better records and so they and all heretical assemblies in the world among whom the Bible is must be judged Gods true Churches Let us add hereunto the testimonie of men and touching our own county D. Fulk answereth the Papists thus you taught the people nothing ells but to pronounce and that ful ylfavouredly like popingeyes certain Latin words which they understood no more then stocks or stones So that the people had no instruction from you no not of the name of God in many places but that they received by vncertayn talk of their parents as it were from hand to hand For how many thowsand parishes are here in England that within these 60. yeres would declare that they never heard sermon in their life As for that they heard of their service they learned as much of it as of the ringing of their bells which was a sound without understanding These things being so what caling had the poor seduced people more then among the heathens Wee wil make the matter playn say they by a similitude from Ier. 3. A wife being filthy with adulteries if her husband wil pardon her and consent to receiv her she abideth stil his wife c. So a church overflowing with adulteries c. I answer God if it were granted that he is the husband of this whore hath promised her no pardon but delivered her to Satan to be seduced deluded damned 2 Thes. 2.9 11 12. Secondly I deny that this harlot was ever Christs spouse otherweise then al the world was by our first parents Adam and Noah For this is not she unto whom Paul wrote Rom. 1. but an other of whom he prophesied 2 Thes. 2. She succeedeth in the same place as the night succeedeth the day The Church in Pauls time came from heaven Rev. 21.2 and is long since gone to God this came up from the bottomless pit Rev. 17 8. and thither she must return She is of an other religion the daughter of a strange God But they alledge touching the election as is sayd of the Jewes Rom. 11.28 she is beloved for her fathers sakes I answer first then this proveth rather the Iewes at this day a church for stil they are loved for their fathers sakes and shal be called againe as th'Apostle there sheweth Secondly if the Iewes are beloved for their good fathers sakes then Rome may wel be hated for her evil fathers sakes For who were her fathers but the Gentiles Sodomites and Aegyptians Rev. 11 2 8 18. not the saincts in Rome for she is not of their faith and sanctitie But you will say she is the natural posteritie of them Nay ther is not so much as likelihood therof much less any certainty For besides the bloody persecutions in those times that did cut off the godly there were after that many changes of the Romane state great cōmotions that heavens departed away as a scrol when it is rolled every mountayn I le were moved out of their places Kings Captayns and all sorts of men sled and hid themselves Rev. 6 14 15 so great were the troubles of those times And for particulars Alaricus with his Gothes above a thowsand yeres agoe did take spoyl and burn Rome in the yere of Christ 414. After that agayn within 44. yeres Gensericus with his Vandals took and spoiled it and Rome for a time remayned without any inhabitant A few yeres after did Odoacer with an other company invade Italie and conquer Rome put the Emperour to flight made himself King and did much spoyl Then Theodoricus and the Ostrogothes took it and after him agayn Bellisarius with his armie wann it But above al Totilas King of the Gothes in the yere of our Lord 546. after all the former invasions did overthrow Rome quite cast down the walls burn the howses and made it so desolate that there remayned in it neyther man nor woman These turmoiles in Rome within the space of a few yeres being observed and the possessing of that land by those forreyners the Gothes who mixed them selves with the people and degenerated into the name of Jtalians and other plagues afterwards by the Saracens that kylled innumerable sowls in Rome Italie these the like may teach us how unpossible it is to shew that the present church of Rome is so much as the natural posteritie of the Saincts in Pauls time though if they were yet would it help them no more in this estate then the Ismaelites Aedomites which were the natural seed of Abraham And Adonisedek with his Amorites and Iebusites in Ierusalem Josh 10 1. c may as wel be justified to be Gods true Church because of Melchisedek King Preist of God who with his faithful company dwelled there 5. or 6. hundred yeres before Gen. 14 18. c. as the popish Beast with his Iesuites and marked slaves at this day may be pleaded for because of the godly that lived in Rome 15 or 16. hundred yeres agone And thus their reasons from Israel are also impertinent to this estate they might wel serve for the times wherin Iohn lived when the true Churches were many of them apostate but the Aegyptians and Babylonians are shadowes of our Antichristians among whom their hethenish abominations are spiritually accomplished Rev. 11. ◠But they plead stil Jn that the Church of Rome hath al the divine things in the scriptures it is of God a Church in that it hath them al corrupt that is of it self and it is a corrupt Church The Church is not taken away by corruption unless it be total c. I answer stil they take for granted that which they should prove and which I have before again and agayn disproved It is not properly