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A15422 Synopsis papismi, that is, A generall viewe of papistry wherein the whole mysterie of iniquitie, and summe of antichristian doctrine is set downe, which is maintained this day by the Synagogue of Rome, against the Church of Christ, together with an antithesis of the true Christian faith, and an antidotum or counterpoyson out of the Scriptures, against the whore of Babylons filthy cuppe of abominations: deuided into three bookes or centuries, that is, so many hundreds of popish heresies and errors. Collected by Andrew Willet Bachelor of Diuinity. Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621. 1592 (1592) STC 25696; ESTC S119956 618,512 654

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eis qui haec curant potestatibus in magno errore est If any man thinke because he is a Christian that he is not bound to pay tribute and taxe and yeelde due honor to the temporall powers for of such Augustine speaketh he is in a great error If all then are subiect to the temporal magistrate that are Christians then all Bishops and Ecclesiastical persons yea the Pope himselfe if he be a Christian. Ergo the Emperor is not subiect to him THE SECOND PART OF THE QVESTION concerning Saint Peters patrimonie whether the Pope may be a temporall Prince The Papists THey say that it is not against the word of God that the Pope should bee error 52 both a temporall and Ecclesiasticall Prince and that both the swordes of spirituall and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction doe belong vnto him and that hee is the right heire of Saint Peters patrimonie to him belongeth as chiefe Lorde the Imperiall citie of Rome the pallace of Laterane Capua also and Apulia are his distinct 96. Constantin 1 Moses saith the Iesuite was both priest and Prince so was Heli 1. Sam. 4. He iudged Israel fortie yeeres so were also the Macchabees Iudas Ionathan Simon yea Melchisedech long before Moses was Priest and King Ergo the Pope is lawfullie both chiefe Bishop and chiefe Prince also and Lord of that which he now possesseth Bellarmine cap. 9. Ans. Concerning Melchisedech Who knoweth not that hee being King and Priest was a liuelie figure of our Sauior Christs spirituall Kingdome and Priesthoode Heb. 7. And as yet the offices of the spirituall and temporall gouernement were not distinguished for all the Patriarkes Abraham Isaack Iacob the rest were sacrificers therefore wee cannot borrow any examples from them for this matter Moses also did offer sacrifice to God and was chiefe iudge both in spirituall and temporall affaires vnto the people vntill such time as when by Gods commaundement Aaron was chosen to the priesthood vnto whome the charge of sacrifices and vnto his sonnes was committed so Moses remained still Prince of the people whom Iosua succeeded and Aaron was inuested to the priesthoode and so the offices were distinct this example therefore of Moses is extraordinarie and proueth not Concerning the time when Ely iudged Israel which was in the dayes of the iudges we must vnderstand that the gouernement of Israel was very dissolute and men were left to themselues to doe almost what themselues listed as Iud. 17. we reade that Micah set vp an Idoll in his house and the reason is rendered there was no King in Israel but euery man did that which seemed good in his owne eyes Likewise the tribe of Dan offered violence to Micah and robbed him Iud. 18. For there was no King in Israel vers 1. The Leuites wife was most shamefully abused by the Gibeonites for there was no King chap. 19.1 The men of Beniamin tooke them wiues by force for they had no King chap. 21.25 So you see that both religion was corrupted and the maners of the people grew to be outragious and all because there was no perfect distinct gouernement there was no King in Israel In Elie his time the word of God was precious 1. Sam. 3.1 Great was the ignorance of the whole land the licentiousnesse also of his sonnes was a great offence to all Israel and brought a great decay of godlines with it 1. Sam. 2.17.23 Yea they caused the people through their euill example to sinne verse 24. Wherefore Elie his house was iudged of GOD for his remisnes in gouernement in not correcting his sonnes chapter 3.13 And hee that cannot rule his owne house how should hee care for the Church 1. Timoth. 3.5 It cannot now bee proued by the example of Elie that the ciuill gouernement was annexed to the priesthoode by the Lordes appoyntment but it is rather to bee ascribed to the corruption of those times for hauing no King nor Captaine ouer them they were driuen of necessitie to come to the high Priest vnto whome the iudgement of many matters was committed by the lawe of God Deuter. 17.8 Leuit. 