other Empire by the Pope was erected in Germanye whereof litle beside a name remayneth at this day the Pope clayming authoritie of both the swordes and he that is the Emperour in title if he haue no landes of his owne inheritance scarse equall with a Duke by dominion of his Empire The fourth argument is that the deedes doctrine of Antichrist against Christ must be open and without all dissimulation because Saint Paule maketh a difference betwene the mysterye of iniquitie and the open shewing of Antichrist I aunswer they are open to all faithfull Christians although they be hidde from such as be deceiued by Antichrist Here M. Sander aunswereth to that which he supposeth might be obiected that some gloses of y e canon law call the Pope God or make him equall with Christ yea they call him God aboue all Gods but he thinketh to auoyd it by saying they call him not God by nature but by office vnder Christ where they say he is equall with Christ. This blaâ—phemy will not so easily be excused Nether is it to be thought that any man will euer cal him selfe God by nature But to omitte these flattering gloses of the canon lawe doth not the Pope exalt him self aboue all that is called God and worshipped as God When he commaundeth to abstayne from meates and mariage whereof God hath created the one and instituted the other as good and holy for greater goodnes and holines then God created or instituted in them Doth he not exalt him selfe aboue God the redeemer when he affirmeth his redeÌ„ption to be ether onely from sinnes committed before baptisme â—or onely from the guilt of sin whereas his popish pardons can absolue from both Doth he not extoll him selfe aboue God the holy Ghost when he taketh vpon him to sanctifie the creatures of the world otherwise then God hath sanctified them to apply the merits of Christ otherwise then Gods holy spirite worketh application by faith c. The 5. argument is that Antichrist should be receyued moste speciallye of the Iewes of which hee bringeth the opinion of diuerse olde writers but because the Scripture sayth no such thinge but contrary that he shall sit in the Church of God We deny the antecedent or proposition of this argument But M. S. alledgeth the saying of Christ Ioan. 5 I came in my fathers name and ye haue not receyued me if another come in his owne name ye wil receyue him This other man sayth M. S. is Antichrist and so expounded by the auncient fathers I aunswer they haue no ground of this exposition For Theudas the Egyptian Cocabas and such like deceyued the Iewes in their owne name yet none of them was this Antichrist The 6. argument is that Antichrist according to the prophecy of Daniel cap. 7. the interpretation of Hierom shal subdue 3. kings the kings of Egypt Africa and Ethiopia which seeing the Pope hath not done he is not Antichrist I aunswer Nether Hierom nor any Ecclesiastical writer whom he followeth hath any directition out of the Scripture for this interpretation wherefore it is more like that the Emperour is the litle horne which first diminishing as it were a thirde parte of the strength of the fourth beast at length began vtterly to oppresse destroy it I meane y e coÌ„mon welth of Rome The 7. reason is Antichrist shal preuaile in his raigne but 3. yeares an halfe Dan 7. which time the Apocalâ—se calleth 42. monethes I aunswer this tyme must not be limited by measure of man but as God hath appoynted it Daniell nameth no yeres but a tyme tymes halfe a tyme. And Hierom in his accompt of 1293 daies differeth from S. Iohn Apoc. 12. 6. who setteth them downe 1260. dayes The 8. reason is that Helias shall come at the tyme of Antichrist as Hippolitus Augustine Hierom Theodoret teach who is not yet come although the Pope haue long florished I aunswer The Scripture speaketh of no comming of Helias but of Christes two witnesses which haue neuer failed in the greatest heate of the popish tyranny Apoc. 11. The 9. reason is that Antichrist shall be of the try be of Dan by the â—â—inion of Irenaeus Hippolitus Theodoretus and Gregory whereas the Popes are of no such â—ribe I aunswer the Scripture hath not reuâ—aled any such matter nether doth Irenaeus rest vpon that opinion but iudgeth he may well be the king of the Romane Empire saying very wisely Certius â—rgo sine periculo est sustinâ—re adâ—â—pletionem prophetiae quaâ— suspâ—carâ— c. Therefore it is more certayne and without daunger to tary the fulfilling of the prophecy then to surmise c. Againe if this opinion should be true he shoulde not rise out of the Romane Empire as all olde writers haue consenced he must according to the prophecye The 10. argument is that Antichrist shall not come before the later ende of the world as August ne and Theodoretus iudged but Gregory seeing the ambition of Iohn of Constantinople affirmed that the tyme of the reuelation of Antichrist was euen at hand and that the same Iohn was the forerunner of Antichrist and Antichrist should shortly be reucaled an army of Priests should waite vpon him Nowe seeing he whosoeuer tooke that which Iohn refused by Gregories iudgement should be Antichrist and it is certayne that Pope Boniface the 3. soone after the death of Gregory and his successors vsurped not onely that but more also it is certayne by Gregoryes