locis ecclesiae and yet confesseth that Antichrist must continue to the end Let the whole place be considered Howsoever it be it can not be said that this question was so well ventilated in those times as it hath been of late Then for answer I demand what or how much the question will be altered if the Pope be acknowledged to be Antichrist though he be not proved to be that Antichrist what difference will it make in the end Must not all true Christians beware avoide detest everie Antichrist But to the point It is coÌ„monly known in Grammer schooles that this particle Ho in Greeke is not alwayes used significantly nor in a significant use is it alwaies taken to signifie a particular and individuall person nor yet in particulars is it alwaies used to note Eminence or singularitie Sometimes and that verie frequent it is used indefinitely many times it is joyned with a name of multitude or with a name of succession He that hath any knowledge in the Tongues may easily obserue that Ho in Greeke is not so Emphaticall as Ha in Hebrew or the in English which yet is sometimes emphaticall and sometimes not For in the same chapter where it is said Ho Antichristos in the same it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Ioh. 2. he that sayth he is in light and hateth his brother is in darknes And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The lust of the flesh the pride of life c. and the verie last word of that Epistle is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keepe your selues from Idols So in other places it is joyned with names indefinite as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another place with the name of Christ Ephes 5. to signifie his mysticall body consisting of a multitude successiue under one head immortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he so is Christ Hebr. 9. Abbat in demonst And in another place it is joyned expressely with a name of personall succession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ever translated thé High-Priest once a yeare entred into the holy place there spoken of 1 Pet. 2 17. So in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour the King Will any man say it was meant onely of one king And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Highpriest Hebr. 13 11 And the use of Ho in these places wherein it cannot be meant of one singular Priest or King is so like and paralell to the use of it in the name of Ho Antichristos that I see not what difference can be made betweene them Yet if any will not take this for a sufficient answer let him well consider how he can answer the problems following by which I thinke it will appeare that the Pope is not onely an Antichrist but euen that Antichrist whereof the Scripture speaketh Forasmuch as the Prophecies can be verified of none but of him and that not of one alone but of the whole succession And therefore to proceede to the Names I desire the Reader to examine whether any of the six names that I shall now produce do not fully agree to the Pope and to all the Popes that haue bèen in Rome since the time of Pope Constantine and if these names do agree I must demand How it can be denied but that they and everie one of them is Ho Antichristos that Antichrist The second name therefore is Pontifex maximus or summus the Higest or Great Priest This name I am sure they will not deny to their Pope and likewise I am sure that they will deny it to any other unlesse it be to our Saviour Christ To our Lord it belongeth of right if any other take it upon himself it must be by usurpation and such an usurper of the right and title of our Saviour Christ must be Antichrist It was never given to any by God but to our Saviour Christ Melâ—hisedeck is called a Priest of the High God Hebr. 6 20. and 8 1. Aaron is called an High Priest our Saviour Christ the High Priest and the great Sheepheard of our soules Ecce Pontif. sum qui non eget alieno ex piarisauguine Aug. medit and such like titles but the title of the Highest or Greatest belongeth to none but peculiarly to our Saviour Christ I aske then first whether the Pope of Rome do not declare himself an enimie to Christ in that he doth exalt himself aboue all that is called God or that is worshiped in taking a name upon him higher and greater then was ever giuen to the sonnes of men not to Aaron the holy not to Phinehas the zealous not to Iehojada the worthie not to Iehoshua the noble not to Simeon the glorious not to Iohn the fore-runner nor to Melchisedek the royall and singular everie one in his time the type of our great and eternall High Priest farre aboue them all whose consecration is eternall whose Priesthood is eternall Hebr. 7 16 24. 6 8. 9 10. whose entrie into the Holy place is eternall whose oblation is eternall whose sacrifice is eternall whose mediation is eternall and whose presence in his Church is eternall Againe the Apostle proveth the excellencie and divinitie of our Saviour farre aboue all Angels because he hath received a more excellent name Doth not the same argument proue that the Pope in taking an equall name maketh himself equall in dignitie therefore never durst any of the faythfull Martyrs or Bishops of the primitiue Church take upon him this name of Summus or Maximus Pontifex never any of the Holy Patriarks or Prophets never any of the divine Euangelists never any of the most blessed Apostles for they all knew it belong onely to that great High Priest whose Priesthood is for ever And how darest thou O miserable mortall man take upon thee a name so divine as to be called the Highest or Greatest Priest whilst he is living to whom it so inseparably belongeth Why dost thou not also directly call thy selfe Christ as well as the Highest Priest which is equivalent I demand againe whether in taking this name thou dost not proclaim that thou dost deny that our Lord Christ Iesus is now the Highest or Greatest Priest and so professe thy self to be his enimie and claime to be aboue him seeing it must be confessed that if the Pope be greatest then Christ is not the greatest For two may be great but of two each of them cannot be greatest no more then two can be infinite or two principall But say they Christ is in heauen Head of the Triumphant Church Panorm the pope is onely head of the church militant upon earth O blaspheamerâ— is not Christ Iesus truly God in earth as present by his power Enter praesenter Deus est ubique potenter Ps 139 Sed familiarius in electis pergratiam to rule the church militant as in heauen How then darest thou sitting onely at Rome proclaim thy self Head of the universall
holy inquisition to finde out that sweete sinne and to pardon it which might be most profitable to the Church as having command over the purse of the partie peccant Thus it grew in time to be rightly called the Sacrament of pennance indeede for if it had not contrition at the first yet it ever ended in repentance though ever a little too late and therefore to small purpose for the pennilesse penitent The Cleargie having by these artes and infinite others as Idolatrie is full of invention for he that can once make his Creator can make all other things ingrost almost all into their owne hands they made divisions of Kingdomes and cutte them out into Bishopricks as all Countries especially Germanie can well witnesse Where the Emperor was shackled with Ecclesiasticall Officers of the Sea of Rome as with fetters of gold till the necessitie of the papacie about the rising up of Luther forced the Pope to permit the house of Austria to grow a little too great to the lessening of Antichrists immediate authoritie In so much as now the Papacie is made a servant to the House of Austria under a Catholike title as the Papacie before made both that House and all others servants to increase and support the excessiue greatnesse of that Sea under the like Catholike title and pretence But this was then and is now a violent motion and therefore not perpetuall then permitted and practised to prevent the losse of all which was justly feared upon probable grounds and now to hold what that Sea still possesseth but feareth to loose and to regaine if it be possible what she hath lost alreadie Which if ever she could regaine by this meanes she could then be content to burne the rodde of her wrath or to weare it out in her worke with whipping others In the meane time she is content to make the Spanish kingdome the Catholique sword so that the Roman Church may still be the Catholique scabberd to that sword and draw it or sheath it at the Popes pleasure But I beleeue that as by these arts that Antichristian Sea hath ascended up to that superlatiue height wherein it now sitts so it shall loose all by the same or the like meanes For whensoever the world shall be so happie as to haue an understanding Emperour who knowes his owne and is able to discover and recover Antichristian usurpations that such a man taking Henry the VIII of England for a patterne shall and may easily doe that in Germanie and so consequently in other places which that Resolute King by the advice of the Lord Cromwell and the example of Cardinall Wolsey did in his owne dominions viz. That King intending to dissolue all Monasteries made a division of part to the Nobles and Commons from whence it first came and so mette no opposition The patterne was the Popes owne who made Church-men Princes and changed the title and name of those Lands which were often by them acquired and possessed by ill arts as if he could haue changed the nature thereof and made them what he called them spirituall The King therefore did but reduce things backe to their right and former order Here onely was the error of that worke that the King did not restore the Tenths to the constant maintenance of the ministerie which portion whether it now belong to the Church or no jure divino I intend not to dispute pro or con But I dare say Gods owne order hath manifested it to be both competent and convenient for that purpose beyond all old exceptions or new inventions and so proues it to agree with the law of nature if not to flow immediately from thence deserving therefore to liue after the honourable buriall of the ceremoniall Law as it breathed long before it Had these things been better ordered and some Bishopricks broken into lesser pieces so that they might haue been sitte for honorable burthens but not too greate for the portage of one person who laden with too much temporall honour and revenue as men overgrowne with flesh and fatte become unwealdie and dishonourable burthens themselues to the Church then the undertaking had been absolute For whether it be fitt that one who will not preach the Gospell should haue power to silence such as would that one should haue power to silence a whole Diocesse of learned ministers and a whole Diocesse of these should not haue power to open the mouth of one That one should haue double honour for the single worke Nay for his wilfull idlenes and obstinate hindering the conscionable worke of others and others no honour but conzumelie and scorne for doing the double worke diligently That one should haue the provender belonging to manie labouring oxen for lying in the manger and hindering the poore asses from meate whilest divers oxen that would tread out the corne want come to eate or corne to treade out or are muzzeled whilest they treade That one should rule a place manie miles from his person as if he had both an infallible and infinite spirit and manie should not be able to rule a pettie parish or to catechise a household without helpe whether this thing be according to the patterne of the Apostolicall Hierarchie are problemes which some thinke fitt to be published amongst those of Antichrist because it may be doubted that he who would doe thus would not perhaps startle at a Cardinals cappe or the triple Crowne it they were profered or could be compassed easily and therefore such a man is no fitte instrument to be used against Antichrist in the pulling downe of Babylon or to sit for Christ and rule Obiect upon the top of Sion Object But kinges and Princes governe by substitutes farre off Answ True But it shall not be so amongst you Ans Mat 20 26. Matth. 20 25 26. Take these words of Christ as a Precept to shewe Bishops what they should doe or as a prophesie to shew all men the estate of the true Church what it shall be it is all one And doubtlesse such Princes as shall hereafter reforme will learne to mend what is amisse by the sight of other mens errors and so whensoever God shall blesse Germanie with an able and religious Emperour and shall put it in his heart to reforme the Church it is but changing those greate Bishopricks of Mentz Tryers Collen Munster and the rest into absolute Principallities and making them Hereditarie where now they are Electiue and the worke is at an end they will joyne to uphold their owne interestes and soone exclude the Papacie and mince the Prelacie somewhat finer A speedie and certaine preparation for this is the discoverie of Antichrist and it is the duetie of all men therefore that can to doe their best according to their talents in this subject and amongst others this learned Author hath done much and deserues much in this respect of the Church The Course he takes by Problemes to handle this controversie is not as if he
his enemies and not to his servants and freinds Concerning whom I desire to be resolved in 7. points 1 Vpon the words long before spoken by our Saviour vobis datum est Matth. 13. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven whether by these words he meant to signifie onely his Apostles or all his disciples and them also which as he speaketh in another place should beleeve in him through their words Iohn 17. 2 Why in these words he made no speciall mention of Peter or his successours which do now vindicate to themselvs the sole authoritie of the keyes aswell of science as of power and jurisdiction 3 whether those who by our Saviour are there signified by a vobis datum be not the same which are here called the servants of Iesus Christ and why here also there was no mention of Peter or his successours or of the Roman Church which was then in the Imperiall Cittie and doubtlesse had many godly men in it Rom. 16. and some of great dignitie 4 When our divine Evangelist writeth these things to the seven Churches of Asia whether he did not in this according to his direction and whether he doe not hereby shew who were meant by the name of the servants of God and Christ 5 what reason the Apostle had to send it to those Churches and not to the Roman church either as chief or as one of the rest was it perhaps for the reason of S. Hillarie Anne ambiguum est Antichristum in his tectis esse sessurum Or was he not an Apostle and Prophet to the Romans as well as to them of Asia or for what other reason 6 Whether in writing to those seven he did not intend to write to the whole universall Church of God as well to come as present as S. Augustine expoundeth Numero septenario vniversae Ecclesiae significata est perfectio De Civ 17 4. And onely to the Church and whether all others be not excluded by a vobis non est datum 7. And lastly whether in writing to the seven Churches and their Angels equally and indifferently he do not sufficiently shew that the state of the Church upon earth is neither in the nature of a Monarchie nor of a Democratie but of an Aristocratie where the several Angels preside in their severall Territories precincts and congregations agreeing in the unity of one faith under one eternall head the God of Truth Christ Iesus Let us not deceive our selvs Babilonians use to lisp They cannot speak the language of Canaan with a true spirit Neither onely this booke but all the Scripture is dark and obscure to them whose minde the God of this world hath blinded 2 Cor. 4. Hosh 8 12. and so much for the Persons IV. My fourth Problem is concerning the finall ende scope of this book in the verses above briefly touched to shew to his servants things which must shortly come to passe And here I must necessarily speak of the Subject which is so joyned with the end that the consideration of the one cannot be severed from the other I demand therefore what things must be shewed to the Church of God Surely takeing a generall view of this divine prophecy for my part I conceive that the most here spoken of is of the enemies of their persecutions malicious practises against the Church and of the defence and deliverance of the Church and the punishment of her enemies and so I finde S. Hieroms opinion In prologo Revelat quanta Ecclesia Christi passa et passura sit And to what end must these things be shewed unto them if not to the same for which our Euangelist in his Euangile reciteth many excellent sermons of our Saviour Christ namely to comfort and incourage the faithfull and to excite them to repentance vigilance patience and perseverance against the troubles to come Repent saith he to the Churches of Ephesus and Pergamus Fear not to Pergamus Hold fast to Thyatira c. So in the Gospell These things haue I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended So in his Epistle Let that abide in you Iohn 16. 