13.2 But the priesthood and the ciuill magistracie were two distinct things alwaies from the time of the lawe established It is then no good argument which is drawne from the practise and example of those corrupt times And yet wee say not that these offices were so distinct but that the Lorde might rayse vp some extraordinarie prophet as hee did Samuel who to restore iustice and religion decayed might for a time both iudge the people and offer sacrifice as wee see hee did As for the examples of the Maccabees they moue vs not you must bring better scripture for your purpose the authoritie of those bookes binde vs not and againe we see they did contrarie to the lawe in taking vppon them both offices for the priesthood was annexed to the posteritie of Aaron for euer Numb 3.10 And the scepter was not to depart from Iuda till Christ came Genes 49.10 As the Lorde also had promised to Dauid that the Kingdome should remaine in his seede 2. Chron. 22.3 2 Constantine the great gaue vnto the Pope the chiefe gouernement of the Citie of Rome and other Lordships in Italie yea the soueraigntie ouer the West parts why then is it not lawfull for him to enioy his gift Bellarmine lib. 5. cap. 9. Ans. First the donation of Constantine seemeth to be forged for if Constantine resigned to Siluester the politicall dominion of the west partes how could he then haue distributed his Empire amongst his sonnes as the West part to one the East to the second the middle part to the third Againe the donation saith that Constantine was baptised at Rome by Siluester before the battaile against Maximinus and that then the patrimonie was giuen but it is certaine by stories that he was baptised at Nicomedia by Eusebius Bishop there in the 31. yeere of his raigne wherefore it seemeth to be a forged and deuised thing plur apud Fox pag. 105. 2 Aeneas Siluius saith that Mathilda a noble Dutches in Italie gaue those landes to the Pope which are called S. Peters patrimonie how then can it be true that they were giuen by Constantine Thirdly the popish doctors and Canonists confesse that Constantines grant is not so much to bee counted a donation as a restitution of that which tyrannouslie was taken from him but hee hath his power spirituall and temporall immediatly from Christ you see then that they themselues make no great reckoning of Constantines donation Antoni summa maior 3. part 4 Yet if Constantinus that good Emperor had been so minded to haue bestowed the imperiall dignitie vpon the bishop of Rome there remaineth a great question whether he ought to haue accepted of it or not nay hee should haue refused it for the temporall sword belongeth not to spirituall gouernors At the least it had been a charitable part not to haue suffered the Emperor to disinherite his
and therefore hee loued much To the third wee answere that by the Iesuites owne confession Iames who was as they say Bishoppe of Ierusalem had the primacie there how then can they now giue it to Peter The Protestants THat Peter had no such iurisdiction ouer the Apostles as to bee called the head and Prince of them but that to them all indifferentlie were the keyes committed and did all faithfullie execute their Apostleship without any subiection of each to other but ioyned the right hands of fellowship together we thus confirme it out of the holy Scripture and necessarie arguments deriued out of the same 1 Ephes. 2.20 Apocalips 21.14 The Church is said to bee built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Ergo no primacie of power amongst the Apostles they all founded the Church Bellarmine confesseth that in respect of their doctrine there was no difference betweene Peter and the rest for they all were first planters of Churches they all preached the Gospell by reuelation But in respect of gouernement they were not equall they had chiefe authoritie committed to them as Apostles and Embassadors of Christ But Peter as ordinarie pastor Wee answere First by his owne confession the Apostles had chiefe authoritie as Apostles but there was no higher authoritie or power then of the Apostleship but as they were Apostles they were equall saith the Iesuite Ergo there could be no superioritie for the calling of the Apostles was the highest in the Church 2 To preach the Gospell and to haue iurisdiction of gouernement do both belong to the power of the keyes but the keyes were equallie committed to all Ergo they had all equall power both to preach and to gouerne That they all had the power of the keyes equallie graunted vnto them wee haue proued before out of Matth. 