the old Church of Rome corrupted but a new church arisen out of the bottomless pit carying the shew and titles of the old It is not the woman fled into the wildernes but an other woman or citie reigning over the Kings of the earth The Lamb Christ is not there as on mount Sion with his 144. thowsand having his fathers name written on their forheads Rev. 14 1. but the Wolf Antichrist with his sheeps skyn lambs horns is there with his armie of Canaanites as on moūt Maggedon At first those Gentiles invaded the courts of Gods tēple and trode down the holy citie Rev. 11.2 as the Babylonians of old dealt with Gods sanctuarie Ps. 79.1 c. Ier. 51.1.3 c. Lam. 1.10 If that army of infidels were Gods true Church so is the synagogue of Antichristians And the Hethens in their altars temples sacrifices c. had the divine things of God among them as wel if not better then hath the man of syn and his worshipers in their sacrifice of the Mass and other manifold idolatries The dutie of those that are in the popish Church and see their corruptions is they say such as of those
Ministerie though with corruptions how wil they be able to bear out such as are excoÌ„municated for so great contempt and errour 3. Thirdly as Antichristians doo excoÌ„municate such as they should not so doo they baptise such as they ought not even open impenitent Idolaters and their seed the generation of Vipers which Iohn Baptist would refuse Yea Mr Iohnson himself hath sayd of a better estate then Romes that Gods covenant is sacrilegiously violated whiles it is sayd to the open wicked in delivering them the seals of Gods covenant Thou art righteous Therfore if the Popes excoÌ„municatorie bulls are but bubbles because they are unjustly executed his baptisme also will be found but a fiction no true seal of salvation to such as receive it of him Finally touching circumcision I think it cannot be manifested that any people 's fallen from God and his Church using it colourablie for a religious action as al Antichristians and heretiks doo baptism at this day did or were bound to cutt their foreskin the second time if they came unto the truth of God as for example the Colchians Aegyptians and Aethiopians whom histories mentioÌ„ to be circumcised or the Samaritans whom Mr Iohnson acknowledgeth to have stil vsed circumcision Hereunto we may add out of the Iewish records how they hold that Al have leav to circumcise yea though it be an uncircumcised person or a servant or a woman or a child circumcising in the place where ther is no man But an hethen may not circumcise at al yet if he doo circumcise ther is no need to return circumcise the second time If this rule stand we shal not need to repeat our outward washing in baptism though given us by Antichrist or any other aliants from the church covenant of promise Of the Church of Rome The Church of Rome being acknowledged by al that fear God to be the throne of Antichrist Mr Iohnson himself having professed that the hierachie and Church-constitution of Antichrist is the most detestable anarchie of Satan that ever was yet imitating now M. Gifford M. Bernard and other professed enemies of the truth he pleads for that Church after this manner The Apostle expressly teacheth that Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God 2. Thes. 2 4. And by the Temple understanding the Church of God it wil folow that Antichrist should sit in the Church of God and is there to be sought and found and not among Jewes Turks Pagans c. neyther that Antichrist takes away wholly the church of God and every truth and ordinance of the Lord c. I answer truth errour are closely couched togither in this their plea for the discerning wherof we are to consider first how Antichrists church is described in Gods word secondly what the state of the church of Rome is at this day The Antichristian synagogue is by the holy Ghost caled a Beast which signifyeth a kingdom it is named also a great citie which noteth the largenes of that politie and kingdom It cometh up out of the earth as being of this world which Christs kingdom that coÌ„meth down from heaven is not and therfore is caled a man of syn and a great whore whose head is Abaddon or Apollyon the destroyer of others and himself the son of perdition and they that follow him are the children of damnation This wicked generation warreth against the Lamb Christ and against the saincts blasphemeth Gods name tabernacle and them that dwel in heaven â—hat is the true Church whose conversation is heavenly Yet doo they all this mischeif under shew of Christian religion therfore this beast hath horns like the Lamb Christ this whore is arayed with purple skarlet guilded with gold precious stones and pearles as if she were the Queen and spowse of Christ she hath peace offrings Vovves as if she were devowt in Gods service bread and waters as ready to refresh the weary sowls Her doctrines sweet amiable lyeâ— spoken in hypocrisie but yet confirmed with signes and miracles as if they came from heaven her power and efficacie great prevayling over the many and the mighty the Kings Princes of world deceiving al nations with her inchantments and if it were possible Gods very elect her continuance and outward prosperitie long her end miserable consumed with the spirit of the Lords mouth and abolished with the brightnes of his coÌ„ming and for her