as much to other Bishops and might haue donne it to Preists also without any giueing of supremacie yet as the Popes were pleased to take the matter it gaue them power to doe After Hormisda came Iohn 1. Theodoric the Kinge sent him Ambassodor to Iustine to craue that the Arriā Bishops whome he had bainshed might be restored to theire places againe else the Catholike Bishops in Italie should expect the like at his hands Liber Fontif in Iohan. 1. which made Pope Iohn with teares to perswade the Emperour to condescend Here the Emperour still willing for a further ende to please the Pope did him some honour which yet as they take the matter gaue him power But it soe displeased Theodoric that at his retourne he clapt him in prison where he ended his life Platina Foelix the 4. succeeded and ruled 4. yeares He excomunicated Athanasius Patriarch of Constantinople for heresie he ordained that Christians before theire departure out of this life should be anointed with oyle This is theire Sacrament of extreme vnction instituted as ye see by him Whome Boniface the second succeeded though not without schisme for Dioscorus was competitor while he liued In his time Eulalius Bishop of Carthage submitted himselfe vnto the chaire of Rome whereupon Boniface tooke occasion of insolent insulting and that so far that he is not ashamed to write of Aurelius Bishop of Carthage Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo and of the rest of the Fathers which were present at the sixt Councell of Carthage that they through the instigation of the deuill in the time of our Predecessours Boniface and Celestine began to exalt themselues against the Church of Rome But Eulalius saith he now Bishop of Carthage seeing himselfe through the sinne of Aurelius to stand seperated from the communion of the Roman Church hath repented him thereof intreating to be receiued c. This indeede gaue them greate power to doe as they insolently tooke it Iohn the second succeeded whenas the Emperour Iustinian beeing newly come to the crowne that he might please the Pope and get freinds in Italie sent to him to assure him of his true faith Baronius here obserueth that in his Epistle he saith in this manner Wee are all carefull to aduertise youre holinesse of all such things as concerne the estate of the Church wee indeauour to submit and to vnite vnto youre holinesse all the Bishops of the East Which words Pope Iohn laide hold on with both his hands in his answer to this letter where he telleth him that amonge other his vertues this was most eminent that he subiected all things to the See of Rome whereas the Emperour meant only to indeauour that the Hereticks of the East should submit to the faith and soe be vinted to Iohn and other Bishops that professed it Besides he and other Emperours had saide as much to the Patriarch of Constantinople and other Bishops Plesses myst Iniquit prog 17. as Mounseire du Plesses hath proued Yet thus the Gothes Kingdom rather furthered the Popes power then hindred it while in those times the Emperour to regaine Italie gaue him fairer words then otherwise he would haue donne Agapetus succeeded Iohn and was presently sent by Theodatus the Kinge to Iustinian to pacifie him for the slaughter of Amalasuntha his wife a fit commission for a Pope When he came a Councell was called at Constantinople wherein Anthimius the Patriarch thereof beeing an Eutichean Heretick was deposed And the truth is that Agapete beeing then at Constantinople presided in the Councell wherein Anthimius was deposed and Menas placed in his roome which as Popes would take it gaue them much power he died there And then Siluerius the Sonne of Hormisda somtime Bishop of Rome succeeded He gouerned when Iustinian sent Belisares to fight against Vitiges Theodora the Empresse sent to Siluerius desiring him to yeeld to the restoring of Anthimius and deposing of Menas Siluerius refused wherefore Theodora sent to Belisares to Banish Siluerius Baron vol. 7. an 538. art 20. and to appoint Vigilius Bishop of Rome who had promised to fulfill her desires which was donne accordingly Wherefore Baronius speaking of the entrie of Vigilius calleth him a theife a wolfe a false Bishop an Antichrist Yet soone after he calleth him the Vicar of Christ because he did not keepe promise in restoring Anthimius the Heretike But therefore as also for diuers greate crimes laide to his charge by the Romans Anastas in Vigilio he was apprehended led violently away the people persuing him with cursings and Stones He wast cast into prison at Constantinople and then deliuered againe While he was in the Citie the fift generall Councell was held there but he would not be present at it lest the dignity of the Roman chaire should be impaired if he sate there For first Menas Patriarch of Constantinople Bellar. lib. de concil c. 19. and after him Euticheus Bishop of the same See presided there Neither doth Bellarmine deme it So Nicephorus saith when Eutichius was by the Emperour put in the roome of Menas lately deceased Vigilius though agreeing with him in points of doctrine yet refused to sit by him Baron an 553. But yet Baronius obserueth that this Eutichius when he was chosen in the roome of Menas tendred the profession of his faith vnto Vigilius which though it were a thinge vsually practised amonge Bishops and Pelagius