after Antichrists death for then vvill our Lord come to iudgement and render the crownes of righteousnesse to the Conquerors Observe this well also for if this opinion of his concerning Antichrist were true namely that hee shall raigne iust three yeares and an halfe and yet that hee shall continue one moneth longer consisting of 30 daies to make up the full number of 1290 daies and that 45 daies after shall be the time of Christs comming to iudgement and of eternal Blessednesse as he there teacheth who seeth not that anie man living in that time of the raigne of Antichrist may before hand by this reckoning certainely know the verie Day of the end of the world and of Christ his comming to iudgement But of That day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels of Heaven but my Father only saith Christ and therefore that opinion cannot possibly be true But moreover sundrie learned men doe say that the Prophesie of Daniel touching the little horne there mentioned and the times ascribed to him concerneth not Antichrist at all directly properly but onely Antiochus Epiphanes that cruell tyrant and great persecutor and afflicter of those Saints and ancient people of God the Iewes in vvhom and vvhose history they affirme that all those several times mentioned in Daniel received their full and due accomplishment But you alledge that even some Protestant Writers doe also expound the Time and Times and halfe a Time mentioned in Daniel as also the 1260 dayes mentioned in the Revelation there otherwise called 42 moneths and a Time and Times and halfe a Time to belong to Antichrist Howbeit you should remember withall that even those Protestants that so expound it doe teach that those daies and times for all that are not to be taken literally as you take them but mystically and Prophetically and namely not for so manie common and natural daies but for so manie yeares that is to say for 1260 yeares accounting everie day for a yeare for so they say that in the Scripture it is sometimes used as in Ezechiel where God saith thus unto him Thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the house of Iudah forty dayes I have appointed thee a day for a yeare So in the Booke of Numbers God speaketh thus After the number of the dayes in vvhich yee searched out the Land even forty dayes every day for a yeare shall yee beare your Iniquity for forty yeares and yee shall feele my breach of promise So againe doth the Scripture mention a weeke of daies and a vveeke of yeares According whereunto the seventie weekes mentioned in Daniel be also expounded not of seventie weekes of daies but of seventie weekes of yeares that is to say seventie times seven yeares which make 490 yeares everie day being reckoned for a yeare for according to this computation and reckoning of a day for a yere is it that that Prophecie had his accomplishment Whereupon they conclude that Antichrists persecution and raigne being limited to a time and times and halfe a time expounded by 1260 daies everie day being to bee reckoned for a yeare as they take it is to have continuance for much longer time then you suppose namely for 1260 yeares which is farre from your exposition and opinion who hold that Antichrist should raigne but iust three yeares and an halfe But if this exposition of reckoning a day for a yere seemeth as to some it doth to search too neere into Gods secrets and to
people and not suffering them to goe out that they might serve him As also in the daies of Elias it was that fire came downe from heaven to consume and devoure certaine Captaines and their Companies of fifties that came to apprehend and disturb him And so againe at the praier of Elias heaven was shut so that it rained not on the earth for the space of three yeares and sixe moneths Wherefore here is a manifest allusion in some of these speeches unto the times of Moses and in othersome of them to the times of Elias signifying thereby that God will ever be the revenger of such as shall oppresse molest or wrong anie of these witnesses of his truth and religion Now as the famine or grievance for want of raine in those daies of the prophecying of Elias was verie great continuing three yeares and sixe moneths so the oppression or grievance of the Church in this place is answerably thereunto limited to 42 moneths as it is likewise in Rev. 13.5 Which 42 months conteine the verie same time of three yeares and sixe moneths mentioned in Elias time and be likewise all one with the 1260 daies mentioned in this Chapter of Rev. 11.3 and Rev. 12.6 reckoning thirtie daies to everie moneth according to the Grecian manner as is fittest this Revelation being written in Greeke and directed to the Greeke Churches But now although these 42 moneths otherwise called 1260 daies being thus reckoned doe arithmetically conteine iust three yeares and an halfe yet being as they are here spoken by way of allusion whether it be to those three yeres six moneths in Elias time or to the three yeares and sixe moneths employed about the