dead sitting on his Throne of majesty chap. 20. VII The seventh and last Problem therefore must needs be concerning the Enemies of the Church whether we may not understand that of them also in this booke there be named Seven viz. 1 The Divel that old Serpent the great Red Dragon with seven heads and ten horns Rev. 2 10. 12 9. and seven crowns upon his heads 2 False Apostles Hypocrites Rev. 2 2. 3 Nicholaitans Hereticks chap. 2 15. 4 The followers of Iezabel and Balaam chap. 2 20. Licentious and Idolatrous Teachers 5 The first beast rising out of the Sea chap. 13. The old heathenish Roman Empire 6 The second Beast rising out of the Earth which seemeth peculiarly to signifie Antichrist unto us chap. 13. the proper and principall subject of this our Investigation 7 Gog and Magog heathenish and open Persecutors joyned with secret and intestine enemies whereof wee have not here to speake These things seeme to me not altogether improper nor inconvenient yet seeing I am no Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet I dare not determine of them but leave them to Theologians to consider And with favorable permission going forwards to search and find out this great enemie of the Church of God I demaund whether he be not fully described unto us in this book of the Revelation and other parts of Holy Scriptures by seven notable and notorious Attributes 1 His place 2 His state or body politick which must be subject vnto him and support him 3 His Names 4 His Rising 5 His Raigning 6 His words and actions 7 His Times Of which Christ Iesus assisting I meane to speak in order J. Of the place of Antichrist BY the rules of methode we ar taught to proceed à notioribus ad minus nota froÌ„ things better known to infer proue things not so well known of things knowen they say those are best knowen which are visible or sensible and that the outward visible sensible adjuncts accidents do very much conduce to finde out and discover the nature and essence of everie thing Euen our divine Euangelist Prophet being taught by the spirit of God seemeth to approue of these observations where he beginneth his Epistle with this protestation That which was from the beginning 1 Iohn 1. which we haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes c. making the senses a sufficient proofe of the humanitie conjoyned with eternitie This is the cause wherfore I thought best to begin my enquirie at the Place of Antichrist For what is more cleare and evident then that everie thing which hath an existence must haue a place he that seeketh for a thing out of his proper place or element as they now speak doth as if he should seeke for a fish in the fire or a swallow in the Sea The learned Grecian Aristotle the riches of whose learning I see no cause but it may be brought into the Holy citie according to the Prophecies referreth place to the Predicament ubi which importeth a Relation defineth it verie acutely I thinke truly to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which I know not how well but thus I think it may be rendred The unmoueable and nearest confine of that which compasseth any thing about He calleth it unmoueable because in all motions it is not the place that removeth from the thing nor with the thing but the thing it self is removed from one place to another It must be nearest indeed contiguous for els it can not be the place of one thing but may contein another it must compasse it about for if it do but touch it in part it is to be called adjacent or contiguous but not a place The most learned Roman maketh place one of his four principia Varro August And the learned also of later age number it among those things which necessarily concurre to the constitution of things Existent Cajcâ—an By all agreed to be a Relatiue which therefore must haue a Correlatiue Everie place is so called in respect of the bodie placed in it Everie Continent in respect of the thing conteyned everie Principle in respect of the thing proceeding from it as a Father cannot be so called without a sonne nor a master without a servant nor a cause without his effect Herehence are derived those rules and observations of the learned Posito corpore necesse esâ— poni locum posito loco locatum poni necesse est That Places must haue a due proportion of quantitie and magnitude great things must haue greate places for else they could not be compassed or comprehended in them Litle things litle places for els there would be vacuum Things of long continuance must haue places of equall duration and places of long continuance are not appropriated to things that must soone perish or passe away Also Places must haue a due temperament of qualitie agreeable to the things placed and the things placed to the places for else the one would destroy the other and contraries can no more be and continue in one place then in one subject These Observations being discovered unto us by the ordinarie light of nature it hath pleased the God of nature whose majestie is terrible his wisdome incomprehensible and his waies past finding out who numbereth the droppes of the Sea and the sand of the shore who calleth the starres by their names and filleth heaven and earth to descend into the narrow and poore capacitie of humane intelligence and by these outward visible sensible things to teach us who is a Teacher like to him to finde out things most obscure and difficult Let us see therefore what place of what capacitie quantitie and quality the great Governour and Disposer of all things hath appointed for Antichrist And first I demand whether it be not plainly described to be Rome and that Christian upon the consideration of these seven places of Scripture that follow The first in the seventeenth chapter of the Revel where it is set forth to be 1. That great citie Revel 17. 2 which was set upon seven hills 3. which had seven heads or governours 4. And ruled over the kings of the earth 5 which in a mysterie is called Babylon And 6. Most aboundant in riches glory 7 Yet most filthy in all fornication and uncleannes Let us examine these words every one by it self It is first a great Citie A city is by some considered as it consisteth of howses and buildings neare joyning together so Ninivie Tyrus the old Gen. 10. Babylon and others in the Scripture are called great citties So Tully calleth Pergamus and Smirna cities pro Flacco li. 1 de bell li. and Caesar also calleth Rome Civitatem taking that for a principall cause of his Parricidial warrs ut Trib. plebis ex civitate expulsos restitueret that he might restore the Tribunes of the people that were driven out
to be burned as Heretikes which refuse to worship these Images For what cause 〈◊〉 moved Sabinian to burne the bookes of Gregorie but because he had defaced Images howsoever Platina goeth about to blanch the matter What else did they object against the Emperors of Greece What else did they urge against the Valdenses and Wicklevites but that they refused to worship the Roman Pontifex and his images What else did they object to Cranmer Ridley Latimer Hooper Sanders Bradford and other godly men in Queene Maries time that I may speak of England not of other countries but that they refused to acknowledge the reall presence and so to worship the Sacrament other of their images I demand also whether the Turke or any other Idolater do command and compell men to worship images under such capitall and Tyrannous paynes Whether any Idolater do compell men to worship so many Images or set up so many to be worshipped And whether any do proceed so cruelly against those that refuse to worship their Images The Popes in their lawes declare them to be Heretikes and excommunicate which do not worship their images and consequently depriue them not onely of lands and goods but also of their liues yea if it be a Prince they absolue his subjects from obedience and alleagiance givin his subjects power libertie to kill their Natiue king and giue away his kingdome to another Did ever any Iew Turke Infidel or Pagan attempt to doe the like If they should is it credible or likely that they should be believed and obeyed as the Popes haue been Thus therefore their actions being so agreeable to the Rising of this second Beast I demande againe How these Prophecies can be otherwise performed by any Monarch Prince Potentate State or person whatsoever past present or to come And if not then Whether this be not that Antichrist or whether we may expect any other And so we come to the description of Antichrist mounted upon the Roman State and raigning in his glorie which is the fifth generall parte of his description V. The Raigne of Antichrist IT is not unworthie of our observation that the Holy Ghost in setting forth the kingdome of Antichrist useth no such forme of speech as when he speaketh of particular men but such as is commonly used applied in scripture to signifie greate kingdomes and Monarchies When he prophecieth of particular men for the most part he noteth them by some proper Adjunct As of Iohn Baptist Esay 40. A voyce cryeth in the wildernes