the scriptures And if the Hervaeus de potest Tap. e. R. Cupers Petrus de palude de potest Papae â—…t 4. church be aboue the Scriptures then much more is he For he not onely virtualiter est tota ecclesia that is virtually the whole church but also his power alone exceedeth the power of all the whole church besides Now that the authority of the church much more of the Pope who is superior to the church is aboue the scripture it is both generally affirmed by som particulars coÌ„firmed Cardinal Cusanus entitleth his book De authoritate ecclesia concilij supra coÌ„tra scripturaÌ„ Of the authority of the Church councell aboue against the Scripture Syluester Prierias master of the Popes pallace saith That indulgences are warranted vnto vs not by the authoritie of the Scripture Contra Lutheri conclusiones de potestate Papae but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which is greater Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz saith That all men so reuerence the Apostolicke See of Rome that they rather desire the auncient institution of Christian religion from the Pope then from the holy Scriptures This saying the Pope hath so approued that he hath caused it to be inserted into the Dist. 40. c. si Papa Canon lawe The particulars which proue the Pope to aduaunce himselfe aboue the Scriptures are these 1 Because he hath as they say authoritie to adde to the Canonicall Scriptures other bookes that are not in the Canon And that those Dist. 19. c. si Romanorum Ioan. de turrecrem l. 〈◊〉 cap. 112. which be in the Canon haue their Canonicall authority from him In the 19. distinction cap. Si Romanorum Pope Nicolas not onely matcheth their decretall Epistles with the holy Scriptures but also affirmeth that the Scriptures are therefore to be receiued because the Pope hath iudged them canonicall Another saith Whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Romane church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God Syluester Prierias contra Lutherum à qua sacra scriptura robur trabis authoritatem From which the sacred Scripture draweth strength and authority hee is an Hereticke Eckius saith Scriptura nisiecclesiae authoritate non De ecclesia est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authority of the Church For I will not tell you how some of them haue not bene ashamed to say that the Scripture without the authoritie of the Church is of it selfe no better worth then AEsopes fables Pighius saith The authority of the church Vid. Chemnit exam part 1. pag. 47. is aboue the Scriptures because the authoritie of the Church hath giuen the Scriptures canonicall authority Secondly whereas the Scriptures are not the words and syllables but the true sence and meaning thereof They teach that the scriptures are to be vnderstood according to the interpretation of the Pope and Church of Rome and that sence which the Pope assigneth to the Scriptures must bee taken for the vndoubted word of God The Pope saith one hath authority so to expound Heruauâ—… de potestate Papae the scriptures that it is not lawful to hold or thinke the contrary A Cardinall of Rome saith If any man haue the interpretation of the church of Rome concerning any place of scripture although he neither know nor vnderstand whether and Cardinal Hosius de expresso dei verbo how it agreeth with the words of the scripture notwithstanding he hath ipsimum verbum Dei the very wordof God And if the sence which they giue be diuerse according to the variety of their practise and diuersitie of times we must acknowledge that the scripture is to follow the church and not the church to follow the scriptures Whereupon Cardinall Cusanus It is no Nicol. Cusanus ad Bohem. epist. 7. maruell saith he though the practise of the church expound the scriptures at one time one way and at another time another way For the vnderstanding or sence of the scripture runneth with the practise And that sence so agreeing with the practise is the quickning spirit And therefore the scriptures follow the church but contrarywise the church followeth not the scriptures And this is that which one who was no small foole in Rome auouched The Pope saith he may change the holy gospell and may Henricus Doctor magister sacri palatij Romae ad legatos â—…ohemicos sub Felice Papa 1447. giue to the gospell according to place and time another sence And to the same purpose was the speech of that blasphemous Cardinall that if any man did not beleeue that Christ is very God and man and the Pope thought the same he should not bee condemned To conclude therefore with Cardinall Cusanus This is the iudgement saith he of all them that thinke rightlie Cardinal s. Angeli ad cosdeâ—… legatos Bohemicos that found the authoritie and vnderstanding of the scriptures in the allowance of the church and not contrariwise lay the foundation of the church in the authority of the scriptures Ad Bohemos epist. 2. 11 Thirdly the Pope challengeth authority aboue the scriptures when he taketh vpon him to dispense with the word and law of God For whosoeuer taketh vpon him to dispense with the law of another challengeth greater authority then the others and it is a rule among themselues In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior the inferiour may not dispense Antonin part 3. lit 22. cap. 6. §. 2. with the commaundement of the superiour That the Pope doth dispense with the lawes of God it is euident For scarcely is there any sinne forbidden there where with he doth not sometimes dispense nay whereof hee will not if it be for his aduantage make a meritorious worke Incest is an horrible sinne forbidden by the law of God and by the lawe of nature And yet there is no incest excepting that which is committed betwixt the parents and the children which hee hath not authority forsooth to dispense with for as they say hee may dispense against the law of nature The Pope dispensed with Henrie the eightth to marie his sister in law and 25. q. 6 authoritatem in glâ—…ss with Philip the late king of Spaine to mary his owne niece Pope Martin the fift dispensed with a certaine brother that Antonin sum 3. part tit 1. cap. 11. §. quod Papa sum angel diâ—…t Papa maried his owne sister And Clement the seauenth licensed Petrus Aluaraâ—…lus the spaniard for a summe of money to marie two sisters at once c. Disobedience to parents periury that is breaking of lawfull oathes rebellion against lawfull princes murdering of a sacred prince are condemned by the lawe of God as haynous offences But if children shall cast of their parents to enter into a Sodomiticall cloister if the Pope shall absolue the subiects from their oathes and forbidde them
which the holy Ghost in the scriptures hath foretold concerning the miracles of Antichrist do not agree to the Pope church of Rome For concerning the miracles of Antichrist the scriptures saith he mention three things 1. that Antichrist shall worke many miracles 2. what maner of miracles they shall be 3. there are recorded examples Of al which points I haue intreated heretofore prouing from Bellarmine his owne grounds that the Pope is Antichrist And first that many signes and wonders should be wrought by Antichrist his adherents which Lib. 1. cap. 7. they call miracles the scriptures testifie the euent hath proued and we do confesse And secondly that all these signes wonders howsoeuer he and his followers do boast of them and in respect thereof contemne the true professors yet are as the Apostle saith lying signes and wonders both in respect of the ende which is to seduce and to confirme lies in respect of the substance which is counterfeit For wheras Bellarmine addeth that they are also called lying signes in respect of the efficient and author of them which is the father of lyes according to whose power Antichrist was to come who as some of the Fathers affirme was to be a notable Magician or sorcerer This seemeth to be somewhat far fetched vnlesse we will take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be masculine as none doth Notwithstanding because the Apostle ascribeth the working of these miracles to the power of Sathan we will trace him in his owne steppes not doubting to apply this note also to the Pope and church of Rome seeing it cannot be doubted but that as very many not onely of their Cleargy but euen of their Popes haue bene notable Magicians and sorcerers so also very many of the miracles in the church of Rome haue bin the operatiōs or illusiōs of the diuell As for their Cleargy who knoweth not but that there haue bin fewe learned men among thē who haue not bene knowne or at the least suspected to be coniurers and skilfull as some call it of the blacke Art But as touching the Popes because it may seeme incredible that any known Magician or sorcerer should be aduanced to the Apostolike See as they call it therefore it may be thought that the sorcery witchcraft of the most of thē who indeed were sorcerers was hidden vnknown Notwithstanding euē in their owne writers there are recorded as knowne Magicians sorcerers aboue 20. Popes diuers wherofgaue themselues wholy to the diuell that in thē the prophesie of the Apostle might be fulfilled viz. that they might come to the Papacie by the helpe of the diuell or as the Apostle speaketh 2. Thess. 2. 9. that their comming might be according to the efficacie of Satan And as this hapned often so especially about those times wherein Antichrist in the Papacie was in a maner come to his full growth that is to say in Syluestex 2. Gregory 7. and all the Popes betwixt them who were a sort of infamous sorcerers And therefore if any miracles haue bin wrought by such Popes as Saunders braggeth of many signes wonders wrought by Gregory 7. we need not doubt but that as themselues were Magicians Demonsir 20. and sorcerers so their signes and wonders were wrought by the power of the diuell 2 And thus Bellarmine through all the causes sheweth the miracles of Antichrist to be lying signes and wonders But to what ende I beseech you serueth all this discourse Will Bellarmine conclude from hence that the Pope is not Antichrist either because there are no miracles in the church of Rome which was the first point or because those miracles which they haue be not lying signes and wonders which was the second If this were his ende why then doth hee not from this proposition as it were his groundworke assume and conclude after this manner By Antichrist and his adherents many signes and wonders shall be wrought which they call miracles as the scripture testifieth By the Pope and his adherents many signes and wonders haue not bin wrought which they call miracles therfore the Pope is not Antichrist But Bellarmine durst not reason thus seeing the Papists bragge of nothing more then of their signes and wonders which they call miracles And therefore from this ground I haue heretofore inferred the contrary For if it be a peculiar note of Antichrist and his adherents in these latter times to worke many signes and wonders which they call miracles then can it not be auoyded but that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist and the church of Rome the Synagogue of Antichrist seeing they alone do bragge of miracles See the first booke chap. 7. § 1. 