doubted or any other man neede to doubt of the trueth but as it should seeme being no profest Churchman he modestly disputes the point as a man that would learne himselfe and others by asking questions wisely and withall inquiring whether it can be imagined that any man can be more like Antichrist then the Pope is he concludes negatiuely that none can and plainely layes downe in everie Probleme the obstinate absurdities of such as looke for Antichrist and beleeue he shall come yet cannot now see him to be come because either he stands too neare them as a beame in their eyes and they are parte of him bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh or they expect him when he comes to be so qualified for publique observation as the Church of Rome hath cunningly and poetically described him But such an Antichrist they shall never see for the church of Rome did so paint him in policie not for the disclosing but for the concealing and clowding of his proper and personall appearance and diverting the eyes of all men from beholding the right object For my parte meeting with this Booke in a manuscript and seeing the profit it may bring to all I could doe no lesse then be a midwife for the edition of this since I am not able to be parent for procreation of the like And I haue taken the boldnes upon me to dedicate it to no lesse persons then to the Kings and Potentates of the Earth for it concernes them all especially aboue and more then others to reade and to understand this Controversie least they should be made drunke or kept drunke with the dregges of that abhominable cuppe of Inchantments wherewith diverse of their forefathers haue been intoxicated and slept to death and least they should under the appearance of Christianitse countenance and support Antichristianisme and so thinking to doe Christ good service persecute his poore members ignorantly Besides many of them haue suffred much from the hand of Antichrist and his members The Kings of France haue beene butchered by their instruments and the kingdome put in Combustion by their incendiaries of the Roman Catholique league or partie Our Queenes Father Henrie IIII. of renowmed memorie must not be forgotten his blood is yet too fresh upon their fingers to be hidden from her Majesties eyes except they force her weake sexe as they haue done manie of the masculine gender to winke by threatning to dippe their fingers as deepe in her bloud which the Lord forefend if she cast an eye towards her Fathers Funerall or so much as inquire whether or no he dyed by age or by some injurious and traiterous hand Our Kings haue beene and are still excommunicated cursed exposed to slaughter and deposition by them The King and Queene of Bohemia haue beene pursued from place to place and all Christendome imbroyled with bloodie warres for the upholding of Papall usurpation against regall Iurisdiction Other Princes haue formerly felt and may hereafter feele the strength of his Imperiall and Catholique Armes and therefore it concernes these also to knowe the man of sinne for their owne comfort that they may the better beare their Crosses considering from what head and hand they come and that they may with more courage and assurance looke up towards deliverance Luke 21 28. as Christ hath willed them who at the length will be too hard for Antichrist and giue a happie yssue to all their afflictions And as it concerns Princes especially so it concerns others also as much as their salvation may concerne them to know Christ their Saviour and Antichrist the chiefe enimie of their Saviour and of their Salvation from each other and therefore I haue dedicated it to all Christians But if any wonder why in the Title of the Dedication I use these words To all Christians Reformed and Romish as if I contradicted my selfe in calling the Romish professors Christians which in other places I terme Antichristians I answer that the Pope himselfe could not be the Antichrist except he were a Christian and tooke upon him also to be the chiefe Christian in externall profession A man may in diverse respects be a Christian and an Antichristian at once The Pope is baptized professeth the fayth in generall termes as Peter did and thus he is a Christian and one of S. Peters successors as all other Bishops are but as he chalengeth to be head of the Church universall Bishop of an infallible spirit Iudge of the Scripture c he is Antichrist that is Rev. 18. Rome as head of the church is Babylon such as so dwell in it mystically by adhering to it are in Babylō whether they be in Rome or no such as renounce this Babylonish doctrine of Romish supremacie suprelacie holding the true head which is Christ Iesus alone those are with out Babylon though they dwel in Rome for Christ in shew but against him in trueth So those of the church of Rome are Christians in outward profession but as they adhere to the Pope as to the Vicar of Christ and head of the Church they are Antichristians and such of them as belong to Gods election are called out of Babylon by the holy spirit and may come out from thence by renouncing the Babylonish doctrine of the Church of Rome though for their persons and dwellings they continue in the same place and cittie still And that these Romish Christians may be informed and all other Reformed Christians established in the trueth is the