Of Gregory they say thus in their praiers Hic nos saluet à peccatis vt in coelo cum beatis possimus quiescere That is Let him saue vs from our sinnes that in heauen wee may rest with the blessed Of Thomas Becket th'archbishop of Canterbury because he died in the Popes quarrell which like a rebell he maintained against his soueraigne king Henry the second they say full deuoutly Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit That is By the blood of Thomas which he for thee did spend Make vs Christ to come whither Thomas did ascend Of Peter and Paule Concede vt amboâ—…uÌ„ meritis aeternitatis gloriam consequamur Graunt that by the meries of them Ex. Rom. Breuiar both we may obtaine eternall glory To Mary the blessed virgin whom they idolatrously cal our Ladie and the Queene of heauen they pray thus O vnica spes miserorum libera nos Ex compassionib Mariae ab omni malo O thou that art the onely hope of them that are in miserie deliuer vs from all euill And elsewhere they call her Desperatorum spem vnicam peccatorum salvatricem Innoc. in orat de 300. dier indulgent In orat de 5. vnbâ—…rib The onely hope of them which are in despaire and the Sauiour of sinners Againe Mediatrix Dei hominum salus spes in the sperantium O thou the mediatrix betwixt God and men the saluation and hope of them that hope in thee And somewhere it is said O regina poli mater gratissima proli Speâ—…ere me noli me commendo tibi soli O Queene of heauen mother most deare to thy sonne do not thou despise me vnto thee alone I coÌ„mend me And againe Cum nulla spes sit altera nisi tu virgo puerpera In missali Paristensi patris parens filia cui me reconcilia Seeing there is no other hope besides thee O virgin mother the mother and daughter of-thy father to whom I pray thee reconcile me And to conclude for innumerable such speeches might be produced they say O foelix puerpera nostra pians scelera Ibid. iure matris impera redemptori O happy mother which doest purge away our sins by thy motherly authority commaunde our redeemer So that sometimes they doe ioyne vnto our Sauiour Christ other mediatours not onely of intercession but also of redemption which indeede is presupposed in the former sometimes also they exclude our Sauiour Innocent in orat in laudem virginis Christ when as they say that Mary purgeth away the sins of all the faithfull and that she and no other is the onely hope of them that are in misery and despaire And not to speake of their blasphemous psalter wherein they turne that which is spoken in the Psalmes either of God or Christ to the virgin Mary some of them say that whereas the kingdome of Christ consisteth in two things iustice and mercie Christ reserueth iustice vnto himself mercie he hath giuen vp to his mother And therefore one saith A foro iustitiae Dei appellundum est ad Bernardinus in Marâ—…al forum misericordiae matris eius From the court of Gods iustice we must appeale to the court of his mothers mercy 10 As touching the kingdome of Christ what doth not the Pope oppugne in it The realme and kingdome of Christ is his church which he ruleth by his spirit inwardly and outwardly by his word which is both his scepter and his lawe and also by such officers and ministers as hee hath ordained both in the church and common wealth The church and people of God this sonne of perdition seeketh to destroy First by killing the bodies of the true seruants of Christ that refuse his marke in respect whereof hee may most worthilie bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or abaddon that is a destroyer his church the whore Apoc. 9. of Babylon which is drunke with the bloud of Saints and of the Martyrs of Iesus as shall be shewen in the second booke and seauenth chapter And as hee killeth the bodies of those that will not receiue his marke so hee murdereth the soules of them that submit theÌ„selues vnto him poysoning them with his damnable errours and making them drunke with the wine of his fornications after which they shall drinke of the cuppe of Apoc. 14. 9. Gods wrath Now in making hauocke of mens soules he taketh such liberty vnto him as that if he should draw with him innumerable soules into hell yet no man may say vnto him Domine cur ita facis Syr why do you so And in the Canon Si papa dist 40. it is sayd If the Pope do cary with him innumerable Glossâ—…iur caâ—… peoples by troupes into hell no man in this world may presume to reproue his fault because he is to iudge all and to be iudged of none vnlesse he be found to erre from the faith which the Pope as he is Pope cannot doe Hereunto Bellarmine aunswereth that the words of this Canon bee not the words of any Pope Cupers pag. 18. num 12. but of Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz Yea but say I the Lib. 3. de pont Rom. cap. 21. Pope hath so approued this speeche being deliuered by another as that hee hath canonized it and appointed it for one of the canons of his law Which is more then if it had bin spoken by himselfe But Bellarmine replyeth If this sentence of Boniface be not true why do you obiect it if it be true why do you not receiue it I aunswere because it being not onely false but blasphemous also and Antichristian is notwithstanding by the Pope authorized for a Canon in his lawe Moreouer one of