2. Secondly why doth hee not reason thus By Antichrist and his followers lying signes and wonders shal be wrought But by the Pope and church of Rome there haue bene no lying signes and wonders wrought therefore the Pope is not Antichrist Indeed this would Bellarmine haue the simple reader gather from his words and that is the drift of all that discourse But this he could not assume and conclude because his owne conscience doth tell him that which all the worlde knowes that their church is full of lying signes and wonders which they call miracles Therefore from Bellarmines owne ground I reason thus If it be a peculiar note of Antichrist and his Synagogue in these latter times to work many lying signes and wonders then it must be confessed that the Pope is Antichrist and the church of Rome the Synagogue of Antichrist because among them are many lying signes and wonders but the first is testified in the scriptures and therfore the latter cannot be denied seeing I haue proued that the church of Rome is full of lying signes and wonders which notwithstanding they call miracles See the first Booke Chap. 7. § 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 3 It is plaine therefore that of those three things which Bellarmine obserueth out of the scriptures concerning the miracles of Antichrist the two first doo fitly serue to proue the Pope Antichrist Neither will the three examples of Antichrist his miracles which Bellarmine setteth downe in the third place disproue the same For of these three examples to wit First that Antichrist or at least his Ministers shall make fire to come downe from heauen in the sight of men Secondly that he shall put life into the Image of the beast and cause it to speake Thirdly that he shall faigne himselfe to die and to rise againe The two first which indeed belong to Antichrist doe fitly agree to the Pope as hath bene shewed in the first booke chap. 7. from the 8. § to the ende of the chapter The third belongeth not to Antichrist From whence notwithstanding Bellarmine argueth thus The third miracle of Antichrist saith he is that he shall faigne himself to die to rise againe for which miracle especially the whole world almost shall admire him But neuer did any Pope faigne
A TREATISE CONCERNING ANTICHRIST DIVIDED INTO TWO BOOKES THE FORMER PROVING THAT THE POPE IS ANTICHRIST THE LATTER MAINTAIning the same assertion against all the obiections of Robert Bellarmine Iesuit and Cardinall of the Church of Rome By GEORGE DOVVNAME Doctor of Diuinitie and lately reader of the Diuinity Lecture in Paules Apoc. 18 4. 6. Come out of Babylon my people that you be not partakers with her in her sinnes and that you receiue not of her plagues c. Render vnto her as she hath rewarded you and repay her double according to her workes AT LONDON Imprinted for Cuthbert Burbie 1603. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE MOST CHRISTIAN AND WORTHY KING IAMES by the grace of God King of England Scotland Fraunce and Ireland defender of the faith c. All prosperitie and true happinesse in this life and eternall felicitie in the life to come THE blessed dispensation of Gods most gracious prouidence towards this land for which his holy name is alwayes to be praised in his church in bringing your Highnesse vnto this kingdome in the beginning of this seuenteenth century after Christ seemeth to presage that the happy reformation of the church restitution of the Gospell consumption of Antichrist decay of Babilon happily begun in the last centenary shall in this age or century receiue a notable confirmation and increase if not a perfect consummation For howsoeuer whiles the darkenesse of Popery ouer spred the Christian world not onely the inhabitants of the earth were made drunke with the goulden cup of the whore of Babylons Apoc. 17. 2 18. 3. fornications but the Kings also and Princes of the earth hauing drunke of the same cup committed spirituall whoredome Apo. 17. 13 with her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power to support 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when as it 〈◊〉 God 〈◊〉 enlighten the world with the bright beames of his glorious Gospell then Antichrist began to consume and Babylon to decay the Preachers discouering Antichrist the people comming Apoc. 1â—… 1. 14. 6. 3. out of Babylon and the Princes which before had assisted Antichrist setting themselues against him This great worke of God in the full consumption of Antichrist and confusion of Babylon the Ministers of God that is to say Princes and Preachers are Rom. 13. 4. to accomplish and bring to passe The Preachers by preaching the euerlasting Gospell at the sound whereof Babylon falleth as once Apoc. 14. 6. 7. 8. the walles of Iericho at the noise of the Trumpets sounded by the Priests and by the ministerie whereof as it were the spirit of the Ioh. 6. Lords mouth Antichrist falleth into a consumption as Dagon 2. Thes. 2. 8 once did fall before the Arke Th Princes partly by their godly example going out and in before the people in the sincere profession 2. Sam. 5. of the truth and detestation of popery partly by their authoritie prouiding faithfull Ministers countenancing their Ministerie oppugning Antichrist in his religion and in his members bereauing the whore of Babylon the Popes concubine of her meanes Apo. 17. 16 and lastly sacking her and consuming her with fire For which cause as I thought it my duety being called to read a Lecture in diuinitie when I perceiued the Papists within these few yeares I know not vpon what other hopes then of raising their fortunes out of the ruines of this whole Island growne more insolent then in former times to make the best opposition I could against them and to that end handled this maine controuersie concerning Antichrist whervpon all Popery dependeth both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proouing the affirmatiue viz. that the Pope is Antichrist and also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disproouing the negatiue against the obiections of Bellarmine the Goliath of the Papists so being now at the instance of many well disposed persons to publish this treatise I haue thought good to dedicate the same to your Maiestie as the chiefe patron and defender of the faith and Gospell of Christ vpon earth against Antichrist and his adherents For hereby not onely your royall courage may be stirred vp and your godly resolution in oppugning Antichrist according to the prophecies of the scripture foretelling the dutie of Christian Princes in this behalfe more and more confirmed but also it may most euidently appeare to all men that vpon most iust and weighty considerations you and your people renounce all communion with the Pope and church of Rome and by all good meanes doe set our selues against them For if the Pope be Antichrist which is prooued in this Booke consequently the church of Rome the whore of Babylon and synagogue of Antichrist the papists who call themselues Catholicks and vs Heretiques the limmes of Antichrist the religion and doctrine of popery the mysterie of iniquitie and meere Antichristianisme it followeth necessarily that Christian princes are not to tolerate either the religion of papists or their persons within their dominions The religion Deu. 13. 1. 5 of papistry being a Catholick Apostasie from God consisting not onely in respect of the worship of manifold superstion and most grosse idolatrie but also in respect of the doctrine of many hundred Antichristian errours and doctrines of diuels The persons of Catholick-papists being Catholick heretiques and reuolters froÌ„ God members of Antichrist palpable idolatours many of them especially the Seminarie priests and Iesuites perswaders of others to idolatry and apostasie from God Not to speake of the treason against Christian Princes which is enclosed in the bowels of popery and bosomes of papists For they teach that all Christian Princes who acknowledge not the Pope for their supreame head and Lord as no true Christians doe are Schismaticks at the least and consequently that the Pope hath authoritie to depose them and to absolue their subiects from their allegiance and that the Pope when he proceedeth to the sentence of excommunication and deposition of them as he did against your sister of blessed memorie Queene Elizabeth and doth so oft as he dareth against others he doth not erre in his definitiue sentence And therefore whatsoeuer they pretend to the contrarie it is certaine that they being the marked slaues of Antichrist wholy deuoted to his will are also willing and ready when meanes and opportunitie faile not to put in execution his Antichristian censures and diuellish designements In consideration whereof Christian Princes and people are not onely bound to come out of Babylon and to renounce Apoc. 18. 4. all communion with the Pope and Church of Rome but also they are to rewarde the where of Babylon as she hath rewarded vs Apoc. 18. 6. yea to repay her double and not onely to hate her but also to make her desolate and naked to eate her flesh and consume Apo. 17. 16. her with fire And hereof Christian Princes are to be assured that as those which ioyne with the Pope in persecuting the faithfull doe fight vnder the banner of Antichrist the beast
that the teÌ„ple should neuer be reedified and Hierome saith that the opinion which is Ad Marcell for the restoring of the temple is a Iewish fable Whereas therfore the Papists teach that Antichrist shall cause this temple to be built and that he shall haue his seat there which they know shall neuer be what doe they else but make a mockery of all the prophecies of the holy Ghost concerning the comming of Antichrist and with Iulian goe about to giue the lie to Daniel and our Sauiour Christ. 14. Againe if th'apostle had by temple meant such a temple as should be built by Antichrist hee would not haue called it the Temple of God but rather of the Diuell Non enim templum alicuius idoli saith Augustine aut daemonis De ciuit Dei lib. 10. c. 19. templum Dei Apostolus diceret For the temple of some idoll or Diuell the Apostle would not call the temple of God Neither are wee by the temple of God to vnderstand a materiall building for such as Bellarmine truely saith are not called the temple of God in the newe Testament And therefore the more grosse is he to vnderstande it of a materiall temple and of a corporall sitting For first materiall temples in the writings of th'apostles are not called the temples of God but the congregations of Gods people are the temple of God See 1. Cor. 3. 16. 17. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Ephes. 2. 21. Apoc. 3. 12. And according to the Scriptures phrase speaketh Lactanâ—…us Solâ—… Instit. lib. 4. cap. 30. saith hee catholica Ecclesia est quae verum cultum retinet hic est fons veritatis hoc est domicilium fidei hoc templum Dei It is the catholicke Church alone which retaineth the true worship this is the welspring of trueth this is the house of faith this is the temple of God The temple of God therefore signifieth the congregation or companie of them which professe the name of Christ. In this temple Antichrist sitteth that is ruleth and raigneth For wee are not to vnderstand it of the corporal gesture as appeareth by that which followeth he shal sitte in the temple of God as God that is he shall rule and raigne as if he were a God for that is meant by Gods sitting who doth not sitte after a corporall maner In the temple Psalm 9. 5. of God therefore which is his Church Antichrist sitteth that is ruleth and gouerneth challenging a soueraigne and vniuersall dominion ouer all those that professe the name of Christ as being the head husband and Lord of the vniuersall church which agreeth most fitly and properly to the Popes of Rome Neither are we to omit the phrase of sitting For whereas princes are said to raigne so many yeares the Popes are saide to sitte and the chiefe place of his dominion is called his Sedes that is Sec or seat 15 And this our interpretation is confirmed by the testimonies of the auncient The temple of God saith Theodoret he calleth the churches wherin Antichrist shal challeÌ„ge to himselfe in 2. Thess. 