among such Princes their agents blowing up the coales of contention which at length might flame out into an open combustion A cloud of witnesses might dissolve it selfe into a testimony of this truth but I have an instar omnium at the mouth of onely one witness it shall uncontroulably be established These are the very words of a great Pope to the great Turke of Pius the second to Mahomet As our Predecessours STEVEN ADRIAN Epist Pij 2 ad Princip Turc pag. 9. and LEO did call in PIPIN and CHARLES to their ayde against the King of the Longobards HAISTVLPHVS and DESIDERIVS and being delivered from their tyrannie they transferred the Empire from the Grecians unto these their Champions So may we in the necessity of the Church make use of your assistance vicem reddere and returne a retribution Even the translation of the Christian Empire to the Turke if his Turkish sword would make good the Popish quarrells An excellent motive to make the Turke turne Christian but more excellent to make Christians take heed of the Popes subtletie 6. Rather than their sword shall faile them Pless Myst Opposit 28. Pless Myst Opposit 40. they will sharpen it at the shop of Rebellion Gregory the fourth conspired with the Sons against the Father the Emperour Lewis Gregory the seventh instigated the Germanes to an insurrection against Henry the third the Emperour and invested Ralph the Duke of Burgundy with the interest to his Empire Paschal the second Pless Myst progress 42. Pless myst progress 51. excited Henry the sonne to rebell against Henrie the Father Gregory the ninth did infuse the same poison into the heart of Prince Henrie that hee unnaturally rebelled against his noble Father Fredericke the second All which wolvish attempts had this one Foxe-like scope that the Italian Cities by these meanes becomming free States and obtaining a new forme of government divide imperia would be lesse able to oppose the Popish affected Monarchy than if they had remained under the Emperour intire in an united subjection Seventhly to make these mysteries yet more mysticall they have Sepia-like overspred these acts with an inky darknesse forging and purging the ancient Authors that they make those old Writers to speake those things now they are dead which they abhorred when they were alive Their additions to Cyprian and Augustine Goulartius and Erasmus have declared their subtractions from other old authors their own Indices expurgatorij have sufficiently acknowledged And how they have extinguished all the writings of the Waldenses is more than notorious But their Triarij their principall corrupters are three learned men famous in their generations in three sorts of learning Gratiane who compiled all the old Canons in one body of the Decrees Peter Lumbard his brother indeed brethren in the Mystery of Iniquity who brought the Fathers sayings into his foure bookes of Sentences And Baronius who spent thirty yeares Casaub Epist Dedic Exercit. ad Baron imployment to comprise all the Ancient Historians in his Tomes All their indeavours meeting in this Center to advance the Papacy Gratiane making the Law Lumbard Divinity and Baronius History to speake what was sit for the corruption of that doctrine and ambition of those Doctors But what is the effect Notwithstanding their cunning conveyance the carefull eye of an impartiall Reader may discerne the foot-steps of Antichrist and Antichristian errours even in their writings And their labour preventeth mine it proveth my conclusion The mystery of iniquity is a working even in their writings 8. Finally the favours of Princes and Prelates hath the Pope framed to bee a rare furtherance for his Prelacy and Principality registring their voluntary actions of love and courtesie as precedents of their necessary observance and duty Thus Honoratus Bishop of Marseille and Possessor a Bishop of Africa sent Gennad de Script Eccles cap. 100. their Bookes peradventure to intreat their judgements to the Bishop of Rome the one to Gelasius and the other to Hormisda Hence Baron 1. 6. 490. Artic. 43 45 46 Bar. â— 7. an 520. Artic. 12 13 14. Duorenus de Benefic lib. 1. c. 2. Bell. de Imag. lib. 2 c. 13. init Suarez Apol. li. 4. c. 31. nu 13 â—ess de Antichr part 2 pag. 267. Bellarm. de P. R. lib. 1. cap. 8. L. Volumus C. de Epist Cler. Hist Papatus cap. 4. Pâ—ess Myster progress 64. â— Baronius constraineth a conclusion therefore the approbation or suppressing of Bookes belong to the Pope The Ancients held the judgment of the Church of Rome in high esteeme and to it even their Councills had recourse as to the most solide advisers concerning their Canons and Constitutions But the Pope hath forced this their arbitrary reverence into a rule of necessary obedience that now there is no Councill above the Pope and can bee no Councill without the Pope Charles the great granted that the Clergie should be judged by their Bishops in all causes on which pretence the Pope hath arrogated power to determine all causes concerning all persons even against the Emperours themselves who gave them these priviledges at the first To give you a taste of many in this one example The King of France Charles the 8 having forcibly entred Rome yet comming into the Vaticane on his knees he kissed the foot of Pope Alexander the sixt and on another day he held the Bason and Ewre whilest his Holinesse did wash All which that humble Pope caused to be painted in a Gallery of S. Angelo as a pattern of Princes dutie which this heroick Conquerour did out of his redundant courtesie And thus have I discovered their Quaerere the History and the Mystery of their attaining their Papall greatnesse Thus much concerning their Mysticall Art in attaining now they are no lesse artificiall in retaining their greatnesse and in inlarging it in our times For which purpose they use both baits and hookes and both by way of undermining and countermining the poore Protestants First they undermine us Machiavil saith Mach. Hist Florent lib. 2. the old Florentines had a Bell called Martinella which was rung continually for a whole month together before their Army took the field that the Enemy might prepare for defence We must dreame of no such faire warre from our Adversaries the Papists will follow Machiavils policie not his History Therefore like the Beleaguerers of strong Forts they use secret Engines to blow up when suspect nothing but are secure as upon sound ground They undermine us admirably they have Engines and baits answerable to every Sexe and Condition Women especially devout women they worke wonderfully on and by for the spreading of Poperie They doe not onely creepe into houses and captive sillie Women as Saint Paul foresaw and foretold long agoe 2 Tim. 3. 6. But moreover they stirre up honourable women to persecute professours and to expell them out of their coast as the Iewes did at Antioch Acts 15. 50. Nay they surpasse
those warres I will therefore speake judicio contemplativo not practico Sayrus Clavis Regia lib. 12. cap. 3. num 26. proceed to the Position and passe by the objections against the Persons It is I say absolutely unlawfull for subjects in the cause of Religion to take up armes against their Prince nay without their Prince bee the Warre offensive yea but defensive Suscipiendi belli authoritas penes Principem saith Saint Augustine August contra Faust lib. 22. cap. 75. it is the Prerogative of Princes to move Warre no subjects may usurpe upon it Nay though the persons be Religious and the cause Religion yet is it Rebellion or Treason to take up Armes against or without the Prince Damhouderius in prax Crimin cap. 82. Foure things say the Lawyers are required to make a warre just and warrantable justa causa recta intentio personarum idonietas authoritas Principum sine qua est laesa majestas there must say they concurre a just cause a right intention fit persons and the Princes authority without which the warre is high Treason Warre made by a subject is unjust though the cause be just for the justnesse of the cause cannot give lawfull power A just cause good intention power and jurisdiction must concurre to make such publike actions warrantable Warre we see without the Prince is unlawfull though for Religion but against the Prince though for Religion it is farre more unlawfull Take Saint Augustines judgement for the ancient Christians ye see said he to Marcellinus the Powers of this world August Epist 5. ad Marcel which once did persecute Christians in behalfe of their Images they are now conquered non a Repugnantibus sed à morientibus Christianis not by the Warres but by the patience and deaths of Christians Take Master Bezaes judgement Bezalibro Confess sidei cap. 5. sect 45. for the later Christians Quod autem ad Privatos Homines attinet concerning Subjects saith he â—â—juriam pati nostrum est it is their dutie to suffer neque ullum aliud remedium proponitur privatis hominibus tyranno subiectis praeter vitae emendationem preces laâ—rimas and though they bee subiects to a Tyrant they have no other remedy but amending their lives and commending their cause to God And the judgement of all Christians is recorded in that primitive perpetuated proverbe Arma Christianorum sunt preces lachryâ—â—e Prayers and teares are the onely weapons of Christians Their practice also hath made good their proverbe Valentius decreed to banish Eusebius from Samosata Theodoret. lib. 4. cap. 14. the people tooke up Armes Eusebius appeased the people opposed not the Prince but submitted himselfe to banishment Valentiniane sent Calligonus his Chamberlaine to terrisie Saint Ambrose from his opinions by menacies of death and torments That holy man returned no resistance but this reply Deus permittat tibi ut impleas quod minaris Indeed saith he God may please to permit you to put in execution what you threaten Ego patiar quod est Episcopi tu sacies quod Spadonis I wil discharge the duty of a Bishop doe you the Office of an Eunuch It was the famous onset which the armed Christians gave to their Emperour though a Pagan Caesar oramus non pugnamus Sir our tongues beseech thee our hands shall not touch thee In generall From the passion Hist Papatus cap. 9. of Christ to the persecution of Dioclesian the poore Christians were savagely persecuted with intolerable innumerable incredible tortures 20000 put to death at once and whole nations extirpated yet it was never knowne that though they were of equall number and force ever they armed themselves against the Emperour any otherwise than with Patience To shut up all in the example of him who should be all in all Christ himselfe commanded Peter to put up his sword it is no proper weapon to defend his quarrell And in truth those that maintaine Warres warrantable in such cases of Religion they plucke the flower from the Garland or rather the Garland from the Head of the Church There will be no Martyrdome if private men may make resistance against persecutors The occasions of warre are either Proper or Accidentall the proper occasion is that which maketh men take up armes of it selfe without any other reason adioyned the accidentall is the occasion which concurreth but not of necessity Thus it is not lawfull for one Prince which is a Protestant to invade another who is a Papist as he dissereth in Religion but as hee is a Truce-breaker Incroacher or a Disturber of the Publike Peace c. Thus Constantine warred against Lucinius Danâ—us de Antichrist c. 29. his Colleague not because he was an Infidell but because he persecuted the Christians contrarie to their capitulations one Article of their league betwixt them being this to permit the Christians to live in Peace I say therefore I do not approve the shedding of Christian blood in the cause of Religion But this I adde if the Pope shall proceed to maintaine them who maintaine these Traiterous positions such as Bellarmine Baronius Becanus Suarez c. That the Pope hath power either directly or indirectly to take away the subiects Crownes or Lives of any Princes I say then these Princes may iustly take armes to defend themselves and to invade their adversaries Yea more as Hanibal invaded Rome but the Romanes setched him home by aâ—saulting his Charthage So when it is apparent that Rome sendeth forth advice and agents to raise Rebellions or Invasions against Protestant Princes then may Protestant Princes justly raise forces to raze that Citie which is the shop of Treason and to ruine Rome it selfe This wee may conjecture to be the foretelling of that prophecie of Grosthead Matth. Paris in Henr. 3. nec liberabitur Ecclesia ab Aegyptica servitute nisi in ore gladij cruentandi the Church said that Bishop of Lincolne shall not bee free from that Aegyptian slaverie but by effusion of blood And this we may conceive to bee the fulfilling of Saint Iohns prophecy Revel 18. 6 8. Rome shall be burned even by those Princes in whose territories the Pope hath kindled many combustions Mornâ—us myst Progres 65. Hence Lewis the twelfth King of France caused to bee disputed in a Synode at Tours Num liceret Papae absque causa Principi bellum inferre whether it were lawfull for the Pope on no cause to make warre on any Prince and when it was answered negatively that it was not lawfull Hee propounded a second question Num non tali Principi pro sua desensione fas sit eum invadere whether it were not lawfull for such a Prince thereupon to invade the Pope their suffrages did returne the conclusion That it was lawfull Hence also the same King commanded these words to bee stamped on his coine PerdaÌ„ Babylonem I will destroy Babylon Without these limitations the Sword which we must use against the