prophecye that the Pope is Antichrist Who being within the 600. yeares aunswereth to M. Sanders fonde chalenge And although none within that compasse had pointed out the see of Rome yet the fulfilling of the prophecye in the later tymes did sufficiently declare who it should be And most of the auncient writers name Rome to be the see of Antichrist Although they could not foresee that the Bishoprike of that see should degenerate into the tyrannye of Antichrist M. Sander aunswereth that Tertullian and Hierom call Rome Babylon because of the confusion of tongues of diâ—ersenations that hauÌ„ted thether in tyme of the Emperours And the Rome was full of Id â—any and did perseâ—ute the Sainctes and namely more tâ—â—n 30 Bishops of Rome The reason of tongnes is very absurd and not giuen by any of those writers As for Idolatrie and persecuting of Sainctes although it might be sayd in tyme of Irenaeus and Tertullian yet could it not be sayd in the dayes of Hierom Augustine Ambrose Primasius and a number that liued in time of the Christian Emperours And whereas Hierom ad Algasiam expoundeth the name of blasphemye written in the foreheade of the purple harlet to be Rome euerlasting it agreeth very well vnto the see of the Popedom which they boast to be eternall although the Empire of Rome shall be cleane taken away For M. Sander him selfe liketh well the title giuen by Martianus and Valentinianus to Leo whome they call Bishop of the euerlasting citie of Rome
made God him selfe ofit for there is no doubt but vnto baptisme which is also the sacrament of our pryce she tyed her soule with the bande of faith and so hath euery faithfull Protestant For the sacraments by faith are certaine pledges of our conâ—unction with God through Christ. Into whose death we are ingraffed by baptisme as we are fedde with his body and blood in the supper The place of Augustine is corruptly cited by Bristow who hath cut of both the head and the foote of it which is this Ad vnum Deumtendentes ei vni religantes anâ—mas nostras vnde religio dicta creditâ—r omni superstitione careamus Hauing respect to one God and tying our soules to him onely whereof religion is thought to be called let vs be voyde of all superstition For Monica had respect onely to God when she tyed her soule by faith vnto the seale of Gods promises And she was voyde of superstition when she cleaued to none other ceremonye of coniunction with God but onely to that which was ordeyned of God him selfe for that purpose But howe proueth Bristow that prayer for the deade was vsed alway or that Masse was sayd for the deade Because that in the corrupt tyme of Augustine prayer was vsed for the deade and in the prayers vsed at the celebration of the communion remembraunce was made of the dead This is a strauÌ„ge kind of reasoning that was vsed sometime therefore it was vsed alwayes But how long it was vsed and how it was taken vp I haue shewed in myne aunswer to Allins booke of Purgatory Now commeth S. Gregory to be of Bristowes religion I will not deny but in many errors and superstitions Gregory agreeth with the Papistes but yet not in all nor in some of the chiefest The visions he rehearseth for prayer for y e dead if they were not fayned dreames they were illusioÌ„s of y e deuil because they serue to mainteine that doctrine which is contrary to the Scriptures which teach that after death followeth iudgement immediatly so that no prayers can preuaile Heb. 9. 26. But prophecyes are for Bristowes religion How so I praye you The conuersion of Augustine and the death of Cassius were foretold in vision If both those were grauÌ„ted to be true visions your religion were neuer the better except the conuersion of the one and the death of the other be your religion But admitting the dreame of Monica to be a true vision howe proue you that the Chapeline of Cassius did not fayne his vision after his maister was dead But the dreame of Iudas Machabaeus who sawe the Prophet Ieremy pray for the people is recorded in the Canonical Scripture it selfe sayth Bristow 2. Mach. 15. chap. which Scripture the Protestants reiect because it maketh against them as they would doe all the rest but that they thinke they haue inueÌ„ted shiftes good enough to blinde the worlde What reuerence we beare to the holy Scriptures of God he him selfe our owne conscience and the whole world can testifie And the reiection of such bookes as were not written by the spirite of God doth approue the same Beside the authoritie of the auncient Churche both of the Iewes and Gentills which neuer receiued the same bookes into the canon we haue often made manifest demonstration that they proceeded not from the spirite of God Wherefore the Papistes making them of equall credit with the worde of God incurre the curse of God which is vnto all them that either adde or take away any thing from his holy word But the Papistes are not destitute of visions in these daies for Bristow knoweth a Protestant who hath confessed that he saw in a dreame the communion booke out of many handes cast into a fire and yet the man coÌ„tinueth a Protestant Verely he doth as a good Christian should doe that not onely with no vaine dreames but nether with visions of Angells from heauen he will be moued to condemne that