as the Prouerbe was amongst the Romanes o Liui. lib. 8. res ad triarios redit all is by GODS prouidence brought now vnto the last push since first the War is desperate to be taken in hand not with p Cic. li. 1. Offic. Carthaginians but Cimbrians not whether should rule Honourably but whether should liue safely so deadly an enemie is the Deuill vnto vs and secondly the Gouernment is growne wholly Anarchicall through the inward Garboyles betweene the Flesh and the Spirit worse then any Ciuill Warres raised eyther by Grecian by Romane or by any other disorderly State because as the Poet q Lucan lib. 1. Pharsal said In se mignaruunt Great men gall one another great things grow all to ruine by their mutuall violence that we may now well r Lamen 2.19 cry out in the night and in the beginning of the watches powre out hearts like water before the face of the Lord. For what may we expect but a sudden surprizing if our eyes preuent not the night watches as ſ Psal 119.148 Dauids did Nay let our enemies bee as sluggish as wee are yet shall wee not bee free from the punishment of flothfulnesse since the Saints who are our fellow-souldiers cannot but complaine against vs for our carelesnesse and by Gods appointment driue vs out of the Campe of the Militant Church visible wherein wee liue by the heauy Clubs and hard stones of censures Ecclesiasticall and Excommunications For Yee Brethren saith the t 2. Thes 3.13.14 Apostle bee not weary in well-doing and if any obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and haue no company with him that he may be ashamed Spiritali gladio superbi contumaces necantur dum de Ecclesiâ eijciuntur saith u Cypr. Ep. 62. CYPRIAN the proud and stubborne are slaine by the spirituall Sword when they are cast out of the Church All Christians then in these perillous times euen for feare either of Forraine destruction or Domesticke displeasure are diligently to watch in the Warre as Souldiers x 2. Tim. 4.7 fighting the good fight in the Gouernment as Captaines going in and out faithfully before GODS people as Salomon y 2. Cor. 1.10 desired We my Brethren who are inferiours must euery one watch as a Souldier ouer his owne soule z Ephes 6.11 Putting on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Deuill And you most Honourable Captaines of Israel are to watch ouer vs like a Cornel. Nepos in Jphicrate Iphicrates the Athenian ouer his sleeping Souldiers like Castriote b Rich. Knols in his Turk Histor called Scanderbeg who himselfe kept the Centinell nay like the Keeper of Israel who c Psal 121.4 neither slumbreth nor sleepeth For d Homer Illiad lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It becommeth not a man of counsell to sleepe all the night time Est honos onus it is your Honour to bee Gouernours but your burden to gouerne in these dangerous times and amongst so many enemies The time may make you carefull The enemies stirre vp valour and both of them cause a watchfulnesse lest we your poore and silly sheepe be suddenly surprized by these most subtill Serpents of which now after this first aduertizement of the perillous times we are to speake in the second danger expressed in these words And as yee haue heard that Antichrist shall come euen now are there many Antichrists whereby wee know that it is the last time The second part of the Great Antichrist The two most dangerous parties liuing in these last times Antichrist and Heretikes TImes are full of dangers because of dangerous men liuing in these times as they are most liuely described here vnto vs first by the greatnesse of their Head secondly by the multitude of the members The Exposition of the Text concerning Antichrist § X. Their great Head is that Antichrist of whom as Saint Iohn saith the faithfull had oftentimes heard by the plainest meanes of notification in type and truth In type as some e Hieronym Perer. in 7. Dan. omnes quos adhuc vidi Pont. thinke of Antiochus Epiphanes deliuered by Daniel in sundry f Dan. 7.24.25 Dan. 11.36.37 places In truth of the Gospell vnder which are diuers Prophecies of Antichrist published first by our blessed g Mat. 24.24 Sauiour vnto his Disciples secondly by Saint Paul both h 1. Tim. 4.1.2 2. tim 3.1.2.3 vnder termes generall and most particularly in that famous place the i a ver 3 ad 11 second Chapter of the second Epistle written to the Thessalonians thirdly by Saint Iohn in his Booke of the Reuelation k Vid. Praes Saereniss Reg. Iacob pag. 90. Apol. Bellar. Respo Reuerend Patris Lancel Eliensis Episcop cap. 12. vnder foure seuerall figures shaddowing out one and the selfe-same MAN in foure seueral Visions tending to one and the selfe-same end the first of which is in the sixth Chapter at the eight Ver. where Antichrist is figured by the pale Horse at the opening of the fourth Seale the second is in the ninth Chapter at the first Verse where Antichrist is noted by the Starre falling from Heauen at the sounding of the fifth Trumpet the third is in the thirteenth Chapter at the eleuenth Verse where Antichrist is expressed by the second Beast ascending out of the earth the fourth and the last and indeed the plainest is contained in the 17.18.19 and 20. Chapters where Antichrist and his Kingdome is most liuely set forth both by the Great Whore of Babylon sitting vpon the scarlet coloured Beast and by the false prophet that ruleth in the Whore For God would haue these Prophesies of Antichrist to bee deliuered in the time of his Gospell first to shew that such an one must come before that Christ himselfe shall come vnto Iudgement secondly to reproue and conuince the Reprobates of manifest Apostasie by which this MAN of sinne must come and thirdly to fore warne the faithfull Flocke of Christ against whom he was to come For Praemonitio praemunitio Forewarning is twice arming as our Sauiour said therefore vpon his Prophesie to make all his Apostles and Disciples to take heed l Mat. 24.25 Behold I haue told you before Wherefore I hope that no man can iustly blame me for taking vpon mee so weightie and so difficult a businesse which yet by Gods grace preuenting and assisting me I shall easily performe both to manifest to our Papists their miserable captiuity wherevnder they poore soules so long time haue layne and to establish the weake and male-contented Protestants in the true vse of that libertie for which with Zacharie we may ioyfully sing m Luke 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people For although many of the Worthies of Israel whose Armes as a Page if I were able yet am I
who know that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or drawing out of the way being ioyned with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnrighteousnesse is taken alwaies in the worst part and signifieth as it is most pithily translated into English * In the new Translation of late deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse They say it and we know that both Scriptures and Fathers such as p Damas lib. 4. de fide Orthod cap. 48. Damascen and q Hieron q. 11. ad Algasiam Hierome take the word Antichrist to signifie some famous false Christ but yet this doth not disproue our deriuation since he shall be as a false Christ masking himselfe deceitfully vnder the outward habit of an honest true Christian yea saith Hierome shewing himselfe as if he were Christ himselfe and the Sonne of God in the beginning of his Kingdome or rather tyrannie fayning some goodnesse saith Damascene in the same place For as the Poet r Iuuencus l. 4. Euang. hist cap. 6 wel turned our Sauiours words into these heroicall Verses Nomine fallentes Christi falsique prophetae Exurgent terris monstra potentia fingent that is Deceiuing in the name of Christ Faâ—se Prophets shall arise In earth and to seduce good men Shall powerfull Signes deuise The mysticall name vnder these letters χ ξ Ï‚. § XII Now the Mysticall name is concluded vnder these three Greeke Letters χ ξ Ï‚ as Saint Iohn saith plainly of the name though altogether mystically of the signification Å¿ Reue. 13.18 here is wisdome let him that hath vnderstanding count the number of the Beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundred threescore and six A name of truth so very obscure that I had rather with the ancient Father IRENAEVS t Irenaeus lib. 5. cap. 30. sustinere ad impletionem Prophetiae quà m suspicari diuinari nomina quaelibet quando multa nomina inueniri possunt habentia praedictum numerum endure or abide vntill the fulfilling of the Prophesie then to suspect and coniecture vpon this or that name seeing many names may be found which haue the foresaid number For God gaue this name vnder this number mystically only because it might not bee knowne before it should bee done and lest it might prooue a very open occasion vnto the Romish Tyrants for their vniust Persecutions when they should haue seene plainly their destruction by Antichrist directly foretold them in this Reuelation And therefore in my poore iudgement that diligence of some very learned Men is somewhat needlesse when they labour earnestly to apply very many names vnto this number of six hundred sixtie and six to wit as some u Feuard in notis in â—renae lib. 5. cap. 30. Henriq lib. vâ—timo Moralis Theolog cap. 23. §. 2. in marginè Sixtus Senensis lib. 2. Bibliot p. 9. edit vltim per Hay Papists of note haue gathered them out of diuers Authors twelue in number 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Irenaeus and Arethas 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nego out of Hippolitus and Primasius 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all these out of Arethas 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Primaesius and Tyconius 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Rupertus Tuitiensis that I need not adde more as Dic lux out of Haymo For this their libertie hath emboldned some x Geneb lib. 3. Chrono pag. 491. Edit vltim Sycophants to wrest this number vnto certaine other names cleane contrary to the purpose and drift of the Holy Ghost in this Prophesie as when some construe it of Maomitis apply it to Mahomet against both the right writing of the word and the true time of Mahomet others y G. Lindan lib. 3. Dubitant Genebrard qu. lib. 4. Chron. pag. 713. construit in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Martin Lauter and apply it vnto that true Witnesse of Christ Martyn Luther whose name and time he liuing and beginning to preach in the yeere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and seuenteene doth of it selfe reprooue their impudency others z Bellar. lib. 3. cap. 10. of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they would haue to be the name of that very learned Chronologer Dauid Chytraeus not marking the right writing of his proper name in the Hebrew tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they would giue vnto Luther with as good reason as others seeme to giue LATINVS to the Pope although I cannot but tell them that since Luther was but one man and there haue been many Popes and since the name of Saxon is applyable but to one soyle wherein Antichrist by IOHNS Prophecies was neuer to haue his personal residence they are wholly mistaken and carryed away by a wilfull wrangling spirit of errour into this delusion For if it might suffice to handle this matter by vncertaine coniectures in mine opinion wee neede goe no further then to those three names which a Irenae lib. 5. cap. 30. Irenaeus once b Euseb lib. 5. Histor cap. 18. Scholler to Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna who himselfe heard Iohn the Pen-man of this prophecie and therefore is best to be followed as most ancient and who also might haue it by a direct tradition from Iohn deliuered vnto vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the c Vid. Reuer Patr. Epis modò Sarisbur D. Rob. Abbat de Antichrist ca. 2. §. 10.11.12 c. first noteth out a fairely flourishing Kingdome or Gouernour ruling therein the second expresseth one shining like the Sunne who is called of the d Ouid. lib. 1. Metamorp Virgil. saepiss Poets Titan although all his glory is gotten onely by that irefull and direfull vengeance which vpon Gods permission hee still seeketh to worke vpon Gods people and holy Saints iust like those Titanes whom the e Hesiod in Theog Vid. Natal Comit. lib. 6. Mythol ca. 20. Poets haue fayned to make Warre with Iupiter for a playne type of Antichrist who sighteth against God but the third name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 striketh it dead downe to the ground whether as a most reuerend and learned f Episc Eliensis in Resp ad Apol. Bellar. cap. 12. pag. 293. Bishop doth instruct vs we take it for the number of a name or the name of a man For if it be the number of a name then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written according to the true and most ancient Orthographie not with the letter i but with the Dipthong â— as our best Grammarians both g Quintil. lib. 1 Instit cap. 7. Isidor lib. 1. Etymolog cap. 15. old and h Iul. Scalig. lib. 1. de causis ling. Lat. cap.