siege and taking of Ierusalem by Vespasian and Titus or to the three yeares and an halfe of Christ his preaching in the flesh they are not to be taken literally to conteine during all the times of the Church her persecutions iust three yeares and an halfe and neither more nor lesse for her persecutions everie one knoweth were of much longer continuance then three yeares and an halfe But as I said before they import unto us by that allusion that there is a certaine set time appointed of God how long those grievances and persecutions of the Church should continue albeit we for our parts know it not till the event hath declared it Although then by the Gentiles in this Text of Rev. 11. the false and Antichristian Church be understood as by Iewes likewise mentioned in the Revelation the true Church of Christ is intended yet the 42 moneths and 1260 daies being to bee expounded not literally but mystically allegorically and by way of allusion can make no proofe at all for your purpose Yea Arethas saith that those Dayes and Times so reckoned in the Revelation be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brevitatis Declarativum to declare brevitie or the shortnesse of the time of the persecution of the Church by Antichrist And indeed so it seemeth to be expounded in the Revelation it selfe where speaking of this Antichrist being the seventh head of the Beast it is said that he shall continue but a short time So that the one place in this Revelation serveth well to expound the other And it is thus reckoned by daies and times and moneths that is by a short time for the comfort of Gods people against those persecutions of Antichrist and that they should not thinke it long as I said before how long soever otherwise it might seeme to worldly-minded men And even Hentenius also though a Papist reiecteth this conceit of yours that Antichrist should raigne but iust three yeares and an halfe alledging this for a reason that it is impossible that in so short a time as three yeares and an halfe Antichrist should obtaine so manie Kingdomes and Provinces as it is said hee shall conquer and subdue 10 But to make this yet more manifest unto you that yee may certainlie know the length and continuance of the time of Antichrist and not be led by uncertaine coniectures imaginations or conceipts of men you must resort to the sacred and canonical Scriptures for your direction and assurance in this point as likewise in all other For which purpose you must consider Antichrist in his beginning and in his proceeding increase and growth untill he came at length to his highest step and then being at the highest you must consider him againe in his declination and consumption untill his final destruction and utter abolishing That Antichrist even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had his beginning in the Apostles time S. Iohn is a manifest witnesse And so also witnesseth S. Paul saying expressely that the Mysterie of that his Iniquitie already vvrought even then in his daies And withall he sheweth that more or lesse he should continue and not be utterly abolished untill the bright glorious comming of Christ to Iudgement Now then seeing that Antichrist began in the Apostles times albeit neither â—hen nor long after hee came to his full growth and highest step of pride and seeing also that after he came by degrees and by little and little to the superlative degree he is not utterly to be abolished untill the comming of Christ to Iudgement although in the meane space he be alreadie much consumed and is yet more and more to be consumed what one man shall or can be named that ever lived so long a time as this Antichrist who beginning in the Apostles daies is to have continuance notwithstanding his consumption to the end of the world Can anie reasonable man imagine that anie of that long continuance should be but one singular and particular person Yea must not everie well-advised man hereupon needs conceive that Antichrist must be not one singular and particular man but manie and a succession of men that is thus to have continuance for the space of so manie hundreth yeares in the world Another argument and proofe thereof is this That which in the Prophecies of the Scripture is described under the name and figure of a Beast is not one singular person but an whole State or succession As for example the foure Beasts mentioned in Dan. 7. whereof one was as a Lyon the second like a Beare the third like a Leopard the fourth was unlike to the former and had ten horns None of these foure Beasts betoken anie singular or particular man but everie one of them betokeneth a State or Dominion wherein there was a succession of men For the Beast that was like unto a Lyon signified the Empire or Kingdome of the Assyrians and Babylonians the Beast like unto the Beare signifieth the Empire or Kingdome of the Medes and Persians the Beast likened to a Leopard signifieth the Empire or Dominion of the Greekes and Macedonians and by the fourth Beast with ten hornes is the Kingdome of the Seleucidae and Lagidae understood as some suppose or of the Romane Empire as some others understand