18.18 2 Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that Iames was Bishop and ordinarie pastor at Ierusalem and saith with Anselme and Thomas Aquinas that therefore he is named first by Saint Paule Gal. 2. Bellarm. cap. 19. Therefore at Ierusalem Peter was to giue primacie to the ordinarie pastor there If they answere that Rome was then the chiefe citie and therefore Peter being Bishop of Rome was to haue the preeminence To this we replie that Ierusalem was rather to be preferred in respect of place which was chosen by the Lord himselfe to be the chiefe citie of his Church But Rome through the tyrannie and vsurpation of the Romans ouer other countries was aduanced to that dignitie not by the election of God But Bellarmine answereth that Peter was Bishop of the whole Church and so of Ierusalem too We answere he now saith lesse for Peter then if hee called him as he was the Apostle of the whole world for it was more to be an Apostle thā a Bishop Diuers were called in the Apostles times episcopi ouerseers or Bishops that were not Apostles as the pastors of Ephesus Act. 20.28 Wherefore now hee hath saide iust nothing in seeking to aduance Peter hee hath disgraced him in pulling him downe from his high Apostleship to the chaire of a Bishop 3 Peter had no superioritie ouer Paul for they ioyned right handes of fellowship and this allotment was made betweene them that Paule should bee the chiefe of the Gentiles and Peter of the circumcision Galath 2.9 Ergo. Bellarmine answereth First they were ioyned as fellow-laborers in the preaching of the Gospell but Peter might for all this bee greater in the office and power of gouerning Wee answere yea but the text saith that Paule onelie was not appointed to preach to the Gentiles but hee had the chiefe Apostleship Now to the Apostleship belongeth not onely the function of preaching but the whole vse of the keyes and power of iurisdiction Ergo in all respects Saint Paule ouer the Gentiles had the chiefe Apostleship But let any man say that this was a humane compact amongst themselues and Paul had his lotte at Peters assignement the text sheweth that the Lorde himselfe had made this distribution For when they sawe saith Saint Paul that the Gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to mee verse 7. So then the Apostles did but confirme by their consent that distribution which they sawe the Lord himselfe had appoynted Further saith the Iesuite the diuision was not so made but that it was lawfull for Peter also to preache to the Gentiles Wee answeare wee graunt it and for Paule to preache to the Iewes yet that distinction remayned still that Peter was chiefe of the circumcision Paule of the vncircumcision Againe saith hee but Peter had the more excellent lotte for Christ himselfe first preached to the Iewes Wee answere wee denie not but that hee had the first lotte in order for to the Iewes was the Gospell first offered but Paul had the larger and more glorious lotte the Church of the Iewes now decaying and the Gentiles beginning to be planted in their roome But howsoeuer it was it cannot bee denied but that Paule was chiefe towards the Gentiles And therefore the Church of Rome might with better right haue deriued their authoritie from S. Paul then from Peter Both of them they cannot make patrons of their See seeing by their owne rules the Pope cannot be successor to them both Further out of the same place Galath 2.11 an other thing commeth to bee obserued that Peter was rebuked of Paule and in such sort that it appeareth there was no great inequality between them for he doth it to his face openlie before all men and at Antioch in Peters owne Bishopricke as they say can it be now thought that Paul was any thing inferior to Peter Bellarmine and the Iesuits answere that the Pope may bee rebuked of an inferior and ought to take it patiently if it be done in zeale and loue Aunswere First wee doe not simplie thus conclude because Paul reprehended Peter therefore he was not his superior but because of the manner as we shewed it was done in such sorte so plainely so openly without any submission or crauing of pardon that there can appeare no inequalitie at all betweene them Secondly although they seeme heere to graunt that the Pope may be rebuked yet is it otherwise in their Canon lawe which saith that though the Pope doe leade innumerable soules to hell no mortall man may presume to reprooue his faultes part 1. distin 4. cap. Si Papa Fulk Annot. in Gala. 2. sect 8. 4 Lastlie what reason was there why Christ should giue the supremacie to Peter ouer the rest Christ was no acceptor of persons if hee had bene Iohn should haue bene preferred whom he loued most If deserts be weighed I think Peter deserued no more then the rest of his fellowes Nay I thinke the wisedome of the Spirit foreseeing the questions that should afterward arise in the Church about Peter hath so disposed that this Apostles infirmities both in number more and weight greater then any of the rest should be euidentlie set forth in