doctrine which he knoweth assuredly to be agreable to the holy Scriptures But there was a Papist in London which came to y e Church against his conscience and sawe a fowle blacke dogge take the communion euer more at the naughty ministers hands as he offred it to the communicants which stroke the Papist so at the hart that he went home and dyed vpon it This deuilish illusion or melaÌ„cholike perswasion of a deuilish dogged Papist thinketh Bristow able to condemne the holy ministration of the Lordes supper warranted by â—â—â—â— Scriptures according to Christes institution As for the extaticall fantasticall dreame of maister Allington tending as I remember to mainteine Idolatrie wise men regard as much as such fantasies deserue after which if we should shape our religion we shoulde alter as often as any mans fonde humor or foolish conceit ministreth newe visions and straunge apparitions But I maâ—uell amonge so many visions that Bristow omitteth the famous vision of Elizeus Hall that came from Manchester to London with a booke of his cold prophecyes to coÌ„uert the Queene the Realme to Papistrie Well sayth Bristow you scorne at our visions and dreames yet was S. Cyprian of our religion Because he defendeth some visions and dreames which were seene in his time which were not to mainteyne any thing coÌ„trary to the Scripture but that which was agreable to the same A poore reason why he should be of your religion And yet it is all the reason that you bringe But for our iudgement of miracles of visions dreames to be motiues in controuersies of the Church you shall heare Augustines sentence De 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesiae cap. 16. against the Donatistes Remoâ—is ergo omnibus talibâ—s Ecclâ—siam suam demonstrent sipossunt non in sermonibus rumoribus Asrorum non in concilys Episcoporum suorum non in literis quorumlibet d. spâ—tatorum non in signis prodigijs fallaâ—ibus quia etiam contra ista verbo Domini praeparati cauti reddâ—â—i sumus sed in praesâ—ripio legis in Prophetarum praedictis in Psalmorum cantibus in ipsius pastoris vocibus in Euangelistaru'â— prâ—edicationibus laboribus hoc est in omnibus canonicâ—s sanctorum librorum auctoritatibus Wherefore setting aside all such matters let them shew forth the Church to be theirs if they can not in the speaches and rumors of Africanes not in the councells of their Bishops not in the writings of all maner of discoursers not in deceyueable signes wonders because that euen against those thinges we are prepared and made warye by the worde of our Lorde but in the prescript of the lawe in the predictions of the Prophets in the songes of the Psalmes in the voyces of the sheepeherd him selfe in the preachings and labors of the Euangelistes that is to say in all the canonicall authorities of the holy bookes 3. And againe in the same chapter sic â—stendat non dicat verum est quia ego hoc dico aut quia hoc
of equall auctority with the worde of God but in that they agree with the same in condemning the heresies of Arrius Macedonius Nestorius and Eutiches That proude scoffe of Parliament religion bewraieth the stomake of a Vauntparler not the spirit of a diuine or good subiect Popery was also confirmed by Parliament in Queene Maryes time therefore it was Parliament Religion But where as he would compare the laste rablement of Trent in all pointes with those ancient holy Councels he doth euen as much as if he would goe about to proue an Ape to be a man But I may not omit that in shewing the necessitie of the Popes confirmation of Councels out of Annianus Marcellus Lib. 15. Hee helpeth the matter with falsifying the writer sor he deliuereth his wordes thus auctoritate qua potiâ—res aternâ—e â—â—â—â— Episcopi with the authoritie in which the Bishops of the eternall city are better whereas the word is poâ—iuntur by that authoritie which the Bishops of Rome haue or doe enioy But if we shall beleue Marcellinus an heathen writer Liberius Bishop of Rome was of the same mind in condemnation of Athanasius that the rest of the Bishops were which proceeded against him but that he thought it not reason to subscribe to his condemnation before he had seene and heard him For thus Ammon writeth Hunc per subsâ—riptionem abiicere sede sacerdâ—tali parâ—a sentiens câ—eteris iubente principe Liberius monitus perseucranter renitebatur nec visum hominem nec auditum damnare nefas vltimum sâ—epe exclamans apertè sâ—ilicet recalcitrans imperatoris arbitrio Id enim ille Athanasio scmper infesius liâ—et sâ—iret impletum tamen auctoritate qâ—â—a potiuntur aeternâ—e vrbis Episcopi firmari dâ—siderio nitebatâ—r ardente This man speaking of Athanasius condemned before by a Synode of Bishops Liberius being of the same opinion with the rest warned by the Princes commaundement did stiffly refuse by subscription to cast out of his priestly seate crying out often tymes that it was extreme wickednes to condemne a man being nether heard nor seene so openly kicking against the Emperours pleasure Who although he which being alwayes an enemy to Athanasius knew that it was already fulfilled yet he labored with earnest desire to haue it confirmed by the authoritie which the Bishops of the eternall citie haue There can nothing els be gathered of this