none could read it But Oedipo non opus est wee need no Daniel to expound it every childe can spell it It is plaine The Pope is the adversary But the Papists say we doe him open wrong because he is no open adversary but a professed servant of Christ I answer even Mahomet doth speake excellently of Christ not onely as â—â—nicer Toâ— 1. of a Prophet but also as of the Saviour of his people The Devill also professed Christ to bee the Sonne of God Mark 1. 24. Therefore a professour may be a secret though no professed adversary unto Christ We may say of the Pope what Mountague said of one Pope Boniface 8 he can cary himselfe both like a Foxe and like a Lyon a Foxe by publike sophistry and a Lion by private Tyranny I say the man of Rome is that woman of Babylon which maketh the world dâ—mâ—e with a world of impiety Rev. 17. 4. as one acutely descanteth on his name Papa That is The Pope doth poyson all Princes with abominable Heresies P Poculum A Aureum P Plenum A Abominationum Or to confirme the Pope according to his Election Sacrâ—â— Caerem lib. 1. sect 1. by his owne Cardinalls Electus induâ—tur Papali habitu toga scilicet lanca albi coloris caligis rubeâ—s sandalijs rubeis cingulo rubeo birreto etiam rubeo that is when the Pope is elected hee is arrayed in his Papall apparell to wit a White Gowne but red shooes red stockins c. emblematically notwithstanding their white outside they have a red bloody inside And their openprofession is no argument but that the Pope may be a secret adversary To say this and shew it too First the Pope doth oppose Christ fundamentally hee is an adversary to the foundation of Chrâ—stianity and very groundworke of the Gospel which is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eternall life is the gift of God through Christ Rom. 6. 23. But the Pope saith Good workes can be no other than the valew desert price worth and merit of Heaven Rhemists in 1 Cor. 3. 8. Good workes are meritorious and the very cause of salvation so farre forth that God should be injust if he did not render heaven for the same say the same Rhemists Bellarmine Rhemists in Heb. 6. 10. doth amplifie all the particulars paraphrasing on the 2 Tim. 4. 8. namely that the papists Bell. de justif lib. 5. cap. 16. expect Coronam justitiae a Crowne of Iustice meritis operum for the merits of their workes pro qualitate ac disquisitione factorum according Bellarm. Apolog. pag 163. to the exact quality of their actions à judice justo non à patre misericorde from a just judge Concil Trident. sub Paulo 3. Sess â— cap. 24. not from a mercifull Father And if any shall say that opera are onely signa fructus and not causa justificationis anathema sit the councill of Trent damneth that man to Hell who shall say good workes are not the cause of justification But whilest the thundereth out against us that Anathema injuriously he magnifying merits incurreth the Anathema of Saint Paul Gal. 1. 8. meritoriously Whosoever doth oppose the workes of Man unto the grace of God Noâ— sit Anathema sed est Anathema He is that cursed adversary which doth raze the very â—oundatâ—on of the blessed Gospell which is not my particular opinion onely but the judgement of the Church of England These are the Hom. Par. 1 â—â—e Sermon of salvation words thereof Wholly to ascribe our justification unto Chrâ—st onely this is the rocke and foundation of Christian Religion This whosoever denyeth is not to be accepted for a Christâ—an man It is the greatest presumption and arrogance which Antichrist can set â—p against God to affirme that a man might by his owne workes take away and purge his owne sinne and so â—ustifie himselfe Thus doth the Pope opposâ— Chrâ—st fundamentally that he doth also oppose him universally Dounam Dereâ—â— part 1. lib. 3 cap. 6. it is made manifest by that excellently learned religious Bishop of Dâ—ry from whom I professe that I draw the most part of this excellent Antiparallell the Catholike opposition which that Româ—sh Catholike maketh unto Christ may be reduced unto three particulars It is quoad mores officia beneficia in regard of his conversation offices and benefits First for his conversatâ—on three things were eminent in the manners of Christ Innocence Humilitie and Charitie And the Pope doth practise the direct contrary Christ was innocent as a Lambe behold the Lambe of God saith Saint Iohn Ioh. 1. 39. and againe Ioh. 8. 46. which of you convinceth me of sinne the Popes personall infirmities yea enormities I passe by onely I will use the phrase of the fellow in Carion if you aske of mee the lives of the Carion Chron. lib. 3. Popes I say since Gregory the first there have beene so many vertuous Popes that all their images may be graven in one Ring Humility a vertue second to none was the second vertue in our Sauiour Christ came riding on an Asse Ioh. 12. 15. the Pope is caried on the shoulders of Noblemen Christ did wash his Disciples feet Ioh. 13. 14. but even Princes kisse the feet of the Popes Holinesse Christ would not arrogate Bulla Alex. 6. so farre to himselfe as to divide a small Inheritance betwixt two brethren Luke 12. 14. But the Pope is so arrogant that hee hath taken upon him to divide the new world betwixt two great Kings Finally Christ is Charity it selfe and sharply rebuked his disciples for desiring fire from heaven to avenge them on the inhospitable Samaritans Luke 9. 56. But the Pope like the sonne of Hecuba is a Firebrand setting all Christendome in a combustion And thus farre for the first opposition Secondly the offices of Christ are three Propheticall whereby hee doth instruct his Church Sacerdotall whereby he doth sacrifice for his Church and regall whereby hee doth Rule the Church Now the Pope by fortifying his usurped primacy doth trench upon all these prerogatives First Christ doth as he is a Prophet instruct his Church by his holy Word and his holinesse doth oppose his owne word and maketh it Equall to Christs word To omit those monstrous sayings of Eckius Hosius c. who nickname Lessius de Antich part 1. Dem. 15. the Scripture to be a Leaden Rule a nose of waxe of no better authority if not authorised by the Church of Rome than Esops Fables To omit also the like phrase of Costerus Vagina quae Coster Enâ—h cap. 1. quâ—mlibet gladium admittit a scabbard fit for every sword Omitting these scurrilous similies or rather plaine blaspemies In sober sadnesse these are their solemne conclusions Verba pontificis Suarez Apol. lib. 7. c. 22. nu 8. è Cathedrae in veritatis certitudine aequalia sunt Scriptura that is the words of the Pope pronounced out of his Chaire are equally true
therefore I conceive neither reason nor authority why any man should make a particular of that which Saint Paul doth propose as a generall The conclusion therfore is plain and true The Apostle doth here describe the adhaerents of Antichrist non a natione sed conditione ipsorum Doun part 2. Dem. 6. not from their Region but from their Religion Antichrist shall prevaile on such as receive not the love of the trueth Now whether these men be Iewes or Christians it skilleth not Having cut off this cavill I come to the naturall exposition The Object of Antichrists prevailing power is here foretold to bee men who will not receive the love of the trueth Of the Truth I may distinguish as the Greekes doe of the Word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veritas Christi Veritas Christus the truth written and the Trueth begotten the first Matth. 22. 16. thou teachest the way of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in trueth the second Iohn 14. 16. I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth Christ did the former Doctrinally and he was the latter Essentiallie The Text speaketh of both but of the first properly and primarily it being most convenient thereunto For the fallacy is a deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse that is false doctrine Therefore the Apostasie is from the true Doctrine or the trueth taught us in the Gospell By the truth then here we are to understaÌ„d the Gospell The Gospell is termed the trueth for three causes from the infallibility use and efficacy thereof First each syllable is true and shall come to passe Math. 5. 18. Secondly it maketh a man true and absolute in the knowledge and practise of Holinesse 2 Tim. 3. 16. Thirdly the Gospell is veritas magna praevalebit the Gospell is that trueth which above all things beareth away the victory The Gospell is a true sword to cut downe all errour and transgression Heb. 4. 12. Marke moreover it is the obseruation of our blessed Bishop Iewell marke hee doth not say Because they receive not the trueth but because they receive not the Love of the trueth therfore God sendeth theÌ„ strong delusions Of which sinne and punishment wee have an example and withall a wonderfull resemblance of the Roman Church in the persons of Hophnie and Phineas 1 Sam. 2. It is said in the twelfth verse They knew not the Lord. Now that they did know the Lord and his Will it is evident first from their Vocation in the thirteenth verse they were Priests and therefore their Lips did preserve knowledge Secondly from their Information both by the people in the sixteenth verse and also by their Father who verse 24 said Nay my sonnes for this is no good report that I heare The meaning then is they did not love the Lord which is all one as if they had not knowne him Adde to these three other remarkeable observations First their Sinne Whoredome verse 22. Secondly the cause of their continuing therin they made themselves fat with the offerings of the people verse 24. And the punishment which was twofold They would not hearken because the Lord would slay them in the same verse The parallell whereof wee may perceive in the Papacy punctually in all particulars The Church of Rome cannot be said not to know God it appeareth from their Vocation they have a Priesthood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Word Rom. 3. of God and learning labour and languages to peruse them Wee cannot say therefore They doe not know God but alas which is far worse They doe not love God To know him they have information sufficient from the Fathers most of their opinions have little some of their opions having no mention made of them in those ancient Writers from their owne fathers divers of the Bishops of Trent relenting but the Pope did controule them Finally they have had information from our Father I doubt not but God doth check the consciences of many of their learned that they see the trueth but doe not receive the love thereof Their sinne also is whoredome spirituall whoredome their See Babylon spirituall Babylon and the Mother of Fornication Their cause of continuing therein They make themselves fat with the offerings of the people they swimme in worldly wealth and honour The same Punishment they may feare shall feele Hophni Phineas did not hearken because the Lord would slay them And my Text telleth us that those who receive not the love of the trueth God will send theÌ„ strong delusion that they may be daÌ„ned Now that the Church of Rome doth not receive the love of the Gospell though they have the Gospell I thus demoÌ„strate it Because they use the Gospell either onely or principally for their owne turnes They have Gods Covenant in their mouths but hate to be reformed Quia superbi Ps 30. 