end which the Author proposed to himselfe in the collection and composition and I in the publication of this treatise All that I feare is that both this worke and my owne indeavour shall meete the greatest discouragements from some of those that should protect and countenance us who eyther from error of judgment deny the Pope to be Antichrist and yet separate from him at which I wonder or else out of humane wisedome and policie seeme still to be in doubt and will not be resolved as fearing a diminution of their worldly greatnesse and glorie if this truth should be generally acknowledged Because they suppose much of their authoritie would be found to be built upon the sandie foundation of Antichristian usurpations But shall we loose heauen for earth or looke so low as to bring temporall respects into the ballance with eternall Can there be no provision for upholding the honour and countenance of the Clergie from common contempt and for the incouraging and rewarding of learning but what Antichrist invents to uphold himselfe withall Then let me rather be still poore and despised with Christ and accounted ignorant with his Apostles then rich and respected learned with those of Rome Truth and simplicitie are the chiefe ornaments of Church-men and should be inseparable Their serpentine wisedome should not be used for this world for that naturall subtiltie which hath no mixture of doue-like simplicitie infused by grace Christ did not teach to his Apostles
upon weake foundations or to make long work of that which is readie at hand I desire thee to consider of the termes of this disputation ut constet quid sit id qou de agitur First I say I desire to know whether thou dost hold that there is a Rule of the Catholike fayth whereby to judge of Heresies which rule ought to be certaine and knowne to us as not onely the Fathers De verbo dei l. 1. c. 2. but we at this day do all agree and Bellarmine the great Champion of the Romish Church affirmeth For sayth he if it be not knowne it connot be a rule unto us and if it be not certaine it can be no rule at all So sayth the Scripture Prov 22 21 The words of trueth are certaine and therefore was the Scripture written Luc. 1.4 that we might knowe the certaintie of that we haue learned Secondly Summa provi dentia carere fuco voluit ca quae divina sunt ut omnes intelligerent quae ipse omnibus loquchatur Lailant De verbo dei l. 3. c 2. 2 Tim. 2. I aske how it is knowne whether it be not knowne according to the literall sense out of which effectuall arguments ought to be drawne as we also are agreed For certaine it is sayth the same Bellarmine that that sense which is immediately gathered of the words is the sense of the Holy Ghost which I thinke he intendeth so as it stand with other plaine places For in the Word of God no contradiction is to be admitted God cannot denye himselfe But the senses mysticall and spirituall which may be gathered out of the Scriptures are various and therefore cannot be used for arguments to confirme points of Fayth because we are not certaine that they are intended by the Holy Ghost as the said Bellarmine affirmeth out of S. Augustine Lastly then it resteth to know what that rule is and where to be found Of which because thou mayst see that I will not hide or disguise any thing from thee I finde four opinions Whereof none in my understanding can justly be reproved for they all agree together in substance The first is of the most ancient Tertullian De praescript who goeth no further for the rule of fayth then to the Vulgar Creed The same as it seemeth is followed by Diony Ar. commonly called the Creede of the Apostles which sayth he amongst us hath no questions but such as Heresies bring in and make Heretikes To know nothing but this is to know all that we ought to know And they that do not beleeue this are not faythfull are not Christians are not to be admitted to dispute of the Scriptures sayth he In Enchirid. ad Laur. The second is that of August who affirmeth this rule to be conteyned in the Creede and the Lords prayer For sayth he therein is the whole summe of all Christian religion namely whatsoever concerneth fayth hope or charitie A third opinion is that of the common Catechistes which adde to the two before named the Decalogue and the doctrine of the Sacraments The fourth is that which is now commonly imbraced which maketh the Scripture in generall to be the rule of fayth And in this Bellarmine also consenteth My question therefore is whether thou do not approue these rules or any of them if thou do and do acknowledge that these Rules or any of them be certeyne and knowne to us and to be litterally understood as Bellarmine confesseth it followeth then to consider who by these Rules shall be said an Heretick and whether that be not clearly defined unto us by Moses S. Iohn Deut. 12. Rev. 22. and S. Paul to be such a one as doth adde any thing to the true fayth expressed in these Rules Tit. 3 10. or taketh any thing from them and will not be reformed by due admonition To this agreeth Vincent Lirinen c. 32. Christi Ecclesia sedula depositorium apud se dogmatum custos nihil in iis unquam permutat Haeresis graece Electio latine est sententia humano sensu electa verbo dei contraria palam docta pertinaciter de sensa Grossetest Episâ— Lincoln in Mat. Paris nihil minuit nihil addit Then to the