Divines Fox and Paraeus So also Dux Cleri by the godly Walter Brute a scholer of Wicleue our Country-man Vicarius Dei generalis in terris in Latin taking onely the numerall letters Ecclesia Italica in Greek letters And what shall we say to the names of divers Popes conteyning the same letters in effect sound which are used to expresse the said number of 666 in the Apocalyps In the name of Calixtus is there not the perfect sound of all those Greeke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And may not the same be easily conceited in the name of Sixtus And was not Calixtus whom they call the second but indeed the first of that name that was called Summus Pontifex he that forbad mariage to Priests which S. Paul calleth the Doctrine of Divels The ancient verse may serue for a sufficient testimonie O bone Calixte nunc totus Clerus odit te O lim Presbyteri poterant uxoribus uti Hoc destruxisti postquam tu Papa fuisti And was not Calixtus the second of that name that was called Pont. Max. he that made such a terrible and solemn vow to persecute the Turkes by war curses c. and by colour thereof levied a tenth of the Clergie put all into his purse And when as afterwards the noble Vaivod of Hungarie Hunniades had obteyned a glorious victorie against that publike enemie at Belgrade was it Calixtus that ever helped to advance the Christian cause or to prosecute such a good beginning Or did he not rather set his minde upon his own profit by drawing to himself not onely the chiefe Bishopriks but the whole kingdome of Naples after the death of Alfonsus and so labour to disinherit his sonne Frederike if the incomparable Prince Scanderbeg had not assisted him And what shall we say of Sixtus Do not the Latin letters X. T. being joyned together yeeld the same sound as all the said three numerall letters would do if they were put in the same place And was not Sixtus who by them is called the fourth but indeed the first that was called Pont. Max. for those before him were called Xisti had no greater title then bishop of Rome was not that he that raised so many wars in Italie to advance his kinred and in stead of a church or Hospitall built the famous Lupanar the bitcherie house at Rome Vtrique Veneri for which cause Agrippa called him the great bawde Was it not he that upon a Petition exhibited unto him for the use of Sodomie Homicus Agrippa subscribed Fiat ut petitur Let be as is desired and raised the rents of the Stewes to so high a Rate that it is now accounted for a principall revennue of their church O excellent Father and chast Vicar of Christ The Primitiue Christians were half perswaded that Nero was to come againe and be Antichrist And haue not we reason to belieue that this is he of whom also it is written for his Elogium Gaude Prisce Nero vincit te crimine Sixtus Paedico insignis praedo fucosus Adulter Qui moriens nullos credidit esse Deos. And was not Sixtus the 2. who is by them called the 5. he that sent out his blasphemous Bulles against the late King of France Henrie the third who was shortly after most villanously murdered by one of their breeding And was not he the same Sixtus who most highly commended that wicked Parracide in a solemne Panegyrick before his Cardinals Was not he the same that excommunicated the noble Henry the fourth of France when he was but King of Navarre who was afterwards also murdered by one of their Sectaries Was not he the same who animated the Spaniards to invade this kingdome of England in the year 1588 In setting forth of which action it is worth the Observation Cicarell in vita Sixti how carefull the Parasite is to perswade us that the English and the Spaniards never came ad justam pagnam to a just fight as if the English did affirm any such matter No Cicarella Farre be it from us to challenge the glorie of that victorie to our selues That God who gaue us the grace upon the newes of the approch of that navie to humble our selues before him with fasting and prayer a thing howsoever neglected or forgotten by some of our Historians yet most true and registred by others and remembred by many yet living witnesses That God who detected and defeated the Treasons and Rebellions of Sanders Parrie Ballard Lopas the Powderplot and many others was he that fought for us as he did sometimes against Sisera and for Theodosius and Sic conjurati venere ad classica venti Witnesse our most excellent Soveraine a witnesse aboue all exception in his Sonnet worthie to be remembred The Nations banded gainst the Lord of might Prepar'd a force and set them in the way Mars drest himself in such an awfull plight The like whereof was never seen they say They forward came in such a strange array Both sea and land beset us everie where Their brags did threat our ruine and decay What came thereof the issue did declare The windes began to tosse them here and there The sea began in foaming waues to swell The number that escapt