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
Pauls authoritie one of them that S. Peter without doubt was a Catholike but Paul if he be not warily expounded seemes to smell of heresie Thother that places out of Paul by the testimonie of Peter were hard to be vnderstood and had need of a Romish Commentarie Peter I said made mention of the hardnes but not of the commentarie In whose Epistle say they whatsoeuer soundeth against the Romane faith therein wee do not attaine to the true sense that which the Rhemists haue obserued Rhem testam argument epist in gene For he in the first chapter say the Fryers did commend the faith of the Church of Rome whereto Cyprian denieth that vnfaithfulnes can haue accesse But in the 11. chapter I say Epist 50. he warned the same Church that if it departed from the bountifulnesse of God it should take heed lest as the Church of Israel was cut off so shee were not cut off also It may therefore be cut off be it spoken by Cyprians leaue For it is in act cut off when it is fallen from that foundation which is placed in the only mercy of Christ apprehended by faith That faith therefore of the Church which Paul the Apostle so much commended and taught by his writings is one and the faith of this Church which Paul the Pope hath left so deformed with his vnwritten traditions is another And yet shee glorieth much as I said that Paul is hir founder I had rather they would vse him as an author But she will neuer doe it Shee maketh more accompt of Pauls Bulls than Paules Epistles which the ancient Fathers did rightly tearme the key of the Scripture Which most of the popish sort do so feare that they cannot reconcile Paul and S. Iames together but oppose them one against thother The reconciling of Paul and James as if Iames the Apostle had concluded that a man is iustified by his workes before God not with faith alone against the Apostle Paul when as Paul doth not vnderstand the same faith and the same iustification which Iames doth For hee requireth faith placed in the heart this reiecteth faith bragged on in the tongue Hee requireth a liuely faith this reiecteth a dead faith Hee doth enforce a heauenly faith which layeth hold on the promise this casteth of a diuelish faith which doth onely acknowledge Christs historie without application hee doth commend and extoll fruitfull faith working by loue this doth rightly condemne a barraine faith voide of the duty of holinesse he doth set forth the iustification before God which Aquinas calleth the righteousnes of imputation Iames the iustification before men whom the same Aquinas calleth the righteousnesse of declaration Moses from whom either Apostle drew his testimonie doth expound ech and doth take vp the controuersie begun by the Aduersarie The imputation of righteousnesse whereof Moses maketh mention Gen 15.6 went thirty yeares before that worke for which they dreame that Abraham was iustified before God Which circumstance of time Paul most earnestly weighing concludeth that faith was imputed to Abraham to obtaine righteousnesse before God 15 yeares as Moses noteth before hee begat Isaac and other 15 yeares at the least before he would haue sacrificed him They know not well how to loose themselues out of this indissoluble knot whosoeuer thinke that righteousnes was imputed to Abraham before God because he killed his sonne who was not as yet borne when as the Holy Ghost doth pronounce him to be righteous which S. Iames himselfe v 23 seemeth to vnderstand as Oecumenius gathereth out of the place that Abraham was the image of iustification which is wrought by faith alone when it was imputed to him for righteousnesse ver 23. ver 21. that he beleeued and of that iustification also which is by workes when hee would haue offred his sonne Isaac vpon the Altar Therefore faith did make perfect the person of Abraham and the worke did iustifie the faith and declare ech to be perfect Is this a fight is this an opposition especially betweene two holy Apostles who writ their Epistles with the instinct of the same spirit But no one thing doth more neerly gaule the Synagogue then that Paul the Apostle by the direction of the spirit writ the commentarie of the mysterie Apoc 9. 2 Thess 2. 1 Tim 4.1 which S. Iohn afterward set forth of that great Antichrist whom hee maketh to be the falling starre i. an apostata from the faith or rather the prince of the apostacie as Paul expounds it Iohn calls him the Angell of the bottomlesse pit the key-keeper of hell the beast arising out of the earth and counterfeyting the lambe with two hornes and in his voyce resembling the Dragon Therefore in shew the Vicar of Christ in deed his aduersarie in ambition aboue Kings Gods emulus as Paul explaines it Iohn in order the 7. King of the Romane state Apoc 13. the reviued image of the former beast to be after reuealed within the Empire decayed as Paul doth interpret it Iohn sitting in the common place Lord of the seauen hill'd Citie in the speciall place in the temple of God A description of the Pope that is in the Church of God as Paul doth expound it for Kings thrones are called Bishops seates Therfore he is in office a Bishop in name Romane or Latine in his disposition a great hypocrite and a notable dissembler by his cunning an inchanter and bewitcher of soules by his worship an Idolater by his malitious practise a murtherer giuen ouer to sinne sold ouer to destruction as both of them define Water is no liker water than Antichrist to the Pope But S. Paul being not therewith content defineth Antichristianitie to be not iniquitie but the mysterie of iniquitie And doth after diuide it into three parts 1. Curious speculations 2. Absurd superstitions 3. Iewish ceremonies whereof it is wholy compounded which who so holdeth doth not hold the head as the Apostle