humilitatem he is called the Servant of Servants in regard of his meeknesse Finally their owne Archbishop of Granada assistant in the Synode of Trent did Trent Hist lib. 6. confesse that it was an absolute Dominion to make use of the quality of a servant and of a Lord also To conclude others mince the matter by Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 17. nu 12 termes of Qualification Est â—us suum à Deo da tum propter bonum Ecclesiae saith Suarez this superiority and authority is in the Pope for the advancement of the Church Bellarmine Bell. Apolog. cap. 9. saith Quà Vicarius Dei that the Pope requireth no such honour for himselfe but onely as he is the Vicar of Christ Wee cannot but remember the case of Fredericke Barbarossa when his necke was under the foot of Pope Alexander the third the Emperour said to him Non tibi sed Petro that is I doe this submission not to thee but to Peter But the Pope answered the Emperour Et mihi Petro that is Now thou shalt be subject to Peter and to me also So will the Pope say to any Prince when he hath got his necke under his foot yea but his head under his girdle Et propter bonum Ecclesiae propter honorem Pontificis that is he shall be a Vassall not onely to the Vicar of Christ which is the Pope of Rome but also to the Pope of Rome though he were No Vicar of Christ But to make all manifest in their holy book Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 1. of Ceremonies dedicated by a Romish Archbishop to a Pope of Rome to Leo the tenth The phrase of the Cardinalls Election runneth thus Ego investio te Papatu ut praesis Vrbi Orbi that is I chuse thee to be Pope who must governe this City and the whole World And that wee should not suppose this superiority to be claimed Sacrar Cer. lib. 1. sect 2. in things Ecclesiasticall onely it followeth in the foresaid booke that when the Pope doth mount his horse the Emperor must hold his stirrup and a King his bridle And if any should except that this is but a Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 7. c. 6. ceremony and therefore no substantial argument I instance againe Pope Sixtus Quartus did solemnly pronounce this sentence of absolute and successive soveraignty Figurat hic Gladius Pontificialis potestatem summam Temporalem à Christo Pontifici collatam juxta Psalmum 72. 8. Dominabitur à Mari c. that is This Pontificall Sword doth signifie the supreme Temporall power which Christ hath conferred on the Pope according to that saying Psalm 72. 8. His Dominion shall be from one sea to the other and from the flood unto the worlds end What tongue can so exalt it selfe against the Truth as to say The Pope doth not exalt himselfe above Kings and Emperours that is Above all that is called God or that is worshipped It is a popiâ—h brag that they have made many Proselytes and that many more Protestants are wavering Would God these few words might touch the eares and hearts of every honest Papist This is plaine The Pope doth exalt himselfe above all Kings and Emperours Now it is avouched by a learned Convert Dr Sheldon Motive 4. who doth know them better by their living than wee can by their writings that some Papists make it an article of their Faith that the Pope hath power to depose Kings I may adde the most Papists for I am sure this is the drift of Bellarmine Suarez and of the most and most learned of their Writers On this ground I build this Dilemma which no evasion I thinke can escape Therefore Every Papist is either an Hereticke or a Traitour If he beleeve that the Pope hath power to depose Princes then is he a true Papist but a Traitour to his King If he beleeve it not then is hee a true Subject but an Hereticke to his Church Now what a wretched Religion is this which doth so inthrall a poore soule that either thy Church shall hate thee as an Hereticke or thy King feare thee as a Traitour And canst thou yet follow nay favour that profession whose very Religion is Rebellion Now whatsoever thou art I intirely beseech thee by thy obedience to thy King by thy honour to thy God and by thy compassion on thine owne soule consider those things which I object seriously and impartially Conclude as God shall encline thee Bee it so as they boast that wee are weake and they wise yet there is a God in heaven who can make his power strong in our weaknesse 2 Cor 12. 9. 1 Cor. 1. 19. There is a God in heaven who can confound the wisedome of the wise Now That God even that God exalt his Truth above that adversarie who doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped SERMON IX 2 THESS 2. 3 4. So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God Antichrist shall not sit corporally in the Temple The Pope usurpeth the same power with Christ The same titles That hee is above Councills Can make a Creed The Pope is not the King is Head of the Church The Pope countermands all the Commandements IN this fourth verse Antichrist is expressed by three properties First that He exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped Secondly So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God This second doth succeed and exceed the former There Antichrist did exalt himselfe above Kings and Emperours here above all Christians There over the Common wealth here over the Church There in things Temporall here in things Spirituall There he doth usurp upon the Estates and persons of Kings and Princes here he doth dominiere over the Consciences of Princes and Subjects of Lay and Clergy of Rich and Poore of All. The Text doth say He doth sit as God in the Temple of God The Papists expound this sentence in this manner He as God sitteth in the Temple of God that is Antichrist in an horrible insolence shall sit in the Temple and command the same adoration to be given to himselfe which is given to God To take it literally is to erre grossely and wittingly every word doth gainsay it First in the Temple Baronius and the best of the Romists avouch that the Temple cannot possibly be built againe Antichrist therefore cannot possibly sit in the Temple Secondly he shall sit the Papists understand this phrase as if a Protestant should demand how long hath Gregory the fifteenth sate in the Church of Rome If he should meane a locall sitting in a materiall Church they would hisse at such an absurd question The sitting then of Antichrist in their own formall phrase cannot be locall or corporall Thirdly He sitteth as God now God hath no bodily position unlesse their pennes shall second their pictures and incline to the Anthropomorphites God hath no body therefore
Law and without God At 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not cast such durt in their faces although I may rake much with much Meleâ— Canus lib. 11. cap. 6. facility from their owne Dunghills Wee produce their owne miracles against their owne persons and their owne propositions There remaineth one maine miracle a maine argument wherin some Papists doe triumph and whereat some Protestants doe stumble From Revelation 13. 13. thus they dispute Antichrist doth cause fire to come from Heaven The Pope doth not cause fire to come from Heaven Therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answer this cannot bee taken literally because the whole Chapter is mysticall None can be so grosse as to thinke that a Beast indeed shall rise out of the very Sea having seven heads and ten hornes as it is in the first nor that the people shall worship a very Dragon as it is in the fourth nor that there shall bee another beast like a Lambe and a Dragon as in the tweâ—th neither shall it be a very sire as it followeth in this thirteenth I say therefore is an Allusion unto 1 King 18. 24. This exposition though it be singular good yet is it not singular besides our owne learned Expositors it is so expounded also by Paulus Bernriedensis Paul Bernried in vita Greg. 7. who mentioning divers wonders of fire wrought by Pope Gregory the seventh doth sundry times resemble him to Elias According to that resemblance and not literally I say Antichrist shall cause sire to come from heaven In 1 King 18. 24. there being a difference in Israel betwixt Baals Priests and the Prophet which was the true Religion Elias testisieth his to be the truth by causing sire to come from heaven So here there being a difference in the Church whether the Religion of Christ or of Antichrist was the truth the text saith Antichrist shall cause sire to come from heaven in conspectu hominum that is he shall make his salse Religion to appeare to men to bee the truth as effectually as if like Elias hee should cause sire to come from heaven for a confirmation of his doctrine Which is most agreeable to the Pope The caeca obedientia blinde obedience of the Clergy and the implicite saith of the Laity the one beleeving whatsoever the Pope teacheth and the other obeying whatsoever the Pope commandeth without examination or disputation and both as consident in what the Pope teacheth as if they saw sire come from heaven to confirme his doctrine Here I professe that argument which once did most stagger me doth now most strengthen me in this point I take this to be an insoluble syllogisme Whosoever maketh his followers as confident in their errours as if they saw fire come from heaven to confirme them is That Antichrist But the Pope maketh his followers as confident in their errours as if they saw fire come from heaven to confirme them Therefore the Pope is that Antichrist I desire that every honest and understanding Papist may take this argument into their conscionable and serious consideration I will but touch upon two points and so conclude First Whether the Papists doe worke any miracles Secondly If they doe Whether those miracles should perswade us to be of their Religion a Proposition and a Supposition To the first the phrase of Arnobius will Arnob. adveâ—s Gentes lib. 1. frame a fit resolution by a most apt application Saepe sciamus scierimus Full often have we knowne and as often shall we know say the Papists many cured by miracles Inquiro Quis Quo loco Cui auxiliatus fuerit By what person In what place and of what disease have those miraculous cures healed them Againe An sine ullius adjunctione materiae have they beene healed without application If any thing hath beene applyed to those Creples Clinikes c. benesicia ista rerum non sunt curantium potestates they were then healed by the secret vertue of the things not by the miraculous manifest power of the Agents Finally Quod millia debillium how many millions of miserable creatures can we shew you who Cum per omnia supplices irent Templa after they have gone Pilgrimes to all the Saints Shrines in Christendome Cum deorum ante or a prostrati after they have prostrated themselves before all the holy Images Cum limina ipsa convererent osculis after they have swept the very pavement of their Churches with their lips Nullam omnino retâ—lisse medicinam and yet to have receiued no Benefit to their diseased carkeises These are the words of Arnobius but mine owne interrogations I request any sober papist to render a solid resolution Some ioyne issue and say that at this day they can instance in Miracles wrought beyond the Seas and in England also Beyond the Sea and beyond our Beliefe also Lipsius his chronicles are Lipsius de Virg. Hallens cap. 12. Acosta de salut Indorum lib. 6. cap. 4. 12. 17. Melchior Canus lib. 11. cap. 6. fraught with miracles of the Lady of Halls as giving sight to the blinde c. We answer For such miracles in generall Acosta who hath travelled as farre and Melchior Canus who read as much as did Lipsius dare not venture their credit in countenancing those Popish miracles And for the Popish restoring of the blinde in particular a French impostor was discovered at our Ladies of Renand in Paris â—â—â— Sâ—â—v Apology Fox Monum to 1. vita Henr. 6. and an English counterfeit at S. Albons in Hartfordshire both by the selfe same impudent ignorance and ignorant impudence a brace of borne-blinde Bayards would take upon them at the first moment of their miraculous sight to judge of colours Also here at home Eudaemon cryeth us downe with an instar Eudamon advers Abbot lib. 3. sect 4. omnium with one amazing miracle Quantum vobis Quantum vestris Magistratibus Quantum Regio Consilio admirationis attulit Quantum terroris incussit Garnetiana illa palea Oh quoth he what wonderment and astonishment overwhelmed you your Magistrates yea and your Kings privy Counsell because of Garnets straw We answer we value it as it was it was a miracle of straw Our boyes deride it because none of our men beleeve it As one speaketh it was done artificio by Art and by no wonderfull Art neither If any lust to spend Abbott Antilog cap. 14. time to know toyes reverend Abbots Antilogy to Eudaemon his ridiculous Apology will give him a superabundant information To unty the first knot we say The Papists doe no miracles here especially This I make good on two grounds First consider what God will doe not confirme an errour by his suffrage Which he should doe if an errour were countenanced by a true miracle Secondly what the devill can doe no true miracle Therefore his assistance availeth not Therefore neither digitus Dei nor digitus Diaboli neither can the devill nor will God inable the Papists to
permit them their Discipline even Penance and Confession prouided that they impose it not upon others Finally I could yeeld for Peace to any thing which can admit any Conscionable or Charitable interpretation For I thank God I have learned to hate Opinions not because they are Popish but because they are Erronious This professe I for my selfe I dare not promise so much for all We know there are some who onely for the Cap the Knee though we come with the Cap with the Knee yet will they neuer be intreated to be Reconciled toâ—â—â—s What hope then can there be to draw them to a Reconciliation in those great points which indeed are a great deale more difficult Thus Reconciliation on our side is improbable but on their side plainly impossible The most moderate learned and most sanctified of the Protestants speake and seeke to the Papists in the words of St. Paul If it be possible we will have Peace Rom. 12. 18. But long and lamentable experience returneth the attaining of such Peace to be impossible in the phrase of Zacharie 7. 1 and 12. They refused to harken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares yea they haue made their hearts as hard as an Adamant Which impossibility of Peace or of any Peaceable Reconciliation wee may conceive it we consider their Positions Dispositions and the Composition or the very Beeing of the Papacie Their Positions or Paradoxes are intolerable and such as contradict if not Ruine the Foundations of Christianitie The Lords Prayer is as good as annihilated to the Common People because praying in Latine they cannot say Amen to that they vnderstand not In the Creed the tenth Article is plainly gainsaid by that arrogant opinion of merits In the Decalogue the second Commandement is grosly transgressed by the worshipping of Images And in the Sacrament the Adoring the Bread and the withholding of the Cup the one against the apparent Trueth and the other against the Confessed institution of Christ In all these there can be no amity with Rome without enmity with God Though Israell play the Harlot yet let not Iudah offend Hosea 4. 15. Add to this the interdiction of the Scripture against the expresse precept of Christ Iohn 5. 39. and the Popes Power to Depose Hookâ—r in Hab. 14. Sect. 27. Princes accounting himselfe Lord Paramont over Kings and Kings his Seruants Paravaile the very Character of Antichrist 2 Thes 2. 4. As also his Divorces in mariages and Dispensations in Oathes Moreover all their errours are imposed as Crakenth De â—â—â—s Eccles Aug. cap. 83. matters of faith and no faith is to bee kept with Heretikes this is a decree of Pope Vrbanus the sixt which you may read in Dr. Crakenthorp against Spalato For us to yeeld to these is no lesse than the losse of our lives peradventure salvation For them to reforme it is no more than to perswade the Pope to yeeld up his keyes and Crowne which I thinke those Reconcilers have no great hope to performe Howsoever wee may say in the words and judgement of judicious Hooker Let them hate Hooker in Hab. 1. 4. sect 27. and forsake all their Idolatry and abjure all their errours and heresies and wee will meet rhem Tolet. Inâ—â—r lib 1. cap. 9. with Olive branches But if they will not we have the warrant of their owne Cardinall and Casuists to avoyd Heretickes and Heresie And we are confident for our selves that wee may shape the same answer to these reconcilers which Iehu did to Ioram 2 Kings 9. 22. What Peace so long as the whoredomes of your mother Iezabell are so many Next if their positions might bee reconciled yet their dispositions are irreconciliable For in Relation of the Religion in the West 48. all their Conferences ere they have departed they have plainly discovered that they came not with any such intent as to yeeld any thing for Peace much lesse for Truths sake but onely to assay either by manifold perswasions to intreat or reduce or otherwise to intrap or disgrace the Adversaries Moreover the Popes themselves are Patrons and patternes of this inflexible Whitâ—ker in Bell â—ont 4. Qâ—â—st 5. perversnesse Hereupon when as Pope Adrian at the Norimberg Diet promised a Reformation but Pedetentim deliberately foot by foot Luther did interpret that Pedetentim that the Pope meant to have inâ—er pedes singulos centum annos that is an hundred yeares betwixt every foot before hee would set hand to Reformation And the same Luther had the like jeast against Paul the third that his summoning of the Trent Councill was much like unto them Dr. Hall No Peace with Rome sect 22. that mocke an hungry dogge with a crust and a knife who in stead of giving him the bread let him feele the haft But that was no jeast which was related by Hugh the Cardinall to the Citizens Matth. Paris in Henr. 3. of Lyons in the name of his Lord the Pope taking leave of them 1250 Since our comming to your City we have done you one benefit when we came first we found here three or foure stewes but going away we leave but one and that reacheth from the Easterne to the Westerne gate thereof And the onely peece of ground which all those Popes sought and fought to make good against the forces of Christendome at Trent was that that Councill should not touch upon the point of Reformation the elder sister to Reconciliation And this their unreasonable obstinatenesse standeth with some reason for Reconciliation presupposeth some errours on either side which must be reformed and some extremities which must be remitted But they will acknowledge none Ecclesia non potest errare that the Romane Church hath no Errour this is the Basis of the Romish Religion if they will say that the Pope notwithstanding will grant to us a connivence that wee may practise our Religion without hindrance this were permission indulgence and no reconciliation And I thinke the Protestants will hardly admit of a dispensation in stead of a Reconciliation Neither are the Popes and Papists over-free even in this For at the Councill of Trent the King of Bohemia the Dukes of Saxony and Bavaria the Lantgrave of Hassia and diverse of their owne learned Bishops could not intreat a permission but in two points Mariage to the Clergie and the Cup to the Laity Therefore their resolute disposition is a gulfe betwixt them and us No hope of Reconciliation That you may not suspect me to misreport their resolution heare the Papists speake in their owne language Non de uno aut altero Bell. Epist Dediâ—at capite Bellarmine saith we contend not about one or two points sed de tota propemodum religionis Bell. de R. Pont. Praefat. summa dimicavi but our contention is concerning almost the whole Summe of ReligioÌ„ The same Author in his Preface to his Treatise of the Pope propoundeth a question De quare agitur Whereof
Matth. 28 20. From a Promise The Gates of Hell shall never Matth. 16. 18. prevaile against the Church And from an instance in Particulars The Administration of the Sacrament which must be done to shew the 1 Cor. 11. 26. Lords death till he come And the worke of the Ministery which must be continued Till we all Ephes 4. 12 13. come in the unity of the Faith Finally Homo sum humani à me nil alienum puto Humane Testimony is prest to doe service to this Divine Verity That the Truth hath at all times in some place and in some sort subsisted it is the Record and Concord of all Hâ—story If any desire a more full satisfaction in this cause I referre him to the solid Treatise of our learned Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield Wherefore seeing The Grand imposture cap. 5. we are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses we say the Visible Church made a revolt but the Church of the Elect God miraculously preserved even under the cruell persecution of Antichrist Here then wee cleare our Church from Bell. de notis Eccl cap. 9. Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 10. nu 17 Rich. Smith Protestanâ—ia Eccl. c. 4. nu 13. Aug. in Psal 101. Conc. 2. that popish calumny who charge us to avouch an Vniversall Apostasie of the whole Church from all the Christian faith Here also we condemne the pride of the Donatists who held that the Church was extinguished throughout the whole world that Angle of Africa wherein they lived onely excepted Yet farre more insolent is the assertion of our owne English Anabaptists who hold that The Church hath beene utterly extinguished out of the Helwis Myst of Juiq p. 7. whole world This is the doctrine of their Apostle Helwis in his Treatise termed the Mystery of Iniquity But condemning both those old Anabaptists and these new Donatists Hence I say to the moderate Papists ye see the fearfull falling away of all Africa and Asia To the indifferent Protestants ye see the fall of the famous Church of Rome I say to us all we see that this very Church of the noble Thessalonians is falne and gone Therefore the Apostasie is past Open then your eyes to behold Antichrist who cannot be farre off And who it is with Gods assistance I shall shew you in my succeeding Sermons In the meane time I suppose it will be no great transgression if I make one small digression and sweepe downe one Copweb on which the Church of Rome doth rest her hand with strong confidence If our Church say they be Less de Ant. Dem. 4 p. 16. thus fallen shew the time of this falling away what Popes reigning and what Divines opposing this miraculous Apostasie was performed This brave weapon is brandished by eloquent Campian their elegant Champion but this sword Campian Rot. 7. shineth better than it cutteth Quando igitur hanc sidem tantopere celebratam Roma perdidit Quando esse desiâ—t quod ante fuit Quo tempore Quo Pontifice Qua viâ Qua vi Quibus incrementis urbem orbem religio pervasit aliena If we be Apostates shew then saith he When did the famous Church of Rome fall from that Religion for which they were so famous In what time Vnder what Pope By what men By what meanes By what Decrees or Degrees did this Apostasie surprise their Region and Religion I answer The present Italian tongue is the old Latine tongue corrupted Because none can shew what Emperour reigning and what Grammarians opposing this corruption was induced will any inferre hereupon Therefore the Italian is not corrupted Concerning the Italian Tongue and the Italian Church any indifferent ingenuous and impartiall person will frame the same illation Yet to proceed I say this very Quaere is a politike point of the Popish Mystery of their Antichristian Iniquity As Herod the Edomite first burned all the Registers of the Israelitish Genealogies and then demanded who could shew any Record whereby it might appeare that he was not an Israelite So the Romanists require of us Chronologicall testimonies of the Time of their Apostasie when as they themselves have suppressed those Chronicles and conceale those Antiquities Againe wee answer in the words of Christ Matth. 13. 25. Vnde Zizania Whence are the Tares The enemy sowed them when the men were asleepe In the words of S. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 2. They speake these lyes in Hypocrisie and in the words of S. Peter 2 Pet. 2. 1. They brought in these damnable heresies privily as Tertullian Tertul. adv Valent cap. 1. speaketh Nil magis curant quam uâ— occultent quod praedicant their maine care was to conceale their errors when they did preach them and broach them And as Lyrinensis speaketh Vinc. Lyrin cap. 15. Latenter superinducunt errores they infused their errours secretly Yea to shape them an answer in the language of their owne Authors Saepissime constat de re non constat de modo Bell. de P. R. lib. 2. c. 5. saith Bellarmine The Matter may be apparent when the manner may be questionable Of one point Minime constat saith Gregorius de Valentia Gr. Val de legit usu Euch. c. 10. we cannot tell the originall thereof Of another pedetentim it entred by Little and little Ross Assert Lutheran Confut. said Bishop Fisher And of a third their magnificent and so much magnified Councill of Concil Trid. Sess 22. ca. 9 Trent concludeth with our very phrase which we use concerning all their errours Multa irrepsisse videantur many things seeme to have crept into the Church without observation or opposition Since therefore the Romane errours did enter into the Church of Rome secretly and unseene it is an unequall demand to require us to name the very time of their entrance Notwithstanding if any desire more fully to be satisfied even in the Historicall part of those points of Apostasie they stand charged with I referre them to the lustre of Ireland The Archbishop of Armach in his answer to the Irish Champian From whom in the most controversies of maine consequence they may receive most full satisfaction Six particulars I will insist in which I suppose to be the sinewes of their Apostasie and the supporters of Antichristianisme The first concerning the Communion the Communion was instituted of Christ in both kindes Matth. 26. 27. It was administred by the Apostles in both kindes 1 Cor. 11. 28. It was received in the Primitive Church in both kindes as it is Concil Const Sâ—ss 12. Concil Trid Sess 21. c. 1. confessed by their owne Councill of Constance and that of Trent also The with-holding of the wine from the Laity became a custome in the Latine Church not long before the Councill of Constance their Gregory of Valence is our witnesse Greg. de Val. de legitimo usu Eucharist c. 10. Trent Hist lib. 1 pag. 3. And it was imposed as a
is in effect to bee Traitors Wherefore then should we be dainty to give the title which is so meritoriously atchieved Homo peccati The Pope is the man of sinne But all these instances fall short of that instar omnium of that one authority with which I promised to conclude and have reserved it to bee the complement of the whole cause Suarez ex cujus ore locutos omnes conspirasse affirmare audeam all the hearts of all the Papists speake out of his mouth saith Alphonsus a Castello Branco in his censure of his Apologie Now let us heare his and their united language Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. cap 4. First therefore in his 6 booke and 4. chapter of his Apology he proveth this proposition Papa potest Reges deponere ac occidere that is The Pope hath power to depose and to kill Kings But with five cautions 1. Se inconsulto Suarez Apolog. lib 6. cap. 4. num 17. nemo contra regem suum insurgat None may dare to rebell against his King Se incoÌ„sulto unlesse the Pope be acquainted with it 2. Ab Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. cap. 4. num 18. illis tantum potuit expelli interfici quibus ipse id commiserit None may expell nor kill their King but onely those to whom the Pope himselfe doth commit this designe 3. What pâ—rticular Suarez Ibib. person may principally performe this feat Successor his next Heire to the Crowne si sit Catholicus if he be of the Romish Religion 4. Illo negligentiâ— what if the successour doth Suarez Apolog. Ibid. make some scruple to executo the Popes pious injunction and to touch the Lords anointed Then communitas regni all the Commons may take up â—rmes Dummodo sit Catholica provided Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. cap. 4. num 19. they be Papists Finally if all â—aile Alter Rex a Forraigne Prince may invade his kingdome alwayes provided si Pontifex potestatem ei tribuaâ— invadendi â—egâ—â—m that the Pope permitteth â—â—is â—â—â—â—sioâ— So 〈◊〉 there must be no deposing nor killing of Kings but with the knowledge approbation instruction of the Pope himselfe Therefore the Pope himselfe is the root of all Treason And in this point also he is Ille homopeccati The man of sinne Disciples have not beene wanting to this Doctrine Even tlle author of the Monarchomachia himselfe I doubt not but is an excellent proficient in this Schoole though hee pretendeth that he never learned this lesson In his Monarch part 1. tit 6 pag. 272. first part and sixt title these words fall from him Who in his Realme is to judge him who in his Realme Indeed the Pope is not in the Kings Realme If he would speake out in plain English wee should find that hee that hath Hierusalem Hierusalem so much in his mouth that he hath Babel Babel as much in his heart and that with Suarez hee holdeth the Pope to bee Iudge unto the King But to winde up all in one example never to bee paralleld the Powder Treason occasioned by the Tort. Torti pag. 86. popish Religion Attempted by popish Catholikes incouraged by popish Doctors as Faux himselfe freely confessed Nay to speake in the phrase of Suarez They did not they durst not attempt it se inconsulto without the knowledge of the Pope nisi catholici unlesse they had beene Romish Catholikes et quibus ipse commiserit they had never undertaken it haâ— not the Pope himselfe given them commission 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pope is The man of sinne But let us heare Babel plead for Rome Monarchomachia maketh this excuse That Monarchâ—m part 1. tit 1. pag. 14. Horrible project of the Gunpowder Treason was attempted by a few private Hot-spurres which in justice is rather to bee buried with the offendors then to be objected and imputed to innocent men who generally with great sorrow abhorre the Memory thereof I will answer in Monarchomâ—â— part 1. tit 1. pag. 52. his owne words touching that objection that the papists and this Author himselfe doe they doe say that the Gunpowder Treason was an horrible project and they doe say that they abhorre the memory thereof with great sorrow and this man doth preach obedience and hath printed a pamphlet which he termeth Hierusalem to that purpose But this is onely a fallacy to avoid the scandall for now they see that those Traitors did not stand nor maintaine their quarrell now they leave them in the Bryars cry out against their project pretend that they abhorre that very Memorie of them Nay would God they did so much in truth For this and all their cunning pamphlets cannot coape the lips of all their Catholikes but some of them at some time will shew their teeth As M. More censured in the Starre-Chamber anno 1623. Article 15. said That it was pitty that he who undertooke the blowing up of the Parliament that he was not hanged presently not because he did attempt it but because hee did not effect it Now that our King and Kingdome our Peeres and People our Church and Common-wealth that our Nation and very Name of England should have beene buried in one graue torne in peeces with one blast of Gunpowder And yet by no meanes se inconsulto without the approbation of the Pope This may iustly cause us to say Ecce homo peccati The Pope is the man of sinne In the year 1554 Queen Mary ordained that Trent Hist lib. 5. 385. that prayer instituted by King Henry the eight To deliver the kingdome from the Sedition Conspiracy and Tyranny of the Pope should bee razed out of the Communion Booke I thinke we may take up some such forme of prayer again and pray From Ignorance Whoredome and Treason From the killing of our King and confusion of our Common-wealth From the Man of sinne and that Pope of Rome Good Lord deliuer us SERMON V. 2 THESS 2. 3 4. The Sonne of perdition Antichrist the sonne of perdition Antichrist Iudas and the Pope paralleld Popish persecutions surpasse those of the Emperours Of the Inquisition I Have discussed the first point in this Description the time a falling away Which being taken three wayes every way it is punctally fitted to the Pope either politically for a falling from the Empire by rebellion or Ecclesiastically for a falling from the Church in Religion or Figuratively the falling away being put for the faller away the cause thereof all which are proper to the Popish Apostasie I am entred into the second point the three titles of Antichrist In the first I have observed foure particulars the Subject Antichrist is termed a man to shew that hee prevaileth in the Church by humane meanes Perswasion not improper to the Pope Secondly the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Man not one man but many a succession peculiar to them which lay such claime to succession the Popedome Thirdly the Adjunct the man of sinne that is a most sinfull wretch
one pregnant objection Pro uno Heraetico that the Primitive persecutors did kill a thousand Christians where the Pope doth put to death one Lutheran Bellarmine proveth his proposition by an instance that seventeene thousand were martyred in one moneth under the Emperour Dioclesian and Lessius doth Bell de Pont. Rom. 3 7. Less de Antich Demonst 9. Down de Antich lib. 6. cap. 5. conclude therefore the Pope cannot bee Antichrist Wee answer Bellarmine that under Charles 9. more than thirty thousand poore Protestants in lesse then a moneth were murthered in the massacre of Paris 1572 surpassing all pagan barbarousnesse and punicke persidiousnesse or rather let Bellarmine answer himselfe Bell. de not is Eccl. cap. vlt. that an Hundred thousand of the Albingenses were slaine in one day under Pope Innocent the third Here I gave a period to this point But because I behold Lessius and indeed all the Lessius part 1. Demonst 9. papists to urge this as a Demonstration That the Pope is not the Antichrist because he is not The Persecutor I will wade a little farther into this controversie Thus they argue The greatest persecution shall be under Antichrist But under the Pope is not the greatest persecution Therefore The Pope is not Antichrist I answer to the point that the greatest persecution is under Antichrist but the greatest tribulation was under Vespasian Luke 21. the first concerneth our Religion towards our God the last was because of their Rebellion against their King I answer also to the person that Lessius doth plead properly for his Patron Lessius de Antich Dem. 9. the Pope that hee is no persecutor when almost in the same page he doth professe that the papists doe put the protestants to death like so many theeves and Traitors I thinke the Heathen did no more against the Christians in the ten persecutions of the Primitive Church That popish persecutions have equalled and surpassed those of the Pagan Emperours in the primitive time or any persecutours that the world ever knew besides I will make it plaine in these three particulars In regard of the Time Number and Manner of them the popish persecutions have beene incomparable First for the time it was an heavy time and a long with the Christians when they groaned under the persecuting Emperours three hundred yeares together yet in that time they had many lucida intervalla many breathing spaces under Princes not altogether so bloody But the Popes have persecuted the protestants for eight hundred yeares together 400 by the Inquisition and that without any intermission but that in some part of the world or other they have made havocke of some part of the Church or other Eight hundred yeeres a long time of persecution and I thinke not to be paralleled The number is infinite not to mention Hist Albing lib. 1. c. 5. Merindoll and Cabriers ruinated nor Beziers Dela Var Carcasonne and Tholouse against whom the Pope sent no fewer than three hundred Croisados as they were wont to goe against the Sarasins who put all the Albingenses inhabiting those wofull Cities to the sword Neither to speake of Calabria out of which the Waldenses were utterly extirpated by the popish persecution Besides all these I shall number so many martyred and murthered by the persecuting Popes that it will exercise the paines of any papist to equall them and the heart of any protestant to read them Pope Martine 5 sent Cardinall Iulian with Aeneaâ— Silvius Hist â—oâ—â—m cap. 48. an army of 80000 to extirpate all the Hussites or protestants in Bohemia where they burned many villages At the same time his assistant Albâ—râ—us did burne above five hundred villages in Moravia putting the inhabitants to the sword Here must be a nemoscit none can tell how many were murthered in this expedition but a number did die that is out of controversie The Duke D'Alva did professe publikely Crâ—keâ—thorpe in Spalatens ca. 32 that he killed by torment eighteene thousand of the Reformed in six yeeres space for the very cause of Religion And yet religious Vargas complained of him Nimia misericordia Belgos deterâ—ores sieri that hee had made the Netherlands worse by shewing them too much mercy Certainly the mercies of the wicked are cruell And the Lord blesse England from such outlandish mercies An hundred thousand of the Bellarm. de â—otis ecclesiae câ—p vlt. Albingenses perished at the word and by the sword of Pope Innocent 3. Vergerius confessed in the space of thirty yeeres above an hundred and fifty thousand perished by infinite tortures under the hands of the holy Inquisition And Baâ—dwin de Antich ca. 6. from the beginning of the Iesuits to 1580. being the space of 30 yeares almost nine hundred thousand protestants were put to death in France England Spaine Italy Germany and Downam de Antich part 1. cap. 5. â—â— 5. other parts of Christendome Nay in France alone an hundred thousand of the protestants were shamefully murthered in a short season Sorry I am for Christendomes sake that truth it selfe doth extort from me this shamefull confession The Christians have beene more barbarous persecutors of the Pagans than ever the pagans were of the Christians and under the pretext of Religion Consider this wofull precedent the indelible blot of Christianity Schioppius sayth Schioppius Ecclesiast ca. 38. thus Christus Ecclesiae suae manu that is Christ by the hand of the Church Indianos Americanos Gladio virga ferrea pavit a strange phrase that the Church of Christ which to theÌ„ must be only the Roman Church did feed the Indians with the sword and how did the Church of Rome feed the Indians with the sword Bartholmew Barth decas de Ind Occid prope initium de Casa doth witnesse it with his tongue who saw it with his eye Within the space saith he of forty yeeres they killed fifteene millions of those poore Indians The Pope an excellent Pastor and the sword an excellent pasture Wee guesse at the nature of the beast by these particulars What appetite they have towards our Reformed Christendome If his teeth could fasten on it on all the Flocke of Christ that Wolfe would swallow it whole As Caligula being offended at the Romans wished them all to have but one necke that at one blow he might dispatch them all So Pope Martin 2 being angry with the Germanes wished that all Germany had beene but one poole that they all might have beene drowned at once I may therefore pronounce this credible Hyperboly It is probable that the popes have caused the death of more protestants within these 800 yeares than there are now at this day alive members of the Church of Rome upon the face of the earth I conclude then The Pope is the persecutour and the sonne of perdition The number of Martyrs argue the popes to be cruell persecutors But the consideration of the manner of their martyrdome will adde an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
