THE Figure of Antichriste with the tokens of the end of the world most plainly disciphered by a Catholike and Diuine exposition of the seconde Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians collected out of the best and most approued diuines both olde and new very profitable for all men in this age to reade Published by Thomas Tymme Minister Jmprinted at London for Fraunces Coldocke 1586. The names of the authors out of whose workes this exposition is taken are these following Bullinger Caluin Pelican Paraphrast Orcamenius Pomeranus Erasmus Sarcerius Iodochus Willichius Vitus Theodorus Christoph Hofman Aug. Marlorat Chitraeus Musculus Irenaeus Tertullian Augustine Chrisostom Ambrose Theophilact ¶ To the Right Worshipful Sir Robert Wingfeeld Knight Thomas Tymme wisheth increase of worship with all spiritual grace and benediction in this life and perfit felicitie with the saintes in Iesus Christ in the life to come THE Euangelist Luke 1. Acts. 1. S. Luke Right Worshipfull had his Theophilus to whom hee dedicated his Gospell a diuine matter to a godly mā This example may seeme to haue procured many good men since that time to dedicate the fruite of their learned studies to some of godly qualitie that they might be as a Rampier to their vertues to repell those whelpes of Cerberus that hellish dogge and a bar to peeuish Momus which will euer be finding fault in Apelles woork Seeing therfore that many of the best learned fathers in these latter euill times haue gladly sought the protection of great states I thought it not good to publishe this little booke without the countenance of such a one as might be a patrone to the sāe against such peuish carpers The matter of it selfe is such as it needeth not the weake defence of man being the doctrine of the holy Ghost vttered by the blessed mouth of S. Paul and yet the children of God are bound to defend and aduaunce it to the vttermost of their power on the behalfe of the Lorde Christ to shew their zeale and loue against his aduersarie that monster Antichrist for the vnderpropping of whose kingdom those kings and nations of the earth Apoc. 17.2 and 18.3 which haue tasted of the enchaunted cup of fornication of the Babilonicall Strumpet which is a more pestilent cup then that Nectar of Cyrces which transformed men into beastes do band themselues together euen at this day and thereto do bend their whole forces But the Lorde will shortly destroye that man of sin with the breath of his mouth 2. Thess 1. This is the matter Right Woorshipfull in it selfe excellent the common knowledge whereof is very necessarie because it occasioneth a demonstration of the end of the world therunto annexed to awake carelesse Atheistes which are lulled asleepe with worldly pleasure in the cradle of securitie The expounders also of the Apostle Paules minde in this argument whose names are hereto prefixed are such principall pillars of the christian Church as their iudgment will stand firme with out any iust controlement My paines in the collection and translation out of Latine into Englishe the least yet faithfully herein bestowed I offer to your woorshippe crauing acceptance of so small a gift And because my case may paraduenture nowe stand no better then it did longe since with the Philosopher Theodorus Atheniensis who complayned of great discourtesie shewed vnto him because those thinges which he gaue with the right hande were snatched vp and taken by his auditorie with the left meaning thereby his workes and lectures which he publishing to good purpose were wrested and sunderly by captious carpers canuassed with sinister interpretations therfore in most dutifull humility I shroud my selfe vnder the cloake of your courtesie which I heare and partly knowe to be such as I looke not to bee shouldred out and reiected but freely to be allowed the benefite of your goodnes In assured hope whereof I rest leauing this as a testimonye to the worlde what a reuerend opinion I haue of you both in respect of your humble courtesie wherein you shew foorth the right patterne of a Gentleman also in respect of that godly zeale toward the Gospell of Christ which by effect hath alwayes appeared to be in you Thus praying God to blesse your worshippe I wish charitie from God to the world peace at length to his warfaring Church confusion of all manner of hypocrits fauourable inclination and Iudgment of great personages to his worde and to the godly trauellers in his Gospell long life and most prosperous reigne to our gratious soueraigne Prince and true happines to al her subiects that wish the same And euen with my whole hart I pray God the father of heauen and his sonne our Lord Iesus Christe to be a bright pillar to vs in the darknesse of this worlde and to make all his chosen people at his time partners of the most ioyful and heauenly kingdome Amen Your Worships euer to be commaunded Thomas Tymme The Argument BECAVSE the Apostle Paul could not conueniētly returne any more to see the Thessalonians he confirmeth their mindes by this Epistle that they might constantly