speaketh I beseech thee Christian Reader tell me what is more like than old and new Antichristianitie What is become of them who deny that Poperie hath his beginning from the antient heresies which being of the same age with the Apostolike truth in many things as Tertullian saith was wounded with the Apostolike style as shall be made manifest in the discourse following I do therfore more disdaine than admire that the Apostle Paul doth so exceedingly displease the Romane synagogue who did foreshew that Poperie should be patcht together of Paganisme Idiotisme and Iudaisme A little Glasse of Christ and Christianitie BVt I purposing to set out all the force and nature of Antichrist and Antichristianitie in latine I thought good to set before it a liuely and short forme of Christ and Christianitie which the Apostle defineth to be the mysterie of godlines that the truth of the Gospell being brought into light out of the labyrinth as it were of discoursing might put to flight with her authoritie and countenance
the Tridentine heresie a Colos 1.29 God the Father did decree by the testimonie of Paul that his only begotten sonne from all eternitie b Heb. 1.10 the Creator of heauen and earth c Colos 1.16 of Angells and men d Heb. 1.3 the brightnesse of his glorie and Character of his person e Heb. 2.16 should take on him not the nature of Angells but of men f Heb. 7.25 wherein he alone without any fellow helpers might fully finish the whole saluation of man God the sonne g Rom. 9.5 God aboue all blessed for euer though Arrius reuiued burst for griefe h 1. Tim. 3.16 reuealed in the flesh approued in the spirit True God true man brought forth without a father By a maide whom God begate without a mother i Heb. 7.3 As he was shadowed out by Melchisedech and therefore k 1. Tim. 2.5 the onely one Mediator betweene God and man in the fulnesse of time fulfilled the decree of his Father reconciling God displeased with man that was lost by his owne accord The meanes whereby saluation is procured to man by the excellencie of his person the sanctitie of his nature obedience of his life and sacrifice of his death did alone deserue eternall saluation not infusing into him so much grace wherby man himselfe might merit saluation to himselfe m Rom. 4.24.25 but imputing the merit of his death which he might lay hold on with a thankefull and holy minde God the holy Ghost proceeding from them both did lay open to the minde of man saluation which the Father decreed the Sonne deserued and sealed it vp in his heart n Ephes 1.14 giuen not as a pledge but as an earnest which Austin obserueth out of the Apostle o Austin in this place because that mony which was borrowed when it is paide againe the pledge is restored but the earnest when the price is paide againe is not restored because it is part of the price which is not to be taken away but is to be supplied as p Aquin. in this place Aquine teacheth out of Austin Therefore the spirit of Christ giuen to man the earnest of heauenly inheritance is not paide backe againe So the Apostle hath set three foundations of mans saluation more sure then heauen and earth 1. The eternall decree of the Father 2. The infinite merit of the Sonne 3. The irreuocable earnest of the spirit So the worke of our saluation is from God alone the knowledge of saluation from the word of God alone hence he is called the word of saluation q Gal. lib. 2. de sanitate tuenda Galen writeth that the cause of many diseases in the body as hereditarie proceedes from corrupt seede and from putrified nourishment The disease of the soule is hereditarie from corrupt seede as Iob saith which is encreased by custome of sinning as with impure nourishment Now as the diseases of the bodies are cured by contraries so the diseases of soules which God being r Pet. 1.23.2.2 dead begetteth againe by immortall seede being againe begotten feedeth them with pure nourishment being sicke diseased healeth them with holesome medicines that is with the pure word of God who is to be accounted the true Father Pastor and Phisition of the soule Yet he vseth men to that purpose as instruments whom he sendeth and moueth that first they preach forgiuenesse and absolution from all their sinnes promised freely by faith in Christ to the penitent and after enioyne two things to him that is forgiuen One that he pay backe againe the dutie of holinesse to the blessed trinitie alone for so vnspeakeable a blessing of saluation The other that he afford all the helpe of charity to man for Gods sake being the liuely Image of God setting before the obedient at the last inward peace vpon the earth and an eternall inheritance in the heauens So the men of God doe raise vp a man that is sorrowfull with the promise direct a man that goeth astray with the commandement comfort him that is fainting with the reward but the men of God doe speake outwardly the spirit of God doth worke inwardly They do beate these things into their eares the spirit doth ingender faith hope and loue in the heart faith which doth apprehend the promise hope which looketh for the reward loue which keepeth the commandement Å¿ Colos 1.12 For God doth not finde man fit but maketh him fit to participate the inheritance of the Saints in light whom he draweth being vnwilling and tooke him resisting out of the power of darkenesse and placed him being thus deliuered in the kingdome of light the kingdome of the sonne of his loue t Ephes 2.1 For hee found man not yet regenerated dead in sinnes not halfe dead but starke dead not like to the man with the palsie who lay sicke on his couch but to Lazarus who lay foure daies stinking in his graue So that euery sinner before he heare the powerfull voice of Christ speaking inwardly to him lyeth putrified and consumed in the graue of his sinnes Whence a sinner riseth and commeth forth as Lazarus for the power of the Lord is in both not the power of the dead u Austin in tracta of Iohn 49. as Austin doth expound Saint Paul So that hee hath neede not of helping grace whereby hee recouereth health but creating grace whereby he is againe brought to life And a sinner is meerely passiue and can bring no more help to his conuersion then Lazarus brought to his rising againe In whom Christ doth not helpe his weake wil but create a new x Galat. 