but that Constantius knowing Athanasius to be depriued by a councell of Bishops of the East would haue Liberius Bishop of Rome to consent to his condemnation because Athanasius was one of the foure Patriarchs was not to be condeÌ„ned but by the rest of the Patriarches Not that it was then thought that all councels were insufficient except they had the Popes confirmation as Bristow doth dreame But Bristow sayth the Protestants regarde no councells because they suffer Lewys Euans in a naughtye booke to cal the councel of Chalcedon a blasphemous proude sacrilegious Antichristian Councell This Lewys Euans while he was a Papist and did write from Louayne in defence of Papistrye was accompted of you a learned man a sober man a godly man but now that God in great mercye hath opened his eyes to see and acknowledge the light of the Gospell you rayle on him and slaunder him at your pleasure For if you had bene able to iustifie your reproche you woulde haue noted in which of his bookes seeinge he hath written many and in what leafe and lyne he had written so vnreuerently of that Councell Howsoeuer it be he is able to aunswer you him selfe Although if he haue erred in the name or iudgement of that councell it were small reason to charge all the Protestantes in England with one priuate mans error The last is that Councells were S. Augustines motiue because he writeth that euen prouinciall Councells must giue place without all doubt to generall Councells De bapt cont Dâ—n lib. 2. cap. 3. but what writeth Augustine immediatly after Ipsáque plenaria saepe priora posterioribus emendari cum aliquo experimento rerum aperitur quod claâ—sum erat cognoscitur quod latebat sine vllo trpo sacrilegae superbiae sine inflata ceruice arrogantiae sâ—ne vlla contentione liutdae inuidiae cum sancta humilitate cum pace Catholica cum charitate Christiana Who knoweth not sayth Augustine That euen generall Councells are often tymes the former corrected by the later when by any tryall of thinges that is opened which before was shutte and that is knowen which before was hidde without any swellinge of sacrilegious pride without any swellinge stubbernes of arrogance without any contention of spightfull enuye with holye humilitie with Catholike peace with christian charitie What saye you Sainct Augustine haue generall Councells often erred that the former were corrected by the later If you mayntayne this saying you shall be no longer of Bristowes religion The 14. motiue is the 26 demaund The fathers Pelagians aliue in Protestants The fathers S. Augustines motiue Protestants be ashamed of their fathers Of what religion and authoritie the fathers were L. Humfries opinion of Iewells chalenge of the fathers and of the Sainctes in the Calender Bristow woulde haue it considered whether euer any Catholike man in matters of fayth did obstinately refuse to beleue the olde fathers consenting in one and agreeing together but onely such as were heretikes I aunswer Bristow playeth the captious and yet foolishe Sophister For in this first demaunde he seemeth to vnderstand all the olde fathers consenting together but in the rest of the chapter he playnely speaketh but of some of the olde writers nowe there is great difference betwene all and some For we denye nothing that all the olde fathers did consent vpon although we denye some thing that some of the olde fathers did allowe For example we denye prayers for the deade which some of the olde writers did allowe But if Bristow woulde breake his heade in peeces with studye he shall neuer be able to proue that all the olde writers did mayntayne prayer for the deade the like I saye of prayer vnto Sainctes and of some prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome ouer other Bishops of some ceremonies c which being the dregges of a great quantitie of good liquor contayned in the vessells of diuerse of the olde writers and yet of the later sorte of them the Papistes haue onely sucked out letting all the good liquor to runne beside them And like impudent dogges yolpe barke against vs that the fathers are all of their side and contrarye to vs with as good reason as one that hath gotten the excrementes of a man shoulde boast boast that he hath the same man in possession I thinke the reader can not but laughe when he readeth it so often noted by Bristow Pelagians aliue in Protestantes When of all olde heresies we are further from none nor Papistes nearer to any then to the heresie of the Pelagians But why troe ye are Pelagians aliue
