iustification and of the saluation of the Elect by the grace of Christ before Peter gaue his sentence and that not sitting but arising and that very modestly and gently Afterward Iames did onely yeeld his opinion but pronounced and set downe in writing the decree it selfe which all the assembly of Apostles and Preists did follow It seemed good also not to Peter alone but to the Apostles and Preists with the whole Church to send certaine choice men to Antioch with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas and the Synodall Epistle did not beare the name of Peter but of all the Apostles Preists and Brethren And if Peter had receiued the primacy of iurisdiction from Christ the other Apostle had done him great wrong that suffered not Peter to bee President of the Councell that they sent Peter as inferior into Samaria that they took accompt of his doing that they met not together by his appointment that they suffered him not to sit aboue others to propound the decree to send Legates and to seale vp the Synodall Epistle in his owne name But the Apostles did no wrong to Peter It followeth then that Peter receiued no primacy of iurisdiction from Christ but was equall to the rest of the Apostles and inferiour to the whole Councell The Papists doe grant a double gouernment to Peter § 201 Peters double pretended gouernment Galat. 2. Paul nothing inferiour to Peter They make him Lord of the spirituals and temporals Therefore the Apostle Paul did ill bee it spoken with reuerence who made himselfe equall to Peter and gaue out that he was inferiour in nothing vnto Peter and which was more reprehended him sharpely to his face as his equall and fellow-seruant and that publikely when hee tooke him in a fault For the Gospell saith he was committed to me ouer the Gentiles as it was to Peter ouer the Iewes For hee that was powerfull through Peter in the Apostleship of the Iewes the same was powerfull in mee ouer the Gentiles And when as Iames Cephas and Iohn who seemed to bee pillers knew that grace was giuen me then they gaue the right hands of fellowship to me and Barnabas See Cephas doth acknowledge Paul his fellow hee had him not for a subiect neither did hee challenge to himselfe the highest top of gouernment but gaue the right hand of fellowship which was done by Peter not only in respect of humilitie of minde but for equalitie of office Farre be it from vs to thinke it was written by Paul for pride of minde but for the truth of the matter And if Christ had appointed Peter the vniuersall Bishop Prince of his Church how durst Peter and Paul couenant betweene them-selues in the 18. yeare after Christ his passion that Peter should exercise the Apostleship ouer the Iewes and Paul ouer the Gentiles not only but chiefly whereby Paul by the Antients is called the Prince of the Apostles as well as Peter But the equall hath no gouernment ouer his equall Peter would be are no rule ouer the clergie 1 Pet 5. Neither could Peter himselfe beare rule ouer the Clergie that he might not seem to permit that to other which he would not take to himselfe when hee called himselfe not a chiefe Priest but a fellow Priest Much lesse did he vse the sword and ciuill gouernment and iudge Caesar to be subiect vnto him but admonished himselfe with all other Christians to submit themselues to Caesar as to the most excellent and to other Magistrates as sent from him neither did at any time exercise ciuill gouernment He had it not therefore for that is not a power which is neuer brought into act Therefore Peter was no more ouer Kings than hee was ouer Apostles § 202 Nay Christ himselfe as a man was not aboue the Emperour Christ himselfe as man not aboue Emperors As he is God he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords as he was man he did not only submit himselfe to Tiberius but to Pilate Tiberius Deputie in Iurie You had no power said he ouer me if it were not giuen you from aboue Againe he saith that his kingdome was not of this world when he was demanded of Pilate what kingdome he laid claime vnto Whereby it appeareth that Christ was to haue not a temporall August in Psal 47. but a spirituall kingdome as Austin gathereth out of those words Harken to this ô yee Kings and enuy not Christ is a King after another fashion than you are who said my kingdome is not of this world Feare not therefore if the kingdome of this world be taken from you you shall haue another giuen vnto you and that a heauenly one whereof he is King If Christ had not a temporall kingdome was it for Peter to haue it what is this else but to make the seruant aboue his master and the embassador aboue him that sent him and if it did not belong neither to Christ nor to Peter do you thinke that not only the temporall kingdome but the chiefe gouernmēt ouer all temporal kingdoms was giuen to the Pope Christs supposed Vicar Peters counterfeit successor fie vpon such foolish pride fie vpon such loftie vanitie which Christ did reprehend in many places in the the Apostles when he said the Kings of the earth beare rule ouer them but you not so And as my father sent me so I send you And my kingdome is not of this world And yet Bellarmine dares to write Bellarmine contrary to Christ that the supreme temporall power was giuen to the chiefe Bishop which Christ himself by his owne confession did not exercise Christ saith the Kings of the earth beareth rule ouer them but you not so Bellarmine contrary but you so Christ as my Father sendeth me so I send you Bellarmine contrary not as my Father sendeth me do I send you The Father sent me in humilitie and ignominie I send you in pompe and maiestie Christ my kingdome is not of this world Bellarmine contrary yea it is of this world and of all this world So manifestly doth the Cardinall contradict Christ But although Christ as man did not exercise temporall § 203 power he might if he had so liked saith Bellarmine Here the question is not what Christ could haue done but what he did Neither is the authoritie of Peter to be grounded vpon that which Christ could haue done but vpon that which Christ did indeed Christ could if he had pleased haue made the world in an instant but he would not the Scripture witnesseth he would not because it is said that hee tooke to him six daies to bring forth that worke He could if he would haue redeemed the world with one drop of blood without death but he would not that hee would not the Scripture beareth witnes wherein it is said that he must die for vs. So he could if hee would as man exercise the dominion of temporall things but hee would not that hee would not truth it selfe