point I aske first concerning that Article by the councels aforesaid decreed That the holy Catholike church being the body of our Saviour Christ represented in a generall Councell is aboue the Pope and hath authoritie immediately from Christ unto which the Pope himselfe as a member to the whole ought to obey whosoever denieth that verily is an Heretike Doth not the Pope as I said and haue not all the Popes since the making of that decree mainteyned themselues to be aboue the generall Councell and so denyed that veritie and that no decree of a generall Councell is able to binde them neither is lawfull if it be made without the authoritie of the Roman Pontifex Aske Bellarmine their Advocate Do they not maintaine that he is the head of the Church that he cannot erre in matters of fayth and that all are bound to obey him ex necessitate salutis Are these things expresly and literally to be found in the Creede the Lords prayer the tenne Commandements the Sacraments or any part of the Scripture If they be why did all the Christian Churches of Europe so manie times determine against these Prerogatiues of the Pope If not then whether are not these most great additions to that Rule to which none must adde and from which none must deminish If we will truly judge of the greatnes of this Heresie let us consider the greatnes of the buildings erected upon it For great buildings must haue great foundations First therefore upon this Supremacie over the Church of Christ represented in the generall Councell they haue grounded their absolute power to call beginne determine ende prorogue and transfer generall Councels at their pleasures and also to confirme and allow or to abrogate and disanull them Which point if it be granted they are sure that nothing can be determined against them in any such Councell Then an absolute power over all not onely Bishops and Prelates but kings and princes will easily be inferred For it standeth with reason that he who is aboue the whole is aboue everie parte in toto pars continetur Then followeth their power to adjudge and condemn that for Heresie whatsoever he thinketh fit Then the power to excommunicate Nations and Countries to depriue and depose kings and princes to giue their lands for an Heritage to whom they will And in a word their absolute Anomy and lawlessenes that no man may judge of him no man may dispute of his judgment or call it in question though he draw millions of soules with him into hell a prerogatiue which the Scripture never intimateth to be claymed by any but Antichrist and never claymed by any but the pope wherein all the authoritie power and states of Christian
coveteousnes to inrich themselues The goulden Historian Matthew Paris Aventinus and all other Histories of Christendome proclaime it is the Pope and Courte of Rome according to the Common verses Curia Romana non captat ovem sine Lana and againe Bursas exhaurit arcas and againe Roma caput mundi est omnia namque capit Ejus avaritiae totus non sufficit orbis Ejus luxuriae meritrix non sufsicit omnes Paris The Romish Cleargie haue turned the tenne commandements into two words See more in Abb. demonst and in M. Domuham Da pecuniam sayth S. Brigitt So if we aske who haue boasted themselues and in pride exalted themselues aboue all princes Kings and Emperors who hath excommunicated and cursed Christian Princes Nobles States and Nations Who haue seduced Children and Subjects to take upon them habits and vowes of Religion and so to cast off all obedience to their Parents and Superiors who haue shewed themselues most unthankfull to their Benefactors and specially to their Leige Soveraignes under whose gratious and peaceable government they were borne and bredd and haue injoyed their goods and Lands houses and Inheritance Wiues and children Liues and livings and yet haue gone about most wickedly traiterously to take away their Crownes and kingdomes yea their life and breath by whose onely mercie they injoy their owne Who haue taught men to breake their truces oathes Leagues and covenants by new trickes and devices sometimes of Equivocation mentall reservation in themselues sometimes of dispensation from their chief Bishop the Pope sometimes of false and malitious calumniations pretending that they be Heretikes and Infidels with whom no fayth is to be holden as they haue learned of their good predecessors Atreus Cie 3 offic in whose name that doctrine was first published and Laomedon that practised it according to that verse Laomedont aeae luincus perjuria Troiae Virg. Georg. â— Yet by the way I will not denye that sentence of a godly Father vouched in their Decree In malis promissis rescinde fidem Impia est promissio quae scelere adimpletur But it is one thing promittere malum and another promittere malo If we promise an evill thing it is better to breake it then to keepe it as we learne by the said Sentence and the example of Herod But if we promise to an evill man yet if the promise be not evill we are bound to performe it Ios. 9. 