I heare of some I hope they bee but a few false brethren like to Ianus are wont to bee though lightly bitten and reprehended Who if they be not ours they might doe very well if they would more open themselues if they be ours as I rather desire let them fauour our holy labours vnlesse they desire to heare of some writer of ours which Lelius a certaine criticall reprehender heard out of Martiall When Lelius carpeth mine and keepeth in his verse Or let him hold his prate or else his owne rehearse For it is both greeuous and vnseemly that their writings should be closly bit with a Theonine tooth by false brethren whose throates are first assailed with a leonine crueltie by open enemies There is almost none of our writers who haue not written that the Pope is Antichrist But there be certaine men among vs very moderate forsooth and politicke who would not haue the Aduersarie so angered and stirred vp with so sharpe a conclusion and that thereby all hope of composition and peace betweene the parties should bee cut off betweene whom they thinke to bee a great difference of wordes but little or none at all of things that God is alike deare to each Church and that the liturgie of each is alike accepted of God that saluation is in both when each doth rest vpon Christ the foundation that a Papist may although halting come to heauen and that the hatred of Papists is not so great as we make it and that it is not conceiued by their owne accord but that it is encensed by such bitter disputations and that the quarrell had been ended if certaine hot spirited Theologians had not encreased the controuersie These luke-warme Christians that seeme to bee of no side and of both sides seeme to dispute soberly and politickly But your religious wisedome Christian Reader doth better vnderstand that the Romane Synagogue is full of idolatrie and that it doth therefore hate God and by Moses iudgement is againe hatefull to God neither was Caine prouoked with any iniurie of Abels but by his owne malice and hatred of godlines And though both of them were wont to sacrifice to God in Adames house yet Caines sacrifice was reiected Abels accepted and the worke pleased God for the person not the person for the worke that which Saint Gregorie gathereth out of Moses because the person was first made righteous by faith as the Apostle taught Heb. 11. and that therefore there is no lesse difference of worship and faith betweene a Protestant and a Papist then was betweene Caine and Abell And that the Synagogues anger against our Church is as implacable as Caines against Abell and Ismaels against Isaac and that before it was stirred vp with the blast of contention it was moued with hatred of the promise And as the hatred of Ismael against the promise which he derided being couered with a visard of circumcision brake out against the sonne of the promise so the hidden and secret hatred of the Synagogue of Rome against the holy scriptures the tables of the promise as I said being couered with a certaine shew of voluntarie religion did greiuously breake and burne out against our Church the heire of the promise so that Agar doth not leaue off to persecute Sara againe the Haidmayde her Mistris in the house of Abraham And when it can bee proued that Caines sacrifice was as well accepted of God as Abels then I will grant that the Papists Masse be as acceptable to God as the Liturgie of the Protestants and when it can be euicted that Christ alone apprehended by faith without our workes is not the foundation of the church I wil grant that the same is the foūdation of both Churches Lastly when it shall appeare that Ismael the sonne of the handmaide borne by the power of nature is coheyre of the house of Abraham with Isaac the sonne of the free woman borne by the force of the promise then I will grant that an obstinate Papist may come halting to heauen In the meane time I will warne these luke-warme and halting Protestant that they will giue sentence in Gods matters according to the certaine truth of God not out of their prevaricating charitie and that there be no middle counsell to be taken neither let them trust the Pope being more ioyntly and easily intreated by them will be the more easie and gentle to them Whom we by short conclusions out of holy Paul and Iohn excellently expounded by notable worthies of our Church although a little more bitterly and roughly then seemeth good to some we shew to be Antichrist I confesse that this is a weighty and darke prophecie whose importance doth reiect the vanitie of tales whose obscuritie requireth more cleare light of interpretation So it falleth out sometime that the exposition is larger the conclusion shorter For a short exposition and a long conclusion are faultie alike when hard and controuersies of importance are handled For a short exposition wants light and a long conclusion wants sharpenesse of wit The Aduersarie doth offend in both while hee is busied in the interpretation of the prophecie for it doth lessen things of weight neither doth it make plaine matters obscure For hee doth depresse the excellencie of the prophecy by stuffing it vp with the vanitie of many fables and being satisfied with vncertaine coniectures of Fathers and with their naked names hath not driuen away the obscuritie So it falleth out that from strange and vnkinde expositions of the prophecie they gather weake and idle conclusions In the vnfoulding of this mysterie the holy fathers haue stood vs in good steed and more had if they had beene Prophets But whenas they Daniel being the Authour doe teach that the vnderstanding of the prophesie is to be taken from the performance of it and grant that truth is the daughter of time we that are fallen vpon the endes of times conferring all the parts of the prophecie betweene themselues with great study and reuerence and bringing light to the text out of the context