beare and indure affliction for Christes sake for the which they shold receiue their reward and their aduersaries also their iust Iudgment from the Lorde This is the content of the first chapter Furthermore because he had written vnto them in the former Epistle that the last day woulde come vnawares and had for the same cause also admonished them to watch not to be carelesse the Thessalonians thought that they should liue to see the last day Wherfore in the seconde chapter hee doth confute that vaine and false opinion concerning the comming of Christ at hand which with most men at that time had preuayled by the argument because first there must be a departing awaye in the church and a great parte of the worlde must fall from God and Antichrist must reigne in the Temple of God vpon the which sonne of perdition the Lorde Iesus will at the last take vengeance and wil also kil him with the breath of his mouth The comming kingdom of which Antichrist the Apostle doth plainly discipher that the latter age being forewarned therof might take heed of the pestilent cup of that Babilonicall purple coloured strumpette In the thirde chapter after that hee hath commended himselfe vnto their prayers hath breefly incouraged them to constancie he commaundeth that those men be seuerely punished which through idlenes and curiositie troubled the common wealth vvhom he vvould haue to be excommunicated if so be they vvould not bee admonished and vvarned Finally he finisheth his Epistle by recommending them to the Lorde of peace The vvhich Epistle although it be breefe yet a contayneth vvoonderful profit and learning In style it is nothing different from the former Epistle neither in any thing inferior That it vvas sent from Rome as commonly the Greek books reporte it is not like for had it beene so he vvould haue made some mention
vnder the name of Antichrist This Phocas to aspire to the Empire killed his maister Mauritius the Emperour and then to make his seate more sure he graunted to Boniface 3. whatsoeuer he would giuing him the supremacie and name of vniuersall Bishop ouer all Christian Churches Thus the first declining of the Church began in Anno Domi. 610. or there about but one kingdome which extendeth it selfe into many ages For the defection hath continued openly to be seen of all men from the time of Phocas Emperor of Rome and Boniface the third which was about the yeere of our Lorde 610. vntill this day Moreouer although the Apostle meaneth heere a secret working yet notwithstanding he rather vseth the name of misterie then any other alluding vnto the misterie of saluation of the which the Apostle speaketh in his Epistle to the Romans Chapter 16.25 For he doth diligently note the conflicte of repugnancie betweene the sonne of God and the sonne of perdition Also this word misterie teacheth that it is no marueile if neither our predicessors nor we our selues vnderstood the impietie of Antichrist because it was a misterie and because he secretly practised his wickednesse Onely he which now withholdeth shall let till he be taken out of the way These words are without al doubt to be referred vnto Antichrist For the Apostle addeth this for the cōsolation of the faithfull that the kingdome of Antichrist shal be temporall to the which God hath appointed an ende For the faithfull might haue obiected to what end is the Gospell preached if Sathan now beginneth that tiranny which shall alwayes indure Therefore he exhorteth them to patience because God wil afflict his church but for a time onely and will after that deliuer it againe and on the contrary parte the perpetuitie of Christes kingdome is to be considered that the faithfull may rest vpon the same 8 And then shall the wicked man be reuealed whom the Lorde shall consume with the spirite of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his comming He sheweth that the kingdome of Antichrist shall not be alwayes a misterie that thereby the faithful may receiue consolation For he shal be reuealed and shall arise manifestly he shal be mightie and shal bring to passe whatsoeuer he wil both in the woorking of iniquitie and also of error But when shall that be Euen then saith he when that let whereof mention is made in the sixt verse shal be taken away For the seuenth verse is included in a parenthesis So that he doth not appoint the time of reuelation when Antichrist is taken away of which mention is made in the seuenth verse but he hath respect vnto the sixt verse where he had said that there was a let which stayed Antichrist that he could not openly get possession of the kingdome afterward he added that he went about a priuie woorke of impietie And thirdly he ioyneth hereunto in the seuenth verse a consolation that this tirāny shal haue an end Now againe here he repeateth that he which as yet is hidden shal be reuealed in his time which repetition tendeth to this end that the faithful being armed with spiritual weapōs may fight neuerthelesse couragiously vnder Christ not suffer thēselues to be drowned what floud of impietie soeuer doth ouerflowe The wicked man The Greke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth him which will be subiect to no law which neither careth for man nor feareth God As if the Apostle should say that lawles deceiuer and most wicked man which will not be holden within the listes of good and godly lawes but rusheth headlong to the breath both of humane and diuine ordinances and boasteth himselfe to be aboue al men contemning al manner of persons and al things oppressing al mens libertie not suffering himselfe to be iudged of any and requiring this especially that all men obey his vniust constitutions without any regard had of profite or of honestie c. Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirite of his mouth Now followeth the ruine and distruction of Antichrist The ruine and fall of Antichrist Paul hath spoken in the seuenth verse going before of the disstruction of this kingdome now he describeth the manner how it shal be distroyed namely it shal be brought to nothing by the worde of the Lord. Notwithstanding it may be that he speaketh of the last appearing of Christ when he shall come a iudge from heauen for so the wordes may seeme to import Howbeit Paul meaneth not the Christ wil do this thing in a momēt For Antichrist shall not fall downe in a moment as wounded with one stroke but after many assaults and battels he shal at the last perish But he shal not be destroied with the hand of man with the multitude of an hoast with the valour and courage of souldiers nor with the thunderclaps of Canon shot but with the hand power of God Therefore we must be well assured that Antichrist shal be vtterly abolished and brought to naught when that last day of reformation of all thinges shall come Notwithstāding Paul doth giue vs thus much to vnderstād that Christ with his bright beames which he will send foorth before his comming will driue away the darknesse in the which Antichrist shall raigne euen as the Sunne before it shyneth vnto vs doth driue away the darknes of the night Therefore this victorye of Gods worde shal be in this world for the spirite of his mouthe signifieth no other thing but his woorde as also in Esay where it is said He shall smite the earth with the sword of his mouth Esay 11.4 and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked To the which place Paul seemeth to allude For there the Prophet by the sworde of his mouth and breath of his lips vnderstandeth al one thing which weapons he giueth vnto Christ therewith to distroy his enimies For the worde of God is more sharpe then any two edged sworde and it is that sworde of might which shall cut of the head off this proud Goliah For Antichrist pleadeth the cause of the most high and saith that all his power and authoritie is grounded vpon diuine lawes vnder the pretence and colour wherof he hath hetherto raigned in securitie But so soone as the light of the Gospel began to shine by by the darke cloudes of this deceiuer vanished away For it is manifest to all men which will see that this man of sinne is cleane contrary to Christ both in manners and also in lawes Therefore it is come to passe that all which feare God knowing his truth do loath and abhor that Antichrist and do forsake him Wherefore the sword that doth kill him is the worde of God For then he is most euidently slaine when his nature and disposition is manifestly knowne by the doctrine of truth The reuelation and knowledge of him doth wound him to the heart and cast him downe and contrariwise
the fruit of Gods worde and also did reioyce ouer the Thessaloniās themselues that they were in such wise and so greatly confirmed that by no manner of perils or persecutions they could be cōpelled to forsake the faith And what was this else but to giue the praise vnto God for al this grace vertue This place teacheth that the saints are layed open to persecutions and are also exercised perpetually in afflictions For so many as will liue godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tit. 3.12 5 Which is a token of the righteous Iudgment of God that ye may be coūted woorthy of the kingdome of God for the which ye also suffer The simple and true meaning of these woordes is that the iniuries and persecutions which the children of God doe suffer at the hands of the wicked and reprobate do shewe foorth as in a glasse that God shal be one day the iudge of the worlde And this sentence hath in it a figure called Antistrophon or Conuersion by which is confuted the prophane opinion which men do commonly hold so often as the good are afflicted and the euil are in good case For then we thinke that the world is gouerned by fortune and not by God Hereupon it commeth that impietie and contempt doe possesse the heartes of men as Solomon saith in the booke of the Preacher Chap. 9. ver 2.3 For they which suffer any thing vnworthily or without deserte do either murmure and accuse God or else they doe thinke that he hath no care of the actions of men as the Prophet Dauid saith in the Psalme 73. Reade the whole Psalme Contrariwise the wicked ware