in great part because he is supposed though falsly to arrogate more to himselfe in Temporall affayres then of right he ought how much more would the same imputation fall vpon such a Prince as did first vsurp spirituall Iurisdiction without eyther example or other probable pretense But I will not vrge these odious inferences any further your Maiesty will easily conceaue how far this proiect might be pursued And by perusing this small labour of myne which I now offer to your Maiesty it will manifestly appeare that we haue euident and inuincible Arguments taken out of Scripture and all Antiquity to free our chiefest Pastour the Popes Holynes from this most absurd and false calumniation and that whatsoeuer any Protestant can answere to these our proofes is without any difficulty ouerthrowne and confuted As likewise their rayling inuectiues and friuolous obiections are presently dissolued returned vpon themselues All which considered I account it no presumption to be an humble Suppliant to your most Excellent Maiesty for some release and mitigation in the pressures and persecutions which Catholicks endure vnder this pretence of the Popes being Antichrist For how can it possibly stand with iustice or reason that a lawfull Prince should punish his loyall subiects for performing their duty to their spirituall and lawfull Pastour That Rebells should vphold Hereticks who are Traytors against God and his Church it were no meruaile since they all agree in the impugnation of superiour powers And yet it is too notorious to the world what Catholicks suffer for their conscience in your Maiestyes Dominions what losse of lyuings liberty yea sometyme of life it selfe How busy are Purseuants in ransacking their houses abusing their seruants and apprehending their persons What insolencyes and vexations are they constrayned to endure And to omit the generality and seuerity of this persecution from which neither frailty of sex nor band of matrimony nor Nobility of birth can exempt any how many things lye hid and vnknowne which would astonish and amaze the world if they were laid open to the view therof What prying and inquiring into mens secret actions in somuch that euen ordinary prouision for the sustenance of nature cannot be made without suspition of Treason as appeared not long since by the pot of peares which were supposed to haue bene balls of wildfyre How many are beaten and tormented euen to death in priuate houses without any publick tryall Some Prentises in the Citty of London can giue good testimony heerof I might adde such other particulers as the rods kept in store by some of no small account for yong youths vnder twenty yeares whom they vse like schollers thinking it not to be against their grauity to whip them priuately with their owne hands But I will not offend your Maiestyes eares with the recitall of such base and vnworthy actions Only I will humbly beseech our Blessed Sauiour to moue your Maiestyes hart to take pitty and compassion of these abuses by giuing present Order for the redresse and reformation of so much as your Maiestie already misliketh which we hope to be the greatest part And for the rest we only craue this fauour that we may be spared vntill vve be heard for vve nothing doubt but that if your Maiesty vvould once resolue to informe your selfe thoroughly of the truth God vvould not be vvanting to our iust desires and to your Maiesties so Honourable and necessary endeauours GOD of his goodnes direct and protect your Maiesty AMEN Your Maiesties most faithfull Subiect and humble Oratour Michael Christopherson P. THE PREFACE to the Reader TO some I doubt not this my labour which I haue taken in discussing this question of Antichrist will seeme superfluous or at least not so well bestowed as it might haue bene in many other subiects And they will be much confirmed in this their opinion if they consider that among so many learned men as haue written in our language and euidently confuted the heresies of our tymes none of them haue vouchsafed to yield so far to our Aduersaries as to handle this question of set purpose which doubtles they omitted not without great consideration and weighty reasons the chiefest of which if I be not deceaued was for that they perswaded themselues that few or none especiallie of the prudent and moderate sort did indeed and in their hart hold this absurd paradox though they were content to let it passe because it serued for a motiue to withdraw the common people from the Catholike faith which in their conceipt conteyned other errors And for this cause those worthy and zealous writers endeauored chiefly to take away this false perswasion of the Churches erring partly by confirming and demonstrating the infallibility of her authority and partly by descending to particuler controuersies and most