Tostatus and Thomas put the Quaere if the Queene of the Sarazens with her whole kingdome would be baptized and become Christians conditionally that some Monke may bee given her for an Husband What should bee done in this case They answer negatively That a Monke might not marry no not such a Queene licet multae animae sunt manifestò periturae although many soules should undoubtedly perish by that refusall Now what may we conceive to bee the cause of this so severe an inhibition I conjecture it to be twofold the commodity and the glory of the Church of Rome Nondum erat ecclesia dotata saith Gerson the Treasurie of their Church would bee at a low ebbe if this channell were diverted Hist Trent lib. 7. pag. 680. And Pius 4. anno 1563 blamed the legates for permitting the question to be disputed because the affections of maried priests would fall from the Church to their Country I remember a fearfull saying of Arnobius Frequentius Arnob. lib. 8. pag. 771. in Aedituorum sacerdotum aut Monachorum cellulis quam in ipsis Lupanaribus flagrans libido defungitur I will not translate his sentence nor relate my owne sentence but I will conclude The Pope is homo peccati the man of sinne for he hath law to command it To close up all with one or two memorable additions Gravius peccat si uxorem ducit quam si domi Concubinam â—â—vâ—at Costerus Coster Ench. cap. 15. Prop. 9 saith it is a more grievous crime for a Priest to marry than for him to keepe an Whore in his house And it is a ruled case of conscience Tolet Instit sacerd lib. 4. c. 21. amongst those Catholikes That a woman though she hath oftentimes lyen with other men yet she may say and sweare to her husband that she is no adulteresse with this reservation I never did commit adultery Tibi ut revelem with an intent to tell him But to put all whores and Taxa Camera cap. 13. whoremongers out of all feare they have pitched a publike price upon this Sinne. Their Taxa telleth us that a Priest might keepe a Concubine paying ten shillings and six pence and a Lay man may doe the same at the same rate If a man defloure a virgin it shall cost him Cap. 14. Cap. 15. nine shillings and seven shillings six pence must be payed by him that defileth his kinswoman Sarishariensis in Epâ—st ad Coloss 4. 5. pag. 356. Caus z. Quest 7. in Gloss I will shut up all with that quotation of our learned Bishop out of their Canonists Pro simplici fornicatione hodie nemo deponitur Now none is deposed for simple fornication Now would I see him who will not see the Sunne can any deny this conclusion The Pope is the cause of whoredome The consequence whereof will hardly be waved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pope is The Man of sinne The third and last sin wherewith I charge the Church of Rome that it is the cause thereof is Treason Treason Did ever Englishman think that any impudent haÌ„d shold throw back this durt into our owne faces yet is there a popish pamphlet to prove the popish Church to be Hierusalem or the mother of peace and our Church to bee Babel or the Teacher and practiser of sedition Iust like Athalia who was the Arch-traitresse her selfe 2 King 11. 1. yet shee was the first and fiercest to cry treason treason against others 2 King 11. 14. But whether it be our Church or the Church of Rome which is the shop where all treason is hammered let this discourse testifie The whole Series of the Popes for many centuries might well be called by the sirname of Vrbanus the third Turbani that is the troublers of all Christendome But I will not inlarge my discourse too farre pondere non numero I will produce a few testimonies but to the purpose and I wil end only with one authority and with one example which shall satisfie any indifferent person who doth impartially desire satisfaction Aquine is an old Artist in this and goeth Aqum 2. â—â— qâ—â—st 12. Art 2. plainly to worke Principe propter Apostasiam excommunicato ipso facto subditi ejus solvuntur à juramento fidelitatis that is if any Prince be excommunicated for Apostasie or falling from Religion ipso facto by that very act his subjects are absolved from their oath of allegeance Bellarmine driveth the same naile a little further BellaÌ„r de Pont. R. lib. 5. cap. 7. sect Eâ—go â—â—ia Si Princeps aliquis ex ove aut ariete fit lupus id est ex Christiano haereticus potest Pastor Ecclesiae cum arcere per excommunicationem simul jubere populo ne eum sequatur ac proinde privare eum dominio in subditos That is If any Prince of a Sheepe shall become a Wolfe that is of a Christian an Hereticke the Pastor of the Church the Pope may expell him by excommunication and withall he may command the people to follow their Prince no more and finallie he may deprive him from ruling over his Bellar. de Pont. Rom lib. 5. ca. 7. sect Quod si subjects And hee addeth a reason why this hath not beene frequently done Quia deerant vires the Pope wanted power to put it in execution And this certainly was the cause of composing that laborious but lying libell Monarchomachia whereby the wilie author would perswade credulous persons Hierusalem Hierusalem that the Papists are the most peaceable people in our whole land but desunt vires they want power There is the cause of their quietnesse and for ever may it continue unto them Thus have I the most and most learned of the Church of Rome avouching my accusation For Thomas is the leader to all the Thomists and few of the Iesuits will sticke to follow their Cardinall Bellarmine Nay not onely the Thomists and Iesuits but if they will subscribe to the Pope all the Papists must grant the cause though the title peradventure Treason is declined by them About the yeare 1253 Pope Innocent the Math. Paris pag. 844. fourth said of King Henry the third Nonne est Rex Angliae noster vasallus is not the King of England our subject ut plus dicam mancipium nay more is he not our slave Pope Monarchomach part 2. tit 3. pag. 372. Pius 5. indeavoured the deed but God be blessed deerant vires and ever may they armed our Northerne Papists to Rebellion against our famous Queene Elizabeth as it is confessed by impudence it selfe the Babylonish author Apologia Regis Iacobi pag. 77. of their Babel Pope Sixtus the 5. uttered in the Conclave a panegyricall Oration in the praise of that traiterous Monke who murthered Henry 3. King of France And finally Pope Vrbane 8. Maij 30. 1626. dated a Bull to Bulla Vrban 8. 1626. England to exhort all English Romish Catholikes to refuse the oath of Allegiance that
Sive Suarez Apol. lib. 5. 6. 17. nu 7. vere sive falso sive metaphorice be he a true false or metaphoricall god such as Princes are said to be saith Suarez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omne quod colitur sive superstitiose sive religiose either religiously or superstitiously saith the same Suarez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum extollendi Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 17. nu 11 significat excessum arrogantiam usurpationem by exalting is meant an excessive arrogant usurpation over God and all things belonging to God According unto which our English Rhemists seeme to state the question and controversie Rhemists in 2 Thess 2. 4. Sect. 11. betwixt us Who exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped That is Antichrist shall abolish all religion of the Iewes Gentiles and Christians and shall suffer none no not God but himselfe to bee worshipped alone A most grossely absurd exposition as it may be made manifest foure wayes First it contradicteth reason in reason if a seducer should plainly professe and proclaime himselfe to be greater than God would any be so stupide and senselesse to be seduced by him If a mortall wretch should exalt himselfe above the great and true God men would rather deride him for his folly imprison him for his phrensie and stone him for his blasphemy than to follow such a foolish frantick and blasphemous Impostor Secondly it doth contradict his name who is named Antichristus that is The Adversary of Christ and not Antitheus that is the Adversary of God which should be his proper name if directly or expressely to exalt himselfe above the true God were his true propertie Thirdly this is contrary to their owne popish positions Antichrist say the Papists shall be a Iew how then shall he abolish the Iewish religion Againe they affirme that he shall be a Magician and that hee shall worship the Devill Therefore Antichrist shall not exalt himself supra omnem Deum above every God not above the god of this world And finally this interpretation is contrary to this very Text. The superlative of all his excessive properties is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he shall rule as God and shew that he is God this is the height of his audacious incomparable arrogance but that incredible impossible unlimited insolence that a man shall exalt himselfe above God we must leave this as a phrensie and fiction to wave the imputation of other franticke and fabulous paradoxes which they are unwilling to acknowledge much lesse to reclaime Having rejected their exposition we proceed to our owne Above all that is called God in the originall some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every thing which is called God and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every person which is called God The first reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the errour of the Printer contrary to the most Greeke copies as it is acknowledged by M. Beza himselfe With the warrant Beza in â— Thâ—s 2. 4. therefore of the most copies we follow the latter reading and the interpretation of our late Soveraigne now with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rex Iacobus Praemonit the persons whom the Scriptures doe call Gods are Princes and Magistrates Psal 82. 6. Dixi Dij estis I have called you Gods Which exposition is affirmed by a learned French Bishop Pater omnium Deus dâ—citur est at Irenâ—â—s lib 3. cap. 6. non super hunc extolletur Antichrist us sed super eos qui dicuntur quidem sed non sunt dij The Father of all things saith he is called God and is God but Antichrist shall not exalt himselfe above him but above them who indeed are called gods but are not in deed Which Exposition is also confirmed by as learned an English Bishop Ecqua nervosior consequentia quam ut dicantur Andrewes Apol. cap. 9. Dij ab Apostolo quos Deus ipse dixit dâ—os in Psalmo Can there be a more strong consequence than to collect that those are called Gods by Saint Paul in this Text whom God himselfe doth call gods in the Psalmes And if the Apostle had not alluded unto some whom the Scripture doth call gods hee might with like facility have written that Antichrist should exalt himselfe supra omne quod est vel saltem supra omne quod vel est vel dicitur Deus above all that is or at least above all that either is or that is called God Here then S. Paul saith not that Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above all that is God to wit by nature but above all which is called God to wit in title which is proper unto Kings The meaning of the first member of this distribution is this Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above all that is called God that is above all Kings and Princes The second member is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that is worshipped which indeed doth signifie quod colitur the object of any kinde of worship or thing worshipped as Altars Idols c. as it is rightly rendred by Bellarmine out of the Acts Bell. de Pont. Rom. 314. 17. 23. and Wisdome 15. 17. This acception of the word though it be true yet it is improper to this place because the letter doth run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omnem qui dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every person not above every thing which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore in the text I take to bee a synonima signifying the same thing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 25 of the Acts 21 and 25. where it is expounded Augustus The sense being that Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above the Emperor For he speaketh of such an exaltation whereby Antichrist should be revealed as he was to be hindered for a time by the Romane Emperour The sense of all is this Antichrist exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is Antichrist doth exalt himselfe above all Kings and above all Emperours Such an one is the Pope if there ever was is or shall bee such an one under Heaven But in so plaine a cause to deale freely with them This sense I say is true yet their owne interpretation may exactly be fitted to the Pope First take the name of God metaphorically for Bishops and Kings The Pope is avouched by all Papists to be Episcopus Oecumenicus the universall bishop of the World and by some to be solus Episcopus the Onely bishop And Suarez Apolog. li. 5. ca. 17. nu 12 his authority over Kings and Emperours Suarez calleth jus suum his right and proper indowment For false Gods those of the Heathen had power limited the Pope unlimited With them Neptune ruled the Sea Ceres the Earth Iupiter Heaven and Pluto Hell But the Pope hath three Crownes to shew his power in three places in Heaven Earth and Hell And for the
not the love of the truth that they might be saved but for some Pompe and corporall respects delight in false doctrine and in Idolatry above measure Therefore Gods just judgement giveth them over to strong delusion that they become obstinate to beleeve what they defend untruth And to make and beleeve unmatchable Lyes The End of all is Punishment without end that they be damned This is the Description of Antichrist would God it were the Inscription of Antichrist Would God it were Inscribed written in all your hearts as it were in a Table of Brasse with a Pen of Steele Having passed through the points and the Paraphrase I now proceed to the parallell Concerning which let me once more premise unto you although all these points seeme not punctually to parallell each particular but that some of you may apprehend that I erre in the explication or application of some of thē Yet that so many peices in so large a Prophecie shall pitch at least probably upon one person the like application on my life no man living can frame to any other This it may be will stagger both the partiall Papist and some praejudicating Protestants who push at this position as a very paradoxe that The Pope is the Antichrist But excepting partiality and praejudice I suppose that indifferent men will conceive the Great Bishop to be described in the description of the Great Antichrist For the time take it politically for a falling from the Empire and the Pope fulfilleth it Indeed Asia fell from him to the Turks Europe to the Hunnes Africa to the Maurani but this was by Invasion But that the Emperour should be thrust out of Rome his Emperiall Seat from whence his Empire was stiled Romane by a subject This was the maine falling away and the Pope did performe it About the yeare of our Lord 606 Boniface the 3 obtained of Phocas the title of Vniversall Bishop About 800 Leo 3 conspired with Charles the Great the conditions That the one should strip the Emperour of the West and the other become Lord of Rome About 1070 Gregory the 7 added to the spirituall Monarchy the Temporall And at this day the Emperour taketh a kind of oath of Fealtie to the Pope The Pope therefore hath fallen from the Emperour by Rebellion Take the time Ecclesiastically and it will appeare yet more plainly if Saint Paul may define it What is the time a falling away saith Saint Paul in my Text. What manner of falling away It is a falling from faith saith the same St. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 1. Wherein shall be that falling from faith In forbidding meats and mariage saith the same Apostle in the same place Therefore The Pope hath acted this falling away from Religion Take the time figuratively and the Pope is Apostata Refuga the Head and Author of this Apostasie My Instances are but two In the old Testament he is the Head of falling away from Gods injunction in the second Commandement The Pope is Caput adorationis Imaginū saith Suarez the Head of Image-adoration And in the new hee commandeth a falling away Concil Trid. Sess 21. C. 1. from Christs owne institution of the Sacrament Licet Christus instituerit although Christ did institute the Supper to be received in both kindes yet the Pope doth command all Christians non credere not to beleeve that they may receive it so Thus the falling away falleth directly on the Pope Next the Titles of Antichrist fit the Pope as well as the Time doth He is The man of sin both a Practiser and a causer thereof Concerning their Practice they know nothing who know not enough I will not rake open that Dunghill That the Pope is the Cause of Sinne I oppose these three speciall instances 1 Hee is the cause of Ignorance by injoyning the Scriptures and prayers in the Latine Tongue 2 Of Whoredome by being the maintainer of it and maintained Cornel. Agrip. cap. 64. by it the Pope hath a Pension for permitting Stewes 3 Of Treason usurping Power to depose and kill Kings as it is at large disputed by Suarez Iustly therefore is the Pope termed Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. cap. 4. The man of Sinne. Their Holy Father is also the Sonne of perdition destroying others to be destroyed himselfe Destroying others spiritually by his agents compassing Sea and Land to make one proselyte and when hee is so made they make him the child of the Devill twofold more than hee was before Math. 23. 