2. the first seat endeuouring to shewe himselfe to be God And againe Dei autem templum vocat ecclesias The temple of God Epitom he calleth the churches Hierome in templo Dei saith he vel Hierosolymis vt quidam putant vel in ecclesia vt veriùs arbitramur Ad Algasiam quaest 11. And he shall sit in the temple of God either at Ierusalem as some thinke or in the church as we more truely suppose Chrysostome in 2. Thess. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where it seemeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put corruptly for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the greeke scholiast whoe vsually reporteth worde for worde out of Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Oecumen in 2. Thess. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the temple Hee saithe not in the temple at Ierusalem but in the churches of God And likewise Theophylact not in the temple which is at Ierusalem in 2. Thess. 2. specially but simply in the churches and in euery temple of God Augustine of these words saith But in what temple of God he shall sit as God it is vncertaine whether in that ruine of De ciuit Dei lib. 20. c. 19. the temple which king Salomon built or else in the church For the Apostle would not call the temple of an idoll or diuel the temple of God Whereupon some to whose iudgement not only Augustine in this place but Primasius also subscribeth some I say by Antichrist in this place will haue understood not the prince Bellarmine citeth it as Augustines owne iudgement cap. 13. himselfe but his whole body after a sort that is the multitude of men pertaining vnto him together with the prince himselfe And they thinke it might better be read in the latine as it is in the greeke non in templo Dei sed in templum dei sedeat tanquam ipse sit templum Dei quod est ecclesia Sicut dicimus sedet in amicum i. velut i amicus c. He sitteth not in the temple of God but as the temple of God as if he were the temple of God which is the church euen as we say sedet in amicum that is he sitteth as a friend Which exposition most fitly agreeeth to the Pope and church of Rome who esteeme themselues alone to be the catholike church and all others professing the name of Christ to be heretikes and schismaticks By this which hath bene saide it is plaine that by the temple we are to vnderstand the church of God And yet this doth no more proue the church of Rome to be the true church of God then they can proue the temple of Antichrist at Ierusalem where they say he should sit to be Of this see more in the 2. booke 13. chap. §. 4. 5. 6. the temple of God It is sufficient that the church where Antichrist sitteth hath bene the true church and still is in title and profession although in truth it bee but an Apostaticall church Eor Antichrist as he was to sit in the church so he was to be the head of the Apostasie and of those that fal from god who notwithstanding according to that exposition in Augustine shall sit in templum Dei as though they alone were the true church of God 16 But the Papists confirme their exposition viz that the temple of God signifieth the temple at Ierusalem out of the Apoc. 11. 8. eleuenth of the Apocalypse eight verse Where Iohn sheweth say they That the bodies of Enoch and Elias being slaine by Antichrist shall lie in the streets of Ierusalem Whereunto I answere that Iohn in that place neither speaketh of Enoch and Elias not yet of Ierusalem And whether he speake of the persecution of Antichrist there may be some doubt because he seemeth verse 2. and 7. to speake of the same persecution of the holy
Anno. 1260. of that vniuersitie called the monks and priests the subiects of Antichrist One Lawrence also an Englishman master of Paris proued the Pope to be Antichrist the synagogue of Rome the great Anno. 1290. I. Fox BabyloÌ„ About the same time Maenardus Tyrolius in a publick edict calleth the Popes effeminate Antichrists And againe if they be not Antichrists I pray you what are they Auentin annal boior li. 7. Michael Cesenas principall of the gray fryers wrote against the pride tyranny and primacy of the Pope accusing him to be Anno. 1322. 1. Fox Antichrist and the church of Rome the whore of Babylon drunken with the bloud of Saints Hayabalus a fryer in the time of Clement the sixt preached and that as he saide by Anno. 1345. Henrie de Herford in Chronic. Catalog test 1. Fox commaundement from God that the church of Rome is the whore of Babylon and that the Pope with his Cardinalles is the very Antichrist Wilhâ—…lmus Occomensis as Auentine calleth him wrote a booke against Charles and Clement the sixte wherein he calleth the Pope Antichrist Auentin annal Boior li. 7. Briget whom the Papists worship as a canonized Saint calleth the Pope a murtherer of soules more cruell then Iudas Anno. 1370. more vniust then Pilate worse then Lucifer himselfe She prophecieth 1. Fox that the See of Rome shall bee throwne downe into the deepe like a milstone according to the prophecie of Saint Iohn Apocalypse 18. 21 About the same yeere Matthias Parifiensis a Bohemian writing a booke of Antichrist proueth that he is already come and noateth him to be the Pope Franciscus Petrarch in many places of his writings calleth Anno. 1374. the court of Rome the whore of Babylon the mother of the fornications and abominations of the earth Vrhanus the sixt and Clement the seauenth two Popes at once call one the other Antichrist As Bernard before had called Baldus de vit pontif Anacletus against whom Innocentius the second was chosen as Antipope That beast saith hee in the Apocalypse to Anno 1378. Anno. 1130. Epist. 125. whom is giuen a mouth speaking blasphemies to war with the Saints meaning Antichrist occupieth the chaire of Peter as a Lyon ready for the pray But most effectually doth our godly and learned countryman Iohn Wicleffe discouer the enormities and heresyes of the Anno. 1383. Bellar. de pont Rom. lib. 3. c. 1. Pope whom he pronounced to be Antichrist Artic. 30. His iudgement as in other things so also in this that worthy Martyr of Christ Iohn Husse followed Who affirmeth in his Anno. 1405. booke de ecclesia that hee was troubled because he preached Christ and discouered Antichrist That the Censures of the Romish church were Antichristian and proceeding froÌ„ Antichrist as Gerson the Parisians obiect against him Art 16 that in those times many ages before there had bin no true Pope nor true Romane church but the Popes were Antichrists the church of Rome the synagogue of Satan Whose iudgement many in Bohemia followed Sir Iohn Oldâ—…astell the Lord Anno 1413. 1. Foxe Cobham that famous noble martyr of Christ prosessed to K. Henry the 5. that by the Scriptures he knew the Pope to be the great Antichrist the son of perdition c. Hieronimus Sauanarola taught that the Pope is Antichrist because he did attribute Anno. 1500. 1. Foxe more to his owne indulgeÌ„ces pardoÌ„s then to Christs merits About the yeare of our Lord 1517. Luther began to preach against the Popes indulgences and afterwards against other Anno. 1517. errours and abominations of the Pope and church of Rome discouering more plainely then any had done before him that Rome is Babylon and the Pope Antichrist Since whose times this truth hath beene almost generally acknowledged by the true and reformed Churches of Christ. Seing therefore we haue proued that Antichrist was to sitte in Rome professing her selfe the church of God and that after the taking away of the Romane Emperour whom hee was to succeed in the gouernment of Rome and there to be reuealed both by his owne shewing himself in his colours also by the acknowledgement of others it cannot be auoided but that the Pope is Antichrist For he and none but he sitteth that is reigneth in Rome professing her selfe the church of God and that after the taking away of the Romane Emperour not onely by the remouing of the imperiall seat but also by the dissolutioÌ„ of the Empire in the West whom hee succeedeth in the gouernment of Rome where he hath bene reuealed not onely by his owne shewing himselfe in his colours but also by the acknowledgement of others 8. Vnto the former place of the Epistle to the Thessal we will adde two other places out of th'apocalyps from whence both the place and time of Antichrist may be iointly gathered The former place is in the 13. of th'apocalips where two beasts are described signifying two estates of the Romane gouernment 2. as they are opposed vnto Christ the former representeth the persecuting Emperours the latter Antichrist Of the former he saith thus I saw a beast arising out of 〈◊〉 sea that is of many diuers peoples which it had vanquished Now the description of this beast containeth in it the resemblances of those 4. kingdoms which are described in Daniel the Romane Empire farre surpassing theÌ„ al. The first of the beasts in Daniel signifying the kingdome of the Babylonians is coÌ„pared to a Lion The 2. resembling the kingdome of the Medes and Persians to a Beare The 3. representing the monarchy of the MacedoniaÌ„s to a Leopard The 4. figuring the kingdome of the Seleucidae and Lagidae to a beast with 10. hornes resembling so many of their kings who should tyrannize ouer Iewry The Empire of Rome therfore as if it were compounded of them all is resembled to a beast hauing ten hornes with so many diademes vpon them both in respect of the ten persecuting Emperors answering the 10. Seleucedae Lagidae as also in regard of the 10. kingdoms or prouinces wherinto the Romane Empire in those times was diuided being also like a Leopard hauing the feet or pawes as it were of a Beare the rauening mouth of a LioÌ„ And besides all this is said to haue seueÌ„ heads which afterwards chapt 17. are expounded to be 7. hilles also 7. heads of gouernmeÌ„t c. to this beast was giuen authority or power ouer euery tribe Verse 7. language and nation c. al which are proper to the Empire of Rome The former beast therefore signifieth the Romane state especially as it was vnder the persecuting Emperours as Bellarmine Lib. 3. de pont R. cap. 15. confesseth The second beast described vers 11. and so forward to the end of the chapter is as Bellarmine saith all men do confesse Antichrist who also is by the coÌ„fession of the said