6.15 Ephes 2.10 hence the conuersion of a sinner is called new creation not in respect of the naturall faculties and of morall virtues which sinne only corrupteth but of spirituall graces which sinne hath blotted out as the master of the sentences obserued out of Austin Therefore the image of God imprinted in the soule in respect of the substance is deformed in respect of the qualities is cleane put out y Greg. Nyss de orat Dom. Serm 5. as Gregorie Nyssen teacheth The restoring then of the image blotted out is the rising againe of man being dead This is the nature this is the disposition of the Apostles doctrine it doth depresse man that it may extoll God it doth cast off corrupt nature that it may bring in sauing grace A man therefore must liue in God yea farther by God before he can either will or thinke any good a meere passiue subiect of grace at the first while being as it were made warme by the spirit of Christ hee beginneth to will his owne conuersion and is made a voluntarie instrument of grace by no imbred or infused force of the will but by the power of the seede of grace and of the new life which hee had from God Paul doth thus distinguish betweene a man to be converted and converted He maketh him
many persons which when we affirme it must not be preiudiciall to those holy Bishops who for Christs sake spent their bloud at Rome vnder the Emperours but to the shame of their Successors who forsaking the rule of holy Scripture haue spilt the blood of other men For it is not Rome regenerated and suffering but degenerated and persecuting must be counted the seat of the Beast with many heads which notwithstanding is to be vnderstood that to the Beast there is but one only head at one time more successiuely whom God hath permitted The properties effects of Antichrist 1 To be like the Lambe in two hornes 2 To speake as a Dragon 3 To shew forth the power of the first Beast in his owne sight 4 To make the earth and the inhabitants thereof to worship the first Beast 5 To cure the deadly wound of the former Beast 6 To restore spirit and speech to the image of the first Beast 7 To kill such as will not worship the image of the Beast 8 To worke false wonders namely to make fire descend from heauen in the sight of men 9 To haue the name of the Beast and the name of a man and the number of his name which number is six hundred sixtie and six 10 To imprint the marke of the Beasts name vpon all either on the forhead or on the right hand 11 To forbid that none shall buy or sell without the marke of the Beast These be the true notes of the second Beast that is of Antichrist by your owne interpretations which notwithstanding are miserably detorted as afterward shall plainly appeare Now I take this as granted that these so weighty and admirable matters cannot be brougnt to passe by one singular Beast within the compasse of three yeeres and a halfe whereunto so many Beasts and so many ages are required Antichrist therefore is that ould-aged Animal not a simple but a compound beast for as many Marij were in one Caesar 2 Thess 2. v. 3.4 so there be many Antichrists in that Antichrist whom Paul termeth that man of sinne and that sonne of perdition They doe therefore but trifle and say nothing to purpose A comparison betweene the people of Rome and Antichrist who thinke that therefore he is called the man of sinne because he is a single man For as Florus did paint out all the people of Rome vnder the figure of one man to wit an infant 250 yeeres and 250 yeeres a young man a strong man other 250 and an ould man the last 250 yeeres the same people still gouerning successiuely in the same Citie with the same policies alwaies to the same end as one man aspiring to greatnesse till by the lazinesse of some of the Emperours it became decrepite and exceeding feeble So it doth seeme that the Apostles by the spirit of prophecie did describe many Bishops of Rome as one wretched man and one beast successiuely gouerning in that seuen-hilld Citie an infant in the Apostles time after closely growing vp in certaine of the ambitious Romane Bishops till it came to strength in Boniface the third and to the full age of a man and greater ripenesse in Gregorie the seuenth and others of his successors euer another man not another thing the same an infant the same a youth and a man differing not in minde but in age by the same meanes breathing and aspiring to greatnesse the same closely hidden and openly reuealed the same dominering and the same to be ouerthrowne and now at the last an ouer-worne and a decayed Antic so that he seemeth by his long lasting impietie to be vtterly consumed and brought to nothing The summe of all is this that Antichrist properly so termed is a succession or a kingdome contrary to the kingdome of Christ in profession a Vicar in presumption an Opposite in purpose an Aduersarie CHAP. V. Wherein is inquired what manner of one Antichrist is WE haue found out what Antichrist is now let vs search out what kinde a one hee is by that meanes we shall certainely know who it is Who that hee might not appeare vnto vs in his likenesse Satan hath abused the witts of certaine good men being ignorant of the euent of the prophecie who haue out of that first errour deuised a notable tale For first presupposing that Antichrist is but one single aduersarie