and fine speeches we may auoyd the danger of falling otherwise if it prooue sound vpon our due tryall we may boldly march on with good lucke to our honour of so wise prudent and prouident discerners of spirits and doctrines and that by the example of many good men as y 1. Reg. 22.8 Iehoshaphat who suspecting the vnicent and agreement of Ahabs foure hundred false prophets said Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that we might enquire of him and the z Act. 17.11 Noblemen of Berea who vpon Pauls preaching receiued the Word with all readinesse and searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so and the Iewes a Act. 25.25 at Rome who desired to heare from Paul of Christianitie and after they had heard him reasoned much amongst themselues For as Tertullian well b Tertull. de praescript cap. 9. aduiseth Quaerendum est donec inuenias credendum vbi inueneris nihil ampliùs nisi custodiendum quod credidisti Thou must seeke till thou findest and beleeue when thou hast found and then no more but thou must keepe what thou hast beleeued A great Question How and by what meanes may we know true Teachers and good Guidâ—s But here peraduenture some one carefull Christian or other will demand how or by what meanes he shall try or know good Spirits from bad right Teachers from wrong To whose iust demand I easily make this answere that God in his goodnesse hath giuen vs his Children both Meanes to try and Markes to know good Spirits from bad right Teachers from wrong For the meanes which GOD hath giuen vs by which wee may try blinde The first Answere of the meanes to trie them and yet blinding Guides are in number fiue first the Spirit of God secondly the Word of God thirdly the summe of their calling fourthly the testimonie of ancient Fathers fifthly the conference with holy Brethren For first Gods Spirit is c Vid Caluin har Euangel in Math. 7.15 a meanes of this tryall The first meanes when he giueth to the faithfull that excellent gift of d 1. Cor. 12.10 discerning spirits which is no naturall perspicacie or sharpnesse of iudgement but e Vid. Ambros Aquin. Marlaor in 1. Cor. 12 a supernaturall light and cleerenesse of vnderstanding by which the godly both quickly and throughly perceiue a plaine difference betweene men speaking by the Spirit of God and by the deluding spirit of the Deuill as f 1. Reg. 22.8 Iehoshaphat found the false prophets of Ahab and g Nehem. 6.13 Nehemiah perceiued that God had not sent SHEMAIAH the sonne of DELAIAH but that TOBIAH and SANBALLAT had hyred him to pronounce that Prophecy against him This gift more abundantly appeareth in the full time of the New Testament as wee may finde not only by h Act. 5.1.2 c PETERS discouery of ANANIAS and SAPHIRA their treacherie or i Act. 16.15 Pauls expulsion of the spirit of diuination out of the Mayd at Philippi but by the continuall course against Heretikes who no sooner appeared but were discouered either by the Councels or by other good Christians as Saint Iohn said to all the faithfull in generall k 1. Iohn 2.27 The anointing that yee haue receiued of him abideth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things and is Truth and is no lye and euen as it hath taught you yee shall abide in him Ob. For albeit that peeuish Papist STAPLETON l Stapleton in Promptuar Cathol dominic 7. post Pâ—ntec §. 1. would limit this gift only to the learned Teachers and Masters of Israel because it seemeth by the Apostle to be appropiated only to m 1. Cor. 12.10 some that albeit all Christians haue a generall iudgement of any doctrine yet the particular determination of truth or falsehood in any point belongeth to the Church and the Masters therein assembled in Councels as the Apostles and Elders n Act. 15.6 were at Hierusalem Sol. 1 Yet wee finde it otherwise in all Gods Children who being indued with the o Rom. 8.14 Spirit of Adoption are directed by the same Spirit p Heb. 5.14 through long vse and custome to discerne both good and euill as the Spirit q 1. Cor. 2.10 searcheth all things euen the deepe things of God so farre as God thinketh it necessary for those his Children to know who in this respect are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r Esay 54.13 Iohn 6.45 all of them taught of God Å¿ Ierem. 31.34 from the least of them to the greatest of them to know the Lord. And therefore where the Apostle saith to another discerning of spirits Sol. 2 it is no such appropriation to one or some as can or doth hinder the gift from all seeing the Apostle so speaketh not in regard of the substance of the gift which goeth with Gods Spirit but of the measure and vse thereof which some may haue more then others as To euery t Ephes 4.7 one of vs is giuen grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ and yet not gaue it for themselues alone but for others also who by their skill may bee directed to flee false prophets as thereupon all Councels wherein the Learned are Sol. 3 assembled to determine of Controuersies are u Vid Whitaker contr 3. q. 3. c. â— arg 2. D. Willet Synops Papis pag. 110. Ecclesia repraesentatiua A Congregation of the Learned representing the whole bodâ— of the Church of Christ wherein not onely Bishops but also any other faithfull and learned men may be called to giue suffrage as well decisiuum of deciding as consultiuum of counselling concerning points of faith which as their Pope x Apud Gratianum dist 96. can 4. Nicholas the first said is vniuersall and common to all and pertaining not only to the Clergie but also to Lay men euen altogether vnto all Christians as in the Councell of Hierusalem were gathered the Apostles and the Elders with whom y Act. 15.22 the whole Church there gaue their assent also So that if this gift of discerning spirits be amongst the Learned assembled in Councell it is a meanes sufficient enough vnto any good Christian for tryall of spirits since as they all assembled haue it together any faithfull man may haue it to himselfe in particular because both the z Psal 51.12 Spirit being free as the wind to blow a Iohn 3.8 where it listeth b 1. Cor. 3.17 giueth libertie to the Saints c 1. Cor. 6.2 to iudge and the Councell being assembled for the good of the Church is a speciall direction to all the true members of that Church whose Councell it is to approoue or disprooue according to their iudgement as Constantine d Apud Eusebium lib 3. de vit Constant cap. 18. called the consent of a