more then was in the fountaine or originall seeing he receiued all from thence 3 What maketh this place I pray you for the power of externall iurisdiction Here it is saide that God gaue of his spirit to seauentie Elders and rulers of the people and enabled them for their office endued them with wisdome and knowledge and dexteritie in iudging of the people this maketh nothing for their purpose vnlesse they will also say that there is a secret influence of knowledge and wisdome deriued from the Pope to all other Bishops whereby they are made able to execute their office but I trow they will not say so for Alphonsus de castro truly saith of the Popes of Rome constat plures eorum adeo esse illiteratos vt grammaticam penitus ignorent it is certaine that many of them were so vnlearned that they hard and scant knew their grammar 4 The argument followeth not from one particular countrie as this was of the Iewes to the vniuersal Church that because the seauentie Elders receiued iurisdiction from Moses yet that cannot be proued out of this place for they were rulers before and commaunders of the people the were now but inwardly furnished and further enabled yet it were no good reason that therefore the Ecclesiasticall Ministers ouer the whole Church should receiue their power from one 5 Neither doth it follow that because the Prince and ciuill Magistrate may bestowe ciuil offices create Dukes Earles Lords constitute Iudges Deputies Lieutenants by his sole authoritie that by the same reason Ecclesiasticall ministers should receiue their power office from their superiors for although the Church from ancient time hath thought it good to make some inequalitie and difference in Ecclesiasticall offices for the peace of the Church yet the superiors haue not such a soueraigntie and commaunding power ouer the rest as the Prince hath ouer his subiects The Protestants THat Bishops haue not their Ecclesiastical iurisdiction from Rome but do as well enioye it by right of their consecration election institution in their owne precinctes circuites prouinces cities townes yea as the Pope doth in his Bishopricke and by much better right if they be good Bishops and louers of the truth thus briefely it is proued 1 The Apostles had not their iurisdiction from Peter but all receiued it indifferently from Christ this the Iesuite doth not barely acknowledge but proueth it by argument against the iudgement of other Papists cap. 23. Ergo neither Bishops are authorised from the Pope though he were Peters successor for if he were to graunt it for disputation sake he is no more to the Bishops of the Church then Peter was to the Apostles If hee gaue not the keyes to the Apostles neither doth the Pope Saint Peters successor to the Bishops the Apostles successors for they may with as great right challenge to bee the Apostles successors as he can to be Saint Peters Nay the Apostles gaue no power or iurisdiction to the Elders and pastors whom they ordained Act. 20.28 Take heede to the flocke ouer the which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops or ouerseers and Ephes. 4.11 Hee hath giuen some to bee Apostles some Prophets some pastors and teachers so then the pastors and teachers though ordained by the Apostles yet had their calling and office frō God and not from the Apostles much lesse now can they receiue their power from any no not from the Pope for he is no Apostle no nor Apostolike man hauing left the Apostolike faith 2 Augustine saith Solus Christus habet authoritatem praeponendi nos in ecclesiae suae gubernatione de actu nostro iudicandi de baptis 2.2 Onely Christ hath authoritie saith hee to preferre vs to the gouernement of the Church and to iudge of our dooings the pastors then of the Church haue the keyes of the spirituall regiment from Christ himselfe not from the Pope or any other THE EIGHT QVESTION OF THE temporall iurisdiction and power of the Bishop of Rome THis question hath two partes first whether the Pope in respect of any spirituall error 51 iurisdiction haue also the chiefe soueraigntie in temporall and ciuill matters and so to be aboue Kings and Emperors secondly whether the Pope or any Bishop may be the chiefe Lord and prince ouer any Countrie Citie or Prouince THE FIRST PART WHETHER THE Pope directly or indirectly haue authoritie aboue Kinges and Princes The Papists THe Papists of former times were not ashamed to say that the Pope is the Lord of the whole Church as Panormitane in the Councell of Basile Fox page 670. Yea Pope Innocentius the third said writing to the Emperor of Constantinople that as the Moone receiued her light from the Sunne so the imperiall dignitie did spring from the Pope and that the papall dignitie was seuen and fortie times greater then the imperiall yea Kinges and Emperors are more inferior to the Pope then lead is to golde Gelasius distinct 96. But our later papists ashamed of their forefathers arrogancie in wordes seeme to abate somewhat of their proud sentence but in effect say the same thing For they confesse that the Emperor hath his office and calling of God and not from the Pope neither that the Pope directly hath any temporall iurisdiction but indirectly hee may depose Kinges and princes abrogate the lawes of Emperors and establish his owne he may take vnto himselfe the iudgement of temporall causes and cite Kings to appeare before him yet not directlie saith the Iesuite as hee is ordinarie Iudge ouer the Bishops and whole Clergie yet indirectlie as hee is the chiefe spirituall Prince hee may doe all this if hee see it necessarie for the health of mens soules And so in effect by their popish indirect meanes they giue him as great authoritie as euer hee vsurped or challenged Bellarmine lib. 5. cap. 6. 