1 Iohn 2. which ye have heard from the begining Take heed I haue foretold you Marke 13. Now if this be the end namely to arme the faythfull with those vertues against the troubles to come then what is or can be the subject of this book or what matter can it speak of but 1. it must describe the state of the Church in her severall times 2. The Head of the Church who is also her Saviour Protector in all her troubles 3 The enemies of the Church and their persecutions and practises 4. The Confusion of those Enemies and the punishments inflicted upon them in this world 5 Their Everlasting Damnation 6 The Deliverance of the Church And lastly her Everlasting Glory and felicity Whether this be not so I desire to know upon the three Problems ensuing My fift Problem therefore is concerning the Church V. whether it be not with sufficient plainenesse set forth unto us in these seven places 1 In the vision of the seuen golden Candlesticks Revel 1. in the middest whereof Christ Iesus walketh 2 In the vision of the Beasts and Elders in the midst of whom is the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Revel 4. 3 In the vision of the Temple of God Revel 12. set forth to be measured and opened 4 In the vision of the woman travelling with Child which bringeth forth Christ Iesus Revel 12. and then is forced to flye into the wildernes where she must continue for a long time after 5 As Mount Sion whereupon the Lamb standeth with all his Army chap. 14. 6 As a Bride trimmed for her husband chap. 19. 7 As the City of God the new Ierusalem whose wals are founded upon the Twelve Apostles chap. 21. VI. My sixth Problem is concerning our Saviour Christ the great and mighty Lord Protectour Prince and Saviour of his Church whether he also be not as many waies described unto us viz. 1 As the great Bishop and Teacher of his Church in the midest of the seuen golden Candlesticks Râ—vel 1. 2 As the Sacrifice for his Church chap. 4. and yet the Defender Protectour in the middest of the Throne a Lamb a Lyon chap. 10. 3 As the great Lord of Heaven and Earth Land Sea Dâ—u 32 40 determining the end of Times which is not revealed to any Angell Matth. 24. 4 As the seede of the woman and yet the Sonne of God Revel 12. Revel 14. 5 As the Lamb standing on mount Sion 6. As a most mightie valiant captain chap. 19. or invincible Prince going forth to warre against his enemies himself in the forefront readie to charge them in the face 7 And lastly as an inevitable Iudge both of quick
himselfe to be the thiefe and restore the stollen goods to the right owner But as the acknowledgement of error and of injurie is not to be expected from him or his who loue the world the pompe glorie and power thereof a little too well to resigne their Soveraigntie So in all these courses whilst he thinkes cunningly to hide himselfe he bewrayes himselfe the more to be ANTICHRIST unto such as haue spirituall eyes illuminated by grace from aboue to discerne trueth from falsehood Thus you see their Egiptian wisedome and what paines they take with those Magicall Iuglers Iannes and Iambres 2 Tim. 3 8. to conceale themselues and how much it concerns them so to doe On the other side it concernes us with Moses to relye upon the Hebrew simplicitie and sinceritie for our salvation but withall to be learned in all the Egiptian wisedome Act. 7 22. the better to discover Antichrist his clowdie walking that so diverse Controversies may be at an end For were he fully discovered then all that belieue in Christ and loue him and desire his glorious comming would hate this Monster who is like Iudas amongst the twelue a counterfeit Apostle carrying the bagge an Hypocrite playing the parte of a Vicar a Deputie a Substitute but from the stage appearing a naked ragged beggerly vacabond And doubtlesse his person being thus discovered his lawes and decrees would be rejected and Kings Princes and people would cast the Egiptian yoake from their overgalled neckes Yea such as thinke they doe now God good service in murthering the poore Lambs of Christ in all places for him would leaue him come out of his Babylonish profession and not so much as trade or trucke with him in the least exchange of those doubtfull commodities or touch any of those garments spotted with the flesh It cannot be denyed but Iesabell was once young and Chast and faire But this proues not that she is so now It cannot now be denyed but that she is full of wrinckles and a royall whore the Mother of fornication Rev. 2 20. fitte for all commers and withall painted to uphold her rotten reputation And we doubt not but God will stirre up some Iehu zealous perhaps for his owne interest if not for Gods to cause her owne Eunuchs those Fryars Monks and other Votaries 2 King 9 30 to throw her out of the windowe that he may treade her under his horses feete And doubtlesse as this shall in time come to passe by the powerfull preaching of the word which shall wast him by degrees 2 Thes 2. so as an effect of the word preached first the usurped authoritie of the Papacie and Roman Cleargie over Kings and Princes shall be broken and reformation shall begin where deformation came first into the Church So that Antichrist shall say as Hanniball once did Eadem arte qua prius cepimus Tarentum amisimus And this is with Iehu to treade Iesabel under foote Bellarmine confesseth that Constantine the Greate gaue the Pallace of Laterane Bellarm. li. 2 cap. 17. de Rom. Pontif. multa alia temporalia to the Pope Ditionem tamen spiritualem neque dedit ullam neque dare potuit So the spirituall dition made way for the temporall donation and then was poyson powred into the Church when the bountie of Princes sought to satisfie the ambition of Priests The Priests then grew downwards towards the earth and Princes then began to climbe upwards towards heauen And the coveteous Clergie finding the fayth of fewe for the faythfull are but fewe a verie little flock and oftentimes not very rich in wooll not to be so fruitfull as the superstition of many they nourished that profitable and liberall humour by their uttermost arte and from hence got S. Peter a rich patrimonie being dead who when he lived had scarse a house wherein to hide his head This temporall patrimonie graced with so holy a patronage as the reverenced name of S. Peter did speedily and mightily increase in all places especially where superstition was interteyned in the name and stead of true Religion and where Clergie men knew how cunningly to raise questions and quarrels under hand and then to intrude themselues as equall arbitrators and impartiall umpires but ever to manage and determine all for the advantage of the Catholike cause as they called it and for the ruine of particulars as it is reported of that Lawyer who decided the difference betwixte the lame man and the blinde concerning their oyster that each of them should haue a shell and he the meat Thus dealing for the Church by pretence themselues being mostly single and unmarried and so unsuspected to trade for the world and posteritie they had oportunitie to inrich themselues and their particular fraternities and to performe such actes with commendation because they pretended S. Peter and the Church not themselues as would haue been counted cousenage treacherie exaction oppression injustice and perhaps forgerie and Robberie if perpetrated by any other persons or to any other ends But the generall opinion of their Cause and Persons supposed and stiled sacred made all passe currant without question or controule Thus in a short time where they were lately glad to be graced by Kings Kings were now glad to be graced by them And where Kings had persecuted their predecessors for the trueth they now persecuted Kings for falsehood and chalenged the investiture of such Princes by right upon whom their predecessors out of the opinion of their pietie and the superstitious desire to be inaugurated by so blessed an omen had been sometimes formerly invited or admitted to lay their holy hands Now therefore they began to cutte out large cantles of the earth for their owne share and made so manie sanctuaries and Citties of refuge that they incouraged malefactors who ought to haue represt them and gotte well by the bargaine too For they so mightily grew by this meanes that the world and the wealth of it was found with Priests and pietie was onely found with the poore the secular was onely regular according to Christ and the Regular was master of misrule in all secular affaires Marchandize forraigne negotiations and the Government civill and ecclesiasticall first by the civill and imperiall lawes after by the Cannon Law a Law of their owne was wholly moderated and managed by them Kings were made their wardes and deposed for Hereticks as soone as they once thought themselues of age to rule themselues and their people aright without their helpe Yea Mars himselfe was interteyned into their service and the Crosse of tribulation fayth and patience which was at first but a staffe in the hand of the Cleargie to support them in their constant sufferings was now perverted in the use and turned upwards in prosperitie and spirituall pride and so became a sword in everie Cleargie mans hand to invade and disturbe the peace of Christendome and Confession served as a secret racke or torture of Conscience a kinde of
doubted or any other man neede to doubt of the trueth but as it should seeme being no profest Churchman he modestly disputes the point as a man that would learne himselfe and others by asking questions wisely and withall inquiring whether it can be imagined that any man can be more like Antichrist then the Pope is he concludes negatiuely that none can and plainely layes downe in everie Probleme the obstinate absurdities of such as looke for Antichrist and beleeue he shall come yet cannot now see him to be come because either he stands too neare them as a beame in their eyes and they are parte of him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh or they expect him when he comes to be so qualified for publique observation as the Church of Rome hath cunningly and poetically described him But such an Antichrist they shall never see for the church of Rome did so paint him in policie not for the disclosing but for the concealing and clowding of his proper and personall appearance and diverting the eyes of all men from beholding the right object For my parte meeting with this Booke in a manuscript and seeing the profit it may bring to all I could doe no lesse then be a midwife for the edition of this since I am not able to be parent for procreation of the like And I haue taken the boldnes upon me to dedicate it to no lesse persons then to the Kings and Potentates of the Earth for it concernes them all especially aboue and more then others to reade and to understand this Controversie least they should be made drunke or kept drunke with the dregges of that abhominable cuppe of Inchantments wherewith diverse of their forefathers haue been intoxicated and slept to death and least they should under the appearance of Christianitse countenance and support Antichristianisme and so thinking to doe Christ good service persecute his poore members ignorantly Besides many of them haue suffred much from the hand of Antichrist and his members The Kings of France haue beene butchered by their instruments and the kingdome put in Combustion by their incendiaries of the Roman Catholique league or partie Our Queenes Father Henrie IIII. of renowmed memorie must not be forgotten his blood is yet too fresh upon their fingers to be hidden from her Majesties eyes except they force her weake sexe as they haue done manie of the masculine gender to winke by threatning to dippe their fingers as deepe in her bloud which the Lord forefend if she cast an eye towards her Fathers Funerall or so much as inquire whether or no he dyed by age or by some injurious and traiterous hand Our Kings haue beene and are still excommunicated cursed exposed to slaughter and deposition by them The King and Queene of Bohemia haue beene pursued from place to place and all Christendome imbroyled with bloodie warres for the upholding of Papall usurpation against regall Iurisdiction Other Princes haue formerly felt and may hereafter feele the strength of his Imperiall and Catholique Armes and therefore it concernes these also to knowe the man of sinne for their owne comfort that they may the better beare their Crosses considering from what head and hand they come and that they may with more courage and assurance looke up towards deliverance Luke 21 28. as Christ hath willed them who at the length will be too hard for Antichrist and giue a happie yssue to all their afflictions And as it concerns Princes especially so it concerns others also as much as their salvation may concerne them to know Christ their Saviour and Antichrist the chiefe enimie of their Saviour and of their Salvation from each other and therefore I haue dedicated it to all Christians But if any wonder why in the Title of the Dedication I use these words To all Christians Reformed and Romish as if I contradicted my selfe in calling the Romish professors Christians which in other places I terme Antichristians I answer that the Pope himselfe could not be the Antichrist except he were a Christian and tooke upon him also to be the chiefe Christian in externall profession A man may in diverse respects be a Christian and an Antichristian at once The Pope is baptized professeth the fayth in generall termes as Peter did and thus he is a Christian and one of S. Peters successors as all other Bishops are but as he chalengeth to be head of the Church universall Bishop of an infallible spirit Iudge of the Scripture c he is Antichrist that is Rev. 18. Rome as head of the church is Babylon such as so dwell in it mystically by adhering to it are in Babylō whether they be in Rome or no such as renounce this Babylonish doctrine of Romish supremacie suprelacie holding the true head which is Christ Iesus alone those are with out Babylon though they dwel in Rome for Christ in shew but against him in trueth So those of the church of Rome are Christians in outward profession but as they adhere to the Pope as to the Vicar of Christ and head of the Church they are Antichristians and such of them as belong to Gods election are called out of Babylon by the holy spirit and may come out from thence by renouncing the Babylonish doctrine of the Church of Rome though for their persons and dwellings they continue in the same place and cittie still And that these Romish Christians may be informed and all other Reformed Christians established in the trueth is the end which the Author proposed to himselfe in the collection and composition and I in the publication of this treatise All that I feare is that both this worke and my owne indeavour shall meete the greatest discouragements from some of those that should protect and countenance us who eyther from error of judgment deny the Pope to be Antichrist and yet separate from him at which I wonder or else out of humane wisedome and policie seeme still to be in doubt and will not be resolved as fearing a diminution of their worldly greatnesse and glorie if this truth should be generally acknowledged Because they suppose much of their authoritie would be found to be built upon the sandie foundation of Antichristian usurpations But shall we loose heauen for earth or looke so low as to bring temporall respects into the ballance with eternall Can there be no provision for upholding the honour and countenance of the Clergie from common contempt and for the incouraging and rewarding of learning but what Antichrist invents to uphold himselfe withall Then let me rather be still poore and despised with Christ and accounted ignorant with his Apostles then rich and respected learned with those of Rome Truth and simplicitie are the chiefe ornaments of Church-men and should be inseparable Their serpentine wisedome should not be used for this world for that naturall subtiltie which hath no mixture of doue-like simplicitie infused by grace Christ did not teach to his Apostles