as the Prouerbe was amongst the Romanes o Liui. lib. 8. res ad triarios redit all is by GODS prouidence brought now vnto the last push since first the War is desperate to be taken in hand not with p Cic. li. 1. Offic. Carthaginians but Cimbrians not whether should rule Honourably but whether should liue safely so deadly an enemie is the Deuill vnto vs and secondly the Gouernment is growne wholly Anarchicall through the inward Garboyles betweene the Flesh and the Spirit worse then any Ciuill Warres raised eyther by Grecian by Romane or by any other disorderly State because as the Poet q Lucan lib. 1. Pharsal said In se mignaruunt Great men gall one another great things grow all to ruine by their mutuall violence that we may now well r Lamen 2.19 cry out in the night and in the beginning of the watches powre out hearts like water before the face of the Lord. For what may we expect but a sudden surprizing if our eyes preuent not the night watches as ſ Psal 119.148 Dauids did Nay let our enemies bee as sluggish as wee are yet shall wee not bee free from the punishment of flothfulnesse since the Saints who are our fellow-souldiers cannot but complaine against vs for our carelesnesse and by Gods appointment driue vs out of the Campe of the Militant Church visible wherein wee liue by the heauy Clubs and hard stones of censures Ecclesiasticall and Excommunications For Yee Brethren saith the t 2. Thes 3.13.14 Apostle bee not weary in well-doing and if any obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and haue no company with him that he may be ashamed Spiritali gladio superbi contumaces necantur dum de Ecclesiâ eijciuntur saith u Cypr. Ep. 62. CYPRIAN the proud and stubborne are slaine by the spirituall Sword when they are cast out of the Church All Christians then in these perillous times euen for feare either of Forraine destruction or Domesticke displeasure are diligently to watch in the Warre as Souldiers x 2. Tim. 4.7 fighting the good fight in the Gouernment as Captaines going in and out faithfully before GODS people as Salomon y 2. Cor. 1.10 desired We my Brethren who are inferiours must euery one watch as a Souldier ouer his owne soule z Ephes 6.11 Putting on the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the Deuill And you most Honourable Captaines of Israel are to watch ouer vs like a Cornel. Nepos in Jphicrate Iphicrates the Athenian ouer his sleeping Souldiers like Castriote b Rich. Knols in his Turk Histor called Scanderbeg who himselfe kept the Centinell nay like the Keeper of Israel who c Psal 121.4 neither slumbreth nor sleepeth For d Homer Illiad lib. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It becommeth not a man of counsell to sleepe all the night time Est honos onus it is your Honour to bee Gouernours but your burden to gouerne in these dangerous times and amongst so many enemies The time may make you carefull The enemies stirre vp valour and both of them cause a watchfulnesse lest we your poore and silly sheepe be suddenly surprized by these most subtill Serpents of which now after this first aduertizement of the perillous times we are to speake in the second danger expressed in these words And as yee haue heard that Antichrist shall come euen now are there many Antichrists whereby wee know that it is the last time The second part of the Great Antichrist The two most dangerous parties liuing in these last times Antichrist and Heretikes TImes are full of dangers because of dangerous men liuing in these times as they are most liuely described here vnto vs first by the greatnesse of their Head secondly by the multitude of the members The Exposition of the Text concerning Antichrist § X. Their great Head is that Antichrist of whom as Saint Iohn saith the faithfull had oftentimes heard by the plainest meanes of notification in type and truth In type as some e Hieronym Perer. in 7. Dan. omnes quos adhuc vidi Pont. thinke of Antiochus Epiphanes deliuered by Daniel in sundry f Dan. 7.24.25 Dan. 11.36.37 places In truth of the Gospell vnder which are diuers Prophecies of Antichrist published first by our blessed g Mat. 24.24 Sauiour vnto his Disciples secondly by Saint Paul both h 1. Tim. 4.1.2 2. tim 3.1.2.3 vnder termes generall and most particularly in that famous place the i a ver 3 ad 11 second Chapter of the second Epistle written to the Thessalonians thirdly by Saint Iohn in his Booke of the Reuelation k Vid. Praes Saereniss Reg. Iacob pag. 90. Apol. Bellar. Respo Reuerend Patris Lancel Eliensis Episcop cap. 12. vnder foure seuerall figures shaddowing out one and the selfe-same MAN in foure seueral Visions tending to one and the selfe-same end the first of which is in the sixth Chapter at the eight Ver. where Antichrist is figured by the pale Horse at the opening of the fourth Seale the second is in the ninth Chapter at the first Verse where Antichrist is noted by the Starre falling from Heauen at the sounding of the fifth Trumpet the third is in the thirteenth Chapter at the eleuenth