many persons which when we affirme it must not be preiudiciall to those holy Bishops who for Christs sake spent their bloud at Rome vnder the Emperours but to the shame of their Successors who forsaking the rule of holy Scripture haue spilt the blood of other men For it is not Rome regenerated and suffering but degenerated and persecuting must be counted the seat of the Beast with many heads which notwithstanding is to be vnderstood that to the Beast there is but one only head at one time more successiuely whom God hath permitted The properties effects of Antichrist 1 To be like the Lambe in two hornes 2 To speake as a Dragon 3 To shew forth the power of the first Beast in his owne sight 4 To make the earth and the inhabitants thereof to worship the first Beast 5 To cure the deadly wound of the former Beast 6 To restore spirit and speech to the image of the first Beast 7 To kill such as will not worship the image of the Beast 8 To worke false wonders namely to make fire descend from heauen in the sight of men 9 To haue the name of the Beast and the name of a man and the number of his name which number is six hundred sixtie and six 10 To imprint the marke of the Beasts name vpon all either on the forhead or on the right hand 11 To forbid that none shall buy or sell without the marke of the Beast These be the true notes of the second Beast that is of Antichrist by your owne interpretations which notwithstanding are miserably detorted as afterward shall plainly appeare Now I take this as granted that these so weighty and admirable matters cannot be brougnt to passe by one singular Beast within the compasse of three yeeres and a halfe whereunto so many Beasts and so many ages are required Antichrist therefore is that ould-aged Animal not a simple but a compound beast for as many Marij were in one Caesar 2 Thess 2. v. 3.4 so there be many Antichrists in that Antichrist whom Paul termeth that man of sinne and that sonne of perdition They doe therefore but trifle and say nothing to purpose A comparison betweene the people of Rome and Antichrist who thinke that therefore he is called the man of sinne because he is a single man For as Florus did paint out all the people of Rome vnder the figure of one man to wit an infant 250 yeeres and 250 yeeres a young man a strong man other 250 and an ould man the last 250 yeeres the same people still gouerning successiuely in the same Citie with the same policies alwaies to the same end as one man aspiring to greatnesse till by the lazinesse of some of the Emperours it became decrepite and exceeding feeble So it doth seeme that the Apostles by the spirit of prophecie did describe many Bishops of Rome as one wretched man and one beast successiuely gouerning in that seuen-hilld Citie an infant in the Apostles time after closely growing vp in certaine of the ambitious Romane Bishops till it came to strength in Boniface the third and to the full age of a man and greater ripenesse in Gregorie the seuenth and others of his successors euer another man not another thing the same an infant the same a youth and a man differing not in minde but in age by the same meanes breathing and aspiring to greatnesse the same closely hidden and openly reuealed the same dominering and the same to be ouerthrowne and now at the last an ouer-worne and a decayed Antic so that he seemeth by his long lasting impietie to be vtterly consumed and brought to nothing The summe of all is this that Antichrist properly so termed is a succession or a kingdome contrary to the kingdome of Christ in profession a Vicar in presumption an Opposite in purpose an Aduersarie CHAP. V. Wherein is inquired what manner of one Antichrist is WE haue found out what Antichrist is now let vs search out what kinde a one hee is by that meanes we shall certainely know who it is Who that hee might not appeare vnto vs in his likenesse Satan hath abused the witts of certaine good men being ignorant of the euent of the prophecie who haue out of that first errour deuised a notable tale For first presupposing that Antichrist is but one single aduersarie hence they haue imagined The Popish description of Antichrist that he shall be by Nation and Religion a Iew of the tribe of Dan the Messias of the Iewes and that he shall sit in the Temple of Ierusalem being re-edified by himselfe that he shall raigne three yeeres and a halfe that he shall put to death three Kings and subdue seauen others and shall obteyne the Monarchie of the whole world that those two witnesses whom they thinke to be Enoch and Elias reserued aliue in some place all this while shall returne vpon the earth and fight with Antichrist and being slaine by him shall rise againe after three yeeres and a halfe and it shall come to passe that the Iewes being conuerted by that miracle shall kill Antichrist in Mount Oliuet and shall ioyne themselues with Christ who shall come to iudgement fiue and fortie daies after This tale certaine ancient writers haue deuised which they so vnconstantly report Bellarmine an A better of the former tale that it easily appeareth by the contradiction that it is but a lye All this false tale Bellarmine telleth as truth except that part concerning the Tribe of Dan. But let vs reiecting all fables Antichrist described out of the Scriptures and Fathers seeke after the truth of God written by the Apostles being now manifested by euent the best Interpreter of the prophesie and by the iudgements of the Fathers agreeing with the Scriptures Apoc. 9. 