of Rome as what it ought to doe For this is rather an admonition then a commendation and with a praise giueth warning of duty Wherefore you shall doe well Calander as S. Peter warnes you if you alwaies giue attention to the holy Scripture as to the candle to the Church as to the candle-sticke so long as it containeth and vpholdeth that candle giuing light to all the house For if it bee bereft of the light of her sunne and being blinde endeauours to make others blinde also while it makes new Articles of the faith and conceales the old it doth retain the name of a Church but it hath altogether lost the nature that which may very truely be spoken of the Church of Rome § 128 You doe very vnaduisedly traduce the Church of Rome saith Saturnine by whom you thinke that new Articles of the faith were made for the Articles of the faith which it propoundes are diuided into two sortes One are of immediate Reuelation Others are drawne and fetcht from thence What articles of faith the Church maketh The Church doth not make new Articles of the faith of the first sort But the Church maketh Articles of the second sort which ought to bee beleeued with the Catholicke faith as the case requireth if it thinke them necessary Therefore Vincentius Lyrinensis thinketh that the life of propheticall and euangelicall doctrine must be directed by the rule of Ecclesiasticall and Catholike sense so that he doth in vaine brag of the text of scripture who reiecteth the sense of the Church § 129 Then Patriott how absurdly is it said saith he that the Church doth not make immediate reuelations of God Vnlesse that be more absurd to thinke that to fetch and draw from is the same which to make for an Article must first be made before a doctrine can be drawne or fetcht from the same Therefore that is said to bee an Article of the faith which is drawne from an Article Foolishly Articles are principles deductions are conclusions An article is one thing a conclusion drawne from the article is another which often is so contrarie that it vtterly ouerthroweth the article As it shall bee made cleare in the explication of your creede For I confesse with Vincentius Lyrinensis that the line of propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine is to be directed by the rule of the ecclesiasticall and catholicke sense For the ecclesiasticall and catholicke sense must alway agree with the Propheticall and apostolicall text For where the text doth faile vs the glosse cannot helpe vs. Whence I conclude that nothing can bee Catholicke and Ecclesiasticall which is not Propheticall or Apostolicall Now because Vincentius doth restraine the propheticall and apostolicall line to the cannon of the Scripture which he confesseth to be more then sufficient for faith it followeth that nothing contrarie to the canonicall Scripture can be Ca holicke though it bee so determined by the Church Wherefore Calander if the Church of Rome haue cast any article of faith into the Creede of the second sort which is contrarie to an Article of the first sort and haue added an ecclesiasticall glosse disagreeing from the definition of canonicall Scripture that Church shall sooner leaue off to be the Catholicke Church then that Article shall beginne to be Catholicke Let vs come therefore to the Creede and let vs intreat Argentine if hee please to open it vnto vs. Then Argentine I will doe it and very willingly and § 130 I will so professe it as it is propounded by the Bull of Pius the 4. to be a forme of an Oath of the profession of the orthodoxall faith 1 I William Argentine doe firmely admit and hold the Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall traditions and other ordinances and constitutions of the Church of Rome The Popes creede Traditions Scriptures according to the Romane sense 2 I doe firmely hold and admit the holy Scriptures according to that sense which the mother Church hath and doth hold whose right it is to iudge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scripture neither will I euer admit it or expound it but according to the ioynt consent of the fathers 3 I professe that there be seauen Sacraments truely and properly of the new Law 7 Sacraments ordained by our Lord Iesus necessarie for the saluation of mankind Baptisme Confirmation the Eucharist Penance Extream vnction Orders Matrimony I admit the receiued and approoued rites of the Catholicke Church Originall sin and iustification 4 I admit and hold all and euery those points concerning originall sinne and iustification which were determined in the holy Councell of Trent The Masse 5 I professe that there is offered vp in the Masse vnto God a true proper propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Transsubstantiation 6 I beleeue that in the holy Eucharist the body and blood of Christ is truely and really and substantially and that there is made a change of the whole substance of bread into his body and of the whole substance of wine into his blood which change or conuersion the Catholicke Church calleth transsubstantiation I confesse