it fell them faire The rest were swallowed up in gulfes of hell But how were all these things so strangely done God lookt on them from out his heauenly Throne This Sonnet publisht with the consent and applause of all the ancient Brittain Nation inhabitants of this kingdome truly euen of verie ancient time Polydore both by a king and a Saint intituled the kingdome of God shall be an everlasting testimonie for us that we never challenged the glorie of that action to our selues The same also will be confirmed by the ordinarie remembrances and thanksgivings which our Preachers usually make thereof in their prayers and Sermons The same also is proved by the Paper lately set forth so well accepted and bought up by all sorts of people amongst us wherein the defeating of that invincible Armada and the Powderplot is represented expressed Behold then you Iesuites Romanists against whom you fight and who it is that fights for us It was God who then pleaded the cause of Religion against superstition of Pietie against Idolatrie of Christ against Antichrist It was he onely for he onely searcheth ruleth and moveth the Hearts who then put it into the heart of our Zenobia and of her servants to send out those Peti-fierbotes that made the grear Sea-castles to cut their cables loose their Anchors and flye away It was he that stirred up the courage of our seamen and inflamed the hearts of our nation with incredible loue and zeale to defend their Countrie religion Now also our drummes and trumpets sound nothing else against you but God and Christ Iesus our Martiall cryes are nothing else but Christ Iesus our gunnes thunder out nothing but Christ Iesus against you For him we fight in
notorious Fornication adulterie and Sodomie as the pope hath done and whether it be possible for any in time to come to do the like 6. whether any Iew Turke or Infidell haue so wilfully obstinately erected and mainteyned so manifold Idolatrie so many severall Idols as the popes haue done and whether it be possible for any in time to come to do the like 7. whether any Iew or Turke did ever sitte in the Temple of God boasting himselfe to be God as the Popes hath done and whether it be possible for any to do the like to be believed therein as the Pope hath ben Summa If all the prophecies concerning the words actions of Antich be fulfilled in the Pope and cannot be fulfilled in any other then he is Antichrist VII Probl. Of the times of Antich how they be fulfilled and to what Period they are come 1. Of the first working of the Mysterie of iniquitie how long it continued 2. Of the time of the rising of Antich when it was fulfilled 3. Of the Revelation of Antichrist and how that is fulfilled 4. Of the signes of the times of Antich how they are fulfilled 5. Of the times of the raigne of Antich how long it continued 6. Of the Consumption of Antich to what point that is come 7. Of the end abolition of Antich which must be by the brightnes of the coming of our L. Christ who is God blessed for ever Summa tot Si probatur propositum non probatur contrarium quid amplius desideramus If all the prophecies of Antich be fulfilled in the pope and cannot be fulfilled otherwise then the Pope is Antichrist Caeli faciem nostis discernere signa temporum non novistis Matt. 16. SACRAE HEPTADES OR SEVEN PROBLEMS concerning ANTICHRIST That the Apocalyps is to be searched THose that are taken to be masters of learning teach us in everie subject and matter proposed first to aske the question An sit whether it be whether it be possible to be known and attained unto least spending our time in things impossible or imperceptible we both loose our labour become ridiculous The same is taught us by our greatest master in the parables of the man intending to build and the king going to warre Desiring therefore to finde out and discover that great enemie of the Church of Christ Antichrist who it is Luke 14. and whether he be come or not after the grace and mercie of our Lord and master Christ Iesus most humbly devoutly implored without whom we can do nothing I think it not amisse to consider first of the difficultie obscuritie of the Book of the Apocalyps or Revelation wherein by the consent of all learned Christians Antichrist is understood to be most spoken of and his Place State Actions and other circumstances most largely described and discovered unto us Seeing there can be no doubt made but there must be such a person as the Scripture speaketh of by that name and he must be such a one as is there intimated howsoever obscurely yet by him that knoweth all things truly and sufficiently described not intending neverthelesse to make any exposition of the said book which being but a simple Laick I dare not enterprise of anie part of Scripture but onely to examine some parts thereof which may seem pertinent to the matter in hand thereupon to propose some questions wherein I desire to be resolved And first to