also or at least will be humbly silent not taking vpon mee to condemne the same But for euery priuate Fathers opinion it bindes not my conscience more then Bellarmines euery one of the Fathers vsually contradicting others I will therefore in that case follow 1 Lib. 2. cont Cresconium cap. 32. S. Augustines rule in iudging of their opinions as I finde them agree with the Scriptures what I finde agreeable thereunto I will gladly imbrace what is otherwise I will with their reuerence reiect As for the Scriptures no man doubteth I will beleeue them But euen for the Apocrypha I hold them in the same accompt that the Ancients did They are still printed and bound with our Bibles and publikely read in our Churches I reuerence them as the writings of holy and good men but since they are not found in the Canon wee accompt them to bee secundae lectionis or 2 Lib. 1. de verb. Vei c. 4. ordinis which is Bellarmines owne distinction and therefore not sufficient whereupon alone to ground any article of Faith except it be confirmed by some other place of Canonicall Scripture Concluding this point with Ruffinus who is no Nouelist I hope That the Apocryphall books were by the Fathers permitted to be read not for confirmation of Doctrine but onely for instruction of the people As for the Saints departed I honour their memory and in honour of them doe we in our Church obserue the dayes of so many of them as the Scripture doeth canonize for Saints but I am loath to beleeue all the tales of the Legended saints And first for the blessed Virgin MARIE I yeeld her that which the Angel Gabriel pronounced of her and which in her Canticle shee prophecied of herselfe that is That 3 Luk. 1.28 she is blessed amongst women and 4 Ibid. ver 48. That all generations shall call her blessed I reuerence her as the Mother of CHRIST whom of our Sauiour tooke his flesh and so the Mother of GOD since the Diuinitie and Humanitie of CHRIST are inseparable And I freely confesse that shee is in glory both aboue Angels and men her owne Sonne that is both GOD and man onely excepted But I dare not mocke her and blaspheme against GOD calling her not onely Diua but Dea and praying her to command and controule her Sonne who is her GOD and her SAVIOVR Nor yet not I thinke that shee hath no other thing to doe in heauen then to heare euery idle mans suite and busie her selfe in their errands whiles requesting whiles commanding her Sonne whiles comming downe to kisse and make loue with Priestes and whiles disputing and brawling with Deuils In heauen shee is in eternall glory and ioy neuer to bee interrupted with any worldly businesse and there I leaue her with her blessed Sonne our SAVIOVR and hers in eternall felicitie As for Prayer to Saints Mart. 11.28 CHRIST I am sure hath commanded vs to Come all to him that are loaden with sinne and hee will relieue vs and Saint Paul hath forbidden vs to worship Angels Coloss 2.8 23. or to vse any such voluntary worship that hath a shew of humilitie in that it spareth not the flesh But what warrant wee haue to haue recourse vnto these Dij Penates or Tutelares these Courtiers of GOD I know not I remit that to these Philosophicall Neoterike Diuines It satisfieth mee to pray to GOD through CHRIST as I am commanded which I am sure must be the safest way and I am sure the safest way is the best way in points of saluation But if the Romish Church hath coined new Articles of Faith neuer heard of in the first 500. yeeres after CHRIST I hope I shall neuer bee condemned for an Heretike for not being a Nouelist Such are the priuate Masses where the Priest playeth the part both of the Priest and of the people And such are the Amputation of the one halfe of the Sacrament from the people The Transsubstantiation Eleuation for Adoration and Circumportation in Procession of the Sacrament the workes of Supererogation rightly named Thesaurus Ecclesiae the Baptising of Bels and a thousand other trickes But aboue all the worshipping of Images If my faith beeweake in these I confesse I had rather beleeue too little then too much And yet since I beleeue as much as the Scriptures doe warrant the Creeds doe perswade and the ancient Councels decreed I may well be a Schismatike from Rome but I am sure I am no Heretike For Reliques of Saints If I had any such that I were assured were members of their bodies I would honourably bury them and not giue them the reward of condemned mens members which are onely ordeined to bee depriued of buriall But for worshipping either them or Images I must account it damnable Idolatrie I am no Iconomachus I quarrell not the making of Images either for publike decoration or for mens priuate vses But that they should bee worshipped bee prayed to or any holinesse attributed vnto them was neuer knowen of the Ancients And the Scriptures are so directly vehemently and punctually against it as I wonder what braine of man or suggestion of Sathan durst offer it to Christians and all must bee salued with nice Philosophicall distinctions As Idolum nihilest and They worship forsooth the Images of things in being and the Image of the trew GOD. But the Scripture forbiddeth to worship the Image of any thing that GOD created It was not a nibil then that God forbade onely to be worshipped neither was the brasen Serpent nor the body of Moses a nihil and yet the one was destroyed and the other hidden for eschewing of Idolatrie Yea the Image of GOD himselfe is not onely expresly forbidden to bee worshipped but euen to bee made The reason is giuen That no eye euer saw GOD and how can we paint his face when Moses the man that euer was most familiar with GOD neuer sawe but his backe parts Surely since he cannot be drawen to the viue it is a thankelesse labour to marre it with a false representation which no Prince nor scarce any other man will bee contented with in their owne pictures Let them therefore that maintaine this doctrine answere it to CHRIST at the latter day when he shall accuse them of Idolatrie And then I doubt if hee will bee payed with such nice sophisticall Distinctions But CHRISTS Crosse must haue a particular priuiledge say they and bee worshipped ratione contactus But first wee must know what kinde of touching of CHRISTS body drew a vertue from it whether euery touching or onely touching by faith That euery touching of his body drew not vertue from it is more then manifest When 1 Luke 8. the woman in the bloody fluxe touched him she was healed of her faith But Peter then told him that a crowd and throng of many people then touched him and yet none of them receiued any benefite or vertue from him Iudas touched him
your actions as farre as yee may eschewing euer wilfully and wittingly to contrare your conscience For a small sinne wilfully committed with a deliberate resolution to breake the bridle of conscience therein is farre more grieuous before God then a greater sinne committed in a suddaine passion when conscience is asleepe Last account Remember therefore in all your actions of the great account that yee are one day to make in all the dayes of your life euer learning to die and liuing euery day as it were your last Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum Horat. lib. 1. Epist And therefore I would not haue you to pray with the Papists to be preserued from suddaine death but that God would giue you grace so to liue as ye may euery houre of your life be ready for death so shall ye attaine to the vertue of trew fortitude neuer being afraid for the horrour of death Trew fortitude come when he list And especially beware to offend your conscience with vse of swearing or lying suppose but in iest for others are but an vse Foolish vse of oathes and a sinne cloathed with no delight nor gaine and therefore the more inexcusable euen in the sight of men and lying commeth also much of a vile vse which banisheth shame Therfore beware euen to deny the trewth which is a sort of lie that may best be eschewed by a person of your ranke For if any thing be asked at you that yee thinke not meete to reueale if yee say that question is not pertinent for them to aske who dare examine you further and vsing sometimes this answere both in trew and false things that shall be asked at you such vnmanerly people will neuer be the wiser thereof And for keeping your conscience sound from that sickenesse of superstition Against superstition yee must neither lay the safetie of your conscience vpon the credit of your owne conceits nor yet of other mens humors how great doctors of Diuinitie that euer they be but yee must onely ground it vpon the expresse Scripture for conscience not grounded vpon sure knowledge is either an ignorant fantasie or an arrogant vanitie Beware therefore in this case with two extremities the one to beleeue with the Papists the Churches authority better then your owne knowledge the other to leane with the Anabaptists to your owne conceits and dreamed reuelations But learne wisely to discerne betwixt points of saluation and indifferent things Difference of internall and externall things betwixt substance and ceremonies and betwixt the expresse commandement and will of God in his word and the inuention or ordinance of man since all that is necessarie for saluation is contained in the Scripture For in any thing that is expressely commanded or prohibited in the booke of God ye cannot be ouer precise euen in the least thing counting euery sinne not according to the light estimation and common vse of it in the world but as the booke of God counteth of it But as for all other things not contained in the Scripture spare not to vse or alter them as the necessitie of the time shall require Account of things externall And when any of the spirituall office-bearers in the Church speake vnto you any thing that is well warranted by the word reuerence and obey them as the heraulds of the most high God but if passing that bounds they vrge you to embrace any of their fantasies in the place of Gods word or would colour their particulars with a