selling let any communion be had vvith them that loosing the solace of humanitie they may be compelled to returne from the error of their vvay And vvhosoever shall doe the contrary let him as being a partaker of their iniquitie be sentenced to be Anathema and they if they be taken by Catholike Princes let them be committed to prison and loose all their goods In the Councell of Lateran likewise assembled against the Albigenses whom they call Cathari and Patâ—rini it was said thus Eos defensores eorum râ—ceptores Anathemati decernimus subiacere Et sub Anathemate prohibemus ne quis eos in domibus vel in terra sua tenere vel fovere vel negotiationem cum ijs exercere praesumat VVee decree Them and their defenders and receivers to bee under the sentence of Anathema And under the same curse VVee forbid that no man presume to keepe or harbour them in their houses or upon their land or to negotiate vvith them In like sort did Pope Martin the fift in his Bull of condemnation against Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage annexed to the Acts of the Councell of Constance straightly charge and command that such as they were which would not be obedient to the Sea of Rome nor hold communion with that Church should not be permitted Domicilia tenere larem fovere contractus inire negotiationes mercantias quaslibet exercere aut humanitatis solatia cum Christi fidelibus habere to have any house or home to make any contracts or to use any trade or trafficke or to enioy any solace or comforts of humanitie vvith the faithfull of Christ. And as if all this were too little Pope Boniface the eight did further say and decree that it was de necessitate salutis subesse Romano pontifici of the necessitie of salvation for everie man to be subiect to the Pope of Rome Thus you see that this Image of the Beast that is the Emperor-like State and governement of Rome by the Popes was able to speak for her owne exaltation and advancement amongst the Inhabitants of the earth and what manner of speeches they were and how terible dammageable and in conclusion deadlie to all that would not worship it and become obedient thereunto But no onely by words speeches sayings perswasions doctrines and decrees but by miracles signes or wonders also was this Image of the beast to bee erected For the Text saith that this second Beast the false-prophet Antichrist did great Wonders so that he made fire come downe from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and deceived them that dwell on the earth by the signes which were permitted him to doe in the sight of the Beast saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make the Image of the Beast c. So that the drift of all these Miracles was but to make the Image of the Beast And this agreeth with that of S. Paul where hee saith that the comming of Antichrist shall bee by the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying vvonders and with that also of the False-prophet mentioned in this Revelation of S. Iohn that hee did Miracles Which False-prophet cannot be understood of Mahomet the False-prophet amongst the Turkes and Sarazens for hee did no miracles but prevailed with his religion an other way and especiallie by force of Armes and dint of Sword Yea Mahomet openlie protested saying Non sum miraculis aut indicijs ad vos missis I am not sent unto you vvith miracles or signes And so also doth Dionysius Carthusianus testifie that Mahometes asserebat Deum sibi dixisse quod non permisit eum Miracula facere Mahomet affirmed that God said unto him that hee permitted him not to doe miracles But againe the Myracles which this false Prophet mentioned in the Revelation did hee did them before the Beast and in his â—ight and presence Rev. 13.14 Rev. 19.20 that is at Rome and in the view of the Romane State and not amongst Turkes or Sarazens The false Prophet then here mentioned in this Revelation which did these Miracles appeareth to bee such a false Prophet as is among Christians to delude and deceive them and not any such as is amongst the Turkes or other Infidels of the World Now amongst the rest of the miracles which this second Beast that is this false Prophet amongst Christians viz. Antichrist was to doe this is speciallie mentioned that hee made fire come downe from heaven on the earth in the sight of men Bellarmine and some other Papists would have this to bee understood litterally of materiall fire And yet if they will needes have it so to bee taken it will advantage them nothing For in the Papacie they have made fire come downe from heaven on the earth as even their owne writings doe declare As for example in their Legend for the feast of Corpus Christi to confirme their error of Transubstantiation and the adoration of their consecrated Bread in the Sacrament they report that a Priest carrying the Host to a Sicke man lost it by the way and being perplexed for so great a