more proude of their prosperitie as if so be there were no punishment remayning for them euen as Dyonisius in his prosperous nauigation boasted that the gods were frēdly and fauourable vnto such as were giltie of sacrilege Furthermore when we doe see that the crueltie of the wicked against the innocent is not restrayned and that they escape without punishement flesh and blood perswadeth it selfe by and by that there is no iudgment of God no punishments of wickednesse nor any reward of righteousnesse But Paul on the contrarie part pronounceth that when God doth so spare the wicked for a time and doth wincke at the iniuries which his children suffer iudgment to come is set before our eies as it were in a glasse For he taketh this as a clere case that it cannot be but that God as he is a iust iudge will one day giue rest vnto the miserable which are now vniustlie vexed and will also giue vnto the oppressors of the godly their iust rewarde And herevnto tendeth this saying of Peter If any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorifie God on this behalfe 1. Pet. 4.16 For the time is come that iudgment must begin at the house of God if it first begin at vs what shall the end be of them which obey not the Gospell of God And if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and sinner appeare Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their soules to him in well doing as vnto a faithfull creator Furthermore the iudgment of God is called righteous in this place because it shal be executed vpon those which haue deserued the same by their wicked persecution and also because God shal exercise the same not onely according to the externall but also according to the internall things A place surely very notable because it teacheth how our mindes are to be stirred vp from al the impedimentes of the world so often as we suffer any manner of aduersitie namely by calling to minde the iust iudgment of God the which will lift vp our mindes from this world to a higher consideration Thus death shal be vnto vs the image of life That ye may be counted woorthy of the kingdome of God The ordinance of God is that no man shal be woorthy of the kingdome of God without the crosse Whereupon Christ saith If any man wil follow me let him deny him selfe Mat. 16.24 and take vp his crosse and follow me Now if any man will goe about to proue by the authoritie of this place that saluation is due by desert vnto our afflictions and not to the passion and blood of the Lorde let him way and consider that place onely which the same Apostle setteth downe to the Romans where he proueth that we are iustified by the benefite of faith Rom. 3.28 and not by the merit of workes And in another place he saith I count that the afflictions of this present time Rom. 8.18 are not woorthy of the glory which shal be shewed vnto vs. Therefore we must ascribe it to the liberalitie and fatherly beneficence of God that eternall life is said to be giuen vnto vs of right and that we are made woorthy of the kingdome of God through afflictions when as it is most cleere that all our habilitie and pliantnesse to any manner of goodnsse commeth of God by whose grace we are sanctified and blessed Moreouer the Apostle Paul doth not dispute here of the cause of woorthynesse but onely taketh the common doctrine of Scripture that God doth abolish those thinges in vs which belong to the worlde that hee may frame and erect in vs a better life Furthermore that he sheweth vnto vs through afflictions the pryce of eternall life Finally he doth simply set downe the meane by which the faithfull are as it were hammered and wrought vpon Gods anuile because by afflictions they are taught to renoūce the world and to aspire to the heauenly kingdome of God Beside this they are confirmed strengthned in the hope of eternall life when they fight for the same Wherupon he addeth For the which ye also suffer Namely vnder the assured hope of the promise made which bringeth to passe that we doe obtaine the kingdome of God For so Christ himselfe speaketh Reioyce and be glad Mat. 5.12 for behold plentiful is your reward which is in heauen And the Apostle Rom. 8.17 If we suffer together with him we shal also be glorified with him And although no manner of afflictions of them selues doe make vs worthy of of the reward and glorie of eternal life yet neuerthelesse to denie Christ for feare of present perils is a sinne deseruing to be punished with eternall death For as we doe beleeue with the hearte to righteousnesse Rom. 10.10 so we doe confesse with the mouth to saluation 6 For it is a righteous thing with God to recōpence tribulation to them that trouble you In these wordes the Apostle sheweth how the tribulation of the saintes may be vnto them an instruction of the iust iudgement of God For God is an Indifferent iudge counterpoysing in equal ballances the inequalitie of both parties as here the afflicted and the afflicting And what can be more iust then that they which
