locis ecclesiae and yet confesseth that Antichrist must continue to the end Let the whole place be considered Howsoever it be it can not be said that this question was so well ventilated in those times as it hath been of late Then for answer I demand what or how much the question will be altered if the Pope be acknowledged to be Antichrist though he be not proved to be that Antichrist what difference will it make in the end Must not all true Christians beware avoide detest everie Antichrist But to the point It is coÌ„monly known in Grammer schooles that this particle Ho in Greeke is not alwayes used significantly nor in a significant use is it alwaies taken to signifie a particular and individuall person nor yet in particulars is it alwaies used to note Eminence or singularitie Sometimes and that verie frequent it is used indefinitely many times it is joyned with a name of multitude or with a name of succession He that hath any knowledge in the Tongues may easily obserue that Ho in Greeke is not so Emphaticall as Ha in Hebrew or the in English which yet is sometimes emphaticall and sometimes not For in the same chapter where it is said Ho Antichristos in the same it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Ioh. 2. he that sayth he is in light and hateth his brother is in darknes And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The lust of the flesh the pride of life c. and the verie last word of that Epistle is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keepe your selues from Idols So in other places it is joyned with names indefinite as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in another place with the name of Christ Ephes 5. to signifie his mysticall body consisting of a multitude successiue under one head immortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he so is Christ Hebr. 9. Abbat in demonst And in another place it is joyned expressely with a name of personall succession 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ever translated thé High-Priest once a yeare entred into the holy place there spoken of 1 Pet. 2 17. So in another place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour the King Will any man say it was meant onely of one king And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Highpriest Hebr. 13 11 And the use of Ho in these places wherein it cannot be meant of one singular Priest or King is so like and paralell to the use of it in the name of Ho Antichristos that I see not what difference can be made betweene them Yet if any will not take this for a sufficient answer let him well consider how he can answer the problems following by which I thinke it will appeare that the Pope is not onely an Antichrist but euen that Antichrist whereof the Scripture speaketh Forasmuch as the Prophecies can be verified of none but of him and that not of one alone but of the whole succession And therefore to proceede to the Names I desire the Reader to examine whether any of the six names that I shall now produce do not fully agree to the Pope and to all the Popes that haue bèen in Rome since the time of Pope Constantine and if these names do agree I must demand How it can be denied but that they and everie one of them is Ho Antichristos that Antichrist The second name therefore is Pontifex maximus or summus the Higest or Great Priest This name I am sure they will not deny to their Pope and likewise I am sure that they will deny it to any other unlesse it be to our Saviour Christ To our Lord it belongeth of right if any other take it upon himself it must be by usurpation and such an usurper of the right and title of our Saviour Christ must be Antichrist It was never given to any by God but to our Saviour Christ Melâ—hisedeck is called a Priest of the High God Hebr. 6 20. and 8 1. Aaron is called an High Priest our Saviour Christ the High Priest and the great Sheepheard of our soules Ecce Pontif. sum qui non eget alieno ex piarisauguine Aug. medit and such like titles but the title of the Highest or Greatest belongeth to none but peculiarly to our Saviour Christ I aske then first whether the Pope of Rome do not declare himself an enimie to Christ in that he doth exalt himself aboue all that is called God or that is worshiped in taking a name upon him higher and greater then was ever giuen to the sonnes of men not to Aaron the holy not to Phinehas the zealous not to Iehojada the worthie not to Iehoshua the noble not to Simeon the glorious not to Iohn the fore-runner nor to Melchisedek the royall and singular everie one in his time the type of our great and eternall High Priest farre aboue them all whose consecration is eternall whose Priesthood is eternall Hebr. 7 16 24. 6 8. 9 10. whose entrie into the Holy place is eternall whose oblation is eternall whose sacrifice is eternall whose mediation is eternall and whose presence in his Church is eternall Againe the Apostle proveth the excellencie and divinitie of our Saviour farre aboue all Angels because he hath received a more excellent name Doth not the same argument proue that the Pope in taking an equall name maketh himself equall in dignitie therefore never durst any of the faythfull Martyrs or Bishops of the primitiue Church take upon him this name of Summus or Maximus Pontifex never any of the Holy Patriarks or Prophets never any of the divine Euangelists never any of the most blessed Apostles for they all knew it belong onely to that great High Priest whose Priesthood is for ever And how darest thou O miserable mortall man take upon thee a name so divine as to be called the Highest or Greatest Priest whilst he is living to whom it so inseparably belongeth Why dost thou not also directly call thy selfe Christ as well as the Highest Priest which is equivalent I demand againe whether in taking this name thou dost not proclaim that thou dost deny that our Lord Christ Iesus is now the Highest or Greatest Priest and so professe thy self to be his enimie and claime to be aboue him seeing it must be confessed that if the Pope be greatest then Christ is not the greatest For two may be great but of two each of them cannot be greatest no more then two can be infinite or two principall But say they Christ is in heauen Head of the Triumphant Church Panorm the pope is onely head of the church militant upon earth O blaspheamerâ— is not Christ Iesus truly God in earth as present by his power Enter praesenter Deus est ubique potenter Ps 139 Sed familiarius in electis pergratiam to rule the church militant as in heauen How then darest thou sitting onely at Rome proclaim thy self Head of the universall