losse there appeared a Pillar of fire shining like the Sunne from heaven to the earth pointing to the verie place where the Bodie of Christ lay attended with a companie of devout Beastsâ— which falling downe upon their knees adored it Yea Bellarmine alledgeth no lesse then seven miracles for confirmation of this error Likewise to confirme another error of theirs concerning the worship of Saints they alledge sundrie miracles and amongst the rest they fetch fire from heaven for that purpose For of Thomas they say that a burning light descended fower times and kindled the Tapers in honour of that Saint In the Legend of Iacinth and Eugenne they also fetch fire from heaven to consume Melance the false accuser of Eugenne Againe in the Legend of Edward the Martyr there is a Piller of fire brought from heaven to the earth to shew the place of his buriall In the Legend of S. George they also fetch fire from heaven to burne Dacianus who had be headed him In the Legend likewise of S. Barbara they fetch fire from heaven wherewith her Father that persecuted her was consumed In the Legend of S. Martyn they to make him like to the Apostles doe say that the holy Ghost descended upon him in the forme of Fire as it did upon the Apostles But to leave all other errors of Poperie which want no Miracles amongst them to confirme them and to come to this verie point in hand touching this Image of the Beast that is touching the Papall Empire or Emperor-like State erected in the Popes at Rome upon the subversion of the Emperors Was not Pope Hildebrand otherwise called Pope Gregorie the seventh the first that is most famous or rather most infamous for resisting and weakening the Emperor of his time by rebelling and making Warre against him Doth
not Aventinus write directly thus of him Hildebrandus qui Gregorius septimus primus Imperium pontificium condidit quod successores per qurdringentos quinquaginta continenter annos invito mundo invitis Imperatoribus adeo duxere ut inferos superos in servitutem redigerint atque sub iugum miserint Pope Hildebrand who vvas also called Gregorie the seventh is the first that founded the Papall Empire which his successors for fovver hundreth and fiftie yeares together have so managed in despite of th VVorld and in despite of the Emperors that they have brought inferiours and superiors into subiection and under the yoake The like speaketh Eberard Hildebrandus ante annos centum atque septuaginta primus specie regligionis ANTICHRISTI Imperii fundamenta iecit Hec Bellum nefandum primus auspicatus est quod per successores hucusque continuatur Pope Hildebrand saith hee an hundred and seaventie yeares past was the first vvho under pretence of religion laid the foundation of the Empires of Antichrist Hee first began this wicked vvarre vvhich by his successors is hitherto continued And even Onuphrius also a great favorer and maintainer of the Papal authoritie saith Huic vni c. To this man onely viz. to Pope Hildebrand all the Latine Churches but especially the Church of Rome ought to attribute it that shee is free and pulled out of the hand of the Emperors that shee is enriched with so much riches and vvealth and temporal Dominion that shee is ruler over Kings Emperors and all Christian Princes from vvhom lastlie it is that I may comprehend all in one vvord that this most great excellent state floweth that Rome is the Ladie or Mistres of all the Christian vvorld vvhereas before as a base handmaide shee vvas kept under not onely by the Emperors but by anie Prince ayded by the Romane Emperor From him it is that the right of that greatest and in a manner infinite and in all ages terrible and venerable povver of the pope of Rome hath issued For although formerlie the Popes of Rome vvere respected as heads of the Christian religion and Vicars of Christ and the Successors of Peter yet did not their Authoritie stretch anie further but to defend or maintaine opinions of faith Yea they vvere subiect to Emperors al things vvere done at their becke by them vvere the Popes made neither durst the Pope of Rome iudge or determine anie thing of them Of all the Popes of Rome it is Gregorie the seaventh that is the FIRST vvho having the assistance of the Normans strengthened by the helpe of the Countesse Matildes a VVoman verie potent in Italy and inflamed through the discord and civill warre of the Germane Princes was bould beyond the manner of his predecessors and contemning the Authoritie and power of the Emperor after that hee had obtained the Popedome I doe not say onely to excommunicate but also to deprive the Emperor himselfe of his Kingdome and Empyre A thing before those times unheard of For those Fables which are reported and carried about concerning Arcadius Anastasius and Leo Iconomachus I regard not VVhereupon Oth◠Frisingensis a VVriter of those times saith also thus I read and I read againe the gests of the Romane Kings and Popes and no where doe I finde anie of them before this Emperor Henrie to bee excommunicate by a Pope of Rome or by