the next Pope did as much to the Bishops of Italie yet as Popes and Papists take the matter it gaue him power Thus wee see that in almost all the yeares of the Gothes Kingdom the Pope had power to doe and was seldom hindred but oft times furthered by it Pelagius the first who succeeded Vigilius had the worst time of it for a while because the Tirant Totilas then raged and triumphed in Rome which he vnpeopled for 40. dayes but he was soone vanquished and therefore the time of the Beasts doeing was litle hindred by them and consequently he must needes be verrie neere his ende may expire within 10. or 12. yeares at least within lesse then 16. or 20. yeares from this present or soone after yea though his time of doeing began not till the dayes of Syricius or Innocent because the yeares may be Egyptian yeares as some haue thought probable Howsoeuer though he may endure to doe a litle longer as some thinke yet it doth not follow that Rome shall stand soe longe seeing it is in a manner cleare by the holy Scriptures that he shall suruiue her destruction Reu. 16. For after the fifth Angell hah powred his viall on the throne or seate of the Beast and thereupon his Kingdom waxeth darke by which deede as some thinke may be meant the destruction of Rome seeing that is the throne or seate and by her ruin his Kingdom must of necessity waxe darke because it doth most of all consist off and rest on the supposed chaire of Peter to remaine therefor euer and a
ROMES RVIN OR A TREATISE Of the certaine Destruction of Rome and of Antichrist before the ende of the World WHEREIN IS CLEERELY Manifested out of the Holy Scriptures Conferred with the Historie of the Papacie that he hath but a short time A worke published to strengthen the faith of such as suffer vnder him By J. P. PSAL. 137.8 O Daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed Happie shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs. Printed M.DC.XXIX To the Christian Reader IT hath neuer beene any part of my intent Christian Reader in the writing or publishing of this litle Treatise to take on me after the manner of some precisely to finde out and peremptorily to set downe the verrie yeare wherein Rome or Antichrist shall be destroyed or to name the verrie Prince or Kingdom whose Kinge shall be Generall at the Seidge and ruin of that Babylon the worke it selfe will both quit me of such fond presumptions and witnesse that my aime herein is not to get a vaine glorious name of knowledge in such mysteries nor to fill the world with stronge delusions opinions and expectations of improbable alterations but rather for the honour of Almightie God now in theese wauering and fainting times wherein mens hearts faile them for feare that the preuailing aduersaries will subdue all to Romish obedience to winne men to an assured confidence in his promised meraies of deliuerance and what they can to serue and waite on his almightie power and prouidence with such iust meanes as he hath appointed therevnto espetially now when they shall see it manifested by those vndeniable testimonies the prophesies of holy Scripture and Histories of the Papacie answering them that Romes Ruin must needes be approching and can not choose but fall out within a few yeares of this present which is sufficient for me to haue manifested As for those who professe themselues Protestants and yet in theese dangerous times are so far from affecting or approuing such knowledge that on the contrarie they doubt whether it be lawfull and proffitable to looke into theese Prophesies for the time and meanes of deliuerance and ouerthrow of the aduersaries whether such looking be not rather curiosity folly presumption whether courses of iustice and warres vndertaken for the defence of the Gospell and ouerthrow of Poperie and the Supporters thereof be lawfull or necessary whether a peace with them all is not much rather to be wished and whether it be not much better that Protestants Papists should first ioyne together against theire coÌ„mon enemie the Turke In theese and the like scruples such as are not partiall and obstinate may by a thorow reading of this small booke receiue compotent satisfaction In the meane time I answer noe more heere to theire suggestions then this 1. That noe man can more detest then I doe all warres vndertaken for desire of spoile territories Empire all not worth the life blood of one ChristiaÌ„ knowing that the miseries that euer follow theÌ„ are great lamentable that peace mercie can neuer be sufficiently admired extended but not toward Amalek or Romish Babel and her Champions because theire destructions are coÌ„maunded in holy Scriptures and he is counted happie that shall serue her as she hath serued others 2. That it was lawfull proffitable and comfortable for the children of Israel in the time of the captiuity Dan. 9.2 to looke as Daniel did after the time and meanes of deliuerance espetially when the seauentie yeares were almost out to looke also into the Prophesie of Daniel for the last period of those seuerall Beasts hornes mentioned Dan. 7. chap. 8. espetially for deliuerance from Antiochus Epiphanes that litle horne chap. 8.9 for the time and ende of the desolation he causeth expresly noted vers 13.14 and for the comming and saluation of Christ and other occurreÌ„ts signified in those