pretended zeale acknowledge them for no other then vaine men exceeding the bounds of their calling and according to your office grauely and with authoritie redact them in order againe To conclude then Conclusion both this purpose of conscience and the first part of this booke keepe God more sparingly in your mouth but abundantly in your heart be precise in effect but sociall in shew kythe more by your deedes then by your wordes the loue of vertue and hatred of vice and delight more to be godly and vertuous indeed then to be thought and called so expecting more for your praise and reward in heauen then heere and apply to all your outward actions Christs command to pray and giue your almes secretly So shal ye on the one part be inwardly garnished with trew Christian humilitie not outwardly with the proud Pharisie glorying in your godlinesse but saying as Christ commandeth vs all when we haue done all that we can Luke 10.17 Inutiles serui sumus And on the other part yee shall eschew outwardly before the world the suspition of filthie proude hypocrisie and deceitfull dissimulation OF A KINGS DVETIE IN HIS OFFICE THE SECOND BOOKE BVT as ye are clothed with two callings so must ye be alike careful for the discharge of them both that as yee are a good Christian so yee may be a good King discharging your Office as I shewed before in the points of Iustice and Equitie The Office of a King which in two sundrie waies ye must doe the one in establishing and executing Plato in Polit. which is the life of the Law good Lawes among your people Isocr in Sym. the other by your behauiour in your owne person and with your seruants to teach your people by your example for people are naturally inclined to counterfaite like apes their Princes maners Plate in Polis according to the notable saying of Plato expressed by the Poet Componitur orbis Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflectere sensus Humanos edicta valent quà m vitaregentis Claudian in 4. cons Hon. For the part of making and executing of Lawes consider first the trew difference betwixt a lawfull good King and an vsurping Tyran and yee shall the more easily vnderstand your duetie herein Difference of a King and a Tyran for contraria iuxta se posita magis elucescunt The one acknowledgeth himselfe ordained for his people hauing receiued from God a burthen of gouernment Plato in Polit. whereof he must be countable the other thinketh his people ordined for him Arist 5. Polit. a prey to his passions and inordinate appetites as the fruites of his magnanimitie And therefore as their ends are directly contrarie so are their whole actions as meanes whereby they preasse to attaine to their endes A good King thinking his highest honour to consist in the due discharge of his calling emploieth all his studie and paines to procure and maintaine Xen. 8. Cyr. by the making and execution of good Lawes the well-fare and peace of his people and as their naturall father and kindly Master Cic. lib. 5. de Rep. thinketh his greatest contentment standeth in their prosperitie and his greatest suretie in hauing their hearts subiecting his owne priuate affections and appetites to the weale and standing of his Subiects euer thinking the common interesse his chiefest particular where by the contrarie an vsurping Tyran thinking his greatest
that it can neuer be blotted out the writing the writing of the Law in our hearts In two Tables for our double duty to God and Man on both sides to take vp our heart so wholly that nothing contrary to those Precepts should euer haue any place in our Soules And certainely from this little Library that God hath erected within vs is the foundation of all our Learning layd So that people Ciuillized doe account themselues depriued of one of the best abilities of nature if they be not somewhat inabled by writing to expresse their mindes And there is no Nation so brutish or Barbarous that haue not inuented one kinde of Character or other whereby to conuey to others their inward Conceptions From these Tables of God wee may come to the writing of our Blessed Sauiour which we may put in the next place though not for order yet for Honour His Diuine Maiestie left behinde him no Monument of writing written by his owne hand in any externall Booke for he was to induce and bring in an other maner of the writing of the Law of Loue not in Tables of stone written not with incke and paper but in the Tables of our fleshly hearts written by the Spirit of the Liuing God Yet did he once with his owne finger write on the Pauement of the Temple of Ierusalem What he writ J will not now discusse S. Ambrose saith he wrote this Sentence Festucam in oculo fratris cernis trabem in tuo non vides Beda thinkes he wrote that Sentence that he spake He that is without sinne let him cast the first stone at her Haymo hath a pretty Conceit He thinketh he wrote certaine Characters in the Pauement which the Accusers beholding might see as in a glasse their owne wickednesse and so blushing at it went their wayes What euer it was sure we are our Sauiour would haue false accusations written in dust to bee troden vnder foote of them that passe by But howsoeuer I say our Blessed Sauiour did leaue behind him no writing of his owne hand Yet we may not deny but that God in the old Testament and our Sauiour in the New haue left vs many bookes of their owne inditements For all the Bookes of holy Scripture were written by inspiration and the Prophets and Apostles were but their Amanuenses and writ onely as they were led and actuated by the Spirit of God So that we may not make the Author of any of those Bookes any other then God Himselfe The old world before the flood wil afford vs no writings neither did that aage require them for the liues of Men of that aage were liuing Libraries and lasted longer then the labors of Men doe in this aage Yet S. Iude doeth insinuate somewhat of the writings of Enoch who though he were not in Stile a King Yet there is no reason to contend with him for that Title for his Dominion would beare it standing Heire-Apparent to the greater part of the world Origen Tertullian and Augustine report many things out of the supposititous writings that went vnder his name And Iosephus and that Berosus that wee haue tell vs that hee erected two pillars the one of Stone the other of Bricke wherein he wrote of the two-fold destructions of the world the one by Water the other by Fire But howsoeuer that be trew it is very probable he wrote something of that matter which though it perished with that world yet doubtlesse the memory thereof was preserued by Tradition vnto the dayes of the Apostles J will not here insist vpon the writings of Moses who was not onely a Priest and a Prophet but was as himselfe records amongst the people a King and was the first that euer receiued authoritie from GOD to write in Diuinitie Neither will J insist vpon the Example of King Dauid in whose Psalmes and Himnes are resounded out the praises of GOD in all the Churches for that J finde nothing that these men writ but what they writ as the Scribes of GOD acted as I said euen now by GOD his Spirit and not guided by their owne Yet I suppose wee may safely collect thus much from them that if GOD had thought it a matter derogatory to the Maiestie of a King to bee a Writer he would not haue made choice of those as his chiefe Instruments in this kinde who were principalls in that other Order J would easily beleeue that such men as haue had the honour to be GOD his Pen-men should neuer vouchsafe to write any thing of their owne for as we hold in a pious opinion that the blessed Virgine hauing once conceiued by the holy Ghost would neuer after conceiue by man So surely men that had deliuered nothing but the conceptions of that Spirit should hardly be drawne euer to set out any of their owne labours But we see the flat contrary both in Samuel and Solomon the one the greatest Iudge the other the most glorious King that euer that Kingdome had Samuel who writ by GODS appointment the greatest part of those two Bookes that beare his name writ also by his owne accord a Booke contayning the Law of a King or Institution of a Prince whereby hee laboured to keepe the King as well from declining to Tyrannie as the people from running into Libertie Solomon besides the Bookes of Scripture which remaine writ many likewise of his owne accord which are lost For to say nothing of his 3000. Parables his 5000. Songes that ingens opus as the Hebrues call it of the nature of all things Birds and Beasts Fowles and fishes Trees and plants from the Hysop to the Cedar All these were rather workes to manifest humane wisedome then Diuine knowledge written rather for the recreation of his owne spirit then for the edification of the Church For I cannot conceiue but those Bookes would rather haue taught vs the learning of Nature for which GOD hath left vs to the writings of men then edified vs in the gifts of Grace for which hee hath giuen vs his owne Booke Neither let any man suggest that these writings that are lost and as they say were destroyed in the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians were of the same authoritie as those that doe remaine for J can hardly be induced to beleeue that the writings that were indited by the Spirit of GOD layed vp in the Arke receiued into the Canon read publikely in the Church are vtterly perished Jt is a desperate thing to call either the prouidence of GOD or the fidelity of the Church in question in this point For if those that haue bene are perished then why may not these that remaine as well be lost which is contrary to our Sauiours assertion that one Iota shall not perish till all bee fulfilled Therefore J rather incline to thinke that what euer was Scripture still is then that any is lost Neither is this opinion so curious to hold as the other is dangerous to beleeue Better it