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 4.10 Saint Iohn doth call Antichrist a starre falne from heauen Paul an Apostata from the faith or rather the chiefe Captaine and Ring-leader of that generall Apostasie a Renegate from the Lord God as Augustine doth expound it August de ciuit Dei lib. 20. cap. 10. Greg. lib. 4. epist 38. That falling starre not Lucifer Esa 14. The King of pride with his prepared armie of Priests and therefore a Bishop as Gregorie the first thinketh But Bellarmine doth vnderstand that starre to be Lucifer according to that how art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer And doth vrge the pretertense that Saint Iohn did not see the starre to fall hereafter but that it is fallen alreadie Neither doth hee marke that this his glosse is farre wide from the text 1. That Lucifers fall from heauen went long before the sound of the fift trumpet 2. Hee is ignorant of the phrase of the Prophets who when they foretell things to come for the certainty of them speake as if they were come already 3 Neither doth he obserue the sense of this Prophet who by the name of starres meaneth the Pastors of the
of the world Therefore after hee had vers 15. Vers 15. described her ouerthrow he adioyned both counsell and comfort counsell the ver 16. Vers 16.17.18.19.20 17.18.19.20 that they that were in Iury should shift for themselues by speedy flight and that women great with childe should pray that their flight bee not in the winter or on the Sabbaoth day Comfort wherin he promiseth that for the Elect Iewes sake the time of the siege shall be shortned and that otherwise no Iew should escape as Chrysostome expounds the 22. verse This exposition of Chrysostome is notably confirmed by the collation of Luke with Matthew For as in Matth. 24.15 Christ doth propound those words out of Daniel When you shall see the abomination of desolation which Daniel cals the abominable wings desolating to stand in the holy place Luc. cap. 21. 20. expounds it thus When you shall see Ierusalem enuironed with armies What the abomination of desolation in Daniel meaneth which Daniel termes abominable wings then vnderstand that the desolation and destruction is at hand both to the holy city and the holy Temple and hee warneth the Iewes that they auoyd these calamities hanging ouer their heads with flying away vers 23. Vers 23. 24. But whereas Christ Matth. vers 23. begins to prophesie of the end of the world Vers 34. and of his comming to iudgement vers 34. where there seemeth to be the greatest mixtures of ech of the prophesies hee speaketh so distinctly when hee foresheweth the signes seuerally going before the destruction of Ierusalem and the end of the world that he defines a certaine time of the one and leaueth the other vncertaine Of that verily I say vnto you this generation shall not passe away before all those things be fulfilled pointing his finger at Ierusalem as hee sate vpon the Mount of Oliues But of this i. The vncertaine certainty of the end of the world of the end of the world as he noteth the certainty of the thing so the vncertainty of the houre and the day which neither any Angell or the sonne of man knew but the father alone By which the consequence of Bellarmines proposition is found out to be very vaine and foolish which sets 14 15. The preaching of the word dispersed ouer the whole world out of those verses to be the signe forerunning the comming of Antichrist against the literall sense of the prophesie most cleerely set downe not onely by Chrysostome but by Christ himselfe Luke being the interpreter You see the inconsequence of the proposition now marke the falshood of the assumption But the Gospell is not preached ouer all the world as Paul Coloss 1. vers 6. The Gospell preached in the world saith that the Gospell was preacht in all the world in his time and therfore before the destruction of Ierusalem which hapned two yeeres after the Apostles death as Eusebius writeth lib 4. and the Apostle addes that the Gospell came so into the wolrd that it brought forth fruit True saith Bellarmine The Gospell was virtually then in the whole world but not actually No How then could it bring foorth fruite if it were not in the whole world actually but the Apostle there speaketh more significantly vers 23. That the Gospell was preached to euery creature vnder heauen Whom shall we beleeue Paul or Bellarmine the Apostle or the Cardinall Their sound is gone thorough the whole world saith the Apostle that is shall goe out saith Bellarmine But Chrysostome by the same testimonies of the Apostle doth prooue that the prophesie of Christ was then fulfilled the Gospell was preached all ouer the world Chrysost homil in Matth. 