16. 17. sunt nec noverunt Moysis sententiam sed amant suam non quia vera est sed quia sua est saith Saint Augustine They are surly and selfe-conceited and receive not the judgement of the Gospell but the judgement of the Church of Rome they love the Romish opinion not because it is the true opinioÌ„ but because it is the Romish opinion Those words of the men in Matth. 26. 73. St. Matth. to St. Peter may be aptly applyed to this purpose Certainly thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee Herein the Bishop of Rome is Saint Petâ—rs Successor Certainly they are those who use the Gospell to their owne turnes for their speech doth bewray them although they sweare and curse that they doe it not Thus they speake Docet spiritus sanctus omnes modo ordinato Suarez Apol. lib. 1. cap. 11. num 8. communem scilicet plebem per Doctores ipsos autem Doctores per Concilia maxime per Vicarium Christi The Holy Ghost saith Suarez doth teach all but in an ordinary maner to wit the common people by the Doctors and the Doctors themselves he doth teach by Councils but principally by the Vicar of Christ Pontifex potest Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. c. 14 moderari praecepta Apostolorum prout Ecclesiae expedicrit Bellarmine saith the Pope can moderate the Precepts of the Apostles as shall seeme expedient for the Church Scripturas recipio secundum sensum Ecclesiae it is the second Article of their second Creed established by their Councill of Trent that they receive the Scriptures indeed but as the Church shall expound them Their words are plaine enough containing a plaine injury against man and as plaine an indignitie against God First they and wee contend Who hath the trueth The Iudge Wee call for the Scriptures peradventure they will permit them But with this proviso Prout Ecclesiae expedierit prout Ecclesia exposuerit The Scripture shall be Iudge betwixt the Reformed and the Church of Rome But As the Church of Rome shall bee pleased to expound it Let any impartial man judge
his heart is girded with a threefold gable of untamed obstinatenesse who will be negligent where S. Paul doth urge us to be diligent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remember ye not saith my Text that when I was yet with you I told you these things But to frame my conclusions from their owne conceâ—sions Sanders rendreth five causes Sanders de Antichristâ—dem 2. of Antichrist the Efficient a just God that thereby he might maâ—e knowne the malice of Satan the power of Christ and the patience of the Church The next or subordinate efficient the subtle malitious devill who maketh Antichrist his instrument to seduce miserable men The Materiall is Antichrist himselfe a meere man The Forme is the powerfull working impâ—etie of Satan And the End of Antichrists comming is that they may bee punished who will not receâ—ve the truth All which causes are contained in this chapter The Efficient in the eleventh verse God shall send them strong delusion The Suboâ—dinate in the ninth Hee commeth after the workâ—ng of Satan The Matter in the third verse hee is termed The man of sinne The Forme in the seventh Antichrâ—stianâ—sme is called the Mystery of iniquity And the End is set downe in the end of the Prophesie in the twelfth verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrist shall come that they all might be damned which beleeve not the truth As therfore we love God or hate the Devill as we hope for salvatâ—on or feare our damnation so are we bound to search this necessary point this point of Antichrist Finally let a Dutch Papist concurre in this concluâ—â—on with this English Papist Multa Lessius de Antichâ—isto praesat apud Damelem Paulum in Apocalypsi Iohannis de Antichristo habeantur valde sit necessaria eorum notitia Ecclesiae ut sideles possint tempestive moneri ne ab illo circumveniantur That is there are many things written by Daniel Paul and in the Revelation concerning Antichrist the knowledge whereof is very necessary for the Church whereby the faithfull may in time be admonished lest they should be intrapped by that sonne of perdition Wee therefore are lesse beholden to that learned Protestant whosoever which shall inhibite any faithfull man members of the Church from labouring to know Antichrist than wee are to the popish Iesuite Lessius who acknowledgeth that knowledge to bee very necessarie for them But it may bee objected This point is difficult and therefore it may not be searched into And it may be answered This point is difficult and therefore excellent and therefore it must be searched into Moreover the Holy Ghost did deliver this excellent matter in a difficult manner for three reasons for those who follow Christ for those who follow Antichrist and for those who follow neither Christ nor Antichrist First for those who did follow neither lest the Heathen and Romanes should have beene exasperated if they had beene informed that a Viper should have proceeded out of the Church to devoure the Dragon of their Empire Occumenius in 2 Thess 2. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Occumenius That is S. Paul uttered this prophesie thus obscurely that he might not provoke the Romans unto unnecessary enmity And it is the opinion of many of the learned that many of those heavy persecutions were commenced and continued by the Romanes against the Christians because from this prophesie they had apprehended an inkling that the Church of Rome should teeme him that should subvert the Empire of Rome The same obscurity is used because of those which follow or favour Antichrist that by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a just recompence of reward God might harden them judicially who had hardned themselves habitually This mystery of Antichrist is spoken to them in Parables that seeing they may see and not perceive and hearing they may heare and not understand Mark 4. 11 12. And finally this prophesie is penned in these darke and difficult termes for their sakes who doe truly follow Christ that true Christians might be hereby excited unto industry and invocation to reade constantly that they may know and to pray continually that they may eschew that Man of sinne and Sonne of perdition Let my heart therefore exhort you in the words of our Saviour Iohn 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for certainly these doe testifie of Christ yea and of Antichrist also Doe that noble act of those noble Bereans Acts 17. 11. Search the Scriptures daily whether these things be so I desire not to obtrude any thing upon facility or credulity but ponder every point I distrust not my ability to satisfie the hearer or to justifie the speaker in any reasonable manner or measure In the phrase of the Apostle 1 Thess 5. 21. I dare appeale to the judgment of any indifferent auditours Prove all things Hold fast that which is best Heare me Reade others Examine all I say confidently Prove all things and God grant you may hold fast that which is best The digression being dispatched in the first verse I proceed to the progression in the next to wit How the person of Antichrist was hindred to be knowne in S. Pauls time A point worthy to be commended to our consideration for on this ground doth Bellarmine build his second Bell. de P. R. lib. 3. c. 3. Demonstration The Pope saith he cannot be the Antichrist Quia impedimendum nondum sublatum est because that which hindred is not yet removed out of the way And withall Bellarmine Steuartius in 2 Thess 2. 5. following the Greeke and Latine Fathers saith that the Apostle doth here speake De Romani imperij eversione of the eversion of the Romane Empire Whereof he made mention to the Thessalonians plainly when he was present with them but being absent from them he durst not write it for feare that this prophesie might be published to the notice of the Romanes whose hatred he knew thereby hee should incurre Moreover those Fathers and Bellarmine conceived the sense of this sentence to be this Ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed that is The flourishing estate of the Romane Empire did hinder the comming of Antichrist Answerable to which exposition is the tradition of Tertullian Optatus and Lactantius Pererius in Dan. li. 14. p. 677 that it was a prime prayer in the Primitive Church Pro conservatione Romani Imperij that God would preserve the Romane Empire the Christians saith Pererius perswading themselves That Antichrist could not come so long as that did flourish The probable cause whereof is assigned by Chrysostome by way of precedents that as the Babylonian Monarchy was subverted by the Persians the Persian by the Macedonians and the Macedonian by the Romanes so in the conclusion the Romanes themselves should have their Scepter wrestled out of their Herculean fists by the Herculean labour of Antichrist And the event saith Amen to all this It seemeth that the Romane Empire by their tyranny and