of himselfe sheweth what kind of defection hee speaketh of For afterwards in the same chapter he noteth this Apostasy 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. 12. to be of those who because they haue not loued nor beleeued the truth that they might be saued but haue taken pleasure in vnrigteousnes are therefore giuen ouer by the iust iudgement of God to beleeue the lies of Antichrist to their damnation But more plainely the same Apostle speaking of that Apostasie which in these later times was to accompany the reuelation of Antichtist he saith 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. The spirit speaketh euideÌ„tly 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. that in the latter times some shall make an Apostasie from the faith attending to erronious spirits and doctrines of diuells speaking lyes in hypocrisie hauing their owne conscience seared 3 Now the Papists are as ready to obiect this Apostasy to vs as wee to them How then shall we discerne whether we or they haue made this reuolt The Apostle in the same place setteth downe two of those doctrines of diuells as certaine notes whereby those which make this Apostasie may be discerned Forbidding saith hee to marry and commaunding to abstaine 1. Tim 4. 3. from meats which God hath created to bee receiued with thanksgiuing The former where of Hierome also hath noated to bee a In Dan. 11. marke of Antiehrist Nota est Antichristi prohibere nuptias But these notes agree not vnto vs who neither forbid mariage nor commaund abstinence from any meats for religion sake As for the Papists especiallie since the times of Gregory the seauenth they forbid mariage to some men at all times and certaine meats to all men at sometimes and that for religion sake esteeming of mariage in their clergie worse then adultery or Sodomy and eating of flesh in Lent or other forbidden times as a mortall sinne And as touching the falling away of the Church certaine it is that although neither the inuisible 1. Iohn 2. 19. church in generall nor any one sound member thereof caÌ„ fall away from faith either totally or finally yet not onely the members of visible churches but also the churches themselues consisting of hypocrites as of the greater part may fall away As the Church of England which was in King Edwards daies reuolted in Queene Maries time from Christ to Antichrist So hath the church of Rome which once was famous for her Rom. 1. faith as may appeare not onely by those notes set downe by the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. 3. and some others which hereafter See the 2. boke chapt 2. shal be noted but also in those innumerable particulars both in doctrine and maners wherein they haue reuolted from the purity of the primitiue Church And of this catholicke Apostasie the Pope is head 4. Secondly Antichrist is not an open and outward but a couert disguised enimy oppugning Christ his church not by open violeÌ„ce but with all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes 2. Thess. 2. 10. For he is not so foolish as to professe himself to be Antichrist Neither could that be which the Apostle testifieth as Radulphus FlauiaceÌ„sis saith that Antichrist should attaine vnto ecclesiasticall In Leuit. lib. 18 cap. 1. apud Magdeburg centur 10. honours and in the temple of God that is the society of the faithfull should take the chaire of honour vnlesse hauing first pretended a kind of coÌ„formity with the faithful he should deceiue those of whom he is to be ordained Therfore Antichristianisme is called the mystery of iniquitie whereupon the Glose saith 2. Thess. 2. 7. The impiety of Antichrist is mysticall that is cloaked vnder the In 2. Thess. 2. name of godlinesse And as in the Popes miter was wont so also in the whore of Babylons forehead is written a mystery Apoc. 17. 2. Thess. 2. 4. Augustin Primasâ—… glossâ—…in Apoc. 13. And Antichrist himselfe is deciphered as an hypocrite sitting in the teÌ„ple of God professing himselfe and his followers to be the onely true church of God vsing the two Testaments pretending himselfe as Hierome saith to bee the Prince of the couenant And consequently head of the Church deceiuing vnsounde In Dan. 11. Christians with a glorious profession of religioÌ„ signified by the Apo. 17. golden cup with a shew of couÌ„terfait holinesse otherwise he could neuer so effectually deceiue many christiaÌ„s as that the elect Mat. â—…4 24. should be in any dauÌ„ger to be seduced speaking lies in hypocrisie oppugning Christ his truth vnder the outward shew 1. Tim. 4. 2. profession of Christian religion hauing two hornes like the Apoc. 13. 11. lambe couÌ„terfeiting in some things the humility meekenes of Christ yet challeÌ„ging that double power both spirituall teÌ„porall which belongeth to Christ the laÌ„be as our chief priest and king and not onely that but speaking also like the dragon Which is to be vnderstood partly of his blasphemous speaches which he doth vtter partly of the doctrines of diuels which he 1. Tim. 4 1. doth teach partly of those hellish curses which he thundreth against the true professors of the faith partly of those great promises which like the prince of the world he maketh to those Mat. 9 4 that will adore him These things need no application for those to whom the disguising more then pharisaical hypocrisie of the Pope Papists is knowne For must not his holines be called sanctissimus most holy wheÌ„ he is most wicked doth not he call himself SeruuÌ„seruoruÌ„ the seruaÌ„t of seruants wheÌ„ in truth he maketh himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And as Faber hath obserued the Pope in word saith that he is the seruant of seruaÌ„ts but in deed he permitteth himselfe to be adored Praesat instit which the Angel in th' Apocalyps refused FroÌ„ which fact of the Pope as if it were a rule of iustice Antoninus concludeth that Suâ—… part 3. there is no lesse honour due to the Pope then to the Angels Wherupon â—…it 22. 〈◊〉 4. saith he he receiueth from the faithfull adorations prostration or falling downe before him and the kisses of his feete which the Angell permitted not to be done vnto him by Iohn the Euangelist Neither was Bernards complaint either vniust or Apoc. 22. Serm. in conuers Pauli vntrue Heuheu Doâ—…ine Deus c. Alas Lord God that they be first in thy persecution which seeme to loue the primacie in thy Church and to beare rule And else where A silihy contagion saith he spreadeth it selfe now adaies through the whole In cant seâ—…m 33. body of the Church c. All are louers and all enemies all friends al aduersaries all domesticall or of the houshold and none peaceable all neighbours and yet all seeke their owne they are ministers of Christ and they serue Antichrist And such was the complaint of diuerse Bishoppes in their Epistle to Pope Nicolas recorded in Auentine
Of Gregory they say thus in their praiers Hic nos saluet à peccatis vt in coelo cum beatis possimus quiescere That is Let him saue vs from our sinnes that in heauen wee may rest with the blessed Of Thomas Becket th'archbishop of Canterbury because he died in the Popes quarrell which like a rebell he maintained against his soueraigne king Henry the second they say full deuoutly Tu per Thomae sanguinem quem pro te impendit Fac nos Christe scandere quò Thomas ascendit That is By the blood of Thomas which he for thee did spend Make vs Christ to come whither Thomas did ascend Of Peter and Paule Concede vt amboâ—…uÌ„ meritis aeternitatis gloriam consequamur Graunt that by the meries of them Ex. Rom. Breuiar both we may obtaine eternall glory To Mary the blessed virgin whom they idolatrously cal our Ladie and the Queene of heauen they pray thus O vnica spes miserorum libera nos Ex compassionib Mariae ab omni malo O thou that art the onely hope of them that are in miserie deliuer vs from all euill And elsewhere they call her Desperatorum spem vnicam peccatorum salvatricem Innoc. in orat de 300. dier indulgent In orat de 5. vnbâ—…rib The onely hope of them which are in despaire and the Sauiour of sinners Againe Mediatrix Dei hominum salus spes in the sperantium O thou the mediatrix betwixt God and men the saluation and hope of them that hope in thee And somewhere it is said O regina poli mater gratissima proli Speâ—…ere me noli me commendo tibi soli O Queene of heauen mother most deare to thy sonne do not thou despise me vnto thee alone I coÌ„mend me And againe Cum nulla spes sit altera nisi tu virgo puerpera In missali Paristensi patris parens filia cui me reconcilia Seeing there is no other hope besides thee O virgin mother the mother and daughter of-thy father to whom I pray thee reconcile me And to conclude for innumerable such speeches might be produced they say O foelix puerpera nostra pians scelera Ibid. iure matris impera redemptori O happy mother which doest purge away our sins by thy motherly authority commaunde our redeemer So that sometimes they doe ioyne vnto our Sauiour Christ other mediatours not onely of intercession but also of redemption which indeede is presupposed in the former sometimes also they exclude our Sauiour Innocent in orat in laudem virginis Christ when as they say that Mary purgeth away the sins of all the faithfull and that she and no other is the onely hope of them that are in misery and despaire And not to speake of their blasphemous psalter wherein they turne that which is spoken in the Psalmes either of God or Christ to the virgin Mary some of them say that whereas the kingdome of Christ consisteth in two things iustice and mercie Christ reserueth iustice vnto himself mercie he hath giuen vp to his mother And therefore one saith A foro iustitiae Dei appellundum est ad Bernardinus in Marâ—…al forum misericordiae matris eius From the court of Gods iustice we must appeale to the court of his mothers mercy 10 As touching the kingdome of Christ what doth not the Pope oppugne in it The realme and kingdome of Christ is his church which he ruleth by his spirit inwardly and outwardly by his word which is both his scepter and his lawe and also by such officers and ministers as hee hath ordained both in the church and common wealth The church and people of God this sonne of perdition seeketh to destroy First by killing the bodies of the true seruants of Christ that refuse his marke in respect whereof hee may most worthilie bee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or abaddon that is a destroyer his church the whore Apoc. 9. of Babylon which is drunke with the bloud of Saints and of the Martyrs of Iesus as shall be shewen in the second booke and seauenth chapter And as hee killeth the bodies of those that will not receiue his marke so hee murdereth the soules of them that submit theÌ„selues vnto him poysoning them with his damnable errours and making them drunke with the wine of his fornications after which they shall drinke of the cuppe of Apoc. 14. 9. Gods wrath Now in making hauocke of mens soules he taketh such liberty vnto him as that if he should draw with him innumerable soules into hell yet no man may say vnto him Domine cur ita facis Syr why do you so And in the Canon Si papa dist 40. it is sayd If the Pope do cary with him innumerable Glossâ—…iur caâ—… peoples by troupes into hell no man in this world may presume to reproue his fault because he is to iudge all and to be iudged of none vnlesse he be found to erre from the faith which the Pope as he is Pope cannot doe Hereunto Bellarmine aunswereth that the words of this Canon bee not the words of any Pope Cupers pag. 18. num 12. but of Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz Yea but say I the Lib. 3. de pont Rom. cap. 21. Pope hath so approued this speeche being deliuered by another as that hee hath canonized it and appointed it for one of the canons of his law Which is more then if it had bin spoken by himselfe But Bellarmine replyeth If this sentence of Boniface be not true why do you obiect it if it be true why do you not receiue it I aunswere because it being not onely false but blasphemous also and Antichristian is notwithstanding by the Pope authorized for a Canon in his lawe Moreouer one of the chiefe works of Gods spirit the spirit of adoption which is speciall faith apprehending the righteousnesse of Christ to our iustification hee laboureth to extinguish in the hearts of men calling it presumption acknowledging no other faith Iam. 2. but such as is common to the diuells which consisteth onely of knowledge and assent and yet not requiring that in the lay people whome vnder the name of implicite faith hee nuzleth in palpable ignorance and leadeth them beeing blind as Elizeus did the Aramites euen whether it pleaseth 2. King 6. him The pure wheat of Gods word hee suppresseth and keepeth from the people in an vnknowne tongue and see deth them with the mast of their Legends and festiualls and lyes I should haue sayd liues of Saints The lawes of Christ he partly dispenseth with and partly abrogateth making them of none effect by his owne constitutions and traditions In the church in steede of the offices and functions ordayned by Christ hee hath created a new priesthoode erected an hierarchy consecrated orders and religions of his owne In the common wealth hee absolueth the people from their obedience to their princes if they shal displease him And it is a
