fiue hundred and fiftie yeeres after Christ and sixe hundred yeeres were expired before the papacie did shew it selfe in his antichristian colours The second note of the beast agreeth also to the Pope for Iohn saith He commeth out of the earth hath two hornes like the lambe and speaketh like the dragon Antichrist should in shew make himselfe like Christ and performe the works of the deuill He will write himselfe Seruus seruorum and in some sence so he is for he serueth the lust of those that are seruants and slaues to inrich them and bring them to honour He hath not the hornes of the lambe but like them for he challengeth to himselfe power in temporall and in spirituall matters he maketh himselfe not onely a priest but a king also he will rule in heauen and in earth If these be not the two hornes of the lambe what are they howsoeuer it is he will be like the lambe especially in the hornes He would resemble Christ in his power but not in his holinesse And to expresse his power he delighteth much with the number of two for he hath on his head a miter which hath two toppes two sharpe points one before and another behinde two keyes also hee hath set a crosse And in the yeere 1300 Boniface the eight in the first Iubile the first day went in his bishops robes the second day in the habite of the emperour hauing two swords borne before him this being proclamed Ecce duo gladij hîc How can he declare more plainely that he beareth two hornes like the lambe whose title in the world commeth so neere the title of Christ for he will be called Christs vicar Of the two hornes he had the spirituall iurisdiction first and then the temporall for first he ruled ouer bishops and ministers only and in processe of time he ruled ouer kings and emperours but although he haue hornes like the lambe yet his speech is like the dragons The crying of the dragon is fierce and terrible and the spirituall dragon the deuill speaketh contrary to God For the religion of the Pope is in name Christs religion but in truth contrary to it Christ saith to the people Search the Scriptures the Pope saith they shall not reade them Christ saith Thou shalt serue God onely the Pope saith Thou shalt serue saints Christ saith Thou shalt not make nor worship images the Pope saith thou shalt do both and in many points besides Hesshusius reckoneth vp sixe hundred the Pope speaketh contrarie to Christ and altogether like the dragon The Papists say this note can not agree to the Pope Why not because he hath not two hornes like the lambe nor because he speaketh not like the dragon but because it is said here of the beast that he cōmeth out of the earth for they thinke their Pope hath not a base but a noble beginning In deede their first bishops were from heauen and went to heauen but they that tooke the hornes like the lambe and presumed to challenge spirituall temporall iurisdiction ouer all the church were from the earth for this was an earthly deuise what persons in the world come to so high authoritie from so base beginnings as the Popes of later times bastards and friers magicians are not these base are not these from the earth To this description of Iohn agreeth that of Paul for as Iohn saith he should speake like the dragon so Paul saith he shall be an aduersarie and as here it is said he should haue two hornes like the lambe so there it is said that he should sit in the Temple of God as God shewing himselfe that he is God for he taketh the office name of God vpon him The third marke is proper also to the Pope For thus Iohn speaketh of him He did all that the first beast could doe before him and caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed The first beast was olde Rome and the state of the empire therefore when this second beast had gotten hornes like the lambe that is spirituall and temporall iurisdiction hee pusheth so long with these hornes that hee maketh the Romane name to flourish as much or more then it did before which was a thing much to be woondered at thorow the world Who knoweth not that Rome hath bene these later hundred yeeres in more estimation then any citie in the world besides or then it selfe had beene in former times and how came it to that wealth honor but onely by the two horned beast Nothing els had it to commend it now in comparison but the false title of the seat of Christs vicar And heerein standeth all the indeuour of Antichrist not that Christ may be worshipped but that the first beast may be had in honour For the name and religion and credit of Rome he fighteth The Pope is as it were the first beast for in him the ancient state seemeth to be restored The fourth note of the second beast is as fit as any of the rest for the pope For Iohn sayth He did great woonders so that he made fire to come downe from heauen on the earth in the sight of men and deceiued them that dwell on the earth by the signes which were permitted to him to doe in the sight of