2 Thess 2. 7. saith the same English Author on the same place as an House is long a squaring and preparing in private but at length it is joyned and reared in publike The sense of the text the mystery of iniquity doth already worke is this There is a Diabolicall stratagem under the show of Religion secretly and cunningly to undermine and overthrow Christs true Religion which hath beene working even from the Apostles time to our time That Poperie is this mystery this is the point which by Gods assistance I undertake to make plaine at this season That your understandings and memories may follow my discourse the more easily I will chalke out the way by which I meane to lead your attention First I will shew you their quaerere and then how they did parta tueri the meanes of their gaining and of their retaining the Papall greatnesse Which two stratagems are two great mysteries In their retaining it which for our time involveth the inlarging of the Papacy also they use one mystery to inveagle men and another to intangle men they have their baits to catch them and their hookes to hold them Both which they practise by a secret undermining and by a subtle countermining of their opposites Each of those exploits is like the woman Revel 17. 5. the word Mystery is written in the very forehead thereof For the first how Saint Peter poore Peter rich indeed in spiritualls but poore in temporalls so poore that he was imprisoned by a Romane Magistrate Act. 12. 3. Crucified by a Romane Emperour and certainly the basest Romane subject would have spit in his face and trod on his necke if hee should have dared to have lift up his finger against the Romane Empire Eusebius lib. â—â— 25. Moreover that the Bishops of Rome his successors did succeed and exceed him in povertie they had more ordinary frailties but farre fewer extraordinarie abilities than Peter the whole succession was so poore that they were persecuted aboue 300 yeeres and so persecuted above 200 yeares that they met in cryptis in caves corners conventicles and had not so much as one Church for their religion Calixtus about the yeere 222. did build the first Church Platina in Calixto Discours des temps depuis les Apotres anno 222. for publike Christianity Now according to the parable propounded to the triumphant Tyrant how the Naile which was in the bottome of the Wheele should sensim sine sensu by a motion insensible and incomprehensible climbe to the top and bring the loftie Naile to the Counterpoint How the Romane Church which was vnder foot should rise up and bring down the loftie Lordly Lording Romane Empire to be her underling and the whole Church of Christ together with it This is a wonder and this is the secret and the Mysterie which Saint Paul saith did worke even in his time For the framing of this plot which they have so admirably effected at this day it is generally said that the Heresies which were sowne in the Apostles times were the seed thereof And indeed so they are in generall but I suppose that the more particular prosecuting of their plot was by the publishing of those two doctrines of Devills mentioned Read the 19 Sermon 1 Tim. 4. 3. forbidding of meates and mariage which we see at this day to be the two pillars of Popery in truth the Iachin and Boaz the very strength and establishing of the Romane Monarchie 1 Reg. 7. 21. Notwithstanding I conceive the maine engine for this stratagem to bee another point the point of the Primacie which was an hammering in the Apostles times Not onely that of Diotrephes who loved preheminence in the Church as Saint Iohn taxeth him in his third Epistle Nor that of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1. 12. where some were for Paul and some for Peter there called Cephas But principally the Primacy attempted by the Church of Rome Rom. 11. 10. Be not high minded and in the 22 verse otherwise thou shalt be cut off For this instruction against Pride though it bee generall to the Gentiles yet is it more speciall to the Romanes And Saint Paul in the same place seemeth to me to Prophecie in two fashions first by way of instruction telling what they should then eschew secondly by way of prediction foretelling what afterwards would be their ruine Now let us briefly ponder how this project of Primacy hath beene prosequuted to this present age Wee see that the seeds of ambition were sowne in S. Pauls time But the power and persecution of the Romane Empire cut downe the blades thereof that their aspiring was fruitlesse for many centuries But at length the harvest of their pride became ripe and they have reaped their Primacy or rather supremacy by these degrees and devices The first which I finde to appeare in promoting Hist Popatus cap. 4. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 22 23 24. the Romane Primacy was Victor Bishop of Rome about the yeare 194 who ordained that Easter should be celebrated by all on the Lords day but therein he was instantly opposed by Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus and by Narcissus Bishop of Hierusalem and others Victor notwithstanding confirmed his decree by a Councill held at Rome anno 196 yet so Bardus Pavin in Chronico anno 196. Histor Papatus cap. 4. as that it was received onely within the Romane Diocesse About 240 yeares after Christ Fabius Bishop of Rome called a Councill at Rome and condemned Novatiane herein hee did somewhat goe beyond the bounds of his Bishopricke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. 15. Novatus and Novatiane being both Africans but the piety of the Bishops and the persecution of the Emperours of that age cut off all jealousie suspition or scruple that any Primacy was affected And the godly Christians were glad that Schisme might be composed by any men or meanes Two hundred and fifty yeares after Christ Steven Bishop of Rome incroched a little more Pless Myster progress 2. and more plainly upon Spaine where Basilides Bishop of Asturia and Martial of Melida being deposed because they had sacrificed to Idolls for feare of persecution Steven writ to the Churches of Spaine peremptorily for their restitution Three hundred and fourteene yeares after our Saviour Silvester obtained from the Emperour Constantine to build Churches and many other priviledges Whence his Successors plead also the donation of Constantine that hee gave unto the Pope Rome and a great part of Italy under the name of S. Peters patrimony Although Iohannes Diaconus in the Charter of D. Collins in Eudam part 3. cap. 46. Otho the third is discovered to have beene the father of that memorable fiction Anno 336 Athanasius being condemned by a Baronius anno 34â— sect 5 6. Councill of the Arrians at Antiochia sought for succour from Iulius then Bishop of Rome who intertaining a good cause under the pretence to advance the authority of the Church of Rome
Religion to ravish all mens affections and to fit every humour As if Epicurus had beene the pretended successour of Saint Peter or Saint Peters pretended successour had been Epicurus aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was the practise of Epicurus Lactantius lib. 3. cap. 17. Vt adse multitudinem contrahat oppositis singulis quibusque moribus loquitur Desidiosum vel at literas discere avarum populari largitione liberat qui claritati studet huic praecipiâ—ur reges colere fugienti turbam solitudo laudatur qui nimium parcus est discit aqua polenta vitam posse tolerare qui uxoremodit huic enumerantur bona Caelibatus c. Translate it into English and an ordinary English person would take it to be the Popes ordinary practise That he may draw the multitude unto him he hath positions for every humour of every person If he be a Dullard he giveth him an Indulgence for ignorance as the mother of devotion If Covetous he exempts him from popular taxations the exemption of the Clergy If hee hunt after preferment Kings Courts shall imploy him if hee cannot indure the troubles of the world a solitary life of the Hermites is extolled if he be frugall fasting and such austeritie is assigned him and if he dislike his wife the singular benefits of a single life are preached unto him and a Monastery prepared for him To honor my conclusion I will conclude with the words of him who Relation of the Religion in the West sect 13. is the Honor of Travellers Whatsoever either wealth can sway with the Lovers or voluntarie poverty with the despisers of the world what Honor with the ambitious or obedience with the humble what great imployments with the stirring spirits or perpetuall quiet with the restive bodies what content pleasant natures can take in pastimes and jollities what contrariwise the austere minds in discipline and rigour what love either chastity can raise in the pure or voluptuousnesse in the dissolute what allurements are in knowledge to draw the Contemplative or in action of State to possesse the practicke disposition c. In a word whatsoever any humor can fancy they have some object to feed it And this I call the maine engine to undermine Christian Religion it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Mystery of Iniquitie This is their Mystery in undermining their pojects are no lesse in Counterming Five things I observe wherby the protestaÌ„ts have prevailed against the Papists Preaching to men schooling of children catechizing the ignorant writing of Martyrs and calling for Councills In all which they doe now proprijs pennis percellere as Iulian spake they would beat us at our own weapons if plaine Truth did not shield us 1 In our primitive Reformation the industrie of our Preachers and dexterity of our preaching did ravish the multitude who had been so long buried in Egyptian darknesse The politike Papists perceiving the effect used the same meanes and now have provided plenty of excellent Preachers which they send forth especially on solemne times to publike places In Lent and in Cities their pulpits be furnished with men using such diligence in their labours eloquence in their speech making such shew of Reverence towards God of zeale towards their Hearers and of loue to the Truth that they seeme to want nothing but a good cause But that such brave abilities should patronize such grosse idolatry Popery this is the secret which in my text is termed The mystery of iniquity In the meane time let our Coate contend with their cunning in countermining