also that vnder one kinde onely whole Christ is receiued and a true sacrament Purgatorie 7 I constantly hold that there is a purgatorie and that the soules there deteined are holpe with the praiers of the faithfull Adoration of Saints 8 I hold that the Saints raigning with Christ are to be worshipped and to be called vpon and that they offer vp their prayers to God for vs and that their reliques are to be worshipped The worshipping of Images 9 I firmely hold that the Images of Christ and the euer blessed Virgin and of other Saintes are to bee had and to be adored with due worshippe Indulgences 10 That the power of indulgences was left by Christ and that the vse of them is very auaileable for saluation The supremacie of the Pope 11 I acknowledge the Catholicke and Apostolicke Romaine Church to be the mother and mistris of all Churches and I vowe and sweare true obedience to the Byshoppe of Rome the successour of blessed Peter the Prince of the Apostles and the Vicar of Iesus Christ The authority of the Councell of Trent 12 I vndoubtedly likewise receiue all other thinges defined and determined by the holy Canons and Occumenicall Councells chiefly of the holy Councell of Trent and I reiect and accurse all things contrarie and all heresies reiected by the Church This true Catholicke faith without which none can § 130 be saued at this present I voluntarily professe I will procure as farre as lyeth in me to be wholy vncorruptly and constantly kept and taught by Gods assistance to my liues end I the same William promise vow and sweare so help me God and these his holy Euangelist And I stand in feare of that which the most holy Father added It shall not bee lawfull for any man to infringe this authoritie of our ordination inhibition
to my selfe that I might lay open the new creede of faith gathered out of the new Articles of faith both open and secret by the Byshoppe of Rome himselfe not so much for our owne Countrimen that are Papists whom if so many bookes so excellently set foorth in English cannot satisfie nothing at all can satisfie as in a Latine Dialogue for their sakes that are in forrain parts And this Dialogue is diuided into three bookes whereof two of them are now set forth the third God willing which at this time lieth in scattered papers if my health will permit shall be committed to print assoone as may be In all which I first bring in a certaine Iesuite Robert Saturnine a turbulent and wicked fellow who with his choisest arguments doth egerly defend heresie and treason And I ioyne with him for an answerer Antonius Patriotta an Orthodoxall Diuine Cicero You know the manner of Dialogues that men speake those things in them which they neuer spake Therefore Saturnine will happily complaine that those things are laid to his charge which he neuer spake whenas I dare religiously affirme that this factious Priest doth not vse onely the arguments of the chiefest Iesuits but their methode and their wordes chiefly of Alan Bellarmine and Parsons that any of them in all things may seeme to be Robert Saturnine I haue prefixed before the Dialogue a true looking-glasse for the Pope i. a liuely picture of Antichrist prophetically drawne out by S. Paul and S. Iohn expounded by the antient Fathers as farre as they could foresee and by the new more certainely by the euent I thought good to set it together with short conclusions prest to that end wherein the Pope with all his rabble may discerne himselfe For the order of nature did require that he should euict the Pope to be Antichrist which appeareth by the Glasse who had a purpose to proue poperie to be Antichristianity which is taught in the Creede I thought good to set before them both the Glasse of Christ and a short compendium of Christianity fetcht out of the Gospell and expressed in my Epistle to the Christian Reader For you know that two duties belong to the Minister one that hee preach Christ sincerely the other that he plainely lay open Antichrist as that worthy man and Martyr of God Iohn Husse thought in his time Now all this I know not how little or nothing fathers and brethren I submit to your iudgement and commit to your patronage For those reasons which seemed equall to me to take in hand the defense of the busines should seem so to you for the defense of my person I when I read that there was mention made of the popish creede by our men but saw that it was laid open by none to my knowledge of set purpose with any of their discourses I tooke the matter in hand not so much in hope to performe that I should doe as for desire to trie what I could doe hoping thereby to stirre vp other mens cares who can deale in the busines more learnedly and eloquently You haue hitherto heard why I vndertooke this labor now if it please you vnderstand why I dedicated it to you For when I perceiued that the whole body of Religion was to be handled by me in this Creed I thought good most humbly to call together the Religious Clergie to bee Patron of this worke of whom the Romish Clergie haue taken so many deadly blowes that they feare