was burnt in the market place at Chester by the appointment of my father then Bishoppe there which was made with such a deuise that if one standing behind did pull a certaine string which was in the back part thereof it would moue the hand as if it blessed the people But that it may appeare that in the Church of Rome were lying miracles and that the Popish people were giuen ouer to beleeue lyes I will for a taste recite a fewe examples out of their owne records Their Golden Legend so called because as gold excelleth all other mettals so that Booke * Viz. in lying excelleth all other bookes in the inuentiō of the body of S. Fremin the martyr reporteth that after the Sunne had miraculously sent his beames through a stone wall vpon the graue and thereupon they had digged there to find the body there issued thence such a sweet smel as they weened they had beene in Paradise Which odour spread it selfe not onely through the citie of Amiens where the body lay but also vnto diuerse other cities The sweetnesse whereof as it moued the people of diuerse cities to bring their oblations to this glorious Saint so it cured some a farre off as the Lord of Baugency from their diseases But when this body was taken vp and caried in the citie of Amiens straunge wonders were wrought For then that I may vse the wordes of the English Legend the elemēts them moued by the miracle of this Saint The snow that was that time great on the earth was turned into powder and dust by the heat that was then and the yse that hung on the trees became flowers and leaues and the medowes about Amiens flowred became greene And the Sunne which by his nature should goe lowe that day ascended as high as shee is on S. Iohns day at noone in the s◅mmer And as men bare the body of this Saint the trees enclined and worshipped the body all maner sicke men of what malady they had they receiued health in the inuention of the blessed body of S. Fremin c. In the Legend of S. Patricke the Irish Saint by whose praier forsooth all venemous beastes were banished out of Ireland for you may not thinke it was so before wee read and reading smile that on a time a sheepe being stollen hee admonished all the people that whosoeuer had stollen it should within seuen daies restore it to the owner The 7. daies being expired the sheepe was not restored Then saith the Legend S. Patricke commaunded by the vertue of God that the sheepe should bleate and crie in the belly of him that had eaten it And so it happened that in the presence of all the people the sheepe cried and bleated in the belly of him that had stollen it 7. In the Legend of the Annunciation of our Lady wee are told of a noble Knight who betooke himselfe vnto an Abbey and because hee was vnlearned there was a Master assigned vnto him But either hee was so dull or the inuenter of the tale so doltish that in a long time hee could learne no more but these two words Aue Maria. Which words as he alwaies had in his mouth whiles he was aliue so they grew out of his mouth when hee was dead For these wordes saith the Legend he had so sore imprinted in his heart that alwaies hee had them in his mouth wheresoeuer hee was At the laste hee died and was buried in the Church-yarde of the brethren It happened after that vpon his graue their grew a right faire Flowre de lyce and in euery flower was written in letters of gold Aue Maria. Of which miracle all the brethren were marueyled and they did open the sepulchre and found that the roote of this Flowredelyce came out of the mouth of the said Knight and anou they vnderstood that our Lord would haue him honoured for the great deuotion he had to say these wordes Aue Maria. Likewise in the booke of the conformities of S. Francis which Booke I could wishe were more common that Popery might appeare vnto all in her colours there is a miracle recorded for the proofe of transubstantiation that on a time frier Frauncis saying Masse did finde a spider in the Chalice which hee would not cast out but drunke it vp with the blood Afterward rubbing his thigh scratching where it itched the spider came whole out of his thigh without any harme to either But if the bread and wine after consecration bee turned into the very body and bloud of Christ then more maruellous and I am sure more true is the story of victor the Pope and * An. 1154. William Archbishop of Yorke and Henry of Lucemburgh the Emperour all which were poisoned the two first with that which was in the Chalice and the Emperour with the hoste which a Monke had poisoned And to these many more worthy miracles of the Church of Rome may be added But you-will say that howsoeuer their are many miracles wherein the Church of Rome glorieth yet notwithstanding those speciall miracles which are assigned to Antichrist in the Scriptures haue not beene wrought by the Pope or any of his followers 8. This is indeed the third thing which Bellarmine obserueth that whereas there are three examples of Antichrist his miracles specified in the Scriptures yet none of them haue bene wrought either by the Pope or any other in the church of Rome But I answere that of these three miracles one agreeth not to Antichrist as shal be shewed hereafter and the Lib. 2. cap. 15. other two agree to the Pope For howsoeuer Bellarmine and other Papists from these groundes doe argue that the Pope The authour of the Wardword is not Antichrist yet from thence may the contrary be gathered The former of these miracles is that Antichrist or at least his ministers shall make fire come downe from heauen The second that hee shall cause the image of the beast to Apoc. 13. 13. speake These two miracles Bellarmine vnderstandeth literally and from thence argueth thus Antichrist or his ministers shall make fire come downe from heauen and shall cause the image of the beast to speake But neither the Pope of Rome at any time nor any of his followers haue caused fire to come downe from heauen nor yet made the image of the beast to speake therefore the Pope is not Antichrist The argument is grounded on Apoc. 13. 13. literally vnderstood For such is the absurde peruersenesse of the Papistes that in other partes of Scripture which are simple and playne they doe hunt after mysticall and allegoricall sences but in this Booke of the Reuelation which is moste mysticall and allegoricall without all reason they insiste in the literall sence As for example in that thirtenth chapter where the holy Ghost speaketh of the marke of the beast which the followers of Antichrist should receiue on their foreheads on their right hāds they grossely vnderstande
he haue the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name that speeche doth so fitte the Popes of Rome as that it might seeme rather to bee a narration of that which they haue done thâ—…n 〈◊〉 prophecy of that which they were to doe For Martin 5. in his bull annexed to the councill of Constance giueth straight châ—…rge to all gouernours that they should not suffer any Christians such as Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage who in that bull are condemned for hereticks who acknowledge not the See of Rome nor embrace the doctrines and traditions of holy mother church not beleeuing as the church of Rome beleeueth nor liuing in the coÌ„munion of that church that is to say which haue not the marke nor the name of the beast nor number of his name they should not suffer them I say domicilia tenere larem fouere contractus inire negotiationes mercaturas quaslibet exercere aut humanit at is solatia cum Christi fidelibus habere To keepe house nor harth to make contracts to exercise any trafficke or merchandise or to haue any comforts of humane societie with other Christians In like sort Paulus 3. when Henry 8. of famous memory had shaken of his yoke and renounced his marke he forbadde al men to vse any trafficke or merchaundise or to make any contractes or couenants with him and his subiects he deposed as much as in him lay by his bull of excommunication the king disabled his posteritie absolued his subiectes from obedience exposed his subiectes and their goods to violence and spoile according to the inscription in his coyne Gens regnum quod non seruiâ—…rit mihi exterminabitur The nation or kingdome which serueth not mee shall bee rooted out The like thunderbolt Pius 5. sent out against our Soueraigne Ladie of blessed memorie Queene Elizabeth and Sixtus 5. against Henrie the king of Nauarre now king of Fraunce and Henrie prince of Condee And heereunto serue their blodie inquisitours at this day who are to suffer none to liue or to haue the benefite of humane societie who are but suspected of schisme or heresie And who is an hereticke That doth not beleeue as the Pope and church of Rome beleeueth though hee beleeue according to the scriptures And who is a schismaticke That doth not acknowledge the Antonin part 3. tit 22. c. 5. §. 11. Pope to bee the head of the church Seeing therefore the Pope of Rome causeth all sortes of men to take vpon them the marke of the beast and suffereth none to buy or sell that haue not the marke or name of the beaste or number of his name it cannot bee auoided but that hee is Antichrist 8 And these were the principall effects of Antichrist noted in the scriptures whereunto some others may bee added out of Apoc. 13. which haue in part beene touched heretofore as first that he exerciseth al the power of the former beast secondly that he causeth men to worshippe the former beast thirdly that he forceth men vpon paine of death to worshippe the image of the beast All which as well as the former agree to the Pope For as touching the first who knoweth not that the Pope hath swayed the Romane state for many hundred yeares exercising a more soueraigne and absolute authoritie ouer men of all sorts then euer the heathenishe Emperours did For hee forsooth hath the authoritie of the king Bald. in c. ecclesia vt lit pendent Bloud Rom. insâ—…aur lib. 3. of kings ouer his subiectes hee is perpâ—…uus dictator whome the princes of the worlde adore and worshippe hee is as Boniface the eightth in the greate Iubile Anno. 1300. hauing shewed himselfe the one daye in his pontificall vestimentes and the second in the imperiall robes proclaimed of himselfe I am Pope and Emperour I haue both the heauenlie and the earthly Empire and as they speake in their lawe the Monarchie of both powers hee hath the princehood of the whole world as wee haue hearde before And where doth he exercise this authority in the sight of the beast that is at Rome which is his Papall seate and in the gouernemente whereof hee succeedeth the Emperours 9 And that the Pope maketh the inhabitants of the earth to worship the former beast it is as euident seeing his main policyes and chief indeauours serue to magnifie the Romane state To this end besides many other policyes in part obserued before do his Iubileyes tend wherin he vseth to promise plenaâ—…y remission of al sinnes to all that either come on pilgrimage to Rome or miscarie in their iourney as also the incredible indulgences and pardons which hee graunteth to those which shall come as Pilgrims to Rome to visite the holie places there especially the 7. churches which are priuiledged aboue the rest To which purpose there is reported in an old English book and the reporte no doubt was currant in times Arnaldus Londinens of popery the whole pardon of Rome graunted by diuerse Popes a part whereof I will breefly recite for their behoofe to whome the absurdities of Poperie are not knowne The seauen priuiledged churches whereof not onely that Author speaketh but 〈◊〉 also of late hath wrieten a whole booke are 1. the church of Saint Peter in the Vatican 〈◊〉 the De 7. vrbis ecclesâ—… church of Saint Paul without the walles 3. the church of Saint Laurence without the walles 4. the church of holy crosse in Ierusalem 5. the church of Saint Mary Maior 6. the church of Sa it Sebastian without the city 7. the church of Saint Iohn Laterane To all them that dayly goe to the church of Saint Peter Sylâ—… graunted the third part of all then sinnes released 1. and 2800. years pardon And the 〈◊〉 of as many Lentons or Quarins Now a Quarin saith my author is to goe woolward and barefoot seuen yeare and to fast bread and water on the frydayes 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 one night where he sleepeth another 〈◊〉 coâ—… vnder no coâ—…ed place vnlesse 〈◊〉 be to heare masse in the church dore or porche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or drinke out of no other vessell but in the same that he mede his auowe in Hee that doth all these points seuen yeares together death and â—…inneth a quarin that is to say a Lenton Besides there is an image of our Lord about the church dore hauing between his feete one of the pence that God was sold for as oâ—… as you looke vpon that pâ—…ny you haue 1400 yeares of pardon In that church be eleuen altars of which 7. are specially priuiledged with grace and pardon At the first altar is the visage of out Lorâ—… who looketh on that hath 700. yeares of pardon c. Before the quire dore stand 2. 