us Let us Preachers strive to equall their labours in our painfull and laborious preaching A second point whereby the Protestants prevailed was their schooling of Children especially in the principles of religion whereby they did sow the seed betime Bend those twigges whiles they were yong and quo semel imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu season them with that love of the truth in their youth which old age could never extinguish The Papists have undertaken us in this also especially the Iesuites Wheresoever they come instantly they open free Schooles which they discharge so industriously that presently they procure a confluence of all children Whom under the pretence of teaching the Arts they artificially instruct them in the principles of Popery infusing withall such a prejudice against our part as maketh them incapable of converting by Protestants and implacable of conversing with Protestants Yea it is said that some Protestants have sent their children to the Iesuites Schooles because of their dexteritie in teaching Where it is to bee feared that they will traine them up like Ianizaries to returne to the confusion of their owne Parents and Countrey This is a Master-peece in their popish policie a great Mystery Here would I exhort our Schoole-masters like our English with the French in the reign of Henry 5 to meet their Counterminers and combate with them in the Mine and to contend with them in the instructing of their Schollers in knowledge both humane and divine whereby they may abate if not defeat this Iesuiticall mysterie of iniquitie to robbe us of our Children and God of his servants A third instrument to inlarge the reformed Religion hath beene catechising whereby the ignorant hath taken heart and ability to defend their owne and to oppose the Popish Religion Herein also the Iesuits are said to equall and outstrippe the Protestants having solemne Catechizing in their Churches on Sundayes and Holydayes To which purpose their Trent Catechisme is published by Pope Pius 5 yet wee must take notice that this serious and solide catechising they exercise principally if not solely where they dwell among or confine upon the Protestants In places and ages distant from them their Catechising is a mystery muffling the miserable ignorant people in another manne About Granata and other Gonsalvius de Inquis praefat Provinces of Spaine where the Spanish Inquisition reigned they taught the simple people their Ave Maria Pater Noster their Credo with salve Regina in Latine But the five Commandements of the Church which they say are necessary to salvation i. the hearing of Masse on Sundayes and Holydayes the going to shrift and Confession the receiving of the Holy Bread the due observing of Fasts and the true paying of Tithes are accurately taught them in the Mother tongue Here againe my tongue speaketh what my heart thinketh for us Ministers I wish that either our Consciences would incite us or authority injoyne us to be more carefull and painfull in Catechising the onely meanes to throw downe their Mine on our Counterminers Heads and to make the meanest capacity able to discerne their Popish Sophistrie A fourth meanes to propagate the Protestants cause at least to procure compassion was composing of Martyrologies the stories of poore persecuted people put to death for the Reformed Religion Whereby they published unto the world the innocence and patience of
first he intended to wound the haughtie neck of the proud with the second to let out the hungry guts of the covetous and with the third to thrust through the bodies of Fornicators and Adulterers Whose ire when none durst oppose his mercifull mother Mary undertaketh to appease falling at his feet she besought him to spare those whom he had redeemed to mingle mercy with justice To whom her Son replyed see you not saith he how infinite iniquity is multiplyed against me and my justice cannot suffer impiety unpunished Then quoth his mother thou who knowest all things doest know this also that this must be the way to recall them to thy service I have a faithfull servant him shalt thou send into the world by him shall the world be converted unto thee their Saviour also I have another servanr whom I will assigne to be his helper Her son then said I am appeased and do accept thy intreaty but shew me the person whoÌ„ thou hast destinated to this great worke Then our Lady brought S. Dominick to Iesu Christ our Lord said unto his mother this man indeed will faithfully and effectually performe all that thou hast promised The Lady likewise shewed him S. Francis whom the Lord likewise lauded therefore S. Dominicke in his dream taking good notice of S. Francis whom he had not knowne before Next day seeing him at church he remembred him and hugging him with many holy kisses he said to him thou art my Companion thou must travell with me let us stand to it and no adversary shall be able to oppose us And relating unto him his Revelation from thenceforth they became one heart and one soule in the Lord saith Antonine the Italian credat Iudaeus Apellat every good Catholike hath good cause to beleeve it Fiftly they establish by miracles the adoration of Images in generall but of the Crosse Crucisix and Image of Christ in especiall Bellarmine aboundeth with arguments of this Bellar. de R. P. lib. 3. cap. 15. Euseb lib. 7. cap. 14. nature Eusebius saith saith hee that a golden statue of our Saviour was erected to our Saviour by that woman whom our Saviour did cure of her bloody issue and that a certaine hearbe did usually grow under it which when it sprang so high as to the hemme of the garment of that Image it cured all diseases whatsoever The same Author doth alleadge Bell. de Sanctor Imag. lib. 2. c. 12 another example to the same purpose that the Iewes having stabbed an Image of Christ that Image did issue out much blood which cured many sicke people Baronius backeth Bellarmine with a brave Baronius anno 975. num 12. English story There was a Synode at Wilton to condemne the mariage of the Clergy where the crucifixe cryed out non fiet non fiet ye shall not yeeld yee shall not yeeld to grant that Ministers should marry Costerus commendeth the Crosse from the Coster Enchir. cap. 13. like comment in the yeare 590 the Turkes being ready to starve a Christian taught them to make but the signe of the Crosse and so not one perished by that famine All which serious Malvenda doth shut up with this Malvenda de Antich lib 3. cap. 12. solemne Historie Anno 1546 at Meliapore in India the Portugalls erecting a Chappell on an hill in the suburbs where Saint Thomas was killed by those barbarous people digging to lay the foundation there they found a square stone in it a bloody Crosse and an inscription recording that in that place that Saint was slaine in the very act of kissing and adoring the Crosse Hence did they finish the Chappell with more ardent devotion and the Chappell being finished at the very beginning of the Gospell in the sight of the whole multitude the Crosse did sweat abundantly the sweat being wiped off droppes of blood appeared in the Linnen with which they did wipe it The Crosse it selfe in the meane time changed colour from white to pale from pale to blackâ— till in conclusion it came againe to the lustre of his owne native colour And ever since every yeare in the same place and on the same day there is the same miracle the intermission whereof they apprehend as a presage of some fearfull disaster which that yeare will fall upon them Thus much for the Crosse and Images of Christ next follow the Miracles of the Images of our Lady For as their devotion uttereth more Ave Maries than Pater nosters so they alleadge more mircacles wrought by the Images of the Virgin then by the Images of Christ The Image of Saint Mary of Cracovia walking on the water from the Sermon on the second Comand Baron 728. num 5 6 7. fury of the Souldiers c. I have elsewhere mentioned Baronius telleth us when Damascene a stout champion for Images had his hand chopt off at the command of the Emperor and hanged up in the market he praying before the Image of the Virgin for his hand had it restored intire unto him at the conclusion of his devotions Bellarmine annexed Bell. de Sanctor Imag. lib. 2. c. 12 another A foolish fellow Iconomachus an Image-hating Hereticke threw stones at the Statue of the blessed Virgin and thereby brake the head thereof At night the Virgin in a vision did rattle him soundly saying in caput tuum hoc fecisti Sirrah your Pate shall pay for this and accordingly within a few dayes after the fellowes owne head was broken with a huge stone in the same manner as hee hath cracked the crown of her Image I must not balke Bartholmaeus Hisp Convers pag. 19. de Bellaro of Valence in Spaine who testified befâ—re a publike Notary that one night he saw an Image invironed with a world of Tapers walking through the Ayre directly towards the Altar of Saint Mary del Pueg which he credibly did beleeve to be her Image which returned from vâ—siting some sicke person who called to her for succour To these strange wonders I will adde one yet more wonderfull A certain Gentleman called Theophilus being Promp Discip de mirac B. Mariâ— exemp 42. fallen into great poverty and therby brought into despaire gave himselfe unto the Devill with abjuration of his Baptisme of God and of the Virgin Mary which abjuration he wrote with his owne blood it was sealed with the devills signet But a while after this poore Theophilus repenting himselfe of that he had done prostrated himselfe most devoutly before the Image of the V. Mary imploring her helpe with teares who as alwaies merciful and gracious tooke pity on him and pardoned him But the Image of Christ which was in the armes of the Virgin as being offended would not heare but turned his face backward Which the Image of the blessed Virgin perceiving layd the Image of her Son upon the altar and went to find out the Devill with Theophilus whoÌ„ she restored to the favor of God againe
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