destroyed spiritually also Consider the connexion of the phrases in my Text The Man of sinne and sonne of perdâ—tion Never did Chime follow the stroke of a Clocke so certainly nor suddenly as perdition â—oth sinne He who is the Man of sinne shall be the sonne of perdition Those that doe destroy the soules of other men shall undoubtedly be rewarded with their owne Soules destruction But they inferre that I inferre that the Pope and all grand Papists are perditi are desperatâ—ly in the state of damnation I answer with Saint Paul Rom. 9. 18. Deus â—â—sâ—râ—tur cujus vult misereri God hath mâ—rcy on whom he will have mercy With Cyprian Eodem temporis Cyprian de Câ—â—a Domini articulo God can infuse repentance and give grace at the very last gaspe With Moulins It Moulins Accâ—â— of Pâ—oâ—h pag. 82. is not our parts to give judgement upon any bodie nor positively to define What men are damned but we pray to God to shew mercy to those Popes and Papists who doe breathe out their threatnings against us and would bathe their hands in our blood And we say with Whitakâ—rs Ex quo Papismus caepit esse Antichristianismus Whitaker in Sandâ—r p 74â— ne Papas quidem universos damnatos esse dixerâ—m nec Papam hunc si ad sanam mentem râ—diâ—rit excluserâ—m Wee are so farre from saying that all Popes are damned that we will nor exclude even this Pope â—rom his salvation if he repent and revoke his wicked errour I do not subscribe to the sentence of Pope Sergius Oecum lib. 1. part 2. cap. 25. the fourth as to an infallible truth Papam non posse damâ—ari sed quod quicquid saâ—â—râ—t salvarâ—tur that is Howsoever he lâ—vâ— yet it is impossible for the Pope to â—ee 〈◊〉 Rather I incline to the opinion of another Pope It was Oâ—â—phriâ—â— in Marcello 2. the sayâ—â—g of Pope Marcellâ—s the â—econd Non vidâ—o qâ—modo qu◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive not said hee how that men which attaine the high Majestie of the Papacy can ever be saved And this I say setting Gods secret Determination apart The Pope and Papacy and popish agents and instruments if they proceed in these Heresies Cruelties Treacheries and Tyrannies which they now professe and practise dâ—spereunt bis pereunt they fall under a double destruction of body and of soule They are this Filius Perditionis They will be damned Some Papists will thinke it strange that I terme the Pope the sonne of perdition And I thinke it more strange that the Pope and papists use this very property of Antichrist Perdition as a meanes to propagate their Religion Antichrâ—st is here called a destroyer and they urge destruction as an argument to draw fearefull people to Popery Doth not Bellarmine and others preach peremptorily that the Pope can depose Kings and dâ—spose of Kingdomes what is this but to terrâ—fie popâ—sh Princes from forsaking Popery for feare of dâ—stroying their Inheritance Doth not Suarez and others conclude wretchedly that the Pope may authorize a forraine Prince to invade his neighbor or the subjects to kill their Soveraigne what is this but to terrifie the reformed Princes from opposing Popery for feare of murther and destroying their persons Did not our Powder plotters confesse that they intendâ—d to make our Parliament House their slaughter housâ— because said they there the Lawes were inacted against them What is this but to terrisie this State other States and all States from making Statutes against the Romish Religion for feare of being destroyed by some such suddaine sulphurious Popish Romish villanie Know wee not their common threatnings what they whisper amongst the common people What they will doe when their day doth come but Christ grant that their day may never come When their day shall come doe they not whisper amongst the common people that they will no more hew downe the branches but teare up the very rootes of Reformation rooting out every professour thereof What is this but to terrifie us from preaching and you from hearing for feare of destroying our poore persons and innocent children Is not then destroying the Pillar of poperie Are not papists destroyers May not therefore their father be called â—ilius perditionis the sonne of perdition To answer their argument Doe they feare you that you may savour them Doe they tell you of death and destruction tell them that Antichrist is a destroyer and that cruelty was never the Character of Christianity Doe wee thinke they will doe what they threaten and destroy us if wee come into their power Oh let us not feare them that may destroy the body but cannot hurt the soule rather let us feare him who can destroy both body and soule in Hell Matth. 10. 28. A thousand times better is it for us to be like Saint Steven to pray for them that kill us than for them to be like the Iewes to vow to kill us who pray for them and doe them no Hurt but onely hinder their Errours and indeavour their salvation Well then let them goe on the man of sin will bee the sonne of perdition and those who are sworne servants to Rome may sweare our imprisonment our exile our tortures our death our destruction But the Lord destroy the destroyer and grant that popery may never get the dominion over us Amen Amen SERMON VI. 2 THESS 2. 3 4. The Adversarie Antichrist not an open Adversary The Pope doth oppose Christ The Pope the worst Adversarie the Church ever had THe Adversary This is the third Title of Antichrist Some call it his Propertie both properly enough for the Title doth imply the propertie Yet more properly it may be termed his title because it doth allude to his proper Name The Adversary with St. Paul and Antichrist with St. Iohn are synonima's of the same signification To consider this title is a matter of some consequence for Sanders Bellarmine and all the papists urge this as an insoluble Demonstration The Pope is Vicarius Christi not Adversarius Christo The Pope is the Vicar not the Adversary of Christ Therefore The Pope iâ— not Antichrist Let us examine this point and judge the truth according to the plainnesse of the Evidence The Adversarie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Title Beza in 2 Thes 2. of Antichrist doth allude to that name of the Devill Satan that the Sonne may resemble his Father and to shew that Antichrist will be a devillish Adversary Now an Adversary is so two wayes either openly or secretly As Porus Iust Hist lib. 12. aâ—â—ailed Alexander with his sword but Antipater his servant yea as some suspect his wife did slay him with poison Possible therefore it is for the servant of Christ yea servus servorum for him that pretendeth himselfe to be Christs principall servant to be a traitour and for them who have the name of the spouse to be the Adversary of Christ Againe Herod sought Christ with the
none could read it But Oedipo non opus est wee need no Daniel to expound it every childe can spell it It is plaine The Pope is the adversary But the Papists say we doe him open wrong because he is no open adversary but a professed servant of Christ I answer even Mahomet doth speake excellently of Christ not onely as â—â—nicer Toâ— 1. of a Prophet but also as of the Saviour of his people The Devill also professed Christ to bee the Sonne of God Mark 1. 24. Therefore a professour may be a secret though no professed adversary unto Christ We may say of the Pope what Mountague said of one Pope Boniface 8 he can cary himselfe both like a Foxe and like a Lyon a Foxe by publike sophistry and a Lion by private Tyranny I say the man of Rome is that woman of Babylon which maketh the world dâ—mâ—e with a world of impiety Rev. 17. 4. as one acutely descanteth on his name Papa That is The Pope doth poyson all Princes with abominable Heresies P Poculum A Aureum P Plenum A Abominationum Or to confirme the Pope according to his Election Sacrâ—â— Caerem lib. 1. sect 1. by his owne Cardinalls Electus induâ—tur Papali habitu toga scilicet lanca albi coloris caligis rubeâ—s sandalijs rubeis cingulo rubeo birreto etiam rubeo that is when the Pope is elected hee is arrayed in his Papall apparell to wit a White Gowne but red shooes red stockins c. emblematically notwithstanding their white outside they have a red bloody inside And their openprofession is no argument but that the Pope may be a secret adversary To say this and shew it too First the Pope doth oppose Christ fundamentally hee is an adversary to the foundation of Chrâ—stianity and very groundworke of the Gospel which is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eternall life is the gift of God through Christ Rom. 6. 23. But the Pope saith Good workes can be no other than the valew desert price worth and merit of Heaven Rhemists in 1 Cor. 3. 8. Good workes are meritorious and the very cause of salvation so farre forth that God should be injust if he did not render heaven for the same say the same Rhemists Bellarmine Rhemists in Heb. 6. 10. doth amplifie all the particulars paraphrasing on the 2 Tim. 4. 8. namely that the papists Bell. de justif lib. 5. cap. 16. expect Coronam justitiae a Crowne of Iustice meritis operum for the merits of their workes pro qualitate ac disquisitione factorum according Bellarm. Apolog. pag 163. to the exact quality of their actions à judice justo non à patre misericorde from a just judge Concil Trident. sub Paulo 3. Sess â— cap. 24. not from a mercifull Father And if any shall say that opera are onely signa fructus and not causa justificationis anathema sit the councill of Trent damneth that man to Hell who shall say good workes are not the cause of justification But whilest the thundereth out against us that Anathema injuriously he magnifying merits incurreth the Anathema of Saint Paul Gal. 1. 8. meritoriously Whosoever doth oppose the workes of Man unto the grace of God Noâ— sit Anathema sed est Anathema He is that cursed adversary which doth raze the very â—oundatâ—on of the blessed Gospell which is not my particular opinion onely but the judgement of the Church of England These are the Hom. Par. 1 â—â—e Sermon of salvation words thereof Wholly to ascribe our justification unto Chrâ—st onely this is the rocke and foundation of Christian Religion This whosoever denyeth is not to be accepted for a Christâ—an man It is the greatest presumption and arrogance which Antichrist can set â—p against God to affirme that a man might by his owne workes take away and purge his owne sinne and so â—ustifie himselfe Thus doth the Pope opposâ— Chrâ—st fundamentally that he doth also oppose him universally Dounam Dereâ—â— part 1. lib. 3 cap. 6. it is made manifest by that excellently learned religious Bishop of Dâ—ry from whom I professe that I draw the most part of this excellent Antiparallell the Catholike opposition which that Româ—sh Catholike maketh unto Christ may be reduced unto three particulars It is quoad mores officia beneficia in regard of his conversation offices and benefits First for his conversatâ—on three things were eminent in the manners of Christ Innocence Humilitie and Charitie And the Pope doth practise the direct contrary Christ was innocent as a Lambe behold the Lambe of God saith Saint Iohn Ioh. 1. 39. and againe Ioh. 8. 46. which of you convinceth me of sinne the Popes personall infirmities yea enormities I passe by onely I will use the phrase of the fellow in Carion if you aske of mee the lives of the Carion Chron. lib. 3. Popes I say since Gregory the first there have beene so many vertuous Popes that all their images may be graven in one Ring Humility a vertue second to none was the second vertue in our Sauiour Christ came riding on an Asse Ioh. 12. 15. the Pope is caried on the shoulders of Noblemen Christ did wash his Disciples feet Ioh. 13. 14. but even Princes kisse the feet of the Popes Holinesse Christ would not arrogate Bulla Alex. 6. so farre to himselfe as to divide a small Inheritance betwixt two brethren Luke 12. 14. But the Pope is so arrogant that hee hath taken upon him to divide the new world betwixt two great Kings Finally Christ is Charity it selfe and sharply rebuked his disciples for desiring fire from heaven to avenge them on the inhospitable Samaritans Luke 9. 56. But the Pope like the sonne of Hecuba is a Firebrand setting all Christendome in a combustion And thus farre for the first opposition Secondly the offices of Christ are three Propheticall whereby hee doth instruct his Church Sacerdotall whereby he doth sacrifice for his Church and regall whereby hee doth Rule the Church Now the Pope by fortifying his usurped primacy doth trench upon all these prerogatives First Christ doth as he is a Prophet instruct his Church by his holy Word and his holinesse doth oppose his owne word and maketh it Equall to Christs word To omit those monstrous sayings of Eckius Hosius c. who nickname Lessius de Antich part 1. Dem. 15. the Scripture to be a Leaden Rule a nose of waxe of no better authority if not authorised by the Church of Rome than Esops Fables To omit also the like phrase of Costerus Vagina quae Coster Enâ—h cap. 1. quâ—mlibet gladium admittit a scabbard fit for every sword Omitting these scurrilous similies or rather plaine blaspemies In sober sadnesse these are their solemne conclusions Verba pontificis Suarez Apol. lib. 7. c. 22. nu 8. è Cathedrae in veritatis certitudine aequalia sunt Scriptura that is the words of the Pope pronounced out of his Chaire are equally true
true God no Power can dispence with any Law but the same or a greater authority Now the Pope doth dispence with the Scripture of God therefore he exalteth himselfe above God Againe whilest the Pope doth make that to be lawfull which God hath made unlawfull as the exemption of Clerkes from their Soveraigne Rom. 13. 4. and those things to bee unlawfull which God hath made to be lawfull as the exception of Clerkes from mariage Heb. 13. 4. But principally whilest he doth make the whole State of Religion to depend upon the Oracle of his resolution hereby he doth exalt himself above God himselfe Thus the Pope doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God metaphorically falsely or truely that is above Kings Bishops Idols or the Authour of the Scripture And thus farre from their owne Popish premises wee may conclude that the Pope is The Antichrist The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or things worshipped in the Romane Church are these five the Saints Angels Altar Crosse and Host Above all which all men know that the Pope doth exalt himselfe He sheweth himselfe superiour to Bell. de Sanctâ— Beat. cap 8. the Saints quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in regard of their Canonization he doth Canonize or make men departed to be Saints and to bee worshipped Where the argument of Athanasius is strong Athanasius Ora. contra Gentes 〈◊〉 â— col 9. and evident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Efficiens effecto melius esse oportet the maker must bee more excellent than the worke of his hands The Angels are commanded by the Pope Corn. Agrâ—p de vanit sciâ—â—t cap. 61. Clemens 6 to take such soules as dyed by the way going to the Iubilie out of Purgatory and to cary them immediately into Heaven This he commanded and this commandement is an argument that the Pope doth exalt himselfe above Angels yea that he doth shew himselfe to be God For by this very argument doth Saint Paul prove Christ to be God because he Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. fol. 16. is above the Angels Heb. 1. 4 5. Thirdly the Popes Throne is placed above Gods Altar Argue from the thing to the persons and wee shall sinde them not much inferiour to any thing which is worshipped Fourthly the Crosse is laid at the Popes feet evidence enough that he doth exalt himselfe above it And finally in his solemne Processions the Host that is to them Christ God is caried on an Horse but the Pope on mens shoulders But to bring all within the infinite orbe of his unlimited Arrogance Tibi genua â—urventur Aug. Triumph Epist Ded. ad Ioh. 22. caelestium terrestrium inferorum To the Pope every knee shall bow of things in Heaven and things in earth and things under the earth saith their Augustine de Ancona And I thinke Saint Paul could say not much more of our Saviour Christ Phil. 2. 10. The Pope therefore doth honour himselfe aboue the Saints Angels Altars Crosse and the Host In their owne sense Hee exalteth himselfe above all that is worshipped I doe not then decline their owne interpretation that Antichrist doth exalt himselfe above the very God in some sense But I deferre that Property unto his proper place the third point where I must shew that Antichrist doth shew himselfe that he is God In the meane time ex ungue Leonem you may guesse by this who it is which doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped Even by their owne interpretation But to insist more particularly upon the proper meaning of the words Three points I propose to passe through the Act who exalteth himselfe exercised on a Double object above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is above all Kings and Emperours The Act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who exalteth hmselfe is an incomparable ambition which is incomparably in the Pope and Papacy For the Pope was first a Bishop over many Priests in one Citie Secondly a Metropolitane over many Bishops in one Province Thirdly the Pope was a Patriarke over many Metropolitans in one Diocess for amongst the Romanes there were seven Provinces in one Diocesse Fourthly he usurped the title of Oecumenicus to be the universall Bishop of the whole world Fiftly he is stiled Laynez Iesuiâ—â— Trent Hist lib. 7. 610. Trent Hist li. 7. pag. 655. solus Pastor the onely shepheard or Bishop And finally that Pius Pope the fourth of that name in the yeare 1563 signified to the Councell of Trent by his Legates that hee was the Master of all Christendome Pretty steps of ambitious incroaching and yet here is not the height of his ambition The Tower of Babel must touch the Heavens the Pope doth exalt himselfe yet farther To which purpose Marta doth expound Tortura Torti pag. 177. that saying of the Psalmist very laudably Psal 8. 6 7. Thou hast put under his feet oves boves that is under the feet of the Pope Christianos Saracenos all Christians and Saracens saith that Glosse of Orleance For For every Extrav de Major Obedient tit â— humane Creature to be subject to the Pope omnino sit de necessitate salutis it is necessary to their salvation saith the popish extravagant In the yeare 1585. in the yeeld-Hall of St. Domingo in India our English observed the Spanish Cambden â—nno 1585. Armes under which was planted a Globe or Map of the whole world and on it the picture of an Horse Prauncing and spreading his fore-feet beyond the verge of the Globe or compasse of the world with this inscription Non sufficit Orbis i. the world is too little for me An exact embleme of the Popes insatiable ambition non sufficit orbis all the world is too Antonin sumnia 1. Dist 22. cap. 5. little for him whereof his owne Antoninus giveth an ample testimony expounding the following verses of the forenamed Psalme Thou Psal 8. 7 8. hast put under the Popes feet the beasts of the field that is all men the Fowles of the Ayre that is the Angels and the Fishes of the Sea that is aâ—imas in Purgatorio the Soules in Purgatorie So Heaven Earth and Hell Men Angels and the Spirits must all be subject to his Holinesse if holy Antonine may bee beleeved But durst ever man imagine that any man durst usurpe upon Christs owne Peculiar Matth. 28. Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 7. c. 6. 18. Omnis potestas all Power is given mee in Heaven and in Earth Yet this was the saying of Sixtus Quartus in the solemnitie of his sacred Ceremonies Adde that their whole indeavor is onely to support this Papall Omnipotence and that the other points of controversie concerning religion are but onely Pretences To that purpose Trent Hist li. 1. pag. 94. consider that anno 1541. at the Diet of Ratisbon Paul 3 sent his Legate Iasper Cardinall Contarine with all manner of power to agree with the Protestants
the Pope cannot dispence against but with the Apostles that is Apostolorum praecepta potest moderari ac mutare prout Ecclesiae expediret the Pope saith he may qualifie and change the precepts of the Apostles when it shall be expedient for the Church This is but a more courteous controlling and a more cunning countermanding To moderate and to alter the Apostles precepts is enough yet a Pope said more Data mihi est omnis Sacr. Cerem lib. 1. potestas Pope Sixtus Quartus said it in the very words of Christ Matth. 28. 18. that hee had the very Power of Christ But deeds are the best expositers of words A substantiall Sacra Cerem lib. 1. 6. 2. sect 1. fol. 4. example in which kind I may urge out of their booke of Ceremonies Christ sayd unto Peter Pasce oves feed my sheepe by vertue whereof S. Peter did nominate Clemens to bee his successour But the Senate of Rome consisting of foure and twenty Priests and Deacons who afterwards by Silverster 1 were intituled the Holy Cardinals of the Romane Church foreseeing that such a denomination of successours in succeeding ages would become very incommodious for the Church they rejected Clemens and elected Linus to succeed Peter and Cletus to succeed Linus And after Cletus then Clemens was admitted but not from his first institution Thus wee see that not onely the Pope but the Cardinalls haue countermanded not onely Christ but Saint Peter also In two words to annex two other examples Drinke yee all of this this is Christs command Matth. Concil Trid. Sess 21. cap. 1. 26. 27. For which wee have the Popes plaine countermand ye shall not drinke all of this not the Laity no nor some of the Cleargy neither the non Conficientes which is according to their phrase in the Glosse which is second Gloss in Dâ—st 4. cap. Statuim to none Statuimus id est Abrogamus Wee ordaine that is we abrogate many of the Popes Ordinances being Countermands plaine Abrogations of Christs Ordinances Againe Let every soule be subject to the higher power this is Christs plaine Command if Saint Paul saith true Rom. 13. 1. To which wee have as plaine a â—ountermand from the Pope if Bellarmine saith Bell de Exemp Cler. cap. 1. true not every soule not the soule of a Bishop not the soule of a Priest not the soule of any Clearke To proceed to more particulars I will propose precedents of the Papall countermanding power in instances from all the Commandements The first saith Thou shalt have but one God the Pope gaine-sayeth it Every City every Countrey almost every person hath a severall God Saints they call them but Gods they make them by praying to theÌ„ vowing to them making Pilgrimages to them consecrating Churches to them and in their distresse putting assiance in them things proper to God Thus have they many gods against the first Commandement The second commandeth Thou shalt not worship Images the Pope countermandeth Thou shalt worship Images and thence in their ordinary Catechismes they leave out the second Commandement lest every ordinary capacity should conceive this grosse contradiction The third commandeth Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vaine but dispensations with Oathes is the Popes familiar action Otherwise Bellarmine never had beene and no Iesuit ever shall bee Cardinall The fourth commandeth us to keepe holy the Relation of the Religion in the West sect 14. Sabbath but their greatest markets are on that great day The fift injoyneth Honour to thy Father to thy civill father thy King But the Pope doth exempt the Cleargy from performing this Honor yea saith Emanuel Sa Clerici rebellio Casaub ad Front Duc. pag. 54. in Regem non est crimen laesae Majestatis quia non est Principis subditus that is the rebellion of a Cleargy man against his King is no Treason because hee is no subject to his King The sixt is Thou shalt not kill yet doe the Papists teach that a Tyrant may be killed by a private person Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. ca. 4. nu 7. and this King-killing Craft is not onely authorized but also practized by the Pope as many even Princes feare and some feele also and such a murtherous fact was praised by the Pope by Sixtus Quintus concerning Henry the third The seventh saith Thou shalt not commit Adultery Besides their publike Toleration of publike Stewes the degrees of mariage forbidden by God Levit. 18. are dispenced withall by the Pope yea in their Taxa Cancellaria cap. of Pardons Moulins Accom pag. 108. pag. 36. Incest with ones Mother is fined at five groats In the eight Thou shalt not steale I make no question but their Canon Fides non est servanda cum Haereticis that faith ought not to be kept with Heretikes will stretch even to contracts also and the Pope would permit his Papists to robbâ—â—us Protestants as God did the Israelites to robbe the Egyptians Exod. 12. 36. In the ninth Thou shalt not beare false witnesse to beare false witnesse Popery hath made an Art To beare false witnesse before a Magistrate on an Oath and against their knowledge This is affirmed maintained and defended by that wretched Art of Popish wicked Equivocation And finally Non concupisces Thou shalt not covet saith the Lord in the last Comandement but the Pope and papists say concupiscentia non est peccatum Concupâ—scence say they is no sinne Here indeed is no dâ—spensation but a plaine abnegation of this precept I conclude with the judgement of that judicious Author of the Relation Relation of the Religion in the West sect 13. of the Religion in the West parts of the world whom I honor as the Phaenix of all our English Travellers There is almost no Law of God or Nature which one way or other they finde not meanes to dâ—spence with or at least wise permit the breach of it by connivence and without disturbance In this point principally peremptorily The Pope as Christ doth rule in the Church of Christ that is in the phrase of my text The Adversary as God sitteth in the Temple of God These are mighty matters howbeit in these the Pope doth direct onely by Theory or proposition Besides this the Papall tyranny doth proceed to commands of Practice and Imposition The Pope doth moreover direct by way of Injunction To which purpose they premise their imperious positions Note what is said of the Pope and by the Pope The Cardinall Sacr. Cerem lib. 1. sect 10. cap. 5. who is to invest any Bishop with the pall useth this phrase I deliver this to thee for the honour of God Almighty of the blessed Apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul Domini nostri Papae and for the honour of our Lord the Pope Againe Sacr. Cerem lib. 1. sect 10. cap. 1. in his injunctions the Pope himselfe speaketh in this forme I commit unto thee the administration of such or
he was removed out of the way Antichrist then had opportunity to come there was none to let him And finally this present Emperour is Germane Germanus in truth the Germane Empire not the Romane whereof he is onely the image Having neither the seat not the Tribute nor the Territories nor hardly one Towne of the old Romane Empire in derision Knowles Hist of the Turkes whereof the Turke termeth this Emperour the King of Vienna And I suppose that that title is not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which did or could let and with-hold the Man of sinne to be revealed Therefore the Romane Empire quà 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so farre forth as it did or ever could hinder the comming of Antichrist is utterly abolished and absolutely extinguished and nothing now but the meere Name and bare Title thereof remaining To confirme our conclusion by a cloud of their owne witnesses with all reverence I acknowledg the author of this catalogue to be the same famous man from whoÌ„ I have borrowed many of my materialls for these Sermons D. Downame of Dery The falling Dounam Episc Derensis de Antichrist part 2. Dem. 8. Anselmus in 2 Thess 2. Thomas in 2 Thess 2. away of the Nations from the Romane Empire is already accomplished saith Anselmus Thomas secondeth him Iam diuâ—gentes à Romano Imperio recesserunt that is those nations have long since revolted from the Romane Empire Imperium quod sâ—orebat tempore Pauli caruit Imperatore plurimis Lyranus in 2 Thess 2. annis saith Lyranus The Empire in which S. Paul did live and of which S. Paul did speake did want an Emperour many yeares Everhardus said The majestie of the Romane Empire Aventinus Annal. 7. by which the world was once governed Sublata est è terris is taken out of the earth The present Emperour vana appellatâ—o is a vaine name sola umbra the onely very shadow thereof Stapulensis propoundeth it by way Stapulensis l. b 9. in 2 Thess of interrogation which is the strongest assertion Vbi nunc quaeso Romana Monarchia I Viegas in Apoc. Com. 2. sect 17. nu 2. pray you where is now the Romane Empire Dominicus à Soto said Temporale Romanae urbis imperium jam cessavit that the Temporall Empire of the Romane City is gone long agoe Iustinianus Vix tenuem quandam umbram Imperij retineat Benedict lust in 2 Thess 2. This Empire is scarcely a poore shadow of that old Empire of Rome Salmeron Totidem syllabis concludeth our cause in our verie words Imperium Romanum jam diu eversum est The Romane Empire saith he is destroyed long since All addition is superfluous to so plaine an assertion Though this be plaine enough yet peradventure some will require an Historicall relation of the particulars of this point and thus I render it Concerning the removing of the Emperour who letted the Papacy the paire of Popes who finished this feat were Constantine and Gregory the second It is the observation of that noble Knight who is the Champion of our Calling and thereby Sr Hâ—nâ—y Spelman aâ— non temerandis Ecclesâ—is page 83. the Honor of his owne that there were two speciall Persecutors of the Church Dioclesian Iulian but the last was most pestilent Dioclesian occidebat Presbyteros did kill the Ministers but Iulian occidebat Presbyterium did kill the Ministery For he spoiled their Revennues whereby Ignorance issued and Religion decreased Semblably the hinderer of Antichrist had two notable Adversaries Pope Constantine and Gregory the second but the last was most notorious Constantine occidebat Imperatorem did kill the Emperour but Gregory occidebat Imperium did as it were kill extinguish the Empire that it never revived againe in the West So that removing both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è medio both the hinderer and the thing hindering out of the way Antichrist did march in the Popes High way to the Temple without any impeachment About seven hundred yeeres after Christ Mornaeus Myst Iniq. Progr 27. Philippicus the Emperour coÌ„manded all Images to be taken out of the Churches On this pretence Pope Constantine pronounced him an Heretike and commanded that neither his Picture should be placed in their Churches nor his Name mentioned in their Prayers Which administred Platin. in vit Constant occasion and audaciousnesse to one Arthemius to rebell This rebell did beate his Master také him put out his eyes and put him from the Empire But though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Emperor was removed yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Empire remained and so there remained one rubbe that removed the way were wholly cleared Therefore about the yeare 717 the Emperour Leo 3 surnamed Mornae Myst Proâ—â—es 27. â—â— ar 10. 3. 〈◊〉 â—3 〈◊〉 pag. 373. Isauricus publishing an Edict against Images Pope Gregory 2 excited the Venetians the people of Ravenna and of Rome it selfe to Rebellion arming those Rebells with an Absolution from the oath of Allegiance and an inhibition to pay any more Tribute to the Emperour The Bridle being taken from their necks these beasts fell with a brutish fury on their Emperours Lieutenants They invaded Paul Exarch of Ravenna plucked out the eyes of Peter Duke of Rome murthered Exhileratus the Duke of Campania and filled all Italy with blood and robberies And to bolt the doore when they Baâ—on te 9. Anno 726. Artic. 34. had shut their Master out they tooke a solemne oath of Fealty to the Pope And thus anno 729 by the Holy meanes of the Popes Holinesse was the Emperour taken è medio wholly Removed from the Westerne Empire The Hinderer being thus removed out of the way the prudent Popes put this politike project in practice to keepe him out Least the Emperour should returne to renew the old or to be a new hinderance in his way To this purpose about the yeare 750 Zachary Steven Mornae Myst Imâ—u Progr 27. and Gregory strake in with Pipin Charles and Charlemaine that Mulus Mulum the Pope should annoint him and them Kings of France and that he and they should gratifie the Pope with the Donatives of Rome and Ravenna In pursuit of which purchase they prosecuted â—â—stuphus Desiderius Kings of the Longobardi then possessing those provinces of Italy with 〈◊〉 hostility But in the performance thereof the Emperour of Constantinople interposed his intreaty by Embassadours that there might be Restitution made of those provinces to him the right Owner and Heire of them To whom Ripin returned a ready and resolute reply That for his soules sake he had promised them as a Patrimony to Saint Peter and for Saint Peters sake he must and would performe it which he did indeed And so about 757 was the Emperour and his Exarchs utterly excluded out of Italy He who letteth being thus removed what now letted that That wicked one was not even Then revealed To summe up all these
the Parisian French King or Charles our Kentish English Innocentius 3 Extra de Excessu Prâ—lat Soveraigne Nay it is the saying of the Pope Articulos solvit Synodumque facit generaleÌ„ thatis the Pope hath power to call a generall Councill and to disanul every particular Article Thus farre hee fareth for the opposing of the old Creed then for the composing of a new Though some affrighted with the absurd audacity of this assertion doe seeme to mince it yet the whole Church of Rome concur in the conclusion The Pope hath power Edendi novum Aquin. 22 â— â— artic 10. Symbolum saith Aquine to publish a new Creed Condendi to compose a Creed writeth Vigâ—erius Ordinandi novum Symbolum to ordaine or authorise a new Creed quoth Gabriel Biel. Finally what these and other Papists have avouched in words Pope Pius the fourth maketh good de facto in deed by whose authority the Trent Creed is published with Pij 4. Bulla annâ— 1564. twelve articles also as a parallell to the Apostles Creed and urged with as authenticall injunction First to beleeve the doctrine of traditions 2 The authority of the Church of Rome to expound the Scriptures 3 that there are seven Sacraments 4 all the points concerning originall sinne and justification as they are defined by the Councill of Trent 5 The Masse and that it is offered a propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead 6 Transubstantiation and that the Lords Supper is to be received but in one kind 7 Purgatory and prayer for the dead 8 Invocation or praying to the dead as also worshipping of Saints and their Relâ—ques 9 The adoration of Images 10 Indulgences 11 The Popes Supremacy namely that the Romane is the mother mistres mater magistra of all Churches and that the Pope is Peters successour and Christs Vicar and finally to beleeve all the definitions of all Oecumenicall Councills but especially of their last of that of Trent And that these are the Catholike faith extra quam nemo salvus esse potest which except a man do beleeve he cannot be saved The subscription running as peremptorily as if they were the very Dictates of the Apostles or of Christ himselfe Profiâ—â—or spondeo voveo juro that is I professe I doe beleeve promise vow and sweare that I will obey all these Articles of the Catholike faith This man therefore who contradicteth old Lawes maketh new Lawes and breaketh all lawe I thinke I may lawfully call him lawlesse and conclude him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very Antichrist Thus these lawes of God both of constraint and consent both Scripture and the Creed are infringed by this man of sinne without impediment with like facility doth this hornet break through those cobwebs humane lawes be they oecumenicall for all nations or oeconomicall for all families Those lawes of nations are of two sorts when faith is either contracted betwixt equals by an oath or exacted from inferiours by Allegiance Each way is no way to bind the Pope who is everie way boundlesse and lawlesse The law of oathes is so generall amongst nations as that all nations observe them as most sacred and inviolable in so much that Pagans would not infringe them Regulus would be rather tortured than perjured though he could have escaped by breach of oath It was Aristotles saying that he who did double in his oath for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sweare with a mentall addition Arist Rhetor. 18. ad Alex. hath neither feare of Gods vengeance nor shame of mans reproofe and Dionysius in Plutarch was condemned by all whose saying was that children were to be mocked with toyes and men with oathes Surely it shall be easier for those Pagans at that day then for some Christians Some Christians said Matchiavell make oaths Matchiav Hist Flor. lib. 3. obligations not equall to profit they use oaths not to observe them but rather to deceive those that put their trust in them And I take it that no one thing hath done such harme and brought such shame to Chriâ—â—â—â—dome as this particular Simancha teacheth very solemnely Simancha Inâ—â—it Cath. cap 4. art 14. edit Hiss Fides data haereticis non est servanda nec a privato nec a magistratibus quod exemplo Concilij Constantiensis probatur Nam Iohannes Huss Hieromus legitima slamma concremati sunt quamvis permissa illis securitas est Promises quoth he are not to bee kept with Heretikes neither by private men nor yet by publike Magistrates He proveth it by a precedent froÌ„ the Councill of Constance by whom Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage were legally burned although from theÌ„ they had received a safe conduct Trâ—nt Hist lib. 1. And the same had beene practised on Luther also at the Diet of Wormes in the yeare 1521 had not the noble disposition of Charles 5 the Emperor and the plaine opposition of Lewis the noble Elector Palatine preserved him Finally Becanus doth avouch Perjury by a maxime juramentum non est vinculum iniquitatis that is an oath is no obligation of iniquity iniquitie he esteemeth it for a Papist to performe his promise to an Heretike or a Protestant although hee sealed it by swearing an oath which all sober men suppose to bee the surest and most solemne obligation of all others yet of all others the Popes themselves are the most remarkeble patternes and patrons of perjurie About the yeare 1080 Rodolphus duke of Saxony instigated by Pope Hildebrand or Gregory 7 to rebell against Henry 3 the Emperor joyned battell with him wherein having his soldâ—â—â—s cut in peeces and his hand Pless myster Opposit 40. cut off Loe said he to his friends and followers with this hand I plighted my troth to my Leige Lord Henry but the Popes authority importunity urged me to the breach of that oath and now in the same hand I have received my deaths wound and so be dyed On the two and twentieth of May 1526 Trent Hist lib. 1. there was a confederacy betwixt Pope Clemens 7 Francis 1 of France and the Princes of Relation of the Religion in the West Sect. 15. Italy against Charles 5 the Emperor under the name of the most Holy League wherein the King was absolved from his Oath taken in Trent Hist lib. 5. Spaine And some thinke the Pope had promised the King to dispence with that Oath before hee made it vpon the hope whereof hee also tooke it Anno 1556 Paulus 4 by Cardinall Caraffa perswaded Henry 2 of France to breake his league and oath made with Spaine though the Princes of the Blood and the Grandies of that Kingdome abhorred the infamie of oath-breaking yet he received absolution from the Pope and such an overthrow from the Spaniard at Saint Quintin that it made his whole Kingdome to tremble and totter Instances are infinite I will adde onely two one most remarkable the other most miserable The first
