the scriptures And if the Hervaeus de potest Tap. e. R. Cupers Petrus de palude de potest Papae â—…t 4. church be aboue the Scriptures then much more is he For he not onely virtualiter est tota ecclesia that is virtually the whole church but also his power alone exceedeth the power of all the whole church besides Now that the authority of the church much more of the Pope who is superior to the church is aboue the scripture it is both generally affirmed by som particulars coÌ„firmed Cardinal Cusanus entitleth his book De authoritate ecclesia concilij supra coÌ„tra scripturaÌ„ Of the authority of the Church councell aboue against the Scripture Syluester Prierias master of the Popes pallace saith That indulgences are warranted vnto vs not by the authoritie of the Scripture Contra Lutheri conclusiones de potestate Papae but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which is greater Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz saith That all men so reuerence the Apostolicke See of Rome that they rather desire the auncient institution of Christian religion from the Pope then from the holy Scriptures This saying the Pope hath so approued that he hath caused it to be inserted into the Dist. 40. c. si Papa Canon lawe The particulars which proue the Pope to aduaunce himselfe aboue the Scriptures are these 1 Because he hath as they say authoritie to adde to the Canonicall Scriptures other bookes that are not in the Canon And that those Dist. 19. c. si Romanorum Ioan. de turrecrem l. 〈◊〉 cap. 112. which be in the Canon haue their Canonicall authority from him In the 19. distinction cap. Si Romanorum Pope Nicolas not onely matcheth their decretall Epistles with the holy Scriptures but also affirmeth that the Scriptures are therefore to be receiued because the Pope hath iudged them canonicall Another saith Whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Romane church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God Syluester Prierias contra Lutherum à qua sacra scriptura robur trabis authoritatem From which the sacred Scripture draweth strength and authority hee is an Hereticke Eckius saith Scriptura nisiecclesiae authoritate non De ecclesia est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authority of the Church For I will not tell you how some of them haue not bene ashamed to say that the Scripture without the authoritie of the Church is of it selfe no better worth then AEsopes fables Pighius saith The authority of the church Vid. Chemnit exam part 1. pag. 47. is aboue the Scriptures because the authoritie of the Church hath giuen the Scriptures canonicall authority Secondly whereas the Scriptures are not the words and syllables but the true sence and meaning thereof They teach that the scriptures are to be vnderstood according to the interpretation of the Pope and Church of Rome and that sence which the Pope assigneth to the Scriptures must bee taken for the vndoubted word of God The Pope saith one hath authority so to expound Heruauâ—… de potestate Papae the scriptures that it is not lawful to hold or thinke the contrary A Cardinall of Rome saith If any man haue the interpretation of the church of Rome concerning any place of scripture although he neither know nor vnderstand whether and Cardinal Hosius de expresso dei verbo how it agreeth with the words of the scripture notwithstanding he hath ipsimum verbum Dei the very wordof God And if the sence which they giue be diuerse according to the variety of their practise and diuersitie of times we must acknowledge that the scripture is to follow the church and not the church to follow the scriptures Whereupon Cardinall Cusanus It is no Nicol. Cusanus ad Bohem. epist. 7. maruell saith he though the practise of the church expound the scriptures at one time one way and at another time another way For the vnderstanding or sence of the scripture runneth with the practise And that sence so agreeing with the practise is the quickning spirit And therefore the scriptures follow the church but contrarywise the church followeth not the scriptures And this is that which one who was no small foole in Rome auouched The Pope saith he may change the holy gospell and may Henricus Doctor magister sacri palatij Romae ad legatos â—…ohemicos sub Felice Papa 1447. giue to the gospell according to place and time another sence And to the same purpose was the speech of that blasphemous Cardinall that if any man did not beleeue that Christ is very God and man and the Pope thought the same he should not bee condemned To conclude therefore with Cardinall Cusanus This is the iudgement saith he of all them that thinke rightlie Cardinal s. Angeli ad cosdeâ—… legatos Bohemicos that found the authoritie and vnderstanding of the scriptures in the allowance of the church and not contrariwise lay the foundation of the church in the authority of the scriptures Ad Bohemos epist. 2. 11 Thirdly the Pope challengeth authority aboue the scriptures when he taketh vpon him to dispense with the word and law of God For whosoeuer taketh vpon him to dispense with the law of another challengeth greater authority then the others and it is a rule among themselues In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior the inferiour may not dispense Antonin part 3. lit 22. cap. 6. §. 