which they did beleeve sor their pride did withhold them So in the Church of Rome doubtlesse there are many who seare the Pope to be Antichrist and know themselves to be erroneous but the pride of themselves and praise of others withhold them to confesse it As S. Iohn speaketh 5. 44. They receive honour of one another and therefore they receive not the truth and reforme not their errour In Italy their Cardinalls Churchmen equall to Princes they could not subsist if the Pope or his pompe should fall and therefore they must uphold him In France if the Clergie should turne they should turne admirable immunities and dignities to undoubted poverty peradventure necessity and therefore they will never reforme but nourish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implacable hatred against the Protestants Some even Protestants can tell how an argument will sway with men which is drawne ab utili from praise profit and promotion And therefore it is no paradoxe to conclude Many learned Papists are obstinate in their errours for pride doth detaine them Fourthly the Iudgement of God is the cause that so many learned men are so ignorant that they doe not or will not know Antichrist though plainely discovered to the whole world Thus Deut. 29. 4. the Israelites fell from God though miracles were ever before their eyes the reason is there rendred The Lord gave them not eyes to see nor an heart to conceive Againe as it is in Isa 44. 16 17. that Idolaters should be so grossely gracelesse as to take a blocke to burne one piece and to adore another is it not a wonder but that we are there told by God himselfe that God himselfe did shut their eyes that they could not see and their hearts that they could not understand At the comming of Christ his own City Ierusalem did reject their Messias they bragd of Doth not Christ give the cause it was hid from their eyes Luk. 19. 42 In like manner at the comming of Antichrist the most glorious part of the Church of Christ doth serve the enemy of Christ the reason whereof is evident out of the verse following this Text God doth send them strong delusions Thus their Study Pride Prejudice and the just Iudgement of God I conceive to be the soure great causes that so many great learned men are the slaves of that great Antichrist These are the meanes that according to the working of Satan in all power he so admirably prevaileth upon them But that he may never in like manner prevaile upon any of us the Lord of heaven prevent for Iesus Christ his sake There remaineth the principall the person supporting Antichrist The mystery of Iniquity is vpheld by the working of Satan 1 Tim. 4. 1. the working of Satan is called the doctrine of devills and that doctrine of Devills is there named vers 5. to be forbidding of meats and mariage But the Church of Rome doth forbid meats and mariage Therefore the Church of Rome doth teach the doctrine of devills Therefore the Church of Rome is supported by the working of Satan Therefore the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist I will exercise them a little to untwine these plaine connexions Here appeareth the erroâ—â— to say no more of our Reconcilers of those who undertake to reconcile the Protestants to the Papists That worke is a Chimaera in their intention and will be abortive in the execution When there can bee no atonement betwixt God and Satan Christ and Belial the Christians and Antichristians In a word when truth may bee reconciled unto falshood which is supported by all power after the working of Satan then will I imagine that there may be atchieved a reconciliation betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church Reformed Till then I must susspect all pretence of reconciliation to bee an errour in them if not a trap for us Psal 120. 6. The best that I ever heard or read any speaking Relat. of the Religion in the West sect 48. to this point is that learned Gentleman who proposeth his project of Vnion by the distribution of Vnity Whether poore Christendome may hope for Vnity of Verity or Vnity of Charity or Vnity of Perswasion or Vnity of Authority or Vnity of Necessity Yet nunquam magis dubit at am de finibus quà m quum legebam Ciceronem de sinibus his discourse hath confirmed me more that Reconciliation is impossible For he himselfe confesseth that it is a thing to be wished not to bee effected To which I adde that sentence of our divine Seneca Sooner may God create a new Rome than reforme Dr. Hall No Peace with Rome sect 22. the old Grant that which all the world is never able to prove Suppose the Pope be not Antichrist Notwithstanding we must suppose reconciliation unto Popery to be impossible First these Reconcilers have beene alwayes fruitlesse in their indeavours and sometime fatall unto Christendome As the learned insist in the Trent Hist lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Zeno the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Heraclius the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Constance and the Interim of Charles the fift all which did not reunite but rend the division wider And what effect produced the laborious treatise of that learned Papist set on worke by two severall Emperours Ferdinand and Maximilian to compose the Quarrells of the Church Onely of Cassander hee became Cassandra although hee spake as a Prophet yet no body would beleeve him Hereupon politike Pope Paul the third did laugh at Charles the fift who attempted a reconciliation betwixt the Papists and the Protestants anno 1548. and it standeth with great reason For the most cautelous phrases of the most câ—riâ— us Reconcilers when they come to the scanning will bee ambiguous Superficially considered they may receive good sense but seriously sifted they containe the old errours And the effect was as the Pope presaged the Emperor indevoring to reconcile two contrary opinions he made them both agree to impugne his and each more obstinately to defend his own Then consider the parties and Reconciliation will appeare on our side to be improbable on their side impossible God knoweth some of our side are intractable and obstinate enough For mine owne part I professe I love peace next to truth and for the injoying thereof I would submit my selfe to any thing that doth not evidently infringe a good conscience I could bee contented First that the Pope should injoy those Temporall dominions which the skill of his Ancestours hath left unto him Secondly with our King with God I would be content to acknowledge him the Patriark of the West and Prime Bishop of the World so that he keepe him within the compasse of his owne Dioces Thirdly that in deepe disputes of Election Freewill Reall not Carnall Presence and such like Vnusquisquis abundet sensu suo that every man might enjoy the freedome of his owne judgement without any bitter invections or uncharitable censuring Fourthly I could
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
Dewly's Instruct c. 6. Hisp Conversus pag. 10. come to comparisons this must be odious paralleling Vbera and Vulnera they make the milke of Mary to be as precious as the Blood of Christ so much is related by a Spanyard in Lewis Owen of Eugl. Seminarie England And it is not much lesse which is reported of the English in Spaine I saw saith a traveller in the English Colledge at Valladolid a Picture of the blessed Virgin Mary spreading out her Mantle with both her haÌ„ds over many Iesuites that kneeled unto her with this superscriptioÌ„ over her head Anglia dos Mariae England is the dowry of the Virgin Mary and the Iesuites presenting a Paper in her hands wherein was written Sub umbra alarum tuarum manâ—bimus donec transeat iniquitas that is Vnder the shadow of thy wings we will remaine til this Tyranny be overpassed Notwithstanding al these are surpassed by the superlative blaspheming Idolatry broached by Bernardine de Busto There was saith he a Vision Bern. de Busto Marial part 9. Serm. 2. â—ssiâ— â— shewed to Saint Francis wherein he saw two Ladders that reached from earth to heaven the one Red on which Christ leaned from whence many fell back ward and could not ascend The other White upon which the Holy Virgin leaned the helpe whereof such as used were received with a cheerfull countenance and so with facility entred into heaven Ludâ—lph de Viâ—a Christi part 2 cap. â—6 Their positions are of the same stampe Velocior est nonâ—unquam salus memorato nomine Mariae quam invocato nomine Domini Iesu Vnici filij sui that is A more present reliefe is sometimes found by commemorating the name of Mary Machiavel hist Flor. lib. 7. then by calling on the name of the Lord Iesus her onely sonne which they have so graffed in the Eares if the Popish people while they lâ—ve that it is rooted in their Hearts even when they dye also Thus Galeazzo the unfortunate Duke of Millan when he was stabb'd in the Church closed up his life with this cry onely O Lady helpe me This is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an Adoration to a woman as never could bee imagined by a man till that Man of sinne had intoxicated the men of the world and made them impudent in idolatry and to take pleasure in unrighteousnesse Concerning the fourth instance of intolerable idolatry Adoration of images I will spare some labour in this point because I have spent so much therein already in my Treatise on the second Commandement which I composed for that purpose And if any Papist can render a sufficient answere to the arguments therein composed I will recant and confesse that the Pope is not Antichrist nor the Popish Religion Antichristian idolatrous hereticall or any way Erronious Briefly I say that this fourth kinde of idolatry is more soule then all the former because directed unto a more grosse Object Images I may exclaime against this Heathenish idolatry Clem. Alex. Prâ—trept as Clemens Alexandrinus did against the heatheÌ„ for the very same thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to adore a Blocke is it not a blockish Idolatrie There is a double cause of Idolatrie saith Aquine Vna ex parte hoâ—inuâ— altera Aquin 2 â— quâ—st 94. 4. ex parte daemonum Men and Devils concur in the generation of this Viper In the phrase of my Text the working of Satan deceiveth men that perish plainly prophesied by S. Iohn Rev. 9. 