2 Sam. 21. as by the example of Ioshuah and king David And yet who hath giuen them such a superlatiue and supereminent prerogatiue that whomsoever they call an Heretike or Infidell he must be so yea in their owne causes contrarie to the Decree of immutable Iustice that None ought to be a Iudge in his owne cause Who haue againe by false infamous and seditious Libels accused and slandered Princes Nobles and whole nations as they did Queene Elizabeth calling her a Bastard flagitiorum servam the late Prince of Orenge calling him an Heretike and all that protest against their impieties calling them Heretikes Valdenses Hussites Lutherans Calvinists Hugonots and I know not what Finally who haue shewed themselues most intemperate fierce and cruell who haue most despised good men Who haue been most traitors who most headie and obstinate who most proud and high minded who haue most followed their pleasures and yet made most hypocriticall shewes of godlines I haue neither read nor seene much I know litle or nothing and therefore will not take upon me to say any thing but I referre it to thine owne conscience good Christian and I desire thee to consider in thine own hart whether thou do know any such men in the world or not and if thou doest then whom they serue and follow A third note of the times of Antichrist is that which the same Apostle telleth us in another place 2 Thes 2. that there should come an Apostacie first and then that man of sinne shall be revealed Consider with thy selfe whether in anie Historie of times past thou canst find any Apostasies in any degree parallell or comparable to those whereof we spake before or whether in any probabilitie the like may be expected in any time to come Or if by the word of Apostasie in that place thou wilt understand that whereof the same Apostle speaketh elsewhere that some shall apostate and fall from the fayth giving heede to seducing spirits and doctrines of divels 1 Tim. 4. speaking lyes in hypocrisie forbidding mariage and meats Consider also who they be that teach such things And who they be that forbid meats and mariage some meats to all men at some times and all mariage to some persons at all times Fourthly S. Peter giveth us another none of them 2 Pet. 2. saying They walke after the flesh and despise government speaking evill of dignities I neede not aske what these men be But I aske whether any other of any Religion countrie nation or profession either in these or in any of the former haue been like to those that professe the Roman Catholike or Popish superstition Fifthly S. Iude following S. Peter Iud. epist. describeth them thus They haue gone in the way of Cain and runne greedily after the error of Balaam and perish in the gainsaying of Core Who be those that haue most followed Cain in murther and Bloudshed not onely of private men but of princes Who haue runne after Balaam to curse excommunicate interdict not onely perticular offenders but whole nations townes citties and countries and that for coveteousnes when they refused to pay their unreasonable demands Who also haue followed Core Dathan and Abiram in opposing themselues against Magistrates and Superiours Iames â— plotting of conspiracies and raysing insurrections Sixtly S. Iames describeth a wisedome which is carnall sensuall and diuelish consisting in cursing and bitternes envie and strife Consider of these who they be that haue been most giuen to these things and whether ever any like or comparable to the Romish Synagogue Lastly as we touched before S. Iohn giveth us a speciall note He that is not of God heareth us not and hereby we know the spirit of trueth 1 Iohn 4. and the spirit of Error Who be those that flye from the Scriptures and will haue us with an implicit fayth and blinde obedience to submitte our selues to their decrees and decretals cannons and traditions Church and Pope whom they will haue to be accounted of science infallible power irresistable and judgment unquestionable Neither are these things to be shifted of with that rotten distinction that these are vitia hominum non professionis the faults of particular men and not of the whole profession ranke or order The Heathen man will refell that telling us that where all runne one way eyther by act or consent the corruption of the singulars giue a denomination to the totall Heliaca urbs simul est mendax atque ebria Talis Tota urbs est Domus
and other good Authors what account we are to make of them and whether it be not necessarie for us to search and looke into them to the end we may know what is now or hath heretofore ben revealed or made cleare For the Fathers it may seem that their consenting testimonies in the exposition of the Scriptures ought to be held of so great authoritie as we do esteeme the Cōmunion of Saints professed in our Creede For if we hold not a Communion of faith with the Saints that are now in Heauen it may proue a question whether we shall come whither they are gone before us And therefore not without cause doth the godly and learned Vincentius so earnestly exhort us to hold fast quod ubique semper ab omnibus creditum est not that which some few or perhaps some particular Church hath conceited but that which hath been everie where and at all times and of all Christians beleeved that is if I understand him aright the common Creed profession of our faith left unto us by the Fathers And he maketh the consent of the Fathers though not a rule of faith equall to the Scriptures yet a singular good help to the understanding of them Concerning the writings of Heathen men also I aske how we may safely neglect them where they teach us any point of truth or goodnes seeing there is no truth can