speake somewhat of this booke of the Apocalyps in generall Iunius which is by all men confessed to be full of mysteries and that it is by reason thereof verie darke and obscure is by manie affirmed yet I see this hath neither disswaded the mindes nor discouraged the industrie of godly men in all ages from searching to find out the true sence and meaning thereof amongst which Iustinus Philosophus and Irenaeus godly Martyrs S. Ierom S. Austin excellent Fathers Haimo Iohannes de Rupescissa Ioachimus Abbas and others of the former age Luther Balaeus Fox Iunius in our fathers time the learned Abbat bishop of Salesburie Paraeus Napier and others of our own time Alcasir Ribera Romanists and aboue all our most Gracious learned Soveraign King Iames deserveth to be remembred Vpon great reason and judgment surely haue all these entred into this waightie work well knowing that being sent unto us by God and our Lord Iesus Christ we as duetifull servants ought to search out the understanding thereof Deut. 6 7. and to talke of them as of a message sent unto us from our chief Lord master who hath given it to be shewed to his servants and hath annexed a blessing unto it For blessed is he that readeth and heareth Apoc. 1 3. keepeth the words of this Prophecie That therefore which God will haue to be opened Math. 25. no man ought to shut that which he will haue to be shewed forth no man ought to conceale that which he will haue to be knowne none ought to neglect For he giveth not his gifts to be buried in the earth nor his talents to be tied up in a napkin Luke 8. neither do men saith he light a candle and put it under a bedde or a busshell Wherefore neither I howsoever unworthie durst altogether suppresse these my poore meditations concerning Antichrist much spoken of in this book but having obteyned grace of God adventured to put them in writing thereby to giue occasion the questions being thus opened to the learned that shall vouchsafe to read them the better to consider of them and instruct others to the unlearned the better to inquire and learn beseeching the great Bishop of our soules Illuminator of all men Christ Iesus to instruct inlighten us all And for the same cause I thought it best to propose them under the name forme of Problems or Questions reduced to the number of seven in a due observation of that mysticall number so manie times observed in this heavenly booke which by the opinion of some learned men ought to be used as the key to open these divine mysteries But before I come to the main question I think it necessarie to say somewhat touching the difficultie of this booke and of the end and subject of it for a further declaration whereof I haue conceived these seven Problems ensuing upon the two first verses of that Book which are as followeth The Revelation of Iesus Christ c. 1. Vpon these two verses standing like the two-leaved gates of the Temple which must be opened before we can goe any further with fear and reverence 1 Reg. 6. as at the gates of Gods owne house Ezâ—ch 41. I demand whether they do not present seven things to our consideration 1. first the name given to this book by the Author Apocalypsis A Revelation or Discoverie not Apocrypsis a Concealment or covering 2. The first originall Author God who gaue both the
of the city who as he said before were fled ex urbe i. polit others as Aristotle c. take a city which they call Polis the word used here by the Apostle to consist of a multitude of men gathered together under the same lawes and government which is also called universitas or respub de civ dei Cic. in somn Iustaâ— l. 2. and so S. Augustin in some places Some others also measure a city by the extent of her dominion liberties and franchises Now these and other circumstances being considered I seek for a city wherein all concurre to make it great for the first I aske whether ever anie citie haue had a téstimonie of greatnes like to that which Lucan thus describeth Vrbem populis victisque frequentem Gentibus generis coeat si turba capacem Humani Lucan 1 1 A Citie populous full of conquered nations and able to receaue all mankinde if they should come together I thinke it cannot be denyed but this was a verie great citie vâ—bis appellatio muris Romae contineutibus aedificiis finitur LL. de verb. Sig. that was able to receaue humanum genus all mankind And yet that we may see plainly that he meant it of the citie as it consisted of walles and buildings he nameth it first urbem and then goeth forward Cum pressus ab hoste Clauditur externis Romanus miles in oris Effugit exiguo nocturna pericula vallo Tu tantum audito bellorum nomine Roma Desereris nox una tuis non credita muris What cittie in the world was like to this great cittie Rev. 18 18. truly therefore sayth our divine Apostle But this was poeticall and hiperbolicall may some say let us heare a testimonie historicall Although I thinke that learned poet would never