power and who carries himself as if he were God he is the man of sin the great Antichrist but the Popes of Rome are seated in the temple have subjected all rule and Authority to themselvs and behave themselves as if they were God therefore the Popes of Rome are the man of sin the great Antichrist Thirdly Antichrists Name is written in his forehead Rev. 17.5 Mystery Brocard a Venetian doth avouch it that the word Mystery is written in the Popes Mitre and many others who have been at Rome do profess to have seen it as Dr. Iames the late keeper of the Library at Oxford will further satisfie any man in his Dedicatory Epistle to his Treatise of the corruption of the Scriptures What mystery 't is that is written upon his forehead Saint Paul tell you 2 Thes 2.7 Mystery of iniquity As the Doctrine of the Gospel is a Mystery of Godliness so the Papacy is nothing else but a Mystery of iniquity The Pope pretends to be more for Christ then any man in the World Christs Vicar Christs Vicegerent the visible head of Christs Church Saint Peters successor to feed the flock of Christ and still he hath Christ in his mouth and who but Christ with him I tell you he pretends to be more for Christ then any man alive but let me tell you withall that there is no man alive so much against Christ as he is and therefore most properly called Antichrist which signifies both for and against Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek is pro as well as contra Ioh. 1.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace for Grace The great Antichrist is one that is pretendedly for Christ but is really against Christ which cannot be affirmed of the great Turk or of any other beside the Pope but of him it may most clearly That he bears the World in hand he is Christ greatest friend I need not prove I suppose we will all take that for granted but let me shew you how in truth he is Christs greatest Enemy in all points One mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus 1 Time 2.5 There are other Mediators says the Pope both for satisfacton and intercession for satisfaction the propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass the blood of Thomas the merits of the Church for intercession the Virgin Mary Saints and Angels are intercessors to God even as to our particular necessities for us there 's but one says Christ there are more says the Pope Christ alone is Prophet of his Church to be heard in all things whatsoever he shall say Act. 3. and for this end he opened the sealed book bids every one of his search the Scriptures grow in knowledge walk in the light of Gospel-truth the Pope expresly contradicts this and tells you that the Doctrine Christ hath left in the Scriptures is not sufficient without his daily supplements of unwritten Traditions which are of equal Authority with the word of Christ and must be beleeved upon pain of damnation Of the written word what he pleaseth he makes authentique what he pleases he cancels he teaches and interprets all by an infallible unerring Spirit He hath sealed up the book or Bible which Christ opened to them forbidding the people the use of Scriptures Latine Scriptures Latine Service all must be to them in an unknown tongue he tells them that ignorance is the mother of devotion and to believe as the Church believes is knowledge and faith enough Christ hath forbidden all kinde of pictures and Images in the Worship of God Deut. 4.15.16 Take good heed unto your selves for ye saw no manner of similitude in the day the Lord spake unto you in Horeb lest ye corrupt your selves and make a graven Image c. John 4.23 The true worshippers worship the Father in Spirit and in truth the Father seeketh such to worship him No says the Pope you shall make Images of the Trinity and pictures of the Cross and shall kiss and worship them with the worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same worship ye give God Christ You shall make Images of Saints and Angels and shall worship them with worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a religious worship though not the highest you shall pray unto them and fill all your Churches with them for they are Lay-mens books Christ hath taught us that our own righteousness is as menstruous rags upon our best performances we are unprofitable sevants that we are justified by faith without the works of the Law T is not so says the Pope good Works are meritorious there is a merit of congruity in them before conversion and a merit of condignity in them after conversion nay that some men do works of supererogation more then the Law of God requireth or is their duty to do whereby they are not onely justified themselves but the overplus of their merits helps to justifie others Christ saith he will have the Sacrament of the Supper administred in both kinds 1 Cor. 11 23. to 27. I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you