and to the context out of the euent because Christ hath opened the booke that was sealed vp nor called it an a A thing sealed hidden apocrypse but an b A thing opened and reuealed apocalypse we do from thence more confidently drawe a conclusion not as an Article of faith but as asure demonstration of the doctrine of Christ Although the popish Synagogue which without any testimonie of Scripture makes this the thirteenth Article of their faith I beleeue that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ may iustly pardon the reformed Church if being taught by so many testimonies of Scripture it make this to be an Article of their faith I beleeue that the Pope is Antichrist Now I did foresee that when I made a looking glasse for Paul the 5. it would come to passe that the Iesuites who do so often traduce the King of great Britaine with their slanderous and infamous libels
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
at all suffer either the truth of Gods Testament to be so corrupted by such wicked Impostors or the maiestie of kingly gouernment to bee so defaced For the dissolution of gouernment springeth out of the corruption of Gods Testament Wherefore if they would admit of wholesome counsail they would iudge these deceitfull Iuglers who make controuersies last for euer by the pernicious quirkes and trickes were to bee supprest by armes not to be refuted by arte for certainely these will neuer leaue off to offer dishonour to God and wrong to Kings § 153 Then Saturnine you are too hot and earnest sayd he Patriott against that most learned Cardinall and light of our age And you must leaue off said he to praise your Cardinall and prooue the supremacie For your Popish writers could neuer yet agree vpon a text whereon the supremacie was plainely grounded Then Saturnine what is more plaine and euident saith hee then that Peter is called the head of the Apostles Ephes 1. The Popish diuision of the head and the rocke whereon Christ promised he would build his Church Matth. 16. for although S. Paul do call Christ the principall and inuisible head of the Church which giueth life to the whole bodie of the Church yet it is euident that there is a ministeriall and a visible head appointed by Christ that may outwardly gouerne the whole Church Cor. 12. whereof hee maketh mention Corinth 12. The head cannot say to the feete I haue no neede of you which cannot be vnderstood of Christ the principall head For Christ the eternall word of God can say to vs It followeth not but might haue beene aswell spoken to Iohn or Iames. I haue no neede of you it followeth then that it is to bee vnderstood of a ministeriall head that is Peter and Peters successour the Bishop of Rome And although Paul doe affirme Christ to bee that one onely cheife foundation of the Church 1 Cor. 3 1◠yet when he saith in another place that the Church is builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles therfore vpon the person of Peter the Prince of the Apostles as Christ did first call him the Rocke and Esay when in the spirit of prophesie he spake in the person of God Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation A text peculiarly proper to Christ blasphemously applied to Peter as hee vnderstandeth Christ the cheife foundation whereof the Apostle speaketh Another foundation 1. Cor. 3. so hee did foreshew Peter whom Christ called the rocke and the Pope that precious corner stone that surefoundation but a second foundation Bellarm in praefat de Rom. Pont. cap. 1. As was likewise prophesied of one head which the sonnes of Iuda and the sonnes of Israel being assembled should appoint to themselues Whereby it appeareth that there ought to be one vniuersall Bishop of the whole Church Saunders of the visib Monar l. 4. c. 5 and that Christ and his Vicar make one head one visible and ministeriall head whereon all the Church should depend for the remedy of schisme one rocke one secondarie foundation euen the person and chaire of Peter whereon the Church might rest for feare of slipping and falling Let vs aske after the fathers the sincere interpreters of § 154 the Scripture Optatus who thinketh that the word Cephas as it signifieth a head taken from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore calleth Peter the head of the Apostles For the word stone in the Syriake signifieth head in the Greeke Ad Marcel tom Epist 2. each prerogatiue of Peter is described by that word Now that the person of Peter was both called and laid the rocke of the Church by Christ Ierome is a witnesse who doth plainely affirme that Peter was he vpon whom the the Lord founded the Church And to Damasus tom Epist 2. August in Psal contra part Donat. I am ioyned in communion with your blessednesse that is to the chaire of Peter I know that the Church is builded vpon that rocke And Austin when hee maketh mention of the seat of Peter saith that that is the rocke Cypria de vnica Ecces Cathol And Cyprian Whosoeuer doth forsake the chaire of Peter whereon the Church is builded doth hee trust to bee in the Church It would bee too long to reckon vp all the fathers who haue written that the person of Peter was called and placed the rocke by Christ whereon hee promised not only to build the Church at that time but would build it after And therefore I alleadged three who called it not the person of Peter only but called the chaire the rocke that I might note downe in the Bishop of Rome the perpetuall building of the Church according to the words of Christ Now bee packing Patriott and deny if you can this cheife article of the Catholike faith that the supremacie and principallity of Peter is plainly grounded vpon the Scriptures Whence a diuers beginning and excellency may bee gathered both of the Ecclesiasticall and secular gouernment that the Pope as spirituall Prince as Peter hath deriued his power immediately from Christ to