Citie sometime him that was in the place of a Pretor or the Praetors Legate Aduersarie like to God Proconsul You haue all the significations in one word how much rather in diuers as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noteth opposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equalitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substitution Antichrist doth comprehend all these significations who though he be in truth his Aduersarie yet doth challenge Christ his authoritie as his equall and vsurpes his place as his Vicar The Pope is Christ his Vicegerent doth emulate his honour and oppose his doctrine Therefore he is in subtletie his Vicar in pride his Opposite in heart his Aduersarie that is in plaine termes he is Antichrist Whom S. Iohn affirmeth to haue been in his time 1 Ioh 2. v. 18 22. Cap. 4.3 Antichrist had his beginning in the daies of the Apostles 2 Thess 2. for he speaketh of Antichrist properly so called as Bellarmine confesseth to whom he ioyneth the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Paul likewise saith that he began then to worke secretly after that which hindred was taken away that he should be reuealed in his time and should sit and dominere so long in the Church of God till Christ shall come to iudgement and that hee should decay and by litle and little bee consumed with the spirit of the Lords mouth that is with the ministerie of the word but at the glorious appearing of the Lord he should be vtterly ouerthrowne not therfore one singular enemie shall come in his owne person as Becan faineth vnlesse happily he thinke that one and the same man in number could possibly liue from the age of the Apostles vnto the comming of Christ Thus I therefore argue breefely out of the premisses If that Antichrist was in the daies of the Apostles after to be reuealed to domineir in the Church nor to be destroyed till the comming of Christ certainely he cannot be one singular person vnlesse peraduenture they dreame that Antichrist shall suruiue Methusalah many hundred yeeres But the Antecedent or former part is true as S. Iohn and S. Paul doe manifestly proue Therefore the Consequent that hee cannot be one and a singular person is likewise true CHAP. IV. The diuers kindes of Antichrists wherein it is farther proued to be a succession FOR whereas Antichrist so called in a common sense by Iohn in his Epistle they say did come in the times of the Apostles but that Antichrist so properly called in the Apocalyps is not come as yet first they doe not agree among themselues who vnderstand that it is Antichrist so properly called of Iohn in his Epistle by reason of the addition of the article secondly although he there make mention of Antichrists so commonly called small and litle ones whom considered by themselues I confesse to haue beene the forerunners of that great Antichrist yet I say and affirme that they be truly to be termed parts of that great beast as Paul in his Commentarie of this mysterie hath so plainly expounded For he saith that hee who then began to worke secretly should continue till the comming of Christ That therefore he could not be a beast of three yeeres continuance soone vp soone downe But as small Riuers while they keepe within their owne bankes haue their own names A similitude between Antichrist and a great Riuer but when they flow into the Thames or into Seine doe loose their owne names and make the streame the greater So is it with these small and common Antichrists they falling into their owne heresies are considered apart but when they fall out of their own channels as it were into that great gulfe Antichrist 1 Ioh 4.3 2.18 22. they lay aside their owne names and make vp that grand Antichrist And therefore Iohn in his Epistle saith that that Antichrist then was and after should be How may that be will you say that he was then in secret that he should be in open sight that he was then an infant but should after be a man These were the heresies this was that Apostacie wherof S. Iohn and S. Paul spake a disposition as Bellarmine confesseth tending to the kingdome of Antichrist he said well to the kingdom not to his beginning For then he was borne but to the kingdome of Antichrist not to the essence of him that then was as Iohn said but to the reuealing of him who then lay hid as Paul said The apostacie therefore began in those heresies wherein Antichrist did lurke which Paul doth teach shall last not onely to an appearance and a kingdome but to the diminishing and ouerthrow of Antichrist And this apostacie could not be of three yeares and one man onely And therefore it is conuinc't that Antichrist is not one singular man but a succession of men Moreouer the two beasts described by S. Iohn in the Apocalyps the Sea-beast and the Land-beast by the Sea-beast you meane the state of the Romane Empire by the Land-beast the state of Antichrist Bellar. de Rom Pont. cap. 10. cap. 15. lib. 3 But the Sea-beast doth not signifie this or that Emperour but a succession of Emperours therefore the Land-beast doth not signifie this or that Bishop only but a succession of Bishops whereof many were great beasts indeed As likewise neither the foure beasts in Daniel whereof the beast in the Apocalyps is compounded doe not note singular Kings but Kingdomes Here Bellarmine disputeth against vs topically or rather typically Such as the figure is such is the thing figured Antiochus the figure of Antichrist was one singular man Therfore Antichrist the thing figured is one singular man If the proposition be generall it is very false for the proportion between the figure and the thing figured doth not hold in all but in those only wherein they be compared Many are often the type of one as many high Priests of one Christ and one is the type of one as Melchisedech of Christ whom you notwithstanding doe make to be the type of many Priests It holdeth not therefore that because Antiochus the type was one man that therfore Antichrist must be but one man The comparison stands not in the vnitie of the person but in the likenesse of nature And therefore if the proposition be taken generally it is very false and if particularly then it is a meere fallacie But if it please him to argue from a type I will requite him with an argument drawne from a type the authour whereof is the Holy Spirit The first Beast that is the state of the Roman Empire is a Beast of many heads The second Beast that is the state of Antichrist is the image of the first by the witnesse of S. Iohn Therefore the state of Antichrist is a beast of many heads But so many heads so many persons As therefore the state of Antichrist may resemble the state of the Empire it doth consist not in one person onely but in a succession of
at the last The description of Antichrist whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is destroying The very Romane Antichrist himselfe destroying soules ouerthrowing common weales casting downe crownes dissipating Churches being armed with so many bloudy lawes so many conspiring Councells so many warlike Legions fetters halters gallowses rackes fires inuironed with so many Inquisitors so many cursatiue Iesuits some of them dogmaticall some pragmaticall King-killers that hee may be rightly called Abaddon and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You see Paul the fift the disposition of the Romane Antichrist by the starre that fell from heauen by the key of the bottomlesse pit which hee receiued by the pit which he opened by the smoake of the pit which he brought forth by the kingdome of smoake which hee built vp by the stinch of the smoake that he thrust out by the Locusts and Scorpions which do very liuely resemble the Monkes new and olde by their infinite swarmes whereby they do hurt their double venome which they instill their deadly sting wherewith they strike their power pride cunning cruelty which they practise very worthy subiects of their King Abaddon whom they obey CHAP. XIV Wherein is set downe actions of the Beast OF what kinde Antichrist is wee haue expounded now wee must shew whereabout hee is occupied The starre which fell from heauen doth shew his disposition The beast that rose out of the earth shall expresse his action Saint Iohn describeth two beasts one ascending out of the sea another out of the earth The first doth resemble the Romane Empire the other Antichrist properly so called Saint Iohns Sea-beast The Romane Monarchy rose out of the sea that is out of a turbulent state out of the factions and disorders of nations as out of a troublesome sea who is called a beast not in respect of his ciuill authoritie which he hath from God but of his beastly vices which hee tooke from the Dragon land- Saint Iohns land-land-beast The Prophet brings in another beast rising out of the earth not the same but diuers from it like in many things yet not the same For I saw saith Saint Iohn another beast rising out of the earth which is both the seuenth head of the Romane beast and yet a beast in it selfe for her different beginning and nature The actions of Antichrist the land-beast 1 Ascending out of the earth therefore Antichrist is the sonne of the earth Therefore from the earth being borne of