20. that Antichristians should worship idols of gold and silver and of brasse and stone wood Things most palpâ—bly and literally performed in the Papacie Where it is worth our observation that the Papists plead for their Idols in the same tearmes wherein the Pagans did Tell a papist what a grosse absurditie they act who adore an image Oh say they mistake us not it is repraesentativè not determinativè wee doe not worship the Image but the Saint in the Image Iulians owne distinction Non Lapidem sed Iovem Zanch. Tom. 4. cap. 15 thes 3. in lapide that he did not worship the Statue but Iupiter in the Statue If we object Quae amentia est aut ea fingere quae timeant aut ea timere quae sinxâ—rint What a frensie is it either to make those things which they worship or to worship those things which they have made They reply in the Pagans owne-phrase recorded by Lactantius Non ipsa timemus sed Lactant. Just lib. 2. cap. 2. Eos quorum nominibus sunt consecrata We do not said the Pagans worship the Images but the Persons to whom those Images are consecrated Object againe even our eyes can censure those Images to be senslesse and therfore they are senslesse who adore them The old Pagans Arnobius lib. 6. wil put an answer into the mouths of our modern Papists Deos per simulacra veneramur we adore the saints by those Images Nay more if wee should oppose them with the same instances that the Antients objected against the Heathens I beleeve it would exercise their Logicke to acquite them Quid si coli se nesciunt said the christians in Arnobius what if the saints Arnobius l. 6. do not see this worship which the papists perform to their Images Is not then that image-worship blind idolatry Cur invocat is deorum nominibus oculos in coeluÌ„ non tollitis sed lapides et ligna spectatis Lactant. l. 2. c. 2. If you worship not the images on the wal but the saints in heaven why do ye not lift up your eies to heaven but fasten theÌ„ on the picture before you These were objected by the fathers to the heathen concerning their idols and I beleeve our idolaters cannot easily and ingenuously assoile them But to put all out of doubt What is an heathenish idol Shall Gods owne description stand for authentical Then The images of the heathen are silver gold the works of mens hands which have mouths speak not eyes and see not eares and heare not Ps 135. 15 16 17. What branch of this description concurreth not with their popish images And if the Italian men in their Carnival should deale with the Lady of Loretto as the Arcadian boyes did with Diana in Clem. Alex. Protrept their pastimes put an Haltar about the necke of the Image might they not cry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that that Picture had not power enough to put the Rope from her throate as those Boyes did and be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Haltred Goddesse Finally to prove this Popish Image-Adoration to bee more Paganish then that of the Pagans themselves I adde the Pagans were never interdicted from such a kind of worship by their gods But our God hath expresly inhibited it unto Christians Deut. 4. The Observation is proposed in the 12. verse You saw no similitude The Illation annexed in the 15.
this opiniō of merits is like the pale Horse Rev. 6. 8. Death sits on it and Hell followeth with it It is a damnable assertion without peradventure Cardinall Bellarmine was once a Ringleader in this path for a long time and a tedious labour throughout his large Treatise of Iustification Bell. de Iustific l. 5. c. 7. But at the end of his journey he espied Tutissimū a safer way to tread in the very footsteps of poore Protestants reponere totam fiduciam in sola misericordia Dei that is to repose his whole trust in the onely mercy of God Now no opera as before no nor operatincta according to that trick of Campian for justifying faith betwixt mercy and merits is like the Infant betweene the two mothers 1 Reg. 3. if divided it must be destroyed Now I say even with Belarmine himselfe upon a more advised revising of this damned opinion no more opera nor tincta opera that is no workes neither by amplification nor yet by extenuation but to place our whole cōsidence in the sole mercy of God For indeed to hold salvation by workes in thesi by way of disputation that some men may be so saved I suppose that this may bee done and the defendants not damned But in hypothesi by way of application for a man to hold of himselfe that he hath doth or will merit his salvation This I dare define to bee a damnable assertion The conclusion therfore must be All Papists must either end their lives as Bellarmine did his bookes of Iustification renouncing this point of Popery Merits or else they shall meritoriously purchase this phrase of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They will be damned for such an arrogant assertion Moreover this third point is second to none in furthering the building of Babel Good workes have beene a good Net which have drawne many good quillets to the Court of Rome That donation called from Constantine the great but indeed given by Charles the great I suppose merits was the motive to that magnificent action Many a sick body for his soules health tooke from his Childs Portion to adde to Peters Patrimonie From the Pharises Talent to the Widowes mite all Oblations make the Center of their motion to be the Church because the Church doth teach them to be meritorious and that they may purchase heaven with gold and Silver A very Character of Antichrist The Antichristian Babylonians Revel 18. 13. are said to make merchandize of the soules of men And surely the soules of seduced men are bought and sold in the Church of Rome by this advantagious Doctrine but it will bring bitternesse in the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a profitable but a damnable delusion A fourth instance is their miserable and damnable mangling of the Sacram nt compelling the people to Communicate by the Halfe. That I may not seeme to spie a Mote in the Eye of the Head of the Church I will discover this to be a Beame by a threefold consideration Consider the institution injunction and emphaticall imposition of the blessed Sacrament all the workes of our blessed Saviour First this Sacrament was instituted to bee received in both kindes Christ tooke bread and gave it and hee tooke the Cup and gave it to his Disciples Matth. 26. 26 and 27. Secondly the Church was injoyned to receive it in both kinds Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that bread and drinke of that Cup 1 Cor. 11. 28. And thirdly Christ did single out the Cup as it were with a Propheticall Cave drinke ye all of this Matth. 26. 27. For the sirst although the Church hath great authoritie to alter the manner and Circumstances of Gods worship yet we cannot but acknowledge that it is the best way to walke if it be possible in the very footsteps of the first institution And all alteration must bee on good grounds and for good causes For the second if the circumstances of time and gesture were injoyned If Christ had ever said eat this sitting and in the evening then could wee not but yeeld to the Reformers that our kneeling and to the Anabaptists that our morning Communions were unlawfull and damnable But thirdly where God himselfe doth as it were point with his singer wee are bound especially direct our eye to that Object as here Drinke ye all Mee thinketh this Emphasis maketh this signe like the forbidden fruit Genesis 3. 3. Moriendo morieris it is death to touch it and none dare lay hands on it but by the Serpents instigation Howbeit notwithstanding this institution Concil Const Sess 13. injunction and Emphaticall imposition the Church of Rome doth institute injoyne and impose by two solemne decrees of two Vniversall councils the direct contrary Drinke ye all of this Concil Trident. Sess 21. cap 1. saith Christ drinke ye none of this saith the Pope This is a Superlative prerogative of man to oppose a non obstante to the Statute of GOD. Though God saith Drinke ye all of this yet Concil Trid. sub Pio. 4. Proam ad 5. Sess the Pope commandeth all his Church that they shall not beleeve credere that they may Drinke Surely this is slavery in the inferiours tyranny in the superiours damnable in both But in divers degrees The Peoples damnation is like Cains phrase Gen. 4. 15. sevenfold but the Prelates damnation is like Lamechs phrase Gen. 4. 24. it shall be seventy and seven fold but in both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a damnable practise Neither is this onely an unchristian but also an Antichristian errour out of it Babell sucketh no small advantage How advanceth it the power of the Pope when we oppose obsignatis Tabulis and they answere obsignat is Tabulis Wee alleage Gods Commands that we may have the Cup and they alleage the Churches command that they may not have Cup in the Sacrament The people must thinke that this is a wonderfull Authority which can so trench into Gods injunction Againe that the Priests onely Concil Trid. Can. 2. Sess 5. those Priests who are Consicients as they call them must drinke of the blessed blood of our blessed Saviour Is not this a rare Honour and Prerogative to that Calling Finally there is a mystery in this iniquitie The Church of Rome to make up their full number against the day of Accounts acteth the skilfull Arithmetician As by substraction they take from the Decalogue leauing out the words of the second Commandement lest the plaine people should perceive their plaine Idolatry so by addition they supply to the Sacrament and give the people Wine but there is the mistery unconsecrated Wine in the Communion for feare that even sense should informe the people if they be not even senselesse that the Pope doth rob them of their fathers portion the cup in the Sacramēt Now to put a dead child into the bosome of the poore mother in stead of a living Infant this was but