that the Lord Iesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he brake it and sayd take eat this is my body after the same manner he took the cup saying this cup is the new Testament in my blood this do ye as oftenas ye eat this bread and drink this cup c. This St. Paul received of Jesus Christ delivered it in charge to all and every of the Churches of Corinth both what and how they were to receive It shall not be so says the Pope the Priest shall receive in both kinds the People shall have nothing but the bread Christ teaches that marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled Heb. 13. No says the Pope 't is not honorable in the Clergy so they call them t is not lawful for a Priest to marry Christ says Let no man judge you in respect of meats or drinks or an holy day Col. 2. You are now freed from the observation of daies and meats every creature of God is good if it be received with thanksgiving No says the Pope ye shall observe Saints daies and for meats touch not taste not any flesh on such and such dayes and weeks of Lent But to what end should I thus go on I profess I can hardly name one Doctrine of Jesus Christ but the Popes of Rome have thwarted it either directly or indirectly and quite subverted it The Pope may see himself in those old Heretiques the Antitactae as in a glass who held it religion to contradict the Laws of their Maker and instead of Gods Laws brought in their own inventions and fooleries Take it thus He on whom such a mystery of iniquity is found as to pretend to be wholy for Christ and yet in every thing crosses and opposes Christ he is the man of sin the true and great Antichrist but upon the Pope is this mystery of iniquity
and greatness withheld them but when the hand of Providence took them out of the way then they became Popes and manifested themselves to be the seventh distinct Roman Government the last head of that beast Thus you see how both Saint John and Saint Paul were guided by one Spirit when they describe Antichrist to point the finger at the Popes of Rome Take it thus He that succeeds the Emperors in the Government of the Roman State or he that is seventh head of Daniels fourth beast he is the great Antichrist but the Popes of Rome succeed the Emperors in the Government of the Roman state or they are the seventh head of the fourth great beast therefore the Popes of Rome are the great Antichrist Secondly Antichrist is the man that sets himself above all Rule and all authority 2. Thes 2.8 then shall the wicked be revealed that 's our translation but the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lawless man v. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God How must men forfeit their Intellectuals to fasten all this anywhere but upon the popes For first they are Church-men their seat is in the Temple or reputed Church of God The great Turk let his pride and domination be what it will yet he sits not in the Temple he 's no Church-man but the Pope is Secondly he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lawless man PopeGratian in his decrees reckons up several Laws publike private Laws the Laws of Nature and Nations written and unwritten Laws civil and canonical the Laws both of God and man but the conclusion of all he makes is this that they are all subject to the Popes interpretation and dispensation and that he is the spiritual man who judgeth all things and himself is judged of none He allows such marriages as God hath forbidden You all know he allowed Henry the eighth of England to have his brother Arthurs wife which God expresly forbids Levit. 18.16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brothers wife And when the sinfullness of it was discovered he would not untye the knot or allow a divorce though it got him nothing and so justified the sin of uncleanness and the trangression of Gods Law He absolves people from the Laws of obedience to the Powers that God hath set over them contrary to that Let every soul be subject to the High powers so the Greeks or the Powers that are set up on high Rom. 13 To kill a Protestant is no murther to blow up a Parliament is meritorious nay though he carry plures animarum currus ad tartara none may say unto him cur ita facis Thus he puts all Rule and Law under his feet Thirdly He apposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or is Worshipped meaning all civil Powers and Rulers of this World the beast hath lift up his paw at them all yea and fetched them under too Rev. 17.12.13 The ten horns are ten Kings those have one mind and give their power and strength to the beast i. e. he had conquered them and they yeilded themselves his slaves their power their strength their all should be at his service vigorously to promote his designs Bellarm in his fifth Book de Rom. Pontif. hath these words Omnes Imperatores