translate the Scriptures both into Latine and into the Dalmatian tongue And the Papistes haue played the part of Antichristian heretikes to confirme the vulgare Latine traÌ„slation which is so manifestly corrupt and false contrary to the truth of the Hebrue and Greeke textes vpon pretence of auoyding vncertaynty of translatioÌ„s wheras there is none so bad as that I might heere runne through a great number of the olde heresies in which the Papists consent with the ancient Heretikes The Valentinians in their crosse Montanistes in their purgatory and prescript fastings Carpocratians in their images The Hemerobaptists in their holy water The Offenes and Marcosianes in their reliques and straunge tounge in prayers The Heracleanites in annoynting them that are redy to dye The Caians in praying to angels The Archonticks in their couÌ„terfaite moÌ„kery The Marcionists in extolling virginitie fasting in permitting women to Baptize The Enctatits in abstaining from flesh The Apostoliks in their vowe of continence The Cyrians in worshipping the virgine Mary The Pelagians in their opinion of merites and freewill The Eutychians in denyinge the truethe of Christe his bodye The Anthromorphites in making Images of God and many other but that I haue doone it elsewhere more at large But of these Epiphanius Augustine and others are witnesses The 11. and last marke is that Antichristians shoulde goe about to make voyde and deny the supernaturall graces which God hath giuen to his Church so that the seale of Antichrist by Hippolitns iudgement should be Nego I deny So doe the Protestants which deny fiue sacraments of the church the sacrifice of the Masse c. And so maketh rehearsall of a greatnumber of popish errors which indeed we deny because they be contrary to the trueth of Gods worde Among which he rehearseth some false and shamelesse slaunders as that we denye our sinnes to be taken away by the Lambe of God saying they tary still but that they are not imputed In deed if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the trueth is not in vs. But we say all the sinnes that we haue are taken away when they are not laid to our charge Secondly he chargeth vs to teach That no iustice is at all made in vs by spreading charitie in our heartes VVhereas S. Paule saith Rom. 5. many shalbe made iust but they say onely that Iustice shall be imputed We say with Saincte Paule Rom. 5. that beeing iustifyed by faith we haue peace with God reioycing in hope which doth not confound vs in the middest of afflictions because the loue of God is powred foorth in our heartes I meane the loue of God towarde vs and not our loue towarde him Wee say likewise with Sainct Paule that by the obedience of one which is Christe many shalbe made righteous But howe can we be made righteous by obedience of Christe but that his obedience is imputed and made perfecte vnto vs O putide and absurde slaunders He chargeth vs thirdly that wee deny Baptisme to remit our sinnes which is false excepte as Sainct Peter denyeth the woorke wroughte to saue vs. 1. Pet. 3. verse 21. not the washing of the filth of the body but the aunsweare of a good conscience vnto Almightie God Fourthly he chargeth vs to deny that Baptisme is necessary to Children which are borne of christian Parentes wherein he lyeth moste impudently although wee agree not with the Papistes that the Infantes of Christians excluded by necessitie from Baptisme are damned In which errour although Augustine was yet he is no more to be followed then in an other errour about the same infantes to whome bothe he and Pope Innocentius thought the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper as necessarye as the Sacrament of Baptisme affirming that Infantes whiche haue not receiued the Lordes Supper were damned Contra duas Episto Pelag ad Bonifac. lib. 2. cap. 4. Ecce beatae memoriae Innocentius Papa sine Baptisino Christi sine participatione corporis sanguinis Christi vitam non hobere paruulos dicit Beholde Pope Innocente of blessed memory sayeth that without the Baptisme of Christe and the participation of the body and bloode of Christe little Children haue no lyfe To conclude we deny nothing that they can proue to be true but such matters as we proue by the onely rule of trueth to be false But the Pope sheweth himself to be Antichrist which denyeth al the soueraignitie of the office and prerogatiue of Christ. He denyeth that Christe is the onely heade of his vniuersall Church in Heauen and in earth He denyeth that Christ onely is a Prieste according to the order of Melchizedech He denyeth that Christ onely is our Mediatour aswell of intercession as of redemption He denyeth that Christs woorde is sufficient for our saluation He denyeth that the sacrifice of Christe his death is the onely purgation of our sinnes He denyeth that the merites of Christ are our onely justification He denyeth that God onely is to be prayed vnto He denyeth the veritie of Christes bodye by his transubstantiation Finally he denyeth all honor and glory to be dewe onely to God by Iesus Christ and therefore he is none other but euen that detestable monster Antichriste whome I beseech the Lord speadely to confound and abolish by the spirit of his mouth which is his holy woorde and by the brightnesse of his comming Amen God be praysed Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristowe Fulk e Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow â—ulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Brâ—sâ—ow Fulke Bristowe Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristowe Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Fulke Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristowe Fulke Pristow Fulke Bristowe Fulke Bristowe Fulke Bristow Fulke Bristow Bristow Fulke Saunder Fulke 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 13 15 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 17 Sander Fulke 1. 2. 3. Sander Fulke 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke Sander Fulke