was such a word in Saint Paul as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawlesse person which here they ascribe to Pope Paul by their open confession and profession which practise of the Pope and position of The quarrels of Paul 5 with Venice lib. 2. those popish writers was justly censured by Sir Henry Wotton then Embassador for his Majesty at Venice who said for those pretensions of the Pope that hee could not understand this Romane Theologie which is contrarie to all Iustice and honestie Next the Pope proceedeth to his Bishops Suarez Apol. lib. 4. cap. 10. num 6. that they are exempted also Quia Episcopi sunt Patres Principum simpliciter ijs superiores ideo indignū est indecens ut ab ijs judicentur sayth Suarez Bishops saith he are the Fathers of Princes and plainly their superiors therefore it is incongruity and indignity that they should bee judged by them Moreover the popish Priests too must injoy the same Priviledge because Constantine said to such saith Gratian Vos à Grat cap. 12. quaest 1. nemine iudicari potestis Yee may be judged by no man Fourthly their servants si tonsuram deferant si incedant habitu Clerecali si ecclesiae alicui Suarez Apol. lib 4 cap. 28. inserviunt if their Crownes be shaved their apparell of the Cleargy fashion and their service Trent Hist lib. 1. belong to any Church they are exempted from all secular authoritie Nay their Doctors have affirmed that the very Concubines of Priests were of Ecclesiasticall judisdiction All which particular sentences I may summe up in that one saying of Antoninus in his Summes The Antonin Sum. part 3. tit 22. Pope may make new Religions change the ordinances of Councills and dispence with all Lawes a very paraphrase of the word in my text the Pope is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlesse person Observe withall that these Law-transcendēt hyperbolies are not pinned on the Popes sleeves without their owne approbation Platina Leone 3 Here the Popes speake in their owne phrase and in their owne likenesse Pope Leo the third being accused to the Emperor Charles the Great for certaine offences the Emperour intending to examine the matter he received a flat answer Sedem Apostolicā omnium ecclesiarum caput à nemine Laico praesertim iudicari debere that the Apostolike See being the Head of all Churches ought to bee judged of no man of no Lay man especially and about the yeare 1132 Lotharius the Emperor demanded Pless Myster Progres 46. of Innocent the second whether he would observe the Imperiall lawes that Pope returned a round and ready answer Mantum Pontificiale se potius abd caturum pedibus conculcaturum that he would rather resigne his Pontificiall apparell and trample his triple Diadem under his feet So that the Pope and the Imperiall lawes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dagon and the Arke one must down And so it becommeth him who is surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The lawlesse person The effect of which lawlesse usurpation must be to wrong the King and the Lawes and Iustice of the Kingdome The King must suffer in his power and jurisdiction which is much impaired thereby to instance in France In France saith Duarenus Duarenus de Benesicijs Praef. the whole people are divided into three degrees the Clergy Nobility and Commonalty of which the first is the most whereby the King is stripped of one third part of his subjects by this Papall Exemption Next it doth blunt the edge or rather breake the sword of the Law that Exemptiō being a Buckler to al the Clergy what malefactors or how obnoxious soever Whence sprang that proverbe mentioned by Duarenus de Bene. 1. 17. the forementioned author Detonsum caput impunitatis symbolum that is a shaven Crowne is the signe of a person who may not bee punished From whence will issue 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 necessarie consequents 1 that a Priest or Iesuit cannot be a Rebell or a Traitour although he doe the actions of Treason or Rebellion Clerici Rebellio non est crimen laesae majestatis quia non est principi subditus Emanuel Sa. saith Sa that is The rebellion of a Popish Clergy-man is no Treason because he is no subject to that Prince which is confirmed and almost translated by the current of the Controversie-writers in the contentions betwixt Paulus 5 and the State of Venice who all consented The quarrels of Paul 5 with Venice lib. 4. upon this that the Clergy are not subjects to the Prince even in the case of Treason The second paradoxe issuing from the same Fountaine is that it is not lawfull for the Popish Clergie without the Popes leave to pay tribute or give any subsidies to their Princes although they themselves be willing to those payments This Duarenus Duarenus de Benef. 7 8. complaineth to have been the Constitution of Pope Boniface 8. The last lawlesse absurd paradoxe is proposed by way of Quaere They put the question whether an Heathen Prince denying the Exemption of the Clergy may be admitted unto Baptisme sub conditione on this condition that he may not be deprived of that jurisdiction Suarez shapeth an answer sutable to the Suarez Apolog. lib. 4. cap. 11. num 18. Popes lawlesse supremacy that it is so injust a condition ut sub tali pacto neque Baptismus alicui Principi sit concedendus that on these termes a Prince may not be admitted by Baptisme In plaine termes a King and his whole Kingdome must be permitted to bee damned rather than the Popes Praerogative over nationall lawes must be prejudiced Thus the Oecumenicall lawes are broken by the Oecumenicall Bishop And if there bee or ever hath beene such a one as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lawlesse person in the world the Pope is He. For all the lawes in the world cannot consine him The last indeed the least Law is the Law Oeconomicall in private Families which needeth least to be stood upon If the old Babylon caried captive the people of Israel and the Tribe of Iudah thinke wee that the family of David or House of Iechonias could bee freed So since the new Babylon hath inthralled the Prime Law of the Scriptures and the publike law of Nations it were impossible to imagine that the private law of every poore familie and every personall interest should not submit their neckes to his usurping tyranny For Families the great tye therein is twofold either of superiority betwixt children and Parents or of equalitie betwixt husband and wife Now how both of these are torne in peeces by popish intrusion it may bee this point wanteth plaints rather than proofes For children how sonnes are wrought into popish orders without and against their Parents consent and daughters that they are kept in Popish Nunneries against their Parents nay their owne consents I would this were onely suspicious and not notorious Yea the Pope hath haled children to
A PLAINE EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST part of the second Chapter of Saint Paul his second Epistle to the THESSALONIANS Wherein it is plainly proved that The Pope is The Antichrist Being Lectures in Saint Pauls by IOHN SQVIRE Priest and Vicar of Saint LEONARDS Shordich Sometime Fellow of IESVS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE August Epist 89. Hilario Melius exponant ist a meliores Nam ego paratior smu discere quam docere Psalm 115. 10. Attamen ipse credidi propter quod locutus sum LONDON Printed for Philip Waterhouse and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of St. Pauls Head in Canon street neare London Stone 1630. TO THE RIGHT Honourable EDVVARD Viscount CONVVAY Lord President of his Majesties Honorable privie Counsell My most honored Lord. MY LORD THese Lectures I laboured principally to satisfie mine own conscience in this great point But understanding that some conscionable persons have received some small satisfaction by hearing them I print them And presume to present theÌ„ to your Honor to read them or some of them at your Lordships leasure That I may publish to the world how I am assured of your Honors sincere affection to the Church of England as it standeth now in opposition to the Church of Rome VVhich that it may be daily confirmed and increased in your Honour and in the rest of our Honorable English Nobilitie shall be the daily and sincere prayer of Your most unworthy yet most humble Chaplaine IOHN SQVIRE To the READER CHristian Reader Let me commend these briefes to thy Christian Charitie For this Booke If my small judgement and the eyes of many of my judicious friends have not failed me it may have some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some slips no grosse Errours For the Quotations though some may seeme perhaps to have bin alleaged judicio errante yet animo reluctante not one I may misunderstand some but I mis report not one Author by a voluntary falsification For the Author he is a thorough conformable member Minister of the Church of England And for the Scope it is for the information and salvation of thy soule and his owne soule Take the Treatise and give prayers for Thy fellow-member in Christ Iesus IOHN SQVIRE To the Papists or popishly affected I Beseech you by our Christ performe this Christian duty whereto my Practice doth invite you by a Precedent Read my Treatise As I doe and will the learnedst Authors on your side If your impartiall judgement censure it as Erronâ—ous reject it refute it But if my arguments be strong love not the name of the Church more than you doe the Truth of the Church Magna est veritas Christ grant that his Truth may prevaile on either partie Yours in the Truth IOHN SQVIRE The Contents of this Treatise SERMON 1. OBstinacy an error dangerous to salvation 6 Ministers should win their people by lenity 8 Of the Resurrection 10 Blessings bind us to be constant in Religion 14 Of Vnion 7 15 SERMON 2. The comming of Christ may not be defined 18 The authoritie of the Fathers 21 The errours of the understanding terrours to the Conscience 22 Six meanes to avoid errour 26 Three Fountaines of Errour 28 Of Enthysiasme 29 Of the use and abuse of eloquence 31 Of false quotations and corrupting Authors 32 The meanes of seducing to Popery 34 SERMON 3. The point of Antichrist may be handled 38 The name of Antichrist 43 The Fathers not the best Expositers in this point 46 The Apostasie 47 Whether the Church was ever extinguished 55 When was the Apostasie 57 Communion in both kinds 60 The Primacie 60 Image worship 61 Deposing Kings 62 The Pope above a Councill 62 Priests mariage 63 Apostates to Poperie 63 Latine Service 65 SERMON 4. Antichrist not one man 68 The man of Sinne. 76 The Pope the cause of Ignorance 83 The Pope the cause of Whoredome 85 The Pope the cause of Treason 90 The Powder Treason 94 SERMON 5. Antichrist the sonne of Perdition 97 Antichrist and Iudas parallell'd 99 Antichrist Iudas and the Pope parallell'd 101 The Pope may erre 105 Popish Persecutions passe those of the Emperours 106 Of the Inquisition 121 Rome Destroyed 135 Whether all Papists be damned 136 Popish threatnings to draw men to Popery 137 SERMON 6. Antichrist not an open Adversarie 140 The Pope doth oppose Christ 145 Fundamentally 147 Vniversally 149 Six plaine propositions where Christ is plainly opposed by the Pope 153 The Pope the worst Adversary that ever the Church had 154 SERMON 7. 〈◊〉 Temple 159 Antichrists seat 159 Not thâ—â—â—teriall Temple 159 Rome the seat of Antichrist 167 Whether Rome be a true Church 168 A Parallel betwixt Rome and Babylon 185 SERMON 8. Antichrist shall not exalt himselfe above the true God 197 The Pope doth 200 And above all that is worshipped 202 The Popes Ambition 204 The Pope doth exalt himselfe above Kings 207 Above the Emperour 216 Papists are Traitors 226 SERMON 9. Antichrist shall not sit corporally in the Temple 288 The Pope usurpeth the same power with Christ 232 The same titles 233 That he is above Councills 238 That he can make a Creed 240 The Pope is not the head of the Church 234 The King is the Head of the Church of England 235 The Pope countermands all the Commandements 244 SERMON 10. Antichrist shall not call himselfe the true God 257 The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God 259 The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God plainly 268 SERMON 11. What hindred the Revelation of Antichrist 289 The Ro Empire not to be abolished 294 It is removed ibid. Of Travellers and travelling to Rome 301 SERMON 12. The time of the Revelation of Antichrist 305 Where our Church was before Luther 326 Affected ignorance of Antichrist 328 SERMON 13. The Mystery of Iniquitie 335 Popish mysteries to advance the papacie 343 Popish mysteries to advance poperie 360 Baits to catch papâ—sts 369 Hookes to hold papâ—sts 373 SERMON 14. The Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the lawlesse person 381 In regard of Scriptures 391 Of the Creed 395 Of humane Lawes 396 Of Oaths 397 Of nationall Lawes 402 The Exemption of the Clergie 404 Of Childrens obedience 408 Of Mariages 409 Of his owne Constitutions 411 SERMON 15. The destruction of Antichrist 414 The beginning of the Reformation 416 Poperie may returne into England 417 Poperie may not be put downe by force of Armes 418 The finall destruction of the Pope uncertaine 428 Popery shall not be extinguished till the last day 432 The destruction of Rome 434 SERMON 16. Of lying miracles 440 Of Popish miracles 343 The miracle Rev. 13. 13. explained 465 Whether Papists doe any miracles 467 Whether miracles should perswade unto Poperie 470 SERMON 17. Of the Antiquity of the Church of Rome 478 Vniversalitie 478 Vnitie 478 Infallibilitie 478 Of disputations with Papists 487 The care of the Popish Church for Controversie Writers 488 Of Popish perswasions 491 Devotions
with the word of God written in the Scripture so saith Suarez And it is the Catholike conclusion of their Oecumenicall Councell of Trent Concil Trid. sub Paulâ— 3. Sess 4. Traditiones pari pietatis affectu veneramur that they receive the traditions of the Church with equall reverence and religious affection as they doe the Scripture of God Now for a Man to equall his word with Christs word This is no meane opposition to Christ but a maine derogation to his propheticall office The prime excellency whereof consisteth in the incomparable infallibility of his Word or instruction Againe according as he was a Priest Christ did offer himselfe once for all Heb. 7. 27. but the Pope doth oppose this and impose his Masse as a Propitiatory and dayly sacrifice Neither is it a light matter that Christ in all the Scripture is termed onely Pontifex that is the High-Priest But the Pope will bee called summus Pontifex the highest priest as if the Lord of Babylon indeavoured to build up his supremacy like the Tower of Babel unto the very Heavens that there hee might 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oppose even Christ himselfe concerning his Royall Priesthood Next the Regall office of Christ the Pope doth oppose or rather wholly take away He doth make him Regem sine villa a meere titular King over his Church Pope Innocent 3. in his Plâ—ss â—yst Iniq. Progres 50. second sermon on the feast of Saint Peter vouchsafeth to call the Church sponsam suam his spouse And some of our owne Countreymen are not unexpert in translating the popes language Thus writeth George Dowly in his George Dowly catech cap. 3. English Catechisme hereby wee may see how justly wee call the Church our Mother and the Pope our Father The Pope our Father Indeed Cyprian de vnitate Ecclesiae sect 5. I have heard habere non potest Deum patrem qui non habet Ecclesiam matrem the Church our mother and God our Father I easily beleeve it but the Church our mother and the Pope our Father I thinke this will never come Bellarm. de Pon. Rom. lib. 1. cap. 9 10. into my Creed no not though Trens it selfe should injoyne it Moreover nothing is more familiar amongst the Papists than to crack of the Monarchy of the Church But we know that every Monarch aut praeponitur aut opponitur every Monarch is either preposed and set before or opposed set against all other Governors whatsoever So must the Pope be to Christ since he is a Monarch neither can they blaÌ„ch this oppositioÌ„ or Rebellion rather with that threed-bare limitation Quà Vicarius Christi that is the Pope is Monarch of the Church but onely as he is surrogate unto Christ For here is contradictio in adjecto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the termes supplant one another in the same proposition As if we should say such a man is King of Ireland but Quà praefectus onely as he is Lord Deputy for our King Charles Or that such a servant is Master of the family but onely Quà 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hee is steward under his master As these are without sense in policie so that is without reason in piety The Pope doth either oppose himselfe in words or our Saviour in deeds each way he is the opposer To conclude the Popes word is equall to Christs word the Popes title is superior to Christs title and the Popes Government a Monarchy no way inferiour to the Empire of Christ Therfore in regard of his three offices a Prophet Priest and a King the Pope is exactly opposed unto Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is the adversary The mame worke of Christ quà Iesus as he is our Sauiour supplying us with all blessings is that he doth take away our sins Matth. 