destruction the heavens shall rejoyce and sing praises to God Now for to find the accomplishment of these things we are directed by the now Romish religion to a Catholik or Vniversal church one part wherof lives on earth an other under the earth and a third part in heaven 1. On earth is the whole multitude of such as are named Christians through the world united as a catholik body under one visible head the Pope who with his 2 horns like the Lamb pretendeth to be Christs Vicar in the Kingdom Preisthood and is professed of his vassals to be that triâ—d precious corner stone that sure foundation in Sion Jsa 28.16 and it is declared defined and pronounced that it is of necessity to salvation for al men to be subject unto him Vnder this Captain are three bands of souldiers the first clergie men as Bishops Preists Deacons Subdeacons and the rest of those shavelings the second Lay men as Kings Pinces Nobles Citizens and Commons of al sorts and vocations the third sort is both of the Clergie and Laitie caled Monks or Regulars 2. Vnder the earth or in Purgatorie fyre are the sowles they say of al such as dye with venial synns whose payns are to be holpen by prayers and masses sayd for them by such as are alive on earth 3. In heaven are the sowls of men departed in the popish fayth and delivered from purgatorie some of which the Pope canonizeth for Saincts whom the people on earth are religiously to honour and pray unto as their mediators with God This church on earth cannot err in things which it commandeth men to beleev oâ— doo whither they be expressed in scripture or not therfore men must beleev in her and trust her in al things for the truth of the faith as touching us relyeth upon her authoritie and she hath power to make lawes which doo bind and constreyn mens consciences These things premissed I come to our Opposites arguments Their first reason from 2. Thes. 2.4 is unperfectly alledged for the text there sayth of the man of syn that he dooth sit as God in the TeÌ„ple of God wherupon their conclusion must be that Antichrist sitteth as God in the church of God And if they can prove that he is the true God I wil yeild that his temple is the true temple his Church the true
church Otherweise if he be but an Idol and not God his Temple church and body wil prove but an Idol like himself and his blasphemie is worse then theirs which sayd they were Jewes and were not but did lye and were the synagogue of Satan Secondly they take it for granted that by the Temple is meant the church and so goe on in obscuritie Wheras the Temple did primarily figure out Christ Joh. 2.19.21 and in the heavenly Ierusalem the true church ther was no other temple seen but the Lord God almightie and the Lamb Christ which are the Temple of it Rev. 21.22 If in this sense we understand that speech of Paul touching Antichrist then must we translate the words as some ancient Doctors have doon eis ton Naon for the Temple or as if he himself were the Temple and so in deed Antichrist taketh upon him the person and office of Christ under pretence of his Vicarship shewing himself that he is God proclayming himself to be the brydegroom of the Church which is the office of Christ yea taking a title above him for wheras Christ is caled Pontifex magnus the Great high Preist the Pope is usually intituled Pontifex maximus the Greatest high-preist and reason ther is for it because in the Pope ther is power above all powers as well of heaven as of earth as in a publick Council it was spoken of this Beast Now that these things should be true of the man of syn otherwise then by lyes spoken in hypocrisie none of grace I know wil affirm Secondarily the Temple figured the Church but first the catholik or universal church Eph. 2 21. then every particular church by proportion 1 Cor. 3 16 17. Which of these two our opposites doo intend they shew not If they mean a particular church it wil not agree with the prophesies of Antichrist whose Citie or church is so great as peoples kinreds tongues nations doo dwel in the streets therof Neyther is that answerable to the Temple in Israel which was not for one synagogue but for the whole natiō of the Iewes and for the Gentiles that came to the faith through the world If they mean the catholik or vniversal church vvhich indeed Antichrist claymeth for his Temple then we are to be taught of them how that whoorish company that worship the Beast and Dragon can possibly be the true catholik church and spowse of Christ otherweise then by counterfeysance and lying ostentation even as the Divil himself is an Angel of light And the very word Temple leadeth vs to vnderstand Antichrists church to be but a counterfeyt For what was the Temple or Tabernacle in Israel Not the Church or congregation of Gods people properly for they were the worshipers of God in the Tēple but it was a sacramental sign of Gods dwelling with his people as it is written they shal make me a sanctuarie that J may dwell among them So Solomon built the Temple that God might dwel therin and for the times under the gospel God promised J wil set my sanctuary among them for ever my Tabernacle shal be with them J wil be their God they shal be my people and the fulfilling herof is set down Rev. 21 3. behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he wil dwel with them and they shal be his people So in Revelat. 