himselfe to be the thiefe and restore the stollen goods to the right owner But as the acknowledgement of error and of injurie is not to be expected from him or his who loue the world the pompe glorie and power thereof a little too well to resigne their Soveraigntie So in all these courses whilst he thinkes cunningly to hide himselfe he bewrayes himselfe the more to be ANTICHRIST unto such as haue spirituall eyes illuminated by grace from aboue to discerne trueth from falsehood Thus you see their Egiptian wisedome and what paines they take with those Magicall Iuglers Iannes and Iambres 2 Tim. 3 8. to conceale themselues and how much it concerns them so to doe On the other side it concernes us with Moses to relye upon the Hebrew simplicitie and sinceritie for our salvation but withall to be learned in all the Egiptian wisedome Act. 7 22. the better to discover Antichrist his clowdie walking that so diverse Controversies may be at an end For were he fully discovered then all that belieue in Christ and loue him and desire his glorious comming would hate this Monster who is like Iudas amongst the twelue a counterfeit Apostle carrying the bagge an Hypocrite playing the parte of a Vicar a Deputie a Substitute but from the stage appearing a naked ragged beggerly vacabond And doubtlesse his person being thus discovered his lawes and decrees would be rejected and Kings Princes and people would cast the Egiptian yoake from their overgalled neckes Yea such as thinke they doe now God good service in murthering the poore Lambs of Christ in all places for him would leaue him come out of his Babylonish profession and not so much as trade or trucke with him in the least exchange of those doubtfull commodities or touch any of those garments spotted with the flesh It cannot be denyed but Iesabell was once young and Chast and faire But this proues not that she is so now It cannot now be denyed but that she is full of wrinckles and a royall whore the Mother of fornication Rev. 2 20. fitte for all commers and withall painted to uphold her rotten reputation And we doubt not but God will stirre up some Iehu zealous perhaps for his owne interest if not for Gods to cause her owne Eunuchs those Fryars Monks and other Votaries 2 King 9 30 to throw her out of the windowe that he may treade her under his horses feete And doubtlesse as this shall in time come to passe by the powerfull preaching of the word which shall wast him by degrees 2 Thes 2. so as an effect of the word preached first the usurped authoritie of the Papacie and Roman Cleargie over Kings and Princes shall be broken and reformation shall begin where deformation came first into the Church So that Antichrist shall say as Hanniball once did Eadem arte qua prius cepimus Tarentum amisimus And this is with Iehu to treade Iesabel under foote Bellarmine confesseth that Constantine the Greate gaue the Pallace of Laterane Bellarm. li. 2 cap. 17. de Rom. Pontif. multa alia temporalia to the Pope Ditionem tamen spiritualem neque dedit ullam neque dare potuit So the spirituall dition made way for the temporall donation and then was poyson powred into the Church when the bountie of Princes sought to satisfie the ambition of Priests The Priests then grew downwards towards the earth and Princes then began to climbe upwards towards heauen And the coveteous Clergie finding the fayth of fewe for the faythfull are but fewe a verie little flock and oftentimes not very rich in wooll not to be so fruitfull as the superstition of many they nourished that profitable and liberall humour by their uttermost arte and from hence got S. Peter a rich patrimonie being dead who when he lived had scarse a house wherein to hide his head This temporall patrimonie graced with so holy a patronage as the reverenced name of S. Peter did speedily and mightily increase in all places especially where superstition was interteyned in the name and stead of true Religion and where Clergie men knew how cunningly to raise questions and quarrels under hand and then to intrude themselues as equall arbitrators and impartiall umpires but ever to manage and determine all for the advantage of the Catholike cause as they called it and for the ruine of particulars as it is reported of that Lawyer who decided the difference betwixte the lame man and the blinde concerning their oyster that each of them should haue a shell and he the meat Thus dealing for the Church by pretence themselues being mostly single and unmarried and so unsuspected to trade for the world and posteritie they had oportunitie to inrich themselues and their particular fraternities and to performe such actes with commendation because they pretended S. Peter and the Church not themselues as would haue been counted cousenage treacherie exaction oppression injustice and perhaps forgerie and Robberie if perpetrated by any other persons or to any other ends But the generall opinion of their Cause and Persons supposed and stiled sacred made all passe currant without question or controule Thus in a short time where they were lately glad to be graced by Kings Kings were now glad to be graced by them And where Kings had persecuted their predecessors for the trueth they now persecuted Kings for falsehood and chalenged the investiture of such Princes by right upon whom their predecessors out of the opinion of their pietie and the superstitious desire to be inaugurated by so blessed an omen had been sometimes formerly invited or admitted to lay their holy hands Now therefore they began to cutte out large cantles of the earth for their owne share and made so manie sanctuaries and Citties of refuge that they incouraged malefactors who ought to haue represt them and gotte well by the bargaine too For they so mightily grew by this meanes that the world and the wealth of it was found with Priests and pietie was onely found with the poore the secular was onely regular according to Christ and the Regular was master of misrule in all secular affaires Marchandize forraigne negotiations and the Government civill and ecclesiasticall first by the civill and imperiall lawes after by the Cannon Law a Law of their owne was wholly moderated and managed by them Kings were made their wardes and deposed for Hereticks as soone as they once thought themselues of age to rule themselues and their people aright without their helpe Yea Mars himselfe was interteyned into their service and the Crosse of tribulation fayth and patience which was at first but a staffe in the hand of the Cleargie to support them in their constant sufferings was now perverted in the use and turned upwards in prosperitie and spirituall pride and so became a sword in everie Cleargie mans hand to invade and disturbe the peace of Christendome and Confession served as a secret racke or torture of Conscience a kinde of