Verse where Antichrist is expressed by the second Beast ascending out of the earth the fourth and the last and indeed the plainest is contained in the 17.18.19 and 20. Chapters where Antichrist and his Kingdome is most liuely set forth both by the Great Whore of Babylon sitting vpon the scarlet coloured Beast and by the false prophet that ruleth in the Whore For God would haue these Prophesies of Antichrist to bee deliuered in the time of his Gospell first to shew that such an one must come before that Christ himselfe shall come vnto Iudgement secondly to reproue and conuince the Reprobates of manifest Apostasie by which this MAN of sinne must come and thirdly to fore warne the faithfull Flocke of Christ against whom he was to come For Praemonitio praemunitio Forewarning is twice arming as our Sauiour said therefore vpon his Prophesie to make all his Apostles and Disciples to take heed l Mat. 24.25 Behold I haue told you before Wherefore I hope that no man can iustly blame me for taking vpon mee so weightie and so difficult a businesse which yet by Gods grace preuenting and assisting me I shall easily performe both to manifest to our Papists their miserable captiuity wherevnder they poore soules so long time haue layne and to establish the weake and male-contented Protestants in the true vse of that libertie for which with Zacharie we may ioyfully sing m Luke 1.68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people For although many of the Worthies of Israel whose Armes as a Page if I were able yet am I
of our great Dutie against the fourth Commandement both by doctrine and life by doctrine when hee warranteth his l Aquin. 2.2 q. 122. art 3. ad 4. Dominic a Soâ—o lib. 2. de Instit iure q. 4. art â— Suarez tom 1. de Relig. lib. 2. cap. 4. Rhemists in 15. Mat. §. 3. Schoolemen to teach that the Lords Day is not the lawfull Sabbath by the Law of God but onely by Tradition whereas euen by the confession of some of m Bellar. lib. 3. de Eccles triumph cap. 11. Azorius tom 2. Instit lib. 1. ca. 2. his best Learned the Lords Day is in Scripture both commended to be the n Psal 118.24 Day which God hath made that is separated from other dayes by many of his actions especially o Mat. 28.1 of his Resurrection and p Act. 2.1 sending of the Holy Ghost and therefore commanded to bee the Day of Gods Seruice wherein we may be glad and reioyce 2. By life and practice by life when they vsually on that Day either allow openly or winke at idle sports of Playes May-games and youthfull Reuels as appeareth by the Relikes of this Rudenesse yet standing in some Parishes of England where since the Reformation there hath not beene resident a Preaching Minister and as it is q Raphael Volateran lib. 22. Anthropolog ca. de Alex. 6. recorded of Alexander the sixth that vpon all Festiuall Dayes without difference hee vsed to haue acted before him Plautus his Comedies and other Interludes and many times hee was woont to retyre himselfe to the toppe of Mount Hadrian thence to behold the Courtezans minsing and ietting by him as they went into the Fields Is this your Deuotion holy Popes on the LORDS Day which should be kept so r Esay 58.12 gloriously holy that you should not doe your owne pleasures Surely no maruell if your people now Å¿ Iere. 8.6 rush into all prophanesse since you their Shepheards t Iere. 50.6 cause them to erre from Mountaine to Hill and so to forget their resting place But I hope that howsoeuer you neglect your dutie towards God yet for shame you will haue some respect of your Neighbours who esteeme so well of your high stile of holinesse Surely no such matter he that feareth not God doth not regard man and therefore against the fifth Commandement Against the fift Commandement as Antichrist was to lift vp himselfe aboue Kings and Princes so the Pope exalteth himselfe aboue all Christendome 1. By proud practices First by practice of Pride against the Emperour as u Vid. Plat. in horum omnium vitis Gregory the Third excommunicated LEO ICONOMACHVS ZACHARIE the First deposed the lawfull King to set vp Pipin to be the king of Fraunce LEO the Third created for Emperour CHARLES the Great GREGORIE the seuenth first attempted to depose the lawfull Emperour HENRY the fourth ALEXANDER x Volaterran l. 22. Anthropolog in Alex. 3. the third trode vpon the necke of the Emperour FREDERICK BARBAROSSA as ADRIAN the y Idem ibidem fourth had made him hold his stirrop yea and z Roger. Houedenus pag. 2. Annal sub Rich. 1. CAELESTINE the third was not ashamed to put the Crowne vpon the heads of HENRY the sixth and of the Empresse with his feet pushing it off againe with his foot and saying 2. By seditious doctrines I haue power to make and vnmake Emperours at my pleasure secondly by positions of doctrine wherin the Pope teacheth that a Decret Greg. li. 1. tit 33. ca. 6. there is as great difference betweene Popes and Kings as is betweene the Sunne and Moone and that b Extrauag Commun lib. 1. tit 8. cap. 1. the materiall sword is subiect to the spirituall this being put into the hands of Priests that of Kings and Princes and both of them in the power of the Church Whereupon besides the spirituall power of binding and loosing there is ascribed vnto the Pope a temporall power of setting vp or deposing Kings either directly as the c Hostieusis in Can. Quod super his c. Syluester Angelus Silmistae alij in verb. Papa Canonists the Popes parasite d Tho. Bozius l. 4. de Regno Italiae cap 5. 