27. Angel Canin in Orthog apud Clenard exedit Schot pag. 103. new haue taught without controlment then doth it most fitly expresse the number of sixe hundred sixtie and sixe or if it be the name of a man proper or common it maketh no matter whether since as it is proper to the whole body so is it common to euery one supplying the head of that bodie then it fitly noteth the time wherein from the Natiuitie of Christ after all other Heretikes in the Primitiue Church Antichrist should come euen that then from the yeere sixe hundred sixtie and sixe of our Lord and so alwaies afterward till the second comming of Christ the same Antichrist should raigne in the Latine Church as some very good approued i Balaeus in Vital lo. Fox in 13. Apoc. D. Whitak in Sander demonst 39. D. Willet in Synops pag. 197. Authors doe deliuer it from other words intimating the same number both by Hebrew and Greeke letters By the Hebrew in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Rome and by the Greeke in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which noteth out plainely the Church of Italie So that now from these two names litterall and mysticall wee may define Antichrist to be an enemy and contrary to Christ who yet so dissemblingly behaueth himselfe that he would be taken for the Vicar of Christ ruling and raigning in the Latine and Italian Church at Rome with all worldly pompe and raging crueltie against Gods Saints from the yeere of our Lord sixe hundred sixtie and sixe till the comming of Christ Iesus to iudge the world § XIII The causes of Antichrist whence wee shall gather a full definition and first But what is this Monster Antichrist really The reall definition is to be gathered from his Nature which wee shall easily finde by the true and due consideration of these foure causes First the efficient Secondly the materiall Thirdly the formall And fourthly the finall cause of this great Antichrist The efficient cause is two-fold The cause efficient the first is principall and this is Sathan k 2. Thes 2.9 after whose effectuall working the comming of Antichrist is in the world The second is lesse principall and this is eyther occasioning or inducing Occasioning this mischiefe two manner of wayes first by the raigne of the Romane Emperours which l 2. Thes 2.7 was to let or stop the comming of this Beast for a time till at length he should bee taken out of the way And secondly by the liberalities and donations of mighty Princes who committed m Reue. 18.9 fornications and liued deliciously with the Whore But inducing and drawing on this mysterie to a ripenesse by those many worldly pleasures wherein this great n Reuel 18.7 Esay 47.8 Harlot glorified her selfe and liued deliciously saying in her heart I sit a Queene and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow 2. The materiall cause § XIIII Now the matter or subiect of Antichrist is a Man not a Deuill although the o Occumen in 2. Tress 2. The state of the Question in the Materiall cause The first opinion of Papists Deuill must be Antichrists Doctor Onely heere is the question betweene vs and our Aduersaries the Papists Whether this great Antichrist shall be one onely man in person or many men succeeding one after another in a Kingdome apostaticall from the true Church of Christ They all so p Saund. den 2 8. Bellar. lib. 3. cap. 2 ac 12. Henriq vbi sup Blasius Viegas qu. de Antich 2. 3. â—udaem lib. 2. in Rob. Abbat c. The latter opinion of Protestants being the truth many as I haue read of them hold the former affirming that this great Antichrist being but one man in person shall be a Iew by Nation borne of the Tribe of DAN But we maintaine the latter denying the former while q Vid. D. Whit. contra 4. q. 5. cap. 1.2 D. Abbat de Antich cap. ◠§. 6. M. Lauren. Deios in his first Serm. D. Willet D. Down Gabr. Powel D. Sharp in speculo Papae cap. 1. c. we plainly and truly auouch thus much against them That Antichrist at one time is but one person but in continuance of time he is many men succeeding one after another in a gouernment gotten by meere vsurpation as in a well setled Monarchie there raigneth onely but one King at once although in succession of time there may bee many one after another according vnto our owne English Prouerbe The King neuer dyeth Our prooâ—eâ— For this we shall make good by many strong reasons from the Scriptures from the proportion of faith and from the plaine testimonies of Orthodox Fathers From Scriptures out of these plaine words first of Paul First from Scriptures and secondly of Iohn Of Paul two wayes first when he saith r 2. Thes 2.7 that the mysterie of iniquitie doth alreadie worke For this is not spoken onely in respect of the fore-runners of Antichrist who were open Heretikes as our Å¿ Bellar. cap. 2. resp 1. Aduersaries interpret it but also in regard of that secret transfusion of inuenoming poison from one Heretike to another through the close conueiance of deuillish delusions vnto the great Antichrist who being the common corps of all their corruption t Theod. in 2. Thes 2. shall after that he is reuealed openly and plainely preach what he alwaies had priuately confirmed as therefore before he was openly made knowne it is said of his working in the time of the Apostles Many u Ioh. 2. Ep. v. 7 deceiuers are entred into the world who confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that deceiuer and that Antichrist then working in a mysterie euen at Rome by Simon Magus and other Heretikes whose poyson is now deriued tanquam per traducem into Peters Chayre For vpon the Whores fore-head x Reue. 17.5 was a name written Mysterie Babylon The great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth Secondly this appeareth from the same Apostle calling Antichrist y 2. The. 2.3.11 an Apostasie and shewing that it must continue till the end of the world when the Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy him with the brightnesse of his comming For this Apostasie which is not as z Ambros in 2. Thess 2. some thinke a reuolting in obedience from the Romane Empire but as Cyril a Cyril Hierosol Catech. 11. saith and to him our Aduersaries conuicted in conscience do assent a defection from the right faith cannot be complete in the number of few yeeres nor yet haue full residence in one only man since it must endure from the first full disclosing thereof which fell out in the yeere of our Lord sixe hundred sixty and sixe vntill the end of the world as we shal haue occasion God
willing to shew hereafter Ob. For in the meane time where they b Bellar. ubi yn in resp ad 3.4 would haue this Apostasie not to appertaine to one body and Kingdome of Antichrist nor yet to require necessarily that it should haue one only head thereof but to bee only a disposition or preparation vnto the future Kingdome of Antichrist and to be done in diuers places vnder diuers Kings vpon diuers occasions as Afrike is fallen away to Mahomet Asia to Nestorius and Eutyches and other Prouinces to other Sects where I say they would thus vnseasonably separate Antichrist and this Apostasie Sol. I wish them to looke better into the holy Apostle who maketh these two Reciprocals Antichrist and Apostasie since there can bee no Apostasie from the right faith which is not against Christ neither is their any one to be accounted Antichristian which is not an Apostate either more or lesse as Augustine c August lib. 20 de Ciuit. Dei cap. 19. thought and therefore construed these words of Saint Paul only of the Great Antichrist yea as Bellarmine d Bell. vbi supr himselfe confesseth in his first answere vnto this our Argument that Antichrist is called Apostasie either by a Metonymie because he is vnto many men the cause of their backe-sliding from God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of some excellencie in that hee is the most famous Apostate although this figuratiue identitie supposed by these men doth not hinder the succession of the Great Antichrist in many men who are heads of this Monster successiuely since they all are both notorious Apostates in themselues villanous Seducers of an infinite number of people from Christ as wee shall find presently from the formall cause In the mean while as this truth is proued from Saint Pauls wordes so let vs now demonstrate the same from Saint Iohn who calleth this Great Antichrist in one place e Reue. 13.11 a Beast that commeth forth of the earth and after that in the same Chapter the f Verse 14. image of the Beast and in another place the g Reue. 17.10 seuenth King For euery one of these names signifie a succession of men sitting on Antichrists Throne since as the h Reue. 13.1 first Beast rising out of the Sea signifieth not one Emperour only but all the whole company of Emperours succeeding one another in that Monarchie so the second Beast importeth a body of beastly Tyrants arising by succession into a Gouernment which is called the Image of the Beast i Gloss interlin in cap. 13. Apocalyp Râ—â—har de Sanc. Victore lib. 4 in Apocalyps cap. 5. because it most fitly resembleth the State and Pompe of the Empire that as in the Empire the Head was one not by vnitie of Person but by succession of one person after another in that same authoritie so in this Kingdome of Reprobate Antichrist the Head must be one not singular in one only person and no more but single by the succession of one after another For else how can hee bee the seuenth King which was to come in the place of the sixth then flourishing when Iohn did write this Prophesie I will goe no further then to their owne Rabbies the k Rhemists Annot in 13. Reue. §. 1. Rhemists who first expound the seuen heads to bee seuen Kings but how truely they speake this I send them vnto l Qui prorsus negat hanc gloss lib. 2. in Rob. Abbat pag. 127. Eudaemon for iudgement Fiue before Christ one present and one to come and secondly m Rhemens Annot in 17. Reue. §. 8. interpret the eight to be the Great Antichrist one of the seneÌ„ in regard of order but for that the malice of all the rest is complete in it called the eight and the odd Persecutors For who are the fiue Kings before Christ The n Iidem ibid. §. 7 Rhemists tell vs that they were the Empires Kingdomes or States of Aegypt Canaan Babylon the Persian and Greekes which bee fiue as sixthly the Romane Empire which persecuted most of all Well then I demand whether the seuenth head or Kingdome shall resemble the rest in State and Gouernment or differ cleane from them They cannot say that hee shall differ from the other in forme of policie since he is one of the seuen and o Reue. 13.12 shall doe all that the first Beast could doe Therefore hence I conclude that since the heads of Aegypt Canaan Babylon Persians and Greekes yea and of the Romane Empire were not one singular person and no more but single men succeeding one after another as the p Herod lib. 2. Pharaohs in Aegypt q Iere. 52.31 Nabuchadnezzar Euilmerodach c. in Babylon r Herodot lib. 1.3 c. Cambyses and Darius Histaspis in Persia Å¿ Dindor Sicul. bibliothes lib. 17 18.19 c. Alexander alone and after him his Captaines in foure seuerall Kingdomes of Grecians and the t Sueton. Dio Corpus Romane historiae Caesars in Rome since I say these Kingdomes to which Antichrists Kingdome is like for outward Gouernment had a succession of many one after another Antichrist shall be such an head as when the Deuill hath cut off one he shal presently in succession set another in place But although this glosing Exposition of the Rhemists be sufficient to conuict the Romish Sect yet the faithfull must bee satisfied by reason onely grounded vpon the truth which is this concerning these seuen Kings that as the sixe former kinds of Gouernment were vpholden by succession of one after another vntill their last period so must this Kingdome of Antichrist continue in a company of wicked Caterpillers succeeding one another like Vipers the latter eating out his way to raigne by the ruine of the former For they are all alike both Heads and Kings for power and authoritie ouer the same Citie and they had a succession in euery kind seuerally as they were in force first Kings then Consuls thirdly Tribuni militum fourthly Decemuiri fifthly Dictators and sixthly Emperours as the Histories and Annales of the Romanes doe demonstrate and we shall shew hereafter But u Eudaemon pag. 122. c. ad 128. c. Eudaemon in his madnesse denieth all at once here Antecedent and Consequent that Ob. because there were not in Rome before Christ fiue seuerall kinds of Gouernment which kept this succession since Kings and Emperours were all one kind of Gouernment as Consuls and Dictators since Dictators were not ordinary but chiefe men chosen vpon extraordinary occasions since there was an often interruption of Consuls by Dictators and Tribuni militum this for that if we grant those fiue to haue a succession yet it followeth not that the seuenth must continue by the like succession since some of those raigned but two yeeres as the Decemuiri others but fifteene as the Tribuni militum nay all of them but seuen hundred yeeres at