his enemies and not to his servants and freinds Concerning whom I desire to be resolved in 7. points 1 Vpon the words long before spoken by our Saviour vobis datum est Matth. 13. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven whether by these words he meant to signifie onely his Apostles or all his disciples and them also which as he speaketh in another place should beleeve in him through their words Iohn 17. 2 Why in these words he made no speciall mention of Peter or his successours which do now vindicate to themselvs the sole authoritie of the keyes aswell of science as of power and jurisdiction 3 whether those who by our Saviour are there signified by a vobis datum be not the same which are here called the servants of Iesus Christ and why here also there was no mention of Peter or his successours or of the Roman Church which was then in the Imperiall Cittie and doubtlesse had many godly men in it Rom. 16. and some of great dignitie 4 When our divine Evangelist writeth these things to the seven Churches of Asia whether he did not in this according to his direction and whether he doe not hereby shew who were meant by the name of the servants of God and Christ 5 what reason the Apostle had to send it to those Churches and not to the Roman church either as chief or as one of the rest was it perhaps for the reason of S. Hillarie Anne ambiguum est Antichristum in his tectis esse sessurum Or was he not an Apostle and Prophet to the Romans as well as to them of Asia or for what other reason 6 Whether in writing to those seven he did not intend to write to the whole universall Church of God as well to come as present as S. Augustine expoundeth Numero septenario vniversae Ecclesiae significata est perfectio De Civ 17 4. And onely to the Church and whether all others be not excluded by a vobis non est datum 7. And lastly whether in writing to the seven Churches and their Angels equally and indifferently he do not sufficiently shew that the state of the Church upon earth is neither in the nature of a Monarchie nor of a Democratie but of an Aristocratie where the several Angels preside in their severall Territories precincts and congregations agreeing in the unity of one faith under one eternall head the God of Truth Christ Iesus Let us not deceive our selvs Babilonians use to lisp They cannot speak the language of Canaan with a true spirit Neither onely this booke but all the Scripture is dark and obscure to them whose minde the God of this world hath blinded 2 Cor. 4. Hosh 8 12. and so much for the Persons IV. My fourth Problem is concerning the finall ende scope of this book in the verses above briefly touched to shew to his servants things which must shortly come to passe And here I must necessarily speak of the Subject which is so joyned with the end that the consideration of the one cannot be severed from the other I demand therefore what things must be shewed to the Church of God Surely takeing a generall view of this divine prophecy for my part I conceive that the most here spoken of is of the enemies of their persecutions malicious practises against the Church and of the defence and deliverance of the Church and the punishment of her enemies and so I finde S. Hieroms opinion In prologo Revelat quanta Ecclesia Christi passa et passura sit And to what end must these things be shewed unto them if not to the same for which our Euangelist in his Euangile reciteth many excellent sermons of our Saviour Christ namely to comfort and incourage the faithfull and to excite them to repentance vigilance patience and perseverance against the troubles to come Repent saith he to the Churches of Ephesus and Pergamus Fear not to Pergamus Hold fast to Thyatira c. So in the Gospell These things haue I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended So in his Epistle Let that abide in you Iohn 16. 1 Iohn 2. which ye have heard from the begining Take heed I haue foretold you Marke 13. Now if this be the end namely to arme the faythfull with those vertues against the troubles to come then what is or can be the subject of this book or what matter can it speak of but 1. it must describe the state of the Church in her severall times 2. The Head of the Church who is also her Saviour Protector in all her troubles 3 The enemies of the Church and their persecutions and practises 4. The Confusion of those Enemies and the punishments inflicted upon them in this world 5 Their Everlasting Damnation 6 The Deliverance of the Church And lastly her Everlasting Glory and felicity Whether this be not so I desire to know upon the three Problems ensuing My fift Problem therefore is concerning the Church V. whether it be not with sufficient plainenesse set forth unto us in these seven places 1 In the vision of the seuen golden Candlesticks Revel 1. in the middest whereof Christ Iesus walketh 2 In the vision of the Beasts and Elders in the midst of whom is the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Revel 4. 3 In the vision of the Temple of God Revel 12. set forth to be measured and opened 4 In the vision of the woman travelling with Child which bringeth forth Christ Iesus Revel 12. and then is forced to flye into the wildernes where she must continue for a long time after 5 As Mount Sion whereupon the Lamb standeth with all his Army chap. 14. 6 As a Bride trimmed for her husband chap. 19. 7 As the City of God the new Ierusalem whose wals are founded upon the Twelve Apostles chap. 21. VI. My sixth Problem is concerning our Saviour Christ the great and mighty Lord Protectour Prince and Saviour of his Church whether he also be not as many waies described unto us viz. 1 As the great Bishop and Teacher of his Church in the midest of the seuen golden Candlesticks Râ—vel 1. 2 As the Sacrifice for his Church chap. 4. and yet the Defender Protectour in the middest of the Throne a Lamb a Lyon chap. 10. 3 As the great Lord of Heaven and Earth Land Sea Dâ—u 32 40 determining the end of Times which is not revealed to any Angell Matth. 24. 4 As the seede of the woman and yet the Sonne of God Revel 12. Revel 14. 5 As the Lamb standing on mount Sion 6. As a most mightie valiant captain chap. 19. or invincible Prince going forth to warre against his enemies himself in the forefront readie to charge them in the face 7 And lastly as an inevitable Iudge both of quick