be uttered by any man or Angel but it must proceed from that Eternall and incommunicable Truth our Lord Christ Iesus nor any good can be done or spoken but it must come frō the highest soveraign Good which is God himself And therefore most truely and divinely speaketh that godly Father Augustin Bonus verusque Christianus Domini sui intelligat esse ubicunque invenerit veritatem A good and true Christian must understand that truteh wheresoever he findeth it is the word of his master Christ Iesus And though Abana and Pharphar the rivers of Damascus were not so sanctified as Iordan to cleanse Naamans leprosie yet they were made of God to wash our hands and quench our thirst Though common bread be not equall to the sacrament yet it must be received with prayer and thanksgiveing as the gift of God to satisfie our hunger Yea let us well consider whether it be not necessarie for us to looke into them seeing we may be sure that the vertues moralities and doctrines of the Heathen shall be no lesse objected unto us at the day of judgement then the examples of the Queene of Sheba the King of Nineveh Tyrus and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrha Is it not needfull then to know what shall be laid to our charge and prepare our selves to answere it God nath provided preserved for our use the learned writings of the Heathens shall we not use them may we not in refusing them seeme to abridge God of some part of his glorie for let us a litle better consider it The excellent vertues wisdom temperance justice and fortitude the illustrious examples of these vertues shining in them their invincible patience fidelitie inviolable justice inflexible unwearied industrie their profound learning mellifluous eloquence in perswadeing men to vertue and temperance Their heroicall magnanimitie readie to undertake all dangers to save succour and defend those that were unjustly oppressed and other such divine vertues what think you were they of God or of men If you say of God acknowledg it If of men why doe not you the like that have greater helps How can the weake and corrupt nature of man inthralled to sin and Satan bring forth such fruits But I know what a schooleman may say splendida peccata because not ordinate to Gods glorie True as in men but are they not therefore to be acknowledged for a part of Gods administration and providence who holdeth the beginnings ends middesses of all things without whom no man can do any thing as the Philosophers also Plato Arist. Cic. Hesiod Theog Virgil Phocyll c. and Poets with open mouths confesse What then shall we say to their excellent sciences of Geometrie Cosmography and Arithmetick which we have received wholly from them What to their Historyes and computations of Times Shall we not accompt these a part of Gods dispensation and therefore good in the Fountaine from whence they flowed howsoever corrupt in the vessels wherein they were received conveied Doubtlesse if we will be good Christians that is of the holy priesthood we must learn to seperate the precious from the vile the cleane from the vnclean and not cast away the wheat because of the chaff 1 Cor. 15. S. Paul vseth the words of Heathen Poets in a point of manners to the beleeving Corinthians yea to Titus a Bishop Tit. 1. Act. 17. and in a point of faith to the vnbeleeving Athenians which S. Luke maketh a part of Scripture to the beleeving Christians So saith our Prophet Revel 21. They shall bring the Glory and Honour of the Nations unto it Esai 60. And the riches of the Gentiles shall come unto thee saith the Lord. Let us therefore give to God his due and restore the holy vessells to the Temple notwithstanding Belshazzars drunken prophanation Let us I say hold fast that we have received and use that to Gods glory which they abused to their owne And this have I debated somwhat the more at large to satisfy the nicenesse of some which in this point seeme to be more scrupulous then is convenient To return to our purpose the seuenth meane to attain to the understanding of prophecies is to exercise our selvs in discerning the times by diligent comparing of the events with the prophecies which we may the better doe by the help of the godly and learned writings of former times whereof I have spoken especially Histories and Chronologies Rom. 15. which the Allforeseeing providence of God for our learning doubtlesse hath caused both to be written and preserved This help the Fathers of the Primitive Church had not and therefore it is no marvell if they could not so well expound these prophecies which are best understood by their accomplishment This is that which Salomon commendeth saying Eccles 8. that the wiseman discerneth the time and judgment The men of Issachar 1 Chron. 12. and the great Princes of Media and Persia are commended for the same Esther 1. and the Scribes and Pharises sharply reprehended for neglecting it Matth. 16. And so I conclude this Problem that God hath given sufficient means to attain to the understanding of this booke III. My third Problem or Question is of the persons to whom it is ordeyned to be shewed which may easily be conceived aswell by the meanes as by the Text. For it must be such as use these meanes and they are here noted by the name of the Servants of Iesus Christ Ioh. 15. For it were absurd to thinke that he would shew his secrets to