the chiefe works of Gods spirit the spirit of adoption which is speciall faith apprehending the righteousnesse of Christ to our iustification hee laboureth to extinguish in the hearts of men calling it presumption acknowledging no other faith Iam. 2. but such as is common to the diuells which consisteth onely of knowledge and assent and yet not requiring that in the lay people whome vnder the name of implicite faith hee nuzleth in palpable ignorance and leadeth them beeing blind as Elizeus did the Aramites euen whether it pleaseth 2. King 6. him The pure wheat of Gods word hee suppresseth and keepeth from the people in an vnknowne tongue and see deth them with the mast of their Legends and festiualls and lyes I should haue sayd liues of Saints The lawes of Christ he partly dispenseth with and partly abrogateth making them of none effect by his owne constitutions and traditions In the church in steede of the offices and functions ordayned by Christ hee hath created a new priesthoode erected an hierarchy consecrated orders and religions of his owne In the common wealth hee absolueth the people from their obedience to their princes if they shal displease him And it is a
principle among them that it is lawfull for him to depose Emperours and Kings and to absolue their sworne subiects from fidelity and allegiance towards them And thus you see how the Pope opposeth himselfe to the prophecy priesthood and kingdome of Christ. Whereunto I might adde how he is opposed to these offices of Christ not onely in these respects allreadie mentioned but as an aemulus as an antiprophet an antipriest and a counter king seeking in his Antichristian pride to match our Sauiour Christ in all those offices but hereof I shall haue occasion to speake in the next chapter Now to the benefites of Christ he is opposite as he is an enemy to the grace of god as hee taketh away Christian liberty and taketh vpon him to make new lawes to binde the conscience as he abridgeth the merites of Christ and ascribeth the merite of saluation not onelie to our owne works prescribed of God but also to such as haue beene in superstition will worship and idolatrie deuised by themselues as he teacheth men to seek saluation elsewhere then in Christ. All which oppositions of the Pope to Christ whosoeuer shall duely consider hee will not seeke further for Antichrist Chap. 5. Of the pride and ambition of Antichrist aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God c. 1. BVt Antichrist is not onely hostis an enemy to Christ but also as our aduersaries confesse aemulus Christi that is such an aduersarie as is opposed vnto Christ in aemulation of like honour as the word Antichrist doth also signifie It remaineth therefore that wee should speake of the pride and ambition of Antichristâ—… whereby hee seeking to match Christ our Sauiour aduaunceth himselfe as the Apostle speaketh Aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped insomuch that hee sitteth in the temple 2. Thess. 2. 4. of God as God shewing himselfe that hee is God or as the Papists themselues reade as though hee were God Where for auoiding of errour we are to vnderstand the pride of Antichrist Vulgat edit â—…em to be described such as is incident to a wretched man a man of sin a sonne of perdition And the greatest pride that is incident not onely to any man but to any creature be it the diuell himselfe whose Satanicall pride Antichrist was to imitate and not to exceed is this to seeke to be as God When as Es. 14. therefore it is said that Antichrist aduanceth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped it is not meant that hee shall seeke to aduaunce himselfe aboue God or the deitie it selfe For God being infinite in goodnesse excellencie and power there cannot bee conceiued a better a superiour a greater And therefore wee cannot imagine how Antichrist should aduance himselfe aboue God And it is euident that the height of Antichrists pride heere spoken of is noted in these words Insomuch as he shall sitte in the temple of God as God By all therfore that is called God we are to vnderstand all those to whom the name of God is coÌ„municated not essence for that cannot be communicated to any that is not god Now the name of God is communicated to Angells in heauen Psal. 8. 5. cum Heb. 2. 7. Psal. 97. 7. cum Heb. 1. 6. and to princes and magistrates on earth Exod. 22. 28. Psal. 82. 1. 6. And wheras it is said that hee shall aduance himselfe aboue all that is worshipped wee are to vnderstand by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not God himselfe but any thing that is worshipped as God or wherein God is worshipped So Wisd. 15. 17. images and Act. 17. 23 altars among the heathen are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such in the church of Rome are Saints images the crosse and reliques of Saints the eucharist c. The meaning then of the Apostle is this that Antichrist being a wicked and wretched man shall aduance himselfe aboue all that is called God as Angells and Kings or that which is worshipped as Saints and images and altars the crosse and eucharist it selfe insomuch that he shall sit in the temple of God as God that is hee shall rule raigne in the church of God challenging a soueraigne vniuersall and diuine authority ouer al those that professe the name of Christ as if he were a God vpon earth shewing himselfe whether by words or by deeds that he is god or which is all one behauing himselfe tanquam sit Deus As though he were God The like things were foretold of Antiochus Epiphanes who is thought to haue bene a type of Antichrist Dan. 11. 