1. 21. part of which power the Pope and papists doe ascribe unto Saints to the Virgin Mary and to themselves Nay the Pope doth shoulder for that whole power and doth usurpe as much to himselfe as Christ can doe in that kinde Concedons â—â—â—il Pauli 5. 1620. â—largissons trés pleine remission indulgence de tous leur pechez giving them full forgivenesse of all their sinnes This is all Christ can doe yet Pope Paul the fift did say that hee would doe as much Nay the Pope hath done more than ever Christ did Gregory by his prayer Revel Brigittae lib. 4 cap. 13. did recall a soule the Emperour Trajane from Hell Christ never did the like And anno 1592 Pope Clement 8 gave indulgentiam plenariam remissionem omnium peccatorum tam culpae quam paenae A full forgivenesse of All their sinnes both in regard of the guilt and of the punishment thereof The last whereof they deny that Christ hath done in the doctrine of satisfaction Therefore in regard of this principall blessing the forgivenesse of sinnes which we receive from Christ Christ is opposed by the Pope and the Pope is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Adversary Moreover I will avouch this opposition to the meanest capacity in sixe plaine particulars 1. Christ saith Scrutemini Search the Scriptures Iohn 5. 39. The Pope saith Ne scrutmini Search not the Scriptures 2. Christ saith Pray in a tongue you understand 1 Cor. 14. The Pope saith Pray in the Latine tongue 3. Christ saith Pray unto God alone Psalm 50. 15. The Pope saith Saints also must be prayed unto 4. Christ saith Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven image c. Exod. 20. The Pope saith Thou shalt make to thy selfe graven images c. 5. Christ saith Let every soule be subject to the higher power Rom. 13. 1. The Pope saith The Clergy must be exempted and the Subjects may be absolved 6. Christ saith Drinke ye all of this Mat. 26. 27. But the Pope saith Onely the Clergie and that by two Councils of Constance and Trent To take all in one Apophthegme Romano Pontifici tenemur obedire non secus ac Chrâ—sto Bozius de Iure diâ—â—â— saith Bozius we are obliged to obey the Pope even as Christ a pretty superlative comparison Yet is there another sentence one degree beyond this The Pope permitteth one Canon hac Rat. Causa 31. qu. 1. Canon to be in his Decretalls which saith that Saint Paul did speake against all truth and reason Never did never durst any oppose Christ so directly so audaciously I may therefore determine it boldly the Pope is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Adversary But all this is broken against one stone they say the Pope cannot be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the adversarie because hee is not the worst Adversary which ever the Church had I answer The Pope is the worst Adversary and worse than either Arius or the Turke or all the Heathen persecutors Review my last Sermon and I shall not seeme to speake partially To that long discourse I will adde these sixe briefe considerations First take notice of the number of
Sive Suarez Apol. lib. 5. 6. 17. nu 7. vere sive falso sive metaphorice be he a true false or metaphoricall god such as Princes are said to be saith Suarez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omne quod colitur sive superstitiose sive religiose either religiously or superstitiously saith the same Suarez 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbum extollendi Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 17. nu 11 significat excessum arrogantiam usurpationem by exalting is meant an excessive arrogant usurpation over God and all things belonging to God According unto which our English Rhemists seeme to state the question and controversie Rhemists in 2 Thess 2. 4. Sect. 11. betwixt us Who exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped That is Antichrist shall abolish all religion of the Iewes Gentiles and Christians and shall suffer none no not God but himselfe to bee worshipped alone A most grossely absurd exposition as it may be made manifest foure wayes First it contradicteth reason in reason if a seducer should plainly professe and proclaime himselfe to be greater than God would any be so stupide and senselesse to be seduced by him If a mortall wretch should exalt himselfe above the great and true God men would rather deride him for his folly imprison him for his phrensie and stone him for his blasphemy than to follow such a foolish frantick and blasphemous Impostor Secondly it doth contradict his name who is named Antichristus that is The Adversary of Christ and not Antitheus that is the Adversary of God which should be his proper name if directly or expressely to exalt himselfe above the true God were his true propertie Thirdly this is contrary to their owne popish positions Antichrist say the Papists shall be a Iew how then shall he abolish the Iewish religion Againe they affirme that he shall be a Magician and that hee shall worship the Devill Therefore Antichrist shall not exalt himself supra omnem Deum above every God not above the god of this world And finally this interpretation is contrary to this very Text. The superlative of all his excessive properties is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he shall rule as God and shew that he is God this is the height of his audacious incomparable arrogance but that incredible impossible unlimited insolence that a man shall exalt himselfe above God we must leave this as a phrensie and fiction to wave the imputation of other franticke and fabulous paradoxes which they are unwilling to acknowledge much lesse to reclaime Having rejected their exposition we proceed to our owne Above all that is called God in the originall some read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every thing which is called God and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every person which is called God The first reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the errour of the Printer contrary to the most Greeke copies as it is acknowledged by M. Beza himselfe With the warrant Beza in â— Thâ—s 2. 4. therefore of the most copies we follow the latter reading and the interpretation of our late Soveraigne now with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rex Iacobus Praemonit the persons whom the Scriptures doe call Gods are Princes and Magistrates Psal 82. 6. Dixi Dij estis I have called you Gods Which exposition is affirmed by a learned French Bishop Pater omnium Deus dâ—citur est at Irenâ—â—s lib 3. cap. 6. non super hunc extolletur Antichrist us sed super eos qui dicuntur quidem sed non sunt dij The Father of all things saith he is called God and is God but Antichrist shall not exalt himselfe above him but above them who indeed are called gods but are not in deed Which Exposition is also confirmed by as learned an English Bishop Ecqua nervosior consequentia quam ut dicantur Andrewes Apol. cap. 9. Dij ab Apostolo quos Deus ipse dixit dâ—os in Psalmo Can there be a more strong consequence than to collect that those are called Gods by Saint Paul in this Text whom God himselfe doth call gods in the Psalmes And if the Apostle had not alluded unto some whom the Scripture doth call gods hee might with like facility have written that Antichrist should exalt himselfe supra omne quod est vel saltem supra omne quod vel est vel dicitur Deus above all that is or at least above all that either is or that is called God Here then S. Paul saith not that Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above all that is God to wit by nature but above all which is called God to wit in title which is proper unto Kings The meaning of the first member of this distribution is this Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above all that is called God that is above all Kings and Princes The second member is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all that is worshipped which indeed doth signifie quod colitur the object of any kinde of worship or thing worshipped as Altars Idols c. as it is rightly rendred by Bellarmine out of the Acts Bell. de Pont. Rom. 314. 17. 23. and Wisdome 15. 17. This acception of the word though it be true yet it is improper to this place because the letter doth run 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omnem qui dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above every person not above every thing which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore in the text I take to bee a synonima signifying the same thing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 25 of the Acts 21 and 25. where it is expounded Augustus The sense being that Antichrist shall exalt himselfe above the Emperor For he speaketh of such an exaltation whereby Antichrist should be revealed as he was to be hindered for a time by the Romane Emperour The sense of all is this Antichrist exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped that is Antichrist doth exalt himselfe above all Kings and above all Emperours Such an one is the Pope if there ever was is or shall bee such an one under Heaven But in so plaine a cause to deale freely with them This sense I say is true yet their owne interpretation may exactly be fitted to the Pope First take the name of God metaphorically for Bishops and Kings The Pope is avouched by all Papists to be Episcopus Oecumenicus the universall bishop of the World and by some to be solus Episcopus the Onely bishop And Suarez Apolog. li. 5. ca. 17. nu 12 his authority over Kings and Emperours Suarez calleth jus suum his right and proper indowment For false Gods those of the Heathen had power limited the Pope unlimited With them Neptune ruled the Sea Ceres the Earth Iupiter Heaven and Pluto Hell But the Pope hath three Crownes to shew his power in three places in Heaven Earth and Hell And for the
shew reason why he should not be deprived of all her dignities and dominions and the mariage betweene Anthonie of Vandosme and her made void and their issue illegitimate Iohn Tortura Torti pag. 271. King of Navarre was deposed by Iulius 2 Henry 3 King of France was slaine by a Popish Assassinate and Pope Sixtus 5 pronounced a panegyrike in the praise of that bloody Monke who was the murtherer Pope Zachary deposed Childericus commanding Bell. de Pont. Ro. lib. 3. cap. 16. that Pipin should be crowned King of France in his stead Besides these particular precedents of personall Kings in generall for successive Princes The Bishops of Rome have driven out of Rome and Italy three Kings First the Graecian Emperours secondly the French and thirdly the Germanes Not altogether unsutable to that Prophecy of Antichrist either in the Type or in the Antitype Behold before the little horne were three of the former hornes plucked up by the rootes Dan. 7. 8. To finish these precedents with our owne Malmes in Gest Reg. lib. 2. Nation which cannot but touch the heart of every true Englishman 1031 Canutus went to Rome himselfe with an humble supplication to the Pope for some relaxation of the insupportable impositions he had burdned this Realm withall Vnder Henry 1 Anselme Archbishop Matth. Paris Hen. 1. of Canterbury exhibited the like petition to his Holinesse in the behalfe of our oppressed Countrymen Richard 1 was sent of the Popes errand into the holy land and received much reliefe from his Holmesse when he was captivated Tortura Torti pag. 269. returning from that expedition Henry 2 was whâ—pped by the Popes injunction In Antiqu. Brit. pag. 154. the reigne of King Iohn the Monkes at the command of Innocent 3 elected Steven Lanction Archbishop of Canterbury contrarie to their faith and sidelity which they both owed and more had sworne to their Soveraign Vpon some opposition which the King made against this Popish Tyranny the whole realme Matth. Paris pag. 117. was interdicted from the Sacrament In which time the dead were buryed more Canum saith Matthew Paris like dogges in Ditches and Highwayes without any Christian solemnitie So that in conclusion the poore King being over-tired with the over-tyrannising of the Antiquit. Brit. pag 158. proud Pope he was compelled to stoope to the basest submission that ever the Sunne saw in our Hand before or since Hee delivered up his Crowne to Pandulphus the Popes Legate and received it from him againe as a Romish Legacy or largis of liberality Hereupon Matth. Paris pag. 508. Gregory 9. exacted the fift part of the goods of the Cleargy suspended the Bishops till they had collated their best benefices and prime Prebends on Strangers and Boyes Innocentius the 4 commanded the Cleargy to finde for his use five and some fifteene men a peece and if any Clearke did dye Intestate all his goods should fall to the Pope So that the whole Land groaned under the burden of Egyptian bondage saith our Historian and it became a common Matth. Paris pag 358. subscription of all the Nobles in their letters to the Prelates Talt Episcopo tali Capitulo universitas corum qui volunt mori quam à Romanis confundi salutem that is These bee delivered to such a Bishop or to such a Chapter from us who with one consent conclude that wee had better dye than bee ruined by Rome or the Romish Taskemasters On these grounds Antichrist stood on Tiptoe Innocentius Matth. Paris pag. 844. 4 insulting in that insolent phrase over our dejected King Henry the third saying Nonne Rex Angliae noster est vasallus ut plus dicam Manciptum qui eum possum nutu nostro incarcerare ignominiae mancipare Is not quoth he the King of England my Vassall nay more is he not my slave Have not I power with my becke to disgrace him or to imprison him Certainly if our King was a slave to the Pope then was our Kingdome inthralled in an untolerable unutterable popish slavery In the yeare Walsing Rich. 2. pag. 344. Antiqui Brita in 〈…〉 pag 273 p. 278. 1391 Richard 2 was much perplexed that so many Benesiced English were constrained to reside at Rome Anno 1399 the Cleargy petitioned to King Henry 4 to assist them against the Tyrannicall usurpations of the Pope 1419 and 1420 Pope Martine 5 in the time of King Henry 5 in the space of two yeeres usurped and collated Thirteene Bishoprickes within the province of Canterbury alone maugre many the Edicts of the King and Statutes of the Kingdome and frequent threatnings of both Peeres and People against his intrusions About the yeare 1497 Pope Alexander Antiquit. Brit. pag. 300. 6 exacted a contribution from every Curate through England in generall And in particular he put such a project upon Thomas Franc. Hereford de Presul Angl. Merchir as can seldome be paralleld out of any Histories This Pope translated this man being Bishop of Carlile in England unto the Bishoprick of Samoes in Graecia being meerly Titular a trimme tricke to beggar a poore Clearke Yet those things did the Cleargy suffer even in the latter times of Henry the seventh when the Popes pompe was drawing to a periode Paul 3 in the reigne of Henry 8 would Trent Hist lib 3. pag. 275. have given the Kingdome of England unto Charles 5. But that prudent Prince perceived that these were sowre Grapes and therefore he did inhibite his appetite from gaping after them And the same Pope commanded the subjects of the same King to throw him out of his Kingdome by force of armes The purport of which impious Bull ranne in this transcendent Mr. Higgoâ—â— Myst Babylon 1. 97. phrase We being placed in the seat of Iustice according to the prediction of the Prophet Ier. 1. 10. saying Behold I have set thee over Nations and over the Kingdomes to plucke up and root out and to destroy and to throw downe Neither could his owne Proselyte wave his Trent Hist lib. 5. pag. 392. imperious usurpation but Pope Paul 4 inhibited Phillip and Mary from using the Title of Ireland affirming instantly that to give the Name of a King belonged unto him onely But of all the â—ull of Pope Pius the fift doth Cambd. Annal. Anno 1570. concerne us most because it did dishonour her whom wee are bound to honour most Thus did he advance himselfe above our blessed Queene Elizabeth Ex plenitudine potestatis quam regnans in excelsis Pontifici tradidit quem unum supra omnes gentes constituit qui evellat destruat dissipet disperdat c. Elizabetham privamus jure regni subditos omnes ab omni juramento fidelitatis absolvimus That is By that fulnesse of power which he that reigneth above hath given to the Pope whom alone hee hath set over all Nations and Kingdomes to root out and pull downe to destroy and throw downe