him deprived of his Kingdome So farre Onuphrius Gotfridus Viterbiensis likewise testifieth that this Emperor Henrie the fourth was the first that was deprived of his Empire by the Pope Trithemius also witnesseth the same saying Ipse primus est inter omnes Imperatores per Papam depositus Hee is the first amongst all the Emperors that was deposed by a Pope By these Writers and Historiographers it then appeareth that although before the times of Hildebrand the Popes of Rome had an Episcopal or Ecclesiastical supremacie or Headship over all other Bishops which also began not till about the yeare 606. in the time of Boniface the third yet a temporal supremacy or Imperial Monarchy over Emperors Kings Princes they never fully compassed effected until the daies of this Pope Hildebrād which was above a 1000. yeares after Christ. And thus you see the original of both the Supremacies of the Pope But what were there anie Miracles signes or wonders done at this time when the Imperial Monarchy wherein the Image of the Beast chiefly consisteth was thus sought to be brought in and setled in the Pope especially was there anie Miracle or Wonder by fire then to be seene It is manifest there were For thus Aventinus writeth Falsi tum Prophetae falsi Apostoli falsi Sacerdotes emersere qui simulata religione populum deceperunt magna signa atque prodigia ediderunt c. False Prophets false Apostles false Priests did Then arise vvho under pretence of Religion deceived the people and did great signes and VVonders c. And amongst other Miracles they alledge this for one that a certaine Bishop whilest hee was preaching against Pope Hildebrand fulmine tactum esse vvas smitten vvith lightning What is this but fire from heaven Yea Pope Hildebrand himselfe being a Magitian and Necromancer would no doubt not faile to doe such miracles and wonders as by divelish device and helpe he could for the bringing of his designes and purposes to passe And amongst the rest of his Wonders Cardinal Benno saith that VVhen hee listed hee vvould shake his sleeves and fire like sparkles did flye out ijs Miraculis oculos simplicium volunt signo sanctitatis ludificabat and vvith those Miracles saith he as it vvere vvith a signe of sanctity did he delude the eyes of the simple Paulus Bernriedensis also rehearseth divers Miracles or Wonders of Pope Hildebrand done by fire and therefore often resembleth him to Elias in whose time fire came down from heaven So that if these words in the Revelation of fire comming downe from heaven on the earth were to be taken literally you see how they may be verified in the Papacie inasmuch as in the Papacie they have made fire come down from heaven on the Earth in the sight of men that is as they made men to beleeve and thinke for so also doth Arethas expound those words But indeed those words in the Revelation be rather mystically and allegorically to be taken for S. Hierome saith Apocalypsim tot habere sacramenta quot verba that the Revelation hath as many mysteries in it as vvords and againe he saith totum esse spiritualiter intelligendum that the whole booke is spiritually to be understood They seeme therefore to be words alluding to the times of Elias and signifying that as in his daies God miraculously sent fire from heaven thereby to certifie the people of the true God and of the truth of his religion so would Antichrist by the miracles done in his Church worke so powerfully and effectually
in the mindes of his followers as that they should beleeve his Supremacie and Religion to be as undoubtedly true and right as if the same had beene approved and ratified by fire sent downe from God out of heaven for that purpose And they may allude to the times of Elias in another sense also signifying that as in his daies fire came downe from heaven to consume certaine Captaines vvith their fifties which came to molest and disquiet him so if anie molest interrupt or disturb the Pope in anie point touching his Supremacie and the Religion thereunto belonging that he can likewise cause a Divine revenge like fire from heaven to fall upon them which hee would perswade them they shall not escape Thus by words and deedes perswasions and threats fraude and force by doctrines decrees and constitutions by rewards and punishments by false miracles and by all the wayes hee could devise hath the Pope endevoured to erect unto himselfe a Throne upon earth and to have a Monarchie not only Episcopal Ecclesiastical for that would not content him though it were too much but Civil and Imperial also that so in Him as being the Head and supreme governor of Rome in lieu of the Emperors the Image of the Beast might appeare Yea to make himselfe yet more like to the Emperor he hath also taken the Emperors habite which was of Skarlet together with shooes of Skarlet which were proper to the Emperors And as the Emperor had a Senate clad in Skarlet so hath the Pope also a Senate of Cardinalls clad in cloth of the verie same colour Inasmuch then as the Pope and his Cardinals which make the