shewe of reason can our aduersaries haue to make them proper to the Bishop of Rome 2 The second name is prince of Priests or high and chiefe Bishop which title if it be taken for a chiefe power dominion and soueraigntie is proper only to Christ the chiefe shepheard 1. Pet. 5.4 and cannot in that sense agree to any man If it bee vsed onely as a title of excellencie and commendation so was it in times past ascribed to other excellent and famous Bishops as Ruffinus lib. 2. cap. 26. calleth Athanasius Pontificem maximum chiefe Bishop yea it was in common giuen to all Bishops as Anacletus Bishop of Rome in his second Epistle writeth thus Summi sacerdotes id est Episcopi a deo iudicandi sunt The high Priests that is Bishops saith he are to bee iudged of God If it be taken further for the excellencie of the ministerie of the Gospell and the worthie calling of Christians in this sense the title of summum sacerdotium of the high Priesthood is attributed to all ministers Ecclesiasticall both Bishops and others so Fabianus Bishop of Rome vseth this name Yea the holy Apostle calleth all the people of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a princely royall or chiefe priesthood Ergo the Bishop of Rome hath no especiall or proper interest in this name 3 The third name is to bee called the Vicar of Christ vpon earth Where we are to vnderstand that in respect of the spirituall regiment and kingdome of Christ he needeth no Vicegerent vpon earth for I am with you saith he to the end of the world he himselfe is alway present in power and needeth not in that respect that any man should supplie his roume Petrus scriba martyr Fox pag. 906. If we doe take it for a word of office and publike administration so the Magistrate may bee called the Vicar of Christ in gouerning the people according to the word of God In which sense Eleutherius Bishop of Rome writing to Lucius King of the Britaines calleth him the Vicar of Christ and therfore in his owne kingdome had power out of the word of God to establish lawes for the gouernment of the people So all Bishops Pastors and Ministers in ancient time were called the Vicars of Christ in preaching praying binding and loosing in the name and power of Christ. So Augustine saith or whose worke els it is that Omnis antistes est Christi vicarius Euery pastor and prelate and not the Pope onely is the Vicar of Christ. And this is confessed by our Rhemists annot in 2. Cor. 5.18 that the Bishops and priests of the Church are for Christ and as his ministers that is his Vicars Nay Augustine maketh yet a more generall vse of this word he saith that Homo imperium Dei habens quasi vicarius eius est That man by creation being made Lord of the creatures doth therein represent God and is as his Vicar vpon earth So then all ministers are the Vicars of Christ the ciuill Magistrate likewise in some good sense may bee so called yea in respect of the creatures man generallie is vpon earth in Gods steade Ergo this name cannot be appropriate to the Pope of Rome 4 It is also too huge a name for the Pope or any mortall man to beare to be called the head of the vniuersall Church this is a name only due vnto Christ neither doe the scriptures acknowledge any other head but him Ephes. 1.22.4.15 But say they wee doe not make the Pope such an head as Christ is but only a ministeriall head ouer the militant Church vpon earth We answere First Ergo the Pope by your owne confession is not head of the vniuersall Church whereof the triumphant Church in heauen is a part Secondly the Rhemists confesse that the Church in no sense can bee called the bodie of the Pope Ergo the Pope cannot be any wayes the head of the vniuersall Church Annot. in 1. Ephes. 22. Thirdly the Fathers of Basile vsed this argument The head of the bodie being dead the whole bodie also dyeth but the whole Church doth not perish with the Pope Ergo he is not properly the head of the Church Fox pag. 675. If it shall bee further obiected that the Bishop of Rome hath been called in times past caput Episcoporum the head of all other Bishops we answere that it was but a title of excellencie and commendation not of dominion and power as London is called the head or chiefe citie of England yet are not other cities of the land subiect vnto it or vnder the iurisdiction thereof But we shall haue occasion more fully to discusse this matter afterward 5 They would haue the Pope called the Prelate of the Apostolike See the Rhemists say further that the Papall dignitie is a continuall Apostleship Annot. 4. Ephes. sect 4. We answere First if they call those Churches Apostolicall whose first founders were the Apostles then the See of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople are as well Apostolicall as Rome and this the Iesuite denyeth not Lib. 2. de pontific cap. 31. Secondly those Churches are Apostolicall which hold the Apostolike faith so is not the See of Rome Apostolicall being departed and gone backe from the ancient Catholike faith but those Churches where the Gospell of Iesus Christ is truely preached are indeede Apostolike Thirdly how can the Pope be an Apostle or haue Apostolike authoritie seeing hee preacheth not at all much lesse to the whole world wherein consisted the office of an Apostle Neither can he shewe his immediate calling from Christ as all the Apostles could for seeing he challengeth the Apostolike office by tradition from S. Peter and not by commandement from Christ he can in no wise be counted an Apostle or his office an Apostleship for the Apostles ordayned onely Euangelists and Pastors they had not authoritie to consecrate and constitute new Apostles Our aduersaries for this their Apostleship can finde nothing in scripture nor for a thousand yeeres after Christ in the ancient writers Fulk annot in Ephes. 4. sect 4. 6 Concerning the title of vniuersall Bishop it was thus decreed in the sixt Councel of Carthage as it is alleadged by Gratian Vniuersalis autem nec Romanus pontifex appelletur No not the Bishop of Rome is to be called vniuersall In Gregorie the first his time Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople obtayned of the Emperour Mauritius to be called vniuersall Patriarke but Gregorie would not agree thereunto calling him the forerunner of Antichrist that would challenge so proude a name Bellarmine and other of that sect doe answere that Gregorie found fault with this title because Iohn of Constantinople would haue been Bishop alone and none other to bee beside him but all other onely to bee his deputies and vicars To this wee replie First Iohn did onely challenge a superioritie ouer other Bishops not to be Bishop alone for this had been a thing impossible Secondly if Iohn had sought any such thing
dayes and three dayes and an halfe should signifie the same time Secondly with much better sense are these times applied by our learned and painfull countreyman Master Fox to the great persecution vnder the Emperours which continued 294. yeeres which time is mystically signified by 42. moneths taking euery moneth for a sabboth of yeeres And the rest of the numbers agree hereunto for 1260. dayes make three yeeres and an halfe that is moneths 42 and three daies and an halfe make houres 42. So taking euery houre in the dayes and euery moneth in the yeeres for a sabboth of yeeres there ariseth 294. yeeres which was the iust time of the persecution from the death of Iohn Baptist vnto the end of Licinius the tyrant persecutor This account I say better agreeth with the truth of historie then their imagined computation Thirdly if it should be taken as they expound it for so short a time then very little of the prophecie in the Apocalyps is yet fulfilled which we doubt not but is most accomplished as it may appeare in comparing the visions reuealed in that booke together And agayne there is no prophecie beside this of 42. moneths which can bee applyed to the great persecution in the Primitiue Church wherefore it is not like that the Lord would leaue his Church without some comfort in forewarning them of those great troubles which immediatly ensued But if these prophecies which are wrested by the Papists did noâ— foretell of those persecutions then are they vtterly forgotten in that booke which is not like it being the greatest triall that euer the Church had 4 We say then that wee are not curiouslie to search into times and seasons which the Lord hath not reuealed Onely this wee learne that the time of affliction being set downe by dayes and monethes the faithfull should hereby bee comforted knowing that the time of their trouble is limitted of God and is but short in respect of the kingdome of Christ. 2 The Lord sayth Math. 24. that those daies shall be shortned lest no flesh should be saued But how can the time bee short if it should last some hundreds or a thousand of yeeres Bellarmin cap. 8. Rhemist annot Matth. 