c. We depose Elizabeth from all right in her Kingdome And we absolve all her subjects from all manner of oathes of Allegiance which they have sworne unto her This is the testimony of Master Cambden our learned Countryman and Chronologer Without offence therefore I thinke that Monarchomachia tit 5. p. 248 I may conclude and censure these popish exaltations in the very words of a most censorious Papist I will change but one word I will onely use Rome for Geneva But these Minions of Rome bring Religion to plead for the defence of their union and that they endeavored onely to punish Ochosias for consulting with the Idol of Accharon and to root out superstition Here indeed is the voice of Iacob but the roughnesse of Esau words of piety but the actions of Babel Can you shew as good a warrant as Elias had did God call you did God authorise you to deprive your Princes Per me Reges regnant was Gods proposition and Saint Peter 1 Epist cap. 2 vers 13. Bee subject to every humane creature for God whether to a King as excelling or to Rulers His counsell and yours vary much for he willeth them to feare God and honor the King but you dâ—rect your auditors to degrade and depose Kings S. Paul Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule be subject to the higher powers for tâ—ere is no power but of God he who resisteth that power resisteth Gods ordinance and purchaseth damnation and v. 5. not of necessity but for conscience sake But this matter needeth no disputatâ—on Grace and piety can best decide it Thus returne I his owne words and I hope farre more justly than ever he did apply theÌ„ Thus also have wee heard and felt too satis superque enough and enough of the Popish positions and of the Popes practice in deposing of Kings and disposing of Kingdomes Thus hath the Pope usurped upon many Kâ—ngs Now the King of Heaven blesse our King from the like Popâ—sh usurpations Neither are the Emperours exempted from his Papall Power but the Pope doth exalt himselfe above them also Concerning whom let us againe consider the Popish Positions and Practice Pope Paul 4 anno 1556 said that hee had called a Councell at Rome and named it the Trent Hist li 5. pag. 400. Laterane that he had given commission to signifie it to the Emperour and French King in courtesie but not to have their counsell or consent because his will was they should obey Pius the fourth 1563 wrote to the Emperor Trent Hist lib. 7. 684. Ferdinand that he had called a Councill with participation of him not to expect his consent but as a meere executour of his will Innocent 3 in the Decretall which beginneth Solitae putteth as great a difference which is also confirmed by Carerius betwixt the Pope and the Carerius de Potest Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 12. Emperour as there is betweene the Sunne and the Moone which according to the rules of Astronomy is 6539 times lesse than the Moulâ—ns Accom pag. 116. Sunne But by this arrogant title which the Pope doth arrogate that he is the Sunne hee giveth a little light to discerne Antichrist Antichrist shall be called Titan saith Irenaeus that is the Sunne But the Pope calleth himselfe the Sunne that is Titan Therefore from his own assumption to conclude him to bee Antichrist may passe at the least for a probable conjecture Besides these wee may collect a cloud of witnesses which doth poure downe confirmations to this conclusion Imperatoria majestas Oâ—iâ— hovius in Chymer fel. 97. tanto est inferior Papae quanto creatura Deo look how much the creature doth differ from the Creator our God so much doth the Emperour differ from the Pope their God A pretty difference Imperator ad motum summi Pontificis Capistranus fâ—l 70. ejus nutu tanquam ejus Minister movebit inferiora corpora that is The Emperour moveth others at the motion of the Pope as the Orbes doe under the first Spheare a meere servant to his Holinesse The Emperour Aug. de Ancona quaest 35. 1. Antonin part 3. tit 22 cap. 5. sect 13. Bell. de Trans Imp. lib. 3. De Pontif. Rom. lib. 5. c. 8. Carerius de Potest Pap. lib. 2. cap. 14. is the Servant of the Pope The Pope doth make the Electors of the Emperour therefore the Election of the Emperour dependeth on the Pope All which Carerius doth confirme by a comely distinction Potestas triplex est scil Immediata derivitiva in Ministerium data A threefold power there is quoth he the first immediate which is found in the Pope alone who hath universall jurisdiction over all things as well spirituall as corporall the second derivative in the Bishops and Prelates and the third ministeriall in the Emperour and other secular Princes who have their power but mediante Papa as Feudaries to the Pope To him therefore doe they sweare an oath of Allegiance And Antonine saith therefore that the Pope Antonin part 3. tit 22. c. 5. sect 16 doth give Administrationem Imperatori Power to the Emperour This Exaltation is satis pro imperio imperious enough for a Pope thus to be exalted above the Emperour which they say is de jure but I am sure it is so de facto For their practice doth not give the lye to their positions but maketh good every point thereof as is apparent by these particulars Henry 4 Emperour was digged out of his Tortura Tâ—rti pag. 261. grave by Gregory the seventh Pope of Rome Fredericke the first did kisse the feet of Alexander the third Henry the sixt was crowned by the feet of Pope Coelestine Philip was made away by the plots of Innocent the third And Gregory the seventh caused Henry the Emperour with his wife and children to attend three dayes together bare-headed and bare-footed And that none may cavill at the Chronicles let us intreat Bellarmine himselfe to bee our Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib 3. ca. 16 Historian Gregory saith he the second excommunicated Leo the Greeke Emperour inhibited the Italians from paying him tribute and by little and little got from him the government of Italy then called the Exarchate of Ravenna Gregory the seventh deposed Henry the fourth There is extant quoth he an Epistle of Frederâ—â—â—â— the second wherein hee averreth that the â—ingdomes of Italy Germany and Sicily were constrained to serve the Pope of Rome Moreover it is manifest Otho the fourth by Innocent the third and Fredericke the second by Innocent the fourth Depositos fuisse reapse imperia amisisse to have been deposed and absolutely deprived of their Empire To make all sure the Emperour doth take Gratian. Distinct 63. Can. 30 3â— Pla. in in Greg. 7 Sacrar Cerem lâ—b 1. Sect. 5. cap 2. Cornel. Agrip. in Hist Caroli 5. Matth. Paris pag. 227. an oath of Fealty to the Pope The formes wherof though they be different yet they concurre
in this that the Emperors must sweare to be subâ—ect to the Pope Thus was it taken by Lewis the sonne of Charles the great to Paschal the first by Otho the first to Iohn the twelfth by Henry the fourth to Gregory the seventh by Fredericke the third to Nicholas the fifth by Charles the fifth to Clement the seventh and finally by our King Iohn to Pope Innocent Adde hereunto that the Emperour doth Sacreâ— Cerem lib. 1. fol. 26 35 54 56 113 120 163 c. perforce serv le offices to the Pope Hee must beare up his Traine when the Pope doth walke Hold his Stirrup when he doth ride hee must support his Chaire with his shoulder when hee is caried poure water on his hands when hee doth wash and when he doth eate the Emperour must bring in the first dish and present the first cup to his Holinesse his Highnesse wee may terme it for he doth Exalt himselfe above the Emperors in an high measure And as the Pope doth testifie his exaltation historically to our â—ares so doth he represent it also emblematically to our eyes The Pope hath a Triple Diadem Dr. Sheldon Mot 4. pag. 51. which some say doth signifie that the Romane Emperor doth receive three Crowns from him one of Iron at Aquisgrave another of Silver at Millane and the third of Gold at Rome I may censure this action of the Pope in the phrase of a servant of the Pope Too many crowns Monarchomach part 1. Tit. 5. so purchased to expect any in Heaven Innocent the second caused his owne and the Emperors Picture to be set up in the Laterane Palace himselfe sitting in his Pontificall Throne and the Emperour kneeling before him and holding up his hands with this inscription Rex venit ante fores jurans prius Vrbis honores Post homo sit Papae sumit quo dante Coronam That is When the King of the Romanes is elected he attendeth on the Pope who first administring him an Oath to become his man or servant doth afterwards give him the Imperiall Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 4. fol. 48. Trent Hist lib. 8. Crowne But his prime insolence is without peradventure that oath of Allegiance Hence I conceive it came to passe anno 1563 that Ferdinand the King of the Romanes demanded the words of the Oath which when he had perused he refused saying that Thereby he should confesse himselfe to be the Vassall of the Pope This is the universall insolence of the Pope to bring under both Kings and Emperours That is to exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped I will deliver plainly what answer the Papists shape to extenuate this shamelesse usurpation of the Pope over Kings Emperors three waies three sorts of Papists assay to build up this Palace of Babel Some by negation some by dissimulation and the third sort by qualification For the first All Papists doe concurre that the Pope hath supreme power over the soveraigne Majestie of Kings and Emperours But concerning the nature of that power they are divided into three severall opinions The first is of Carerius and other popish parasites who affirme Alex. Câ—rerius de Potest Rom. that the Pope hath power absolute over the whole world both in things Ecclesiasticall and Civill Pont. lib. 2. c 9. Bellarm. de â—â—rt Rom. lib. 5. cap. 6. The second is of Bellarmine and his followers who maintaine that though the Pope hath not meere Temporall power over Kings directly yet he hath supreme authority to dispose of the Temporalities of all Kingdomes by an indirect prerogative tending in ordine ad spiritualia to the advancement of the spirituall good The last is of Barclaius and the moderate Papists Barclaius lib. cap 3. that the Pope hath Spirituall power to excommunicate Kings but no temporall authority to meddle with their Persons Subjects or Dominions To all these assertions let me propose these inevitable consequents So many as defend the first opinion declare themselves to bee ipso facto actuall Traitours against the Crowne of those Princes under whom they live The supporters of the second are habituall Traitors being alwayes disposed to execute the sentence of deposition if the Pope please to command it They have no Obex but dum desunt vires no hindrance but the want of Ability and Opportunity And the third howsoever indeed it is not perpitious to the Soule of the Estate to take away the life of the King yet is it dangerous to the estate of the Soule to invest a man with a power which is not compatible to any pure creature with a faculty of Occumenicall Excommunication I know not how to terme it otherwise than a paradox dangerous and in some sort damnable also But in truth this opinion thus blanched is not absolutely popish nor they absolute Papists who do maintaine it I suppose that there are many moderate Papists even in our owne Land who are of this last opinion that the Pope hath no temporall power over Kings But what is the opinion of the Romish Church did not the Iesuites persecute Blackwell and his partakers because they would not be Iesuited in this point and was not learned Withrington disgraced if not excommunicated by the Pope for confuting that damnable opinion of Suarez That the Pope can command Kings to be killed c And finally are not they themselues esteemed Schisinatickes for this opinion as appeareth by Barclaius confuted by Bellarmine for avouching this assertion Others dissemble this usurpation by the title of Servus servorum Such an apology is that which Lessius doth frame The Popes saith Lessius de Ant. Dem. 7. he doe call non se solum servos Dei themselves not onely the servants of God sed etiam servos servorum Dei but moreover the servants of those that are the servants of God I wonder saith he what secular Prince did ever use such an humble title in his Letters and Addresses I answer Non minuit fâ—stum sed auget hypocrisin This humble title doth not suppresse their pride but rather expresse their hypocrisie For it followeth in the very next lines No Catholike is so grosse as to thinke that the Pope is to bee adored pro Deo propriè dicto as God himselfe although by some he be termed Deus in terris their God on earth Quia in terris est supremus because he is the highest of all the earth We see then the same Iesuite avoucheth the Pope to be the Soveraigne of the whole World notwithstanding the pretext of his humble Title that he is called the Servant of the servants of God They make it yet more cleare by their owne distinction The Pope saith Baldus cited by our M Higgons myst Babylon Serm. 1. The Pope saith Baldus cited by our learned Convert and truely converted Country-man He is Dominus Dominorum quoad potestatem the Lord of Lords in regard of his Power though Servus servorum quoad
humilitatem he is called the Servant of Servants in regard of his meeknesse Finally their owne Archbishop of Granada assistant in the Synode of Trent did Trent Hist lib. 6. confesse that it was an absolute Dominion to make use of the quality of a servant and of a Lord also To conclude others mince the matter by Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 17. nu 12 termes of Qualification Est â—us suum à Deo da tum propter bonum Ecclesiae saith Suarez this superiority and authority is in the Pope for the advancement of the Church Bellarmine Bell. Apolog. cap. 9. saith Quà Vicarius Dei that the Pope requireth no such honour for himselfe but onely as he is the Vicar of Christ Wee cannot but remember the case of Fredericke Barbarossa when his necke was under the foot of Pope Alexander the third the Emperour said to him Non tibi sed Petro that is I doe this submission not to thee but to Peter But the Pope answered the Emperour Et mihi Petro that is Now thou shalt be subject to Peter and to me also So will the Pope say to any Prince when he hath got his necke under his foot yea but his head under his girdle Et propter bonum Ecclesiae propter honorem Pontificis that is he shall be a Vassall not onely to the Vicar of Christ which is the Pope of Rome but also to the Pope of Rome though he were No Vicar of Christ But to make all manifest in their holy book Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 1. of Ceremonies dedicated by a Romish Archbishop to a Pope of Rome to Leo the tenth The phrase of the Cardinalls Election runneth thus Ego investio te Papatu ut praesis Vrbi Orbi that is I chuse thee to be Pope who must governe this City and the whole World And that wee should not suppose this superiority to be claimed Sacrar Cer. lib. 1. sect 2. in things Ecclesiasticall onely it followeth in the foresaid booke that when the Pope doth mount his horse the Emperor must hold his stirrup and a King his bridle And if any should except that this is but a Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 7. c. 6. ceremony and therefore no substantial argument I instance againe Pope Sixtus Quartus did solemnly pronounce this sentence of absolute and successive soveraignty Figurat hic Gladius Pontificialis potestatem summam Temporalem à Christo Pontifici collatam juxta Psalmum 72. 8. Dominabitur à Mari c. that is This Pontificall Sword doth signifie the supreme Temporall power which Christ hath conferred on the Pope according to that saying Psalm 72. 