11.1 the Tēple is distinguished frō thē that worship therein which is the people The Temple then was an outward sign of Gods presence with his people and of his inward dwelling in their harts by faith and by his Spirit unto their salvation so Antichrists Temple is an outward shew of his presence with that seduced people in whose harts he dwelleth by Popish faith and by his Spirit of error carying them to damnation But as Antichrist shal not professedly deny the true God or Christ though in deed and truth he falsly sheweth himself that he is God so shal he not professedly deny the Temple or church of God but falsly vaunt his adulterous synagogue to be the same Gods true temple and tabernacle is in mount Sion in heaven wher God sitteth on a throne and dwelleth among his people wher is the ark of his covenant and from thence lightnings voices thundrings earthquake and hayl come forth against the Antichristians his enemies and vials of his wrath powred out upon the throne of the beast and on the men that have his mark On the contrary the Beast which is the kingdom of Antichrist ascendeth from beneath out of the bottomless pit and blasphemeth this heavenly tabernacle and sitteth in Babylon upon the Dragons throne and fighteth against the Lamb and against the Saincts treading under foot the holy Citie and casting down the place of Christs sanctuarie When th'Apostle therfore telleth us that Antichrist sitteth as God in the Temple of God it is to be understood first of their invading and destroying of Gods church and people as the hethens of old dealt with Ierusalē dwellers therin secōdly of their own vayn ostentatiō whiles they will have it caled the Christian catholik church and the Pope the head of the same The next point that Antichrist is to be sought there and not among the Jewes Turks Pagans is a fallacie from an insufficient division for al out of the true Church are not Jewes or Turks or Pagans ther is a fourth to make up the mease even popish Antichristians and among these is the Man of syn to be found though with a visar on his face and a sheepskin on his back In the true Church he hath somtimes been found raunging as a wolf but not reigning as a God which in his own Temple he dooth wher he is acknowledged Our Lord God the Pope and h Thou art an other God on earth and To beleev that our Lord God the Pope might not decree as he hath decreed it were a matter of heresie and O thou that takest away the synns of the world have mercy upon us with other like intollerable blasphemies Thirdly they say Antichrist takes not away wholly the church of God and every truth and ordinance of the Lord. I answer neyther did the Divil take away wholly every truth and ordinance of God from among the hethens but they reteyned many rites of Gods worship received from their fathers as before is noted Yet in very deed so much as in them lay and us stood with the safetie of their deceitful kingdom the Divil of old and Antichrist his son of late have sought wholly to take away the church truth of God and to put lyes in the place But God hath nourished the woman his church in the wildernes from the presence of the Serpent Rev. 12.14 And for further answer hereof let us hear what M. Iohnson
was not spoken in respect of the Lord. They doo not wel therfore to cite one branch of the text and concele an other deceiving the reader How and in what sense God called them his people I have shevved before their former state their present pretense to be the Lords and the future mercie that they should and yet shal receiv might wel and did occasion such speeches but in deed and truth it was as God sayd to them you are not my people therfore wil not J be yours And as for God remembring his covenant it is true even to this day for they are beloved for their fathers sakes and shal agayn have the benefit of their first covenant and so may stil becaled Gods people as the Prophets foretelling their return doo intitle them yet I hope our opposites wil not hereupon conclude that the Iewes now whiles they continue unrepentant are Gods true visible church That of Jsrael and Judah being no widow Jer. 51.5 is a prophesie of their return out of Babylon and restoring of their common wealth as the whole argument there manifesteth They should repent and seek the Lord with tears and renew the covenant on their part and God vvould forgive them al their synns This therfore is not spoken in respect of God onely but of them also turning by repentance to the Lord in their affliction and the Lord turning to them as the first performance of this prophesie shevveth Nehem. 9.1.2 32. 