euidently conuincyng the Churches doctrine in euery one of them to be conformable to the diuine Scriptures and all antiquity For they did easily discouer that by this course they should not only confute this abhominable bâ—asphemy but also with one and the same labour confirme and establish the contrary truth viz. that the Catholike Church togeather with her supreme Pastour is the piller of Truth and the building of Christ against which no force of errors or heresies either hath or euer shall be able to preuayle Which course of theirs as most prudent in it selfe so likewise most profitable to others I am far from mysliking but doe altogeather approue and admyre it And yet notwithstanding I hope that this my labour may be in some sort profitable also For all are not so quick wytted as to make these necessary inferences but rather many are with-held from yielding to the manifest truth in other pointes by a preiudicate opinion which they haue conceaued in this and the iust and discreet silence which hath hitherto bene vsed ministreth to them some cause of suspition that the Protestants haue reason for that they say especially since they vrge this point so much both in their Writings and Sermons and the matter is of so great importance and consequence that whosoeuer hath the truth on his syde in this ought iustly to be belieued in the rest since that Antichrist can neither agree with Christ nor so great a calumniation as this is of the Pope if it be false can agree or stand with the spirit of truth Besides the Protestants out of this their doctrine make most odious inferences against Catholikes as to go no further we may see in M. Downams last Chapter where he deduceth out of it six conclusions First that out of this all other controuersies may be decided and that the doctrine of the Catholike Church is to be reiected as the errors of Antichrist Secondly that their separation from vs is warranted yea commaunded by the word of God and all returning forbidden Thirdly that all they which partake with vs are reprobates and to be damned Fourthly that the Recusant Papists but especialy Iesuites and Seminary Priests
little vpoÌ„ the ChristiaÌ„ Princes in whose dominioÌ„s at this daie there is The difference betwixt the Catholike the ProtestaÌ„t Princes diuersity of Religions he shall find that all the Catholike Princes tolerate in some sort their Hereticall subiects as the Emperour the King of France the King of Poland now the Arch-duke in Flanders whereas heere in England the Catholikes canfind no such fauour who that they suffer for Religion and not for treason none but impudent Ministers and their mates can deny Neither is this craft of ProtestaÌ„ts any great glory for theÌ„ who by reasoÌ„ of the distrust which they haue in their owne cause vse to put Catholiks to death vnder the name of Treason Catholikes are put to death for Religion by Protestants though they can prooue nothing against them but the exercise of their Religion For in this they imitate the Iewes who dealt so with our Sauiour and some other Tyrants but chiefly Iulian the Apostata which were alway accompted the greatest and worst persecutors Whereas Catholikes haue alway punished heretikes directely for their heresie esteeming it as it deserued a far greater crime then treason as being coÌ„mitted against the King of HeaueÌ„ whoÌ„ all earthly Princes are bouÌ„d to respect more then theÌ„selues so wee see in Queene Maries tyme Bishop Craâ—mer had his Treasons pardoned but not his heresies for which hee was burned And so it appeareth by the proceeding of our aduersaries that wee are free froÌ„ heresie how false their imputations of treasons are is proued by many and lastely by W. R. in his CoÌ„futatioÌ„ of O. E. aliâs Sutcliffes vaunting challeng in the last chapter to which I remit my reader And this shall suffice for the greatnes of the persecution vnder Antichrist 6. Touching the manifestnes of it M. Downam is not of Bellarmines mynd yea he thinketh his doctrine contrary to our Sauiours who hath said that the good and bad shall grow togeather like wheat and tares vntill the day of the great haruest But M. Downam Antichrists persecutioÌ„ most manifest Matth. 