State whereby Rome is ruled and governed be thus all of them clad in Skarlet you therein not onely see the Image of the Beast but therewithall the verie skarlet coloured Beast which was so long agone prophecyed of and foretold that the VVhore of Babylon should sit upon for a Prophecie is of things to come and not of things present and so is it accordingly expressely said of that prophecie in the Revelation of S. Iohn that it was to shew him things future and which afterward should be done Rev. 4.1 and not things present and in esse at that time 5 In the three last verses of the chapter it is further said that this second Beast caused all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receive a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads and that no man might buy or sell but hee that had the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his Name Here is vvisedome let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. In which words you see that this second Beast was to cause men to receive a marke in their right hand or in their forehead and there he sheweth what marke this is namely that it is the marke of the Beast whose deadly wound was healed viz. in the Pope in whom the ancient Imperial dignitie was restored and revived at Rome So that the marke of the Beast here that is of the Latine or Romane State as it was and is in the hands of the Popes and managed and ruled by them in respect of Religion is and must needs be Poperie or which commeth all to one reckoning subiection and obedience to the Pope and to his decrees and determinations And this marke hee causeth all to receive in their right hands or in their foreheads that is either by the manner of their actions life and conversation to shew it or by their open and outward profession to declare it For so doth S. Augustine Primasius Lyranus Haymo Richardus de S. Victore and the ordinarie Glosse likewise expounds those words Yea none saith the Text might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name that is none was to trade or to be a Merchant of the Popes Pardons Indulgences or such like Romish Merchandizes unlesse hee either professed subiection to the Pope and Popish Religion or unlesse hee had the name of a Romanist or were at least reckoned or numbred amongst them as if he were a verie true Romanist indeed Yea even concerning temporal Merchandizes also did Pope Martin the fift in his Bull annexed to the Councell of Constance and divers other Popes also as before appeareth give straight charge and commandement that none which will not acknowledge subiection to the Pope and his Religion should buy or sell or make my contracts or exercise any trafficke or merchandize or have any comforts of humane societie vvith faithfull Christians Although therefore Bellarmine obiecteth that there be manie within the dominion of the Pope which not professing the Popes Religion doe neverthelesse buy and sell as namely the Iewes thereunto is answered first that Antichrist the Pope is properly the King and Head not of Vnchristian but of Antichristian people and therefore is to exercise that his Papal and Antichristian Authoritie onely amongst that kinde of people and not over Iewes and such like Infidels which make no profession at all of Christ or Christianitie Now as touching such as professe the name of Christ it is before shewed that hee suffereth none of them where he hath to doe by his good will to buy or sell or to exercise anie trade of merchandizing yea or to enioy the comforts of humane societie unlesse he live in subiection to him and hold communion with his Church But secondly Iewes that live within the dominion of the Pope be not within the compasse of such Merchants as be here specially intended viz. to buy and sell the Popes Pardons Indulgences and such like Antichristian wares wherein the chiefe merchandizing of Papal Rome consisteth and whereat this Text principally aimeth For not Iewes but pretended Christians and those of the forwarder sort of their Religion be the men used to bee imploied in this kinde of trafficke What have Iewes to doe with this kinde of Romish ware or to deale with such merchandize in the Church of Rome concerning the soules of men whereunto they be altogether strangers and which Church together with the orders and religion thereof they utterly disclaime and disavow And yet thirdly even the Iewes themselves that trafficke and trade temporal commodities and merchandizes doe it by Letters Patents Rescripts Warrant or Licence from the Pope of Rome or his lawes for otherwise they could not doe it and so upon the matter have they also the name of the Beast to allow and authorize them therein And therefore even the verie Iewes themselves which doe not otherwise trade trafficke and merchandize worldly commodities but by the Popes authoritie permission or allowance within his Dominions doe no way confute but rather confirme this point 6 Here is vvisedome saith the Text let him that hath understanding count the number of the