6. Tho. Bozius say or indirectly by force of the spirituall sword as the subtill and wicked e Bell. lib. 5. de Pont. RoÌ„ c. 5. c. Iesuits haue craftily imagined both these in truth like f Iudg. 15.4 Samsons foxes tied together by the tailes to carrie the firebrands of furious rebellion against Kings and Princes into the middest of Christendome g Vid. G. Barcklaium lib. de Potestate Papae auouching these positions against all Scripture which requireth h Rom. 13.1 euery soule to be subiect to the higher power euen the soule saith i Chrysost in Epist ad Rom. hom 23. Chrysostome of Apostle Prophet Prelate and all as therefore many Popes look k Tom. 1. 2. Concil apud Binnium into the Epistles of Leo Gregorie Agatho others haue willingly acknowledged the Emperor for their Liege Lord. But those were men of a moderate spirit and Antichrist was then but in the hatching For afterward that which was crushed l Esay 59.4 Against the sixth Commandement brake out into a Viper or Serpent which did not onely sting great Kings but poysoned all poore people For as against the sixth CoÌ„mandement Antichrist was to be a Murderer so is the Pope proued to bee by his practices both accomplished in sundry Princes as in m Historia de vita Henrici 4. apud Christoph Vistitium tom 1 Illustr German Scriptorum HENRY the fourth Emperour n Abbas Vrspurgens in Frederico 1. FREDERICK BARBAROSSA o Math. Paris Roger Houeden in Ioh. King IOHN of England the p Vid. French Inuentarie Process in Fr. Raualliac two HENRIES of France all slaine by the Popes and Papists procurement or happily preuented by God eyther disclosing them intended as against q Vid. English Iustice blessed Queene ELIZABETH by PARRY and other Villaines iustly executed for Traitors or turning them backe into his owne bowels as to ALEXANDER r Guicciardin lib. 5. histor the sixth who thinking to haue poysoned his Friend a Cardinall was by the mistaking of his Seruant mistaking the bottle full of Poyson dispatched himselfe Å¿ Erasm Chili sub tit Malum retortum Turdus malum sibi cacat The Pope here prouided a rod for his owne taile as t Prou. 26.26 whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein and hee that rolleth a stone it shall returne vpon him For whosoeuer u Gene. 9.6 sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed It is a point of Gods Iustice which a priuate man must not vndertake without a publike calling set downe in the Law x Deut. 19.21 life for life eye for eye
it is said The third part of all other Heretikes § XXX EVen now there are many Antichrists The Exposition of the latter part concerning many Antichrists which are Heretikes whereby wee know that it is the last time As the name of Christ in Scripture is taken either particularly for the Messiah himselfe or generally for those who are either his Types forerunning as were all the Prophets Priests and Kings liuing vnder the Law of all whom it is x Psal 105.15 said Touch not mine Anointed or Deputies following being consecrated to his Seruice by the vnction of his Spirit the Church with all the faithfull therein contained being therefore called by the Name y 1. Cor. 12.12 of Christ so the poysonous name of Antichrist is vsed by the Holy Ghost either particularly for the great Fox himselfe as the Article expresseth in this Text before or generally for all his cubs together who either forerunne him as Types or shaddowes in the first sixe hundred yeeres after Christ or else succeed him as his Deputies or Lieutenants seeking to maintaine his standing in those particular visible Churches out of which he was eiected by the force of Gods Word as we find the word vsed in all those places where the name of Antichrist is put either in the plurall number as in my Text or in the singular number collectiuely for any one Seducer whatsoeuer he be as where Saint Iohn saith z Ioh. Ep. 2.7 He that is such an one is a Seducer and an Antichrist For as the Types and Deputies of Christ are so called not onely because of the outward anointing but also for the inward and true ministration of the Grace of Christ vnto them Who a Coloss 2.19 hold of the head whereof all the bodie furnished and knit together by ioynts and bands increaseth with the increasing of God because they b Coloss 2.9.10 are complete in him who is the head of all principalitie and power receiuing c Iohn 1.16 of his fulnesse grace for grace euen so the forerunners and followers of this wicked Beast which is the Great Antichrist carrie the name and marke of their Master not onely because of that outward opposition which they all make against Christ by seuerall wayes but also for that inbred communion betweene them by which the forerunners prepare the way for Antichrist through the secret transfusion of their Poyson into the Papall Sea which through the strength of stomake doth perfectly digest it and deliuer it to such Sectaries as depending wholly vpon that See through the vigour of their venome with the Pharises in the Gospell d Math. 23.15 compasse Sea and Land to make one of their profession whom being so made they stuffe him vp with stubbornenesse and line him through with all manner of lewdnesse to make him twofold more the childe of perdition then themselues So that Saint Iohn from the multitude of these men thus opposed to Christ doth most aptly demonstrate the approch of the last times vnder this true forme of argument When Antichrist shall come it is the last time But Antichrist is come Therefore it is the last time For the name of Antichrist hath the same signification in both the Premises noting thereby vnto vs a bodie of Heresie intirely consisting of an vnhappy head and many bad members forerunning or following the approch of their head by opposing themselues against Christ Iesus and his holy Congregation either in faith or manners euen as both Augustine and Aquinas with all the approoued Writers both of Papists and Protestants whom I could yet see or peruse expound this place whence now concerning Heresie The