prepare the way of the Lord. c. So of our Saviour Christ My Righteous servant shall justifie many and againe He was broken for our sinnes c. Sometimes by the name of some other man as Mal 4. Behold I send you the Prophet Elijah c. Sometimes he calleth them by their proper names as that He sayth to Cyrus my Sheepheard Esay 44. c. and I will call Eljakim and so he prophecieth of Iosiah and against Shallum Coniah The king of Babel and Tyrus Esay 22. Ier. 22. But when he speaketh of great kingdomes or Monarchies he figureth them sometimes under the names of Great Beasts as all the four Monarchies in Daniel sometimes under the names of women â—zech 23. as Ezechiel calleth the two kingdomes of Ierusalem and Samaria Two women Nahum calleth Niniveh Esay 47. the beautifull harlot Esayah and Ieremie resemble Babylon sometimes to a woman tender and delicate sometimes to a Queene Iu. 51. sometimes to an Harlot whose words and Phrases our Apostle delighteth much to use It is no marvell therefore that having here to speak of the state of two Great kingdomes namely the Kingdome or Church of Christ and the kingdome or Synagogue of Antichrist He describeth one of them as a Chaste and undefiled spouse prepared for her husband and the other as a sumptuous glorious luxurious proud and intising Harlot alluring kings princes and all sorts of people to come unto her Wherein although it be true that Contraries compared layd together do illustrate one the other yet I will not here prosecute that glorious and heauenly description of the true Church of our Lord Christ Iesus able to take up all my thoughts and meditations but strictly following my former course obserue seuen Attributes in the Description of the Antichristian state and power Revel 17. now mounted upon the back of the Roman state First it is called the Great Whore Secondly which sitteth upon many waters Thirdly with whom the kings of the earth haue committed fornication and the Inhabitants of the earth haue been made druncken with the wine of her fornication Fourthly most richly and gorgeously cloathed and adorned with purple and scarlet gold and pearles having a golden cup in her hand full of her fornications Fiftly shee hath a name written in her forehead a Mysterie Babylon The great Mother of Harlots abhominations of the earth Sixtly She is druncken with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs of Christ Iesus And lastly to make all plaine who this is It is sayth our Prophet the Great Cittie that ruleth over the kings of the earth Of some parts of which Description I haue spoken before both in the first and second Problem For which cause I shall not neede to speak much here but onely of such things as haue not been touched before And to speake a word by the way of that which is most plain and evident which is last mentioned that it is called the Great cittie by which name we commonly understand the king Prince or Prelate thereof as in the Prophecies against Iuda Israell Babell Ninive we understand many times their Princes and principall men and in our common speech we call Prelates by the names of their Seas as Canterburie London Magunce Trever c. So here by the most proper Adjunct we understand Rome and by Rome her Prince Prelate or Governour It will be in vaine therefore to aske whether this be hee seeing the Holy Ghost sayth this is he But it will be I thinke worth our labour to consider how these qualities may be applied to the chief Pontifex of Rome and whether they may be applied to any other And if to them alone then whether to one more then to another or to the whole succession Let us therefore peruse them in order The first qualitie is The Great Whore Whoredome in Scripture as hath been sayd is understood sometimes literally for the corporall filthines sometimes mystically for the spirituall whoredome which is Idolatrie Now for this later it is evident not onely by the Testimonie of Salvianus aboue recited but of their own histories that the verie Heathen Idols continued undefaced in Rome and worshiped untill the time of Boniface the fourth who having obteyned the Pantheon of the Emperor Phocas did consecrate that Temple to the honour of the Virgin Marie and of all martyrs Platina Fasc Temp. ejectis prius
notorious Fornication adulterie and Sodomie as the pope hath done and whether it be possible for any in time to come to do the like 6. whether any Iew Turke or Infidell haue so wilfully obstinately erected and mainteyned so manifold Idolatrie so many severall Idols as the popes haue done and whether it be possible for any in time to come to do the like 7. whether any Iew or Turke did ever sitte in the Temple of God boasting himselfe to be God as the Popes hath done and whether it be possible for any to do the like to be believed therein as the Pope hath ben Summa If all the prophecies concerning the words actions of Antich be fulfilled in the Pope and cannot be fulfilled in any other then he is Antichrist VII Probl. Of the times of Antich how they be fulfilled and to what Period they are come 1. Of the first working of the Mysterie of iniquitie how long it continued 2. Of the time of the rising of Antich when it was fulfilled 3. Of the Revelation of Antichrist and how that is fulfilled 4. Of the signes of the times of Antich how they are fulfilled 5. Of the times of the raigne of Antich how long it continued 6. Of the Consumption of Antich to what point that is come 7. Of the end abolition of Antich which must be by the brightnes of the coming of our L. Christ who is God blessed for ever Summa tot Si probatur propositum non probatur contrarium quid amplius desideramus If all the prophecies of Antich be fulfilled in the pope and cannot be fulfilled otherwise then the Pope is Antichrist Caeli faciem nostis discernere signa temporum non novistis Matt. 16. SACRAE HEPTADES OR SEVEN PROBLEMS concerning ANTICHRIST That the Apocalyps is to be searched THose that are taken to be masters of learning teach us in everie subject and matter proposed first to aske the question An sit whether it be whether it be possible to be known and attained unto least spending our time in things impossible or imperceptible we both loose our labour become ridiculous The same is taught us by our greatest master in the parables of the man intending to build and the king going to warre Desiring therefore to finde out and discover that great enemie of the Church of Christ Antichrist who it is Luke 14. and whether he be come or not after the grace and mercie of our Lord and master Christ Iesus most humbly devoutly implored without whom we can do nothing I think it not amisse to consider first of the difficultie obscuritie of the Book of the Apocalyps or Revelation wherein by the consent of all learned Christians Antichrist is understood to be most spoken of and his Place State Actions and other circumstances most largely described and discovered unto us Seeing there can be no doubt made but there must be such a person as the Scripture speaketh of by that name and he must be such a one as is there intimated howsoever obscurely yet by him that knoweth all things truly and sufficiently described not intending neverthelesse to make any exposition of the said book which being but a simple Laick I dare not enterprise of anie part of Scripture but onely to examine some parts thereof which may seem pertinent to the matter in hand thereupon to propose some questions wherein I desire to be resolved And first to speake somewhat of this booke of the Apocalyps in generall Iunius which is by all men confessed to be full of mysteries and that it is by reason thereof verie darke and obscure is by manie affirmed yet I see this hath neither disswaded the mindes nor discouraged the industrie of godly men in all ages from searching to find out the true sence and meaning thereof amongst which Iustinus Philosophus and Irenaeus godly Martyrs S. Ierom S. Austin excellent Fathers Haimo Iohannes de Rupescissa Ioachimus Abbas and others of the former age Luther Balaeus Fox Iunius in our fathers time the learned Abbat bishop of Salesburie Paraeus Napier and others of our own time Alcasir Ribera Romanists and aboue all our most Gracious learned Soveraign King Iames deserveth to be remembred Vpon great reason and judgment surely haue all these entred into this waightie work well knowing that being sent unto us by God and our Lord Iesus Christ we as duetifull servants ought to search out the understanding thereof Deut. 6 7. and to talke of them as of a message sent unto us from our chief Lord master who hath given it to be shewed to his servants and hath annexed a blessing unto it For blessed is he that readeth and heareth Apoc. 1 3. keepeth the words of this Prophecie That therefore which God will haue to be opened Math. 25. no man ought to shut that which he will haue to be shewed forth no man ought to conceale that which he will haue to be knowne none ought to neglect For he giveth not his gifts to be buried in the earth nor his talents to be tied up in a napkin Luke 8. neither do