24. sect 6. Answere First that place vers 22. is properly vnderstood of the calamitie of the Iewes which if it had continued any longer the nation of the Iewes had bin vtterly destroyed Secondly yet notwithstanding the raigne of Antichrist is short in respect of the eternall kingdome of Christ yea the whole time from his ascension vntill his comming agayne is counted but short Apocal. 22.20 I come quickly and S. Peter sayth That a thousand yeeres before God is as one day and one day as a thousand yeeres 2. Pet. 3. 3 Christ preached but three yeeres and an halfe therefore Antichrist shal be suffered to preach no longer Answere First yet Christ was thirtie yeeres old when he began to preach and shewed himselfe before though not so openly as when he was twelue yeere old he disputed with the Doctors in the temple he was also acknowledged for the Messiah in his natiuitie If Antichrist then must in this respect be correspondent to Christ he must also be knowne to be thirtie yeeres vpon earth before he be fully manifested Secondly though Christ himselfe preached no longer yet he sent his Apostles who preached many yeeres after we doe not therefore oppose the person of Antichrist whom we denye to be a singular man to Christ but the kingdome of the one to the other Now by their owne reason it followeth that because the kingdome of Christ endured many yeeres and yet doth that therefore Antichrists kingdome must likewise Other demonstrations the Iesuite hath to prooue that Antichrist is not yet come as because the Gospell is not yet preached to all the world cap. 4. Bellar. Helias and Henoch are not yet come who are certainly looked for cap. 6. There shall bee a most grieuous and terrible persecution vnder Antichrist which is not yet past cap. 7. But these arguments shall bee answered in another place towards the end of this worke when we come to speake of the appearing of Christ to iudgement The Protestants THat Antichrist shall raigne but three yeeres and an halfe we take it for a meere fable and a very popish dreame whereas on the contrarie side wee are able to shewe both that Antichrist is alreadie come and hath tyrannized in the world these many yeeres 1 We will make it plaine by demonstration that Antichrist hath been in the world many yeeres agoe by the propheticall places of scripture First it is sayd the number of Antichrist is 666. Apocal. 13.18 So anno 606. or thereabout Boniface the 3. obtayned of Phocas the Emperour to be called vniuersall Bishop Thus sayth Illyricus Chytraeus Also beginning at the yeere of the Lord 97. at which time Iohn wrote the Apocalyps and counting 666. yeeres we shal come to the time of Pipinus whom the Pope made King of France and he agayne much enlarged the iurisdiction and authoritie of the Pope And yet more euidently about the yeere of the Lord 666. the Latine seruice was commanded to be vsed in all countreys subiect to the See of Rome by Pope Vitalianus and about the same time Constantius the Emperour remoued the ancient monuments of the Empire to Constantinople and left the citie to the Popes pleasure Fulk annot in 13. Reuel sect 10. Another prophecie we haue Reuel 20.3 that after one 1000. yeeres Sathan must be let loose Euen so a thousand yeeres after Christ Pope Siluester a great coniurer hauing made a compact with the Diuell obtayned the Papacie and not long after him came in Gregorie the 7. a great Sorcerer also and Necromancer sic Lutherus But because it is not to be thought that Sathan was bound during that great and long persecution vnder the Romane Emperours wee must begin the account of the 1000. yeeres from the end of the persecution which continued 294. yeeres vnto that adde a thousand so haue we the yeere of our Lord 1294. About which yeere Boniface the 8. made the sixt booke of the Decretals confirmed the orders of Friers and gaue them great freedomes with this number agreeth Daniel his 1290. dayes Dan. 12 1â— Also somewhat before this time anno 1260. the orders of Dominicke and Franciscane Friers began first to be set vp by Honorius the 3. and Gregorie the 9. and so haue we the 1260. daies which are set downe Apocal. 12. plura apud Fox pag. 398. 2 If Antichrist should raigne but three yeeres and an halfe as our aduersaries teach and then immediatly that time being expired the world should end then it is possible to assigne the time of our Lord Christ his comming to iudgement so soone as Antichrist is reuealed But the Gospell sayth that of that day and houre knoweth no man no not the Angels in heauen Math. 24.36 yet these good fellowes take vpon them to be wiser then the
one for another is commaunded and requyred of God as the other is not Wherefore to run vnto saints and not vnto Christ is to doubt either of his readines or ability to helpe vs. 3 Iohn 16.26 Christ saith that after he hath by his mediation and intercession brought vs into the fauour of God In that day shall you aske the Father in my name and I say not that I will pray to the Father for you for the Father himselfe loueth you If then the prayer of Christ to God his Father shall not then be needfull what vse is there of the prayer of other creatures Fulk 1. Tim. 2. sect 4. Augustine saith Pro quo nullus interpellat ipse pro omnib hic vnus verusque Mediator est lib. 2. cont Parmenian cap. 8. He for whome no man prayeth but him selfe entreateth for all men he is the onely true Mediator Ergo saintes no mediators and therefore not to be prayed vnto THE SECOND PART WHETHER THE Saints departed do pray for vs. The Papists error 29 THat the saints in heauen do not onely pray in general but particularly for vs ready in all our needs by their prayer and mediation to assist vs thus they would proue it Argum. 1. 2. Pet. 1.15 I wil endeuour saith the Apostle that you may haue remembrance of these thinges after my departure Peter promiseth to be careful of them and to pray for them after his departure Rhemist ibid. Bellarm. cap. 18. Ans. This which here the Apostle promiseth he performeth in writing this Epistle whereby they might be put in remembrance when hee was gone And therefore he saith ver 13. I think it meete so long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you vp by putting you in remembrance he acknowledgeth now only to be the time wherein he may do them good and therefore deferreth it not There is no sillable which soundeth that way that he would pray for them after his dissolution Argum. 2 Apocal. 5.8 The 24. Elders are said to haue golden vialles ful of odors which are the prayers of the saints Rhemist in hunc locum Ergo the Saints in heauen do pray for vs. Ans. The 24 Elders do represent the Church Militant vpon earth whose conuersation is in heauen and they do continually offer vp their prayers And that the place is so to be vnderstoode it appeareth verse 10. Thou hast made vs Kinges and priests and we shall raigne vpon the earth that is their kingdome is spirituall in fighting against and ouercomming the concupiscence of the flesh and all carnall desires The Protestants THat the blessed Saintes doe sing vnto the praise of God in heauen and doe magnifie the Lord and praise him with a new song of thankesgiuing which is a kinde of prayer we deny not Apocal. 5.9 and that they haue a general desire and longing both for vs for themselues and all the elect of God that the day of our refreshing were come and that all the people of God were ioyned in one and their enemies vanquished and destroyed we learne also out of the scripture Apocal. 6.9 But that they should offer vp our speciall prayers make particular request for vs to God it no where in the scripture is found but rather the contrary Argum. 1. The scripture no where testifieth that the Saints in such manner do pray for vs Ergo we may safely be ignorant of it nay it were great presumption without scripture to beleeue it Argum. 2 The Saints departed know not our wants nor what is done in the earth The liuing know that they shall die but the dead knowe nothing at all Eccles. 9.5 But of this more shall be said in the next part See Augustine of this matter contro 8. quaest 2. part 3. THE THIRD PART WHETHER THE Saints vnderstand our prayers and be alwaies at hand to helpe vs. The Papists THey affirme 3. things which they are driuē to graunt by necessity of Argument while they stifly mantaine inuocation of Saints For first they graunt error 30 that they know our hearts and our inward repentaunce and secret thoughtes for otherwise it would not auaile to pray vnto them yet not of themselues but by the reuelation of God Bellarm. cap. 20. Ans. We deny not but that God may reueale vnto them some things at his pleasure but heereof it followeth not that they know all our affaires and heare all our prayers Againe what a preposterous order is this and superfluous God first reuealeth vnto them our prayers and then they solicite God in our behalfe I praye you what neede this seeing God knoweth our prayers First why is he not as ready of himselfe to graunt our requestes as to staye till he be entreated Secondly seeing it were in vaine to pray to Saints if they had not power to help vs they also are vrged to confesse that the saints are patrones of men and haue the gouernment of the worlde committed to them yea that they may receiue others into the kingdome of heauen Argum. 