Pontifici Romano debent suum imperium all Kings and Emperors owe their Crowns and Scepters to the Bishop of Rome And hereupon the Pope stiles himself Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium King of Kings Lord of Lords and 't is not bare words but he acts accordingly in deposing Kings and giving away their Kingdoms Pope Innocent the third deposed King John of England and gave this Land to Philip Augustus King of France but at last he absolved him upon condition he would hold his Kingdom in Fee of the Church of Rome and that he should pay yearly a thousand Marks of silver in token of his subjection Pope Alexander the sixth gave the West Indies to the Spaniard the East Indies to the Portugal and set them their Limits Pope Pius the fifth pronounced the sentence of degradation and deposition against Queen Elizabeth The Monks whipt Henry the second of England upon the death of Becket and when he spoke some angry words to them Domine say they noli mirarii nos enim nullas minas timemus qui de tali curia sumus quae consuevit imperare Regibus Imperatoribus never threaten us we fear no threats we are of such a Court as ruleth our kings and Emperors I think I could have furnished you with a hundred stories of like nature Fourthly he sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God Non ait dicens sed ostendens says one hoc est operibus signis miraculis nitens ostendere quod sit Deus He doth not say it in words at length that he 's God but his carriage and the prerogatives Royal he claims are such as if he were God himself This they stick not to speak out idem est dominium Dei Papae the Rule of God and the Pope are the same Jus ecclesiasticum est jus divinum their ecclesiastical Law is Divine and must bind the conscience as well as any Laws of God Hereupon one expounds it meethinks very well in templo conscientiarum he sits in the Temple of mens consciences He forgives sin as God doth he makes Articles of faith as God doth he takes to himself the Names and Titles that God doth the Councel of Lateran stiles him tu es alter Deus in terris another God upon Earth Dominus Deus noster para our Lord God the Pope he takes Divine worship to himself as God doth they bow before him and kiss his feet which an Angel of heaven would not receive of John Rev. 22. see you do it not Worship God Nay he takes upon him to do that which God will not do to dispense with Laws moral and natural as I said before to give Indulgences to sin for time to come there have been Leases granted for years Schoolemen affirm Deum non magis homini indulgere posse ut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sese gerat quam justitiae suae ordinem overtere seipsum negare God can as soon destroy his order and course of Justice yea deny himself as give men Indulgences to transgress his Laws to walk disorderly but the Pope hath not so bound his own hands he can be Dominus Deus and yet upon good consideration and advantages indulge men to violate any or all the laws of God and Nature He takes upon him to deliver souls out of Purgatory to Canonize Saints at his pleasure so that what is said of God is said of the Pope and more also Take the summ of all thus He who is the great Churchman above all Law and above all Earthly
and carriage and see what we contribute to this great design Christ is gone forth upon Do ye so dispence Justice and Judgement so administer Gospel-Ordinances Word and Sacraments so act your Faith so Pray so Fight as may help to shake out the remaining Vials of wrath faster and faster upon them There is never a man or woman in this Congregation but may carry the matter so as when Christ hath got the day and conquest may without lying or vanity of spirit say Through the goodness of God upon me I was a weapon a poor instrument in the hand of Jesus Chirst for the effecting of it when Rome is all on a flaming fire may say I was one that helped to set it on fire when Babylon is fallen I was one that helped to pull it down which if thou hast done not Jehu-like out of pride and for thy own ends but as service due to Jesus Christ and for the bringing in of his Kingdom doubtless thy seed shall be blessed upon Earth and great shall be thy reward in Heaven Vse 4. The last Use is to you who in reason may live to this great day of Romes ruin when you shal see the great Earthquake shaking their Politicall Heavens and Earth all to pieces and the greatest temporall glories now in Christendom brought down laid low and trodden under foot let it not trouble you at all for let me tell you those in Rev. 18. That shall tament her burning are none of Christ friends but carnal wretches and indeed his enemies Your duty upon it is of a clean contrary nature Rev. 18. you read of Babylon fallen as when a milstone is cast into the bottom of the Sea of the smoak of her burning and that in one hour she is made