is euer to argue our selues of ignorance then to accuse GOD of improuidence But if so much Scripture be lost as is alleadged farewell GOD his prouidence farewell the fidelitie of the Church to whose care was concredited the Oracles of GOD. Let vs come to the writings of Kings where we shall not incurre any danger of this controuersie that were so farre from being acted by GOD his Spirit that they were more like those Disciples of Iohn that had not heard whether there were an Holy-Ghost or no that knew nothing of GOD though they felt neuer so much of his Goodnesse that neuer beleeued his Omnipotencie though they had neuer so much experience of his Power To beginne with the Assyrians whose first Monarch was Nimrod and his chiefe Citie Babel from his time to Sardanapalus the last of that Monarchie there was no King amongst them that gaue himselfe to Letters for as their Kingdome was founded in Tyrannie so they laboured to keepe it in Barbaritie neither must we euer looke to see Learning flourish where Tyrannie beareth the Standerd for Learning hath no more a facultie to bring the minde to vnderstanding then it hath with it a power that workes the will to libertie neither of which can euer consist with Tyrannie And therefore it is no wonder that this aage affoorded no learned Kings for in that State which continued thirteene or foureteene hundred yeeres yee can scarce reade of a learned man Therefore let either Histories or Poets paint that out for a Golden aage as they please there was neuer any aage that hath left so little memory of the Golden tincture of their Witts After the time of Sardanapalus in the dayes of Phull Tiglath-Philasar and Salmanasar of whom mention is made in Scripture and to whom as it is thought Ionas preached and with whom some of the Prophets were conuersant when as these Kings came into the land of Israel as they did in the dayes of Menahem who gaue to Phul-Belochus a thousand Talents of Siluer for a Tribute And in the dayes of Hezechiah came Salmanasar and besieged Samaria three yeeres and caried away a great part of the people of the Kingdome of Israel From that time forward their Kings gaue themselues to Letters insomuch as in the dayes of Nabucodonolor who set vp the Monarchy of the Babylonians within one hundred yeeres of Salmanasar King of the Assyrians learning was in great estimation and the Kings Court was a Schoole for the best witts of the Kingdome to be bred in that they might bee able to stand before the King furnished with all learning and vnderstanding And if Stories do not intollerably deceiue vs Daniel and his companions instructed fiue great Monarches as in the trew knowledge of GOD so in the vnderstanding of all excellent Arts and Sciences Namely Nabuchodonosor Euilmerodack Baltazar Darius of the Medes and Cyrus of the Persians And it were no hard matter to proue the trewth of this out of Daniel himselfe Come to the Persians who conuersed more with the Prophets as with Ezra Nehemiah Zachary Malachy and the people that were in captiuitie we shall finde them giuen much to Letters Cyrus the first Monarch is recorded to haue written large Commentaries of all his diurnall Actions amongst those Books are found saith Esdras the Edicts of reducing of the Iewes to their Countrey He wrote diuers Letters for the same purpose to all the chiefe Cities of Asia some whereof we haue in the 11. of Iosephus Chap. the first Many things likewise are reported to haue bene written of Artaxerxes Darius and some others of those Monarches as wee may partly conceiue by the Canonicall Bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah and more by the Apocriphal Esdras who reports it to haue bene a custome of those Kings so much to delight in learning and in the sayings of wise men that they vsed for an exercise in their greatest Solemnities to haue solemne Orations made in the presence of the King and State of sundry purposes which whoso performed to the liking of the King was rewarded with the highest Preferments that so mighty a Monarch could aduance them vnto Come we to the Graecians and there we shall finde Learning in the Tropicke of Cancer at such a height as it neuer was before nor euer that we read of since And surely it is worth the obseruing that when that extarordinary Diuine Light went out humane Learning came in and the ende of the Prophets was the beginning of the Poets The last of the diuinity of the one the first of the Philosophy of the other for from the end of the Captiuity till the Comming of our Sauiour Christ the space of foure hundreth yeares and more in which there was no Prophet that euer J reade of there were so many Orators Poets and Philosophers of such singular giftes in all kindes as wee are onely their Schollers since and can neuer attaine to the Excellency of our Master Jn this time Alexander the Great was as famous for his Learning and writings as he was for his Victories He wrote to Antipater of all his owne Actions in Asia and in India as Plutark reports in his Life S. Ciprian in his Tractate of the vanitie of Jdoles saith that Alexander the Great wrote Insigne Volumen to his Mother wherein he signifies vnto her how it was tolde him by a certaine Egyptian-Priest that all the Gods of the Gentiles had bene but men And S. Augustine also in his twelft Booke De ciuitate Dei makes mention of other of the writings of Alexander to Olimpias his Mother about the Succession of the Monarchies Amongst the Kings of Syria Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes writ many Bookes and sent them into Iudea about changing the Rites and Ceremonies of the Iewes into the Religion of the Grecians The principall heades of his Bookes may be found in the Bookes of Machabes and in Iosephus Amongst the Romans which of their Emperours did not aduance his fame by Letters Iulius Caesar besides many other things writ his Commentaries after the example of Cyrus Octauius as Suetonius reportes writ many Volumes The historie of his owne life Exhortations to Philosophie Heroick Verses Epigrams Tragedies and diuers other things of whom I will only relate two Stories not impertinent to my purpose He is reported to haue bene a very diligent searcher out of all such Bookes as appertayned to the Roman-Ethnick-Religion All the Bookes Fatidicorum of Fortune-tellers that proceeded not from approued Authors both of Greeke and Latin he cast in the fire to the number of two thousand Onely he reserued the writings of the Sibills but with that choise as hee burnt all such of them as he thought to bee counterfeit J relate this Story the rather for that J thinke it were a good President for our Augustus to follow to make a diligent search of all good and profitable Authors As for all Hereticall Pamphlets slaunderous Libells and impertinent writings to commit them to Vulcane for one of
20. Chapter of the REVELATION in forme and maner of a Sermon THE TEXT 7 And when the thousand yeeres are expired or ended Satan shall be loosed out of his prison 8 And shall goe out to deceiue the people which are in the foure quarters of the earth euen Gog and Magog to gather them together to battaile whose number are as the sand of the Sea 9 And they went vp to the plaine of the earth which compassed the tents of the Saints about and the beloued Citie but fire came downe from God out of the heauen and deuoured them 10 And the diuel that deceiued them was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone where that beast and that false prophet are and shal be tormented euen day and night for euermore THE MEDITATION AS of all Bookes the holy Scripture is most necessary for the instruction of a Christian and of all the Scriptures the Booke of the REVELATION is most meete for this our last aage The necessitie of the knowledge of the Reuelation as a Prophesie of the latter times so haue I selected or chosen out this place thereof as most proper for the action we haue in hand presently A summe of the 20. Chap. of the Reuelation For after the Apostle IOHN had prophesied of the latter times in the nineteenth Chapter afore-going he now in this twentieth Chapter gathered vp a summe of the whole wherein are expressed three heads or principall points 1. First the happie estate of the Church from Christs dayes to the dayes of the defection or falling away of the Antichrist in the first sixe verses of this 20. Chapter 2 Next the defection or falling away it selfe in this place that I haue in hand to wit the seuenth eight ninth and tenth verses 3 Thirdly the generall punishment of the wicked in the great day of Iudgement from the tenth verse vnto the end of the Chapter The Apostle his meaning in this place then is this The meaning of this present text That after that Satan then had bene bound a thousand yeeres which did appeare by his discourse afore-going of the Saints triumphing in the earth hee shall at last breake forth againe loose and for a space rage in the earth more then euer before but yet shall in the end be ouercome and confounded for euer .. It resteth now knowing the summe that we come to the exposition or meaning of the Verses The order obserued in handling this text and first expound or lay open by way of a Paraphrase the hardnesse of the words next declare the meaning of them and thirdly note what we should learne of all THE FIRST PART AS touching the wordes in them for order sake wee may note 1 First Satan his loosing 2 next his doing after he is loosed 3 and last his vnhappie successe Then for the first Satan in his instruments is loosed to trouble the Church by Satan is meant not onely the Dragon enemie to Christ and his Church but also with him all the instruments in whom he ruleth and by whom he ruleth and by whom he vttereth his cruell and crafty intentions specially the Antichrist and his Clergie ioyned with the Dragon before in the 16. Chap. verse 17. and called the beast and the false prophet For as Christ and his Church are called after one Name Christ by reason of their most strait and neere vnion and heauenly effects flowing there from 1. Cor. 12.12 So Satan and his sinagogue are here rightly called Satan The thousand yeeres by reason of their vnion and cursed effects flowing therefrom These thousand yeeres are but a number certaine for an vncertaine which phrase or maner of speaking is often vsed by the Spirit of God in the Scriptures meaning a great number of yeeres Moreouer The prison whereout Satan is loosed the prison whereout he is loosed is the hels which by the Spirit of God are called his prison for two causes 1 One because during the time of this world at times appointed by God he is debarred from walking on the earth 2. Pet. 2.4 Ind. ver 6. and sent thither greatly to his torment as was testified or witnessed by the miracle at Genezareth among the Gadarens Matth. 