gouerne his subiects But secular Princes haue receiued their power mediately to gouerne their subiects either by the means of election as the Emperour and King of Polonia or of hereditary succession as the Kings of Spaine France England or of grant and donation as the free Princes or of iust warre and conquest as Godfrey heeretofore and other Lords held the holy land Therefore to the Pope as to Peter ordained the cheife spirituall Prince immediately from Christ in the Church as to the head and rocke of the Church spiritual obedience for conscience sake is to be giuen of all Christians But to secular Kings ordained mediately by humane titles onely secular obedience for policies sake to preserue good order and manners is to bee performed obedience to the higher power alway being preserued which I would haue you know I speake to that end that I might call to your remembrance Calander that whereof you cannot bee ignorant that you doe so sweare fealty to the King that you abiure not your fealty to the Vicar of Christ The vse of which article I thought good shortly to set before all Catholikes in respect of their Princes § 155 Then Patriots you haue spoken much in few words sayd he Saturnine and almost all I am sure the cheifest points which your men doe alleadge out of the Scripture for the supremacy so that you seeme to haue placed them in the rereward as your best soulders at the push of the pike whom if I shall by Gods grace ouerthrow I trust I shall more easily defeat the rest of your broken and scattered forces And first wee must shortly see in what sense Christ the eternal sonne of God is said to be the head the rock and foundation of the Church and so it shall easily
other popish writers subscribe That with a few others did Bellarmine attempt against the Scripture which the boldnes of many popish writers more learned were afraid to attempt And will you hearken to this fellow Calander in a chiefe article of faith as he calls it so far dissenting from his owne side or dare you securely admit of those whom you see as the Madianites mutually wounding them-selues in a cause of such importance Saturnine who seemeth to bee no other thing but very Bellarmine himselfe proceedeth from Christ to Peter from Peter to the Pope from the Pope he falleth to the Popes chaire and hee proueth that the Church is to be founded vpon that rocke out of testimonies borrowed and framed out of Ierome Austin and Cyprian Cic de erat Cicero makes mention of a certaine mad fellow who finding a small boate on the sea-shore purposed to build a great ship of it Papists like mad-men These mens madnes is like who finding Peters chaire in the Fathers do dreame that the Church must be built vpon the chaire Ierome to Damasus I am vnited in communion saith he to your blessednes that is to Peters chaire I know that vpon that rock the Church is builded that is vpoÌ„ the chaire as you relate it Jerome misalleaged But Ierom thus I following after none chiefest but Christ 〈◊〉 vnited to your Blessednes c. You passe by Christ in this sentence as if he were a man vnknowne and you curtall Ieromes words wherein hee confesseth that he doth follow none chiefly but Christ You make mention of Peters chaire Vpon that rocks saith Ierome I knowe that the Church is â—aide Why should you not rather referre That rocke to Christ that goeth before then to Peter that followeth after in the sentence chiefly when Ierome doth adde the word I know that the Church is builded vpon that rocke Now that Christ is that rocke wheron the Church is builded â—one at all doubteth but that Peter is that rocke many deny And yet you are so mad that you will build the ship of the Church vpon the chaire as it were vpon a small boate You haue well Saturnine by rasing out the name of Christ shauen away the sentence as a beard with Ieromes sharpe rasor I shall maruaile much if Austin when he cannot endure that Peter should bee the foundation of the Church would suffer the Pope to be and if when he did remoue the person of Peter from this honor hee would admit Peters chaire But when he makes mention of Peters seat that said he is the rocke Is it so indeed let vs adde the wordes following recken vp said he all the Priests from the very seat of Peter and in that order of Fathers marke who succeeded one another that is the rocke against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Then Saturnine while you are handling another § 161 matter Patriot you doe confirme by Austens authority another article of the Catholicke faith of the Pope Peters successour But said he againe to the confirmation of an article of the Catholicke faith Austens authoritie without the testimonie of the Scripture cannot be sufficient in the iudgement of Austen himselfe who speaketh of the matter as he had heard that the Byshop of Romes seat was the seat of Peter and that in that seat some succeeded others but hee makes it no article of the faith Wherefore when he speaketh that is the rocke it cannot be referred either to the seat or to the succession of Byshoppes in the seat For therein hee should contradict himselfe who makes Christ the rocke of the Church Apostles rockes in respect of doctrine vnlesse rather he referre it to Peter so vnderstood as I said with the rest of the Apostles who in respect of doctrine may in some sort be called rockes But it is not said you will say he is the rocke but shee is the rocke therfore the reference is not to the person in this place but to the seat i. to the chaire As though by the deceit and carelessenesse of writers greater faultes then these had not crept into Austens workes then she for he Although what hinders why shee is the rocke may not aswell bee referred to the person of Peter as those wordes in the Gospell vpon this rocke c. are referred to the person of Peter by the Rhemistes But let that be granted you for a time which you shall neuer