earthly and sensuall concupiscence and diuelish counsell as Iames the Apostle doth ioyne these 3. Ia. cap. 3.15 signifying all one thing earthly sensuall diuelish To speake like the Dragon 2 She is said to speake as a Dragon although shee dissembles the 2. hornes of a lambe whereof I spake before And herein Bellarmine doth almost agree with vs. That by the Dragon the Deuill is vnderstood by the first beast the great number of sinners but vnder the Romane Empire as we haue set downe by the consent of all Interpreters neither doth Bellarmine greatly denie it By the later Beast Antichrist as elsewhere as also the Preachers and Apostles of Antichrist being the head of the first beast cut off and liuing againe hee doth acknowledge with vs to be the true image of that Beast 3 She is said to worke all her power in his sight She worketh in the sight of the first beast First it is certaine that one and the same seat the citie with seauen hills belongeth to them both which hath ruled ouer Kings and Princes which can bee no other then that great Lady Rome In which seate the land-beast did succeede the sea-beast and deriued all the power of the Romane Empire to herselfe so that by her owne men it is called the Kingdome of Priests shee doth shew all the power of the first beast in his sight that is at Rome 4 She doth constraine the earth and the inhabitants thereof to worship the beast how will some say when the Pope doth enforce the inhabitants of the earth not to worshippe the Emperour but himselfe So you are to vnderstand the beasts not to be the person that did raigne either in the Empire or in the Popedome but those tyrannicall powers which those beastly persons did put in practise Againe you are to consider the Papall power to bee truely imperiall and although it commend it selfe vailed with the name of Christ yet that it was brought in by the Dragon as well as the other that it might worship the Dragon and be an expresse image of the Imperial power which contained in it the Papall The actions of Pagan Emperors For the Emperor was the cheife Bishoppe Now the Emperours did belch out blasphemies against God condemne the true worshippe of God oppresse the true worshippers of God maintaine the worshippe of Deuills and did openly serue the Dragon from whom they receiued their tyrannicall power And what did the Popes The action of the Antichristian Popes Did they not with a blasphemous mouth challenge to themselues the diuine name and godhead with Domitian did they not scoffe at the grace of Christ with Iulian did they not persecute the seruants of Christ with Dioclesian did they not bring in the worship and doctrine of Deuills and while they did openly professe the name of Christ did they not closly and secretly serue the Dragon So the difference betweene the Emperours and the Popes about the manner of worshipping the Dragon was somewhat but in plaine truth nothing at all But heere is a necessarie distinction to be vsed There was in the Emperours a blinde ignorance of Christ in the first Bishoppes a true confession of Christ in their successors a fained who did in word condemne the olde Romane Idolatrie and tyrannie What popery is but did call it backe againe in deede For what is poperie indeede if you doe truely weigh many of the parts of it but refined paganisme The Authors whereof were so bewitched of the Deuill that they intended one thing and did another in intention they worshipped God in very deede the Dragon as deceiuers so deceiued the principall Authours of the Deuills worship as Saint Iohn saith of the doctrine of Deuells as Saint Paul saith What is popery else therefore whether you consider the worshippe or the doctrine but secret Draconisme 1. They thinke that they do gaily well when they call vpon other Mediators either Angells or Saints when they adore the Pictures of Saints yeelding worshippe to the Image as they say which is due to the example whenas the contrary is fit to giue no worshippe to the Image when none is due to the substance They thinke they do passing holily but indeede they worshippe the Deuill when they worshippe the Image as Iohn teacheth whence Lactantius concludeth there is no religion there where there is an Image Hence it followeth that the Romane Synagogue is voide of religion which is full of
or keepe open doores or haue any contract or businesse or haue any comfortable society with Christs faithfull seruants as Martin the fift in the bull annexed to the counsell of Constance did word for word declare 8. The name of the Beast or of Antichrist doth follow in the last place it is not a proper but a common name For if we know what the Beast is we shall quickly know what his name is CHAP. XVIII Of the name and number of the second Beast THe Beast with seauen heads as I sayd is the state of the Romane and Latine Empire whose sixe Heads or Kings were called Romane or Latine The seuenth is Antichrist called likewise Romane or Latin Therefore Antichrist is the seuenth King of the Romane or Latine Empire But the Pope is the seuenth King of the Romane Empire The Pope therefore is Antichrist 9. But hee must not onely beare the name of the Beast but the number of his name not the number of time but of his name for so saith Saint Iohn no man may buy or sell but he that hath the mark and name of the Beast or number of his name He doth not say the number of the time wherein Antichrist was to bee reuealed but the number of his name which he was to stampe vpon his But the number of the name is the number of the yeeres 666. which is contained The number of the Beast both in the Hebrew name in which language the Prophesie was deliuered to S. Iohn or in Greeke in which language it was written by S. Iohn Romanus in the Hebrew Latinos written in Greeke maketh vp that number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Ireneus witnesse Romanus by Fox his accompt There the common name of Antichrist is Romanus or Latinus It is the name of a man also which is very fitting for Latinus was the name of a King in Italy Romanus of a Pope Heere is wisdome saith S. Iohn hee that hath vnderstanding let him count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. It is an olde tradition not to bee reiected of them that bee addicted to traditions that Irenaeus tooke the the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Ignatius Ignatius from Polycarpus Polycarpus from S. Iohn There be other names that containe the same number as Euandas and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but none of these bee the name of the Beast nor the name of a man none such which Antichrist doth imprint vpon his and to whom all the notes of Antichrist doe agree Whosoeuer doth compell those that bee vnder his iurisdiction to take on them the marke and name of the Beast the number of his name and the number of a man is Antichristrist But the Pope of Rome doth compell those that be vnder his iurisdiction to take vpon them the mark and name of the Beast and the number of his name and the number of a man as I haue demonstrated before Therefore the Pope is Antichrist CHAP. XIX Wherein is shewed the place where Antichrist sitteth The Pope sits in Rome which is Babylon WEe haue seene the actions the marke and the name of the Beast Let vs see his seat I haue expounded the starre which fell from Heauen I added somewhat of the Beast which rose out of the earth now hearken to the whore which sitteth on the Beast Ere while the falling starre did represent Antichrist now the whore of Babylon doth represent the seat of Antichrist A falling starre because hee left his place a whore because she broke her troth ere while the Land-Beast did poynt out Antichrist so called not onely because she tooke a surer and a stronger beginning out of rest and idlenesse but because shee being a slaue to her beastly affections sauours nothing but earth and flesh Now the whore of Babylon doth shadow out by your owne confessions the seate and Church of Antichrist Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 16 cap. 17. cap. 22. lib. 18. Sic Hieron in Esa cap 47. v. 1. and else vvhere often Demonst 13. 