Empire in the west they together with Antichrist diuide the Romane Empire among them raigning by soueraigne authority he in Rome and part of Italy they in the other prouinces Of these ten hornes it is said that they for a time should giue their power and strength vers 13. to the beast meaning Antichrist and that in his quarell they shall fight against Christ the lambe in his members But the v. 14. bloud of Martyrs being the seede of the Church and the truth preuailing when it is most oppugned Christ by the constancie of his Martyrs and preaching of his word ouercommeth For though in respect of the manner of his resistance hee seemeth a meeke lambe yet hee shall be sure to ouercome because he is the king of kings and Lord of Lords being able by weake and foolish things as they are esteemed in the world to ouercome the wise and strong And howsoeuer those fewe in comparison that stoode with him were condemned for hereticks and schismatickes yet are they the called chosen and faithful seruants of the Lord. Whereas contrarywise the generall multitudes whereof the catholicke apostasy consisteth are the slaues of Antichrist and subiect to the whore of Babylon For the waters whereon she sitteth are peoples and multitudes nations v. 15. and tongues But when as our Sauiour Christ shall discouer Antichrist and by the ministery of the word as it were the breath of his mouth waste and consume him then shal the ten kings which before had ioyned with him set thēselues against him and those which before had committed fornicatiō with the v. 2. whore of Babylon shall hate her and make her desolate and naked v. 16. and shal eate her flesh and shall burne her with fire And that this decay of the Antichristian state doth follow vpō the preaching of the gospell it appeareth Apoc. 14. 6. 7. 8. where it is said that vpon the preaching of the euerlasting Gospell an angell saith It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great city for shee gaue to all nations to drinke the wine of the wrath of her fornication v. 17. For vntill this time that Christ discouer Antichrist and in some measure consume him with the spirite of his mouth the ten kings are giuen ouer of God to support with one consent the beast and purple harlot whome after Antichrist is discouered they shall hate and oppugne 2 But let vs come to the application For euen as from this place I proued before that Antichrist is already come so may I now from hence conclude that the Pope is that Antichrist That Antichrist is come it is as certaine as that the prouinces of the Empire are not ruled by deputyes of the Emperour but by soueraigne princes who haue together with Antichrist diuided the Empire among them And that the Pope is that Antichrist it is as certaine For he it is who as well as the kings hath risen by the decay of the Empire in the west he it is and no other to whome these kings haue with one consent giuen their strength and power submitting themselues vnto him as his vassalls swearing to mainetaine and support him fighting his battailes and drawing their sword at his becke And being made drunke with the cuppe of his fornications they fought against the lambe and persecuted those seruaunts of Christ whom Antichrist condemneth as hereticks and schismaticks who notwithstanding are in truth the called chosen faithfull though few and despised in the world When as contrarywise the vniuersality of people whereon the whore of Babylon sitteth and whereof the adulterous church of Rome consisteth are but the branded slaues of Antichrist But howsoeuer these kings whiles they were besotted and giuen ouer of God in his iust iudgement that they should submit themselues to the Antichrist of Rome did seeke by all meanes to support him yet when Christ had discouered him to be Antichrist and by the preaching of his word as it were the spirit of his mouth began to waste consume him and more and more since the times of Luther to abate the opinion which men had conceiued of him then these princes not al but some of them began to reuolt from Antichrist and to hate the Antichristian whore See chap. 2. §. 11. of Babylon the city and church of Rome and as much as in them lyeth haue left her desolate and naked and the rest in Gods good time shall accomplish his will For this prophecie concerning that which Antichrist was to suffer is as yet fulfilled but in part And still there remaineth to bee fulfilled the finall destruction of Rome the seat of Antichrist before the end of the world soretold Apoc. 18. and the finall ouerthrowe of Antichrist at the glorious appearing of Christ at his second comming prophecied 2. Thess. 2. 8. Apoc. 19. 