1. Apocal. 2.26 To him that ouercommeth wil I giue power ouer nations and he shall rule ouer them with a rod of Iron Ergo the saints haue the gouernment of men committed vnto them Rhemist ibid. Bellarm. cap. 18. Ans. The power which our Sauiour heere promiseth is the participation of his kingly inheritance first spiritually to ouercome the world by faith in this life and after this life they shall be set in ful possession of his royall inheritance The Rod of Iron is the worde of God which is also called a two edged sword whereby they execute vengeance vpon the heathen Psal. 149.7 It is the sword of the spirite whereby the wicked shall be destroyed Augustin expoundeth it to be the rod of Iustice whereby the good are corrected and the wicked broken in peeces Homil. 2. in Apocal. Argum. 2 Luke 16.9 Make you friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that when they need they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations see the saints may receiue their friends and benefactours into their eternal mansions Rhemist ibid. Ans. 1 Almes bestowed vpon the poore do procure their prayers but not their patronage 2 The wordes are thus parabolically to bee vnderstoode They shall receiue you that is shall giue testimony of you and your almes shall be a testimony of your charity and proceeding from a liuely faith shall euerlastingly be rewarded 3 That it is not meant of the persons but of the worke it is plaine because almes which issue from a true faith shall be rewarded at the Lords hand though bestowed vpon an hypocrite Fulk ibid. Thirdly They also hold that the saints at their pleasure can be present with their bodies and be amongst vs and so heare our praiers Bellarm. cap. 20. Argum. 1 Otherwise the saints should be fettered as it were in heauen if they remaine and be kept all in one place Ans. They are not fettered when they are limited by the Lord to a place see also what
festiuities of her Conception and Assumption be not kept she should haue none at all and so be thought worthie of lesse remembrance then any other Saint Galat. 4. sect 5. Rhemist The Protestants 1. WE doe not celebrate any festiuall daies in the honour of creatures neither of the Virgine Mary nor any other Saint but only to the honor of God and therefore the feasts of the Annuntiation and Purification may much better be receiued because they belong and are referred vnto Christ then the other festiuities of the assumption and conception of Mary the institution whereof was most superstitious the one for the fayned assumption of her bodie which your owne writers are vncertaine of the other to maintaine the heresie of the Franciscanes that she was conceiued and borne without sinne As for the memorie of the Virgine Mary it may better be kept then by such festiuities as our Sauiour Christ taught to keepe the remēbrance of Mary Magdalene by preaching the Gospell Math. 26.13 Fulk annot Act. 1.7 And if they only are Catholike generations that call her blessed in keeping these festiuities in her memoriall then there were no Catholike generations for many hundred yeeres after and so do you condemne the age of the Apostles for neither then nor many yeres after were these superstitious festiuities heard of But Mary saith in her song From henceforth euen from this time forward shall all generations call me blessed so that if her blessednesse had consisted in the memorie of those daies they should immediatly haue been kept especially the day of her natiuitie Fulk Galath 4. sect 5. 2. We doe allow all praise giuen vnto the Virgine without the dishonour of God and her Sonne and Sauiour Christ we doe acknowledge the honour that God vouchsafed her not to be a meritorious or principall efficient cause of our redemption but onely an holy vessell and instrumentall cause of the conception and birth of Christ by whose only merite and worthines our redemption is perfited as by a proper and principall and onely meritorious efficient cause thereof And therefore those are blasphemous titles which are giuen vnto her to call her the ladder of Heauen and gate of Paradise and such like and so in a manner to make her our redeemer Augustine saith She was more happie in that she conceiued the faith of Christ then in conceiuing the flesh of Christ. If then these titles be vnmeet for her in respect that she receiued the faith of Christ which is common to al the children of God then are they more vnfit in that she conceiued the flesh of Christ. 3. It is great presumption to thinke that the Virgine Mary may command her sonne in heauen seeing she had no authoritie to command him vpon earth in any thing pertaining to his office Ioh. 2.4 And now likewise that carnall respect of children to their parents ceaseth in the kingdome of God As for that superioritie higher kind of honour which she hath aboue al the Saints beside we finde no warrant out of scripture She is respected now in heauen not as she bare the flesh of Christ but as she liued by faith in Christ she also reioyced in God her Sauiour The scripture therefore maketh one condition and estate of all that shall be saued and sayth generally of all of others as well as the Virgine Christs mother That they shall be as the angels in heauen Matth. 22.30 Yea our Sauiour sheweth that Whosoeuer doth the wil of God is his sister brother and mother Math. 12.50 By the which we learne that other the faithfull seruants of GOD may by their faith in Christ be as well accepted of God as if they had borne Christ in the flesh Where then is that high dignitie which she hath as the mother of Christ aboue all Saints Augustine saith Tu concinis sine fine choris coniuncta Angelis Archangelis sociata Thou O Virgine doest reioyce being ioyned vnto the heauenly quire being associated to Angels and Archangels He maketh her not Ladie or Queene of heauen but onely a fellow companion of the Saints and Angels AN APPENDIX OR FIFT PART OF THE MErites of the Virgine and of the Aue Maria. The Papists 1. THey doe teach and hold that she onely amongst all women deserued to error 84 beare the redeemer of the world and so by her merites obtained that fauour to be the mother of Christ. Argum. The Angel saluteth her calleth her Full of grace which sheweth the prerogatiue that she had aboue other women and the worthines that was in her Rhemist Luk. 1. sect 12.15 The Protestants Ans. 1. Wee acknowledge that herein she was blessed aboue all other women in that she was chosen to be the mother of our Sauiour and that she was endued fully with the graces of the holy Ghost but those graces she had not of her selfe but of the free gift of God without her merites 2. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth freely beloued not full of grace as it is likewise taken Ephes. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath made vs accepted in his beloued Sonne 3. She her selfe confesseth her selfe in her song to bee of a lowe degree poore in spirit and hungrie whom God in mercie looked vpon Luk. 1.50 whereas God sent away the proud and rich as the proud Pharisie that thought himselfe rich of good workes obtained nothing of God Luk. 18. Wherefore if she had stood vpon her owne deserts she had made her selfe rich not poore neither should she haue magnified the mercie of God but his iustice for when a reward is giuen according to desert it is of his iustice and not mercie Augustine thus commenteth vpon the words of her song Magnificet animae mea Dominum recordetur quomodo nullis suis praecedentibus meritis sed sola dei bonitate sit ab iniquitate saluata Let my soule praise the Lord and remember how that not by any merites going before but through the only gracious goodnes of God it is deliuered from sinne Ergo Mary not saued by her merites nor consequently the mother of Christ by her merites but onely by the meere fauour of God The Papists 2. THey much commend the often vsing of the Aue Mary which is done say error 85 they to the honour of Christ and our Ladie Argum. They be the very summe and abridgement of the whole Gospell and therefore to be vsed Rhemist Luk. 1. sect 11. The Protestants 1. You do shamefully abuse those words in making a praier of them which was but a forme of salutation vsed by the Angel neither can you say them in that sense they were vttered in by the Angel Also you offend in the vaine repetition of them vpon your beades as the heathen did Math. 6.7 and in committing idolatrie in the inuocating of the Virgine and praying vnto her in these words who is a creature and not a God to be called vpon 2. What mysterie soeuer be contained