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
be understood but of the Church of God in Rome and who can be said or ever could be said to sit in that Church as God but the Pope But marke the seauenth and see whether yet againe Rome and the Church of God in Rome be not precisely described It is in the Prophecie of Daniel that beloved Prophet as our Euangelist was the beloved disciple He shall plant saith he the Tabernacles of his Pallace betweene the seas Dan. 11 45. In the Glorious mountaine of Holynes Neither goeth this place alone but commeth with a witnes For the like is said of the King of Tyrus a tipe also of Antichrist in that severe Priest and Prophet Ezechiel Thou hast sayd I am a God Ezek. 28. I sit in the seat of God in the midest of the seas That which Daniel signifyed by setting his Pallace betweene the seas in the glorious holy Mountain that Ezekiel expresseth by sitting in the seat of God in the middest of the seas and whether both these do not prefigure unto us the Church of Rome I desire the Learned to judge It must be a mountaine of Holynes Esa 11 9. and the seate of God which are the proper Titles of the Church in the old Prophets And this church must not be an obscure Psa 2 48. Zach 8 3. or litle but a glorious church and this Glorious church must be betweene two seas How this can be applyed to Tyrus Babylon Ierusalem Constantinople or to any other cittie in the world beside Rome I ask of all that know the two famous seas that imbrace Italie whereof the one is called MarC superum Adriaticum or the Gulfe of Venice the other is Mare Inferum Tirihenum or the Straights both mentioned by Vergil in one verse for the glorie of Italie An mare quod supera memorem quodque alluit infra Betweene these two seas Rome was and is seated which was in the beginning a church truly glorious both for the Martyrdome of many godly men for their constant profession of the truth against Heretikes for I will not detract the least thing from them and for that it was the Imperiall cittie For which cause it was called Prima sedes which was the greatest title that it had for 400 yeares Prosper was first Pope Leo his secretarie But after that Pope Leo the eloquent Orator and Prosper his familiar friend or Secretarie an excellent Poet began to ascribe higher titles unto it Peslem subeuntem prima recidit Archb. of Canterb. in his answer to D. Hill Prosper in lib. de ingratis Marke the statelines of these verses with the resonans of his letters S. P. Q. R. Sedes Roma Petri quae Pastoralis honoris Facta caput mundo quiCquid non possidet armis Religione tenet After this I say and such like Tacitus li. 1. by little and litle taking upon her as Augustus did in taking of the Empire of a church truly Glorious she began to be vain glorious but still glorious for none else could be the seat of Antichrist And it seemes they followed the wit and pollicie of their founder Romulus of whom it is said that he was Livy lib. 1. Tum fâ—ctis vir magnificus tum factorum ostentator haud minor He would loose nothing for lack of seting forth And the like is said of Scipio and other Romans But if any will apply this text to Antiochus and say that he placed the Tabernacles of his Pallace in Ierusalem I will not deny but Antiochus might be signified in Daniell to be the type of Antichrist but if they will say that this place is meant onely of Ierusalem and Antiochus I would desire them to answer me well to these three questions First how the church of God in Ierusalem could be called a glorious church or the temple a glorious temple in those times when it appeareth by the Prophets Hag. 2. that the second temple then standing was as nothing to the former the church was not onely oppressed and persecuted by Antiochus and others Vid. Aug de civ dei l. 18. cap. 45. but devided into sects in it selfe namely the Sadducces Pharisees Essees and others Secondly between what seas is Ierusalem seated True it is the great Midland sea is of the one side but of the other there is none but either Asphâ—ltis or Tiberius or Euphrates which are but pettie flouds to make a sea But granting they might be called seas as they are some times yet where do we read or can we finde that ever Antiochus planted his seat in Ierusalem If they will needs haue a litterall exposition let them shew how and when this was fulfilled But in Rome all these things concurre a glorious church between two seas and a place noted by other prophecies to be that great that septimountaine that Imperiall cittie whereupon Antichrist should sit The same argument will serue to proue that it cannot be meant of Babylon Constantinople or any other cittie For it cannot stand with the Prophecies Yet another objection is made Object If the temple of God and a mountaine of holynes then how Idolatrous Sodom Egypt c. as the place of Antichrist must be if idolatrous how christian This I shall declare more at large when I come to speak of the times of Antichrist Distinguo tempora and there it shall appear how it was Christian and how it fell to idolatrie and other sinnes still reteyning the name and outward profession of christianitie Ans But in the meane space the godly and reverend Bishop Salvianus shall answer for me who sheweth that Rome in his time in the times of her best bishops and under Christian Emperors continued still in her heathenish idolatrie and abhominable filthines It would be too long to recite all his words although most worthy but amongst the rest after that he had verie grauely seriously inveyed against the intollerable exactions and oppressions of those times he addeth these words which I think fit to recite somewhat the more at large for the full clearing of this point and because the booke is not common Atque hoc videlicet Laici tantummodo non quidam etiam Clericorum saeculares tantummodo non mulit etiam religiosi Imo sub specie Religionis vitiis saeculatibus mancipati qui scilicet post veterum flagitiorum probra crimina titulo sanctitatis sibimet inscripto non conversatione aliis sed professione Whom doth he mean by this title of hoâ—ynes nomen tantum denotavere non vitam summam divini cultus habitum magis quam actum existimantes vestem tantummodo exuere non mentem and a litle after Quomodo igitur tales isti paenitentiam se egisse non penitentes sicut etiam illi de conversione ac Deo aliquid cogitasse qui à conjugibus propriis abstinentes à rerum alienarum pervasione non abstinent cum profiteantur continentiam corporum incontinentia
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
this quarrell that he onely is our High Priest our Mediator our Iustification and Salvation This was our course then and this must be the course of all that will prevaile against Antichrist all Antichristian forces namely prayer to God and unitie amongst themselues But to returne to my purpose this may suffice to shew how this Sixtus not onely in name conteyning in it the sound of those three mysticall letters but in his actions represented Antichrist What shall we say of Pope Paul the fifth was not his picture made with the inscription of Paulo Vo. Vicedeo comprehending in numerall letters the same number of 666. Neither yet will I affirme that eyther he or Sixtus or Calixtus or Gregorie the seuenth or Boniface the third or the eight or any other of them was individually Antichrist any more then the rest of that order No nor yet Pope Ioane whose historie though they by all meanes labour to suppresse yet they cannot blot out their bookes that haue written of her being at least six and twentie all learned and all Catholikes amongst which Martinus Polonus Archbishop of Consentia and the Popes owne Penitentiarie Marianus Scotus monke of Fulda Platina and Theodoricus the Popes Secretaries Antoninus Archbishop of Florence Baptista Mantuanus and Cornelius Agrippa Nanclerus the Cardinall and Trithemius the Abbat were men I think as well thought of for learning fidelitie in their times as any of these our new masters Bellarmine Baronius Onuphrius or Florimondus who labour to rase out of ancient moniments and Records that which the christian world for fiue hundred yeares or more most undoubtedly beleeved Yet neither she nor any of the rest do I affirme to haue been individually and exclusiuely Antichrist but one of that mysticall bodie and succession which is called by our Apostle Antichrist as I proved before that the article Ho in Greek is used applied aswell to a succession or multitude as to a singular person But why may not we thinke that in this succession the All seeing spirit of God in his secret providence and divine administration the better to awake and stirre up his church and children to beware of this great and yet deceitfull enimie would haue the marks and signes of Antichrist to appeare some of them more evidently in some of them and some in others as the name of Pontifex Max. in Boniface the third the person of a whore in Pope Ioane their filthie adulterie Sodomie and incest in Sergius Iohn the 11. and 12. Boniface the eight and Alexander the number of his name in those before named It may be also demanded who were the types of Antichrist before the comming of our Saviour For types are a kinde of notation And so it may seeme that the wisedome of God hath ordered the course of times that in so great varieties nothing should be new Eccles â— but that former times should be figures of the future I dare not say but more may be found yet I think in the Scriptures principally seauen are to be noted 1 Cain 2 Cam. 3 Esau 4 Egypt 5 Amalek 6 Antiochus 7 Babylon which haue some things in common some things proper and peculiar They were all persecutors for the most part murderers and parricides and that without cause as the Prophet David speaketh They hated me without a cause And therefore they were all cursed of God Yea some of them so detested that the people of God were charged to make no peace with them as for instance Canaan the Issue of Cham and Amalek God executed his heavie wrath upon them all In particular 1 1. Gen. 4. Cain persecuted Christ in semine 2 2. Gen. 9. C ham in radice 3 3. Gen. 27. Esau in stirpe 4 4. Exod. 1. Egyptus in Germine 5 5. Exod. 17. Amalek in frutice 6 6. Dan. Antiochus in propagine 7 7. Ier. 50. Babylon in capite Cain persecuted Christ in the seed C ham in the roote Esau in the stock Egypt in the bud Amalek in the shrubbe Antiochus in the spread and Babylon in the Toppe or head Cain is noted for murdering his onely brother C ham for scorning his godly Father Esau for his profanenes Egypt for bloudinesse Amalek for malice Antiochus for Tyrannie and Babylon for blasphemie How these things may be applied to Rome is not hard to be understood by them who are conversant in their stories Let me here make but one instance that Romulus the first king being the first head of that Seauen-headed beast was a murderer of his brother like to Cain Brutus the first Consull put to death his owne Sonnes and his Brothers Appius the Decemvir by his beastly and outragious lust forced the father to commit a Paricide upon his chaste daughter Virginia The Tribunes Dictators and Caesars the fourth fifth and sixth Heads what were they all but ambitious turbulent spirits incendiaries raisers of most bloudie intestine warres wherein manie innocent quiet citizens were wickedly murdered And of the Pontifex Max. the seauenth head I haue sayd somewhat before and more I shall haue occasion to say hereafter Let this suffice for the Names of Antichrist from all which I demand Whether they do not fully agree to the popes and everie one of them since the time of Constantine that was Pontifex Max. about the yeare of our Lord 707 And whether they can be so fitly and so many wayes applied to any other Prince person or state And whether we may looke for any other in time to come to whom they may be more truly and fitly applied IIII. The Rising of Antichrist THose who think that a great and mightie monarch king or Commander of the cittie of Rome able to subdue other kings and to raise up a greater and more terrible persecution against Christians then any of the old Emperors of Rome should rise up like a mushrump in a night and continue so short a time as three yeares and an halfe seeme to take litle consideration of the manner of Gods proceedings and administration who as he hath appointed a time and season for all things so he limiteth times and seasons proportionable for the effecting of such things A woman cannot conceiue and beare in a moneth or a day An Elephant must haue at least two yeares and some say ten Quando when is a Relatiue as well as ubi where everie thing existent must haue his due proportion as well of the one as of the other Let us now then come to the rising of this fifth Beast or monarchie of Idolatrie and see how that is described in this divine Revelation and whether that description also do not most aptly and properly sute the Popes from the time that the impediment of the Roman Empire began to be removed by Constantine the Emperor untill the Pope attained to his Antichristian name in Boniface the third to be called Pontifex Maximus and his superlatiue power to resist the
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