haue beene so bold or impudent to giue such an attribute of greatnes to Rome if it had not been a verie great cittie and doubtlesse the greatest then known in the world yet let us heare Historians Truly Lipsius out of Martinus Polonus and Pliny sayth the walles of Rome were first xlij miles in compasse and out of Vopiscus de magnitud Rom. Blondus in Romanist that they were afterwards enlarged to 50 miles compasse but of the suburbes si quis intuens magnitudinem Romae velit exquirere frustra eum fore haesurum ubi desinat urbs ubi incipiat ex Dionis So it was a great cittie within the walles Herodot l. 1. and a greater without It seemeth indeed by Herodotus that the walles of old Babylon were 160 stadia on everie side square but note that Babylon was all within the walles and so Rome in respect of her suburbs buildings adjoyning was much greater as by this testimonie of Lipsius out of Dionis appeareth Might not this then well be called Babylon the great in respect of the other But heare what Pliny saith both of Babylon and Rome Of Babylon first he sayth Plin. lib. 3. Babylon sexaginta millia passuum amplexa muris Of Rome Effecit passuum per directum xxx millia DCC LXV which xxx miles and three quarters being taken for the diameter must make the circumference to be at the least 92 miles which is farre aboue the reckning of Lipsius And yet saith Pliny farther Ad extrema verò tectorum cum castris praetoriis a Milliario in Capite Rom. fori statuto per vicos omnium viarum mensura colligit paulò amplius septuaginta millia pass And if that be taken for the Diameter of Rome and the suburbs then must the compasse be almost 200 miles Quo si quis saith he againe altitudinem tectorum addat dignam profecto aestimationem concipiat fateaturque nullius urbis magnitudineÌ„ in toto orbe potuisse comparari And it is also to be observed what the same Pliny writes of Babylon Plin. lib. 6. in the time of Vespatian that it was then brought to solitude being exhausted by the vicinitie of Seleucia which was built for that purpose And this was before the exile of Iohn in Pathmos where he saw the Revelation and therefore this great cittie could not be literall Babylon or Babylon in Chaldea which then was not great but mysticall Babylon that cittie Rome which was then at the greatest Let us goe to the next consideration where a cittie is said to consist of a multitude or societie of men gathered together and we shall finde a far greater cause to aske the question of our Prophet what cittie was ever like it for what cittie in the world can we finde so famous for number of Tribes and multitude of citizens as Rome Livy Alex. ab Alex. l. 1 c. 17. The Tribes of Rome were at the least fiue and thirtie everie one consisting of many thousand citizens whereas the two kingdomes of Iudah and Israel had but twelue yea the mightie kingdome of Persia which afterwards grewe so great had but twelue in the beginning Herod 1. Xenoph. Grop l. 1. Liv. l. 10 in fiue 1. belli Punici lustro undeuicesimo Tacit. An. 11 Fasc Temp. The number of Roman Citizens in their weake estate was found to be aboue two hundred and fiftie thousand but in the Emperor Claudius his time it is said to haue been aboue threescore eight hundred thousand and so in Augustus time in which number women children servants and forriners not infranchised though inhabiting were not conteyned What cittie therefore was ever like to this great cittie Againe if we consider the extent of her franchises and liberties not onely the Volsci Hernici Lucani Appuli Campani Cic. offi 1. Hetrusei and other nations of Italy but the Transpadani and Transalpini the Gawles and Spaniards were receaved into the freedome nor the Europeans onely but those of Asia S. Paul borne at Tarsus in Cilicia averreth himself before a Roman Iudge to be a citizen of Rome free borne Act. 22. And for her dominion it seemeth to be true that the Poet sayth that the cittie of Rome was as great as the world Gentibus est aliis Tellus data limite certo Romana spatium est urbis orbis idem So againe Roma armis terras ratibusque subegerat undas Atque iidem fines urbis orbis erant So Dionisius Halicarnasseus calleth it Vrbem terrae marisque dominam Claudianus Cuncti gens omnia sumus many like other sentences do we meet with in their bookes Neither was this the opinion of the poets or vulgar onely but their learned lawiers in the end grew to be of the same judgment Panorm Vbi Caesar ibi Roma wheresoever Cesar is there is also Rome What cittie therefore was ever in the world in greatnes like to this The use that is commonly made of this consideration is none other but to admire and extoll the majestie of Rome as Lipsius doth in admirandis de magnit Romana but the true and worthie use thereof is to acknowledge the