15. And that he destroyeth men corporally I need inquire no further than the Inquisition a wofull testimony Finally that in a righteous recompence of reward He and His shall be destroyed spiritually wee suspect it Ezech. 3. 10. the blood of the seduced will God require at their hands And corporally we expect it from Revel 18. 2. Babylon is fallen it is fallen saith the Oracle of God Moreover the Vicar of Christ is an adversary of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposing Christ both fundamentally and universally The very foundation of Christian Religion is this Eternall life is the gift of God Rom. 6. 23. opposed by the Pope who maketh Good workes meritorious and the cause of Salvation Vniversally Sixe hundred Popish errours are avouched by the Bishop of Derie I instance onely in six which directly oppose Christ 1. Christ saith Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5. 39. The Pope saith Search not the Scriptures 2. Christ saith Pray in a knowne Tongue 1 Cor. 14. The Pope saith Pray in Latine in a language you know not 3. Christ saith Call upon God onely The Pope saith Pray to the Saints 4. Christ saith Make no Image and bow not to it The Pope saith Make an Image and bow to it 5. Christ saith Let everie soule be subject to the Powers Rom. 13. 1. The Pope saith Let the Clergie be exempted 6. Christ saith Drinke yee all of this Math. 26. 27. The Pope saith Drinke ye none of this For the place that the Popes Seat is the prime See of Christendome They themselves take it for confessed that Rome is the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we know it to be expressed to bee Babel it selfe even the Citie situated on the seven hills said an Angell from heaven Revel 17. 9. The properties also are proper to the Pope First he doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is above Kings and Emperours For the Pope is superior unto all Princes directly and in Temporalls say some Papists but indirectly and in spiritualls say all Papists And that suffrage of the Electours Cerem lib. 1. sect 1. runneth in this phrase Ego investio te ut praesis urbi orbi I elect thee to be Prince of this Citie and of the whole world 2. The Pope doth rule the Church of Christ even as Christ Christ doth rule the Church as the head doth the bodie Ephe. 5. 23. The Pope doth as much he is Caput Ecclesiae
A PLAINE EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST part of the second Chapter of Saint Paul his second Epistle to the THESSALONIANS Wherein it is plainly proved that The Pope is The Antichrist Being Lectures in Saint Pauls by IOHN SQVIRE Priest and Vicar of Saint LEONARDS Shordich Sometime Fellow of IESVS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE August Epist 89. Hilario Melius exponant ist a meliores Nam ego paratior smu discere quam docere Psalm 115. 10. Attamen ipse credidi propter quod locutus sum LONDON Printed for Philip Waterhouse and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of St. Pauls Head in Canon street neare London Stone 1630. TO THE RIGHT Honourable EDVVARD Viscount CONVVAY Lord President of his Majesties Honorable privie Counsell My most honored Lord. MY LORD THese Lectures I laboured principally to satisfie mine own conscience in this great point But understanding that some conscionable persons have received some small satisfaction by hearing them I print them And presume to present theÌ„ to your Honor to read them or some of them at your Lordships leasure That I may publish to the world how I am assured of your Honors sincere affection to the Church of England as it standeth now in opposition to the Church of Rome VVhich that it may be daily confirmed and increased in your Honour and in the rest of our Honorable English Nobilitie shall be the daily and sincere prayer of Your most unworthy yet most humble Chaplaine IOHN SQVIRE To the READER CHristian Reader Let me commend these briefes to thy Christian Charitie For this Booke If my small judgement and the eyes of many of my judicious friends have not failed me it may have some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some slips no grosse Errours For the Quotations though some may seeme perhaps to have bin alleaged judicio errante yet animo reluctante not one I may misunderstand some but I mis report not one Author by a voluntary falsification For the Author he is a thorough conformable member Minister of the Church of England And for the Scope it is for the information and salvation of thy soule and his owne soule Take the Treatise and give prayers for Thy fellow-member in Christ Iesus IOHN SQVIRE To the Papists or popishly affected I Beseech you by our Christ performe this Christian duty whereto my Practice doth invite you by a Precedent Read my Treatise As I doe and will the learnedst Authors on your side If your impartiall judgement censure it as Erronâ—ous reject it refute it But if my arguments be strong love not the name of the Church more than you doe the Truth of the Church Magna est veritas Christ grant that his Truth may prevaile on either partie Yours in the Truth IOHN SQVIRE The Contents of this Treatise SERMON 1. OBstinacy an error dangerous to salvation 6 Ministers should win their people by lenity 8 Of the Resurrection 10 Blessings bind us to be constant in Religion 14 Of Vnion 7 15 SERMON 2. The comming of Christ may not be defined 18 The authoritie of the Fathers 21 The errours of the understanding terrours to the Conscience 22 Six meanes to avoid errour 26 Three Fountaines of Errour 28 Of Enthysiasme 29 Of the use and abuse of eloquence 31 Of false quotations and corrupting Authors 32 The meanes of seducing to Popery 34 SERMON 3. The point of Antichrist may be handled 38 The name of Antichrist 43 The Fathers not the best Expositers in this point 46 The Apostasie 47 Whether the Church was ever extinguished 55 When was the Apostasie 57 Communion in both kinds 60 The Primacie 60 Image worship 61 Deposing Kings 62 The Pope above a Councill 62 Priests mariage 63 Apostates to Poperie 63 Latine Service 65 SERMON 4. Antichrist not one man 68 The man of Sinne. 76 The Pope the cause of Ignorance 83 The Pope the cause of Whoredome 85 The Pope the cause of Treason 90 The Powder Treason 94 SERMON 5. Antichrist the sonne of Perdition 97 Antichrist and Iudas parallell'd 99 Antichrist Iudas and the Pope parallell'd 101 The Pope may erre 105 Popish Persecutions passe those of the Emperours 106 Of the Inquisition 121 Rome Destroyed 135 Whether all Papists be damned 136 Popish threatnings to draw men to Popery 137 SERMON 6. Antichrist not an open Adversarie 140 The Pope doth oppose Christ 145 Fundamentally 147 Vniversally 149 Six plaine propositions where Christ is plainly opposed by the Pope 153 The Pope the worst Adversary that ever the Church had 154 SERMON 7. 〈◊〉 Temple 159 Antichrists seat 159 Not thâ—â—â—teriall Temple 159 Rome the seat of Antichrist 167 Whether Rome be a true Church 168 A Parallel betwixt Rome and Babylon 185 SERMON 8. Antichrist shall not exalt himselfe above the true God 197 The Pope doth 200 And above all that is worshipped 202 The Popes Ambition 204 The Pope doth exalt himselfe above Kings 207 Above the Emperour 216 Papists are Traitors 226 SERMON 9. Antichrist shall not sit corporally in the Temple 288 The Pope usurpeth the same power with Christ 232 The same titles 233 That he is above Councills 238 That he can make a Creed 240 The Pope is not the head of the Church 234 The King is the Head of the Church of England 235 The Pope countermands all the Commandements 244 SERMON 10. Antichrist shall not call himselfe the true God 257 The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God 259 The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God plainly 268 SERMON 11. What hindred the Revelation of Antichrist 289 The Ro Empire not to be abolished 294 It is removed ibid. Of Travellers and travelling to Rome 301 SERMON 12. The time of the Revelation of Antichrist 305 Where our Church was before Luther 326 Affected ignorance of Antichrist 328 SERMON 13. The Mystery of Iniquitie 335 Popish mysteries to advance the papacie 343 Popish mysteries to advance poperie 360 Baits to catch papâ—sts 369 Hookes to hold papâ—sts 373 SERMON 14. The Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the lawlesse person 381 In regard of Scriptures 391 Of the Creed 395 Of humane Lawes 396 Of Oaths 397 Of nationall Lawes 402 The Exemption of the Clergie 404 Of Childrens obedience 408 Of Mariages 409 Of his owne Constitutions 411 SERMON 15. The destruction of Antichrist 414 The beginning of the Reformation 416 Poperie may returne into England 417 Poperie may not be put downe by force of Armes 418 The finall destruction of the Pope uncertaine 428 Popery shall not be extinguished till the last day 432 The destruction of Rome 434 SERMON 16. Of lying miracles 440 Of Popish miracles 343 The miracle Rev. 13. 13. explained 465 Whether Papists doe any miracles 467 Whether miracles should perswade unto Poperie 470 SERMON 17. Of the Antiquity of the Church of Rome 478 Vniversalitie 478 Vnitie 478 Infallibilitie 478 Of disputations with Papists 487 The care of the Popish Church for Controversie Writers 488 Of Popish perswasions 491 Devotions
this place signifie a multitude the Church malignant as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the woman in another Rev. 12. 6. doth signifie a multitude the Church militant Next every Schoole-boy can tell that the article doth not alwayes signifie one particular person Againe it seemeth there is no such signification thereof in this place for the old translation so authenticall with them absolutely omitteth it And in Scripture the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used foure wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Elegance Demonstration Difference and Eminence First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Elegance as Luke 4. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man shall not live by bread alone Matt. 4. 4. the same sentence is rendred without the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Demonstration pointing at some particular person as Iohn 1. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Behold the Lambe of God Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Difference to distinguish the whole kinde as Marke 2. 27. The Sabbath was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for man Fourthly it is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Eminence and emphasie to signifie a thing that is noble and notable in that kind as 2 Tim. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man of God meaning not any man but the Minister yet not one particular person but the whole calling So here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not all impious men but emphatically the Principall Antichrist yet Him not one particular person but a whole vocation Notwithstanding yeeld them this conclusion neverthelesse from hence they can conclude nothing against ours or for their owne cause Though Antichrist be one man yet may the Pope be Antichrist For supposing a personall yea a Trienniall Antichrist and the persecutors and Heretikes to have beene Harbingers to prepare his way Notwithstanding the See of Rome may be the Seat of Antichrist and the succession of Popes may be the Series of those persons out of whom one Monster may arise who shal succeed and exceed all his predecessours in breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord in making havocke of the Church and in being drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus This seemeth to be the conjecture of learned Zanchius and to the same Zanâ—h miscâ—l lib. 3. p. 25 de fine sac 85. discept cum Marbachio 474. Mr. Mountagues Appeale part 2 cap. 5. pag. â—19 conjecture seemeth our no lesse learned Countriman to incline in these words It may bee probable that one notorious singular mischievous Antichrist may arise towards the finall consummation of the world who in fraudulent colluding malicious craftinesse in impious execrable and transcendent wickednesse through hereticall impostures and lying miracles shall goe beyond all other that ever lived in the world Surely if the Generall of the Iesuites should once come to be Pope I would vehemently suspect him to bee the party designed For out of what nest that accursed bird should rather come abroad than out of that Seraphicall Society I cannot guesse But indeed that Antichrist should be one particular person it is improbable and plainly impossible which I will make appeare by six arguments In the sixt seventh verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which with-holdeth he which letteth that is the Empire and the Emperor by their owne doctrine doth signifie not one man but a successioÌ„ if the article doth not restraine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the person hindering no more can it restraine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the person hindered vnto the singular number In this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrist is termed a man to bee Reuealed but in the seuenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was working euen then though in a Mysterie and the same man is said to be destroyed at the comming of Christ in the eight verse Antichrist therefore was in Saint Pauls time to be revealed in the after times and to be destroyed in the last times All which cannot concurre in one particular man This also may be confirmed from the drift of the Apostles discourse in this place Which was to foretell the most notable Apostasie and most importing the waste of the Church which could not bee in the age onely of one man Farre fitter therefore it had been to haue foretold the Heresie of Arius which indured many yeares and extended to many places Miratur orbis se factum Arianum Hieron Dial. ad Lucif Saint Hierom saith the whole world was infected with Arianisme To this Sunne-shine of Saint Paul St. Iohn may adde one Candle Reu. 18. 7. Sedeo Regina 1 sit a Queene and shall see no sorrow which are the words of one not newly sprung up by an usurped authority but of one established in a long and rooted tyrannie But to lay the axe to the root of the tree Matth. 16. 18. wee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ will build his Church upon a rocke Now according to their Popish exposition if the Papists must expound the article to signisie the singular number and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rocke to vnderstand Peter alone and not the whole succession of Popes then sarewell to the Romish Supremacy and infallibilitie And I thinke the Romanists had as liefe yeeld the Pope to bee Antichrist as not to be the supreme head of the Church and not to be the infallible iudge of Controuersies Finally Bellarmine himselfe delivereth these Bell. de P. R. lib. 3 c. 1â— five things Antichrist must 1 vsurpe the kingdome of the Iewes 2 vanquish Egypt Libia and Ethiopia 3 conquer seuen other kingdomes 4 subdue the whole world 5 raise an universall persecution Now how Antichrist shall ever be able to poste over these expeditions on the wings of a whirle-wind in the reigne of one man especially in the space of three yeares and a halse as the Papists fancie I appeale to the conscience of any indifferent person Protestant or Papist and they will conclude with me Antichrist cannot be one singular man Neither can any justly oppose that argument from the opposition Christ is one man therefore Antichrist shall be one man For Christ the Head of the Church liveth for ever himselfe and therefore is one person But Antichrist the Head of Babel is mortall and continuing to the end of the world must therfore be perpetuated by successioÌ„ we haue instances in this kind The High Priest was the Type of Christ The High Priest that Type of Christ was not one Person but the succession The Pope is called the Vicar of Christ not one Person but the succession Quoad officium Papatus omnes Papae qui fuerunt aut erunt non sunt nisi Vnus Papa All the Popes which over were or shall be in regard of the Function of the Papacy are