no Clergies forces and blowes more and whom it greeueth them to see endowed of God with so many excellent parts of pietie knowledge tongues and prophesie Therefore that great Tiberine fisherman when as his trade of fishing began to be laid aside and waxe cold because that certaine great fishes had broken out of his netts torne and worne for age drew vnto him certaine skilfull workemen out of our Vniuersities with deceitfull rewards who might mend againe the netts being so tatterd and torne and make them fit to catch not Soules but Crownes and those whom he first caught with his golden baite as fishes he sent backe againe as fishermen Whereto agreeth that of Martiall He sent vs great rewards but sent them on a hooke How can the fish on fisherman in louely manner looke With the same cunning deceipt he doth daily endeuour to entangle young learned students and to entise them with deadly gifts vnto him that they may helpe and vphold his forlorne and desperate quarrell Wherein he seemes to be like to that Pithius the vsurer in Cicero Cic Offic 3. who that he might cosen Cannius a plaine countrey Gentleman calld to him all the fishermen and taught them what they should do that they should fish altogether and bring the fish when it was caught and lay them at his feete by which deuise hee might sell his farme at a dearer rate So the Bishop hath sent for fishermen out of Germanie Which is the Popes signet but chiefly out of England vnder the ring of the fisherman who should secretly returne to the fish ponds whence they came and being caught themselues should catch others and should bring their boates and fishes of all sorts to him that by that meanes he might make the marchandise of his Church the more salable This is the Bishops cunning Was this the reason he allured our youth vnto him with rewards and placed them in his Colleges of Rome and Rhemes that he should send them backe twise worse than hee found them This cousenage of our young men wherewith this grand cousoner of the world doth vphold his seat is to be preuented with all the aduise we can Whereby hee doth plainly shew what great confidence he puts in our mens witts wherewith he perceiueth that the tower of Babylon is both most egerly defended and impugned in this age of ours Hee hath none of his side more learned than the English-Priests chiefely the Iesuites who that they might infect the English write in English in the iudgement of wisemen elegantly in the iudgement of fooles probably that they may supply that by the goodnes of their style which is wanting to the goodnes of their cause Neither yet doe they bring any new matter but they pol sh and trim ouer their old stuffe obiected a hundred times by their side and refuted a hundred times by ours and they cast a new colour and flourish ouer there thred-bare and withered arguments that the Iesuites schoole may seeme to haue refined old poperie as Medea did Pelia with her enchantments The discription of a Papist But it doth bewray in the encounter both her feare and diffidence while she doth enlarge the Canon with the Apocriphals diminish the Scripture with her traditions ouerthrow the originall with her translation peruert the text with her glosse In the meane while she sends out bookes wherein she stuffes out hir arguments concluded commonly out of meere allegories enforced proportions lame similitudes fained miracles foolish
It is wicked what peace what consent what agreement can be with the holy scriptures and mans traditions with free will and Gods grace with inherent iustice and imputed righteousnesse with mans satisfactions and my blood procuring their saluation what holy society and vnity can there bee with the inuocation of dead Saints and the prayers to the liuing God with the popish Masse and the Lords supper with Christian faith and Antichristian distrust You see it is wicked now marke how dangerous Sweete is the name of peace the opinion of vnitie is delightsome But what true Christian doth doubt that that bond of peace is most sure which is knit together with the truth and vnitie of the Spirit Whence it followeth that sweete destruction is included in that peace which is made with falsehood I adde that there cannot possibly bee peace between the seede of the woman and the seede of the serpent betweene the lambe and Antichrist betweene those where God hath set euerlasting hatreds Fire and water will better agree then Christ and Antichrist wherefore I aduise Protestant Kings and Princes that they make perfect that reformation of the Church by my helpe which by my helpe they haue begunne First that they compose all home differences chiefly in the Articles of the doctrine of the Gospell with quiet and Christian conference for it is to bee feared that inward dissention will bring backe againe the outward enemy Secondly that they resist the common Aduersarie with common helpe and counsell for there is danger that if euery one resist not all will be surprised Thirdly that they may the better defend their Christ let them at once set vpon Antichrist for hee