men saith he light a candle and put it under a bedde or a busshell Wherefore neither I howsoever unworthie durst altogether suppresse these my poore meditations concerning Antichrist much spoken of in this book but having obteyned grace of God adventured to put them in writing thereby to giue occasion the questions being thus opened to the learned that shall vouchsafe to read them the better to consider of them and instruct others to the unlearned the better to inquire and learn beseeching the great Bishop of our soules Illuminator of all men Christ Iesus to instruct inlighten us all And for the same cause I thought it best to propose them under the name forme of Problems or Questions reduced to the number of seven in a due observation of that mysticall number so manie times observed in this heavenly booke which by the opinion of some learned men ought to be used as the key to open these divine mysteries But before I come to the main question I think it necessarie to say somewhat touching the difficultie of this booke and of the end and subject of it for a further declaration whereof I haue conceived these seven Problems ensuing upon the two first verses of that Book which are as followeth The Revelation of Iesus Christ c. 1. Vpon these two verses standing like the two-leaved gates of the Temple which must be opened before we can goe any further with fear and reverence 1 Reg. 6. as at the gates of Gods owne house Ezâ—ch 41. I demand whether they do not present seven things to our consideration 1. first the name given to this book by the Author Apocalypsis A Revelation or Discoverie not Apocrypsis a Concealment or covering 2. The first originall Author God who gaue both the
and other good Authors what account we are to make of them and whether it be not necessarie for us to search and looke into them to the end we may know what is now or hath heretofore ben revealed or made cleare For the Fathers it may seem that their consenting testimonies in the exposition of the Scriptures ought to be held of so great authoritie as we do esteeme the Cōmunion of Saints professed in our Creede For if we hold not a Communion of faith with the Saints that are now in Heauen it may proue a question whether we shall come whither they are gone before us And therefore not without cause doth the godly and learned Vincentius so earnestly exhort us to hold fast quod ubique semper ab omnibus creditum est not that which some few or perhaps some particular Church hath conceited but that which hath been everie where and at all times and of all Christians beleeved that is if I understand him aright the common Creed profession of our faith left unto us by the Fathers And he maketh the consent of the Fathers though not a rule of faith equall to the Scriptures yet a singular good help to the understanding of them Concerning the writings of Heathen men also I aske how we may safely neglect them where they teach us any point of truth or goodnes seeing there is no truth can be uttered by any man or Angel but it must proceed from that Eternall and incommunicable Truth our Lord Christ Iesus nor any good can be done or spoken but it must come frō the highest soveraign Good which is God himself And therefore most truely and divinely speaketh that godly Father Augustin Bonus verusque Christianus Domini sui intelligat esse ubicunque invenerit veritatem A good and true Christian must understand that truteh wheresoever he findeth it is the word of his master Christ Iesus And though Abana and Pharphar the rivers of Damascus were not so sanctified as Iordan to cleanse Naamans leprosie yet they were made of God to wash our hands and quench our thirst Though common bread be not equall to the sacrament yet it must be received with prayer and thanksgiveing as the gift of God to satisfie our hunger Yea let us well consider whether it be not necessarie for us to looke into them seeing we may be sure that the vertues moralities and doctrines of the Heathen shall be no lesse objected unto us at the day of judgement then the examples of the Queene of Sheba the King of Nineveh Tyrus and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrha Is it not needfull then to know what shall be laid to our charge and prepare our selves to answere it God nath provided preserved for our use the learned writings of the Heathens shall we not use them may we not in refusing them seeme to abridge God of some part of his glorie for let us a litle better consider it The excellent vertues wisdom temperance justice and fortitude the illustrious examples of these vertues shining in them their invincible patience fidelitie inviolable justice inflexible unwearied industrie their profound learning mellifluous eloquence in perswadeing men to vertue and temperance Their heroicall magnanimitie readie to undertake all dangers to save succour and defend those that were unjustly oppressed and other such divine vertues what think you were they of God or of men If you say of God acknowledg it If of men why doe not you the like that have greater helps How can the weake and corrupt nature of man inthralled to sin and Satan bring forth such fruits But I know what a schooleman may say splendida peccata because not ordinate to Gods glorie True as in men but are they not therefore to be acknowledged for a part of Gods administration and providence who holdeth the beginnings ends middesses of all things without whom no man can do any thing as the Philosophers also Plato Arist. Cic. Hesiod Theog Virgil Phocyll c. and Poets with open mouths confesse What then shall we say to their excellent sciences of Geometrie Cosmography and Arithmetick which we have received wholly from them What to their Historyes and computations of Times Shall we not accompt these a part of Gods dispensation and therefore good in the Fountaine from whence they flowed howsoever corrupt in the vessels wherein they were received conveied Doubtlesse if we will be good Christians that is of the holy priesthood we must learn to seperate the precious from the vile the cleane from the vnclean and not cast away the wheat because of the chaff 1 Cor. 15. S. Paul vseth the words of Heathen Poets in a point of manners to the beleeving Corinthians yea to Titus a Bishop Tit. 1. Act. 17. and in a point of faith to the vnbeleeving Athenians which S. Luke maketh a part of Scripture to the beleeving Christians So saith our Prophet Revel 21. They shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations unto it Esai 60. And the riches of the Gentiles shall come unto thee saith the Lord. Let us therefore give to God his due and restore the holy vessells to the Temple notwithstanding Belshazzars drunken prophanation Let us I say hold fast that we have received and use that to Gods glory which they abused to their owne And this have I debated somwhat the more at large to satisfy the nicenesse of some which in this point seeme to be more scrupulous then is convenient To return to our purpose the seuenth meane to attain to the understanding of prophecies is to exercise our selvs in discerning the times by diligent comparing of the events with the prophecies which we may the better doe by the help of the godly and learned writings of former times whereof I have spoken especially Histories and Chronologies Rom. 15. which the Allforeseeing providence of God for our learning doubtlesse hath caused both to be written and preserved This help the Fathers of the Primitive Church had not and therefore it is no marvell if they could not so well expound these prophecies which are best understood by their accomplishment This is that which Salomon commendeth saying Eccles 8. that the wiseman discerneth the time and judgment The men of Issachar 1 Chron. 12. and the great Princes of Media and Persia are commended for the same Esther 1. and the Scribes and Pharises sharply reprehended for neglecting it Matth. 16. And so I conclude this Problem that God hath given sufficient means to attain to the understanding of this booke III. My third Problem or Question is of the persons to whom it is ordeyned to be shewed which may easily be conceived aswell by the meanes as by the Text. For it must be such as use these meanes and they are here noted by the name of the Servants of Iesus Christ Ioh. 15. For it were absurd to thinke that he would shew his secrets to