20. Seeing therefore Antichrist the great enemy of Christ and his church is to be ouerthrowne by these three meanes by the powerfull ministery of the word by the puissaunt strength and power of Christian princes by the glorious comming of Christ to iudgment all faithfull ministers are to bee stirred vp seriouslie and earnestly to oppose themselues against Antichrist that by their ministery as it were the spirite of Christs mouth he may bee more and more wasted and consumed All true Christian princes are to be excited not onely to hate the whore of Babylon but also according to the prophecie of the holy ghost to make her desolate and naked to eate her flesh and burne her with fire to do to her children as she hath done to the seruants of Christ. And finallie all sound Christians are to be exhorted earnestly Apoc. 18. 6. and continuallie to pray that the Lord Iesus would not onely consume Antichrist giuing successe to the ministerie of his seruants but also that he would hasten his second coming and destroy him at his glorious appearing Euen so Lord Iesu come quicklie And thus haue I shewed that the prophecyes of Ap. 22. 17. 20. the holy ghost in the scriptures concerning Antichrist Conclus do most fitly and properly agree to the Pope of Rome whereupon I doe necessarily conclude that therefore the Pope of Rome is the graund Antichrist described in the scriptures FINIS THE SECOND BOOKE maintaining that the Pope is Antichrist The first Chapter answering Bellarmine his first argument concerning the name Antichrist HAuing in the former Booke sufficiently prooued by euident demonstration out of the worde of God that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist it remaineth that we should maintaine this our assertion against the arguments of the Papists For as the force euidence of our proofes may perswade vs to embrace this truth so the weakenesse and sophistry which appeareth in the obiections of our aduersaries may confirme vs in this perswasion And the rather if we consider either the weight of this controuersie it selfe or their will and skil to maintaine their part or lastly the
this worthie Saint or glorious martyr that he will pray to God for vs ◅hat by his merites we may haue pardon and forgiuenesse of o◅r sinnes or something to the like effecte Wee reade of diuerse of their Saints who when they haue beene beheaded haue caried their Saint Iustinian the monke Saint Osi◅a Saint Fulcien and Saint Victorice heads in their hands some one mile some two miles And it is a wonder that hasting from so sharpe a banquet they did not leaue their heades behind them for haste Among manie other miracles they tell vs of fire also which they haue caused to come downe from heauen in the sight that is iudgement and opinion of men besotted and giuen ouer to beleeue their monstruous vntruthes In the life of Prothe and Iacinct they make fire to come downe from heauen to kill Melancy the false accuser of Eugenne They haue brought downe a pillar of fire reaching from heauen vnto the earth where the bodie of Saint Edward the Martyr lay Vpon the head of Saint Martin as hee was saying masse they haue fetched downe a tongue of fire from heauen to make him equall as they say to the Apostles In the fable of Saint George they make fire to come downe from heauen to burne the idoles with their temple and priestes In the life of Barbara wee reade that when her owne father beeing her persecutour had drawne his sworde to slay her shee was miraculouslie taken vp in a stone and caried into a mountaine where two shepheades were feeding their sheepe And when one of them had bewraied her to her father and shee in her charitie had cursed him anone his sheepe became locustes and hee consumed into a stone Then her father hauing apprehended her deliuered her to the iudge who put her to death Whereupon they bring downe fire from heauen to consume her father Their doctrine of purgatorie and prayer for the dead is confirmed by manie wonders and strange apparitions of soules departed begging masses for their deliuerance out of purgatorie And in like manner it is reported that when Birstan the Bishoppe of Winchester staying all night in the churchyard as his manner was said ouer his psalmes for the soules departed comming to these words requ◅scant in pace let them rest in peace he heard the voice of an infinit number out of the graues crying Amen But to this purpose also in their legend they haue made fire to descend from heauen When as they tell vs of a certaine Bishoppe who appearing in the clouds of heauen to another here vpon earth did let some fire drop vpon him to giue him a tast of the torments in purgatorie Besides these examples many other might bee found if they were woorth the seeking in their fabulous writings as also in some other of their storyes which testifie that diuerse times in the church of Rome fire