the most before the time of Augustus yea and that in the time of the Persian and Graecian Monarchie of which Iohn should haue had as great a regard as of this poore place then when those Empires were in their prosperitie inhabited by poore Shepheards For this seuenth then shall bee of longer continuance then all the rest seeing they ended in Christs time and the sixth was to cease about the time of Boniface the third This is the summe so well and shortly as I could take it of all that his most impertinent Discourse made for an answere vnto our aboue said Argument which yet standeth firme against all this babbling both in the Antecedent and in the Consequent In the Antecedent because first there were fiue seuerall kinds of Gouernment in Rome before Christs time since Kings and Emperours though like in the solenesse or alonelinesse yet differed much both in the name and the nature of their Gouernment the x Liuius lib. 2. name of King being wholly reiected in token of their libertie vnder the Gouernment of Consuls when the y Dio lib. 43. name of Emperour was giuen most gladly vnto Iulius Caesar and to his Posteritie after him as a signe of greatest Soueraignetie the nature of the Office of the King being in their z Cic. pro C. Rabirio perduello reo opinion wholly opposite to their libertie where their a Sueton. in Augusto Emperour was accounted the maintainer thereof all the Offices as Dictator Pontifex Maximus Censor Tribuni Plebis being conferd vpon him for terme of his own life to his Successours for euer after him since also their Dictator and Consul which this ouer-worne Greeke Antiquarie would haue confounded were as farre different in the Romane Common-wealths as the Generall and Prouinciall are now amongst their King-killing Iebusites the b Polyb. lib. 6. Consuls hauing in obedience and subiection all the Offices of the Common-wealth saue the Tribuni Plebis where c Dionys Halycarness lib. 5. the Dictator had authoritie aboue the Consuls the Tribunes and all Secondly although the Dictators were set vpon the most weightie extraordinary occasions yet they may well bee said to retaine this succession since when one was to giue it ouer ordinarily at the halfe yeeres end they either made choice of another or d Liu. lib. 5. Plutarch in Camillo of the same man a new as occasion serued Thirdly the interruption of the Consular Gouernment by Dictators and Tribuni militum did not hinder the succession of Consuls when they were no more then a vacancie for a Moneth or two nay a Yeere and more sometimes taketh away the personall successions of Popes since still some were in place of Gouernment amongst them to exercise due authoritie till another succeeded as the Festi Romanorum set out by many e Sigonius Onuphri Chronologi Funccius Bunting Chytiaeus c. learned men doe plainely declare 2 Our argument is sound now in the antecedent and shall it not stand then I pray you in the consequent Yes surely notwithstanding these friuolous exceptions violently thrust out of a self-condemning conscience by this coozening-hungry Greeke 1 For first what if the Decemuiri raigned but two yeeres and the Tribuni militum but fifteene and all the fiue till Augustus but seuen hundred yeeres They yet had a succession like vnto this of Antichrists although not so long for the fluxe of succession is as true in minutes as it is in yeeres although not so great 2 Secondly what if the Persians and Graecians then flourished most when these fiue first offices were of principall vse in Rome This hindered not their succession in Rome which as the Prouerbe is was not built in one day but by little and little was to grow vnto that prodigious greatnesse which afterward weighed downe it selfe into the dust For the Persians and Graecians were to grow vp in their order and the Romanes to follow after them as f Dan. 2. 7. 8. cap. Daniel hath deliuered in sundry of his visions And therefore Iohn was not to speake any thing of Persians or Graecians since they were all before Christ Daniel being the Prophet appointed for those affaires and since Iohn was onely to speake of things to fall out either for or against the Church from Christs ascension till his second comming and therefore he being to set forth the seate and kingdome of Antichrist meddled only with that kingdom which Antichrist himselfe was to surprize describing it by such tokens of things already past as by which wee may now easily define of things present and plainely coniecture of things to come 3 Thirdly therefore we graunt that Rome heathenish was first but small and weake but it was to grow vnto her ripenesse vnder these seuen heads one after another vnder the last of all which if it stand in most continuance there followeth no absurdity since the old age in a strong man is commonly the longest lasting period of life but it rather sheweth the point we proue that Antichrist is not one man only but many succeeding one after another in a kingdome continuing from the yeere of Christ sixe hundred sixtie and sixth vntill his last comming Secondly from the proportion of Faith For so reason wil enforce vs to thinke from the proportion of faith in that as God worketh good in his children through his most rich grace by certaine degrees according to the g Marke 4.26 parable of corne comming vp out of the earth first the blade then the eares after full corne in the eares so heresie will aske some time for hatching because it must be wrought into mens consciences not by force and rigour but by plausible perswasions and colourable conceits since it is hard to remoue a settled opinion in any thing be it true or false For h Luke 5.39 no man hauing drunke olde wine straight-way desireth new for he saith The old is better And therefore since Antichrist must deale by delusions and like a crafty and subtill harlot i Reuel 17.2 vse blandiments and allurements by which he may seduce and draw from the true Church the greatest men on earth it is needfull to haue more time then one mans age though he should liue an hundred yeeres and more wherein these his poysoned potions may work throughout the world For although men by nature will be quickly wonne to wickednesse yet the world is very wide and full of many sorts of men to whom Antichrists doctrine cannot come in so short time as our Aduersaries imagine yea and Antichrists doctrine is not so compendious being burdened with so many thousands of subtill sophistications and obseruations of beggerly rudiments as to be learned in three or foure yeeres at the most the time allotted vnto him by them as we shall see hereafter nay Antichrist himselfe let the Deuill doe to him what he can to make him mighty in word and deede yet is but
a man who can doe no more then a man can doe as the prouerb is k Vnus homo nullus homo Erasm sub tit Cedend multitudini One man no man and therefore although all the Heretikes in the world did make way for him yet must he haue more time to establish their blasphemies then the age of one man because l Tertul. lib. de praescrip cap. 2. there must be prescription and precedents vpon which he must build if he will preuaile any thing with settled Christians and how I pray you can one man prescribe Say m Gregor Canonist in notis ad Gratian. p. 2. causa 16. q. 15. § praescriptâ—alâ—ae c. they not that in publique causes prescription must be of forty yeeres together at the least yea an * Grat. 16 q. 3. quas actiones can Nemo Glâ—ss in c. ad audieâ— eod tit hundred in some cases against the Church How then can Antichrist in so short time as the age * Breuis est hom vita reg breuior Pontif. breuissima Petarch of a Pope goe through the world and draw so many to him Surely our Aduersaries are either wholy besotted not weighing the sundry courses of conueyances in such designes as these are of Antichrists or else if they finde them as it is not possible but they should being men so expert in worldly policies as most of them are then they plainely bewray themselues to be the men who follow the beast and the merchants who grow rich by this trade which they conceale for their owne best aduantage making Antichrist a Chimaera and not such as besides the Scriptures and these reasons euen the Orthodoxe Fathers describe him to be For besides those Fathers Thirdly from the Ancient Fathers who from Saint Pauls words calleth Antichrist the apostasie as o Qui omnes in 2. Thess 2. Chrysostome Theodoret Theophylact and Oecumenius by p Bellar. li. 3. de Pontif. cap. 2. Bellarmines owne confession I wil produce two of the chiefest directly declaring the succession of monsters in this throne of Antichrist to wit Irenaeus and Augustine For Irenaeus howsoeuer he setteth downe many things concerning Antichrist which at the first blush to an vnaccustomed Reader may seeme to be spoken of one only person yet so plainely deliuereth the succession in this kingdome that I maruaile with what face either q Sand. lib. 8. de Visib Monarch cap. 1. Sanders or r Feuard in Annot. in Jrenae lib. 5. cap. 25. Feuardentius can say that he maketh for them when although he setteth downe the tribe the names and yeeres of continuance as if it were spoken of one onely man speaking Å¿ Vid. Whitak in resp ad 1. Demonst Sanderi eyther after the manner of the Prophets in scripture or according to the common opinion of men in his interpretation yet he saith thus plainely t Irenae lib. 5. fol. 249. edit Paris A. Dom. 1567 Lateinos nomen sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerum valde verisimile est quoniam verissimum Feuardentius u Feuard in suâ— edit Coloniae 1596. most filthily and falsly hath turned this word into nouissimum regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant sed non in hoc nos gloriabimur The name Lateinos is most likely to haue this number six hundred sixtie and sixe because the truest kingdome hath this name for the Latines are they who now doe raigne but we will not boast in this Now is not here a liuely proofe to shew the succession since Antichrist is called Lateinos and Lateinos is called a kingdome If they say that it is but the kingdome of one man onely let them turnebackward and a little before x In edit Parisiensi fol. 244. Colon. li. 5. ca 25. this they shall find this historie of Antichrist that he shall be the vnrighteous iudge to whom y Luke 18.2 the poore widdow that is the earthly Ierusalem shal come for iustice to be reuenged of her enemie which he shall doe in the time of his kingdom for he shall translate his kingdom thither sit in Gods TeÌ„ple seducing those who worship him as if he were Christ himself For out of this history we may plainly gather that Irenaeus thought of Antichrist as of a company incorporated into a Kingdome first abroad in the world then settled at Hierusalem lastly vsing tyrannie some three yeeres and an halfe according as Daniel prophecied concerning the halfe weeke And yet if Irenaeus had not sayd thus much wee want not other testimony if we may beleeue S. Augustines report who z August lib. 20. de Ciuit. Dei cap. 19. speaking of Antichrists sitting in the Temple of God deliuereth first this common Exposition Nonnulli non ipsum principem sed vniuersum quodam modo corpus eius id est ad eum pertinentem hominum multitudinem simul cum ipso suo principe hoc loco intelligi Antichristum volunt Some will haue in this place to be vnderstood by Antichrist not the Prince himselfe but his whole body in a certaine manner that is the multitude of men belonging vnto him together with the Prince himselfe Secondly his owne iudgement of this exposition Rectiusque putant etiam Latinè dici sicut in Graeco est non in templo Dei sed in templum Dei sedeat tanquam sit ipse templum Dei quod est Ecclesia sicut dicimus sedet in amicum id est velut amicus vel si quid aliud isto locutionis genere dici solet And also they think better that it may be spoken in the Latine as it is in the Greeke he sitteth not in the Temple of God but for the Temple of God as if he were the Temple of God which is the Church as we say he sitteth for our friend that is as our friend or if any other thing else be accustomed to bee spoken in that kinde of speech For out of these words of Augustine so direct and plaine wee may obserue that the common sort of learned men in Augustines time or before did hold concerning Antichrist these two conclusions which Augustine himselfe alloweth of the first that Antichrist is a multitude consisting of head and members Prince and subiects The second that Antichrist should take vpon him the authority of the Church as if he onely were the Church So that now since Antichrist is a multitude and not one man and to bee esteemed by men for the Church which pleadeth still for succession The Popish opinion confuted and their reasons answered I maruaile vpon what ground our Aduersaries deliuer for authentique doctrine these three conclusions The first that Antichrist shall be one person onely The second that Antichrist shall bee a Iew by Nation The third that Antichrist shall be of the Tribe of DAN For they haue no ground at all out of the Scriptures to make them good For concerning the first Ob. Where they
the body or to Heresies in the Church Antichrists beginning since both of them grow from senselesse beginnings to very fearefull issues So that if wee search the first instant of his beginning wee shall hardly find it seeing in the Å¿ 2. Thes 2.7 Apostles time it begun to worke vnder a mysterie but if we craue the time when he should be reuealed wee find it in Scripture to be at the ruine of the Romane Empire which being the onely obstacle to Antichrist The three sure meanes of Antichrists rising was first of all to be taken out of the way that Antichrist might afterwards be displayed in his colours by these three degrees First of a voluntary succession and remoouall of the Imperiall Throne from that very place where Antichrist should place his Chaire The second of a violent oppression of Christendome by a forraine people which Antichrist by glosing and flatterie must winne by little and little vnto the imbracing of his abominations for the more speedie and surer planting of his tenne seuerall Hornes The third of a fraudulent vsurpation of a double Sword the one Spirituall in the Church the other Temporall in the Common Weale by Antichrist himselfe then peeping abroad For the first was to fall out at or about the three hundreth yeere after Christ the second about the foure hundreth the third about the time of his mysticall name as may appeare plainly by these seuerall points of Prophesie in the New Testament The first whereof is that generall intimation that t 2. Thes 2 7. hee which letted in the Apostles time was to bee taken out of the way first by voluntary changing of his seat deuiding his Empire as Chrysostome u Chrysost hom 4. in 2 Thes 2. expoundeth it then by an vâ—ter euersion and rooting of the same out of the World as all x Ambr. Sedul Primas â—heod Theophylact. Oecumen â—yrâ— cum gâ—ssis 〈◊〉 cert Ordinar Aquin. c. other Fathers take it the second that particular denunciation of the third y Reu. 8.12.13 part of the Sunne and the third part of the Moâ—ne and the third part of the Sâ—arres to be smitten and darkened that the dâ—y shâ—ne not for a third part of it nor likewise the night For z Hayn o Marlaora Brightman in loc the smiting of the Sun Moone and Stars in the third part signifieth Gods iudgment inflicted vpon a great part of Christendome by the bloudy hands of Heathen people whose fury should so stop the course of Christian Doctrine that their day and their night seeme shortned in the third part And yet Antichrist in all this Garboyle is not troubled but a Psal 10.10 croucheth in his Denne till he may rauish the poore fawning on and flattering these rude Mates and Tyrants till out of their Off-spring such Kingdomes may bee settled as by which they b Reuel 17.2 now poysoned through his venomous Potions he may daily be more strengthened and hoysed vp to that huge height of vniust vsurpation which he openly should beginne to manifest in the World about that yeere after CHRIST which c Reue. 13.18 the number of his name doth intimate vnto vs. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Erasin in Chiliad sub tit Auaritie Rapaâ—itatis A Serpent vnlesse he eate another Serpent cannot become a Dragon say the Greekes in their Prouerbe which wee may very fitly apply to our purpose since Antichrist could neuer haue attained to such a fulnesse of filthinesse and an abundance of abominations vnlesse hee had swallowed vp all the former plagues of God cast out vpon the Church before by Heathenish Tyrants and home-bred Heretikes to spue them out againe in a greater measure by crueltie and subtiltie amongst Gods Chosen as the e Reuel 8.13 Angell flying in the middest of Heauen did import by crying out of woe woe woe before the sounding of the fift Trumpet when there should fall f Reuel 9.1.2 a Starre from Heauen to Earth euen Antichrist himselfe to whom was giuen the Key of the bottomlesse pit which he should open to let out smoke signifying darke ignorance and send out such Locusts as were to sting men to death like Scorpions Vnto such an vgly shape doth this Serpent or this Beare grow by his degrees so small was his beginning and so dreadfull is his full growth that hee is fitly resembled by a g B. Iewel in 2. Thes 2. pag. 115. fol. blessed Bishop vnto an Earthquake which caused by a little wind for a time hidden in the hollowes of the earth h Stobaeus lib. 1 Eglo 9. cap. 32. at last breaketh out to the shaking of the Mountaines the cleauing of the Rockes the throwing downe of houses and the killing of men The Thorne i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eras Chil. sub tit Initij laudati when it is little seemeth good Antichrist in his Infancie gaue great hope of integritie but the elder hee grew the worse hee prooued k Homer apud Strabonem lib. 3. à Tartesso ad Tartarum falling as wee say from the deepe Sea to the Deuill Now knowing his beginning if you aske me how long he shall continue I may answere well that I know not His continuing ending For his end is not yet come and l Aristot de Interpretat ca. 11. De futuris contingentibus nulla est scientia there is no certaine knowledge to be had of things future Yet surely as m Certius est quà m mors quà m mors inceâ—tius est nil Marcell Palingenius in Scorpio nothing is more certaine then death although then the houre of death nothing more vncertaine so nothing is more certaine then the ruine of Antichrist although the instant of his ruine be not yet knowne because his vtter abolishing must bee n 2. Thes 2.11 at Christs comming the time of which is knowne to God onely Ob. And therefore where our o Sanders dem 40. Bella. li. 3. de Pontif. cap. 8. Papists will haue Antichrist to continue but onely three yeeres and an halfe partly by these words of p Dan. 7.25 Daniel they that is the Saints shall bee giuen into his hands vntill a time and times anâ— the â—ding of time and partly by these of q Reue. 12.14 Iohn concerning the woman Where that is in her place in the Wildernesse shee is nourished for a time and times and halfe a time from the face of the Serpent Loe a double either sottishnesse Solution 1 or knauerie First in putting places together of contrary importment seeing in the former the Saints are said to bee subiect vnder persecution for a time times and halfe a time but in the latter rescued from Solution 2 trouble into a place of safe retyring for a time times and halfe a time the second in mis-applying both these places as sitting vnto the Great Antichrist in their opinion when the former doth properly belong