36. But to come to the application of this prophecie if Antiochus were comparable to the Pope in aduauncing himself aboue all that is called God or if I shal not proue out of their owne I meane popish writings that he hath lifted vp himselfe in such maner as is scarcely credible to be incident vnto a mortall maÌ„ then let not the Pope be deemed Antichrist but rather looke for some other who shall goe beyond him in Antichristian insolency and Satanicall pride 2. From this place therfore of th'apostle I argue thus Whosoeuer aduaunceth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped insomuch that he sitteth in the temple of God as God taking vpon him as though he were a God he according to the testimony of th'apostle is antichrist that is Aemulus Christi such an enimy as in a kinde of emulation seeketh to match Christ and to be equall to him But the Pope of Rome as shal be proued aduaunceth himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped insomuch that hee sitteth in the temple of God as God taking vpon him as though he were a God vpon earth therefore according to this testimony of th'apostle the Pope is Antichrist And first that the Pope aduaunceth himselfe aboue all that is called God it is plaine because he lifteth vp himself not onely ouer Kings and Emperours on earth but also aboue the Angels in heauen Of his lifting vp himselfe aboue Kings Emperours is the testimony before alledged 2. Thess. 2. 4. Papa superioritatem habet in imperium Clemeatin Pastoralis de re Iudic. especially to bee vnderstood For he speaketh of such an aduancement whereby Antichrist should be reuealed as was to be hindered for a time by the Romane Empire Let vs then consider how he aduaunceth himselfe aboue Kings and Emperours who are called Gods The Pope if you will beleeue him his followers is the 1 Paulus 4. ad ducem Floret in bulla Rod. Cupers meritò rex reguÌ„ dominus dominantium censetur Papa reque ipsa existit pag. 43. num 39. c. solitas extr de maior obed c. per venerabileÌ„ opt qui filij sunt legitimi Antonius de Rosellis King of Kings and Lord of Lordes by 2 Lib. Carem whom Princes raigne and from 3 Clem. 5. in coÌ„cil vienn whom the
the scriptures And if the Hervaeus de potest Tap. e. R. Cupers Petrus de palude de potest Papae â—…t 4. church be aboue the Scriptures then much more is he For he not onely virtualiter est tota ecclesia that is virtually the whole church but also his power alone exceedeth the power of all the whole church besides Now that the authority of the church much more of the Pope who is superior to the church is aboue the scripture it is both generally affirmed by som particulars coÌ„firmed Cardinal Cusanus entitleth his book De authoritate ecclesia concilij supra coÌ„tra scripturaÌ„ Of the authority of the Church councell aboue against the Scripture Syluester Prierias master of the Popes pallace saith That indulgences are warranted vnto vs not by the authoritie of the Scripture Contra Lutheri conclusiones de potestate Papae but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which is greater Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz saith That all men so reuerence the Apostolicke See of Rome that they rather desire the auncient institution of Christian religion from the Pope then from the holy Scriptures This saying the Pope hath so approued that he hath caused it to be inserted into the Dist. 40. c. si Papa Canon lawe The particulars which proue the Pope to aduaunce himselfe aboue the Scriptures are these 1 Because he hath as they say authoritie to adde to the Canonicall Scriptures other bookes that are not in the Canon And that those Dist. 19. c. si Romanorum Ioan. de turrecrem l. 〈◊〉 cap. 112. which be in the Canon haue their Canonicall authority from him In the 19. distinction cap. Si Romanorum Pope Nicolas not onely matcheth their decretall Epistles with the holy Scriptures but also affirmeth that the Scriptures are therefore to be receiued because the Pope hath iudged them canonicall Another saith Whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Romane church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God Syluester Prierias contra Lutherum à qua sacra scriptura robur trabis authoritatem From which the sacred Scripture draweth strength and authority hee is an Hereticke Eckius saith Scriptura nisiecclesiae authoritate non De ecclesia est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authority of the Church For I will not tell you how some of them haue not bene ashamed to say that the Scripture without the authoritie of the Church is of it selfe no better worth then AEsopes fables Pighius saith The authority of the church Vid. Chemnit exam part 1. pag. 47. is aboue the Scriptures because the authoritie of the Church hath giuen the Scriptures canonicall authority Secondly whereas the Scriptures are not the words and syllables but the true sence and meaning thereof