1 The Ecclesiasticall and ciuill power doe make but one bodie and societie as the spirite and the flesh in man Now the Ecclesiastical power which is as the soule and spirite is the chiefe part because it is referred to a more principall end namely the safetie and good of the soule the other is as the flesh to the spirite and respecteth but a temporall end as the outward peace and prosperitie of the common-wealth Ergo the spirituall power is chiefe and may commaund the other Bellarm. cap. 7. Ans. First it is a very vnfit and vnproper similitude to compare these two regiments to the soule and the bodie for by this meanes as the spirite giueth life to the bodie and euery parte thereof so the ciuill and temporall state should receiue their office and calling from the Ecclesiasticall which the Iesuite himselfe denieth and so directly the one should rule the other for the soule directly I trow not indirectly moueth the body and gouerneth it But if wee will speake as the Scripture doth we make all but one bodie and it is the spirit of Christ who is the head that giueth
owne sonnes for to enrich the See of Rome as Augustine very well saith Qui vult exhaeredato filio ecclesiam haeredem facere quaerat alterum qui suscipiat non Augustinum immo deo propitio nullum inueniat He that would make the Church his heire and defeate his own children let him seeke some bodie else to accept of his gift surely Augustine wil not nor I trust any honest man beside The Protestants FIrst we willingly grant that the Church may inioy those tēporall possessions which haue been of old granted vnto it for the better maintenance thereof so they bee not abused to riot and excesse as the Leuites beside their tithes had their cities and fieldes Numb 35. Secondly the iudgement of Ecclesiasticall matters doth of right appertaine to the Church as Amariah the Priest was the chiefe in all matters of the Lord 2. Chron. 19.11 Thirdly we doe not vtterly exclude spirituall persons from temporall causes but as the ciuill Magistrate hath his interest in ordaining of Ecclesiasticall lawes so spirituall persons ought not to be strangers from the ciuill state being meete men for their knowledge and conscience to be consulted withall and conferred with and to be ioyned in Councell with the Magistrate in difficult matters as wee reade Deuter. 17.8 How the high Priest and chiefe iudge did ioyne in mutuall helpe and assistance But that any spirituall person may bee a temporall prince and haue the chiefe gouernement of both states and handle both swordes we say it is contrarie to the word of God for in these three poyntes standeth chiefly the office of the prince in making and ordaining ciuill lawes in hauing power of life and death in proclaiming of warre and waging of battayle with none of these ought Ecclesiasticall persons to deale as we will now shew in order 1 Concerning the making of ciuill lawes and statutes though the Ecclesiasticall bodie according to the ancient custome of this land haue their suffrage and voyce and doe giue consent yet the chiefe stroke in alowing confirming and enacting of such lawes is in the prince and cannot agree or bee matched with any spirituall office Saint Paul saith Who is sufficient for these things that is for the work of the Ministerie 2. Cor. 2.16 If therefore spirituall persons suffice not to execute to the full their spirituall charge though they should bend all their studie and care that way much more insufficient shall they be if they be entangled in temporall affayres for the well guiding and ordering whereof a whole man likewise is scarce sufficient Againe saith he no man that warreth entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life 2. Timoth. 2.4 By affaires seculare here are not onely vnderstoode as the Iesuite imagineth merchandise traffike buying selling and such like but the care and charge also of ciuill gouernement of making lawes and orders for the ciuill state which must needs bee a great let to the spirituall busines and require greater studie and labor then the other baser workes which are named To this Augustine agreeth Quo iure saith he defendis villas Vnde quisque possidet quod habet Iure humano iure imperatorum quare quia ipsa iura humana per imperatores reges seculi Deus distribuit generi humano tract in Ihoann 6. By what law doest thou defend thy possessions by the lawe of man the lawe of the Emperors for these humane lawes by Gods ordinance are giuen vnto men by the Emperors and Kings of the world See then ciuill lawes and humane constitutions are giuen and made not by the Pope Priest or any other Prelate but onely by Kings and Princes and the ciuill magistrates 2 It were a mōstrous an vnnatural thing that any Ecclesiastical gouernor should haue power of life death for he hath no better right to the ciuil sword then the prince to the Ecclesiasticall sword and if it be not lawfull for the ciuill Magistrate to excommunicate which is as the spi●tuall sword and the greatest censure of the Church no more is it to be suffered that by the authoritie or commaundement of any Ecclesiasticall person any man should bee put to death The high Priest was not to deale with matters of bloud which touched the life but the offenders were brought to the gates of the citie where the magistrates sate Deuter. 