dead sitting on his Throne of majesty chap. 20. VII The seventh and last Problem therefore must needs be concerning the Enemies of the Church whether we may not understand that of them also in this booke there be named Seven viz. 1 The Divel that old Serpent the great Red Dragon with seven heads and ten horns Rev. 2 10. 12 9. and seven crowns upon his heads 2 False Apostles Hypocrites Rev. 2 2. 3 Nicholaitans Hereticks chap. 2 15. 4 The followers of Iezabel and Balaam chap. 2 20. Licentious and Idolatrous Teachers 5 The first beast rising out of the Sea chap. 13. The old heathenish Roman Empire 6 The second Beast rising out of the Earth which seemeth peculiarly to signifie Antichrist unto us chap. 13. the proper and principall subject of this our Investigation 7 Gog and Magog heathenish and open Persecutors joyned with secret and intestine enemies whereof wee have not here to speake These things seeme to me not altogether improper nor inconvenient yet seeing I am no Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet I dare not determine of them but leave them to Theologians to consider And with favorable permission going forwards to search and find out this great enemie of the Church of God I demaund whether he be not fully described unto us in this book of the Revelation and other parts of Holy Scriptures by seven notable and notorious Attributes 1 His place 2 His state or body politick which must be subject vnto him and support him 3 His Names 4 His Rising 5 His Raigning 6 His words and actions 7 His Times Of which Christ Iesus assisting I meane to speak in order J. Of the place of Antichrist BY the rules of methode we ar taught to proceed à notioribus ad minus nota froÌ„ things better known to infer proue things not so well known of things knowen they say those are best knowen which are visible or sensible and that the outward visible sensible adjuncts accidents do very much conduce to finde out and discover the nature and essence of everie thing Euen our divine Euangelist Prophet being taught by the spirit of God seemeth to approue of these observations where he beginneth his Epistle with this protestation That which was from the beginning 1 Iohn 1. which we haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes c. making the senses a sufficient proofe of the humanitie conjoyned with eternitie This is the cause wherfore I thought best to begin my enquirie at the Place of Antichrist For what is more cleare and evident then that everie thing which hath an existence must haue a place he that seeketh for a thing out of his proper place or element as they now speak doth as if he should seeke for a fish in the fire or a swallow in the Sea The learned Grecian Aristotle the riches of whose learning I see no cause but it may be brought into the Holy citie according to the Prophecies referreth place to the Predicament ubi which importeth a Relation defineth it verie acutely I thinke truly to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which I know not how well but thus I think it may be rendred The unmoueable and nearest confine of that which compasseth any thing about He calleth it unmoueable because in all motions it is not the place that removeth from the thing nor with the thing but the thing it self is removed from one place to another It must be nearest indeed contiguous for els it can not be the place of one thing but may contein another it must compasse it about for if it do but touch it in part it is to be called adjacent or contiguous but not a place The most learned Roman maketh place one of his four principia Varro August And the learned also of later age number it among those things which necessarily concurre to the constitution of things Existent Cajcâ—an By all agreed to be a Relatiue which therefore must haue a Correlatiue Everie place is so called in respect of the bodie placed in it Everie Continent in respect of the thing conteyned everie Principle in respect of the thing proceeding from it as a Father cannot be so called without a sonne nor a master without a servant nor a cause without his effect Herehence are derived those rules and observations of the learned Posito corpore necesse esâ— poni locum posito loco locatum poni necesse est That Places must haue a due proportion of quantitie and magnitude great things must haue greate places for else they could not be compassed or comprehended in them Litle things litle places for els there would be vacuum Things of long continuance must haue places of equall duration and places of long continuance are not appropriated to things that must soone perish or passe away Also Places must haue a due temperament of qualitie agreeable to the things placed and the things placed to the places for else the one would destroy the other and contraries can no more be and continue in one place then in one subject These Observations being discovered unto us by the ordinarie light of nature it hath pleased the God of nature whose majestie is terrible his wisdome incomprehensible and his waies past finding out who numbereth the droppes of the Sea and the sand of the shore who calleth the starres by their names and filleth heaven and earth to descend into the narrow and poore capacitie of humane intelligence and by these outward visible sensible things to teach us who is a Teacher like to him to finde out things most obscure and difficult Let us see therefore what place of what capacitie quantitie and quality the great Governour and Disposer of all things hath appointed for Antichrist And first I demand whether it be not plainly described to be Rome and that Christian upon the consideration of these seven places of Scripture that follow The first in the seventeenth chapter of the Revel where it is set forth to be 1. That great citie Revel 17. 2 which was set upon seven hills 3. which had seven heads or governours 4. And ruled over the kings of the earth 5 which in a mysterie is called Babylon And 6. Most aboundant in riches glory 7 Yet most filthy in all fornication and uncleannes Let us examine these words every one by it self It is first a great Citie A city is by some considered as it consisteth of howses and buildings neare joyning together so Ninivie Tyrus the old Gen. 10. Babylon and others in the Scripture are called great citties So Tully calleth Pergamus and Smirna cities pro Flacco li. 1 de bell li. and Caesar also calleth Rome Civitatem taking that for a principall cause of his Parricidial warrs ut Trib. plebis ex civitate expulsos restitueret that he might restore the Tribunes of the people that were driven out