sin By both hee fulfilleth that in the first to the Romans and the last He doth not onely do things worthy of Death but hath pleasure in them which doe them But who is this Man this Paterne and Patron of all impiety the Rhemists call it Blaspemy we verity We say The Pope is The Man of Sinne both by Acting it in Himselfe and by effecting it in others Anno 1562. the Archbishop Trent Hist lib 7. pag. 588. of Granada and all the Spanish Bishops desired reformation in the Trent Councill saying that the Fountaine of all abuses was the Court of Rome which is not onely corrupt it selfe but the cause of Deformation in all the Churches This truth is also confirmed by that false proselyte Radix omnium malorum Spalâ—â—â—â—â—â—s de Rep. lib. 4 c. 11. nu 11. est Romana Curia the Court of Rome is the cause of all evill For the first the personall sinnes of the Popes I passe that Onely because Suarez saith Suarez Apol. lib 5 cap. 17. nu 5. Christoph de Antichristo against Doctor Dounam Trisâ—gion lib. 3. cap. 39. that there were aliqui improbi not many and Christopherson in his catalogue doth not mention any evill persons amongst all the Popes I must therefore give a tast of other mens observations The learned author of the Trisagion saith that there sate in the See of Rome fourteene Popes which were Adulterous nine Simoniaks twelve Tyrants three and twenty Sorcerers and ten Traitors To which I must Toâ—â— Torâ—i pag 219. adde what our Bishop hath delivered out of their Platina Monstra Portenta more then twenty Monsters of Mankind which sate and more than thirty Schismes were hatched in the Chaire of Rome And for the space of one hundred fourescore yeeres for the succession of Fifty Popes hee could reckon Vix unum Pontificis nomine dignum hardly one worthy to be called a Pope and that you may not Hâ—m 2. lib. Whits 2. part sol 219 c. judge this to be a private judgmeÌ„t or mine to be a rash judgement reade the judgement of the Church of England fully to this point in the Homily for Whitsontide But I will remove my finger froÌ„ this sore which I had not touched had not their bragging Tongue coÌ„strained my Hand a little to discouer it Next to come to the life of the cause That the Pope is the cause of sinne it will be confessed if we consider onely this one thing There is a booke called Taxa Cancellariae Apostolicae where in print the Absolutions from sinne and dispensations for sinne are set at a certaine Rate Can any imagine a fitter introduction and a more imboldning incouragement for any sinfull man to commit any sinfull action This is much which I say but much more is said by one of their owne and best authors Claudius Espencaeus Liber palam ac publicè hic Cl. Espâ—â—â— in Tit. cap. 1. Digres 1. impressus hodie ut olim venalis Taxa Camerae seu Cancellariae Apostolicae inscriptus in quo plus scelerum discas licet quam in omnibus omnium vitiorum summistis ac summarijs et plurimis quidem licentia omnibus autem Absolutio empturientibus proposita That is There is a booke publikely to be sold the Taxa Camerae whereby a man may learne more wickednesse than ever was comprised in all the summists and summaries of Vices which ever were set forth and wherein some may buy leave and all pardon for any sinne The same author proceedeth in the same place and point that that booke doth dispence with Adulterers Murtherers and Sorcerers Adulteros In cantatrices Homicides yea they absolve Parricidas Incestos contra naturam cum Brutis those that kill their Fathers defile their Mothers or that are so farre past grace that they commit that foule crime against nature By name for Perjurie Cap. 4. a villaine which hath falsly and willingly forsworne himselfe shall be absolved and the price of his Absolution is printed sixe grosses Cap. 3. or nine shillings and the same price is pitched for that child of the devill who out of a diabolicall lust shall defile a woman in the holy house of God in the very Church it selfe Thus also under Alexander the sixt the Cardinall Waldenses lib. 2. cap. 3. pag. 48. of St. Xist sent into Dauphine two bulls one by which he gave absolution for Simonie Theft Murther Vsury Adultery Detension of Benefices Destruction of goods Ecclesiasticall Perjurie yea Apostasie and Heresie All which may bee established by the Bellaâ— de Pont. Rom. lib. 4 ca. 5. sect Quod. judgement of learned Bellarmine for saith he Si Papa praecipiat vitia prohiberet virtutes tenetur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona virtutes malas nisi velit contra conscientiam peccare That is If the Pope should command vices and interdict vertues every person who would not offend against his conscience must beleeue that the vices are good and the vertues are bad And that none may surmise me to wrong Bellarmine or to wring his words beyond his meaning behold a like egge of the same bird Bellar. de Pont. Rom. lib. 4. ca. 2. sect Dein de Catholici omnes convenient pontificem aliquid statuentem sive errare possit sive non esse ab omnibus fidelibus obedienter audiendum that is all Catholikes doe accord in this that the Pope whether he may erre or no is yet to be heard with all obedience And Bellarmine doth but Blanch Bell. Recogn de Sum. Pontif. pag. 507. the Aethiop when as he would seeme to retract this paradoxe saying that hee did speake de dubijs actibus and in the last citation he hath in re dubia For the Powder Traitors propounding Abbati Antilog cap. 9. it as rem dubiam to murther a King and ruine a Kingdome at one blow from these principles if the Pope had returned the affirmative they must have obeyed him yea have beleeved that that vicious act had beene a vertue Tolet. Instr lib. 4 cap. 3. sect 7. nay as another Cardinall speaketh in another case they might have thought that bloody barbarous villany meritorious Let any patron of the Pope under heaven name any man or succession of men on the earth who have given the like incitements incouragements and commandements unto sinne And I will recant and confesse that I have done his Holinesse and the holy series of his predecessours much wrong saying that The pope is the man of sinne But principally the Pope is the cause of three sinnes hee is the cause of Ignorance of Whoredome and Treason Now if I can prove that the Pope is the cause of these 3 sins I have cause enough to conclude The pope is the man of sinne For the first If the Councill of Tolet hath defined Concil Tol. 4. cap. 24. right that Ignorantia est mater omnium errorum Ignorance is the
mother of all Errours It will exercise the wit and learning of his best friends to quite him from being the cause of much sinne who is the cause of that which is the cause of all errour That the pope is the cause of Ignorance it is plaine because he commandeth his to heare in Latine and to pray in Latine plebis est admiraâ—â— divina secreta non Bonaventura in Luc. 1. 21. persâ—rutarâ— the common people must admire not inquire after divine secrets saith Bonaventure Math. Peresius speaketh farre more Matth Peres de Trad. pag. 44. boldly and broadly his doome is that it was the Devills invention to permit the Lay people to read the Bible But acute Richard of Ments hooketh all in handsomely by a pretty Trent Hist lib. 2. pag. 158. distinction that the doctrines of faith were now so cleered that wee ought no more to learne them out of the Scripture and therefore the scripture was read heretofore in the Church for the instruction of the people whereas now it is read in the Church onely to pray and ought to serve every one to that end onely and not to studie Finally hee doth forbid the Lay people to read the scriptures unlesse they obtaine speciall License from the Bishop or Inquisitor to do it as appeareth by the fourth rule of Prohibited bookes which is at the end of the Tridentine Councill And the granting of those Licenses is now againe taken away by Clement the 8. as may be seene by his Index of prohibited bookes printed at Paris by Laurentius Sonius And Decretal de Haeriticis ca. Quincunq in 6. for a lay Papist to dispute of the scripture is to incurre Excommunication The Popes injunction to pray in Latine hath made many of the lay people such ignorant people that they become like Melitides the naturall foole who could not define whether his Father or Mother did bring him forth So they cannot tel whether God their Lord or the Virgin their Lady should be the object of their Prayers Yea a great Divine in the Vniversity Rex Iacobus med in Orat. Dom. pag. 132. of Saint Andrewes in Scotland taught it publikely that the Lords Prayer might be said to the V. Mary which monster could never have beene teemed into this world if the Latine language had not beene the Midwife A tricke of an Apostate the Pope wanteth no precedent Iulian interdicted the meanes of knowledge to the poore Christians I involve therefore two conclusions in one short sentence The Pope is an Apostate and The man of sinne The second point is Whoredome I say The man of sinne is the cause of that sinne and the Pope is the maintainer of Fornication and maintained by Fornication Cornelius Agrippa shall Corn. Agripp de vanitate cap. 64. be one witnesse that the Whores of Rome every weeke payd a Iulius that is sixe pence each to the Pope who shal be seconded by one of our owne Countrymen The stewes are in Wats Quodlib 2. Artic. 4. Rome cum approbatione as lawfully as any Citizen of Rome saith Watson But indeed I have a cloud of witnesses for this truth To keepe a Concubine is permitted â—â—gâ—bâ—s by the lawes Duarenus de Beneficijs lib. 8. cap. 6. Lopez de ratione reg lib. 2. pâ— 58 of Rome â—aith Duarenus that learned Lawyer Stewes are to be tolerated saith Lopez ad detinendum libidinis ardorem to limit the fury of lust Strumpâ—ts inhabit Rome sciâ—â—â—â— patiente Navâ—â— manuali cap. 17. Papa the Pope knowing and suffering such inhabitants Meretriâ—â—s non sunt dignae laâ—ueis legum Whores are not worth to be corrected by the Lawes said â—â—valdus Iacobus de Graffijs propoundeth the question Quare Ecclesia permittit Lupanaria why doth the Church permit stewes and assoileth it tolerat minus malum praesens ut evitet majus futurum that is their Church doth permit the lesse evill to avert a greater Nay the same author goeth yet farther beyond our credence if a papist did not report it Lex cogit the Law doth compell publicas meretricâ—s ad fornicandum cum quocunque juxta tamen mercedem If he bring mony the law doth compell their Whores to commit Whoredome with any man Finally it is the report of a learned Convert Sheldens Mot. Law 3. pa. 151. that there are Permissive and Tolerative lawes for these stewes and strumpets in some papisticall Countreys in the City of Rome there is publike toleration and Papall permission and protection of Queanes The Pope hath Toll from them the Cardinalls and Courtiers cannot bee without them Pius the 5. once banished them but hee drave away so many Citizens and Courtiers with them that hee was contented to permit their returne Very consonant to the name Courtizane the fairest title of a Whore which arose from the Court of Rome because such were entertained day and night These women sufficiently prove that the Pope is the Man of sinne But to furnish this point with proofes to the full I adde the Church of Rome hath made a Law to constraine some to uncleannesse And therfore it may meritoriously be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cause of sinne If a Prince command that a whole City must wade through a deepe foord though some be of sufficient stature to wade through if the rest perish shall wee not impute it to the Prince his command that they bee drowned If a state inact a statute that all in a Countie shall beare two hundred weight 20. miles in one day Althogh a few strong men discharge it if many women and children sinke and dye under the burden may we not conclude that that Law did kill them Even so censure a Decree of the Church of Rome That all the Clergy must vow a single life Though some may have that Blessed gift of Continence yet many too many cannot but be uncleane unchast at least incontinent I inferre then Their law doth constraine them All have not that gift Math. 19. 11. Mariage is the remedy to them that have it not 1 Cor. 7. 2. Therefore those that have neither the gift nor the remedie must fall into that foule sinne of uncleannesse and their Law doth constraine them This law of such a sinfull shamefull consequence Siricius attempted about the yeare 380 but it was effected by Gregorâ—e 7. 1074. which is now so strongly supported Trent Hist lib. 6 pag. 527. that though Augustine Pavugarner petitioning to the Councill of Trent did avouch the Clergie of Bavaria infamous for lust few of them not being Concubinaries yet could he not beg permission for them to marrie indeed to be honest A strange inversion It is better to marry then to burne saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 7. 9. it is better to burne then to marrie saith the Coster Enchir. cap 17. prop. 9. Tâ—stat in 1 Sam. 17. quâ—st 45. Thom. 2. 2 aequ 88. Art 11. Popes holinesse But it is a stranger position