vnto Antiochus Epiphanes onely the latter vnto Satan and Satans seruants the Heathen Romane Emperours by whom the Deuill r August homil 10 H. â—mo Râ—bâ—ra in 12. Apoc. cast out the flouds of ten seuerall persecutions after the Woman retyred into the Wildernesse that is the Primitiue Church of Christ flying from their furie into secret places for their best safetie for a time times and halfe a time that is Å¿ Vid. Ioh. Fox lib. 1. Martyâ—olo pag. 90.91.92 Reueren Patrum D. R. Abbade Antichristo cap. 8. §. 6. for the space of two hundred ninetie and foure yeeres after Christ when the last great Persecution raised by Licinius was quieted and so ceased by the onely helpe and authoritie of Constantine the Great then the first Christian Emperour which openly fought vnder the Banner of CHRIST For to giue you a short and yet a full suruey of these latter times layd out by St. Iohn vnder seueral numbers thus truly reckoned by t â—idem vbi sup most religious and learned Diuines this first number of time times halfe a time is in plaine signification three yeeres and an halfe which number of yeeres consist of one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes all which dayes together make vp in iust account two and fortie moneths now if euery moneth be taken for a Sabbath of yeeres then all these numbers make vp the iust summe of two hundred ninety and foure yeeres which yeeres beginning to be reckoned at the thirtieth yeere of Christs age when u Luke 3.23 Matth. 4.23 he after his Baptisme began by his Preaching to gather a Church that x Iohn 16.32 was to be troubled in this wicked world will end in that very yeere y An. Dom. 324 vid Euseb Chronic Theatr. histor Christoph Helwici when Constantine the Great began to raigne alone Licinius being vanquished and persequutions ceased for the space of a thousand yeeres together in which time Satan is z Reuel 20.2 7.8 c. said to be bound in the bottomlesse pit because for all that time he is not permitted to molest the Church by open persequution howsoeuer he must trouble it by home-bred heresies and secret schismes For the a Vid. Meditat. doctiss Sereniss Regis Iacobi in 20. Apoc. Church vniuersall was to be quiet and free from forraine persequutions for the cause of religion for that space of a thousand yeeres that in that long calme of outward prosperity Antichrist might ripen vnto a fulnesse of Abomination which for a time was couered vnder the cloake of outward Orthodoxie and ceremoniall indifferencie but at last appeared in the true state of vglinesse towards the b Anno Dom. 1314. sub Ioh. 22 Lodouico Bauaro Imper. Edwardo 3. Angliae sub quo Ioh. Wicliff Vid. Chronic. Anglic. Holinsh Stow Io. Fox pag. 365. Edit vltimae latter end of the thousand yeeres when Satan was to be loosed that he might most furiously rage against Gods chosen both outwardly by the forraine power of Gog and Magog and inwardly in the Church it selfe by the great Antichrist whose kingdome then began a little to be diminished by c 2. Thess 2.8 the preaching of the Gospell vntill at last it shall vtterly be demolished by the glorious comming of Iesus Christ as at the trumpet sounded by the d Reuel 10.7 seuenth Angel it shal be finished I speake thus indefinitely of the last period of Antichrists kingdome because since it must last in some outward although weake forme of gouernment Rome being destroyed till the comming of Christ we haue e Part. 1. §. 7. before defined that the time of Christs comming is the Fathers secret onely Ob. And yet I am not ignorant of a very probable coniecture made by a f Master Peter du Moulin in 3. part Apolog. in Coessetan cap. 4. pag. 250. most famous Preacher and reuerend Diuine concerning the last period of Antichrist his kingdome that it must fall out as he thinketh in the two thousand and fiftenth yeere after Christ because after it is settled as it was in the seuen hundred fiftieth and fifth yeere of our Lord it was to continue one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes that is by tearmes of Scripture Sol. so many whole yeeres But howsoeuer I cannot but iustly admire his sharp and sound iudgement in collecting out of the propheticall numbers of Scripture the truth of things past yet I cannot fully assent vnto this his construction of future euents by that number of daies since as yet it appeareth not vnto me vpon what ground eyther he setteth the beginning of the thousand two hundred and threescore dayes at the end of the seuen hundredth fiftieth and fifth yeere after Christ for Antichrist his kingdom was begun and settled g An. Dom. 666. a good while before or stretcheth the number of those many daies so farre seeing h Mat. 24.24 for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortned and Christ may come sooner for any thing we know as Now i Reuel 22.21 come Lord Iesu Let vs leaue then these coniectures vnto them who in the libertie of prophecie might first set them abroad to make them good and as by faith we are to be assured that the kingdome of Antichrist shall come to an end so let vs in sobriety cease from the curious search thereof dayly in hope expecting the complement from Him who will doe it in his owne time And so by this discourse of the qualities place The conclusion of the formall cause and time of Antichrist wee see in what forme hee must come abroad to wit in the habit of heresie and iniquitie doing all things by couetousnesse coozening and crueltie in the middest of the Church at Rome secretly and as it were by a mystery in the Primitiue time but openly plainly from the sixe hundredth yeere after Christ till he should grow and ripen vnto his full greatnesse which by little little was to be lessened through the preaching of Gods word and vtterly destroyed at the comming of Christ § 16 Now fourthly and lastly the finall cause The final cause of Antichrist or end why this Great Antichrist should thus reigne and ruffle in this wicked world and against the Faithfull is to speake in Logicall tearmes vltimus vltimatus the last and furthest to wit Gods glorie which in iustice shal be manifested when God k Esay 1.24 easeth him of his enemies and auengeth him of his aduersaries as the l Prou. 16.5 wicked are ordained for the day of euill the neere and subordinate which is first that the Reprobate m 2. Thes 2.11 might be deluded vnto their destruction by the vile deceits of Antichrist secondly that the Godly elect might be tried in this great fire both for their present purging as n Prou. 17.3 Siluer in the fining pot or Gold in the furnace for their future glory
promised to the perseuerant vnder this good precept o Reue. 2.10 Be thou faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee a Crowne of life The Reall and full definition of Antichrist § XVII The efficient the matter the forme the end now all put together will openly discouer what is this Great Antichrist to wit a man by ordinarie substitution succeeding another in a kingdome raised vp by Satan vpon the ruine of the Romane Empire and the liberalitie of Christian Princes through the pleasures of the world who being in opinion an Hereticke and a most wicked man in life couetously seeketh to imprint his Character vpon all men whomsoeuer coozeningly endeuoureth to doe signes and wonders and cruelly persequuteth in bloodie massacres the Saints of God in the middest of the Church sitting at Rome growing mysteriously in the Primitiue time but from the sixth hundreth sixtieth and sixth yeere after Christ openly manifest till his vtter destruction at the end of the world both for the blinding of the reprobate and the triall of the elect to the glory of God Eculmo spicam By the halfe you may know what the whole tale meaneth For by this definition thus prooued in all points we may easily perceiue what now in the second place we are to make search for Who is this Great Antichrist § XVIII Some The second Question Who is this Great Antichrist The first opinion as Iodocus Clicthoueus p Clicthou Commentar in Damascen l. 4. ca. 27 reporteth thought that this Great Antichrist was that Seducer Mahomet and his succeeding bloud-suckers Saracens and Turks But Cardinall q Bellar. lib. 3. de Pontif. cap. 3. Sanders Henriq Viguer c. Bellarmine together with all our other Papists which I could as yet euer read concerning this matter vtterly reiect this opinion as most false being indeede conuicted by the strength of Truth For first Mahomet and the Turkes had neuer any place of residence in the middest of the Church at Rome secondly hee neuer was a Prince Ecclesiasticall thirdly he could not by any reason bee accounted for an Heretike or an Apostate from that faith which hee neuer professed fourthly although hee began to raigne in Arabia r An. Dom. 623. vt Genebrard lib. 3. Chronolog much about the time when Antichrist did manifest his rising at Rome yet he neuer made himselfe an vniuersall Bishop and the Vicar of Christ as Antichrist did And therefore some other must be found out to be Antichrist The second opinion and the Truth The Pope is that Great Antichrist Proofes are two 1. From the Names 2. From the Nature or causes of Antichrist From the name are two 1. Literall 2. Mysticall The Literall Name § XIX Who I pray you then can this Antichrist be but Pontifex Romanus the Bishop or as they commonly now call him the Pope of Rome For both his name and his nature agree so fitly vnto that which we haue noted of the Great Antichrist that we may well conclude them to be both one so truly and fully as that now the Pope of Rome is the onely Great Antichrist and the Great Antichrist is only the Pope The name of both is litterall and mysticall The litterall name is Antichrist by which although the Pope bee not called totidem sillabis in those same sillables yet in the same sense he beareth that name if we marke the true Etymologie of the word Antichrist since first hee is so opposite vnto Christ Iesus both in doctrine and life as we shall finde hereafter in the application of the formall cause And secondly since he is commonly called by his chiefest Å¿ Bell. in praefat Tom. 2. ad Sixtii 5. Azor. in dedicat Tom. 1. ad Clem. 8. Flatterers Christi in terris Vicarius Christ his Vicar on earth ouer the Church of which being but t Extrauag Cömun lib. 1. tit 8. cap. 1. vbi sic Ecclesiae vnius vnicae vnum corpus vnum caput non duo capita quasi monstrum Chrisâ—us viz. Christi Vicarius Petrus Petrique successor c. one onely there is but one body one Head not two heads as if he were a Monster to wit Christ and Christs Vicar PETER and PETERS successour c. But howsoeuer they may cauill against this application of the litterall name the mysticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 included in the number 666 more plainely agreeth vnto the Pope For who raigneth in Latio but only u Ex fictâ— Constantini donatione vide Laur. Vallam the Pope who maketh the Scriptures translated into the Latine tongue The mysticall name to be onely the Authentique Word of God but x Con. Trident. sess 4. decret 2. the Romish Pope onely who forbiddeth the vse of the Liturgie in any other language saue the Latine tongue onely but only the y Con. Trident. sess 22. can 9. Pope Yea marke how this mysterie of this name is made plaine For at that very time when the yeeres after Christ came vp to the number of sixe hundred sixtie and sixe Vitalianus a Musicall Pope notwithstanding through z Jn bello Longobardico inter Imperator barbaros vid. Ottonem Frisingens lib. 5. cap. 11 the misery of the time when hee liued there was more neede of praying then singing yet a Fascicul Tempor compilata historia Platina Balaeus Valero in Vitalian Magdeburgens Câ—nt 7. c. 6. Osiander Câ—nt 7. lib. 3. cap 10. brought into the Church singing of the Seruice the vse of Organes commanding that the Canonicall houres the Hymnes and other Ceremonies should onely bee celebrated in the Latine tongue A matter of mayne consequence since thereupon ignorance arose amongst all people now lulled as it were asleepe by the confused noyse of many voyces in an vnknowne tongue and vpon that ignorance an easie admittance of many grosse opinions if it carried the colour of aduancing deuotion although it was no better as their case then stood then b Act. 17.23 the Altar erected to an vnknowne God And therefore where some c Bell. in Apolog. pro Resp ad Reg. cap. 12. of our Aduersaries mocke at this our applying of this number to Vitalian Ob. since hee was in their opinion a zealous good man in whose time there was no such innouation or change in the Church as we pretend We answere for Vitalian Sol. that his goodnesse shall bee iudged of at the great Day of the Lord In the meane time we know that d 2. Cor. 11.13 14. Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and his ministers as the Ministers of righteousnesse For secondly concerning the innouation and change which fell out to bee in the dayes of Vitalian Vitalian himselfe was the onely cause thereof by those his Ordinances for playing and singing Latine Hymnes in the Church since thereby e Luke 11.52 the Key of Knowledge was hidde when common people f Vide Polydor.