common notice may be the cause why our Prophet did so much ingeminate that article to shew that he spake of a city well inough knowen to be such viz. Great and Imperiall And if this be cleare and evident that by the name of the Great cittie and of Babylon in this Revelation Rome and onely Rome is meant this I hope will serue to illustrate other places As for example the second place Rev. 11. where it is said that the beast shall make warre against the two witnesses of God and shall overcome them and kill them And their dead bodies shall ly in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodom and Egipt where also our Lord was crucified Although some doubt might be conceived of the names of Egypt and Sodom in this place and where our Lord was crucified yet the name of the Great cittie ought by the reasons authorities aforesaid to hold us fast to Rome For none else was then great nor worthie to be so called as I haue shewed before Let us see then how these names Sodome and Egypt may be applied to Rome and therein first what it is to be spiritually called There be many spirits mentioned in the scriptures but here I think that spirit is meant which is spoken of by our Lord in the Gospell Ioh. 14 17. 16 13. euen the spirit of truth which shall lead us into all truth and so to be spiritually called is to be truly so called according to their works effects and fruits as the spirit of truth teacheth us to call things Whether doth not the Prophet Ieremie explain this in altering the name of Pashur Ier. 20 3. whether doth not our Saviour explain it Matth. 7. when he sayth Ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles as if he should say men do not call that a thorne of which they gather grapes nor that a thistle of which they gather figges but that is called a vine and this a fig-tree For it is not an evill tree that bringeth forth good fruits nor a good tree that bringeth forth evill fruits Luc. 6 46. And why do ye call me Master and do not the things that I speak if I be a master where is my fear Mal. 1 6. sayth the Lord If a father where is my loue And who art thou Iohn 1. say the Pharises to Iohn Baptist The voice of him that cryeth in the wildernes Make straite the wayes of the Lord sayth S. Iohn Matth. 11. as if he should say I am the preacher of repentance against the coming of the Messiah Art thou he that should come saith he again go tell him saith our Saviour The deaf heare the blinde receaue sight the lame walk the leapers are cleansed c. if I do the works of the Messiah I am he and if ye were Abrahams children Iohn 8. ye would do the works of Abraham Whereupon I aske what is the meaning of all these places but to teach us to judge and speak of men by their works as we doe of trees by their fruits So then where we finde the works of Sodom and Egypt that must be called Sodom Egypt spiritually that is truly Esa 1 10. as the spirit of truth hath taught us to speak Ezech 16. and as the Prophets use to speak Now the workes of Sodom and Egypt were beastly filthines Gen. 19. 12 15. 39 13. and bloudie crueltie as we read in the scripture and besides Exod. 1.14 in Egypt also we finde infinite Idolatrie whereof there are sufficient testimonies in the scripture Num. 3 3. besides that which heathen men do write to the same purpose Ier. 43. namely Herodotus Iuvenal Diod. Sic. Anaxandrid and Plutarch Esa 30. And were not these the works of Rome in S. Iohns time Read their own Authors Tacitus Sueton Virgil. and he rest that I cited before concerning their horrible filthines and Idolatrie Read the Ecclesiastick Histories of their persecutions and their best Historians Tacitus Suetonius of their tyrannies crueltie Are they not still the works of Rome in these later times Read Petrach Mantuan Platina Blesensis Roma est jam tota lupanar sayth one It is notorious that almost all the Cardinals of Rome haue their Manfrones Cinaedos sayth another who by authorities and arguments drawn out of Iacobatius other authors of the Romanists without exception fully proveth that there is not now nor hath beene for many yeares past any true Pope nor lawfull Cardinall but that they are all Intruders Simoniakes Sodomites c. and so haue been of long time and therefore by the sentence of the Pope himself Dist. 23. in the Decree declared to be Antichrist The abhominable acts of Iulius the III that made his Ganymede a Cardinall created Iohannes Casa Archb. of Beneventum Legate à Latere who set forth a book in commendation of that crying sin are not yet forgotten and that booke also passed currant a long time amongst them without controule The bloudy actions of Aluisius Borgia Diazius Minerius Gardner Bonner the murdering Dominican in France and the Pouder-traitors in England and many others were not onely not disallowed by them but praised and commended yet Qui non vetat peccare cum pâ—ssit jubet saith the Pagan I desire to know whether any man ever saw read or heard of any nation Christian Iew or Turke Saracen or Savage wherein Sodomie hath been so publiquely practised allowed as in Rome Their Idols