hence they haue imagined The Popish description of Antichrist that he shall be by Nation and Religion a Iew of the tribe of Dan the Messias of the Iewes and that he shall sit in the Temple of Ierusalem being re-edified by himselfe that he shall raigne three yeeres and a halfe that he shall put to death three Kings and subdue seauen others and shall obteyne the Monarchie of the whole world that those two witnesses whom they thinke to be Enoch and Elias reserued aliue in some place all this while shall returne vpon the earth and fight with Antichrist and being slaine by him shall rise againe after three yeeres and a halfe and it shall come to passe that the Iewes being conuerted by that miracle shall kill Antichrist in Mount Oliuet and shall ioyne themselues with Christ who shall come to iudgement fiue and fortie daies after This tale certaine ancient writers haue deuised which they so vnconstantly report Bellarmine an A better of the former tale that it easily appeareth by the contradiction that it is but a lye All this false tale Bellarmine telleth as truth except that part concerning the Tribe of Dan. But let vs reiecting all fables Antichrist described out of the Scriptures and Fathers seeke after the truth of God written by the Apostles being now manifested by euent the best Interpreter of the prophesie and by the iudgements of the Fathers agreeing with the Scriptures Apoc. 9. 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 4.10 Saint Iohn doth call Antichrist a starre falne from heauen Paul an Apostata from the faith or rather the chiefe Captaine and Ring-leader of that generall Apostasie a Renegate from the Lord God as Augustine doth expound it August de ciuit Dei lib. 20. cap. 10. Greg. lib. 4. epist 38. That falling starre not Lucifer Esa 14. The King of pride with his prepared armie of Priests and therefore a Bishop as Gregorie the first thinketh But Bellarmine doth vnderstand that starre to be Lucifer according to that how art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer And doth vrge the pretertense that Saint Iohn did not see the starre to fall hereafter but that it is fallen alreadie Neither doth hee marke that this his glosse is farre wide from the text 1. That Lucifers fall from heauen went long before the sound of the fift trumpet 2. Hee is ignorant of the phrase of the Prophets who when they foretell things to come for the certainty of them speake as if they were come already 3 Neither doth he obserue the sense of this Prophet who by the name of starres meaneth the Pastors of the
Purgatorie is growne very gainefull and the bargaines about sinnes very profitable Then could the Images walke a foote then could the Bells strike alone without helpe then could the Angells like Quoristers chant it out in Canterburie Minster and play vpon Dunstans Harpe then could the Apostles come downe from heauen to helpe Basill to say Masse These lying miracles were faigned by cheating knaues to confirme strange lyes and to cozen simple people of their coine For how often hath a spirit being apprehended by the Magistracie and an Angell stript and our Ladie sent to her Cell been all of them notably whipt Soules so whipt with rodds that they had rather beene in Purgatorie So they couerd all their tricks and conueyances their kinde of deceit and their manner of working with the feare of punishment Of these miracles Paul spake which being meerely false had a shew of miracles but not the power being the deuises of cogging companions There were other miracles of deceiueable spirits which were wrought partly by the force of naturall causes partly by the power of Satan So that that Synagogue seemed to be another Canidia Antichrist doth make fire to descend from heauen in the view of men saith S. Iohn that is in the opinion of men as they imagine Whether that be taken mystically or literally let vs in a word consider Fire according to the Scripture descends mystically either when God doth approue the religion and sacrifices of his seruants How fire descends from heauen in the Scripture as of Abel and Elias or when God doth by an extraordinarie fashion send downe the graces of the Spirit into their hearts as in the fiery tongues or when God did cast downe fire from heauen moued by the prayers of his seruants as of Elias to destroy his enemies Three sorts of fire 1. Is the fire of sacrifice 2. The fire of grace 3. The fire of Reuenge In all these Antichrist is Gods Ape For he hath confirmed and approued the sacrifice of the Masse and Transsubstantiation with miracles The Masse confirmed by a false miracle witnesse that pillar of fire from heauen falling to the earth euen vpon that place where by the negligence of the Priest as the Legend reports the bodie of God fell out of the pixe vpon the grasse that pillar of fire shining like the Sunne was about the bodie of God so that all the beasts of the field except a blacke Horse which bended but one of his leggs bended all their foure leggs to the bodie Which miracle I haue brought out of the Legend that I might gratifie Bellarmine who knowes that beasts then were well nurtured like to his leane iade that forgetting to eat his meat did adore the sacrament vpon his knees which the beasts had not done if God forsooth had not brought downe the fiery pillar from heauen whereby they might haue discerned the bodie of God lying vpon the grasse Adde hereto that Antichrist doth bestow the grace of the spirit sanctification vpon his Agneit Dei his hallowed graines his holy water and his bells as Primasius hath it Further hee striketh his enemies with vengeance from God as it were with fire fallen from heauen but that in the conceit of men that they whom Antichrist his furie doth daunt may seeme to be wounded with heauenly reuenge as it were with fire falne