the beast To this agreeth that which Paul saith of Antichrist whose comming is by the working of Satan with all power and signes and lying woonders And our Sauiour saith There shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and woonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect Signes and miracles are so common with the papistes as they haue not beene among any since the Apostles times They haue miracles to commend euery thing to the world miracles to confirme purgatory and praying for the dead and the masse and the force of reliques and whatsoeuer superstition there is besides in poperie But their miracles are lying signes miracles both because many of them are but done in shew and not in trueth and many are fained and all tend to confirme and establish lies The trueth needeth no new miracles it persuadeth confirmeth it selfe in the heart of him that hath it Iohn nameth one especiall miracle The calling of fire downe from heauen in the sight of men Some imagine that as Elias did it to consume the fifties that came to take him so the Pope at some time or other should do or as he did to commend his sacrifice against the sacrifice of the priests of Baal so the pope should cause the like for the confirmation of his masse and other idolatrie It is time for him now to doe it if euer he will doe it for he is neere taking and his masse almost euery where is out of credit There be that refer it to Pope Hildebrand which by the art of Magike danced in fire raised vp round
of all other nations which they conquered But this beast sendeth out her Idoles and Saintes and pettie gods and commendeth them to the worshippers promising great things if they doe it Another marke followeth that she hath in her forehead a name written A mysterie This verie name in letters was written on the Popes Myter which hee did weare vpon his head and so they vsed it for a season Their Myters were branded with this marke Mysterium But they after tooke it out and now they vse not to beare that name in their foreheads But in the forehead of the whore that is of their whorish Religion it is written still but none saue Gods elect can reade it For the poyson and infection of their Religion is secrete It hath a goodly shewe it beguileth many For they keepe the names of Scripture and Christian religion but they haue turned them into another meaning yea they commend the basest and vilest ceremonie that they vse as a great mysterie Wherefore albeit the name mysterium be taken out of the Popes miter yet it remaineth still in the forehead of his religion Iohn commeth yet neerer and pointeth out the very place vnto vs for he calleth it great Babylon for as Babylon had the Monarchie and oppressed and caried captiue Gods people so likewise did both the olde and the newe Rome the first and the latter beast and so he calleth it when he speaketh of the fall thereof It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great citie And in many other thinges was Rome like to Babylon as in the building but especially in the Monarchie and oppression of the Saintes All this the Papistes will graunt of olde Rome but not of newe Rome But if the first beast be olde Rome and the latter reuiueth the first then the first being Rome the second must needes also be Rome and therefore while he pointeth out one he pointeth out both Some Papistes haue imagined that Antichrist should make his seate at Babylon in the East or there be borne and so the name to be taken here in his proper signification But why then doeth he call it a mysterie There is in her forehead a name written a mysterie great Babylon It is Babylon in a mysterie and not in the proper signification of the name To point out Rome by the dominion which it had by the Empire and should haue by the popedome he sayeth further The waters which thou sawest where the whore sitteth are people and multitudes and nations and tongues and afterwarde more plainely The woman which thou sawest is the great citie which reigneth ouer the kings of the earth Two or three notes yet he addeth to describe the citie and gouernment and authoritie thereof One when he sayth The beast that thou hast seene was and is not And againe The beast that was and is not and yet is The Monarchie was there vnder Augustus Tiberius and some that followed most flourishing but now in Iohns time is not and yet is for vnder Domitian it did not flourish and therefore was not in comparison of that it had bene and yet was then for it had great power But after this it should ascende out of the bottomlesse pit euen out of hell by the subtiltie of the deuill after it was quite ouerthrowne by the Goths for it was reuiued and quickned in the Pope and Rome had as much authoritie by the papacie and as much riches as euer it had by the Monarchie The other note is when he saith I will shew thee the mysterie of the woman and of the beast that beareth her which hath seuen heades and ten