of one bodie so is Christ for by one spirit we are all baptised into one bodie c. And this that divine Apostle himself learned of the words of our Saviour Christ from heauen Saul Saul Act. 9. why persecutest thou me Now according to these different acceptions of these two words let us consider of the word Antichrist and to whom it may be applied And first for the name of Vicarship The Pontifex max. of Rome who is the seauenth head or king of the Roman state and confesseth and professeth himself to be head Governour of Rome he also confesseth and professeth himself to be the Vicar of Christ and of God and in this sense the name agreeth unto him and so his advocates and followers affirme him to be But as the word Antichrist signifieth an enimie to Christ it is by them all stoutly denied that the Pope is that Antichrist Let us come therefore to the touch that is the text where Antichrist is named and thereby learne how the word is to be understood The first place where it is expresly named is in this our Apostle S. Iohn Who is a lyer sayth he but he that denyeth that Iesus is the Christ 1 Iohn 2 22 The same is the Antichrist And againe 1 Iohn 4. Everie spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God 2 Iohn 7. but this is the spirit of the Antichrist These be all the places where I can finde the verie name used in the New Testament It may percase seeme strange to finde it in the old and yet there it is to be found and that in a most excellent prophecie though not the same in letters yet the same in sence and signification Psal 2. The kings of the earth set themselues sayth the Prophet and the princes assembled against the Lord and against his Anoynted This Psalme if we marke it well conteyneth in brief words the summe and effect of all the Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation concerning the enemies of the Church and namely Antichrist and that appeareth in seauen particulars First the rage and furie of the enemies 2 their joyning together against God and Christ and their intention to shake off the yoke of Christ Iesus 3 the providence of God for his church sitting in heauen as in a watch-tower watching over his enemies laughing them to scorne 4 the meanes which God useth to defend them by setting Christ to raigne in his church 5 the anoynting of our Saviour in his eternall generation and arming him with regall and soveraigne power to suppresse all his enemies 6 a loving and serious advise to all Princes and Rulers of the earth to beware to whom they cleaue and adhere either to Christ or to his enimies And lastly an assured promise of happines to all those that trust in him Behold then an excellent Prophecie and the same is touched againe in the 89 Psalme and other places Psal 89 51. But to our purpose Psal 2 2. The word in this Psalme is Al-Meshico against his Anoynted wherein Messhiah as it is commonly known signifieth Annointed or Christ And the preposition Al or Gnal in Hebrue is taken as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke not onely for adversus but for juxta or secundum and sometimes super In the second signification that is juxta or secundum it is accepted by the Pope neither is it denyed by him or his followers in the third signification which is super if we take the name of Christ either for his mysticall bodie for therein he affirmeth himself to be aboue the Church to be head thereof of if we take the name Christ for all that are anoynted namely kings prophets and priests he affirmeth himself to be superiour and aboue them also which is a speciall note of Antichrist as S. Paul sayth He shall exalt himself aboue all that is called God or that is worshiped Neither do I finde 2 Thes 2. that ever any Emperor Prince Prelate or Potentate but onely the Pope tooke upon him the names either of Vicarius Dei or Christi Generalis or Caput ecclesiae catholicae or to be super ecclesiam catholicam not the Emperors of Rome not the Turke nor any other But the onely thing that they stand upon is as I said before that he is not adversarius Christi personally and therefore not Antichrist But how can this be For Christ is in heauen and Antichrist for all his malice power cannot touch him there Let us therefore examine the places of Scripture aforesaid where the name of Antichrist is used and we shall easily perceiue that the name of Christ cannot neither ought to be taken for his person For Christ cannot be found personally present upon earth but either spiritually according to his graces or sacramentally in the Sacrament or appellatiuely as the name is communicated to others or mystically as to the Church So therefore must the name of Antichrist be taken for an enimie to the graces Sacraments or ministers of Christ and that not individually in one person but spiritually in his works or appellatiuely in succession For otherwise it can not expresse the true intention or effect of the thing for the Emphasis or principall force of the sentence in all the places aforesaid resteth upon the word Christ that is Anointed as in the first place He that denyeth our Saviour is the Anointed he is Antichrist 1 Ioh. 2 so in the second and third places 1 Ioh. 4 He that denyeth that the Anointed Saviour is come into the world is Antichrist So in the Psalme The kings and princes set themselues against the Lords Anointed Now the ointment wherewith our Saviour was anointed was the fulnes of the graces of the H. Ghost as the scripture testifieth 1 that he was full of grace Iohn 1. Hebr. 1. 2 that he was full of truth 3 that by himself he purged our sinnes 4 that he is made to us wisedome 1 Cor. 1. 5 Iustification 6 sanctification And 7 redemption such like Now he that denieth these graces in our Saviour and fighteth against those that ascribe these graces unto him he or none must be the Antichrist for other warres against Christ who sitteth in heauen at the right hand of God cannot be made Who then are those that send us to other Mediators and Intercessors namely to the virgin Marie the Apostles and Saints to speak and pray for us if it be the Pope his followers then I aske them why or for what reason they will haue us so to do if they do acknowledg our Saviour to be full of grace why do they send us to others if our sinnes make us unworthie to goe to him that calleth us to himself how many we go to the virgin Marie or the H. Apostles who do not call us Is he not as full of grace that calleth us as they that call us not Is he not