8.28 2 Next because that after the consummation or end of the world he shall be perpetually or for euer imprisoned therein as is written in the same Chapter ver 10. Finally he is loosed by interruption or hindering and for the most part The loosing of Satan to the iudgement of men abolition or ouerthrow of the sincere preaching of the Gospel the true vse of the Sacraments which are seales and pledges of the promises contained therein and lawfull exercise of Christian discipline whereby both Word and Sacraments are maintained in purity called in the first verse the great chaine whereby the diuell is bound and signified by the white horse gouerned by the Lambe Chap. 6. verse 2. So the meaning of all this 7. verse is this The diuel hauing bene bound and his power in his instruments hauing bene restrained for a long space by the preaching of the Gospel at the last he is loosed out of hell by the raising vp of so many new errors and notable euill instruments especially the Antichrist and his Clergie who not onely infect the earth a new but rule also ouer the whole through the decrease of trew doctrine and the number of the faithfull following it and the dayly increase of errours and nations following them and beleeuing lies hating the trewth and taking pleasure in vnrighteousnes 2. Thess 2.11 12. And thus farre for Satan his loosing Now to the next his doing after he is loosed Satan first deceaueth then allures to follow him and in the end maketh all his to take armour against the Church First he goeth out to seduce or beguile the nations that are into the foure corners of the earth and they become his though in certaine degrees his tyrannie and trauaile appeareth and bursteth out in some more then in others For as all that doe good are inspired of God thereto and doe vtter the same in certaine degrees according vnto the measure of grace granted vnto them so all that doe euill are inspired by Satan and doe vtter the same in diuers degrees according as that vncleane spirit taketh possession in them and by diuers obiects and meanes allureth them to doe his will some by ambition some by enuie some by malice and some by feare and so forth and this is the first worke Secondly he gathereth Gog and Magog to battell Gog and Magog in number like the sand of the Sea and so he and his inclined to battell and bloodshed haue mightie armies and in number many inflamed with crueltie The special heads and rulers of their armies or rather rankes of their confederats to goe to battel and to fight are twaine here named Gog and Magog Gog in Hebrew is called Hid and Magog Reuealed to
the faithfull who though they be otherwise in enmitie among themselues yet agree in this respect in odium tertij as did Herod and Pilate Sixtly the compassing of the Saints and besieging of the beloued City The false Church euer persecuteth declareth vnto vs a certaine note of a false Church to be persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are those that are sought The wicked are the besiegers the faithfull the besieged Seuenthly Scripture by Scripture should be expounded 2. King 1.10 11. in the forme of language and phrase or maner of speaking of fire comming downe from heauen here vsed and taken out of the Booke of the Kings where at Elias his prayers with fire from heauen were destroyed Achazias his souldiers as the greatest part of all the words verses and sentences of this booke are taken and borrowed of other parts of the Scripture we are taught to vse onely Scripture for interpretation of Scripture if we would be sure and neuer swarue from the analogie of faith in expounding seeing it repeateth so oft the owne phrases and thereby expoundeth them Eightly of the last part of the confusion of the wicked euen at the top of their height and wheele we haue two things to note One that God although he suffereth the wicked to run on while their cup be full yet in the end he striketh them first in this world and next in the world to come to the deliuerance of his Church in this world and the perpetuall glory of the same in the world to come The other note is that after the great persecution and the destruction of the pursuers shall the day of Iudgement follow For so declareth the 11. verse of this same Chapter but in how short space it shall follow that is onely knowne vnto God Onely this farre are we certaine that in the last estate without any moe generall mutations the world shall remaine till the consummation and end of the same To conclude then with exhortation It is al our duties in this Isle at this time to do two things One to consider our estate And other to conforme our actions according thereunto Our estate is we are threefold besieged First spiritually by the heresies of the antichrist Secondly corporally generally as members of that Church the which in the whole they persecute Thirdly All men should be lawfully armed spiritually and bodily to fight against the Antichrist and his vpholders corporally and particularly by this present armie Our actions then conformed to our estate are these First to call for helpe at God his hands Next to assure vs of the same seeing we haue a sufficient warrant his constant promise expressed in his word Thirdly since with good conscience we may being in the tents of the Saints beloued City stand in our defence encourage one another to vse lawfull resistance and concurre or ioyne one with another as warriors in one Campe and citizens of one beloued City for maintenance of the good cause God hath clad vs with and in defence of our liberties natiue countrey and liues For since we see God hath promised not only in the world to come but also in this world to giue vs victory ouer them let vs in assurance hereof strongly trust in our God cease to mistrust his promise and fall through incredulitie or vnbeliefe For then are we worthy of double punishment For the stronger they waxe and the neerer they come to their light the faster approcheth their wracke and the day of our deliuery For kind and louing true and constant carefull and watchfull mighty and reuenging is he that promiseth it To whom be praise and glory for euer AMEN A MEDITATION VPON THE xxv xxvj xxvij xxviij and xxix verses of the xv Chap. of the first Booke of the Chronicles of the Kings Written by the most Christian King and sincere Professour of the trewth IAMES by the grace of God King of England France Scotland and Ireland Defender of the Faith THE TEXT 25 So Dauid and the Elders of Israel and the Captaines of thousands went to bring vp the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom with ioy 26 And because that God helped the Leuites that bare the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord they offered seuen Bullockes and seuen Rammes 27 And Dauid had on him a linnen garment as all the Leuites that bare the Arke and the singers and Chenaniah that had the chiefe charge of the singers and vpon Dauid was a linnen Ephod 28 Thus all Israel brought vp the Arke of the Lords Couenant with shouting and sound of Cornet and with Trumpets and with Cymbales making asound with Violes and with harpes 29 And when the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord came into the Citie of Dauid Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at a window and saw King Dauid dauncing and playing and shee despised him in her heart THE MEDITATION AS of late when greatest appearance of perill was by that forreine and godlesse fleete I tooke occasion by a Text selected for the purpose to exhort you to remaine constant resting assured of a happy deliuerance So now by the great mercies of God my speeches hauing taken an euident effect I could doe no lesse of my carefull duety then out of this place cited teach you what resteth on your part to be done not of any opinion I haue of my abilitie to instruct you but that these meditations of mine may after my death remaine to the posteritie as a certaine testimony of my vpright and honest meaning in this so great and weightie a cause Now I come to the matter Dauid that godly King you see hath no sooner obtained victory ouer Gods and his enemies the Philistines but his first action which followes is with concurrence of his whole estates to translate the Arke of the Lords couenant to his house in great triumph and gladnesse accompanied with the sound of musicall instruments And being so brought to the Kings house he himselfe dances and reioyces before it which thing Michal the daughter of Saul and his wife perceiuing she contemned and laughed at her husband in her minde This is the summe THE METHOD FOr better vnderstanding whereof these heades are to be opened vp in order and applied And first what causes mooued Dauid to doe this worke Secondly what persons concurred with Dauid in doing of this worke Thirdly what was the action it selfe and forme of doing vsed in the same Fourthly the person of Michal And fiftly her action THE FIRST PART AS to the first part Zeale in Dauid and experiēce of Gods kindnesse towards him moued Dauid to honour God The causes moouing Dauid passing all others I note two One internall the other external the internall was a feruent and zealous mind in Dauid fully disposed to extoll the glorie of God that had called him to be King as he saith himselfe The zeale of thy house it eats