of the city who as he said before were fled ex urbe i. polit others as Aristotle c. take a city which they call Polis the word used here by the Apostle to consist of a multitude of men gathered together under the same lawes and government which is also called universitas or respub de civ dei Cic. in somn Iustaâ— l. 2. and so S. Augustin in some places Some others also measure a city by the extent of her dominion liberties and franchises Now these and other circumstances being considered I seek for a city wherein all concurre to make it great for the first I aske whether ever anie citie haue had a téstimonie of greatnes like to that which Lucan thus describeth Vrbem populis victisque frequentem Gentibus generis coeat si turba capacem Humani Lucan 1 1 A Citie populous full of conquered nations and able to receaue all mankinde if they should come together I thinke it cannot be denyed but this was a verie great citie vâ—bis appellatio muris Romae contineutibus aedificiis finitur LL. de verb. Sig. that was able to receaue humanum genus all mankind And yet that we may see plainly that he meant it of the citie as it consisted of walles and buildings he nameth it first urbem and then goeth forward Cum pressus ab hoste Clauditur externis Romanus miles in oris Effugit exiguo nocturna pericula vallo Tu tantum audito bellorum nomine Roma Desereris nox una tuis non credita muris What cittie in the world was like to this great cittie Rev. 18 18. truly therefore sayth our divine Apostle But this was poeticall and hiperbolicall may some say let us heare a testimonie historicall Although I thinke that learned poet would never haue beene so bold or impudent to giue such an attribute of greatnes to Rome if it had not been a verie great cittie and doubtlesse the greatest then known in the world yet let us heare Historians Truly Lipsius out of Martinus Polonus and Pliny sayth the walles of Rome were first xlij miles in compasse and out of Vopiscus de magnitud Rom. Blondus in Romanist that they were afterwards enlarged to 50 miles compasse but of the suburbes si quis intuens magnitudinem Romae velit exquirere frustra eum fore haesurum ubi desinat urbs ubi incipiat ex Dionis So it was a great cittie within the walles Herodot l. 1. and a greater without It seemeth indeed by Herodotus that the walles of old Babylon were 160 stadia on everie side square but note that Babylon was all within the walles and so Rome in respect of her suburbs buildings adjoyning was much greater as by this testimonie of Lipsius out of Dionis appeareth Might not this then well be called Babylon the great in respect of the other But heare what Pliny saith both of Babylon and Rome Of Babylon first he sayth Plin. lib. 3. Babylon sexaginta millia passuum amplexa muris Of Rome Effecit passuum per directum xxx millia DCC LXV which xxx miles and three quarters being taken for the diameter must make the circumference to be at the least 92 miles which is farre aboue the reckning of Lipsius And yet saith Pliny farther Ad extrema verò tectorum cum castris praetoriis a Milliario in Capite Rom. fori statuto per vicos omnium viarum mensura colligit paulò amplius septuaginta millia pass And if that be taken for the Diameter of Rome and the suburbs then must the compasse be almost 200 miles Quo si quis saith he againe altitudinem tectorum addat dignam profecto aestimationem concipiat fateaturque nullius urbis magnitudineÌ„ in toto orbe potuisse comparari And it is also to be observed what the same Pliny writes of Babylon Plin. lib. 6. in the time of Vespatian that it was then brought to solitude being exhausted by the vicinitie of Seleucia which was built for that purpose And this was before the exile of Iohn in Pathmos where he saw the Revelation and therefore this great cittie could not be literall Babylon or Babylon in Chaldea which then was not great but mysticall Babylon that cittie Rome which was then at the greatest Let us goe to the next consideration where a cittie is said to consist of a multitude or societie of men gathered together and we shall finde a far greater cause to aske the question of our Prophet what cittie was ever like it for what cittie in the world can we finde so famous for number of Tribes and multitude of citizens as Rome Livy Alex. ab Alex. l. 1 c. 17. The Tribes of Rome were at the least fiue and thirtie everie one consisting of many thousand citizens whereas the two kingdomes of Iudah and Israel had but twelue yea the mightie kingdome of Persia which afterwards grewe so great had but twelue in the beginning Herod 1. Xenoph. Grop l. 1. Liv. l. 10 in fiue 1. belli Punici lustro undeuicesimo Tacit. An. 11 Fasc Temp. The number of Roman Citizens in their weake estate was found to be aboue two hundred and fiftie thousand but in the Emperor Claudius his time it is said to haue been aboue threescore eight hundred thousand and so in Augustus time in which number women children servants and forriners not infranchised though inhabiting were not conteyned What cittie therefore was ever like to this great cittie Againe if we consider the extent of her franchises and liberties not onely the Volsci Hernici Lucani Appuli Campani Cic. offi 1. Hetrusei and other nations of Italy but the Transpadani and Transalpini the Gawles and Spaniards were receaved into the freedome nor the Europeans onely but those of Asia S. Paul borne at Tarsus in Cilicia averreth himself before a Roman Iudge to be a citizen of Rome free borne Act. 22. And for her dominion it seemeth to be true that the Poet sayth that the cittie of Rome was as great as the world Gentibus est aliis Tellus data limite certo Romana spatium est urbis orbis idem So againe Roma armis terras ratibusque subegerat undas Atque iidem fines urbis orbis erant So Dionisius Halicarnasseus calleth it Vrbem terrae marisque dominam Claudianus Cuncti gens omnia sumus many like other sentences do we meet with in their bookes Neither was this the opinion of the poets or vulgar onely but their learned lawiers in the end grew to be of the same judgment Panorm Vbi Caesar ibi Roma wheresoever Cesar is there is also Rome What cittie therefore was ever in the world in greatnes like to this The use that is commonly made of this consideration is none other but to admire and extoll the majestie of Rome as Lipsius doth in admirandis de magnit Romana but the true and worthie use thereof is to acknowledge the
that the Mountaine of Gods house shal be set in the tops of the mountains Mich. 3. and manie nations shall flow to it Which the Prophet Esay turneth to exhortation O house of Iacob Esay 2. come ye also and let us walk in the light of the Lord. And the prophet Daniel useth it by way of progression to a farther prophecie calling it first a stone cut out without hands Dan. 2. which dasheth the kingdoms of the world in peeces and grew to a mountain filling the whole earth Doubtles this Propheticall progression is most excellent and observable But I know not whether in all those heauenly writings any be so usefull or worthie of contemplation as that of our Saviour Christ whom when Moses by the dictate of the H. Ghost had first styled the seed of the woman afterward the seed of Abraham The Prophet Esay goeth forward and calleth him the roote Gen 3. Esay 11. and then the stem then the branch Hereupon again the prophet Hosea goeth forward and with most sweet loving words to comfort the people of God in their afflictions applyeth this to the mysticall bodie of our Saviour Hosh 14. I will heale their rebellion saith he I will lâ—ue them freely I will be as the dew to Israel and he shall grow as the lilly and fasten his rootes as the Caedars of Lebanon his braunches shall spread and his beutie shall be as the oliue c. Lo first a seed then a root then a stem then a braunch and now a tree bearing and spreading his braunches Yet no word is all this while of fruit it comes anon but by the way these heauenly Prophets make many excellent uses of these propheticall metaphors Esay thus He shall grow before him as a braunch Esa 53. as a root out of a drye ground noting his humiliation Ieremie thus I will raise to David a righteous braunch Ier. 23. and a king shall raigne and prosper to note his kingdome and exaltation Zacharie thus Zach. 6. behould the man whose name is the braunch he shall build the temple of the Lord. to signify his priesthood intercession and mediation Our most gratious and blessed Lord being come in the flesh to shew the fulfilling of all these prophecies calleth himself now no longer a roote or a braunch but I sayth he am the true generous and fruitfull vine Ioh. 15. Yea sayth S. Paul not onely a vine bearing fruit of it self Rom. 11. but an oliue receaving grafts of others Whereupon he inferreth a most loving and graue admonition to all Christians Be not high minded Thou bearest not the roote but the roote thee This example of propheticall progression so sweet so excellent so comfortable and so well followed I could not I would not I durst not conceal or omit To returne to our purpose Why should I not think that the prophet Daniel and our propheticall Euangelist S. Iohn in the description of these four Monarchies observed some such thing The prophet David saith that a man without understanding is like a beast He saith also that he that maketh an Image Psal 49. Psal 115. and he that trusteth in it is without sense like the Image it self Ieremy goeth forward Everie man is a beast by his skill Ier. 10 51 everie founder is confounded by the graven image Dan. 7. Lo now an Idolater is a beast The prophet Daniel taketh up that and resembleth great Monarchies unto great beasts It cannot I think be supposed but he doth it upon the same reason namely because they erected or mainteined Idolatries For