and images also are knowen to be innumerable whereof we shall speake more hereafter What shall we say then of the fourth note of this place where also our Lord was crucified In Ierusalem sayth the Babylonian but Ierusalem at the time of the writing of this Apocalyps was so far from being a great cittie that it was no cittie at all for it was utterly destroyed before by Titus And if it had been then a cittie yet was it far from being great or bearing rule over kings and although Ierusalem be some time called the holy cittie yet is it never called the great cittie Hierom. Hierusalem sanctior locus rupe tarpeìa c. See more in the Epistle of S. Hierom to Marcella inviting her to come to Bethleem and likewise in his Epistle written in the name of Paula and Eustochia to the same Marcella to the same purpose wherein he proveth that this name of the great cittie could not be giuen to Hierusalem c. but rather to Rome or to the world c. the chief cittie whereof is Rome Neyther yet are we directed to the name of Hierusalem but to that place wherein it is spiritually sayd that our Lord was crucified Ierusalem is not spoken of in the text neither indeed was our Lord crucified in Hierusalem but extra portas without the gates as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 13 12. Let them
Rome for the most part of that time namely untill the yeare of our Lord 540 Consuls which represented the Imperiall power and were elected and created with Heathenish and Idolatrous rites and Auguries See Helviens Rensuerus other chronologers as Salvianus aboue cited doth testifie Were not the Emperors themselues many times made Consuls of Rome in that time And yet were not the Idolatrous Stageplayes with Bestiall filthines still celebrated in Rome as the same reverend and Godly Author and not he alone but the irrefutable Doctor S. Augustin witnesseth De civ Dei lib. 1. ca. 23. See also Blondus That pestilent corruption sayth he did infect the soules of miserable men with so great deformitie that euen now the cittie of Rome being spoyled men possessed with that pestilence flying from thence to Carthage dayly play the mad men upon stages And this wrote he about the year of our Lord 413 fully an hundred yeeres after Silvester and after that the cittie of Rome was governed by Christian Bishops agreeable to that which I proved before out of Salvianus Besides did not the Emperor Constantine and his successors for an hundred yeeres after him reteyn the name of Pont Max. Pless ex Zosum Baron and use the Robes Ornaments So then here was the first Beast still continuing both in Idolatrie and Majestie Yet notwithstanding I thinke no Papist will deny but that the Bishops of Rome after Silvester had the Imperiall sea and exercised the same principalitie and did the same things which the Emperors or Consuls were wont to doe For so is their decree Dist. 96. And what else do they clayme or pretend by the Donation of Constantine which they so stoutly maintayn but that they had that power lawfully which they exercised apparantly And yet this was not in any certaine form of government or resolute manner but sometimes by schisme and faction and sometimes by flatteries obteyning the consent or connivence of the Emperors When they saw the Emperors able to please or displease then by and by they were their good Lords and Masters and they caused men to worship them But when they would get it by faction or otherwise the Emperor was but a Cypher in Augrim as appeareth by the Histories and records of that time Sometimes the Consuls governed sometimes the Exarches and sometimes the Roman Bishops were opposed by other great Bishops So the Rising of this second beast was not altogether at once but by degrees and this second Beast in his Rising was as hath been sayd of an uncertaine forme And this being so the other points will consequently be confessed For what can they deny Will they deny that this principally which the Bishops of Rome held after Silvester was a Monarchie or state governed by one onely at once which is the second point or thirdly will they denye that it went in succession Fourthly will they say that it was like to any of the former Beasts This being a state Ecclesiastick all the former Saecular Fiftly will they affirme that these Bishops had any setled and absolute forme of Soveranitie during the time aforesaid Will they deny that they were at Rome in the presence of the Consular and Imperiall Authoritie or that they caused men to adore the Emperors Seuenthly or lastly will they deny the Testimonies of S. Augustin and Salvianus that the Idolatrous Rites Superstitions Auguries Stage-playes were still exercised at Rome I will here set downe a short Catalogue of the Bishops of Rome of those times out of their owne Historians and let it be shewed in which of these things they will differ from me and whether it were not with great opposition contention and schisme