It may be this may be yet extenuated that such protestatioÌ„s were unadvised proceeding from an heated exasperatioÌ„ I insist certainly their beliefe of lyes is setled after solemne deliberation It is Dogmaticall not Personall the beliefe of lyes is the very rock of the Romane religion And observe the Text speaketh in the singular number a singular argument that their beliefe in a lie is the Corner-stone of the Romane Religion To declare this let Saint Paul define the property of a man Rom. 3. 4. Omnis homo mendax every man is a lyer Some men indeed at some time have beene inabled to utter the infallible truth as the Prophets and the Apostles but none at all times è Cathedra when they listed to define any thing What was once said by Nathan although a Prophet was afterward 2 Sam. 7. 3 5. gain-said by God and unsaid by himselfe Those therefore who shall beleeve all the definitions of any mortall man doe depend on a lyer and as the Text speaketh they doe beleeve a lye Which is performed and acknowledged by the Church of Rome Omnes submittunt sensum suum sensui unius Bellarmine saith All of the Bell. de Nâ—t Ecclesâ— 4. c. 10. Romane religion submit their judgement to the judgement of one man And this they doe by a double beliefe Explicite and Implicite First the Priests doe it learnedly and maintaine it by arguments then the people doe it obstinately and adhere to the Pope as to their Oracle by an implicite faith Now that both Priest and people should make a man a god and fasten their faith on the Pope that his words like Gods Word cannot erre Here is the compleat accomplishment of this Prophecie God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lye So deluded are their priests professing that the Pope cannot erre whereby they equall him unto God To use the phrase of our learned Countrey-man to give him that prerogative Mr Mountague Appealâ— part 2. c. 3. of not erring at all is to advance him into his makers seaâ—e It belongeth not to these ancients but to the ancient of dayes not to erre Nay the Popes themselves shame not to assume claime and publish this Divine prerogative forgetting their sedes stercoraria their close-stoole which Platina witnesseth is an item Platina in vit Ioh. 8. to them that though they be set in a high place yet they are men not God subiect to humane frailties whereof I conceive erring to be one Although I thinke they may as easilie restraine themselves from disburdening of nature in this chaire as from erring in that chaire yet do the Popes challenge that unerring ability three of them especially The first emblematically the second dogmatically and the third passionately First Anno 1099 Pope Paschal 2. was Platina in Pasch 2. girt with a girdle on which there hung seven keyes and seven seales to give all men to understand that he according to the sevenfold grace of the spirit of God had power in all churches over which he bare rule to open and shut to seale and unseale Secondly Ecclesia Romana nunquam errasse inventa est neque errabit in aeternum the Pope definitively did deliver it to the Turk et credat Iudaeus that the Pij 2. Epist ad Princip Turcar. Church of Rome never did nor ever shall erre Thirdly when as a Frier Minorite had proved Zinch Miscel de Eccles that the Pope might erre and might be corrected for his errour by this argument The Pope is either a brother or not if he be a brother he may erre and may be corrected for Christ saith Matt. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee tell him his fault If the Pope be no brother why doth he then pray Our Father which art in Heaven This Pope Paul 3. being wroth with the Frier even to excommunication an acute Courtier taught him to answer this argument Ne dicat Sanctitas tua Pater noster amplius let not your Holinesse ever say againe Our Father which art in Heaven and he shall never be able to prove you a brother and so his argument is easily answered Their Priests I say themselves and the High Priest himselfe are the patrons of beleeving a lye because they found their Faith on a man who is as every man a lyer It is probable that the Pope may erre and infallible that the Pope did erre But to avouch an errour or erring man to be the pillar of their Faith this I take it is a strong delusion and such do beleeve a lye Concerning the probability that the Pope may erre I will snew it both by Reason and by their owne confessions But first let their owne Suarez state the question Wee must distinguish betwixt Pontifex credens docens Suarez Apol. l. 1. cap. 6. nu 15 betwixt the Pope as he is a private person the Pope as he is Pope To the Pope as he is Pope belongeth those promises of Christ for so he is Petra the Rock on whose firmnesse the firmnesse of the Church doth depend in his kind And in this sense the protestants can shew nullum vestigium haeresis not any one iote of errour But considering the Pope in the first sense as a private person and beleever adhuc sub judice lis est it is yet an undecided controversie among the Romish Catholikes whether any Pope hath beene an Heretike indeed or onely supposed to be so In reason examine this and wee shall finde that one legge doth here tripp up another and therefore the distribution cannot goe current If the Pope may erre qua credens as he is a beleever it is probable that he may erre quà docâ—ns as he is a teacher For I cannot imagine how a man shold define that which he doth not beleve nor understaÌ„d surely the Rule which is crooked it selfe caÌ„not streighten other things Neither is it likely that God would commit the faith of the Church unto him who is not able to direct himselfe Thus have I throwne downe this halting distinction that wee may keepe it downe from rising to wrastle with the truth I will use the hand Dr. Beard of Antichrist part 2. cap. 9. sect 4. and helpe of our learned Collegiate The Pope may erre as a particular person and Doctour but not as Pope Who seeth not the absurditie and condition of this distinction For the Pope is alwaies a publike person and Doctour of the Church and not a particular So that these are contradictorie propositions to bee Pope and yet to be a private person And therefore if Catharinus had reason to mock at Caietane who writing of Herods sadnesse for the demand of Iohn Baptists Head distinguishing betwixt the King and Herod as if it were the King that was sad and not Herod For saith Catharine if the King was sad and Herod was King then by my Logick I must conclude that Herod was sad And if
494 Prayers 494 Discipline 495 SERMON 18. Of Satan 497 Papists refuse all Communion with Protestants 498 Why so many learned be Papists 501 No Reconciliation with Rome 506 SERMON 19. The Doctrine of Devills 521 The Church of Rome teacheth the doctrine of Devills 522 Popish forbidding mariage 531 Popish forbidding meats 537 SERMON 20. All who are deceived by Antichrist are damned 542 Whether all Papists be damned 545 Of Apostates to Poperie 558 SERMON 21. Antichrist not a Iew. 560 The Church of Rome doth use the Scripture for owne turne 567 The ambition of the Church of Rome 570 Consolation against Antichrist 574 Five notes of such as love the truth 575 SERMON 22. The Papists surpasse the Pagan Idolatry 579 Angells made Idolls 584 Saints 585 The V. Marie 587 Images 589 The Crosse 592 The Sacrament 594 Every Creature made an Idol 597 SERMON 23. Precedents of obstinatenesse 601 The Papists obstinate and deluded 607 No Reconciliatâ—on 441 The Papâ—sts are deluders 607 Want of pâ—ovâ—sion for Converts an hindrance to Reformation 617 Pronenesse of People to be deluded by Popery 447 God doth send delusion 623 A Caveat to the Church of England against obstinatenesse 625 SERMON 24. Popery supported by lying 631 The Primacie 636 The Crosse 638 Popish lies against the persons of Protestants 640 Against Calvin 642 Beza ibid. Luther ibid. Bishop King 643 Queene Elizabeth 644 Popish lies against the Profession of Protestants 646 Concerning the Sacraments 647 Our Government ibid. Our Preachers ibid. The Scripture 650 Our obedience to our King 651 Our obedience to our God 653 Popish lyes concerning their persecution 654 SERMON 25. The Pope may Erre 677 Hath â—rred 687 In his Translations ibid. Canon Lawes 688 Papacredens docens that distinction examined 680 Of implicite faith 698 SERMON 26. Popish points that are damnable 702 Inhibition of the Scriptures 706 Latine Prayers 707 Merits 711 The Communion in one kind 712 Worshipping of Images 715 SERMON 27. Six opinions of Antichrist 721 The Devill shall be Antichrist 722 Nero. 724 The Turke 726 The Turke and Pope 732 Antichrist shall be a Iew. 737 The Papists Trienniall Antichrist 740 SERMON 28. The Summe of the whole Treatise 746 The Paraphrase of the whole Text. 754 The Parallel to the Pope 757 The Conclusion 764 A Dehortation from Poperie 766 A Plaine Exposition upon the first part of the second Chapter of St. PAVL his second EPISTLE to the THESSALONIANS SERMON I. 2 THESS 2. 1. Now we beseech you Brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling unto him That obstinacy in error is dangerous to salvation And that it is dangerous to breake the peace of the Church Ministers should win their people by Leuity Of the Resurrection Blessings bind us to bee constant in Religion Of Vnion WHen first I cast mine eye on this Chapter it reflected my mind on the first Chapter of the first Epistle and I undertooke that Epistle because of this Chapter that so I might discusse the Point of Antichrist here so plentifully proposed A point none more difficult none more necessary to be knowne This also did call into my memory my Text at my first Sermon entring upon that Epistle to the Thessalonians which was the nineteenth and twentieth verses of the sixt Chapter to the Ephesians That ye should pray for me that vtterance might be giuen unto me that I might open my mouth boldly to make knowne this Mystery that therein I might speak boldly as I ought to speake I hope that your Christian prayers have beene like the Leviticall fire that they have beene ever fervent in my behalfe But now I beseech you to blow them up with an extraordinary affection to beg an extraordinary blessing upon my poore Labours I expect Argus and Midas and Momus and Magus to be my Hearers I looke that broad eyes long eares wide mouths and false hearts shall observe every syllable in these Sermons I am resolved to haue my reputation torne for my paines But let Malice speake truth and spare neither my life nor my learning For the End of my Labours in this point I know the Sunne cannot give light nor sight to the Blind or Blind-folded I know Truth it selfe cannot satisfie Prejudice and Obstinacy But to the seeker of the Truth I promise thus much in the presence of God before whom I stand I will endeavour to discusse this point with all Humility Industry and Impartiality Which that I may doe againe and againe I beseech you for that for which St. Paul besought Ephes 6. 19 20. the Ephesians in those verses of that Chapter before cited Brethren I beseech you to pray for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth holdly to make knowne This Mysterie and that therein I may speake boldly as I ought to speake I beseech you to pray for me For it I will be your Debtor and yet will I pay you in your owne Coine Pray you for me and I will pray for you Pray you for me in Speaking and I will pray for you in Hearing Let us promise and performe this as a Preface to this great worke Let us heartily pray for one another and thou Lord let the words of our mouthes and the prayers of our hearts be alwayes acceptable in thy sight both now and ever O Lord our strength and our Redeemer This second Epistle consisteth of three Chapters wherein the argument of the first is gratulatory for what they had beene of the second Expository of what they must bee and the contents of the third are Hortatorie what they should bee The Expository argument of this Chapter is twofold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praedicit praedicat Information of Antichrist is delivered to the thirteenth verse and Consolation against Antichrist from thence to the end of the Chapter The information or first generall part of this Chapter doth branch it selfe into two particulars concerning this Discourse on this cause consider the Occasion thereof related in the two first verses and part of the third and the question it selfe debated from the third verse unto the thirteenth The occasion why St. Paul did dispute of Antichrist was an Errour among the Thessalonians concerning the Comming of Christ This being premised in the three first verses the Apostle sheweth them the thing by which he doth disswade them in the first and the thing from which hee doth disswade them in the second and third The debating of the question it selfe may be drawne into these five particulars First we have Antichrist described in the third and fourth verses secondly revealed in the fift sixt seventh and part of the eighth verse Thirdly destroyed in the remnant of the eight Fourthly confirmed in the ninth and part of the tenth verse and finally we have Antichrist embraced in the tenth eleventh and twelfth verses The summe of this Text is the thing by which St. Paul did disswade the
into one Church triumphant is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an aggregation or a Congregation of Congregations The second the affection to this gathering together in the word our appeareth to bee an allusion in that Proverbe Matt. 24. 28. Wheresoever the carkeise is there will the Eagles be gathered together For Nature doth not make the Eagle so to sent out and to hunt out the carkeise as Grace doth make the Faithfull to hunger and thirst after that comming The sense then thus I set down in more and more plain termes As Christ will joine you to him effectually and as you long after that conjunction affectionately even so by the gathering together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by our gathering together unto him wee beseech you brethren not to bee moved from the truth by any false seducers From these premises let us conclude this Doctr. doctrine Gods blessings doe binde Gods children to be constant in the truth Thus wee see in this Text that Christs comming is urged as an argument to confirm the Thessalonians in Christs doctrine Rom. 9. 31. and 32. the grievous fault and punishment of Israel was this God gave them righteousnesse by faith but they fell to their workes and therefore lost all Luke 12. 32. God giveth his servants a kingdome therefore they should not feare to serve him And indeed this is the maine end wherefore God giveth us his blessings to incourage us in his truth The man who hath his head held up by a skilfull swimmer meriteth drowning if in a fond feare he forsake him to lay hold on some floating staffe So let him sinke in errour that will bee affrighted even with an Ocean of temptations if Gods blessings support him Alexander the great Iust hist l. 11. saith Iustine made choice of the stipendiary his Pensioners for his prime souldiers in his Persian expedition So such as are Gods Pensioners that is inriched with his continuall favours ought to be his Triarij that is his most courageous souldiers and most constant professors in the Church militant And finally as in 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. Nathan said unto David Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I have anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy masters house and thy masters wives into thy bosome and gave thee the house of Israel and of Iudah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things As I say David was here argued from Gods benefits because he fell into carnall adultery so shall wee bee condemned also from Gods benefits if we fall into Spirituall adultery We shall finde the Lord a jealous God if his mercies move us not to keepe his Commandements Hence therefore it may appeare that the Vse assurance of Gods blessings that is the certainty of salvation is not the naturall mother of Presumption No that Bastard is filius populi presumption proceedeth from mans corruption accidentally and not necessarily from that sweet Consolation But if Blessings doe binde then are we bound to God in infinite bonds Remember that blessed uniting of the two Roses the white and the red Yorke and Lancaster Remember the uniting of the two Lyons in gold and gules England and Scotland By the first dissention the two Houses might have ruinated this Kingdome by the second the two Kingdomes might have ruinated this Iland had they not beene united Yet can wee not bee haled to Vnion in the Church but still we nourish a fatall dissention Remember moreover Gods blessings of protection in 88 God delivered us from water and in 1605 from fire And yet some of us love that Religion which hatched those hatefull machinations Consider his present blessings such a plenty for three yeares and such a peace for three score yeares as this Land enioyed not in three hundred before And yet remaine we unmindfull unthankfull Now that we may be sensible of this sin God withdraweth some of them This City doth see and the Country doth feele the abundance of unseasonable raine so that some cannot end their harvest and others cannot beginne their seed-time May not this be a prologue to a Famine Againe is it a small thing that we are almost universally smitten with the small poxe May not this be a Rabshekah the Fore-runner of Senacherib May not God tell vs by the small poxe that he hath a greater plague to smite us with To what end is all this Even to urge the same argument upon us which St. Paul here doth upon the Thessalonians that we be constant in our Religion Therefore by all those blessings ye have or hope for by those judgements yee doe deserve and may stand in feare of by the liberty of our Conscience and plentifull preaching of the Gospell by the famine of bread and famine of the word but above all By the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ I beseech you brethren Brethren I beseech you bee constant in the Truth of God And the God of truth make vs carefull cheerfull and joyfull to performe it SERMON II. 2 THESS 2. 2 3. That you be not soone shaken in minde or bee troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by Letter as from us as that the day of Christ were at hand Let no man deceive you by any meanes The comming of Christ may not be defined The errours of the understanding cause terrours to the conscience Meanes to avoid errour Three fountaines of errour Of Enthusiasine Of the use and abuse of Eloquence Of false quotations and corrupting Authors Ten meanes of seducing to Popery THis Text and the former verse containe the short preface premised to the great point of Antichrist In that you heard by what St. Paul did disswade the Thessalonians by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ In this you shall heare from what he disswaded them from an error concerning the comming of Christ In the text there are two generalls the Heresie and the Fallacy The heresie to which and the fallacy through which they were in danger to be seduced In each generall there are two particulars In the heresie their errour and their terrour The errour in the last words of the first verse as that the day of the Lord were at hand and their terrour in the first words of this verse that yee be not soone shaken in minde or troubled In the Fallacy observe it related in particular in the remnant of the second verse neither by spirit nor by word nor by Letter as from us and finally observe the fallacy repeated in generall in the third verse Let no man deceive you by any meanes The first of the five particulars is their Errour They thought the day of Christ to be at hand But say some those erre who call this an errour For St. Iames saith Iam. 5. 8. The day of the Lord draweth nigh◠and St. Peter 1 Pet. 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand If therefore
Rudder or Anchor and conceive the terrours of that soule which floateth on groundlesse errours to surpasse imagination The Apostles phrase Eph. 4. 16. importeth that the erroneous are like a bone out of joynt it will cost many an hearty groane before they be reduced to their right place They will bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3. 11. their owne consciences will be both the accusers and the accused and in conclusion they will become aliens from Gods Commonwealth Eph. 2. 12. Now suppose a traveller in the night and out of the way how will he be troubled a Rebell out of the Kings favour how perplexed The Athenians mutined Iust hist for a time against Alexander but they were glad notwithstanding their brags to be reconciled upon any condition Alas beloved the Erroneous are those Travellers so troubled those Rebels so perplexed and those mutinous Athenians their feare must be great till they be reconciled to their God upon any condition 1 King 2. 30. Ioab having run a wrong course of erroneous election against his Lords liking although he could pretend that he did adhere to the right heire was incouraged by the High Priest and might bee excused by his other former services and was protected by the Altar notwithstanding because he erred against the Kings will the terrours of death did compasse him on every side So let the erroneous gild over their positions with never so many glorious pretences that they adhere to the right heire to the old Religion that they are incouraged by the High Priest by the Pope himselfe that their life otherwise is very innocent and that they have the Altar the onely Catholike Church to protect them Notwithstanding all this if they wander without the warrant of the Lord without the apparant Scriptures the sword of Benaiah hangeth over their heads The conscience of the erroneous cannot but suffer the terrours of the Lord with a troubled minde Loe here the lot of all those who are seducers Vse or seduced Feare and trembling are their companions From the Papist to the Anabaptist all seducers are like the Aspen they cannot but quake continually and like the old Romanes mentioned by S. Augustine Deum colunt timorem Aug. epist 44. Maximo horrorem Terrour and horrour are housed in their consciences As the text speaketh their consciences are shaken and troubled perpetually But say the Erroneous the Papists especially we have none of these terrours we have resisted your Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are carelesse and fearlesse to shed your blood or our owne blood in the confidence of our Catholike cause We are not shaken nor troubled in conscience for teaching our Doctrine I say notwithstanding their bragges some of them doe feare though they will not shew where their shooe wringeth them Some of them shall feare Morte personam non ferent Death shall unmaske them and discover their consciences pale and wan with feare and trembling If some of them live and dye confident in their errours then I apply that other phrase of my text unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are besides their mindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens and Clem. Alex. Protrept p. 2. Ign. ep 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius their blindnesse is madnesse and franticknesse Mad men will wound themselves and feele not and the franticke will run into the fire and feare not So those men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they ranne out of their wits when they ran out of the Church and this makes them like Bedlems to be so couragious indeed so outragious in their herefies But how may wee avoid these errours and terrours and be setled in the Truth I can teach men no better than Erasmus taught children Quod lego Scripturis Symbolo summa siducia credo si quid receptum est ab usu Ecclesiae quod non plane cum Scripturis pugnat servo That is that man who doth constantly beleeve whatsoever is taught him by the Scriptures and conscionably obey whatsoever is commanded by the Church provided the Church command nothing plainly contrary to the Scriptures Such a man I say will bee setled in the Truth and seldome or never shaken in minde or troubled concerning any Errours Yea but some speake of all the Scriptures what S. Peter spake of some of the Scripture 2 Pet. 3. 16. they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to bee understood I answer Vse these meanes faithfully and thou shalt finde the necessary principles of the Scripture to be a food for the Lamb to wade through and to be food for very Babes to feed on Eschew three things and insue three things Let these sixe points be the practise of thy piety Eschew Pride Prejudice and Profit in searching out the Truth Mater omnium Haereticorum superbia St. Augustine saith t is Pride which progues Aug. contra Manich. 2. 8. men to factions and partakings Simon Magus would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 9. a great man this was the Magicke that bewitched him to his heresie and sorcerie Prejudice is a second and maine prevention of knowing and imbracing the Truth In hac side eram natus in hac educatus in ea moriar said an Eutichian because hee was borne therein therefore hee would live and dye in that opinion There are many mad Ephesians who will cry out against Paul when they know not the cause wherefore they cry out against him Acts 19. 32. And finally profit and commodity is Truths common adversary there are wretched men who subvert whole houses for silthy lucres sake Tit. 1. 11. and their gaine teacheth them to teach falshood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to please their Patrons and maintaine errours because errours maintaine them On the other side insue three other things Fidelity Charity and Humility Fidelity towards the Scriptures Charity towards the Church and Humility towards thy selfe Fasten thy Faith on the Scriptures say with the Pythagorians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath said it and therefore we will beleeve it And say with St. Paul Though an Angell from heaven should preach another Gospell and teach thee any thing contrary to the word of God let him be an Anathema accursed by God and man Gal. 1. 8. Next to thy fidelity to thy Father thy God speaking in his Scriptures exercise thy charity to thy Mother to the Church speaking in her Institutions Alexander saith Iustine did lament that hee had wronged his Nurse in his drinke The Church of England is our Nurse and surely they are not sober who wrong it and I hope that at length they will have grace to lament it If any accuse our Church which hath nursed thee let thy love teach thee to take heed of such accusers and abstaine from the very appearance of evill 1 Thess 5. 22. Let both Fidelity to the Scriptures and charity to the Church be a garland to
point onely Where the enemy doth fortifie he doth suspect his weaknesse Therefore a just suspition may warrant us to search into this controversie In a word the knowledge of this point of Antichrist in some men in some sort is necessary to salvation For those who adhere to Antichrist revealed are in the estate of damnation out of the Booke of life Rev. 17. 8. in the way of death 2 Thess 2. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrist doth prevaile in those that perish saith S. Chrysostome And S. Ierome saith Chrysost in 2 Thess 2. Hieron ad Alâ—as qu. 11. the same In iis qui ad perditionem sunt praeparati that Antichrist doth deceive those who are ordained to destruction As therefore wee tender our soules and salvation even so let us with all humble diligence attend to this difficult but profitable question In the handling and hearing whereof God even our owne God grant us a blessing Antichrist This word of all the Scripture is found onely in the Epistles of S. Iohn and there principally in the 18. vers of the second Chapter of his first Epistle where hee doth distinguish betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betwixt the meane Antichrist and the maine Antichrist Every enemy of Christ is an Antichrist but that Antichrist is the grand Enemy at the end of the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damasc lib. 4. cap. 28. Antichrist properly so called is that Arch-adversary who shall come at the end of the world saith Damascene Antichrist is a Greek word whereof there are three derivations The first of which is manifestly false the second manifestly true and the third probable Some say it is pronounced Magdeburg Cent. 1. cap. 4. pag. 416. Antichristus as it were Antechristus that is before Christ because Antichrist should come immediately before the second comming of Christ A manifest error to derive a Greek word from a Latine root is more then childishly ridiculous Others say Antichristum Hilar. de Synodis adversus Arianos p. 311. as it were Contra Christum Nominis Antichristi proprietas est Christo contrarium esse saith Hilarie the propriety of the name of Antichrist doth imply a contrariety to the person of Christ Hence Danaeus doth suppose that S. Paul in his word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Adversary doth allude to this terme of S. Iohn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist and here there is an absolute agreement betwixt the Protestants and the Papists Others in the third place say probably that Antichristus doth signifie Aemulum Christi Antichrist a Counterchrist one who under the shew of Christ doth oppose Christ Thus in apposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth in stead as Matt. 2. 22. Archelaus did reigne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the roome of Herod and in composition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one case for another So we may say more than probably Antichrist is an Adversary pretending to be in the stead of Christ but indeed fighting against Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee shall Damascen 2. 28 faigne himselfe religious saith Damascene and Bernard Tentabit supplantabit sub specie boni that he should insinuate himselfe under the shew of Religion Thus I say wee may say probably and more than probably and this probability will plainly point at the Pope But I rather follow the second because I would close with the consent of the Papists They we all consent in this Antichrist doth signifie one that is contrary to Christ even the greatest adversary that ever was is or shall bee to Christ and Christianity Now who is that great Adversary that great Antichrist this is our great question which now we have in hand to bee decided In the first place let mee lay this ground Aug. de Civit. 20. 19. on the words of S. Augustine Nullum dubium est eum de Antichristo ista dixisse S. Paul doth speake of that Antichrist in this Chapter yea and plainly too Iohannes scripsit Antichristi Sharpus Speculâ— Papae cap. 1. mysterium Paulus commentarium saith our acute Doctor S. Iohn in his Revelation doth write of Antichrist obscurely as it were in a mystery but S. Paul in this Epistle speaketh of him plainly as it were by way of a commentarie To which I annex the caveat of that accomplished Divine in his Accomplishment of Moulin Accompl of Prophes pag. 77. Prophecies Though a man may move some difficulties here and there yet it is enough to stagger the most opinionative when he shall see all the peeces of this so long a Prophesie to concurre upon one onely man This point of Antichrist is delivered from the third verse to the thirteenth of this chapter Wherein I will passe through these five particulars Antichrist described in the third and fourth verses Revealed in the fifth sixth seventh and part of the eighth Destroyed in the remnant of the eighth verse Confirmed in the ninth and part of the tenth and received in the tenth eleventh and twelfth verses In the Text wee have the first point of these five Antichrist described wherein wee are to consider foure parts of his description his Time Titles Place and Properties First the Time of Antichrist his comming is either after or with an Apostasie for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first Secondly his Titles are three Antichrist is termed the Man of Sinne the Sonne of Perdition and the Adversary or he who opposeth himselfe Thirdly his place is the Temple of God Fourthly his properties are three each exceeding one another and all exceeding all other He doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped He doth sit in the Temple of God as God and he doth shew himselfe that he is God I must premise one thing more All reverence premised to the judgement of the Fathers The judgement of the Fathers must not determine this controversie Prophetiae non intelliguntur Rex Iacobus praeâ— pag. 84. donec compleantur said that Patron of Learning those cannot understand the Prophesies who doe not live to the end of the Prophesies this prophesie of Antichrist was not fulfilled therefore it was not expounded in the time of the Fathers To those old Fathers these prophesies were aenigmata meer Riddles said that old Father Irenaeus And Daniel in Irenaeus lib 4. cap. 43. his Prophesie doth desine the obscurity of all Prophesies Such words are closed up and sealed Dan. 12. 9. till the time of the end Ego quid dixit fateor me Aug. de Civil lib. 20. cap. 19. ignorare St. Augustine concerning this very Chapter doth confesse that hee could not conceive the contents thereof and he calleth the opinions of his times suspiciones but conjectures As before the comming of Christ the Fathers of Israel did but guesse at those things which the Church did afterward see so plainly So concerning Antichrist the Church may see those
things now plainly whereat the holy Fathers did but guesse in the Primitive time Bellarmine also did reject twelve of the Fathers in this very point of Antichrist De Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 12. Therefore without any wrong to be imputed to us by our adversaries to those reverend Fathers we may refuse them in this cause we have the Fathers the Scriptures and Bellarmine himselfe to avouch it The Time is the first point and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is metator Antichristi as Lucianus termed Decius that is the falling away is the forerunner of Antichrist When a Fort doth see some Troupes sit downe before their walls they conclude that the Generall of their enemies is at hand to besiege them So S. Paul giveth the Church this signe When the falling away is come Then that man of sinne is at the doores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Apostasie is the falling of a man from his Lord to whom he oweth his fealty A Renegado or to turne Turke It is taken three wayes by the Expositors First Politically to fall from the Romane Empire by Rebellion Secondly Ecclesiastically to fall from the Church in Religion And thirdly Figuratively the subject for the adjunct the Apostate for the Apostasie By the falling away understanding the head instrument or person causing that falling away The second signification of these three is most sutable to the Text because it is used in the Scriptures as Luke 8. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they fall from the word 1 Tim. 4. x. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some shall fall away or depart from the faith and Luke 18. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Sonne of man commeth shall he finde faith on the earth meaning that all will fall from faith at that season Next the Fathers use it in the same signification This Apostasie saith S. Cyril it shall bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the orthodoxall Faith And S. Augustine calleth the Aposlate Refugam à Domino Aug. de Civ 2â— 19. a runnagate froÌ„ the Lord. And that many of the Fathers did take this word in this sense in this place Bellarmine himselfe confesseth â—â—ll de Rom. â—oâ—â—iâ— 3. 2. that S. Augustine doth witnesse it Again Apostasie in the Scriptures and in the Ecclesiasticall Writers is never used politically for the falling away from a temporall Prince Moreover Discedit imperium non disceditur ab imperio Apâ—lâ—gâ— in Bell. cap. 9. said our English Gamaliel there must be a nullity of the Empire not an apostasie from the Empire to make way for Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sixt verse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the seventh both the thing and the person which letteth both the Empire and the Emperour must be absolutely removed And finally Antichrist is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 16. 13. a False prophet which must imply an Ecclesiasticall apostasie or falling away in Religion Neither can the third sense conveniently be applyed to the Text to take the word Apostafie siguratively for the Apostate himselfe This misprision arose from a false translation Refuga being read for Apostasia Aug. de Civitate Dei 20. 19. which is acknowledged also by Suarez who also saith Graeca vox Apostasia Suarez Apolog. lib. â— c. 10. Sect. 5. significat discessionem à side in suâ syncer â proprietate that is Apostasie doth properly signifie a falling away from the Church in Religion Thus properly S. Paul doth speake of the Eâ—clesiasticall falling away Yet I will follow all three both because the other two are true also though not proper For the first the Romane Empire it selfe must fall which must imply a falling from it by rebellion before Antichrist doth come And for the third if the great falling from the faith shall be absolutely before the comming of Antichrist then Antichrist when he commeth as Bellarmine speaketh Bell. Apolog. cap. 9. well Non inveniret quos seduceret shall have few or none to seduce by his strong delusions Therefore it is true also Antichrist shall be the maine causer of this falling from the faith Againe I retaine all the members of this distribution because as neare as I can I will tread in the very footsteps of the Papists themselves and inferre my conclusions from their premises It is their distinction The Rhemists Rhemists â—â— 2 Thess 2. sect 5. 6. on this Text acknowledge the two first branches though in the fift Section they deny that there can bee any revolt from the Church yet in the sixt Section they seeme to revolt from that resolution saying It is very likely that this great revolt shall be not onely from the Romane Empire but also from the Romane Church and withall from most points of the Christian faith Suarez also doth acknowledge spiritualem Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. c. 10 nu 18 stragem a spirituall defection and destruction Dr. Steuartius professor of Ingolstade Steuartius in 2 Thess 2. on this place doth thus describe this falling away Insignis defectio à Romano Imperio memorabilis Apostasia à side Christianâ Vnde non immerito Patres vocaverunt Antichristum ipsam Apostasiam quod multis author sit ut à Deo discedant That is There shall bee such an admirable falling away both from the Romane Empire and from the Christian Faith that thence the Fathers have justly called Antichrist the Apostasie it selfe Finally this intire distinction is borrowed from Bellarmine himselfe Suarez also hath the Bell. de Rom. Pontif. 3. 12. Suarez lib. 5. cap. 10. â—u 13 14 16. very same in his Apology I take it therefore for granted that the word in my text is taken three wayes Politically Ecclesiastically and Figuratively And I will make it appeare that every way it doth most properly occurre with the Church of Rome For the first The Church of Rome from the Empire of Rome hath falne away and so falne away as no part of the Empire beside It is true The Romane Empire lost Asia and other places but this was by the open invasion of the Turke and of other forraine Princes But that he should be thrust out of Rome his Imperiall seat whence his Empire is named Romane by the rebellion of his Subjects I suppose there never was falling from the Empire like this and this was atchieved by the Pope Somewhat after six hundred yeares of our Saviors Incarnation Bonifacius the third obtained of Phocas the title of Vniversall Bishop here that Pope was hatching his Apostasie this was but the infancy of his Insurrection After that the Longobards invaded and conquered part of Italy yet so that the remnant thereof remained intire under the Emperours Dominion But the Emperour himselfe residing wholly in the East Italy as it is in most Kingdomes governed by Viceroyes was oppressed by his Exarchs Thereupon the Italians became wonderfully averse from the Emperours inclinable to the Bishops of Rome And the Bishops of Rome incouraged by this