24. before the destruction of Ierusalem So by Fame the Gospell could come to all nations saith Bellarmine not by seuerall preachings Paul saith not the report of the Gospell in all lands but that their fruit by their preaching was dispersed which could not bee without Preachers Yet by the whole world euery little and obscure corner of the world is not meant but the greatest part of the knowen and habitable world Luc. 2.1 Neither by all nations are ment all seueral nations but all in generall that is both Iewes an Gentiles For in this place as elsewhere there is an opposition betweene all Nations and the Iewes At that time the Gospell was onely heard of in Iury wherein the Church at that time was enclosed but the partition-wall being broken downe and the hedge being broken vp it made such a sound euery way with such a number of Preachers and with such admirable efficacy of preaching that it is easie to be beleeued that the sound of the Gospell could goe into all lands within the compasse of forty yeeres for so many yeeres at the least came betweene the prophesie expounded and fulfilled Lastly although it was preached to all it was not receiued of all therefore left as a testimony to all nations that being offered to all and reiected of some it might make them inexcusable Doe you not see the foolish consequence of Bellarmines proposition and the apparant vntruth of his assumption Therfore I do retort the argument vpon him thus Christ himselfe prophesying Paul interpreting and Chrysostome assisting The Gospell was preached in all the world before the sacking of Ierusalem Therfore by the consent of Bellarmin Antichrist is already come And Caluine seems to me with very deep iudgement to set the vniuersall preaching of the faith before the vniuersall defection from the faith the head whereof by the Apostle is said to be Antichrist The preaching of the Gospell hindered by Mahumet in the east and Antichrist in the west for there could not be a generall falling from the faith before there were a generall preaching of the faith which when it was interrupted as in the east by Mahomet so in the west by Antichrist it was true that the succession being interrupted diuers men of God were extraordinarily raised vp by God I say Angells of God who by the sincere preaching of the Gospell did restore and repaire the visible Church miserably torne in peices by him who did cast downe the wall of the westerne Babylon as of Iericho and did tread downe the glorie of Antichrist as of Dagon so that by the noise of the Euangelicall Trumpet Babylon seemed to fall in the middest of men and the world began now not to doubt of the comming of Antichrist The decay of Antichrist but to deliberate of his departure For with the greatest part of the Christian world the swelling title of Antichrist failed his great power fainted his spirituall by the iudgement of others ☜ his temporall by his owne his markets of indulgences deceased his golden Euphrates was at an ebbe his great streames of money running into that Church wholy dried vp being brought backe againe into their owne chanels not without great loue shewed to that Tyberine Bishoppe to whom Luther and Caluixe and other preachers of the
assent that they must receiue without search and enquirie whatsoeuer is offered to them be it neuer so incredible so it be in the name of the Church And marke at last what this Magitian hath brought to passe He hath brought in Bellarmine dancing in a circle For thus he makes him dispute for him Antichrist shall precisely raigne three yeares and a halfe The Pope spiritually hath raigned in the Church 1500. yeares neither hath any other beene taken for Antichrist which did raigne iust three yeares and a halfe The Pope therefore is not Antichrist And therefore Antichrist is not yet come The syllogisme may be thus resolued If neither the Pope nor any other raigned precisely so long then Antichrist is not yet come The antecedent is true Therefore the consequent Heere you see Bellarmine to bring the chiefe question in a round to prooue that which is in controuersie Bellarmine dancing in a round Antichrist is not yet come why so Because the Pope is not Antichrist The Pope is not Antichrist why so Because Antichrist is not yet come Behold the Cardinall dancing in a round He goes about to strengthen his proposition out of Daniel and Iohn mis-vnderstood to wit that Antichrist shall raigne iust three yeares and a halfe I haue euicted out of Daniel 7. v. 25. that a time times and a peecs of time i. three yeares and ten daies was that space wherein the prophanation of the temple and the hinderance of Gods worshippe was first committed by Antiochus as Iosephus the best interpreter of the prophecie hath numbred Archimedes himselfe could not haue set it downe better So much time past from the prophanation of the temple to the purging and reforming of the same made by Iudas Machabeus From that purging to the expulsion of the armie out of Iurie there are counted a time times and halfe a time Dan. 12. in which two numbers the 1300. daies mentioned chap. 8. vers 14. are contained when as that reformation well beganne was better established and setled from which time if you accoumpt to the sicknes of Antiochus there arise 1290. dayes chap. 12. 11. if to the death of Antiochus they amount in the Prophets account to 1334. chap. 12. 12. Bellarmines absurdities Now I pray let vs apply this notable demonstration of Bellarmine about the continuance of Antichrists raigne and we shall perceiue not onely how he agreeth with the Prophet but also with himselfe First those things that are to bee vnderstood literally and properly of the tyrannie of Antiochus who died so many ages before Antichrist hee takes it literally and properly for the Kingdome of Antichrist who shall raigne by his owne record in the end of the world But he alleageth alwaies Ierome who refers that place chap 8. of the daies 2300. to Antichrist which make sixe yeares and more How therefore doe they say that Antichrist shall rule 1260. daies which makes three yeares and a halfe 1300. daies and 1260. daies how doe they agree now whereas out of the 12. Chap they exactly define that Antichrists Kingdome shall endure a time times and a halfe time let them tell me how they can reconcile therewith 1260. daies wherein they say the Kingdome of Antichrist in Daniels iudgement must bee contained how can 1260. daies agree precisely with a 1290 They must deuise a new Arithmeticke and a new Logicke to make these