They teach that the scriptures are to be vnderstood according to the interpretation of the Pope and Church of Rome and that sence which the Pope assigneth to the Scriptures must bee taken for the vndoubted word of God The Pope saith one hath authority so to expound Heruauâ—… de potestate Papae the scriptures that it is not lawful to hold or thinke the contrary A Cardinall of Rome saith If any man haue the interpretation of the church of Rome concerning any place of scripture although he neither know nor vnderstand whether and Cardinal Hosius de expresso dei verbo how it agreeth with the words of the scripture notwithstanding he hath ipsimum verbum Dei the very wordof God And if the sence which they giue be diuerse according to the variety of their practise and diuersitie of times we must acknowledge that the scripture is to follow the church and not the church to follow the scriptures Whereupon Cardinall Cusanus It is no Nicol. Cusanus ad Bohem. epist. 7. maruell saith he though the practise of the church expound the scriptures at one time one way and at another time another way For the vnderstanding or sence of the scripture runneth with the practise And that sence so agreeing with the practise is the quickning spirit And therefore the scriptures follow the church but contrarywise the church followeth not the scriptures And this is that which one who was no small foole in Rome auouched The Pope saith he may change the holy gospell and may Henricus Doctor magister sacri palatij Romae ad legatos â—…ohemicos sub Felice Papa 1447. giue to the gospell according to place and time another sence And to the same purpose was the speech of that blasphemous Cardinall that if any man did not beleeue that Christ is very God and man and the Pope thought the same he should not bee condemned To conclude therefore with Cardinall Cusanus This is the iudgement saith he of all them that thinke rightlie Cardinal s. Angeli ad cosdeâ—… legatos Bohemicos that found the authoritie and vnderstanding of the scriptures in the allowance of the church and not contrariwise lay the foundation of the church in the authority of the scriptures Ad Bohemos epist. 2. 11 Thirdly the Pope challengeth authority aboue the scriptures when he taketh vpon him to dispense with the word and law of God For whosoeuer taketh vpon him to dispense with the law of another challengeth greater authority then the others and it is a rule among themselues In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior the inferiour may not dispense Antonin part 3. lit 22. cap. 6. §. 2. with the commaundement of the superiour That the Pope doth dispense with the lawes of God it is euident For scarcely is there any sinne forbidden there where with he doth not sometimes dispense nay whereof hee will not if it be for his aduantage make a meritorious worke Incest is an horrible sinne forbidden by the law of God and by the lawe of nature And yet there is no incest excepting that which is committed betwixt the parents and the children which hee hath not authority forsooth to dispense with for as they say hee may dispense against the law of nature The Pope dispensed with Henrie the eightth to marie his sister in law and 25. q. 6 authoritatem in glâ—…ss with Philip the late king of Spaine to mary his owne niece Pope Martin the fift dispensed with a certaine brother that Antonin sum 3. part tit 1. cap. 11. §. quod Papa sum angel diâ—…t Papa maried his owne sister And Clement the seauenth licensed Petrus Aluaraâ—…lus the spaniard for a summe of money to marie two sisters at once c. Disobedience to parents periury that is breaking of lawfull oathes rebellion against lawfull princes murdering of a sacred prince are condemned by the lawe of God as haynous offences But if children shall cast of their parents to enter into a Sodomiticall cloister if the Pope shall absolue the subiects from their oathes and forbidde them
in numeratioÌ„ For seeing we know what the beast it self is we might wel take that name which fitteth this nuÌ„ber any of these ways Irenaeus whose master Policarpus beene Saint Iohns disciple reporteth that those who had seen Iohn face to face did teache that the number of the name of Lib. 5. the beast according to the computation of the Greeks by the letters which be in it shall containe 666. Hee therefore setteth downe three names in greeke letters contayning that number in two whereof there is no shew of reason that either of them should be this name seeing neither of them I meane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the name of the beast The third name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof hee writeth thus Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerum valde verisimile est Quoniam verissunum regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant But the name Lateinos also containeth the number 666. and it is verse likelie because the most true kingdome hath this name For they are Latines which now raigne Which in effect is as much as if hee had saide the name Latine is very likelie because it hath the number 666. and is the name of the beaste which figureth verissimum regnum the most true kingdome that is the Latin or Romane state The name of the beast Apoc. 13. 