Curia Romana Ecclesia Romana the part ruled and the part ruling The part ruled are those particular Churches which professe the Romish Relâ—gion as Spaine France Polonâ—â— c. The part ruling is the City or Court of Rome I say therefore that Antichrist doth sit in all the Romish Church but to speake in the phrase of Suarez collocavit Thronum suum regalem Curiam imperij Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. cap. 15. nu 1. 2. sui in urbe he hath seated his Throne and setled his royall Court in that City This will I prove by three arguments drawne from the scituation and domination of Rome and thirdly from the Assimulation betwixt Rome and Babylon The Velites shall give the onset I will propound their owne argument as a preamble to our more solide proofes Dan. 11. 45. He shall plant the Tabernacle of his royall Palace betweene the Seas Now although we know that this Prophecie speaketh literally of Antiochus and of Antichrist onely Anagogically of whom Antiochus was a Type Yet because the Papists doe expound it literally of Antichrist against them wee retort it as a true propertie and strong probability that Rome is the seate of Antichrist because it is seated betweene two seas the Tyrrhene and the Adriatike according to this Prophecy of Dan. 11. 45. I proceed to our owne proofes First from the situation Babylon is seated on seven hills Rev. 17. 9. and so is Rome situated also no City under the cope to be compared to it in that kinde So is it termed by Tertullian and Tertul. Apol. cap. 35. Dionys Halicar lib. 4. Plin. lib. 3. ca. 5. Sibylla lib. 2. so was it founded by Servius Tullius the last King of the Romanes Hence also the Latines gave it the sirname of Septicollis that is the seven hilled City and the Graecians called it in the same signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The common epithite of the Poets and almost the burden of their Poems Dumque suis victrix septem de montibus orbem Ovid. de Trist lib. 1. Eclog. 4. Propert. Eclog. 10. Virgil. Gâ—oâ—â— 2. Prospiciet domitum Martia Roma legar Septem urbs alta jugis toti quae praesidet orbi Scilicet rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma Septem quae una sibi muro circumdedit arces Varro mentioneth a Feast called septimontium Varro de Ling. Latin lib. 5. as it were dedicated to celebrate a City seated on seven hills and their Names are famously knowne throughout the world Calius Exquilinus Palatinus Viminalis Quirinalis Aventinus Capitolinus All Dounam Der. Epis de Antich part 1. lib. 1. c. 2. these at this day are within the Walles of the City though decayed in the number of houses yet still beautified with many Churches Monasteries and other goodly buildings Moreover on the first the hill Coelius at this day standeth the Laterane Palace and Church Which divers Popes have consumed to be Constitut Rom. Pont. pag. 11. 454. 618. the Head church of all the churches in the world as Gregory 11. Pius 4. and Pius 5. If any except that these Hills are to bee taken metaphorically I answer here can be no metaphor because it is an interpretation of an Angell expouÌ„ding the seven heads to signifie seven mountaines Now interpretatâ—â—â—s must be plaine not metaphoricall Plaine therefore it is that Rome is seated on seven hills the very situation of the very seat of Antichrist Secondly that City which in S. Iohns time did reigne over the kingdomes of the earth is Babylon the seat of Antichrist Revel 17. 18. But Rome is that City which in S. Iohns time did reigne over the Kingdomes of the earth Toti quae praesidet orbi Therefore Rome is Babylon the seat of Antichrist And aptly may it be termed Babylon because it is the manner of Kingdomes to title themselves from the first notable persons which did erect their State as the Romane Emperours were called Caesars from the first Iulius Caesar And Rome was so named from Romulus So let the Romanes reflect a little further backward because they have atchieved the Babylonian Monarchy from the first this last Monarch Rome may bee termed Babylon Lastly Rome and Babylon concurre in many resemblances without any constrained comparison Babylon in the Scriptures is taken 3 wayes First Literally for Babylon in Chaldea the Metropolis of the Assyrian Empire 2 Reg. 24. 10. Secondly Literally for Babylon in Aegypt since called Babylis or Caire of which some understand 1 Pet. 5. 13. Thirdly Mystically for the City of Antichrist Revel 17. 5. of which the first was a type and this is our assertion that Rome is mysticall Babylon Rome resembleth the old Babylon in foure particulars First the old Babylon was a worke begunne by seventy Families which schismed from Shem but God was in Shems Tents So Babylon mysticall the Romane Church hath made a schisme from the pure Church of the primitive times And we hope that God doth dwell in our Tents who retaine the Apostolicall truth Secondly Nimrod by interpretation an Apostate or a Rebell was the Head of old Babylon so the Pope the Apostate it the Head of Rome Thirdly as Rome was given by the Emperours Otho Frigensis Chro. 7. 3. Pâ—â—kins Probl. pag. 581. of Christendome to the Pope our chiefe Christian Bishop so the Persian Kings granted Babylon unto their High Priest And the Persian translating the seat of his Kingdome from Babylon to Ecbatan held nothing at Babylon but the bare name of an Empire So our Emperour removing from Rome to Aquisgrave hath nothing remaining but the title onely that he is called the Romane Emperour Fourthly Babylon was a City where the Church of the Iewes were captive And a great part of the Christian Church is and a greater was captive in Rome also To these foure I may adde a fift parallell out of Bellarmine One thousand one hundred threescore and foure Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. c. 5. yeares after the building of Babylon it was sacked so in the same number 1164 yeares after the building thereof was Rome taken by the Gothes This Parallell like Pharaohs dreame to shew the certainty thereof shall be doubled To those five I will adde five other issuing out of the bowels of my text Which will accord Rome Babylon in an evident naturall congruity Arrogance Violence Improbity Idolatry Hiâ—gons Myst Bebyl Serm. 1. Inquis 2. Cruelty non ovum ovo similius are so sutable to both Rome and Babylon that they seeme to be a brace of Menechmies It must be a sharp eye which can be able to distinguish them First in this verse Antichrist is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that doth exalt himselfe behold his pride and arrogance Secondly the object is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all that is called God or worshipped that is Kings or Emperours a violent intrusion upon Authority and Majesty Thirdly for his Improbity and wicked conditions
provided that they did not deny the Principles that is the Primacy of the Apostolike See c. Pius 4 did offer the Cambd. Annal. anno 1 560. p. 59 same to England by Parpalias Abbot of St. Saviours And Pope Paul 4 did tender unto Tort. Torti pag. 142. Queene Elizabeth leave and liberty to use all the points of Religion as wee then did and now doe enjoy them Modo in Primatum ipsius consentire velletâ—â— onely if shee would give place to his Primacy Consonant to which is Trent Hist lib. 2. pag. 164. that Caveat which Paul 3 gave to his Legates at the Councill of Trent that they should by no meanes permit the Popes authority to be disputed of Thus the maine drift of the Pope is to advance the Papacy I may therefore advance him to one Title more He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that advanceth himselfe more than all the world beside The Act we finde apparent that the Pope doth exalt himselfe The object followeth to be inquired after over whom doth hee exalt himselfe Over all but first over Kings in the phrase of my Text above all that is called God Concerning which consider we their Positions and their Practice Their Positions I thinke none can deliver more truly than their most learned Cardinall Bellarmine Who doth plainly professe both what authority the Pope doth take from Princes and also what authority hee doth exercise upon Princes Which is exaltation enough above Kings and all that is worshipped We say Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib 2. c. 26. saith Bellarmine that the Pope cannot be judged by any Prince or Prelate on the earth â— neque ab omnibus simul in concilio congregatis no not by all the Princes Prelates in the world though in a Councill Asserimus it is our position saith Bell. lib. 5. cap. 6. initio he againe that although the Pope hath no meere temporall power yet in ordine ad bonum spirituale for a spirituall purpose hee hath Power disponendi de temporalibus omnium ChristianoruÌ„ to dispose of the temporalls of all Christian persons And that wee may not mistake him let Bellarmine expresse his owne meaning Potest mutare regna uni auferre ac alteri conferre the Pope saith he hath power to dispose Bell. de Pont. Ro. lib 5. cap. 6. versiâ—a sinem of Kingdomes to give them to some and to take them away from others Or let a Pope confirme the position of their Cardinall Nos Dominus inter Principes imo supra Principes sedere voluit judicare de Principibus saith Pope Innocent Innocent 3 lib. 2. epâ—st 188 3 that is It is Gods will that the Popes should sit among Princes yea above Princes and to bee Trent Hist lib. 4. 314. Trent Hist lib. 5. 395. Iudges of Princes Anno 1551 Iulius 3 told the Embassadour of Henry 2 if the King tooke Parma from him that he would take France from the King Paul 4 at his Table publikely said Hee would not have any Prince for his Companion but all subject under his feet So hee sayd striking his foot against the ground Which is as nobly seconded by Becanus in his Treatise Novus Homo pag. 133. termed Anglicana Controversia the Pope saith he is universall Shepheard of the Church according Ioh. 21. 16. to the Scripture Pasce â—ves feed my sheepe Per Canes intelligantur Reges and the Kings are the Dogges of that Shepheard Therfore so long as those Dogges or Kings are watchfull Pastori ad maâ—â—me esse debent they must waite upon the Pope or Shepheard But if they become idle the Shepheard But if they become idle the Shepheard may turne theÌ„ away ab officio submovendi sunt Againe which is lesse materiall but more authenticall a Taxa Caâ—era Apostolicae part 2. cap. 9. Queene may not adopt a child nor a King exact contributions from his Cleargy without a Licence from the great Clearke of Rome and their Synode of Trent 1563 returned this answer to Trent Hist lib. 8. the French Embassadours saying that Kings are given by God that his was Hereticall and condemned by a Pope Bonifacius 8 in this Extravagant unam sanctam If he did not distinguish that they were from God but by the mediation of his Vicar Finally Carerius concludeth all these premises Carer de Potest Rom. Pont. lib. 1. cap. 3. with an egregious Comment upon Ieremy 1. 10. Behold I have set thee over Nations c. This saith he doth the Prophet speake in the person of Christ unto the Bishop of Rome that if Kings be wicked he may punish and correct them Of whom I may truly say Plus quam regnare videtur cui it a liceat censuram agere regnantium Monarchomach part 1. Tit. 2. pag. 89. Certainly the Pope is more than a Prince who taketh upon him so to censure Princes The text doth frame him a fit title it is the Pope who doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God All which premises are come to a complement The Quarrels of Paul 5 lib. 4. pag. 206. and complete conclusion in our age Anno 1606. in the contentions betwixt Pope Paul 5 and the State of Venice the current doctrine and consent of the Romane writers concurred in this That the Temporall power of Princes is subordinate to the power Ecclesiasticall and subject to it Consequently that the Pope hath authority to deprive Princes of their estates for their faults and errours which they commit in their government Yea though they have not committed any fault when the Pope shall judge it fit for the good of the Church This is related and avouched by a Venetian who was no ProtestaÌ„t but lived and dyed in the outward communion with the Church of Rome Their Practice doth make good these Positions Hist Albing lib. 1. cap. 3. About 1209 the Legate under Pope Innocent 3 commanded Remond the Earle of Toulouze to performe a penance for the Murther of Frier Peter de Chateancuf whom hee neither killed nor caused to bee killed in forme following He commanded the same Earle to strippe himselfe starke naked onely having linnen breeches without the Church of St. Giles Then he put a stole about his necke by which he led him nine times about the grave of the said Fryer Afterward he scourged him in the presence of many Earles Barons and Prelates And finally having forced him to abâ—ure the Relâ—gâ—on of the Albingenses he constrained the miserable man to goe Captaine over the Souldiers of the Crosse against those poore persecured Protestants in Beziers The vsage of a more noble man than this Dr. Beard de Antich pag 76. was yet more ignoble Francis Dandalus Duke of Venice was chained like a Dogge and did eate meat with the Dogges under the Popes Table Anno 1563 Pius 4 cited Ioane Queene of Hist Trent lib. 8 Navarre to appeare within sixe moneths to
obedience to God and in unfained innocence to Man Such an heart is murus ahene us a coat of maile against all the hands of Rome yea and their tongues also Now he that hath given us all our hearts give such an heart such a true heart to every one of us Amen Amen SERMON XII 2 THESS 2. 5 6 7 8. He shall be revealed The Time of the Revelation of Antichrist Where our Church was before Luther Affected Ignorance of Antichrist I Have discoursed on the Digression in the fift verse and on the first point in the Progression what hindered that the man of sinne could not be revealed I proceed unto the second point in the 8 verse when he shall be revealed The third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystery of iniquitie in the seventh I must reserve to another exercise it is a point of much moment and more materiall then any that hath yet or shall be hereafter handled in this controversie Neverthelesse this also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. cap. 5. Bell. de P. Rom. 3. 3. He shall be revealed is very necessary Suarez maketh it an argument Bellarmine a demonstration and Lessius argueth in the same manner Lessius de Antichr Dem. 8. that The Pope is not Antichrist because Antichrist is not yet revealed Againe to know Antichrist is the end of all Controversies to know Antichrist revealed is the end of this controversie Matth. 3. 10. Psal 90. 17. Here I lay the Axe to the roote of the Tree In the performance whereof Prosper the workes of our hands O Lord prosper thou our handie worke In the eight verse we have it He shall be revealed That we doe not shut our eyes we may take notice that the Ancients did alwayes open their eyes to observe this thing The Revelation of Antichrist Even within 200 yeeres after Christ the Christians had even then an expectation of the revealing of Antichrist saith Nicephorus in the time of Al Severus About Nicephorus lib. 4. cap 39. Baron 10. 2. pag. 533. 250 Gallus being Emperour the same expectation was revived saith Baronius After 300 sprang Arrius by the common voice of the Christians in those dayes called Christomachus Principium Antichristi the Adversary of Christ and of spring of Antichrist this being as it were a watch-word to expect the grand Antichrist After three hundred fifty yeares under Valens and Valentinianus the militant Baronius tom 4. 296. Church was rouzed by the same Alarum as if Antichrist had beene approaching About 400 Hieron epist ad Geront de Morogamia Epist Episc Gallâ—â— Germ. ad Anast 2. Saint Hierome did put it beyond peradventure that Antichrist was at hand About 500 diverse French and Germane Bishops did imply unto Pope Anastasius the second that Antichrists throne was expected to bee erected in Goldastum in Constitut Imperialium Rationali part 1. fol. 48. Greg. lib. 4. epist 38. Hilar. adversus Arianos pag. 311 Baronius Anno 900 sect 1 2 3. Italy About 600 Gregory wrote Rex superbiae prope est that Antichrist followed at his heeles And Hilary mentioned imminentis Antichristi praevios the Harbingers of Antichrist who come immediately before him But in the yeare 900 even Baronius professeth visurum se abominationem desolationis in Templo tum a Daniele tum a Domino ipso praedictum that in that age of those wicked Popes hee saw the Abomination of Desolation in the Temple mentioned by Daniel and by Christ himselfe After Epist Episcopo Germaniae Belg. ad Nicholaum 2. apud Goldastum in Constitutionum Imperalium part 1. fol. 50. Author vitae Henrici 4. Aventinus lib. 5. a thousand yeeres after our Saviour the Bishops of Germanie wrote to Pope Nicholas the second that Rome was Babylon and the Romish Bishop the person who made himselfe as if he were God subject to no errour Fiftie yeeres after this Henry 4 Emperour complained of the tyranny of the Pope Gregory 7 calling him Antichrist The same Henry 4 according to some Henry 3 published the same thing to all the Princes of Christendome concerning Pope Pascall the second that he laboured to sit more Antichristi in templo Dei as Antichrist in the Temple of God Towards 1150 the Bishop Magdeburg Cent. 12. cap. 9. of Florence did preach publikely that Antichrist was come against whom Pope Paschal 2 called the Councill of Florence Yea in that Bernard â—p 125 Serm. 33. in Cant. Serm. 6 7. in Psalm 91. Baronius Anno 1130. Artis 6. age no phrase was more familiar to Bernard than Bestiam Apocalyp 13 S ti Petri Cathedram occupare that that Beast Revel 13. did sit in the Chaire of Peter Where Baronius his answer is not solide that Bernard spake this against schismaticall Antipopes for hereby Bernard acknowledgeth that Antichrist may sit at Rome which is enough for this present although Bernardus non vidit omnia About 1200 yeeres after our Saviour Everard Archbishop of Saltzburgh made an oration in the presence of Otho Duke of Bavaria at the synode of Ratisbone wherein he avouched Pope Gregory 9 to be Antichrist In the same age the Emperour Petr. de Viâ—cis lib. 1. â—p 31. Fredericke 2 in an Epistle directed to all the Prelates of Christendome called the same Pope the Father of distord the Dragon the 2 Balaam and Antichrist So did their Ioachim Roger Hovend Annal part post Bell. de P. R. lib. 3. cap. â— Avent lib. 6 of Calabria saith our Hovenden So did our Wickliffe saith their Bellarmine Gerochus Bishop of Richemburg put forth a pamphlet to that purpose and called it De Antichristo Hellen queene mother to Richard the second Petrus â—â—esâ—â—s epist 14â— of England spared not Pope Caelestine 3 but stiled him The sonne of Perdition and his City Babylon Anno 1300 arose Marsilius Patavinus Franciscus Pless myst Oppos 53. Petrarcha the Prophecies of Hildegarde Petrus Cassiodorus and principally Iohannes Bitterensis a Franciscane Fryer who composed Postills on the Apocalypse calling the Pope the mysticall Antichrist who being dead hee was digged out of his Grave for his labour Anno 1350 our William of Ockame accused Clemens 6 to be Antichrist and Nicholas Orem said as much of and to Pope Vrbane 5. Towards Avent lib. 7. 1400 many Bulls were set forth by the Popes and Antipopes whereby each denounced other Biblia Pâ—uperuÌ„ Anno 1363. Pless Progr 58. to bee Antichrist If it bee an infallible truth which the Pope pronounceth è Cathedra it may goe for a probability that an Antipope at the least may be the Antichrist for so their owne Bulls have defined it Finally in the 1500 arose Hieronimus Savanarola Mantuanus and many other who spaâ—e more boldly and broadly that the Pope was Antichrist till Luther and the Lutherans did fully accomplish the revelation of the Church Antichristian and happily begin the Relation of the Religion in the West reformation
2 Thess 2. 7. saith the same English Author on the same place as an House is long a squaring and preparing in private but at length it is joyned and reared in publike The sense of the text the mystery of iniquity doth already worke is this There is a Diabolicall stratagem under the show of Religion secretly and cunningly to undermine and overthrow Christs true Religion which hath beene working even from the Apostles time to our time That Poperie is this mystery this is the point which by Gods assistance I undertake to make plaine at this season That your understandings and memories may follow my discourse the more easily I will chalke out the way by which I meane to lead your attention First I will shew you their quaerere and then how they did parta tueri the meanes of their gaining and of their retaining the Papall greatnesse Which two stratagems are two great mysteries In their retaining it which for our time involveth the inlarging of the Papacy also they use one mystery to inveagle men and another to intangle men they have their baits to catch them and their hookes to hold them Both which they practise by a secret undermining and by a subtle countermining of their opposites Each of those exploits is like the woman Revel 17. 5. the word Mystery is written in the very forehead thereof For the first how Saint Peter poore Peter rich indeed in spiritualls but poore in temporalls so poore that he was imprisoned by a Romane Magistrate Act. 12. 3. Crucified by a Romane Emperour and certainly the basest Romane subject would have spit in his face and trod on his necke if hee should have dared to have lift up his finger against the Romane Empire Eusebius lib. â—â— 25. Moreover that the Bishops of Rome his successors did succeed and exceed him in povertie they had more ordinary frailties but farre fewer extraordinarie abilities than Peter the whole succession was so poore that they were persecuted aboue 300 yeeres and so persecuted above 200 yeares that they met in cryptis in caves corners conventicles and had not so much as one Church for their religion Calixtus about the yeere 222. did build the first Church Platina in Calixto Discours des temps depuis les Apotres anno 222. for publike Christianity Now according to the parable propounded to the triumphant Tyrant how the Naile which was in the bottome of the Wheele should sensim sine sensu by a motion insensible and incomprehensible climbe to the top and bring the loftie Naile to the Counterpoint How the Romane Church which was vnder foot should rise up and bring down the loftie Lordly Lording Romane Empire to be her underling and the whole Church of Christ together with it This is a wonder and this is the secret and the Mysterie which Saint Paul saith did worke even in his time For the framing of this plot which they have so admirably effected at this day it is generally said that the Heresies which were sowne in the Apostles times were the seed thereof And indeed so they are in generall but I suppose that the more particular prosecuting of their plot was by the publishing of those two doctrines of Devills mentioned Read the 19 Sermon 1 Tim. 4. 3. forbidding of meates and mariage which we see at this day to be the two pillars of Popery in truth the Iachin and Boaz the very strength and establishing of the Romane Monarchie 1 Reg. 7. 21. Notwithstanding I conceive the maine engine for this stratagem to bee another point the point of the Primacie which was an hammering in the Apostles times Not onely that of Diotrephes who loved preheminence in the Church as Saint Iohn taxeth him in his third Epistle Nor that of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1. 12. where some were for Paul and some for Peter there called Cephas But principally the Primacy attempted by the Church of Rome Rom. 11. 10. Be not high minded and in the 22 verse otherwise thou shalt be cut off For this instruction against Pride though it bee generall to the Gentiles yet is it more speciall to the Romanes And Saint Paul in the same place seemeth to me to Prophecie in two fashions first by way of instruction telling what they should then eschew secondly by way of prediction foretelling what afterwards would be their ruine Now let us briefly ponder how this project of Primacy hath beene prosequuted to this present age Wee see that the seeds of ambition were sowne in S. Pauls time But the power and persecution of the Romane Empire cut downe the blades thereof that their aspiring was fruitlesse for many centuries But at length the harvest of their pride became ripe and they have reaped their Primacy or rather supremacy by these degrees and devices The first which I finde to appeare in promoting Hist Popatus cap. 4. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 22 23 24. the Romane Primacy was Victor Bishop of Rome about the yeare 194 who ordained that Easter should be celebrated by all on the Lords day but therein he was instantly opposed by Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus and by Narcissus Bishop of Hierusalem and others Victor notwithstanding confirmed his decree by a Councill held at Rome anno 196 yet so Bardus Pavin in Chronico anno 196. Histor Papatus cap. 4. as that it was received onely within the Romane Diocesse About 240 yeares after Christ Fabius Bishop of Rome called a Councill at Rome and condemned Novatiane herein hee did somewhat goe beyond the bounds of his Bishopricke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. 15. Novatus and Novatiane being both Africans but the piety of the Bishops and the persecution of the Emperours of that age cut off all jealousie suspition or scruple that any Primacy was affected And the godly Christians were glad that Schisme might be composed by any men or meanes Two hundred and fifty yeares after Christ Steven Bishop of Rome incroched a little more Pless Myster progress 2. and more plainly upon Spaine where Basilides Bishop of Asturia and Martial of Melida being deposed because they had sacrificed to Idolls for feare of persecution Steven writ to the Churches of Spaine peremptorily for their restitution Three hundred and fourteene yeares after our Saviour Silvester obtained from the Emperour Constantine to build Churches and many other priviledges Whence his Successors plead also the donation of Constantine that hee gave unto the Pope Rome and a great part of Italy under the name of S. Peters patrimony Although Iohannes Diaconus in the Charter of D. Collins in Eudam part 3. cap. 46. Otho the third is discovered to have beene the father of that memorable fiction Anno 336 Athanasius being condemned by a Baronius anno 34â— sect 5 6. Councill of the Arrians at Antiochia sought for succour from Iulius then Bishop of Rome who intertaining a good cause under the pretence to advance the authority of the Church of Rome
Religion to ravish all mens affections and to fit every humour As if Epicurus had beene the pretended successour of Saint Peter or Saint Peters pretended successour had been Epicurus aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was the practise of Epicurus Lactantius lib. 3. cap. 17. Vt adse multitudinem contrahat oppositis singulis quibusque moribus loquitur Desidiosum vel at literas discere avarum populari largitione liberat qui claritati studet huic praecipiâ—ur reges colere fugienti turbam solitudo laudatur qui nimium parcus est discit aqua polenta vitam posse tolerare qui uxoremodit huic enumerantur bona Caelibatus c. Translate it into English and an ordinary English person would take it to be the Popes ordinary practise That he may draw the multitude unto him he hath positions for every humour of every person If he be a Dullard he giveth him an Indulgence for ignorance as the mother of devotion If Covetous he exempts him from popular taxations the exemption of the Clergy If hee hunt after preferment Kings Courts shall imploy him if hee cannot indure the troubles of the world a solitary life of the Hermites is extolled if he be frugall fasting and such austeritie is assigned him and if he dislike his wife the singular benefits of a single life are preached unto him and a Monastery prepared for him To honor my conclusion I will conclude with the words of him who Relation of the Religion in the West sect 13. is the Honor of Travellers Whatsoever either wealth can sway with the Lovers or voluntarie poverty with the despisers of the world what Honor with the ambitious or obedience with the humble what great imployments with the stirring spirits or perpetuall quiet with the restive bodies what content pleasant natures can take in pastimes and jollities what contrariwise the austere minds in discipline and rigour what love either chastity can raise in the pure or voluptuousnesse in the dissolute what allurements are in knowledge to draw the Contemplative or in action of State to possesse the practicke disposition c. In a word whatsoever any humor can fancy they have some object to feed it And this I call the maine engine to undermine Christian Religion it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Mystery of Iniquitie This is their Mystery in undermining their pojects are no lesse in Counterming Five things I observe wherby the protestaÌ„ts have prevailed against the Papists Preaching to men schooling of children catechizing the ignorant writing of Martyrs and calling for Councills In all which they doe now proprijs pennis percellere as Iulian spake they would beat us at our own weapons if plaine Truth did not shield us 1 In our primitive Reformation the industrie of our Preachers and dexterity of our preaching did ravish the multitude who had been so long buried in Egyptian darknesse The politike Papists perceiving the effect used the same meanes and now have provided plenty of excellent Preachers which they send forth especially on solemne times to publike places In Lent and in Cities their pulpits be furnished with men using such diligence in their labours eloquence in their speech making such shew of Reverence towards God of zeale towards their Hearers and of loue to the Truth that they seeme to want nothing but a good cause But that such brave abilities should patronize such grosse idolatry Popery this is the secret which in my text is termed The mystery of iniquity In the meane time let our Coate contend with their cunning in countermining us Let us Preachers strive to equall their labours in our painfull and laborious preaching A second point whereby the Protestants prevailed was their schooling of Children especially in the principles of religion whereby they did sow the seed betime Bend those twigges whiles they were yong and quo semel imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu season them with that love of the truth in their youth which old age could never extinguish The Papists have undertaken us in this also especially the Iesuites Wheresoever they come instantly they open free Schooles which they discharge so industriously that presently they procure a confluence of all children Whom under the pretence of teaching the Arts they artificially instruct them in the principles of Popery infusing withall such a prejudice against our part as maketh them incapable of converting by Protestants and implacable of conversing with Protestants Yea it is said that some Protestants have sent their children to the Iesuites Schooles because of their dexteritie in teaching Where it is to bee feared that they will traine them up like Ianizaries to returne to the confusion of their owne Parents and Countrey This is a Master-peece in their popish policie a great Mystery Here would I exhort our Schoole-masters like our English with the French in the reign of Henry 5 to meet their Counterminers and combate with them in the Mine and to contend with them in the instructing of their Schollers in knowledge both humane and divine whereby they may abate if not defeat this Iesuiticall mysterie of iniquitie to robbe us of our Children and God of his servants A third instrument to inlarge the reformed Religion hath beene catechising whereby the ignorant hath taken heart and ability to defend their owne and to oppose the Popish Religion Herein also the Iesuits are said to equall and outstrippe the Protestants having solemne Catechizing in their Churches on Sundayes and Holydayes To which purpose their Trent Catechisme is published by Pope Pius 5 yet wee must take notice that this serious and solide catechising they exercise principally if not solely where they dwell among or confine upon the Protestants In places and ages distant from them their Catechising is a mystery muffling the miserable ignorant people in another manne About Granata and other Gonsalvius de Inquis praefat Provinces of Spaine where the Spanish Inquisition reigned they taught the simple people their Ave Maria Pater Noster their Credo with salve Regina in Latine But the five Commandements of the Church which they say are necessary to salvation i. the hearing of Masse on Sundayes and Holydayes the going to shrift and Confession the receiving of the Holy Bread the due observing of Fasts and the true paying of Tithes are accurately taught them in the Mother tongue Here againe my tongue speaketh what my heart thinketh for us Ministers I wish that either our Consciences would incite us or authority injoyne us to be more carefull and painfull in Catechising the onely meanes to throw downe their Mine on our Counterminers Heads and to make the meanest capacity able to discerne their Popish Sophistrie A fourth meanes to propagate the Protestants cause at least to procure compassion was composing of Martyrologies the stories of poore persecuted people put to death for the Reformed Religion Whereby they published unto the world the innocence and patience of
Receive the scriptures according to the sense which the Church giveth them They must take the Letter from God but the sense from the Pope though that sense be contrarie to the Letter yea to God too Is not this a slavery is not this a Mysterie of Iniquity 3. An Oath Doe not all Christians all men imbrace it as an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the uncontroulable umpire of Controversies and the vnsoluble Gordian knot of Contracts and Covenants yet we see it is a popish trappe to insnare poore Relation of the Religion in the West sect 16. Protestants Whence all Protestants feare iustly that the Pope will play fast and loose betwixt us and the Papists Romish Catholikes as father Parsons did with his owne punies Pretending to make peace betwixt the English Schollers and the Iesuites at Rome First hee sware the Schollers then he left the Iesuites unsworne Is it not a miserable advantage that in all Contracts the Protestants are fettered by an oath and that the Papists can be assoyled ad placitum That we dare trust a Turke rather than a Christian if he sweare to us Is not this treacherie perjurie a deepe point in the mysterie of Iniquity 4 Interdicting of hereticall bookes at least the Consining of them to the learned languages we approve and would God we did practise it also On this ground have they built the maine mystery of Popery In the Popish DominioÌ„s in Italy especially all Protestant Authors are interdicted yea Bellarmine Gregory de Valentia and their owne Authors are not permitted Nay in their ordinary Sermons not so much as a Text is read in their native language The very sound Relation of the Religion in the West sect 35. of the truth is kept from those miserable people whose poore soules are like to perish through this politike working of this mysterie of Popish Iniquity 5. But the nemo sâ—it of all mysteries I conceive to bee that engine of inhumanitie and shame of Christianitie that Pejerarium a secret Cyprian epist 22 Lactant. 5. 1. crueltie indeed the secret of crueltie surpassing the invention of Domitius and the execution of Domitian the Romish Inquisition The Institution thereof was commodious commendable conscionable to discover not to Torture it may be to expell not to kill the Maurani and the Mahometans which swarmed in the south part of Christendome But now the edge of that implement of destruction is turned upon the poore Protestants and there is not onely a cruelty but also a Mystery in the execution thereof I beleeve there shall bee few fires to burne the Protestants any more Publikely but the Inquisition shall catch them and examine them and affright them and torture them and kill them in secret where no eye but the eye of God can see them This is a secret and a mysterie of their cruell iniquitie 6. There are other projects lesse mischievous but as mysticall namely to disclaime those unchristian and unnaturall assertions of Aequivocation Sharp Epist Dedic and lying to men of Excommunication and killing of Kings we approve it exhort it and commend it Yet it is the suspicion of some men of judgement that some of those Papists whom we terme moderate secular Priests doe declaime against the Iesuits for these opinions that thereby they may insinuate themselves with more freedome and lesse suspicion into acquaintance and so worke men unto the Romish Religion This is a mystery worthy of our observation and of our caution too 7. Another thing wee all approve that children of Papists should be brought up by Protestants This I also wish though I dare not avouch the taking of them without the consent of their Parents But it is reported that some subtle Papists for some secret drift doe voluntarily put their children unto Protestant Tutors Here is a depth which my dulnesse cannot dive into I wonder at this mysterie yet I wish that it were an History That if our necessitie and necessary labours would give us leave that they would put their Children even to my selfe and to such as I am And then let them prove what their mysticall projects could produce when their children are under our Education 8. It is our common call and cry that the Papists should come to Church some of them doe it But so as that they haue occasioned a proverbe The Church Papists the worst Papists The more heavie Papist who goeth to Church as he sendeth his daughter to a Nunnery to save charges in the fulnesse of his devotion hee falleth fast a sleepe and dreameth not of one point in the whole sermon But the active spirit the learned Lay man it may be a Priest or a Iesuit Hee intertaineth his neighbour with talking to divert his owne Pew to disturbe the next pew and industriously to discontent the whole congregation Otherwise if the Preacher be but of slender gifts hee will heare him to deride him if he be learned to intrappe him And it is thought yea said that there are some of those Assyrians daily at these our Lectures as they did to the King of Israel 1 Reg. 20. 33. so these Papists Politicians Priests or Iesuites or all they observe diligently whether any thing doe fall from us and they catch at it But let them come and then Catch in Gods name While they come to Catch us by their Policy we may catch them by our Veritie This indeed were a Great mystery Thus according to the shortnesse of my time and smalnesse of my ability omitting many abreviating all I have showne you some mysteries of the politike Popish Religion You have heard the Papacy hath beene Hammering from Saint Pauls time to our time 1600 yeeres The shop of those Politicians hath beene at Rome from that forge the sparkes of their mysticall policies have flowne throughout the world They have cunningly apprentised our owne Countrymen our kinsmen yea our Wives and yoke-fellowes to worke in their mint and to spread the projects which they have coyned They tyrannize on the bodies of their foes by the Inquisition and they tyrannize on the soules of their friends of their owne children by Auricular Confession Their insinuating mysticall Agents creepe into our houses to inveagle our people into our Churches to intangle our Preachers What now Can we say lesse than my Text a mystery yea more Legion There are a thousand thousand sly subtleties and secret cruelties Now the mystery of the blessed Trinity Blesse us all from the mysterie of their cursed iniquity SERMON XIV 2 THESS 2. 7. That wicked one The Pope is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Lawlesse Person in regard of the Scriptures Creed Oathes Lawes humane Nationall Childrens Obedience Mariages And in regard of his owne Constitutions Exemption of the Clergy IN the two verses before my Text wee have heard Antichrist described here wee have heard him discovered Wherein I have unfolded three particulars How hee was hindered when revealed and what the thing was which was hindered