hornes But of the ten hornes because they are set for ten kings I will speake afterward when I shall speake of the kings that ioyne with the beast in the fight against him that rideth on the horse Therefore of the seuen heades thus he saith Here is the minde that hath wisedome The seuen heades are seuen mountaines whereon the woman sitteth they are also seuen Kings First of the mountaines then of the Kings The woman sitteth vpon seuen hils and the woman is a citie Rome then on seuen hils and the latter beast reuiueth the first No matter if this Rome stande not vpon all seuen nay if it stande vpon none of them so that it stande for that Rome that stoode vpon them hath that name and dignitie and answereth to it in idolatrous religion and cruell persecution of the Saints Then was Rome well knowen to stande on seuen hils No other citie did so no other citie bearing rule ouer Kinges doeth so It was called Septicollis of the seuen chiefe hils whereon it stoode Virgil hath relation to them when hee sayeth Septem quae vna sibi muro circumdedit arces Meaning by towres the hilles on which that stoode And Propertius sayeth Septem vrbs alta nigis toto quae praesidet orbi Romulus sette it on foure hilles which were called Palatinus Capitolinus Auentinus and Exquilinus Afterward Seruius Tullus added three which were Caelius Viminalis and Quirinalis From this time was it called Septicollis although when it was further inlarged it comprehēded mo hils And the second beast with his kingdome and dominion is most fitly described by the citie for they challenge all their priuiledges by the citie Because Peter they say was Bishoppe there thence euen from the place they deriue all their authoritie There they delight to dwell although other cities are more pleasant and commodious There the Cardinals must meete when they choose the Pope there all the counsels and conspiracies are made against Gods Church Bellarmine maketh so great account of the citie that if the Pope should be driuen thence or it be destroied yet wheresoeuer he were he should still haue the honour and dignitie and title of the Pope of Rome Thus here by the seuen hils the very place is noted As in this Chapter Rome is most expresly described so of learned men in the sixteenth it is thought almost to be named They gather themselues together in a place called in Hebrewe Armageddon Foxe and others take it to be an allusion to Megiddo and Har megiddo the riuer and hill so called where Sisera with his armie was ouerthrowne which should signifie the like euent to the battels of the beast But for as much as it may be read so in some bookes was in two wordes each of two syllables arma geddon and Sigonius saith he sawe it written Geddon harma and the letter N. is not in the name of the place where Sisera was ouercome therefore it is thought that some other thing then the allusion to Megiddo must be found in the letters the signification of the word If Iohn had meant the place Megiddo he neede not haue said it is named so in Hebrewe for the name only would haue referred vs to that place although he had left out the mention of the language The signification of Geddon harma agreeeth well to the
priestes with the Popish clergie but the three vncleane spirites like frogges that came out of the mouth of the beast can be no other but the Popish spiritualtie for the father and the number and the qualitie and the comparison and the worke and effect agreeth to none other The beast is said to be their father for the pope did beget and nourish all that spiritualtie as it standeth and is Popish for by his commandement they had their beginning and still haue their being and therefore it is sayd that these spirites come out of his mouth There was no order among them of cardinalles bishops priests of monks and friers but they were all in number and forme by his appoyntment and confirmation They vsed no ceremonie but it was ordeined by him Their priuileges and exemptions from the secular power were all granted by him Their liuing and maintenance was all held of him and to him in token thereof the payed the first fruites of their liuinges Hee inuested the bishops and by his authoritie the bishop made all the rest so they came out of the mouth of the beast It were long in particular to prooue all these thinges The qualitie of vncleannesse and filthinesse is praedominant in them for they are vncleane in their soules as not being washed in the blood of Christ nor with the pure water of Gods word And they are vncleane in their bodyes for the most part of their monkes and friers tooke a pride in their slouenlinesse And they are vncleane in their actions as being defiled with adulteries and Sodomiticall sinne because they condemned marriage They are aptly also reduced to the number of three for their bishops and priestes and such as haue the actions of all their religious matters make one order and their friers and monkes and