13. may vnderstand that Bellarmine houldeth with S. Augustine quaest 11. super Matth. that this is to be vnderstood of the whole world in which Bellarmine denieth not but there wil be store of tares in this tyme of Antichrist and besides our Sauiour only willeth his seruants not to roote out all the tares when there is danger that the corne may also he destroyed by that meanes But now we speak of his enemies who partly by persecuting partly for feare of persecution will separate themselues of their owne accord from among Gods wheate to wit his elect and yet are to bee separated also in the day of Iudgment against their wills which is all that the place alleadged doth proue To the authority of S. Augustine alleadged by Bellarmine he giueth two answeres First if he had said so we might haue Downam reiecteth S. Augustine esteemed his speach to haue bene but a human coniecture rather then a prophesy diuine so that it is no matter what S. Augustine or any other can say For if it please not M. Downams vaine fancy it shall be accompted but an humane coniecture though he gather it out of Scripture as S. Augustine doth this But secondly saith M. Downam Bellarmine without all shame falfifieth his wordes who speaketh of the Diuell alone and not of all the wicked saying Now it is said that he shall goe forth viz. into open persecution he shall breake forth of the couerts of hatred for which we must note that S. Augustine interpreteth the depth into which the Diuell was put to be their hartes which hate the Christians in quorum saith he quotidie velut in abysso Bellarmin vniustly charged by M Downam cacis prosundis cordibus includitur cap. 8. In whose blind and profound hartes he is daily inclosed as in a depth Which exposition he mentioneth againe cap. 11. which Bellarmine cited where he expoundeth how he is said to come forth out of this depth to wit out of the couerts of hatred within which he was inclosed into open persecution because he shall seduce those whose harts he possessed to make warre against Christians which before he hated but was not permitted to hurt all which that he meaneth of all the wicked the wordes following immediately declare Haec enim erit nouissima persecutio noâ—issimo imminente iudicio cùm saÌ„cta Ecclesia toto terrarum orbe patietur vniuersa scilicet ciuitas Christi ab vniuersa Diaboli ciuitate quantacumque erit vtraque super terram For this shal be the last persecution the last iudgment being at hand which the holy Church shall suffer ouer all the world to wit the whole citty of Christ by the whole citty of the Diuell how great soeuer either of them shall be vpon the earth Can any thing be more plaine then this And after againe he saith that the holy Church shal be enuironed ab omnibus inimicâ—â— suis by all her enemies yea he repeateth the very like wordes to those which he had spoken in the singular number againe in the plurall speaking of the Nations quae sunt in quatuor angulis terrae in the foure corners or quarters of the earth in apertum odium de operto erupturae sunt they shal breake forth into open hatred of their hidden malice Wherfore let any man iudge whether Bellarmine changed S. Augustines sense though for brenity and perspicuities sake he cited his wordes in the plurall number as they were to be vnderstood are repeated also by S. Augustine himselfe All the Churches enemies shal ioyne to impugne her in Antichrists tyme. 7. Now that al that hate Christians or the Church haue not hitherto ioyned against them is so manifest that M. Downam cannot deny and therfore granting it he only turneth to aske whether they shall do so when Antichrist commeth or no To whome we returne answere that they shall as hath bene sufficiently proued and therfore it is manifest that Antichrist is not yet come To the second part of Bellarmines proofe he answereth that the vncertainty of the beginning of Antichrists persecution if it were true doth not disproue the greatnes but argueth the length As though now we treated of the greatnes and not of the manifestnes of this persecution Downam forgetteth what he impugneth which surely is plainly disproued if it were so secret that no man can tell when it began Secondly he saith the persecutions vnder Nero the rest were wel knowne when they began and when they ended because there was some intermission of them but these now haue no end nor yet intermission except it be when they haue none to persecute And is not this a wise answere thinke you to tell vs that the beginning of a persecution cannot be shewed because it hath no intermission nor end Except he would haue vs to vnderstand him that he meaneth that it hath had no beginning
cōcerning the daies if we take a day for a yeare and after this accompt we can take it for no lesse they make 4. tymes as many yeares as the 42. Downam Fox their absurd exposition of Scripture sabbothes come to at least and then what shall we make of the three yeares and a halfe Surely this is an endles labour and labyrinth but to this passe must these good fellowes needes come that will go about to frame Scripture to their owne brittle and beetle braines But yet M. Downam will giue one attempt more about the three yeares and a halfe which he thinketh may be vnderstod of the tyme wherin the Church of Christ which was at Hierusalem after it was admonished by a voice out of the Sanctuary to depart and accordingly remoued to Pella was susteyned there In which deuise First