and imagination 9. Antichrist shall collect the Iewes 10 Conquer the Heathen 11 cruelly persecute the Christians 12 Kill Enoch and Elias 13 become Monarch of the whole world 14 and have more power and riches and wives than any Monarch from the Creation as famous atchievements as any can wish or imagine From whence Bellarmine and Lessius draw many a delicate Demonstration 15. But the worst is they put a long sword into a short scabberd They will have all those Conversions Persecutions Conquests Mariages and incomparable innumerable actions to be done in the compass of three yeares an halfe Eudaemon taketh great paines to fit them but Eudaemon in Abâ—at 1. sect 5. he commeth a little too short for all his good reckoning 16. The Temple of Hierusalem must bee his Throne 17 therein actually to be adored Fortie and sixe yeeres was the Temple heretofore a building and will Antichrist reare it in lesse than sixe and fortie moneths O admirable expedition More Baronius saith and proveth that it shall never be reared againe That Antichrist therefore shall be adored in the materiall Temple this is an impossible assertion 18 and 19. Antichrist shall take his Rise from Mount Olivet and with his army of Devills transformed into Angells he shall soare in the ayre till that voice from heaven bee heard morere Et confestim fulmine percussus interibit he shall be smote through with a Thunderbolt in the middest of his glorious flight saith Steuartius But perchance what pleased Steuaâ—tius iâ— 2 Thes â— Malvenda lib. 10. cap. 15. him at Ingolstade did not relish Malvenda in Italie For hee saith that Christ shall come downe from heaven simplici verbo by word of mouth shall command Michael the Tutelar Angell to the Christians to destroy Antichrist Then that Michael with lightning shall burne down the Tent of Antichrist into ashes and so Antichrist and his Achates shall be swallowed quicke into the Earth Peracta est Fabula Plaudite That Antichrist shall bee consumed by the breath of Christs mouth and destroyed by the brightnesse of his comming I have heard verse 8. But of flying in the ayre crying from Heaven burning of Tents opening of the earth thunder lightnings These are tragicall inventions without any truth to support them To make good my promise to make it appeare that the popish opinion concerning Antichrist implyeth yea involveth many improbable impossible incredible and incompatible assertions I will present unto your attention onely six points which I have observed out of Malvenda who hath bestowed most labour in this cause of any man that ever set pen to paper Consider the Buildings Marryings and Persecutions of Antichrist his Countreymen Confederates and Kingdomes 1. In his 1â— booke and 6. cap. Antichrist shall Malvenda de Antichristo lib. 11. cap. 6. build the Temple of Hierusalem more sumptuous than the former besides many other goodly and glorious Palaces 2. Antichrist shall have farre more wives than Malvenda 6 22. ever Solomon had although Solomon had a competent number a thousand 1 Reg. 11. 9. 3. All the ten persecutions under the Heathen Malvenda 8 11. Emperours all the persecutions under the Persians Arrians Goths and Vandalls Parvae velitationes sunt are but light skirmishes compared to the bloody warre which the Militant Christians must sustaine under Antichrist Moreover He shall rob spoile and plucke downe all the Churches in the world converting them into Alehouses and Stables 4. An infinite Rabble of the Iewes from all the Malvenda 5 17. Corners of the earth shall swarme to Antichrist 5. Gog and with him the Scythians Tartarians Malvenda 5 17. Cappadocians the inhabitants of Pontus and of the East Countreys of the Euxine sea and Matis the Iberians Albanians Circassians Persians Lybians Aethiopians Galatians Phrygians Turks Sarmatians Arabians of Arabia foelix Dedaneans of Arabia the desert Cilicians and the Inhabitants of Asia the Lesse shall all have a confluence unto Antichrist 6. The whole world which hath been discovered Malvenda 5 17. in the East unto the outmost Chineses and Tartarians in the North to the inmost Muscovites and Gronelanders in the South to the farthest Cafrians Zanzibarians and the Inhabitants of the Cape Bonae Spei and in the West to the farthest parts of Spaine Cuncta dextrâ lavâque Antichristi portentosa Monarchia complectetur Whatsoever is within the compasse of the old world shall be comprised within the territories of Antichrists prodigious Monarchy Yea America also and all those infinite Ilands And we thinke that Antichrist shall bee Totius orbis Monarcha the Emperour of the whole world Collect and conclude to build a more glorious Temple thaÌ„ that which was 46. yeers a building and infinite other buildings in 3 yeers To marrie a thousand wives and more in three yeares To martyr all the Christians and to prophane all their Christian Churches in three yeeres To gather together all the Iewes scattered through the whole world in three yeares To strike a league with Gâ—g the Scythians Tartarians c. in three yeares To subject from Spaine to India and from Muscovie to America in 3. yeares To conclude when as I thinke no Popish person dare undertake to goe through the world in three yeares yet that the Popish Antichrist shal gleane up all the Riches Conquer all men Defile almost all women and possesse all Lands both Ilands and Continent in all the world and all this onely in three yeeres If these appeare not monstrous improbable impossible incredible incompatible paradoxes Then must I confesse that nothing is false and that the Romane is no Antichristian but a true Religion But such as have either Eyes in their Heads or hearts in their Bodies such as are either reasonable men or religious Christians Such as are indued either with the Wisdome of the Spirit or but with the Spirit of Wisedome cannot but see this Palpable Delusion There is a remarkeable discourse in an Epistle The French Anthour translated by Dr. Beard of Pope Leo 9 to Michael Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople that the report was that those of Constantinople being accustomed to behold Eunuchs sitting in the Patriarchall seat at the last they advance thereunto a Woman A fine invention to make the memory of Pope Ioan to vanish by diverting this infamie upon Constantinople where all know never any such thing came to passe The like doe they in this subject for to the end that the true Antichrist may not be knowne they cast out a report that he shall be a Iew c. that men in this vaine expectation may sleepe under his Tyrannie Or as Michal 1 Sam. 14. 13. did put an Image into the bed with a Pillow of Goates-haire c. that David might escape So the Church of Rome doth dresse out to our view an Imaginarie Trienniall Antichrist that so the Pope the true Antichrist may escape our observation Againe and againe therefore I beseech you open
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
is but of one priuate man but the Church maketh it Generall by their publike approbation For I suppose they print nothing but permissu Superiorum by the allowance of Authority It is the assertion of Vasquez in his treatise Vasq de adâ—r l. 2. Disp 1. c. 2. seâ—t 5 8 10. of Adoration That any thing in the nature of the thing and if the matter be discreetly handled may bee adored with God His instances are odious God saith he may bee worshipped even in a Wisp of straw Yea God saith he may be Tortura Torti pag. 312. Dr. Coll. contra Eudâ—m part 3. cap. 93. lawfully adored in the apparition of the Devil as it is avouched by our learned Bishop and confirmed by his Avoucher Nay if the World bee barren of Creatures they will feigne phant asies of their own Heads Saint George and Saint Christopher were Allegories not Histories Their own Authors dare not ventvre their Credits that there were ever such men Is it not monstrous then that they should be Saints How often have our old deluded Forefathers of England cryed God and Saint George at the onset of their Battles And how many have called on Saint Christopher in the perill of Shipwracke and yet these potent Saints were according to Saints Pauls phrase 1 Cor. 8. idolum nihil est in mnÌ„do plain Idols there were never any such creatures in the world Thus mightily are they mislead by the working of Sathan not to receive the love of the Truth but to take pleasure in unrighteousnesse At length to wade out of this Ocean of idolatry concerning the measure whereof I confesse Popery to be fadomelesse and compared even to Paganisme it is like the Sea resembled to a little River The ignorant Pagans did adore Images as gods peradventure and some of them But that ever their learned Doctors did teach that an Image made with hands was to bee adored in the same kinde and height of worship with that God whom they professed to be the Maker of heaven and earth Herein are they out-stripped by the Papists in an incomparable exorbitance An Image is to bee worshipped with the same worship wherewith God himselfe is to bee worshipped this is the Catholike Doctrine of the Romane Church Imagini Christi Latria debetur Aquine saith Aqu. 2 2. qu. 94. Art 2. ad Arg. 1. that to the image of Christ is due Latria or the proper worship of God And although Aquine was a private Doctor yet can they not inferre this to bee a private Doctrine because hee is Pater DoctornÌ„ the father of their Doctors saith Malvenda And I suppose the Thomists will not easily gainsay or unsay what Thomas hath affirmed Heare the naturall Doctrine of this Popish Father Cruci exhibemus Latriae cultum quia in Cruce Christi ponimus spem salutis that is We exhibit Latria or Divine worship unto the Crosse because in the Crosse of Christ we place the hope of our salvation And hee confirmeth this from the consent of the Church sic cantat Ecclesia And that hee may insanire cumratione he rendreth two reasons for this affertion Crux Christi tum propter representationem tum propter membrorum contactum est adoranda Latria the Crosse of Christ is to bee adored with Divine worship both because it doth represent and because it did touch the members of Christ And Pares cum paribus like will to like to couple blasphemy with idolatry he addeth Crux Aquin. 