protest to serue for a shew of my learning and ingine but onely moued of conscience to preasse thereby so farre as I can to resolue the doubting hearts of many both that such assaults of Satan are most certainely practised and that the instruments thereof merits most seuerely to be punished against the damnable opinions of two principally in our aage whereof the one called Scot an Englishman is not ashamed in publike Print to deny that there can be such a thing as Witch-craft and so maintaines the old errour of the Sadduces in denying of spirits The other called Wierus a German Physition sets out a publike Apologie for all these crafts-folkes whereby procuring for their impunitie he plainely bewrayes himselfe to haue bene one of that profession And for to make this Treatise the more pleasant and facill J haue put it in forme of a Dialogue which I haue diuided into three Bookes The first speaking of Magie in generall and Necromancie in speciall The second of Sorcerie and Witch-craft and the third containes a discourse of all these kinds of spirits and Spectres that appeares and troubles persons together with a conclusion of the whole worke My intention in this labour is onely to prooue two things as I haue already said The one that such diuelish artes haue bene and are The other what exact triall and seuere punishment they merit and therefore reason I What kinde of things are possible to be performed in these Arts and by what naturall causes they may be not that I touch euery particular thing of the Diuels power for that were infinite but onely to speake scholastickely since this cannot be spoken in our language J reason vpon genus leauing species and differentia to bee comprehended therein As for example speaking of the power of Magiciens in the first booke and sixt Chapter I say that they can suddenly cause be brought vnto them all kinds of daintie dishes by their familiar spirit since as a thiefe he delights to steale and as a spirit he can subtilly and suddenly ynough transport the same Now vnder this genus may be comprehended all particulars depending thereupon such as the bringing Wine out of a wall as wee haue heard oft to haue bene practised and such others which particulars are sufficiently prooued by the reasons of the generall And such like in the second booke of Witch-craft in speciall and fift Chapter J say and proue by diuers Arguments that Witches can by the power of their master cure or cast on diseases Now by these same reasons that proues their power by the Diuell of diseases in generall is aswell proued their power in special as of weakning the nature of some men to make them vnable for women and making it to abound in others more then the ordinary course of nature would permit And such like in all other particular sicknesses But one thing I will pray thee to obserue in all these places where I reason vpon the diuels power which is the different ends and scopes that God as the first cause and the diuell as his instrument and second cause shoots at in all these actions of the diuel as Gods hang-man For where the diuels intention in them is euer to perish either the soule or the body or both of them that he is so permitted to deale with God by the contrary drawes euer out of that euill glory to himselfe either by the wracke of the wicked in his iustice or by the triall of the patient and amendment of the faithful being wakened vp with that rod of correction Hauing thus declared vnto thee then my full intention in this Treatise thou wilt easily excuse I doubt not aswel my pretermitting to declare the whole particular rites and secrets of these vnlawfull arts as also their infinit and wonderfull practises as being neither of them pertinent to my purpose the reason whereof is giuen in the hinder end of the first Chapter of the third booke and who likes to be curious in these things he may reade if he will heare of their practises Bodinus Daemonomanie collected with greater diligence then written with iudgement together with their confessions that haue been at this time apprehended If he would know what hath bene the opinion of the Ancients concerning their power he shall see it well described by Hyperius Hemmingius two late Germane writers Besides innumerable other neotericke Theologues that write largely vpon that subject And if he would know what are the particular rites and curiosities of these blacke Arts which is both vnnecessary and perillous he will finde it in the fourth Booke of Cornelius Agrippa and in Wierus whom-of J spake And so wishing my paines in this Treatise beloued Reader to be effectuall in arming all them that reade the same against these aboue mentioned errours and recommending my good will to thy friendly acceptation J bid thee heartily fare-well IAMES R. x. DAEMONOLOGIE IN FORME OF A DIALOGVE FIRST BOOKE ARGVMENT The exord of the whole The description of Magie in speciall CHAP. I. ARGVMENT Proued by the Scripture that these vnlawfull arts in genere haue bene and may be put in practise PHILOMATHES and EPISTEMON reason the matter PHILOMATHES IAm surely very glad to haue met with you this day for I am of opinion that ye can better resolue me of some thing whereof I stand in great doubt nor any other whom-with I could haue met EPI In what I can that ye like to speir at me I will willingly and freely tell my opinion and if I proue it not sufficiently I am heartily content that a better reason carry it away then PHI. What thinke ye of these strange newes which now onely furnishes purpose to all men at their meeting I meane of these Witches EPI Surely they are wonderfull And I thinke so cleare and plaine confessions in that purpose haue neuer fallen out in any aage or countrey PHI. No question if they be true but thereof the Doctours doubts EPI What part of it doubt ye of PHI. Euen of all for ought I can yet perceiue and namely that there is such a thing as Witch-craft or Witches and I would pray you to resolue me thereof if ye may for I haue reasoned with sundrie in that matter and yet could neuer be satisfied therein EPI I shall with good will doe the best I can But I thinke it the difficiller since ye deny the thing it selfe in generall for as it is said in the Logicke schooles Contra negantem principia non est disputandum Alwaies for that part that Witch-craft and Witches haue beene and are the former part is clearely prooued by the Scriptures and the last by daily experience and confessions PHI. I know ye wil alleadge me Sauls Pythonisse but that as appeares will not make much for you EPI Not onely that place but diuers others But I maruell why that should not make much for me PHI. The reasons are these first yee may consider that Saul beeing
malum vt bonum inde eueniat THE SECOND BOOKE OF DAEMONOLOGIE ARGVMENT The description of Sorcerie and Witcheraft in speciall CHAP. I. ARGVMENT Proued by the Scripture that such a thing can be And the reasons refuted of all such as would call it but an imagination and Melancholicque humour PHILOMATHES NOW since ye haue satisfied mee now so fully concerning Magie or Necromancie I wil pray you to doe the like in Sorcerie or Witchcraft EPI That field is likewise very large and although in the mouthes and pennes of many yet few knowe the trewth thereof so well as they beleeue themselues as I shall so shortly as I can make you God willing as easily to perceiue PHI. But I pray you before ye goefurther let mee interrupt you here with a short digression which is that many can scarcely beleeue that there is such a thing as Witchcraft Whose reasons I will shortly alleage vnto you that yee may satisfie mee as well in that as yee haue done in the rest For first whereas the Scripture seemes to prooue Witchcraft to bee by diuers examples and specially by fundrie of the same which ye haue alleaged it is thought by some that these places speake of Magicians and Necromancers onely and not of Witches As in speciall these wise men of Pharaohs that counterfeited Moyses myracles were Magicians say they and not Witches As likewise that Pythonisse that Saul consulted with And so was Simon Magus in the new Testament as that very stile imports Secondly where ye would oppone the dayly practicque and confession of so many that is thought likewise to be but very Melancholicque imaginations of simple rauing creatures Thirdly if Witches had such power of Witching of folkes to death as they say they haue there had bene none left aliue long since in the world but they at the least no good or godly person of whatsoeuer estate could haue escaped their diuelrie EPI Your three reasons as I take are grounded the first of them negatiuè vpon the Scripture The second affirmatiuè vpō Phisick And the third vpon the certaine proofe of experience As to your first it is most trew indeede that all these wise men of Pharaoh were Magicians of arte As likewise it appeares well that the Pythonisse with whom Saul consulted was of that same profession and so was Simon Magus But ye omitted to speake of the Lawe of God wherein are all Magicians Diuiners Enchanters Sorcerers Witches and whatsoeuer of that kind that consult with the deuill plainely prohibited and alike threatned against And besides that she who had the Spirit of Python in the Actes Acts 16. whose Spirit was put to silence by the Apostle could be no other thing but a very Sorcerer or Witch if ye admit the vulgar distinction to be in a maner trew whereof I spake in the beginning of our conference For that spirit whereby she conquested such gaine to her Masters was not at her raising or commanding as shee pleased to appoint but spake by her tongue as well publikely as priuately whereby she seemed to draw nearer to the sort of Demoniakes or possessed if that coniunction betwixt them had not beene of her owne consent as it appeared by her not being tormented therewith and by her conquesting of such gaine to her Masters as I haue alreadie said As to your second reason grounded vpon Physicke in attributing their confessions or apprehensions to a naturall melancholique humour any