8. His Dominion shall be from one sea to the other and from the flood unto the worlds end What tongue can so exalt it selfe against the Truth as to say The Pope doth not exalt himselfe above Kings and Emperours that is Above all that is called God or that is worshipped It is a popiâ—h brag that they have made many Proselytes and that many more Protestants are wavering Would God these few words might touch the eares and hearts of every honest Papist This is plaine The Pope doth exalt himselfe above all Kings and Emperours Now it is avouched by a learned Convert Dr Sheldon Motive 4. who doth know them better by their living than wee can by their writings that some Papists make it an article of their Faith that the Pope hath power to depose Kings I may adde the most Papists for I am sure this is the drift of Bellarmine Suarez and of the most and most learned of their Writers On this ground I build this Dilemma which no evasion I thinke can escape Therefore Every Papist is either an Hereticke or a Traitour If he beleeve that the Pope hath power to depose Princes then is he a true Papist but a Traitour to his King If he beleeve it not then is hee a true Subject but an Hereticke to his Church Now what a wretched Religion is this which doth so inthrall a poore soule that either thy Church shall hate thee as an Hereticke or thy King feare thee as a Traitour And canst thou yet follow nay favour that profession whose very Religion is Rebellion Now whatsoever thou art I intirely beseech thee by thy obedience to thy King by thy honour to thy God and by thy compassion on thine owne soule consider those things which I object seriously and impartially Conclude as God shall encline thee Bee it so as they boast that wee are weake and they wise yet there is a God in heaven who can make his power strong in our weaknesse 2 Cor 12. 9. 1 Cor. 1. 19. There is a God in heaven who can confound the wisedome of the wise Now That God even that God exalt his Truth above that adversarie who doth exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped SERMON IX 2 THESS 2. 3 4. So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God Antichrist shall not sit corporally in the Temple The Pope usurpeth the same power with Christ The same titles That hee is above Councills Can make a Creed The Pope is not the King is Head of the Church The Pope countermands all the Commandements IN this fourth verse Antichrist is expressed by three properties First that He exalteth himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped Secondly So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God This second doth succeed and exceed the former There Antichrist did exalt himselfe above Kings and Emperours here above all Christians There over the Common wealth here over the Church There in things Temporall here in things Spirituall There he doth usurp upon the Estates and persons of Kings and Princes here he doth dominiere over the Consciences of Princes and Subjects of Lay and Clergy of Rich and Poore of All. The Text doth say He doth sit as God in the Temple of God The Papists expound this sentence in this manner He as God sitteth in the Temple of God that is Antichrist in an horrible insolence shall sit in the Temple and command the same adoration to be given to himselfe which is given to God To take it literally is to erre grossely and wittingly every word doth gainsay it First in the Temple Baronius and the best of the Romists avouch that the Temple cannot possibly be built againe Antichrist therefore cannot possibly sit in the Temple Secondly he shall sit the Papists understand this phrase as if a Protestant should demand how long hath Gregory the fifteenth sate in the Church of Rome If he should meane a locall sitting in a materiall Church they would hisse at such an absurd question The sitting then of Antichrist in their own formall phrase cannot be locall or corporall Thirdly He sitteth as God now God hath no bodily position unlesse their pennes shall second their pictures and incline to the Anthropomorphites God hath no body therefore
to sit as God can be no bodily sitting To say therefore that Antichrist shall sit bodily in a Temple to be worshipped religiously is a sense implying nothing but Absurdity Impossibility and Blasphemie The Protestants exposition remaineth to be propounded which I suppose to bee uncontroulable First in the Temple I will expound this phrase by that of Occumenius upon this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by the name of the Temple in this text we must not understand the Temple of Hierusalem but the Churches of God Secondly he sitteth that is he ruleth or reigneth in which sense God himselfe is said to sit in his throne Psal 9. 4. and their Aquine on this place rendreth our interpretation Sedeat id est principetur dominetur Hee sitteth that is saith he he governeth and domimereth Nay as if he would digito demonstraner ac dicier hic est as if the Pope would point at his owne person to bee prophesied of in this place hee doth appropriate this phrase to his owne stile whereas Kings are said to reigne and not to sit the Popes are said to sit and not to reigne as if they would verifie this prophesie to the letter Thirdly He shall sit as God to wit as God incarnated that is as Christ Tanquam Deus scilicet incarnatus i. tanquam Christus His name implyeth as much the man of sinne being called Antichristus non Antitheus that is Antichrist and not an Anti-God The true sense is this The man of sinne doth sit in the Temple of God as God that is Antichrist doth rule the Church of Christ usurping the very power of Christ I frame this Syllogisme as the foundation of my following discourse Whosoever doth rule the Church of Christ pretending the same power with Christ hath this property of Antichrist or rather is the very Antichrist But the Pope doth rule the Church of Christ pretending the same power with Christ Ergo the Pope hath this property of Antichrist Or rather Therefore The Pope is the very Antichrist The proposition hath beene proved by the premises The proofe of the minor now remaineth to bee proposed Which also may seeme to bee superfluous if that Sermon of Steven Archbishop of Patras which hee made Concil Lateran sub Leone 10. in Concione Stephani Arâ—b Patracensis Sess 10. at the Councill of Laterane bee authenticall Where he preached publikely of the Pope and to the Pope that the Pope had potestatem supra omnes potestates tam coeli quam terrae that is Power above all power either in Heaven or in Earth And therefore the same if not superiour to that of Christ Or that Treatise of Augustus Ambomitanus in the 45 question whereof he delivereth Idem esse Dominium Dei ac Papae Gods Dominion and the Popes is all one As the Iurisdiction of the Delegant and Delegat is one Especially where the delegation is plenary and totall as he presumeth it is in the Pope But to proceed in our proofes though we have their open confession All the power of Christ over the Church is expressed in his Titles by which hee doth approach to him yea incroach on him very palpably Let that passe but for a formall preface unto his more pompous stile which their Sacred Ceremonies Sacrar Cerem lib 1. â—ect 1. cap 3. fol. 10. doe solemnly invest him with That the Pope is the Vicar of Iesus Christ the Successour of Saint Peter the Pastour of the Lords Flocke the Key-keeper of the Court of Heaven and the Prince of all Christendome But Bellarmine lest any of Bell. de Con. Auth. lib. 2. c. 17. them should be defective either to our plain proofe or to his plainer pride teacheth directly That all the Titles which the Scriptures give to Christ are by them given unto the Pope His words are these Quae in Scripturis tribuuntur Christo unde constat eum esse supra Ecclesiam cadem omnia tribuuntur Pontifici Furthermore the Titles including the power will make it appeare yet more particularly The Pope doth usurpe the one and therefore he doth usurpe the other Christ principally hath three Titles He is called Princeps Pastorum 1 Pet. 5. 4. Our Chiefe Shepheard Pontifex Our High Priest Heb. 3. 1. and finally Caput Ecclesiae The Head of the Church Ephes 5. 23. And all these it is generally knowne that the Pope doth ordinarily assume Yea more than these Is Christ termed Princeps Pastorum the Chiefe Shepheard the Pope hath beene stiled Solus Pastor Is Christ called Pontifex the High Priest Vah Parum est the Pope is called Pontifex maximus the Highest High Priest Is Christ called Caput Ecclesiae the Head of the Church the Pope hath the same Name yea and more also Hee is Caput fidei the Head of our Faith a strange title Tortura pa. 329. saith Bellarmine Nay he is not onely Caput but Vertex capitis the very Top and Tip of the Head saith Schioppius that impostume of scurrilitie Thus then the Pope doth arrogate the same Titles with some addition also which are ascribed unto our Saviour Saint Paul doth prove the Excellency of our Saviour to be farre above the Nature of Angels because he hath received a more excellent Name The Pope likewise doth inferre that he hath the same Excellency and Power because he hath the same Name with our Saviour Nay wherefore doth he not directly call himselfe Christ as well as High Priest Chiefe Shepheard and Head of the Church which are equivalent thereunto When Edward of England intended Warre against Philip of France hee assumed his Prime Title and proclaimed himselfe King of France So the Pope assuming the Principall Titles of Christ maketh even a ProclamatioÌ„ against Christ that He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The adversary who as God sitteth in the Temple of God that is ruleth in the Church of Christ pretending the same power with Christ But indeed the whole power of Christ in ruling the Church is comprised in this one Title The Head of the Church the Pope therefore arrogating that one doth usurpe all To cleare the way by a briefe digression Two things they reply to this point First they urge argumentum ad hominem and prove the Pope to be Suarez Apolog lib. 5. c. 17. nu 5. their Head from our Tongues The English protestants say they call the King the Head of the Church therefore the Romish Catholikes may Monarchomachia part 2. tit 3 pag. 323. likewise call the Pope the Head of the Church We reply who gave our King this Title Even the Romish Bishops themselves in the eight and twentieth yeare of Henry the eight Statute 1 which was afterward explained by the words Supreme Governor 1. Elizabethae But the former Lib. M S Sacr. Syn Guil. Warâ—h 11. Feb. 1530. pag. 115. title Head of the Church did a Synode of Romish Bishops give to our King Henry the 8 amongst whom also was that grand Romanist Iohn Fisher
such a thing by the authority of God and Saint Peter and Paul nostra and by mine owne authority Here were a complement of coequall commanding power betwixt Christ and his Vicar if the Pope would have used but one Rhetoricall flower one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which did once grow in his owne Cardinalls Garden and have sayd Ego Deus meus I and my God as hee once said Ego Rex meus I and my King Howsoever they going thus hand in hand and being apparelled in the same commanding power wee can hardly distinguish betwixt the Man and his Master hardly discerne the Vicar of Christ from the person of Christ if wee credit their owne positions we may conclude that the Pope as Christ doth rule in the Church of Christ Neither doe they much descend from this transcendent power in their ordinary positions The Papists doe ordinarily preach that Mason de min. Angl. lib. 4. ca. 3. the Church is like a City wherein there is but one Fountaine that Fountaine doth import to great rivers the rivers to the lesser brookes and the brookes to the channels and conduit pipes which disperse the water to the severall families through the citie but still with an Item that all the water runneth from that one Fountaine The Pope say they is the Fountaine the Patriarks Metropolitans and Archbishops those great Rivers the Bishops the lesser brookes and the little Channels and conduit pipes are the Priests Monkes and other inferiour Ministers yet so that salva semper Ecclesiae catholicae authoritate all Papists acknowledge that all their power is derived unto them from the Pope that singular Fountaine this also they explaine by distinctions Christ say they said unto Peter Matth. 16. Mason de Min. Angl. lib. 4. ca. 3. 19. To thee will I give the keyes of Heaven Marke say they Christ did not promise unto Saint Peter clavem a key but claves two keyes scientiae potestatis one of knowledge the other of power By the key of knowledge he doth open the doore of the Scripture absolving all mysteries and resolving all controversies By the other key of power he doth open the doore of the Church either by ordination admitting Pastors into it or by Iurisdiction commanding injoyning or correcting the inferiors in it or expelling the disobedient from it having power over them all in all cases both in foro externo in their Courts by Excommunication Absolution Dispensation and Injunction as also in foro interno in their consciences to remit or retaine sinnes Now what servant dare refuse to runne on the errand of such a master And surely so it is The Pope himselfe sitteth at Rome where at his feet are resident the Generalls of all Orders through the world The Generalls under them have severall Provincialls in all Kingdomes The Provincialls under them severall Priours in all Covents And the Priours have every person in their severall companies at their becks and instant behests Thus the Pope as the great wheele doth infuse or inforce a speedy motion into every nimble instrument Sic volo sic jubeo stat pro ratione voluntas The Popes Secretaries are called and there is written according to all which the Pope doth command unto the Lieutenants and Governors and Rulers over every Province of every people in the name of the Pope is it written and the Letters are sent by the Postes into all the Provinces and so forth as followeth Ester 3. 12 13. If ever there was a Sic dicit Dominus from God if ever an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from man this Papall injunction is the shadow of the one and the substance of the other No State in the world doth dispatch their Addresses through the world with like awfull severity and carefull celerity And this also doth shew that the Pope as Christ doth rule in the Church of Christ In the phrase of my text Antichrist as God sitteth in the Temple of God This is sat is pro imperio The Pope doth command But may he not goe without Hee doth give injunction But doth he receive submission Incomparably The Obedience of the Romane Regulars was admirable if it were warrantable and conscionable Well may he be termed their Head for never were members so pliable to the Head as the Papists are to the Pope I admire their obedience as much as I do detest the drift thereof The Pope may truly use so much of the Centurions phrase Luke 7. 8 I have men under me and say to one goe and hee doth goe to another come and he doth come and to my Servant doe this and he doth it Take a taste of all their professours from the profession of one learned Papist They are the last words of Malvenda's long discourse concerning Malvenda lib. 11 cap. 9. Antichrist Nos totos ingenium cogitationes studia lucubrationes scriptionem hanc integram omnia nostra ad sacrosancti Apostolici Principis Christi Vicarij Successoris Petri Romani Pontisicis pedes sanctissimos submittimus venerabundi procumbimus My translation cannot expresse the emphasis of his devout submission Yet thus I translate it With all reverence I prostrate my learning and thoughts my day studies and night watchings all my writings all that I am and all that I have before the most holy feet of the thrice holy Pope the Successour of Peter the Vicar of Christ and the Apostolicall Prince Neither doth their practice give the lye to his promise If a precept come from the Pope by the Provincialls to any particular person they presently performe it As Luthers phrase is they are no Quaeristae they doe not examine but execute the Popes injunction To delay they esteeme disobedience to inquire curiosity to dispute insolence and to deny rebellion as the sinne of witchcraft Though it bee to take a journey into China or Peru. Nay a strange obedience If the Pope command to excommunicate a Queene he shall not want a Papist to publish it though he be hang'd for it If the Pope command to murther a King he shal have a Iacobine to stab him though he be tortured for it And if the Pope doth breathe out threatnings against a Church that he would blow up a Nation with a blast of Gun-powder Instantly Iesuites will abet it and Iesuited will act it though their quarters be poled up for a spectacle and perpetuall monument of their gracelesse obedience and matchlesse trechery And thus also doth the Pope as Christ yea more than Christ ever did Rule in the Church of Christ That is Antichrist as God sitteth in the Temple of God But if these injunctions bee not obeyed but refused scrupulously or rejected resolutely what then Then such incurre correction insufferable with an awfull apprehension unutterable as it were under the hand even of Christ himselfe I take it to bee a principle in Popery to esteeme it so Hence at the Councill Trent Hist lib. 8. of