doctrines drawne from this Text thus expounded The former the verie soule of Antichrist we may learne these two most certaine Problemes the former that from the first comming of Christ in the flesh vntill his last comming to Iudgement in this last Age of the World there shall alwayes be Heresies crept into the Church of Christ Militant here vpon Earth The latter The latter that all those Heresies whatsoeuer they be shall alwayes haue some necessarie dependance vpon the Great Antichrist The former prooued The former point appeareth true first from the Scriptures in e Math. 13.30 the Parable of the tares which must grow amongst the wheate vntill the Haruest For God to f Rom. 9.22 shew his wrath and to make his power knowne suffereth with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction secondly from the strength of a double Reason the first of necessitie since Heresies are if not essentiall yet very proper markes of these last times wherein all things g 2. Tim. 3.13 grow worse and worse as well in faith as in manners the wicked deceiuing and being deceiued For h Luke 18.8 when the sonne of man shall come shall he find faith on the Earth The question implyeth this negatiue i 2. Thes 3.2 All men haue not faith And k Luke 17.28 as in the dayes when LOT came out of Sodome so shall it bee in the dayes of the Sonne of man then there were l Gene. 18.32 not tenne Righteous for whose sake the Citie might haue beene saued as now and hereafter there shall be scarce any that may be thought worthy m Mat. 24.12 Charitie cooling and Iniquitie abounding The second of vtilitie which the Apostle deliuereth when hee saith n 1. Cor. 11.19 There must be Heresies also among you that they which are approoued may be made manifest among you For it must o Math. 18.7 needs be that offences come but woe to that man by whom the offence commeth Because as in a Fornace the Gold is purged but the drosse consumed so God permitteth Heresies alwayes in the World that the faithfull by their tryall may bee truely purged when the wicked by their wilfull Apostasies shall bee knowne as Tertullian p Tertullian de praescript aduersus haeres cap. 1. therefore said very well Haereses ad hoc sunt vt fides habendo tentationem habeat etiam probationem that is Therefore are heresies that faith by them hauing a triall might receiue an approofe For turne yee thorow all the Histories Ecclesiasticall either written by the ancient Fathers and Orthodox Scribes the Churches Pen-men q Euseb lib. 10 histor Eccles Eusebius r Sozomen lib. 9 Sozomene Å¿ Socrates lib. 7 Socrates t Theodor. lib. 5. Theodorite u Prosper in appendice ad Chronolog Euse Prosper x Victor in historia Vandalica Victor y Euagrius lib. 6 Euagrius and z Alij vt Epipâ—an Schol. lib. 1 part hist. Nicephor lib. 18. other such or digested into Centuries for distinction of times by the a Magdeburg tom 10. Magdeburgenses b Baron tom 10 Baronius c Osiand Epitome pa. Centur. 16 Osiander d Bisciola Epitome Baron tom 3. Bisciola and e Alij vt Illyricus
directed to discerne them and your wils by Gods Spirit are preserued to auoide them Reade Scriptures aske Grace know them keepe this and although the imminent dangers bee great by the approch of the last time and raigning of most vile Men Antichrist and Heretikes yet shall it neuer equalize or match the great benefit of most comfortable Deliuerances procurable to you two wayes first in respect of Antichrist and his followers by their plaine discouerie vpon their Apostasie secondly in regard of our good estate who shall know all things necessarie for our Saluation by the most soueraigne Vnction the working of the Holy Ghost as it now remaineth to bee declared from the words following in the two next Verses of my Text. But the handling of the Remnant as behoofefull to bee spoken of as what hath beene said The Conclusion of all recapitulating the chiefe head or points before deliuered because through present plentie I could not attempt I leaue to be performed either by some other more perfect Scribe or else by my selfe if by Gods prouidence at any time hereafter I shall bee called againe vnto this High and fearefull Place now in the meane time most humbly beseeching your Honours further patience for the briefe recognizing in these few Propositiōs what now you haue heard spoken rudely but yet truely in trigono per tetragonum as Geometricians talke in a triplicitie of Quaternions first concerning the end of the World secondly touching that Great Antichrist thirdly of the deduction and continuall propagation of Heresie from that Antichrist Concerning the end of the World wee deliuered these foure things First that the World shall end Partis primae Propositio 1. and that by fire although we know not how it shall end so Secondly that it shall end quickly since all the signes are almost fully complete Thirdly that therefore we must bee sober both in opinion especially concerning the time of the last Day and in life by well getting and right vsing of these worldly goods Fourthly that together with this sobrietie we must be most watchfull in the settled course of an holy life 2. Partis Touching that Great Antichrist you Propositio 1 haue heard First what is Antichrist defined by his causes efficient materiall formall and finall only as they are expressed in seuerall Texts of holy Scripture Propositio 2 Secondly Who this Antichrist is euen the Bishop or Pope of Rome as wee prooued both largely and truely First by a true demonstration drawne from the former causal definition of Antichrist in all points sitted vnto the Pope and then by a cloud of Witnesses not only prophesying as the Ancient Fathers did but also pronouncing that the Pope was that Antichrist as the Iury of