2. with the commaundement of the superiour That the Pope doth dispense with the lawes of God it is euident For scarcely is there any sinne forbidden there where with he doth not sometimes dispense nay whereof hee will not if it be for his aduantage make a meritorious worke Incest is an horrible sinne forbidden by the law of God and by the lawe of nature And yet there is no incest excepting that which is committed betwixt the parents and the children which hee hath not authority forsooth to dispense with for as they say hee may dispense against the law of nature The Pope dispensed with Henrie the eightth to marie his sister in law and 25. q. 6 authoritatem in glâ—…ss with Philip the late king of Spaine to mary his owne niece Pope Martin the fift dispensed with a certaine brother that Antonin sum 3. part tit 1. cap. 11. §. quod Papa sum angel diâ—…t Papa maried his owne sister And Clement the seauenth licensed Petrus Aluaraâ—…lus the spaniard for a summe of money to marie two sisters at once c. Disobedience to parents periury that is breaking of lawfull oathes rebellion against lawfull princes murdering of a sacred prince are condemned by the lawe of God as haynous offences But if children shall cast of their parents to enter into a Sodomiticall cloister if the Pope shall absolue the subiects from their oathes and forbidde them
this worthie Saint or glorious martyr that he will pray to God for vs ◅hat by his merites we may haue pardon and forgiuenesse of o◅r sinnes or something to the like effecte Wee reade of diuerse of their Saints who when they haue beene beheaded haue caried their Saint Iustinian the monke Saint Osi◅a Saint Fulcien and Saint Victorice heads in their hands some one mile some two miles And it is a wonder that hasting from so sharpe a banquet they did not leaue their heades behind them for haste Among manie other miracles they tell vs of fire also which they haue caused to come downe from heauen in the sight that is iudgement and opinion of men besotted and giuen ouer to beleeue their monstruous vntruthes In the life of Prothe and Iacinct they make fire to come downe from heauen to kill Melancy the false accuser of Eugenne They haue brought downe a pillar of fire reaching from heauen vnto the earth where the bodie of Saint Edward the Martyr lay Vpon the head of Saint Martin as hee was saying masse they haue fetched downe a tongue of fire from heauen to make him equall as they say to the Apostles In the fable of Saint George they make fire to come downe from heauen to burne the idoles with their temple and priestes In the life of Barbara wee reade that when her owne father beeing her persecutour had drawne his sworde to slay her shee was miraculouslie taken vp in a stone and caried into a mountaine where two shepheades were feeding their sheepe And when one of them had bewraied her to her father and shee in her charitie had cursed him anone his sheepe became locustes and hee consumed into a stone Then her father hauing apprehended her deliuered her to the iudge who put her to death Whereupon they bring downe fire from heauen to consume her father Their doctrine of purgatorie and prayer for the dead is confirmed by manie wonders and strange apparitions of soules departed begging masses for their deliuerance out of purgatorie And in like manner it is reported that when Birstan the Bishoppe of Winchester staying all night in the churchyard as his manner was said ouer his psalmes for the soules departed comming to these words requ◅scant in pace let them rest in peace he heard the voice of an infinit number out of the graues crying Amen But to this purpose also in their legend they haue made fire to descend from heauen When as they tell vs of a certaine Bishoppe who appearing in the clouds of heauen to another here vpon earth did let some fire drop vpon him to giue him a tast of the torments in purgatorie Besides these examples many other might bee found if they were woorth the seeking in their fabulous writings as also in some other of their storyes which testifie that diuerse times in the church of Rome fire hath beene brought downe from heauen But these which I Ioan. Linturius in appead ad fascic tempor haue recited may suffice in seeking and setting downe wherof I should haue thought my time and paines not wel bestowed such are the ridiculous fooleries of popery wherewith the churches in the time of darknesse haue beene pestered sauing that I considered that the more incredible the report is of Popish miracles the more euidently it is proued both that the Pope is Antichrist and the Papists the followers of Antichrist vpon whome God hath sent strong illusions that they might beleeue lyes In the first sence therefore the prophecy Reuel 13. doth fitte the Pope and church of Rome who by greate signes and wonders do so confirme their Antichristian errours and superstitions in the sight that is in the iudgement opinion and beliefe of men besotted and made drunke with the whore of Babylons cuppe of fornications as though God did seeme to approoue thereof in aunswering by fire from heauen And this interpretation seemeth to be confirmed by the words for it is not directly said that Antichrist should cause fire to come downe from heauen but onely thus that he doth great signes insomuch that fire descendeth from heauē in the sight of men That is insomuch that in the iudgement of men God seemeth to answere him by fire from heauen and to beare witnesse to his doctrines by miracles wrought by the finger of God 12 But descending of fire signifieth also the bestowing of the grace of Gods spirit which is called fire Mat. 3. 