Et quo ver a fides veluti se cardine vertit The Prince of Christian men The prop of Christian Faith Commander of our life And ground of true beliefe And if we thinke that the Pope doth not by all this arrogate to hâ—mselfe and derogate from Christ sufficiently even as sufficiently as may become The Antichrist Let Pannonius absolve Pannonius in Apocalyps cap. 12. seâ—â— 5. punet 4. this concluâ—ion in his â—alse latine Who avoucheth the Pope to be Sumâ—â—us Princeps universae terrae the suprâ—me Prince of the whole world qui potest terrae Princip â—s subâ—ugare etiam Haereticos profligare put downe Kings and roote up Heretikes to which purpose he hath gladium materâ—â—le habet spâ—rituale both the swords materiall and spirituall And All power both in heaven and earth according to Matth. ult Againe the Pope is Dei charismatum Dispensator the dispencer of Gods grace the Pope Virgam directionis Pannonius in Apocal. cap. 16. sect 2. Punct 1. the Scepter of righteousnesse mentioned Psal 45. â— In a word the Pope is Parens salutis the Father of their salvation saith Pannonius and therefore The sonne of Perdition Finally as the Pope doth usurpe the Name so doth he also the worship which is peculiar unto God First by their common gesture of kneeling to the Pope they make the Pope a god and their Idoll and their very kneeling is a token thereof For as profound Zanchy doth fully Zan bâ—in praec â— cap. 17. informe us although we English did kneele to our Queene of ever blessed memory and doe and may kneele to our King her successour without any superstition because it is meerly Politicall and after the manner of our nation Yet for the Papists to kneele to the Pope who they beleeve cannot erre and in whom they are perswaded that there is a fulnesse of power to forgive sins to give Heaven and to doome to Hell ascribing those properties of God to him so farre they make him a God and to such men even their kneeling is an Idolatrous Adoration Againe the Pope doth too grosly shew himselfe Moulins 〈◊〉 sect 118. that he is God especially to the ignorant by those absurd images and pictures of the Trinity frequent in the Romish Churches and found printed in the Title pages of their Bibles set forth by Sixtus Quintus and Clemens 8 where they picture an old man sitting in a Chaire apparelled like the Pope with a tripled Crowne also with a Pigeon hanging at his beard and a Crucifixe in his armes Whereby it is not impossible that the ignorant people should either imbrace or invert the errour of the Anthropomorphites supposing either God to be the Pope or the Pope to be God Since by the Popes permission they are both expressed by one Picture Moreover certainly it is more than a play Sacrar Cerem lib. 2. sect 1. cap. 33. which they act in one of their Papall Pageants in the Popes owne presence In their solemne service upon Palme-sunday at Rome three of the Queristers of the Popes Chappell apparell themselves one in white bearing the person of the Evangelist the second in red representing a Iew and the third in blacke being in shew our blessed Saviour Toward the end of the Antheame he who acteth the part of the Evangelist praecedit sequitur Iudaeus deinde Christus They all in order the Evangelist first the Iew next and Christ last goe and kisse the Popes soot That Christ though personated shold kisse the Popes foot Surely if any indifferent person did see this shew he would thinke that the Pope did shew himselfe that he was God It will not be impertinent if to this play Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 12. cap. 5. Item lib. 2 sect 1. cap. 35. of their men I annex what their Children act also when the Pope in his Pontificalibus doth enter into any city they provide a multitude of Children in imitation of Matth. 21. and if they can Hebrew Children to meet his Holinesse with their Acclamations and Palmes in their hands If they would adde what is also done in the text and cry Hosanna hee would doe more than shew himselfe that he is God To shew yet more plainly that the Pope doth plainly shew himselfe to be God Suppose we our Bezain 2 Thes 2. 4. selves to be present at the great solemnity of the popish Iubile and that there wee saw a Man whom they themselves terme terrestrem Deum an earthly god hemmed in with a throng of his creatures pompously caryed with a triple Diademe in a golden Throne on Noble mens shoulders Then in their owne phrase breaking open the gates of Paradice with a golden Hammer and the Embassadors of most mightie Princes and Potentates yea the Kings themselves and the Emperor if he be there kneeling full low and adoring him aloft reapse alterum Deum as if he were indeed another very God And withall the thronging multitude round about him expecting and praying for remission of sinnes and eternall life as a largesse from his blessed Holines What should we suppose our selves to see if we did see such a sight Certainly an ordinary man who yet never wore the spectacles of Pope-patronizing prejudice would thinke that he saw an insolent Man in an incomparably glorious pompe shewing himselfe that he is God But that they themselves may seeme to take all blanching qualifications from those Protestants who will not have the Pope to bee Antichrist the Papists make good the very Letter of my text After the Popes election they Sacr. Cer. lib. 1. fol. 17. cause him to sit upon the alter to whow all the Cardinalls with all reverence in their order exhibite their obeysance kissing first his foot next his hand and then his Cheeke And a little after this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which is well done is twice done hee descendeth unto Saint Peters Church where againe the Cardinalls seat him upon the Altar with his Miter and the chiefe Cardinall pronounceth on his knees Te Deum We praise thee O God we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. Those supporters of that fiction of the Trienniall singular Antichrist what can they feine that hee shall doe more than this man hath done already Thus gloriously and grosly shewing himselfe that he is God This may suffice but I will adde a surplusage that I may adde a sufficient yea a superfluous satisfaction to any who will bee satisfied I say this Prophecy that Antichrist doth sit in the Temple of God as God shewing himselfe that he is God is literally fulfilled in the Pope If the God of Heaven should be on earth visible and incarnated in the shape of a man what solemne worship should we imagine to tender unto him The Place should it not bee in a Church The Church should it not bee the chiefe of the world The Part should it not be the highest and holyest part thereof Our gesture should it not bee
persecution did hinder the rising of Antichrist For so long as the Church was under persecution the Man of sinne could not rise to his greatnesse which he did immediately upon the fall of the Romane Empire And as I touched before it is thought that the very suspition that the Christians should be the overthrow of the Romane Empire was the cause of many bloudy persecutions The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reciprocall consent is this that the Romane Empire did hinder the comming of Antichrist and that Antichrist would come immediately on the fall thereof The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but we dissent concerning the manner thereof To borrow Bellarmines phrase we say it is inclinatio they desolatio we say a diminution they that an absolute dissolution of the Romane Empire shall be as Cyprian spake of Decius Metator Cyprian Epist 22 Antichristi the Harbinger of Antichrist Before I proceed to this point I will in two words propose foure theses and as many parentheses the first bee allowed by the Papists and the last inferred thence by the Protestants First out of the sixt and seventh verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What with-holdeth and who letteth these articles imply rem personam both the Empire and the Emperour yet no singular person but a long succession of the one and the other Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Antichrist and the Man of sinne signifie in like manner a succession and not one singular person Next in the seventh verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he who now letteth that is the Empire and Series or succession of those Emperours which was in S. Pauls time Therefore no Empire nor Emperour of our time is meant in this prophesie Thirdly out of the same verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who onely letteth as if he had said that the Empire was that onely impediment and so soone as it should be removed Antichrist would instantly be revealed The revelation therefore of the Popish Antichrist and Iewish Christ will bee both ad Graecas Calendas in no time future for their Revelation is long since passed already And finally 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de medio tolli to be taken out of the way doth not signifie to be abolâ—shed out of the world but to be removed out of the way In this sense runneth this phrase in other places of the Scripture Thus actively Act. 17. 33. S. Paul departed de medio illorum the meaning is not that he departed out of the world or dyed but that he departed out of the way or left their company Againe passively Matt. 13. 49. the Angell shall sever the wicked de medâ—o justorum we cannot imagine that the wicked shall be abolished but only that they shall be separated Therefore it is a paradox not to be named to affirme that the very name of the Emperour must be extinguished before Antichrist can be revealed Therefore our position and exposition is warranted by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 very letter of the Text Imperium esse è medio tollendum non prorsus delendum as our worthy D. Whitaker doth Whitaker in â—ell Contr. 4. qu. est 5. deliver it that is the Romane Empire must be removed out of the way not abolâ—shed out of the world before the revealing of Antichrist To adde light to the Sunne wee may annexe two reasons First the Emperour or he who letteth must be removed no farther than onely that Antichrist may have roome to seat his Throne in the City situated on seven hills which S. Iohn hath foretold to be the Metropolis of Antichrist Revel 17. 9. and is by Bellarmine acknowledged Bell. de Rom. Pâ—nt lib. 2. c. 2. to be meant of Rome Now for this it is enough that the Empire be removed into some further part not utterly to be abolished or cast out of the world Which the Pope seemeth to M. Higgâ—nsin Apoc. 182. Ser. 2. pag. 40. approve by one of his owne actions Of late time because he pretendeth some particular interest in that kingdome he installeth the Kings of Naples with this caution That they shall never take the Empire upon them Fearing the potency of so neere a neighbour to be a prejudice to his triple Crowne It is therefore the power and neighbourhood not the name and title of the Empire which is the lett to Antichrist Secondly S. Iohn saith in the third verse of Revelation the thirteenth that one head of the Beast which is interpreted to be the Romane Empire was wounded to death but so that that deadly wound was healed The Empire therefore is not to be abolished Finally that which did let was not inane nomen the bare name but the power of the Empire Now when the power was abolished that which letted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was removed Therefore the Empire was not utterly to be extinguished This experience it selfe doth abundantly testifie for the seat of the Romane Empire is removed from the City of Rome and that Imperiall imperious power is long since expelled out of Italy All which I will shut up with one singular Syllogisme shaped out of their owne assertions The old Empire of Rome was to bee divided into ten kingdomes or more this is most certaine saith Suarez But no Romane Catholike Suarez lib. 5. cap. 9 sect 15. Christoâ—â—orsâ—n part 2 pag. 49. did ever dreame that this present Romane Empire shall ever be divided into ten kingdomes this is the assumption of Michael Christophorson Therefore the Present is not the old Romane Empire That is abolished though not utterly yet so farre as it can let the kingdome of Antichrist The name thereof and title is only surviving Therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which letteth is taken out of the way What hinderance then can be in the way of this conclusion Antichrist is revealed and sitteth in that City which once was the seat of the Romane Empire Thus I conceive it to be manifest that the Romane Empire was not to be extinguished but onely to be removed Howbeit I will follow them on their owne grounds and shew them that there is a dissolution and desolation of that Romane Empire Saint Paul speaketh of in this place the bare name onely excepted I begin with Bellarmines words Desecit imperium in Bell. de R. P lib 3 cap. 5. Occidente Orientis autem imperium per Turcam destructum videtur that is The Romane Empire did faile in the West and in the East we see it destroyed by the Turkes Indeed as hee saith the westerne Empire was raised again by Charles the great therefore that Empire was once removed therefore at that time Antichrist was removed Againe when the Empire was overthrowne by the Gothes there was no Emperour in the west for the space of 325 yeares where was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that letted that long season If we bee not out of our wits wee must acknowledge that
given the whole world Matth. 4. 9. the Pope I say did give one quarter of the world and divided the two Indias betwixt the two Kings of Spain and Portugal Yet halfe an hundred yeares since more peremptorily Pope Pius the fifth è Cathedra pronounced his power in a solemne Bull that he was Princeps super omnes gentes super omnia regna Prince over all Nations Cambd. Annal. Anno 70. and over all Kingdomes that he had Plenitudinem potestatis fulnesse of power Vt evellat destruat dissipet disperdat To plucke up and Ier. 1. 10. to root up to destroy and cast downe Which he theÌ„ indevored to have exercised upoÌ„ the person of an indeed a Woman but such a Queen as did blow in pieces that swelling bubble And his Bulla did breake like a squib without frighting so much as children Since him and before him since Leo the tenth the Papacy hath Paulus Quintus hiâ— Quarrells with Venice pag. 1. 3. beene in a reciprocall increasing and waining One Pope impairing another Pope repairing the magnificence thereof as the judicious Italians themselves have observed it in the persons of Clemens the eight and Paul the fifth Thus may we see the two hornes of him that is like the Lambe and the two swords of him that speaketh like the Dragon the two Monarchies of the Man of sinne And surely such want their two eyes who doe not see the Sunne at Noone who doe not see Antichrist to be fully revealed and that The Pope is that Antichrist Thus have I discovered the time of Antichrists discovery If you desire moreover testimonies of his Revelation some particulars I have premised in this Sermon But a Catalogue a Cloud of Witnesses almost an hundred Dr. Featlies Appendix to the Conference 1624 names are registred by our ingenious and ingenuous Champion Yet for the full declaration of this point know that the Pope hath beene revealed to be the great Antichrist according to the publike testimony of foure great Nations The French English Bohemians and the Germanes have long since revealed to the world what the word revealed unto them the revelation of Antichrist That Rome is the place and the Pope the person The French claime the precedence Their Pless Myster Opposit 46. Kings are called Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they first received the plantation of Christianity Wee adde because they first received the reformation of Christianity Anno 1126 some 500 yeares before Luther Peter Bruis Priest beganne and anno 1147 his Scholler Henry a Monke seconded him and both of them were succeeded by the Waldenses and Albingenses anno 1164. And their doctrine was spred throughout the Diocesses of Orleance imbrum and Gap through the whole Provinces of Languedoc Anvergne and Guienne the professours whereof were called Tolosant condemning Transubstantiation the Masse Praying to or for the Dead worshipping of Saints or Images Inhibition of Mariage c. stiling Popish Prelates the Princes of Sodome and Rome Pless myst Oppos 46. Babell the Mother of fornication These Lights that prudent Church have politikely endeavoured to put under a bushell extinguishing their writings So that we have nothing but what is collected out of their adversaries books who confuted them who testifie what we do that the French so long agoe did renounce the Pope and Popery To the French our English are next in situation Matth. Paris Compend hist Angl. an 1250. and in reformation also Anno 1250 our learned Bishop of Lincolne assayed first to light this Candle by inveighing against the Pope and Popish usurpations for which invections he was excommunicated and dyed under that excommunication Vnder halfe a hundred years after him some sparkes fell from the hand of Paess Myst Opposit 57. our William Ockam by the collâ—sion betwixt Pope Iohn the 