he must graunt that the 1260. dayes signify also 3. yeares and a halfe for the same space in this Chapter is twice accompted once by tymes and againe by dayes by which it wil seeme more thē probable that the moneths are to be vnderstood so also and so the foole Fox hath lost his bable and besides many things in this 12. Chapter cannot be applied to those few Christians which were at Hierusalem as the battaile betwixt Michael and the Diuell the great persecution which was raised against the woman c. But M. Downam obiecteth that in this 12. Chapter there is no speach of Antichrist but of the Diuel who first seeketh to ouerthrow the Church of Christ among the Iewes and afterward commeth to the Gentiles and therfore it is said that he standeth vpon the sea shore from whence he rayseth the Beast with 7. heades c. where it is meruaile that Apoc. 12. he did not marke how the Serpent or Dragon had 7. heads and ten hornes aswell as this beast and consequently that they are both to be at the same tyme and to be the chiefe causers of this great persecution yet with this difference that the diuell is the cause of all other aswell as this Wherfore not vnfitly Antichrist is here called his taile in which chiefly the venome of this serpent lyeth so that whatsoeuer The diuel and Antichrist described after the same māner Antichrist shall do either by himselfe or his instruments may be peculiarlie applied to the Diuell For which cause the Diuell in Antichrists tyme cannot be more liuely set forth then by the same description which representeth Antichrist himselfe by which M. Downams deuise is quite ouerthrowne and become ridiculous as also his profe for that the Diuell is said to stand vpon the sea shore from whence hee raiseth the beast with 7. heads c. for this prooueth nothing but that Antichrist is a beast of the Diuells raising and hath his power from him which no man denieth though I meruaile how M. Downam forgot his Greeke in this place in which wee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 steti as also Andreas Arethas Erasmus Rupertus and Codex Complutensis haue it and consequentlie were to be referred to S. Iohn himselfe who signifieth whither he was carried in spirit to see the beast which followeth arise for which cause diuers ancient writers begin the next chapter at those words 4. In the second place M. Downam addeth that by Bellarmines interpretation of those tymes it would follow that after Antichrist is once reuealed all men that be acquainted with the Scriptures may precisely define before hand the very day of Christs comming vnto iudgment which the Lord notwithstanding will not haue knowne Mar. 13. 32. as Bellarmine himselfe must needes graunt seeing he vseth this as the chiefe argumēt against those who by 1260. daies Whether those that liue at Antichrists death may gather how long they haue to the end of the world or no vnderstand so many yeares To which I answere that no such thing can be gathered out of Bellarmine who lately also Apolog cap. 10. hath plainly declared that in his opinion there can no more be gathered out of the Prophet Daniel then that the world shall endure at least 45. dayes after Antichrists death but whether longer or no that the Scripture declareth not but indeed S. Hierome wryteth plainly that 45. dayes after Antichrists death Christ shall come to Iudgment Out of which wee willingly graunt that those which liue at the tyme of Antichrists death may easilie gather out of Scripture how far the day of iudgment is off Neyther is this against Mar. 13. 32. where our Sauiour only saith that at that tyme it was only knowne to God which hindereth not but that heerafter it may be gathered by Daniels prophesie when it is within so few dayes But M. Downam addeth further in his 6. Chapter that our Sauiour Matth. 24. 39. and Luc. 17. 26. hath foretould that the end of the world shal be suddaine and vnlooked for euen as it was in the daies of Noah and Lot This is the obiection which I referred to this place as belonging to it and Daniel answereth it with a distinction that at the death of Antichrist there shal be both good and wicked men as there were in the time of Noah and Let and euer since Now saith Daniel Only the iust learned shall make this collectiō impièagent impij neque intelligent ownes impij porrò docti intelligent the wicked shall doe wickedly and none of them shall vnderstand these mysteries though they be so plainely fortould and of these speaketh our Sauiour when he saith that the day of iudgemēt shall come vnlooked for But Daniel addeth further porrò docti intelligent the learned shall vnderstand them and may make a certaine collection of the tyme of the daie of Iudgement when they once see Antichrist dead that is such pious interpreters as S. Hierome was And this difference wee see in