If the Pope sweareth to his servants Friends yea Cardinals yet they cannot depend on that Oath They have a custome in the Vacancy to compose capitulations and all the Cardinalls to sweare to the performance of them whosoever shall be assumed to be Pope but so soone as he is elected hee denyeth it and saith hee is at libertie by gaining the Papacie a patterne whereof is proposed in that Trent Hist lib. 5. pamphlet termed The new man And it was likewise practised by Pope Paul 5 anno 1550 who complained of those that said hee could make but foure Cardinals because hee had so sworne in the conclave saying that this was to bind the Popes authority which is absolute that it is an Article of faith that the Pope cannot be bound â—cce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much lesse can hee binde himselfe And to say otherwise is a manifest Heresie And if any should hereafter say the like he would take order that the Inquisition Hist Turke Knowles 297. should proceed The other anno 1445. Vladislaus King of Hungary having sworne a Peace with Amurah the Turke he was perswaded and assoiled by Iulian Legate for the Pope Vpon this breach was the great battle of Varna where the Turkes being at the point to loose the Day Amurah dismayed with the slaughter of his souldiers plucked the Articles of the League out of his Bosome and said thus Behold thou Christ this is the league which thy Christians have made with me and violated Now if thou be a God shew thy power on thy perjured people who deny thee to bee God by their Deeds Instantly the Christians were routed and so that unhappy King by the breaking of his Oath at one time lost his faith his life a noble Army and the Honour of the Christian Religion The Pope therefore the Author of this and the practiserâ— of like Oath-breaking I thinke I may call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlesse faithlesse body To adde one example more will bee Avent lib. 6. neither impertinent nor superfluous In anno 1111 an accord was made betwixt Paschall the second and Henry the second for the irrevocable confirmation whereof they received the Sacramenu The Pope saith Aventine administred it to the Emperour in these words Sir This is our Lord God borne of the Virgin Mary and crucified for us Take this pledge of my true love and of our unfained reconciliation Sigonius saith he said more breaking the Host Sigonius lib. 10. he said as this part is divided from that life-giving body so let him be divided from the Kingdome of Christ our Lord qui pactum hoc violare tent averit which of us soever shall goe about to breake this Covenant Which was most holily retracted by his Holinesse himselfe The very next yeare the Emperor returning into Germany in considence of this reconciliation anno 1112 he called a Councill at the Laterane to revoke this solemne sacred sacramentall obliligation and devoted the Emperour to his former excommunications Neither doe the Popes onely doe the same but they have pleasure in them that doe them yea and profit too to the great advancement establishment of their temporall greatnesse they make men to sweare to the Pope though thereby they forsweare themselves to others These are the Sacrar Cerem lib 1. Sect. 7. cap. 2. formall words of that solemne oath which every Captaine doth make to the Pope and before the Pope at the Masse meekely kneeling on his knees I. N. By divine promission elected Captaine doe heartily promise promitto spondeo polliceor ac juro protest and sweare that from henceforth I will be reverent and obedient to the holy Apostolike Church and to you my Lord the Pope etiamsi alias obligatus sum although I be otherwise obliged which must bee understood of obligations of this nature of oathes which must be broken to others that this may be kept with the Pope And thus I breake off this point of the Popes oath-breaking perfidie perjurie The next Nationall Law is that of subjection which in every nation the King doth expect and exact from his subiects and all men acknowledge and discharge it Onely the Pope doth plead an exception from this rule and exemption from this Law First for his person Papa est ab omni iurisdictione exemptus saith Suarez Suarez Apol. lib 4. ca. 4. This were enough if enough could satisfie pride and ambition This the Pope will have and more also it is their owne Decree That although the Pope draw millions of men to Hell Catervatim Distinct 4. Can. 9. qu. 3. by heapes yet is he to be iudged by no man Nay so farre is he from obeying Nationall lawes that nationall lawes are reversed by him In this kinde the Lawes of three Nations were assayed and two were retracted by the Pope in one yere 1605. The Republike of Luca published an Edict that none of their subiects The quarrels of Paul 5 with Venice lib. 1. should have any commerce with any of the Reformed Religion because diverse of their Citizens had lately turned Protestants This Edict although it was for the service of the Pope and Popish Church yet was it revoked by Paul 5. onely because it was published without his Pontificall authority The Republike of Genoa by publike authority published certaine Edicts to prohibite certaine private Conuenticles which they sound to tend to the ruine of their The quarrels of Pope Paul 5 with Venice â— lib. 1. Common wealth The foresaid Pope Paul 5 instantly expressely injoyned them to revoke those Edicts otherwise he threatned theÌ„ with Censures Finally the State of Venice imprisoned and intended to proceed further against a Venetian Abbot of Nervose who had poisoned many men of whom one was his own Father desiled many womeÌ„ of whom one was his own sister exercised a most unjust and cruell Tyranny on his neighbours and practised in sorcerie and other magicall operations This Paul the Pope sent out a Prohibition although the Venetian Embassadours made remonstrance unto him that the just title and possession which the State had to judge Ecclesiasticall persons in causes criminall were founded on the naturall power of a soveraigne Prince and on Custome never interrupted by the space of a Thousand yeares and approved by the Breves of the Popes themselves Yet the Pope commanded the deliverance of that person and the abolishing of that Law But here his Holinesse did command and goe without That stout State would not Porrigere pulvinar Diabolo but made the Pope sit besides the Cushion in that contestation although hee assayed them by armes both spirituall and temporall both by Excommunication and invasion Notwithstanding the popish Doctors did write that that Republike did rebell against the Popes right The quarrels of Paul â— with Venice lib. 4. who might give Lawes to all Princes and annull those which were made by them Surely heate of contentioÌ„ caused theÌ„ to forget that there
was such a word in Saint Paul as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawlesse person which here they ascribe to Pope Paul by their open confession and profession which practise of the Pope and position of The quarrels of Paul 5 with Venice lib. 2. those popish writers was justly censured by Sir Henry Wotton then Embassador for his Majesty at Venice who said for those pretensions of the Pope that hee could not understand this Romane Theologie which is contrarie to all Iustice and honestie Next the Pope proceedeth to his Bishops Suarez Apol. lib. 4. cap. 10. num 6. that they are exempted also Quia Episcopi sunt Patres Principum simpliciter ijs superiores ideo indignū est indecens ut ab ijs judicentur sayth Suarez Bishops saith he are the Fathers of Princes and plainly their superiors therefore it is incongruity and indignity that they should bee judged by them Moreover the popish Priests too must injoy the same Priviledge because Constantine said to such saith Gratian Vos à Grat cap. 12. quaest 1. nemine iudicari potestis Yee may be judged by no man Fourthly their servants si tonsuram deferant si incedant habitu Clerecali si ecclesiae alicui Suarez Apol. lib 4 cap. 28. inserviunt if their Crownes be shaved their apparell of the Cleargy fashion and their service Trent Hist lib. 1. belong to any Church they are exempted from all secular authoritie Nay their Doctors have affirmed that the very Concubines of Priests were of Ecclesiasticall judisdiction All which particular sentences I may summe up in that one saying of Antoninus in his Summes The Antonin Sum. part 3. tit 22. Pope may make new Religions change the ordinances of Councills and dispence with all Lawes a very paraphrase of the word in my text the Pope is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlesse person Observe withall that these Law-transcendēt hyperbolies are not pinned on the Popes sleeves without their owne approbation Platina Leone 3 Here the Popes speake in their owne phrase and in their owne likenesse Pope Leo the third being accused to the Emperor Charles the Great for certaine offences the Emperour intending to examine the matter he received a flat answer Sedem Apostolicā omnium ecclesiarum caput à nemine Laico praesertim iudicari debere that the Apostolike See being the Head of all Churches ought to bee judged of no man of no Lay man especially and about the yeare 1132 Lotharius the Emperor demanded Pless Myster Progres 46. of Innocent the second whether he would observe the Imperiall lawes that Pope returned a round and ready answer Mantum Pontificiale se potius abd caturum pedibus conculcaturum that he would rather resigne his Pontificiall apparell and trample his triple Diadem under his feet So that the Pope and the Imperiall lawes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dagon and the Arke one must down And so it becommeth him who is surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lawlesse person The effect of which lawlesse usurpation must be to wrong the King and the Lawes and Iustice of the Kingdome The King must suffer in his power and jurisdiction which is much impaired thereby to instance in France In France saith Duarenus Duarenus de Benesicijs Praef. the whole people are divided into three degrees the Clergy Nobility and Commonalty of which the first is the most whereby the King is stripped of one third part of his subjects by this Papall Exemption Next it doth blunt the edge or rather breake the sword of the Law that Exemptiō being a Buckler to al the Clergy what malefactors or how obnoxious soever Whence sprang that proverbe mentioned by Duarenus de Bene. 1. 17. the forementioned author Detonsum caput impunitatis symbolum that is a shaven Crowne is the signe of a person who may not bee punished From whence will issue 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessarie consequents 1 that a Priest or Iesuit cannot be a Rebell or a Traitour although he doe the actions of Treason or Rebellion Clerici Rebellio non est crimen laesae majestatis quia non est principi subditus Emanuel Sa. saith Sa that is The rebellion of a Popish Clergy-man is no Treason because he is no subject to that Prince which is confirmed and almost translated by the current of the Controversie-writers in the contentions betwixt Paulus 5 and the State of Venice who all consented The quarrels of Paul 5 with Venice lib. 4. upon this that the Clergy are not subjects to the Prince even in the case of Treason The second paradoxe issuing from the same Fountaine is that it is not lawfull for the Popish Clergie without the Popes leave to pay tribute or give any subsidies to their Princes although they themselves be willing to those payments This Duarenus Duarenus de Benef. 7 8. complaineth to have been the Constitution of Pope Boniface 8. The last lawlesse absurd paradoxe is proposed by way of Quaere They put the question whether an Heathen Prince denying the Exemption of the Clergy may be admitted unto Baptisme sub conditione on this condition that he may not be deprived of that jurisdiction Suarez shapeth an answer sutable to the Suarez Apolog. lib. 4. cap. 11. num 18. Popes lawlesse supremacy that it is so injust a condition ut sub tali pacto neque Baptismus alicui Principi sit concedendus that on these termes a Prince may not be admitted by Baptisme In plaine termes a King and his whole Kingdome must be permitted to bee damned rather than the Popes Praerogative over nationall lawes must be prejudiced Thus the Oecumenicall lawes are broken by the Oecumenicall Bishop And if there bee or ever hath beene such a one as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlesse person in the world the Pope is He. For all the lawes in the world cannot consine him The last indeed the least Law is the Law Oeconomicall in private Families which needeth least to be stood upon If the old Babylon caried captive the people of Israel and the Tribe of Iudah thinke wee that the family of David or House of Iechonias could bee freed So since the new Babylon hath inthralled the Prime Law of the Scriptures and the publike law of Nations it were impossible to imagine that the private law of every poore familie and every personall interest should not submit their neckes to his usurping tyranny For Families the great tye therein is twofold either of superiority betwixt children and Parents or of equalitie betwixt husband and wife Now how both of these are torne in peeces by popish intrusion it may bee this point wanteth plaints rather than proofes For children how sonnes are wrought into popish orders without and against their Parents consent and daughters that they are kept in Popish Nunneries against their Parents nay their owne consents I would this were onely suspicious and not notorious Yea the Pope hath haled children to
the Anchor of our hope against all Antichristian attemps Notwithstanding let us shake off securitie Let us watch and pray least we enter into that fearefull temptation Let us lift up our hands and our hearts unto God that amongst us Antichrist may consume til the Consummatum est That Popery may consume and wast away in our Land if it be his blessed will even till the second comming of our blessed Saviour Christ The instrument diminishing Antichrists tyranny is the spirit of the Lords mouth The interpretatioÌ„ whereof is faire without forcing delivered by Damascene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascenus 4 27. that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the spirit of his mouth that is by the word of his mouth saith Damascene The like phrase we read in Isaiah 11. 4. He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked The same phrase in the 4 of the Hebrewes and the 12. The word of the Lord is sharper than any two-edged sword And a two-edged sword to come out of his mouth is the description of Christ given by Christ Rev. 1. 16. Such a simily also do Interpreters raise from Revel 6. 2. He who sitteth on the white horse is expounded to be the Ministers who are said to have a Crowne the embleme of Victory and a Bow signifying the easinesse of his Victory the Lord will overcome his enemies a farre off and strike them by his Word as it were with a Bow without any labour Three reasons make good this exposition First Antichrist did attaine his Dominion by false expounding of the word therefore the true expounding of the word shall lessen and diminish the same Next he doth maintaine his tyranny by the ignorance of the word therefore the knowledge of the word shall diminish and discover the same And finally God doth use his owne mouth and not the hand of man his word and not the sword of Princes to consume the Adversary that the honor of that Conquest may be wholly and soly ascribed unto him Not unto us not unto us O Lord but unto thy Name doe we yeeld the glorie The sonne of David commeth against this Goliah not with a sword and speare and shield but in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whoÌ„ this man of sinne hath defied I will seale up the exposition of these words with the saying of our late learned Soveraigne Praemonition pag. 54. The word of God and the preaching therof is meant by the spirit of the Lords mouth which shall piece by piece consume and diminish the power of that man of sinne till the brightnesse of the Lords second comming shall utterly abolish him Here must I speake a little of that great question whether it be lawfull for Protestants to put downe Popery by force of Armes I professe my selfe to bee both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both a Peacekeeper and a Peacemaker to bee bound both to perswade and to practise Peace by a double bond as I am a Christian and as I am a Preacher I say therefore to take the proposition plainly It is unlawfull for Protestants to put downe Popery by force of Armes These are the arguments which perswade me 1 the phrase of my text doth teach us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words not swords must bee the instruments to consume Antichrist 2 The same lessoÌ„ have our forefathers learned in the schoole of Experience their testimonie tells us of Henries and Frederickes of many famous Germane Emperours who have contended to breake the yoake of Papall Tyranny from their necks by their Armes but they have gotten nothing unlesse it were the changing of a wodden yoake into one of Iron by their warlike contention 3 I prove it à Pari Wee ought not to make Warre upon the Turke onely for Religion therefore neither against the Pope I conceive it unlawfull for any Christian Prince to invade the Turke upon the pure and sole title of Religion who hath interest in those territories jure belli by Conquest by the peoples submission and by a long possession Because the matter of faith and Religion neither giveth to any Prince nor taketh from any the proprietie of his temporall estate Barbarous Mahomet Ep. Morbisani ad Pium 20 had art enough to urge this argument against Pope Pius the second that he erred in exciting Cruciados to invade Turkie for said he ex lege ipsius Christi non potestis aliquem ad credulitatem compellere that is by the Law of Christ it is not lawfull for Christians to compell any to Christianity 4 Ab exemplo we have no such precept of Christ or patterne of the primitive Christians to propagate the Gospell by war gladio or is not ore gladij ever they did it by the word never by the sword 5 Ad hominem wee our selves condemne their Cruciados and Renegados the Popes inticing of Princes to publike invasion or of subjects to domesticall insurrection 6 Conversion by compulsion is not of Christian lenity Christ himselfe comparing it to the piping of children 7 All this I confirme with the sentence of our earthly King Iames on Rev. 20. Quaerunt impij persequntur fideles Fideles inquisitioneÌ„ persecutionem patiuntur that is the ungodly doe inquire for and persecute the faithfull but it is the propertie of the faithfull to suffer their Inquisition and Persecution and 8 with the saying of the King of Heaven Impij obsident fideles obsidentur the wicked are the Besiegers and the faithfull the besieged Rev. 20. 9. For never did the Lambe hunt the wolfe nor the Dove pursue the Hauke but the contrarie is continuall Therfore simply it is unlawfull for Protestants to put downe Poperie by force of Armes It remaineth then that we distinguish of the Persons moving the warre and of the reasons moving the persons The Person moving this warre must be Summus Magistratus a Soveraigne No subjects may take up Armes for propagating their Religion This indeed is objected by the Papists unto Monarchoâ—ach â—art 1. tit 6. Fraâ—in oratione habita Lovanij anno 1565. Melancton lib. Consil Evang. part 1. p. 314. â—ilson the French Dutch Germans and Suevians and indeed to all the Reformed that they reformed Religion by Rebellion Some answer they did take up armes onely se defendendo to save their liues from implacable violence Some that they tooke up armes against their fellow subjects who abused the authority and minority of their Kings Some that their soveraigne was not an absolute Prince but onely ex Abbot de Antic cap. 7. sect 6. conditione Some that those warres were managed jure suo non aliquo ecclesiae privilegio for the infringing of the fundamentall Lawes of those Lands not for any reasons of Religion Others render other reasons For my selfe I say I know not the Lawes of those Republikes nor the circumstances of
those warres I will therefore speake judicio contemplativo not practico Sayrus Clavis Regia lib. 12. cap. 3. num 26. proceed to the Position and passe by the objections against the Persons It is I say absolutely unlawfull for subjects in the cause of Religion to take up armes against their Prince nay without their Prince bee the Warre offensive yea but defensive Suscipiendi belli authoritas penes Principem saith Saint Augustine August contra Faust lib. 22. cap. 75. it is the Prerogative of Princes to move Warre no subjects may usurpe upon it Nay though the persons be Religious and the cause Religion yet is it Rebellion or Treason to take up Armes against or without the Prince Damhouderius in prax Crimin cap. 82. Foure things say the Lawyers are required to make a warre just and warrantable justa causa recta intentio personarum idonietas authoritas Principum sine qua est laesa majestas there must say they concurre a just cause a right intention fit persons and the Princes authority without which the warre is high Treason Warre made by a subject is unjust though the cause be just for the justnesse of the cause cannot give lawfull power A just cause good intention power and jurisdiction must concurre to make such publike actions warrantable Warre we see without the Prince is unlawfull though for Religion but against the Prince though for Religion it is farre more unlawfull Take Saint Augustines judgement for the ancient Christians ye see said he to Marcellinus the Powers of this world August Epist 5. ad Marcel which once did persecute Christians in behalfe of their Images they are now conquered non a Repugnantibus sed à morientibus Christianis not by the Warres but by the patience and deaths of Christians Take Master Bezaes judgement Bezalibro Confess sidei cap. 5. sect 45. for the later Christians Quod autem ad Privatos Homines attinet concerning Subjects saith he â—â—juriam pati nostrum est it is their dutie to suffer neque ullum aliud remedium proponitur privatis hominibus tyranno subiectis praeter vitae emendationem preces laâ—rimas and though they bee subiects to a Tyrant they have no other remedy but amending their lives and commending their cause to God And the judgement of all Christians is recorded in that primitive perpetuated proverbe Arma Christianorum sunt preces lachryâ—â—e Prayers and teares are the onely weapons of Christians Their practice also hath made good their proverbe Valentius decreed to banish Eusebius from Samosata Theodoret. lib. 4. cap. 14. the people tooke up Armes Eusebius appeased the people opposed not the Prince but submitted himselfe to banishment Valentiniane sent Calligonus his Chamberlaine to terrisie Saint Ambrose from his opinions by menacies of death and torments That holy man returned no resistance but this reply Deus permittat tibi ut impleas quod minaris Indeed saith he God may please to permit you to put in execution what you threaten Ego patiar quod est Episcopi tu sacies quod Spadonis I wil discharge the duty of a Bishop doe you the Office of an Eunuch It was the famous onset which the armed Christians gave to their Emperour though a Pagan Caesar oramus non pugnamus Sir our tongues beseech thee our hands shall not touch thee In generall From the passion Hist Papatus cap. 9. of Christ to the persecution of Dioclesian the poore Christians were savagely persecuted with intolerable innumerable incredible tortures 20000 put to death at once and whole nations extirpated yet it was never knowne that though they were of equall number and force ever they armed themselves against the Emperour any otherwise than with Patience To shut up all in the example of him who should be all in all Christ himselfe commanded Peter to put up his sword it is no proper weapon to defend his quarrell And in truth those that maintaine Warres warrantable in such cases of Religion they plucke the flower from the Garland or rather the Garland from the Head of the Church There will be no Martyrdome if private men may make resistance against persecutors The occasions of warre are either Proper or Accidentall the proper occasion is that which maketh men take up armes of it selfe without any other reason adioyned the accidentall is the occasion which concurreth but not of necessity Thus it is not lawfull for one Prince which is a Protestant to invade another who is a Papist as he dissereth in Religion but as hee is a Truce-breaker Incroacher or a Disturber of the Publike Peace c. Thus Constantine warred against Lucinius Danâ—us de Antichrist c. 29. his Colleague not because he was an Infidell but because he persecuted the Christians contrarie to their capitulations one Article of their league betwixt them being this to permit the Christians to live in Peace I say therefore I do not approve the shedding of Christian blood in the cause of Religion But this I adde if the Pope shall proceed to maintaine them who maintaine these Traiterous positions such as Bellarmine Baronius Becanus Suarez c. That the Pope hath power either directly or indirectly to take away the subiects Crownes or Lives of any Princes I say then these Princes may iustly take armes to defend themselves and to invade their adversaries Yea more as Hanibal invaded Rome but the Romanes setched him home by aâ—saulting his Charthage So when it is apparent that Rome sendeth forth advice and agents to raise Rebellions or Invasions against Protestant Princes then may Protestant Princes justly raise forces to raze that Citie which is the shop of Treason and to ruine Rome it selfe This wee may conjecture to be the foretelling of that prophecie of Grosthead Matth. Paris in Henr. 3. nec liberabitur Ecclesia ab Aegyptica servitute nisi in ore gladij cruentandi the Church said that Bishop of Lincolne shall not bee free from that Aegyptian slaverie but by effusion of blood And this we may conceive to bee the fulfilling of Saint Iohns prophecy Revel 18. 6 8. Rome shall be burned even by those Princes in whose territories the Pope hath kindled many combustions Mornâ—us myst Progres 65. Hence Lewis the twelfth King of France caused to bee disputed in a Synode at Tours Num liceret Papae absque causa Principi bellum inferre whether it were lawfull for the Pope on no cause to make warre on any Prince and when it was answered negatively that it was not lawfull Hee propounded a second question Num non tali Principi pro sua desensione fas sit eum invadere whether it were not lawfull for such a Prince thereupon to invade the Pope their suffrages did returne the conclusion That it was lawfull Hence also the same King commanded these words to bee stamped on his coine PerdaÌ„ Babylonem I will destroy Babylon Without these limitations the Sword which we must use against the
worke true miracles I will goe no further for the proofe of this Bell de P. Rom. 3. 15. latter point than to Bellarmine himselfe Vera miracula dicuntur illa sola quae à solo Deo fieri possunt Those are true miracles onely which can be wrought by God onely that is such works as have no naturall causes neither knowne nor unknowne And therefore they are wonderfull not onely in conspectu hominum but Daemonum Angelorum not onely in the sight of Men but of Devills and Angells also But the miracles of Antichrist have naturall causes but occultas although they be unknowne to us I instance Ab Exorcistis rarò videmus ut exigatur spiritus It is a rare thing to see the Devill dispossest as Erasmus observed long since Nihilominus adhibent Erasmus in â—â—â— 4. 75. ceremonias Magicis non dissimiles although those Popish Exorcists conjure them almost after the manner of Magicians Wee may conceive that either they cast out none or by compact cum Daemone aut Daemoniacis either with the Devill possessing or with the person pretending to be possessed I say the Papists doe mira not miracula some wonders no true wonders many many lying wonders But admit the Proposition and assume the Supposition Suppose the Papists could doe what they pretend miracles yet ought not those to be sufficient arguments to draw us unto Popery If our eyes could see Bellarmines Mare or S. Francis his Sheepe kneeling before the Host or according to that childish fiction a little Childe in the hands of the Priest after the words of consecration Yet all this should not make us beleeve Transubstantiation For consider the end of those wonders and Gods command in the Scripture The end of miracles which shall be performed or vaunted in the end of the world S. Paul doth here foretell shall bee to deceive men Christ doth say the same Matth. 24. 24. and Saint Iohn Revel 13. 13. saith those miracles shall be wrought in conspectu hominum as it were casting a mist before mens eyes They are 〈◊〉 meere â—ugglers doing their fears mirabiliter quidem sed mendaciter as S. Augustine speaketh indeed wonderful-ly but a Aug. de civ lib. 10 cap. 19. lye is the end of those wonders Such an one was Marcus mentioned by Irenaeus that Arch-Hereticke by his Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 9. prayers caused the Wine in the Chalice to seeme converted into blood Eusebius the Soâ—rat lib. 1. cap. 9. Arian under the reigne of Constantius had the gift of working miracles saith Socrates Platina maketh mention of miracles wrought Platina in vita Ioh. 4. at the Sepulcher of Rhotaris King of Lombardie an Arian Prince Finally Simon Magus saith Baronius Baronius an 68. sect 22. made Images to walke rolling himselfe in fire flew in the ayre turned stones into bread caused shadowes to walke before him which hee said were the soules of men and if any durst terme him an Impostor he either smote them with diseases or tormented them with spirits Nay all the Miracles which the Papists say they have wrought are no more than what the Pagan Idolaters have done before as our accurate Doctor hath prooved by a punctuall parallell Crokenthâ—rp in Spal cap. 66. and therefore they are no sound arguments Moreover such a phrase hath fallen from Corn. Agrippa de Vanit Scient cap. 97. the Papists themselves as this Piae fraudes that is godly deceits a caveat sufficient to the godly that they bee not deceived by them Next consider what God doth command in this case affirmatively negatively exclusively Affirmatively Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me Ioh. 5. 39. The Scriptures make a man wise to salvation and are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction that the man of God may be perfect 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. What is there concerning our soule which commeth not within the compasse of this distribution Doctrine Reproofe Correction Instruction Perfection Wisdome our salvation our Saviour all are taught us by the Scriptures Therefore demonstrations by Miracles are superfluous Consider againe what God doth command in this case negatively Deut. 13. 1 2 3. If there arise amongst you a Prophet or dreamer of dreames and giveth thee a signe or wonder and the signâ— wonder come to passe whereof he spake unto thee saying let us goe after other Gods thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet for the Lord God proveth thee And exclusivelie Christ saith plainly those who will not heare Moses and the Prophets neither will bee perswaded though one rise from the dead Luke 16. 31. If a Papist can convince us by Scripture God forbid but that wee should yeeld unto them But if our conscience and understanding doe tell us that the plaine Scriptures are plainely on our side Then though a Papist could move mountaines wee will say Hee is nothing Though he could call downe Fire from Heaven yea though hee could command an Angell to come downe from Heaven to perswade us to Popery we should answer in the words of Saint Paul Gal. 1. 8 9. let him be accursed Let them that love the truth have a care they bee not seduced from the truth by no Miracles by no Signes nor lying wonders I have dispatched this discourse of Lying wonders in the words of truth and sobernesse Whereby wee may see the Papists intangled in their owne nets It is their owne grant Antichrist shall come with many Miracles They themselves assume also in the phrase of Eudaemon Eudaemon in Abbot lib. 3. apud nos unos miracula siunt that none in the world worke Miracles but they Wee may therefore Conclude out of their owne mouthes None in the world can have Antichrist but they And I thinke they cannot greatly bragge of this Conclusion But if they should deny the Assumption as indeed Sanders seemeth Sanders de Antich Dem. 24. to doe we appeale to their Practice a perpetuall boasting of Miracles can evict them by an Induction There are but three great Religions in the world the Iewish Turkish and Christian The Iewes and Turkes utterly disclaime Miracles as doe also the Reformed Christians Onely the Papists lay claime to them branding their Church with this marke of Antichrist Hence also ye may conceive if ye have any pronenesse either to adhere to the false religion or to apostate from the true Hence I say you may conceive what meanes they will use to draw you to Popery Even signes and wonders but lying wonders All acted and inabled by the power of the Devill But the God of truth blesse us all from the Devill and from all his devillâ—sh lying wonders SERMON XVII 2 THESS 2. 9 10. And with all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse Of the Antiquity Vniversality Vnity and Infallibility of the Church of Rome Of disputations with Papists The care of the Popish
and the true Religion Finally Ecclesia non errat The Church cannot erre this is the Principle of Popery And they build this position on that promise of Christ Matth. 16. 18. Vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Hereon triumphing Suarez doth insult in Romana Petra fundatos frigida Suarez Apolog. pâ—aes Aquilonis procella dimovere non potest the cold northerne blast cannot move nor remove such as are built upon that Romane Rocke Vpon that Romane Rocke prove that and we submit to the Roman Religion He doth prove it Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. ca. 5. nu 2. froÌ„ an axiome amongst Expositers Consuetudo est optima interpres Custome is the best Interpreter But the Church hath perpetually interpreted this of Peter and therefore of Rome Therefore Rome must bee the Rocke of our faith and the Romish Religion the onely true Religion On these premises thus they conclude Our Religion is the old Yours the new Religion Ours little lesse then Oecumenicall Yours little more than Provinciall Ours united under one head Yours divided into many schismaticall members Ours the Rocke of Truth Yours therfore which is fallen from vs must bee Erroneous Schismaticall Hereticall and Diabolicall These are the seeming arguments to perswade unto Popery in the phrase of my text the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse This is the History of Iustine the Historian Iustin lib. 24. Strangers arriving at Delphi as they spake amongst themselves by them was heard Sonus multiplex ampliorque more lowder speeches than they uttered At this they stood amazed till intelligence and experience taught them that this sound did proceed personantibus resonantibus inter se rupâ—bus from Empty caves which did not returne their reall voyces but imperfect and inarticulate resemblances So when our owne speeches acknowledge the worth of those worthy graces Antiquity Vniversalitie Vnity and Infallibility the Papists redoubling these words as if they were their owne may make us amazed at the first but intelligence and experience will assure us that these are the reports onely of emptie mouths and that they speake no true realities but very Echoes onely the inarticulate imperfect resemblaÌ„ces of those excellent words Antiquity Vniversalitie Vnity and Infallibility Let us therefore unmaske these reasons and looke upon the face of these Fallacies First they argue their religion was the first and therefore it is the best They plead Antiquity We ioyne issue with them Antiquitie is the badge of verity Herein even Apollo spake Oracles who being demanded of the Athenians which Religion was the best answered the Ancâ—entest the demand being seconded which was the Ancientest hee answered the second time that which was the best To 〈◊〉 Logicke phrase wee acknowledge that the true Religion and the old Religion are convertible termes Id verum est quod antiquum est Tertull. Concil Nicen. saith a Latine Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the consent and conclusion of that Greek Councill that is the old Religion is the true religion But we adde of the Papists they pretend but they have not antiquitie for their Religion Iustly therefore may their Vaineglorie ebbe from those swelling words of vanity the Romish Religion that Ancient Romish Religion whereby they presume that they must sweepe all away before them as did Kishon that Ancient river Kishon Iudg. 5. 21. If pretence of antiquity might prevaile those very Magicians would perswade us that their Treatises have beene made by and received from Athanasius Cyprian Moses Adam yea even from Raphael Iuel Apolog. pag. 141. the Archangell and the Divell himselfe can plead Age an Old Serpent and a Lyer from the beginning To come to the point if the Popish bee truely the old Religion wee will confesse it and imbrace it as the true religion But what is old Quod ab Apostolis that which hath beene taught by the Apostles saith Tertullian Tertul. And Saint Augustine giveth the right rule to Vincentius Audi dicit Dominus non dicit Donatus August â—p 48. aut Rogat us We may English it to our purpose we must say that ReligioÌ„ is old not that which Rome calleth old nor that which England calleth old but what the Scripture sheweth to be so Now for the Scriptures we call to the People to read them they command the people not to read them Whether wee or they are afraid to try the Antiquity of our Religion by the Scripture the onely true triall of true Antiquity Let any impartiall man give the Verdict 2 Vniversalitie Wee say it is no note of the true Church and yet we say the Papists have it not Arianisme was and Mahometisme is more universall than Popery is at this day The Mahometans doe as farre exceed the Papists in multitude as the Papists doe the Reformed Nay to speake properly there are full as many of the reformed as are of the Romish Religion Let us estimate either Church by the number of Professors and not of Persons and this will appeare to be no paradoxe Professors are such as doe beleeve what they Professe explicitely and can render a reason of their Profession herein our number is no way inferiour unto others We say therefore for Vniversality We equall them and the Turkes goe farre before them And howsoever that doth Bellarmine and Bell. de notis Eccle. lib. 4. ca. 7. Suarez Apolog. lib. 1. cap. 15. num 6. Suarez doe acknowledge that Vniversality properly taken is not the proper note of the Church Vnitie I confesse the want of it the blemish of the Reformed Church and bewaile the want thereof in our owne English Church yet I adde False Churches haue had it and the Romish Church hath not it The Turkes are termed Islami that is men of one mind they are Pius 2 Epist ad Moâ—hisanum pag. 68. so farre from differing that they doe not so much as dispute of any points in their profession I hope the Papists will not conclude therefore the Turkish is the true Religion And for the Papists they have beene at as good unitie amongst themselves as the Midianites were Iudg. 7. 22. When the sword of every man was against his fellow I will not rehearse the discords Vsserius de Christ Eccles Succes cap. 9. betwixt the Thomists the Franciscans and the Dominicans the Sorbonists and the Mendicans or the Priests and Iesuites I will instance in their dissentions of an higher nature There have beene three Popes at one time one in France another in Spaine and a Wats Quodl 7. Artic. 9. pag. 200. third in Italy Two Antipopes Vrban the sixt and Clement in France had many battles and many were slaine even thousands There have beene 23 Schismes in the very seat of Rome sometimes 2 and sometimes 3 Popes at once and so continuing in schisme sometimes 3 7 20 30 40 and 50 yeares together This is no Protestants imputation it is a Papist who