22 and the Emperour Lewis the 4 of whom hee was so undaunted an assistant that he durst call Clemens the sixt Antichrist The tinder almost tooke fire when our King Edward the third inhibited our English Pel. Virgil. l. 19. Bishops from running to Rome for their Creation But 1360 the fire was kindled and the Tho. Waldensis Ep. ad Mart. 5. Tho Walsingham in Rich. 2. Candle put in a Candlestick when Iohn Wickliffe of Oxenford maintained that the Pope was an Arch-hereticke and Antichrist and he was maintained by the Vice-chancellor and Proctors of that Vniversity by the Maior and chiefe Citizens of our chiefe City of London by some of our Prelates and prime Clergy and by the Duke of Lancaster and some of the principall Courtiers and Peeres of the Realme Although Pless Myst Opposit 59. being dead he was by the command of Pope Martin the fift digged out of his grave at Lutterworth in Leicester-shire 1428. Yet could not the Pope nor any popish power put out this Candle The Candlesticke indeed was removed his person was exiled and so his doctrine translated into Bohemiah where it gave increase to the profession of the Waldenses and a beginning to the Hussites From these two the French Waldenses and our English Wickliffists sprang the third the Hussites of Bohemia Whose praecursor I conceive to have beene Militz a Preacher of Pless Myst Opposit 59. Prague about 1350 who professed that hee was constrained by the Spirit to goe to Rome there publikely to preach in the presence of the very Inquisitours that The Pope was the verie Antichrist But after 1400 Iohn and Hierome Husse Aeneas Silvius Hist Bohem. and the Hussites did more openly and undoubtedly professe the Pope to be Antichrist Such a number of opposers and in such a nature of opposition as the Pope never felt before till the Sword in the hand of Zisca and the word in the mouth of Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prague durst tell the Pope to his face that he was the Antichrist To extinguish which staine the Councill of Constance was called where they sawed the log but could not cut the Sun-beames they killed the Preachers but their Preaching still survived The Faggots with which they did cruelly and perfidiously overwhelme Poggius in Epist ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aretinum Iohn and Hierome did indeed dampe but not put out the fire of the Gospell For out of the ashes of the Goose so some say signifieth Husse in the Bohemian language arose a Swan such is the signification of Luther in the Germane or a Phoenix rather who gave a complement to the reformation of Religion and to the Revelation of Antichrist The Papists then may reserve their Crambe or their owne Tooth Ordinary judgements â—annot digest their ordinary Quaere Where was the Reformed Religion before Luther These premises may tell them that there was a Visible Reformation and separation from the Romish Church full foure hundred yeares before Luther was borne The Hussites being an hundred years before him our Wicklissists halfe an hundred yeares before them the Waldenses more than an hundred yeares before them
2 Thess 2. 7. saith the same English Author on the same place as an House is long a squaring and preparing in private but at length it is joyned and reared in publike The sense of the text the mystery of iniquity doth already worke is this There is a Diabolicall stratagem under the show of Religion secretly and cunningly to undermine and overthrow Christs true Religion which hath beene working even from the Apostles time to our time That Poperie is this mystery this is the point which by Gods assistance I undertake to make plaine at this season That your understandings and memories may follow my discourse the more easily I will chalke out the way by which I meane to lead your attention First I will shew you their quaerere and then how they did parta tueri the meanes of their gaining and of their retaining the Papall greatnesse Which two stratagems are two great mysteries In their retaining it which for our time involveth the inlarging of the Papacy also they use one mystery to inveagle men and another to intangle men they have their baits to catch them and their hookes to hold them Both which they practise by a secret undermining and by a subtle countermining of their opposites Each of those exploits is like the woman Revel 17. 5. the word Mystery is written in the very forehead thereof For the first how Saint Peter poore Peter rich indeed in spiritualls but poore in temporalls so poore that he was imprisoned by a Romane Magistrate Act. 12. 3. Crucified by a Romane Emperour and certainly the basest Romane subject would have spit in his face and trod on his necke if hee should have dared to have lift up his finger against the Romane Empire Eusebius lib. â—â— 25. Moreover that the Bishops of Rome his successors did succeed and exceed him in povertie they had more ordinary frailties but farre fewer extraordinarie abilities than Peter the whole succession was so poore that they were persecuted aboue 300 yeeres and so persecuted above 200 yeares that they met in cryptis in caves corners conventicles and had not so much as one Church for their religion Calixtus about the yeere 222. did build the first Church Platina in Calixto Discours des temps depuis les Apotres anno 222. for publike Christianity Now according to the parable propounded to the triumphant Tyrant how the Naile which was in the bottome of the Wheele should sensim sine sensu by a motion insensible and incomprehensible climbe to the top and bring the loftie Naile to the Counterpoint How the Romane Church which was vnder foot should rise up and bring down the loftie Lordly Lording Romane Empire to be her underling and the whole Church of Christ together with it This is a wonder and this is the secret and the Mysterie which Saint Paul saith did worke even in his time For the framing of this plot which they have so admirably effected at this day it is generally said that the Heresies which were sowne in the Apostles times were the seed thereof And indeed so they are in generall but I suppose that the more particular prosecuting of their plot was by the publishing of those two doctrines of Devills mentioned Read the 19 Sermon 1 Tim. 4. 3. forbidding of meates and mariage which we see at this day to be the two pillars of Popery in truth the Iachin and Boaz the very strength and establishing of the Romane Monarchie 1 Reg. 7. 21. Notwithstanding I conceive the maine engine for this stratagem to bee another point the point of the Primacie which was an hammering in the Apostles times Not onely that of Diotrephes who loved preheminence in the Church as Saint Iohn taxeth him in his third Epistle Nor that of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1. 12. where some were for Paul and some for Peter there called Cephas But principally the Primacy attempted by the Church of Rome Rom. 11. 10. Be not high minded and in the 22 verse otherwise thou shalt be cut off For this instruction against Pride though it bee generall to the Gentiles yet is it more speciall to the Romanes And Saint Paul in the same place seemeth to me to Prophecie in two fashions first by way of instruction telling what they should then eschew secondly by way of prediction foretelling what afterwards would be their ruine Now let us briefly ponder how this project of Primacy hath beene prosequuted to this present age Wee see that the seeds of ambition were sowne in S. Pauls time But the power and persecution of the Romane Empire cut downe the blades thereof that their aspiring was fruitlesse for many centuries But at length the harvest of their pride became ripe and they have reaped their Primacy or rather supremacy by these degrees and devices The first which I finde to appeare in promoting Hist Popatus cap. 4. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 22 23 24. the Romane Primacy was Victor Bishop of Rome about the yeare 194 who ordained that Easter should be celebrated by all on the Lords day but therein he was instantly opposed by Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus and by Narcissus Bishop of Hierusalem and others Victor notwithstanding confirmed his decree by a Councill held at Rome anno 196 yet so Bardus Pavin in Chronico anno 196. Histor Papatus cap. 4. as that it was received onely within the Romane Diocesse About 240 yeares after Christ Fabius Bishop of Rome called a Councill at Rome and condemned Novatiane herein hee did somewhat goe beyond the bounds of his Bishopricke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. 15. Novatus and Novatiane being both Africans but the piety of the Bishops and the persecution of the Emperours of that age cut off all jealousie suspition or scruple that any Primacy was affected And the godly Christians were glad that Schisme might be composed by any men or meanes Two hundred and fifty yeares after Christ Steven Bishop of Rome incroched a little more Pless Myster progress 2. and more plainly upon Spaine where Basilides Bishop of Asturia and Martial of Melida being deposed because they had sacrificed to Idolls for feare of persecution Steven writ to the Churches of Spaine peremptorily for their restitution Three hundred and fourteene yeares after our Saviour Silvester obtained from the Emperour Constantine to build Churches and many other priviledges Whence his Successors plead also the donation of Constantine that hee gave unto the Pope Rome and a great part of Italy under the name of S. Peters patrimony Although Iohannes Diaconus in the Charter of D. Collins in Eudam part 3. cap. 46. Otho the third is discovered to have beene the father of that memorable fiction Anno 336 Athanasius being condemned by a Baronius anno 34â— sect 5 6. Councill of the Arrians at Antiochia sought for succour from Iulius then Bishop of Rome who intertaining a good cause under the pretence to advance the authority of the Church of Rome
above the Easterne Churches commended the same to the patronage of the Emperour Constance But the Easterne Bishops wrote unto Iulius not to support Athanasius Iulius replyed that all might have recourse to Rome for succour as to the Superiour This they utterly disclaimed by divers Epistles to that purpose Notwithstanding Gratiane the Monke out of those selfe-same Epistles composed those Hist Papatus cap. 4. Canons whereby hee laboureth to prove the Popes Superiority Foure hundred yeares after Christ godly men to prevent tedious Law-suits chose Bishops their Arbitrators to compose such Controversies as arose amongst them Which arbitrary courses the Emperours Arcadius and Hist Papatus cap. 4. Honorius did not onely approve but moreover they authorised the arbitraments of those Bishops definitively to conclude all controversies first in causes of Religion afterwards in Civill Causes also ex consensu with the consent of both parties Hist Papatus cap. 4. In processe of time Iustinian assigned the Bishops to judge causes as Commissioners to the Emperour So long did the Emperours give leave till the Bishops did take leave to judge and by those priviledges to wrest the authority of Iurisdiction from the prerogative of the Imperiall Majesty Anno 413 Apiarius a disordered Priest of D. Sharp Dogmaticus Antich pag. 273. Africa being deprived by Vrbane his Bishop appealed unto Sozimus Bishop of Rome who sent three Legates to require the right of appellation from those African Bishops that hee might decide the controversie To which purpose his Legates alledged a Canon of Nice which those Bishops avouched to be forged because they had a Copie of that Councill For a full satisfaction they sent to Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria and to Atticús Bishop of Constantinople to conferre with their copies of that Councill but it was onely a copy of the Romish Bishops countenance such a Canon could not be found extant in neither Whereupon the Councill of Carthage consisting of 207 Bishops and S. Augustine one of them did condemne Apiarius and rejected the authority of the Bishop of Rome Neverthelesse Romish parasites have coined a strange fiction that certaine Canons of that Nicene Councill were burned by the Arrians Anno 450 Leo did persist in the promoting Leo â— in Anni ver die Assampâ— Serm. 2. of that Primacy to which purpose hee did strongly insist on that Tu es Petrus Thou art Peter Matth. 16. 18. Petrus saith he Petra dicitur dum fundamentum pronunciatur Peter is called the Rocke to shew that he is the foundation Whence he frameth a conclusion for his owne purpose and person stiling himselfe Papam Ecclesiae Catholicae The Bishop of the Leo epist 12. ad Theodos whole Church omnium Episcoporum Primatem the chiefe of all the Bishops Anno 533 the Emperour honoured Iohn Baronius the second with a solemne Embassage and by it with an obsequious protestation that he travelled Omnes Sacerdotes universi Orientis tractus subjicere unire SaÌ„ctitati vestrae To cause the union and compasse the submission of all the Clergy of the whole Easterne Country to the Bishop of Romes Holinesse But about 606 Pope Boniface the third Dounam Derens de Antichristo lib. 2. c. 8 sect 5. so now I must stile the Bishops of Rome by that name for this Boniface the third was the first to whom the name Pope was appropriated I say this Boniface in that yeare upon the murther of Mauritius apprehended an occasion to insinuate Pless Myst Progress 21. Aimoinus lib. 4. cap. 61. himselfe in the favour of bloudy Phocas who gratified him with the title of Vniversall Bishop About 740 Pope Zacharies judgment being demaÌ„ded whether best deserved the kingdom of France either he who had the Name only or hee who day and night spent himselfe in the service of the Commonwealth the Popes definitive sentence being pronounced for the latter as the better worthy of the Scepter Hence did France take occasion to depose their King translating the Crowne from Chilpericus unto Pipine And hence Rome did take occasion to claime power to dispose of that kingdome as this very example is alledged to that purpose by Suarez Apol. lib. 3. cap. 23. nu 15. Suarez in his Apology Towards the eight hundreth yeare Steven the third and Adrian the first joyned with Carolus magnus to expell the Graecian Emperour out of his Latine Dominions which being Pless Myst Progress 27. effected and so one good turne requiring another Charles being made Emperour of the West by the Pope the Pope received from Charles the Confirmation if not the donation of the City and Seigniory of Rome Thus far these Popes proceeded to some purpose Notwithstanding still the Pope was Histor Papatus cap. 4. subject to the Emperour till he beganne to incroach by a meere accident Anno 817 Paschal being constrained by the people to be Pope sent Legates to the Emperour to excuse that election The Emperour Ludovicus Pius being according to his name a sweet natured courteous Gentleman did easily admit of satisfaction yet with a check to the Clergy and to the people for their audacious act adding a caveat that they should no more dare to incroach upon his Royaltie Howbeit the clawbacke Library-keeper inserted this clause Ludovicus Pius did remit the power of electing the Pope unto Paschal the first Since which time the Popes have proceeded by more generall jugglings As namely by proposing preferments promotions and brave incouragements attractive Loadstones to invite the prime learned of the whole world unto Rome Keeping publike Registers of all the Benefactors unto Peters Patrimonie praying for the soules of such charitable persons being deceased One while trumpetting out the charity of the Popes another time sowing discord betwixt Princes that they might fish in troubled waters These made some pretty additions to their greatnesse till about 1080 Gregory the seventh so advanced himselfe against the Emperour that his successours have advanced themselves above the Emperour The Emperours at this day acknowledging themselves confirmed by the Pope and tendering a kinde of fealty to the Pope as the Sacrar Cerem l. b. 1. sect 5. c. 7. forme of their Oath is authentically extant written by Marcellus Archbishop of Corcira to Leo the tenth And thus Giges-like hath the Pope invisibly advanced himselfe into the Throne of his Master Having heard the History or Matter That the Church of Rome is made a Monarchy heare we next the Mystery Manner or the Meanes whereby this miracle was effected Which was so politikely prosequuted by such secret plots and super-subtle projects that their cunning cariage and cleanly conveyance of their purpose doth merit the title of my Text to be termed the Mystery of Iniquity The meanes which these politicians used as they were invisible so were they innumerable also I will reduce them to eight heads onely It is a memorable fact mentioned by our Fox Mart. tâ—m 1 1505. pag. 860.