numbers agree For whereas Bellarmine doth adde That Daniel after hee had said chap 12. that Antichrists Kingdome should endure 1290. daies hee addes presently that he is happie that doth expect and abide to those 1335. daies that is to the 45. daies to the death of Antichrist as he expoundes because Christ as hee thinkes shall then come to iudgement Daniel vtterly mistaken this is the dotage of a crackt braine as shall afterward be made as cleare as the light For the iudgement which Daniel mentions is not the last iudgement of the world but the temporall iudgement that shall consume that beastly Antiochus speaking so proudly Dan 7.11 whenas yet there is leaue granted to the other beast to continue after for a time and times The sixt and last signe But Bellarmine doth dreame that the end of the world shall be 45. daies after That we may come at last to consider of his sixt and last signe Bellarmine will seeme to be of Gods secret counsell Bellarmine wiser then Christ and against Christ who knoweth more then either the Angells or the sonne of man but that he will not acquaint vs with the day and houre but with the yeare wherein the world shall haue an end Yet he lately writes that 45. daies after the Scripture saith that the day of iudgement shall be put off and longer Therfore those daies that Christ promiseth shall be shortned for the elects sake Bellarmine that worthy Diuine saith shall be lengthned And those daies which Christ saith shall bee contracted for the comfort of the elect those hee saith shall be protracted for their torment Fie vpon such paltrie Diuines that doe shut vp those fountaines of comfort that Christ openeth for the good of his Children What greater comfort can possibly bee then the promise of Christ hat the day of iudgement shall be hastned for the deliuerance of Gods elect And yet this worldly Cardinal tels vs that it shal be put off for their affliction They shall be ignorant saith he that liue after the 45. whether that day shall be deferred any longer Hee knowes it is well with him in this world and liues in all delight and delicacie with that his latiall Iupiter the Pope ☞ but whether it will be so well with him in another world that he knoweth not And therefore he thinkes of the prolonging of this present world I thinke verily that if God would inuite him presently to his heauenly banquet he would craue as old as he is some more daies it may be some more yeare wherein he may pamper and cherish his olde carcase Mart. lib. 9. and would secretly answere with that prophane Martiall Seeke others for to feast with Iupiter aboue I heare vpon the earth my Iupiter will loue Heere they place their heauen they put farre from them that day of iudgement wherein they are to giue accompt of so many impieties against Christ and so many out-rages against Christian Kinges and people But let vs come to his argument wherewith he prooueth that we are not to expect Antichrist before his departure nor before the end of the world to looke for his comming Thus he argueth The end of the world is not yet come Therefore Antichrist is not yet come This shall bee their euerlasting argument while the world endureth thus will they argue for Antichrist this because Bellarmine thought to be very absurd hee doth alter the question and concludes thus That it shall not be long before Antichrist come For If it were long before Antichrist came the end of the world would be
long hence But the consequence is false Therfore the antecedent He proues his proposition out of the Apostle That Antichrist shall come a little before the end of the world and immediately before the second comming of Christ and then that ioyly fellow shall appeare whom the Lord Iesus shal consume with the spirit of his mouth and the brightnesse of his comming But the Apostle doth distinguish betweene the comming and the destruction of Antichrist betweene the substance of Antichrist and his appearance or reuelation betweene which and his destruction there is a great distance He lay close hidden in the daies of Saint Iohn Saint Paul as I haue said before he was therefore He did appeare after the remouing of the Empire for that did hinder that he might not appeare which happened not till many ages after Againe the Apostle distinguisheth betweene the consuming of Antichrist and his finall ouerthrow After he is reuealed he saith hee shall wast away by little and little with the spirit of the Lordes mouth but shall bee vtterly put out by the brightnesse of his comming Bellarmine a prophane Iester Heere let me a little touch Bellarmines prophane iesting Surely saith he the spirit of Christ must be very weake if it cannot dispatch Antichrist raging aboue a 1000. yeares And there it pleaseth him to distinguish betweene the word of God and his power As though there is not power in the word of God to weaken and breake Antichrist in peeces the force whereof the beast shall feele in his fall and destruction Now the thing is a working now Christ doth enfeeble Antichrist with his word afterward hee shall destroy him with his presence Hee shall kill him by weakening him that I may put off the Cardinals ridiculous distinction who doth thus distinguish Hee doth not say he shall weaken him but hee shall kill him And it pleaseth him to scoffe at vs when wee say that now Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne by the word of the Lord ☞ when as now the word of the Lord shall be ouerthrown by him May not a Christian and an old man and a Diuine blush for shame as for a Cardinall nothing will make him blush to sport and iest in a matter so weighty and serious As God himselfe so Gods word is eternall his Ministers Gods witnesses Antichrist could kill the word it selfe he could neuer kill which shall abide when he rots to nothing Yea truely as the word of God is a liuing