18. for they are not afraid to call Rome Babylon as the Rhemists Parsons and Bellarmine and mysticall Babylon as Augustine cals Babylon as it were first Rome and Rome as it were the second Babylon and the daughter of the first Babylon whereupon your owne men grant that Rome is that whore of Babylon described by S. Iohn yea they proceede farther for your Saunders calleth it the seat and â—ity of Antichrist We take that you grant for it followes by your grant that not Heathenish Rome but the Bishops Rome is mysticall Babylon for the state of Antichrist being the seauenth head doth follow the state of the Empire being the sixt head of the Beast And therfore Heathenish Imperiall Rome could not be the seat city of Antichrist Therefore Christian Rome the Popes Rome Wherby it is broght to passe that not Heathenish Rome but the Popes Rome is mysticall Babylon For this is the summe of my conclusion Mysticall Babylon is the seat and city of Antichrist described in the Apocal. chap. 17. But Rome is mysticall Babylon there described Rome therfore is the seat and city of Antichrist But they distinguish of Rome in the assumption and they enforce it to be Heathenish and the Imperiall Rome which then gouerned persecuted the Saints Not this Christian and Popish described by S. Iohn It is a very waighty and euident prophesie 1. It had beene a colde and a weake prophesie Reasons to shew it was not Heathenish Rome but the Popish if he had prophesied of that persecution which he saw in others and felt in himselfe Prophesies looke not to the present but the future times 2. If he had meant that Ethnicke Rome had beene Babylon which did afflict the Saints at that time hee had not spoken as of a mystery for that could not seem to him so mysticall that Pagans should persecute Christians That was a plaine mysticall euill that Christians should oppresse Christians 3. Neither would he haue called Ethnicke Rome a whore in that sense which had not giuen her faith to Christ and therefore had not as yet broken it neither did shee deceiue the nations with whorish trickes and daliances but had vanquisht them with military force and weapons Hee doth therefore call Rome a whore after it left off to be a faithfull city which daunted the nations not as Bellona but enchanted them as Circe 4. Neither would he haue made her marchants the Sales-men of soules or that all nations had beene deceiued by her venemous baits if he had meant Ethnick Rome which subdued nations by force did not infect them with poyson For that kept a shambles for bodies not a market for soules And among all the negotiations of Popish Rome none is so gainefull as the trafficke of soules whereof S. Iohn which Ethnicke Rome neuer practised Therfore the Christian Popish Rome is that Babylon Popish Rome
Babylon whose wares are mens soules whose Marchants are the Monkes which make men value their saluation at a high rate Not without cause Martial a pleasant Poet thought hee might iest with one Calliodore who had put ouer his seruant tor 2000. peeces of siluer that out of his mans price hee might suppe daintily and feede vpon Mullet and other kindes of delicate fish I may well cry ô wreth that fish is not thy meat It is a man a man thou Calliodore doest eat The same may bee truely sayd of Bellarmine Becan and such like Iesuites who sell mens soules to feede their bellies It is not fish ye Iesuites whereon you doe so feed O they be men ye Canibals ô they be men indeed Whom if I cannot yet satisfie for I know their wrangling and obstinate wits I will send them to the Angell the Interpreter of the Mysterie who doth conuict that Rome in name onely Christian and Popish to be that whore of Babylon First the seuen heads of the Beast whereof he spake mystically before are seuen hils saith the Angell and seuen Kings The hils are the heads of the city the seuen Kings the heads of the gouernment by them the situation of Rome by these the seuen kindes of gouernment are noted whereof I spake before Fiue went before Iohns time the sixt was then that is the Empire which the first Beast shadoweth out the seuenth was not yet come that was the Popedome which the latter Beast doth represent The Rhemists obiection But the 7. hills and the 7. Kings say the Rhemists are not taken literally and properly but mystically and indefinitly so that they signifie all the Kingdomes of persecutors Why therefore doth the Angell adde of the seauen Kings 5. are falne one is and the other is not yet come which place the Rhemists do so expound afterward but vnwittingly they confesse fiue went before Christ one then was the other was to follow whereby they ouerthrow their former idle interpretation Whose peeuishnesse I pray behold how great it is In all other places almost Their mistaking where the sense is altogether mysticall they imagine a literall sense of their owne Heere where the Angell sets downe a plaine literall sense they imagine a mysticall Against sense which seeth the 7. hills of the city whereupon Rome is called the seuen hild-city Against the history which mentioneth 7. Kings that is the 7. kingly formes of gouernment of that City Neither doth the Angell say as they dreame the seauen heades are 7. hills and the 7. hills are seauen Kings but the 7. heades are 7. hills and those seauen heades are seauen Kings as Bellarmine acknowledgeth The Rhemists exposition is very foolish For the Kings being the heads do shaddow out the heades of the politicke body very fitly the hills very vnfitly Besides that it is very false for if the hills be Kings the City which is the woman vers 18. sitteth vpon 7. Kings For shee is said to sit on the hills vers 9. The light of which place did so strike and dasell the English Rhemists Anglo-Rhemen in Apoc cap. 17.5 as it had done Sanders before that they confesse Rome to be that Whore of Babilon and that it may fall out not inconueniently that great Antichrist may haue his seat at Rome Out of this exposition of the Angell and the confession of the Aduersarie ariseth this proposition That great City placed vpon seauen hills and subiect to the 7. kingly formes of gouernment is the seat of Antichrist hence I dispute both negatiuely and affirmatiuely Negatiuely But Ierusalem although a great City Antichrists seat not at Ierusalem yet was not situated on seauen hills nor euer subiect to seauen such kingly formes of gouernment Ierusalem therefore is not the seat of Antichrist Affirmatiuely but of all cities this scituation and gouernment is proper to Rome Rome therefore properly is the head-city of Antichrist Now sith Antichrist sits only at Rome as the Angell interprets in Iohn and the Aduersary confesseth and sitteth in the temple of God as Paul sets it downe that is in Gods Church as the fathers expound it out of the Scriptures it followeth both waies necessarily that not that Ethnicke but that Ecclesiasticall Rome is the head-city of Antichrist Sibilla did foretell both the scituation of the place Sibilla did foretell Antichrist and the state of Antichrist And she foretould there would bee great terror and furie of the Empire neere the bankes of Tyber and that the king would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and gaue him the name like to a bridge and should be a Bishop adorned with a white that is a siluer Myter glistering with pretious stones as Ireneus likewise foretould Therefore he was a Latine Bishop that did hold Peters chaire as Bernard who shall bee called most holy Lord and most holy Bishoppe as Ioachim the Abbot said Could Saint Iohn could Saint Paul could Sibilla Irenaeus Barnard Ioachim the Abbot touch him neerer then they touch him Or more plainly shew the scituation of the seate the kinde of gouernment the state of the King the bank of Tyber the name of the chaire of Antichrist so that one of the Papists called him most holy Pope But let vs returne to the Angell by whom the beast which carried the whore is thus described which was that is a flourishing Empire but is not in truth the Empire of Rome for his strength and power but his shadow rather vers 3. and yet is the Romane Empire for name and title and is called the eight beast for 5. are already falne Vers 10. as the Angell saith One King was then that is the Empire in Saint Iohns time and another was not as yet come Vers 11. that is the Papacie which drew to it selfe the strength and power of the olde Empire without the name and is called the seuenth head of the beast The eight beast although of it owne selfe it be a beast But the beast which was and is not is the eight that is a new Empire for the name and title and is one of the seuen that is of the Emperours Therefore although the old Empire may seeme to be described by the Angell by the name of the beast yet a new is chiefly set out which the second beast did renew that the Whoore might sit vpon it and be vpholden by it What is more perspicuous then this Angelicall interpretation which euent it selfe hath prooued true for the whore sitteth vpon this heast and is vpheld by it For therefore the Romaine in name but the Germaine Emperour in deed is called as I said the Defendor Procurator and Protectour of the Apostolicke sea Out of the premisses I shortly dispute 6 The beast whereon the Whore sitteth is a new Empire for it is not the sixt head but the eight therefore not Ethnick Rome vnder the Pagans but in name only Christian vnder the Christian Emperours is that Whore described by Saint