Idolaters as in the Succession of so many ages she hath susteyned And if she cannot answer but as the wombe of a woman that it is altogether impossible to bring forth so many at once as she doth in tract of time then will I aske againe Whether any of the Popes be free of this and whether they be not all of them as one man guiltie of these great sinnes by act approbation consent and imitation and consequently fit to be represented under one person and called one Man And if this be so then will I demand as Salvianus doth of the consciences of all men that haue any sence or feeling of Truth Whether this be not that great Whore here described then whom never any no not the Divel himself if he ruled the Earth but three yeares and an half or for one mans life onely could practise or cause more fornication or Idolatrie to be committed And so much of the first note the Great Whore The second is that she sitteth upon manie waters Which the Angell expoundeth to signifie Peoples and Multitudes Nations and Tongues Here first I obserue the word of sitting which is used not onely here but by the Apostle 2 Thes 2. And it is a word â—â—metimes applied to Kings sometimes to Bishops Kings are said to sit on their Thrones Bishops in their Chayres or Churches Both are applied to Antichrist For in the 2 Thes 3. it is sayd He sitteth in the Temple or Church of God and here upon manie Nations The one place sheweth he must be a Bishop the other a King can this be applied to any but the Pope Now that the Pope and Church of Rome for these nine hundred yeares haue been supported by many Peoples nations and Tongues I will desire to haue none other witnesses then their owne chief Authors and Advocates who make their greatest brags of their Vniversalitie Bellarm. Staplâ—ron â—lendus c. how the power of their Pontif. extendeth it self not onely to Europe but to all euen the farthest remote parts of the world America and India which the Turke nor any other Potentate couâ—d never yet attaine unto And if this be evident and undeniable let us againe peruse over the Questions â—boue proposed Whether this may be affirmed of any Iewe or Turke And whether it be possible that the power of any Iew or Turke or any one man whatsoever should within the space of three yeeres and an half or of one mans life so far prevail or procure to haue so many Peoples Multitudes Nations and Tongues subject unto it as the Multitudes Nations and Tongues which haue served the Popes for these nine hundred yeares do amount unto Or to giue a nearer instance so many at once as within that time haue come to Rome to their Iubiles solemnities The third note of this Antichristian Harlot is that the Kings of the Earth haue committed fornication with her and the Inhabitants of the Earth haue been made druncken with the wine of her fornication And what king was there in Europe for these nine hundred yeares which did not committ or permit fornication both corporall and spirituall with the Church of Rome Which of them did not worship the same Images and use or permit the same uncleanes And I demand againe whether this can be verified of any Iew Turke or other person whatsoever past present or to come The fourth note is her exceeding great riches pompe and gorgeousnes Let me instance but in one or two particulars Majora vel certe paria c. sayth Blondus All Europe sendeth to Rome greater or surely no lesse Tributes In Roma inst urata then were payed to the Ancient Roman Emperors Pope Iohn left at his death in treasure ducentos quinquaginta Tonellos Ducatorum Bibâ—iand ex Palmerio ad ann 1334. sayth another Omnes Reges mundi non possent tantum de Thesauro reddere infra unum annum quantum fuit de Papali Palatio asportatum de Palatiis trium Cardinalium Marchionis sayth another speaking of Pope Boniface the eight R. Avesb and three Cardinals and the Marquis his nephew I demand then Whether Prince or Potentate State or person haue had the like testimonie of Riches and whether it be credible that any in three yeares an half or one mans life time should attaine to the like The fifth note She hath a name written in her forehead A Mysterie Babylon the Great Mother of Harlots and abhominations of the earth First it is called Great I demand Whether ever this title were so much giuen to any cittie besides Rome The old Babylon was never so many times called great And I thinke none will make question of any other And Whether the Bishop of Rome the Church of Rome and the cittie of Rome haue not everie one of them had a speciall title of Greatnes I referre me to the consciences of the Romans themselues to their Decrees and Canons who giue to their Bishop the Title of Pontifex Max. or Summus so Lipsius that hath written a Booke De magnitudine urbis Romae and to that other who writ a Booke De magnitudine Romanae Ecclesiae So their Church is great their cittie is great and their Bishop is greatest of all Of the name of Babylon I haue spoken sufficiently before And for the other title of Mother of Harlots or Sodomites as Scaliger and others reade and abhominations of the earth I demand of all that know Rome eyther by travelling in those countries and eye witnesse or by reading and hearesay Whether there be in any place of the world being of no greater extent so many Harlots and Sodomites and so publikely mainteyned and allowed as in Rome and the Popes Iurisdiction and where his power is acknowledged and whether any other Prince or Prelate Church or State Turke or Iew haue giuen or made such and so many faculties and dispensations pardons and Lawes for such things Let the notable booke of the Taxa and the cases reserved to Papall dispensation be perused And here is to be noted the Name that the Holy Ghost giveth to her calling her The Mother of Harlots or Sodomites and fornications which is singularly Emphaticall For it cannot be denied but there are many Harlots and Fornicators in other places neyther can it be denied but other Empires and kingdoms are called Whores as Inda and Israel by Ezekiel Ninive by Nahum Babylon by Ieremie But no other place is called the mother of Harlots or Sodomites This of all the rest seemeth to be Proprium quarto modo A propertie inseparable which agreeth to the Popes omni soli semper to them onely and everie of them ever since the Councels of Hispal and Toledo aboue mentioned For noÌ„ne but the Popes haue forbidden Mariage nor made Lawes that the Cloysters and Convents of Nunnes should be subject to monkes and Fryers and that it should be lawfull for Priests to haue Concubines No other Prince State or
Whether any Prince Potentate State or person ever did the like in the changes of times as these Popes haue done and whether any can do the like especially that shall continue but three yeares and a halfe or one mans life time Again haue not the Popes and everie one of them changed lawes by establishing a New law which they call the Canon Law Haue they not added to their Decrees Decretals Extravagants Clementines and do they not still publish new Bulles Faculties and Dispensations with speciall words of Non obstante I hope no man will put me to proue any of these things unlesse it be some that will make a question whether that rule of Law be to be held which sayth that Notoria non sunt probanda or make a doubt whether the Popes Bulles Faculties Dispensations and other publike Instruments be Notoria Anton. sum part 3. t. 22. Sum. Angel tit Papa Againe do they not teach and mainteyne that the Pope may make New Religions change the ordinances of Generall Councels and dispence with all Lawes both of the Temporall State and of the Church yea with all the Laws of the second Table and with some of the first As when God in his Law sayth It is not lawfull for thee to haue thy Brothers wife Doth not the Pope say It is lawfull by my dispensation When God sayth Thou shalt not kill doth not the Pope say thou mayst kill euen thy Prince when I haue declared him to be an Heretike Is not this to change lawes 〈…〉 and haue not all the Popes for these many hundred yeares now last past with one consent and voice all making one Man of sinne or Lawlesse one arrogated this power and practised it Haue they not all maynteyned and approved the Actions of their Predecessors in doing such things And do they not still maintaine and practise the same So that I need not to say with Salvianus Etsi hoc commune omnibus non faciebat actus faciebat tamen assensus For which of them hath not done it And what else hath been the cause of so many millions of sinnes committed in the Christian world for these many hundred yeares but the Bulles Indulgences Pardons absolutions faculties and dispensations of the Pope together with the perswasion that men had of their Holines Infallibilitie and power to grant such things and that by such Bulles Indulgences Pardons and Dispensations their sinnes were forgiuen Now let any man shew me Whether ever any Prince Potentate State or man haue done the like or whether it be possible for any in time to come to doe so much in this kinde as the Popes haue done namely to make so many Lawes to break and change so many Lawes and to grant so many Bulles faculties and dispensations especially within the compasse of three yeares and an half or one mans life time Concerning their Adulteries which is the fifth I haue sayd sufficiently before onely this one question may be added viz. Where shall we finde Antichrist and Babylon the Great Whore and mother of Whoredomes but in that church and state whose chief Bishop publikely alloweth them because he hath a greate part of his Revennues from them which as some in former times haue accounted hath been to the value of fortie thousand ducats yearly Concerning their Idolatries also I haue spoken before and shall say more hereafter There resteth but the last note which S. Paul giveth 2 Thes 2. and is principally to be observed because the Fathers do agree that it is without doubt spoken of Antichrist viz. That he sitteth in the Temple of God as God boasting that he is God and exalteth himself aboue all that is called God or that is worshiped and yet working with all deceiuablenes of unrighteousnes If any man yet remain doubtfull whether the Pope be that Antichrist let him answer me upon these words Who ever was comparable to the Pope in these things Aug. de civ dei li. 20. Who ever besides him hath sitten in the outward visible Church or Temple of God as chief Bishop head or Governour thereof or upon the Church as commanding ruling and raigning over it or as the Temple of God with such a singular opinion of sanctitie and infallabilitie for all these wayes doth the Father interpret that word as the Popes haue done And whether it is credible that any shall do the like in time to come Whether is there or was there ever any Prince Potentate or person Christian or Iew Turke or Pagan so adored as he hath been and that in the verie Temple and Charch of God and that by the chief Bishops Archbishops Cardinals Patriarks and Primates of the Church Whether can they giue any greater Adoration to God himself outwardly if he were corporally present Or do they giue any greater to the Sacrament in which they affirme the bodie of our Lord Iesus Christ to be really present Again Whether hath any Prince Potentate or person Christian or Iew Turke or Pagan invented or practised such a powerfull meanes to depriue or depose Emperors Kings and Princes as the Popes haue done by their Excommunications Suspensions Interdictions and Decrees Did ever any so practise to discharge Subjects of their Alleageance and oathes to giue kingdomes away to others to crowne and uncrowne Emperors with his foote to treade upon them and yet still reteyne such an opinion of Holynes See more in the Collect. of M. Fox in the end of his first Tome and haue a Cleargie singing to him in the meane while Super Aspidem Basiliscum c. Did ever any do the like and was obeyed in such things and thought to do it lawfully and rightfully And hath he not in these things more then ever any other exalted himself as God aboue all kings and Princes which are called Gods and worshiped See much more of this in M. Downhams Treatise of Antichr l. 1. cap. 5. Yea doth he not exalt himself aboue our Lord Iesus Christ as much as man may doe when he affirmeth that not onely he himself but everie one of his Masse-priests and Friers is able to make the verie carnall bodie of our Saviour which must be worshipped as God Doth he not cause the Sacrament to be caried before him by a Pedarie or Footepriest when he himself is mounted up in a Throne of Majestie and caried upon mens shoulders Doth he not exalt himself aboue our Lord when he weareth the Crucifix which he likewise commandeth to be worshiped as God upon his shoes and pantofles Possevin◠which euen the Rude Moscovite when he heard of it utterly abhorred and detested Doth he not exalt himself aboue God when he taketh upon him to alter the Articles of Fayth and adde to those which were anciently made and declared in the times of the Apostles or soone after by the consent of the Primitiue Church For what is that they haue declared so imperiously subesse Romano Pontisici Extra Com. de
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
same who turn the Grace of God into wantonnes defiling the flesh and speake ill of Magistrates Such perhaps as the Nicholaitans Ebion and Cerinthus were which at first were Christians and would be called Christians and yet fell to teach Heresies in Doctrine and loosenes of life Cerinthus did not deny in word that Christ was come in the flesh but taught that the works and Ceremonies of the Law were necessarie to Salvation Whereupon the Apostle inferreth Gal. 2. Then Christ dyed in vayne So by consequent he denyed Christ in denying the effect of his death and passion to be such as the Apostles teach us So the Primitiue Fathers teach us to understand the denying of Christ Hilar. Quisquis Christum qualis ab Apostolis praedicatus est negat Antichristus est Ambros Christum negat qui non omnia quae Christi sunt confitetur See more of these in that learned Demonstration of Antichrist set forth by Doctor Abbat Ca. 12. For in Charitie indeede we must hold that He that is not against us is with us Lucae 9. but in Fayth He that is not with us is against us Ebion did not denye Christ to be come but denyed him to be verie God Luc. 11 and so denied him to be such as the Apostles taught and therefore against him S. Iohn wrote his Gospell The Nicholaitans did not deny the comming of Christ verbally but in turning the grace of God into wantonnes holding that wiues ought to be common and using Promiscuous filthines and adulteries they denyed that great and inseparable effect of his comming to call us to repentance and holynes of life and to be a Saviour to saue us from committing sinne as well as from the punishment of sinne committed So the Simonites and Menandrians which were also in the Apostles time in holding that the graces of God were to be purchased by mony denyed by consequent the effect of Christs comming namely the free giveing of the Grace of God as it is written He ascended up on High and gaue gifts unto men Nazianz. Ephes 4. And so it may be sayd of all other Heretikes which professing Christianitie do affirm and teach any thing contrarie to the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets For there are two kinds of denying God In Tetrast Tit. 1. sayth Nazianzen out of the Apostle Verbo Opere in Word or in Works Or as David Ore Corde Ps 53. Naz. or as by another is proved Expresly or by Consequent Non tantum divinam Authoritatem habent fide tenenda sunt ea quae in sacris Scripturis expresse continentur sed etiam ea omnia quae ex illis necessaria evidenti consequentia deducuntur sayth the Father By all which testimonies layd together I thinke it may easily appeare what the Apostle meaneth when he sayth that manye Antichrists are gone out into the world which deny that Christ Iesus is come in the Flesh And His comming is with deceitfulnes c. Not any Iew Turke Pagan or other that should expressely directly and verbally deny the coming of our Saviour but such as professing Christianitie teach any false Doctrine and so by consequent denie him to be such as the Scripture hath taught us This also agreeth with other parts of the Description as with his place in the Temple of God with his names to be Vicarius Christi as well as Adversarius to be the Successor of Iudas c. I demand then if the name of Antichrist was so intended by the Apostles and Primitiue Fathers and if that were then held the denying of Christ to denie him by works or by consequent what warrant haue we to hold that the Great Antichrist must be a Iew Turke Pagan or any other that should verbally expresly or directly deny Christ Iesus as now the Romanists would haue us to beleeue And if these Prophesies must be understood of Christians that were Heretikes and these were the preparations or workings of iniquitie then surely the Great Antichrist himself must be of like qualitie and he that is held to be the highest and chiefest of all Christians if he be an Heretike he must be That Antichrist For so sayth Chrysostom The greatnes of sinne is considered eyther by the Magnitude of the offence or by the Altitude of his dignitie that committeth it So of all Christians Dist. 40. he that most excelleth in dignitie and most turneth the grace of God into wantonnes He that is most advanced and yet most defileth the flesh and despiseth government speaking ill of them that are in Authoritie he must and none else can be that Antichrist And who that is I referre it to thine owne conscience Christian Reader Who is it that being in dignitie among Christians most supereminent doth yet most defile the Flesh and despise government Who is it amongst Christians most High and yet most preacheth Christ otherwise then the Apostles teach us as where the Scripture sayth that the Spirit quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing I aske whether they which teach that the flesh carnally taken doth conferr Grace Ioh. 6. opere operato may be sayd to confesse such a Christ to be come as the Scripture setteth forth So he that affirmeth that the Picture of Christ or the Crosse or the Virgin Marie is to be worshiped with divine adoration I aske whether he do confesse that such a Christ is come as the Apostles haue preached if yea then where did our Saviour Christ or his Apostles teach any such thing And so of other points of doctrine and manners which I leaue to learned Divines to prosecute And how the Pope hath been declared to be an Heretike not onely by some particular men or congregations but by the whole Christian Church in Europe and that in three great and generall Councels shall be shewed hereafter So much therefore be spoken of the beginnings or preparations of Antichrist which the Apostle plainly affirmeth was in his time adding this 2 Thes 2. Onely he which now withholdeth shall let till he be taken away and then shall that lawlesse man be revealed This concerneth our second consideration Hierom Lact. 