the tyme of Noah and Lot and now also for though the Scripture speaketh plainly of Antichrist and his persecution and how long it is to continue yet wicked Porphyrie M. Downam and the rest of that crew vnderstand it not but S. Hierome and other holy Saintes and Catholikes instructed by them vnderstand it plainely So true is and euer was and shal be that saying of the Wiseman In maleuolam animam non introibit sapientia Wisdome will not Sap. 1. enter into a wicked and malicious soule such as all heretikes haue and alway had though they brag neuer so much of Scripture and their priuate spirit which is one of the chiefest branches of their impiety Neither doth this any whit infring Bellarmines argument against those which expound the 1260. daies to be so manie yeares for they cannot haue any ground at all to affirme that those yeares are to Downās iugling begin more at one tyme then at another and yet euery one by assigning what tyme it pleaseth him must needs graunt that from that tyme vntill Christs comming there are iust so many yeares which is to
space in which God shall begin to confound Antichrist and destroy his kingdome which in all wil be 75. daies as Daniel foretelleth which space helpeth M. Downams The ēd of the world is not ōly the last instant cause very little who hath need of manie tymes so many yeares to make his position good that Antichrist came 1000. yeares since and yet the world indureth and that this was Bellarmines mind he himselfe hath now sufficiently explicated in recognit operum pag. 18. where he noteth that he said that Antichrist shall not appeare nor begin to raigne but 3. yeares and a halfe before the end of the world because the space betwixt the death of Antichrist the end of the world shal be so little that it may be accompted nothing for otherwise he had not forgotten that he had proued a little before that there should be 45. daies betwixt the death of Antichrist and the end of the world out of Dan. 12. And thus we will conclude these 6. demonstrations which make Bellarmines third argument and desire the Reader to consider attentiuely whether Bellarmines proofes or M. Downams solutions be more substantiall and vvhat is to be thought of such men as will open their mouthes in such blasphemous manner against all authority reason in a matter of this importance vpon vvhich al other questions in controuersy in great part depend THE TENTH CHAPTER Of Antichrists name THERE followeth saith Bellarmine the fourth disputation of the proper name characters of Antichrist All acknowledg that those wordes of S. Io. Apoc. 13. do certainly belong to Antichrist And he shal make all little with great rich and poore free men and slaues to haue a character in their right hand or vpon their foreheades and that none can buy or sell vnles he hath the character or name of the beast or the number of his name Heere is wisdome let him that hath vnderstanding reckon the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number 666. There are many opinions of this number The first is that by this number not the name but the tyme of the comming and death of Antichrist is designed so houldeth Bullēger who praefat Hom. in Apoc. thinketh that the tyme of Antichrists comming is signifyed In like manner the Magdeburgenses who cent 1. l. 2. c. 4. thinke that the tyme of Antichrists death is designed Likevvise others vvho as vvitnesseth Clictonem in l. 4. Damasceni c. 28. thinke that the death of Mahomet is degsined vvhom they say was Antichrist vvith vvhome agreeth Lyranus vpon this place though he thinketh not that Mahomet vvas Antichrist yet he imagineth that by this number is signifyed that the death of Mahomet vvas to bee in the yeare 666. from Christs comming This is a most absurde opinion First because S. Iohn saith that he speaketh of the number of the Beastes name Secondly because the beast whose nūber this is will commaund all Merchants to vse it for a signe in contracts as is manifest Apox 13. Wherfore it is not the number of the death of the Beast but belongeth to him aliue Thirdly because it is also false that Mahomet died the yeare of Christ 666. For some say he died in the yeare 637. as Matthew Palmer some the yeare 630. as Cedrenus in compend hist some the yeare 628. as Ioan. Vaseus in chronico Hispaniae The second opinion is of Dauid Chytraeus in cap. 13. Apoc. who saith the name of Antichrist is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or in the Hebrew Romiith Romanus Therfore the Pope who is a latin Prynce since he ruseth in Latium and is the Bishop of Rome is Antichrist The same teacheth Theodorus Bibliander tab 10. and therfore he maketh the inscription of the 11. table of his Cronologie which beginneth at the yeare 600. Latinos Papa Their reasons are two the first because S. Irenaeus lib. 5. teacheth that it is very like that this shal be the name of Antichrist The other because indeed the letters of his name make that number as is manifest Resc 200. λ. 30. τ. 300. Vau. 6. α. 1. ε. 5. Mem. 40. τ. 300. ι. 10. Iod. 10. ε. 5. τ. 300. Iod. 10. ι. 10. α. 1. Tau 400. ν. 50. ν. 50.  