hath beene brought downe from heauen But these which I Ioan. Linturius in appead ad fascic tempor haue recited may suffice in seeking and setting downe wherof I should haue thought my time and paines not wel bestowed such are the ridiculous fooleries of popery wherewith the churches in the time of darknesse haue beene pestered sauing that I considered that the more incredible the report is of Popish miracles the more euidently it is proued both that the Pope is Antichrist and the Papists the followers of Antichrist vpon whome God hath sent strong illusions that they might beleeue lyes In the first sence therefore the prophecy Reuel 13. doth fitte the Pope and church of Rome who by greate signes and wonders do so confirme their Antichristian errours and superstitions in the sight that is in the iudgement opinion and beliefe of men besotted and made drunke with the whore of Babylons cuppe of fornications as though God did seeme to approoue thereof in aunswering by fire from heauen And this interpretation seemeth to be confirmed by the words for it is not directly said that Antichrist should cause fire to come downe from heauen but onely thus that he doth great signes insomuch that fire descendeth from heauē in the sight of men That is insomuch that in the iudgement of men God seemeth to answere him by fire from heauen and to beare witnesse to his doctrines by miracles wrought by the finger of God 12 But descending of fire signifieth also the bestowing of the grace of Gods spirit which is called fire Mat. 3. 11. Act. 2. 3. In which sence the Pope may bee saide to make fire come downe from heauen but wee must adde before men that is in their opinion and conceipt For he forsooth as the church of Rome beleeueth giueth not onely the graces of the spirite to men but also the power of sanctification both to men and also to some creatures of his owne as to his Ag◅ Del and his holy water sprinckle c. And in this sence doth Primasius expound this place Thirdly the comming downe of fire signifieth the wrathfull vengeaunce of God executed vpon his enemies which often in the Scriptures is called fire to wit the Apoc. 20. 9. fire of Gods wrath As Elias therefore brought fire from heauen to consume the two Captaines and their fifties so Antichrist according to this interpretation shall with a diuine reuenge as it were with fire from heauen take vengeance vpon his aduersaries but here also we must adde before men who shall thinke that those against whom Antichrist shal send the thunderbolt of his wrath are punished with a Diuine reuenge and as it were with fire from heauen This also is verified of the Pope of Rome who with a diuine reuenge as he forsooth is Deus vindictae The God of reuenge pursueth his R. Cupers de eccl pag. 61. num 52. enemies but especially with the thunderbolt of excommunication as themselues doe call it Which as it is terribly sent from this Iupiter of Rome so is it fearefully executed with Gregor 7. in ep◅st ad German apud Auentin lib. 5. putting out and casting downe of lights from aboue as if the fire of Gods wrath were at their commaunde or as if with Gregory the seuenth they could shake it out of their sleeues And well may this be reckened among the wonders of Antichrist For it were more then a wonder that Kings and Emperours should by excommunications from the Pope bee either so daunted in themselues or abandoned of their subiectes as some haue beene but that the Popes haue professed and their followers haue beleeued that God himselfe doth whatsoeuer is done by the Pope who being Canonically elected is a God vpon earth and hath the same consistory and iudgement seate with God himselfe whose vicar he would seeme to be consequently that those Kings and Emperours were deposed of God who were excommunicated by the Pope whereas other Princes and people that are not made drunke with the cuppe of their fornications haue esteemed their bulles of excōmunication as Bullas that is
the scriptures And if the Hervaeus de potest Tap. e. R. Cupers Petrus de palude de potest Papae â—…t 4. church be aboue the Scriptures then much more is he For he not onely virtualiter est tota ecclesia that is virtually the whole church but also his power alone exceedeth the power of all the whole church besides Now that the authority of the church much more of the Pope who is superior to the church is aboue the scripture it is both generally affirmed by som particulars coÌ„firmed Cardinal Cusanus entitleth his book De authoritate ecclesia concilij supra coÌ„tra scripturaÌ„ Of the authority of the Church councell aboue against the Scripture Syluester Prierias master of the Popes pallace saith That indulgences are warranted vnto vs not by the authoritie of the Scripture Contra Lutheri conclusiones de potestate Papae but by the authoritie of the Church and Pope of Rome which is greater Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz saith That all men so reuerence the Apostolicke See of Rome that they rather desire the auncient institution of Christian religion from the Pope then from the holy Scriptures This saying the Pope hath so approued that he hath caused it to be inserted into the Dist. 40. c. si Papa Canon lawe The particulars which proue the Pope to aduaunce himselfe aboue the Scriptures are these 1 Because he hath as they say authoritie to adde to the Canonicall Scriptures other bookes that are not in the Canon And that those Dist. 19. c. si Romanorum Ioan. de turrecrem l. 