propheticall weekes of Daniel chap. 9. Euen as old Simeon waited for the consolatioÌ„ of Israel Luk. 2. Mark 15.43 and Ioseph of Arimathea is saide to haue waited for the Kingdom of God and that therefore it is as lawfull now for all true Christians beholding the desolations that Antichrist and his Adherents make to looke into the prophesies of holy Scripture for the time and meanes of the deliuerance there promised espetially seeing that when Rome the cause of theese miseries is destroied Reu. 19. it is saide Alleluia for the Lord God omnipotent raigneth whereas before that she raigned in matters of faith and saluation Reu. 17.18 and ouer the Kings of the earth But then Gods Kingdom commeth this wee are taught to pray for and commaunded to * Mat. 6.33 seeke And therefore when after the writing of this small booke I had kept it a longe time without imparting the sight of it to any man I thought I could now doe noe lesse then publish it with some few additions and that indeede that such as see the miseries of the Church and seeke to redresse them may striue to doe it by that right meanes which God hath prescribed and not by any contrarie to that which God that changeth not hath in his Holy Word reuealed to be the only sure remedie and that by which he hath determined to redeeme his Church from Antichristian persecution bondage and subâ—ection ROMES RVIN OR A Treatise of the certaine destruction of Rome and of Antichrist before the ende of the VVorld TO say nothing of theire opinions in this point who are either Popish or newters or lukewarm or temporisers or worldlings or which are afraid of the Popish armies because euery wise man will easely conceiue that theire verdict in this matter must needes be partiall as proceeding from sinister respects or theire owne perticular interests I readily acknowledge that there are many godly and learned men greately seene in the Scriptures who yet are soe daily excercised in the finding of the meaning of those other places of Scripture which teach other points necessary to saluatioÌ„ that they finde litle leisure to looke on such as declare things concerning Antichrist or his ouerthrow I may not say that it is because they care litle to vnderstand the truth of God in theese points for I must leaue that to God who knowes the secrets of all hearts Neuerthelesse if any of them who haue a good vnderstanding be soe careles herein they may know that it is a fault seeing the holy Ghost saith concerning the Reuelation wherein theese things are declared Blessed is he that readeth Renel 1.3 and they that heare the words of this prophesie keepe those things which are written therein for the time is at hand And againe Chap. 22.10 Seale not the sayings of the prophesie of this booke for the time is at hand viz. when theese things should be fulfilled Whereby God warneth all men to looke narrowly into this booke that they may thereby know the Dragon Beast and whore and such euils as accompany them
that soe they may the better auoide them and not pertake of theire sinnes lest they receiue of theire plauges and that espetially when theire deliuerance and her ruin are at hand And as this care was necessarie in those ages when the * Reu. 12. Dragon reigned and the first trumpets sounded so more espetially in theese times of the beast whore wherein the euill they doe is a greate deale worse more dangerous to the Soules of men for as much as notwithstanding the light of the Gospell all the world would still wonder after him for that holines power and munificence which they would imagine to reside in him and euen many of Gods people would be so loth to flee out of Babylon that they should be in danger of pertaking of her sinnes and receiuing of her plauges and should haue neede to be daily called on to make them come out from her A duty which as it was euer needefull to be put in practise for the drawing of Soules from her bewitching delicacies and deceites so more espetially now when her greate abhominations are by the refulgent light of Gods Word manifested and her last and greatest plauges must needes be approching For if when Saint Iohn wrote it might be saide the time is at hand how much more in theese our times vpon whome the ends of the World are come and who may see if wee either will see or thinke it any such blessed thinge to see that the most of those things which concerne Antichrist and the verrie declining of his Kingdom are already fulfilled and thereby euery man warned to waite with a stedfast faith to see the rest accomplished and not to put farre away as his fauourers doe those euill dayes which shall befall him and his friends and as they doe who would faine make the World beleeue that he shall not be destroyed till the ende of the World and are so loth to see any thinge proued to the contrary that they doubt not to affirme that the time can not be so much as neerely guessed at To whome it may be answered that the Lord would neither haue saide of the beast Aeuel 13. He shall haue power to doe fourtie and two monethes and neither more nor lesse nor of the Kings his hornes They haue receiued noe Kingdom as yet Chap. 12.19 but receiue power as Kings one howre with the Beast but that he meant to shew vs some certaine time which when his ruin should approach might either be perfectly or at least verrie