which cause they were all represented before in one Image of divers mettals to shew that they all agreed in the worshiping of Idols though in divers manners Now the Prophet Daniel resteth not here but by the illumination of Gods spirit goeth forward to shew the properties of these four kingdomes under the figures of severall beasts and therefore calleth the first a Lyon the second a Beare the third a Leopard and the fourth he saith it was most strong terrible cruell and powerfull yet he findeth no name for it nor beast whereunto it is like but where he leaveth S. Iohn goeth forward saying that it was like to divers beasts in his severall parts Rev. 13. For it hath the bodie of a Leopard the mouth of a Lion the feete of a Beare c. Thus then haue we seene as I suppose a probable reason why these great Monarchies were resembled to beastes out of which this consideration may result that the last of them all which must of necessitie be that of Antichrist must exceed all the rest in Idolatrie tyrannous maintenance of Idolatrie Let us now consider the severall parts of this last kingdome Rev. 17. And first of the heads These are said to be seauen expounded by the Angel to signifie seuen kings and seauen mountains and wheresoever we finde the seuen Mountains there we must finde also the seauen kings But sayth the Angell it is the great cittie that ruleth over the kings of the earth an inseparable and individuall propertie of Rome No cittie but that was ever called Septicollis or Septimontium No mountains better known by their severall and distinct names then those seauen of Rome None did ever boast of seauen Mountaines in one cittie but the Romans Here therefore we must looke for the seauen kings and yet we need not to seek far for Livy Tacitus haue expressely named everie one of them as I shewed before namely their Kings Consuls Dictators Decemvirs Tribunes Caesars and Pontifices Max. But here by the way there is a singularitie to be observed Rev. 13. which is not mentioned in any other place but in this 13 cha namely that one of these seauen heads was wounded to death Napier but his deadly wound was healed This most aptly agreeth to the Romans as it hath been well expounded by others There be some who because it is said that this was the wound of a sword there is no sword in the scripture so well noted as that of the word Ephe. 6. do interpret this of the wound given to the Caesarean idolatrie by the preaching of the gospell which is healed and restored by the Pont. max. Let Divines judge to signifie either the wound that was giuen to the Caesarean head by the murder of Iulius which was healed by Augustus or the wound of the same head in Nero the healing of it by Vespasian Sueton. in vita Vesp of whose restoring the CoÌ„mon wealth Suetonius professedly maketh two whole chapters But a most signall singularitie of these Heads is noted in the 17 ch Fiue sayth he are fallen one is and another is not yet come This bringeth us by the hand into Rome For it is manifest that of the seauen governments of Rome fiue were fallen before the Revelation namely the fiue first named by Livy Livy l. 6.
of Europe which was subject heretofore to Rome gaue him authoritie and power to do what he lift in their kingdoms Was ever the like done to any Monark Prince Potentate or Man heretofore or may we expect or looke for the like to be done to any in time to come True it is we see not yet the Whore made naked and desolate nor burnt with fire Psal 31. the time is in Gods hands and he that beleeveth will not be too hastie Leaving therefore that which is to come Hab. 2 3. unto the disposition of the great disposer of times Let us goe as far as men may in the description of this mightie Empire to see what is fulfilled alreadie The next note or circumstance here observed is that upon his heads were the names of blasphemie but in the 17 ch it is said that the Beast is full of names of Blasphemie A difference not to be neglected For the understanding whereof it is necessarie for us to see how the word Blasphemie is taken in scripture and thereby we shall see how this also agreeth to Rome the Pontifical First I demand whether it be not blasphemie Vide Thom. 2 2. q. 13. when infinite power or infinite knowledge or other inseperable incommunicable properties of God Antonin sum par 2. t. 8 c. 7. are attributed unto men In which respect the Iewes hearing our Saviour say Sum. Angel t. blasphem Marc 14. Destroy this temple and I will raise it againe in three dayes accused him of Blasphemie as claiming infinite and divine power to himself whom they thought to be but a man Him they accused falsely but such in truth was the Blasphemie of Sennacharib and Rabsake Who are they among all Gods that haue delivered their Lands 2 Reg. 1◠that the Lord should deliver Ierusalem out of my hands So that of Holofernes Iudit 6. But the Blasphemie of Nebuchadnezzar king of the first Babel seemeth to goe a step farther Dan. 3. who not onely asked the same Question Who is the God that can deliver you from me But upon the wicked perswasion of his own power presumed to make an Image commanded it to be worshiped as a God And shall a man make Gods sayth the Prophet is not this a blasphemie beyond all blasphemies Ier. 16. in asmuch as he that saith he can make a God doth not onely make himself equall to God but greater better more powerfull and mightie as the efficient cause is alwaies better and more powerfull then the effect Now in this kinde of Blasphemie I demand who ever went beyond the Romans who not onely made many Gods and commanded them to be worshiped but onely such as were made by them or received by the publike authoritie of their common wealth or Senate by pretence of which Law they refused our Saviour Christ although recommended to the Senate by Tiberius Rival in Hist Iud. Eusebius Tertull. with a prerogatiue of his own voice as some report So then by the Lawes of the Romans they would haue such Gods as they made themselues would haue none other to be worshiped And whether this were not most horrible abhominable blasphemie I desire to be answered If it were let us see how it was used in the old time when Rome was Ethnick and how it hath ben used since In the Ethnike Rome none were made Gods but by the Senate as appeareth by the Law aforesaid and none were worshiped as Gods but publicè asciti such as were publikely accepted And the Senate made no Gods but their king Romulus the murtherer of his brother and the Caesars which were the heads of that fourth beast or Monarchie But now in the time of Christianitie all degrees are Canonised and worshiped by the Popes authoritie namely Munkes and Friers Nunnes and Priests as well as kings or princes popes or patriarkes So that now we may see the whole bodie of this Popish Empire full of names of blasphemy Again do they not hold affirm that everie priest and frier in celebrating the Masse doth make God and that a God to be worshiped as not onely the reall but the carnall body of our Lord and the verie same that was borne of the virgin Marie See more of their blaspemies in D. Willet of the 4 Pillets I ask whether this be not Blasphemie and whether these names of Blasphemy are not now spread over all the bodie of the beast If they be then whether this difference betweene the Beast in the 13 chap. and in the 17 of the Revelation be not herein most precisely and plainly fulfilled Having observed this difference let us returne againe to the description of this great beast representing the old Roman Empire It is said it hath the bodie of a Leopard the feet of a Beare and the mouth of a Lyon This hath been verie well expounded by the learned Napier and others to signifie that it hath all the Instruments of tyrannie of all the former Monarchies viz. the Leopard in swiftnes and eagernes of the Macedonians Polyb. lib. 3. For within three and fiftie yeares as Polib noteth from verie small beginnings it got the Monarchie of the world The Bearelike pawes of the Persians that is innumerable armies apt to march everie where to take hold of everie thing as the Beare doth with the pawes And the Lion-like mouth of the Babylonian not onely to devour men but to roare out blasphemies against God as by the instance aforesaid may appear Who is that God that can deliver you out of my hands said the Babylonian so the Assirian before him and so the Roman after him by reason whereof they did not onely reject our Saviour Christ as I said before but stirred up nine or ten horrible persecutions against Christians Onuph in Plat. in vit Silvest Vid. Aug. de civ dei l. 8 the first by Nero. 2 by Domitian 3 by Trajan 4 by Antoninus the 5 by Severus the 6 by Maximinus the 7 by Decius the 8 by Valerianus and the 9 by Dioclesian to which they adde the 10 by the Arrians which was also by the power of the Roman Empire No lesse cruelties haue they exercised since Rome was Pontifical but of these elswhere And thus haue we seene this beast in his essence parts Whereupon for a pause let us demaund againe the question whether these things can be verified of any other person Monarchie or state in the world but onely of the Roman And so let us proceed and consider of the same beast in his power and actions and see whether they also do not most aptly agree to the same state And here again we finde seuen things noted in this Beast 1 That the Dragon gaue to this beast Rev. 1. his power and his throne and great authoritie doth not Tully say the same in effect of Rome though in other words Omnis Deorum immortalium potestas aut translata est ad