from aboue Which whether it be true of the flash of excommunication which the Pope who is called the God of reuenge casts abroad let Kings looke to it whose kingdomes haue been often set on fire by such popish lightning But to excommunicate a King is say they no miracle But so to excommunicate a King that you cast him out of his kingdome and release subiects from the obedience of their Kings it is a great miracle that either Kings are so patient to endure or Subiects so madde to beleeue Wherefore this is not materiall fire but mysticall brought downe from heauen by Antichrist in the sight of men not that he doth so indeed but that he seemeth so to doe Although if the literall sense doe more content you I haue found out Gregorie the seuenth Gregor the 7. miracle that notable enchanter who could strike fire out of his bosome as oft as he listed Thus I infer Whosoeuer in the conceits of simple men doth seeme to bring downe reuenging fire out of heauen is Antichrist This the Pope doth and hath done Therefore the Pope is Antichrist CHAP. XVII Of the Popes Character I Proceede The Beast is sayd to imprint his character vpon all both great and small to bee carried either in their fore-head or their right hand Wherein he doth peruersly follow Christs character which GOD doth imprint vpon his seruants subiection to Christ and the acknowledging of him to bee their head and Sauiour And it is partly inward partly outward Christs character of two sorts The inward character is true faith imprinted vpon the soule by the spirit of God whereby we beleeue that Christ is our onely Redeemer The outward character is the confession of the mouth the operation of the hands And therfore a Christian doth beare the marke of God in his heart by faith in his fore-head by profession Rom. 10. in his hand by working as S. Paul hath expounded besides that the two sacraments are the seales of faith the witnesses of profession and the practises of holinesse The diuers characters of the Pope In like sort Antichrist hath a marke proper to himselfe of his owne which he doth imprint and brand the Antichristians withall Which character hangs vpon his name and his name vpon his state Of the first Beast that is of the Romane or Latine monarchie The seauen formes of gouernment among the Romanes there were seauen heads that is seuen kingly formes of gouerning the common-weale 1. Kings properly so called 2. Consuls 3. Decemviri 4. Tribunes of souldiers 5 Dictators 6. Emperors properly called 7 Antichrist The state of the Beast is Romane or Latine Therefore the character of the Beast is a note of difference whereby all they are discerned from all other who are of the Romane or Latine Religion whom we tearme Papists And the subiection to the Pope of Rome as to their head and the acknowledging of that See the inward and outward marke of Antichrist The double marke or character of Antichrist The inward marke is that implicite faith which I toucht before The outward marke is that outward profession of the mouth and the conformity of life to the Popes lawes as the obseruation of the heathenish rights was called the character of the Greekes which is made perfect by the sacraments of confirmation and order inuented by the Pope And Antichrist doth so imprint all his with the marke of the Beast that hee will suffer none to buy or sell except they be branded with the Beasts marke So euery Papist is a stigmaticke otherwise he cannot hold his house
long hence But the consequence is false Therfore the antecedent He proues his proposition out of the Apostle That Antichrist shall come a little before the end of the world and immediately before the second comming of Christ and then that ioyly fellow shall appeare whom the Lord Iesus shal consume with the spirit of his mouth and the brightnesse of his comming But the Apostle doth distinguish betweene the comming and the destruction of Antichrist betweene the substance of Antichrist and his appearance or reuelation betweene which and his destruction there is a great distance He lay close hidden in the daies of Saint Iohn Saint Paul as I haue said before he was therefore He did appeare after the remouing of the Empire for that did hinder that he might not appeare which happened not till many ages after Againe the Apostle distinguisheth betweene the consuming of Antichrist and his finall ouerthrow After he is reuealed he saith hee shall wast away by little and little with the spirit of the Lordes mouth but shall bee vtterly put out by the brightnesse of his comming Bellarmine a prophane Iester Heere let me a little touch Bellarmines prophane iesting Surely saith he the spirit of Christ must be very weake if it cannot dispatch Antichrist raging aboue a 1000. yeares And there it pleaseth him to distinguish betweene the word of God and his power As though there is not power in the word of God to weaken and breake Antichrist in peeces the force whereof the beast shall feele in his fall and destruction Now the thing is a working now Christ doth enfeeble Antichrist with his word afterward hee shall destroy him with his presence Hee shall kill him by weakening him that I may put off the Cardinals ridiculous distinction who doth thus distinguish Hee doth not say he shall weaken him but hee shall kill him And it pleaseth him to scoffe at vs when wee say that now Antichrist shall be ouerthrowne by the word of the Lord ☞ when as now the word of the Lord shall be ouerthrown by him May not a Christian and an old man and a Diuine blush for shame as for a Cardinall nothing will make him blush to sport and iest in a matter so weighty and serious As God himselfe so Gods word is eternall his Ministers Gods witnesses Antichrist could kill the word it selfe he could neuer kill which shall abide when he rots to nothing Yea truely