〈◊〉 cap. 112. which be in the Canon haue their Canonicall authority from him In the 19. distinction cap. Si Romanorum Pope Nicolas not onely matcheth their decretall Epistles with the holy Scriptures but also affirmeth that the Scriptures are therefore to be receiued because the Pope hath iudged them canonicall Another saith Whosoeuer resteth not on the doctrine of the Romane church and Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of God Syluester Prierias contra Lutherum à qua sacra scriptura robur trabis authoritatem From which the sacred Scripture draweth strength and authority hee is an Hereticke Eckius saith Scriptura nisiecclesiae authoritate non De ecclesia est authentica The Scripture is not authenticall but by the authority of the Church For I will not tell you how some of them haue not bene ashamed to say that the Scripture without the authoritie of the Church is of it selfe no better worth then AEsopes fables Pighius saith The authority of the church Vid. Chemnit exam part 1. pag. 47. is aboue the Scriptures because the authoritie of the Church hath giuen the Scriptures canonicall authority Secondly whereas the Scriptures are not the words and syllables but the true sence and meaning thereof They teach that the scriptures are to be vnderstood according to the interpretation of the Pope and Church of Rome and that sence which the Pope assigneth to the Scriptures must bee taken for the vndoubted word of God The Pope saith one hath authority so to expound Heruauâ—… de potestate Papae the scriptures that it is not lawful to hold or thinke the contrary A Cardinall of Rome saith If any man haue the interpretation of the church of Rome concerning any place of scripture although he neither know nor vnderstand whether and Cardinal Hosius de expresso dei verbo how it agreeth with the words of the scripture notwithstanding he hath ipsimum verbum Dei the very wordof God And if the sence which they giue be diuerse according to the variety of their practise and diuersitie of times we must acknowledge that the scripture is to follow the church and not the church to follow the scriptures Whereupon Cardinall Cusanus It is no Nicol. Cusanus ad Bohem. epist. 7. maruell saith he though the practise of the church expound the scriptures at one time one way and at another time another way For the vnderstanding or sence of the scripture runneth with the practise And that sence so agreeing with the practise is the quickning spirit And therefore the scriptures follow the church but contrarywise the church followeth not the scriptures And this is that which one who was no small foole in Rome auouched The Pope saith he may change the holy gospell and may Henricus Doctor magister sacri palatij Romae ad legatos â—…ohemicos sub Felice Papa 1447. giue to the gospell according to place and time another sence And to the same purpose was the speech of that blasphemous Cardinall that if any man did not beleeue that Christ is very God and man and the Pope thought the same he should not bee condemned To conclude therefore with Cardinall Cusanus This is the iudgement saith he of all them that thinke rightlie Cardinal s. Angeli ad cosdeâ—… legatos Bohemicos that found the authoritie and vnderstanding of the scriptures in the allowance of the church and not contrariwise lay the foundation of the church in the authority of the scriptures Ad Bohemos epist. 2. 11 Thirdly the Pope challengeth authority aboue the scriptures when he taketh vpon him to dispense with the word and law of God For whosoeuer taketh vpon him to dispense with the law of another challengeth greater authority then the others and it is a rule among themselues In praecepto superioris non debet dispensare inferior the inferiour may not dispense Antonin part 3. lit 22. cap. 6. §. 