hath said or any Father hath said The Apostle hath taught that that which hindred must be taken out of the way and remoued out of his place so farre forth as it hindred the reuelation and domination of Antichrist hee did not teach it should be abolished and ouerthrowne as they say so that he should lose his name for the remouing of the Empire is one thing the abolishing is another The Roman Empire is not dissolued but diuided into 10 Kings The Emperour is gone out of the Citie of Rome the Rom Empire is dissolued and diuided into ten Kings therefore Antichrist is now come This is therefore the conclusion of all those Fathers whom I mentioned before Hee that held is taken away sayth Hierome Ad Geront de Monoga and doe we not vnderstand that Antichrist is neere at hand for so S. Iohn sayth the ten hornes shall receiue the Kingdome together with the Beast that is with Antichrist and the ten Kings shall diuide the Romane Empire among themselues the number of ten is often taken indefinitely You haue heard the prophesie marke the euent The tenne hornes haue receiued the Kingdome and haue diuided the Romane Empire among themselues together with the Beast that is with Antichrist by the confession of Bellarmine Therefore Antichrist is now come But the name of the Romane Empire is not abolished Neither ought it to be abolished for S. Iohn hath taught that the sixt head of the sea-Sea-Beast that is the Empire sea- The sixt head of the sea-Sea-beast after it was deadly wounded should bee cured and healed againe not therefore to bee vtterly taken away and finished as they say so that it retaine not the name of an Empire Againe hee sets out the cause why the second Beast that is Antichrist should renew the image of the former Beast that the whore might sit vpon her as I haue taught and bee sustained by her And therefore the former Beast was not cleane to be taken away lest the latter being depriued of her stay should fall to the ground But how doth S. Iohn and S. Paul then agree An obiection ansvvered S. Paul saith that the Emperour must be taken out of the way that he might leaue Rome empty for Antichrist as the Papists expound it Saint Iohn sayth that the whore sitteth vpon the Beasts backe that is the Emperour that she might be vpheld by him How doe you reconcile these will you say if you vnderstand S. Paul to speake of the olde and S. Iohn of the new Empire S. Paul speaketh of the Empire which hindred or detained and of that onely for so he saith He onely that now hindreth shall binder till it bee taken away The old Empire did hinder Antichrist not the new S. Paul therefore spake not of the new Empire but of the olde S. Iohn speaketh of the Empire that carrieth the Beast that is so farre off from hindring it that it doth rather vnderprop and vphold it And to that purpose was the Empire renewed in the West The Empire renewed in the West to vphold the Pope that it might hold vp the Church of Rome S. Iohn therefore doth not in this place speake of the olde Empire but of the new But the Popish sort who thinke that not the Maiestie onely but the name of the Empire is to bee extinguished before Antichrist come doe seeme by obscuring the prophesie with certaine contradictions to delude their Auditours They say that the Romane Empire which now is shall continue to the end of the world by the prophesie of Daniel and the same men say that it shall be dissolued and diuided into tenne Kings Very foolishly they say it notwithstanding before Antichrist come As though tenne very potent Kingdomes could consist of the naked name and vaine title of an Emperour or that that could bee said of them should be vtterly abolished before Antichrist came which by them is sayd shall continue till the end of the world Wherein in the one they seeme to follow the madnes of Epicurus who seemes to make the world of moates as these men make ten Kingdoms of words For what is now the Romane Empire but a meere word In the other they shew their brains to be crackt who say that the Romane Empire that now is shall continue to the worlds end and yet shall bee vtterly ouerthrowen before the comming of Antichrist whom they say shall raigne three yeeres and a halfe before the end of the world In them both they shew their notable impiety who while they wrape and infold a most waighty prophesie of Antichrist within their impossibilities contradictions they prophane Gods Word and deceiue Gods Church The summe of all is gathered by the Apostle that the olde Empire is to be taken away and to be dissolued and diuided into tenne Kingdomes before that Antichrist should come that the new was to be restored and repaired being the image of the olde vpon whose backe hee should sit and aduance himselfe when he came CHAP. XXV How the old Empire was taken away THe olde Empire therefore whereof S. Paul spake which hindred the reuealing of Antichrist let vs consider how it was taken out of the way whereof we put two degrees First when Constantine the Great did translate the seat of the Empire from Rome to Constantinople Two degrees of the falling of the Empire the second after the diuision of the Empire into the Easterne and Westerne which did presently weaken them both and afterward dissolued the Westerne which was properly the Romane Empire it was first depriued the Easterne I meane of all the title and interest to Rome and Italy The empty seat of the Empire the Maiesty thereof diuided and diminished then first in the West and after in the East put out and ouerthrowen wee say to bee the two degrees of the remoouing of that obstacle which hindred the reuealing of Antichrist and his dominion in the city of Rome I trip ouer the history briefely they that will set faster footing may fetch it out of the fountaines themselues if they please I doe likewise set downe two degrees of the Reuelation of Antichrist One wherein he beganne to raigne Two degrees of reuealing Antichrist the other wherein hee beganne to bee acknowledged I note also two degrees of the Kingdome when it tooke vpon it the cheefe gouernment of the vniuersall Church Anno 607. when he was called vniuersall Bishop by Phocas that King-killer at that very time when Mahomet beganne so that Phocas the murtherer When Mahomet began the Vniuersall Bishop and wicked Mahomet may seeme to bee of one birth The winde of false doctrine and of Church-ambition did by stealth creep into the minds of certaine Bishops Socrat. li. 7. c. 11 who as Socrates is witnesse lifting vp themselues aboue the limits of their Priesthood into strange gouernment did striue about the primacie and superiority ouer all Churches and to that purpose Zosimus and Celestinus did
word thought such a boundance of wealth to be very pernitious As Tacitus writeth that Aleius Capito and Lu Aruntius to keepe in the ouerflowing of Tyber they would diuert the fluds and streames whereby it did swell to that height that Tyber being cut off from the neighbour riuers might flow as with lesse glory so with lesse danger Ana 1. The Christian world seemeth to haue taken the same counsell to moderate the hurtfull abundance of the Tiberine Bishop so that Bellarmine may seeme to cast a needlesse doubt of the entrance of Antichrist of whose ouerthrow we so carnestly thinke We haue heard the mans first demonstration let vs consider of the second which is thus concluded CHAP. XXX Of the second token going before Antichrists comming IF the Romane Empire be not yet vtterly ouerturned so that it hath not lost the name of the Romane Empire Antichrist is not yet come But the first is true Therfore the second is true Or thus If before the comming of Antichrist the Romane Empire was to be diuided into ten Kings whereof none shall be called the King of the Romanes Antichrist is not yet come But the Antecedent is true Therefore the consequent is true Let vs see the strength and sinewes of this wonderfull demonstration wherin they so greatly triumph although in opening of the prophecy it is sufficiently before refuted the assumption whereof they go about to strengthen on euery side This is the assumption But the Romaine Empire is not yet vtterly ouerturned so that it hath lost the name of the Romane Empire Which they proue because the Romane Empire is to be diuided into tenne Kings whereof none is called the King of the Romanes They endeauour to strengthen either part out of the 2. Daniel 2.32 and seuenth of Daniel and 17. of the Apoc. in the 2. of Daniel they say is described a succession of 4. Kingdomes to last vnto the worlds end by the Image hauing the head of gold the brest of siluer the belly of brasse and the feete of iron The head of brasse signifieth say they the Kingdome of the Chaldees the brest of siluer the Kingdome of the Persians the belly of brasse the Kingdome of Alexander and the Grecians the feete of brasse the Kingdome of the Romanes the 2. feete the easterne and the westerne Empire of the Romanes Now as 2. feet haue 10. toes say they which are not feete So the Romane Empire shall bee diuided into 10. Kings whereof none is or is called the King of the Romanes The very same 4. Kingdomes Dan. 7. are described by 4. beastes a Lyon a beare a Leopard and a fourth without a name hauing 10. hornes whereof none is or is called a beast But this beast they say signifieth the Romane Empire and the 10. hornes 10. Kings which shall diuide that Empire Which they proue out of the 17. of the Apocalips where Iohn describes the beast with seauen heades and 10. hornes vpon whom the woman sate For the Angell say they doth so interpret The woman is a great city which sitteth vpon 7. hills that is Rome The 10. hornes are 10. Kings which shall raigne at one time and shall hate the whore c. By which wordes the Angell doth signifie that the Romane Empire by them shall be diuided and desolated so that it shall not retaine the name of the Romane Empire But that Antichrist is not as yet to come it is openly euicted out of Daniel cap 7. vers 14. the ten hornes are the tenne Kings of that kingdome whereof wee haue spoken hitherto And another say they shall rise after them