as the word of God is a liuing word so the Ministers of the word Gods faithfull witnesses being slaine shall by the power of the word rise againe if not in their seuerall persons yet in a succession and kill this murthering Antichrist Christ therefore hath not a weake spirit but the Cardinall hath a weake braine who doth not as yet vnderstand the degrees and meanes which Christ vseth in the abolishing of Antichrist But he tells vs Saint Iohn saith that Antichrist shall come in the last houre What is ment by the last houre But he vnderstandeth the last houre to be all that time from the ascension of Christ to his second comming which God doth call an houre very short in respect of the Saints glory but very long in respect of their patience This testimonie I thus retort When that Antichrist commeth it shall be the last houre saith Iohn But Antichrists are now come meaning the whole bodie together with Antichrist that head which elsewhere he affirmeth is come Therefore now is the last houre And if then was the houre of the comming of Antichrist he is not to be destroyed three yeeres and a halfe before the end of the world CHAP. XLI Of the sixt and last Note BVt he proues it out of Daniel Cap 12.12 that after Antichrist hath raigned three yeeres and a halfe hee shall be destroyed 45 dayes before the day of iudgement For when he had continued 1290 dayes he addes happy is he that shall liue to see 1335 dayes Daniel mistaken This place is properly to be vnderstood of Antiochus of his death and of the deliuerance of the Iewes But grant that the place be to be vnderstood of the kingdome of Antichrist and the end of the world then it would follow Three absurdities first that the kingdome of Antichrist lasted not 1260 daies which make three yeeres and a halfe but 1290. Againe it followes that Antichrist is to be destroyed 45 dayes before the end of the world whom the Apostle saith must be destroyed at the comming of Christ Thirdly it would follow that the time of Christs comming should be knowne to men which Christ doth assure vs is vnknowne vnto Angells If these consequences be absurd then the Antecedent is absurd from whence they arise You haue Paul the fift Bellarmines six demonstrations making small proofe that Antichrist is not yet come Now seeing I haue dilated about Antichrist all the questions whether he be what he is of what kinde what is his kingdome and retinue what hee doth and wherein he is busied the name wherewith he is termed the marke wherewith he is branded What Antichrist is the seate wherein he ruleth the time wherein he is reuealed and withall what he is not It is not requisite that I tell you in many words who it is when you your selfe seeme to haue Antichrist wholy in your breast and to carrie him in your bosome Antichrists sufferings You haue heard what hee hath done now heare what hee shall suffer For wee are so farre from doubting of his comming that wee thinke of his destroying foretold of the Angells in Iohn Apoc. 14.7 The first Angell I saw saith he an Angell flying in the middest of heauen hauing the eternall Gospell to preach vnto them that are vpon the earth and to euery nation tribe tongue and people speaking with a loude voice Feare the Lord and giue honor to him because the time of his iudgment is at hand and worship him who made heauen and earth the sea and all that are therein This Sermon of the Angell what is it else but a briefe summe of all those Sermons which Luther and Caluin The Angell and the Protestants prâ—â—ch alike and other Preachers of the Gospell preached in all the coasts of the Christian world that they might bring the people to the faith of Christ the feare of God and the worship of him alone He onely that made heauen and earth is to be worshipped he only is to be serued God only made heauen and earth Therefore we must worship and serue God only This syllogisme of the Angell as a Ramme is aduanc't by our men to batter ouerthrow and expell out of the consciences of men all those forces of Idolls which Antichrist hath erected And there followed another Angell saying The second Angell Apoc 14.8 Babylon is fallen Babylon that great Citie is fallen because she hath made all nations drunke with the wine of the wrath of her fornication Here the spirituall fall
Peter that is not spoken to others for as it is said to Peter Cusan a Cardinall against Bellarmine whatsoeuer thou shalt binde so it is said to others whatsoeuer yee shall binde Here you haue Cusan opposite to Bellarmine a Cardinall to a Cardinall One Peter you will say receiued the keyes but he receiued them not as one man but as the vnitie of the Church as Pius the second said Pius 2. a Pope against Bellarmine Here you haue a Pope opposite to a Cardinall Peter receiued them not as in his owne person but as in the person of the Church For if this be said to Peter only I will giue thee the keyes the Church hath them not If the Church haue them Peter when he tooke the keyes signified the whole Church as Austin taught Tract 14. in Joh. Then Caietane the Cardinall when he could not rid himselfe out of these straites If we speake saith he formally and properly the keyes promised to Peter are aboue the keyes of order and iurisdiction But this saith Cardinall Bellarmine is not true for it was neuer heard of in the Church that there were more keyes in the Church then two which hee doth as well grant to all the Apostles as to Peter Whence I thus argue against Bellarmine Peter receiued no other power than that which was promised in the keyes as Bellarmine saith But the rest of the Apostles had all that power as the Fathers and the learneder Papists teach and Bellarmine whether he will or no doth confes Therefore Peter had no other power than the rest of the Apostles Yet Bellarmine hath a tricke how to scape hee