fourth Chapter he calleth them false Prophets and teacheth men how to know the spirit of Antichrist namely thus He that denieth Iesus to be Christ He that denieth Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh That is to say he that derogateth any thing from the honor of Iesus to bee Christ and in his fleshe to haue performed the full worke of mans redemption as the Pope doth most blasphemously he is Antichrist and who so teacheth any such doctrine speaketh by the spirite of Antichrist Furthermore this kingdome of abhomination is described to vs vnder the person of one because the kingdom is one how soeuer they successiuely succeede one another Whereupon Saint Augustine saith August lib. 20. de ciuit Dei cap. 19 Antichrist shall come towarde the ending of the Romaine Empire and hee shall not be a prince or one man alone but a multitude of men are belonging vnto him who together with him shal be called Antichrist and he shall sitte in the temple of God as though he and his were the Church of God it selfe And in an other place Idem lib. de Antichristo He shal renue idolatrie he shal scater the doctrine of the Gospell and to this end he shal keepe Magicians coniurers and enchauÌ„ters c. Now euery one knoweth the fals miracles wherwith he hath abused the people to lead them away from Christ And he that will see how many of the Popes came to their Popedome by magicke and sorcery let him reade that which their owne storie writers haue written therof as Cardinal Benno Peter the monk Volateran Sabel licus Platina Thus then we see the Antichrist is not one man alone which must come at one instant of time but is an estate seat and succession of men an Empire lifted vp against Iesus Christ And for this cause he is called Antichrist that is to say contrarie to Christ the mediator and not simplely against God For as he is called Antistrategos not only which setteth him selfe against his captaine but also which taketh vpon him the place authority of the captaine being in deed but a base souldier euen so he is Antichrist which is an aduersary and yet taketh vpon him to be the vicar of Christ The Apostle also in this Epistle calleth him The man of sin Because he is both sin and a sinner and an occasion to others to sin and which maketh others yea infinit numbers to sinne He calleth him also The sonne of Perdition Whereby he meaneth that Antichrist is not onely of himselfe euill wicked sinfull prophane far from all goodnes and so the sonne of euerlasting perdition but also a deceiuer to the faith manners of an innumerable sort an offence so the author and cause of their perditioÌ„ whom he seduceth from the way of truth and of righteousnes For he is in all things contrary to Christ In priuate personal wickednesses he is hurtful to himselfe onely sauing that he is enforced through his owne wickednesse to be hurtfull to others also Therfore we must know the Antichrist is a certaine publike mischiefe and pestilent ctoÌ„agion that doth inuade and raigne in the Church of God 4 Which is an aduersary and exalteth himselfe against al that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God In these words the Apostle Paul doth paint forth vnto vs as in a table The qualities of Antichrist the liuely Image of Antichrist in his qualities By which woordes wee may also gather what his kingdome is and in what things it doth consist Hee attributeth to Antichrist three vices especially namely To be an aduersarie vnto God and his diuine doctrine Not to be coÌ„tented with the true worship of God And to be proud to rule ouer faith as if he were some God For as the kingdome of Christ is spirituall so this tyranny must needes bee ouer mens soules that hee may bee contrary to the kingdome of Christ Therefore that thou maiest the better knowe Antichrist set Christ ouer against him For he is an aduersary vnto Christ vnder whose tyrannie execrable dominion they doe liue which despising the simplicitie and trueth of the Gospell of Christ may giue credit to wicked and diuelish delusions Such are they that deny remission of sinnes to such as repent which ascribe saluation to their gooâ— works which haue falsely forged the meâ— sins are â—purged with purgatory fire whiâ—â— disgrace the authority of the scripture whicâ— preferre Councelles Archbishops and certaine Bishops before the canonicall scripture which take libertie to them selues to adde to or to subtract from the worde of God which put no difference between theologicall or diuine and philosophical sayinges which preferre an olde custome before the worde of God which boldly affirme that an assembly of Bishops is the Churche which saie that their Church caÌ„not erre which earnestly mainteine that the keyes of bynding and loosing are granted to the whole churche which build the Church vpon Peter and not vppon the rocke Christ which will haue the primacie of the Church a Lordship and not a ministerie which make their Pope a Bishop of Bishops for the mainteinaunce of tyranny which in making and appointing of Bishops require the iudgment of courtiers onelie which scorne this that all Christians are kings and priestes as from that