Dan. 7.24 to wit Antichrist and he shall be more potent then the former and shall subdue three Kings and hee shall vtter speech against the most highest and shal tread vnder foote the Saints of the Almightie and shall imagine that he can change times and lawes and they shall bee deliuered into his handes for a time times and halfe a time And this they proue out of Hirom who addeth that a leuenth little King shal arise who shall ouercome three of the tenne Kings Yea Bellarmine goeth farther and out of the 11. Chapter vers 21. and in his place shall stand vp the most vile concludeth that Antichrist rising out of a base place shall by fraud and deceit get the Kingdome of the Iewes and shall not sight onely with three Kings of Egypt Libia and Ethiopia and shall enioy their Kingdomes themselues being vanquished but shal also make slaues seauen other Kings and shall haue the gouernment of the whole world 3. yeares and a halfe and in the meane time shall oppresse the Christians with an innumerable armie and these are the warres of Gog and Magog By all which prophecies of Daniel and Iohn concerning the Romane Empire and Antichrist together with the extent of his Kingdome beginning end and continuance thereof all as he thinkes so fitly agreeing betweene themselues hee peremptorily concludeth that Antichrist is not yet come Whereby there is a greater charge necessarily imposed vpon vs to looke diligently to the expounding of Daniels prophecie as wee were carefull formerly of expounding of Iohns prophecie So the argument shal be well satisfied when I shall confer the historie with the prophecie and set in order things confused and make plaine thinges obscure and shall compare Testament with Testament booke with booke chapter with chapter verse with verse neither will I adde a long Commentarie to a cleare text nor too short a Commentarie to an obscure by this meanes I shall neither admit superfluities or omit necessaries Especially when the prophecie is as a riddle which being darkely in many wordes set downe by the Prophet cannot be made plaine in a few wordes by a Doctour which doth rather require a Prophet to be the interpreter till euent hath made it plaine Wherein the Papists but chiefly Bellarmine must deale more fauourably with vs who hath reiected 12. Fathers in this cause if we likewise doe reiect the same and among them Ierome chiefly so it be without touch of his reputation seeing Austen saith that prophecies may sooner bee accomplished then vnderstood and doth sometime require that naked authorities being laid aside the matter with the matter and the cause with the cause and the reason may striue with the reason Ireneus saith that prophecies till they bee performed are to bee counted doubtfull riddles Irene lib. 4. ad ver heres c. 43. wherein Bellarmine shall not grant lesse to vs then he taketh to himselfe who when hee seeth his Master the Pope to bee pincht and stonge by Ireneus Bellar. de Pon lib. 3. cap. 18. makes this answere to serue his turne Ireneus saith he thinkes it a surer way and lesse dangerous to expect the fulfilling of the prophecie then to suspect it And the Papists seeme to haue learned this modestie out of Daniel who prophecing of other things as wee shall proue of Antichrist as the Papists thinke
of those ten hornes which in his time had not attained the Kingly soueraignety Daniel speakes of the ten kings of the race of Seleucus and Lagis who by turnes successiuely succeeded one another in the Kingdome Iohn speakes of tenne Kings among whom the Romane Empire was to bee diuided who gouerned at one time in diuers prouinces Daniel tels vs what the little horne which was the tenth did doe to the three next foregoing without mention of the rest Iohn tels vs what the ten hornes shall doe to Antichrist which is not one of the tenne hornes but one of the seuen heads of the Beast Daniels king is a tenth horne pointing out one singular man Iohns king is not to bee accompted an eleuenth horne but a head and signifies not one singleman but a state Daniels tenne hornes rose out of the ruines of the Macedonian Empire Iohns ten hornes out of the ouerthrow of the Romaine Empire So that there is no likenesse betweene Daniels hornes and Iohns Dan. 7.8 but that in either of them they were ten Daniels ten hornes if you consider the chronologie were broken fell off many ages before Iohns ten hornes did appeare that is before they receiued kingly power with the Beast the Romane Empire being destroyed Those ten hornes if you consider cosmographie beare rule in Syria and Babylon out of these ten hornes wherein a certaine number is set for an vncertaine as our men haue prooued one had the Kingdome of France another of Spaine another of Great Britaine and other in other nations and kingdomes Those ten hornes after the captiuity and before the comming of Christ did oppresse Iury scituated betweene them These hornes being conuerted by Christ triumphing in the heauens shall at the last wound and strike thorow that double horned Beast of Rome O cunning Chronologie and skilfull Cosmographie BELLARMINE that can so well distinguish the places and times of each prophesie CICERO did in open place iestingly taxe a certaine Poet Bellarmine well compared who was very foolish in the iudgement of others but very learned in his own that in one place made Euripides and Menander and in another Socrates and Epicurus haue conference together whose liues were seuered not by many yeares but many ages and that he had many Schooles in the world that had as little learning as himselfe He did as wittily sport at other writers who said that Numa was Pythagoras scholler when Pythagoras was borne diuers ages after Numa But another most pleasantly said that by the ignorance of a foolish Historiographer he was made a Babilonian of a Grecian and that his Countrey being cut off from Hellespont with the very wales and towers and people were carried into Mesopotamia These mens ignorance Bellarmine seemeth very well to expresse who brings in Kings of Siria long dead conuersing with many Kings of Europe borne a thousand yeares after transporting Europe into Asia Absurdities out of Bellarmines interpretation and Paris to London and the seates of other Kings and Princes who fell from the Romane Empire together with their subiects into Hierapolis and Babylon That I can hardly refraine from crying out that this learned Historiographer will one day bring to passe that The Parthian shall drinke Araris the German Tygris A man may easily slippe in the mistaking of a yeare or yeares but it is a foule fault to confound an age or ages together which this learned Doctour hath committed But I know his answer that he had rather erre with certaine fathers then hould a truth with vs. Let vs now see the returne of that terrible demonstration fetcht out of Daniels corrupt interpretation If the Romane Empire bee not as yet altogether ouerthrowne Antichrist is not yet come For the destruction of the Romane Empire is a certaine token fore-running the comming of Antichrist as it appeares out of Daniel who speakes neuer a word either of the desolation of the Romane Empire or of the comming of Antichrist But the Romane Empire is not so vtterly ouerthrowne Therefore Antichrist is not yet come The generall ouerthrow of the Romane Empire hee thus proueth out of Daniel If before the comming of Antichrist the Romane Empire be to be diuided into ten Kings whereof none is or is called the King of the Romanes then Antichrist is not yet come For the generall ouerthrow of the Empire is not come because the name remaineth The first is true Therefore the last is true He proueth the assumption out of Daniel What be the two feete and ten toes out of the first vision of the 2. feete and out of the second of the ten hornes of the beast without a name For as two feete haue ten toes which are not feete and as the ten hornes are not the beast so the Romane Empire shall be diuided into ten Kings whereof none is the King of the Romanes O full wittily as hee thinkes But Daniels two feete are not the esterne and westerne Empires of Rome but Ptolomeus Lagis and Seleucus Nicauor Alexanders Princes as I said before And the ten hornes of the beast are not ten Kings rising out of the ruine of the Romane Empire but ten Seleucides as toes springing out of those feete after the destruction of the Macedonian Empire whence foure hornes arose in Alexanders place as I shewed before which fell afterward to bee two feete Hath not Bellarmine prooued the assumption doubtely well out of Daniel But he hath shewed it I warrant you better afterward out of Iohn For those ten hornes in Iohn are ten Kings among whom the Romane Empire is diuided I grant it Neither so shall I loose the cause But that is not set downe by Iohn which Bellarmine addeth whereof none is or is called the King of the Romanes The cleane contrary is set downe by Iohn as I prooued before As the Romane Empire was to be taken away as Paul taught Why the Romane Empire restored so farre forth as it hindered the reuealing and gouernment of Antichrist So a new Empire as the picture of the old was to bee restored of the land-land-beast chap. 13. i. of Antichrist that the whore of Babylon might sit vpon her backe chap. 17. One of the two heades of the sea-beast i. the westerne Empire of Rome dead in Augustulus reuiued in Charles by the land-beast that is Antichrist got life againe and gathered strength and therefore it was not finally ouerthrowne The image of the first beast recouered life and voice and therefore did not altogether loose her power and name The image of the old Empire got life againe the name remained the thing it selfe perished not but past ouer from the chiefe secular Prince to the chiefe spirituall prince as Aquinas teacheth So as Antichrist was the last state that held the Romane Empire without the name of the Romane Emperour as Bellarmine confesseth Therefore the Pope did transfer the Maiesty and the power of the Romane Empire to himselfe and hath left a