saith § 143 that the keyes were giuen to Peter immediately to the rest mediately by Peter With hundred chaines binde fast the man And yet this flye ladd Proteus Will still escape doe what you can And yet he shall not escape for if the keyes were giuen mediately to the rest by Peter they should open and shut binde and loose not in Christs name but in Peters name Then how can that be true which Paul writeth of himselfe Paul the Apostle neither from men nor by man but by Iesus Christ For if we credit Bellarmine he came mediately either from the man Peter or by the man Peter How doth Paul affirme that he was not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles as who had receiued both his doctrine and his vocation immediately with them from Christ Will the Cardinall then father a lye vpon the Apostle and labour to proue that Paul did mediately receiue the keyes from Peter All the Apostles receiued the keyes from Christ the spirit descended vpon all the Apostles in fiery tongues All the Apostles receiued the keyes and fiery tongues from Christ All the Apostles are pillars All the Apostles are said to be the pillars of the Church as the Fathers obserued out of the Scripture What Did Bellarmine read that to Peter was giuen a greater and a better key than to the rest of the Apostles Hath he heard that a larger and a more shining fiery tongue than the rest sate vpon Paters head as the prince then vpon the other Apostles heads Hath he learn'd that of twelue pillars one was set more firme and surer than all the rest that the house might be more supported by that than by the rest which if Bellarmine knew not let him leaue of to play the foole and to tell vs that the power was giuen to Peter immediatly from Christ and to the rest mediately by Peter as it were by assignment Marke I beseech you Calander I cannot say whether more wicked or more ridiculous consequences follow necessarily out of this place of the keyes The keyes are promised to Peter § 144 Therefore to none but to Peter Wicked and ridiculous coÌ„clusions Two keyes were giuen as badges of the ministerie Therefore three Crownes as badges of the Empire For when Christ gaue the keyes he gaue principalitie as Bellarmine saith Peter receiued the keyes of the kingdom of heauen Therefore of earthly kingdomes Peter can exclude Kings hereticall out of heauen Therefore out of their thrones He can binde sinnes Therefore Scepters He can shew his power in offences Therefore in possessions He can release penitent men from their sinnes Therefore trayterous subiects from their oathes He hath a key wherewith he doth loose the sinnes of Kings Therefore he hath a club wherewith he may breake their heads So Bellarmine hath changed Peters key into Hercules club He can loose and binde any thing He can therefore as Oedipus loose any riddle he can binde Turkes and beares These consequences proue that a King is not to be depriued of his kingdom for heresie but that the Cardinall is depriued of his wit for phrensie Peters key is altogether the key of heauen whereby by the preaching of the eternall Gospell hee hath opened heauen to the faithfull and penitent and shut it to the vnfaithfull and impenitent which the Pope the counterfet successor of Peter doth vse otherwise as somtime an elegant Poet played vpon this princely porter I should not maruaile much Doctor Giles Fletcher If that the Popes good grace Did happily beare the key Of that darke stigian place For he enriched hath that place with many an elfe And opened wide hell gate And entred in himselfe But sith that heauen and hell Are set so far asunder That he should beare the key Of heauen it is a wonder But now t is none at all From heauen he all shuts out And â—pes the gate of hell And letteth in that rout As the falling starre in the prophecie of Iohn he hath changed the key of heauen into the key of the bottomles pit § 145 Bellarmine being driuen from the keyes must needs betake himselfe to that his hold Feede my sheepe Why then good Sir why do you vrge this place of the keyes any more for the supremacie whereby nothing was promised more to Peter than was granted to all the Apostles as the Fathers both old and new both strangers and your owne do apprarantly proue But in this place because to feed is the same with to rule and Peter alone is commanded to feed the sheep not some but all therefore to Peter alone is giuen the principalitie ouer the whole Church being armed with a double sword with a double power spirituall and temporall which the old man saw I beleeue as lunatike Pentheus by fitts saw Two seuerall Sunnes two seuerall Moones appeare which the Fathers both old and new being of a more setled wit Bellarmines pride in making a Cardinall equall to a King and sharper insight could neuer see But Bellarmine thinketh so gaily of the pastorall vocation that in respect thereof he preferreth a Bishop before a King as a sheepheard before a sheepe which perhaps he had well concluded if Christ had said to Peter Feed thy sheepe he said it not but feede my sheepe But he doth not only prefer a Bishop before