hath more courage that doth inuade then he that doth defend Lastly if they cānot in all points fulfil the prophecy yet let them banish the beast out of their Dominions For it is impossible that Christ and Antichrist should dwell together In the end I aduise both sides that in the deliberation of this great businesse they preferre not worldly wisedome before heauenly wisedome secondly that the euill custome of men bee not preiudiciall to the eternall truth of God Thirdly that sluggish doubtfulnesse do not put of and procrastinate this so noble and so worthy an enterprise Lastly that the deceitfull condition of peace with Antichrist doe not crosse the desire of recouering libertie So that euery one of you being content with his own kingdome and territories shall not busie himselfe about inuading others but will cast about how he may preuaile and ouerthrow the Deuill and his eldest sonne the Romane Antichrist i. not one wicked man but all the Kingdome of vnrighteousnesse Euery one of you haue a iust cause of his owne and now you haue a faire offer made you The truce made betweene Caesar and the Turke offers a fit occasion to represse the insolencie of this Bishoppe after you will more easily repell the Turke And seeing you haue both a iust quarrell and fit oportunitie against the beast let there not be wanting a will in you If Christ the Sauiour ô ye renowmed Kings and Princes do speake thus secretly vnto you and inwardly warne you shall he not perswade you though he were not of power to punish you The rather seeing he hath shewed that the Pope is a Capitall enemie to Gods testament and kingly gouernment The Pope hath cast such proiects and Rome takes such counsells that kingly Maiestie and popelike Maiestie cannot long stand together Our sinnes makes the Bishoppe great who if he rise to that greatnesse which hee aimeth at in his minde Kings of necessitie must fall to the ground My Dialogue shall make it plaine if it please you to vouchsafe to read it wherein pragmaticall Antichrist first enters the stage Glory to God PRAGMATICALL ANTICHRIST OR HJLDEBRAND BROVGHT TO LIFE OR The first Dialogue of Christian obedience due to Kings against Antichristian rebellion couered vnder the shew of Catholike RELIGION The Speakers be sixe 1. MICHAEL CALANDER 2. William Argentine two noble Romane Catholikes Laickes as they be termed one more gentle the other more fierce 3. George Velbacel an old Priest Calanders Confessor 4. Robert Saturnine a Iesuite Argentines Guest one more milde and moderate the other more violent and bitter 5. Antonius Patriotta a Professor of the reformed Diuinitie 6. Carolus Regius a common Lawyer either of them a Maintainer of our Religion Countrie and King AFter that Paule the fift had sent two bulles into England wherein hee § 1 had forbidden his Catholike sons as he stiles them to take the Oath of Allegeance and obedience I remember there was speech after the end of Easter Tearm that two Lay noble Romane-Catholickes Michael Calander and William Argentine went aside out of the city into their country-house to aduise about their affaires It was said that old George Velbacell the Archpriest whom age and custome had made more milde and gentle went with them together with his keeper that he might ease the trouble of his long imprisonment with some country delight There followed not long after a wandring Iesuite younger in yeares a man of a fiery spirit his name was Robert Saturnine He that he might conceale his Priesthood couered his bald pate with a Gregorian or periwigge and seemed by his attire to be a Courtier There happened at that time to arriue to Calander a man full of curtesie and hospitalitie Antonius Patriotta and Charolus Regius one of them a Doctor in Diuinity the other a great Councellour at Law both of them an aduersarie to Poperie yet so that they could finde in their hearts to loue the person of a Papist if they thought him an honest man and a faithfull subiect to their King and Countrey They came of purpose to perswade Calander their olde acquaintance to take the Oath of supremacie if it might be if not at least the oath of Allegeance lest if he did refuse it hee might giue iust occasion to our worthy King to be alienated in minde from him and so might bring some trouble to that Noble and auntient Familie § 2 Here Calander vpon a scruple of conscience which the Popes two bulles did seeme to inflict to the superstitious old man Patriotta said that hee tooke a pause for a while and to haue answered at the last with teares in his eyes Let vs lay aside for a time these sad discourses Antonie and Charles and let me lead you being weary of your iournie into your chamber where you may repose and refresh your selues before supper And that you may not be ignorant what guests you are like to finde in my house I dare be bold to tell you whom euer I haue found my trusty and faithful friends to haue beene earnest Disputants not dangerous informers and to haue gauled the Papists not with your accusations but your arguments my old familiar friend Argentine shall be with you at Supper and Velbace◠my Confessor who hath taken the oath of Allegeance himselfe