the Parisian French King or Charles our Kentish English Innocentius 3 Extra de Excessu Prâ—lat Soveraigne Nay it is the saying of the Pope Articulos solvit Synodumque facit generaleÌ„ thatis the Pope hath power to call a generall Councill and to disanul every particular Article Thus farre hee fareth for the opposing of the old Creed then for the composing of a new Though some affrighted with the absurd audacity of this assertion doe seeme to mince it yet the whole Church of Rome concur in the conclusion The Pope hath power Edendi novum Aquin. 22 â— â— artic 10. Symbolum saith Aquine to publish a new Creed Condendi to compose a Creed writeth Vigâ—erius Ordinandi novum Symbolum to ordaine or authorise a new Creed quoth Gabriel Biel. Finally what these and other Papists have avouched in words Pope Pius the fourth maketh good de facto in deed by whose authority the Trent Creed is published with Pij 4. Bulla annâ— 1564. twelve articles also as a parallell to the Apostles Creed and urged with as authenticall injunction First to beleeve the doctrine of traditions 2 The authority of the Church of Rome to expound the Scriptures 3 that there are seven Sacraments 4 all the points concerning originall sinne and justification as they are defined by the Councill of Trent 5 The Masse and that it is offered a propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead 6 Transubstantiation and that the Lords Supper is to be received but in one kind 7 Purgatory and prayer for the dead 8 Invocation or praying to the dead as also worshipping of Saints and their Relâ—ques 9 The adoration of Images 10 Indulgences 11 The Popes Supremacy namely that the Romane is the mother mistres mater magistra of all Churches and that the Pope is Peters successour and Christs Vicar and finally to beleeve all the definitions of all Oecumenicall Councills but especially of their last of that of Trent And that these are the Catholike faith extra quam nemo salvus esse potest which except a man do beleeve he cannot be saved The subscription running as peremptorily as if they were the very Dictates of the Apostles or of Christ himselfe Profiâ—â—or spondeo voveo juro that is I professe I doe beleeve promise vow and sweare that I will obey all these Articles of the Catholike faith This man therefore who contradicteth old Lawes maketh new Lawes and breaketh all lawe I thinke I may lawfully call him lawlesse and conclude him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very Antichrist Thus these lawes of God both of constraint and consent both Scripture and the Creed are infringed by this man of sinne without impediment with like facility doth this hornet break through those cobwebs humane lawes be they oecumenicall for all nations or oeconomicall for all families Those lawes of nations are of two sorts when faith is either contracted betwixt equals by an oath or exacted from inferiours by Allegiance Each way is no way to bind the Pope who is everie way boundlesse and lawlesse The law of oathes is so generall amongst nations as that all nations observe them as most sacred and inviolable in so much that Pagans would not infringe them Regulus would be rather tortured than perjured though he could have escaped by breach of oath It was Aristotles saying that he who did double in his oath for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sweare with a mentall addition Arist Rhetor. 18. ad Alex. hath neither feare of Gods vengeance nor shame of mans reproofe and Dionysius in Plutarch was condemned by all whose saying was that children were to be mocked with toyes and men with oathes Surely it shall be easier for those Pagans at that day then for some Christians Some Christians said Matchiavell make oaths Matchiav Hist Flor. lib. 3. obligations not equall to profit they use oaths not to observe them but rather to deceive those that put their trust in them And I take it that no one thing hath done such harme and brought such shame to Chriâ—â—â—â—dome as this particular Simancha teacheth very solemnely Simancha Inâ—â—it Cath. cap 4. art 14. edit Hiss Fides data haereticis non est servanda nec a privato nec a magistratibus quod exemplo Concilij Constantiensis probatur Nam Iohannes Huss Hieromus legitima slamma concremati sunt quamvis permissa illis securitas est Promises quoth he are not to bee kept with Heretikes neither by private men nor yet by publike Magistrates He proveth it by a precedent froÌ„ the Councill of Constance by whom Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage were legally burned although from theÌ„ they had received a safe conduct Trâ—nt Hist lib. 1. And the same had beene practised on Luther also at the Diet of Wormes in the yeare 1521 had not the noble disposition of Charles 5 the Emperor and the plaine opposition of Lewis the noble Elector Palatine preserved him Finally Becanus doth avouch Perjury by a maxime juramentum non est vinculum iniquitatis that is an oath is no obligation of iniquity iniquitie he esteemeth it for a Papist to performe his promise to an Heretike or a Protestant although hee sealed it by swearing an oath which all sober men suppose to bee the surest and most solemne obligation of all others yet of all others the Popes themselves are the most remarkeble patternes and patrons of perjurie About the yeare 1080 Rodolphus duke of Saxony instigated by Pope Hildebrand or Gregory 7 to rebell against Henry 3 the Emperor joyned battell with him wherein having his soldâ—â—â—s cut in peeces and his hand Pless myster Opposit 40. cut off Loe said he to his friends and followers with this hand I plighted my troth to my Leige Lord Henry but the Popes authority importunity urged me to the breach of that oath and now in the same hand I have received my deaths wound and so be dyed On the two and twentieth of May 1526 Trent Hist lib. 1. there was a confederacy betwixt Pope Clemens 7 Francis 1 of France and the Princes of Relation of the Religion in the West Sect. 15. Italy against Charles 5 the Emperor under the name of the most Holy League wherein the King was absolved from his Oath taken in Trent Hist lib. 5. Spaine And some thinke the Pope had promised the King to dispence with that Oath before hee made it vpon the hope whereof hee also tooke it Anno 1556 Paulus 4 by Cardinall Caraffa perswaded Henry 2 of France to breake his league and oath made with Spaine though the Princes of the Blood and the Grandies of that Kingdome abhorred the infamie of oath-breaking yet he received absolution from the Pope and such an overthrow from the Spaniard at Saint Quintin that it made his whole Kingdome to tremble and totter Instances are infinite I will adde onely two one most remarkable the other most miserable The first
most gratious Possible it is that salvation may breake through the Inquisition it selfe I have read of many Protestants eveÌ„ in Civil And I have heard a Romish Convert confesse that his Conversion was wrought in Rome it selfe So farre will I bee from condemning all that live under the Authority of Rome that I will rather hope that that may bee true of the Romanes which Saint Paul wrote to the Romanes 11. 4. That God hath reserued to himselfe many thousands who did never bow their knees to Baal Though the maine Bulke bee Chaffe yet who dare take Petilians part to bee Ventilabrum arâ—ae Dominicae and say there is no Wheat amongst it As some Philosophers say of the extracting of Gold out of other meâ—â—â—s Difficultas non insert impossibilitatem so say I in this cause though it bee difficult yet is it noâ— impossible that Christ should have some servants vnder Antichrist and that some Papists may be saved even at this day in Spaine and Italy Concerning Popish errors wee must consider their kindes and degrees The kinds of them are of two sorts some are Capitall such as contradict the Articles or hinder the meanes of Faith as Adoration of Images Invocation of Saints Iustification by workes inhibition of the Scriptures c. Other Popish errours are lesse principall which of their owne nature doe not destroy any Article of faith nor absolutely hinder our salvation as Pilgrimages Penance Vowes c. Next the degrees of them are threefold some doe command those Popish errours as the Pope and popish Councils some doe teach them as the Fryers and Iesuites others doe onely follow and beleeve them Answerable to which is that distinction of St. Aug. Haeretici credentes haereticis there are erronious Auâ— de utilitate credendi cap. 1. seducers and erronious seâ—uced Now if my charity could frame a mathematicall abstraction that there were a credulous Romish Catholike led with the name of Catholike and with the shew of Antiquity who with an innoceÌ„t though ignorant devotion should follow the Pope as those two hundred did Absolon 2 Sam. 15. 11. in their simplicity I should not despaire of their salvation But to speake of Papists as I feare most Papists are at this time and in this land A Trent-Iesuited Papist a compleate Papist refusing hating persecuting the truth offered Such are certainly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that perish I know not how to excuse them and the Scripture sheweth no meanes how to save them Now followeth the durus sermo I come to that vnpleasing conclusion concerning the salvation our English Papists For the time I have shewed that of the old Papists wee have great hope that a great number were saved For the place I have shewed also that wee have some small hope that some small number may bee saved even in Spaine and Italy But for our time and our place we have hardly any hope that hardly any English Papish can bee saved My reasons are two drawne from the two former heads from the time when and the place where they live 1. In old time though the Papists held horrible errours yet they professed them at large without any precise particular and personall submission and subscription But now by the Counsell of Trent they are imposed as Articles of faith and they subscribe that they beleeve them and sweare that they will maintaine them This I take it is the marke of Antichrist And I feare all English Papists are such Papists 2. In the next place consider the Place Here they live where the trueth is taught and not by Authoritie as in Italy but by their owne voluntary refusall they are debarred from the sound thereof All Papists are Antichrâ—stian This is too much and yet it may bee not enough to pronounce them damned But our English Papists are Antichristian according to the two Characters of DaÌ„nation in my Text. First as it is in the 10 verse they do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they doe not receive the truth offered unto them they reject all instruction both publike by preaching and private by perswasion Secondly as it followeth in the twelfth verse they doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take delight to remaine in their ignorance and errours That I may conclude in the words of a Papist Haereticorum Steâ—art in 2 Thes 2. 10. qui obstinate nolunt veritatem inquirere ignoratio sit culpabâ—lis damnationi obnoxia quia sic affecta est ut si scire velâ—â—â— possent debentque that is the ignorance of Heretikes who doe obstinately refuse to seeke the trueth is culpable and damnable because it is of such a nature that if they would they might and ought to know the truth This is the best that I can say or hope of the best of our English Papists but of the most and worst I must say their estate is â—arre worse and of them my conclusion must bee more peremptory Our English Iesuited Papisis who are indeed almost all our English Papists these are the limmes of Antichrist in an high nature These hold the same haeresies with the former but farre more arrogantly and obstinately To use the words of one of their owne Iesuites Iungantur in unum dies cum nocte tenebrae Apologista c 3. pag. 119. Câ—saâ—b ad Front Duc pag 52. cum luce calidum cum frigido sanitas cum morbo vita cum morte erit tum spes aliqua posse in caput Iesuitae haeresin cadâ—re That is when it is possible for day and night light and darknesse cold and heat health and sicknesse life and death to bee united then will there be some hope that a Iesuite may be capable of heresie Can a greater unerring prerogative be assumed by an Apostle by an Angell yea by the trueth it selfe by Christ Iesus himselfe so arrogant and obstinate are the Iesuites in their hereticall assertions But here is not all to these damnable presumptuous Haeresies they adde as damned desperate positions of Moralitie As their breaking of faith with Haeretikes denying to sweare allegiance to their King avouching the Popes power to depose him absolving of Oathes and that devillish tricke of Equivocation paradoxes rasing the foundations and principles of Morality Christianity and Humanity And with these poysonous doctrines they infect their followers in all power through the working of sathan Watson Quod. 1. Art 7. To use the words of a Papist Some Romanists either of grosse ignorance or wilfull blinded affection haue said no lesse in effect then that though they knew they should bee damned for it yet would they for obedience sake doe whatsoever the Iesuites should command them This is limen inserni Their estate is damnable Hooker in Hab. pag. â—6 when as profound Hooker speaketh heresie is thus heretically maintained by men obstinately holding it against wholesome instruction Thus the truth doth extort froÌ„ me this peremptory conclusion I feare the estate of all English Papists But for a