6. Hilar. in Matt. can 33. their owne man auoucheth plainely since let h Bellar. lib. 3. de Eucharist cap. 3.4 5. c. them presume neuer so much vpon Gods omnipotencie heere working miraculously i Vid. Sadeelem tract de sacramentali manduâ— cap. 3. there was not neither could be penetratio dimensionuÌ„ a piercing of dimension if it was a true Body as our k Luke 24.39 Sauiour proued it by shewing his Flesh and Bone that arose againe because as l August Epist 57. ad Dardan S. Augustine saith Take away from bodies space of place and then they shall be no where and because they are no where they shall not be at all The sixth Article ouerthrowne So that for the sixth Article concerning Christ his Ascension into Heauen and his sitting at the right hand of God we cannot but find it ouerthrowne vtterly by that vbiquitie of the Manhood of Christ which most necessarily followeth vpon the Popish tenent of the bodily reall presence of Christ in the Eucharist For if his Flesh be here or there as it must be of necessity in many places at once when the Sacrament is in diuers places ministred at one and the selfe-same time then m Act. 3.21 how can hee be contained in the heauen till the restoring of all things as Peter said As he is God he is euery where but as he is man he is onely in heauen so n August Ep. 57. ad Dardan Gloss ordina in Math. 28. the Fathers distinguish and vpon it we argue as the Angell did o Marke 16.6 he is risen he is not here he is ascended therefore he is not heere vpon earth according to his Manhood as said p Fulgent lib. 2. ad Thrasymund FVLGENTIVS One and the selfe-same Christ according to his humane nature was absent from heauen when he was vpon the earth and leauing the earth The seuenth Article impeached when hee went vp into heauen Now for the seuenth concerning the Comming of CHRIST vnto Iudgement howsoeuer hee pretendeth a beliefe in the thing 1. By making Saints Iudges yet hee warranteth his Minions to set out many crosse points and close blowes against the true manner of the same As first that the r Rhemists in 1. Cor. 6.2 Saints shall iudge and giue sentence with God at the latter Day whereas the truth is that although the Saints shall iudge the World Å¿ Ambros Theodorit in 1. Cor. 6.2 by way of witnesse-bearing against the world as t Mat. 12.41 the Niniuites against the Iewes Yet the giuing of sentence u Mat. 25.34 noted by Christ himselfe belongeth x Iohn 5.22 1. By thinking the East to be the place of Iudgement to Christ onely as to the onely chiefe Iustice of this great Court of generall Assise since the Father hath committed all Iudgement to the Sonne Secondly that the place of this Iudgement is y Bellar. lib. 3. de Eccle. triump cap. 3. rat 4. the East part of the world whereas the Kingdome of God z Luk. 17.10.24 commeth not by obseruation of either place or time but as Christ shall come suddenly like Lightening shining from the East to the West or as a 1. Thes 5.2 a Thiefe in the night so shall hee come from Heauen to no certaine set place here vpon Earth because hee is God who must appeare euery-where as Iudge of the World in the sight and view of all men as witnesse besides these Scriptures both b Origen tract 35. in Mattâ— Origen and c August in Psal 74. 3. By a wrong signe of his comming Augustine thirdly that Christ shall come with d Bellar. lib. 2. de Eccles triumph cap. â—8 in quem Vid. Iunij Animaduers ibidem the signe of the Crosse carryed before him by Angels whereas neither Scripture at all nor Father before Constantines time did euer so interpret the signe e Mat. 24.30 of the Sonne of Man but onely tooke it by comparing Saint Matthew with the f Mark 13.26 Luke 21.27 other Euangelists for the most conspicuous g Origen tract 30 in Math. Autor oper imperfecti in Mat. hom 49. 4. By setting downe the time of his comming appearing of CHRIST made knowne to the World by many great signes there by our Sauiour himselfe related fourthly that the time of Christs Comming to Iudgement shall be but h Bellar. lib 3. de Pontis ca â—7 Henriq lib. 4. Moral theolog cap. 2◠§. 10. fortie fiue dayes after the death and destruction of Antichrist whereas wee haue sufficiently declared before that no man knoweth that time A Fable then it is which cannot bee grounded vpon Daniels numbers giuen of Antiochus only and no way proper to Antichrist whose Kingdome by i 2. Thes 2.7 Saint Pauls words must last till the very Comming of Christ as before we haue prooued And therefore I cannot but account these Papists no better then the wicked who k Amos 6.4 put off farre from them the euill day which shall yet come sooner then they imagine seeing Antichrist is reuealed and his Kingdome in part by the Word of God diminished yea and all the signes of Christs Comming almost so fully complete as that we haue all of vs more neede to dresse l Math. 25.5 our Lampes against his arriuall then any way imagine with the idle seruant m Math. 24.45 that our Master doth deferre his Comming Let vs haue our hearts prepared by holy liuing and wee shall not feare but loue that Day to come which increaseth paine on Infidels but endeth them vnto faithfull men saith the blessed Saint n August in 37. Psal Conc. 1. Augustine But let vs passe from the second vnto the third person in Trinitie The eight Article resisted of whom the eight Article of our Faith is deliuered I beleeue in the Holy Ghost albeit o Aquin. Opusc contra Error Graecorum cap. 32. Bellar. lib. 2. de Chron. cap. 20.21 c they will hold with vs against the Greekes the proceeding of the Holy Ghost from the Sonne as well as from the Father yet they lewdly resist the Holy Ghost in these two points as first in appropriating p Ruard Tapper tom 2. Or. theolog orat 3. him onely to the See of Rome when the q Iohn 3.8 wind bloweth where it listeth secondly in denying the assurance of the Spirit by r Staplet l. 9. de Iustific c. 1. Bell. l. 3. de Iust c. 4.5 c. Feuard l. 7. theomach Caluinistic c. 19. their doctrine of doubting and vncertainetie of perseuerance when the Witnesse Å¿ 1. Ioh. 5.6 of this Spirit is Truth bearing witnesse t Ro. 8.16.17 vnto our spirits that we are the Sonnes of God and the seale thereof most certaine u Ephes 1.13 vntill the Redemption of the purchased Possession It is a plaine token that they feele no comfort
former acts of Couetousnesse and Coozenage he draweth out in Crueltie against the Saints of God thereby both deuouring and massacring whole Townes as f Fox Martyrâ—log tom 2. pag. 859. August Thuames lib. 52. Cabriers and Merindoll in Piemont many thousands of people in all parts of Europe yea and diuers Christian Princes as g Collyuâ—ts Historie of the Ciuill Warres in France IONE Queene of Nauarre poysoned Henry the Third and Henry the Fourth Kings of France most treacherously murdered and animating vile Traitors vnto wicked designes against the liues and states of good Princes as how many waies hee made against Queene Elizabeth and in them all was wonderously defeated all the world hath beene astonished assenting in heart to those censures which diuers well learned men haue giuen foorth against the Pope for his raging crueltie both in generall of them all and in speciall of some most remarkeable Panthers h Aelian lib. 5. de histor animal cap. 40. drawing vnto them by the sweet smell of their outward faire skinne and shew of fleshly fashions in outward Ceremonies a multitude of silly soules and simple-hearted people whom they without mercy consume and bring to nothing For of the Pope in generall his owne chiefe Secretary i Theodoric à Neim lib. 1. de Schismate apud Gowlart in Catalogo test verit lib. 19. p. 850. Theodoricus a Neime said I truely assent as the Canonists dispute that Popes are neyther gods nor men but Deuils incarnate and of some in particular wee haue these witnesses first Machiauell k Machiauell cap. 18. de Princ. against his Patron Alexander the sixth whom he termeth an Impostor or Deceiuer of all mortall men exercising his mind in nothing but vnto fraud and malice secondly Bellarmine against his Master Sixtus Quintus whom although in flatterie hee l Bellar. Epist praefixa tom 2. Oper. acknowledgeth to bee both a learned a godly and a bountifull Prince yet in priuate hee thus iudged of him after his death if we may beleeue m Watson Quodlib q. 3. art 2. pag. 57. one Locust now stinging another Qui sine poenitentiâ viuit sine poenitentiâ moritur proculdubiò ad infernum discendit and Conceptis verbis quantum capio quantum sapio quantum intelligo discendit ad infernum n Quidam Poeta in Alex. 6. apud Gowlart in Catalog test verit lib. 20. c. 93â— De vitio in vitium de flammâ transit in ignem Roma sub Hispano deperit Imperio Sextus TARQVINIVS Sextus NERO Sextus isle Semper sub Sextis perdita Roma fuit that is From sinne to sinne from flame to fire Rome still fals vnder Spaines Empire Sixt TARQVINE Sixt NERO this Sixt they call For vnder Sixtus rule Rome still doth fall And thus now by comparing the Qualities of Antichrist expressed in Scripture with these lewd tricks of Popes made knowne by time through wofull experience wee see what the Pope is 2. His seate or place of residence euen that Great Antichrist as now his seate or place of Residencie shall euidently demonstrate For it is agreed amongst the best both of o Lod. Viues in lib. 18. August de Ciuitate Dei cap. 22. Rhemenses in 17. Apoc. §. 5. Learned Papists and of Zealous p Iun. Danaeus Whitaker Abbot vbi supra Protestants that the place of Antichrists Kingdome is that Rome where the Pope now sitteth as hee thinketh in Peters Chaire but in truth vpon the stoole of Wickednesse in the middest of Babylon if wee may beleeue Petrarch thus iustly exclayming against the bloudie q Francis Petrarcha Ep. 16. Citie Olim Roma nunc Babylon falsa nequam Once Rome now Babylon false and wicked 3. His time And therefore we may quickly passe from the place to the time concerning which also wee need not adde much to that Of beginning which hath beene spoken before seeing both the beginning and continuance of Antichrist and the Papacie is altogether one For first the Pope began to worke like Antichrist in the Primitiue times by infinite superstitions such as are r Epist Telesphori the forbidding of Meales and Å¿ Ep. 2. Clement Marriages t Ep. 1. Euaristi the exemption of the Clergie u Ep. 3. Anacleti the Supremacie of the Romane Bishop x Ep. 1. Alexan. the necessary vse of holy Bread and holy Water and many such like recorded in those Epistles which they vsually call Decretall and which well may conuince the Popes of Antichristianisme seeing they are allowed by them howsoeuer wee haue iust cause vtterly to reiect them for a Bastard-brood both by their rude stile not any way correspondent y Qibus vixerunt Liuius Tacitus Seneca Lucan Silius Italic Plinij Quintilian Martialis alij classici linguae Latinae autores to those pure times of Latine speech and by the bad matter not any way well agreeable to the proportion of faith albeit z Turrian lib. 1 in Magdeburg Turrian a Baron tem 1. Annal. Bisciola in Epitome Baronius b Binnius tom 1. Conciliorum Binnius and c Genebrard lib. 3. Chronolog others labour neuer so much to proue them Authentike d Sophocl apud Erasm in Chili ad sub titulo Inanis Opera * Labor by Labour bringeth Labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly the Pope was hindred from vsurping this Temporall power by the Emperour for a time as we may see plainly by the Epistles of e Leo Ep. 53. ad Leon. August Leo f Agath act 4. Agatho and g Synodi in superscript Gregor lib 4. Regifiri Ep. 32.33 c. Gregory the Great vnto the Emperours whom according to their due Alleageance they intitled Soueraigne Lords Thirdly then the Pope was manifested to be the Great Antichrist when the Roman Empire fel into ruine and vtter decay first h Naucler generat 11. tom 2. by the fatall translation of the Imperiall Seate from Rome vnto Constantinople secondly by the i Eutrop. Procopius Paulus Diacon c. miserable deuastation of Italie and the Westerne Empire by the Gothes Vandalls Hunnes Longobardes and other like barbarous people issuing out of the North as swelling flouds thirdly by the k Platina in Zachar. 1. Steph. 2. calling of Frankes into Italie to whom craftie Popes adhered for aduantage like the Iuy to the Oke till they had suckt out from them all the sap of their power both Spirituall and Temporall For first they got the Spirituall Iurisdiction partly by that purchase which l Platina in Bonifacio 3. Boniface the Third made with Phocas the Parricide for the title of Vniuersall Bishop then in controuersie betweene the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople about the yeere of our Lord six hundred and sixth and partly by that plot of policie which m Bisciola ad Annum 684. Benedict the First contriued secretly against the