church as well which is in Brittanie Germanie France Spaine Africa America and India parts where thou art not as at Rome and yet confine him to heauen as if he were wholly excluded from the earth who is here as present as there But they say againe the Pope claymeth onely as Vicar to Christ O still blaspheamer answer againe what hath a Vicar to doe in the presence of his superiour yea of such a Superiour who filleth heauen and earth and hath bound himself by speciall promise Ier 23. Matth. 28. to be with his church for ever Dost thou not in making thy self his Vicar deny his presence and in denying the presence of our Lord and Saviour Christ in his church deny him to be truly God Quid verba audiam cum facta videam Againe I aske whether thou dost not in this name usurpe the rights of our Saviour and so also declare thy self to be his enimie When the valiant King Edward the third of England intended warr against Phillip the French King he proclaymed himself King of France that was the beginning of the warr so everie Prince taketh it for a denuntiation of war when his neighbour Prince taketh his title And shall not we say that this is a publike proclamation of war by the Pope against our Saviour Christ when he taketh upon him the stile of Pont. Max. that properly belongeth to our Saviour and was never giuen truly to any man but to him yea doth he not exalt himself aboue Christ For Christ did not take it to himself but received it of his Father But the Pope taketh it to himself without the gift of any unlesse it were of Phocas the Murtherer of whom we shall speake hereafter Neyther yet doth he onely take this title to himself but other titles also not inferiour as caput and sponsus ecclesiae c. which onely belong to our Saviour I demand further whom doth he follow in this title Doth he follow Melchisedek or Aaron They were both called High Priests and they were indeede Types of our Saviour Christ the onely true High-Priest and ordeined by God for certeine signes that he should come and so had a lawfull calling But when the truth was come then all types were abolished yea and they also are abolished from Christ fallen from grace whosoever do use them Whereupon the godly Fathers do affirme that the Céremonies of the Law are now not onely mortuae but mortiferae not onely in use dead but to be used deadly And the reason is apparant for that whosoever doth use them doth deny that our Saviour is come in the flesh namely by using those Ceremonies which were Instituted to shew that he was not then come but to be expected But the Pope using the title of High Priest after the order of Melchisedek or of Aaron doth use a Ceremonie instituted to shew that Christ was not come in the flesh but was to be expected Therefore I aske Whether he doth not denye that Christ Iesus is come in the flâ—sh and so also declare himself to be Antichrist But if they will say that in taking this title upon him he followeth our Saviour Christ I aske by what authoritie or who calleth him to it No man sayth the Apostle taketh this title upon him saue he that is called of God as was Aaron And againe the Priesthood of Christ cannot passe from one to another The reason because Christ is God eternall who can haue no successor in his offices and therefore he that will take upon him to succeed Christ doth deny his divinitie as he that will be his Vicar by pretence of his absence Well if the Pope can shew no calling then I ask by what example or precedent if it were a title lawfull to be used why did none of the Apostles nor of the Disciples use it not Tuus not Timothie not Paul nor Peter not Iames the brother of our Lord Bishop of Ierusalem President of the counsell of the Apostles nor yet our Apostle S. Iohn which outlived all the rest and therefore might best do it In a word I finde none to whom this title of Summus or Maximus Pontifex hath any wayes ben applied but either Melchisedek or Aaron or to our Saviour Christ nor any that hath taken it upon them by humain authoritie but onely the Idolatrous Pontifex Maximus that was in Rome of whom I haue spoken before And if the Pope cannot justifie his highest and greatest Pontificalitie by some title from one or other of the three first it will fall out inevitable that he is the true and undoubted successor of the last And that is most consonant and agreeable to the words of our prophecie that Antichrist should be one of the seauen heads of Rome and namely that head of whom S. Iohn sayth He was and is not and yet is as is before proved Probl 2. The same also may be proved by his name Papa whereof divers haue made divers derivations but for my part I thinke none more probable then to say it cometh from one of the titles used or usurped by the old Roman Emperors which upon their coines were wont to stampe Pa. Pa. for Pater Patriae and now the Roman Prelate as he succeedeth them in the name of Pont. Maximus so he taketh that title of Papa likewise to proue himself their undoubted Successor I will not therefore stand here further to confute their pretence and claime to be Vicarius Christi although I might say that it cannot stand with the celsitude of a Pontifex max. to be but a Vicar neither can a Vicar dispense with the lawes of his superiour nor will I answer to Tu es Petrus and such like which haue been so many times answered by our learned divines neither do I think my self bound to refute the immoderate titles giuen to the Pope by S. Barnard or other late Doctors a pointe of this weight is not to be carried away with swelling phrases of Rhetorick but by evident testimonies of undoubted truth Certain it is that he who said Tu es Petrus never sayd Tu eris Pontifex Maximus nor Tu eris meus vicarius Chrysost no nor super hunc Petrum aedificabo c. neither did he giue any keyes to him more then to the rest of the Apostles But if I may speak my opinion this name Pontifex max. is the verie name of blasphemie written in the forehead of that purple whore euen that Antichrist c. So much therefore be spoken of this name of Pontifex Max. which the Pope taketh to himself A third title is Servus servorum Dei This attribute the Pope also and he alone accepteth acknowledgeth and useth it But this title was never giuen to any but by the godly prophet and patriarch Noah to the cursed Canaan whose Father was the scorner of that godly patriarch and his posteritie the mortall enimies of our Saviour Christ in his Church of Israell and so a type