appeare to Calander what wrong is offred to Christ Christ is the head how Ephe. 1.22.23 when these are giuen to Peter God hath put all things vnder the feete of Christ saith the Apostle and gaue him to bee the head ouer all things of the Church which is his bodie the fulnesse of him that falleth all in all Therefore Christ is the head of the vniuersall Church not onely because hee giueth life to all the members thereof and doth poure into them all the senses and motions of spirituall graces but also because he doth rule and gouerne all things subiect vnto him with his spirit and thus the Church is the body of Christ There is therefore that reference betweene Christ and the Church as that hee cannot be said to be the head but in respect of this body nor the Church be a body but in respect of this head That it is no lesse absurd to imagine a Church with two heads then to imagine Christ to haue two bodies Therefore Paul when hee called Christ alone the head he brought all the rest Christ is head alone all others be but members both men and Angels into the ranke of members Of the Angels it appeareth vers 21. Of men chap. 4. and euen of those men whom he purposed afterward to set ouer the Church militant whereof hee hath appointed none to bee the head but hath left them all parts in the body For when as hee writ of the perpetuall gouernment of the Church by way of comparison and of set purpose Ephes 4. had gathered many vnities to preserue the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace One bodie one spirit one hope one Lord Among many vnities one visible head omitted one faith one baptisme one God and one Father of vs all hee omitted one visible head when as hee should haue made mention in this place if any where at all What shall wee thinke that Paul was altogether forgetfull of Peter when as to euery of the Apostles was giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ by whom he ascended into heauen there was not one Apostle giuen who should beare rule ouer all the rest but many Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors Doctors whom before he called Bishops to the gathering of the Saints The gouernment left by Christ not Monarchicall but Aristocraticall the worke of the ministery and the building vp of the body of Christ So that Paul thought that the gouernment left by Christ vpon the earth was not Monarchicall by one which Bellarmine doth so greatly extoll but Aristocraticall by many And that hee thought was sufficient to preserue the vnity of the spirit and of faith to meete with them who cry out that the Church is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it bee without a visiâ—le head appointed forsooth for the remedy of schisme And if Bellarmine had liued in those dayes he would I thinke haue put Paul in minde not to haue slipt ouer Peter the head of the vniuersall Church But now Bellarmine it is not safe for the Apostle to vse your councell And hath left in writing that wee ought all of vs to worship and adore Christ himselfe euer liuing and present with his spirit and maiestie declared to be the onely head of the Church and in this place called the onely Lord. § 156 But Christ you say is that one head by a principall meane in that he giueth life to the bodie but the Pope by the right of Peter is the ministeriall head that hee may gouerne But to appoint a double head of the Church by reason of the difference of a double duty of the head one principall that giueth life another ministeriall that ruleth this is not to diuide but to plucke in sunder the functions of the head For to direct both the inward and the outward functions of this whole bodie it is the cheife and proper duty of that head as Paul teacheth which giueth life to the bodie But you imagine that Paul hath spoken of the ministeriall head in another place When as he said the head cannot say to the feete I haue no neede of you Which cannot be vnderstood of Christ as you say for he is such a head who may say to vs I haue no neede of you which that I may grant to be true as Christ is the eternall word and perfection it selfe for so he hath no neede of men for he filleth all places and himselfe cannot be filled but as he is the head of the Church he hath need both of the head and members that hee may be a head by the nature of relation or reference For these are so knit together by that nature that it can no more be a head without a bodie than it can be a body without a head whereby the Church is called the body of Christ and the fulfilling of him that filleth all in all which is not wrought by the worthinesse of his humane nature but by the excellencie of his diuine nature Of the corruption of that place to the Corinths and of the friuolous and absurd consequencies of your argument you shall heare by and by In the meane time listen I pray in what sense Christ § 157 whome Peter confesseth to be the sonne of the liuing God is called the rocke and foundation of the Church 1 Cor 3.11 Matth 16. Another foundation none can lay besides that which is laid already Iesus Christ Christ therefore is that one foundation of the Church that one rocke whereon the whole Church ought to be founded Which is to be taken in this sense How Christ a Rocke that he is borne for vs that he died and rose againe for vs that he was taken vp into heauen made of God for vs wisdom iustice sanctification redemption satisfaction purging and to conclude saluation and glory as Paul described him in the first chap not that halfe and part of these good things but that the full accomplishment and perfection is to be sought in Christ Neither doth he say that Christ was giuen to vs for the increase and helpe to wisdome holinesse and redemption but doth attribute the sound effect of all to Christ alone Coloss 2. in whom he saith that we are perfected in which place first hee taught in what sense Christ is called the onely foundation then hee placed the only foundation of the Church that we may put our whole trust and confidence in Christ and him alone being founded on him the eternall and immoueable foundation Th'Apostles builders not foundations And it is worth the marking that Paul Cephas and other the Apostles are called builders not foundations who should build the whole Church vpon Christ alone not the foundation whereon it should be builded But the Apostle saith that the Church was builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets But the personall foundation is one whereof is mention in this place and the doctrinall is