ο. 70.  ς. 200.  666.  666.  666. This opinion is altogeather temerarious for first Irenaeus saith indeed that the name λατεῖνος may probablie be applyed to Antichrist but he addeth that it is much more probable that Antichrists name shall not be λατεῖνος but τειταν which also expresseth that number and is a far more noble name since it signifieth the Sunne Besides Irenaeus his coniecture which might haue some probabilitie then now hath none for he saith that it is probable that Antichrist shal be called Latinus not because he shall in Latiū but because in his tyme the Latines had greatest dominions and in a manner the whole world For because Antichrist shal be a most potēt King without doubt he shal possesse the most potent kingdomes which he shall find at his comming but the most potent kingdome is that of the Latines saith Irenaeus for they now most trulie raigne Surely this coniecture now is nothing worth for the Latines raigne no longer ouer all the world but the Turkes are those which most truly raigne and among vs the Spaniards and French not the Latines Moreouer the name of Latin as it signifieth a Roman is not written with ◠but with a simple Iota and then it maketh not that number In which manner the deuise of the name Romiith may likewise be confuted For Romanus cannot end in Tau since it is the masculine gender for that it is the termination of the Feminine gender among the hebrews but if wee remoue the letter Tau there want 400. to make the number of Antichrist Likewise the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be the name of Antichrist it shal be proper to him as Arethas teacheth and his most vsuall name for it must be shewed for a signe by all that buy and sell But the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is common for there was neuer any Pope that by his proper name was called Latinus Neither is this an vsuall name for the Popes neuer call themselues Latines but Bishops or Popes The name Romanus was proper to one only Pope who notwithstanding could not be Antichrist since he liued but 4. moneths and otherwise it is a common name Finally if only this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Romanus made the number 666. our Aduersaries said something but there are innumerable names which make the same number Hippolytus Martyr in orat de consummatione mundi noted another name which maketh the same number viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is nego I deny Arethas named seauen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Illustris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Sol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Victor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est
name of the beast that is the Latin or Roman State and vnlesse it be such a name as he to whome all other notes of Antichrist doe agree causeth men to take vpon them which is to harpe still vpon the same string and to sing the same song like a Cuckow for this name belongeth to no other beast but Antichrist and the other part is the mayne controuersy and therefore to assume it as a thing graunted is petitio principij a figure wherewith M. Downam is well acquaynted and therefore chooseth to make it his conclusion also as the Reader may see if he please to whose iudgment I leaue it to consider whether M. Downam hath answered Bellarmines argument or rather that it is altogeather vnanswerable and inuincible as Bellarmine deseruedly affirmeth THE ELEAVENTH CHAPTER Of the Character of Antichrist THERE are also saith Bellarmine two or three opinions of Antichrists Character The first is of the heretikes of this tyme who teach that the Character of Antichrist is some signe of obedyence and coniunction with the B. of Rome yet they do not explicate after the same manner what that signe is Hemicus Bullengerus scr 61. in Apoc. will haue it to be the vnction of Chrisme with which all Christians that are obedient to the Pope are signed in their foreheads Theodorus Bibliander in Chron. tab 10. saith that the Character of the Pope is the profession of the Roman faith so that he is not accompted a true Christian who professeth not that he cleaueth to the Roman Church Dauid Chytraeus besides these two addeth the Oath of Fidelity which many are compelled to make to the Pope Likewise the Preistly vnction which is receaued in the crowne and hand and imprinteth as the Papists call it quoth hee an indeleble Character Finally to fall downe before Images and consecrated bread and to be present at Masses of