the Kings Bishops and Monkes gaue open Verdict Thirdly in what captiuitie and slauery all Papists especially in England are implunged by their Prison their Irons their Dyet their Iaylors by all which they are become neither true Christians nor good subiects Fourthly that the libertie which wee the faithfull of England enioy by the free vse of the double Sword Spirituall and Temporall is so great in all due respects both inward and outward that none of vs should any way either pittie them in heart or helpe them in action whiles they continue so stubborne and peruerse 3. Partis as we dayly find them Of the deduction and continuall propagation of Heresie from that Propositio 1 Antichrist it was declared First that Heresie must continue in the World from the first vntill the second Propositio 2 Comming of Christ Secondly that therefore the Separatist Brownist hath no ground at all for his Propositio 3 wicked Schisme from vs Thirdly that all Heresies whatsoeuer depend vpon that Great Antichrist either in his rising or at his height or in his declining Fourthly that therefore they are all to be cut off by Propositio 4 the right vse both of Spirituall and Temporall Sword vnder one Christ by one King commanding that and handling this for the onely true good both of Church and Common-wealth to the glory of God Lord we beseech thee make haste to an end Oratio conclusiua that thou mayst abolish Antichrist for thy Churches full deliuerance and the perfect restoring of all thy creatures vnto the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God through our onely Lord and blessed Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom one only wise powerfull and mercifull God with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for euermore Amen AMEN Lord Iesu come quickly AMEN FINIS THE TRIAL OF GVIDES By the touchstone of teachers JESVS CHRIST In a Sermon Preached vpon the fourth SVNDAY after TRINITIE By THOMAS THOMSON Bachelor in Diuinitie ROM 2.21 Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe AMBROS lib. de dignit Sacerd. cap. 6. Ipsum magis credunt homines esse laudabile quicquid Episcopus habuerit delectabile Men beleeue that thing to bee more praise-worthie what a Bishop reputeth delightfull LONDON Printed by William Stansby for RICHARD MEIGHEN and are to be sold at his Shop at Saint Clements Church ouer-against Essex House and at Westminster Hall 1618. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER In God RICHARD by Gods most gracious prouidence Lord Bishop of Saint Asaph mine Honourable Patrone and Diocessan Grace Mercie and Peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Sauiour Iesus CHRIST HOw necessarie it is my Honourable good Lord for a true Christian Congregation to haue set ouer them a fit man of God who by his learned tongue may minister a word in due season to the wearie and by his good example of life guide the wandring and wilfull Sinners vpon their true Repentance into the way of Peace I neede not demonstrate since daily experience hath well approoued that where no Prophesie is the people perish or as some a Pagnine Arias Montanus in 29. Pr. 18 well learned men interpret the Originall the people are idle spending the Lords Day and other good times vainly if not villanously in idle sports of fleshly lusts which fight against the soule like the olde Gentiles carryed vnto dumbe Idols euen as they were led For like people like priests they must needs bee lost sheepe when their Shepheards in the times before caused them to erre and goe astray by turning them away vpon the Mountaines either to wander like b Math. 12.44 the dispossessed restlesse spirit from the Church or if they come neere it to worship what they know not But albeit the murdering and the lying Deuill in his oldworne hatred against mans soule seeketh still to deuoure and darken all vision and knowledge of God by the stoppage or hinderance of the seasonable settling of powerfull Preachers of Gods most holy Word amongst Gods people euen c Zach. 3.2 as Satan stood at Ioshuah his right hand to resist him from building the Temple yet God in his mercy so visiteth his holy Ones that they at their
had knowne them it would neuer haue beene Therefore notwithstanding these cauils of an hellish Locust wee haue now two tryed meanes whereby we may finde out good and bad Ministers Gods Spirit and Gods Word which of themselues were sufficient if our strength were answerable but seeing we are weake to weild such weapons without some helpe therefore God hath giuen and good men haue obserued three other good yet secondary meanes by which together with the Spirit and the Word we may quickly discerne betweene good and bad Guides And the first of these 3. Meanes which is the third in order is as we noted the summe of their calling described vnto vs in holy Scripture first in their Ingresse secondly in their Progresse thirdly in their Constancie and true perseuerance Their Ingresse is by a lawfull calling from God as g Iohn 3.27 a man can receiue nothing except it bee giuen from aboue and that both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly by speciall endowment of abilitie and willingnes wrought by Gods Spirit in their honest education or trayning vp to learning vpon the certaine conscience of which fitnes they may as lawfully craue admittance as Ahimaaz did of Ioab h 2. Sam. 18.22 to runne vnto DAVID otherwise not lest they proue but either bold intruders or vnconscionable vndertakers of so honourable a Calling which they cannot discharge as there are too many now adayes blue coates turned to blacke who make the Ministerie the last remedie or meanes of maintayning themselues to verifie our old English Prouerbe When hee is good for nothing then make a Priest of him But who is sufficient i 2. Cor. 2.16 saith the Apostle for these things Well To his inward indowments hee must outwardly â—ee ordayned and put apart vnto that great Worke by the laying on of hands as were k Act. 13.3 Saul and Barnabas l 1. Tim. 4 14. Timothie and other m Tit. 1.3 Presbyters in Creete by Titus For this good order is a necessary let and stop against all Iereboams n 1. Reg. 13.33 Priests who being of the basest people commonly without both learning and honestie would consecrate themselues for Priests of the high places as at this day Swenâ—kfelâ—ians Libertines Anabaptists Brownists Familists and such other addle-brayned and idle Illuminates presume to doe without any ordinary calling or appointment of their Superiours like o Ierem. 