resolution of the two proposed Questions concerning Antichrist What is Antichrist and Who is Antichrist I may boldly frame this most proper Demonstration vnder this plaine and direct forme after this manner Whosoeuer is to be a man by ordinarie substitution succeeding another in a kingdome reared by Satan The Proposition vpon the ruines of the Romane Empire through the liberalitie of Christian Princes and the pleasures of the world in which kingdome he both as an Heretique denying all the articles of the Christian faith and as a most wicked Impe violating all the Commaundements of the Decalogue or Morall law first couetously imprinteth his character both inward of implicit faith and outward of an oath and priestly vnction vpon all men whomsoeuer he can delude then fraudulently endeuoreth to doe many miracles and lastly most cruelly persequuteth the Saints of God sitting in the middest of the Church at Rome mysteriously in the Primitiue times but plainly reuealed about and after the sixe hundreth sixtieth and sixth yeere of our Lord and so to continue for a time in his ruffle vntill he be destroyed by little and little through the Preaching of the Gospell but fully and wholy by the comming of Christ he till then tyrannizing thus for the blinding of the Reprobates and for the triall of Gods children to the glory of God is that Great Antichrist described in Scripture The Assumption But the Pope is a man by ordinarie substitution succeeding another in a kingdome reared by Satan vpon the ruines of the Romane Empire through the liberality of Christian Princes and the pleasures of the world in which kingdome be both as an Heretique denying all the Articles of the Christian faith and as a most wicked Impe violating all the Commaundements of the Decalogue or Morall law first couetously imprinteth his character both inward of implicit faith and outward of an oath and Priestly vnction vpon all men whomsoeuer he can delude then fraudulently endeuoureth to doe many miracles and lastly most cruelly persequuteth the Saints of God sitting in the middest of the Church of God at Rome mysteriously in the Primitiue times but plainely reuealed about and after the sixe hundredth sixtieth and sixth yeere of our Lord and so to continue for a time in his ruffle vntill he be destroyed by little and little through the Preaching of the Word but fully and wholly by the comming of Christ he till then tyrannizing thus for the blinding of the Reprobates and for the tryall of Gods children to the glory of God Therefore the Pope is that Great Antichrist described in Scripture A Demonstration n Aristotel lib. 2 Post cap. 10. Keckerman lib. 3. system Logici cap. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which according to the direct rules of Logicke medium est definitio matoris extremi Minoris proponuntur tùm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tùm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that now if we would know what is that Great Antichrist we may answere It is the Pope and if we inquire further What the Pope should be Wee may affirme plainely that the Pope is that Great Antichrist described so plainely and so fully in the Scriptures For the Maior proposition is taken out of the plaine text of Scripture and the Assumption from the acts and deeds of Popes themselues as they are Popes in cathedra What then I pray you can hinder the Inference of our conclusion Surely in reading our Aduersaries before cited I haue not found any thing as yet vnto which we haue not giuen a direct and iust answere if we now make satisfaction vnto two speciall doubts The former Popish exception against our demonstration § XXV The former of which is o Bellar. lib. 3. de Pontific Romano cap. 4. 5 Bellarmines first and second Demonstration stolne or borrowed out of the fourth fifth of those rabblements which Sanders p Sanders lib. 8 de visibilâ— Monarchâ—â— had raked out of the stinking sinke of hellish inuention vnder this forme of a negatiue sillogisme The Gospell must be preached throughout the world â— Their Proposition in two parts and the Romane Empire must be taken away before Antichrist come But the Gospell is not yet preached throughout the world for as yet there remain many great Countries and Regions in India Easterne and America Westerne 2. Their Assumption correspondent and to adde more to their instance the South continent and Northerne Samoedds with other places about the riuer of Ob and in Tartaria in which the sound thereof was yet neuer heard and the Romane Empire doth flourish yet and stand in the house of Austria Our answere Therefore Antichrist is not yet come But all this is easily taken away if we will weigh the weakenesse of euery Proposition in euery part For first in the Maior there plainely appeareth a double collusion To the Proposition 1. Collusion discouered the former by wresting of our Sauiour his words quite away from their true meaning For our Sauiour doth not say that the Gospel must be preached throughout the world before the comming of Antichrist but that it q Mat. 24.14 must be preached in all the world for a witnesse vnto all nations and then shall the end come the end to wit eyther of the world as r Aquinas in Catena Marlâ—orat in locum most take it or of Hierusalem as Å¿ Chrysost hem 76. in Math. 2. Collusion discouered Chrysostome expoundeth it the later by mis-interpreting the words of the Apostle saying that t 2. Thes 2.7 he who now letteth will let vntill he be taken out of the way For the u Vide in hunc locum Ambros Theophyloct Theodorit Aquinatem Romane Empire or Romane Emperour or the seate of Maiestie in that Empire then in the Apostles time settled at Rome and hindering then the pompous appearance of the great Antichrist was to be taken out of the way not simply and wholly but onely in respect of Italy out of which the seate Imperiall was to be translated into Greece or into Germanie or into any other Countrie else that the Citie of Rome and the Territories thereunto belonging might the more easily be vsurped by Antichrist as it is now possessed onely by the Pope who thrust out the Emperour into some corner of the Romane world as Hadrian the Fourth wrote in an x Apud Auentinum lib. 6. Annal Boiorum pag. 506. edit Basilens Epistle to the Bishops Princes Electors of Germanie Romae nostra sedes est Imperatoris est Aquis in Arduenna quae est silua Galliae Our Seate is at Rome but the Emperours is at Aquae in Arduenna which is a Wood in France And therefore secondly wee make this our answere vnto the Minor first To the Assumption that the Gospell must be preached throughout the World by the Apostles Part. 1 and their Successors taking the y Maldonatus in 24. Math. word world either by
Synechdoche for all the knowne World by its habitation since euen through all the habitable World then knowne to Geographers the sound of the Gospell hath passed by z Rom. 10.18 the Apostles after their dispersion abroad from Hierusalem if we may relye vpon the report of a Euseb lib. 3. Eccles hist cap. 1 Nicephor lib. 2. per totum ancient and b Genebrard lib. 3 Chronolog Bisciola ad Anaâ—â— Christ 44. late Historians or truely and plainely for the whole World indeed which although it now doth not professe the faith of Christ scarce in c M. Edw. Brierwood in his Enquiries touching Languages and Religions cap. 14. the sixth part for it is neere the ending when faith will bee growne very scant vpon the earth yet might haue had and holden this word of faith long before this time d Luke â—8 8 since it is not ouer-clouded in e Hieronym in Math. 24. any part thereof with inuincible ignorance God being so kinde and mercifull to all men as to send them some light of Truth either by the works of Nature ordinary and extraordinary or by the word of grace preached f Vid. Witaker in resp ad 5. demonsh at Sanderi qu. 5. de Pontif. Rom. ca. 2 euen in China and in the Indians by those three who were called Thomas so much praysed and celebrated for their generall preaching of the Word throughout the World by that great learned man Mr. Doctor Stapleton in his Booke De tribus THOMAS Secondly Part. 2 wee answere vnto their latter part of the Minor that the name of the Romane Empire is yet remayning but the Kingdome is abolished and quite defaced since first there is not scarce one Acre of ground which properly and absolutely belongeth to the Emperour as hee is called Emperour of the Romanes because what he now hath in possession in Hungarie Bohemia Carinthia Silesia c. g Vid. Sleidan lib. 5. 6. Commentar is by right of inheritance from his most illustrious Progenitors of Austria and Hungaria yee and the free Cities in Germanie are not subiect to the Emperours absolutely but according to certaine conditions and couenants expressed and contayned in their seuerall Charters h Vid. Onuphr lib. 3. Rom. Antiquitat qui est de Jmper Romano most of them being situated without the Ancient Pale of the Romane Empire vnder which they continued but a small time being the last conquered and the first recouered Secondly there is not now a Romane Emperour by our Aduersaries owne report for till the Pope i Aurea bulla Caroli Quarti cap. 2. crowne him who is by the seuen Princes Electors chosen and called King of the Romanes they might more truely say of the Germanes they k Clementin li. 2. tit 9. de Iuram lib. 1. Câ—rem Rom. Eccles §. 5. cap. 1. â—ellar lib. 3. de translat Iâ—â—erâ— ca. â— 3 c. account him no Emperour Now since CHARLES the Fifth the Pope hath not set the Crowne Imperiall vpon any mans head neither is it likely that either hee will or shall since there is a barre betweene Germanie and Rome which is not passable by the Emperours Forces euen the power of the Venetians and the King of Spayne in Italie who with the great Duke of Tuscia and other petty Potentates haue vsurped vpon the Rights of the Empire so long a time that they l Iuxta leges Imperiales ss de diuers tâ—mâ—or possess l. 3. longae Cod. lib. 7. tit 31. l. 1. may now prescribe against the right owner Wherefore the wise Bononians m Apud Cornel. Agripp in historâ—aÌ„ de duptici Caesaris Coronat cap. 5. might very well ominate by the breach of that Bridge vpon which Charles the Fifth entred into the great Church there vnto his coronation that not any man euer after should be crowned for Emperour yea and Lypsius n J. Lipsius in praefat lib. de magnitudine Rom. Imperij might very truely hold that all what remaines of the Romane Empire standeth onely vnder the Pope whose Imperiall both Seate and Senate is at Rome So that their former doubt opposed against our Demonstration is so throughly cleered that we may notwithstanding their wrangling allegations of the Gospell not published throughout the World and the present state of the Germane Empire well conclude the Pope to bee that great Antichrist § XXVI The latter exception against our demonstration But now the later scruple is of greater difficultie and indeede very much preiudiciall to our assertion since it is as some thinke contrarie to the iudgement of some of our best and deepest Protestant Diuines such as o Zanchius lib. 2. Miscellan Zanchius and others who deny the Pope to bee that great Antichrist described in Scripture Our answere yet I must needs say againe that since these great and good men be worthy of all true and most reuerent respect for their profound learning and sincere life they are not to be brought forth as opposites to that truth which p Luther lâ—b de Captiuit Babylon Caluin lib 4. Iustit cap. 7.15 Hâ—shâ—sius lib. de sâ—xcentis Papistorum error ca. 23 others of as great learning and sound iudgement haue deliuered out of the most sacred Scriptures especially for that they deliuer nothing against vs demonstratiuely but vpon meere probabilities as q Zanch. vbi supra in Confessione themselues confesse while they professe plainely that this is their opinion concerning Antichrist to wit 1. That the Pope is Antichrist and his Kingdome Antichristian 2. That this hindreth not but that there may come in the end of the world some one notorious Antichrist who may doe Miracles and other such great things as are probably collected from the Scriptures and firmely asserted by the ancient Fathers A graue and good sentence agreeable to the Truth if we respect the matter howsoeuer in the manner of the reuealing of this Antichrist they seeme to runne into Popish Tents onely vpon a peaceable minde and zealous affection towards some of the Ancient Fathers especially for the Greekes r Damascen li. 4. Orthodox sid cap. 27. DAMASCENE and for the Latines Å¿ August lib. 20 de Ciuitate Dei per totum AVGVSTINE who liuing before the sixe hundredth yeere after Christ defined this matter onely vpon coniectures according to that tradition which is recorded in t Hyppolyt Orat de consummat saec Antichristo tom 2. Biblioth sanct Patrum Hyppolitus his Oration concerning Antichrist an Author most iustly u Sixtus Senens lib. 4. Bibli suspected to be counterfeited and yet if hee were true he is no sound warrant for vs to build our faith vpon concerning Antichrist For although the authoritie of ancient Fathers bee of great force in the litterall exposition of the Scriptures out of which wee haue most fully declared the former question What is that great Antichrist yet haue
they no place at all in determining of the second point Who is this great Antichrist because they liued before the time wherein that great Antichrist who lurked in those Fathers dayes vnder a mysterie was to be detected disclosed and found to sit at Rome and by his deeds to fulfill all those Prophecies which the holy Ghost had deliuered concerning him in the Scriptures So that our holy Brethren who yet expect a more full expressement of Antichrist in some one particular vile Monster that should if it were possible surpasse the Pope in villany are not so much against vs as they seeme to bee in show seeing it is not any good liking they haue of the Pope whom they confesse to be Antichrist but onely the iust detestation of so wicked a Monster as is Antichrist that draweth them to imagine the further deferring of his most dangerous and accursed approach They are in hope Wee are in faith and both in loue They expect a farre off Wee behold euen at hand the end of all these miseries by the fore-past reuealing the present rage and raigning the future happy ruine of Antichrist and his Kingdome now settled in Rome Wee agree both in the maine not much differing in the Bye As wee yeeld to them in the iust execration of the odious nature of this abominable Antichrist so farre as they prooue what they speake from the Scriptures euen so in like manner are they bee they neuer so learned and wise with patience and loue to heare and to iudge vs their deare Brethren speaking with some knowledge in true zeale concerning the maner of the reuealing of Antichrist which they hold yet to be in futuro We finde to be fully finished in praeterito in praesenti both in times before and now If any x 1. Cor. 14.30 31. thing bee reuealed to another that sitteth by let the first hold his peace For yee may all prophesie one by one that all may learne and all may be comforted y Homer 2. Odyss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 weake men combined may worke much good since z Ouid. quae non prosunt singula multa iuuant what one cannot many may Proofes of our Assertion from the ancient Fathers § XXVII And yet I speake not this in diffidence of our cause For wee want not the authoritie of ancient Fathers either prophesying beforehand or zealously publishing vpon his appearance that the Great Antichrist is alreadie come and the Pope of Rome is hee I will produce no Babes but onely such as without exception are either produced by a Canis Catechis cap. de nouiss quaest 3. Canisius and b Coccius tom 2. Catholicism lib. 10. art 30. 