11. Act. 2. 3. In which sence the Pope may bee saide to make fire come downe from heauen but wee must adde before men that is in their opinion and conceipt For he forsooth as the church of Rome beleeueth giueth not onely the graces of the spirite to men but also the power of sanctification both to men and also to some creatures of his owne as to his Ag◅ Del and his holy water sprinckle c. And in this sence doth Primasius expound this place Thirdly the comming downe of fire signifieth the wrathfull vengeaunce of God executed vpon his enemies which often in the Scriptures is called fire to wit the Apoc. 20. 9. fire of Gods wrath As Elias therefore brought fire from heauen to consume the two Captaines and their fifties so Antichrist according to this interpretation shall with a diuine reuenge as it were with fire from heauen take vengeance vpon his aduersaries but here also we must adde before men who shall thinke that those against whom Antichrist shal send the thunderbolt of his wrath are punished with a Diuine reuenge and as it were with fire from heauen This also is verified of the Pope of Rome who with a diuine reuenge as he forsooth is Deus vindictae The God of reuenge pursueth his R. Cupers de eccl pag. 61. num 52. enemies but especially with the thunderbolt of excommunication as themselues doe call it Which as it is terribly sent from this Iupiter of Rome so is it fearefully executed with Gregor 7. in ep◅st ad German apud Auentin lib. 5. putting out and casting downe of lights from aboue as if the fire of Gods wrath were at their commaunde or as if with Gregory the seuenth they could shake it out of their sleeues And well may this be reckened among the wonders of Antichrist For it were more then a wonder that Kings and Emperours should by excommunications from the Pope bee either so daunted in themselues or abandoned of their subiectes as some haue beene but that the Popes haue professed and their followers haue beleeued that God himselfe doth whatsoeuer is done by the Pope who being Canonically elected is a God vpon earth and hath the same consistory and iudgement seate with God himselfe whose vicar he would seeme to be consequently that those Kings and Emperours were deposed of God who were excommunicated by the Pope whereas other Princes and people that are not made drunke with the cuppe of their fornications haue esteemed their bulles of excōmunication as Bullas that is
bubbles the fire of vengeaÌ„ce which they cause to descend in the sight of men as painted fire or as the thunder and lightning of Salmoneus who as the Poet describeth him not vnlike to the Pope Flammas Iouis Aeneid 6. sonitus imitatur Olympi Imitateth the lightenings of Iupiter and the thunder of heauen But howsoeuer it is whether this descending of fire from heauen is to be vnderstood literally or mystically the prophecy of the holy Ghost concerning this first miracle of Antichrist is verified of the Pope and church of Rome who haue caused fire to come downe froÌ„ heauen according to the literall sence according to the allegoricall interpretation they haue so confirmed their doctrines by signes wonders as if God had answered them by fire from heauen and secondly they haue taken vpon them to bring downe the fire of Gods spirite and to bestowe his grace as it pleaseth them and lastly they haue according to the example of Elias with a diuine reuenge as it were with fire from heauen taken vengeaunce of their enimies not to speake of his punishing with fire all those that will not adore him 13. And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the first miracle The second miracle saith Bellarmine is that Antichrist or his ministers shall make the image of the beast to speake But neuer Pope nor any minister of his did make an image to speake therefore saith hee the Pope is not Antichrist But I answere that this prophecie euen according to the Popishe interpretation agreeth to the Pope and his followers among whom it hath beene an vsuall practise to put life as it were into images in the sight and opinion of simple men making them to sweate to smile to srowne to nodde to becke and many times to speake which might happeÌ„ without a miracle for the Diuels sometimes did speake in the images of the Heathen Notwithstanding wee are not after a Popishe that is to say a grosse maner but after a propheticall and spirituall maner to vnderstand this mysticall prophecy of the holy Ghost concerning the image of the beast For if wee vnderstand the beast it selfe mystically as needes wee must or else wee shall make but a beastly interpretation of it so wee are in like sort to expound the image of the beast with the life and speach thereof The beast it selfe signifieth the Romanâ—… state especially vnder the Heathenish Emperours as hath bene shewed The image therefore of the beast must signifie a state which hath some resemblaunce thereof or at least the name and title of the Romane Empire as images beare the name of that which they resemble and is indeed but an image thereof Thus besides the Popes courts both in Rome and other countreys is the Empire renewed in the