euict that Peters chaire is ment in that place Austen saith not that is the rocke whereon the Church is builded but that is the rocke which the gate of hell shall not vanquish So he doth not promise that Rome shall alwaies withstand but doth testifie that Rome did then resist the gates of hell while it kept that faith vncorrupt that Peter left vnto them For if hee should now liue and make diligent search hee should not finde Rome in the middest of Rome This Rome not old Rome Our Romaines at this day are no Romaines they are but the carcasses of those Romaines who receiued their first faith from Paul and Peter which these men haue breathed out as their soules § 162 And now let Cyprian make answer for himselfe who affirmeth that the like power was giuen to all the Apostles by Christ Lib. de vnitat Eccles and that the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was being endowed with the same fellowshippe of honour and power Let him make answere for himselfe how he could lift vp Peters chaire aboue the chaires of the rest and would not haue it forsaken for iust cause which he did oppose in an vniust But Cyprian as both Ierome and Austen and other fathers haue iust cause to complaine Contra Stepha Corruption of Fathers after their death that so many bastardly bookes are brought in the place of those that were right and true And false sentences deceitfully foysted in and true violently cast out that now being dead they are constrained to speake and holde their peace according to other mens pleasures not their owne Now Ierome at your command conceales that which he vttered before Cypr. de vnit Eccles Now Cyprian speaketh that which he neuer meant He that forsaketh Peters chaire whereon the Church is built doth he trust that he is in the Church Cyprian writ thus a little before Christ doth build his Church vpon Peter alone How Peter the first stone in order not in power meaning that Peter was the first stone that was placed vpon Christ the foundation vpon whom the rest in their order were to bee builded First therefore in order not in power therefore he said that equall authoritie was giuen by Christ to all the Apostles but that it tooke the beginning from vnitie that the Church may be shewed to be one The foundation therefore of the building in Cyprian is nothing else but a beginning The rest of the Apostles were this which Peter was being endowed
seat of the Empire which so many fathers in fiue Synodes gathered together would neuer haue sayd if they had iudged the primacie of Peter had beene founded vpon the institution of Christ What can we imagine that so cheife an article of the Catholike faith was vnknowen to fathers so many for number so famous for holinesse so excellent for learning and that in fiue seuerall the most renowned generall Councels If the supremacie was plainely grounded vpon the Scripture Note then did the Councels very ill to take away the supremacie If the Councels did well in taking it a way certainely the supremacie is not so plainely founded vpon the Scripture If you shall lay enuie to their charge whereby men of such iustice and integrity would not behold a matter so manifest we will wonder at it If you obiect ignorance to them that hauing eies in their heads they could not see wee will laugh at it Neither can wee conceiue any other cause alleadged by you but either blinde enuie or enuious blindnesse An irony Concordan li. 2 cap. 13. O blind or enuious Cusan who rested content in the decrees of these Councels and whatsoeuer right belongeth to the Pope doth thinke the same was giuen him by the Church Dâ—fens part 2. de cap. 18. O malicious and dull pated Marsilius Patauine who thought he had no power either aboue Bishops or other Churches by any Law either diuine or humane but that onely which was giuen the Pope either absolutely or for a time in the Nicene Councell If all this power was giuen first by the Scripture not therefore by the Church if by the Church as Cusan and Marsilius say not therefore by the Scripture § 187 The sixt Councell was the Councell of Carthage in the yeere of Christ 418. The Councel of Carthage of 217. Bishops wherein 217. Bishops were assembled among whom Austin was present In which Councell as in the rest the power of all the Patriarches was made equall the right of appealing to the Bishop of Rome to such as were condemned by the Archbishop of their owne Diocesse was denied Which Cardinall Bellarmine notwithstanding doth auow to belong to all Bishops by the Law of God Cap. 25. de primi Rom. sedis yea if any were condemned by a Synode of their own prouince among the Antipodes they might prouoke to the consistorie of the Bishop of Rome Which Cardinall I thinke liues not in our Horizon but with the Antipodes who is wont to tread contrarie steps against so many men aliue not only of ours but against his own Doctors also Vnlesse peraduenture he descended lower then the Antipodes who dare be so bold to goe against so many holy fathers being dead He doth admit with his followers many fraudulent deuices whereby he goeth about to weaken the authoritie of this Councell Boniface the second with one blot of a greeuous accusation doth wipe out all the decrees of that Councell and damnes them all For hee saith that Aurelius sometime Bishop of the Church of Carthage with the rest of his Colleagues among whom was S. Austin began to waxe proud at the instigation of Satan in the times of Boniface and Celestine his predecessours against the Romane Church It is a hard case to say that Austin with his Colleagues at the instigation of Sathan beganne to waxe proud against the Church because they had resisted both by their decrees and letters three proud Romane Bishops Zozimus Boniface and Celestine in a iust cause common to all Churches Apiarius a wicked Preist whom for his lewdnesse in § 188 discharge of his ministerie Apiarius Vrbane the Bishop