that they got their supremacie Silvester who had the Imperiall Sea and Principalitie of Rome by donation as some of them affirm or Cession Platin. Onuph Baâ—â—â— c. as others Marcus about the yeare of our Lord 335 tooke upon him the Title of universall Bishop in Epist Iulius tooke upon him by absolute Authoritie He warreth against the saints to restore certaine Bishops of the Easterne Churches deposed by their owne Synods Liberius an Arrian Heretike Platin. Pautal c. excommunicated the godly Athanasius and therefore was excommunicated by the godly S. Hilary Faelix the second a Schismatike and perjured Onuph Contention and slayn by sedition of Liberius as some say Schisma 2. Damasus a Schismatik advanced by violence murder and that in the church in time of divine service Plessis ex Matcellin Platin. Pantal. c. where there were found in one day 137 bodies slayne Siricius about the yeare of our Lord 396 or as some say 383 Ambition Contention ambitiously claymed the superioritie over the bishops of Spaine and Afrik and contended with them for it Anastasius 1. anno Dni 398 continued but few yeers Innocentius 1. anno Dni 402 still urgeth and mainteyneth his superioritie and the Apostolike honor of his Sea for so they called it In his dayes Rome was spoyled by the Gotts and Vandales Zosimus anno 417 seeketh to draw all causes to Rome Contention A wisedome earthly sensuall divelish Iames 3. Bonifacius 1 anno 420 getteth the Papacie by contention with Eulatius in a Schisme which is accounted the third Schisme in that Church Caelestinus 1. anno Christi 423 contendeth with the bishops of Africa amongst whom was S. August and other godly men Xistus 3. anno 432 continueth his claym of supremacy Leo Magnus anno 440. magnifieth S. Peter c. In his dayes the Roman Empire was grievously spoiled by Attila the Hunn Idolatrie The cause whereof Salvianus imputeth to the continuance of their Heathenish Idolatries with other sinnes in Rome Hilarius anno 461 continueth c. Simplicius anno 467. This man greatly laboured to advance his supremacie Heresiâ— and for that purpose tooke upon him the Patronage of Eutiches the Heretike Faelix anno 483 continueth c. Gelasius anno 492. Heathen Idolatries still continue in Rome Anomos Pantal. yet this man Se successores a nemine in terris judicandos asserit he will be iudged by no man Anastasius 2. anno 469. An Heretike and Patron of the Eutichians Reprobatus Dist. 19. and Nestorians Schisma 4. Symmachus anno 498. advanced by faction sedition and murder Paul Diac. Sabel Hormisda anno 513. In his time Cassiodorus composed the schisme between the Pontif. Ioannes I. anno 523. Faelix 4. anno 526. Bonifacius 2. anno 530. created by Schisme and Sedition Schisma 5. Ioannes 2. anno 532. Agapetus anno 534. Sylverius anno 535. a Magician put down by schisme Schisma 6. Vigilius anno 537. A seditious Schismatike and Eutichian whom Baron also calleth Antichrist Pelagius 1. anno 555. Ioannes 3. anno 566. in policie to crosse the Constantinopolitan decreed that none should be called chief Bishop Benedictus 1. anno 576. Pelagius 2. contended with the Archbishop of
Constant for Primacie and Supremacie Gregorius Magnus anno 590 condemneth the title of Vniversall Bishop in the Patriarch of Constant yet if we beleeue Baron and some others was contented to hold the Supremacie and for that purpose wrote letters of great flatterie to Phocas the Murderer Sabinianus anno 604 did so much malice his Predecessor and advance Gregorie that he could hardly conteyne himself from burning his books Platina and after him Boniface the 3 4 5 and others all mainteyned their Supremacie the power of that Sea untill Constantine of whom we shall haue cause to speake hereafter Lo these were the Roman Prelates of those times whose Histories diligently collected and layd together Plessis are more at large to be seen in that excellent worke De Mysterio Iniquitatis Whereupon I demand Whether they do not fully answer the description made of this Beast rising out of the earth Out of earthly desires of Honour c. First here is another Beast or Monarchie unlike to any of the former and yet not of any certaine forme of Government alwayes ascending and striving to get supremacie sometimes by one meanes sometimes by another stirring up schismes and seditions patronising Heretikes contending with other Bishops yea with those heauenly Doctors and Lights of the world whom they could no way countervaile Athanasius Hilarius Augustin Aurelius and two hundred Bishops of Africa with him And yet pretending great humulitie and subjection to the Emperor as appeareth by the letters not onely of Vigilius to Anthinius and other principall Heretikes at the command of the Empresse but of Gregorie the Great also to Phocas the Murderer Yet by Schisme and faction seeking to get the place as oft as they could without their consent See more at large of these things in that Booke of Philip