West which besides the name and some titles and ornaments hath little or nothing of the olde Empire For the old Empire consisted in the gouernment of Rome and the prouinces thereunto belonging none of which the Emperour hath as a Soueraigne Prince by right of the Empire and therefore is said to bee the beast which was and is not though it be being indeed as it is Apoc. 17. here called but an image of the former beast The life of this Empire is the imperiall dignity and the speach are his edicts Whosoeuer therfore caused this Empire which in the west had lien void 325. yeares to be renewed whosoeuer at the first created this Emperour since hath taken order for the electioÌ„ of the Emperour coÌ„firmeth the electioÌ„ he may be said to haue caused the image of the beast to be made to haue put life into it to haue procured authority vnto it wherby it speaketh 14. Now to whom all this is to bee applied let Bellarmine himselfe be iudge For he in his bookes De translatione imperij Romani by many testimonies laboureth to proue first that the Empire of Rome was translated but he might better haue said renewed in the West and as it were reuiued by the authority of the Pope and that Charles the great in whom this Empire was renewed receiued the same by no other title but by the authority of the Pope And that is the summe of his first booke Secondly that the Empire of Rome was translated from the family of Charles the great and from the French nation to the family of Otho and the nation of the Saxons and Germanes and that Otho was aduaunced to the Empire by the Pope which is the scope of the second Booke Thirdly that the seuen Electours of the Empire were ordained and appointed by the Pope which is the argument of his third booke And in his first booke he setteth downe the state Chap. 4. of that controuersie thus the question is saith he who is the authour of this traÌ„slation or rather renouation for the Emperour of the East continued after vntil the yeare 1452. before this time had by the Popes meanes lost his right in Italy and Rome therfore nothing was traÌ„slated but the name title who it was that gaue the name dignity power of the Romane Emperour and Caesar Augustus in the west to Charles the great his successors We answer saith he that which the coÌ„sent of al nations proclaimeth that Pope Leo 3. was either the only or the chiefe and principall authour of this translation that the Dutch nation is to acknowledge the receipt of the Empire from the Pope Vnto the testimony of Bellarmine of all those authours whom he citeth we will adde the professioÌ„ of the Popes theÌ„selues Innocentius 3. saith the 7. Electours had their authority Decret Gregorian de electione c. venerabilem ab Apostolica sede quae RomanuÌ„ imperiuÌ„ in persona magnifici Caroli à Graecis traÌ„stulit in Germanos From the See Apostolick which traÌ„slated the Romane Empire in the person of Charles the great froÌ„ the Grecians to the Germanes Vpon which translation saith Bellarmine The Romane commonweale returned againe De traÌ„slat imper li. 1. cap. 4. to the same state wherein Constantine the great established it wherein it remained froÌ„ Valentinian the elder vnto Augustulus Likewise Adrian 4. The Romane Empire saith he was Ad archiep Treuir Moguntin Agrippin apud Auentin lib. 6. translated froÌ„ the Greekes to the Almaines that the king of the Almaines should not be called Emperour before he were crowned of the Pope Before his consecration he is king after he is Emperour Vnde igitur habet imperiuÌ„ nisi à nobis From whence then hath he the Empire but from vs By the election of his princes he hath the name of a king by our consecration he hath the name of Emperour Augustus Caesar. Ergo per nos imperat Therfore he is Emperour by vs. Call to mind Antiquities Zacharias aduaÌ„ced Charies and gaue him a great name that he should be Emperour c. Imperator quod habet totum
writings before to be the scriptures Why then Ierome saith so vpon Daniel 11. 24. where Daniel speaketh of Antiochus his dealings in Egypt that he did that which his forefathers neuer did Nullus Iudaeorum absque Antichristo in tot◅ vnquam or be regnauit These be Bellarmines scriptures But where do the scriptures indeede say that Antichrist shall subdue seuen of the tenne Kings Nay the contrary may rather bee gathered out of the scriptures The tenne hornes whereof Daniel speaketh were tenne Kings which successiuely raigned ouer Iudaea as hath bene shewed And although Antiochus Epiphanes might helpe away three of his next predecessors yet hee could not hurt the other sixe for there were but nine besides himselfe which were all dead and gone before he came to yeares Yea but this opinion of the Fathers is plainely enough deduced out of Apoc. 17. 