that please physically to consider vpon the naturall humour of melancholly according to all the Physicians that euer writ thereupon they shall find that that will be ouer-short a cloake to couer their knauery with For as the humour of Melancholly in the selfe is blacke heauie and terrene so are the symptomes thereof in any persons that are subiect thereunto leannesse palenesse desire of solitude and if they come to the highest degree thereof meere folly and Manie whereas by the contrary a great number of them that euer haue beene conuict or confessours of Witchcraft as may be presently seene by many that haue at this time confessed they are by the contrary I say some of them rich and worldly wise some of them fat or corpulent in their bodies and most part of them altogether giuen ouer to the pleasures of the flesh continuall haunting of companie and all kinde of merrinesse both lawfull and vnlawful which are things directly contrary to the symptomes of melancholly whereof I spake and further experience daily prooues how loth they are to confesse without torture which witnesseth their guiltinesse where by the contrary the Melancholiques neuer spare to bewray themselues by their continuall discourses feeding thereby their humor in that which they thinke no crime As to your third reason it scarsely merits an answere for if the deuill their master were not bridled as the Scriptures teach vs suppose there were no men nor women to bee his instruments he could finde wayes enough without any helpe of others to wracke all mankinde whereunto he employes his whole study and goeth about like a roaring Lyon as Peter sayth to that effect but the limits of his power were set downe before the foundations of the world were laide which he hath not power in the leastiote to transgresse But beside all this there is ouer great a certaintie to prooue that they are by the daily experience of the harmes that they doe both to men and whatsoeuer thing men possesse whom God will permit them to be the instruments so to trouble or visite as in my discourse of that arte ye shall heare clearely prooued CHAP. II. ARGV The Etymologie and signification of that word Sorcerie The first entresse and prentiship of them that giue themselues to that craft PHILOMATHES COme on then I pray you and returne where ye left EPI This word of Sorcerie is a Latine word which is taken from casting of the lot and therefore he that vseth it is called Sortiarius à sorte As to the word of Witchcraft it is nothing but a proper name giuen in our language The cause wherefore they were called Sortiarij proceeded of their practiques seeming to come of lot or chance such as the turning of the riddle the knowing of the forme of prayers or such like tokens if a person diseased would liue or die And in generall that name was giuen them for vsing of such charmes and freits as that Craft teacheth them Many points of their craft and practicques are common betwixt the Magicians and them for they serue both one Master although in diuers fashions And as I deuided the Necromancers into two sortes learned and vnlearned so must I deny them in other two rich and of better accompt poore and of baser degree These two degrees now of persons that practise this Craft answere to the passions in them which I tolde you before the Diuell vsed as meanes to entice them to his seruice for such of them as are in great miserie and pouertie he allures to
righteousnesse that their persons as bright lampes of godlinesse and vertue may going in and out before their people giue light to all their steps Remember also that by the right knowledge and feare of God which is the beginning of Wisedome Prou 9.10 as Salomon saith ye shall know all the things necessarie for the discharge of your duetie both as a Christian and as a King seeing in him as in a mirrour the course of all earthly things whereof hee is the spring and onely moouer Now the onely way to bring you to this knowledge The meanes to know God is diligently to reade his word and earnestly to pray for the right vnderstanding thereof Search the Scriptures sayth Christ for they beare testimonie of me and Iohn 5.39 the whole Scripture saith Paul is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach 2. Tim. 3.16.17 to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfite vnto all good workes And most properly of any other belongeth the reading thereof vnto Kings Deut. 17. since in that part of Scripture where the godly Kings are first made mention of that were ordained to rule ouer the people of God there is an expresse and most notable exhortation and commandement giuen them to reade and meditate in the Law of God I ioyne to this the carefull hearing of the doctrine with attendance and reuerence for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17 sayth the same Apostle But aboue all beware ye wrest not the word to your owne appetite as ouer many doe making it like a bell to sound as ye please to interprete but by the contrary frame all your affections to follow precisely the rule there set downe The whole Scripture chiefly containeth two things a command Wherein chiefely the whole Scripture consisteth and a prohibition to doe such things and to abstaine from the contrary Obey in both neither thinke it enough to abstaine from euill and do no good nor thinke not that if yee doe many good things it may serue you for a cloake to mixe euill turnes therewith And as in these two points the whole Scripture principally consisteth Two degrees of the seruice of God so in two degrees standeth the whole seruice of God by man interiour or vpward exteriour or downward the first by prayer in faith towards God the next by workes flowing therefra before the world which is nothing else but the exercise of Religion towards God and of equitie towards your neighbour As for the particular points of Religion I need not to dilate them I am no hypocrite follow my footsteps A regardable paterne and your owne present education therein I thanke God I was neuer ashamed to giue account of my profession howsoeuer the malicious lying tongues of some haue traduced me and if my conscience had not resolued me that all my Religion presently professed by me and my kingdome was grounded vpon the plaine wordes of the Scripture without the which all points of Religion are superfluous as any thing contrary to the same is abomination I had neuer outwardly auowed it for pleasure or awe of any flesh And as for the points of equitie towards your neigbour because that will fall in properly vpon the second part concerning a Kings office I leaue it to the owne roume For the first part then of mans seruice to his God Religion which is Religion that is the worship of God according to his reuealed will it is wholly grounded vpon the Scripture as I haue alreadie said quickened by faith and conserued by conscience For the Scripture I haue now spoken of it in generall but that yee may the more readily make choice of any part thereof for your instruction or comfort remember shortly this methode The whole Scripture is dyted by Gods Spirit The methode of Scripture thereby as by his liuely word to instruct and rule the whole Church militant to the end of the word It is composed of two parts the Olde and New Testament The ground of the former is the Lawe which sheweth our sinne and containeth iustice the ground of the other is Christ who pardoning sinne containeth grace The summe of the Law is the tenne Commandements more largely delated in the bookes of Moses Of the Law interpreted and applied by the Prophets and by the histories are the examples shewed of obedience or disobedience thereto and what praemium or poena was accordingly giuen by God But because no man was able to keepe the Law nor any part thereof it pleased God of his infinite wisedome and goodnesse to incarnate his only Sonne in our nature for satisfaction of his iustice in his suffering for vs that since we could not be saued by doing we might at least bee saued by beleeuing The ground therefore of the word of grace Of Grace is contained in the foure histories of the birth life death resurrection and ascention of Christ The larger interpretation and vse thereof is contained in the Epistles of the Apostles and the practise in the faithfull or vnfaithfull with the historie of the infancie and first progresse of the Church is contained in their Actes Would ye then know your sinne by the Lawe Vse of the Law reade the bookes of Moses containing it Would ye haue a commentarie thereupon Reade the Prophets and likewise the bookes of the Prouerbes and Ecclesiastes written by that great patterne of wisedome Salomon which will not only serue you for instruction how to walke in the obedience of the Lawe of God but is also so full of golden sentences and morall precepts in all things that can concerne your conuersation in the world as among all the prophane Philosophers and Poets ye shall not finde so rich a storehouse of precepts of naturall wisedome agreeing with the will and diuine wisedome of God Would ye see how good men are rewarded and wicked punished looke the historicall parts of these same bookes of Moses together with the histories of Ioshua the Iudges Ezra Nehemiah Esther and Iob but especially the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles wherewith ye ought to bee familiarly acquainted for there shall yee see your selfe as in a myrrour in the catalogue either of the good or the euill Kings Would yee know the doctrine life and death of our Sauiour Christ Vse of the Gospel reade the Euangelists Would ye bee more particularly trained vp in his Schoole meditate vpon the Epistles of the Apostles And would ye be acquainted with the practises of that doctrine in the persons of the primitiue Church Cast vp the Apostles Actes And as to the Apocryphe bookes I omit them because I am no Papist as I said before and indeed some of them are no wayes like the dytement of the Spirit of God But when ye reade the Scripture How to reade the Scripture reade it with a sanctified and chaste heart admire reuerently