writtē in Hebrue of Esther the one cōpendious short which we now haue the other more large which might be translated by Lisimachus there spoken of cap. 11. whose translation we now onely haue the originall being perished What goodly gesses here be to make Canonicall Scripture what neede two bookes of one thing If the first were written by the spirite of God and so were Canonicall what neede a secōd the spirite of God vseth not to correct his own writings and this can not be that ample and large storie imagined being shorter and not so full as the first 4 Besides the false storie saith that Haman was a Macedonian Cap. 16. v. 10. the true storie saith he was an Agagite or Amalekite cap. 8.3 how can these two agree Nay the forged booke saith that Haman would haue destroyed the king so cōueyed the kimgdome of the Persians to the Macedonians which could in no wise be for the kingdome of the Macedonians was not yet spoken of and so it continued in small or no reputation till Phillippus the father of Alexander who was many yeares after Vide plura Whitach quaest 1. cap. 8. De Scripturis 5 In the latter Chapters that is repeated which was set downe in the former part which argueth that the story was not writtē by one mā and it is not like he would write one part in Hebrue another in Greeke If any say as the Iesuite saith that this part was in Hebrue and being translated into Greeke was lost why was one part rather lost then the other and was it not as like to be preserued in Hebrue as in Greeke These are verie bare and suspicious coniectures OF CERTAINE CHAPTERS annexed to Daniell THere are three parcels ioyned to Daniell the song of the 3. childrē the storie of Susanna of Bel and the Dragon in the vulgare Latin which are not any part of Canonicall Scripture 1 They are neither extant in Hebrue at this day nor are like to haue bene translated out of Hebrue into Greeke but compiled first in Greeke and therfore not written by Daniell for v. 54.58 of the storie of Susanna where one of the Elders saith he saw her vnder a Lentiske tree the other vnder a prime tree he vseth a certaine paronomasie or allusion vnto the Greeke wordes which cā not stand in the Hebrue as of the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith the Angell of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall cut you in two and so of the tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall deuide thee in two As if a mā should thus allude in English thou wast vnder the prune tree the Lord shall prime thee This allusion is not in the Hebrue as the learned haue verie well obserued but onely in the Greeke 2 The time is vncertaine whē this storie should be done It was in the captiuitie for Susanna dwelt in Babilon but Daniell could not then be so young a child as the storie maketh for he was carried away in the first captiuitie with Iehoiakim as it is Dan. 1. And Ezechiell that liued about that time doth speake of the great prudence sage wisedome of Daniel Ezech. 28.3 and ioyneth him with Noah Iob. cap. 14. All this proueth that Daniell could not bee so very a babe in the beginning of the captiuitie as the storie maketh him 3 In the story of Daniell it is said that he was 6. dayes in the Lyōs den but the true storie saith he was there but one night cap. 6. The Iesuite aunswereth he was twise in the Lyons den or rather he thinketh there were two Daniels the one of the tribe of Iuda which was that great Prophet the other of Leui which was the principall in those two stories of Susanna and of Bel and the Dragon But this is a poore shift to inuent another Daniell whom the Scripture neuer knew and if it were so why are all their actes ioyned together as if one Daniell had done and write them all OF THE BOOKE OF TOBIE 1 THis booke is not found in the Hebrue in the which toung all the oracles of God were kept Ergo it is worthelie doubted of 2 Our aduersaries them selues confesse that in Hieromes time it was not receiued for Canonicall The Iesuite aunswereth that it might be doubted of before it was determined in a Generall Councell to whom saith he it appertaineth to define of Canonicall Scripture As though this were not a greater doubt whether a Coūcell hath any such authoritie to determine which books ought to be receiued for Canonicall for Canus a Papist maketh question of it Lib. 2. cap. 8. And the Iesuite him selfe saith that the Church can not Facere Canonicum de non Canonico make a booke not canonicall to be canonicall but onely to declare those to be Canonicall which are so in deed Wherefore the Papistes take to much vpō them to make this boke within the Canon being of it selfe not Canonicall and so adiudged by antiquitie 3 He that readeth the booke it selfe shall finde that both the stile and the matter is not such as beseemeth Canonicall Scripture read Tremell in cap. 3. ver 8. cap. 13. ver 15. OF THE BOOKE OF IVDITH AN escpeciall Argument against this booke is that the historie can not be assigned to any time 1 It is pretie sport to see how the Papistes doe moyle them selues about this point and can not agree amongest them selues Some hold that this storie fell out after the captiuitie in Cambises time as Lyranus and Driedo some in Darius Histaspis raigne as Gerardus Mercator some would haue it before the captiuitie in Sedechias time as Genebrard some in Iosias time as Iohan. Benedictus but the Iesuite confuteth them all and bringeth the storie to Manasses raigne but he hath also mist the cushin 2 It appeareth that this story could not be after the captiuitie for we read not of any Nabuchadneser afterwards for the kingdome was translated frō the Assirians to the Persians and Meedes Againe it could not be before either in Iosias time Sedechias or Manasses first because in the 5. Chap. v. 18. it is said that the temple had bene destroyed and cast downe which could not be in any of those kings raignes It is but a shift of Bellarmines to say those words were foysted into the text it is rather to be thought that the Iesuite is put to his trūps not hauing els what to answer Secōdly Iudith being at this time in the flower of her age and liuing afterward many yeares till she was 105. yeare old all which time and many yeares after her death the booke saith in the last Chapter the land had rest this can not agree with Manasses time for within 40. yeares or not much aboue the land fell into great trouble straight after Iosias death Where then is this long time of rest And the Iesuite that still groūdeth vpon impossibilities and vnlikele-hoods that Iudith was at this time 40. yeare old which was saith
resurrection of Christ. Bellarmine aunswereth first that the Pharisies were priuiledged not to erre onely till the cōming of Christ. We replie againe First after Christ was come they sate in Moses chaire and Christ biddeth they should be heard Math. 23.2 if they erred not afore neither could they now for they were not displaced out of Moses chaire but the truth is they neuer had any such priuiledge not to erre Secondly if the Pharisies were now prone to error then by our aduersaries owne confession they ceased to be the church Ergo the church was not now visible for in them it was not and the Apostles fled from Christ and shifted for them selues how could then the church be visible to the world Secondly the Iesuite aunswereth concerning the Apostles First the Apostles were not yet entred into their office and Bishoprike but onely appointed to it and therefore they might erre We replie againe First they were not onely appointed Apostles but partly already they had exercised their Apostleship for they were sent forth to preach the Gospell and had power and commission to worke miracles and heale diseases Math. 10 how then is not the Iesuite ashamed to say that they were not yet Pastors nor Apostles Secondly if the Pharisies erred and the Apostles erred then all the world was in error Ergo by their saying at this instant there was no church vpon the earth which is a great absurditie for the church erreth not they say Secondly saith the Iesuite the Apostles erred not in faith they were reproued for not beleeuing the resurrection which beliefe because they had not yet receiued they could not loose it We reply First though they had not erred in any materiall point yet if there were any error at all in them it is sufficient for our purpose that they erred it is manifest for they fled away from Christ. Secondly he excuseth them for their infidelitie concerning the resurrection because this faith they had not yet receiued But had not Christ I pray you often instructed them of this matter and if this were no such error in them then Christ was to sharpe in reprouing them for their infidelitie Thirdly it appeareth that they wholly were deceiued concerning the Messiah Luke 24.21 the two Disciples say they trusted that it had bene he that should haue deliuered Israell see then what weake aunswers these are did these felowes thinke that their gloses should not be examined or that their dreames should be taken for oracles 2 The church of the Iewes erred before our Sauiour Christes comming Ergo the true church may erre The proposition is proued In the time of the raigne of good kings they did offer sacrifice vpon hill altars but onely to the Lord which was an error 2. Kings 12.3.14.4 The feast of the Passeouer was not kept so precisely according to Gods word at any time before no not in the raigne of the best kings as it was in the 18. yeare of Iosias raigne 2. King 23.22 The feast of Tabernacles had not bene so solemnly and truly kept from the dayes of Iosua as it was in Nehemiahs time Nehem. 