〈◊〉 â—…rosses who kisseth the crosses hath 500 yeares pardon From the 〈◊〉 to the assumption of our Lady hangeth a cloth of our Ladies owne making before the quire and as many times 〈◊〉 a man beholdeth it
he hath 400. yeares of pardon c. 10 They that visite the church of Saint Paul without the walles haâ—… 48000. yeares of pardon Item on Childerâ—…asse day 2. 4000 yeares of pardon Item on the vias of Saint Martin when the church was hallowed 14000. yeares of pardon and as many quarins and the third part of all sinnes released Those that visit the church of Saint Lauâ—…ence at the high altar haue 18000. 3. yeares of pardon and as many quarins And who goeth thither euery wednesday he deliuered a soule out of purgatory himself quite of all â—…nes In the church Sanctâ—…crucis that is of holy crosse is giuen an hundred thousand yeares of pardon and as 4. many quarins and euery Sunday a soule out of Purgatory and the third part of all sinnes released To theÌ„ that visite the church of 5 S. Mary Maior is grauÌ„ted at the high Altar 14000. yeares of pardon as many quarins And at the altar on the right haÌ„d 19000. yeares of pardoÌ„ And Pope Nicolas the 4. S. Gregory each of them grauÌ„ted thereto 10000. yeares of pardon And froÌ„ the AscensioÌ„ of our Lord vnto Christmas yee haue there 14000. yeares of pardon and as many quarins and the third part of all sins released To them that visite the church of S. Sebastian is granted 6 forgiuenesse of sinnes and all penaunce At the high Altar is giuen 2800. yeares of pardon and at the first Altar in the Church 2400. There is a vawte where lie buried 49. Popes that were Martyrs whoso commeth first into that place deliuereth 8. soules out of Purgatory of such as hee most desireth and as much pardon therto that all the worlde cannot number nor recken And euery Sunday you deliuer there a soule out of purgatory In that vawte standeth a pitte in which Peter and Paule were hidde 250 yeares he that putteth his head into that pitte and taketh it out againe is cleane of all sinnes To that place siue Popes each of them graunted a thousand yeares of pardon and as many karins And so the grace that is at S. Sebastians is grounded that it cannot be taken away To those that 7 visit the Church of S. Iohn Laterane Pope Siluester gaue as many yeares of pardon as it rained droppes of water the day that he hallowed the same Church And that time it rayned so sore that no man had seene a greater rayne before that day And when hee had graunted this hee doubted whether hee had so much power Then a voice came from heauen and said Pope Syluester thou haste power enough to giue that pardon And God graunted this much thereto that if a man had made a vowe to Ierusalem and lacked good to doe his Pilgrimage if hee goe from S. Peters Church to S. Iohn Lateranes hee shal be absolued from that promise And any time that a man commeth to Saint Iohn Lateranes hee is quite of all sinnes and of all penaunce with that that he be penitent for his sinnes Blessed is the mother that beareth the childe that bareth Masse on Saterdayes at Saint Iohn Lateranes For hee deliuered all them that hee desired out of Purgatory to the number of 77. soules Item on the tower of the Churche standeth a double crosse that was made of the sworde wherewith Saint Iohn was beheaded and euery time a man beholdeth that crosse hee hath 14000. yeares Pardon At the high altar a man may haue remission of all sinnes and of all penaunce and innumerable pardon more then he needeth for himselfe There is a graue wherein Saint Iohn laid himselfe hee that putteth therein his head hee hath an hundred thousand yeares of pardon and as many karins These indulgences with many such like which for breuity sake I omitte my Authour saith are written in a Marble stone before the Quire dore c. Besides these seuen there are many inferiour Churches whereunto great indulgeÌ„ces haue bene graunted by the Popes There are named in the aforesaid Booke 26. Churches wherein is graunted to them that visit any of them 1000. yeares pardon and in some 3000 in others 5000. some wherein promise is made of release from a third parte of sinnes and in some from all sinnes Here is a Church of Saint Gregory in which whosoeuer is buried hee shall neuer be damned Thus saith my Authour may a man haue at Rome great pardon and soule health blessed beene the people and in good time borne that receiueth these graces and well keepeth them c. 11. Hereby it appeareth that the Pope causeth the inhabitants of the earth to worship the beast with seuen heads that is seuen hilles that with the citie of Rome which wee haue proued to bee the whore of Babylon the inhabitants of the earth haue committed spirituall fornication and that with the cuppe of her fornications they haue beene infatuated and made drunke And that the Pope hath caused men vpon paine of death to worshippe the image of the 3. beast which he hath animated and put life into it is easie to proue whether you vnderstande it literally or mystically For literally as they haue put life and motion into images and made them to speake in the sight of men so haue they suffered none to liue that would not participate with them in their idolatry which they call worshipping of images Mystically the image signifieth either the Popes court or Empire renewed or both the one resembling the authority and power the other bearing the name and representing the dignitie of the old Empire Of the Popes court at Rome and of his Legates and Officers abroad there is no question to bee made but that none are suffered to liue which worshippe not them And it is true also of the Empire But by worshipping the image of the beast wee doe not vnderstand obedience to the Emperour in his lawfull decrees but the obedience performed vnto him as hee is an image of the persecuting Emperours inspired by the Pope and seruing as his minister to establish and propagate the Romish religion In this sence as hee who obeyeth him worshippeth the image of the beast and is in the same predicament with those that receiue the marke of the beast Apoc. 14. 9 So hee that obeyeth him not is put to death and dying in this quarell is in the same happy state with Apoc. 14 13. 15. 2. those which refuse to receiue the marke of the beast CHAP. 9. ¶ Of those things which Antichrist was and is to suffer 1. WE haue heard what Antichrist was to doe to others now let vs consider what the holy Ghost foretelleth shall be done vnto him There is mention made Apoc. 17. 12. of the Apoc. 17. 12. c. ten hornes that is the rulers of the ten prouinces subiect to the Empire in the West who although in the Apostles time had not receiued kingdome or soueraigne authority but were deputies onely vnder the Emperour yet after the decay of the
the ciuill warres in France Flanders It may be that the Protestants in these ciuill warres vnder-taken for their owne defence that they might be free from such outrages haue slaine in lawfull battaile many of the Papists as contrariwise many of themselues haue beene slaine But what is this to the purpose Thus many in the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes the most cruell persecutor of the Church of the Iewes were slaine in Iewrie in the time of the Macchabees as well as they had slaine many of the Iewes But I say againe what Catholicks as they call them haue beene put to death for religion As for those fewe that haue beene executed among vs what one was put to death that was not found guiltie eyther of treason or rebellion or some such capitall crime And yet the Papists report and in Bookes doe publish that I cannot tell how many of them are martyred here in England for their religion Neither are they ashamed to write and in Rome to publish that some of them haue beene put into Beares Ecclefiâ—… Anglic. Trophâ—… Printed at Rome An. 1584. cum priuileg Gregor 13 skinnes and baited with Dogges which also they haue set out in tables But compare I beseech you with those many that were martyred in Queene Maries fiue yeeres those few that haue beene executed in Queene Elizabeths fortie fiue yeares Compare the causes which make persecution in the agents and martyrdome in the patients What one put to death of those which were burnt in Q. Maries time for any crime but onely for religion which they cal heresie what one of the Catholicks as they call them in Q. Elizabeths time executed who was not found guiltie of some capitall crime Compare the estate of Papists liuing among Protestants at this day as namely in England with the estate of Protestants liuing among Papists as namely in Spaine Is any one suffered to liue among them that is but once suspected to be of our religion Is not euery such a one either priuately murdered or publickly brought to the stake Among vs who is not suffered to liue although he be knowne to be of the Romish religion To liue did I say Nay God be mercifull vnto vs that suffer them so to liue as they doe to the encouragement and infection of others I speake not onely of ordinarie Papists and those that are at liberty but of the ring-leaders also that be in custodie whose life hath beene more easie and pleasant and maintenance more plentifull then of the Let the Casâ—…les of UUisbich and Fremingham be witnesse most students or ministers among vs. Yea but there is cause will they say that we should deale worse with you then you with vs. Nothing lesse They object to vs onely heresie and that as truely as the Iewes did to Paul which we doe truely object vnto them and in regarde thereof might nay should doe to the children of Babylon as they haue done to vs. But besides Apoc. 18. 