had iustly depriued appealed to Zozimus Bishop of Rome who sent three Legates Faustine Philip and Asellus to the Councell at Carthage in fauour and aid of Apiarius them he enioyned among other things that they should lay claime in his name to the right of appeales to him and his seat if anie Bishop accused or condemdemned did appeale to Rome that the Bishop of Rome might commit that cause by his letters to bee determined by the next prouinces or send Legates from his side who might sit about the businesse in his turne and with other Bishops might determine of the whole matter To that purpose he deliuered to his Legates the title and instrument of his right written with his owne hand the Canon of the Nycene Councell Concil Carthag 6. cap. 3. whereby he affirmed that the right of appeales was bestowed vpon him The fathers of the Carthaginian Councell assoone as they had heard the Legates answered that they neuer had read anie such thing in the canons of the Councell of Neece and withall willed the Legates that if they had that canon they should giue it to Daniel the publike Notary A false canon offered for a true to reade it openly They in stead of the canon of the Nicene Councel offer the third chapter of the Councel of Sardis but mangled and gelded For in the authenticke it is thus written Osius said If any Bishop be condemned for any cause and thinketh that he haue no euill but a good cause that the iudgement may be againe renewed doth it please you that for charitie we honor the memorie of Peter the Apostle that it may be written of them who haue examined the cause to Iulius the Bishop of Rome and if he shall thinke that the iudgement is to be renewed it be renewed appoint Iudges to that end But if he proue the cause to be such that those things be not repealed which were already spred those which he decreeth shall stand firme if this please all the Sinode answered It pleaseth Council Sard cap 3. apud Surium Tom 1. The Pope corrupteth the words of Osius But the Bishop of Rome curtoling those words of Osius Doth it please you that for charitie we honor the memorie of Peter the Apostle and by writ to Iulius the Rom Bishop goeth on thus Osius the Bishop said It pleaseth that if a Bishop be accused and the Bishops of the same Country being assembled shall iudge and depose him from his degree if be that is cast of do appeale and flye to the Bishop of the Roman Church would haue himselfe heard if he shall thinke it in â—â—t the iudgment be reuerst or do vouchsafe to write the examination of the cause to those Bishops that be of the next Prouince that they make diligent inquirie and determine it according to the credit of the truth And if any man will haue his businesse againe to be heard and shall moue the Bishop of Rome with his petition to send his Legate let it be in his power to do what he will in the businesse and what he shall thinke best The Popes deuise to cosen the African Fathers Here marke the notable tricke wherewith the Bishop of Rome went about to cosen the African Fathers First he pretends a Canon of the Nicene Councell for the right
he may take from one and giue to another as to his vassals at his owne will and pleasure as Gregrrie the seuenth did And if hee will to vnite each power both the Bishoply and Imperiall in himselfe by the force and right of his Popedome as Boniface the eighth did Whereof the diuine Apostle S. Peter did neither but being poore and lowly who thought that the care of feeding not the power of ruling was granted vnto him and that not the gouernment but the ministery was committed to him As Bernard said to Pope Eugenius Bern. de consid ad Euge. lib. 2. Gouernment is forbidden the Apostles Therefore darest thou vsurpe either gouerning the Apostle-ship or being an Apostle the gouernment The Apostolike forme is this gouernment is forbidden the ministery is enioyned What then will you say did he denie that Eugenius the Pope was the temporall Lord of his prouinces Not so But hee answereth be it that thou challenge them it must bee by some other claime not by the right of an Apostle Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. cap. 20. For Peter could not giue that he had not Which answer the Cardinall doth well allow Whereby it appeareth that these two powers by the force and right of the Popedome either can or ought to be confounded in one person Nich. pa. in epist ad Micha Imp. As Nicholas the first himselfe taught when wee come to the truth speaking of Christ the Sauiour neither did he of his owne accord as Emperour take to him the right of the Bishopricke Lib. 5. de Rom. Pont. cap. 5. or being Bishop vsurped the name of the Emperour which place Bellarmine taking vpon him to expound Nicholas the first saith hee doth directly teach that Christ did distinguish the acts offices and dignities of the Bishop and the Emperour lest the Emperour should presume to enter vpon the right of the Bishop or the Bishop vpon the rights of the Emperour And yet Bellarmine doth maintain that these two powers are confounded in the Bishop of Rome Bellarmin contradicteth Christ the Pope and himselfe by the power and right of his Bishopricke which he confessed to be distinguished plainely by Christ and the Pope What will you doe with this good-fellow who contradicts both Christ the Pope and himselfe at his pleasure But I leaue Bellarmine in this point to be fully confuted and confounded by our Counseller Regius Heere only I make it plaine that the Pope doth vsurpe temporall dominion ouer the Emperour which neither Peter nor Christ had The Pope accounted inferiour to the Councell and either of them condemned in a Bishop Peter also was inferior to the Councell of Ierusalem § 215 and the Pope for a long time was accounted De elect electi potesta cap. significasti euen of his owne side inferiour to the generall Councell As Panormitane In matters of faith the Councell