come downe from heauen in the sight of men So the Popes in fulminating their Excommunications out of the Church which is commonly called Heauen in this Apocalyps Fourthly he deceiveth men with these wonders So the Popes for they are but ignes fatui Prov. 26. causeles curses and so forcelesse Fiftly He sayth to earthly men that they should make the image of the first beast So the Popes in setting up another Pontificate with like power to the first Sixtly it was permitted to him to giue a spirit to the image of the Beast that he should speake So do the Popes animate this image of the first Pontificate And seauenthly to cause that as many as would not worship the image of the Beast should be killed Regall power of life death And whether the Popes haue not exercised that power let all men judge What part or point then of this description is not fully accomplished in the actions of the Popes aboue named Is it not manifest that the popes did exercise all the power and authoritie of the old Idolatrous Pont. Max. in Rome before the Emperors face who for a while held that title of Pont. Max. If we should deny it doth not Baronius himself affirme it The power of the first Beast is sayd to haue been in making warre with the Saints and prevayling against them Rev. 13. and over everie kindred tongue and nation And did not the Popes most stifly contend both with other Christians and with the godly Bishops of the Graecian and Easterne churches for appeales Supremacie untill they had obteyned it Did not Iulius enter into contention with the Orientall Bishops and amongst them S. Athanasius and reprehend them for holding a Counsell without his leave to confute the Heresie of Arrius Did not Liberius excommunicate the same worthie Father and saint Athanasius which made the godly Father S. Hilarie so bitterly to cry out The Pope in his first rising excommunicated by S. Hillarie Anathema to thee O Liberius and all thy Companions Anathema againe and againe to thee thou false hearted double dealing Liberius Doth not S. Hierom complain of the senate of Pharisees saying that there was not so mean a scribe of that faction of Ignorance but did conspire against him which made him to forsake Rome and returne to Ierusalem Did not Celestinus seeke with force and armes to restore Antonius a Bishop of Africa deposed by the Bishops of that countrie amongst whom were those Excellent bishops Aurelius Alipius S. Augustine which caused that godly and learned Father verie earnestly to put him minde of the words of S. Peter that he should not domineer over his Bretheren And did not most of them contend with the Patriarchs of Constantinople for Supremacie What was all this but warring against the Saints And when did these Contentions cease but when the Pope had prevailed against gotten the Supremacie over all these Christian Nations And after he had subjugated all Bishops how they haue continually made warre against other godly Christians namely the Valdenses Albigenses Wicklevites Hussites Bohemians and others everie man may read in the Histories of these later times Now if these things be so How can these prophecies be otherwise fulfilled then they haue been in these Roman Bishops To whom else can they be applied how may we expect any in time to come that may accomplish these prophecies if they be not alreadie It is not amisse here a litle to stay our contemplation and as far forth as the Sunne of Righteousnes and most pure light of truth shall illumine our understanding to search out the cause why the same blessed and all seeing spirit to whom all times are present would not onely represent the four Monarchies or Great Beasts of Idolatrie by four severall mettals but also why it pleased him to make choise of those Mettals viz. Gold Silver Brasse Iron and none other saue with the last there is mixed earth or clay Although the Prophet Daniel hath already shewed the chief principall reason yet if we finde any other reason thereof which is agreeable to the truth and no way repugnant to that holy prophecie I hope it will not seem unworthie of our consideration That the Babylonians Persians Greekes and Romans were all Idolaters is confessed and therefore they were aptly joyned together in one Image But why is this Image made of these severall mettals Surely somewhat may be found if we search into it He that hath commanded us to seek hath promised that we shall finde Thou O King art that Head of Gold Dan. 2. sayth Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar thou and thy Successors kings of Babel Why for you in your Idolatrous services use Gold Herod l. 1. Not. Genev. in Esa 46. Dan. 3. Thou worshippest an image all of gold the table before him is all of gold the Altar is gold and thou makest a Statue of gold to be worshipped And we may well thinke the Prophet Esay had some respect to this in calling it the Golden Babel The Persian Monarchie is resembled to Silver Esay 14. Why They and all the rest of Asia worshiped Diana with silver shrines The Grecians are likened to Brasse Act. 19. Why They made Statues of Brasse Herod l. 9. and dedicated presents of Brasse as the Brasen Triped Natal Comes li. 7. which gaue occasion to that great civill sacred warre The Romans Idolatrie is represented by Iron Why They for the most part offred Iron Armours as Romulus offred his Opima spolia being the Armour which Livy l. 1. he being Generall tooke from the Generall of his Enemies Which examples the Romans did much emulate as Virgil witnesseth of Marcellus Tertiaque arma patri suspendit capta Quirino Aâ—neid 6. Yea so eagerly were his examples followed that Rome was filled with bloudie armours Plutarch in Marcell making a very horrid spectacle sayth Plutarch Yet they had many Images of Earth as Iuvenall maketh mention of Fictitis Iupiter Petr. Crinitus hon dis l. 14. Non dubium est Romanorum regum temporibus lignea simulachra fictilia in urbe fuisse sayth another Their Great goddesse Vesta or Cybete the mother of their Gods was nothing but the Earth or focus urbis the hearth of the citie sayth Tully Matremque Deorum tellurem sayth Virgill S. Augustin also sheweth that Iupiter was nothing but the world Proserpina and Ceres the Earth And Arnobius witnesseth that their Images many of them were of earth Jeâ—â—g 2. such as perhaps Virgil speaketh of in that verse Oscilla ex alta suspendunt mollia pinu And now I demand whether doth not the Summus Pont. which the Romans haue now set up with Pompe and glorie like to the former Pagan Pontifex maintaine and command such images also to be worshipped And whether are not many of their Images now in use made of Playster of Paris and such like stuffe And doth he not now command them