desolate saith the Holy Ghost Rejoyce over her thou Heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her Rev. 19.1 After these things that is after Rome burnt and laid in ashes I heard a great voyce of much People in Heaven in the true Church of Christ saying Allelujah salvation and honour and glory and power unto the Lord our God ver 2. For true and righteous are thy Judgements for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the Earth with her Fornication and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand ver 3. And again they said Allelujah and her smoak rose up for ever and ever ver 5. A voyce came out of the Throne saying praise our God all ye his servants ye that fear him both small and great It was one of S. Austins three wishes that he could have rejoyced greatly in to have seen Rome in her glory though but heathenish but I am confident were he upon earth now one of his greatest wishes wherein he would most please and solace himself would be to see Rome all on a flaming fire and burnt to ashes O quam pulchrum spectaculum And truly there is cause why you should rejoyce in it with exceeding great joy 1. When the Witnesses were dead in the streets you know what was their carriage Rev. 11. They rejoyced over them made merry sent gifts and God will have you to tread forth the law of retaliation as they rejoyced over your misery so Gods tels you t is an equal thing and he requires it as a duty of you to rejoyce greatly over their miseries 2. You know what postures they stand in in reference to Christ and his Church they provoke God daily with the highest hand that ever any did as I have shewed you they wrong Christ strangely keeping him out of his just rights they are the proudest enemy the cruellest enemy and enemy of the longest continuance the most hopeless of ever being brought in by repentance that ever the Church had any and therefore if ever the people of God might rejoyce in the downfall of an enemy you may certainly in this 3. Consider the sequel of their ruin which will be this A Kingdom that cannot be shaken as the Apostle speaks Heb. 12.27 28. and if the Text be rightly understood it speaks to this very time and business Out of the ruins and ashes these wars shall make Christ will bring the most glorious frame of Government that ever the world saw and let men and States do what they can it will not be brought forth till then but then it shall and can any Saint but rejoyce in that which ushers in those good and blessed times Scripture is so abundant in promising which shall be the subject of the ensuing discourse THE REIGN OF CHRIST By Ed. Hawghton LONDON Printed for Francis Tyton 1652. TO THE READER I Would not have any one think that I am able no nor any man now alive to set forth the so-much-expected Kingdome of CHRIST in the true worth and glories of it let it suffice if I give you some rude draughts of it The Prophets of old did speak very clear and excellent things concerning the Messiah his Birth Life Miracles Doctrine Death Resurrection and what was to follow thereupon insomuch that Isaias is usually called by Divines the Evangelical Prophet But when John was come our Saviour saith of him Mat. 11. He was the greatest of those that had been born of women meaning in respect of his knowledge of the Messias nay that he was was more then a Prophet i. e. he had more abilities to speak of Christs nature offices and excellencies of his kingdome then any or all the Prophets that had been before him But yet sayes he The least in the kingome of God is greater then John the Baptist After the ascension of Christ and descension of the Holy Ghost the meanest Minister of the Gospel was able to hold him forth in all points more excellently then John the Baptist was To bring this home to the present businesse We that now speak concerning this great this blessed Kingdome of Jesus Christ onely as Prophets yet not by any private spirit but groundedly from the Word may speak very clear undoubted and in their eares especially to whom this subject is somwhat strange and new very wonderful things almost incredible but when Rome shall come to be buried in its own ashes and after that the great Battel of God Almighty fought and finished and Christ hath his Kingdome actually upon the Anvil hammering and working it out those whose lot it shall be to stand forth Ministers of the Gospel then and be eye witnesses of Christ so at work of them it may be said They are the greatest of those that have been born of women in respect of their distinct knowledge of the Kingdome of our Lord nay more then Prophets men far more accomplish'd to speak of the parts government glory of his Kingdome then any or all the most holy learned men that have been before them who saw it only at a distance through the Prospective of the more dark and general Promises and spake of it by way of