is aboue the Pope so that hee cannot decree any thing against the determination of the Councell Councels deposed Popes Hence it is that the Councell may condemne the Pope for heresie as the generall Councels of Pisa Constance and Basill did displace many Popes out of their Popedomes for heresie wherin it was decreed that the Councell was aboue the Pope Concord lib. 2. cap. 34. Hence Cusan shewing the custome of the Church writ that the generall Councell was of the cheifest power in all things euen aboue the Pope himselfe I might alleadge many other notable Papists to be of this minde but I holde it not cessarie in this place But now the Pope is lifted vp aboue the Councels and imagineth that the supremacy is cheifely placed in himselfe that Bishops being cast off and Emperours cut downe Is he Peters successor that is nothing like Peter and Councels supprest he may doe what hee please without controulment And may we thinke him to bee Peters successor that hath nothing in him like Peter which notwithstanding Bellarmine takes for granted when no thing is so much in controuersie As hee doth likewise euery where affirme that he is Christ his Vicar without proofe when as nothing is so necessarie for the Romish Catholike faith then that hee should confirme both these out of the Scriptures The successour of Peter is read in the fathers the Vicar of Christ is not read It is not therefore to be beleeued by Catholike faith but by historicall faith Of the Vicar of Christ I shall consider afterward now in few words of the successour of Peter § 216 Neither will I argue in this place those things which are much controuerted whether Peter were at Rome whether hee were euer Bishop or whether Bishop of Rome neither if he were will I dispute the case whether the personall dignitie of Peter could passe into a successour which is denied when it was granted by Christ in respect of his confession which he deliuered not of the seat which hee possessed Neither if it were in respect of the seat when it is reported that Peter had two seates one at Antioch the other at Rome I will not now enquire why Peters priuiledge should be tied to Rome rather then to Antioch Againe I will not discusse that in this place which shall be enquired after in more words in the whole explication of the Popes Creede whether the Pope haue succeeded Peter in the faith onely heere I will briefely enquire whether hee succeeded in the seat and whether the succession of the Pope whereon all Popery dependeth bee a diuine or humane constitution For if it be a humane constitution and confirmed only by humane testimonies sure it cannot be an article of the Catholike faith as Argentine auerred out of his Doctors If it be diuine let them tell vs in what place of Scripture they finde it written that the Bishop of Rome should succeede Peter or where Peter ordained the Pope or any other to bee his successour They answer for the most part as much as they can that Christ when hee said Feede my sheepe did vnderstand Peters successour in that place to whom together with Peter he gaue the cheife and perpetuall iurisdiction ouer the whole flocke But neither the successour there nor the Bishop of § 217 Rome is named the successour Grant that Peter the Apostle was superiour to the rest of the Apostles in this place doe they thinke that the Bishop of Rome successour to Peter being dead was made superiour to all the Apostles being aliue let them answer and let the Papists vnloose this knot if they can for their liues Baronius writeth that Peter died the yeere 69. and Iohn the yeere 101. so 32. yeeres came between the death of Peter and Iohn Now I demand whether Linus or Clemens succeeded Peter being dead If any should haue the supremacy it was Iohn that suruiued Peter for thereof there is a great controuersie among them whether Linus was aboue Iohn or Iohn aboue Linus if they say that Linus was aboue Iohn
with their decrees The popish levvd dealing Here the Popes side haue brought in so many voluntarie corruptions forgeries impostures wherewith they might foyste in false Canons and blot out true that they who haue dealt so deceitfully are rightly deemed to haue a bad cause Lastly wee brought into open view not only the doctrine and practise of Christ and Peter that the literall sense hath reproued this supremacie which the allegoricall sense of the Scripture did not proue and that literall sense is confirmed not only by the testimonie of the ancient Fathers and Doctors of our owne side but by the testimonie of the very Papists themselues So that this tower of Babylon being not only bereft of her rotten weake vpholders but being also thrust at by our strongest engines that is by the decrees of the Church and oracles of scripture must needs be shaken in peeces and fall to the groud Therefore the supremacie of Peter that in Bellarmines iudgement is a transcendent thing aboue all by the censure of the Scripture is nothing at all and the succession of the Pope is not from the institution of Christ as they say but from the fact of Peter and this fact is proued not by any certaine reuelation but by an vncertaine vision Behold why the primacie of Bellarmine in Tortus did vaunt that this article of the catholike faith had a sure ground in the Scriptures And now marke Calander to what passe all Bellarmines deuises are brought The deposing of a King hangeth on the excommunication of the Pope the power of excommunication is vnited to the supremacie the supremacie hath the beginning from a Primate but the Primate though hee be narrowly fought for yet cannot possibly be found in the text Where is then the supremacie where is the power of excommunicating Kings where is the right of deposing them Truly your Primate hath either a bad title or a bad Patron But the Patron is said to be very good therefore the title is very bad But the Papists will accept any thing