2. with the commaundement of the superiour That the Pope doth dispense with the lawes of God it is euident For scarcely is there any sinne forbidden there where with he doth not sometimes dispense nay whereof hee will not if it be for his aduantage make a meritorious worke Incest is an horrible sinne forbidden by the law of God and by the lawe of nature And yet there is no incest excepting that which is committed betwixt the parents and the children which hee hath not authority forsooth to dispense with for as they say hee may dispense against the law of nature The Pope dispensed with Henrie the eightth to marie his sister in law and 25. q. 6 authoritatem in glâ—…ss with Philip the late king of Spaine to mary his owne niece Pope Martin the fift dispensed with a certaine brother that Antonin sum 3. part tit 1. cap. 11. §. quod Papa sum angel diâ—…t Papa maried his owne sister And Clement the seauenth licensed Petrus Aluaraâ—…lus the spaniard for a summe of money to marie two sisters at once c. Disobedience to parents periury that is breaking of lawfull oathes rebellion against lawfull princes murdering of a sacred prince are condemned by the lawe of God as haynous offences But if children shall cast of their parents to enter into a Sodomiticall cloister if the Pope shall absolue the subiects from their oathes and forbidde them
this of a reall and visible marke wherewithall men of all sortes should suffer themselues to bee branded as the slaues or cattell of Antichrist Where the holy Ghost speaketh of the image of the beast which Antichrist puttoth life into and causeth to speake they vnderstand it of a materiall image animated and made to speake Where the holy Ghost speaketh of fire to come downe from heauen they vnderstande it of materiall fire brought downe from heauen Which course whosoeuer followeth in expoūding the prophecies in the Reuelation must neuer looke to see them verified in the euent The which I speake not that literally they doe not agree to the Pope but because the mysticall sence being the more like to bee true our aduersarie groundeth his argument wholy vpon the literall interpretation But I will make it plaine that both these miracles agree to the Pope not onely in the mysticall sence but also in the literall And to that purpose let vs consider these miracles seuerally 9. And first as touching that of fire which Antichrist shall cause to descende from heauen if it bee literally vnderstood you shall perceiue that it agreeth to the Pope because in diuerse Popish miracles there hath beene as they say fire brought downe from heauen But seing the place is rather to bee vnderstood mystically and allegorically as well as other prophecies of the Reuelation wee are not therefore by the comming downe of fire to vnderstand literally a reall descending of materiall fire but that which mystically in the Scriptures is meant by the cōming downe of fire from heauen You are therefore to bee infourmed that descending of fire from heauen in the Scriptures signifieth three thinges 1. Gods approuing of the religion and sacrifices of his seruaunts 2. His sending downe of the graces of his spirit vpon his children 3. His vengeaunce executed from heauen vpon his enemies For the first it is cleare that the Lorde informer times vsed to testifie his approbation of the religion and sacrifices of his seruaunts by sending fire from Heauen to consume their sacrifice in which respect hee is said to answere them by fire from heauen Leuit. 9. 24 1. Chron 21. 26. 2. Chron. 7. 1. wherunto some adde Gen. 4 4. Iud. 13. 19. Whē as therfore the people of Israel halted between Iehouah and Baal◅ Elias to proue that Iehouah whom he worshipped was the true God and his worship the true religion by praier miraculously caused fire to come downe frō heauen to cōsume the sacrifice 1. King 18. 38. Whosoeuer therefore doth by such signes and wonders confirm that doctrine and religion which 1. King 18. 38 he professeth as though God aunswered him by fire from heauen he may be said to cause fire to descend from heauen in the sight and opinion of men who thinke such miracles to bee wrought by the finger of God according to this example of Elias that is so to haue confirmed his religion in the opinion of men as if hee had with Elias fetched fire from heauen If therfore the Pope of Rome or his ministers haue by as strange signes and wonders in the opinion of men confirmed their religion as though God from heauen approued thereof as hee was woont to signifie his approbation in answering by fire frō heauen they may be sayd to haue made fire to come down from heauen although they neuer had caused materiall fire to descend But if besides many other strange signes and wonders which they call miracles they haue confirmed their superstitious religion and Antichristian doctrines by bringing fire from heauen then can it not be denyed but that this place doth most fullie and properly agree vnto them But you must remember how Saint Iohn saith in the sight of men not that they haue done