relateth Willets Synops Contr. 2. qu. 3. it Amongst their undoubted Popes About the yeare 900 Pope Steven 6 abrogated all the Decres of Pope Formosus his Predecessour and tooke up his body cut off two of his fingers commanding his body to bee buried againe But his successors Romanus Theodorus 2 and Iohn 10 ratified all the doings of the said Formosus but Sergius who succeeded them excceded the other in over barbarous cruelty He againe disanulled all the acts of Formosus cut off his head and cast him into Tiber. Let them therefore first excuse their owne before they upbraid us with our dissentions Here let me tell our brethren who are divided from us either in place or affection They cry out against us for having the Ceremonies of Antichrist when we may more justly cry out against them for being the Souldiers of Antichrist They put the weapon into the hand of Antichrist Their division uniteth the Papists to reproach our reformed Religion The Lord lay not that sinne to their charge Finally for their Infallibilitie the Popes themselves have trenched into this papall prerogative You have heard that the Popes owne Decrees have beene reversed and re-established by the Popes owne successours And for Suarez his urging of the customary and usuall interpretation of Math. 16 18. to bee concerning Saint Peter and therefore the same infallibility to be Hereditarie to the Popes his successors Besides that both the antecedent and consequent are false Let his owne fellow answer him Consuetudo est optima interpres Legis modo nulli crant contradicentes Legi Custome saith Withrington is the best interpreter of the Law provided there were none who contradicted that Law and that custome But his pretended Infallibility of the Pope hath beene opposed by a perpetuall contradiction as honorable and honored Mornie hath made it good instancing Philip Moâ—niâ— Myst Iniquit in more than halfe an hundred oppositions Yea let his owne mouth answer him Ecclesia Romana particularis possit dificere that Suarez Apolog. lib 1. cap. 5. sect 5. is the particular Romane Church may fall away we say defecit it hath fallen away Both concurre that the City and Diocesse of Rome may fall Therefore they cannot bragge of their Infallibility Now ponder these perswasions to Popery They plead Antiquity wee have proved it to be but pretended antiquity Vniversalitie but a forged universality Vnitie but a feined unitie and Infallibility but it is an infallibility usurped by them never granted to them Yet with these glorious titles Antiquity Vniversalitie Vnity and Infallibility doe they tenebras inducere terris blind a world of poore people This is one part of that Mystery of iniquitie that deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse These are the strong perswasions unto Poperie Strong indeed but onely unto them who are weake in religion and weake in understanding This is the matter the manner of their deceiving followeth Disputation a course which they have long since much declined lately much required Campion was their Champion in this kind Now to beard out the Protestants with a brazen brow this bold tricke is an old tricke Venire studio contradicendi magic quam voto discendi Demetrianus came to conferre with Cyprian but resolved notwithstanding Cyprian ad Demetrian the conference still to hold the conclusion Cum superatos sentiant mentium tamen venenum non amittere Saint Ierome experienced Hieron Epist 24. some that were determined to proceed in their erroneous hearts though their tongues were brought to a Non plus Quid promovebis Tertul. de praescript cap. 17. disputator c. said Tertullian what wilt thou gaine by confronting these men they will not yeeld though they bee never so plainly confuted Nay consciscere sibi mortem ne in Ecclesiam August epist 48. Vincent intrent to goe to Tiburne rather than to Church this was the wonted obstinatenesse of the old Donatists Pelagians Heretickes and Pagans The Papists refine such grossenesse and they adde thereunto brave learning to support and boasting lying to report their disputations for their party In the discharge of them they will use such subtle distinctions such nimble evasions such acute interpretations and acete sharpe irritations that they will confirme the partiall Henrer and sometime confound a sufficient disputant as some say it befell Beza in the Colloqâ—â—e Trent Hist lib. 5. of Poisi Anno 1561 yea they will spinne into small threeds with subtle distinctions many times the plainnesse and sincerity of the very Scripture it selfe their wits being like that strong water which eateth through and dissolveth the parest gold But if they proceed not that way yet they will triumph both before and without the Victorie Bristow is bold in this behoofe There are Brist Quâ—â—st 41. Motive 31. few Students saith he in either Vniversitie who dare dispute with any ordinarie Papist And if perchance they be constrained to conference every Common Catholike can answer our best arguments nay they can speake better for our part then the prime of our owne Professours After disputations they will report themselves Conquerours although they be conquered Lutherus vester sent ens se victum ab Echâ—o dixit haec res nec propter Deum coepta est â—ec propter Deum finietur When their Eckius had foiled our Luther Luther saith Duraeus lib. 1. sect 2. Whitakerus in Duraeum lib 1. sect 2. Duraeus brake out into this exclamation This disputation was never begun in God nor ever will it end in God Mischievously mis-alleaging that as spoken by Luther of himselfe which he uttered concerning the impudence of his Adversaries This Catholike Custome may not bee destitute of Precedents in this kinde In this very time have they put the same tricke on the matchless discharger of this exercise the worthy Dr. Featlies Relation of the Conference 1624. Lecturer before mee and on his learned assistant But I doubt not it shall shortly appeare that that Sepia hath spit out his inkie imputations on these mens worth with this effect that his owne causelesse insolence may appeare the more manifest and remarkeable On these Mysteries they are so frequent to dare us to disputation which if they ever shall obtaine they shall also find those who dare resist them to the face and before the eyes of indifferent judges to lay open their subtle sophistry and all their deceiveablenes of unrighteousnesse Next the men the instruments of this deceiveablenesse follow to be considered Non è quovis ligno sit Mercurius they chuse and use extraordinary persons for this extraordinary purpose In old time it was said the Church had excellent treasure in earthen vessells We may invert it concerning the Church of Rome their doctrine is earthen treasure in excellent 2 Cor. 4. 7. vessells With us indeed he that will may set pen to paper and sometimes Controversies are written by Ministers surcharged with their owne Pastorall charge yea sometimes forced to take some
Machline spend seven houres every day in solemne prayers And in Italy at the sound of a Bell at one instant three times a day sunne setting sunne rising and at noon Relation of the Religion in the West sect 4. all people in every place street market house fields c. kneele downe and send up their united prayers unto heaven Admirable devotion if it were as it seemeth I argue but foure small frailties in the performance thereof nothing but Ignorance Superstition Pride and Hypocrisie They pray in Latine whereby he that occupyeth the roome of the unlearned cannot say Amen a custome coÌ„demned long since by S. Paul in the Corinthians and yet some 1 Cor. 14 16. will have him at this day to approve it in the Romanes Next they imploy their devotion in Ave Maries to the blessed Virgin and prayers to a creature cannot bee cleared from sacrilegious superstition Thirdly the Devotion of those Hypocrites is as the house of the Spider they place affiance in their Orisons and depend upon their prayers as meritorious Finally they draw neere to God with their mouth and with their lips they honour him but they have removed their hearts farre from him Isay 29. 13. Qui caret devotione non peccat He that hath no devotion in his prayers sinneth not saith a learned Papist This doubling in their devotion Iacob de Gra. Dâ—cis Aâ—r. part 1. lib. 2. cap. 53. nu 16. doth double our detestation of their dissembling Religion Neverthelesse to the simple and the credulous it is perswasive attractive indeed the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse The last device which they practise to draw men to Popery and to confirme men in Popery is a shew of Discipline Discipline indeed discharged is indeed necessary As necessary to a man as it is to an Army It is to the body of the one as it is to the Souldiers of the other it keepeth it from rebellion Of Discipline the Papists vaunt much to the humble simple and sorrowfull sinner They tell them of their penance and poverty of their sacke-cloth and ashes and of their Lent and fasting And that in our Religion there is nothing but loosenesse and liberty I answer for us the defect of discipline is the fault of our persons not of our Church What person may not give as much to the poore and take as much from his delights as his conscience shall perswade him Nay more we know our Church doth injoyne Fasting Lent Penance and other points of Discipline For them I say it is better not to use Discipline absolutely which wee doe not than to abuse it superstitiously which they doe And againe there is no greater liberty in any Religion under heaven than in the Romish I appeale to their magnificent indulgences and indulgent penances But by this you may conceive what arguments and instruments they use to confirme and inlarge the Dominions of Antichrist They will perswade you publikely by their writings and privately in your houses They will blind you with the pretence of sincere devotion and austere discipline The Agents which use these are infinite industrious and learned men but such as the text speaketh of who are set on worke by Satan to draw men to a false Religion But the God of heaven make us all constant and conscionable in the practice and profession of the true Religion SERMON XVIII 2 THEâ—S 2. 9 10. After the working of Satan in all power Of Satan Papists refuse all communion with Protestants Why so many learned turne Papists No reconciliation with Rome I Have shewed you the meanes instrumentall whereby the comming of Antichrist is confirmed Miracles and Oracles I proceed to the principall meanes his person Satan of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adversarius qui obsistit an enemy who doth resist saith Erasmus Or Satanas quasi Satanachas that is a Serpent or an Impostor as Aretius delivereth it out of Iustine Martyr so both force and fraud shall concurre in the confirming of Antichrist As Christ doth worke mightily in his Ministers Coloss 1. 29. so doth the Devill work mightily in his ministers both in eis per eos in them and by them making them both to teach and beleeve his devillish errors As 1 King 22. 22. the Devill was a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets and the text saith they did perswade and prevaile So according to this text the Devill shall stirre up and inable learned men to confirme the comming of Antichrist and they shall perswade and prevaile And that in an admirable manner as it followeth in the next point his potency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when wee cannot expresse the power of an Agent wee terme it in Latine energeticum and energeticall in English here translated the working of Satan The meaning is The Devill shall inable men to spread and perswade the doctrine of Antichrist in a mighty powerfull manner beyond admiration To proceed this mighty power we may perceive exercised on and by the Papists to support Antichrist I insist in one instance The Powerfull agents of Antichrist have so powerfully prevailed with inferiour Papists that they refuse all community with all Protestants in all the exercises of Religion Concerning Religion in generall and Prayer in particular these ought to be the rules of true Christians First to separate in the exercises of the contrary Religion onely in those things wherein they dissent Secondly to refuse to pray with the contrary onely if there bee scandall Thus may they refuse to communicate with us and wee with them because of Transubstantiation a point of difference and scandall to either part But when there is no difference nor scandall there should be no refusall of communion With the Papists it is farre otherwise they with us abhorre all community They reject our Bookes before they reade them our Sermons before they heare them our persons before they see them and our positions before they know them They will not doe us that Christian right which the Bereans did Saint Paul Act. 17. 11. to examine our doctrine by the Scriptures but they wrong us as Demetrius did him Act. 13. 32. making the multitude to cry out against us and yet the most of them know no cause for it For Prayers Our Châ—rches they enter not though our Leiturgy hath nothing offensive to them If by chance they hap into an house where the houshold settle to pray out ruuneth the Romist from a Protestant as Saint Iohn did from Cerynthus as Iren lib. 3. cap. 3. if our very prayers were abominable enough to make the house fall on them or sinke with them At our meales if we thanke God a Papist must not say Amen At their owne meales they will rather eate their meat without Gods blessing than aske it in the presence of a Protestant though for this later some few in England have lately a little refined this fancy I
would demand but this if an Arrian should say the Lords Prayer would they refuse to say Amen If they should eate with a multitude of Turkes and that they should thanke the Creatour for feeding them with his good creatures would a good Christian refuse to joyne with them If they were with Pagans in a ship like Ionah in the shippe of Tarshish would they not pray with them to be delivered from the shipwracke Nay according to their owne Legends of Bellarmine Surius and Francis if horses sheepe and oxen should worship God would they not do what they exhort us to doe to adore God even for the company of those bruit creatures Yet either so miserable are we or so uncharitable are they that they will not vouchsafe that to us which they deny not to Arrians Turkes Pagans and the beasts themselves They will not joyne with us in the worship of our common God The effect whereof is admirable for the strengthning of Popery two wayes First they can never be informed by us Secondly they will ever be inflamed against us By the first they remaine in ignorance of our positions and beleeve as their Teachers slander us that our Preachers are Coblers Tailors Tradesmen Stella in Luc. 9. 16. Stella in Luc. 3. 11. Artisans and that our Preaching is magnifying Faith onely and then that men may live as they list By the second they are made to hate us worse than the Turkes whereupon their Crusadoes are published as well against the Protestants as against the Sarasins Now that ever Religion should ever worke such an hatred in men towards their Country-men Kinsmen yea Friends and Parents that they will not joyne with them in any thing concerning Gods worship though never so farre from offence or scandall I take this to bee a strange mystery of iniquity perswaded in all power after the working of Satan A feat not of man but of the Devill himselfe Here I take just occasion to satisfie one scruple which is perpetually objected If the Pope be that grand Antichrist and Popery so grossely erroneous how then are so many learned men of the Romish Religion the very phrase of my text is answer sufficient The comming of Antichrist is after the working of Satan in all power and therefore learned men may bee entangled Againe Matth. 24. 24. If it were possible the very Elect should bee deceived therefore for the learned to be deceived is no impossibility Againe Rev. 17. â— 2. Antichrist is termed a Whore which maketh men drunke Now a gracelesse yongster who is corporally inticed by uncleannesse and intangled by drunkennesse how will he defend himselfe and despise the plaine advice of his understanding friends to enjoy his bewitching beauty And hath not spirituall drunkennesse and uncleannesse equall power to beat downe all perswasions Sampson though hee had many gaine-saying strugglings yet could he not deny his Dalilah So am I perswaded that great learned men of the Romish Religion have many checks of conscience but the magnificence of that Synagogue doth extinguish them I will inforce and inlarge this answer in the words of Pope Pius the second with a very little alteration Sciunt Christiani c. The Protestants doe know that Pius 2. Epist ad Morbisan their Religion is sincere holy and saving nor can they be removed from it quamvis aliqui aut libidine ducti aut avaritia tracti aut voluptate illecti aut metu mortis attoniti aut cruciatu superati although some either allured by licentiousnesse or intangled by covetousness or astonished by the feare of death or vanquished by tortures are shaven doe abjure and turne Papists Quorum corda si possis inspicere but if you could search the hearts of those Apostates you should see that there is not one of them who doth forsake the Gospell upon advised motives and serious deliberation In a word this may suffice Antichrist is come after the working of Satan in all power And therefore many learned are of the Romish Religion For suller satisfaction Foure causes I conceive wherefore so many learned are of the Antichristian Roman Religion their Study Prejudice Pride and Gods just judgement to blinde them First they study the Scriptures in generall this prophecy in particular depending upon their wit learning languages and reading of the Fathers These meanes externall I acknowledge to be excellent and pray that all our side may excell in them But these without the meanes internall Humility and Invocation are like the stasse of Elishah without the presence of Elishah they will give no true life to the understanding for it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent 1 Cor. 1. 19. And the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can they know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. A presuming upon their owne learning I conceive to be the first cause that so many learned are ignorant in this point of Antichrist Secondly at the comming of Christ who did or could speake more of his comming than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Scribes and Pharises the Learned and yet who farther from the apprehension of the evident arguments of his comming than those Lawyers than those learned men The reason Prejudice They had beforehand perswaded their expectation to attend a temporall Messias that when Christ came the spirituall Messias all plaine signes which were apparent to Children were riddles to those Rabbies For prejudice had possessed them with a contrary expectation So concerning the comming of Antichrist the Rabbies of Rome their learned men prescribing to their expectation that Antichrist must be a Iew an open Tyrant against the Church and to tyrannize three yeares onely If you now tell them that Antichrist is a Christian a famous Bishop in the Church and that he hath tyrannized therein many hundreds of yeares If now an Angell from heaven should say Oh come out of Babylon yet would hee seeme to their learned as Lot did to his Sonnes in Law Gen. 19. 14. He would seeme as one that mocketh They mocke at all arguments proving the Pope to be Antichrist So potent is preiudice to keep even learned men in ignorance But herein I could wish that all Papists and some Protestants also would practise the advice of a Pope Pius the second Noli falsum dicere nisi Pius 2. Epist ad Moâ—bisan cognoveris esse doe not say that our reasons are false before you know them to be so Deride not our obiections besore you can cleare them by plaine solutions Thirdly in the Iewish Church there were many who did beleeve on Christ Iohn 12. 42 43. but they did non confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue and they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They would not confesse the truth
which they did beleeve sor their pride did withhold them So in the Church of Rome doubtlesse there are many who seare the Pope to be Antichrist and know themselves to be erroneous but the pride of themselves and praise of others withhold them to confesse it As S. Iohn speaketh 5. 44. They receive honour of one another and therefore they receive not the truth and reforme not their errour In Italy their Cardinalls Churchmen equall to Princes they could not subsist if the Pope or his pompe should fall and therefore they must uphold him In France if the Clergie should turne they should turne admirable immunities and dignities to undoubted poverty peradventure necessity and therefore they will never reforme but nourish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implacable hatred against the Protestants Some even Protestants can tell how an argument will sway with men which is drawne ab utili from praise profit and promotion And therefore it is no paradoxe to conclude Many learned Papists are obstinate in their errours for pride doth detaine them Fourthly the Iudgement of God is the cause that so many learned men are so ignorant that they doe not or will not know Antichrist though plainely discovered to the whole world Thus Deut. 29. 4. the Israelites fell from God though miracles were ever before their eyes the reason is there rendred The Lord gave them not eyes to see nor an heart to conceive Againe as it is in Isa 44. 16 17. that Idolaters should be so grossely gracelesse as to take a blocke to burne one piece and to adore another is it not a wonder but that we are there told by God himselfe that God himselfe did shut their eyes that they could not see and their hearts that they could not understand At the comming of Christ his own City Ierusalem did reject their Messias they bragd of Doth not Christ give the cause it was hid from their eyes Luk. 19. 42 In like manner at the comming of Antichrist the most glorious part of the Church of Christ doth serve the enemy of Christ the reason whereof is evident out of the verse following this Text God doth send them strong delusions Thus their Study Pride Prejudice and the just Iudgement of God I conceive to be the soure great causes that so many great learned men are the slaves of that great Antichrist These are the meanes that according to the working of Satan in all power he so admirably prevaileth upon them But that he may never in like manner prevaile upon any of us the Lord of heaven prevent for Iesus Christ his sake There remaineth the principall the person supporting Antichrist The mystery of Iniquity is vpheld by the working of Satan 1 Tim. 4. 1. the working of Satan is called the doctrine of devills and that doctrine of Devills is there named vers 5. to be forbidding of meats and mariage But the Church of Rome doth forbid meats and mariage Therefore the Church of Rome doth teach the doctrine of devills Therefore the Church of Rome is supported by the working of Satan Therefore the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist I will exercise them a little to untwine these plaine connexions Here appeareth the erroâ—â— to say no more of our Reconcilers of those who undertake to reconcile the Protestants to the Papists That worke is a Chimaera in their intention and will be abortive in the execution When there can bee no atonement betwixt God and Satan Christ and Belial the Christians and Antichristians In a word when truth may bee reconciled unto falshood which is supported by all power after the working of Satan then will I imagine that there may be atchieved a reconciliation betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church Reformed Till then I must susspect all pretence of reconciliation to bee an errour in them if not a trap for us Psal 120. 6. The best that I ever heard or read any speaking Relat. of the Religion in the West sect 48. to this point is that learned Gentleman who proposeth his project of Vnion by the distribution of Vnity Whether poore Christendome may hope for Vnity of Verity or Vnity of Charity or Vnity of Perswasion or Vnity of Authority or Vnity of Necessity Yet nunquam magis dubit at am de finibus quà m quum legebam Ciceronem de sinibus his discourse hath confirmed me more that Reconciliation is impossible For he himselfe confesseth that it is a thing to be wished not to bee effected To which I adde that sentence of our divine Seneca Sooner may God create a new Rome than reforme Dr. Hall No Peace with Rome sect 22. the old Grant that which all the world is never able to prove Suppose the Pope be not Antichrist Notwithstanding we must suppose reconciliation unto Popery to be impossible First these Reconcilers have beene alwayes fruitlesse in their indeavours and sometime fatall unto Christendome As the learned insist in the Trent Hist lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Zeno the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Heraclius the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Constance and the Interim of Charles the fift all which did not reunite but rend the division wider And what effect produced the laborious treatise of that learned Papist set on worke by two severall Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian to compose the Quarrells of the Church Onely of Cassander hee became Cassandra although hee spake as a Prophet yet no body would beleeve him Hereupon politike Pope Paul the third did laugh at Charles the fift who attempted a reconciliation betwixt the Papists and the Protestants anno 1548. and it standeth with great reason For the most cautelous phrases of the most câ—riâ— us Reconcilers when they come to the scanning will bee ambiguous Superficially considered they may receive good sense but seriously sifted they containe the old errours And the effect was as the Pope presaged the Emperor indevoring to reconcile two contrary opinions he made them both agree to impugne his and each more obstinately to defend his own Then consider the parties and Reconciliation will appeare on our side to be improbable on their side impossible God knoweth some of our side are intractable and obstinate enough For mine owne part I professe I love peace next to truth and for the injoying thereof I would submit my selfe to any thing that doth not evidently infringe a good conscience I could bee contented First that the Pope should injoy those Temporall dominions which the skill of his Ancestours hath left unto him Secondly with our King with God I would be content to acknowledge him the Patriark of the West and Prime Bishop of the World so that he keepe him within the compasse of his owne Dioces Thirdly that in deepe disputes of Election Freewill Reall not Carnall Presence and such like Vnusquisquis abundet sensu suo that every man might enjoy the freedome of his owne judgement without any bitter invections or uncharitable censuring Fourthly I could
ausi sumus eorum potius consuetudini cessimus quam illos in fidem nostram voluntatemque traduximus If those men could returne from the dead of whom the Papists doe so much bragge when they should see our Churches full and theirs empty peradventure those very men would say if they were such as they are recorded to be these are the things which we never durst preach unto the people but wee did rather yeeld connivence to their profession then labour to convert them to our superstition Thus certainly would some of our Forefathers say if they were alive They would not condemne us who are alive Wee will not condemne them who are dead We doubt not but God was mercifull Hoâ—ker in Hab. Sect. 9. to save thousands of our forefathers who lived in popish superstition in as much as they sinned ignorantly For a more ful satisfaction our forefathers who lived in the time of Popery before the Reformation they lived indeed in a time of blindnesse when the blind did lead the blind and it is to be feared that many fell into the Ditch But withall it may be hoped that many also escaped and were saved I ground this charitable and comfortable conclusion on these three probable premises Many of our forefathers although they lived under the Pope yet were they not Popish fundamentally obstinately nor finally 1. Many were partakers of the errour who were not of the haeresie of the Church of Rome Many did not hold those opinions which either directly or indirectly overthrow the foundation of Christian Religion I instance in one that ingens hiatus Luke 16. 26. that great gulfe betwixt the Papists and Protestants Acts 4. 12. Salvation is by no other I say wee hope that there were many who did not ascribe any part of their salvation to themselves or to any other Creature but to Christ alone As Waldensis is said to observe that the point of merits was not knowne in England in the time of Henry the fift and such wee hope in such a time might finde Mercy with our Saviour and be saved 2. Many also practised Popery but they were so far froÌ„ obstinate rejecting of the truth that we may beleeve they would have received the trueth if it had bin offered unto them and if they had not beene hindered by invincible ignorance Yea we may conceive that some of them did groane under the gossenesse of Popery According to that which is said to bee the common saying of Dominicus Chalderine concerning the Masse Let us Quarrels of Paulus 5. Epist Deâ—ic quoth hee goe to our common Errour And even in our age the learned Author of that excellent History of Trent generously vindicated the illustrious Venetians from the Empire of the perpetuall Dictator of Rome These certainely and many besides these did groane under the Yoake of Antichrist Although Gods wisedome did permit none in our fathers age to take it from their Necks yet may we comfort our selves in that comfortable saying 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not I say and hope therefore that many of our Forefathers were saved To conclude this point in the words of Hooker in Hab. pag. 28. profound acute Hooker From the man that laboureth at the plough to him that sitteth in the Vaticane to all the Partakers of Babylon to our Fathers though they did but erroniously practise that which the guides did teach heretically to all without exception plagues are due The Pit is ordinarily the end as well of the guide as of the guided in blindnesse Againe those who knowing heresie to be heresie doe notwithstanding in worldly respects make semblance of allowing that which in heart and judgement they condemne as also they who maintaine heresie heretically obstinately holding it after wholesome admonition I make no doubt but that their condemnation without actuall repentance is inevitable Yet what hindereth but that I may say The ignorance of many others doth make me hope they did finde mercie and were saved What hindreth salvation but sin Sinnes are not equall and ignorance though it doth not make to be no sinne yet seeing it did make their sinne to bee lesse why should it not make our hope concerning their life to be greater Great hope therefore I have that many of our Fathers were saved 3. Manie of them did not proceed in those points Popish errors finally As Pighius himself is reported at his death to have disclaimed that damnable opinioÌ„ of Iustification by works Nay we exclude no Papist no not a Pope from the possibility of salvatioÌ„ if Antichrist himself should prostrate himselfe at the Feet of Christ Christ would not spurne at him The whole succession of Persian Princes Daniel resembleth to a Beare 7. 5. because of their successive cruelty towards Gods people But Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes and other particular persons were not guilty of that generall cruelty but favourers of the Church of God So we say that the whole succession of Popes for these thousand yeares have beene Antichristian persecutors of the Church yet amongst them there may bee a Marcellus Coelestine and Adriane who might repent themselves though not reclaime others for Opposing Christ Of whom that Caelestine did resigne Platina in Caelest 5. Bon. 8. the Papacy to save his soule I affirme that in ipso vitae articulo at what time soever GOD might cal them out of Babylon at the last houre And we hope that even then hee gave our Fathers either indulgence for their errours or penitence of their errours that even then they might repent and be saved There are many Scriptures to confirme us in this comfortable conclusion Luke 12. 48. That servant which knoweth not his Lords will shall be beaten with few stripes Act. 17. 30. The time of ignorance God winked at Iam. 4. 17. To him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is a sinne and 1 Tim. 1. 13. Saint Paul confesseth of himselfe who was a blasphemer and a Persecutor But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbeliefe I conclude therefore many of our Fathers were the Children of Abraham and had they seene Popery and Antichrist in their time as we see them discovered and displayed in our time they would have detested the Tridentine and Iesuiticall assertions as much as wee doe Whereupon I dare pronounce them in all Christian probability to bee saved through the abundant mercies of our indulgent Saviour Concerning the place I may frame the same conclusions upon the same grounds but in a lesse measure I may conclude that at this day there may be some appertaining to the Bosome of Abraham who now live in the very bosome of Antichrist in Spaine Italy in Civil and in Rome it selfe For invincible ignorance may be an argument of invincible mercy And where Antichrist is most malicious wee may hope that Christ is
whether this be not a most partiall judgement Secondly wee all concurre that the sense of the Scriptures is more than the letter of the Scripture but the Pope giveth the sense thereof and God onely the letter Concerning the Scriptures therefore the Papists ascribe more to the Pope than they doe to GOD himselfe Which was wisely concluded at the conclusion of the Councill of Trent by Hugo Bishop Trent Hist lib. 8. Bestice that no law doth consist in the termes but in the meaning not in that which the Vulgar or Grammarians give it but in that which Vse Authority doe confirme that Lawes have no power but that which is given them by him who governeth and hath the care to execute them that he by his exposition may give them a more ample or a more straite sense yea a contrary vnto that which the words import This certainly cannot bee to love the Gospell but to use the Gospell to serve their owne turnes I retort their owne words on their owne Dutif Consid 3. cap. 2. persons It commeth to passe that that Word which was given as a Pillar of fire to direct lighten them in all Verity is turned into a Piller of Smoake so darkening and infatuating their Vnderstanding that they rush headlong into all kinde of Heresie As Areas the Spartan Generall by the smoake of Houses which Iust Hist lib. 24. Sect. 1. himselfe had fired blinded himselfe and his owne Souldiers Conspectum sibi suisque abstulit saith Iustin in that History Even so the Church of Rome rejecting the love of the Gospell being blinded with the love of their owne errours have cast themselves into the armes of Antichrist and are inextricably inthralled by the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse I have discovered the minde of those that embrace Antichrist they have the Gospell but they have no minde to it they doe not love the Gospell Next followeth the end why they love Antichrist but not the Gospell Negatively Ne salvi fierent the neglect of their salvation Their salvation doe they neglect not absolutely but comparatively As before they did not absolutely reject the Gospell but the love of the Gospell that is they did love some earthly commodity better then this heavenly treasure So here they doe not grosely reject their salvation but there is some Person Profit Pompe Pleasure or Preferment There is something which they preferre before it or the meanes thereof They receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved To propose an authenticall exposition I will take the sense as it is expounded by a learned Papist Dr. Steuard on this place Saint Paul saith he doth speake of such men Steuartius in 2 Thes 2. at are mentioned by our Saviour Iohn 5. 44. How can yee beleeve which receive honor of one another seek not the honor which cōmeth of God only Quasi diceret Dominus perditionis multorum causam esse Ambitionem ne Christo credentes ad veritat is lumen pervenient That is Ambition is the cause that many receive not the Truth that they might be saved Which hee confirmeth out of Hilary Immoderati animi affectus saepe mentem de suo statu deijciunt ne veritatem agnoscant neque cognitam sequantur That is the immoderate affections such as Ambition doe put the minde out of frame that it cannot know the truth nor follow it being knowne To which wee may adde woefull examples Pappus de Haeresibus pag. 194. c. Thebutes refused the love of the truth and did spread his Errours in Iury Valentinus in Egypt Novatus in Affrica Aetius in Antiochia Donatus in Numidia and Arius throughout the World All forgetting Damnosum lucrum Erasmus in Luk. 4. est quod pietatis jactura emitur What advantage will it bee for a man to gaine the whole world and to lose his owne soule Mat. 16. 26. Yet to them was Honour what the Sparrowes dung was to old Tobit 2. 10. It put out their eies whereby they could not see or would not see the Truth at least the love of the Truth that they might be saved Such and so Ambitious is the See of Rome as any that ever the Sunne showne on To make this plaine ponder what the Pope was and what he is The Pope of Rome was a Bishop at first over many Ministers in one City next a Metropolitane over many Bishops in one Province after that a Patriarke over many Metropolitanes in one Diocesse for the Romanes had seven Provinces in one Diocesse Finally hee attained to bee Occumenicall Patriarke of the whole world But now hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 climed higher then the top of the Ladder Ecce duo gladij hic hee doth usurpe a double Supremacy both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall He will be Lord Paramount in all Causes and over all Persons under the cope of heaven Now when our English tooke Saint Domingo Cambden anno 1583. in India amongst many memorable things they sound in the Towne-house the Armes of the King of Spaine under them was painted an Orbe or Picture of the World with a pransing Horse spreading his fore-feet over the Verges thereof with this Motto Non sufficit Orbis that is the World is too little for me A Posie passing fit for the Pope Non sufficit Orbis the World cannot suffice his Ambition Nay the Latine appetite doth equall that Chrysin 1 Thes 1. 8. Gracian Dropsie even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a world of worlds cannot content him So that we may speak of the Pope what a Pope once spake of his Cardinalls Benedict the 12. being on a time moved to create more Cardinals answered that he was prest to performe their petition provided Si modo novum mundum creare posset provided that it were in his power also to create a new world for the world which now was would hardly suffice those Cardinals who were now In a word the world will not suffice the Popes Ambition This therefore I suppose sufficient to shew that the Pope is Ambitious To adde plenty of proofes to the plainnesse thereof I suppresse the grosse sayings of his Clawbacks and Canonists I will quote onely the Controversie-writers who we know can and doe blanch the most notorious absurdities of the Papacie Thus they speake Primatus Pontificis est Bell. de Rom. Pont. Praef. summa totius rei Christianae Bellarmine placeth the summe of our Christian Religion in the Superiority of the Pope Suarez doth professe Suarez Apol. Prooem as much in his Preface to his Apologie On the Popes dignity doth depend Salus Ecclesiae the safety of the Church Martinus Alphonsus M. Alphons Praef. Apol. Suaris a Mello raiseth this one note higher Sumi Pontificis est potestas supranaturalis it is saith he a Supernaturall power which wee must acknowledge to bee in the Pope Yea saith Lessius it Lessius de Ant. Dem. 14. is granted by the Princes