word so the Ministers of the word Gods faithfull witnesses being slaine shall by the power of the word rise againe if not in their seuerall persons yet in a succession and kill this murthering Antichrist Christ therefore hath not a weake spirit but the Cardinall hath a weake braine who doth not as yet vnderstand the degrees and meanes which Christ vseth in the abolishing of Antichrist But he tells vs Saint Iohn saith that Antichrist shall come in the last houre What is ment by the last houre But he vnderstandeth the last houre to be all that time from the ascension of Christ to his second comming which God doth call an houre very short in respect of the Saints glory but very long in respect of their patience This testimonie I thus retort When that Antichrist commeth it shall be the last houre saith Iohn But Antichrists are now come meaning the whole bodie together with Antichrist that head which elsewhere he affirmeth is come Therefore now is the last houre And if then was the houre of the comming of Antichrist he is not to be destroyed three yeeres and a halfe before the end of the world CHAP. XLI Of the sixt and last Note BVt he proues it out of Daniel Cap 12.12 that after Antichrist hath raigned three yeeres and a halfe hee shall be destroyed 45 dayes before the day of iudgement For when he had continued 1290 dayes he addes happy is he that shall liue to see 1335 dayes Daniel mistaken This place is properly to be vnderstood of Antiochus of his death and of the deliuerance of the Iewes But grant that the place be to be vnderstood of the kingdome of Antichrist and the end of the world then it would follow Three absurdities first that the kingdome of Antichrist lasted not 1260 daies which make three yeeres and a halfe but 1290. Againe it followes that Antichrist is to be destroyed 45 dayes before the end of the world whom the Apostle saith must be destroyed at the comming of Christ Thirdly it would follow that the time of Christs comming should be knowne to men which Christ doth assure vs is vnknowne vnto Angells If these consequences be absurd then the Antecedent is absurd from whence they arise You haue Paul the fift Bellarmines six demonstrations making small proofe that Antichrist is not yet come Now seeing I haue dilated about Antichrist all the questions whether he be what he is of what kinde what is his kingdome and retinue what hee doth and wherein he is busied the name wherewith he is termed the marke wherewith he is branded What Antichrist is the seate wherein he ruleth the time wherein he is reuealed and withall what he is not It is not requisite that I tell you in many words who it is when you your selfe seeme to haue Antichrist wholy in your breast and to carrie him in your bosome Antichrists sufferings You haue heard what hee hath done now heare what hee shall suffer For wee are so farre from doubting of his comming that wee thinke of his destroying foretold of the Angells in Iohn Apoc. 14.7 The first Angell I saw saith he an Angell flying in the middest of heauen hauing the eternall Gospell to preach vnto them that are vpon the earth and to euery nation tribe tongue and people speaking with a loude voice Feare the Lord and giue honor to him because the time of his iudgment is at hand and worship him who made heauen and earth the sea and all that are therein This Sermon of the Angell what is it else but a briefe summe of all those Sermons which Luther and Caluin The Angell and the Protestants prâ—â—ch alike and other Preachers of the Gospell preached in all the coasts of the Christian world that they might bring the people to the faith of Christ the feare of God and the worship of him alone He onely that made heauen and earth is to be worshipped he only is to be serued God only made heauen and earth Therefore we must worship and serue God only This syllogisme of the Angell as a Ramme is aduanc't by our men to batter ouerthrow and expell out of the consciences of men all those forces of Idolls which Antichrist hath erected And there followed another Angell saying The second Angell Apoc 14.8 Babylon is fallen Babylon that great Citie is fallen because she hath made all nations drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication Here the spirituall fall
another whereof is mention to the Ephesians where he vnderstandeth not Peter only but all the Apostles as they be Doctors of the Church are the doctrinall or instructing foundations as it is in the Apocalypse where the Apostles are accounted the 12 foundations of the house of God § 158 Let Saturnine now come and himselfe be iudge whether he can call the person of Peter the rocke and the foundation of the Church If he affirme it still for I know his wrangling and neuer yeelding wit let him say likewise that Peter was borne for vs dyed for vs rose againe for vs and ascended into heauen for vs that Peter was made of God for vs wisdom iustice sanctification redemption satisfaction purging life glory that our faith and confidence is as well vpon Peter as vpon a foundation as vpon Christ For Christ in this sense is both the rocke and foundation of the Church Do you not see Calander these mens open blasphemie Popish blasphemie who haue called Peter and in him the Pope the second foundation of the Church to me truly there can be no more deadly plague than they who make a meere man the rocke of the Church But they make a holy man but a man as Marie a blessed woman but a woman when as shee is said to breake the Serpents head as Peter a holy man but a mortall man and a sinner And then hardly a man when fearing death he denied life as Gregorie saith yet they call him the rocke whom Christ afterward called Sathan Who put such a weake and slender foundation of Christ his Church what other thing do they offer to the world than that which the Atheist may scoffe at and