23.21 those prophets which ranne when God sent them not But forward The Progresse of a good Guide is when to his vttermost hee seriously laboureth to performe all those duties of his Office requirable at his hands as they are set downe in many places of holy Scriptures especially in 1. Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. where as Chrysostome well p Chrysost hom 10. in 1. Tim. 3. obserueth what hee speaketh of one agreeth vnto all that are good Guides But who shall examine this Not the people Ob. saith q Stapleton vbi supra STAPLETON they being but sheepe but other Shepheards or the whole Company and Communitie of Priests and especially the head of the Shepheards Christs Vicar on earth must iudge and know this But I answere First Sol. that if by Christs Vicar hee meane the Pope he beggeth a question that will not bee granted since the Pope is neyther the Vicar of Christ but r Vid. Sermon in 1. Ioh. 2.18.19.20 Antichrist himselfe neither hath he more power or authoritie to make this scrutinie then any other Prelate since as in Å¿ Cyprian de Vnitate Ecclesiae Cyprians iudgement the other Apostles were equall to PETER So in t August lib. 2. de baptis cap. 2. Augustines opinion other Bishops in their Diocesses haue as great power and authoritie to iudge of their inferiours as hath the Pope in his place it being the Decree u Concil Carthag 1. apud Cyprian August of the Councell of Carthage that none should call himselfe a Bishop of Bishops or by a tyrannicall manner force his fellowes to a necessitie of obeying since euery Bishop according to the licence of his libertie and power hath his owne iudgement Secondly that the censure Ecclesiasticall which either Priests in a Councell or Bishops in their Consistorie may lawfully giue of Ministers according to the Apostolike rules and Canons Ecclesiasticall is no let or hinderance to priuate men from their secret examination and tryall of good or bad Ministers by comparing their doctrine and liues with the Word of God for their owne priuate quiet and good satisfaction they being bound x Act. 20.32 to slee the Wolfe and discouer the y Iohn 10.3 Thiefe as much as they may For as in the Law euery z Deut. 13.4 mans hand was to be stretched out against the Intiser vnto Idolatry so are we all in the Gospell bound by our faith and loue in Christ a 1. Cor. 16.20 to detest with execration all those be they Ministers or people who loue not the Lord Iesus as euery one who will but examine the state of the Popish Clergie by the Apostles rules shall finde that they haue good cause to flee such both Heretikes and Hypocrites who swarue so farre both in their doctrine and in their liues from not onely the rules of the blessed Apostle but also from their owne Canons which I neede not produce being freed from that labour by the diligent and most godly paines of diuers most worthy and reuerend Diuines of the Reformed Church as yet not answered by any Papist referring all who heare me to the reading of b Beza Confess cap. 7. Beza c Heming in Antichrist machi Hemingius d Binder cap. 13. Theolog. Schoâ—asticae Binder and our owne good Countreyman the most painefull searcher of truth e D. Willet in Synops Pap. pa. â—43 â—44 c. Doctor Willet Lastly Constancie and perseuerance is a great marke of a good Guide when we finde that neither Honours nor age will and doth withdraw him from his former paynes as he is exhorted to bee f Reuel 2.10 faithfull to the death and to g Reuel 3.11 hold that hee hath that no man take his Crowne since he h Matth. 10.22 that endureth to the end shall bee saued For albeit hee cannot being olde endure so much labour as he tooke when hee was young yet must he pro virili imploy himselfe as much as he can both for the full discharge of himselfe and encouragement of others who by his graue example will if Grace be in them be prouoked to paines i Luke 12.43 Happie is that man whom his Master when hee commeth shall find so doing and happie those people who are blessed with such a Guide that leadeth them to life k Dan. 12.3 They shall shine as the firmament and bee as the starres for euer and euer Now the fourth meanes of searching and finding out a good Guide from a bad 4. Meanes is the testimonie of the ancient