17.5 Not to the temple where the priest ministred Nay we see that in the most corrupt times of the Iewish common-wealth namelie when they put our blessed Sauiour to death the priests did not challenge any such power It is not lawful say they for vs to put any to death Iohn 18.31 But that power was in the temporall Magistrate as Pilate said to Christ Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and power to loose thee Ioh. 19.10 Ergo the Pope cannot bee a temporall prince to haue power of life and death 3 If the Pope be a temporall prince then hee may wage battaile which although the Iesuite dare not plainely affirme yet it followeth necessarilie vpon his assertion for it is lawfull for any temporall prince to make warre And it hath been the common practise of Popes and popish prelates so to doe There were great bitter battailes fought betweene Vrbane the sixt and the Antipope Clement in the which on the one side there were 5000. slaine Fox pag. 434. Henry Spenser a lustie young bloud Bishop of Norwich was the Popes Captaine generall in France where he sacked the towne of Grauenidge and put man woman and childe to the sword So Pope Iulius cast his keyes into the Riuer Tybris and tooke himselfe to his sword waged many battailes and at the last was encountred withall by Lewes the French King vpon Easter day where there was of his army slaine to the nūber of 16000. But these warlike affaires of the Pope misliked the Papists themselues for hee was therefore condemned in the Councell of Turone in France Anno. 1510. We may see how well these furious Popes doe followe the rule of Christ who cōmaunded Peter to put vp his sword into his sheath If it were not lawfull for Peter to strike with the sword how is it lawfull for the Popes that I am sure dare not challenge more to themselues then was lawfull for Peter Thus wee see how absurd a thing it is that the Pope should bee a temporall Prince THE NINTH QVESTION OF THE PRErogatiues of the Pope BEside these priuiledges and immunities of the See of Rome which hitherto we haue spoken of both in spirituall and temporall matters there are other prerogatiues which haue been in times past giuen to the Bishops of Rome most blasphemous wicked which the Papists of this age are ashamed of and therefore passe them ouer with silence for Bellarmine saith nothing of them Wee will therefore spare our labor in confuting of them they are so grosse and absurd but onely bring them forth that the godly reader may vnderstand the
I pray you whether our merchants be admitted to traffick safely in Spaine if their religion be knowen The seruants of God amongst you can neither enioy houses lands libertie or life which yoke also was layd a long time vpon this land till it pleased God to haue mercie on vs for the which his name be blessed 3. Againe many yeares agoe euen in Augustines and Ambrose his time all Churches were ioyned to Rome before Antichrist was yet reuealed Ergo. This is not the Character of Antichrist Bellarmin ibid. Answere First they were ioyned then in common consent of religion not as subiects by compulsion but voluntarie because at that time Rome in the chiefest poynts of Religion was in the right fayth 2. But of late dayes in the Councel of Constance not yet 2. hundred yeares agoe it was made an article of faith to beleeue that the Pope was the head of the Vniuersal Church yea about the yeare 600. the title of Vniuersal Bishop first began to be appropriate to Rome whereby was insinuated that all Churches in the world should be vnder the obedience thereof Lastly we haue the testimonie of one of their Popes themselues who saith plainly that hee is the forerunner of Antichrist which would bee called Vniuersall Bishop lib. 4. epistol 32. See then by his testimony the title of Vniuersality and exacting of obedience of other Churches is the character marke of Antichrist THE FOVRTH PART CONCERNING the generation and original of Antichrist The Papists error 60 THey doe reiect those olde fancies concerning Antichrist as that hee should be borne of a Virgin by helpe of the diuel that hee should haue the diuell to his father that he should be a diuell incarnate or that hee should bee Nero raysed from the dead Refusing these fables they haue found out one as foolish Our Rhemists holde that Antichrist shal be borne of the tribe of Dan. Bellarm. dare not say so but he thinketh that he shall come of the Iewes stock and be circumcised and be taken of the Iewes for their Messiah cap. 12. 