6 many grosse and capitall heresies which race the foundation we truely object vnto them that their religion bringeth with it treason against the Prince and rebellion against God Treason against the Prince not onely because of their confederacie with the chiefe enemies of our state the Pope and Spaniard in regard whereof those Iesuites and Priests which come among vs from beyond-Seas as also those which harbour them are worthy of death but also because more generally they holding the Popes supremacie and authoritie to depose Princes and withall beleeuing that the Pope in his definitiue sentence cannot erre they cannot but approoue the Bull of excommunication wherein Pius the fift as much as was in him deposed our Queene of famous memory and absolued her subjects from all allegeance to her Rebellion against God because it perswadeth an Apostasie and falling away from God into grosse and palpable idolatrie Of which fault whosoeuer are found guiltie that is to perswade others to idolatrie by the law of God they ought not be suffered to liue because they haue perswaded an Apostasie from God Deut. 13. All this notwithstanding Deut. 13. 5. 8. 9. we deale too remissely with them and they most barbarously with vs. And yet forfooth if there be or hath beene any persecution in the Church in these latter times the Catholicks are they which suffer it and not the Protestants Alas poore Wolues how cruelly they haue beene handled among the sheepe of Christ 5. But to proceed As the persecution vnder Antichrist saith Bellarmine shall be most grieuous so shall it be most manifest For thus he reasoneth The persecution vnder Antichrist shall be most manifest this vnder the Pope is not manifest therefore this is not the persecution of Antichrist The proposition is prooued because then all the wicked shall aperto marte oppugne the whole church and not onely those that be Infidels and open sinners but the hypocrites also and false brethren shall then joyne themselues to Antichrist and discouering themselues openly assault the Church And is not this well gessed thinke you contrary to the word of truth vttered by our Sauiour Christ For whereas our Sauiour hath said that the good and bad shall growe together like Wheate and Tares vntill the day of the great haruest Bellarmine telleth vs that when Antichrist commeth there shall such a separation be made that there shall not an hypocrite be left in the Church but all the wicked without exception shall be together Omnes prorsus impios simul futuros in exercitu Antichristi in Antichrists hoste and shall openly oppugne the whole Church of the Saints But such separation is not to be looked for vntill Christ shall seuer the Lambes from the Goates And therefore if we must not beleeue that Antichrist is come vntill such a separation be made assuredly Christ will come vpon vs to judgement whiles we looke for Antichrist Yea but Augustine saith That now there be many false bretheren in the De ciuit Dei lib. 20. c. 11. Church At tunc erumpent omnes inquit Augustinus in apertam persecutionem ex latebris odiorum But then all shall burst forth saith Augustine out of their couert hatred into open persecution If Augustine had said so we might wel haue esteemed his speech to haue beene but a humane conjecture rather then a Prophecie diuine But Bellarmine without all shame falsifieth his words For Augustine in that place speaking of those words Apoc. 20. 7. Soluetur Satanas de custodia sua exibit ad seducendas nationes Satan shall be let loose out of his warde and shall goe forth to seduce the nations Exibit autem dictum est saith he in apertam persecutionem de latebris erumpet odiorum Now it is said that he shall goe forth viz. into open persecution he shall breake forth of the couerts of hatred speaking of the diuell alone and not of all the wicked And thus was his proposition doughtily prooued being neuerlesse according to
in the primitiue church neither is it altogether misliked of vs although not much vsed among vs because it was so much abused by them But this ceremonie was done without vnction or chrisme for further proofe whereof see D. Fulke his answer to the Rhemists Acts. 8. 17. And therefore notwithstanding that ancient practise of the Church this Chrisme vsed in confirmation may belong to the marke of the beast And the rather because the Papists make their confirmation with Chrisme not onely a sacrament but also a most necessary and Principall sacrament So necessary as that they haue set it downe as a law that no man is to be esteemed a Christian without it Nunquam De consecrat dist 5. C. vt iciuni erit Christianus nisi confirmatione episcopals fuerit Chrismatus He shall neuer be a Christian who is not confirmed with Chrisme by a Bishop So principall as that they preferre it before Baptisme affirming that it is maiore veneratione venerandum with greater veneration to be reuerenced Now if it be a priuiledge De consecrat dist 5. C. de his vero peculiar vnto Christ the author and bestower of grace to ordaine Sacraments of grace then must it needes be accounted a practise Antichristian if any man shall take vpon him to ordaine a Sacrament and not onely to obtrude the same vpon all as necessary to saluation but also to preferre it before that excellent Sacrament of Baptisme ordayned by Christ himselfe Therefore as the ordayning and enforcing of this Sacrament vpon men is a note of Antichrist so those which doe not onely receiue it when they are young but also retaine it when they are olde remayning in the communion of the Church of Rome may be said to haue the marke of the beast 7. Secondly that to adhere to the Romaine Church was a marke of a true Catholicke before the yeere 606. he prooueth by 2. Romanae ecclesie adhaercre the authority of Augustine Ambrose and Victor Vticensis But we speake of the Church of Rome that now is that is the apostaticall Church of Rome he argueth of the ancient Church which was apostolicall Indeed whiles the Church of Rome did cleaue vnto Christ so long might it be a note of a good Christian to cleaue vnto it although these testimonies doe scarce proue it but after that Church became apostaticall and adulterous as appeareth by their fundamentall heresies and horrible Idolatries and consequently of a faithful Church became an harlot and of the Church of Christ the synagogue of Antichrist it hath beene the marke of an Antichristian to liue in the communion of that Church Besides this great difference betwixt the present and the ancient state of the Church of Rome there is also great oddes in the manner of adhering or cleauing thereto Then as other Churches did cleaue to the Church of Rome so did the Church of Rome cleaue to them now it acknowledgeth no Church besides it selfe Then the Church of Rome was accounted but a part of the Catholicke Church and so a man might be a good Christian although he were not of the Church of Rome now the Church of Rome alone must be accounted the Catholicke Church and consequently he that is not a member of that Church must not be taken for a Catholicke or true Christian. For when the Pope got the title of vniuersall Bishop or head of the vniuersall Church then the church whereof he was head was accounted the onely Catholicke and vniuersall Church Hereunto agreeth that Glosse Constat ecclesiam ideo esse vnam quia in vniuersali ecclesia est vnum caput suprem◅ Clementin Lib. 5. ad nostrum in gloss cui omnes de ecclesia obedire tenentur seil Papae It is euident that the Church is therefore one because in the vniuersall Church there is one supreame head whom all that are of the Church are bound to obey And agreeably therunto saith a late writer whose bookes were published at Venice in the yeere 1588. Non potest quis se Christianum fateri qui curae Papae dicit se non subesse No man may Rod. Cupers 127. num 29. professe himselfe to be a Christian who doth not confesse himselfe to be subiect to the Popes cure or charge And therfore in the conclusiō of his booke he professeth himselfe to be Mancipium S. R. E. The bond seruant of the holy church of Rome Non ignorans he saith haud possehaberese deum patrem si sanctam vniuersalem Romanam ecclesiam non habuerit matrem knowing that a man cannot haue God to be his father vnlesse he haue the holy vniuersall Church of Rome to be his mother Seeing therfore the Church of Rome is become the whore of Babylon as hath bene prooued and the synagogue of Antichrist seeing the Pope compelleth all men to cleaue to the church of Rome suffering none to buy or sel or to enioy any benefits of humane society which professe not themselues to be members of the Church of Rome it followeth that this cleauing to the Apostaticall Church of Rome or liuing in the communion thereof belongeth to the marke of the beast 8. Thirdly as touching the oth of obedience and fealty 3. Iura◅ium obedientiae made to the Pope of Rome Bellarmine prooueth that it was vsed in the time of Gregory the great and therefore before the yeere 606. as appeareth in the Epistles of Gregorie I answere that although Lib. 10. Epist 31. before the yeere 606. the Bishops of Rome tooke more vpon them then became the ministers of Christ yet Bellarmine is not able out of all antiquity to alleadge one example of such an oath of fealty and allegeance imposed by the Pope vpon forraine Bishops and much lesse vpon Kings and Princes as all Catholicke Bishops as they call them Priests graduates Princes and potentates are compelled to sweare vnto the Pope of Rome That one example which as it seemeth is all that he can alledge of an oath taken not long before the yeere 606. is little to the purpose For it is not an oath of obedience and allegeance to the Pope but of faith and religion towards God conformable to the faith and religion then professed by the Bishop and Church of Rome For it is the oath of a certaine Bishop who sweareth to renounce his former heresies and to professe and maintaine that faith and religion which then the Bishop and Church of Rome did professe which oath in effect is no otherwise to be vndestood then if a minister among vs being reclaimed from Popery or some other heresie should take an oath before a Bishop that whiles he liueth he will professe and maintaine that religion which is now professed and established in the Church of England and other reformed Churches which is not to sweare allegeance to them but the like allegeance with them vnto Christ. 9. Fourthly the annointing of Priests we confesse to be as ancient as the Priesthood of Aaron from