Purgatorie is growne very gainefull and the bargaines about sinnes very profitable Then could the Images walke a foote then could the Bells strike alone without helpe then could the Angells like Quoristers chant it out in Canterburie Minster and play vpon Dunstans Harpe then could the Apostles come downe from heauen to helpe Basill to say Masse These lying miracles were faigned by cheating knaues to confirme strange lyes and to cozen simple people of their coine For how often hath a spirit being apprehended by the Magistracie and an Angell stript and our Ladie sent to her Cell been all of them notably whipt Soules so whipt with rodds that they had rather beene in Purgatorie So they couerd all their tricks and conueyances their kinde of deceit and their manner of working with the feare of punishment Of these miracles Paul spake which being meerely false had a shew of miracles but not the power being the deuises of cogging companions There were other miracles of deceiueable spirits which were wrought partly by the force of naturall causes partly by the power of Satan So that that Synagogue seemed to be another Canidia Antichrist doth make fire to descend from heauen in the view of men saith S. Iohn that is in the opinion of men as they imagine Whether that be taken mystically or literally let vs in a word consider Fire according to the Scripture descends mystically either when God doth approue the religion and sacrifices of his seruants How fire descends from heauen in the Scripture as of Abel and Elias or when God doth by an extraordinarie fashion send downe the graces of the Spirit into their hearts as in the fiery tongues or when God did cast downe fire from heauen moued by the prayers of his seruants as of Elias to destroy his enemies Three sorts of fire 1. Is the fire of sacrifice 2. The fire of grace 3. The fire of Reuenge In all these Antichrist is Gods Ape For he hath confirmed and approued the sacrifice of the Masse and Transsubstantiation with miracles The Masse confirmed by a false miracle witnesse that pillar of fire from heauen falling to the earth euen vpon that place where by the negligence of the Priest as the Legend reports the bodie of God fell out of the pixe vpon the grasse that pillar of fire shining like the Sunne was about the bodie of God so that all the beasts of the field except a blacke Horse which bended but one of his leggs bended all their foure leggs to the bodie Which miracle I haue brought out of the Legend that I might gratifie Bellarmine who knowes that beasts then were well nurtured like to his leane iade that forgetting to eat his meat did adore the sacrament vpon his knees which the beasts had not done if God forsooth had not brought downe the fiery pillar from heauen whereby they might haue discerned the bodie of God lying vpon the grasse Adde hereto that Antichrist doth bestow the grace of the spirit sanctification vpon his Agneit Dei his hallowed graines his holy water and his bells as Primasius hath it Further hee striketh his enemies with vengeance from God as it were with fire fallen from heauen but that in the conceit of men that they whom Antichrist his furie doth daunt may seeme to be wounded with heauenly reuenge as it were with fire falne from aboue Which whether it be true of the flash of excommunication which the Pope who is called the God of reuenge casts abroad let Kings looke to it whose kingdomes haue been often set on fire by such popish lightning But to excommunicate a King is say they no miracle But so to excommunicate a King that you cast him out of his kingdome and release subiects from the obedience of their Kings it is a great miracle that either Kings are so patient to endure or Subiects so madde to beleeue Wherefore this is not materiall fire but mysticall brought downe from heauen by Antichrist in the sight of men not that he doth so indeed but that he seemeth so to doe Although if the literall sense doe more content you I haue found out Gregorie the seuenth Gregor the 7. miracle that notable enchanter who could strike fire out of his bosome as oft as he listed Thus I infer Whosoeuer in the conceits of simple men doth seeme to bring downe reuenging fire out of heauen is Antichrist This the Pope doth and hath done Therefore the Pope is Antichrist CHAP. XVII Of the Popes Character I Proceede The Beast is sayd to imprint his character vpon all both great and small to bee carried either in their fore-head or their right hand Wherein he doth peruersly follow Christs character which GOD doth imprint vpon his seruants subiection to Christ and the acknowledging of him to bee their head and Sauiour And it is partly inward partly outward Christs character of two sorts The inward character is true faith imprinted vpon the soule by the spirit of God whereby we beleeue that Christ is our onely Redeemer The outward character is the confession of the mouth the operation of the hands And therfore a Christian doth beare the marke of God in his heart by faith in his fore-head by profession Rom. 10. in his hand by working as S. Paul hath expounded besides that the two sacraments are the seales of faith the witnesses of profession and the practises of holinesse The diuers characters of the Pope In like sort Antichrist hath a marke proper to himselfe of his owne which he doth imprint and brand the Antichristians withall Which character hangs vpon his name and his name vpon his state Of the first Beast that is of the Romane or Latine monarchie The seauen formes of gouernment among the Romanes there were seauen heads that is seuen kingly formes of gouerning the common-weale 1. Kings properly so called 2. Consuls 3. Decemviri 4. Tribunes of souldiers 5 Dictators 6. Emperors properly called 7 Antichrist The state of the Beast is Romane or Latine Therefore the character of the Beast is a note of difference whereby all they are discerned from all other who are of the Romane or Latine Religion whom we tearme Papists And the subiection to the Pope of Rome as to their head and the acknowledging of that See the inward and outward marke of Antichrist The double marke or character of Antichrist The inward marke is that implicite faith which I toucht before The outward marke is that outward profession of the mouth and the conformity of life to the Popes lawes as the obseruation of the heathenish rights was called the character of the Greekes which is made perfect by the sacraments of confirmation and order inuented by the Pope And Antichrist doth so imprint all his with the marke of the Beast that hee will suffer none to buy or sell except they be branded with the Beasts marke So euery Papist is a stigmaticke otherwise he cannot hold his house
say that the words are shut and sealed vp to the time appointed Who if we grant to haue foretould of the Romane Empire and of Antichrist he will neither much hurt our cause or helpe theirs For if Daniels fourth beast be the state of the Romane Empire and the 10. hornes the tenne Kings among whom it shall bee diuided and the eleuenth horne springing thence be Antichrist assuredly the Pope who is raised out of the fall and ruine of the Empire is Antichrist Here if you please I will consider of all those places alleaged by Bellarmine and search-out how they agree within themselues and how with the text Bellarmine saith that the fourth Empire Bellarmines contradiction which he taketh to be the Romane shall last to the worlds end And yet hee saith that the Romane Empire shall be vtterly destroied before the comming of Antichrist who shall raigne three yeares and a halfe How can hee then alleage it for a truth that the Romane Empire shall last to the worlds end I send this great Chrisippus againe to Aristotles Analytickes whither some time he sendeth others without cause that when he hath reuiewed them he may teach vs how two contradictions can be true at one time The Romane Empire shall last to the worlds end The Romane Empire shall not last to the worlds end for it must haue the finall destruction at the comming of Antichrist who shall raigne three yeares and a halfe Now let vs consider how Bellarmine and Daniel doe agree Many of our age and those very learned who seeme very exactly to search into Daniel do thinke that the fourth Empire which many other without doubt as well learned as they doe take for the Romane Monarchie was the Kingdome of the Seleucides and the Lagides in Siria and Egypt The exposition of the 7. of Daniel as they afflicted Iury hembd in betweene them and therefore designed to be more terrible then the three former because more dangerous to Iury. And that the ten hornes were ten Kings of Siria Egypt who did successiuely oppresse the Iewes and that Antiochus Epiphanes was the tenth and last who more then the rest did plague them most cruelly and that therefore he was the type of Antichrist who should no lesse afflict the Christians and not Antichrist himselfe as Bellarmine dreameth Let vs if you please alledge some of the reasons drawne out of the Text. Reasons th t Antichrist is not properly in Daniel 1 The fourth beast was a kingdome to be abolished before the comming and raigne of the Messias as the Prophet teacheth cap 7. v. 11. 