at his hands as he hopeth with whom if hee preuaile in this cause it is more for the credulitie of the Readers than the wisdome of the Writer Then Regius The supremacie being ouer-turned that double power which is so annexed to the supremacie must needs be ouer-turned the spirituall and the temporall The spirituall whereby as a Bishop by excommunication hee thinks hee may driue from their kingdomes Kings that are in opposition whether Heretikes or Roman-Catholikes The temporall whether it be direct or indirect whereby hee may as the chiefe spirituall Prince take the Crowne from one and bestow it at his pleasure vpon another But of the temporall we shall see afterward Excōmunication the mother of rebellion Now let vs consider of the spirituall This great Sophister when the Pope of Rome purposed to shoot his venemous arrow at the head of the Prince he bent the Popes bowe with this double power as it were with a double stringe that if the temporall did faile the spirituall should hit him home Which if I should not accompt holy as the desire of gold is holy I should lye For this tricke of popish excommunication wherewith he bindeth Kings that they cannot raigne or absolue subiects that they doe not obey the world hath felt long since that it is but a diuelish arte as Vrshergensis saith which hath brought in treacherie and rebellion vnder the cloake of faith and religion dreadfull to Kings damnable to subiects to whose bodies it hath brought destruction and damnation to their soules as appeareth manifestly by the former Dialogue § 222 Then Saturnine We saith he for our parts do not greatly care what Heretikes say what the Church ordeynes that we regard neither are we bound to their conceits but to hir decrees And wee retayne the supremacie by a double right by claime and by possession About the claime the Heretikes haue often moued many brawles from the possession they shall neuer remoue vs. Then Regius you say that you regard the constitutions of the Church as you call them I wish rather you should regard the oracles of Scripture You say that you hold the supremacie by a double right by clayming and by possessing The Pope is falne from the right of a great claymer as Patriott hath plainly won Now at the last you vrge another right of a great possessor which what is it else than the right of a strong theefe For what other law belongs to theeues than to brag that that which they possesse is their owne howsoeuer they haue got it Now seing the supremacie is not grounded vpon Gods institution but mans ambition which you see to be clearely ouerthrowne by the oracles of the scripture and decrees of the Councells it followeth now that the serpents head being broken we breake in peeces likewise the rest of his members Then Calander Saturnine seemes to bee driuen to straites when as being beaten from the right of clayming he flyeth to possession That therfore you may haue a breathing time let vs put of the conference about the other Articles till another day for now it is more than time that you refresh your minds being tyred with the labor of this discourse A Table of the principall matters conteyned in this Treatise A. ABomination of desolation what is ment thereby 82. 90 Absurdities 78. 108. 133 An admonition to popish Princes 156. Adrian against Fredericke choakt with a flye 253. Agathus obedience to Constantine 249 The oath of Allegeance and Supremacie confounded 240 Ambrose did obey Valentinian an Arrian 248 Alexander the 3. in a Cooks attyre 374 Alexander and his foure Princes 99 Alexander trod vpon the Emperors necke 254 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof it is a note 6. Antichrists type in Daniel himselfe in Iohn 2. The reasons 98. Hee began to worke in Pauls time 2. He must decay by the preaching of the word and perish at Christs last comming 793. Epiphanes described in Daniel not Antichrist 3. Hee shall worke wonders 3. Hee is held for one single man 5. The reasons ib but is a succession 9. Antichrist hath two hornes like a lambe speaketh like a dragon 5. 40. Antichrist is Christs Vicar in apparance in truth his aduersarie 6. Antichrist not a beast of three yeares and a halfes continuance 8. Heresies makes the great Antich 8. 28. Antichrist is the Land beast 9. As many Marij in one Caesar so many Antichrists in one Antichrist 11. He is that man of sinne and sonne of perdition 11. Antichrist in many ages yet but one 11 The popish description of Antich 12 a bearer 39 Antichrist a falling starre an Apostata a Renegate from the Lord. 13 He is not a Iew but an Apostaticall Christian 15. He sitteth in the temple of God or against the temple 17 He doth not openly deny Christ 19 Antichrist denieth Christs two natures three offices and the benefits therof 20. 21. 26. 27 His kingdome darke and smoakie
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
and liuely describe Antichrist that shall mysticallie giue life to the Beast rising out of the sea and mystically bring downe fire from heauen there they imagine such a hagge and as it were a bewitching Canidia which shall giue motion to woodden pictures life to the dead and speech to the dumbe and shall call downe for very true fire from Heauen What is meant by the ten hornes in Daniel There the ten hornes that are sprung out of the breach and ruines of the Macedonian Empire ten Kings seauen from Seleucus and three from Lagis who succeeded orderly one after another in the gouernment of Syria and opprest Iurie and were all dead before the comming of Christ What is ment by the ten hornes in the Apocalypse they take for ten hornes or those ten Kings who after the death of Christ rose out of the diuision and ruines of the Romane Empire that was to be dissolued many ages after who had the gouernment together with the beast neither did in order succeed one another in the same kingdome but gouerne in diuerse Prouinces at the