Antichrist Hierome and Theodoret where they deliuer Hieronyâ—… ad Algas 9. 11. Theodoret in 2. Thess. 2. Epitom 1. Anselm their owne iudgement doo not affirme that he shall sit in the Temple at Ierusalem but in the Churches of Christ. 3 His third testimonie is 2. Thess. 2. 4. In so much that he sitteth in the Temple of God Of which words there be many expositions saith Bellarmine some by the Temple of God vnderstand the mindes of the faithfull in which Antichrist shall sit after he hath seduced them which interpretation agreeth fitly to the Pope who only sitteth as it were a God in the mindes of men prescribing lawes to binde the conscience and that with guilt of mortall sinne as they speake Others expound these wordes of 2 Antichrist and his whole people who is therefore said to sit in templum August de ciuit Dei because Antichrist shall professe himselfe with his people to be the true church of God which also most fitly agreeth to Dei lib. 20. cap. 19. the Pope and church of Rome which vaunt that they alone are the catholike church and that all others professing the name of Christ which are not subiect to the Pope or acknowledge not themselues members of the church of Rome are heretikes or schismatikes Others by the temple vnderstand the churches 3 of the Christians which Antichrist shall make subiect to himselfe Chrysost. c. The which as we proued it to be the most true exposition so doth it properly agree to the Pope of Rome Others by the temple 4 of God vnderstand the temple of God at Ierusalem wherin Antichrist shall sit and this saith Bellarmine is the more common more probabte and more literall opinion I doubt not but that it is an opinion more plausible to the Papists who care not what they holde concerning Antichrist so that it agree not to the Pope But of these three things which Bellarmine avoucheth in commendation of this conceit two are false and the third is to no purpose For neither is this exposition more common among the auncient Fathers then that other which by the temple vnderstandeth the churches of the Christians which heretofore we haue shewed to haue beene the iudgement of Theodoret Li. 1. ca. 4 § 15. Ierome Chrysostome Theophylact Oecumenius c. And although it were the more common exposition yet that would not proue it to be more true for truth goeth not by voices neither is to be weighed by multitude of suffrages but by weight of reason Neither is it more probable for if the temple shall neuer be reedified as hath bene shewed then is there no probabilitie that Antichrist should sit in it Neither were that materiall though it were more literall vnlesse the literall were vsuall For in all the Epistles by the temple of God is meant the Church and there is an vsuall metonymie betwixt the words which signifie either the assembly or the place of the assembly So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the place is often vsed for 1. Cor. 3. 16. 17. 2. Cor. 6. 16 Ephe. 2. 21. Apoc. 3. 12. the assembly or church and Ecclesia that is church is often vsed for the place Neither can the temple erected by Antichrist be truly called the temple of God Yea but saith Bellarmine in the scripture of the new testament by the temple of God are neuer vnderstood the churches that is to say the temples of Christians The more absurd is he to vnderstand this place of a materiall temple contrary to the vsuall acceptation of the word in the writings of the Apostles The Apostle therfore by temple meaneth not a materiall temple of wood and stone but a spirituall temple compact of liuing stones and by sitting in the temple not a corporall gesture for Antichrist is to sit there as God that is he is to rule and raigne in the church of God as if he were a god vpon earth But of this whole matter see more in the first booke chapt 2. § 13. 14. 15. 4 Now let vs come to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or disproofe of our assertion who hold that Antichrist shall sit not at Ierusalem but at Rome and in Rome professing her selfe the church of God First by a fond cauillation wherein hee greatly pleaseth himselfe he seeketh to driue vs to an absurditie For saith hee if Antichrist shall sit in the Church of God and if the Pope be Antichrist then the church wherein the Pope sitteth is the true church and consequently the Protestants and all others that be not of that church are out of the church c. This cauill is to be resolued into three syllogismes 1. Antichrist sitteth in the Church of Christ The Pope of Rome is Antichrist therfore saith Bellarmine the Pope sitteth in the true church of Christ. But hee might as well conclude thus Hee that professeth the name of Christ is a Christian the Papist the Anabaptist the Familist c. professeth the name of Christ therefore the Papist the Anabaptist the Familist is a true Christian. But hath not Bellarmine learned so much Logicke as not to foist into the conclusion that which is not contained in the premisses the word true is not coÌ„tained in the premisses and therefore sophistically thrust into the conclusion For Antichrist may sit in the church although not in the true Church Generally the Church of Christ signifieth the company of Christians that is of those that professe the name of Christ. But as of Christians some are onely in title and profession some indeed in truth so of Churches some are onely in title and profession Churches of Christ others are his true Churches Now Antichrist he was to be an Apostata and the head of the Catholike apostasie therfore the church whereof Antichrist is the head although it be in title and profession a church of Christ as being a company of them that are christened and professe the name of Christ yet it is but an apostaticall church a church which of a faithfull Citie is become an harlot and of the true Church of God the whore of Babylon But may not this absurditie rather be returned vpon the Papists who by the templeof God 2. Thess. 2. 4. vnderstand that temple which Antichrist shall build at Ierusalem Antichrist shall sit in the temple of God saith the Apostle Antichrist shal sit in that temple which himselfe shall build at Ierusalem saith the Papist therefore that temple which he shall build at Ierusalem shall be indeed the temple of God Whereas in truth according to their owne conceits it were rather to be called the temple of the diuell If any man obiect that it might after a sort be called the temple of God because the temple of God did stand there and because Antichrist will pretend to make it to the honor of God wherevnto the former temple was erected I answere by the like reason the church of Rome
three first hee would faine father vpon Daniel as though hee in the 7. and 11. Chapters had prophesied such things concerning Antichrist But I answere that these prophesies had and according to Daniel were to haue their complement before the comming of the Messias and therfore that the Papists may as wel with the Iewes expect the comming of their Messias as still to expect the fulfilling of these thinges in their imaginary Antichrist the counterfeit Messias of the Iewes Seeing as I said these prophesies were to be fulfilled before the comming of Christ and seeing the Iewes do stil waite for their Messias because with the Papists they will not acknowledge these prophesies which were to haue their complement before the comming of the Messias to haue bene fulfilled before the incarnation of Christ. The occasion of which errour of the Papists whereat the Iewes also do stumble hath bene an erronious interpretation of some of the Fathers who vnderstand whatsoeuer is spoken of the kingdome of the Seleucidae and Lagedae that is the kingdome of Syria and Egypt so farre forth as it tyrannized ouer the people of God the Iewes figured by the two legges of the Image chap. 2. and the fourth beast with tenne hornes chap. 7. they vnderstand I say as spoken of the Romane Monarchy And consequently whatsoeuer is spoken of the little horne chap. 7. 8. 11. whereby Antiochus Epiphanes is most plainely described they expound it of Antichrist 2 But the learned of our times haue made it cleare although the Papists shut their eyes against the truth that by the two legges of the Image and by the fourth beast is not to be vnderstood the Romane Empire and by the little horne not Antichrist properly but Antiochus Epiphanes For these thinges which are recorded of the two legges chap. 2. and of the fourth beast chap. 7. do not onely sitly but also properly and onely agree to the kingdome of the Seleucidae and Lagedae And those things which are written of the little horne do wholy properly belong to Antiochus Epiphanes as the Papists themselues cannot deny Porphyry that learned though malicious enemie of Christianitie perceiued Daniels prophesies in the 7. 8. 11. 12. chapters which the Papists vnderstand of Antichrist so fully and perfectly to agree to Antiochus Epiphanes that he cauelled against the prophesies of Daniel affirming that they were written not before hand of Daniel but after the fulfilling of them by some one that liued in the times of Antiochus Epiphanes For so Ierome writeth of him Contre prophetam Danielem doudetimum librum scribit Porphyrius notans eum ab ipso cuius Praefatione in Daniel inscriptus est nomine esse compositum sed à quodam qui temporibus Antiochi qui appellatus est Epiphanes fuerit in Iudaea non tam Danielem ventura dixisse quam illum narrasse praeterita And after tanta enim dictorum fides fuit vt propheta incredulis hominibus non videatur futura dixisse sed narrasse praterita So fully and plainly is Antiochus deciphred in the prophecie of Daniel that the authour of that booke seemed to Porphyrie to haue written a story of Antiochus Epiphanes rather then a prophecie 3 As for Antichrist he is not once mentioned or meant in all the prophecie of Daniel the which I deliuer not as though I thought that those things which the papists expound concerning Antichrist could not for the most part be fitly applied to the Pope for not onely diuers protestants arguing from the papists owne groundes haue out of Daniel prooued the Pope to be Antichrist but also the Iewes and namely R. Leui Gerson whom Bellarmine citeth chap. 12. expoundeth all those things in Daniel chap. 7. and 11. which the papists vnderstand of Antichrist as spoken of the Pope of Rome whom he calleth another Pharao And most true it is that excepting Antiochus Epiphanes these prophecies doe best fit the Pope of Rome And therefore I willingly graunt that which both olde and new writers haue aâ—…med that Antiochus Epiphanes may be saide to haue bene a type of Antichrist A type I say not in all and euery particular as though whatsoeuer can be said of Antiochus the like may be said of Antichrist but in some principall matters in respect whereof he is a type Salomon the King of peace Dauid the kingly Prophet the high priests which by offering sacrifices made attonement for their bretheren Iosuae the deliuerer of the people were types of Christ. And yet it were a ridiculous if not a blasphemous course to apply to Christ whatsoeuer is recorded of Salomon Dauid the high Priests or Iosuah Neither is this without cause set downe by the Schoolemen as a rule of Diuinitie that theologia symbolica non est argumentutina For those things which properly are spoken of Antiochus cannot properly be vnderstood of Antichrist if at all but onely allegorically and allegories proue not and that force which they seeme to haue in prouing is not to proue the same particular but the like for allegories are similitudes without notes of likenes If therefore it were scarce a good argument in diuinitie from a type or allegory to proue the like because similia claudicant then must it needs be a sencelesse argumentation from a similitude to conclude not the like but the same particular seeing nullum fimile est idem no like is the selfe-same The principall matters which are recorded of Antiochus are these that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an enemy to God and a persecuter of his church an aduancer of himselfe aboue or against euery God or as the Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruled by no lawe but his owne wil hauing a mouth speaking Dan. 7. 8. presumptuous things and such like which as they are recorded of Antiochus so are they by the Apostles applied to Antichrist 2. Thess. 2. and do most fitly and properly agree to the Pope But if we shall apply to Antichrist those things which were proper to the person of Antiochus and in respect whereof he was not a type of Antichrist and from thence shall inferre not the like which were too much for like things are not like in all things but the same particular which was proper to his persoÌ„ we shall be ridiculously absurd As for example if we shall say that Antichrist shall by craft attaine not to his kingdome but to the same kingdome of Syria because Antiochus did so that Antichrist shal fight with the kings of Egypt Libya Aethiopia because in Bellarmines conceit Antiochus did so and such like particulars then may we by as good right affirme that Antichrist shall immediatly succeed in the kingdome of Syria his brother Seleucus Philopater for that is expresly noted Dan 11. 21. and in his place c. and consequently that he shall be the sonne of Antiochus Magnus that he shall be an hostage at Rome before he be king as