number exempted which condemne â—he marriage of the ministers of the word 〈◊〉 it were with the Censors authoritie which doe not see that their good workes whatsoeuer without faith are sin which do not leaue the pardoning of sins to God alone and to his worde which make another manner of satisfaction in repentance then Christ himselfe hath done which doe allow that the masse is a sacrifice a iustifiing good woorke which pronounce that Christ died only for originall sinne and not for all sinnes in generall which sing dyrges for dead mens spirits which haue iudged that remission of sins is to be redeemed with buying of indulgences by going on pilgrimages which alter the institution of Christ in the Lords supper which abuse excommunications for another cause then to make the penitent sinner confesse his sinne which in matters and causes of faith quite without the reach of humane reason doe attribute a certaine strength to free will that is to the will and power of men which will not haue men iustified before God by faith only which giue great and diuine honour to pictures images of saints which defend that it is necessary for the obtayning of euerlasting life to make choise of dayes of meates which flatter themselues that they are able to fulfill the lawe of God without Christ which make a lawe concerning virginitie and single life which doe not thinke that chastitie is the gift of God which forbid oathes in causes of faith and godlinesse which torment mens consciences with humane precepts which discharge subiects of their obedience vnto
the ignorance of him doth aduance him For they which know him not do beleeue him to be an Apostolicall Prophet and a God Whereas they which haue truely knowne him doe know him to be an Antichrist Therfore when the Apostle saith that the Lord wil kil Antichrist with the breath of his mouth he meaneth that he wil reueale confound and discouer him by his worde The which is come to passe this day in somuch that his Lions skinne being taken from him little children do see his Asses eares and he is made a scorne vnto men And shall Abolish with the brightnesse of his comming The Apostle meaneth that such shal be the brightnes of Christ his countenance that it shall swallowe vp the darkenesse of Antichrist withall he doth priuilie giue to vnderstand that it is permitted vnto Antichrist to take his tourne to inioy his kingdome for a season euen so long as it shal please Christ to withdraw himselfe the which our sauiour Christ hath done by â—aking from men his light when he hath â—eene that they haue abused the same But â—f we like better to vnderstand the Apoâ—â—le as speaking of the last appearing of Christ then it seemeth that he doth allude â—o the woordes of the Prophet Daniel Dan. 7.11 â—here he saith The iudgment was set â—he bookes opened Then I beheld eâ—en till the beast was slaine and his boâ—y destroyed and giuen to the burning â—re c. And therefore Paul saith here Whom he shall abolish with the brightâ—esse of his comming For the Lord saith 〈◊〉 the Gospell Mat. 24.27 As the lightning comâ—eth out of the East goeth into the â—est So shall the coÌ„ming of the sonne â—f man be for he shall come in the â—ouds of heauen with power great â—â—orie Therfore this opinion is false that kingdome of impiety shal vtterly fal and euer appeare againe at the time of reueâ—â—tion wherof the Apostle hath spoken hiâ—â—erto or the Antichrist shal be abolished beâ—â—re the day of iudgment by martial force â—ight But rather this battaile betweene â—hrist and Antichrist shal continue to the â—d of the world Neuertheles Christ at his â—ming shal vtterly deface rase him out for euer In the meane time it is certainâ— true at the time when Antichrist is â—euealed a great number of men shall foâ—sake him as we see it is come to passe 〈◊〉 this age For although he presuming vpon the force of war doth spoile oppressâ— the saints of the most high yet the members of Christ do withstand him and do strike him with the sworde of Gods word pull of his visor accuse his impietie anâ— so at the last do kill him For in the heartâ— of these men he is slaine and his authorâ—tie defaced But though he be ouer come he will furiously rage still vntill tâ— be vtterly abolished by the iudge Christ tâ— whom alone this victorie is reserued Iâ— the meane time euery one of vs muâ— watch vigilantly that he hurte none of vâ— as afore time he hath done for thereforâ— the worde of God hath detected him vntâ— vs that we might shunne and beware 〈◊〉 his pestilent snares 9 Euen him whose comming is bâ— the woorking of Sathan with all power and signes and lying woonders Hitherto the Apostle hath intreated the kingdome reuelation and ruine Antichrist and now returning to him backe againe he doth describe more at large his power and woorkes And he confirmeth the sentence going afore with an argument of the contraries For seeing that Antichrist doth not stand without the subtill deceits of Sathan so soone as Christ doth shine he must needes vanish away Furthermore because he raigneth â—n darknesse only