38. Moreover it proveth not that Israel vvas alvvayes before Gods vvife or Church for it is playn to the contrary Hos. 2.2 and she vvas divorced Ier. 3 8. dead in syn Hos. 13.1 but now vvas to be fulfilled in such as returned that vvhich vvas prophesied on Israels part J wil goe and return to my first husband and on Gods part J wil marry the unto me in faith Their applying of these things to our times is not in all points aright For though in this Antichrists synagogue and Israels doo agree that neyther be Gods true Church yet the perfect type of Rome as God describeth it is Babylon and vve should not be vviser then God And if they cannot prove Babylon then to be Gods church which was not more deep in syn thē now Antichrist is and which citie had promise and performance of mercie in Christ at the end they shal never prove this synagogue of Satan to be Gods true Church which hath no promise of recovery or mercie but prophesies and threatnings of assured destruction They proceed further to a double regard of apostate Churches in cōparison with other peoples as Jsrael compared with the Philistims c is caled and counted Gods people having the onely true God for their God 2 King 5 8.15.17 9 6. but being compared with Judah is an harlot and not Gods wife Hos. 2.2.5 4.15 c. So the church of Rome in apostasie compared with Iewes Turks Pagans ought to be counted Christians and the Temple of God the Church of God brought to the faith of Christ 2 Thes. 2.4 with Ezek. 43 7 8. Zach. 6 12 13. Eph. 2 11. 13 19 21. 2. Cor. 6 16. Rev. 11.19 but agayn cōmpared with the ancient church of Rome such as now are faithful churches she is to be esteemed the great whore beleeving speaking lyes in hypocrisie c Rev. 17.1.5 1. Tim. 4 1 2 3. 2 Thes. 2 3 10 12. And thus in a double consideration it may be sayd of Rome in one respect ther is a true Church there and in an other respect ther is a false church there I answer first to the double regard of Israel if they mean that onely in respect of Iudah and not also of God Israel was caled none of Gods wife it is untrue and before by me disproved If they mean that not onely in respect of God but of Iudah also Israel was an harlot and not Gods wife it is true and maketh so much the more against their estate but nothing at al no not in shew for it And how Iudah respected Israel besides al former testimonies of the Prophets alleged their continual warrs both with word and sword do manifest as when after reproof of their faling from God they kylled five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel at one battel besides their continual combates after excepting some few Kings which made amitie with them for which they were reproved as the Prophet sayd to K. Iehoshaphat for joyning with the King of Israel against the Aramites wouldest thou help the wicked and love thē that hate the Lord therfore for this thing wrath from the Lord is upon thee But had the Israelites been their brethren in the faith and covenant of Christ Iudah had synned greatly in so destroying them And how the Iewes afterward also esteemed of their faith and godlynes their Rabbines testimonies in the Talmud sheweth where they say of the ten tribes Aein lahem chelek leolam haba that is they have no part in the world to come in life eternal and that the Lord did put them from upon their land in this world and wil send them into an other land in the world to come Did they now may we think esteem them within the holy covenant and to have true circumcision the seal of the righteousness which is by faith As for comparison with the Philistims and other hethens it is true they were caled the people of the Lord because they never renounced their God in name and professedly but pretended the contrary Yet seeing they did but compass the Lord with lyes and deceyt this their vayn profession did nought avayl them with God or his Saincts And so at this day the Iewes professing the God of Israel and praying to him reading his lavv and prophets dayly in their synagogues may be caled Gods people in cōparison of pagans vvhich knovv not God or his scriptures at al but vvorship the Sun and Moon and some of them the Divil by open profession Yet none I think vvil say that the Ievves novv being vvthout Christ are actually in the covenant of grace Agayn the Turks that profess One immutable living true most wise high God and doo acknovvledge Christ to be sent of God with his gospel and call him Ruchella that is the Breath or Spirit of God these men in comparison of Julian the Apostata and other like vvretches and Atheists may be caled the people of God and Christians though in deed they be farr from being eyther Secondly for their double regard of the Church of Rome I say as before of Israel that in comparison vvith Turks and paynims they may be caled Christians but are in deed false Christians such as in name and shevv pretend to be Christs but are Antichrists vvorship the Dragon and the Beast and him that fitteth as God in the Temple of God so
children that dwel with their adulterous mother that is to abhorr her syn with speech and signe to cal her back from evil absteyn themselves from it and in al things cleav to their father betake theÌ„selves into his closet c. I answer thus it appeareth that these our opposites are returned to acknowledge the whore of Rome to be their mother whom they feign to be as woman which lyeth in a deadly sort swollen with waters of the dropsie or with poison which had long agoe given up the ghost if God by the imposition of his grace c. had not nourished and kept her warm Now to leav their mother thus on her sick bed as they have doon disclayming al Christian dutie unto her which is due to a true Church in corruption is but the part of unnatural children Whiles God dooth nourish keep her warm wil they quite abandon her let them return and cherish her also and al her members and see if ther be any baulm to heal her wounds and to comfort her As for us we have been taught of God that in respect of him she is dead long agoe in her syns Rev. 20.5 with Ephes. 