Ecclesiam veneritis ejus morem servate si pati scandalum non vultis aut August epist 86. Casulano facere if we will neither give nor take scandall wee must submit to the judgement of that Church wherein we live or that of Saint Paul Ephes 4. 3. to keepe the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace The premises to my conclusion Dr. Whites Orthod part 2. Vntruth 6. is the judgement of that judicious Divine the now Bishop of Norwich These are his words The most received opinion of all Protestants is that the Pope began to bee Antichrist when by the Donation of the parricide Phocas hee tooke unto him the title of Vniversall Bishop but became a perfect Antichrist under Gregorie 7 Paschal 2 Adrian 4 Alexander 3 and Boniface 8 by these foure actions 1 exalting himselfe as a King and Monarch over the house of God 2 making his owne word and definitions of equall authoritie with the holy Scriptures 3 Vsurping temporall jurisdiction over Kings and civill States 4 cruelly murthering the servants of Christ which denyed obedience to his traditions and tyranny Now via trita being via tuta I will rather follow the most of the Protestants in the Kings High-way than a few in a Path-way and they departing from one another into many By-waies For mine owne part if I should dissent from the most received opinion of all the Protestants If it were not for damnable errours and with unanswerable arguments I should censure my selfe no friend to the Protestants and unworthy of the name of a Protestant But Iohn 21. 21 22. The fift opiniō is that Antichrist is a Iew which being a branch thereof I will therefore relate the whole Popish opiniō And thā the Popish opinion of Antichrist never any thing was more grosly absurd and ridiculous among the Fictions of the Poets the Fables of the Iewes the dreames of the Turkes no nor among their owne Legends The points in their opinion being so improbable impossible incredible and incompatible that recitasse est refutasse that the plaine reciting is a plaine refuting of this paradoxe and exorbitant assertion Nineteene branches there are thereof 1. Their Antichrist shall be one man 2 a Iew 3 of the Tribe of Dan 4 begotten by an Incubus devill 5 Borne at Babylon in Assyria 6 Brought up at Chorazin and Beihsaida 7 Tutored by a Familiar 8 of the admirablest body accutest wit and accuratest learning that man was of since the creation 9 he shall collect the Iewes 10 Conquer the Pagans 11 cruelly persecute the Christians 12 kill Enoch and Elias 13 become the Monarch of the whole world 14 He shall have more riches power and wives than any man that ever lived 15 He must reigne but three yeares 16 He must build the Temple 17 In it hee shall bee actually adored 18 He shall have Divells in the shape of Angels visibly administring unto him 19 He shall ascend mount Olivet and from thence with a troope of Devills in the shape of glorious angells he shall fly in the ayre as if he were visibly to ascend into heaven But then shall a voice from heaven bee heard morere at which moment he shall bee smote through with a Thunder bolt and so tumbled headlong into hell Spectatum admist risum teneatis apretie Fiction But that it exceedeth the lawes of a Comedy there are too many impossiblities in the Fable 1. That Antichrist is but one person this is the opinion of every one of the Papists Take one for all Suarez disputeth it in three whole Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. Chapters A thing somewhat improbable that both in Daniel and the Revelation a Beast should never signifie one particular man but onely in this particular And it is something impossible for Antichrist was a working in Saint Pauls time verse 7. I conclude therefore how one man should live from Saint Pauls age to the end of the world I conceive this to be impossible 2. That he shall bee a Iew all the Papists agree in this also Let Bellarmine speake for all Bellar. de Pont. Rom. 3 12. in this also So he disputeth à generatione Antichristi no probable opinion For the same Papists and the same Bellarmine affirme that Antichrist shall affirme Se solum esse Deum which cannot bee done by the Iewes Messias for Deus missus mittens have some difference Moreover Antichrist shall be an Apostate vers 3. But one borne and brought up a Iew cannot Apostate from the Christian Religion 3. Of the Tribe of Dan. That he should be Sanders de Antichristo Demonstr 7. that Countreyman this is the opinion of Sanders our Countreyman But it is not very probable for the Iewes expect their Messias out of the Tribe of Iudah hardly therefore will they accept him out of the Tribe of Dan. Nay ex nihilo nihil sit there is no such Tribe as Dan in the world Bellarmine espied this impossibility Bellar. de Pont. Rom. 3. 12. and therefore hee durst not defend their Danish Antichrist 4. That he should bee begotten by a Devill Malvenda de Antichristo lib. 2 cap. 8. this opinion is the child of Malvendaes braine but it is filius populi a bastard Paradox few will Father it Besides in the third verse Antichrist is termed Homo peccati a perfect man And yet the Devill to be his Father these phrases have no full congruity 5. Antichrist shall be borne in Babylon This Malvenda 2 16. is a paradoxe not to be borne withall being both impious and impossible For Babylon in Assyria was utterly extirpated by the Medes and Persians Neither shall it ever bee reedifyed as God himselfe doth teach us Isa 13. 19. Ier. 50. 3. 39. 40. 6. Brought up must he be in Chorazin Bethsaida Rog. Hoven Richard 1. this was the common conceit of the old Christians as it is chronicled by our Hovenden But Chorazin and Bethsaida now are either but villages or not villages Which can give no probabilitie for this fiction that they shall be the famous Nurseries of the most famous Potentate even of Antichrist who shall contend with God himselfe say the Papists for Supremacy 7 Antichrist shall have Daemonē Paredrum a Malvenda 2 22. Devill to bee his Pedant This also may passe for another improbable fiction Indeed that Antichrist shall come with the power of Satan I have read vers 9. But that he shall bee acquainted with the Person of Satan This surely seemeth to have been added to the Scriptare and to the Truth also 8. Audiens Cratyppum idque Athenis having Malvenda 2 22. such a Tutor and such a Place the Devill and Bethsaida Yong Antichrist must prove a Rare Scholler Erit ingenio capacissimo formâ pulcherrimâ saith Malvenda a most beautifull youth beautified with infinite learning An Anti-Xenophon he described the best of all Kings and this man the worst of all Kings but both by way of fiction
and imagination 9. Antichrist shall collect the Iewes 10 Conquer the Heathen 11 cruelly persecute the Christians 12 Kill Enoch and Elias 13 become Monarch of the whole world 14 and have more power and riches and wives than any Monarch from the Creation as famous atchievements as any can wish or imagine From whence Bellarmine and Lessius draw many a delicate Demonstration 15. But the worst is they put a long sword into a short scabberd They will have all those Conversions Persecutions Conquests Mariages and incomparable innumerable actions to be done in the compass of three yeares an halfe Eudaemon taketh great paines to fit them but Eudaemon in Abâ—at 1. sect 5. he commeth a little too short for all his good reckoning 16. The Temple of Hierusalem must bee his Throne 17 therein actually to be adored Fortie and sixe yeeres was the Temple heretofore a building and will Antichrist reare it in lesse than sixe and fortie moneths O admirable expedition More Baronius saith and proveth that it shall never be reared againe That Antichrist therefore shall be adored in the materiall Temple this is an impossible assertion 18 and 19. Antichrist shall take his Rise from Mount Olivet and with his army of Devills transformed into Angells he shall soare in the ayre till that voice from heaven bee heard morere Et confestim fulmine percussus interibit he shall be smote through with a Thunderbolt in the middest of his glorious flight saith Steuartius But perchance what pleased Steuaâ—tius iâ— 2 Thes â— Malvenda lib. 10. cap. 15. him at Ingolstade did not relish Malvenda in Italie For hee saith that Christ shall come downe from heaven simplici verbo by word of mouth shall command Michael the Tutelar Angell to the Christians to destroy Antichrist Then that Michael with lightning shall burne down the Tent of Antichrist into ashes and so Antichrist and his Achates shall be swallowed quicke into the Earth Peracta est Fabula Plaudite That Antichrist shall bee consumed by the breath of Christs mouth and destroyed by the brightnesse of his comming I have heard verse 8. But of flying in the ayre crying from Heaven burning of Tents opening of the earth thunder lightnings These are tragicall inventions without any truth to support them To make good my promise to make it appeare that the popish opinion concerning Antichrist implyeth yea involveth many improbable impossible incredible and incompatible assertions I will present unto your attention onely six points which I have observed out of Malvenda who hath bestowed most labour in this cause of any man that ever set pen to paper Consider the Buildings Marryings and Persecutions of Antichrist his Countreymen Confederates and Kingdomes 1. In his 1â— booke and 6. cap. Antichrist shall Malvenda de Antichristo lib. 11. cap. 6. build the Temple of Hierusalem more sumptuous than the former besides many other goodly and glorious Palaces 2. Antichrist shall have farre more wives than Malvenda 6 22. ever Solomon had although Solomon had a competent number a thousand 1 Reg. 11. 9. 3. All the ten persecutions under the Heathen Malvenda 8 11. Emperours all the persecutions under the Persians Arrians Goths and Vandalls Parvae velitationes sunt are but light skirmishes compared to the bloody warre which the Militant Christians must sustaine under Antichrist Moreover He shall rob spoile and plucke downe all the Churches in the world converting them into Alehouses and Stables 4. An infinite Rabble of the Iewes from all the Malvenda 5 17. Corners of the earth shall swarme to Antichrist 5. Gog and with him the Scythians Tartarians Malvenda 5 17. Cappadocians the inhabitants of Pontus and of the East Countreys of the Euxine sea and Matis the Iberians Albanians Circassians Persians Lybians Aethiopians Galatians Phrygians Turks Sarmatians Arabians of Arabia foelix Dedaneans of Arabia the desert Cilicians and the Inhabitants of Asia the Lesse shall all have a confluence unto Antichrist 6. The whole world which hath been discovered Malvenda 5 17. in the East unto the outmost Chineses and Tartarians in the North to the inmost Muscovites and Gronelanders in the South to the farthest Cafrians Zanzibarians and the Inhabitants of the Cape Bonae Spei and in the West to the farthest parts of Spaine Cuncta dextrâ lavâque Antichristi portentosa Monarchia complectetur Whatsoever is within the compasse of the old world shall be comprised within the territories of Antichrists prodigious Monarchy Yea America also and all those infinite Ilands And we thinke that Antichrist shall bee Totius orbis Monarcha the Emperour of the whole world Collect and conclude to build a more glorious Temple thaÌ„ that which was 46. yeers a building and infinite other buildings in 3 yeers To marrie a thousand wives and more in three yeares To martyr all the Christians and to prophane all their Christian Churches in three yeeres To gather together all the Iewes scattered through the whole world in three yeares To strike a league with Gâ—g the Scythians Tartarians c. in three yeares To subject from Spaine to India and from Muscovie to America in 3. yeares To conclude when as I thinke no Popish person dare undertake to goe through the world in three yeares yet that the Popish Antichrist shal gleane up all the Riches Conquer all men Defile almost all women and possesse all Lands both Ilands and Continent in all the world and all this onely in three yeeres If these appeare not monstrous improbable impossible incredible incompatible paradoxes Then must I confesse that nothing is false and that the Romane is no Antichristian but a true Religion But such as have either Eyes in their Heads or hearts in their Bodies such as are either reasonable men or religious Christians Such as are indued either with the Wisdome of the Spirit or but with the Spirit of Wisedome cannot but see this Palpable Delusion There is a remarkeable discourse in an Epistle The French Anthour translated by Dr. Beard of Pope Leo 9 to Michael Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople that the report was that those of Constantinople being accustomed to behold Eunuchs sitting in the Patriarchall seat at the last they advance thereunto a Woman A fine invention to make the memory of Pope Ioan to vanish by diverting this infamie upon Constantinople where all know never any such thing came to passe The like doe they in this subject for to the end that the true Antichrist may not be knowne they cast out a report that he shall be a Iew c. that men in this vaine expectation may sleepe under his Tyrannie Or as Michal 1 Sam. 14. 13. did put an Image into the bed with a Pillow of Goates-haire c. that David might escape So the Church of Rome doth dresse out to our view an Imaginarie Trienniall Antichrist that so the Pope the true Antichrist may escape our observation Againe and againe therefore I beseech you open