so indeede but only that they haue made men beleeue so 10 As for example to proue that their sacrament of the altar after the words of consecration is the very body of Christ and to be worshipped no otherwise then Christ himselfe wee haue a narration in their festiuall which was wont solemnelie to be read in the church on Corpus Christi day the words whereof I will recite vnto you Also we find say they that in Deuonshire beside Exbridge was a woman lay sick and was nigh dead and sent after a holy person about midnight to haue her rights Than this man in all hast that he might arose and went to the church and tooke God◅ body in a box of Iuor◅ and put it into his bosome and went foorth towards this woman And as hee went through a forest i◅ a faire m◅de that was next his way it happened that his box fello◅ of his bosome into the ground and he went forth and wist it not and came to this woman and hearde her confession And then hee asked her if she would be houseled and she said yea sir. Then he put his hand in his bosome sought the box And when he found it not he was full sorie and sadde And saide dame I will goe after Gods bodie and come anon agine to you and so went foorth sore weeping for his simplenesse And so as hee came to a willow tree hee made thereof a rodde and stripped himselfe naked and beat himselfe that the bloud ranne downe by his sides and saide thus to himselfe Ah thou simple man Why hast thou lost thy Lorde God thy maker thy former and creatour And when hee had thus beate himselfe hee did on his clothes and went on foorth And then hee was aware of a pillar of fire that lasted from earth to heauen and hee was all astonied thereof yet hee blessed himselfe and went thereto And there lay the sacrament fallen out of the boxe into the grasse and the pillar shone as bright as any Sunne and it lasted from Gods bodie to heauen And all the beastes of the forrest were com◅n about Gods bodie and stoode in compasse round about it and all kneeled on foure knees saue one black horse that kneeled but on that one knee And that blacke horse was a feend of hell who had turned himselfe into that shape that men might steale him as diuerse had done and were hanged for him c. If any man obiect that all this narration is a foolish fiction I aunswere that this was as verilie beleeued as it was solemnelie read And therefore to countenaunce their abominable idole of the masse they haue in the sight that is in the iudgement opinion and beliefe of men caused fire to come downe from heauen that it might point out the body from it reach to heauen 11 To winne credite to such Saints as they haue canonized and consequently to cause men the more deuoutlie to pray vnto them to adore their images and reliques to goe on pilgrimage to them they haue coyned in the life or legend almost of euerie Saint straunge and incredible miracles And this is the ordinarie conclusion of many legendes Then let vs pray to
bubbles the fire of vengeaÌ„ce which they cause to descend in the sight of men as painted fire or as the thunder and lightning of Salmoneus who as the Poet describeth him not vnlike to the Pope Flammas Iouis Aeneid 6. sonitus imitatur Olympi Imitateth the lightenings of Iupiter and the thunder of heauen But howsoeuer it is whether this descending of fire from heauen is to be vnderstood literally or mystically the prophecy of the holy Ghost concerning this first miracle of Antichrist is verified of the Pope and church of Rome who haue caused fire to come downe froÌ„ heauen according to the literall sence according to the allegoricall interpretation they haue so confirmed their doctrines by signes wonders as if God had answered them by fire from heauen and secondly they haue taken vpon them to bring downe the fire of Gods spirite and to bestowe his grace as it pleaseth them and lastly they haue according to the example of Elias with a diuine reuenge as it were with fire from heauen taken vengeaunce of their enimies not to speake of his punishing with fire all those that will not adore him 13. And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the first miracle The second miracle saith Bellarmine is that Antichrist or his ministers shall make the image of the beast to speake But neuer Pope nor any minister of his did make an image to speake therefore saith hee the Pope is not Antichrist But I answere that this prophecie euen according to the Popishe interpretation agreeth to the Pope and his followers among whom it hath beene an vsuall practise to put life as it were into images in the sight and opinion of simple men making them to sweate to smile to srowne to nodde to becke and many times to speake which might happeÌ„ without a miracle for the Diuels sometimes did speake in the images of the