cast down to deiect kings lift vp kings and to bestow a Kingdome vpon whom hee please Hee sent Samuel onely to denounce it to Saul and to annoynt Dauid in his roome Samuel did annoint Dauid when God did expressely command it therefore the Pope may depose a Prince although God did not expressely command it I pray tell me hath the Pope any reuelation from God to depriue a King No you will say but hee hath a commandement as before him many other had true to denounce the iudgements of God either temporall or eternall not to execute them God is the actour in casting downe of Saul not Samuel God inflicted the punishment as a Iudge Samuel onely did publish it as a messenger neither as he was a Prophet by his generall vocation but as hee was a Prophet by speciall instinct appointed to that purpose not as Superiour to Saul but as Gods messenger who did precisely lay this chaâ—ge on him and named the successour with his own mouth What is this to the Pope vnlesse you thinke the prerogatiue proper to the mighty God communicable with a sinnefull man which if hee take it on him without Gods speciall and expresse commandement he doth not exercise it vnder God but equall as God And whatsoeuer is done without God is done against God But Saul as you say is deposed by Samuel by Gods commandement God set downe the censure Samuel declared it I adde also out of the text hee did not declare the § 32 person of Saul to bee cast out of the possession of the kingdome as you say but the off-spring of Saul from the succession of the kingdom for Israel and Iuda after Saul was reiected of God and Dauid annointed did for all that with Dauid obey him many yeers 1. Sam. 24.11 whom Dauid after his deposing called his Lord and the Lords annoynted God keepe mee saith hee from laying my hands vpon him for he is the annoynted of the Lord he doth not say he was but he is the annoynted of the Lord. And he restrained himselfe in ot for feare but for conscience not for curtesie but for duty when he found him sleeping in the caue and one of his captaines would haue killed him Take heede saith he what you doe 1. Sam. 24.5 for who shall strike the Lords annoynted and be guilâ—lesse hee did not thinke it compassion because hee spared him but hee would haue thought it a sinne if hee had layd his hand on him Hence arose that scruple in his conscience because he had cut off the lappet of the Kings garment hee trembled when hee cut off the skirt of the kings coat these good fellowes blush not to offer violence to the kings person Hee commanded the man to be thrust thorough who had killed Saul the Lords annointed these appoint earthly heauenly rewards for such as murther annointed Kings And if all Israel did of right obey Saul being reiected § 33 by Gods command if Dauid himselfe annointed the successour of the kingdome did performe all loyall obedience to him if he reuerenced him as the Lords annoynted and condemned it as a sinne in himselfe if he had layd his hand vpon him when hee might and reuenged it vpon another that had committed it how can the Pope absolue the subiects from the oath of obedience made to any king whatsouer or make his act meritorious who doth kill him from whom the Pope without any authoritie hath taken the gouernment you see therefore that there is neither truth in the Antecedent of your enthymem nor coherence in the consequence § 34 After the same manner wee may answere you about Ieroboam The example of Ieroboam answered that which your selfe confesse by the way that the Prophet was sent who should denounce the punishment in word only not violently inflict it himselfe and did not vtter one word of the schisme and deposing but onely foretold what should follow that Iosias should ouerturne that altar and burne the Priests bones vpon it as it fell out 300. yeares after Ieroboam was dead But whether it prefigured our falling from the Apostolicall sea Ieroboam and his Priests types of poperie as you call it or your backsliding from the Apostolicall truth and whether Ieroboam with his altar doe represent your Pope who hath corrupted the true and auncient worship of God with vnwritten traditions or our Princes who haue reformed it so corrupted by the holy Scriptures it is not to be argued at this time onely I see a great likenesse betweene his calues and your idoll vpon the altar I appeale to your religious wisedome what difference is there in the case of Idolatrie whether a caluish or a crustie Godhead bee adored I know your answere you doe not worshippe the bread but Christ in the bread And Ieroboams Priests might make the same answere that they worshipped not the calfe but God in the calfe whose Idolatrie for all that you hold to be condemned But whether Ieroboams Priests be the types of our Ministers or of your shaulings and whether they be more abiect and hungerstaru'd they who for conscience sake serue the liuing God or your Priests who to fill their paunches serue the golden calfe it belongs not to