the Iewes detest Let them leaue of therefore any more to be madd with the disgrace and hurt of the Church and let them confesse the only sonne of God to be the eternall foundation of the eternall Church But the names of King Lord Bishop Pastor and § 159 the like giuen to Christ are giuen to Kings and Priests We confesse and acknowledge that such names as expresse his ministerie giuen to Christ may be giuen to Magistrates either ecclesiasticall or ciuill after a certaine manner but that those names which do expresse the neerest coniunction of Christ and his Church Certaine names giuen to Christ not to be giuen to men by the power whereof life and saluation is deriued vnto vs as the names of Head Rocke Foundation that those should be giuen to any mortall man whatsoeuer in respect of the whole Church that we deny againe and againe But the Fathers call Peter the rocke wherevpon Christ hath founded his Church as Ierome and diuers other Fathers affirme Cusan lib 2. de cencord eccles cap. 13. But your Cardinall Cusan hath answered before out of Ierome although Peter by the rocke is to be vnderstood the stone of the foundation yet agreable to him the other Apostles were likewise the stones of the Church as Apoc 21. twelue stones The rest rocks as well as Peter therefore so many Apostles so many foundations which is spoken in respect of the Apostolicall doctrine as Paul before expounded it Other and that more iustly vpon this rocke I will build my Church expound it of Christ as Austin August â—e verb D m secund Mat Sâ—m 13. Thou therefore saith he art Peter and vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this rocke which thou hast acknowledged saying Christ the only rocke Thou art the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church that is I will build my Church vpon my selfe the sonne of the liuing God vpon my selfe I will build thee not my selfe vpon thee And Gregorie Christ saith he doth call himselfe the rocke Other call the faith and confession of Peter the rocke Chrysost serm de Pent Homil. 55. in Matth Hilar. de Trin lib 2. as Chrysostome Vpon this rocke saith hee not vpon this Peter for hee buildeth not his house vpon a man but vpon faith And Hilarie There is one immoueable foundation there is one blessed rocke of faith confessed by the mouth of Peter Thou art the sonne of the liuing God vpon this rock of confession is the Church builded this faith is the foundation of the Church Ambros in Ephes cap. 2. And Ambrose The Lord said to Peter vpon this rocke I will build my Church .i. vpon this catholike confession of faith Faith therefore is the foundation of the Church for there is nothing said of the flesh of Peter but of the faith of Peter because the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it § 160 Out of whose most weighty witnesses that I may reckon no more I gather this argument not to be excepted against That according to Scripture and Fathers which Peter confessed that wherein he beleeued was and is the rocke But Peter confessed Christ not himselfe Peter beleeued in Christ not in himselfe Therefore according to Scripture and Fathers not Peter but Christ was and is the rocke which argument may be gathered out of venerable Bede Beda in cap 21. Johan who writeth that Christ was the rocke vpon which foundation euen Peter himselfe was to be built The ground whereof agreable to the Scripture may be fetcht out of Peter de Alliaco Pet de Alliacâ— recommen scrip pag. 269. a reuerend Cardinall of Rome a very eager maintayner of the Popes supremacie who notwithstanding being ouercome with the light of that truth By the rocke saith he Peter doth not seeme to be vnderstood but Christ. For who can ground the strength of the Church vpon Peters weaknes whereof aske but the damosell that kept the dore and she will answer you that Peter being frighted at her word as Gregorie saith while he feared death denyed life Wherefore seing Peter did stagger and his Vicar hath no fast footing and seing Bishops them-selues doe so greatly differ about the chiefe Priesthood of Peter and Priests wrangle about their chiefe Priest who dare presume to say any man of what sanctitie or dignitie soeuer whether he be Priest or chiefe Bishop whether it be Peter or Peters Vicar or any other whosoeuer but Christ himselfe to be the foundation of the Christian Church Christ therefore hath founded his Church vpon himselfe as a most sure foundation against the synagogue of Satan and vpon this rocke hath surely grounded Peter himselfe of whom hee spake that former sentence vpon this Rocke These are the words of Peter de Alliaco You would thinke that Luther or Caluin were speaking And yet Cardinall Bellarmine was so saucie as to § 161 apply the prophecie of Esay of the chosen stone Blasphemie subscribed to by the popish pretious corner stone a sure foundation placed in Sion to the Pope sur reuerence This hath that base slaue of Antichrist deliuered against the most manifest exposition of Peter 1 Pet 2. to whom Tho Aquin. Cardinall Caictan and Maldonat and Fererius Iesuites and many