scholasticall students which are sequestred from action and placed as it were in contemplation make another order and their canonists and lawyers with their other officers make their third order All these together make the beasts spirituall armie And these are fitly compared vnto frogges for as frogges lie in the mudde so these tumble in worldly things and humane speculations and can not lift vp their mindes to that which is heauenly And as frogges haue but one tune so they sing onely obedience to the pope and as frogges cry most fiercelie about the time of raine and tempest so these when they come crying ouer the sea vnto vs alwayes giue a most sure token that there is a tempest comming These frogs delight not by any meanes with calmenesse and quietnesse their delight is to haue the world all kingdomes troubled Therefore their worke is this to runne from one prince to another from one noble man to another from this gentleman to that gentleman to persuade them to warre Thus is their spirituall armie described To set forth how they fight with scriptures and fathers wrested from their true meaning with decrees of councels of their owne making with promises of great successe and victorie with lyes and slanders against princes and preachers and all professours of the Gospell with conspiracies and treasons and murthers and poysoning of great persons with contributions of money all that they can make to the maintenance of these warres with indulgences and pardons from all sinnes past to come with incantations coniurations inchantments for they are the spirits of deuils with promise of heauen it selfe to all that take sword in hand for them it were infinite Our experience in this age teacheth vs enough too much if it so pleased God that we cannot be ignorant of their most deuillish and desperate maner of fighting Thus much of their spirituall armie and of their fight They haue also other armies of warlike souldiers and captaines The pope neuer yet attempted any matter so wicked against any prince or for his owne estate but he had kings and dukes and noble men that woulde alwayes be readie at his commandement to fight in his quarell and if other things failed yet Peters patrimonie in Italie is so great and the summes that haue and do come in by first fruits other infinite taxes both of his clergie and laitie that it was easie for him to raise an armie at any time in this later age One while Charles the French emperor fought for him another while Henry the third emperour of Germanie Sometime he hath them of Italie at his commandement as in times past the dukes of Hetruria of Florence and almost any other The king of Sicilie was euer as his seruant France hath fought for him against the emperour and against England against the Italians and against one pope for another Pope England hath not wanted in this kinde of seruice for him Our kings he hath set against France and France against vs and our nobles against our owne princes both of old time and of late And this thing still he doth attempt God confound his enterprises in this behalfe as hee hath done hitherto in her Maiesties reigne Now he hath but fewe in comparison that wil take armes at his deuotion The Spaniard not in any regard of his Religion but in hope of a Monarchie vnder his title hath stepped forth as his champion in this age to fight his warres for him By him the armies are renewed and supplied in the Lowe countries by him the warres are holden vp in France through his meanes Geneua hath bin besieged and he hath sent his inuincible nauie to subdue vs but God bee thanked that hath drowned it in the seas We may not thinke that either the beast or his champion will so giue ouer For it is against the nature of the enemies of Gods people to desist although they see Gods hand neuer so manifestly against them Not ten plagues will keepe Pharao from pursuing the Israelits Not the Angel destroying an hundred and fourescore thousand in one night will feare the Babylonians but they will come against Ierusalem It is fatall to the beast to bid battell so long till he procure his owne ruine and the fall of thē that would hold him vp They will fight againe The frogs these vncleane spirits that come ouer to vs are a most sure token that we must looke for a tempest It will come most certainely but when it will fall we are not certaine God turne it vpon their owne heads when so euer it commeth as he did that which is past I haue spoken longer then I thought I should of the first part touching the beast and his kings and their armies We can not speake too much against thē that neuer thinke they do ynough against vs. It is good for vs to haue our mindes armed against them and to be perswaded that they are not only enemies to vs but vnto God and Iesus Christ and his gospel and the saluation of his people God graunt to our Queenes maiestie and all our nobilitie and the whole people his spirit and grace against