Heathen Notwithstanding wee are not after a Popishe that is to say a grosse maner but after a propheticall and spirituall maner to vnderstand this mysticall prophecy of the holy Ghost concerning the image of the beast For if wee vnderstand the beast it selfe mystically as needes wee must or else wee shall make but a beastly interpretation of it so wee are in like sort to expound the image of the beast with the life and speach thereof The beast it selfe signifieth the Romanâ—… state especially vnder the Heathenish Emperours as hath bene shewed The image therefore of the beast must signifie a state which hath some resemblaunce thereof or at least the name and title of the Romane Empire as images beare the name of that which they resemble and is indeed but an image thereof Thus besides the Popes courts both in Rome and other countreys is the Empire renewed in the West which besides the name and some titles and ornaments hath little or nothing of the olde Empire For the old Empire consisted in the gouernment of Rome and the prouinces thereunto belonging none of which the Emperour hath as a Soueraigne Prince by right of the Empire and therefore is said to bee the beast which was and is not though it be being indeed as it is Apoc. 17. here called but an image of the former beast The life of this Empire is the imperiall dignity and the speach are his edicts Whosoeuer therfore caused this Empire which in the west had lien void 325. yeares to be renewed whosoeuer at the first created this Emperour since hath taken order for the electioÌ„ of the Emperour coÌ„firmeth the electioÌ„ he may be said to haue caused the image of the beast to be made to haue put life into it to haue procured authority vnto it wherby it speaketh 14. Now to whom all this is to bee applied let Bellarmine himselfe be iudge For he in his bookes De translatione imperij Romani by many testimonies laboureth to proue first that the Empire of Rome was translated but he might better haue said renewed in the West and as it were reuiued by the authority of the Pope and that Charles the great in whom this Empire was renewed receiued the same by no other title but by the authority of the Pope And that is the summe of his first booke Secondly that the Empire of Rome was translated from the family of Charles the great and from the French nation to the family of Otho and the nation of the Saxons and Germanes and that Otho was aduaunced to the Empire by the Pope which is the scope of the second Booke Thirdly that the seuen Electours of the Empire were ordained and appointed by the Pope which is the argument of his third booke And in his first booke he setteth downe the state Chap. 4. of that controuersie thus the question is saith he who is the authour of this traÌ„slation or rather renouation for the Emperour of the East continued after vntil the yeare 1452. before this time had by the Popes meanes lost his right in Italy and Rome therfore nothing was traÌ„slated but the name title who it was that gaue the name dignity power of the Romane Emperour and Caesar Augustus in the west to Charles the great his successors We answer saith he that which the coÌ„sent of al nations proclaimeth that Pope Leo 3. was either the only or the chiefe and principall authour of this translation that the Dutch nation is to acknowledge the receipt of the Empire from the Pope Vnto the testimony of Bellarmine of all those authours whom he citeth we will adde the professioÌ„ of the Popes theÌ„selues Innocentius 3. saith the 7. Electours had their authority Decret Gregorian de electione c. venerabilem ab Apostolica sede quae RomanuÌ„ imperiuÌ„ in persona magnifici Caroli à Graecis traÌ„stulit in Germanos From the See Apostolick which traÌ„slated the Romane Empire in the person of Charles the great froÌ„ the Grecians to the Germanes Vpon which translation saith Bellarmine The Romane commonweale returned againe De traÌ„slat imper li. 1. cap. 4. to the same state wherein Constantine the great established it wherein it remained froÌ„ Valentinian the elder vnto Augustulus Likewise Adrian 4. The Romane Empire saith he was Ad archiep Treuir Moguntin Agrippin apud Auentin lib. 6. translated froÌ„ the Greekes to the Almaines that the king of the Almaines should not be called Emperour before he were crowned of the Pope Before his consecration he is king after he is Emperour Vnde igitur habet imperiuÌ„ nisi à nobis From whence then hath he the Empire but from vs By the election of his princes he hath the name of a king by our consecration he hath the name of Emperour Augustus Caesar. Ergo per nos imperat Therfore he is Emperour by vs. Call to mind Antiquities Zacharias aduaÌ„ced Charies and gaue him a great name that he should be Emperour c. Imperator quod habet totum