neerely found as in Daniels propheticall weekes wherein euery day stands for a yeare and so questionlesse in theese monethes which are also propheticall monethes which can not be literally vnderstood of three yeares and a halfe For it followes from the Angels exposition that Antichrist is the seauenth and eighth head of the seauen hilled citie that is a head of gouernment in a succession Reu. 17. as the Emperours were of whome he saide one is Fiue are fallen one is and the other is not yet come Fiue of the Roman heads or formes of gouernment were fallen before as Kings Consuls Dictatours Decemuiri Tribuni Militum The sixt was in the time of Saint Iohn which was the gouernment of the Emperours haueing theire seate in Rome This head so longe as it should abide there would let the comming of Antichrist who was to be the seauenth head of the same citie 2. Thes 2. Reu. 17.9 as Saint Paul compared with Saint Iohn sheweth saying only he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way he saith not till he be vtterly fallen or destroied but taken out of the way viz. remoued which came to passe when the seate of the Empire was remoued from Rome to Constantinople and not before for till then another domineering head could not rise to rule in Rome Therefore saint John saith of the seauenth He is not yet come and when he commeth he must continue a short space And the Beast that was and is not euen he is the eighth and is of the seaven This seauenth head which is the Roman gouernment by Bishops is saide to endure but for a short space because of the wound which it should soone receiue by the Gothes and Vandals which when it should be healed was not longe to endure as a seauenth head only but should also by reason of a new title and authority become an eighth head and more absolute that soe he might rule and raigne the rest of his longe time and doe all the greatest things ascribed to Antichrist This eighth head did accordingly beginne in Boniface III. when he obtained to be called vniuersall Bishop he then was the eighth and yet of the seauen viz. the seauenth because he seemed but to succeede the former Bishops in that gouernment which they had after the seate of the Empire was remoued from Rome and which they got by abusing the Canons of Nice and Sardica as wee shall see by and by Howsoeuer seeing Antichrist ye see is a head of gouernment in a succession as the Kings and after them the other heads were that had liued and ruled in Rome theese 42. monethes giuen to him can not possibly be vnderstood literally For indeede it is impossible that this seauenth head should rise be seated wounded healed then become an eighth head who should first be admired and worshipped by all nations and then make warre by himselfe and by his hornes ouercome the Saints yea the two witnesses cause an Image to be made and worshipped and a marke to be taken by all small and greate yea doe many other greate things mencioned in the Reuelation and after send to gather the Kings of the earth to Battaile and be taken and all this in three yeares and a halfe Therefore out of all doubt in theese monethes as in Daniels weekes euery day stands for a yeare as the Lord saide to the Israelites Num. 14.34 After the number of the dayes in which ye searched the land euen forty dayes each day for a yeare shall ye beare youre iniquities Ezech. 4.6 euen fourtie yeares also in Ezechiel Thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the howse of Iudah fourtie dayes I haue appointed thee each day for a yeare Soe it must needes be in theese monethes and soe they signifie 1260. yeares as some haue iudiciously collected from Reu. 12.6.14 further also that theese yeares must needes beginne whē first the Pope had power to doe as a head which some thinke beganne in the time of Constantine the greate when he left Rome when say they he that hindred was taken out of the way Some say sooner euen from the time that Constantine came to the Empire and the Ethnick gouernment was ouerthrowen or taken out of the way Indeede it is verry necessarie that the time should be searched out when theese 42. monethes began because that is the surest way to finde out the time of his ende and
came now to make him vnderstand what should befall the Iewes chap. 11.2 and to tell him the truth of the visions would so sodainly and at once make such a large step as is from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes to Antichrist or the Turke and that without telling Daniel that now he would shew him another Kinge and Kingdom which seeing he did not here as he had donne concerning all the former * See vers 2.3.4.5.6.7.10 Kings and Kingdoms both here and also chap. 8.20 it is plaine that he speakes of the same Kinge and Kingdom and so indeede whereas he had spoken before of the Kings of the North and South vers 6.7 c. viz. Syria and Egypt in theire seuerall successions and came at last to Antiochus Epiphanes Kinge of the North and his acts both against the Kinge of the South and also against the Iewes he there without intermission or variation continueth speaking of them vnder the same titles vers 40. which is an infallible argument that he continueth speaking of the same Kinge Kingdoms and times III. The sequell of the Storie answereth to the Prophesie for Antiochus did all this as * See D. Willet