26. 27. which is true of the kingdome of the Seleucides false of the Romane 2. The fourth beast did make warre with the Iewes and did greuously oppresse them did hinder the worship of God not onely before the comming of Christ but before the purging of the Temple and the restoring of the Iewish worship by Iudas Machabeus cap 7. v. 25. 26. 27. which agreeth with the kingdome of the Seleucides not with the Romane 3. Ten hornes and no more did belong to the fourth beast that is ten Kings I will name them anon who did oppresse Iurie with their tyrannie which being vnderstood of seuen Seleucides and three Lagides is very true of the Romanes very false who after they got the gouernment of Iurie were more then ten 4. Besides those Kings did succeed one another orderly in the same kingdome this is true in the seuen Seleucides and three Lagides but not in them who after descended from the Kings in the Româ— Empire who at the same time did raigne in diuers Prouinces as the Aduersarie himselfe confesseth 5. Lastly the Leopard cap. 7. signifying the Graecian Empire is shadowed by the Goate cap 8. which appeares by that that as the Leopard is said there to haue had foure heads so the Goate when his great horne was broken of Alexander foure hornes are said to succeed in his place i. foure Princes among whom the Empire of the Goate was diuided which to the Romane Empire agreeth not but to the Greeke it doth Alexander and his foure Princes For after Alexanders death Ptolomey the sonne of Lagis held Egipt Philip Alexanders brother Macedon Seleucus Nicanor Syria and Babylon Antigonus Asia the lesse these were Alexanders foure Princes as Hierom obserueth If it bee demanded how the two feet prophecied of by Daniel What is ment by the 2 feete and 10. toes which in Bellarmines iudgment doth fitly resemble the Rom Empire diuided into the East and West from whence ten Kings as ten toes did proceede I answer from those foure Princes of Alexander two of them that is Seleucus Nicanor and Ptolomey Lagis were the most potent who brought the other four Kingdomes by mutuall warres vnder their subiection from him the kingdom of the Seleucides and the kingdome of Syria in the North from this the kingdome of the Lagides and of the Kings of Egipt in the South did descend and both these did with their invasions greatly afflict the Iewes placed in the middest These were the two feet which did so miserably trample vpon the Iewes from whence did spring out ten Kings as ten toes which Daniel describeth cap 11. Daniels litle horne who it is for the three Lagides descended from Ptolomie the seuen Seleucides from Seleucus and from thence in the end of the kingdome of the Selcucides ouer the Iewes a litle horne sprouted out cap 7. 9 that is a King with a bold face that is The ten hornes Antiochus â—piphanes the tenth horne cap. 11. properly and liuely described 1 Ptolomie Lagis The first horne of the fourth and namelesse beast Ptolomie Lagis King of the South .i. of Egipt is described v 5. then Seleucus Nicanor the most puissant of Alexanders Princes v 11. 2. Seleucus Nicanor 3. Antiochus Soâ—er 4. Anâ—iâ—chus Theos the King of the North is the second horne for hee preuailed against Ptolomie and recouered Iurie and all Siria from him and gouerned there himselfe Him did Antiochus Soter the third horne succeed whose sonne Antiochus Theos the fourth horne that he might establish a league betweene himselfe and Ptolomie Philadelphus King of Egipt v 6. tooke Bernice Philadelphus daughter to wife that thereby he might fulfill that part of the Prophecie of the two feet one of yron thother of clay that they should mingle themselues with mans seede and yet should not grow together Dan 2. v. 43. the prophecie was proued true by euent for Antiochus Theos had already Laodice another wife aliue 5. Seleucus Callinicus of whom he begat Seleucus Calinicus the fift horne who slew Bernice her sonne and seruants Antiochus Theos was poysoned by Laodice his wife and Ptolomie v 7. Bernices Father presently after the mariage died for griefe 6. Ptolomie Euergetes But in his place arose Ptolomie Euergetes the sixt horne who being of the same race with Bernice .i. her Brother made warre vpon
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
Iohn 7 Now those ten hornes saith the Angell are tenne Kings vers 12. which as yet haue not receiued the Kingdome They be not then those tenne hornes whereof Daniel did prophecie whose kingdomes are at an end But they shall haue kingly power together with the beast that is with Antichrist which cannot be vnderstood but of the Proconsuls or Propraetors who were vicegerents to the Emperours in the Prouinces who together after the dissolution of the Easterne Empire had at that time absolute kingly authoritie with the Pope For while the Empire stood and flourished neither the Pope at Rome nor the Kings in the Prouinces did rule absolutely after it decaied both hee enioyed Rome and a great part of Italie and they enioyed the Prouinces And these tenne hornes together with the beast as Bellarmine confesseth it euent proues it Lib. 3. de Rom. Pont. cap. 13. diuided the Romane Empire betweene them Hence I inferre this At that time whenas Rome was accounted the Whore of Babilon by the Angell then the tenne hornes tooke absolute power with Antichrist But before Rome was Christian and Popish the ten hornes had not absolute power with Antichrist It followeth therefore that Rome not before it was Christian and Popish was accounted the Whore of Babylon by the Angell CAHP. XX. Wherein the qualities of the Whore of Babylon are described WHose glorious profession is fitly resembled to the golden cuppe of fornication It is said that Edward the 4. King of England had three Concubines the first very deuout the second very subtill the third very plesant The whore of Babylon alone doth expresse these three dispositions For what is more deuout what is more ioconde what is more wily shee hath a face none of her owne as her Husband Antichrist hath not For he doth alwaies weare a visard and therefore is a counterfeit Antichrist A whore not only for her carnall filthinesse but for her spirituall Idolatrie whereto she hath entised the nations with her allurements such as had to do with her She is therefore a blasphemous and filthy Whore more then that a proud couetous cruell whore And therefore she is said to bee decked with purple and golden attire inriched with the spoiles of all sorts and drunke with the innocent bloud of the Saints Note For what extremities soeuer impietie could effect by blasphemie or lust by laciuiousnesse or couetousnesse by rapine or pride by delicacie or crueltie by torture the same the Angell so long before foretould that the Church should endure by that whore of Babylon Neither if we grant that Ethnicke Rome from her cradell was Babylon because the beast is said to haue 7. heades any inconuenience will follow thereby Neither if wee shall say that the purple whore began then The Pope compared to Romulus when Romulus first founded Rome will it ouerthrowe the exposition of the Angell For it remained to bee that which she was in the beginning Yea a great deale worse when it was falsly Christian vnder Antichrist then heathenish vnder Romulus It is reported that Romulus was a notable theife a Deflowrer of Virgins a truce breaker a brother-killer and that hee founded Rome at the first by these sinnes But he was not so notorious for his theifts as this for his sacriledge Nor he so filthy for the forcing of Virgins as this for the worshipping of Images Nor he for his breaking his league with men as this with God Nor he such a spiller of his brothers blood as this of Christian blood What an one thinke we him to be who doth surpasse a theefe in robberie a deflowrer of Virgins in lechery a truce breaker in treacherie and a brother-killer in crueltie Therefore the Angell called the Bishop of Rome Babylon and the purple whore by a super excellencie The descripti of the Whore of Babylon For she was proude by the spoiles of Prouinces this by the spoiles of all Churches She was composed or carnall this of spirituall adulteries and whoredomes She brak her faith with men this with God Shee was enraged against the bodies of the Saints this against the soules of the Saints She dealt with the lambes of Christ by open force as a Lyons Whelpe this as a Foxe with her cunning did sauagely teare them in peeces and deuour