Take heed therefore that you make not any Image And the Commination threatned in the 24. The Lord is a consuming fire as if Hell fire were the reward of image-worshippers Againe in the second Commandement very bowing to an image is forbidden Whereupon the Church of Rome fearing that by the light of this evident inhibition their Mystery of iniquity should be discovered they leave this Commandement out of their bookes and Catechismes which come to the hands of the Common people And Vasques to shew his love to the truth goeth yet Vasq de Ador. l. 2. disp 4. c. 4. farther and affirmeth that the second Commandement is Ceremoniall and ought to be abolished Lactantius his words shall bee my conclusion for this point Non est dubium quin religio nulla est ubicunque simulacrum est According to whom thus I conclude Without peradventure they have no religion who worship images But the Church of Rome doth worship Images Therefore without peradventure the Church of Rome hath No Religion But are the Apostates Who do not receive the love of the Truth but take pleasure in unrighteousnesse The fift is the worshipping of the Crosse a worship altogether unknowne to the Heathen and therein therefore more then Heathenish Cruces etiam nec colimus nec optamus vos plane Arnobius lib. 8. qui Ligneos Deos consecratis Cruces ligneas forsitan adoratis ut deorum vestrorum partes saith Minutius that is Wee neyther wish nor worship Crosses but you who doe plainly hallow wooden gods peradventure you adore wooden Crosses as parts of your gods The Christians apologie is absolute that they did not worship wooden Crosses their recrimination to the Heathens that they did worship Crosses is qualified with a peradventure It is therefore without peradventure that the worshipping of a wooden Crosse was abhorred as abominable both by the Christians and Heathens Indeede some hereticall Christians have Pappus Hist pag. 345. beene knowne and taxed for that Idolatrie The Armenij thence were termed Charinzarij that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worshippers of the Crosse And since in the dotage of the Church and nonage of Antichrist that Idolatry hath crept in amongst Christians Aquine undertooke a Aquin. 3. 25. 4. solemne disputation of the worship of the Cross And Cornelius Mussus is transported with the Corn. Mussus to 1. 662. adoration admiration of that wooden Idolatry O Crux admiranda O Salus Vita Resurrectio Salus animarum Vita coporis Resurrectio animae simul corporis that is O admirable Crosse O Health Life and Resurrection Health of the soule Life of the body and Resurection of both soule and body And that these may not be put off as private opinions of some particular persons heare the universall practice of their whole Church O Crux ave All Haile O Crosse Spes vnica Our onely Hope Hoc Passionis tempore This time of the passion Auge pijs justitiam Augment the godlies devotioÌ„ Reisque dona veniam And forgive the ungodlies transgression Never could I conceive the just cause of such senselesse idolatry till my text suggested it They have not the love of the truth but take pleasure in unrighteousnesse The sixt is the Sacrament Bee that blessed Bread as Sacred as the most sanctified heart can conceive yet it is but Bread notwithstanding Howbeit the Papists give unto it cultuÌ„ latriae that worship which is due to God DominuÌ„ DeuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Concil Trident. Sess 13. Can. 5. Costerus Enchir. cap. 7. adorabis Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God saith Costerus speaking of the Sacrament The whole Church doth cry to it Agnus Dei qui tollis peccatamundi O thou Lambe of God which takest away the sins of the world According to which is that stupendious superscription of our Sanders to his Treatise on the Lords Supper To the Body and blood of our Saviour Iesus Christ under the forme of Bread and Wine all Honour Praise and thankes be given for ever and ever Now wee knowing that the Carnall presence is but a carnall conceit and that the tricke of Transubstantiation is as true as any of Ovids Metamorphoses Wee cannot but pronounce the words of Costerus which he delivereth by way of supposition Colere frustum panis pro Deo to worship a peece of bread is worse then to worship viva animalia the brute Beasts as the Egyptians did or Imagines images as the Heathen did or to worship rubrum Stannum inhasâ—am elevatum a red Clout clapped on a Pole as the Lappians doe Nay it is saith hee such a grosse idolatry qualis in Orbe terrarum non fuit as the like whereof was never in the world never seene among all the Heathens Those stupid Idolaters did absurdly-execrably The first did make their god furthermore they did worship it But these to shew that they are superlative goe a degree farther 1. They make their god 2. They worship it 3. They eate it Now that men should make their god and eate their god none can beleeve it but those that doe not receive the love of the Truth but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse Thus the Papists doe make this Holy Sacrament a prophane Idol acording to our positions and they may make it so also according to their owne opinions It is their opinion yea a ruled case confirmed by a Canon of the Councill of Florence That three things are required Conc. Flor. in Dec. Euchar. sect Quinto to the perfect celebrating of the Sacrament Materia Forma Persona 1. That there bee a right matter 2. A right Forme that they use the words belonging therunto 3. That the Minister doe celebrate that Sacrament cum intentione faciendi quod facit Ecclesia with an intention to doe what the Church doth quarum si aliquid desit non perficitur Sacramentum if any of those three be wanting it is no Sacrament I assume but it is possible that the Priest may forget to have the same intention with the Church possible therefore it is that the Sacrament which hee administreth may be no Sacrament And therefore it is possible that the Papists may worship a meere peece of Bread which in the judgement of their owne Dr Costerus is the most absurd and abominable Cost Enchir. c. 7. idolatry that ever was in the world They will therefore be constrained unto Gersons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to adore the Host with this Caution Scilicet si recte consecrat a sit that is I adore thee O Host must the Papists say if thou beest consecrated aright Otherwise they cannot escape that concession and confession which our Doctor Featly extorted from their Dr Featly's Cons with Mr Musket touching transub die 1. Mr. Musket That the Popish Communicant may sometime commit Idolatry materially Salva res est erubescit Finally the World is their Pantheon and according to some Papists every Creature therin is an Object of their religious adoration The opinion
a double admirable delusion the first in regard of the deluders the second in regard of the deluded that the one should be so wicked as to preach a lye and the other so besotted as to beleeve a lye If wee can admire any thing wee shall apprehend both these to be most admirable Both which are admirably evident in the Church of Rome In the former clause as the Dipsades or Iansen in Evang cap. 83. Vipers involve themselves in the egges of Ostriches so by the appearance of food to draw on the hungrie creatures to their Destruction So the Romanists seduce the superstitious with the probabilitie of truth a strong delusion a cunning lye if you will as it were by Equivocation But in my text like Frogges as they are aptly resembled Revel 16. 13. animal impudens obstreperum loquax coaratione garrulitate intolerabile like the unappeasable croaking of Frogges Blaterones ministri Antichristi to Malvend lib. 5. c. 18. borrow Malvenda's owne words to invest his owne friends withall the clamorous agents of Antichrist with open mouth will publish grosse untruths as it were by protestation In plaine English they perswade the plaine people to and by a plaine lye And which is most admirable in truth lamentable the plaine people do beleeve them This also I make evident in the Church of Rome But I must be cautelous on prosecuting this point I am advised by a friend to take heed of two things of my quotations and imputations wherewith I charge the Papists I do thanke him and will obey him His counsell is good yet I had a better counsellour before mine owne conscience I thanke God my conscience doth teach mee to shunne that sinne in my selfe which I reprove in others My Conscience doth prompt mee to speake in truth when I speake of lying And my conscience telleth mee and you also Catholicus sum et non August epist 48. Vixcentio audeo mentiri Precipitated lyes I decline premeditated lyes I detest but Pulpet lyes let God and man abhorre mee if I do not abhorre them To assure you of my truth concerning their lyes I have wrote nothing in this booke but what hath fallen from their pens I will speake nothing with this tongue but what hath beene spoken by their own mouths Their owne mouths and pens shall testifie against them That as Caligula who had a frowning face by nature yet did he compose his countenance by a glasse that it might appeare yet more grimme and terrible So though their nature bee prone enough to that facultie yet they adde art to their audacious lyes And as it were set their faces by a glasse that they may be able to utter such vast lyes Such lyes that wee can hardly imagine it to be true that any of them should speake such lyes but that any should Beleeve such lyes This surpasseth imagination They beleeve lyes Since the Devill is called the father of lyes Ioh. 8. 44. devillish doctrine is called the doctrine of lyes 1 Tim. 4. 2. devillish power is termed lying wonders in this chapter devillish teachers the teachers of lyes in this text and Christ himselfe is called the truth it selfe Iohn 14. 16. That Church therefore which wee shall see supported by lying wee may suspect it if not detect it to be no true Church of Christ but rather the Synagogue of Satan and indeed the very seat of Antichrist Suchis the Church of Rome Some sprinkling of this aspersion I may cast on the Church of Rome And I suppose it will exercise the best of that infallible Sea to wash away the supition of a lying religion Their lying doctrine as all Divines do all doctrine the papists establish two waies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 astruendo and destruendo first by way of confirmation and finally by way of confutation The groundwork of their Religion is lying and the grandworkers in their Religion are lyers All Popery is Sopistrie and so is all heresie All Popish controversies contradicting the Protestants and contrarie to the truth are false that is lyes although supported by sufficient learning But for plaine palpable lyes let the Popish legends triumph in the whet-stone To an abridgement of which voluminious lyes I referre you in the treatise of our learned Dr. Featly in Fisher pap 370. Pius 2 epist ad Morbisan Doctor For the authours of lyes I will oppose their Italian St. Francis and their Spanish St. Dominicke to equall and exceed in more and more foolish and blasphemous fables even Arathes and Marathes those sottish Mahometane fables mentioned so scornesully by Pope Pius 2. But that ever even B Aronius and BELlarmine should bee Architects to build up Babel with such untempered morter I thought it uncredible to be true till I did transcribe abundance of apparent and transparent lyes out of theirs into this treatise Neither do our Dr. Featly preface to the Conference English Popish Doctors blush to father such Bastards Within one weeke after that conferēce the Earle of Warwick at St. Omers was assured by father Weston that in the disputation betwixt Father Fisher and Father Sweet and two Ministers in London the Iesuites quited themselves too well That they conquered the disputants and converted two Earles and an hundred of the auditory Which number popish reports did afterwards augment unto foure hundred The pitty was the good old man was foiled in two mistakes That worthie Earle was one of those two still is a constant mēber lover of the Church of Englād Againe at the conference there were not fully one hundred present of whom almost twenty were professed Papists How out of these two Earles and an hundred other could be converted to Rome it must bee a cunning lying Romist who can perswade it Yet such tricks as Geo Black de Aequivoc pag. 96 these passe for Piae fraudes devout deceits Profitable for procuring popish Proselytes The phrase is owned by Blackwell and hee might haue remembred the practice of a Pope to have beene the patterne thereof It is the Ples myst Jniq Oppos 41. record of Aventine that when Pope Vrban 2. for the advantage and advancement of the Papacie purposed to send the Emperour Henry 3 of his errand into Palestine there was raised a rumour that a voice from Heaven was heard Deus vult God will have it so whereupon a thrave of people of all sorts thrust themselves into that expedition Concerning August Soliloq lib. 2. cap. 9. which I will give you St. Augustines item Acute quidem falleris sed ut falli desinas acutius attende They take great paines to teach you lyes take you the like paines to examine their teaching and you shall descrie their lyes Carefull industrie will undoubtedly discover their Sophistrie To give you a tast thereof take you a little notice of that maine matter wee contend about the primacie Incredible lyes are the Malvenda lib. 1 cap. 8.
sinewes of that assertioÌ„ The grand pseudochrist amongst the Iewes called himselfe Barchochab that is Filius Stellae or the Sonne of a Starre when as his right name was Barchozeba that is Filius mendacij or the Sonne of a lye So the grand Antichrist among the Christians calleth himselfe Stella a Starre which giveth Light to the whole World but in sooth hee is Filius mendacij it is a lye and they have a strong delusion who do beleeue it Thus they say the Church of Muscovia hath Malvenda lib. 5. cap. 16. renounced the Greeke Church and the Greeke Church hath renounced it selfe and both submitted themselves to the Pope as the Oecumenicall Patriarke in the yeare 1595 was the first surrender made to Pope Clement 8. Eudam de Antichristo lib. 3 Yea the mighty Church of Aethiopia was reconciled to the same Pope on the same condition saith Eudaemon another popish Tell-troath because a Cretian Nay their Dominicans Franciscans and Iesuites have reduced insinite Malvenda de Antiâ—hristo lib. 3 cap 26. people and provinces to the Romish Religion in both the East and West Indies saith Malvenda For the Greek and Mosco Church wee haue both Graecians and Muscovites which frequent our land and such a famous submission would not bee untold by them could not bee unknowne to us Indeed Aethiopia and the Indias Africa Asia and America are somewhat farre off and it is farre more ease for men to beleeve it than goe try it Howbeit wee have English Navigatours who are no novices in the new world also And this new christendome could not be concealed froÌ„ theÌ„ if these conversions and Submissions were as true as famous But I doubt that the stoutest favourer and favourite of the Romane Primacie wil but speake that phrase of St Paul 1 Cor. 11. 23. Quod accepi a Domino tradidi vobis they teach that to the Papists which they have heard from their Lord the Pope But none dare say with that other Apostle 1 Iohn 1. 1. Quod oculis nostris vidimus spectavimus that they themselves with their owne eyes have seene those converted countreys In truth they are mendacia decipientium Insipientium they are foolish lyes and those are not very wise who beleeve them These lying reporters have beene the true supporters of the Popes primacie but his shop of false forged lying writers have shaped out most classicall and authenticall instruments to that purpose both in spiritualls and temporalls I will grace this proofe with the testimonie of the glory of Ireland The Donative Vsserius de Ecclesiar Successione cap. 2. sect 29. saith hee of Constantine was forged by Iohn surnamed Digitorum whereby the Pope would perswade the world that that Emperour had bequeathed unto his predecessour Silvester not onely the Citie of Rome but also all the cities and provinces of Italie and of the West This is the first lye the great lye the second is like unto this to confirme the Popes power spirituall as that former did his temporall Out of the same forge proceeded the fiction of the Decretall Epistles which they pretend to have beene indited by the Primative Romane Bishops of the purer ages but first urged as authenticall in France by Riculsus Archbishop of Menz in the reigne of Charles the great Thus were these two great Popish points the Temporall and Spirituall Primacy established by two great lyes Both which the Donative of Constantine the Decretals of the Pope were compiled into one volume by that notorious lier who sâ—rowdeth his shameless Leasings under the name of Isodore yet out of him the Popes have sucked no small advantage for the supporting of his Primacie One Whelp out of which Kennell we have experienced here in England When the Chamber Ples Mist è Matth. Par. in Henr. 3. of Pope Innocent 4. at Lyons was by chance set on fire then was burned the same Charter whereby King Iohn had made England Tributary to the Pope whereupon the Pope sent secret Messengers into England who made every Bishop to subscribe to that lamentable Charter of that King Iohn namely as it is likely to supply the want of the Originall with a Copie thus made authenticall Such considence doe they place in their practising the phrase of this prophecie if they can make the world beleeve a lye They have another petty point of Popery which followeth this Pillar of the Papacy as a little Pinnace doth the Admirall of the Fleet. And both are borne on with the same Gaile a brave-winde of wonderfull lies This is the signe of the Crosse a profitable servant for the Church of Rome and therefore they must lye for their advantage At Meliapor men Gables and Elephants did Malven l. 3. c. 7. tugge at a huge Tree to no purpose all were not able to stirre it But Saint Thomas twining his Girdle onely to a twigge thereof drew it twelve furlongs Signo tantum Crucis Malv 5. 8. facto onely by making the signe of the Crosse Anno 1520. a Portugall ship in an Indian voyage in the night running mainly before the winde suddenly it stood still The amazed Mariners searching the cause with Candles they beheld an hideous Fish glued to the ship her body spread the length of the Keele or bottome of the ship the taile being wrapped about the Rudder and over the Decke shee put up her head as bigge as a Barrell When the Sailers thought that a Fiend of Hell had beene come to swallow them out steppeth an heavenly Priest Et signo Crucis delinita est Bellua that Monster was made tame onely with the signe of the Crosse And so the men sayled merrily to the place they were bound for More It is their doctrine that the signe Malven l. 6. c 8. of the Crosse is an Antidote against all Devils as Malvenda doth dispute at large and his conclusion is when Antichrist shall come Quo fugiendum est Christians must flye to the signe of the Crosse as to their onely City of refuge against all his sorceries These are Stories indeed meere stories Falsa sicta fucata omnia fictions to bolster up their factions A true testimony that God hath sent on that Church strong delusions that they beleeve such lyes Yea the Papists are so exquisite in that Art that whilest their religion is supported by lyes they would perswade the world that the Protestants are the notorious lyers and they had done it if onely one popish project had proceeded without discovery their Index expurgatorius For when wee alleage Romish Authors against their Romish errours in time to come no such places being extant in their new editions of their Bookes which wee had quoted and they rased they would have clamoured crimen falsi that wee had belyed them by false quotations when they have prevented us by their lying false Inquisition Thus they build up their Babel with boasting and bold untruths But Falsehood advanceth it selfe highest when it taketh
religion or so mad as to incurre a Praemunire for such a Consecration and the truth is they were all Consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury at his Pallace at Lambeth Mr Nowell and Mr Pearson preaching at their severall consecrations But I will not adde a Candle to the Sunne This foule lye is unmasked to the full by the Patterne of Ministers and Patron of our Ministry Master Mason Mason de Min. Angl. l. 3. c. 8. in Append. Bell. de Amiss Grat. l. 3. c. 8. in his most learned Treatise on that theame Onely I will adde out of him Bellarmine might well maintaine officious lyes to be but veniall sinnes otherwise I cannot see how any can spie out not so much as a shadow no not of a Stasse of Reed to support their officious yea pernicious Calumnies In all which against whom doe you sport your selves against Jsay 57. 4. whom make you a wide mouth and draw out your tongue are yee not the Children of transgression a seed of falshood and at length they shall know lying lips are an abomination to the Prov. 12. 22. Lord. Concerning the holy Scriptures they would beare the world in hand that we so trample Eud. de Ant. l. 3. them under our feet as that wee stick not to preferre Luther before all the Apostles Saint Paul onely accepted And our conscionable countryman shameth not to avouch it to our Dut Consid Consid 2. c. 1. Sect. 28. Frar Or. Lov. 1565. King that the Protestants use the Scriptures as a Visard Both being as probable as that prodigious calumnie fastened by the Papists on the Protestants in France that they poysoned all the wels about Lyons to bring innumerable innocents to an inevitable destruction 5. In regard of our obedience to our King their lyes would make us seeme to bee what truth hath showne them to bee very Rebels The Protestants teach saith Campian Christiani liberi Camp Rat. 8. a statut is hominum that Christians are free from the lawes of men And it is the drift of the Calvinist Ministers by their bookes Less de Ant. ep Dedic Frâ—r Or. Lâ—v. 1565. de Antichristo to cause warre and kindle rebellion saith Lessius And Frarinus fathers it upon the French Protestants that they poysoned King Frances 2. and digging up his heart which was buryed in the Church of Saint Crosse at Orleance that they put it on a Gridiroâ— and broyled it to ashes A Popish pamphlet printed at Turnay Monarch part 2 Tit. 3. 1623. termeth our English Ministers Bouteseus that is sowers of sedition because they they say that the Romish Catholikes hold Pag. 410. Protestants as heretikes and Excommunicated But he is told of this loud lye by Doctor Boucher Approbatio calce libeâ—â—i Chancellour of Turnay who licensed this Libell for this cause because he did herein dexterously discover quam perniciosa fuerit Angliae professio Haeresis what a pernicious Heresie was professed in England Accordingly that Author frameth a double Title to that Book terming the first part Babel or Monarchomachia meaning the Protestants and the other Hierusalem order or obedience to wit the Romish Religion Blood and Murther farre be it from our thoughts Happy were we if it were so farre from theirs also 6. Lastly for our obedience to God they report vs meere Libertines and Epicures Nil nisi fidem requirunt Lessius saith that the Protestants Less de Ant. part 2. Comp. 10. Suar. Ap. â— 10. require nothing but faith Suarez more fully and foully too Quocunque modo vivant per solam fidem gloriam sibi promittunt neque mandatorum observationem neque panitentiam esse necessariam praedicant the Protestants preach saith the Iesuite that it is no matter how men live promising glory by faith alone accounting both the keeping of the Commandements and repentance to be unncessary Legem ad salutem nequaquam esse necessariam impiè dicere non veriti sunt their Trent Cat. Trid. de Decalog Catechisme saith that wee are not afraid to say impiously that the law of God is not necssary to salvation Our owne Countreymen are as confident in this shamelesse calumnie Decalogus nil ad Christianos Campian doth charge Camp Rat. 8. us with this prophane paradoxe who may aptly be translated by George Dowly They Dowlie cap. 8. have saith he no other scope of their whole life and religion but meere liberty and sensualitie Against which loud lewde lye wee appeale to our GOD to our Conscience to our Bookes to our Sermons to our Hearers to our very Children in their Catechismes who never were taught one sylable of such damnable Doctrine Lord let their lying lips bee put to silence which cruelly disdainfully dispightfully speak against Psal 31. 20. the righteous Heare all these slanders falling in one breath from the mouth of Malvenda Omnes Malv l. 2. c. 6. fidei articulos omnia capita Christianae religionis sacramenta omnem ordinem usum ac sensum communem ecclesiae loco movit concussit miscuit convulsâ—â—t evertit destruit Nil denique est in republica Christiana seu sacrum seu politicum quod Lutherus per se aut per suas proles non distorserit corruperit ac depravaverit that is All the Articles of the saith all the grounds of Christian Religion the Sacraments all order custome and common sence of the Church is removed shaken confounded plucked downe plucked up plucked in pieces and destroyed In a word there is nothing in the Christian common-wealth neither Ecclesiasticall nor Politicall which Luther hath not either by himselfe or his followers wronged corrupted or depraved I say therefore The Papists like Plinies Camels Plin. 8. 18. which troubled the water with their feet that they might not see their owne ougly shape so they raise mudde by slandering our religion lest in our integrity they should behold their owne deformed impietie and Apostasie But I Nehem. 6. 8. will answere our Adversaries as Nehemiah did Sanballat There are no such things done as thou sayest but thou fainest them of thine owne heart If their foule tongues have thus forced our reputation publishing unto the world that both our persons in particular and our profession in generall are thus impious Defamed England may take up the complaint of defiled 2 Sam. 13. 13. Thamar and I whether shall I cause my shame to goe Neverthelesse they desist not here In regard of our Persons and profession their tongues have wipped us with scourges but with Scorpions in regard of our practice The practice of the Church of England they proclame Gen. 34. 25. to be like Simeon and Levi that the instruments of cruelty are in our habitation that wee have murthered the Papists as they did the Shechemites even under the pretence of religion And they doe this to make England like Israell to make our land stinke among the Cananites For if the phrase of
my Text were not true that Antichristians shall lye if they wronged us not by their reports then were the reformed Church but our English Church in a superlative degree not onely like their Romish Pope Alexander 6. Spongia sanguinis a Sponge of blood But like the Romane Emperour Nero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clay not mingled but macerated with blood Yea Cosroes Totilas and Domitian were but Grashoppers compared to us Anakins and Giants in Cruelty If their writings were not incredible Lyers concerning their incredible Martyrs here in England I meane to insist especially in the infinite impudent aspersions wherewith they charge our Church of England Only I will give you a Frar Or. habita Lovanij 1565. taste out of one Authour onely Frarinus of their usage of their beyond sea Protestants whom I could wish to have beene tyed to his owne conditions he relateth this history Amongst the Locrenses there was this statute if any should attempt to bring in any innovation hee should motion it to the people out of a high Roome ea lege ac conditione that hee did speake unto them with a Rope about his necke so that if his advice did appeare to bee profitable to the Common-wealth he was to bee dismissed with Honour but if it were a vaine fancy of his owne braine for his owne ends the Rope should be the reward of his rashnesse So for himselfe if his accusations be true let him ride on with honour and let the Honour of the Protestants be buried in perpetuall ignominy and everlasting shame But if this inditement be false and forged as full of malice as empty of truth His owne Rope had beene a condigne reward for so false a witnesse These are his Articles That the French Protestants in Paris ranne up and downe the streets thereof with drawne swords crying Frar Or. Lov. 1565. Evangelium Evangelium the Gospell the Gospell Answerably saith hee they proceeded Pag. 12. unto execution A Priest stealing away in the Frar p. 46. Habit of a Beggar they examining and discovering him led him backe bound into the towne where they set him to sale for money but the Inhabitants abhorring such Merchandize they tooke the Priest beate him with Cudgels Plucked out his eyes cut off his two forefingers fleyed away his skinne of his shaven crowne and so led him through the towne to bee laughed at by the Potestants And when they had glutted themselves with scorning him they bound him to a tree and shot him to death with Harquubuses At Paris a Protestant being hanged for such bloody villanies on the Gallowes told it with great delight that hee had made him a Chaine which he wore about his necke ex Auriculis Sacerdotum of the Eares of Priests exhorting all his Brethren of the religion therein to follow his religious example Which it seemeth by him they did for they said hee Fraâ— pâ— 50. pag. 49. did hang two innocent Priests one on the right another on the left side of the Crosse of Christ in contempt thereof A holy Priest passing betwixt Paris and Orleance the Hugonots dragged him into their Inne where they shamefully cut off his Privities plucked out his Guts whilest he was yet alive and slung them about the house And saith he that ye should not suspect mee to feigne this barberous cruelty I was told it by an honest Canon of Saint Crosses in Orleance quem honoris causa nominarem si nomen occurrerit and I would name the reverend Clerke but indeed I have forgot it who good man all this while lay himselfe in a chest through a crany whereof hee was an eye witnesse of this woefull action They familiarly did bury the Papists when they were alive and did dig them up againe when they were dead and buried Nay quoth hee like the Anthropophagi the Protestants did usually eate the Papists Pretty bold assertions but that which beareth away the Bell hee thus relateth Certaine Frar â— 50. Roman Veronensij l. 2. p. 70. Protestants caught a poore Papist him they compelled to cut off his owne privities and to eate them broyled on a Gridiron and then ripped up his belly to see whether his stomack had put over that sweet Morsell with a faire concoction Wee may conclude with a compendium of all his Calumnies and our cruelties from his Preface In our age saith he those Sectaries have ravished Vigines cut children Frar ep Dedic p. 7. in sunder with their swords tryed their strength by hewing the bodies of men cleaved the heads of Priests in pieces fleyed off the skins and worne the eares of Priests for bracelets Thus frantikly farre the French Protestants if there be any faith in Frarinus that flemish Papist But why boastest thou thy tongue imagineth mischiefe Ps 52. and with lyes thou cuttest like a sharpe Rasor Thou lovest unrighteousnesse more then goodnesse and to talke of lyes more then righteousnesse Thou hast loved to speake all words that may doe hurt O thou false tongue Therefore God shall pluck thee up and root thee out and destroy thee for ever But as for these slandered innocents They shall bee like a greene Olive tree in the house of God Their trust shall bee in the tender mercy of God for ever and ever All the intolerable infamies against the French are very tolerable compared to the Cruelties wherewith they charge the Church of England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cle. Alex. Protr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To make the Church a Stage and Religion a feigned Tragedy sure this cannot bee commendable let it bee acted never so handsomely Attend to Baronius pronouncing the Prologue out of the mouth of Suarez Macte animo macte virtute Anglicanorum Suar. Apol. l. 6. c. 11. nu 5. nobilissime ac gloriosissime caetus qui tam illustri malitiae I acknowledge this is misprinted but the Printer hath not wronged them so much as they have done us by the misprinted acclamation qui tum illustri malitiae nomen dedisti ac sacramento sanguineÌ„ spospondisti Nobilissime caetus a noble army of English Martyrs What English man ever saw those English Martyrs I would not willingly that wee should answere them as they answere us Persecutio Les de Ant. part 2. Deut. 9. in haereticos nâ—â— turbat pacem mundi sed tollit faces seditionum tranquilitatem mundi conservat unde nemo sentit persecutioneÌ„ illud esse nisi eo modo quo punitio Furum Latronum Proditorum ac Seditiosorum It is no more persecution to kill a Protestant than to hang a Theefe or a murtherer saith that charitable Iesuite Lessius I will not retort that phrase no Let their Church have the honor of cruelty But this I say where is that Army of English Martyrs Indeed I have heard of Story Sherwine Campian Watson Garnet Vaux Catesby the cause of their ignominious death is knowne to have bin their ignominious actions Treason But that ever any
one Professour of the Romish Religion was put to death for hearing their Masse or refusing our Church c. Mine eares and eyes have impartially inquired after these men but Gyges is revived this glorious Army of Romish Martyrs doth march invisibly not one precedent can be produced That parallell of Popish and Protestant Persecutions Ab. in Eud. c. 6. proposed by the Lord Coke is plaine and to the purpose In the five yeares of Queen Maries raigne three hundred Protestants were put to death onely for religion But under Queene Elizabeth and shee raigned forty and foure yeares not fully thirty were put to death and some five who concealed them and all for Treason not one onely for religion Where we distinguish of the Popish religion The plaine Popish religion which consisteth in those cases controverted betwixt the Romish and Reformed Churches as concerning Purgatory Pilgrimages Prayer for or to the dead c. besides there is a Gregorian Popery or the Papacy rather brought in by Hildebrand and borne up by the Iesuites concerning the Popes power over Princes Never did any die for the former For the latter these thirty did dye and meritoriously being therin ipso facto notorious Traitors And whereas Eudaemon maketh the objection in his Apology that wee make their meere points of Religion to be Treason as to bee made a Roman Priest to reconcile or to bee reconciled to the Romish Church to bring into our land Agnus Dei's Holie Beads c. The learned Bishop of Sarisbury doth Abb. in Eud. c. 6. render a full satisfaction in his Apologie who answereth that these also call not their lives into question dummodo per se sunt if they goe no further But when under the pretence of them the people were incited to rebellion the Crowne and Kingdomes hazarded then such persons were arrested and Suffered for Treason Which is most apparent both because many of Queene Maries Priests lived without any danger of death under Queene Elizabeth also because Hart Bosgrave Horton and Rishton learned and through Papists injoyed their lives in as much as they medled not with those publike affaires But the others who preached that the Pope had authority above the Queene in her own Dominions that the Pope had Authoritie to depose her that the Pope could give authority to her Subjects to take up Armes against her that those Priests did perswade the Papists not to take the Oath of the allegiance herein they became actuall Traytors and were put to death for palpable treason But for meere religion and plaine popery never did any one papist dye in all the raigne of Queene Elizabeth no nor of King Iames nor of King Charles neither Where then is extant that glorious army of Popish English Martyrs Thinke not now that these are single reports and that Baronius and Suarez are singular in charging our Church with persecutions You shall finde an Army of Writers who chronicle this Army of Martyrs The foresaid Suarez hath a large disputation in two Chapters An vexatio quam in Anglia patiuntur Catholici sit Suar. Apol. l. 6. c. 10 11. vera Christianae religionis persecutio that is Whether the vexation which the Catholikes do suffer in England be a true persecution of Christian Religion Malvenda saying that the persecutions Malv de Ant. l. 8. c. 1. which the Papists do sustain under the Protestants but under the English especially exceed all that ever Christians did suffer in the world before breakes out O Christe stupeo patientiam tuam O Christ I am amazed at thy patience Baronius in his Martyrology hath this Prosopopoeia Baron Mart. 29. Dec. Festo sancti Thomae Cantuariensis to Papists in England persecuted and martyred amongst us O moriatur anima meamorte Iustorum siant novissima mea horum similia O let my soule dye the death of the righteous and let my end be like to theirs Hath not all Europe talked of our English persecutions quoth Watson In the yeare 1621. The Papists put up a Petition to the Parl. 1621. Petition unto the Parliament pleading against their persecution But above all their Propheticall Psalmist who surely lived about the Gunpowder Treason In the first Psalme of the seven sparkes of the soule thus devoutly doe they pray to God and slander man Persecution followeth us like thuÌ„dring lightning The seven Sparkes of the soule p. 16. Fire Haile and Brimstone More cruell are our foes than Vnicornes More outragious then swift Tygers As David sought to death by Saul as the Israelites in the bondage of Aegypt As innocent Susanna in the hands of her Accusers As Daniel in the Lyons Den Such is our case O Lord. Can any English man understand this English Psalme when did England seize on the Papists like Tigers and Vnicornes What this obscure Psalmist speaketh to our God ChristophersoÌ„ Christ in Down ep Dedic speaketh somewhat more plainly to our King in his treatise against Dr Dounam What insolences and vexations are they constrained to endure And to omit the generality and severity of this persecution from which neither frailty of Sexe nor Lawes of Matrimony nor Nobility of birth can exempt any How many things lye hid and unkowne which would astonish and amaze the world if they were open to the view thereof Againe in the page following How many have beene beaten and tormented even to death in private houses without publike triall some Prentises in London can give good testimonies thereof And in the Treatise it selfe hee shameth not Christopheron part 1. c. 7. The Picture of which is in Oxens Library to avouch that shamefull shamelesse lye That some Catholikes have beene baited by Dogs in Beares skins That wee may therefore heare them utter their persecutions in plaine English let us passe froÌ„ these generall accusations to their particular instances Heare their complaint in two languages from two Authors these two alone doe I quote in this cause and Sermon which are not their owne yet their witnesse will be sufficient the one being the most learned King and the other the most learned Bishop of the world thus writeth that Bishop In Tortura Torti p. 152. Oxens Librarie Legenda illa c. In your Legend of our English persecution which is so frequent among you you may read and see the Pictures of English Papists some in the skins of beasts and torne in pieces by Bandogs others having Basins closed to their Breasts within which are mice inforced to eate into their intrals and others tyed to Mangers to eate hay or to starve The King hath the like in his conclusion to Christian Kings The Wals saith hee of their Monasteries and Iesuâ—te Colledges are filled and their bookes farced with the painted lying histories of the innumerable torments which their Martyrs are put to in England viz. some torne with foure horses some sowne in Beares skinnes and then killed with Dogs nay women have not