their Soueraigne in the maine knot of trew Allegiance shall this Law I say by him bee condemned to hell for a stratageme of Sathan I say no more but Gods lot in the Oath of Sauls and Bellarmines verdict vpon this Oath of ours seeme not to be cast out of one lap Now to this example of 3 Theodoret. lib. 4. cap. 19. An answere to the Card. example of S. Basil Basill which is as he sayth so fit for his purpose First I must obserue that if the Cardinall would leaue a common and ordinarie tricke of his in all his Citations which is to take what makes for him and leaue out what makes against him and cite the Authours sense as well as his Sentence we should not be so much troubled with answering the Ancients which he alledgeth To instance it in this very place if he had continued his allegation one line further hee should haue found this place out of Theodoret of more force to haue mooued Blackwell to take the Oath then to haue disswaded him from it For in the very next words it followeth Imperatoris quidem amicitiam magnise pendere cum pietaet quâremotâ perniciosam esse dicere But that it may appeare whether of vs haue greatest right to this place I will in few words shew the Authours drift The Emperour Valens being an Arrian at the perswasion of his wife when he had depriued all the Churches of their Pastours came to Caesarea where 1 Theodoret. lib. 4 cap. 19. S. Basil was then Bishop who as the historie reporteth was accounted the Light of the world Before hee came hee sent his 2 Modeâ—â—â—â— as Naziaâ—zâ—â— vpoÌ„ the dëâ—t of Basill calleth him in his oratâ—on deputie to worke it that S. Basil should hold fellowship with Eudoxius which 3 Looke cap. 12. eiusdâ—m libri Eudoxius was bishop of Constantinople and the principall of the Arrian faction or if he would not that hee should put him to banishment Now when the Emperours Deputie came to Caesarea he sent for Basil intreated him honourably spake pleasingly vnto him desired he would giue way to the time neither that he would hazard the good of so many Churches tenui exquisitione dogmatis promised him the Emperours fauour and himselfe to be mediatour for his good But S. Basill answered These intising speeches were fit to bee vsed to children that vse to gape after such things but for them that were throughly instructed in Gods word they could neuer suffer any syllable thereof to be corrupted Nay if need required they would for the maintenance thereof refuse no kind of death Indeed the loue of the Emperour ought to bee greatly esteemed with pietie but pietie taken away it was pernicious This is the trewth of the historie Now compare the case of Basill with the Arch-priests Basill was sollicited to become an Arrian the Arch priest not once touched for any article of faith Basill would haue obeyed the Emperour but that the word of GOD forbade him this man is willed to obey because the word of GOD commandeth him Basill highly esteemed the Emperours fauour if it might haue stood with pietie the Arch-priest is exhorted to reiect it though it stand with trew godlinesse in deed to embrace it But that he may lay load vpon the Arch-priest The Cardinal assimilating of the Archpr. case to S. Peters and Marcellinus considered it is not sufficient to exhort him to courage and constancie by Eleazarus and Basils examples but he must be vtterly cast downe with the comparing his fall to S. Peter and Marcellinus which two mens cases were the most fearefull considering their persons and places that are to be found or read of either in all the bookes of diuine Scripture or the volumes of Ecclesiasticall histories the one denying the onely trew GOD the other our Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST the one sacrificing to Idoles with the prophane heathen the other forswearing his Lord and Master with the hard-hearted Iewes Vnlesse the Cardinall would driue the Arch-priest to some horrour of conscience and pit of despaire I know not what he can meane by this comparison For sure I am all that are not intoxicated with their cup cannot but wonder to heare of an Oath of Allegiance to a naturall Soueraigne to be likened to an Apostats denying of God and forswearing of his Sauiour But to let passe the Disdiapason of the cases as his ill-fauoured coupling S. Peter the head of their Church with an apostate Pope I marueile hee would remember this example of 1 Looke Platina in vita Marcellini Marcellinus since his brother Cardinall Baronius and the late Edition of the Councels by 2 Concil Tom. 1. pag. 222. Looke Baronius Ann. 302. num 96. Binnius seeme to call the credit of the whole historie into question saying That it might plainely be refuted and that it is probably to be shewed that the story is but obreptious but that he would not swarue from the common receiued opinion And if a man might haue leaue to coniecture so would his Cardinalship too if it were not for one or two sentences in that Councell of Sinuessa See Tom. 1. Concil in Act. Concil Sinuess which serued for his purpose namely that Prima sedes à nemine iudicatur And Iudica causam tuam nostrâ sententiâ non condemnaberis But to what purpose a great Councell as he termes it of three hundred Bishops and others should meete together who before they met knew they could doe nothing when they were there did nothing but like Cuckowes sing ouer and ouer the same song that Prima sedes à nemine iudicatur and so after three dayes sitting along time indeed for a great and graue Councell brake so bluntly vp and yet that there should be seuentie two witnesses brought against him and that they should subscribe his excommunication and that at his owne mouth hee tooke the Anathema maranatha how these vntoward contradictions shall be made to agree I must send the Cardinall to Venice to Padre Paulo who in his 3 Apol. Pat. Paul aduersus opposit Card. Bellar. Apologie against the Cardinals oppositions hath handled them very learnedly But from one Pope An answere to the place alledged out of S. Gregory let vs passe to another for what a principall article of Faith and Religion this Oath is I haue alreadie sufficiently proued Why hee called S. 4 Greg. lib. 11. cap. 42. Gregory our Apostle I know not vnlesse perhaps it be for that hee sent 5 Beda Ecclesi Hist gen Ang. lib. 1 cap. 25. Augustine the Monke and others with him into England to conuert vs to the faith of Christ wherein I wish the Popes his successours would follow his patterne For albeit hee sent them by diuine reuelation as hee said into England vnto King Ethelbert yet when they came they exercised no part of their function but by the Kings leaue and permission So did King 6 Beda
come and when hee commeth hee shall continue a short space Verse 11. And the Beast that was and is not is the eight and yet one of the seuen By which Beast hee meaneth the Antichrist who was not then come I meane in the Apostles dayes but was to come after So as betweene the time of the Apostles and the ende of the worlde must the Time of the Antichrists comming be and with this the Papists doe also agree Whereby it appeareth that Babylon which is Rome shall bee the Seate of the Antichrist Reuel 1.1 chap. 4.1 but not that Ethnicke Rome which was in the Apostles dayes for Iohn himselfe professeth that hee is to write of nothing but that which is to come after his time Nor yet that turning Christian Rome while shee was in the conuerting which immediatly followed the Apostles time glorious by the Martyrdome of so many godly Bishops But that Antichristian Rome when as the Antichrist shal set downe his seat there after that by the working of that Mysterie of iniquitie Christian Rome shall become to be corrupted and so that deadly wound which the Gothes and Vandales gaue Rome shall bee cured in that Head or King the Antichrist who thereafter shall arise and reigne for a long space But here it may bee obiected that the Antichrist cannot reigne a long space since S. Iohn saith in two or three sundry places that the Antichrist shall worke but the space of three yeeres and a halfe Surely who will but a little acquaint himselfe with the phrases and Stile of S. Iohn in his Apocalyps shall finde that he doth ordinarily set downe numerum certum pro incerto Chap. 7. Chap. 9.16 18. So doeth hee in his twelue thousand of euery Tribe that will bee safe so doeth he in his Armie of two hundred thousand that were sent to kill the third part of the men and so doeth he in diuers other places And therefore who will but remember that in all his Visions in the said Booke hee directly imitates the fashions of the Prophet Ezekiels Daniels and Zacharies Visions borrowing their phrases that prophecied before CHRIST to vtter his Prophecies in that was to speake of the last dayes shall finde it very probable that in these three dayes and a halfe hee imitated Daniels Weekes accounting for his Weeke the time betweene CHRISTS first and second comming and making Antichrist to triumph the halfe of that time or spirituall Weeke For as to that literall interpretation as all the Papists make it of three yeeres and a halfe and that time to sall out directly the very last dayes saue fiue and fourtie before CHRIST his second comming it is directly repugnant to the whole New TESTAMENT For CHRIST saith That in the latter dayes men shall be feasting marrying and at all such worldly businesse when the last houre shall come in a clap vpon them One shall be at the Mill One vpon the top of the house Matth. 24.41 and so foorth CHRIST telleth a Parable of the fiue foolish Virgins Matth. 25. to shew the vnlooked-for comming of this houre Nay hee saith the Sonne of man nor the Angels in heauen know not this time S. Peter biddeth vs WATCH AND PRAY euer awaiting vpon that houre And S. Iohn in this same Apocalyps doeth 1 Reuel 3.3 and 16. â—5 twise tell vs that CHRIST will come as a thiefe in the night And so doeth CHRIST say in the 2 Matth. 