8.18 Ergo all this while the church of the Iewes erred somewhat in the externall worship of God Fulk Ephes. cap. 5. Sect. 4. 3 Augustine saith Quomodo erit Ecclesia in isto tempore perfecta sine macula ruga cuius mēbra non mendaciter confitentur se habere peccata How can the church be perfect in this life without spot or wrincle whose members do truly confesse that they are not without sinne Ergo the church sinneth and is imperfect and why not subiect to error But in the Councell of Basill it was denied as ye heard that the church could sinne THE SECOND PART WHETHER THE visible Church may fayle vpon the earth The Papistes error 17 THey hold that it is impossible that the visible church should vtterly fayle vpon the earth and fall from God but that there shall alwayes be a visible and knowen church vpon the earth hauing a perpetuall succession of Pastors and Doctors where the true worship of God shal be preserued and kept Bellarmin lib. 3. de Eccles. cap. 13. 1 These and such places of Scripture they stand vpon Math. 16. the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Math. 28. I wil be with you to the end of the world Psal. 88. his throne shal be as the Sunne and endure as the Moone Ergo the visible church shall not fayle vpon earth Bellarmin We aunswere that these places must be vnderstood of the catholike and vniuersall church whereof we denie not but euery true particular church is a part This church is the spouse of Christ this church shall not perish this is the kingdome of Christ with this church will he alway be present to the end of the world we denie not but that the inuisible church shall continue vpon the earth so long as the world endureth Secondly those places are vnproperly vnderstood of the visible church for therein are both good and bad how thē can that be the spouse of Christ where there are many infidels and wicked ones which haue not espoused themselues vnto him how can it be called his kingdome whereas it is not of all acknowledged But in the true catholike church all and euery one are espoused to Christ all and euery one haue the kingdome of God within them as it is Luke 17. ver 21. 2 They do abuse that place of S. Paule Ephe. 4.11 he gaue some to be Apostles some Euangelistes some pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints Ergo the church shall alwayes be visible till all the Saintes are gathered together Bellarmin cap. 13. Rhemistes Ephes. 4. Sect. 5. We aunswere this place proueth that the church hath neuer wanted pastors and teachers for the continuance of the truth neither shall euer be without them as the Lord said by the Prophet Isay. 59. ver 21. My spirite which is vpō thee my words which I haue put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor the mouth of thy seede for euer We therfore denie not but that in all ages yea in the most ignoraunt times of Poperie God raised vp faithfull teachers vnto his church although they were not mitred and croziard Bishops neither could shew any outward pompe or boast of any glorious successiō Such were Gulielmus de S. Amore Arnoldus de noua villa an 1240. Berengarius Ioachim Abbas in the time of Innocentius 3. Wikclef Bruto Swinderby Badby and others about anno 1400. with many which were not knowen to the world for the truth neuer in any age wanted witnesses By the continuance of the truth and right faith we gather that there haue bene alwayes faithfull teachers though not notorious to the world and shal be but who they were and where they liued what pompe what authoritie they were of it is not materiall to know wherefore an outward visible succession
of Bishops and Pastors is not necessarie for the continuance of the truth neither can it be concluded out of this place 3 Thus they reason there haue bene alwayes some faithfull men which haue outwardly professed their faith for if they dissembled or cloaked their profession then were they not faithfull Ergo the church hath bene alwayes visible as in the time of persecution Bellarmine We aunswere First the Iesuite doth cleane peruert and chaunge the state of the question for he defineth a visible church to be multitudo congregata in qua sint praelati subditi a multitude or companie gathered together where there are both Prelates and Bishops and people obediēt vnto them And now he geueth an instance of persecution wherein some faithfull Christians may geue an outward profession of their faith where is now that multitude congregate together where is that iurisdiction of Prelates where is that visible and glorious succession We denie not but that in time of persecution the faithfull may be knowen to them selues and yet some time they are not for in Israell there were seuen thousand faithfull beside Elias yet he knew none of them But it foloweth not that therefore the church is then visible to the world and notoriously knowen to men for so the Rhemistes say in Math. 5. Sect. 3. Act. 11. Sect. 3. Thus they flye manifestly from the question The Protestantes WE denie not but that the catholike vniuersall church as it hath hitherto continued since the beginning of the world so shall it endure to the end the Lord shall neuer want vpon earth a companie of faithfull men which shall truly serue him though it be not necessarie neither hath alwayes bene seene that they should be in any one place A visible church we define to be a congregation of men amongest whom the word is truly preached and the Sacraments administred such a Church hath not alwayes bene neither can we be assured that it shall alway be found vpon the earth wherein the worship of God publikely and visibly is practised 1 In the raigne of Ahaz king of Iuda there was no visible church where the pure worship of God was practised for both Israell vnder Pekah and Iuda vnder Ahaz fell to Idolatrie and folowed the custome of the Gētiles 2. Kings 16.3 yea Vriah the high Priest consented with the king to set vp Idolatrie Likewise in the dayes of Manasseh who did euill after the abhomination of the heathen 2. Kings 21.2 there was no place where God was publikely worshipped for Iudah was corrupted Israell was carried away captiue Ergo there was a time when there was no visible Church 2 In the Passion of our Sauiour there was no visible church such a church we still meane as where there are Prelati subditi pastores oues Prelates and people pastors and sheepe We proue it thus The visible Church was not amongest the Pharisies and Priests for they shamefully and wickedly erred Bellarmin 17. It was not among the Apostles for they also erred therfore after the Papists opiniō they were not the Church for the Church say they erreth not Secondly he saith they were yet but materiall partes not formall that is not Bishops or Pastors how then could there be a visible Church which was without the formal and principall parts that is Pastors and Bishops Ergo there was then no visible Church 3 When the abhominatiō of desolation shall stand in the temple there shal be a generall defection and apostasie from the faith then shall the visible church fayle vpon earth But the first is true Math. 24.15 2. Thess. 2.3 Ergo. To the first place the Iesuite aunswereth that it must be vnderstood of the destruction of the temple cap. 16. But the Rhemistes more liberall then so affirme that it shal be especially accomplished in Antichristes time when as the sacrifice of the Masse shall vtterly be abolished annot in Math. 24. ver 15. To the next place cōcerning that defectiō apostasie which S. Paul speaketh of first he saith that it shal be a defection from the Romane Empire but the Rhemistes say it shal be a defection frō most points of Christian Religion Secondly the Iesuite aunswereth that though it be a defection from the Romane faith yet it shall not be generall but particular but the Rhemistes better aduised graunt it shal be a reuolt of kingdomes peoples prouinces the publike entercourse of the faithfull with the church of Rome shall cease they shall onely communicate with it in hart annot in 2. Thess. 