1. Prophesying before Coccius as if they were on their side or else registred for eye-witnesses by good Historians For those who beforehand prophesied of Antichrist and of his seat or kingdome agree vpon these two points The first that Antichrist shall sit at Article 1 Rome rearing vp his Kingdome vpon the ruines of the Romane Empire For to this Article speaketh First Tertullian when c Tertullian in Apâ—loget cap. 32. hee saith that Christians pray for the safetie of the Romane Empire because by the course thereof the great Persecutions which must come by Antichrist are put off and hindred Secondly Cyrill of Hierusalem when d Cyrill Hierosolymitan Catechesi 15. hee saith that Antichrist shall violently take vnto himselfe the power of the Romane Empire Thirdly Ambrose when e Ambros in 2. Thes 2. hee saith that Christ shall not come till the Romane Empire faile and Antichrist appeare who must kill the Saints giuing libertie to the Romanes yet vnder his owne name Fourthly f Chrysost hom 4. in 2 Thes 2. Chrysostome followed by g Theophylact. in 2. Thes 2. Theophylact h Oecumenius in 2. Thes 2. Oecumenius and i Radulphus Fluuiac lib. 18. in Leuit cap. 1. Rudolphus Fluuiacensis when both he and they after him ioyntly affirme that Antichrist by trecherie must destroy the Romane Empire The second that Rome is Babylon the proper seate of Antichrist which shall be destroyed before the end of the World For to this Article Article 2 speaketh First Tertullian who in full assurance of what he speaketh oftentimes k Tertullian lib. in Iudaeos cap. 9. lib. 3. in Marcion cap. 13. vseth these words Babylon in our Apostle Saint IOHN beareth the figure of the Citie of Rome therefore great and proud by her Kingdome and a destroyer of the Saints Secondly Hierome who liuing at that time when Rome was wholly Christian vnder Constantius Iulian and Valentinianus the First yet in foresight of future Apostasie therein there beginning vnder a Mysterie but afterward openly to be complemented very l Hierony tom 1. Ep. 17. ad Marcellum Ep. 151. ad Algosiam qu. 11. in Praefat. ad translat Dydimi de spirit Sanct. Omnia secund Editionem Parisiens 1609. often termeth that Citie Babylon and the purple Whoore spoken of in the Reuelation wherein sometimes hee was an inhabitant Now this cannot bee spoken of Babylon in Mesopotamia which then was desolate and where Hierome neuer liued Thirdly Lactantius who m Lactant. li. 7. Instit cap. 25. alluding to the Sybilline Oracle saith that when that head of the World shall fall and beginne to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is but a street or Impetus for it is deriued either of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sluo or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 traho who can doubt but that an end is at hand vpon all humane affaires and vpon all the World The words of the Sybill to which he alludeth are these as learned n Xistus Betuleius in Annot. in Lactantium Betuleius doth cite them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Rome shall bee a street and Delus vnknowne c. But let vs leaue these Prophesies and come to performances For Antichrist did no sooner appeare in his likenesse but God in his mercie to wards his Elect sent forth his faithfull Witnesses of euery sort Publishing his present approach by open Verdit to publish abroad vnto the World that the Mystery was reuealed and Antichrist was then come and seated in Rome It is odious to say it and idle if wee prooue it not Therefore that Papists especially in England may at length see and marke how their Pope was reputed off in former times euen before Iohn Wickliffe spake against him in Oxford the Pope shall haue faire play his Cause shall bee tryed by a Grand Inquest of twelue good men and true according to the o Sir Thom. Smith de rep Anglor l. 2. c. 18. onely most laudable custome of the Common-wealth of England whereof foure shall be Kings and Princes foure shall be Arch-bishops A Iurie Impanneled and Bishops and foure shall bee Abbots or Monkes Behold now the Prisoner standing at the Barre who because hee is become a Peere in the World shall
haue an open Verdict seuerally deliuered by euery Iuror where according to our p Idem ibidem cap. 28. custome also we will demand sentence first of those who are of least account with the Pope beginning first with Princes then proceeding to the Bishops but lastly striking all downe flat with the Monkes of the Westerne Orders who q Reuel 9.11 are the Popes owne creatures and greatest Dearelings being sworne Slaues to their King The first Man the Angell of the bottomlesse pit And now to the businesse The first Man of the Princes is Fredericke the Second Emperour of Rome who in iust execration of Popish Tyrannie plainely auouched that r In Epist ad Ordin Germaniae apud Auentin lib. 7. Annal. Boâ—or pag. 542. edit Basil there were many Antichrists amongst those Romane Bishops neither were there any other hurt to Christian Religion but onely they as their Workes doe shew For saith he Å¿ In Epist ad Wenceslaum Regem Bohemiae apud Auen ibid. The second man in another place they who sit ouer the Temple of God at Babylon that is at Rome affectate Diuinitie The second is Otto at that time Duke of Bauaria who confesseth t In Orat. ad Episâ— Germaniae apud Auentinâ— pag. 550. The third man his assent vnto the Bishops who affirmed that the Pope was Antichrist and ratifieth his settled iudgement by his iust reproofe of their inconstancie The third is Menardus that thrice Noble Earle of Tyrolis who in his u Apud Auentinum ibid. p 577 Apologie against the vniust dealing of Pope NICHOLAS the Fourth saith plainely that the Popes are nothing else but Antichrist The fourth man The fourth and the last Prince is Lodouicus Quartus Bauarus Emperour of the Romanes who in the Decree x Apud Auentinum pag. 616. made and divulged by a Councell gathered of all the States in the Empire at Rome plainely auoweth of the Pope then being Iohn the two and twentieth that as hee was a counterfeite Shepheard so he was the Mysticall Antichrist So haue the Princes giuen their Verdict Now call in the Bishops The fifth man and the first that speaketh here is a certaine Arch-Bishop of Florence who vsed y Platina in Pasâ—hali 2. to affirme in his Sermons and other his speeches that Antichrist was borne I need not for I cannot tell his name Pope Paschal the Second proceeded against him by vniust prosecution euen vnto Deposall The sixth man The second Bishop dealeth more plainely and boldly being President of a Synode called by the King of France then Hugo Capet and holden at Rhemes by all the Bishops of that Kingdome in the yeere of our Lord nine hundred ninetie and second howsoeuer Baronius z Baron tom 10 Annal. ad annuÌ„ 992. Bisciola ibâ—d and a Binnius tom 3. part 2. sub Ioh. 15. Binnius would haue the truth thereof suppressed by a short relation of partiall Eginaldus against the true report and large narration of all things there passing made by b Magdiburgensis Centur. 10 cap 9. Gowlart tom 2. Catalog â—est veritat lib. 15. cap. de Synodiâ— Gerbertus after that called Pope Syluester the Second c Platina in Syluestro 2. thought to bee a Magician but defended by d Onuphrius in Annâ—tat in Platinam vbi supra Onuphrius for an honest man and this Bishops name is Arnulphus of Orleance who thus speaketh of the Pope then Iohn the Fifteenth e Jn oratione apud praedict D. Mornaeum in Mysterio Iniquit ad ann 992. The seuenth Man O Reuerend Fathers what thinke yee him to bee who sitteth in the high Seate shining in a Purple and Golden Garment Surely because hee is void of Charitie and puffed vp and extolled onely by knowledge hee is Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God and shewing himselfe as if he were God c. The third of the Bishops is Eberardus Bishop of Salzburge who in f Apud Auentinum l. 7. AnnaliuÌ„ Boior pag. 547. an Oration deliuered to the Bishops of Germanie then assembled in a Councell at Ratissone mightily inueigheth against the Pope applying vnto him all the foresaid Prophecies of Daniel Saint Paul and Saint Iohn in the Reuelation plainly auouching that Hildebrand first layd the foundation of Antichrist his Kingdome vnder a colour of Religion and that the Pope is vsually called Antichrist of whom the SYBILS olde HYDASPES and others did prophecie The eight man The fourth and the last Bishop but not of the least learning is Robert Grosthead the good Bishop of Lincolne who a little before his death in the yeere of our LORD one thousand two hundred and fiftieth euen when this Realme of England was most of all oppressed with Popish Tyrannie did demonstrate g Apud Math. Parificusem in Henrico 3. pag. 847.848 the Pope to be the Great Antichrist by that heauie destruction which the Pope brought vpon many Christian soules concluding all with these words against that Monster Eius auaritiae totus non sufficit orbis Eius luxuriae Meretrix non sufficit omnis that is Not all the World can well suffice His greedy hearts desire Nor all the Worlds Harlots quench His lustfull burning fire Well the Bishops haue dealt plainely and truely to the discharge of a good Conscience Let the Monkes be produced The first is Ioachim Abbas The ninth man that most famous Clerke who h Roger. Houeden in Richardo primo in conference with Richard the First then King of England going in his iournie towards Hierusalem said plainely that Antichrist was then borne in the Citie of Rome and should bee set vp in the Apostolike See The second is Nodbertus The tenth man or Norebertus the i Hospinian lib. 6. de Orig. Monach cap. 11. superstitious Founder of the Praemonstratenses who about the yeere of our Lord one thousand one hundreth and nineteenth affirmed euen to * Trithem in Chron. Hirsaâ—giensi anno 1125. the face of Pope Honorius the Second and vnto k Bernardus Epi. 56. ad Gaufridum Carnotentem The eleuenth man Saint Bernard that Antichrist was neere and in that very Generation to be reuealed and that he should liue to see the generall persecution of the Church which indeed he being aduanced to the Dignitie of the Arch-Bishopricke of Magdeburge afterward saw inflicted by the Pope vpon the good Waldenses and Albigenses The third is one Hay-abalus a Monke who taught l Henricus de Erphordia ad annum 1345. Gowlart in Catalog test Verit. lib. 18. publikely at Auimon that he was bound to preach this Doctrine to the World that Rome was Babylon and the Pope with his Cardinals were the Great Antichrist for which his Doctrine howsoeuer most true he was put into Prison by the commandement of Pope Clement the Sixth and there most cruelly murdered The twelfth man The fourth and the last and yet of greatest authoritie and renowne amongst all Popelings
seuenth with such trouble to all Christendome that euen at that time q Apud Auentinum lib. 5. pag 470. The second all honest and good men for the most part said that HILDEBRAND was Antichrist and that the kingdome of Antichrist did then begin The second specialtie is their schismes which as they were many for r Onuphrius in Chronologiâ Pontificum ad Platinam Onuphrius in his Chronologie of Popes reckoneth thirtie so were they pursued by Antipopes with such hatred that good men euen thereupon adiudged the Pope to be the Antichrist as Å¿ Apud Auentinum lib. 6. pag. 508. Gerochus Bishop of Richemberge thought of those two firebrands of hell Octauianus called Victor and his potent competitor Alexander the third The third and last specialtie is their most vile filthie The third and abominable liues abounding in all Pride Couetousnesse Sacriledge Symonie Lecherie Trecherie and all manner of Blasphemie so odious in the open sight of all the world that their owne dearest Dearling and most faithfull Friends and Seruants could not but inueigh against Rome which they name Babylon and the Pope whom they call Antichrist as it is plainely to be seene in the t Apud Catalog test verit lib. 4. Satyres of Bernardus Cluniacensis u Dante 's pa. 9. 31. Dante 's his Sonnets Petrarches x Petrarch Epistolis 9.12.13 c. Epistles and in the learned Works y Sarisburiâ—nâ— 6. Polycratici cap. 22. of Ioannes Sarisburiensis to whom as to his very great Familiar Pope ADRIAN the Fourth z In Catalog test verit lib. 14. vsed often to say that many of the Romane Bishops did rather succeede ROMVLVS in killing then PETER in feeding For indeede wee need no further euidence for this point then the words of Bellarmine and Baronius themselues he a Bell. in Chronolo ad an 1026 confessing that about the yeere of Christ one thousand sixe and twentie the Popes did degenerate from the pietie of their Predecessors this exclaiming b Baronius Annal tom 10. ad an 912. artic 3. against the See of Rome possessed by Landus Iohn the Tenth and such others Quae tum facies Ecclesiae Romanae c. What was then the face of the Church of Rome how filthy when most potent and most filthy Whores ruled all in Rome At whose appointment Sees were changed Bishops translated and that which is horrible and not to be spoken yet lo he will borrow a point in Law to speake it their Louers false Popes were thrust vp into PETERS Chayre who were not to be written in the Catalogue of the Romane Bishops but onely for signing out of times Well It is a bad Bird that defileth his owne nest but in truth they could neyther hold it in any longer nor carry it out any further The conclusion of the generall Doctrine their consciences constrayning them against their wills to tell the truth So that now I hope all doubts being cleered which any way were made against our Demonstration wee may conclude fully that the Pope of Rome is that great Antichrist whose Kingdome is by little and little to be diminished by the preaching of Gods Word and at length to be wholly and fully demolished by the comming of Christ § XXVIII The vse of the Doctrine vnto our selues Whereupon now for vse of all before deliuered concerning the great Antichrist we my deare Brethren may iustly take vp both lamentation and exultation weeping and reioycing A sorrow for our Brethren in the flesh who are Papists in profession weeping for many of our deare Brethren according to the flesh but reioycing for our owne selues For concerning many Brethren now liuing in England we may with S. Paul c Rom. 9.2 conceiue great heauinesse and continuall sorrow in our hearts because that they see not in what a great captiuitie vnder this great Antichrist they poore soules lye enthralled For as the d Plutarch in Cryllo foolish companions of Vlysses besotted with the inchanted and poysonous cups of the lewd Haâ—lot Circe thought themselues to bee the best men when they were worse then beasts as Eurylochus in the e Hom. Odyss lib. 10. Poet foretold them plainely that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shee would make them all eyther Swine or Wolues or Lions euen so many silly foules like blinde Moles or Dormise lurking in the by-waies and secret corners of Cities and Countrey throughout almost all the Counties of England being made fully drunken with the Deuillish potions of the whorish Babylon thinke themselues onely to bee the best Catholikes and Orthodox Christians when God knoweth they are wholly become through their full draught of the inuenomed Challice worse then Dogs or Swine in prophane filthinesse worse then Woules or Lions in rauenous deuouring And this great conceit of themselues is fully settled in their darkned thoughts and their hardned hearts onely because they hold of the Pope the damned Author of this their bondage being in truth at this time as farre blinded touching Antichrist as the Iewes were in the time of Christ concerning the Messiah whom they then daily looked for as appeareth by their f Vid. Ioseph li. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 11. lib. 18 c. 10. Rabbinos in sine Seder Olam apud Genebrardum manyfold repinings and rebellions against their present gouernment then vnder Herod and the Romanes although when Christ came into the world at g Gal. 4.4 the fulnesse of time they neither h Iohn 1.9 would know him nor yet acknowledge him onely because hee came in a manner cleane contrary to their carnall and worldly expectations as i Esay 53.2 the Prophet fore-told that he should grow vp before him as a tender Plant and as a roote out of a dry ground who should haue no forme nor comelinesse and when they should see him there should be no beautie that they should desire him For so it is with these doting Pontificians that although they k Viguerius Instit cap. 21. §. 3. Viegas in 13. Apocalyps Perer. in Dan. 11. alij fere omnes daily make speech of Antichrist with much detestation of his mostlewd abominable waies albeit that l Henriquez lib. 14. ca. 23. §. 3 they giue out that his time is at hand when hee must peruert all holy worship yet doe they not see him now domineering ouer them neither yet will beleeue that this Pope of Rome either is he or may be him onely because he now manifesteth himselfe in a contrary forme to their conceit of Antichrist howbeit if they would with a single and an vnpartiall eye behold and compare the daily designes and accustomarie actions of the Romane Papacie with the fore-told villanies of the great Antichrist I am perswaded they could not but acknowledge how farre they haue beene deceiued before and how they are now silly soules all deluded with the sheepes m Mat. 7.16