this question in hand And all this example proueth nothing else but that a wicked King may rightly bee reprehended of a Prophet as a wicked Pope may of any Priest yet you would not say that a Pope might iustly bee deposed of him as neither the king by the Prophet although hee were greiuously reprehended by him as hee well deserued § 35 Neither leprous Ozias though hee were shut from the company of men according to the Law Ozias the Leperous no type of excommunication whom you make the figure of a spirituall Leper and by that reason of one that is excommunicate was at any time thrust from his kingdome because the gouernment thereof was committed to his sonne 4. Reg. 15. For Ozias continued king to his dying day as the Scripture calleth him in the 25. yeare of his raigne which was the last of his life Iothan therefore was not as yet the King but the Kings Vicegerent while his father liued Neither did any Leper by Gods law loose his priuate inheritance Inheritance not lost for leprosie much lesse a king the publicke inheritance of the crowne Neither did heresie which you tearme a spirituall leprosie driue any out of his kingdome no more then couetousnesse or ambition or the contempt of the word cast the Pope out off his Popedome which the Fathers called the leprosie of the soule And if leprosie shall remoue a king out of his throne how shall the Popes hold their chaires that you leprous conclusion doth as well touch the Popes myter as the Kings crowne This figure then is as pernitious to the Pope as to the King For whereas you said it was the office of the Priest to separate those that were Lepers there you
not Christ but for Christ a Substitute to his Person and an Opposite to his Glory for in many things hee makes himselfe equall to Christ The Pope wherein he makes himself equall to Christ carrying himselfe like God forgiuing sinnes redeeming soules making new articles of the faith the Iudge of all men himselfe to be iudged by no man That although hee call not himselfe God yet he makes a shew as if he were God as the Apostle teacheth Is not this the liuely picture of the Pope Doth it not present him vnto vs almost palpable Not so saith Bellarmine For Antichrist doth thinke himselfe to be God alone wherein he doth not agree with himselfe Bellarmines Antichrist is the Messias of the Iewes who doth brag that he is sent from God He doth not therefore bragge that he is God alone for God that doth send is one and God that is sent is another Againe he saith The Pope doth not sit as God but as a Bishop but yet as he that hath all the power of God both in heauen and in earth as he saith in another place He sitteth therefore at the least as a Bishop deified But he doth not call himselfe Christ But hee taketh to him if not the name yet the power of Christ This therefore I inferre Who sitteth as God in the Church and makes a shew as if he were God the same is Antichrist The Pope hath done and doth this The Pope therefore is Antichrist How the Pope lifteth vp himselfe against God For doe not thinke Paul the fift that Antichrist is so foolish to lift vp himselfe aboue God or doth swell with greater pride then doth befit a miserable mortall man He is sayd therefore Not to lift vp himselfe against euery God true and false as Bellarmine supposeth Wherin he doth contradict himselfe For a Magician doth not lift vp himselfe aboue all that is God For he doth not lift vp himselfe aboue the Diuell who is the God of this world Bellar. de Pont. lib. 3. cap. 14. But Antichrist is a Magician as Bellarmine saith Therefore Antichrist doth not lift vp himselfe aboue all that is God as the Cardinall saith But hee doth lift vp himselfe aboue all that is called God as the Apostle teacheth To whom not the essence of God The name of God to whō imputed in the Scripture but the name of God is attributed for the name of God in the Scripture is giuen to the Angels in heauen and the Princes on the earth for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not only signifie Maiesticall or Maiesty but it is also any thing which is worshipped as God or wherein God is worshipped And therefore the images alters among the Heathens were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now when as the Pope beareth rule ouer the Angels in heauen and ouer the Princes in the earth and ouer holy things in the Church it cannot be but hee needes must be Antichrist CHAP. VIII How Antichrist doth denie Christ NEither suffer your selfe Pope Paul the fift to be deluded by them who shal tell you that Christ is not openly expressely and directly denied by Antichrist so properly called For Antichrist was not so blockish that hee would openly and directly denie Christ by whose name and profession hee saw so much profit and honour to come vnto him you may bee sure hee was not so madde It was therefore requisite that he might both satisfie his owne hatred and serue his owne turne he should denie Christ secretly by consequent indirectly for could Antichrist possibly haue held his gouernment so manie yeeres in the Church if he