both by affection and infection the patterne and patron of sinne so is the Papacy The Court of Rome is both corrupt it selfe and the cause of corruption in all Churches so complained Granada The personall sinnes of the Popes I insisted but little on but I shewed how these three crying sinnes Ignorance Whoredome and Treason were caused and commanded by the Romane Lawes I am to proceed to the fourth particular the Accident that man of sinne which must bee revealed But this point I must reserve to the eighth verse Here wee have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there it shall be finished Onely this I will premise the Holy Ghost here telleth us twice that he shall be revealed As it is in Genesis 41. 32. the phrase is doubled unto us twice because the thing is established by God and God will shortly bring it to passe Since therefore God doth tell the Church twice that the Man of sinne shall be revealed let not us shut our eyes against this Revelation Let not us like the Sepia cast out an inkie obscurity on that which God hath made evident unto us Ieremy 40. 14. Iohanan said to Gedaliah Doest thou not certainly know that Ishmael will sâ—ay thee but Gedaliah beleeved not and therefore he was slaine indeed So here S. Paul telleth us that certainly Antichrist shall be revealed If we will not beleeve it nor search into it it is Gods just judgement to deliver us up into the hands of the Man of sinne and that Antichrist should mightily deceive us Goe we on therefore in all humble diligence and diligent attention to looke on him whom God hath made known to us If any stumble against the old stone and still distrust my ability to discharge this difficult duty Let them but impartially consider how aptly even I shall invest the Papacy with all the properties of Antichrist and then let them impartially conceive how that Man of sinne would have been displayed if a profound Divine had undertaken this exposition to paint him out in hiâ— right colours Howsoever according to that portion of faith which God hath vouchsafed unto us let us proceed in the speaking and hearing of this great point In the speaking and hearing whereof God even our owne God grant us a blessing The second Title of Antichrist is that he is here termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sonne of perdition A title wherewith Christ had long agoe invested Iudas Iohn 17. 12. And well might these twaine be adorned with one title Nobile par a paire of rare creatures And the parallel betwixt Iudas and Antichrist doth hold in six particulars In regard of their Vocation Dissimulation Covetousnesse Bloodinesse Obstinate minde and wretched end First Iudas was an Apostle Luke 6. 16. Secondly Iudas betrayed Christ when he did seeme to honour Christ Iudas betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse Luke 22. 48. Thirdly Iudas did beare the bag Iohn 12. 6. Fourthly Iudas did sell and shed innocent blood Matth. 27. 4. Fisâ—ly Iudas did persist in his wickednesse though Christ did threaten enough to have terrified any wretch Woe be to that man by whom the son of man shall be betrayed it had beene good for that man that he had never beene borne thus solemnly did Christ curse him to his very face Matth. 26. 24. Notwithstanding this cursed caitife did not relent but obstinately proceeded in his cursed resolution And sinally the end of Iudas was shamefull and fearfull he was hanged and his owne hangman Matth. 27. 5. So Antichrist First he is an Apostle at the least For Sedet in Templo Dei He doth sit .i. rule in the Church of God as if he were the Son of God as it shall be fully unfolded when I come to open the first point in the fourth verse Secondly his profession is holy and Apostolicall he hath cornua Agni the hornes of the Lambe but his projects and practice is Diabolicall Vocem Draconis he hath the voice of the Dragon saith S. Iohn Revel 13. 11. Thirdly His soule doth lust after gold and silver c. Rev. 18. 12. 14. Fourthly Antichrist is drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus Rev. 17. 6. Fiftly the two witnesses shall prophesie against Antichrist but Antichrist shall persist even unto death the Beast shall kill them Rev. 11. 3. 7. Finally Antichrist shall be cast into the sea Revel 18. 21. into Hell Revel 20. 10. Hee shall be destroyed saith our Apostle vers 8. Thus punctually doe Iudas and Antichrist agree in all the six particulars without forged or forced Application One Name is the knot where the properties of both these wicked wretches doe meet Either is meritoriously named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of perdition Neither are these properties altogether improper to the Popedome also First the Pope is an Apostle also S. Peters Successor His See Power Benediction c. are all termed Apostolicall Secondly hee calleth himselfe Servum Servorum but maketh himselfe Dominum Dominantium he pretendeth an heavenly humility but intendeth an Earthly Monarchy Thirdly Avarice is the very pillar of the Papacie for anno 1522 honest Adrian 6 having resolved to reforme his Court found that covetous Trent hist lib. 1. pag. 22. corruptions as Indulgences Dispensations and collations of Benefices were the revenues and sinewes of the Pontisicality And therefore he bemoaned his misery to William Encourt Theodoricus Hezius his trusty friends that reformation was impossible Fourthly for their blood-seeking and blood-shedding we need no other instance than the Inquisition a lamentable testimony of their incomparable cruelty Fiftly I dare say that the Pope and the Cardinalls doe Volentes videntesque 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they doe know that they have usurped upon Christianity and that they are farre from Christs and Christian humility Finally it is reported of Innocent the 4. that at his death Pless myst Iniq. Oppos 52. Vox audita est Veni miser ad judicium Wretch come to judgement The end of one Pope may be the Embleme of many At nolo ominari I desire not the destruction of the Destroyer but rather wish that the Pope himselfe may repent and be saved Onely this I must say Iudas and Antichrist are Nobile par fratrum two brethren of wonderfull likenesse and the Pope is alter idem as deare and neare a friend unto them as the Devill can wish or Manimagine They are All Filij perditionis the sonnes of perdition Filius perditionis the sonne of perdition a childes name doth import a childes part and the name of a sonne an inheritance Antichrist therefore is Filius perditionis the Heire of Hell primogenitus Diaboli the Devills darling of inevitable destruction As therefore I pronounce Antichrist to be haeredem the heire of Hell so do I inferre such as adhere unto him to bee cohaeredes partners in the same inheritance He is sponsus
promoting the Papacy when he laid claime to the double power both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall In insinuation whereof at his solemne Iubilie one day hee appeared unto the people in his Pontisicalibus or Popelike apparell but the next attired like the Emperour And finally more solemnly and arrogantly Extra Tit de majoritate minor obedientia C. unam Sanct. Ecclesiaâ—â— subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae creaturae declaramus dicimus desinimus pronunciamus omnino esse de necessitate salutis he pronounceth it as his definitive sentence that No creature can be saved who is not subject to the Clementin unica de jurament Pope Anno 1325 Iohn 22 or 23 did not desire that the light which he added to the Popish blasphemous usurpations should bee put under a bushell when hee made his additions to the Decretalls and in his Extravagants or Constitutions wherein he claimeth authority superior to the Emperour and little inferiour unto God All these particular Popes have proclaimed themselves to be Antichrist and all the Papists in their generall popish Councill of Constance cry Concil Const Sess 13. Amen Etiamsi Christus instituerit administraverit sub utraque specie Sacramentum Although Christ did institute and administer the supper of the Lord in Bread and Wine Nonobstante Notwithstanding Pro lege habenda sit The Church of Rome doth command it as a Law that no Lay man shall receive it but in one kind onely Thus about the fourteene hundredth yeare of the Lord did the Man of sinne who sate in the Temple exalt himselfe to the top of the Temple Afterwards Pius the second and other active Popes did adde as it were certaine scaffolds to raise their Monarchy a little higher Especially that Pius plotted how to Epist Pij 2. ad Princ. Turcarum anno 1532. bring the Turkes also under the Popes authoritie To which purpose he presented their Emperour Mahomet with a large laboured learned letter but the barbarous Prince was not capable of such a transcendent mystery of Christianity His predecessor Eugenius the fourth attempted a little lesse and atchieved a little more when anno 1438 at the Florentine Pless Myst progress 62. Concil Florent Sess ult Synode he enforced Ioseph Patriarch of Constantinople to kisse his feet and enticed Palaeolagus the Emperour with some few Greeke Bishops to acknowledge the Pope to be the Head of the universall Church The deniall whereof Pope Pius made the maine cause of the irreconciliable Epist Pij 2. ad Princ. Turcar. Hist Papatus cap. 7. schisme betweene the Graecian and the Romane Churches The memoriall whereof I conjecture to bee the cause of that triumphant posture which the Popes to this day usurpe in their Chappell setting their feet on the brasse picture of the Constantinopolitane Patriarch But in the 1500 yeare and time of Leo the tenth the Papacy was mounted up to the pinacle of the Temple Then was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the uttermost of their growth and highest pitch of all the Papall exaltation as may appeare by these particulars Then it was disputed in his Schooles An Papa possit abrogare quod scriptis Apostolicis traditum Erasmus in 1 Tim. 1. sit Whether the Pope could abrogate what was decreed by the Apostles An posset statuere quod pugnet cum doctrina Evangelica Whether the Pope can command what is contrary to the Gospell An possit novum articulum sidei condere Whether he can make a new article of faith whether hee had equall power with or a greater than Peter Whether he can command the Angells to dissolve Purgatorie and whether he were a pure man or participated of two Natures like Christ Then was it preached before him Psal 72. 11. Concil Lateran Sess 9. Omnes Reges terrae adorabunt cum inservient ei all Kings shall fall downe before him all Nations shall doe him service And that hee was Leo detribu Iudae the Lyon of the tribe of Iuda Concil â—ater Sess â— Saciar Cer. lib. 1 sect 1. c. â— Lib. 1 sect 1. c. 4 Lib. 1 sect 2. c. 3. Lib. 1. sect 3. c. 3. Lib. 1. sect 5 c. 1. â— Lib 1. sect 6. c. 3. Lib. 1. sect 7. c. 6 Then was that Synopsis of Blasphemies dedicated to him the Booke of Ceremonies wherein he is termed the Prince of all Christians the governour Vrbis Orbis of the whole world that de facto the Emperour must hold his stirrup and Kings carry him on their shoulders that Emperours and Kings must wait at his Table that the Emperor must sweare fealty unto him that Emperours and Kings must kisse his feet that hee can give a full indulgence for all mens sinnes that Dominabitur à mari usque ad mare à slumine usque ad terminos orbis that is His dominion shall be from one sea to another and from the floud unto the worlds end which was spoken of Christ Psal 72. 8. and that Omnis potestas mihi data est All power is given to me on earth and in heaven which was spoken by Christ Mat. 28. 18. and so it proceedeth in like senselesse endlesse Blasphemies Then was it concluded for him by a Councill that of Lateran Papam esse Ecclesia Whitaker contr Bell. Contr. 4. Quaest 5. generali Concilio majorem That the Pope is greater than a Generall Councill or than the whole Church And that we may collect out of the abundance of what hearts these mouths did speake Then it was said of him that it should Pless Myst Progress 65. Pless Myst Opposit 68. be said by him that the Gospell of Christ was a Fable nullum esse Deum secredidisse and that he did beleeve that there was no God Let now any incredulous English Protestant who doth deride it as an incredible paradoxe to affirme that the Pope is Antichrist let any such imagine how their imaginary Antichrist can say and doe more Antichristianly than this man And then will I revoke this assertion which I yet apprehend to be an incontroulable truth The Pope is Antichrist but personally Leo decimus was Decumanus Antichristus In the yeare 1500 hee attained to the pitch of Antichristianity above all other Since that time the Papacy hath beene somewhat eclipsed in the lustre thereof yet so as Antichrist appeareth through his actions to this day as the Sunne doth through a thinne Trent Hist lib. 2. pag. 260. cloud at noone day An hundred yeares since the prerogative of Antichrist was nobly established when their last and great Councill of Trent was transacted with these two cautions Proponentibus Legatis salva semper authoritate Ecclesiae Apostolicae that nothing might be propounded but by the Popes Legates and nothing concluded against the Popes authority Whereby that great Councill was made but an engine to fortifie their Papall greatnesse Much about that time the Pope imitating the magnificence of his Father who would have