generall Councell directed by Gods Spirit the explanation of the will of God to which all and euery Christian is to agree and as good Saint Augustine e August lib. 1. de Baptis contra Donatist cap. 18. tearmed the sentence of a generall Councell to be the consent of the whole Church 2. Meanes But to passe forward lest this good gift of discerning spirits might bee or seeme to bee a delusion therefore a second meanes is added hereunto which is the written Word of God comprised in Canonicall Scriptures For this is a most sanctified soueraigne meanes thus ratified by the Prophet f Esay 8.20 To the law to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them thus reckoned of by the Apostle g 1. Tim. 3.15.16.17 the holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus for all Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable see the vses thereof for doctrine to wit of truth for reproofe of error for correction of a bad life for instruction in righteousnesse vnto a good life that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished vnto all good workes For the old and new Testament is as sayth h Basil de rectâ fide Basill the treasure of the Church the holy books of diuine Scriptures are as saith i Isidor Pelusiot lib. 1. Ep. â—69 Isidorus Pelusiota 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very ladders by which we climbe vp to God because k August tom 4 lib. de bâ—no viduitat cap. 1. the holy Scripture hath fastned a rule vnto our doctrine lest we should presume to vnderstand more then it behooueth vs to vnderstand but that as he saith we may vnderstand according to sobrietie as God hath giuen to euery man the measure of faith therefore it is not my part to teach you any other thing but to expound vnto you the words of the Teacher and to dispute of those things as God hath giuen Ob. But here againe Doctor Stapleton is l Stapleton vbi supra carping against this meanes also granting what we say to be true yet adding three things first that the Word of God is not the Scripture only secondly that the common sort of the faithfull doth not vnderstand this Word of God so exactâ—y as that they can iudge of euery new doctrine by the same Word of God and in the causes and grounds thereof thirdly that the proportion of faith which ruleth against new doctrine is the now approued and receiued faith of the Church Sol. All which exceptions are but beggerly crauings of what will not be granted neither to him nor to any Papist now liuing in the world For the first point is most false and a flat derogation to the sufficiencie of the Canonicall Scriptures which only conteine the whole reuealed will and Word of God as besides the Scripture it selfe which m Deut. 4.2 Reuel 2â— 18 curseth those that adde thereunto and Fathers alleadged by n Morn in praefat de Eucharist Polan cap. 1. symboâ— Theolog. c. our side and yet not answered by any of their Wranglers euen o Aquin. 1. p. Aquinas and Catetane their owne great Rabbies haue plainely auouched hee saying that our faith relyeth vpon the reuelation made to the Apostles and Prophets who writ the Canonicall bookes but not vpon the reuelation if any be made to any other Doctors this p Caietan in 2. Tim. 3.16 expounding the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by diuine inspiration as the speciall difference betweene Gods written Word and all humane inuentions And the second point is no better being an vncharitable debasement of Gods children who may be as S. Paul was q 2. Cor. 11.6 rude in speech but not in knowledge For since Gods Spirit r Iohn 16.13 which is the Spirit of Truth leading into all truth may be in Amos as wel as Esay may be in vnlettered Idiots as well as in a learned Rabbie we cannot with any godly reason debar simple men from the knowledge of the Scriptures which are not the Å¿ Esay 13.12 sealed booke but t Habbac 2.1 written so plaine that a man may runne and read them And therefore albeit they cannot out of Scripture exactly decide like a learned Schooleman a point of Controuersie yet may they by Gods enlightning grace attaine to so much knowledge of godlinesse out of the reading and hearing of the holy Scriptures as may through Gods acceptance suffice for their saluation according to their measure as the Apostle exhorteth u Col. 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteously For hereby saith x Hieronym in 3. Coloss Hierome is declared that Lay men must haue the Word of Christ not onely sufficiently but abundantly and so teach and warne themselues mutually But thirdly where he seemeth to tye the proportion of faith to the Church not to the tenor of the Scriptures I maruell how hee dare so swarue from the Scriptures which y Clem. Alex. lib. 6. Strom. August lib. 2. contra Cresconium Grammatic all the Fathers call The Ecclesiasticall Rule both of faith and manners For what is this analogie or proportion of faith but z Vid. Hyperium lib. 2. de Theol cap. 35. the true agreement which one part of the Scriptures hath with another to make vp one faith Fides a Tertull. lib. de praescript aduer hâ—r cap. 14. saith TERTVLLIAN in regula posita est Faith is placed vnder a rule to wit of Law and Gospell that it should not depend vpon Man but vpon God and that it should be made knowne by it owne onely principles which are the Bookes of Canonicall Scriptures the onely best and Authentique b Iohn 5.39 Witnesses of Iesus Christ the c Heb. 12.2 Authour and finisher of our faith As then the Law-giuer is the best Interpreter of himselfe so let God in the Scriptures haue the place both of Text and of glosse d Psal 51.4 Rom. 3.4 that he may be iustified in his sayings and cleere when he is iudged For e Irenaeus lib. 3 aduers haer c. 12. ostensiones quae sunt in Scripturis non possunt ostendi nisi ex ipsis Scripturis saith IRENIE Doctrines in Scriptures cannot be declared but out of the Scriptures Whereupon f Tertull. lib. de veland virginib cap. 3. Tertullian thus cutting off all customes or prescriptions which seeme vpon pretence of antiquitie to derogate from truth cryeth out Exurge Veritas Arise vp Truth quasi de patientiâ erumpe and breake forth out of thy patience nullam volo consuetudinem defendas I will not haue thee to maintaine any custome Ipsa Scripturas tuas interpretare quas consuetudo non nouit Doe thou interpret thy Scriptures which custome hath not knowne si enim nosset nunquaÌ„ esset for if it