〈◊〉 Theo. Cecum Ambros August Tertul Abb. in demonst c. 4 alij Then the ea◠of the Dragon Rev. 13 2. wherein we haue first to speak of the Withholder or Impediment secondly of the Remoue and thirdly of the revelation Concerning the Impediment The most learned and best Interpreters both old and new do agree it to be the Roman Empire which as the Apostle sayth shall withhold donec e medio fiat untill it be removed out of the way or out of the midest he saith not till it be abolished Marke And then sayth the Apostle shall that wicked man be revealed But when that was or how it should be removed it is not so well explayned although comparing the Scriptures and times well together it seemeth to me that we may well understand it if we marke
the steps and degrees Nemo repente fuit turpissimus sayth the learned Poet but more learnedly ad summum non per saltus sed per gradus pervenitur sayth a Reverend Bishop so this Removing of the Empire was not all at once no more was the rising of the Pontificate but by degrees as by that which followeth may appear Therefore to obserue the proceedings of this remoue of the one and rising of the other I demande upon the 13 chap. of the Revelation whereof we haue spoken before Whether the time of that Rising be not there precisely pointed out when he sayth that Antichrist there signified by the second Beast shall worke before the face of the first Beast that is of the Roman Empire And I demande also Whether we may not well say that the Roman Empire began then sensibly to be removed when the Emperor Constantine removed the Imperiall Sea from Rome to Constantinople yet no man can say but the Imperiall power and the Majestie of an Empire continued still in Rome in the Consuls which dignitie the Emperors also themselues many times tooke upon them as I haue noted before This therefore may be well taken for a beginning of the Remoue of the one and Rising of the other which was about the yeare of our Lord 327 and but a beginning For the better assurance whereof let us first consider the Prophecies of the Scripture concerning the continuance of the Roman Empire and then see by Histories how they were fulfilled By the Euangelist we are taught that the first Beast that is Revel 13. the Heathenish Roman Empire should continue and make warr against the Saints two and fortie Months Rev. 12. So it is sayd in another place that the Holy cittie whereby we understand the Church of Christ should be trode under foote of the Gentiles two and fortie moneths and that the two witnesses of God should prophecie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes that these Prophets should be slayne Rev. 12. and rise againe after three dayes and an halfe and that the woman figuring the Church fled into the wildernes where she hath a place prepared of God a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes and that there she should be nourished for a time times and a halfe time All which places do manifestly speak of the persecutions of the Church of the Paucitij Povertij of the Preachers and Teachers of Christian religion in those times and of the flight of Christians into the wildernes and other secret places to avoide the furie of those persecutions Deut. 18. 22 Nothing can better expound a prophecie then the event and fulfilling of it But it is manifestly and certeynly knowne that the persecutions of the church by the Heathenish Roman Empire ended about the yeare of our Lord 326. about which time the last Heathen persecuting Emperor Licinius was slaine and Constantine calling the Church out of the wildernes as in a Triumph caused that great and reverend Councell of Nice the first to be held wherein the Nicene Creede was publikely proclaymed to the utter condemnation and profligation of all Heathen superstitions and confutation of the great Heresie of Arius which then was newly begunne This time falleth out so agreeable to the prophecies on the one side and to the events on the other that it seemeth no doubt can be made but that here begann the Remoue For if we follow M. Foxes computation in the severall times aboue mentioned we shall finde that those severall Notations of time as they speake but of one thing that is the persecutions of the Church by the Roman Emperors so they signifie but one time namely two hundred ninetie four yeares the ende of which falling so certeyne in the dayes of Constantine do shew that the beginning must be accounted from the Ascention of our Lord in the yeare of Grace four and thirtie or there abouts For first a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Note this limitation of a time two times and half a time in severall places seemeth to signifie severall times for in Dan. 7 25 26. it seemes to intend a cōtinuance of the time of the Roman state under the litle Horne unto the ende of the world But in Rev. 12.14 compared with Rev. 12 6. and Rev. 11.2 and Rev 13 6. it seemeth rather to signifie the time of the persecutions of the Church under the Heathen Roman Empire See the places make two and fortie moneths take everie moneth for seauen yeares as everie one of Daniels weekes were to be counted it maketh two hundred ninetie four yeares Secondly three dayes and an halfe or a time two times and halfe a time Reckon as our Saviour doth twelue hours to everie day and we finde two and fortie hours then account everie hour to be a sabbath of yeares and it maketh also two hundred ninetie and four yeares which being added to the yeares of our Saviours life upon earth being four and thirtie maketh 328 from his Nativitie Of the other side if we account the beginning of these yeares to be certaine Rev. 12. the continuance and end also will fall out evident But by the twelfth chapter of the Revelation it is manifest that the Dragon went out to persecute the Church when After that our Saviour was taken up into heauen so then reckoning these 294 yeares to beginne at the Ascention of our Lord we must adde the yeares of our Saviours life upon earth which was about four and thirtie yeares and it commeth fully to the yeare 328 about which time the said great Nicene Counsell was celebrated And so taking the beginning of our computation from the end of the persecutions in the time of Constantine about the yeare of our Lord 328 and reckoning backwards 294 yeares we come to the same yeare of grace 34 wherein was the Ascention of our Lord. So that both wayes whether that we expound the prophecie by the event or measure the event by the prophecie we are brought to the same yeare of our Lord 328. Now therefore no longer was the holy Cittie troden under foot of the Gentiles Now the Martyrs of God which had so long time prophecied in sackcloth and were slayne were againe revived in their Doctrine Now the two Witnesses of God the Old and New Testaments So expounded by his Majestie in Praefat. admonit with consent of the best Interpreters which were so long time hidden and as it were layd dead were brought to light and ascended into heauen that is in the Church which is called the kingdome of Heauen For now the Church of God returned out of the wildernes now the power of the Heathenish state of Rome to make warre against the Saints was ended though their Idolatrie as Baronius confesseth continued long after namely unto the end of another period whereof we haue spoken partly before and shall speake somewhat hereafter Not long before that time also arose that great Heretike
and therefore here ought the Catalogue of Popes to beginne and not as they doe with S. Peter or Silvester For it appeareth manifestly by Gregorie that none of the former Bishops of Rome had the title of Vniversall giuen to him I aske therefore whether here were not an evident beginning of the Revelation of Antichrist The Emperour was removed out of Rome the making of the Consuls was discontinued the tenne Kings began to receiue their kingdomes The Pope tooke upon him to rule in Rome and was Summus or Maximus Pontifex onely the Exarches remayned at Ravenna with little power I aske then Who was now revealed to be the seaventh Head or Governour of the Roman State but this Vniversalis and Summus Pontifex Let us see then how by degrees this Antichrist was dayly more more revealed Platina Fasc Temp. About the yeare 608 the Pope obteyned of Phocas the Pantheon or Temple of all Divels and consecrated the same to the honour of the Virgin Marie and all Saints So sayth the Carthusian Vbi impij colebant Daemones ibi Christiani colunt omnes Sanctos sic ars deluditur arte About the same time the Pope gathered a Synod at Rome for the confirmation of his primacie About the yeare 618 Boniface the fifth succeeded who ordeyned that churches should be Sanctuaries for theeues and murderers About the same time began the great Apostacie and departure of the Greeke Church from the Roman of the East Church from the west the Greeke church not yeelding to the Roman supremacie and the Easterne churches receiuing the damnable doctrine of Mahomet so the prophesies by litle and little began to be fulfilled The Empire it self was now almost wholly removed the Kings were risen that after gaue their power to the Pope The Apostasie was come the pope was called Summus Pontifex one of the seauen dignities which had long before been of greatest power and authoritie in Rome and which the Heathen Emperors had used and so the seauenth Head of the Roman state began to appear Three things yet lacked One to haue their supremacie fully confirmed and acknowledged by the Emperor which yet was questioned as well by the Exarches as by the Emperors for in the yeare 647 Pope Martin one of the best of them that succeeded Gregorie was taken by Theodorus the Exarch Pantal. anno 650. and sent prisoner to Constantinople and from thence banished into Pontus A second thing was after such confirmation obtained to shake of all subjection and all signes of subjection to the Emperor And a third to make this an Empire of Idolatrie and as it were the Image of the old Idolatrie used by the Pagans All three followed shortly after For about the yeare 663 the Emperor Constans comming to Rome confirmed their priviledges and prerogatiues and about the year 684 Benet the Pope obtained of the Emperor that whosoever should be chosen by the Cleargie Plaâ—iâ— Rensu people and Armie of Rome to be Pope he should be Pope without any further confirmation of the Exarch or Emperor Marke he nameth the Cleargie People and Armie of Rome claiming thereby as well the Temporall as the spirituall state which before he had not Then came the yeare 700 which was but 666 Rev. 12 5 6 after the ascention of our Lord which is properly S. Iohns aera Ioh. 16 19 20. and so foretold by Christ that the sorrows of the Church should beginne when the Bridegrome was taken away Luke 5 35. Therefore about the same time as Bellarmine collecteth Pantal. anno 700. namely in the yeare 699 Aripertus the usurping Tirant gaue to the Pope the Cottian Alps where now Genua standeth and soone after that is to say in the yeare 707 the Emperor Iustinian the second falleth downe before Pope Constantine and kisseth his feete Platin. Naâ—cl Bibliand Rensuer thereby acknowledging him to be the absolute Head of Rome And about the yeare 712 the Pope now in fulnesse of power commandeth of his owne authoritie Images to be worshiped and when the Emperor Philip resisted the Pope pronounced him excommunicate and likewise when the Emperor Leo and Constantine after him in a zeale of godlynes and detestation of Idolatrie commanded Images to be defaced the Pope On up in Plat. Paul Diac. Sigiber Rens Polidor Paul anno 710 725. not secretly or under hand but palam in os openly and to their faces resisted them sayth Onuphrius and forbadde all Italy to pay them Tributes discharging the Italians from their oathes and alleagiance and so in the ende deprived the Grecian Emperours of all the Empire of the west And soone after that is to say about the yeare of our Lord 755. the Pope by colour of the guift of King Pipin usurped the Exarchate of Ravenna with a great part of Italie I aske therefore what accomplishment of the Prophecie concerning the Revelation of Antichrist may we looke for or can we expect if it be not here fully accomplished Whether was there not here in the open sight of the world another Head of the Roman cittie and state Whether was not the Impediment of the Empire now fully and wholly removed And whether had not the second Beast now giuen life sufficient to the Image of the first Beast or Idolatrous Monarchie Neyther was this by Tumult but with an orderly proceeding For the Pope gathering an Armie of Priests as S. Gregorie calleth it namely a counsell of a thousand Fathers or rather Step-fathers at Rome decreed that Images should be worshiped Blund Palâ— Sigiber Anton Biblian Reus Here therefore both Chronologers and Divines Hermanus coÌ„tract Paul Diac. Biblian Avent Lyra in 2 Thes Staputens Fasc Temp with great concent do end the supputation of the Roman Empire And with great reason for now they saw the Summus Pontifex was set upon the back of the Roman State Romanorum Imperium sayth the Author circa haec tempora ubique in orbe terrarum caepit deficere irrecuperabiliter And a little after Et sic jam omnes quatuor Monarchiae defecerunt non restat alia nisi Antichristi The Roman Empire began to faile about this time without recoverie And so all the four Monarchies are decayed and none other remaineth but that of Antichrist The Romans sayth Baron about this time tooke a solemne oath to be obedient in all points In anno 726 and to all purposes to the Pope And here sayth he was an end of those Dukes and Governours which the Emperors were wonte to seeme to command in Rome and the places thereabouts So also sayth Sigonius that Rome vide Sigon li. 4. de regno Italiae and the Dukedomes of Rome the Exarchate of Ravenna the Duchies of Perusia Tuscia and Campania were giuen to the Pope and Mornay out of Zonaras and Cedrenus setteth downe particularly Pless in myst progress 27. what Townes and Territories fell to the Pope upon this revolt Also Onuphrius telleth us in