2.1 having been the marked whore worshiper of the Beast from which death she is not risen to live reign with Christ. Although to this world she liveth and reigneth in pleasure til at one day death otherwise also come upon her she be burnt with fire Rev. 18.7.8 And then shal we be so far from mourning at her funeral as we shal rejoyce with the heavenly multitude and sing Hallelujah when God hath given Sodoms judgment on her and we see her smoke rise up for evermore Rev. 19 1.2.3 Finally to back M. Iunius judgment they cite Amandus Polanus Bart. Keckerman who sayd that Antichrist shal sit in the temple of God not Jewish but Christian c. and as a rotten apple is an apple but corrupt so that Church is corrupt c. I answer they may I confess cite diverse men that were mistaken in judging of that rotten church which wil help these our opposites nothing who have seen and acknowledged better now goe back Bernard was a learned man in his time and is counted a Sainct and he playnly reproved many Romish abominations and sayd the beast in the Revelation which hath a mouth speaking blasphemies occupieth Peters chaire yet himself doted overmuch upoÌ„ the bewty of that harlot when he wrote thus at an other time to her Leman the Pope Thou art the great sacrificer the cheif Preist thou art Prince of Bishops heyr of th'Apostles thou art in primacie Abel in government Noah in patriarchship Abraham in order Melchisedek in dignity Aaron in authoritie Moses in judgship Samuel in power Peter in anoynting Christ. It is not therfore to be marveiled at though wise godly men be mistaken for in many things we syn all Jam. 3 2. But I have shewed how the scriptures doo judge of this sorceress and could also allege many learned mens judgements but I wil goe no further then our own country Mr Cartwright speaking of the baptising of children sayth Jf both parents be Papists or condemned heretiks c. their children cannot be received to baptisme because they are not in the covenant c. And agayn Jf the corruption be such as destroyeth the foundations as in the Arians which overthrow the person of Christ as in the Papists which overthrow the office of Christ they being no Church ought to have no priviledge of the church Mr Perkins writeth thus As for th'Assemblies of Papists understanding companies of men holding the Pope for their head and beleeving the doctrine of the council of Trent in name they ar caled Churches but in deed they are no true or sound members of the catholik church for both in their doctrine in their worship of God they rase the very fouÌ„datioÌ„ of religioÌ„ And agayn Jt is no more a church in deed then the carkesâ— of a dead man that weareth a living mans garment is a living man though he look never so like him And agayn he hath a treatise and Assertion that A reprobate may in truth be made partaker of all that is conteyned in the religion of the church of Rome and a Papist by his religion cannot goe beyond a reprobate and bringeth 4. arguments for proof hereof and endeth with this Corolarie that A man being indued with no more grace then that which he may obteyn by the religion of the Church of Rome is stil in the state of damnation D. Fulk answering the counterfeit Catholik saith Jt is evident that the true Church decayed immediatly after the Apostles times and telleth the Papist yow cry the Catholik Church the Catholik Church when yow have nothing in deed but the Synagogue of Sathan Agayn The Church of Antichrist is founded upon 7 hills Rev. 17. upon the traditions dreames fantasies and devises of men c. Therfore sayth he in no wise may she be called the city of God but Babylon the mother of fornication Sodom Aegypt where our Lord is dayly crucified in his members D. Willet answering Bellarmin sayth We deny utterly that they are a true visible Church of Christ but an Antichristian Church and an assembly of Heretiks enemies to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Agayn he sayth 2. Thes. 2. he shal sit in the temple of God that is the visible Church that which sometime was the true visible Church as the Church of Rome and after should be so takâ—n reputed and chalenged as it is at this day by the Papists c. He shal sit in the Temple of God that is take upon him the name title of the Church and yet an adversary unto it And agayn The Turk is out of the Church and so in truth is the Pope but yet he challengeth to him and his the name of the Church M. Bale compareth the Pope and Turk togither thus So glorious are the pretenses of Romish Pope Mahomet that they seem unto them which regard not these warnings the very Angels of light and their Churches most holy congregations being very divels with the very dregs of darknes The Pope in his Church hath ceremonies without number none end is there of their babling prayers their portases bedes temples altars songs howrs bells images organs ornaments Iewels lights oilings shavings c. that a man would think they were proctours of paradise On the other side Mahomet in his Church is plenteous also in holy observations they wash themselves oft frequent their temples pray 5. tymes in the day they reverently incline they lye prostrate on the ground they fervently cal to God they absteyn from wine they abhor idols c. But unto what end this holynes leadeth the sequel declareth Daniel maketh these two but one because they are both of one