the day arising his kingdome is extinguished Therefore the Apoâ—tle teacheth that it shal be a most easie thing for Christ to distroy the kingdome â—nd tiranny of Antichrist which is vpâ—olden with no other thing then with the â—eceiueable sleights of Sathan Yet neâ—erthelesse he addeth certaine notes â—hereby that sonne of perdition may eaâ—ly be discerned In this description he â—ttributeth vnto him Sathan for his recâ—r and guide by whom Antichrist shal be â—ade able to deceiue others lest the faithâ—ll might thinke that Antichrist should 〈◊〉 impotent or his kingdome weake â—ow the power and woorkings of Saâ—an doe consist in murther and in lies as â—hrist witnesseth saying He was a murtherer from the beginning and aboad not in the trueth Iohn 8.44 because there is no truth in him When he speaketh of a lie he speaketh of his owne because he is a lyar and the father of the same thing And Paul in this present place expounding by repitition the working of SathaÌ„ reckoneth vp power and signes that is to say monstrous lyes and the deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse And in very deed that this kingdome might be quite contrarie to the kingdome of Christ it was necessarie that it should consist partly in false doctrine and in errors and partly in false and fayned miracles For the kingdome of Christ doth stand vpon the doctrine of truth and on the power of the spirite Therefore Sathan to oppose himselfe in the person of his vicar against Christ hath put on the name and visor of Christ and yet notwithstanding withall he hath chosen such weapons as wherewith he may directly oppugne Christ Christ with the doctrine of his Gospell doth illuminate our mindes vnto euerlasting life Antichrist being taught and instructed by Sathan with wicked false doctrine draweth the wicked to destruction Christ shewed foorth the power of his spirite confirming the Gospell with miracles to saue mens soules the aduersarie by the efficacie of Sathan doth withdraw vs from the holy ghost and with his falsehoodes and sleightes confirmeth miserable men in error As touching signes wicked Mahomet was woont to say Mahomet came not with miracles but with force that he came not in the power of signes but in martiall force whereby he manifestly confessed that for the setting vp of his new law he did nothing else but play the wicked murtherer The wicked lying man and tyrannicall deceiuer sawe that the Gospell of Christ had proper testimonies of diuine power by miraculous signes the which when he wanted he determined to bring all thinges to passe by cruell violence In the papacie great boast hath beene made of miracles the which manifestly appearing to bee contrary to the worde and doctrine of the Gospell do plainly appeare to come out of the shoppe of Sathan The Apostle calleth them lying wonders not onely which are lyingly and falsely fayned of craftie men to deceiue the simple with the which yâ— papacie doth woonderfully abound but also he placeth the lie falsehood herein that Sathan doth abuse those miracles which otherwise are the very workes of God and draweth them to a contrarie ende to obscure the glorie of God Notwithstanding there is no doubt but that he doth deceiue by illusions Exod. 11. example whereof we haue in Pharaos Magicians
Therfore there are two sorts of signes true and false Those are true signes which offer the very thinges without any fantasie Such are all the signes of the Prophets of the Apostles of Moses and of Christ They are false signes which by the sufferance of God are done either by Sathan himselfe or by his ministers to the derogation of the truth and confirmation of that which is false Of these false signes there are diuers kindes Some there are which beguile men vnder a false forme and there are some which truely appeare as they are in deede but to this ende to seduce men from truth to falsehood Concerning these signes reade the 24. of Mathewe Mat. 24.24 Verely the estimation of popishe religion increaced by nothing more then by the often vse of miracles By miracles Transubstantiation prayer to saintes and woorshipping of images got credit with the worlde For no man is able to rehearse the woonderfull sleightes of legerdemaine with the which Sathan hath beguiled the whole worlde in some place forsooth hogs worshipped the bread of the pix At another time the bread left his forme and a little boy appeared and after that a pece of flesh Yea and that which is more monstrous great streames of bloud were seene to runne from the same What will you say if images did goe or if they were sent by God from heauen if such as were hid were reuealed if some laughed and wept if other some sent glistering and shining beames wonderfully from them if some grewe and increased in bignesse if other some vanished away yea if many of them often times spake Of these thinges it was not lawfull for any man to doubt nay it was death not to worshippe these impieties and not to receiue them as come from God himselfe and appointed to be woorshiped 10 And in all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnesse among them that perishe because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued In these wordes Paul doth more plainly expound himselfe concerning the causes of lying wonders howbeit this may be referred to the comming of Antichrist As if he should say Antichrist shal come in al deceitfulnesse of vnrighteousnesse That is to say when he commeth he shall bring with him all manner of iniquities by which he shall seduce men from that which is true honest and iust and shall wrap them in hipocrisie and errors For by the name of seduction which in Greke is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fraud and deceit is signified by which a man is seduced from the right way not because he which goeth astray goeth out of the way through his owne fault but being deceiued with the fraud and subteltie of another lest he should walke in the right way euen as when we do beleeue and obey those which do turne vs away from the faith in Christ and from true repentance toward God being perswaded that they teach vs those thinges which are true and right Therefore we say that by the working of Antichrist common iustice all honestie and sincere trueth shal be remoued from their place and in steede thereof vnrighteousnesse hypocrisie impudencie lust and most vaine perswasion substituted The which thinges who seeth not that they haue possessed all sortes and conditions of men at this day but such as wil see nothing In them that perishe He doth limitte the power of Sathan lest some should thinke that he could hurte Gods elect Mat. 24. ver 24. euen as our sauiour Christ also exempteth them from this peril Wherby it doth appeare that Antichrist doth not preuaile so farre as he doth but by Gods sufferance Neither were all seduced by Antichrist nay rather many good Christians in the very kingdome of darknes and blindnes and of all iniquitie were by the grace and goodnesse of God saued as Iohn Hus Hierome of Prage and many others as shall appeare to them which reade ecclesiasticall Histories The which is therefore to be noted least any man should thinke that there ceased to be a Church vnder the kingdome of Antichrist but we must beleeue that alwayes from the beginning of the world God hath had his Church one while greater another while lesse This therfore was a necessarie consolation For otherwise the godly must needes haue beene discouraged through feare if they should see no way for them to goe but into a gaping and deuouring gulphe Therfore Paul as he would haue vs to be carefull to looke vnto our selues lest by too much securitie we come vnto distruction so he commaundeth vs to hope wel because the power of Sathan is restrayned and brideled that he cannot bring to ruine other then reprobates For those cannot be seduced whom Christ hath in his hand â—ohn 10.8 because he is a faithfull and mightie preseruer of them Because they receiued not the loue of the truth Least the reprobate might complaine that they perish giltlesse and that they are appointed to distruction rather through cruelty in God then for their own offence Paul sheweth for what iust causes so seuere vengeance of God shall come vpon them namely because they haue not imbraced the truth offered to them with such affection as became them but haue rather willingly reiected their saluation Therefore their obstinate rebellion against Christ deserueth that they which haue not receiued Christ desiring through his great loue to saue all men and for his truethes sake reuealing those thinges which pertaine to saluation that they might be saued now by the permission of God falsehood may preuaile with them in steede of trueth tyranny for charitie a destroyer for a Sauiour and that now they may beleeue the lies of wicked men which refused to beleeue the sonne of God preaching the trueth And hereby that which we haue already said doth more plainely appeare that it was expedient for the Gospel to be preached to the world before God gaue so great scope and liberty vnto Sathan because God would neuer haue suffered so foule a prophanation of his temple if he had not beene prouoked thereunto with the extreeme vnthankfulnesse of men To be breefe Paul testifieth that Antichrist shal be a minister of Gods iust vengeance against those which being called to saluation haue reiected the Gospell and haue rather giuen ouer their mindes to impietie and errors Wherefore the papistes haue now no colour to make this obiection that it became not the clemencie of Christ thus to cast off his Church For although Antichrist raigned like a tirant yet none perished but they which were worthy and which willingly sought their owne death And in very deed when as the voice of Christ did sound euery where the eares of men were deafe and willfully stopt against the same And although the profession of Christianisme was very common very few notwithstanding did truely and with their whole heart giue themselues vnto Christ Therefore it is no marueile if vpon such wicked contempte there ensued vengeance accordingly The loue of the trueth