plaine termes that Pope Gregorie succeeding Constantine Vide Pantal. anno 760. tooke away from the Grecian Emperor all the Empire of Italie which was not possessed by the Lumbards About the same time also there was another Councell gathered at Rome wherein was decreed that whosoever would not doe religious honour unto Images should be cut off from the body and bloud of Christ and from the unitie of the whole Church So the power of the Pontifex Max. and Idolatrie grew up together And although many Synods were held some in the East as at Nice and Constantinople others in the west as at Frankford wherein these Idolatries were condemned though both the Emperors aswell Charlemain of France as Constantine of Greece opposed themselues against these Idolatries having also the Authoritie of the Elibertin counsell Picturas ad Ecclesiis arcendas ne quod colitur aut adoratur in parietibus pingatur Yet the Popes prevailed Curavimus Babylonem non est sanata Ier. 51. sayth the Prophet The zeale of Charlemaine to haue this Idolatrie suppressed was excellent and exemplar for he not onely caused a Synod to be held within his owne Empire for that purpose but sent the booke of the Synode of Nice which is called the second wherein the worship of Images was decreed into Great Brittanie in which Booke Proh dolor sayth our Historian out alas manie things were found inconvenient Honed anno 792. and contrarie to the true fayth especially that with one consent of the Orientall Bishops three hundred or more it was inacted that Images should be worshipped Quod omnino Ecclesia Dei execratur Which the Church of God doth hold altogether execrable And the learned Albinus wrote an Epistle against it marvelously fortified with authoritie of the scripture Almaricus Gall theolog imagines altaria invocationes sanctorī◠Idololatrians censce which he presented to the Emperour So fully were the Godly of those times perswaded that the adoration of Images then newly thrust upon them by the Pope was meere and inexcusable Idolatrie And yet when the same Emperour Charles came to Rome to reforme the abuses of the Pope and began to inquire of them Bern. Lutz Pantal. anno 1205. Responsum est ab omnibus c. it was answered by all Platin Blond dec 2. Pant. that the Apostolike Sea being the Head of all Churches ought to be iudged of none especially not by a Lay man I aske then upon all these premises If Antichrist were not now sufficiently revealed when will he or how can he be revealed Rome the great cittie that ruled over the kings of the Earth the cittie of seauen Hills and that had receaved seauen kings of Soveraigne command Rome that glorious mountaine of holynes yet full of Sodomiticall filthines and Egyptian Idolatrie Rome and the Roman Empire so many times and so significantly described by the holy Apostles and Prophets had now set up her Seauenth Head the Summus Pontifex the propheticall number 666 was fulfilled as well in his time as in his name the Impediment of the Empire was removed This Summus Pontifex was become the absolute Ruler and king of that State acknowledging no superiour Controull or Countermand And hath done such and such things according also to the prophecies of Antichrist as no Iew Turke or divell can do in so short a time as they would make us beleeue is allotted for Antichrist If by these things he be not sufficiently revealed when will he come or when shall we expect him or shall we imitate the Iewes in looking as long for Antichrist as they doe for Christ To this may be added an Argument à sufficienti divisione which I propose in this manner First upon the words of Tertullian that Antichrist must be a rebell to Christ and S. Aug. that is Refuga Christi Now if a Rebell then eyther one professing Christ or not professing If you say not professing S. Augustin is against you which sayth that he doth professe Christ in words Also S. Chrysostom Exercitus Christi sunt omnes Haereses praecipue ista quae obtinuit Ecclesiae locum If a professor of Christ then either revealed or not revealed if you say not revealed then how can you answer the Apostle who sayth that he shall be revealed when the Impediment is removed And the Fathers who with great consent affirme that by the Impediment there is meant the Roman Empire And the great Consent of Divines and Chronologers upon the same place affirming that the Roman Empire is long since removed If revealed then eyther it is the Bishop of Rome whom manie godly men haue published and proclaymed to be Antichrist or else you must shew some other who is not to come but alreadie declared to be Antichrist And if you can shew none then must the Pope necessarily be that Antichrist Rev. 17. Againe either it must be he to whom the kings of the earth haue giuen their power or some other If you say some other then how do you answer the text If he then to whom haue the Kings of the Earth giuen their power but to the Pope Againe upon 2 Thes 2. and the exposition of S. Ambrose and other Fathers upon that place Antichrist shall sit in the house of the Lord in the seat of Christ If he shall so sit it must be either as a king or as a Bishop or as both or as neither If not as a King then how upon manie peoples and Nations If not as a Bishop then how in the Temple of the Lord as the Apostle sayth in the House of the Lord as S. Ambrose in the Houses and walles of the Church as S. Hilarie in Ecclesia as Theodoret in the Holy places of the church as S. Chrysostom in the chaire of S. Peter as S. Barnard sayth If as both then who hath done so but the Pope Neither neede we much to stick at the swelling words of the same S. Barnard in another place Tu es Sacerdos magnus Pontifex Summus tu princeps Episcopurum tu Haeres Apostolorum Tu primatu Abel Cubernatu Noe Patriarchatu Abraham Ordine Melchisedec Dignitate Aaron Authoritate Moses Iudicatu Samuel Potestate Petrus Vnctione Christus This sentence of S. Bernard though it seemeth he was somewhat caried away with the overflowing streame of his Eloquence yet it appeareth his purpose was to drawe the Pope to a more serious consideration of his dutie But the Popes and their followers which ought to haue tempered it with humilitie haue made it but a step and advantage to their Elation Anton. sum p 3. c. 22. as appeareth in their Decretals and Canonists where they arrogate and assume to them selues Plenitudinem potestatis scientiae See M. Down ham of Antic lib. 1. c. 5. and that they haue one and the same Tribunall with God and Christ Iesus and that Christ and the Pope are but one and the same head of the church Which titles none
but the king of pride durst to take upon him Let us yet goe forward and see how he is further revealed in the time of his Raigne and how the prophecies of that time also were fulfilled we haue before considered the description of his raigning and how he sitteth on the seauen headed Beast Now of the time which falleth out to be likewise 666 yeares or thereabouts For that is the number of the Beast Rev. 13. sayth our Euangelist And if we adde this to the former number we come againe to another strange and wonderfull concurrence of prophecies events times and actions namely the yeare 1366 and 1400 whereof we will speak hereafter when we haue taken a view of the actions that fell out in the meane time namely in the end of the said first 666 yeares and beginning of the second and somewhat considered what manner of men raigned over the Roman state during the second terme of 666 yeares First therefore as the Apostle prophesied that there should be an Apostasie so there fell out about those times especially divers great and lamentable Apostasies such as the like were never seene neither can the like be expected in any time to come namely first about the year 760 the great and wofull rent and departure of the East Church from the West by reason of that wicked contention betweene the Patriarches for primacie and that abhominable doctrine of Idolatrie which an Historian verie Christianly calleth execrable Secondly the wofull rent and departure of the west Empire from the East by the Popes setting up of the French kings Pipin and Charles Thirdly the rent and division of the greatest part of the East Empire from their lawfull Prince by the sodaine and great victories of the wicked Saracens in Asia sent of purpose to plague Christians I thinke for their Idolatrie as they do object it unto us unto this day And fourthly the lamentable spoyle and falling away by that meanes not onely of those seauen excellent churches whom S. Iohn by his Epistles so strongly fortified and forewarned but of all the rest of the flourishing Churches of Asia which yeelded either by feare or force to the overflowing Impieties of Mahomet ô lamentable times O times never without grief and shame and teares of Christians to be remembred Within a few years and as it were with a sodaine floud and inundation of impietie blasphemie and filthines the great and mightie kingdomes of Arabia Syria Palestina Phoenicia Anatolia Persia and Media and many other Countries the famous churches of Ierusalem Antioch Ephesus Nice Galatia and all the rest of the lesser Asia which the Apostles had so diligently planted with their doctrines which the Martyrs so plentifully watered with their bloud crowned with their Confessions yeelded to the horrible blasphemies and Idolatries of Mahomet with infinite effusion of Christian bloud and murder of Soules What Apostasies were ever like to these or how can we looke for the like in any time to come Say that we should imagine an Antichrist yet to come can we haue the prophecie of the Apostle S. Paul concerning an Apostasie precedent so fulfilled Hath all the Christian world now sufficient roome or place wherein the like Apostasies may fall out What do these Summi Pontifices these Vniversall Bishops which would needs be the Head of the Catholike Church in the meane time Let us take a short view of their actions also in generall and particular and see whether it be possible for any Antichrist hereafter to do the like The first great action that we meete with of theirs is the puting downe of three kingdomes to advance themselues according to the prophesie of Daniell concerning the Litle Horne before whom three of the other Hornes fell For first they draue the Grecian Emperors out of Italie upon the quarrell concerning Images by the helpe of the Lombards Secondly having subdued the Lombards by the helpe of the French they draue out the French by their owne dissentions and the help of the Germans and lastly they expelled the Germans also by raysing factions amongst them selues the Histories whereof because they are too long for this place are well collected by the learned Mornay I think needlesse here to prosecute Is it possible for any Antichrist to come to doe the like Are there any such three kingdomes in the Christian world everie one of them having command of Rome and Italie to be put downe hereafter to make roome for another Antichrist And it is to be observed that this first Action containeth in it self manifest Treason and rebellion against their lawfull Princes the Emperors whom Gregorie and all the Bishops of Rome before him had acknowledged to be their gratious Lords Colimus Imp. ut hominem a Deo secundū soloque Deo eminorem Terul ad Scap. Whom they were bound to obay as those to whom God had giuen power over all men The second great action was their ambitious and Luciferian exaltation aboue all Bishops Patriarchs Princes and Emperors in taking the title of Vniversall Bishop and usurping power over them by excommunications deprivations interdictions and other sentences incouraging sometimes their Enimies and sometimes their subjects against them as they moved the Lombards against the Emperors the French against the Lombards and cherished factions and divisions amongst the French and thereby still increased their owne power and dominion And in this they advance themselues against God and our Lord Iesus Christ to whom onely the Supreame and Royall Priesthood after the order of Melchisedek is confirmed by the oath of God himself and that individually as we noted before and who hath placed Kings and Emperors in their supream places A third action is the lawlesse pardoning and dispensing with horrible and crying sinnes still to advance their owne authoritie As namely their dispencing with the horrible Parricides Treasons and Rebellions of Phocas who murdered not onely the Emperor Maurice but all his male children namely Theodosius then crowned Plessis Tiberius Paulus and Iustinian Peeter his brother Constantine a principall Senator and divers others And this is that Phocas notwithstanding whose actions they all to this day justifie and Baronius will haue us to beleeue that he was a good Catholike Although he can shew no testimonie of his repentance but that he sent his owne picture and his wiues to Rome which were presently sett up in the pallace And in this point also the Popes advanced themselues aboue God himself who never pardoneth sinnes without repentance But this Phocas three years after the murders of Maurice and his sonnes Plessis hearing that the Empresse Constantia and her daughters were kept secretly hidden in a Church sent certayne Souldjers to make them away But Cyriacus the Patriarch of Constantinople withstood them and would not deliver them till he had taken an oath of the Tyrant that he would do them no violence Whereupon this good Roman Catholike conceived a deep and inplacable hatred against