1. That he shall come of the tribe of Dan thus they would prooue it Genes 49.17 Dan shal be a serpent by the way biting the horse heeles Ierem. 8.16 The neying of his horses is heard from Dan. And Apocal. 7. where 12. thousand of euery tribe are reckoned onely Dan is left out because belike Antichrist should come of that tribe Rhemist 2. Thess. 2. sect 8. Answere Bellarmine confuteth all these reasons the first hee saith with Hierome to be vnderstood of Sampson who came of the tribe of Dan the second place is of Nabuchadnezzers comming to destroy Ierusalem as Hierome also expoundeth it to the third he sayth that Ephraim is left out as well as Dan yea and so is Manass●h too because the tribe of Ioseph is named for his two sonnes but Dan is left out because Leui is reckoned in his place Wee may see now how well they agree when one Iesuite confuteth another Bellarmin cap. 12. 2. Bellarmine standeth much vpon that place Iohn 5.43 If an other come in his name him will ye receiue But sayth he the Iewes will receiue none but of their owne kinred and whom they looke for to be their Messiah Ergo. Antichrist must come of the Iewes ibd Answere This place we haue shewed before part 1. of this question to be vnderstood of false prophets amongst the Iewes such as mention is made of Act. 5. as Theudas and Iudas and not of any one false prophet so Iohn 10. where Christ compareth himselfe which is the true shepheard with the hireling he vnderstandeth all hirelings though he speake in the singular number The Protestantes THat it is a very fable and cousoning deuice of heretikes to make men beleeue that Antichrist shall come of the tribe of Dan or of the stock of the Iewes thus we shew it 1. It is out of doubt that the nation of the Iewes shall bee conuerted vnto God and mercy shal be shewed againe to the remnant of Israel Rom. 11.25 confessed also by the papists But if one come which shall reedifie the temple and restore the sacrifices and circumcision such an one as the Iewes shall take for their Messiah who seeth not that by this meanes the Iewes will bee more hardned hauing now their owne hearts desire their temple Messiah circumcision and their conuersion would be greatly hindred nay quite and clean ouerthrowen 2. If Antichrist should come of the Iewes it is like that his seate should bee at Ierusalem and that the temple shall be built agayne by him but that cannot be for the temple as Daniel prophesieth shall lie desolate euen vnto the ende Dani. 9.27 Ergo. he shall not come of the Iewes More of this in the next parte THE FIFT PART CONCERNING THE seate and place of Antichrist The Papists BEllarmine holdeth opinion that Antichrist shall haue his imperiall seate at Ierusalem and reedifie and build againe the temple yea for a while commaund error 61 circumcision to be vsed and obserued Bellarm. cap. 13. lib. 3. de pontif Rhemist 2. Thessa. 2. sect 11. 1. Apocal. 11.8 the Citie of Antichrist is called the great Citie where our Lord was crucified But Christ was crucified at Ierusalem Ergo. Answere First it cannot be so vnderstood for ver 2. Ierusalem is called the holy Citie ver 8. This great Citie is called Sodome and Aegypt how can the same Citie be capable of such contrary names How can that be called an holy Citie where the abomination of desolation shall be and the seate of Antichrist Secondly Augustine in Apocal. homil 8. vnderstandeth by the great Citie and the streetes thereof the middest of the Church And by the great citie verie fitly is vnderstood the large iurisdiction of the Pope who sayth hee is head of the great citie and Catholike Church Whose seate we see is at Rome by authoritie of which citie Christ was put to death and by Antichrist the Pope Christ also is persecuted in his members Fulk annotat Apocalyps 11. sect 2. 2. Apocalips 17.16 the tenne hornes that is tenne kings amongst whom the Romane Empire shall bee deuided shall hate the scarlet whore that is Rome and burne it with fire how then shall it bee the seate of Antichrist Bellarm. Answere The text is plaine that the same kingdomes that before had giuen their power to the beast and were subiect to the whore of Babilon shall after make her desolate and eate her flesh which thing we see in part to be accomplished already that many princes haue redeemed their necks from Antichrist his yoke Fulk Apocal. 17. sect 3. It is not necessary therefore to bee done all at one time but one after another 3. 2. Thessal 2. he shall sit in the temple of God but at that time the Iewes onely had a temple the Christians yet had none and the Apostle speaking of the Church of God did of purpose refrayne this name lest the Church of Christians