in Saint Pauls time and to be Revealed in our time a strange worke of Antichrist called by a strange name the mystery of Iniquity All these I have absolved Now your attention will anticipate my Sermon and expect that having passed this point all the points proposed in this text that I should proceed to another In the ninth of Matthew and the twentieth verse there is mention made of a woman diseased twelve yeres who touched but the hemme of Christs garment and she was healed I have indeed perfected the body if you please the Garment of my discourse on this Text. But the last word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exlex that wicked one or Out-Law remaineth as it were the Hemme of this Garment I will but totch it and it may heale some who are diseased even twelve yeeres who have beene brought up in Popery I proceed therefore to open this point also in the feare of God and love to our seduced brethren to heale such as are infected with Popery But if they be either absent that they cannot be healed or obstinate that they will not be healed Yet I proceed notwithstanding that if they be incurable and will not be healed by us yet that we may be carefull not to be infected by them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That wicked one This last word of my text must be my text at this time indeed containing a point as materiall as any I have yet spoken of if I had time to studie it But I depend on a great God to inable my little strength in a little time to unfold his truth This word is the tertium where both sides meet both Papists and Protestants joyne issue in this point I suppose there is no Papist but will grant that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Out-Law is The Antichrist And for mine owne part I doe professe the Pope not to bee Antichrist if I doe not prove him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Out-Law in the highest degree that ever man was since the Creation First to preface an answer to an ordinarie objection The Papists ordinarily doe urge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That wicked one this article of this word as if it were an article of their Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That wicked one is say they the singular Number therefore Antichrist is a singular person This cause indeed this causlesse cavill I have already disputed and consuted Now I onely intreat you to looke back into the last verse where the same article is used in the same sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He who letteth themselves expound the Emperour not one person but the whole succession By the same Grammaticall law it is lawfull for us to expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That wicked one of the Pope yet not one person but the whole succession And why is Antichrist here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That wicked one as if he were but one The reason is rightly rendered by Aretiusâ— because his governement Aretius in 2 Thes 2. 8. is Monarchicall because in one place to one purpose and by oâ—e State in a long succession their plots and projects have beene prosecuted and perfected to the rearing and supporting of their Antichristian Monarchy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were one man and one mind This is a singular reason for which the holy Ghost doth here terme Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That wicked one in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth Lex a Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exlex a lawlesse person a man consined within the compasse of no Law such a one was the Type Antiochus Dan. 11. 36. He shall doe according to his will But the Antitype Antichrist the Pope is such a one in the superlative degree The Popes lawlesse actions compared to those of Antiochus are like the Sunnes reflections they double the precedent But I must not relate them out of the popish writers of Controversies though even they also shall bee produced for witnesses who use to set a faire glosse on those soule extravagancies But I must alleadge the Canonists as our principall authors in this cause For these tell us plainly Who the Pope is and what he doth but the other cunningly dispute What manner of man the Pope should be and what manner of things hee ought to doe Yet Vis unita sortior I will unite both their testimonies that their evidence may be the plainer Thus they testifie Papa Berâ—ach in repert part 4 in Dict Papa Hâ—sti â—s Casuâ— Paâ—ales 9. q. â— Cuncâ—a Aug de Anâ—ona quaest 5 Artic. 3. Distinct 96. c. 7. satis Tâ—uâ—enter Bertachin in repeâ—t part 4. in Dict. Papa Tiber. Decâ—an vol. 1. Resp 20. nu 1. est solutus legibus saith Bertachine that is The Pope is loose from all Lawes Solutus est omni lege humana the Pope is loose from all humane Law saith Hostiensis Nec ullo jure ligari potest he cannot be bound by any Law saith Aug. de Ancona He is so exempted from the Lawes that non potest judicari their popish Lawes say the Pope can be judged by no Law Nay Cum sit solutus legibus non potest accusari he is so far from the limits of the Law that none may accuse him saith the said Bertachine yea but to dispute of the power or actions of the Pope est instar sacrilegij yea sacrilegium it is neere sacriledge nay Barow in L. Sacrileâ—ijs de crim Saâ—riâ— Hostiensis casus Papalis Isoâ—o Moscon de Majest milit Eccles part 1. lib. 1. Capistranus fâ—l 130. Extrav Ioh. 22. cap. Apollolâ—tus de Concil Praebend meere sacriledge if wee condescend to those Canonists Legi non subjacet ulli Hee is subject to no Law the common axiome of the Canonists which they prove from this Title hee is called Summus that is the Highest because saith Mosconius He is supra jus contra jus extra jus above Law against Law and without Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in my text Capistranus concurreth with a little addition of some spice of blasphemy Apud Deum Papam sufficit pro ratione voluntas God and the Pope have their will for a Law And the Pope himselfe doth testifie of himselfe none can say to him Domine cur ita facis Sir why doe you this Which is seconded by another Pope Sixtus is said to have answered his accusers in this phrase in meo arbitrio est judicer an non judicer It is in my choice whether I will be judged or not And Bellarmine Bell. de P. Rom. lib. 2. cap. 26. proposeth this as his probleme to bee maintained Pontifex à nemine judicatur in his 26. chapter of the second booke of the Pope of Rome that the Pope of Rome can be judged of none And stating the question he saith that a King hath no Superiour in Temporalls but the Pope in regard of Temporalls and
If the Pope sweareth to his servants Friends yea Cardinals yet they cannot depend on that Oath They have a custome in the Vacancy to compose capitulations and all the Cardinalls to sweare to the performance of them whosoever shall be assumed to be Pope but so soone as he is elected hee denyeth it and saith hee is at libertie by gaining the Papacie a patterne whereof is proposed in that Trent Hist lib. 5. pamphlet termed The new man And it was likewise practised by Pope Paul 5 anno 1550 who complained of those that said hee could make but foure Cardinals because hee had so sworne in the conclave saying that this was to bind the Popes authority which is absolute that it is an Article of faith that the Pope cannot be bound â—cce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much lesse can hee binde himselfe And to say otherwise is a manifest Heresie And if any should hereafter say the like he would take order that the Inquisition Hist Turke Knowles 297. should proceed The other anno 1445. Vladislaus King of Hungary having sworne a Peace with Amurah the Turke he was perswaded and assoiled by Iulian Legate for the Pope Vpon this breach was the great battle of Varna where the Turkes being at the point to loose the Day Amurah dismayed with the slaughter of his souldiers plucked the Articles of the League out of his Bosome and said thus Behold thou Christ this is the league which thy Christians have made with me and violated Now if thou be a God shew thy power on thy perjured people who deny thee to bee God by their Deeds Instantly the Christians were routed and so that unhappy King by the breaking of his Oath at one time lost his faith his life a noble Army and the Honour of the Christian Religion The Pope therefore the Author of this and the practiserâ— of like Oath-breaking I thinke I may call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlesse faithlesse body To adde one example more will bee Avent lib. 6. neither impertinent nor superfluous In anno 1111 an accord was made betwixt Paschall the second and Henry the second for the irrevocable confirmation whereof they received the Sacramenu The Pope saith Aventine administred it to the Emperour in these words Sir This is our Lord God borne of the Virgin Mary and crucified for us Take this pledge of my true love and of our unfained reconciliation Sigonius saith he said more breaking the Host Sigonius lib. 10. he said as this part is divided from that life-giving body so let him be divided from the Kingdome of Christ our Lord qui pactum hoc violare tent averit which of us soever shall goe about to breake this Covenant Which was most holily retracted by his Holinesse himselfe The very next yeare the Emperor returning into Germany in considence of this reconciliation anno 1112 he called a Councill at the Laterane to revoke this solemne sacred sacramentall obliligation and devoted the Emperour to his former excommunications Neither doe the Popes onely doe the same but they have pleasure in them that doe them yea and profit too to the great advancement establishment of their temporall greatnesse they make men to sweare to the Pope though thereby they forsweare themselves to others These are the Sacrar Cerem lib 1. Sect. 7. cap. 2. formall words of that solemne oath which every Captaine doth make to the Pope and before the Pope at the Masse meekely kneeling on his knees I. N. By divine promission elected Captaine doe heartily promise promitto spondeo polliceor ac juro protest and sweare that from henceforth I will be reverent and obedient to the holy Apostolike Church and to you my Lord the Pope etiamsi alias obligatus sum although I be otherwise obliged which must bee understood of obligations of this nature of oathes which must be broken to others that this may be kept with the Pope And thus I breake off this point of the Popes oath-breaking perfidie perjurie The next Nationall Law is that of subjection which in every nation the King doth expect and exact from his subiects and all men acknowledge and discharge it Onely the Pope doth plead an exception from this rule and exemption from this Law First for his person Papa est ab omni iurisdictione exemptus saith Suarez Suarez Apol. lib 4. ca. 4. This were enough if enough could satisfie pride and ambition This the Pope will have and more also it is their owne Decree That although the Pope draw millions of men to Hell Catervatim Distinct 4. Can. 9. qu. 3. by heapes yet is he to be iudged by no man Nay so farre is he from obeying Nationall lawes that nationall lawes are reversed by him In this kinde the Lawes of three Nations were assayed and two were retracted by the Pope in one yere 1605. The Republike of Luca published an Edict that none of their subiects The quarrels of Paul 5 with Venice lib. 1. should have any commerce with any of the Reformed Religion because diverse of their Citizens had lately turned Protestants This Edict although it was for the service of the Pope and Popish Church yet was it revoked by Paul 5. onely because it was published without his Pontificall authority The Republike of Genoa by publike authority published certaine Edicts to prohibite certaine private Conuenticles which they sound to tend to the ruine of their The quarrels of Pope Paul 5 with Venice â— lib. 1. Common wealth The foresaid Pope Paul 5 instantly expressely injoyned them to revoke those Edicts otherwise he threatned theÌ„ with Censures Finally the State of Venice imprisoned and intended to proceed further against a Venetian Abbot of Nervose who had poisoned many men of whom one was his own Father desiled many womeÌ„ of whom one was his own sister exercised a most unjust and cruell Tyranny on his neighbours and practised in sorcerie and other magicall operations This Paul the Pope sent out a Prohibition although the Venetian Embassadours made remonstrance unto him that the just title and possession which the State had to judge Ecclesiasticall persons in causes criminall were founded on the naturall power of a soveraigne Prince and on Custome never interrupted by the space of a Thousand yeares and approved by the Breves of the Popes themselves Yet the Pope commanded the deliverance of that person and the abolishing of that Law But here his Holinesse did command and goe without That stout State would not Porrigere pulvinar Diabolo but made the Pope sit besides the Cushion in that contestation although hee assayed them by armes both spirituall and temporall both by Excommunication and invasion Notwithstanding the popish Doctors did write that that Republike did rebell against the Popes right The quarrels of Paul â— with Venice lib. 4. who might give Lawes to all Princes and annull those which were made by them Surely heate of contentioÌ„ caused theÌ„ to forget that there
Law and without God At 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not cast such durt in their faces although I may rake much with much Meleâ— Canus lib. 11. cap. 6. facility from their owne Dunghills Wee produce their owne miracles against their owne persons and their owne propositions There remaineth one maine miracle a maine argument wherin some Papists doe triumph and whereat some Protestants doe stumble From Revelation 13. 13. thus they dispute Antichrist doth cause fire to come from Heaven The Pope doth not cause fire to come from Heaven Therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answer this cannot bee taken literally because the whole Chapter is mysticall None can be so grosse as to thinke that a Beast indeed shall rise out of the very Sea having seven heads and ten hornes as it is in the first nor that the people shall worship a very Dragon as it is in the fourth nor that there shall bee another beast like a Lambe and a Dragon as in the tweâ—th neither shall it be a very sire as it followeth in this thirteenth I say therefore is an Allusion unto 1 King 18. 24. This exposition though it be singular good yet is it not singular besides our owne learned Expositors it is so expounded also by Paulus Bernriedensis Paul Bernried in vita Greg. 7. who mentioning divers wonders of fire wrought by Pope Gregory the seventh doth sundry times resemble him to Elias According to that resemblance and not literally I say Antichrist shall cause sire to come from heaven In 1 King 18. 24. there being a difference in Israel betwixt Baals Priests and the Prophet which was the true Religion Elias testisieth his to be the truth by causing sire to come from heaven So here there being a difference in the Church whether the Religion of Christ or of Antichrist was the truth the text saith Antichrist shall cause sire to come from heaven in conspectu hominum that is he shall make his salse Religion to appeare to men to bee the truth as effectually as if like Elias hee should cause sire to come from heaven for a confirmation of his doctrine Which is most agreeable to the Pope The caeca obedientia blinde obedience of the Clergy and the implicite saith of the Laity the one beleeving whatsoever the Pope teacheth and the other obeying whatsoever the Pope commandeth without examination or disputation and both as consident in what the Pope teacheth as if they saw sire come from heaven to confirme his doctrine Here I professe that argument which once did most stagger me doth now most strengthen me in this point I take this to be an insoluble syllogisme Whosoever maketh his followers as confident in their errours as if they saw fire come from heaven to confirme them is That Antichrist But the Pope maketh his followers as confident in their errours as if they saw fire come from heaven to confirme them Therefore the Pope is that Antichrist I desire that every honest and understanding Papist may take this argument into their conscionable and serious consideration I will but touch upon two points and so conclude First Whether the Papists doe worke any miracles Secondly If they doe Whether those miracles should perswade us to be of their Religion a Proposition and a Supposition To the first the phrase of Arnobius will Arnob. adveâ—s Gentes lib. 1. frame a fit resolution by a most apt application Saepe sciamus scierimus Full often have we knowne and as often shall we know say the Papists many cured by miracles Inquiro Quis Quo loco Cui auxiliatus fuerit By what person In what place and of what disease have those miraculous cures healed them Againe An sine ullius adjunctione materiae have they beene healed without application If any thing hath beene applyed to those Creples Clinikes c. benesicia ista rerum non sunt curantium potestates they were then healed by the secret vertue of the things not by the miraculous manifest power of the Agents Finally Quod millia debillium how many millions of miserable creatures can we shew you who Cum per omnia supplices irent Templa after they have gone Pilgrimes to all the Saints Shrines in Christendome Cum deorum ante or a prostrati after they have prostrated themselves before all the holy Images Cum limina ipsa convererent osculis after they have swept the very pavement of their Churches with their lips Nullam omnino retâ—lisse medicinam and yet to have receiued no Benefit to their diseased carkeises These are the words of Arnobius but mine owne interrogations I request any sober papist to render a solid resolution Some ioyne issue and say that at this day they can instance in Miracles wrought beyond the Seas and in England also Beyond the Sea and beyond our Beliefe also Lipsius his chronicles are Lipsius de Virg. Hallens cap. 12. Acosta de salut Indorum lib. 6. cap. 4. 