had openly denied Christ certainely hee could neuer haue held it for all those Christians ouer whom he gouerned would either haue hist him out for a foole or burnt him vp for a blasphemour It was not therefore for Antichrists profit to deny Christ after this manner Adde moreouer that hee is described by the Apostle to be a cunning and a crafty companion and that he shall come with all deceit of iniustice Popery is a mystery of Iniquity Besides all his religion is not called iniquitie but the mystery of iniquity And the glosse hath noted that the mysticall impiety of Antichrist shall bee cloakt ouer with the name of piety It had beene therefore very absurd to haue denied Christ plainely openly and expressely for that did no whit agree either with the good of his kingdome or the humour of Antichrist or the mystery of Iniquity It followeth therefore that he denied Christ secretly implicitly and indirectly and retaining the name of Christ did abolish his faith and doctrine But that belongeth to petty Antichrists to denie Christ secretly and indirectly but to that great Antichrist directly and openly wherevpon his comming is called a Reuelation as Bellarmine doth sophistically gather By which words is expressed not the manner of the deniall of Christ but the manner of vsurping his kingdome For if you consider the manner of doctrine the apostacie of the great Antichrist is called mysticall and so is his opposition as of all the rest but that their apostacie from Christ ought to be counted particular his vniuersall And therefore for all Bellarmines words that Antichrist doth denie Christ secretly and indirectly as the Pope who though hee doth in word expresly and directly confesse Christ to be God and man yet he doth closely and indirectly denie hoth Christs Diuinitie and his Humanitie CHAP. IX The Pope taketh away the properties of ech nature in Christ. FOR hee taketh away the properties of ech Nature The Godhead is infinite the Humanitie finite The Pope doth set out the Deitie of the Father in pictures and images and doth imagine the humanitie of Christ to be present in many places at once and therefore doth forge a finite Diuinitie and an infinite Humanitie He doth confesse directly in word that Christ is iust and mercifull but in deed doth indirectly denie both for perfect iustice doth not admit imperfect satisfaction that is humane and perfect mercy doth not grant imperfect pardon it doth not remit the fault and retayne the punishment The Pope doth teach that imperfect satisfaction and pardon is performed by Christ to the faithfull he doth therefore denie vnto Christ perfect iustice and mercy and so makes Christ a plaine I doll CHAP. X. The Pope denieth the three offices of Christ HE doth in word acknowledge the three offices of Christ but indirectly denieth them his Prophecie his Priesthood and his Kingdome His prophesie First his Prophecie while hee telleth vs that the Canonicall Scriptures wherein the voice of our Prophet in all things necessarie to saluation is fully conteyned whether they be principles of faith or precepts of life to be very imperfect And therefore doth account his Decretall Epistles among the Canonicall Scriptures Distinc 9. Sic omnes Fie vpon such blasphemie and intolerable pride Herein he is a very Iew in that he abrogateth
Gods commandements by mans traditions For as the Iewes had the vnwritten Cabala to interpret the old Testament so the Pope hath brought in his vnwritten traditions as the Iewish Cabala whereby hee doth bring a sense of his owne what pleaseth him of the written commandements of God But with the same argument that Christ did refute the Iewish we doe briefely refute the Popish traditions The obseruation of humane traditions is the abrogation of Gods heauenly commundements Matth 15. witnesse Christ But Poperie is the obseruation of humane traditions witnesse the Decretalls Here Duarenus said pretily that it fared ill with mens affaires since the decrees had gotten winges that is since the Decretalls were so sawcie as to flie into the Church ouer the Scriptures Therefore Poperie is the abrogation of Gods heauenly commandements I will bring one example wherein it appeareth that Bellarmine the Popes sweet-heart hath by his exposition ouerthrowne one of the greatest commandements of the Law Bellarmines lewd dealing with the second commandement God said Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any likenesse to worship Here Bellarmine distinguisheth Thou shalt not worship an Idoll But thou shalt worship an Image A distinction of the word not of the thing Far an Image is an Idoll when it is worshipped But the worshipping of an Idoll is Idolatrie and in the Commandement there is no mention made of an Idoll but of a likenes and that of euery likenes which as it were the genus or generall doth comprehend equally both Image and Idoll But Idolatrie is to worship the Creature for the Creator yea by your leaue with the Creator too for the worship of any likenes is absolutely forbidden in the law whether it be worshipped for God or