Divines Fox and Paraeus So also Dux Cleri by the godly Walter Brute a scholer of Wicleue our Country-man Vicarius Dei generalis in terris in Latin taking onely the numerall letters Ecclesia Italica in Greek letters And what shall we say to the names of divers Popes conteyning the same letters in effect sound which are used to expresse the said number of 666 in the Apocalyps In the name of Calixtus is there not the perfect sound of all those Greeke letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And may not the same be easily conceited in the name of Sixtus And was not Calixtus whom they call the second but indeed the first of that name that was called Summus Pontifex he that forbad mariage to Priests which S. Paul calleth the Doctrine of Divels The ancient verse may serue for a sufficient testimonie O bone Calixte nunc totus Clerus odit te O lim Presbyteri poterant uxoribus uti Hoc destruxisti postquam tu Papa fuisti And was not Calixtus the second of that name that was called Pont. Max. he that made such a terrible and solemn vow to persecute the Turkes by war curses c. and by colour thereof levied a tenth of the Clergie put all into his purse And when as afterwards the noble Vaivod of Hungarie Hunniades had obteyned a glorious victorie against that publike enemie at Belgrade was it Calixtus that ever helped to advance the Christian cause or to prosecute such a good beginning Or did he not rather set his minde upon his own profit by drawing to himself not onely the chiefe Bishopriks but the whole kingdome of Naples after the death of Alfonsus and so labour to disinherit his sonne Frederike if the incomparable Prince Scanderbeg had not assisted him And what shall we say of Sixtus Do not the Latin letters X. T. being joyned together yeeld the same sound as all the said three numerall letters would do if they were put in the same place And was not Sixtus who by them is called the fourth but indeed the first that was called Pont. Max. for those before him were called Xisti had no greater title then bishop of Rome was not that he that raised so many wars in Italie to advance his kinred and in stead of a church or Hospitall built the famous Lupanar the bitcherie house at Rome Vtrique Veneri for which cause Agrippa called him the great bawde Was it not he that upon a Petition exhibited unto him for the use of Sodomie Homicus Agrippa subscribed Fiat ut petitur Let be as is desired and raised the rents of the Stewes to so high a Rate that it is now accounted for a principall revennue of their church O excellent Father and chast Vicar of Christ The Primitiue Christians were half perswaded that Nero was to come againe and be Antichrist And haue not we reason to belieue that this is he of whom also it is written for his Elogium Gaude Prisce Nero vincit te crimine Sixtus Paedico insignis praedo fucosus Adulter Qui moriens nullos credidit esse Deos. And was not Sixtus the 2. who is by them called the 5. he that sent out his blasphemous Bulles against the late King of France Henrie the third who was shortly after most villanously murdered by one of their breeding And was not he the same Sixtus who most highly commended that wicked Parracide in a solemne Panegyrick before his Cardinals Was not he the same that excommunicated the noble Henry the fourth of France when he was but King of Navarre who was afterwards also murdered by one of their Sectaries Was not he the same who animated the Spaniards to invade this kingdome of England in the year 1588 In setting forth of which action it is worth the Observation Cicarell in vita Sixti how carefull the Parasite is to perswade us that the English and the Spaniards never came ad justam pagnam to a just fight as if the English did affirm any such matter No Cicarella Farre be it from us to challenge the glorie of that victorie to our selues That God who gaue us the grace upon the newes of the approch of that navie to humble our selues before him with fasting and prayer a thing howsoever neglected or forgotten by some of our Historians yet most true and registred by others and remembred by many yet living witnesses That God who detected and defeated the Treasons and Rebellions of Sanders Parrie Ballard Lopas the Powderplot and many others was he that fought for us as he did sometimes against Sisera and for Theodosius and Sic conjurati venere ad classica venti Witnesse our most excellent Soveraine a witnesse aboue all exception in his Sonnet worthie to be remembred The Nations banded gainst the Lord of might Prepar'd a force and set them in the way Mars drest himself in such an awfull plight The like whereof was never seen they say They forward came in such a strange array Both sea and land beset us everie where Their brags did threat our ruine and decay What came thereof the issue did declare The windes began to tosse them here and there The sea began in foaming waues to swell The number that escapt it fell them faire The rest were swallowed up in gulfes of hell But how were all these things so strangely done God lookt on them from out his heauenly Throne This Sonnet publisht with the consent and applause of all the ancient Brittain Nation inhabitants of this kingdome truly euen of verie ancient time Polydore both by a king and a Saint intituled the kingdome of God shall be an everlasting testimonie for us that we never challenged the glorie of that action to our selues The same also will be confirmed by the ordinarie remembrances and thanksgivings which our Preachers usually make thereof in their prayers and Sermons The same also is proved by the Paper lately set forth so well accepted and bought up by all sorts of people amongst us wherein the defeating of that invincible Armada and the Powderplot is represented expressed Behold then you Iesuites Romanists against whom you fight and who it is that fights for us It was God who then pleaded the cause of Religion against superstition of Pietie against Idolatrie of Christ against Antichrist It was he onely for he onely searcheth ruleth and moveth the Hearts who then put it into the heart of our Zenobia and of her servants to send out those Peti-fierbotes that made the grear Sea-castles to cut their cables loose their Anchors and flye away It was he that stirred up the courage of our seamen and inflamed the hearts of our nation with incredible loue and zeale to defend their Countrie religion Now also our drummes and trumpets sound nothing else against you but God and Christ Iesus our Martiall cryes are nothing else but Christ Iesus our gunnes thunder out nothing but Christ Iesus against you For him we fight in
person hath built such Stewes and Brothelhouses for Venerie and Sodomy Wherein whores Sodomites and Fornicators are dayly bred cherished increased and multiplied None but they haue granted pardons faculties and dispensations for such things And if any had done or should do the like may we thinke it possible or credible that he should obteyne such absolute power and reputation of Holynes as the Pope hath to be credited and beleeved in the same Was there ever any Sodomite Aegyptian Babylonian Iew Turke or Infidell so desperately impudent as the Romans haue been not onely in doing such things but in boasting of them and setting forth bookes thereof as of old Virgil Ovid Tibullus Catullus Propertius and of late Casa the noble Archbishop of Sodom Boccate their Conceits upon Orlando Baptista de Albertis Petrus Haedus and manie others Cornel. Agr. de van Sci. cap. 63 64. Vidi ego nuper Italica lingua editum Dialogum utriusque Veneris omnium flagitiosissimum And againe Flagitiosissimi Lenones scelestissimaeque Lenae saepe sub Religionum pellibus delitescunt And hereupon againe I aske Whether this can be applied to any Prince Potentate State or person and whether these prophecies can be otherwise fulfilled The sixth note also is evident She is druncken with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs of Christ Iesus Peruse the Histories of the Christian Church likewise of all Iewes Turkes Infidels and Pagans that haue been since the beginning of the world and shew me whether ever any nation haue shed so much Christian bloud or haue caused so much to be shed as the Romans haue done To omitt those ten Primitiue Persecutions which remaine without parallell of any other How many millions were slayne in those sacred warres stirred up by the Popes to recover Palestina in the civill warres of Germanie and France How many were massacred in France in the yeare 1572 and not long before in Merindall and Cabrieres How