Second Horne put downe and so Paschatis and others after him Whereupon followed Schismes Seditions and Murthers in the times of Eugenius Gregorie Sergius and Leo. Anno 854 pope Ioane The kingdome of the whoore Sexum mentita veritatem faemina To whom also it is sayd that the Divell answered in verse Papa pater patrum papissae pandito partum A storie omitted by some for the filthines of the fact sayth Rainulphus but averred by so many and so learned authors that it will never be blotted out Polychron whereof I haue spoken before Anno 856 Benet the third Schisma 12. Anno 860 vid. dist 19. Si Romanor Blasphemie pope Nicholas who admitteth that the Old and New Testament were to be received by vertue of the papall decrees And if any man will say that this was but by way of argument let him consider of some other of his Decrees As that that none presume to reprehend his judgment nor to judge of it 9. q. 3. patet That the pope may not be bound or loosed by any secular power Dist. 96 satis evident He boasteth that he is God because he is called God and God cannot be bound or loosed by any man Dist. 19. That all the popish Decretals be observed c. All these Decrees haue his Successours mainteyned and do mainteyn them to this day Anno 868 Adrian the second This man caused a Counsell to be gathered wherein it was decreed Dist 63 Adrian 2. that no Lay Prince or Potentate should intermeddle with the election of any Patriarch So here the French Emperors were quite cashierd Rensu alij Metropolitan c. are these pettie-matters or are these proofs insufficient Anno 872 Ioannes who crowned three severall Emperors all liuing at one time thereby giving occasion to most grievous civill warres to the infinite effusion of Christian bloud Exalting himselfe aboue God And this man granted pardons to them that were dead After him Martinus Adrianus Stephanus followed in the same steppes Anno 891 Formosus made Pope by a great schisme Anno 896 Boniface by tumult and faction About this time Sanctimonia Pietas omnis Pontifices dereliquit Platina RespoÌ„de Suares Pantal. c. Anno 897 Stephen by Schisme He caused the carcasse of his Predecessor Formosus to be taken out of his graue comdemned of Symonie and cast into the river of Tibris And so they continued in Schismes and tumults between the Factions of Formosus and Sergius from the yeare 891 untill 907. Anno 906 Sergius a notable Schismatike Famous for abhominable filthines with the Noble Strumpet Marozia Kingdome of the Whoore. by whom he had issue Iohn who afterward obteyned the papacie And about this time the impudent and filthie whoore Theodora and her sonne Albericus with her two daughters Marozia and Theodora in filthines like their Mother governed all things in the Church of Rome Whereupon Baronius beginning the storie of these times confesseth it was an Iron age barren of all goodnes and a Leaden age abounding with all wickednes For this Theodora gotte the kingdome of Rome See Plessis ex Leithpr Pantal. sayth the Historie by whoredome with Pope Sergius and continued it to her posteritie by advancing her Paramours and her daughters Paramours or Bastards to the papacie and prostituting her daughters to the Popes succeeding one another Proh dolor Sic Baronius Quid ad haee Suares eâ—quid pudet proh dolor sayth Baron Here thou mayst see the abhomination of desolation in the church So proclaimeth our great papall Annalist How then hath it been removed therehence since that time Yet behold greater abhominations Anno 932 Iohn called of some the eleuenth In reckoning of these Iohns there is great difference among Chronâ—l of others the twelfth the Paramour of Theodora as some say Anno 938 Stephen the eighth made Pope by the power of Marozia and Hugo king of Artes her husband Anno 956 Octavian otherwise Iohn sonne of Marozia by Sergius was made pope by Aberik the sonne of Theodora This Iohn was made pope Monstrum hoÌ„minis Platin. being but a childe and after grew to be most beastly in Adulterie making the pallace of Lateran Prostibulum Au. Incest Plessis ex Pantal laâ—â—th a Stye or Brothell house sayth the author He used adulterie with Raineria Stephana and many others and committed rapes with such violence and outrage euen in the most holy places that women durst not come to the Church for feare of him This is he that caroused in wine an health to the Divell and playing at dice used to call Iupiter Venus and all the Divels to help him and at length was slayn by the divell being taken in adulterie as some write And so the Rule of these Harlots and their children in the open sight of all the world continued in Rome almost an hundred yeares What pope what Cardinals what succession from Peter was here and where shall we find the Whoore where shall we find Antichrist if this were not he Is there any Historie or record whatsoever of any prince or Monark Salvage or Barbarous Iew Turke or Pagan of ancient or later time that can shew measure of such abhominable and horrible practises and yet see more Anno 964 Leo the eigth was made pope in whose time a Synod was held Plessis ex Albert Crants wherein Pope Leo with all the Cleargie and people of Rome to avoid the French as they had before the Grecians granted and confirmed to Otho the first King of the Germans and his successors authoritie to elect and ordaine the Bishop of Rome pronouncing Anathema and banishment or death to them that should doe the contrarie and confirming by oath to him and his successors all that which they held by donation or otherwise from Iustinian Charles Pipin or Arithpertus declaring that whosoever should hinder the effect thereof should by the Law Iulia incurre the punishment of high Treason So now they were become subjects to the Germane Emperors How long did they hold it Otho was no sooner dead but that in the yeare 974 Boniface the seauenth contrarie to the Law and to their oathes was made Pope by sedition and murther having strangled his predecessor Benet the eigth and put out the eyes of Iohn that was chosen against him And so the Popes and Clergie of Rome who first rebelled against their Leige Lords the Graecian Emperors and after against the French Third Home put downe Go up against the land of rebels Ier. 50.1 became now perjured Traitors and Rebbels against the Germans usurping their Rights and invading their territories Anno 995 Gregorie and Iohn Schismatikes And thus haue I runne over about three hundred years of the raigne of Antichrist from the time that the Pope was become universall Bishop had set up his kingdome of Idolatrie and dispossessed the Emperors of all Italie And if these seeme not evill inough Behold yet
France Spain In this order they are named Consil Basil Sess 1. consisting of fiue great and worthie Nations three severall times in three great and generall Councels and in everie one of them notwithstanding all the power of the Popes a thing not a little to be wondred at it was decreed that the generall Councell was and ought to be aboue the Pope and that whosoever denyed that Trueth was an Heretike Anathema And thereupon in the Councell of Pisa being first of the three the two popes then standing in schisme were both declared to be Heretikes and unworthie and compelled to abdicate and another was made pope namely Alexander the fifth And to this councell there came learned men out of this our Countrie of England as well as out of other nations and were entertayned by that famous and excellent learned Chancelour of Paris Gerson who declared the consent of the Church of France with the English church in that matter Shortly after this the Papall Church had againe three popes together and so became Triceps like to Cerberus and so the great cittie sayth Luther was divided into three parts according to the prophecie Apoc. 16. Soone after that therefore was assembled the second great councell of the said fiue Nations at Constance And therein it was againe with great consent namely of 900 Bishops and learned men fully concluded and decreed against the Popes Law that the Councell is aboue the Pope and hath authoritie immediately from Christ unto which all of whatsoever state or dignitie etiamsi Papalis albeit the Papall is bound to obey And yet in the same councell the pope shewed himself in his Antichristian pride riding to Church on horseback the Emperor of the one side and one of the Princes Electors on the other side leading his horse yet in the same Councell the godly Bohemians Iohannos Hus and Hieronimus Pragensis openly protested against the Pope saying that if he did not follow Christ in his life he was not Christs Vicar for which other like sentences they were condemned and burned contrarie to the publike fayth and safe conduct of the Emperor and to the eternall condemnation of all Popish faith and fidelitie And yet in the same Councell God himself overruled their voices and caused them to decree against the Popes canon law as aforesaid Thirdly within the same compasse of yeares there followed another great Councell at Basil of the same fiue Nations Sess 38. Fasc tem 88 Carleton of Iurisd pa. 276. Wherein after much contention and disputation it was decreed again contrarie to the Popes comon law and his great Proctor Panormitane that the Councell is aboue the Pope and that the Pope hath not power to dissolue prorogue or transfer it to another time or place And whosoever denyed that veritie should be judged an Heretike Yet against all these Councels the popes and all their Successors ever since haue and to this day doe oppose themselues in mainteining their Antichristian power Articulos solvit synodumque facit geveraâ—em elation and authoritie affirming That the Pope onely may make a generall Councell and cannons and that to him a man may appeale from the generall councell and that the Councell can determine nothing without the Pope and so that he is aboue all generall councels still continuing also in their abhominable Idolatrie filthines and wicked practises And so all the Popes since that Councell of Basil stand openly declared Hereticks by the consent of all the Christian Churches of Europe in three great Councels Clemangis But to crosse these the Pope gathered another councell at Rome wherein after a solemne Masse of Veni Creator Spiritus If thâ— be denyed let them shew forth but one act or decâ—ee of that Councâ—ll there appeared a hideous and dreadfull owle and the Councell shortly after without any thing done dissolved Neyther hath the Antichristian Sect any thing to object against the Decrees of those three former Councels See the historie of this câ—uÌ„sell set forth by Pet. Scave judge whether it were any thing else but a saction unlesse it be a Conventicle and conspiracie of their owne faction at Trent where the fiue Nations did not meete What then shall we say to these things Were not these extraordinarie great actions or are not these actions sutable to the Prophecies or may we ever expect the like againe Whether then may we not here safely rest and fixe the eyes of our attention and contemplation upon this notable periode so manie times pointed out and defined by God himself and accompanied with so great and notable events as happened within this one Centure of yeares or litle more namely from the time of Boniface the eight till the Councell of Basill In the beginning we see the Pope like a God proclaiming a Iubile and thereby changing times and lawes renewing a Iewish Ceremonie and thereby denying that Christ is come in the flesh clayming the absolute Lordship and command of all the world as well in temporall as in spirituall things excommunicating great and vertuous Princes for small faults and yet he himself weltring and wallowing in Egyptian filthines and incest with his owne Neeces Then great schismes in the church his Successor mounted on horseback the Emperor Prince Elector leading his Palfrey by the bridle with many such like notes of more pride and elation then was ever read or heard of to be used by any mortall man whatsoever And in the end the Pope notwithstanding all his pride and Luciferian exaltation by three great and generall Councels gathered out of all Christendome declared to be an Heretike which in respect of the greatnes of his Sea his followers his long continuance and other circumstances must needs be understood the greatest Heretike of all that ever were or can be and so by undeniable consequence declared to be Antichrist Not so will some Babylonian peradventure say It is not any of those circumstances nor all of them can make him the greatest Heretike no more then Arius in his time was therefore accounted the greatest Heretike because the whole world as it is sayd became an Arian but because he denied one of the greatest points of our fayth namely the equalitie of God the Sonne with his Father and therefore was called Christomachus Be it so yet I thinke no man will deny but caeteris paribus the circumstances aforesaid will both augment and aggravate the Heresie But let us consider first the greatnes and extent of that point which the said three generall Councels condemned for Heresie secondly what other Heresies and how manie and great the Pope doth maintaine and if either that point so condemned be great yea verie great or that he mainteyneth more or greater then any other then will I leaue it to thine owne Conscience Christian reader to judge and determine whether the Pope be the greatest Heretike that ever was or not And because it is not my meaning either to build
upon weake foundations or to make long work of that which is readie at hand I desire thee to consider of the termes of this disputation ut constet quid sit id qou de agitur First I say I desire to know whether thou dost hold that there is a Rule of the Catholike fayth whereby to judge of Heresies which rule ought to be certaine and knowne to us as not onely the Fathers De verbo dei l. 1. c. 2. but we at this day do all agree and Bellarmine the great Champion of the Romish Church affirmeth For sayth he if it be not knowne it connot be a rule unto us and if it be not certaine it can be no rule at all So sayth the Scripture Prov 22 21 The words of trueth are certaine and therefore was the Scripture written Luc. 1.4 that we might knowe the certaintie of that we haue learned Secondly Summa provi dentia carere fuco voluit ca quae divina sunt ut omnes intelligerent quae ipse omnibus loquchatur Lailant De verbo dei l. 3. c 2. 2 Tim. 2. I aske how it is knowne whether it be not knowne according to the literall sense out of which effectuall arguments ought to be drawne as we also are agreed For certaine it is sayth the same Bellarmine that that sense which is immediately gathered of the words is the sense of the Holy Ghost which I thinke he intendeth so as it stand with other plaine places For in the Word of God no contradiction is to be admitted God cannot denye himselfe But the senses mysticall and spirituall which may be gathered out of the Scriptures are various and therefore cannot be used for arguments to confirme points of Fayth because we are not certaine that they are intended by the Holy Ghost as the said Bellarmine affirmeth out of S. Augustine Lastly then it resteth to know what that rule is and where to be found Of which because thou mayst see that I will not hide or disguise any thing from thee I finde four opinions Whereof none in my understanding can justly be reproved for they all agree together in substance The first is of the most ancient Tertullian De praescript who goeth no further for the rule of fayth then to the Vulgar Creed The same as it seemeth is followed by Diony Ar. commonly called the Creede of the Apostles which sayth he amongst us hath no questions but such as Heresies bring in and make Heretikes To know nothing but this is to know all that we ought to know And they that do not beleeue this are not faythfull are not Christians are not to be admitted to dispute of the Scriptures sayth he In Enchirid. ad Laur. The second is that of August who affirmeth this rule to be conteyned in the Creede and the Lords prayer For sayth he therein is the whole summe of all Christian religion namely whatsoever concerneth fayth hope or charitie A third opinion is that of the common Catechistes which adde to the two before named the Decalogue and the doctrine of the Sacraments The fourth is that which is now commonly imbraced which maketh the Scripture in generall to be the rule of fayth And in this Bellarmine also consenteth My question therefore is whether thou do not approue these rules or any of them if thou do and do acknowledge that these Rules or any of them be certeyne and knowne to us and to be litterally understood as Bellarmine confesseth it followeth then to consider who by these Rules shall be said an Heretick and whether that be not clearly defined unto us by Moses S. Iohn Deut. 12. Rev. 22. and S. Paul to be such a one as doth adde any thing to the true fayth expressed in these Rules Tit. 3 10. or taketh any thing from them and will not be reformed by due admonition To this agreeth Vincent Lirinen c. 32. Christi Ecclesia sedula depositorium apud se dogmatum custos nihil in iis unquam permutat Haeresis graece Electio latine est sententia humano sensu electa verbo dei contraria palam docta pertinaciter de sensa Grossetest Episâ— Lincoln in Mat. Paris nihil minuit nihil addit Then to the point I aske first concerning that Article by the councels aforesaid decreed That the holy Catholike church being the body of our Saviour Christ represented in a generall Councell is aboue the Pope and hath authoritie immediately from Christ unto which the Pope himselfe as a member to the whole ought to obey whosoever denieth that verily is an Heretike Doth not the Pope as I said and haue not all the Popes since the making of that decree mainteyned themselues to be aboue the generall Councell and so denyed that veritie and that no decree of a generall Councell is able to binde them neither is lawfull if it be made without the authoritie of the Roman Pontifex Aske Bellarmine their Advocate Do they not maintaine that he is the head of the Church that he cannot erre in matters of fayth and that all are bound to obey him ex necessitate salutis Are these things expresly and literally to be found in the Creede the Lords prayer the tenne Commandements the Sacraments or any part of the Scripture If they be why did all the Christian Churches of Europe so manie times determine against these Prerogatiues of the Pope If not then whether are not these most great additions to that Rule to which none must adde and from which none must deminish If we will truly judge of the greatnes of this Heresie let us consider the greatnes of the buildings erected upon it For great buildings must haue great foundations First therefore upon this Supremacie over the Church of Christ represented in the generall Councell they haue grounded their absolute power to call beginne determine ende prorogue and transfer generall Councels at their pleasures and also to confirme and allow or to abrogate and disanull them Which point if it be granted they are sure that nothing can be determined against them in any such Councell Then an absolute power over all not onely Bishops and Prelates but kings and princes will easily be inferred For it standeth with reason that he who is aboue the whole is aboue everie parte in toto pars continetur Then followeth their power to adjudge and condemn that for Heresie whatsoever he thinketh fit Then the power to excommunicate Nations and Countries to depriue and depose kings and princes to giue their lands for an Heritage to whom they will And in a word their absolute Anomy and lawlessenes that no man may judge of him no man may dispute of his judgment or call it in question though he draw millions of soules with him into hell a prerogatiue which the Scripture never intimateth to be claymed by any but Antichrist and never claymed by any but the pope wherein all the authoritie power and states of Christian
consitet Ambros Quisquis Christum qualis ab Apostolis predicatum est negat Antichristus est Hill in such manner as by the said rules we are taught So when we beleeue in the H. ghost who spake by the prophets who is the spirit of trueth that shall leade us into all truth whom God promised to poure out upon all flesh Ioel 2. Act. 2. Acts 10. our Saviour Christ would haue not onely his Apostles but Captaines and Souldjours Iewes and Gentiles to be baptised with that spirit and hath promised to giue it to everie one that beleeveth Io. 7 38 39 Luc. 11 13. and to everie one that prayeth for it Is it a small addition to say that that spirit is now not to be found neither in any particular beleevers nor in any Christian Church nor in anie Nationall Councell nor in the Prelates who are called the Angels of the church nor in all the Churches gathered together in a generall Councell but onely in the Pope of Rome and his Church Without whom no Decree of any Generall councell must be held firme or lawfull When we beleeue the holy Catholike Church is it a small addition to say that this Catholike Church is now confined to Rome When we beleeue the forgiuenes of sinnes is it a small addition to say that we haue this forgiuenes by the Popes pardons and indulgences eyther for ever or for so manie thousand yeares Doth this agree with that article wherein we beleeue that Christ shall judge the quick and the dead shall he judge when the Pope hath pardoned or shall he judge according to these pardons Is it a small detraction from the commandements to leaue out a parte of the first Is it a small addition to the Sacraments to make seauen in stead of two to adde spittle and other such trash to baptisme Is this literally to be found in the rules aforesaid is it knowne is it certaine Is it a small addition to giue to the Sacrament of the bodie of our Lord devine adoration or is it a small detraction to make it private and so to take it away from the common people except set and solemne times and the cup alwaies Finally when we are agreed that the litterall sense of the Scripture is the most certaine and safe rule of our beleefe and that it hath in it selfe an incredible harmonie and consent and is the sense of the Holy Ghost is it a small addition to this point also to say that the Pope is the supreame interpreter thereof and judge of fayth and manners And that he cannot erre If this be knowne and certaine then why did none of the rules aforesaid expresse and say so Why is it not expressed in the Scripture why did no ancient generall Councell decree it yea why did the three generall Councels aforesaid decree contrarie that the generall councell is aboue the pope Admitte the case to be that the pope judge contrarie to the litterall sense of the Scripture must it be no error Admitte that he maintaine that the Scripture is to be received by vertue of his authoritie that he may dispence with the commandements of God that he is the generall Commissarie of God assumed into the plenitude of power are these small additions to the rules aforesaid The like may be sayd of manie other points upon all which I thus propose and referre it to thine owne soule and conscience good Christian to judge if these be great additions and detractions and more greater then ever any other Heretike made to those Rules of fayth before mentioned and if they haue been oftentimes reproved and admonished for them and yet still maintaine the same then I say I leaue it to thine owne soule to judge Whether the Pope be not the greatest Heretike that ever was And whether we may not well affirme him to be that Antichrist then whom never any was nor can be greater Dan. 12. and with the Prophet Daniel say that they are happie and blessed that lived unto these times to see so great an Enemie of Christ his Church and yet so disguised so holy in name and yet lawlesse indeede so great a Prelate in show and yet in deede so great an Heretike Such a Vicar generall of Christ and yet indeede Antichrist to be discovered and declared by three such great and generall assemblies of the Church It will percase be demanded how I can call him an Heretike that maketh the same confession of Fayth as we doe And I aske if we confesse the same fayth why doth he call us Heretikes But I thinke it appeareth sufficiently by that which hath beene sayd that in making so great additions to the true Catholike and Apostolike fayth he hath declared himself to be the greatest Heretike that ever was and consequently that Antichrist Let us then consider the signes of the times of Anti-Christ and see whether they also do not concurre in discribing men fit for such times and actions fit to be ministers unto Antichrist and who those men may be but the Roman Cleargie First our Saviour Christ giveth us a short but notable and notorious signe importing blasphemie which is such a propertie of Antichrist as no man can doubt of Many sayth he shall come in my name and shall say I am Christ or annointed Mat. 24. for so the word signifieth is not this litterally fulfilled Haue not all the popish Cleargie taken this title upon them And what not for any good or godly purpose but to defend themselues in their most heynous and flagitious crimes against the sword of secular justice by alledging that place of the Psalme Nolite tangere Christos meos Psalm 105. touch not mine annointed I appeale to the consciences of all men that haue beene any whit though meanly conversant in the Histories of late times or observed their actions if any will say that this text may be used as it is in that Psalme for the defence of godly Prophets I will not deny it so it be not used for their protection in wicked actions for to use it in the protection of sinne is no lesse a blasphemie then to make our Saviour Christ the protector and Author of sinne and wickednes A second notable description of men of those times is made by S. Paul For sayth he In the last dayes which S. Iohn calleth the times of Antichrist men shall be lovers of themselues 2 Tim. 3. coveteous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to parents unthankefull unholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers intemperate feirce dispisers of good men Traytors headie high minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a shew of godlynes but haue denied the power thereof So farre the Apostle And these men who they haue been and who they be is not hard to be discerned For who be they that now for many hundred yeares haue laboured onely under the title of the church with unmeasurable and unsatiable
men to pay Tribute to Kings Princes as he doth in the Sent. a stirrer up of Treason and Rebellions by excommunicating princes and absolving their subjects from their alleagiance as he did the French An Heretick in denying the soule to be immortall an Incest with two of his owne Neeces and a confederate with the publike and professed enimies of our Saviour Christ the Saracenes whom he intertained in pay against the Christians in Sicilia Can there be any more in a lawlesse man in the man of sinne in Antichrist Yet this mans Acts and Decrees all his successors haue and yet do maintaine defend and imitate as occasions are offered so making themselus one with him Then followed Clement the fifth not onely in publishing the Clementine decretals as his predecessor did the Sext but in excommunicating of Princes and Free states Cursing nations Balaam namely the Venetians Florentines and Luccanes and after him Iohn the 21 22 or 23 for they cannot agree upon the reckoning an open Heretick denying that the soules of good men should see God before the last day He published Septimum Clementinarum he also excommunicated the Emperor and stired up rebellions against him Tell me good Christian and giue me Instance but in one of these which of them was not the man of sinne sitting in the Temple of God advancing himself aboue all that is called God Which of them was not Rex superbiae And if in this Catalogue I haue omitted any it is but some few which continued but for short times and so could not do much but that they did was like their predecessors Now shortly after the time of the said Iohn last spoken of followed that noble schisme which lasted fortie or fiftie yeares together one pope sitting at Avinion in France the other at Rome in Italie continually cursing and excommunicating one the other and in this time sayth the Carthusian I know not who was Pope Where then was the Succession Where was the infallible chaire How can we now know who is pope seeing they knew it not themselues And by this notable schisme we are brought to the fulfilling of many prophecies propheticall numbers accompanied with so many and such great actions as the like are no where againe to be found but in this Antichristian succession But if any will object that these things were not done by all of them I answer still with Salvianus Neque homicidae semper occidunt And againe Etsi hoc commune omnibus non faciebat actus commune tamen omnibus faciebat assensus For which of them reformed or reproved any of these things Which of them shewed any disallowance or dislike of them Which of them hath refused the adoration giuen to Constantine Which of them hath restored the Townes and Provinces Traiterously and rebelliously gotten from the Emperors their Liege Lords to whom they had sworne fealtie Which of them abrogated the decree de Majoritate the Idolatrous worship of Images or other decrees or decretals made by Innocent Boniface Clement or Iohn Which of them I say hath put downe the great Baudie house of Sixtus or reproved the Incests Rebellions Negromancie Sodomie unjust excommunications or other sinnes of their predecessors And I demand Whether any man Iew Turke Infidell or divell can be imagined or any time hereafter can be expected wherein such a consent and concurrence of Prophecies and events with the judgments of godly learned men can be imagined to come For if we take Daniels aera that is the ceasing of the dayly Sacrifice by the destruction of Ierusalem and the Temple which was in the yeare of our Lord 70 and adde unto 70 that number 1290 limited by the same Prophet Dan. 12. it cometh to the yeare of our Lord 1360 about which time the excellent Iohn Wicklieue in England and shortly after Iohannes de Rupescissa in France whose labours upon the Apocalyps are said to be extant prophecied or rather declared many prophecies out of the Apocalyps concerning Antichrist amongst which that is notable which the Carthusian recordeth that there should arise two Antichrists c. And in the verie next leafe the same Author sheweth that within few yeares after there did arise two popes one at Rome the other at Auinion each of them called Pont. Maximus and exercising all manner of Antichristian impieties having mouthes full of cursing as the Prophet speaketh and so making that greevous schisme like to the which was never heard of in any Christian Church whatsoever And this schisme began about the yeare of our Lord 1378 and continued fiftie yeares as some do account namely to the yeare of our Lord 1428 or thereabouts Within the compasse of which fiftie yeares the number of many other prophecies were accomplished accordingly many other things verie obserueable were done in the Church of Christ whereof some shall be remembred For besides that number of 1290 the number of 1335 to which the Prophet Daniell giues a blessing is also fulfilled For account that from the desolation of the Temple and ceassing of the dayly sacrifice which happened about the said yeare of our Lord 70. Add I say to that 70 the number 1335 and it commeth fully to the yeare of our Lord 1405. Againe if we take the Apocalyptik number 666 double it makes 1332 adde that to 70 it maketh 1402 or take the Apocalyptick number of 1260 and adde that to S. Iohns aera which is the ascention of our Lord and was in the yeare of our Lord 34 or 35 and it maketh 1394 or 1395 which is also within tenne yeares of the former numbers The like may be sayd of the number of 42 moneths which yeeldeth 1620 dayes and of three dayes and a halfe which accounting twelue houres in the day as our Saviour Christ doth yeeldeth 42 houres and everie houre to be reckoned according to propheticall accounts a sabbath of yeares or seauen yeares ariseth to l260 yeares So a time two times and half a time everie of these reckoned from the Ascention of our Lord cometh to the same yeare 1394 all concurring within the fiftie yeares aboue mentioned and making a great concurrence and consonance of Propheticall yeares So that here we may boldly say that seauen thunders namely many Prophets uttered their voices that is to say Psal 29. the voyces of God mightie in operation like to the thunder as the Psalmne speaketh in a time doubtlesse which the All-seeing spirit of God to whom all times are present would not haue so marked out but for some speciall purpose Let us then consider the actions of these times and see whether they also be not sutable to these prophecies The actions of the popes we haue briefly touched before Now let us see the works of God in these times which truly are wonderfull Psal 111. and most worthy to be remembred For shortly upon that yeare of our Lord before remembred 1405 God assembled his whole church of Europe Italie Britanie Germanie