with God And the reason of the prohibition is absolute Idolatrie is compared to fornication and God to a iealous husband who by no meanes will haue the likenes of any thing to be worshipped either before him or with him Bellarmine seemeth to alledge the same excuse for his idolatrie which the harlot doth for her adulterie for shee telleth her iealous husband I tooke not this Letcher for my Husband but for my Friend I tooke him with you not for you So this adulterous minde of Bellarmine answereth to God that is full of iealousie I do not worship the image for God but with God not for the Creator but with the Creator But God as a most iealous husband doth absolutely forbid any worship of an image as the lewd imbracing of an adulterer Ioh 9. v. 20. and therefore S. Iohn calleth the worshipper of an Idoll the worshipper of the Deuill Now it is plaine that the Pope is a worshipper of an Idoll therefore the worshipper of the Deuill The Pope oweth me a good turne for saying he is an Idolater wherein I feare I shall seeme to prevaricate and dissemble that while I giue him the name of an Idolater I take from him the name of Antichrist For Antichrist is not an Idolater as Bellarmine would haue it The Pope is an Idolater as truth it selfe would haue it Therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I counsell the Pope that if he giue credit to Bellarmines proposition he graunt our assumption so while he take to himselfe the name of an Idolater hee may happily lay aside the name of Antichrist But he will resume it so giddie headed and wauering is Bellarmine By whose confession Antichrist doth worship Maozim that is as he saith the Deuill But the worshipper of the Deuill is an Idolater Antichrist therefore is an Idolater But the Pope hath taken to him the note of an Idolater from holy Iohn let him therefore take againe to him the note of Antichrist From hence ariseth that which I intended to proue that the Pope doth nothing else but abrogate and annihilate a principall commandement of God with his tradition and opposition What is it to denie the Prophecie of Christ if this be not what as though hee hath not only corrupted but also peruerted the Gospell of Christ The Popes fift Gospell while hee hath suffered a fift Gospell to be coyned by his Dominicans as Matth Parisiensis doth witnesse They called it the Gospell of the Holy Ghost Anno 1254. Math. in Hen. 3. and the eternall Gospell wherein they taught that Christ is not God nor his Gospell the true Gospell and that compared to their Gospell his was the shell and theirs the kernell O blasphemie to be punished with hell fire Hereof they be the Neptunian or rather Vulcanian Fathers who in that Tridentine furnace haue by their fiering and hammering shap't out that prophane Gospell anew but without the name of the fift Gospell Although Clement the eight did of late gladly and willingly take vnto him the name of the fift Euangelist put vpon him by crouching Gâ—briel that detestable Parasite as though Clement had finished the fift Gospell which doth not onely giue a blow to the foure Gospells but a deadly wound The authors whereof doe incurre Pauls curse which is denounced not only to Popes but to Apostles and Angells if any shall bring in not a contrarie but another Gospell Not if any contrarie but if any besides that which the Galathians receiued of Paul that is besides that which they had receiued out of the legall and euangelicall Scriptures as Augustine did expound the place if they doe not only preach or ouerthrow the whole Gospell but if they doe neuer so litle preach beside the Gospell or doe thwart any thing as Chrysostome hath explained the place For another Gospell doth not only corrupt but peruert the Gospell of Christ The Pope of Rome doth not onely bring in another but a contrarie wherein hee doth not onely adde many things but oppose many things against the Gospell of Christ In the one hee doth weaken the Gospell in the other he destroyeth it for euery addition doth import an imperfection euery opposition a falshood And therefore Poperie is to be deemed not only a corruption but a subuersion of the Gospell Out of that fift Gospell is their new Creed of their faith taken which conteyneth twelue articles of the faith to be discussed in the Dialogue following For the making whereof diuers Popes heretofore tooke great paines and euery one added a peece of his owne till it came to full perfection by Pius the fourth and hath been lately printed by your authoritie Paul the fift that the great glory of your omnipotent power in the Papacie might appeare As likewise the conformities of S. Francis are lately brought to light and by your commandement published in print I thinke that typicall Iesus being brought againe into the world by you might remoue the true Iesus out of his throne Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered Let true Iesus vtterly confound the typicall Iesus Do not these things Paul the fift manifestly proue that thou art that great Antichrist who althogh thou do openly in word confesse that