12. 17. Melchior Canus lib. 11. cap. 6. fraught with miracles of the Lady of Halls as giving sight to the blinde c. We answer For such miracles in generall Acosta who hath travelled as farre and Melchior Canus who read as much as did Lipsius dare not venture their credit in countenancing those Popish miracles And for the Popish restoring of the blinde in particular a French impostor was discovered at our Ladies of Renand in Paris â—â—â— Sâ—â—v Apology Fox Monum to 1. vita Henr. 6. and an English counterfeit at S. Albons in Hartfordshire both by the selfe same impudent ignorance and ignorant impudence a brace of borne-blinde Bayards would take upon them at the first moment of their miraculous sight to judge of colours Also here at home Eudaemon cryeth us downe with an instar Eudamon advers Abbot lib. 3. sect 4. omnium with one amazing miracle Quantum vobis Quantum vestris Magistratibus Quantum Regio Consilio admirationis attulit Quantum terroris incussit Garnetiana illa palea Oh quoth he what wonderment and astonishment overwhelmed you your Magistrates yea and your Kings privy Counsell because of Garnets straw We answer we value it as it was it was a miracle of straw Our boyes deride it because none of our men beleeve it As one speaketh it was done artificio by Art and by no wonderfull Art neither If any lust to spend Abbott Antilog cap. 14. time to know toyes reverend Abbots Antilogy to Eudaemon his ridiculous Apology will give him a superabundant information To unty the first knot we say The Papists doe no miracles here especially This I make good on two grounds First consider what God will doe not confirme an errour by his suffrage Which he should doe if an errour were countenanced by a true miracle Secondly what the devill can doe no true miracle Therefore his assistance availeth not Therefore neither digitus Dei nor digitus Diaboli neither can the devill nor will God inable the Papists to
other charge or calling for their owne necessary maintenance vnlesse like Daniel they can feed themselves with Pulse and Dan. 1. 12. Math. 3. 4. Water or with Iohn Baptist unlesse they could cloath themselves with Leather and Haire-cloath and these men undertaking the common cause as a learned man hath already observed they discharge it accordingly But with them I will speake of the Pope Pius 2 ad Morbisanum the same words which were spoken by the Pope but to the Turke and of Mahomet VtinaÌ„ tam bonus suisset tuus legifer quam callidus tam virax quam versutus tota artificiosa fraudulenta lex ejus Nam qui divinum sibi abesse auxilium non ignorabat ad humanas confugit astutias Would God the Pope were as pious as prudent as conscionable as hee is cunning hee is composed of artificiall deceivablenesse for hee knowing himself destitute of divine verity must furnish himselfe with humane subtlety and fallacy With them therefore the choicest of their youth are trained up to be Iesuits the choicest of their Iesuits to be Professours and the choicest of their Professors to bee Writers And these Writers are supplyed with all manner of Necessaries countenance maintenance bookes leasure yea Schollers to read to them and to be imployed by them As it was apparent in Bellarmine and Baronius the last of Casaub Exerc. epist Dedicat. whom was thirtie yeares in shaping his Annalls before he did shew them to the publike view of the world And Malvenda in this very Malvenda calce post indicem cause composed a treatise concerning Antichrist which cost him twelve yeares continuall labour day and night without any other imployment or interruption So that whatsoever either inward faculties or outward abilities can produce we may expect so much to bee performed by the Papists Betwixt them and us there is onely this difference They have all the helpes in the world onely they want a good cause We have a good cause onely we want all the helpes in the world So diligent are their inferiours so provident are their superiours to propagate their party by strange perswasions which is here called a seeming truth and the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse With such industry they provide for their publike perswasion but their private indeavour is no lesse perswasive industrious We have publike leave and command to preach publikely the Lord be blessed and long continue it I say we have leave and command to preach publikely But it is the nature of men to neglect publike instruction and not to reape that personall profit which our hearts desire and it may be our labours deserve Now the Papists being deprived of liberty to preach publikely they undertake a course more profitable They insinuate themselves into private acquaintance and perswade with people privatelie When I consider the devoutnesse of women the credulousnesse of Children the ignorance of servants and the unstablenesse of some men also I cannot but imagine that subtle Papists doe wonderfully prevaile upon us by this private Perswasion An hypocriticall engine long agoe exercised and discovered In Saint Pauls time they did creepe into houses and led captive silly women laden with sin led away with divers lusts 2 Tim. 3. 6. And St. Cyprian saith that in his age oppidatim ostiatim that Heretikes did skulk up and down from towne to towne and from house to house to pervert the people Arrius being contemned by the Councill of Papp Hist pag. 283. Nice his condemnation was confirmed by Constantine the Emperor Against this publike opposition they imployed private perswasion Constantia and Eusebius both Arrians commended a learned Arrian Minister to the Emperors service who prevailed by private perswasion against the publike decree that Arrius his sentence was revoked his person restored so powerfull are those private perswasions Take two other stories in two words Dominike the popish Saint and Arch-Inquisitour being intertained by a noble man of Provence Nicol. Bertranduta in gestis Tholosanorum â—ol 30. did so effectually deale with him in private that he both turned him from the Waldenses and wrought him to give his person to bee a Proselyte to Dominike his house to be an Inheritance to the Dominicans There are Dominicans surviving or rather Iesuites surpassing the Dominicans And the publike want of coine in England may proceed from the private perswasion of Iesuites in England In Milan there was one Cola a schoolemaster Matchiavel Hist Florent lib. 7. learned and ambitious hee taught the chiefe children of the City three of whom Giovandrea Lampugnano Carolo Visconti and Girolano Olgeato by private confereÌ„ce he dealt with concerning the Duke Galiazzo First he informed them of his disposition next hee infused into them an hatred of his person and finally he bound them by oath when they were men growne to free the City from his tyranny Accordingly they murthered the Duke and they themselves were executed for that murther Now what he perswaded in private for treacherie others may perswade as much for Popery But Lord blesse our English Gentry from such Schoolemasters Yet still you see the prevailing power of private perswasion I say therefore with Bernard agnoscite dilectissimi Bernard Serm. 1. de Convers Pauli expavescite consortia eorum qui saluteÌ„ impediunt animarum know beloved and feare them which yee intertaine into your private families for they may deceive your children destroy your Religion or according to S. Peters phrase do ye so sufficiently instruct your families that the meanest there may be able to render a reason of their religion to discry popish sophistry and to discover their deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse Thus doe they perswade to Popery both publikely privately which they promote moreover by their Practice a silent kind of perswasioÌ„ And practice perswadeth many for men doe know the tree by his fruit Luc. 6. 44. And in charitie we are to conceive that devotion and discipline cannot be the fruit of a false Religion nor Prophanesse and libertie the fruit of a true But the horrible Hypocrisie of the Papists and shamefull neglect of the Protestants have verified both those effects in both our religions The Papists make a shew of Devotion their bait to allure our simple devout people To insist in Prayer for the place they have their Churches gloriously adorned whereas ours especially in the Countrey lye slovingly neglected For the Gâ—sture they pray with their bare knees on the bare pavement whereas wee will not vouchsafe to kneele though a Cushion case us For the Time their Canonicall houres are seven times every Day whereas we cannot draw our people to two houres in one day once the whole weeke onely to our publike prayers This understanding men doe perceive to be indeed but the shew of devotion yet this very shew is sufficient to allure them whose understanding can pierce no farther then appearaÌ„ce I adde that in Germany the Carthusian Monkes at
Iustin Hist l. 36. which Galene never dreamed of mentioned by Saint Paul 1 Corinth 7 9 and experienced by Saint Hierome in his Epistle to Eustochium It is better to marry then to burne said Saint Paul and Saint Hierome saith that hee knew some who could not drive out the Devill by Hieron ad Eust fasting and prayer Pallebant ora jejuniis mens desiderijs aestuabant in frigido corpore Their countenances were wanne with Fasting and yet their thoughts burne through Concupiscence in a cold body The Disease then is Burning and the medicine marrying Now for one infected with that Disease to vow not to marry is as if a sick man should sweare to take no Physicke which it may bee in some would bee censured for Phrenensie at the least for folly Next the Lording Superiours who shall inforce this restraint by Law doe put a sunder those whom God hath joyned together Matth. 19. 6. which is the act of Antichrist through the working of Satan here called Doctrina Daemoniorum the doctrine of the Devils The meanes are thus Mysticall the motives no lesse marvellous powerfully perswasive unto single life There are two Pillars of the Papasie both built on this one ground the greatnesse and richnesse thereof are the issue of this inhibition of their Clergy to marry It was Timons apophthegme duo esse maloruÌ„ elementa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the concupiscence of Greatnesse and Richnesse were the two Elements causes or principles of wickednesse I am sure that Forbidding of Priests marriage is the element and aliment of these and these of the Papacy 1. Hundreds and thousands yea hundred thousands of people throughout Christendome are incorporated into the Pope their Father because the Pope forbiddeth them to have Wives and Children Children are Pignora Pledges both Domesticall of love betwixt the Husband and the Wife and also Politicall of Loyalty from the Subject to their Soveraigne This bond inhibition of marriage hath Cancelled And therefore so many so many thousands in every Kingdome acknowledge themselves obliged to none but to the Pope And which is yet more marvellous miraculous whereas all other Parents multiply by marriage their Art as it were in despight of Nature hath begotten many Children to the Father of Rome by inhibition of marriage And the Effect thereof want of Legitimate Children maketh them the more firme to the Pope and the more fierce against his enemies As Hellanicus attempted that famous conspiracy against Aristotimus Iustin hist l. 26. Prince of Epyrus Quia Senex liberis orbus ut qui nec aetatis nec pignor is respectu timeret Because he was old and had no Children so that neither respect of his Life nor of the pledges of his posterity could daunt him Thus inhibiting of Marriage ingendreth a multitude of Subiects and Servants to the Pope This is his Greatnesse one Pâ—ller of the Papacy 2. Their Riches also are increased as in all Mysteries by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an inversion of ordinary actions Ordinarily the Parents are made Tenants for life that the Children may be assured of their Inheritance Here by an extraordinary skill the Children are made Tenants for Life that the Father may be assured of the Inheritance That the Riches of Rome may not be alienated the Romish Clergie are forbidden Mariage which may be a Cause thereof They know by experience that every Nephew to the Pope and other some such Anomalons and Anonimals have gleaned something from the See of Rome Therefore the Naturall Children of so many Popish Church-men would carry away Sheaves from that Church which now is like the rich mans Barne Luke 12. 18. It is not great enough to receive their goods But this they have prudently prevented by their Prohibition of Priests Marriage Some other pettie pretty quillets accrue to the Papacie by their Papall nuptiall Inhibitions even to the Laity also Concerning them therefore there are invented and pretended infinite obstacles of affinity and consanguinite of kindred Legall and Spirituall of times and seasons Lent and Ember c. All which rubs must be removed out of the way by the hand of the Popes Indulgence out of which their Indulgent Father sucketh no small advantage Thus the Forbidding of marriage is set on worke by Mammon and Belial for their Riches and Greatnesse Great cause therefore have I to call it Operatio Satanae Doctrina Daemoniorum The working of Sathan and the Doctrine of Devils Concerning their Fasting they have the same Meanes and Motives for that also For Fasting say they wee have Moses Elias Iohn and Iesus himselfe our Captaines and so long as we are Militant all Christians must fight under their Banner trained up in the Schoole of that Discipline It is true the Practice of Fasting wee acknowledge from these precedents but the inforcing thereof came not from their examples Saint Paul after them Rom. 13. 4. saith Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth And Saint Aug. Ep. 86. Casulano Augustine after him doth urge and alleage the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christian mutual moderation the same sentence in the same words though in another language Qui manducat non manducantem non spernet qui non manducat maÌ„ducantem ne judicet That impious imperious interdiction came not from our Captaine but from our Adversary It is Doctrina Daemoniorum the Doctrine of Devils Moved to this notwithstanding is the Church of Rome both by their gaine and Glory All Flesh and such like being inhibited some people will prevaricate either of infirmity or curiositie then Confession or Absolution must succeed Whereby I conceive their Church-Coffers will not be much the emptier But their Glory is much inlarged by this pretence of Fasting Iejuniorum sudoribus laus importuna ungit Cyp. de Christi Iejunio pungit said Saint Cyprian in a sense sutable to this phrase that Papists vaunt their Fasting as a grace to them and disgrace to the Protestants Vrbicus Ventricolas tanquam magnus Iejunator Aug. Epist 86. Câ—sulaâ—o accusat Thus Saint Augustine spake of him and wee of them their emptie stomacks preach us to be Belly-Gods And they make it a Royard Poâ—â—il in dic 〈◊〉 threefold branch of their mortification Quod peccamus in Deum per Orationem quod in Proximum per Eleemosynam quod in Nos ipsos per jejunium emendetur That is what offence we commit against God we must correct by Prayer if we wrong Man we must revoke it by Almes and if we stray from our owne temperance or Innocence we must recall our soules by fasting Let them practise perswade and preach such a fasting we will commend it and them also But their Supposition and Imposition that they suppose this fasting as meritorious in the sight of God and impose it as necessary on the Conscience of
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all in one minde impossible to bee reclaimed All these make good this phrase of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were besotted with a strong delusion I have alreadie inverted my Methode I must moreover alter it againe that I may proceed in order as the points offer themselves naturallie to bee considered The next point is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Papists are the Deluded which indeed is a probable conjecture if not a plaine Demonstration that they are the limmes of Antichrist Bestiae character intelligi potest obstinata malitia Aquine saith that by the marke of the Beast wee may understand Obstinate malice Aquin. Su. 3. qu. 63. Art 3 ad 3. But none under heaven are more Obstinate for their side nor more malitious against their gainesayers that the Papists And Aquine saith this is the marke of the Beast let the Papists mark this This also doth S. Paul prophecie of the Papists in the 8 verse Marke saith our blessed Bishop Iewell marke S. Paul saith Antichrist Iewell in 2 Thes 2. 12. shall be Consumed not Converted From whence wee may conceive what hope there is of Reconciliation and Reformation from Rome which is the censure not of that Bishop alone but of all the Church of England The errour of Poperie Homilie of good works part 1 was so spred abroad that not onely the unlearned people but also the Priests and teachers partlie by glory and Covetousnes were corrupted and partlie by Blindnesse deceived with the same abominations that as Ahab having but one Elias but one Teacher to perswade him to the Truth of God but 450. false prophets to perswade him unto Baal So of the Papists both Priest and people are strongly deluded with Idolatrie This is the judgement of Our Church concerning their Church Wee may say of all Papists of our English Papists especiallie in them is fulfilled that fearefull prophecie Reuel 17. 6. They are made Drunke with the Golden cup of the whore of Babylon Idolatrie is spirituall whoredome And it is a Catholike grant that Rome is the Head of Image Adoration Concedimus Catholicae Suarez Apolog lib. 5. cap 18 num 20. doctrinae de Cultu Adoratione Imaginum Ecclesiam Romanā caput esse saith Suarez Whence wee inferre Therefore it is the Fountaine of Spirituall whoredome Againe the Pope doth not Sext. Decret lib 3. tit 23. de Jmmunitate Ecclesiae onelie terme himselfe the Head Caput but sponsum ecclesiae the Husband of the Church Which thing alone is a sufficient cause to cal Rome meretricem Babylonicam the whore of Babylon because the Romanists do teach that there is another Husband of their Church besides Christ the Pope By which inchanting Circe the ordinarie Papists are so bewitched that they take themselves to bee the Best of men the onely Catholikes when as indeed they are verie Homer Odys lib. 10. Beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made Drunk with palpable Idolatrie But so drunk and so stronglie deluded that wee may ignatius Epist 5 speake to the Romist that phrase of the greek father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lactantius may Lactantius lib. 7. cap 1. translate that of Ignatius into Latine ij sunt homines qui contra veritatem clausis oculis quoquo modo latrant these are the men who shut their eyes and then open their mouths in any manner to bark against the Truth Should wee in the yearning bleeding bowells of Christian compassion by Sermons Bookes or Arguments indeavour to draw them from Idolatrie Wee know our intertainement 2 Chron. 30. 10. They will laugh us to scorne mock the messengers of God and despise his words and misuse his Prophets Now this as I take it I may terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong delusion But that you may not suspect that I delude you by faining this Popish delusion when as they haue no such stupide obstinatnesse I will both referre the reader to the large and laboured treatise of Dr. Beard on this point And also render him present satisfaction by a present briefe catalogue of their owne Confessions Dr Beard of Antichrist part 3. Lessius de Antich part 1. Dem. 11. From Boniface to Vitaliane for the space of three score yeers the Church of Rome was wofully perplexed with a perpetuated misery by Plagues Famines Inundations Earthquakes and the Invasion of the Persians wherein fourescore and ten thousand Christians were slaine at one time by Seditions in the East the Heresie of the Monothelites and the Captiuitie and banishment of St. Martine the sacrilegious robbing of the Church Treasurie which had beene manie yeeres a gathering Finally in the time of Vitaliane Rome it selfe was Ransacked and the greeke Emperour tooke away all the Ornaments thereof Where note that the Beginning of the miserie of the Church of Rome was about the beginning of that arrogant usurpation of that title of Oecumenicall Bishop Well how was that Boniface moved with this Bonerges This Thundering Preaching by those Destroying miseries which smote them as thick and swift as Lightning prevailed not with the Pope to lay aside the pontificall title of Vniversall Bishop But to shew of whom St. Iohn did prophecie Rev. 9. 20. The Pope by these plagues repented not yet But from Pride they proceeded to superstition Boniface beganne with the Vniversall title and Vitaliane added unto it the Vniversall Latine Service And all these Plagues which went betweene for 60 yeeres of Fire Famine Blood c. could preach neither Penitence for the first nor Prevention for the later But still they persisted in their pride and superstition This I suppose is somewhat semblable to the phrase in my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Strong Delusiō The particular profession of particular Philip. Nicolaus de Antich c. 15. papists is yet more pregnant thus writeth Luther of his Popish Devotion before hee was Converted The Authoritie of the Pope sayd hee was so potent with me that I thought it a crime demeriting Damnation vel in minimo dissentire ab illo to differ from him euen in the least thing And that conceit carryed me so farre that I esteemed Iohn Husse to bee so cursed an Heretike vt vel de eo cogitare sceleratum ducerem that I held it to bee a sinne but to thinke of him And in defence of the Popes authoritie I my selfe would haue carryed fire and faggots to have burned that heretike and therein I did perswade my selfe me summum praestare obsequium Deo that I shold have done God singular seruice His passion might bee built on that Catholike position Nullus homo potest se asserere in veritate christianum aut esse Turrecre lib. 3. c. 30. in statu salutis qui subesse renuit Romano Pontifici that is no man can affirme that hee is a true christian or that hee is in the state of saluation if he refuse to bee subject to the Pope of Rome Neither is
your eyes and behold if in the manie particulars of this plentifull prophesie there be any one point which can bee applyed to the Trienniall Antichrist which the Pope teacheth or any part which may not be applyed to the Pope the true Antichrist Resolve this Chapter and see if all the parts thereof bee not like the parts of the Earth lifted from the Globe See if they returne not to the Pope and Papacy as to their proper Center naturally and without any forced application I say therefore I beseech you open your eyes and as you know you shall be saved by your owne Faith and as you beleeve that you shall answer for your owne knowledge so I beseech you fasten your eyes on this Prophecie In the expounding whereof my Conscience telleth me my God telleth me and the plaine sense of this plaine Prophecy doth tell me that in some measure I have discovered the Very Truth unto you Now the Lord of Truth open your eyes to see it and open your Hearts to imbrace it SERMON XXVIII 2 THESS 2. 3 ad 13. The summe of the whole Treatise The Paraphrase of the whole Text. The Parallell to the Pope The conclusion Dehortation from Popery SIxe opinions I proposed last day concerning Antichrist Five wherof I have related and resuted The fift now remaineth to bee confirmed and then the whole cause is concluded wherein I wil passe through these three particulars the Points Paraphrase and Parallell of the Person to the Prophecie whereby I hope I shall satisfie the indifferent and it may be stumble the Opinionative That the Pope is the Antichrist In this Prophecy concerning Antichrist from the third to the thirteenth verse I have set out five points Antichrist described in vers 3 4. revealed 5 6 7 in part of the 8. destroyed in the 8. confirmed in the 9. part of the 10. and received in the remnant of the 10. and in the 11 and 12 verses Antichrist is described in the third and fourth foure wayes by his Time Titles Place and Properties His Time is an Apostasie which is threesold Ecclesiasticall from the Church in Religion Politicall from the Empire by rebellion and figurative the Apostate for the Apostasie His Titles are 3. The man of sin here the Genitive for the Adjective is very significative A man of sinne that is a most sinfull man and so both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both a practiser and a causer of sinne The sonne of perdition filius perditionis by an Hebraisme as much as perditissimus that is one prepared to destruction both Actively Passively whence hee is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is destroying and destroyed And he is termed an adversary which is the Title of the Devill implying that Antichrist is a devillish adversary but per amici fallere nomen a secret adversary and so an adversary both fundamentally and universally His place the Temple taken two wayes either materially for the Temple of the Iewes or formally for the Churches of the Christians The Text cannot be understood of the first because the materiall Temple of Hierusalem is ruinated never to bee re-edified as it is confessed by Baronius and the best learned on both sides Therefore the place of Antichrist is the prime Church of Christendome His properties are three First Antichrist exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped which is expounded either essentially or metaphorically Essentially the name of GOD cannot be here used for if Antichrist should so proclaime himselfe who would bee deceived Therfore the name of GOD must be here understood metaphorically Metaphoricall gods are mentioned Psalme 82. 6. to wit Magistrates and Kings And that which is worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath affinitive with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the Emperour Acts 25. 21. The meaning then of the phrase is this Antichrist shall advance himselfe above all Kings and Emperours Secondly Antichrist shall so advance himselfe that he as god shall sit in the Temple of God Consider here three phrases in the Temple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Paul saith Occumenius doth not meane the Temple of Hierusalem but the Churches of God Hee shall sit that is He shall reigne so is sedebit used for reget Psalme 9. 4. and shewing himselfe that hee is God tanquam Deus Christus Incarnatus God Man Christ Iesus for that adversary is called Antichristus an enemy to CHRIST not Antitheus an enemy to GOD. The sense is this Antichrist shall rule the Church of Christ usurping the very power of Christ And finally Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that hee is god that is secretly not openly For the Text saith not that Antichrist shall say but shew that he is god 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying rather the arrogance of workes than of words implying that Antichrist shall shew himselfe to bee God cunningly by insolent God-like action Antichrist revealed is the next point in the fift sixt and seventh verses and in part of the eighth out of which three things have beene handled how when and what 1. How Antichrists revelation was hindered 2. When Antichrist was to bee revealed 3. What was the thing then hindred afterwards to be revealed 1. How Antichrist was hindred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all concurre it was the Empire and the Emperour called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fourth and sixt verses who was to be taken è medio to be removed so is the phrase used Acts 17. 33. and Matth. 13. 49. the meaning is The Emperour hindred Antichrist to bee revealed 2. When was Antichrist to be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely as if he said This was the onely impediment or that when the Emperour is removed Antichrist shall immediately bee revealed 3. What was then to bee revealed the Apostle termeth it a mystery of iniquitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a secret and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a secret sinne which is now a working even in Saint Pauls age The sense being That the beginnings of Antichrists Doctrine were secretly undermining the Church of Christ even in the Apostles time Here I declared another Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exlex that is a lawlesse person Like the Type Antiochus Dan. 11. 36. He shall doe according to his will The sense is Antichrist shall be confined by no law he shall be altogether lawlesse We are taught in part of the 8 verse how Antichrist shall be destroyed of whom he foretelleth a double destruction the diminishing and the finishing of Antichristianisme In each wee are to observe two things the agent and the instrument destroying him The instrument is first the breath of his mouth and finally the brightnesse of his comming The agent in both is one the Lord Whom the Lord shall consume c. The meaning is this The Doctrine of Antichrist shall be confuted by the Preaching of the Word and the