doth witnes which said my kingdom is not of this world From a possibilitie to a deed the argument is not of force in Christ much lesse in Peter O pleasant madnes of Bellarmine wherby he dreameth that the temporall power in possibilitie as hanging in the ayre is bestowed vpon his Bishop § 204 But marke the mans reason God hath appointed Christ to be heyre of all things How the temporall rule forsooth descendeth vpon the Pope Therfore if he would he could haue cast Tiberius out of his throne and Pilate out of his iudgement seate for he was the heyre of all things Peter could if hee would haue wrested Nero's scepter out of his hands for he was heyre to Christ And the Pope can if he will cast of the Crowne from the head of any King heretike or catholike if he begin to go astray for he is Peters heyre For all comes to this at last that the temporall dominion of the whole world descends from Christ to Peter from Peter to the Pope That the Pope forsooth might haue and exercise power ouer Kings which Christ had but vsed not but might haue vsed if hee had been so pleased A vant with all these foolish quiddities which inferre such dangerous consequences Austin and Maldonate against Bellarmine But if hee had consulted not only with Austin but also with Maldonat on of his owne side hee should haue vnderstood that that place was to be interpreted of the spirituall not temporall inheritance of the world granted to Christ by the Father For what he that refused the iudgement of diuiding a priuate inheritance would he take to him the publike inheritance of the whole world And he that willingly submitted himselfe to the authoritie of Pilate giuen from aboue euen to the death of the Crosse did hee shew himselfe a temporall Lord both ouer Tiberius and the whole world The power of Pilate saith Bellarmine was not ordeyned § 205 but permitted And this is the sense of the place that Pilate could do nothing against Christ if God had not permitted it As that place is also vnderstood this is your houre and power of darknesse Luc 22. but because S. Thomas saith he vpon the 13 to the Romanes vnderstandeth the place of the ordinarie power we do not disagree But that this power did extend it selfe to Christ we thinke that to be done out of Pilates ignorance who not knowing the worthines of Christ iudged him as some priuate Citizen of the country As if in our dayes a Clergie man were brought to the bar of a Secular Iudge vnder the name and habite of a Lay-man hee may be condemned by that power wherewith a Laicke may out of the ignorance of the Iudge yet it doth not follow thereby that Clarkes by law are subiect to the iudgement of Lay-men or that Christ was subiect to the iudgment of Pilate Thus far Bellarmine But Christ said that Pilates power was not permitted § 206 but giuen from aboue The permitted power was that power of darknes whereby God suffred that the Iewes should kill the Lord of Glory wherein they sinned most greiuously And therefore it is called the power of darknesse not giuen from aboue as was Pilates the Iudge which Austin called not an vsurped but an vniust power Which place saith he when I heard it to be expounded by S. Thomas of a lawfull power I do not withstand it Bellarmine contradicteth himselfe It is well that which before you did wickedly affirme being instructed by Thomas you honestly deny The man speakes out of a boate now enclining to this side now to that neither doth he somtime contradict others so much as himselfe But marke how by turning himselfe into all parts he hath found a starting hole to escape by Whereas Pilate did stretch out this power against Christ it was out of Pilates ignorance that knew not the worth of Christ As if a Clerke vnder the habite of a Lay man should bee brought before a lay-Iudge he might by the ignorance of the Iudge be condemned as a Lay-man which notwithstanding the Law doth not allow c. That which he imputes to the ignorance of Pilate Austin imputes it to his feare lest he should offend Caesar in loosing of Christ. But this may be ascribed to his ignorance that he beggeth the question Bellarmine begs the question For he takes it as granted which is in question that a Clerke may not by law be condemned by a secular Iudge though out of the Iudges ignorance he may being attired like a Layman As if he should say that Alexander the 3. being in his pontificalibus might not rightly be iudged by Fredericke the Emperor Alexander 3. but being in his cookes apparell he might by ignorance or that Bishop who bare armes against Richard the first King of England An English Bishop in K Richard the first dayes Odo brother to W. Conqueror could not be hanged in his Bishops attire but being found in a coat-armour hee might by ignorance Or that Odo the brother of William the first a very wicked traytor could not be committed to ward as Bishop of Bayon but as Earle of Kent Or that some trayterous Iesuite imagine some Garâ—et or Oldcorne could not bee hanged in his massing robes but might by ignorance being clad in a Courtiers attire I could wish rather that such Clerkes were vnknowne than knowne But he doth very vntowardly make Christ his innocencie a cloake for a harmefull Clerke that because Christ could not be rightly condemned by Pilate therefore euery Clerke is exempted from the iudgement of a secular Iudge It is as I said a manifest begging of the thing in question For I can better dispute after a contrary manner There was no exempting of the person of Christ from the iudgement of Pilate Therefore there is no exempting of Paul the fift from the iudgment of the Emperor For if Christ the chiefe Bishop was not exempted from the iudgment of the Emperor whose power was from aboue then certainely the Bishop of Rome ought not to be exempted from the iudgement of the Emperors power The actions of Christ are rules for the Pope the actions of Popes are not rules for Christ But whereas the Cardinall brings in his Clearke in § 207 a Lay-mans weede before a secular Iudge hee doth very ill apply it to his purpose For he hauing got this freedome or exemption as is taught he should not say to the Iudge that hee hath power from heauen against him but the contrary you haue no power against me froÌ„ aboue for I am a Clerke but when Christ said not this but the cleane contrary you haue power against me froÌ„ aboue he allowed not the exeÌ„pting of a Clerke vnles the prerogatiue of a Clerke be greater than the prerogatiue of Christ But you haue brought in a very dull-pated Clerke who being endowed with a priuiledge as you call it cannot vtter it that he may be safe from danger being