Quitiliane colorem You are all forgers of lyes but of all Eudaemon Edaemon his Iob 13 4. tongue like Tarquins Rasor will cut a Whet stone Val. Max. l. 1. c. 4 in pieces such a strong delusion is sent on that man to beleeve a lye To conclude Some it may be will extenuate their crime terme these Pias fraudes popish policies to terrifie the papists from turning protestants and though they urge them yet doe they not beleeve these imputations And therefore we cannot conclude them to be Antichristians because the members of that Monster goe one degree further They beleeve lyes I say these impudent slanderers goe on deceiving and being deceived So long have their learned Priests taught the ignorant people these horrible lyes that they beleeve them themselves also To shew this to bee true let their owne protestations testifie it if lying be not to them become naturall and that these also bee false and untrue that they have them printed in their bookes this is some probability that they are printed in their hearts that they doe in good earnest beleeve them I will produce Malvenda our first witnesse Haec nos omnia Malv 2. 6. quia vera narramus c. All these things because we know them to be true we doe not whisper them in darke and obscure corners but publikely and in the middest of the world and if we were able we would proclame them with Trumpets and Stentorean voyces to the teeth of the Lutherans Calvinists with a wonderfull constancy doe we object them parati pro veritate millies mortem oppetere being prepared to dye a thousand deaths in testimony of the truth And what is the cause wherein the good Fryer is so confident and couragious that he will live dye in it Nothing but this That we have annihilated omnes Articulos fidei omnia capita Christianae religionis quicquid sacrum est aut politicum That wee have disturbed all things Ecclesiasticall or Civill in the Common-wealth and destroyed all the Articles of the Creed and all the grounds of Christian Religion In witnesse wherof he doth set to his hand and will seale it with his blood To testifie this he protesteth that he will dye a thousand deaths As sure as death he doth beleeve them Lest that a Fryer should bee more fervent then a Iesuite let Lessius speake his saith Thus Less de Ant. part 2. he beginneth the last part of his Treatise Let none suspect me that I write these things covitiandi causa to disgrace the Protestants Deum testor qui me judicaturus est I call God to record who must judge me And thus he endeth Farre be it Less ib. pag. 278. from me that I should falsty charge any man etiam Haeretico although he were a Heretike either concerning their lives or Doctrine ita mihi Christus sit propitius so Christ helpe me who doth know my thoughts and shall judge my actions and I know that the mouth which belyeth slayeth the soule Wisd 1. 11. Well! what hath he inserted betwixt these fearfull protestations attestations imprecations besides a Catalogue of calumnies in generall nothing but the premised persecutions of England in particular To wit that all Anabaptists Libertines Familists and Atheists live amongst us with leave and liberty Onely all Papists dye for their Religion that judgements are forged false proclamations publshed false witnesses suborned to take away their lives and before they die their Children are violently taken away from their parents All these he avoucheth by the judgements of God and mercies of Christ Verily wee may beleeve that hee doth beleeve these lyes and persecutions Right sorry should I bee if our English should lagge in this race of confidence Dare any tell God what he beleeveth not Remember then the forecited Psalmist they deplore their persecutions in the presence of God And what is their complaint A toy a credible trifle that we persecute them like Tigers and Vnicornes like Sauls and Lyons and that like Iewes Aegyptians and Pagans our persecutions fall on them as thunder Lightning Notwithstanding we may beleeve that they beleeve all this unlesse their new Art of Equivocation have a trick that they can equivocate even with God himselfe Notwithstanding all this there is one behind who goeth before all these in a confident dreadfull imprecation It is the Author of the dutifull considerations dedicated to his Majestie If that man be either here or alive if hee either heare this sermon or heare of this sermō let him take it into his second Considerations what he hath delivered in his second Considerations His syllables are these If this be not so in their owne conscience let me never see the face of God And what is the cause that this man also is so resolute to renounce God if hee lye Alas I can hardly beleeve mine eyes that any heart dare pen such desperate depositions and selfe-damning execrations I will not tie him to the Concometants of his protestation that wee are willingly guilty that our whole religion is nothing but absolute heresies blasphemies loosnesse liberty rejecting the Fathers Councils and the Church But I will urge him with the same words in the same lines thus execrably hee protesteth The Protestants use the Scripture for a Visard if this be not so in their owne Consciences let me never see the face of God I thinke there is no moderate Papist so uncharitable to suppose that we doe it and I know there is no true Protestant so damnable as to doe it to make the Scripture a Visard and to fight against a knowne truth Where then is the face of that man who doth renounce the face of God and our owne Consciences must be the Iudges that we know our selves to abuse the Scripture and live in heresie I want words to expresse my wonderment Loe thus shall it be to the man whom Antichrist hath seduced and God delivered into strong delusion to beleeve a lye Of him and them and all these shamelesse lyers I will conclude with Luthers words concerning that Popish Pamphlet which published him to bee dead and caryed away by the Devill when he lived to subscribe to it I cannot but laugh at the Devils malice wherewith he and his lying rout pursue us and God convert them from this devillish malice and lying But if this my prayer be for the sinne unto death that it cannot be heard then God grant they may fill up the measure of their sinne and with such lying Libels let them delight themselves one with another to the full For us since lyes are the Badge of Antichrist the Lord preserve our soules from that lying Religion SERMON XXV 2 THESS 2. 11. That they should beleeve a lye The Pope may erre Hath erred In his Trāslations Canon Lawes Papa credens docens that distinction examined Of implicite faith YOu have already heard it inforced to the ful how the Romanists doe beleeve a lye
that is if any accuse a Prelate hee must either avouch his accusation by manifest evidence or dye for it So I if in these points I accuse the Bishop Rome wrongfully I will subire poenam suffer shame if maliciously poenam capitis let me dye for it But if I doe manifestis rebus probare but if I charge them with a plane truth in these particulars then I hope I may without offence intreat my hearers to take notice and heed of such damnable errours Observe this notwithstanding that even these paradoxes may be blanched by an understanding subtle head and by an insinuating supple tongue that an indifferent much more an ignorant but most of all a partiall Hearer may be blinded and perswaded But whether to preach directly contrary to the letter of the Gospell and to practise that which is literally in hibited in the law whether distinctions will salve that sinne and save that soule at the day of judgement It may bee this will stagger a peremptory Papist to affirme it Therefore againe and againe I beseech you to examine the Romish Religion I beseech you examine it even as you value your salvation and our blessed Iesus save us from all damnable opinions SERMON XXVII 2 THESS 2. 3 ad 13. Sixe opinions of Antichrist The Devill shall be Antichrist Nero. The Turke The Turke and Pope That the Pope is Antichrist is the opinon of the Church of England Antichrist shall be a Iew. The Papists Trienniall Antichrist AT length by Gods blessing and blessed assistance I have finished my taske For the full and finall complement thereof I will adde thereto two points moreover on the Negative I will build my Affirmative I will shew you all the chiefe opinions concerning Antichrist which come within the compasse of my small reading all which being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 directly dissonant to this description of Saint Paul the Affirmative consequent will follow naturally and necessarily Ergo The Pope is the Antichrist This conclusion I will also confirme by a compedious consideration and application of all the particulars and properties of this prophecy that they punctually pitch upō the papall seat and succession The principall opinions of Antichrist are sixe 1. That Antichrist shall bee a Devill 2. That he shall bee a man but a man that is dead 3. That he shall bee a Iew. 4. That he is the Turke 5. That hee is the Pope And 6. That both the Turke and the Pope are the Antichrist The first opinion is onely the true opinion the other sive being grossely false as shall plainely appeare from the grosse absurdities incongruities and impossibilities of those assertions And if all the parcels of this whole prophecy may be probably and most of them undeniably applyed to the Pope I suppose then that this affirmation will be neither erronious nor Injurious The great Bishop is the great Antichrist The first opinion is that Antichrist shall be a Devill which some of the Antients have taught two waies but both wayes erroniously Some say that Antichrist shall be ipse Diabolus in formâ humanâ at non verâ verum phantastica that Antichrist should be the Devill in the shape of a man not in a true but in a fantasticall shape in shew onely This Fiction was framed in the forge of two forged Fathers Hippolitus de consummatione Mundi and Ephrem in his Sermon of Antichrist But this conceit that Antichrist shall bee the Devill in a fantasticall shape is exploded as a fantasticall conceit The second is second to none in absurd falshood Others say that Antichrist shall bee verus homo a true man but withall verus diabolus a true Devil Diabolus incarnatus a Divell in the nature of a man The ground of which error is an imagined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betwixt Christ Antichrist that as Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one persō God Man borne of a Virgin without man so Antichrist shall bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one person Devill and man borne of a Virgin also This is conceived to bee the Comment of the Author of that Commentary which goeth under the name of Saint Ambrose 2 Thess 2. And S. Ierome also upon the seventh of Daniel hath let fall a phrase to countenance this conceit Antichristus erit unus de hominibus in quo totus Satanas habitaturus est corporaliter that is Antichrist shall be a man in whom whole Antitichrist shall dwell corporally Vna fidelia one argument will smite through the Loynes of both these paradoxes First in the third verse Saint Paul saith Antichrist shall bee homo peccati a man and therefore no devill Reall not fantasticall Reason also argueth this fiction to be unreasonable For howsoever devils can produce admirable effects interventu naturaliū causarum applicādo activa passivis by imploying naturall instruments and applying naturall Agents unto naturall Patients Yet is it farre above the sphear of the activity of any spirit bad or good either generally supplere vices naturalium agentium to supply and performe the works of naturall agents or particularly organizare corpus humanum sine semine humano to informe the body of a man without the seed of a man And to flye to Gods Omnipotence to say that hee will impart such a miraculous power of uniting hypostatically two natures that peculiar worke in the Incarnation of Christ unto the Devill destinated for his dishonour and mans Damnation I cannot apprehend this to bee lesse than blasphemy Adde that of Saint Augustine Aug. epist 3. unto Volusiane to bee borne of a Virgin is such a miracle that majus a Deo expectari non potest wee cannot expect a greater from God But this grosse errour will fall with the weight of its owne absurditie I will follow it no farther The second sentence is that Antichrist shall bee a man but a man knowne to bee dead although by some supposed to bee alive or that hee shall bee raised againe to act this Tragedy at the end of the world this is Nero. Sueton. in Ner. cap. 57. Baron an 70. Severus lib. 2. Some say that Nero is yet alive saith Baronius out of Sueton Severus although he did thrust himselfe through with a sword yet some thinke that his wound was healed and that hee survived according to that in the Revelation 13. 3. Hee was wounded unto death but his deadly wound was healed Whereupon a certaine slave feigned himselfe to be Nero whereby he raised an insurrection This is oppugued almost by every verse in this Prophecy of Saint Paul In the third what jote concerneth Apostacie from Religion Nero a Pagan who never knew what belonged to Religion In the fourth verse Antichrist is said to sit in the Temple of God but Nero was an open utter enemy to God and to his Temple therefore Nero to sit in the Temple this must bee a met amorphosis beyond imagination In the fift sixt and seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
your eyes and behold if in the manie particulars of this plentifull prophesie there be any one point which can bee applyed to the Trienniall Antichrist which the Pope teacheth or any part which may not be applyed to the Pope the true Antichrist Resolve this Chapter and see if all the parts thereof bee not like the parts of the Earth lifted from the Globe See if they returne not to the Pope and Papacy as to their proper Center naturally and without any forced application I say therefore I beseech you open your eyes and as you know you shall be saved by your owne Faith and as you beleeve that you shall answer for your owne knowledge so I beseech you fasten your eyes on this Prophecie In the expounding whereof my Conscience telleth me my God telleth me and the plaine sense of this plaine Prophecy doth tell me that in some measure I have discovered the Very Truth unto you Now the Lord of Truth open your eyes to see it and open your Hearts to imbrace it SERMON XXVIII 2 THESS 2. 3 ad 13. The summe of the whole Treatise The Paraphrase of the whole Text. The Parallell to the Pope The conclusion Dehortation from Popery SIxe opinions I proposed last day concerning Antichrist Five wherof I have related and resuted The fift now remaineth to bee confirmed and then the whole cause is concluded wherein I wil passe through these three particulars the Points Paraphrase and Parallell of the Person to the Prophecie whereby I hope I shall satisfie the indifferent and it may be stumble the Opinionative That the Pope is the Antichrist In this Prophecy concerning Antichrist from the third to the thirteenth verse I have set out five points Antichrist described in vers 3 4. revealed 5 6 7 in part of the 8. destroyed in the 8. confirmed in the 9. part of the 10. and received in the remnant of the 10. and in the 11 and 12 verses Antichrist is described in the third and fourth foure wayes by his Time Titles Place and Properties His Time is an Apostasie which is threesold Ecclesiasticall from the Church in Religion Politicall from the Empire by rebellion and figurative the Apostate for the Apostasie His Titles are 3. The man of sin here the Genitive for the Adjective is very significative A man of sinne that is a most sinfull man and so both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both a practiser and a causer of sinne The sonne of perdition filius perditionis by an Hebraisme as much as perditissimus that is one prepared to destruction both Actively Passively whence hee is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is destroying and destroyed And he is termed an adversary which is the Title of the Devill implying that Antichrist is a devillish adversary but per amici fallere nomen a secret adversary and so an adversary both fundamentally and universally His place the Temple taken two wayes either materially for the Temple of the Iewes or formally for the Churches of the Christians The Text cannot be understood of the first because the materiall Temple of Hierusalem is ruinated never to bee re-edified as it is confessed by Baronius and the best learned on both sides Therefore the place of Antichrist is the prime Church of Christendome His properties are three First Antichrist exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped which is expounded either essentially or metaphorically Essentially the name of GOD cannot be here used for if Antichrist should so proclaime himselfe who would bee deceived Therfore the name of GOD must be here understood metaphorically Metaphoricall gods are mentioned Psalme 82. 6. to wit Magistrates and Kings And that which is worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath affinitive with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the Emperour Acts 25. 21. The meaning then of the phrase is this Antichrist shall advance himselfe above all Kings and Emperours Secondly Antichrist shall so advance himselfe that he as god shall sit in the Temple of God Consider here three phrases in the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Paul saith Occumenius doth not meane the Temple of Hierusalem but the Churches of God Hee shall sit that is He shall reigne so is sedebit used for reget Psalme 9. 4. and shewing himselfe that hee is God tanquam Deus Christus Incarnatus God Man Christ Iesus for that adversary is called Antichristus an enemy to CHRIST not Antitheus an enemy to GOD. The sense is this Antichrist shall rule the Church of Christ usurping the very power of Christ And finally Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is god that is secretly not openly For the Text saith not that Antichrist shall say but shew that he is god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying rather the arrogance of workes than of words implying that Antichrist shall shew himselfe to bee God cunningly by insolent God-like action Antichrist revealed is the next point in the fift sixt and seventh verses and in part of the eighth out of which three things have beene handled how when and what 1. How Antichrists revelation was hindered 2. When Antichrist was to bee revealed 3. What was the thing then hindred afterwards to be revealed 1. How Antichrist was hindred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all concurre it was the Empire and the Emperour called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fourth and sixt verses who was to be taken è medio to be removed so is the phrase used Acts 17. 33. and Matth. 13. 49. the meaning is The Emperour hindred Antichrist to bee revealed 2. When was Antichrist to be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely as if he said This was the onely impediment or that when the Emperour is removed Antichrist shall immediately bee revealed 3. What was then to bee revealed the Apostle termeth it a mystery of iniquitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a secret and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a secret sinne which is now a working even in Saint Pauls age The sense being That the beginnings of Antichrists Doctrine were secretly undermining the Church of Christ even in the Apostles time Here I declared another Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exlex that is a lawlesse person Like the Type Antiochus Dan. 11. 36. He shall doe according to his will The sense is Antichrist shall be confined by no law he shall be altogether lawlesse We are taught in part of the 8 verse how Antichrist shall be destroyed of whom he foretelleth a double destruction the diminishing and the finishing of Antichristianisme In each wee are to observe two things the agent and the instrument destroying him The instrument is first the breath of his mouth and finally the brightnesse of his comming The agent in both is one the Lord Whom the Lord shall consume c. The meaning is this The Doctrine of Antichrist shall be confuted by the Preaching of the Word and the
not the love of the truth that they might be saved but for some Pompe and corporall respects delight in false doctrine and in Idolatry above measure Therefore Gods just judgement giveth them over to strong delusion that they become obstinate to beleeve what they defend untruth And to make and beleeve unmatchable Lyes The End of all is Punishment without end that they be damned This is the Description of Antichrist would God it were the Inscription of Antichrist Would God it were Inscribed written in all your hearts as it were in a Table of Brasse with a Pen of Steele Having passed through the points and the Paraphrase I now proceed to the parallell Concerning which let me once more premise unto you although all these points seeme not punctually to parallell each particular but that some of you may apprehend that I erre in the explication or application of some of thē Yet that so many peices in so large a Prophecie shall pitch at least probably upon one person the like application on my life no man living can frame to any other This it may be will stagger both the partiall Papist and some praejudicating Protestants who push at this position as a very paradoxe that The Pope is the Antichrist But excepting partiality and praejudice I suppose that indifferent men will conceive the Great Bishop to be described in the description of the Great Antichrist For the time take it politically for a falling from the Empire and the Pope fulfilleth it Indeed Asia fell from him to the Turks Europe to the Hunnes Africa to the Maurani but this was by Invasion But that the Emperour should be thrust out of Rome his Emperiall Seat from whence his Empire was stiled Romane by a subject This was the maine falling away and the Pope did performe it About the yeare of our Lord 606 Boniface the 3 obtained of Phocas the title of Vniversall Bishop About 800 Leo 3 conspired with Charles the Great the conditions That the one should strip the Emperour of the West and the other become Lord of Rome About 1070 Gregory the 7 added to the spirituall Monarchy the Temporall And at this day the Emperour taketh a kind of oath of Fealtie to the Pope The Pope therefore hath fallen from the Emperour by Rebellion Take the time Ecclesiastically and it will appeare yet more plainly if Saint Paul may define it What is the time a falling away saith Saint Paul in my Text. What manner of falling away It is a falling from faith saith the same St. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 1. Wherein shall be that falling from faith In forbidding meats and mariage saith the same Apostle in the same place Therefore The Pope hath acted this falling away from Religion Take the time figuratively and the Pope is Apostata Refuga the Head and Author of this Apostasie My Instances are but two In the old Testament he is the Head of falling away from Gods injunction in the second Commandement The Pope is Caput adorationis Imaginū saith Suarez the Head of Image-adoration And in the new hee commandeth a falling away Concil Trid. Sess 21. C. 1. from Christs owne institution of the Sacrament Licet Christus instituerit although Christ did institute the Supper to be received in both kindes yet the Pope doth command all Christians non credere not to beleeve that they may receive it so Thus the falling away falleth directly on the Pope Next the Titles of Antichrist fit the Pope as well as the Time doth He is The man of sin both a Practiser and a causer thereof Concerning their Practice they know nothing who know not enough I will not rake open that Dunghill That the Pope is the Cause of Sinne I oppose these three speciall instances 1 Hee is the cause of Ignorance by injoyning the Scriptures and prayers in the Latine Tongue 2 Of Whoredome by being the maintainer of it and maintained Cornel. Agrip. cap. 64. by it the Pope hath a Pension for permitting Stewes 3 Of Treason usurping Power to depose and kill Kings as it is at large disputed by Suarez Iustly therefore is the Pope termed Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. cap. 4. The man of Sinne. Their Holy Father is also the Sonne of perdition destroying others to be destroyed himselfe Destroying others spiritually by his agents compassing Sea and Land to make one proselyte and when hee is so made they make him the child of the Devill twofold more than hee was before Math. 23. 15. And that he destroyeth men corporally I need inquire no further than the Inquisition a wofull testimony Finally that in a righteous recompence of reward He and His shall be destroyed spiritually wee suspect it Ezech. 3. 10. the blood of the seduced will God require at their hands And corporally we expect it from Revel 18. 2. Babylon is fallen it is fallen saith the Oracle of God Moreover the Vicar of Christ is an adversary of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposing Christ both fundamentally and universally The very foundation of Christian Religion is this Eternall life is the gift of God Rom. 6. 23. opposed by the Pope who maketh Good workes meritorious and the cause of Salvation Vniversally Sixe hundred Popish errours are avouched by the Bishop of Derie I instance onely in six which directly oppose Christ 1. Christ saith Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5. 39. The Pope saith Search not the Scriptures 2. Christ saith Pray in a knowne Tongue 1 Cor. 14. The Pope saith Pray in Latine in a language you know not 3. Christ saith Call upon God onely The Pope saith Pray to the Saints 4. Christ saith Make no Image and bow not to it The Pope saith Make an Image and bow to it 5. Christ saith Let everie soule be subject to the Powers Rom. 13. 1. The Pope saith Let the Clergie be exempted 6. Christ saith Drinke yee all of this Math. 26. 27. The Pope saith Drinke ye none of this For the place that the Popes Seat is the prime See of Christendome They themselves take it for confessed that Rome is the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we know it to be expressed to bee Babel it selfe even the Citie situated on the seven hills said an Angell from heaven Revel 17. 9. The properties also are proper to the Pope First he doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is above Kings and Emperours For the Pope is superior unto all Princes directly and in Temporalls say some Papists but indirectly and in spiritualls say all Papists And that suffrage of the Electours Cerem lib. 1. sect 1. runneth in this phrase Ego investio te ut praesis urbi orbi I elect thee to be Prince of this Citie and of the whole world 2. The Pope doth rule the Church of Christ even as Christ Christ doth rule the Church as the head doth the bodie Ephe. 5. 23. The Pope doth as much he is Caput Ecclesiae
the strongest weapon out of the hands of our owne side For it must follow inevitably If Rome be no church then is the Pope no Antichrist Because the text doth teach us that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God The Papists advance on the other side as if they apprehended some great advantage by this assertion as if by yeelding them to be a true Church we must submit our selves to bee schismatickes Bellarmine speaketh plainly if Bell. de Poâ—â— Rom. lib. 3. ca. 13. the Protestants coÌ„fesse that our church is a true church then must they yeeld their church to be schismaticall because they have separated from us But I Smith more rhetorically At Rich. Smitâ—â—us de authoâ—e Protestanticâ— Religionis lib. 1. cap. 2. sect 8. â— incredibileâ—â— hominum impietatem ut qui se Christianos profitentur audeant repudiare eam ecclesiam quam fatentur esse adhuc in soedere Dei And againe Atque â— prodigiosam caecitateÌ„ ut non videant quod dum fatentur Romanam Ecclesiam esse ecclesiam Dei sponsam Christi fatentur suam esse synagogam Antichristi scortuÌ„ satanae That is O incredible wickednesse that those who professe themselves to bee Christians will forsake them whom they confesse to bee the Church of Christ O incomparable blindnesse that they see not that by granting the Roman church to be the church of God and the spouse of Christ they yeeld themselves the reformed church to be the synagogue of Antichrist and strumpet of satan And the whole Army of the Papists swarme after their Leaders in this pursuite presuming that we must either fly or yeeld if we give them this ground that the church of Rome is a true Church and thence are they ready to cry Victoria At ne sit Encomium ante victoriam let not Bell. de dâ— Eccles milit cap. 4. sect Resp variâ—â— him boast who putteth on his armour as hee may who doth put it off To Bellarmine I shape an answer in his owne syllables wee affirme the Romane to be a true church not simpliciter but secundum quid not absolutely but in some respect in which respect wee doe separate from it and not simply Simple therefore is their reason thence to inferre therefore our separation is schismaticall To D. Smith and all the rest we say we doe grant them all those glorious titles but as so many testimonies to witnesse their gracelesse wickednesse so to abuse them We grant the Romane to be a true Church to be the Church of Christ to be the spouse of Christ and to be of the body of Christ We grant it to hold the foundation of faith and to have the scriptures sacraments c. And what of all this Reatus impij est nomen pium saith one out of Salvianus godly Names doe not justifie godlesse Hooker in Hab. 1. 4. nu 7. men We are but upbraided when we are honoured with names and Titles when our lives and manners are not sutable Iudas was an Apostle and a Traitour too but the more wretched Traitour because an Apostle And so the Pope is saith he The Vicar of Christ and an Enemie but the more dangerous and devillish Enemie because the Vicar of Christ In particular Wee grant that Rome is a true Church but in regard of the verity of the Essence not of the Doctrine thereof this is corrupt and full of pollutions Wee grant it to be the Church of God so much also wee grant to the Iacobites Muscovites Arians and Nestorians Yet I suppose that none dare hazard themselves to live in these congregations who have any care of their safety soules health or eternall salvation We grant Rome to be the spouse of Christ but quoad externam Professionem not quoad internam fidem in respect of their outward profession not of their inward affections no nor of their actions neither We grant that they are of the Body of Christ his body visible noâ— mysticall And so may a Legion of Devils also incarnated bee if they will professe the name of Christ and be admitted by the baptisme of Christ We grant they hold the Foundation but is there nothing dangerous nor damnable but onely to overthrow the Foundation of Christianity Have they noâ— besides dangerous and damnable Errours Heresies and Idolatries Moreover they Answer to Fisheâ—â— Relation of tâ—â— 3. 〈…〉 â—8 have Errours which doe weaken the Foundation saith the learned Author of that laboured appendix They have Errours fundamentall reductivè by a reducement if they which imbrace them doe pertinaciously adhere unto them and have sufficient meanes to be better Deane White Ibid. pag. 71. informed Saith the Champion of our Church And sinally their errors as that of Iustification Hooker in Hab. 1. 4. doe overthrow the very foundation by consequent saith impartiall Hooker Lastly they have the Scriptures and Sacraments lawfull Ministers and a lawfull Ministry c. actually in themselves and effectually unto others but not so to themselves Notum est Cives malae civitatis administrare quosdam actus bonae civitatis it is manifest that the Burgers of Babylon doe administer some functions of Hierusalem and with effect too They can hew out an Arke for others though themselves be drowned in the Deluge And for all this is it not lawfull to separate from Rome Wee accompted our common Citizens frantick because they reviled and railed at such as fled from the infection Certainly the Papists are possessed with a more spirituall phrensie and infection At â— incredibilem impietatem Atque ô prodigiosum caecitatem O incredible wickednesse and incomparable blindnesse that those who see the Scriptures should be so seduced by strong delusion to beleeve a Lye That those who say they are the Church of God and spouse of Christ should be indeed the Synagogue of Antichrist and the strumpet of Satan I conclude and let any Papist brag or any others upbraid what they can collect out of this conclusion The Church of Rome is a true Church And the Pope of Rome is that false Antichrist who doth erect his seat therein by most foule usurpation He shall sit in the Temple saith my Text. I have done this Digression this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which it may bee some will condemne as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an overlong and impertinent Parenthesis But I conceive it very needfull if it were onely for this to imply an Item to our owne Zelotes that transported with a strong affection and weake judgement they doe not thrust the Papists further from Christ when as Christ knoweth they are too farre off from him already I returne to the remnant of my Text yee have heard the explication what this Temple is even the very Church of Christ Now shall yee heare the Application Where this Temple is We use plaine words in a plaine cause the Church of Rome is the seat of Antichrist Now the Church of Rome hath two parts commonly called
of the Church Christian Nay some say that at this day some of the Popish Church vid. divers in France doe hold The Pope to be Antichrist Thus these Ancients had a glimmering twilight of Antichrist the elder were before him the later under him To the first hee was as an object too distant from the eye to the other as an object too neere the eye Therefore neither could see him clearly as wee may and doe at this day Of them I may speake that sentence of our Saviour Matth. 13. 17. Verily I say unto you many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see these things which you see and have not seene them But to shew that he is and how he is revealed in our time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Paul saith Hee shall then be revealed to wit when the Emperour is ruined then shall Antichrist bee revealed This is Saint Hieromes prediction Quitcnebat Hieron â—â—ist ad Geront de Monogamiâ— de medio sit non intelligimus Antichristum appropinquare Hee who did with-hold is taken out of the way and conceive wee not that Antichrisâ— is at hand And this is Machiavells 〈◊〉 Hist Flo. cat lâ—â—â— collection The falling of the Emperour was the rising of the Pope Moreover betwixt the desolation of the Empire and the revelation of Antichrist Saint Paul ponit nullum medium as Niâ—â— Orâ—mus Biblia Pâ—◠〈◊〉 Orem well observeth no distance of time But the Emperour who heretofore had the power of Election Investiture Calling of Councills and Leâ—e 27 â—e Episc â—â— â— â—â— theodos of imposing Lawes on the Popes hath now nothing left him but nomen sinere the bare Name of the Emperour As the Emperour himselfe acknowledged Fredericke by name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Radevicus lib 2. cap. 31. it followeth then that Antichrist is come already Now I must reveale to you how God hath revealed him to us Revelabitur id est regnabit saith Carthusian Dimysius 〈◊〉 in 2. â—hes 2. 〈◊〉 in Bâ—ll 〈◊〉 4. Quaest 5. he shall bee revealed to the Church that is hee shall reigne in the Church Concerning which we must consider 3 points Quando Antichristus erat Natuâ— Revelatus Adornatus the Preparation RevelatioÌ„ ExaltatioÌ„ of his kingdome All Errours generally Prepared the way and â—shered in Antichrist In the 7 verse Saint Paul saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichristian mysterie was even then a working And Saint Iohn that there were many Antichrists in his time 1 Iohn 2. 18. who did prepare for the Comming of the maine Antichrist in our time Yet principally that errour of ascribing so much too much to St. Peter confounding Petra Petrus expouÌ„ding Mat. 16. 18. of the person of Peter which occasioned such arrogance to the pretended successours of Peter And this point decaÌ„tatur in versibus Ambrosij August Retract cap. 21. it was published in the Poems of S. Ambrose saith St. Augustine but St. Augustine did retract it as Erroneous At the least hee preferreth our exposition as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Bell. de Pont. Ro. lib. 1. cap. 10. ad August c. in that same place where he laboureth to retract this retraction of Saint Augustine Thus the Errour of the Church of Christ and the Pride of the Church of Rome were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the preparation to the birth of Antichrist in the first foure hundred yeares yea immediately after the birth of Christ The Elephant is said to goe with yong ten intire yeares but this Monster was halfe ten centuries 600. yeres before she teemed before Antichrist was borne into the world His Revelation could not but succeed his Preparation Et ecce duo gladij hic Luc. 22. 38. The Revelation of Antichrist hath two degrees or Times in regard of the twofold Monarchie he aspired unto Spirituall and Temporall In regard of his spirituall Monarchy the Pope was revealed to be Antichrist about 606 yeeres after Gregor lib. 4. epist 38. Christ Gregory a Pope called Iohn of Constantinople the Fore-runner of Antichrist onely because he did claime the Title of Vniversall Bishop Fidenter dico said hee in the fourth booke of his Epistles I conclude confidently and definitively the desinitive senteÌ„ce of a Pope could not be erroncous Erroncous therfore it caÌ„not be if we say that he who atchived that Title of vniversall Bishop was more than a Forerunner even Antichrist himselfe And I may annex the words of the same Pope in the same place Sacerdotum exercitus ei praeparatur an Army of Priests serve Antichrist as their Generall Hereupon sidenter diâ—o I peremptorily pronounce it that Antichrist began to be revealed about the yeare 606 when Phocas conferred upon Pope Boniface 3 the title of Vniversall Bishop that thereby hee might regaine the love of the people which he had lost by the murthering of his Master Mauritius so that Policy not Pietie or Equity gave it him But the Pope pretended sor this a certaine Constitution of the Emperor Iustmian wherin he commanded that the Bishop of Rome should have the Precedâ—nce and Prime Place in their Clergy-Convocations Which Preheminence of the Pope was afterwards ratifyed by the Pope in a solemne Synode celebrated at Rome under the said Boniface 3 in the yeare 607. After that also about 646 the Pope was saluted with as illustrious a title from a Councill out of Africa Rolloch in 2 Thes 2. Domino Apostolico culmini sublimato Sancto Patrum Patri â—heodoro Papae summo omnium Praesulum Principi That is To the Apostolicall Lord the â—â—â— best top and tip of the Church the holy Father of the Fathers the Prince of all Prelates Theodore the Pope Adde to this that observation of the religious and reverend Bishop Dounam Eâ—iâ—c Derensis de Antichrist lâ—â— 2. cap. 8. sect 5. of Dery The name Pope which before was communicated to all Bishops at this time began to be appropriated to the Bishop of Rome I may conclude in this time was the beginning of the Papacy In this time Antichrist beganne to be revealed In regard of his temporall Monarchy there are 2 famous numbers in the Revelation of S. Iohn and both in the Revelation of the Pope to bee Antichrist The first is in the last verse of Rev. 13. where the number of the Beast is said to be 666. And the second is in the second verse of Rev. 20. The Devill is bound a thousand years For the first whether it be the number of a name or of a time or of both I dispute not but it is admirable when in all senses it shall concurre in one man I say therefore the Pope was revealed to usurpe an Antichristian temporall Monarchy about the 666 when under Constantine the third Pope Vitaliane who in former times had beene Ambassador for the Emperour shaking off the yoake of a superiour authority usurped the government of Rome Then also began the Masse to be celebrated