2. Sect. 6. Now out of their owne wordes we conclude there shal be a time whē as the publike seruice of God shall cease there shal be desolation in the Churches and temples of Christians there shal be then no publike entercourse with the Church but a priuat communicating in hart Ergo there shal be a time when there shal be no outward visible Church notoriously and famously knowen Ergo our aduersaries are in an error are condemned by their owne mouth THE THIRD QVESTION OF THE notes and markes whereby the true Church may be discerned and knowen FIRST OF THE FALSE AND ERROneous notes of the Church OVr aduersaries do deuise many notes whereby their Church is discryed as Bellarmine reckoneth vp 15. in order to many certaine to be found in a good Church but there are six principall which they doe most stand vpon antiquitie vniuersalitie succession vnitie the power of miracles the gift of prophesie We must first touch these in order and then come to the true and infallible notes of the Church Of antiquitie Note 1. THe Papists make great bragges of the long continuance of their Church yea that they can shew the discent of their Church from Adam Rhemistes error 18 annot in Act. 28. Sect. 5. But alacke sillie men they must come short of our Sauiuiour Christs and the Apostles time by fiue or six hundred yeares for the most of the opinions which they now hold Let vs examine their reasons In any great chaunge of Religion say they the authors of the Sect the time when it began the persons that oppugned it may be knowen but no such thing can be shewed of our Church say they as we can shew of yours we can tell them the yeare the places and ringleaders of their reuolt say our English Rhemistes annot in 1. Iohan. 2. Sect. 9. Bellarmin lib. 4. de Eccles. cap. 5. We aunswere First no meruaile if Papistrie herein do much differ from other heresies they as the heresies of the Arrians Pelagians Donatistes because they were not long to continue sodainly brake out and sodainly againe were extinguished But Papistrie being the prop and pillar of Antichrists kingdome by whom the world must be deluded many yeares was at the beginning to worke closely and secretly not breaking out at once into open impietie and blasphemie but vnder pretense of holynesse to set a broach her deadly poyson therefore S. Paule calleth it a
the vniuersal companie of the wicked Reuel 13. ve 1. And this is the name or number of the beast it must be vnderstood by their own confession of a companie and congregation and not of one singular person The Protestants THat Antichrist which is interpreted an aduersary or against Christ shal not be one man as the Papists imagine that the Popes might be disburdened and discharged of this name who are many but that it is a whole body companie and sinagogue and a succession of heretikes we doe thus proue it 1 The mysterie of iniquitie wrought in Paules time then was there a way in preparing for Antichrist 2. Thes. 2. But it is vnpossible for one man to continue from Paules time to the end of the worlde Ergo Antichrist is not one man but a succession of heretikes Bellarmine answereth if the mysterie of iniquitie began in Paules time that is the kingdome of Antichrist and you will needes make Rome the seate of Antichrist belike S. Paul and S. Peter were the Antichrists for there were no Bishops of Rome beside at that time Ans. First that Antichrist begā then to work euen in Rome it cānot be denied seeing the Papists confesse that Simon Magus first broched his heresie there and that Peter calleth Rome Babylon It is not necessarie that the mysterie of iniquity should so soone creepe into the very chaire of the Pastors and Bishops that should come to passe in the full reuelation of Antichrist It is sufficient that it wrought closely amongst the false apostles wherefore the Iesuits obiection concerning Peter and Paule is ridiculous Fulk Anno. 2. Thes. 2. sect 9. 2 S. Paul saith that there must come a departing or apostasie generall falling from the faith for that an apostacie signifieth a relinquishing of the faith not a departure from the Romane Empire Now this generall falling away from the faith cannot be accomplished in one man but it sheweth a whole bodie or companie whereof Antichrist is the head one man of sinne succeeding another by succession and this apostacie cannot be wrought at one time but it shall come to passe in seuerall ages for how is it possible that at once such a generall apostacie should be Ergo Antichrist shall not be one particular man Argum. Caluini Neither can the Iesuite thus shift off the argument to say that this generall apostacie is but a preparation to the kingdome of Antichrist not that he shall then bee presently come for S Paul ioyneth both these together There must come a departing first that the man of sinne be disclosed vers 3. So that this very apostacie and departing shall be a disclosing and manifest declaration of Antichrist 3 Iohn 3.7 The Apostle sayth Many deceiuers are come into the world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh the same is the deceiuer and the Antichrist Marke then one deceiuer is many deceiuers one Antichrist many Antichrists 1. Iohn 2.18 Ergo Antichrist shall not be one man but many Argument Ful. annot 2. Thess. 2. sect 8. 4 Augustine sheweth how that in his time this place of S. Paul was not expounded of any one man but of a whole bodie Nonnulli non ipsum principent sed vniuersum quodammodo corpus eius simul cum suo principe hoc loco intelligi Antichristum volunt Some saith he doe take Antichrist not for the head alone but for the whole bodie and multitude together with their prince And their coniecture is this because these words vers 7. He which withholdeth are vnderstood of the Empire Emperours of Rome which were many so the man of sinne which is described as in the person of one may fitly be vnderstood of a succession of many THE SECOND PART WHETHER ANTICHIST be yet come and how long he shall continue The Papists THe Romish Iesuites doe hold that Antichrist is not yet come neither can they tell when he shal come But this they say boldly that Henoch and Elias error 57 who liue all this while in Paradise shall come immediatly before Antichrist and that Antichrist when he is come shall raigne but three yeeres and an halfe and then shall the world end Bellarm. cap. 4. lib. 3. de pontif Rhemist 11. Apocal. sect 2.4 1 The Romane Empire must vtterly be destroyed layd wast before Antichrist come as S. Paul sayth That which withholdeth must first be taken away 2. Thess. 2.7 that is the Romane Empire But the Empire yet remayneth for the Emperour is knowne by name and there are also prince electors of the Empire Ergo Antichrist is not yet come Bellarm. cap. 5. Answere It is true that the Romane Empire while it retayned and kept the ancient dignitie maiestie and power thereof was an hinderance and let to the tyrannie of Antichrist but when it began to decay then Antichrist set in his foote First it was not necessarie therefore that the Empire should vtterly be extinguished but so much onely taken away namely the ancient honour and imperiall maiestie therof as hindered Antichrist and so we finde that the Romane Empire was more then halfe decayed when Antichrist crept into Rome Secondly the imperiall power must in some sort be restored by Antichrist for the Pope vsurped the same authoritie which the Emperours had yea greater for the whore is described sitting vpon the beast Apocal. 17. which is the Empire and therefore it is sayd vers 8. The beast that was and is not and yet is for the ancient Empire both is and is not It is because the power thereof is translated to the Pope it is not that is not in that kingly manner as it was in times past Apocal. 13.12 The beast that rose out of the earth with two hornes like a lamb did all that the first beast could doe before him that is the power of the Empire was in the Pope Thirdly Apocal. 13.15 It is sayd that the image of the beast remayned that the other beast gaue a spirit vnto the image of the beast So is it at this day the name and image of the Empire remayneth but the maiestie and power is gone And who giueth life to the image but the Pope he confirmeth and ratifieth the election of the Emperour Wherefore this rather is an argument that Antichrist is alreadie come because nothing but the image of the beast remayneth 2 Antichrist shall raigne three yeeres and an halfe but if hee were alreadie come he must needes haue raigned diuers hundred yeeres alreadie Bellarmin cap. 8. They proue this raigne of Antichrist for this short season out of those places of Daniel 7.25 A time times and halfe a time and Apocal. 12.14 Also it is described by dayes 1260. dayes and by moneths 11.2 two and fourtie moneths which all come to one reckoning and make three yeeres and an halfe Answere First the time is also set downe by the name of three dayes and an halfe Apocal. 11.11 How then is it likely that 1260.