Requiem Neither are these thinges vnlike to those which Sebastianus Meyer and others alleadged by Augustinus Marloratuâ— in Apoc. 13. do teach But it is an easie matter to confute these toyes both because they agree not with the words of the Text and also because all these signes were in the Catholike Church before that Antichrist had appeared in their opinion First therefore we haue out of the text that the Character shal be one not many for the Scripture alway speaketh in the singular number both of the Character and of the name number of Antichrist Wherefore there shal be one Character likewise one proper name of Antichrist and one number of his name Wherefore when our Aduersaryes multiply so many Characters they shew that they know not which that is of which S. Iohn speaketh Secondly that Character shal be common to all men in Antichrists Kingdome as is playne by those words He shall make all little great rich poore free and bound to take his Character But the Oath of obedyence and Priestly vnction agree to few Thirdly the Scripture declareth that the Character shal be such that it may indifferently be carried in the right hand or forehead for so it saith He shall make all men receyue his Character in their right hands or foreheads But none of those thinges which our aduersaryes bring is such That the vnction of Chrisme cannot be receyued in the right hand The profession of the Roman Faith is neither in the hand nor forehead but in the mouth by confession in the hart by faith The Oath of Fidelity is taken with the hand and mouth but can in no wyse be carryed in the forehead The Priestly vnction is neither receaued properly in the right hand nor in the forehead but vpon the head and fingers of both hands Finally to be present at Masses for the dead to kneele before Images and the Eucharist belong not to the forehead or hand but to the whole body and chiefely to the knees Fourthly the same Scripture saith That in the Kingdome of Antichrist no man shal be permitted to buy and sell vnles he shew the Character or the name or the number of the name But how many doe buy and sell in the dominious of the Pope who are not yet chrismed nor haue taken the Oath of fidelity nor are Priests Doe not many Iewes euen in the very Citty of Rome where the Pope hath his Sea negotiate publikely buy and sell although they haue none of those signes Let vs come to the other reason prooue that all these signes are elder then Antichrist Antichrist by the opinion of our aduersaryes came not before the yeare 606. but Tertullian lyued about the yeare 200. and yet maketh mention of Chrisme lib. de resurrectione carnis The flesh saith he is washed that the soule may be clensed the flesh is annoynted that the soule may be consecrated S. Cyprian liued about the yeare 250. and maketh mention of Chrisme lib. 1. epist 12. He must necessarily be an noynted saith he who is baptized that hauing receaued Chrisme that is vnction he may be the aunoynted of God and haue in him the grace of Christ S. Augustine lyued about the yeare 420. and yet he saith tract in Ioan. 118. VVhat is it that all know the signe of Christ but the Crosse of Christ VVhich signe vnles it be applyed either to the foreheads of the faithfull or to the water with which they are regenerated or to the oyle with which they are Chrismed or to the Sacrifice with which they are nourished none of these thinges is rightly performed Likewise to cleaue to the Roman Church was the signe and Character of a true Catholike man before the yeare of our Lord 606. S. Augustine writeth epist 162. of Caecilianus who liued about the yeare 300. He needed not to care for the multytude of enemyes which conspired against him since he saw himselfe vnited by communicatory letters to the Roman Church in which the principality of the Apostolicall chayre alway flourished and to the other Countries from whence the Ghospell came into Africa S. Ambrose who lyued about the yeare of our Lord 390. in orat de obitu fratris sui He asked the Bishop saith he if he agreed in doctrine with the Catholike Bishops that is with the Roman Church Victor Vticensis who lyued about the yeare of our Lord 490. lib. 1. de persecut Vandal writeth that an Arian Priest going about to perswade the King not to put a Catholike to death vsed these wordes If thou puttest him to death the Romans will accompt him a Martyr In which place by the name of Romans the Catholikes of Africa are designed who doubtles are not called Romans by the Arians for any other cause but for that they followed the Faith of the Roman Church and not the misbeliefe of the Arians We find the Oath of obedience made to the B. of Rome in the tyme of S. Gregory lib. 10. epist 31. and therefore before the yeare 606. for S. Gregory lyued not so long Of Priestly vnction we haue the testimony of