the deuill dispossessed and cast out of their Penitents leaueth alwayes behinde him a filthy stinke to annoy the beholders of so worthy a worke then knowne to be finished by that sweete signe euen so this Great Antichrist disturbed out of a Christian Kingdome by the preaching of the Gospell an act k Heb. 4.12 1. Iohn 3.8 Act. 19.15 more powerfull for destroying the workes of the deuill then all Popish exorcismes leaueth alwayes behinde him some rotten smell of some filthy abomination which either openly is published by his sworne slaues and seruants or secretly preserued by some of his Opposites onely in appearance being indeede his speciall fauourites as the l Autor Oper. imperfect in Mathaeum homil 49. Author of the imperfect worke vpon Matthew inserted into Chrysostome mystically interpreteth The abomination of desolation standing in the Holy place to be all such wicked heresies as preuaile in the Church and stand vp in the Holy place as if it were the Word of truth when yet it is not the Word of truth but the abomination of desolation that is the armie of Antichrist which hath made the Soules of many men desolate from God part of which Armie furiously marcheth like Iehu m 2. Reg. 9.20 the sonne of Nimshi before in the Vaunt-gard part of it slowly following like the gathering n Numb 2.31 hoste of the Tribe of Dan behinde in the Rereward For since heresie to a Christian is as the o Iosh 23.13 Canaanites were to Israel Scourges to their sides and Thornes to their eyes Thornes in wounding the eye of their vnderstanding by p 2. Thes 2.11 beleeuing lies through strong delusion and Scourges in piercing their sides that is their wils and affections by their peruerse choyce and stiffe defence of false opinions according as the q Aretius prob loco 46 Zegedin tab 1. de haeres Tolet. lib. 4. Instit cap. 3. Azorius tom 1. Instit lib. 8. cap. 9 learned define of heresie out of Saint r August lib. contra Manich. vt apud Grat. cau 26. q. 3. can 31. Augustine that it is a voluntarie error of the vnderstanding whereby as the wicked frowardly chuse so they stiffely maintaine an opinion which is contrarie to some substantiall point or doctrine of the Christian faith Wee cannot but include all heretikes whatsoeuer within the Sphere of Antichrist yea euen holding their onely proper motion vnder his truely Ecclipticke line at all his great points of Distinction in motion as first of his Rising secondly of his Height thirdly of his Setting or Fall from our Hemisphere His Rising was within the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christ in which time there did fore-run him as harbingers most necessary to prepare him a way in the world Heresies of sundry sorts to the number of an hundred eight and twentie by the strict account which ſ Philastr de haer Philastrius made of them which seuerally t Zegedin Danaeus vbi supra infused some poysonous point or other to patch vp the monstrous bulke of great Antichrist as some haue taught him to tye the true Church of Christ to one place onely as the u August Ep. 50 Donatists some to buy the places of honour and charge in the Church with money and to pester it with Traditions as that x Tertullian ca. 46. de praescript aduers haeres Epiphan haer 21. wicked Simon Magus and his associates some to let it out to hire vnto single men onely were they neuer so sensuall as y Epiph. haer 42 Marcionites z Jdem haer 47 Encratites a Jdem haer 66 Manichees and b August cap. 87. de haeres Abelonians some to ouer-burden the zealous followers of the true Church discipline with many Heathenish Iewish and most vnprofitable and idle Ceremonies as first of Vnction the c Irenaeus lib. 1. aduers haer c. 18. Valentinians secondly of Images the d idem ibid. cap. 24. Carpocratians thirdly of Reliques the superstitious e Epiph. haer 53 Sampsaei fourthly of Crosses washings yelping in singing Anticke gestures in ministring vsing diuers Garments from other men and hypocritically walking bare-foote the f Iren. vbi supr Valentinians g Epiph. haer 17 Haemerobaptists h Eusebius lib. 7. histor c. 24. Samosatenus i Theodorit lib. 4. haeretic sabul Meletians k August lib. de haer cap. 68. Nudipedales others who seeme more reasonable although they were onely naturall men taught him a Doctrine of magnifying mans free-will onely to puffe vp his fellowes with a vaine conceit of their proper worth as the l August de haeres cap. 88. Pelagians yea some came so neere him as they instructed him to open his mouth in blasphemie against Christ either by a plaine deniall of Christs Person as he is God for m Vid supra §. 12. c. so the Arrians taught Liberius and Foelix and as he is Man for so the Monothelites suggested to Honorius or by a secret supplantation of him out of his Office first as hee is a Prophet by the new Gospell which the n Epiphan haer 26. Gnosticks first inuented and o Balaeus Centur 4. cap. 21. appendic 2. the Minorites afterward thought to haue brought in if the Vniuersitie of Paris had not stood in the gap secondly as hee is a Priest by the inuocation of Saints and the Deifying of the Virgin Mary brought into the Church by p Nicephor lib. 15. cap. 28. Petrus Gnaphaeus and the idle q Epiph. nar 79 Collyridians thirdly he is a King ruling his Church with his Spirit and his Word against which the r Epiphan haer 48. Pappus in Epitome de haeres saec 2. Montanists pretended a spirit of comfort that proued to be but a collusion raised vp by the Deuill for the after-inspiring of this Antichrist now conceited of himselfe that ſ Bellar. lib. 4. de Pontif. Rom. cap. 3. he cannot erre especially in cathedrâ if he sit in his Chaire like the t Diodor. lib. 16 Bibliothec. old Witch at Delphos on her three-footed Stoole To conclude this point of his first rising as it was u Ambros Epi. 31. Prudent lib. 2. contra Symmachum obserued of the ancient Rome that when after their Victories they settled the Prouinces their course was to make this exchange that the conquered should admit of the Romane Lawes and the Romanes embraced the Religion of the conquered by which meanes Rome became the very Epitome or abridgment of all abomination that raigned in the World euen so wee may well finde in reading the Histories of the Church that the suppressing of the former Heretikes by the authoritie and learning especially of the Primitiue Bishops of Rome most of them till Gregorie for the space of sixe hundred yeeres after Christ being Orthodoxe Fathers in regard of faith howsoeuer too too ambitious in
Christ Iesus So that such Heresies Schismes as arise in our Churches like a Math. 13.32 Tares in the field are defended by none but by such as b 2. Tim. 3.13 waxe worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued as appeareth either by their secret colluding vnder colourable tearmes of a true meaning craftily deuised for escaping of due punishment so was it with c Arminius in declarat sententiae Apologia Arminius d Vorstius in Oratione Responsione ad articulos Angliae Vorstius and others or by their open and shamelesse reuolting to Papists as Schioppius Iustus Caluinus Walsingham and others or to Anabaptists as Smith or to Brownists as Iohnson or to the Anti-Trinitarians as Laelius Socinus or to the most abominable Sect of Familists as Dauid George Henry Nichols and some such Phantastikes in England and the Low Countries against all which Viperous Generation and Deuillish Brood of Hellish Heretikes Our Churches pronounce f 1. Cor. 16.20 a Maran-atha and our Soueraigne Princes according to their seuerall Estates of Gouernment vnder God in Christ Iesus are carefull to execute the sentence of death thereby g Deut. 13.5 to purge out all euill from Israel and to root out the Relikes of the Great Antichrist out of their Kingdomes For what should be done else to meete with these mischiefes § XXXIII Surely The vse of the latter doctrine what meanes God Himselfe vsed against the Head the same must bee taken in hand by good Men of God to cut off the Taile I meane that against such Heretikes and Schismatikes they must put in vse the double Sword Spirituall and Temporall that for the Ministerie this for the Magistracie To Ministers For that Ministers must fight with the Sword of the Spirit h Ephes 6.16 which is the Word of God against these enemies the Apostle doth warrantize by this his prescription directed to Titus who i Tit. 1.6.9 must ordaine in euery Citie of Creete where he left him such Elders or Bishops as hold fast the faithfull Word as they haue beene taught that they may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to conuince the Gayne-sayers For as when k Math. 2.14 Christ with Ioseph and Marie flying from HEROD went downe into Aegypt l Euseb lib. 6. de Demonstr Euangelicâ ca. 20. the Images there trembled and when the Gospell began to bee preached by the Apostles the Oracles there m Vid. Zâ—huerum Adag sacr Centur. 5. Adag 63. ceased according to that Prophecie of the burden of Aegypt n Esay 19.1 Behold the Lord rideth vpon a swist cloud and shall come into Aegypt and the Idols of Aegypt shall be moued at his presence and the heart of Aegypt shall melt in the middest of it c. So when Christ shall speake by the preaching of the Gospell for reformation of Religion then Antichrist shall feare and Heresies will flye away as o Iohn 3.23 they who doe euill hate the light to the great encouragement of all Gods seruants who because the Euangelicall and Apostolike faith ouerthroweth all Heresies therefore are alwayes to be most mindfull to keepe that rule saith p Leo primus Epist â—6 cap. 1. Leo to Anatolius For to the q Esay 8.20 Law and to the Testimonie if they speake not according vnto this word it is because there is no light in them since this Word is a r 2. Pet. 1.18 light that shineth in a darke place vntill the day dawne and the Day-starre arise in our hearts But it may be this Word howsoeuer it be Å¿ Rom. 1.16 the power of God vnto saluation in them that beleeue yet cannot through the iudgement of hardening winne the Heretike although it most euidently conuinceth the Heresie and therefore the Temporall Sword must bee drawne out by the Magistrate onely t Rom. 13.4 who beareth not the Sword for nought To the Magistrate For u Prou. 20.26 a wise King scattereth the wicked and bringeth the wheele ouer them because it is a Law that x Deut. 17.12 the man that will doe presumptuously and will not harken vnto the Priest that standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God or vnto the Iudge euen that man shall dye and thou shalt put away the euill from Israel For lo a double rule fit for all Gouernours to obserue for their quietnesse against all such disturbances the former from y Tertullian lib. contra Gnostices cap. 21. TERTVLLIAN Duritia vincenda est non suadenda Stubbornenesse must by force bee ouercome and not be perswaded by any fayre meanes The latter from z Bernard BERNARD Melius est vt pereat vnus quà m vnitas It is better that one perish then that the vnitie should bee dissolued Princes are here to deale as Chyrurgions doe with ripened vlcers launce the sinners to let out sinne if not from the Offendor who it may be is incorrigible yet from the ouer-lookers and standers by who by that meanes may feare as Cyprian a Cyprian Ser. de lapsis said Plectuntur quidam quò caeteri corrigantur Exempla sunt omnium tormenta paucorum that is Some are punished that others may bee restrained for all may take example although some onely smart To the people of God Therefore if Christian Princes by that true Authoritie which they receiue from God shall seuerely punish either pernitious Heretikes or obstinate Schismatikes according to their due deserts either with Death or Exile or Proscription or Imprisonment or depriuation from Benefice or by any other course which by Law is prescribed wee my deare Brethren must not grudge or murmure thereat as the a Numb 16.41 Israelites did vpon the iust destruction of rebellious Corah and his company lest as they were so we may bee plagued with some Iudgement for our rash discontentment which if it proceede of pitty is folly since they pitty not themselues but if from a settled affection of good liking towards those wicked Imps then it is a part-taking which is as obnoxious to punishment as the sinne was of the principall Offendors seeing as the rule of b 3. Henr. 7.10 Law runneth in high Treason such as Heresie is to God-ward there is no Accessorie When c Prou. â—9 16 the wicked are multiplied transgression increaseth but the righteous shall see their fall Surely wee true Subiects vnto His Soueraigne Maiestie within these His seuerall Kingdomes and Dominions Three dueties are most entirely bound and obliged to a threefold dutie First of Gratulation Secondly of Supplication And thirdly of Obedience 1. Of gratulation Of Gratulation or most heartie thanksgiuing vnto our great and best God that hath so thorowly inflamed the good heart of our most Gracious Soueraigne Lord King IAMES with so godly a zeale for the iust defence of the True Ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith that we may as truely report of His most Sacred