the steps and degrees Nemo repente fuit turpissimus sayth the learned Poet but more learnedly ad summum non per saltus sed per gradus pervenitur sayth a Reverend Bishop so this Removing of the Empire was not all at once no more was the rising of the Pontificate but by degrees as by that which followeth may appear Therefore to obserue the proceedings of this remoue of the one and rising of the other I demande upon the 13 chap. of the Revelation whereof we haue spoken before Whether the time of that Rising be not there precisely pointed out when he sayth that Antichrist there signified by the second Beast shall worke before the face of the first Beast that is of the Roman Empire And I demande also Whether we may not well say that the Roman Empire began then sensibly to be removed when the Emperor Constantine removed the Imperiall Sea from Rome to Constantinople yet no man can say but the Imperiall power and the Majestie of an Empire continued still in Rome in the Consuls which dignitie the Emperors also themselues many times tooke upon them as I haue noted before This therefore may be well taken for a beginning of the Remoue of the one and Rising of the other which was about the yeare of our Lord 327 and but a beginning For the better assurance whereof let us first consider the Prophecies of the Scripture concerning the continuance of the Roman Empire and then see by Histories how they were fulfilled By the Euangelist we are taught that the first Beast that is Revel 13. the Heathenish Roman Empire should continue and make warr against the Saints two and fortie Months Rev. 12. So it is sayd in another place that the Holy cittie whereby we understand the Church of Christ should be trode under foote of the Gentiles two and fortie moneths and that the two witnesses of God should prophecie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes that these Prophets should be slayne Rev. 12. and rise againe after three dayes and an halfe and that the woman figuring the Church fled into the wildernes where she hath a place prepared of God a thousand two hundred and sixtie dayes and that there she should be nourished for a time times and a halfe time All which places do manifestly speak of the persecutions of the Church of the Paucitij Povertij of the Preachers and Teachers of Christian religion in those times and of the flight of Christians into the wildernes and other secret places to avoide the furie of those persecutions Deut. 18. 22 Nothing can better expound a prophecie then the event and fulfilling of it But it is manifestly and certeynly knowne that the persecutions of the church by the Heathenish Roman Empire ended about the yeare of our Lord 326. about which time the last Heathen persecuting Emperor Licinius was slaine and Constantine calling the Church out of the wildernes as in a Triumph caused that great and reverend Councell of Nice the first to be held wherein the Nicene Creede was publikely proclaymed to the utter condemnation and profligation of all Heathen superstitions and confutation of the great Heresie of Arius which then was newly begunne This time falleth out so agreeable to the prophecies on the one side and to the events on the other that it seemeth no doubt can be made but that here begann the Remoue For if we follow M. Foxes computation in the severall times aboue mentioned we shall finde that those severall Notations of time as they speake but of one thing that is the persecutions of the Church by the Roman Emperors so they signifie but one time namely two hundred ninetie four yeares the ende of which falling so certeyne in the dayes of Constantine do shew that the beginning must be accounted from the Ascention of our Lord in the yeare of Grace four and thirtie or there abouts For first a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Note this limitation of a time two times and half a time in severall places seemeth to signifie severall times for in Dan. 7 25 26. it seemes to intend a cōtinuance of the time of the Roman state under the litle Horne unto the ende of the world But in Rev. 12.14 compared with Rev. 12 6. and Rev. 11.2 and Rev 13 6. it seemeth rather to signifie the time of the persecutions of the Church under the Heathen Roman Empire See the places make two and fortie moneths take everie moneth for seauen yeares as everie one of Daniels weekes were to be counted it maketh two hundred ninetie four yeares Secondly three dayes and an halfe or a time two times and halfe a time Reckon as our Saviour doth twelue hours to everie day and we finde two and fortie hours then account everie hour to be a sabbath of yeares and it maketh also two hundred ninetie and four yeares which being added to the yeares of our Saviours life upon earth being four and thirtie maketh 328 from his Nativitie Of the other side if we account the beginning of these yeares to be certaine Rev. 12. the continuance and end also will fall out evident But by the twelfth chapter of the Revelation it is manifest that the Dragon went out to persecute the Church when After that our Saviour was taken up into heauen so then reckoning these 294 yeares to beginne at the Ascention of our Lord we must adde the yeares of our Saviours life upon earth which was about four and thirtie yeares and it commeth fully to the yeare 328 about which time the said great Nicene Counsell was celebrated And so taking the beginning of our computation from the end of the persecutions in the time of Constantine about the yeare of our Lord 328 and reckoning backwards 294 yeares we come to the same yeare of grace 34 wherein was the Ascention of our Lord. So that both wayes whether that we expound the prophecie by the event or measure the event by the prophecie we are brought to the same yeare of our Lord 328. Now therefore no longer was the holy Cittie troden under foot of the Gentiles Now the Martyrs of God which had so long time prophecied in sackcloth and were slayne were againe revived in their Doctrine Now the two Witnesses of God the Old and New Testaments So expounded by his Majestie in Praefat. admonit with consent of the best Interpreters which were so long time hidden and as it were layd dead were brought to light and ascended into heauen that is in the Church which is called the kingdome of Heauen For now the Church of God returned out of the wildernes now the power of the Heathenish state of Rome to make warre against the Saints was ended though their Idolatrie as Baronius confesseth continued long after namely unto the end of another period whereof we haue spoken partly before and shall speake somewhat hereafter Not long before that time also arose that great Heretike