on Daniel many haue proued out of the Maccabes and other Histories Neither let any man thinke that Antichrist can not be destroied till Christ come to iudgement and that therefore it will be in vaine to beare armes against him and his Supporters in theese times For if it could be so that he should stand till then yet noe man can be sure that the day is farre off or at hand But it is manifest by the Scriptures that those words of Saint Paul 2. Thes 2. Whome the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnes of his comming Reu. 19.14.15.17 c. vers 20.21 chap. 2.16 must needes be meant of that comming when the armies follow him Reuel 19. For then Antichrist is destroyed and then also Christ fighteth with the Spirit or sword of his mouth So he saide of Pergamos and the false Teachers in her Repent or else I will come vnto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth Isa 59.19.20 Rom. 11.26 And so the deliuerer shall come to Sion as Isaiah shewes It is most manifest therefore I say that Saint Paul meaneth such a bright comming against Antichrist both with the Word and with the swords of Princes and that he shall be wholly destroyed as also that after his destruction the Nations Gog and Magog shall fight with the Saints Reu. 20.9 and that before the day of iudgement For the day of iudgement shall come as a theife in the night and noe man can know before when it shall be Reu. 19.17 but when the Angell standing in the Sunne hath called many to the certaine destruction of Antichrist and his Supporters euen to eate the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines c. and at the same time Antichrist hath also called many to fight in his defence Antichrist is taken and destroyed but if the World should then haue an ende then all who are called to this Battaile at least all that come against him might know the day of iudgement for they are called to the certaine destruction of him and his to cate the flesh of Kings c. but the whole World can not haue so sure and vissible a signe of the ending of the World seeing the Scriptures are contrarie herevnto and shew that after this another battaile is fought with Gog and Magog and therefore the World can not then ende The like might also be saide when afterwards the Nations Gog Magog are gathered together in battaile against the Saints Reu. 20.7 if the world were to ende with that battaile the Saints that meete there might know it before But this they doe not know therefore the world is not to ende at that time Yet how soone after that it shall ende God only knoweth It seemes that as the Isralites soone forgate his wonders in Egypt so will those that suruiue theese two battailes and then they beeing in security the day will take them or theire posteritie as a theife in the night Soe that theese obiections doe not hinder but that all theese things may shortly be fulfilled espetially Romes Ruin Gen. 6.3 Wee must not thinke that Gods Spirit will alwaies striue with that Church noe more then he did with the old world to whome he gaue 120. yeares time of repentance when once the longe suffering of God waited while the Arke was preparing in the dayes of Noah 1. Pet. 3. a preacher of righteousnes and so indeede God hath now giuē Rome well neere the like time since the preaching of Luther an 1517. wherein God by him and others would haue cured Babel but she would not Therefore when his longe suffering hath a like time waited and they repent not to giue him glorie her Ruin must needes approach and follow And indeede the warres and other troubles that are already begun amonge many nations shew that theese things are at hand and namely that ere longe Rome the greatest cause of them shall be destroied The blood of the Saints shed in theese warres cries to heauen for speedie vengeance on Pope Turke but espetially and first of all on Rome as the cause of all For she deuided the Empire into East west and so made way for the Turke to enter by that diuision and was therein the cause of all the slaughters which since haue beene made by Turkes vpon Christians It would aske to much time to reckō vp all the warres that she hath caused and the blood that she hath otherwise shed in former times To say nothing of the execrable practises of the bloodie inquisition if wee only looke on the warres of Christendom in theese times wee may finde that she hath beene the increaser if not the prouoker and so beginner of them all Call to minde vvhat her instruments the Iesuits and Preists made the Emperour doe against the Bohemians to make them reuolt and soe to breede all those vvarres there in the Palatinate to the cruell martyrdom of many thousands of Protestants all still by the animation encouragemēt of the Pope and Romish Clergie See what troubles and slaughters they haue raised in Garmanie France and the Low countries and how easie will it be to finde her guiltie of all the blood that hath of late beene shed in all theese places and that therefore she is like to be as dangerous to all that suruiue if to preuent it she be not the sooner destroyed as it is written Reu. 17.6 The Woman was drunken with the blood of the Saints and of the Martyrs of Iesus * chap. 18.24 In her was found the blood of the Saints and of all that were slaine vpon earth And indeede they are still so fierce in persuite of