ment for here is a succession of Kings described vers 19. One is sayd to be ouerthrowne that is Seleucus but not in battaile for he was poysoned vers 18. There another is sayd to bee ouerthrowne and to be no more found that is Antiochus magnus But Antichrist cannot succeede any in the kingdome of the Iewes for he shall be their first King as the Papists imagine 2 He shall sayth Bellarmine ouercome three kings of Lybia Aegypt Aethiopia Dan. 11.43 and this horne shall remoue three other hornes Dan. 7.8 Ans. This also must needes be vnderstood of Antiochus Epiphanes and they are two prophecies First he is called a little horne because he was not heire to the kingdome he remoueth three other hornes for by his meanes Ptolemaeus Philopater was cast out of the kingdome in his fathers time Antiochus the great his brother Seleucus poysoned his sonne Demetrius disinherited Tremell Dan. 7.20 The second prophecie was also accomplished by Antiochus who ouercame Aegypt and the countreys adioyning Of Antichrist it cannot bee vnderstood for the first prophecie speaketh of a beast with ten hornes which must be vnderstood of one kingdome monarch and by the ten hornes ten Kings are signified for so was Antiochus Epiphanes the tenth from Seleucus here then is a succession of Kings but Antichrist shall not succeede any 3 The Iesuite saith that Antichrist with a great armie shall vexe the whole world and that shal be the battaile of Gog and Magog prophecied of Ezech. 38.39 Apocal. 20. Ans. The prophecie of Ezechiel was fulfilled in the time of the Macchabees when as Gog and Magog that is Antiochus with the helpe of the Syrians and Scythians and other countreys molested the people of God for vers 23. chap. 39. the Prophet speaketh of the captiuitie of Israel from the which they should at that time bee deliuered And agayne the Lord would not leaue his Church which at that time endured great afflictions at the hands of the heathen comfortlesse but if these prophecies of Ezechiel and Daniel concerne them not then small had been their comfort Lastly the Iewes may with as good reason vnderstand the prophecies concerning Christ of their Messiah whom they yet looke for as you may these prophecies concerning the enemies of the Church of your Antichrist The other prophecie also is fulfilled Apocal. 20.8 how Gog and Magog from the foure corners of the earth shall compasse the tents of the Saints for by Gog and Magog is vnderstood the whole multitude of the enemies of the Church both within and without as Turkes Papists Infidels which all haue agreed together at times and in their turnes though enemies amongst themselues to afflict the people of God Fulk annot in hunc locum And if you will needes also haue the other two prophecies fulfilled agayne being once before accomplished they agree fitly to the Turkish Empire for Mahomet by craft and subtiltie aspired to a kingdome and in short time he ouerranne Aegypt and Lybia with other parts of Africa The Protestants WE denye that there shall come any such Antichrist or that it is possible for him to wage battaile with the whole earth We graunt that the Antichrist of Rome hath warred with the Church poysoning it with corrupt doctrine and persecuting the same by fire and sword which his rage is well slaked now God be praised in many places and his tyrannie ouerpast miserable were the state of the Church if it should endure such a brunt agayne 1 It is impossible that Antichrist in so short a time as three yeeres and an halfe should conquer all nations and be Monarch of the whole world burne sacke Rome and driue out the Pope as the Papists graunt themselues Bellarm. lib. 4. cap. 3. de pontifice A man cannot in that space trauaâ—le through the whole world much lesse conquer it And seeing Antichrist shall begin at Ierusalem make his habitation there and haue an end there for say they he shall be slayne in Mount Oliuet Gloss. sup Apocal It is not like that in his owne person he should conquer the world neither can it be thought that he shall do it by his deputies for then they should be the Antichrists and not he See what a Labyrinth you are fallen into out of the which you cannot wind yourselues 2 Antichrist is not described in scripture as a warriour or warlike man sitting harnessed in his tent but like an hypocrite aduaÌ„cing himself in the temple not comming with engins of warre but deluding and deceiuing with false miracles and lying signes 2. Thessal 2. Not with Harolds of armes openly proclaming warre but he shall worke in a mysterie Apocal. 17.5 Wherefore it is but a popish dreame and fancie that Antichrist shall be such a mightie warriour yet we denye not but that diuers of the Popes haue been warriours but that was beyond the commission of Peters crosse keyes 3 Lastly they haue no ground of this their opinion out of scripture for neither Ezechiel nor Daniel maketh for them prophecying of the state of the Church before Christ nor yet the Apocalypse the prophecie of Gog and Magog being accomplished in the greatest part alreadie Wherefore away with these mistie clowdes of your brainsicke inuentions they shall not bee able to abide the lightsome sun-beames of the truth THE NINTH AND LAST PART OF THIS question whether the Pope be Antichrist The Papists THis question pincheth our aduersaries very sore that wee should touch their error 65 head so neere as to make him Antichrist For this being once knowne wee neede not labour much about other matters for Antichrist with all his doctrine must not be heard but abhorred of the Church They therefore craftily foreseeing this doe take great paynes to deliuer the Pope out of this danger and haue found out many starting holes but all to smal purpose yea their forefathers seeing the matter so playne and almost put out of doubt gaue straight charge in the late Councel of Laterane to all preachers that none should dare once to speake of the comming of Antichrist This argueth a guiltie conscience But yet they face out the matter and say the Pope cannot be Antichrist their arguments are none other then those we haue heard being eight in number 1 Antichrist shall be one singular man the Popes haue been many part 1. of this question Secondly he shall raigne but three yeeres and an halfe but the Pope hath continued many hundred yeeres part 2. Thirdly he shal be knowne by his name the Popes haue sundrie names part 3. Fourthly he must come of the stocke of the Iewes but there was neuer yet any Iewe Pope part 4. Fiftly his seate must be at Ierusalem the Popes is at Rome part 5. Sixtly he shall manifestly denie Christ so doth not the Pope say they part 6. Seuenthly he shall doe strange miracles as bring downe fire from heauen cause Images to speak part 7. Eightly He shall wage great battailes and conquer all the
was the duetie of Angels to worship him Ergo hee merited not his glorification by his death which was due vnto him euen at his first incarnation Argum. 3. If Christ merited his owne glorification then hee also merited the hypostaticall vnion that his manhood should bee ioyned to his Godhead in vnitie of person for his glory maiestie and power giuen to his manhood doth issue and arise from the vniting of his Godhead therewith in one person but his humanity deserued not to be vnited to the Godhead Nemo tam caecus est sayth Augustine No man is so blind that he dare say that Christ by his well liuing merited to be called the Sonne of God And hee prooueth it out of the first of Luk. vers 35. Therefore shall that holy thing bee called the Sonne of God not for any workes going before but because the holy Ghost came vpon her Wherefore the diuine glorie which Christ hath was not merited but his owne it was from the beginning which glory the humane nature in Christ is made partaker of not for any merite but because it is vnited to the Godhead in the same person through the abundant and vnspeakable grace and loue of God vnto mankinde which of his free grace rather tooke vnto himselfe the nature of men then of Angels Wherefore Christ by his perfect obedience and blessed sacrifice hath merited abundantly for vs remission of sinnes and eternall life but by his merites he hath gayned nothing for himselfe neither had he any respect to the bettering of his own estate in his sufferings but onely to pay a raunsome for vs. THE TWENTIETH GENERALL CONTROVERSIE CONCERNING THE COMMING OF CHRIST TO iudgement which appertaineth to his whole person as he is both God and man THis controuersie hath two partes First concerning the signes which must come to passe before his appearing Secondly of the time and maner of his appearing The first part contayneth three questions Frst whether the Gospell bee already preached to the whole world Secondly whether Henoch and Elias shall come in the flesh before the day of iudgement Thirdly of the great persecutions toward the end of the world THE FIRST QVESTION WHETHER the Gospel be already preached thorough the worlde The Papists error 106 THey denie that the Gospell hath beene already published to all nations of the worlde for there are many great countries which neuer heard of the Gospell as they affirme But before the comming of Christ to iudgement they say it shal be preached to the whole world Bellar. de Roman pâ—ntif lib. 3. cap. 4. Argum. 