7. therefore in greek contayning the number is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Latine 3. In Hebrew the beasts name comprehending that number is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Romane For the beastes name beeing a nowne or name collectiue may indifferently according to the maner of the Hebrewes be vttered either in the Masculine or Foeminine gender And the Foeminine termination doth better fitte the prophecy not onely because it rendreth the iust number but also because the beast as it is subiect to Antichrist beeing the adulterous Romane state is elsewhere in the foeminine called the whore of Babylon and the mother of fornications The most vsuall name of the beast in it owne language that is the Latine tongue is Romanus which in Hebrewe characters is as Master Foxe supposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the knowledge whereof as himselfe reporteth hee attained by earnest prayer And that the name Latine or Romane in the learned tongues is the name whereof the holy ghost speaketh it appeareth because euery thing here spoken of the name agreeth fitly and properly thereunto For first it is the name of the beast Secondly is containeth the number 666 as may appeare by this suppâ—…ion Thirdly it is such a name as he to whom all other notes of Antichrist doe agree I meane the Pope enforceth men to take vpon them as shal be shewed Fourthly because the name Latinus or Romanus is also the name of a man For Latinus was one of the auncient Kings of Italy and Romanus was one of the Popes Wherefore I doubt not to conclude that the name is Romane or Latins in the learned tongues For howsoeuer many others names may be produced which comprehend the number 666 yet either they are not the name of the beast or are such names as Antichrist was not to impose vpon men But Lib. 2. cap. 10. of this more here after 4. Now let vs see what that marke is whereof the holy Ghost speaketh Charaâ—…t or Character is as it were a cognizance a note of difference wherby men of any profession or religion are knowne and distinguished from others And it is partly in ward and partly outward The inward is that which is imprinted in the soule the outward is that which is either expressed or receiued outwardly as namely in the forehead or in the right hand In the forehead that is by outward profession and in the right hand that is by operation as the ordinary glose expoundeth As for example the character or marke of a christian or seruant of Christ is subiectioÌ„ vnto Christ and acknowledgement of him to be our head Sauiour This inwardly is the grace of a true faith wrought in the soule by the finger of Gods spirit wherby we beleeue in Christ our sauiour For those that truly beleeue are sealed or signed to saluation That which Eph. 1. 13. outwardly is expressed is either by consession of the mouth or operation of the hands In respect whereof profession of the ChristiaÌ„ faith may truely be said to be the outward marke of a Christian as also determinat us modus us viueÌ„di c. as the scholemen speake the certaine maner of liuing according to the law religioÌ„ of Christ. So that he which beleeueth with his hart coÌ„fesseth with his mouth that Iesus is Christ withal frameth his life according to the law doctrine of Christ he may be said to haue the marke of God Apoc. 9. 4. both in the heart by beleeuing in the forehead by profession in the right haÌ„d by operation See Rom. 10. 9. 10. 2. Tim. 2. 19. And furthermore the outward markes receiued to testifie our subiectioÌ„ vnto Christ our coÌ„munion with him as also to distinguish vs froÌ„ men of other religions are the SacrameÌ„ts of Christ as baptisme and the Lords supper And thus you see the marke of a Christian which is but one in substance namely the true acknowledgement of Christ is thus diuersly expessed testified 5. The like may be said of the marke of the beast which is also called the marke of his name The beast as wee haue proued Apoc. 14. 11. is the Romane state the name is Romane or Latine The marke therfore of the beast is that whereby they of the Romish or Latine religion whom we call Papists are distinguished froÌ„ others that is their subiection vnto the Pope as their head and acknowledgement of the See of Rome This inwardly in the soule is their implicite faith whereby euery Papist is bound hand ouer head to beleeue whatsoeuer the Pope or Church of Rome beleeueth and the rather because they are to be perswaded that neither of both can erre That which outwardly is expressed is either by confession of the mouth or operation of the hands So that the profession of the Romishe religion and certaine maner of liuing according to the Lawes and customes of the Pope and church of Rome may also be said to be the marke of Antichristians euen as the obseruation of the Heathenish rites is called 2. Macah. 4. 10. the Character of the Graecians Who soeuer therfore in heart beleeueth whatsoeuer the Pope church of Rome do or shall beleeue outwardly professeth the Romish religion frameth his life according to the lawes customes of the church of Rome as for exaÌ„ple to fal downe before images to adore the Eucharist to frequeÌ„t the Masse c. he may be truly said to haue the marke of the beast Moreouer the outward marks