Marnay Where also you may reade what S. Hierom writeth of Rome in his time expressely calling it Babylon and the purple whore And telling them of their Riches covetousnes lewdnes and Lupercatia There are the Trophees of the Apostles and Martyrs there is the confession of Iesus Christ sayth he but there is also ambition and Tyrannie which keep men back from doing good Neyther he onely but Marcellinus I do not sayth he marvail considering the braverie of that cittie that men ambitious of that place set up their Rest for the purchasing of it For having once aspired thereunto they are sure to be inriched with the offrings of Ladies and Noblemen to be carried in their coaches sumptuously attyred and so magnificent in their feastes as passeth any kings table Many such testimonies collected are to be read in the discourse of that Learned Lord. But especially is to be observed what he hath diligently drawn out of Baronius where he sayth that Constantine in the 24 year of his raigne ordeyned that the Bishops of the Christian Law should from that time forward haue the same Priviledges which the Idolatrous Priests had in time past They had sayth he their Rex Sacrificulus and Pontifex Maximus And who can think that Constantine would long indure that they should exceed the Christians in Pompe and glorie So Baron their Cardinall and learned Annalist yeeldeth unto us freely confesseth a point of no small moment that this their Pontifex Maximus who now is in Rome succeedeth in priviledge Pompe and glorie to the Heathen Pont. Max. which was before in Rome Yet the same Baron sheweth also that Constantine first tooke the name of Pont. Max. to himself and giveth a reason for it namely that the Senate and people of Rome those that were yet of the Heathenish faction might not so easily be drawen to conspire against the Christian Emperors was it not a verie Christian policie think you And yet sayth he the Pope had the power of supreame judge in all causes So that this standeth most consonant with all Prophecies histories that these two Beasts were at one time both together in Rome and that the new Pont. Max. of Rome hath the power of the Pagan Pontif. But that his power appeared very slowly and that the Pontificall name in Temporall causes was for a long time verie base and obscure appeareth by the testimonie of the learned Guicciardin Guicc l. 4. and other Histories I demand therefore Whether we may not here see the manifest performance of this prophecie I Another Beast arising after the first in Rome and in the presence of the first 2 Arising by degrees out of the earth that is out of the earthly lusts and desires of riches luxurie Pompe and pride 1 Iohn 2. Iames 3. and also by earthly wisedome strife and envie 3 Having two hornes indeed that is a power temporall spirituall but short and weake and as Guicciardin sayth obscure and almost invisible as the Hornes of a lambe 4 Speaking like the Dragon that is contrarie to the Commandements of God Revel 13. as the Serpent did to our mother Eue but equivocally as Vigilius whom Baron himself calleth Antichrist did equivocate with Sylverius his Predecessor and Theodora the Empresse See the Historie in Platina And divers others of them did flatter equivocate with the Emperors The fifth consideration therefore is of his Actions The 6 of his works And the 7 of his Name But of his name I haue spoken before and of his marke I might referre the Reader to the writings of the Excellent Paraeus Napier Iunius upon the Apocalyps But I cannot omit the greate and learned Archbishop Antonin In summa where he sheweth that everie one that entreth into their Holy Orders receiveth a Character p. 3. t. 14. p. 4. t. 13. which he interpreteth to be principale instrumentum ordinis But in another place upon the place of the Apocalyps now in hand Apoc. 13. he expoundeth the Character of the Beast to be cultum Bestiae the worship of the Beast in his right hand that is sayth he in his spirituall works as fasting Almes prayer c. or in his forehead in outward appearance at the least and in outward conformitie We may also obserue that if we subscribe to the opinion of Irenaeus that the name of the beast is Latinus this is observed in all their prayers But considering well and comparing the opinion of Napier with Antonin both with the Text I cannot chuse but thinke the Character is expressed unto us in the superstitious use of the crosse which they make upon the forehead or otherwise with their right hands But for his Actions they are here somewhat largely set forth in this 13 chap. For first it is sayd that he exerciseth all the power of the first Beast before his face So did the Popes before the Emperors as I haue shewed before Secondly he causeth the earth and earthly minded men to worship the first beast So did the Popes to the Emperors while they were in power and continued Pontifices Max. Thirdly he doth great wonders making fire to