same time Neither did destroy Iury being destroied already but shall subuert and ouerthrow the Romane Empire What absurdities follow by the Popish interpretation of Iohn as your men suppose but as the truth is the Popedome it selfe So that while your Doctors doe in the Apocalypse a bookefull of hidden mysteries follow after a literall and a proper sense marke I pray you what a pleasant and comicall Antichrist they haue imagined Whom S. Iohn doth terme a beast with two hornes they will make a horned beast indeed The two witnesses whom Saint Iohn calleth two Oliue trees and two Candlestickes if by the Letter they vrge them to be two men that is Enoch and Elias who must be slaine by Antichrist they will imagine a very terrible Antichrist that will kill Oliue trees and Candlestickes If the two witnesses shall cast out true fire out of their mouthes these fiery fellowes will suddenly consume Antichrist If Antichrist contrarily shall fetch downe true fire from heauen and giue life to Images as it were to so many Pigmalions which if you forget not they will cause to be worshipped they will bring a notable magitian vpon the stage so those prophane companions will cleane alter the Holy Ghosts most weighty prophecie into their owne ridiculous comedy Furthermore while they thus peruersly compare Daniels prophecie with Iohns Apocalypse they doe so confound not onlie things with things but ages with ages that vnlesse they raise dead men out of their graues or make Kings raigne before they were borne their interpretations can in no wise hang together At a word Paul the fift they must not bring backe the sunne fifteene degrees as in the dial of Ahaz but more then a thousand degrees that these may agree together Blessed Iohn of set purpose hath written Antichrist his mysterie Paul hath made a Commentarie How far Daniels prophecy reacheth for time Our men while they bring light to Iohns hidden mysterie out of Pauls commentarie your men doe bring darknesse out of Daniels prophecie all which be it spoken by those Doctors leaue who doe thinke otherwise if you onlie except the comfortable prophecie of the resurrection of Christ Chap. the 12. I can euict to haue been fulfilled within the compasse of seauentie yeeres if you reckon from that time wherin Ierusalem was taken by the Chaldees to that time wherein it was vtterlie ouerthrowne by the Romanes Wherefore let vs take the type of Antichrist if you please out of Daniel himselfe we shall find in Saint Iohns prophecy and Saint Pauls which your men do so much labor to obscure that they may vtterly peruert the state of the question CHAP. III. The state of the question and diuers significations of Antichrist FOr this is the whole question set downe by Becanus Bâ—can in spec Antioch refor c. 10. whether Antichrist properly so called shall come one â—â—an in his owne person Agreeable to that which Bellarmine had said before for either of them doe imagine that this Aduersarie shall be one singular person by reason of the addition of the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Antichrist for that article doth point out alwaies one that is singular hee is much deceiued For it doth often point out one kinde Antichrist not one singular person but a succession as in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Fathers doe expound it and the Papists doe acknowledge it Hee that withstandeth Hee meanes the Emperour in generall not this or that Emperor And Matthew the 16 chapter vers 18. not only the article but the demonstratiue Pronoune is also added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby not onely one Peter though falsly is vnderstood of you but a succession of Popes Therefore the article doth either settle Antichrist in a succession or in that place doth not settle a succession in the Pope Choose of these two whether you will I perceiue that Becan and Bellarmine doe inquire after both first whether he be then what hee is Whether Antichrist bee foreshewed in the Scriptures no man doubteth whether hee can be pointed out in the world I will so cleare it that none shall doubt if first by inquirie wee finde out what hee is In the question what hee is as they make him one singular aduersarie by the addition of the article so likewise by the composition of the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They grant he is Christs opposite and aduersarie his Vicar they denie him S. Iohn saith that the Beast that came vp out of the earth which by Bellarmines confession is that Antichrist Apoc 13. had not two Lambs hornes but two hornes like a Lambe and spake like a Dragon A Vicar or substitute in apparance an aduersarie in truth as it is manifest by the definition of the thing it selfe and of the word For what can those two hornes of the Lambe signifie other then the two offices of Christ his priestly and his kingly office which the Beast imagineth that shee weareth in steed of the lambe whence I conclude The Beast is a counterfeit Vicar of the Lambe by the witnesse of Iohn Antichrist is that Beast by the testimonie of Bellarmine Therefore Antichrist is that counterfeit Vicar of the Lambe No Vicar saith he but an Opposite and an Aduersarie yea a Vicar to his person that he may be an opposite to his glory The diuers significations of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an Aduersarie to his doctrine But that the composition of the name will not beare for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in composition is onely a note of Emulation and Opposition not so onely but of substitution and surrogation also For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not onely signifie a Captaine of a contrarie part but also a Propraetor who had the same authoritie in a Prouince that a Praetor had in a
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
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