many Reverend Bishops and godly Preachers were burned in England with Men women Children and Infants under pretence of their fierie zeale How many thousands did their great Champion the Duke of Alva destroy in few yeares in the Netherlands what by his Soldjors what by his Hangmen and executioners How many haue they swallowed up in their bloudie Inquisitions To speake nothing of those which they count but viles animas as the Valdenses Hugunots Gewses Lutherans and Calvinists how many Princes and Noblemen haue they made away Egmond Horne and the Prince of Orenge in the Low Countries The Admirall Chastillon Count Rochfocault Teligni the Queene of Navarre and two Kings in France In Spaine Prince Charles besides many others But what talke I of particulars Let all Princes of the world joyne together against the Lord and his Christ as the Iewes and Romans did against our Saviour Yea let the greate Turke and great Divell joyne with them and raigne but three yeares and an half or but for a mans life and spend all that time in murdering the Saints of Christ Iesus and I will yet aske Whether any man can imagine that in so short a time they be able to kill so many godly Christians as haue been murdered and slayne by the power practises and procurement of these Pontifices Max. since they got that Antichristian title And if men will not confesse the truth I will againe appeale to the Earth and aske Whether she in so short a time be able to bring forth so many to be martired And if the Consciences of men be not more dull and dead then the earth I will demand againe of them Whether all these Pontifices maximi and everie one of them be not guiltie of all the Bloudsheds of their Predecessors by Consent Approbation Imitation and prosecution And whether the like can be sayd of any State Potentate prince or person in the world besides Let us yet cast our eyes a litle more abroad and consider of the great destructions of Christian men by Turkes and Saracens It cannot be denyed but these open and professed enemies of Christ haue shedde much Christian bloud yet I thinke if Histories be diligently searched and compared together it may be proved that since the sayd yeare of our Lord 700. the Popes and their Sectaries haue been verie Great if not the chiefest meanes and causes eyther by procurement Qui non defendit nec obsistit si potest infuriae tant est in vitio quam si parentes aut patriaÌ„ aut sucios deserat Cic. lf Offi. or destitution of the Effusion of all or the most part of the Christian bloud that hath been shed by those Miscreants in Europe For what was the meanes whereby the Saracens first prevailed in Asia but the weaknes of the Graecian Empire And what caused that weaknes but the Revolt of Italie and other westerne Countries from the Empire procured by the Pope Whereby the Graecian princes were not onely deprived of many mightie Christian kingdomes but distracted by Rebells at home from defending their subjects abroad And what then brought the Turke into Europe but the weakenes of the same princes when they were neither able to hold their Provinces which they had in Asia nor to suppresse the factions in Graecia Who stirred up the Christian Princes of Britayn Germanie and France to spend their subjects bloud in Syria where so many millions of Christians were slayne and then left them succourlesse to their enemies and sometimes rewarded them with excommunications seditions stirred up against them at home whereby their subjects rebelled and their enemies prevailed Who moved our noble King Richard the first to enter into that Saracenicall warre where he lost so many men Math. Fariâ—â— and yet when he was taken Prisoner by a Christian Prince in his Returne what meanes did the Pope make for his libertie Blesensis for all the pittifull letters of his mother when in the mean space his kingdome was most greevously oppressed and spoyled What help had the Grecian Emperors In conc Lugdun ann 1275. in concil Bouon circa 1439. a'ter which within 16 yeres the Turk tooke Constantinople when with most humble submissions supplications they sollicited the Pope to assist them being Christians against the Turke being the common enemie of our fayth Who was the cause of that wofull and never sufficiently deplored slaughter of Christians at Varna but the persidious Pope and his Cardinall Iulian causing the poore seduced King to violate his oath and league with the Turke What helpe or succour did the Popes giue or procure to those two Invincible Soldjours of Christ Iesus Hunniades and Scanderbeg Historia Scanderb against the Turke though this later with all humilitie in person desired it offering to driue that publike enimie out of Europe if he might haue assistance It is sayd indeed that Pius the second gathered an armie such as it was to help him but nothing came of it and perhaps he lost nothing by the Bargain And
and unseemly not onely for the majestie of divine Truth or dignitie of Apostolike writings but euen for the gravitie of a sober man to speake so often or make such incuications of things that should either come so late or continue so small a time Therefore to speak of the first consideration I â—ske whether it be not expressely directly intimated unto us by the Holy Apostle S. Paul where he sayth 2 Thes 2. the Mysterie of Iniquitie beginneth to worke alreadie And by S. Iohn 1 Iohn 2. Euen now there are manie Antichrists And againe 2 Iohn 7. now alreadie he is in the world And againe Manie deceivers are entred into the world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh 2 Pet. 2. such a one is Antichrist And S. Peter and S. Iude with many words great diligence warne the Church of God Iude epist that there were then certaine men crept in which defiled the flâ—sh and despised government Is it possible that the Apostles should be so carefull to admonish and advertise the church that there were such beginnings and such workings of Antichrist in those times and yet that he should not come in 1600 yeares after or should continue so short a time I am not ignorant that it was the opinion of some learned and godly men from whom I do not willingly dissent But I know that God doth not reveal all things to one man nor all things at one time nor in one manner Iohn 3. Everie man hath his gift and measure Everie thing hath his time and season and everie time his temper and disposition Eccles 3. It was sayd of a verie learned and excellent Doctor of the Church Non videt omnia And he that is non unus è multis See Io. Pic. Mir. in apolo sed inter omnes prope singularis held some strange opinions Yea Moses and David erred in some things It may be also that the Fathers of the Primitiue Church having other great Controversies in hand gaue themselues but little to the studie of the Apocalyps that booke being then in question as it seemeth and not publikely received untill the Councell of Toledo which was about the yeare of our Lord 630 Vida concil Pantal. as if our Lord had provided it against that time Yet somethings they saw and where their opinions are consonant with the Scriptures they are verie much to be regarded Leaving therefore the ignorance of those godly Fathers in some points to sleepe with them in their graues and covering them with a vail of just excuse in that they saw not the successe of times and fulfilling of divers prophecies which haue since appeared and with a Robe of Honorable and Sacred Memorie for the gifts and graces of God which otherwise shined in them as Shem and Iaphet did the nakednes of their Father Let us follow with straight steppes the light of divine Trueth shining in the Scriptures whereunto the Fathers themselues do send us to guide us out of the mistie cloudes and perplexed Labyrinths of Humane Errors And let us see what the Apostles meant by the words aboue cited as where one of them sayth 2 Thes 2. The Mysterie of iniquitie worketh alreadie And againe His working is with all deceiuablenes c. And another Iohn 3. Euen now there are manie Antichrist c. and there are many deceivers gone out c. Did they meane this of Turks which were then scarce heard of in the world or of Iewes which did not then deceitfully but had long before openly and professedly shewed themselues to be the Enemies of Christ and all Christians Or of Heathenish Pagans that were also open persecutors or of any that should openly and professedly deny that Christ was come as now the Greate Patrons of the Romish cause would perswade us If so what needed they to tell us of a Mysterie Deceiveablenes Deceivers c. What Mysterie or deceit could there be in the direct and professed denying of Christ 1 Iohn 3. Or doth not S. Iohn teach us plainly that they meant it of perverted Hereticall Christians where he sayth They went out from us but they were not of us For if they had been of us they would haue continued with us They went out from the Church and they would haue continued with the Church Do not both these words signifie that they were sometimes of the Church and not Iewes Turkes or Pagans that were never of the Church So in