12. where we reade and the tenne hornes which thou sawest are tenne Kings these haue one minde and they shall giue their power and authoritie to the beast No maruell though some of the Papists call the scripture a nose of waxe seeing they can frame and fashion it at their pleasure and giue vnto it what sense they list Doth Iohn speake of Antichrist his either killing three or subduing seuen Or doth Iohn speake of the same tenne hornes wherof Daniel doth Daniel speaketh of tenne Kings which were to bee dead and gone before the comming of the Messias Iohn speaketh of such as in his time had not yet attained to their kingdome verse 12. Daniel speaketh of tenne Kings of the Seleucidae and Lagidae which succeeded one an other Iohn of tenne Kings among whom the Romane Empire was to be diuided who also were to haue their kingdome together with the beast Daniel telleth vs what the little horne which was one of the tenne should doo to three of the other nine without mention of the rest Iohn sheweth what all the tenne hornes should doo to Antichrist which is none of the tenne hornes but one of the heades of the beast If therefore Bellarmine can proue from hence that these are the same tenne hornes spoken of in Daniel and that Antichrist shall kill three of them subdue the other seuen he may hope to proue any thing But what other scriptures hath hee forsooth Chrysostome and Cyrill For Chrysostome on 2. Thess. 2. saith that Antichrist shall bee a Monarch and shall succeede the Romanes in the Monarchy as the Romanes succeeded the Greekes the Greekes succeeded the Persians and they the Assyrians And Cyrill saith that Antichrist shall obtaine the Monarchy Catech. 15 which was the Romanes I answere that for substance these Fathers held the truth For what Monarch hath there bene in the West these fiue or sixe hundred yeares besides the Pope who calleth himselfe King of Kings and Lorde of Lords to whom all power is giuen in heauen and in earth who hath as they say the double Monarchy both of spirituall and temporal power who forsooth is Lord of the whole earth in so much that he taketh vpon him authoritie to dispose of the new found world And that he succedeth the Emperors in the Alexand. 6. gouernment of Rome as it becommeth Antichrist who is the second beast Apoc. 13. and the 7. head of the beast Apoc. 17. whereof the Emperour was the sixt I shall not neede to proue 15 There remaineth the fourth argument Antichrist shall persecute with an innumerable army the Christians throughout the world and this is the battell of God and Magog but this agreeth not to the Pope therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answere to the proposition that no such thing can be proued out of the scripture Hee alledgeth Ezech. 38. 39. Apoc. 20. 7. 8. 9. 10. But Ezechiel speaketh not of Antichrist nor of the persecution of the Christian Church by him But hauing foretold chapter 37. the restitution of the Iewes from the Babylonian captiuitie and also prophesied of the comming of Christ in those chapters hee foretelleth of the afflictions and troubles which the people of the Iewes should sustaine in the meane time to wit after their returne out of captiuitie before the comming of the Messias and withall denounceth the iudgemēts of God against the Seleucidae who were the kings of Syria and Asia minor and their adherents who should be the chiefe enemies of the church and people of the Iewes after their returne For Gog signifieth Asia minor hauing that name from Gyges the King thereof Magog is Hierapolis the chiefe seate of Idolatry in Syria built by the Scythians and frō them hath that name So that by the land of Magog wee are to vnderstand Syria and by Gog Asia minor And the rest of the peoples that Plin. lib. 5. cap. 23. are named in Ezechiel were such as assisted the Seleucidae who were the kings of Syria and Asia minor in their warres either as their subiects or as their friends or as their mercenary souldiers And for as much as the princes and people of Syria and Asia minor were the most grieuous enemies of the Iewes by Ad Tremell Iun. in Ezech 38. 39. whom they sustained the chiefest calamities after their returne before the comming of Christ therefore by an vsuall speech in the Iewish language the mortall and deadly enemies of the church are called Gog and Magog And in this sense Iohn the Diuine vseth these names Gog and Magog to signifie the enemies of the church meaning not the same enemies whereof Ezechiel speaketh but the like enemies of the Church which should afflict the true Christians as Gog and Magog afflicted the Iewes Neither doth Iohn in this place speake of the persecution of Antichrist properly but of Sathan after he was loosed his inciting the enemies of the Church to battell and of Gods iudgements against them signified by fire And so much shall suffice to haue answered to this argument For after so long a Treatise I will not trouble the Reader with the tenne seuerall opinions which Bellarmine reciteth cōcerning Gog and Magog neither yet with any further answere to his cauillations and exceptions against some of the arguments of diuers Protestants which he thought were more easie to answere seeing in the former booke I haue sufficiently cleared those arguments whereby the Pope is more euidently proued to be Antichrist neither is the controuersie betwixt vs whether euery argument that hath bene produced by euery one doth necessarily conclude the Pope to be Antichrist That discourse therefore being rather personall then reall I let it passe Chap. 17. Being the conclusion of the whole Treatise HAuing therefore both by sufficient arguments manifestly proued that the Pope is 1. Antichrist and by euidence of truth maintained the same assertion against the arguments of the Papists let vs now consider in the last place what conclusions may vpon this doctrine be necessarily inferred for our further vse For first if this be true that the Pope is Antichrist as