24.44 Euangel Whereas if the Antichrist shall reigne three yeeres and a halfe before the Latter day and that there shall bee but iust fourtie fiue dayes of time after his destruction then shall not the iust day and houre of the Latter day bee vnknowne to them that shall be aliue in the world at the time of Antichrists destruction For first according to the Papists doctrine all the world shall know him to be the Antichrist both by the two Witnesses doctrine and his sudden destruction And consequently they cannot be ignorant that the Latter day shall come iust fourtie fiue dayes after and so CHRIST shall not come as a thiefe nor the world bee taken at vnawares contrary to all the Scriptures before alleadged and many more And thus haue we proued Rome to be the Seat of the Antichrist and the second halfe of that spirituall Weeke betweene the first and second comming of CHRIST to be the time of his Reigne For in the first halfe thereof the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke but the man of Sinne was not yet reuealed But who these Witnesses should be is a great question The generall conceit of the Papists is that it must bee Enoch and Elias And heerein is Bellarmine so strong as hee thinketh him in a great errour if not an Heretike that doubteth of it But the vanitie of the Iewish fable I will in few words discouer The Cardinall Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 6. in his booke of Controuersies bringeth foure places of Scripture for probation of this idle dreame two in the Old Testament Malachie and Ecclesiasticus and two in the New CHRIST in Matthew hee might haue added Marke too and Iohn in the xj of the Apocalyps First for the generall of all those places I dare boldly affirme That there is not a word in them nor in all the rest of the Scriptures that saith that either Enoch or Elias shall returne to fight against Antichrist and shall bee slaine by him nor any such like matter Next as to euery place in particular to begin with Malachie I know not who can better interpret him then CHRIST Matt. 11.14 and 17.12 Mar. 9.13 who twise in Matthew Chap. xj and xvij and once in Marke tels both the multitude and his owne Disciples that Iohn Baptist was that promised Elias And heerein doeth Bellarmine deale most vnfaithfully with CHRIST for in his demonstration that Antichrist is not yet come because Enoch and Elias are not yet returned hee for his probation thereof citeth these wordes of CHRIST in the xvij of Matthew Elias shall indeed come and restore all things but omits his very next wordes interpreting the same That bee is already come in the person of Iohn Baptist Nay whereby hee taketh vpon him to answere Biblianders obiection that CHRIST did by Iohn the Baptist vnderstand the prophecie of Elias comming to be accomplished he picketh out the words Qui habet aures audiat in the xj of Matthew immediatly following that purpose of Elias making of them a great mysterie and neuer taketh knowledge that in the xvij by himselfe before alleaged CHRIST doeth interpret Malachie in the same maner without any subioyning of these words Qui habet aures audiat adioyning shamelesly hereunto a foule Paraphrase of his owne telling vs what CHRIST would haue said nay in my conscience he meant what CHRIST should and ought to haue said if he had bene a good Catholike setting downe there a glosse of Orleance that destroyes the Text.
many one to conspire and attempt the like against the late Queene and in my time to attempt the destruction of a whole Kingdome and State by a blast of Powder and hereby to play bankerupt with both the soules mentioned in the Scriptures Animus Anima But notwithstanding of this their great Lamentation they are commanded by a voyce from heauen to doe two things Verse 4. One to flee from Babylon lest they bee partakers of her sinnes and consequently of her punishment Which warning I pray God that yee all my Beloued Brethren and Cousins would take heed vnto in time humbly beseeching him to open your eyes for this purpose The other command is Verse 6. to reward her as shee hath rewarded you yea euen to the double For as she did flie but with your feathers borrowing as well her Titles of greatnesse and formes of honouring her from you as also enioying all her Temporall liuing by your liberalities so if euery man doe but take his owne againe she will stand vp * Cornicula Aesopica Verse 7. naked and the reason is giuen because of her pride For shee glorifieth her selfe liuing in pleasure and in her heart saith shee sitteth as a Queene outward prosperitie being one of their notes of a trew Church and is no Widow for her Spouse CHRIST is bound to her by an inuiolable knot for he hath sworne neuer to forsake her and she shall see no mourning for she cannot erre nor the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against her But though the earth and worldly men lament thus for the fall of Babylon in this eighteenth Chapter yet in the nineteenth Cap. xix Verse 1. Verse 2. Heauen and all the Angels and Saints therein doe sing a triumphall Cantique for ioy of her fall praising God for the fall of that great Whore Great indeed for our * Bellar. in Res ad Gerson confid 11. Cardinall confesseth that it is hard to describe what the Pope is such is his greatnesse Verse 19. Verse 20. And in the end of that Chapter is the obstinacie of that Whore described who euen fought to the vttermost against him that sate on the white Horse and his armie till the Beast or Antichrist was taken and the false Prophet or false Church with him who by Miracles and lying wonders deceiued them that receiued the marke of the Beast and both were cast quicke into the burning lake of fire and brimstone vnde nulla redemptio Like as in the ende of the former Chapter to describe the fulnesse of the Antichristes fall not like to that reparable wound that Ethnicke Rome gate it is first compared to a Milstone cast into the sea that can neuer rise and fleete againe Cap 18.21 Ibidem Vers 22 32. And next it is expressed by a number of ioyfull things that shall neuer bee heard there againe where nothing shall inhabite but desolation But that the patience and constancie of Saints on earth and God his Elected may the better bee strengthened and confirmed their persecution in the latter dayes is shortly prophesied and repeated againe Cap. 11. Verse 2. after that Satan hath beene bound or his furie restrained by the worlds enioying of peace for a thousand yeeres or a great indefinite time their persecuters being named Gog and Magog the secret and reuealed enemies of CHRIST Verse 8. Whether this be meant of the Pope and the Turke or not who both began to rise to their greatnesse about one time I leaue to bee guessed Verse 9. alwayes their vtter confusion is there assuredly promised and it is said that the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet Verse 10. shall all three bee cast in that lake of fire and brimstone to be tormented for euer Verse 11 12 13. Matth. 24.22 And thereafter is the latter day described againe which must be hastened for the Elects sake and then for the further comfort of the Elect and that they may the more constantly and patiently endure these temporall and finite troubles limited but to a short space in the last two Chapters are the ioyes of the eternall Ierusalem largely described Cap. xxj xxij Thus hath the Cardinals shamelesse wresting of those two places of Scripture Pasce oues meas and Tibi dabo claues for proouing of the Popes supreame Temporall authoritie ouer Princes animated mee to prooue the Pope to bee THE ANTICHRIST out of this foresaid booke of Scripture so to pay him in his owne money againe And this opinion no Pope can euer make me to recant except they first renounce any further medling with Princes in any thing belonging to their Temporall Iurisdiction And my onely wish shall bee that if any man shall haue a fancie to refute this my coniecture of the Antichrist that hee answere mee orderly to euery point of my discourse not contenting him to disprooue my opinion except hee set downe some other Methode after his forme for interpretation of that Booke of the Apocalyps which may not contradict no part of the Text nor conteine no absurdities Otherwise it is an easie thing for Momus to picke quarrels in another mans tale and tell it worse himselfe it being a more easie practise to finde faults then amend them Hauing now made this digression anent the Antichrist which I am sure I can better fasten vpon the Pope then Bellarmine can doe his pretended Temporall Superioritie ouer Kings I will returne againe to speake of this Answerer who as I haue already told you so fitteth his matter with his manner of answering that as his Style is nothing but a Satyre and heape full of iniurious and reprochfull speaches as well against my Person as my Booke so is his matter as full of lyes and falsities indeed as hee vniustly layeth to my charge For three lies hee maketh against the Oath of Alleagiance conteined and maintained in my Booke besides that ordinary repeated lie against my Booke of his omitting to answere my lyes trattles iniurious speaches and blasphemies One grosse lye he maketh euen of the Popes first Breue One lye of the Puritanes whom he would gladly haue to be of his partie And one also of the Powder-Traitours anent the occasion that mooued them to vndertake that treasonable practise Three lies hee makes of that Acte of Parliament wherein this Oath of Alleagiance is conteined Hee also maketh one notable lie against his owne Catholike Writers And two of the causes for which two Iesuites haue beene put to death in England And he either falsifies denies or wrests fiue sundry Histories and a printed Pamphlet besides that impudent lye that hee maketh of my Person that I was a Puritane in Scotland which I haue already refuted And for the better filling vp of his booke with such good stuffe hee hath also fiue so strange and new principles of Diuinitie therein as they are either new or at least allowed by very few of his owne Religion All which lyes with