1. Math. 24.14 Christ sayth This Gospell of the kingdome shall be preached thorough the whole worlde for a witnes vnto all nations then shall the end come The end of the world shall immediately follow the generall preaching of the Gospell which if it hath been performed it is most like to haue been done in the Apostles time then the world should haue ended long agoe Bellarm. ibid. Ans. This word Then doth not alwaies in the scripture signifie a certaine and definite time presently to follow as Math. 9.1 Then he entred into a ship and so forth Luke also setteth foorth the same storie cap. 5.18 Then brought they a man lying in a bed But in saying Then they haue not relation to the same time for they keepe not the same order in rehearsing the storie Matthew setteth downe one thing that was immediatly done by our Sauiour Christ before and Luke another And so is the word Then vsed in other places not to describe a consequence of time with relation to that which went before but absolutely without any such respect to name the time present only wherein any thing is done So tunc then signifieth as much as in illo tempore in that time not which shall immediately follow vpon the generall publishing of the Gospel but which God hath appoynted We must also consider who it is that sayth Then namely God himselfe with whom a thousand yeares is as one day and one day as a thousand yeares Christ Then may come many hundred yeares after and yet it shall be true that then shall the end be But we rather take the first sense that Then is here taken indefinitely as it is thorough the whole chapter as vers 21. Then shall be great tribulation which cannot haue relation to that which he spake of before for then it must be vnderstoode of the destruction of Ierusalem but our Sauiour meaneth by Then the time towards the ende of the world as vers 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those dayes the Sunne shal be darkened Then shall the signe of the Sonne of man appeare Argum. 2. We see the Gospel hath been preached in great countreyes of late which neuer heard the Gospel afore as it is thought Rhemist Math. 24. sect 4. Ans. 1. They speake doubtfully they cannot tell as it is thought say they 2. They meane the preaching of their Friers in those newe found countreyes which was not the preaching of the Gospel but of vile superstition not to conuert the people to God but to robbe and spoyle them and make a pray of them killing slaying them without al mercy reade Benzo in historia noui orbis 3. We deny not but that the Gospell may be reuiued and renued in many countreyes where notwithstanding it was planted many yeares afore As this countrie of ours in ancient time called Britanie was first instructed in the faith by the preaching of Ioseph of Arimathea as Gildas saith or as Nicephorus saith by SimoÌ„ Zelotes yet after that the foundation of the faith thus begun it was confirmed afterward in king Lucius daies by the preaching of Fagane Damiane which at Lucius request were sent into the land from Eleutherius B. of Rome and so may it come to passe in other countreyes a second preaching therefore taketh not away the former but confirmeth and reuiueth it The Protestants THat the Gospell was by the Apostles preached to all the knowen and inhabited nations of the worlde we cannot but affirme being so taught by the scriptures Argum. 1. Our Sauiour saith to his Apostles Ye shal be my witnesses to the vttermost partes of the earth Act. 1.8 which is spoken to the persons of the Apostles not in them to all Pastors and preachers as some expound it for in the same vers there is mention made of the comming of the holy Ghost and howe first they should begin to witnesse at Ierusalem which things were indeede so accomplished in the Apostles Saint Paul also Rom. 10.18 expoundeth that place of the Psalme Their sound is gone forth into all the worlde of the Apostles Agayne seeing the Apostolicall calling and gift is now ceased neither are we to looke that men should be immediatly called from heauen and the preaching of the Gospell to all nations is an Apostolicall worke for the which the Apostles also receiued the gifts of tongues seeing now we haue neither Apostolike
kingdome of God commeth not with obseruation Luk. 17.20 either of time or place And therfore when men say vnto vs Behold here or beholde there we ought not to beleeue them vers 23. As though they would point out Christs comming with the finger either in the East or West Whereas Mathew therefore nameth the East and West in the similitude of the lightening Luke leaueth them out saying As the lightening shineth from one part of the Heauen to the other 17.24 Least we should thinke any great matter to be in nomination of those partes Augustine saith notably Non ab Oriente veniet nec Occidente quare quia Deus iudex est si in aliquo loco esset non esset Deus quia vero Deus iudex est non homo noli illum expectare de locis He will not come either from the East or from the West why so Because God is iudge if he were tied to any place hee were not God but because God is iudge and not a meere man wee must not looke for him from any place The Papists 3. THe Sonne of man shall appeare in the day of iudgement with the signe error 111 of the Crosse borne before him Then shall the signe of the Sonne of man appeare in Heauen Matth. 24.3 that is say they the signe of the Crosse Bellarm. de sanct lib. 2. cap. 28. Rhemist in hunc locum The Protestants Ans. 1. THe signe of the Sonne of man in the Heauens is nothing else but his conspicuous and glorious appearing who shall come in great glorie as a signe in the heauens to bee seene of all the worlde It cannot signifie any such visible signe as they imagine for Mark. 13.26 Luke 21.27 wee reade thus Then shall they see the Sonne of man So then the signe of the Sonne of man is the Sonne himselfe in his glorious appearing Secondly it is great presumption therefore so boldly to affirme that it shall be the signe of the Crosse hauing no Scripture for it Other signes wee finde that Christ hath appeared with as the signe of the rayne-bowe Apocal. 10.1 with a two edged sworde Apocal. 1.16 with a booke in his hand Apocal. 10.2 We haue better reason that Christ may appeare with those signes by the which he hath sometime shewed himselfe then they haue for the signe of the Crosse. 3 It is more like that Christ at his comming should shew the markes and prints of the nailes and speare in his bodie then the signe of the Crosse for those were felt and seene in his bodie after his resurrection so was not the other But it is a loose coniecture and a vaine surmise without any ground of Scripture that the woundes are either now in heauen to be seene in the glorious bodie of Christ or that they shall bee beheld and looked vpon in the daie of iudgement The wicked in deed shall behold him whom they pearced but it followeth not thereupon that he should appeare as pearced How is it possible that either the bodie of Christ being perfectly glorified should still retaine any spots or blemishes or that they could be espyed in so glorious a bodie which with the brightnes thereof shall obscure the Sunne Augustine giueth this iudgement Sic voluit resurgere Christus sic voluit quibusdam dubitantibus exhibere in illa carne cicatrices vulneris vt sanaret vulnus incredulitatis So it pleased Christ to arise and to shew in his flesh vnto some that doubted the skarres of his woundes to heale and take awaie the wound of their incredulitie or vnbeleefe This then being the onelie cause why Christ would at that time haue the printes and markes in his flesh to bee seene namelie to confirme the faith of them which doubted the cause being now ceased for is it to bee thought that there are any doubtfull persons in heauen which may be confirmed by beholding Christs woundes or shall vnbeleeuers finde any reliefe in the day of iudgement The cause being remoued wee haue no warrant to thinke that there are any such skarres either now to bee seene in the glorious bodie of Christ or which shall appeare in the day of iudgement And seeing there is no ground for this opinion the shewing forth also of the signe of the crosse in that day is also but a wandring and a foolish conceite The Papists error 112 4. SVch is their boldnes that they dare assigne the very yeare moneth and day of Christs comming to iudgement for they say that Antichrist shall raigne three yeares and an halfe and one moneth 1290. dayes and counting 45. dayes after that they shal see Christ comming in the cloudes Blessed is hee saith Daniel that waiteth and commeth to the 1335. dayes Dan. 12.12 Bellar. de pontif Rom. lib. 3. cap. 8. The Protestants Ans. 1. THe prophesie of Daniel we haue alreadie shewed Controuersie 4. Quaest. 9. to haue been fulfilled before the first comming of Christ in Antiochus that cruell tyrant and persecutor of the people of God how hee should cause the daily sacrifice to cease 1290. dayes that is three yeares and seuen moneths 2. Macchab. 11.33 And that 45. dayes after Antiochus being dead the Church should finde ease 1. Macch. 6.16 Wherefore seeing this prophesie hath once alreadie had his effect it is not necessarie to looke for any other as Augustine saith of another prophesie of Daniel Quae prophetia si tempore primi aduentus impleta est non cogit intelligi quod etiam de fine seculi implebitur Which prophesie if it hath been fulfilled in or before the first comming of Christ it need not be vnderstoode of the latter 2 This presumption of theirs is flat opposite and contrarie to Scripture which saith That the houre and day of Christs comming is not knowne to the Angels nor to the Sonne of man but to the Father onely Mark 13.33 How then dare they presume beyond the knowledge of Angels Augustine saith Vtiliter latere voluit Deus illum diem vt semper sit paratum cor ad expectandum quòd esse venturum scit quando venturum sit nescit The Lorde to great purpose would haue that day kept secret that our heart should bee in continuall expectation of that which it is sure shall come but knoweth not when it shall come Thus haue I through the Lords gracious assistance now at the length finished and brought to an end this long and tedious worke which I trust shall not be so yrkesome to the Christian Reader as it was wearisome and painefull to the flesh in the collecting and compiling thereof and yet not so painefull but that God hath made me able and willing to endure this and greater paines and that with comfort for the good of his Church I excuse not whatsoeuer hath fallen out of my pen in this worke if I haue failed any where in the manner of handling But as for the matter handled therein I trust I haue throughout maintained the truth in