the Epistle to the Elect Ladie where he sayth Such a one is a deceiver So S. Paul His comming is with all deceiueablenes These admonitions might seem verie impertinent if they had understood that Antichrist should haue been a Iew Turke Pagan or other professed enemie of Christ So in another place They professe that they know God but by works they deny him and are abhominable disobedient Titus 1. and to everie good worke reprâ—bate The like may be sayd of that fatherly and serious admonition and charge which the beloved Apostle giveth unto us 1 Iohn 4. that many false Prophets were gone out into the world and therefore that we should trye the Spirits What tryall neede we make of anie Turke Iew Pagan or professed enemie of Christ 2 Pet. 2. And the Apostle Peeter seemeth also to warne us of such men whom he calleth False Teachers which should privily bring in damnable Heresies denying the Lord that bought them c. He sayth Heresyes shall we say Iudaisme Turcisme Paganisme He sayth privily shall we say openly What manner of Interpretation is this to contradict the Text Surely the Ancient Fathers would not so interpret it Tertullian Qui pseudoprophetae sunt nisi falsi praedicationes De praescript qui pseudoapostoli nisi adulteri Euangelizatores qui Antichristi interim semper nisi Christi rebelles Ad Magnum Cyprian Indignandum dolendum est Christianos Antichristis assistere praevaricatores fidei atque proditores Ecclesiae intus in ipsa ecclesia contra ecclesiam stare August August Opera loquuntur verba requirimus Magis mendax est Antichristus qui ore profitetur Christum factis negat In Matth. Chrysostom Exercitus Antichristi sunt omnes Haereses praecipue ista Bern. quae obtinuit Ecclesiae locum Ministri Christi serviunt Antichristo Were these men ignorant of the Catholike veritie Or are not these ynough to proue that which Vincentius requireth Quod ubique semper ab omnibus creditum est Vincent Let us returne then to the Apostle S. Iude Iude epist. who exhorteth us earnestly to maintaine the faith against such as turne the grace of God into wantonnes and defile the flesh speaking ill of Magistrates denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Iesus Christ If we should aske upon these words who they be that deny God would not the Apostle himself answer us that they are the
Arius who by the common voice of Godly christians in those dayes was called Christomachus and Principium Antichristi Arius affirmed that the HGhost was Creatura silij si ium non esse ejusdem cum patte substantiae Pantal. ex Hilar Ruf. Epiph alijs the Holy Ghost as it seemeth giueing out that for a watch-word to stirre up the Christians at that time to expect the comming of the great Antichrist About the same time rose up Macedonius the Heretike who affirmed the Holy Ghost to be a creature against which Heresies it seemeth that not onely the Creedes of Nice and Athanasius but also the verse Gloria patri c. and Veni Creator Spiritus and the beginning of the Letanie was instituted About the same time also the seat of the Empire was removed from Rome to Constantinople and shortly after a godly Emperor making a graue and Christian exhortation to the Bishops to agree together in peace and unitie Hilar in libro quem Constātio ipsi tradidit and to determine their controversies by the Scriptures it is answered againe by a learned and godly Father 1 Ioh. 4 6. Hoc qui repudiat Antichristus est He that refuseth this is Antichrist therein also giving us another speciall signe or marke whereby to judge of Antichristian Doctrine About the same time also or shortly after rose up the Heretike Pelagius who affirmed freewill and the merits of human works also Eutiches who defended that the flesh of Christ Iesus was not like ours and that he was not truly borne of the Virgin and many others So that here we may see a great concurrence consent of prophecies with events and with the Iudgements of godly Christians upon the corruptions of true Doctrine in those times that now Antichrist was beginning to rise And certaine it is that the Bishops of Rome from this time forward sometimes by flatterie sometimes by sedition sometimes by patronising Heretikes sometimes by opposing the godly did incroach to themselves dayly more and more authoritie untill they had obteyned the full and absolute government of the Septimontane cittie the seat of the first Beast driuen the Emperors out of Italie and so become Heads of that cittie appointed to be the seat of Antichrist What the Roman Bishops were from Silvester untill Boniface the third I haue shewed before Pantal. Bibliand Baron About the yeare of our Lord 333 the Temples of Heathen Idols were commanded to be shut up by Constantine yet that Command as it seemeth was not executed the Empire was setled in Constantinople Salviamiss and the Romans euen then began lesse to regard it yet the title of Pontifex Max. was reteyned by Constantine and Consuls were still made in Rome with Heathen rites and Ceremonies and many of the Senators and Nobles continued still in their Pagan Idolatrie Constantine therefore againe commanded the Heathen Temples to be shut up about the yeare of our Lord 348. But the sacrifices and abhominable Auguries by the entrals of Beasts and such like were forbidden God tit 〈◊〉 de Pagan first by Theodosius and then by Gracian and Valentinian about the yeare of our Lord 387. Yet long after this their Idols and Heathenish Auspices and Rites in the creation of the Consuls remayned Salvianus and likewise their Idolatrous abhominable playes and shewes in their Circis Gymnasiis and Theatris as witnesseth Salvianus But in the yeare 533 or thereabouts Consuls began to cease and were no more made with such abhominable auguries which bringeth as fully to the end of another Period of 1260 from the fiue and twentienth yeare of Romulus whereof I spake before in the second Problem So that we may see how by many degrees the Heathenish Idolatrie and Roman Empire were removed In the same times also the seauenth head of Rome arose Aug. Steuch de Donat. Const and the kingdomes of Christendom signified by the tenne Hornes began to take their power namely in Brittanie France Spayne Greece Germanie Pannonia Denmarke Polonia Suetia and Norway All which in time gaue their power to the Pope 2 Thes 2. and were subject unto him About those times also was the great Schisme between Silverius and Vigilius Platina Onuphr for the Papacie the one an Heretike the other a Schismatike and perjured at least And shortly after about the yeare 580 Pelagius was made Pope by Election of the Cleargie without any licence from the Emperor and Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople tooke upon him the title of Vniversall Bishop whereby was kindled the great contention for Primacie which continued untill the time of Boniface of whom I will speake hereafter Thus I say the old Idolatrie was by degrees suppressed and the second Beast began to worke in presence of the first But here by the way a question may be moved because we haue entered into a consideration of the times limited in the holy Scripture for the accomplishing of Prophecies whether those times are to be alwayes accounted by an exact Astronomicall Calculation as some learned men haue laboured to doe casting up Minutes Seconds of time which are scarce sensible or apprehensible with more curiositie then profit or whether we may content our selues with a vulgar computation onely observing signa temporum the signes of times the neglect whereof our Saviour in many places objecteth to the Pharisees For answer whereunto it must needs be confessed in common sense and experience as the Philosopher also noteth that things of great moment cannot be removed in a minute Neyther can I choose but thinke it was for some cause that our Saviour when he forewarned his Disciples of the destruction of Ierusalem though it were then neare at hand yet did not tell then of the certayne day moneth or yeare but gaue them a signe of it Luc. 21. When ye shall see Ierusalem compassed about with armies then know that the destruction thereof is at hand Luc. 12. So when he reprehendeth the Scribes and Pharisees he doth not reprehend them for not making the precise computation of the seauentie weekes of Daniel but for not marking signa temporum so he teacheth his Disciples to judge of summer by the greennesse of the leaues and of harvest by the whitenes of the corne Matth. 24. and of the ende of the world by the signes that shall goe before it And what to call signum temporis Luc. 2◠the Apostle teacheth us when he sayth that in the last dayes there shall come perilous times For men shall be lovers of themselues Ioh. 12. c. So our Saviour when his Apostles told him that certayne Graecians desired to see him answered that the time was come that he should be glorified amongst the Gentiles intimating thereby that the inclinations dispositions and works of men are evident signes of the times But the ancient oracle delivered by God unto Abraham is most of all remarkable Gen. 15. for sayth God thy