3. quaest 25. Artiâ— 4. Christi fuit unita verbo aliquo modo that is the Crosse was in some sort united to the Word All this we may read in Aquine To exclude all evasions Constans est Theologorum Azor. Inst mor. part 1. lib. 9. c. 6. sententia imaginem eodem cultu honore coli honorari quo id colitur cujus est imago Azorius affirmeth it to be the constant opinion of all Popish Divines that an image is to bee worshipped with the same worship wherewith the thing whereof it is the Image is worshipped Pontificale Romanum And this determination of this question must bee infallible unto them because a Pope hath defined it Crux legati erit a dextris quia debetur ei Latria that is The Crosse of the Legat must be placed on the right hand because Latria or Divine worship is due to it These are the words of the Roman Pontificall published by the Authority of Pope Clement 8. Now whether they be not idolaters who communicate that worship to an Image which they themselves acknowledge to bee due to God alone let themselves give sentence Hereupon as some have called Rome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Abstract of the World so may wee terme it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Compendium of Idolatry Pardon my peremptory conclusion Revel 22. 11. He that is filthy let him bee filthy still and he who is a Papist let him be a Papist still But let him know that hee is poysoned with the most filthy Idolatry that was ever supported on the face of the earth Wofull is their estate who receive not the love of the Truth But have such pleasure in unrighteousnesse SERMON XXIII 2 THESS 2. 11. God shall send them strong delusion Precedents of obstinatenesse The Papists obstinate and deluded No reconciliation with Rome The Papists are deluders Want of provision for Converts an hindrance to reformation Pronenesse of People to be deluded by Popery GOD doth send delusion A caveat to the Church of England against obstinatenesse IN this verse followeth one of the Passive properties the punishment internall of those that embrace Antichrist A strange blindnesse videlicet that God shall send men such strong delusions that they should beleeve a lye Whose blindnesse our Apostle doth declare by two degrees thereof First per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of admiration in the first words God shall send them strong delusion Secondly per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of amplification in the last That they shall beleeve a lye Blinded in both The first clause is my Text for this time God shall send them strong delusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theodoret With what sinne men are affected by that sinne men are afflicted In this cause and clause never did the impression of Wax render the image of any Seale more exactly then here the punishment of God doth the offence of Man In generall culpa poena the sinne committed and shame admitted are both one Ignorance In particular first they scorned the Truth and are scourged with a delusion Next They received not the love of the Truth that is they heard it not effectually therefore they are deluded effectually even with strong delusions Thirdly these Swine trampled on Pearle and they contemned the very Word of God God therefore doth revenge his owne Cause For this cause saith my Text God shall send them strong delusion To support your memory and
mine own I propose this method Observe here two things two workes the first of the Creator obduration God shall send them The second of the Creature obsirmation strong delusion In the last I will shew two points the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. That men are deluded 2. By what men are deluded The latter of these must involve the co-operation of the Agents and of the Patients the Activity of the Deluders and the Passibility Capacity or rather receptivitie and proclivity of the deluded Of these ordine retrogrado of the last first To which I will preface Precedents of some who have beene deluded in the same nature though not in the same Measure And as a Preface to that Preface I will premise the signification of the phrase what is meant by these words a strong delusion Strong delusion in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The phrase is like it selfe very Energeticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Deceit or Cousenage and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is one who doth professe an Art of cousening men etiam spectantibus although they looke on them saith Eustathius upon Homer Let then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 passe for a Iugler and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Iugling But Antichristianisme is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sleight light Legerdemaine it is moreover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an actuall and effectuall imposture Againe it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Genetive used in stead of the Adjective is very significative as Vir dolorum a man of griefe that is a most grieved man So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strength of delusion that is a most strong delusion Yea it addeth to the strength of delusion that the word strength is reiterated in the ninth verse is mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strength of Satan in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strength of delusion So that what strength of delusion can be either hatched by Satan or acted by man this shall be al imploied to plead for Antichrist Excellently expressed by Occumenius on this text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen in 2 â—hâ—s 2. 11. that is Saint Paul doth call Antichristianisme the strength of delusion that is a strong delusion and potent to deceive A delusion to make men desperately obstinate according to the Greeke proverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You shall not perswade them although you doe perswade them And according to Iob 21. 14. Recede a nobis viam scientiarum tuarum nolumus Depart from us for we will not the knowledge of thy wayes In a word men shall be so perswaded by Antichrist that all the world shall never perswade them from Antichrist that they will remaine confident Obstinate and immoveable in their errous This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their strong delusion These are strong delusions of Antichristians that they may not seem strange delusioÌ„s to Christians impossible incredible I might alleage many precedents to avouch them Take a taste of a few onely Amongst the Hebrews in the old testament 2 Chron. 30. 5. a Decree was made and proclaimed from Dan to Bersheba that the people of Israel should repaire to the Passeover Here was the command of their King that they should doe what they themselves knew to be the CommaÌ„dement of their God And although they professed themselves to be the Church of God yet being become Obstinate neither their King nor their God could perswade them Verse 10. As the Posts passed through Ephraim Manasses Zebulun the people laughed them to scorne and mocked them In the new Testament all the Oracles and Miracles which Christ spake and did could not perswade the Iewes to receive their owne Messias whom they looked for Matth. 27. 42. they said Let him come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeve him but their hearts knew that their tongues even then lyed For Matth. 28. 15. they themselves knew that he did more then come downe from the Crosse Hee came up from the Grave and yet they lay buryed in their obstinatenesse and gave money to disgrace him and to damne themselves This I thinke was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as I take it a strong delusion Amongst the Graecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius ep 5. that is They are possessed with ignorance because of their affected madnesse saith Ignatius And Clemens complaineth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem Alex. Protrept that ignorance and obstinatenesse had transformed some into stones so hard were they against the impression of the Truth Amongst the Latines Saint Ambrose accuseth some perverse Ambr. in 4. ad Ephes people who were wont Mala quae noverint defendere ne viderentur cedere to defend points which they knew to bee false lest they should appeare to be put to the worst Cyprian telleth Cypr. ad Demet. Sect. 1. damned Demetrianus to his teeth Facilius est turbidi maris concitos fluctus clamoribus retundere quam tuam rabiem tractatibus coercere that it was easier to hallow to the tempestuous Sea than to appease his siercenesse with writing bookes Lactantius hath the like Si solem quidem in manibus gestemus sidem non commodabunt Lactant. lib. 7. cap. 1. ei doctrinae in wee could carry the Sunne in our hands yet would they not vouchsase credence to the apparent Truth To proceed further amongst the Africans Saint Augustine administreth a pregnant example Aug. ep 162. The Donatists did accuse Caecilianus unto the Emperor Constantine The Emperour assigned Meltiades Bishop of Rome and some other Bishops to the disquisition of that cause by whoÌ„ Caecilianus was acquitted The Donatists appealed again from them to the Emperor were again condemned at Orleance by a Commission appointed by the Emperour Notwithstanding they appealed to the Emperour the third time who hearing their cause in his owne person and with singular diligence concluded Caecilianus to be most innocent condemned his adversaries for most perverse people For all this the Donatists persisted in their Schisme Nay he relateth yet a stranger obstinatnesse Aug. Epist 50. Bonif. then this Divers of the Donatists were so strongly deluded that they did kill themselves because they would not bee constrained to goe to Church Among the Iewes in the reigne of Theodosius Pappus Hist pag. 58. the Emperour there was an Imposter in Crete who perswaded them that hee was Moses sent thither to lead them into their Countrey through the Sea Whereupon hee brought the multitude vnto a Rock commanding them to cast themselves into the Sea with a generall warrantize against all danger and drowning Leape some did and drowned they were only the Marriners then there-by repressed the madnesse of the maine multitude But the Imposter conveyed himselfe out of the company And finally for the Mahometans at this day they terme themselves Ishlami that is men of one Mind Living in their Idolatrie as the Disciples did in the place of Prayer Act 2. 1.