them Wherefore let Rome if you will bee that whore of Babylon from the beginning certainely she could not make drunke 10. kings with the golden cuppe of her fornication before there were tenne Kings For while Ethnicke Rome did stand they were the Emperours subiects they were no kings They were kings vnder the Pope of Rome therefore by popish Rome made drunke to whom by an excellencie the name of that whore is giuen by the Angell Neither yet will I euer accuse that Bishoply Rome which suffred for Christ vnder the ethnicke Emperours For not Rome regenerated and suffering but degenerating and persecuting can properly be called that whore of Babylon Neither doe I wholy excuse the imperiall Rome Imperiall Rome not to be excused which vnder Constantine Theodosius and other holy Emperours professed Christ because Rome which was Babylon from the beginning did retaine in her bosome diuers reliques of the former paganisme and diuers seedes of the future Antichristianisme Because it is not necessarie that all that were of the same succession should be of the same affection No I would not exclude Paul the 5. himselfe from the hope of saluation if the wretched sinner would repent and returne vnto his God Hence certaine dispute against vs. Antichrist cannot be saued for he is the sonne of perdition as the Apostle teacheth The Pope may be saued by your owne confession The Pope therefore is not Antichrist Or thus It is not lawfull to pray for Antichrist It is for the Pope The Pope therefore is not Antichrist This obiection is a fallacie called the begging of the question For it doth presuppose Antichrist to be one singular man We contrary as by many reasons wee haue proued it If therefore they keepe them to the point and take the Pope collectiuely the assumption is false if they take him for this or that single man the assumption is true if the Pope repent But then there be foure tearms in the syllogisme For the Pope is otherwise taken in the assumption then in the conclusion For there it is taken for singular Popes heere for a succession of Pope But of this sophisme I haue spoken enough before CHAP. XXI How the Church of Rome may be said to be the Church of GOD. BVt heere is another doubt to bee resolued how the seate of Antichrist can be called that purple whore as Saint Iohn saith and temple and Church of God as Saint Paul saith For if Antichrist sit in the Church of God as I taught before and popish Rome be the seat of Antichrist as in many wordes I haue declared it seemeth that popish Rome is the Church of God I answere and
God he exacteth subiection of the body Rom. 13. In the beginning of the 13. Chapter speaking of the obedience due to a Prince he requireth the subiection of the soule What obedience is due to Princes Hath hee not likewise submitted the soule to God and the body to the Prince yes verily But to that end he hath distinguished these because men doe for the most part thus excuse themselues that they vowe their soule to God when they prostitute their body to the Deuill and yeeld their body to the magistrate when they deny him the reuerence of the soule Therefore let the soule be subiect to the higher power saith the Apostle Hence two other parts of subiection doe necessarily follow Paul the Apostle doth adde the reasons with a commandement which Paul the Byshoppe doth not adde with his prohibition For all power saith he is of God He speaketh not so much of the Prince as of the gouernment nor so much of the person as of the power To shew that hee rather respecteth the right of gouerning then the qualitie of the gouernour Againe if the power of a King be from God Power from God not the Pope or people then it is not from the Pope as diuers of the Popes flatterers would haue it Neither is it from the people as diuers flatterers of the people doe at this day striue for it I beleeue they leaue the power of destroying a gouernment to him whom they dreame to haue a power giuen to build it vp They that yeeld so much to the Pope subiect a King vnder a sober tyrant they that yeeld so much to the people subiect him vnder a furious tyrant and as the Poet said very wittily and truely to a beast of many heads And therefore the King is not bound to giue accompt either to Pope or people but to God from whom hee receiued all his power immediately Hence the Apostle presently inferreth these two conclusions 1. He that resisteth Gods power resisteth the ordinance of God and draweth to himselfe damnation The 2. that the King is Gods Minister and beareth the sword wherewith he doth defend the good and punish the wicked and that all must bee subiect not for wroth but for conscience That no man may thinke that Peter and Paul thought that obedience was due for the times sake and that they wanted force rather to resist Nero then a minde I will shut vp all in a word The Catholicke faith of the auncient Romane Church as it was deliuered by Paul the Apostle did inferre loyall subiection to a Pagan cruell King The Catholicke faith of the vpstart Church of Rome as it is deliuered by Paul the Byshop doth take away and ouerthrow Allegeance and all obedience as it were vnnaturall from a Christian King and such a King that euen by the confession of his Aduersaries is very mercifull Whom then shall we beleeue Paul the Apostle or Paul the Byshop an holy decree or an vnholy prohibition Neither were these commandements of Christ Peter and Paul of ciuill obedience to be shewed to Emperours Kings and ciuill Magistrates mutable according to times but are to be accounted perpetuall and eternall I haue laid the first foundation of our loyaltie the expresse and euerlasting commandement of Christ the second followes which is the practise of Christians § 16 Heere Saturnine before you go further saith he I yeeld that subiection reuerence honour fealty obedience is to be performed to a King A King excommunicated no King in poperie so long as a King is a king but if he leaue off to be a king then it ought no longer to be performed But he leaueth off to bee a King assoone as he is denounced to bee rightly excommunicated by the Vicar of Christ whereby he is presently accounted by law to bee deposed of his Kingdome and his subiects absolued from the Oath of obedience And although you laie very heynous and greiuous crimes of treason vpon our most holy Father and vpon many holy Priests and chiefly vpon the Iesuits yet if you would thinke of the matter a little better all this smoak of words would vanish to nothing For first I affimre that the Pope of right hath had and now hath this power then I affirme that assoone as he had it hee did put it in practise And yet it followeth not that he that defendes this as you conclude is a Traytor Thomas Aquinas obiected Vnlesse perhaps you dare account Thomas Aquinas that most glorious Saint and Angelicall Doctour to be a Traytor who writeth thus After that the Prince is denounced an Apostata all inferiours and subiects are to bee absolued from the Oath they had taken and from their obedience due vnto him And you may if you please ioyne with him Francis Toletanus obiected as a fellow in the like treason Francis Toletan a worthy Professor in our time who doth thus comment vpon Thomas Note saith hee that there is the same reason of one that is excommunicated because that assoone as one is denounced excommunicate all his subiects are freed from the fealtie The Laterane Councell obiected and that most famous Oecomenicall Lateran Councell held about 300. yeares since of 70. Pattiarches and Archbyshops and 400. and 12. Bishops and 800 other choice Prelates because it decreed that the Pope had the power we speake of do you thinke it was a conuenticle of Traytors Then Patriotta what Thomas Aquinas saith he what § 17 Toletane what Laterane Councell doe you speake of Thomas Aquinas writ 1200 yeeres after Christ was ouertaken with the error of his time and was the Popes vassall neither did hee alledge any Prophet Apostle or Doctor only he rested vpon the only example of Gregorie the seuenth who was the first that a 1000 yeeres after Christ did attempt by excommunication to cast Henry the 4. out of his Kingdom Pope Hildebrand no fit example against Kings A very weighty authoritie forsooth against a Kings sword which Christ ordeyned and to whom the Church of Christ as it shall appeare afterward obeyed for a 1000 yeeres of an vpstart Canonist dreaming in the darke night of Poperie that the subiects might be absolued by the Pope from the oath of obedience wherewith God had bound them and alleaging no other Author but Pope Hildebrand a turbulent and furious monster as he was accounted by his owne Cardinalls And yet Aquinas was somewhat more reasonable then Toletane Aquinas answered he thought that no mans subiects were to be absolued from their oath of obedience but his that was denounced an Apostata that for euer had fallen from all christianitie But Toletan forsooth Toletane answered the worthy professor of our age the Popes hireling with lesse learning and greater boldnesse as if he were some worshipfull Vmpire giues his sentence without all reason Note saith he that the case is all one of a Prince excommunicated by the Pope vpon any cause whatsoeuer Do you not