the second comming of Christ then it followeth necessarily that euen this head of the Antichristian body cannot be any one singular man but is continued by a succession of many from the time of his reuelation vntill the end of the world of which time there is almost a thousand yeares expired But both in this argument and in the former Bellarmine sophistically beggeth the question For in his arguments there is no consequence vnlesse this be taken for granted that Antichrist is but one man Antichrist came in the Heretiques in the Apostles time therfore he came not in his owne person A good argument if Antichrist were but one man which is the question If Antichrist were in the Apostles time and if Antichrist must sit at Rome then he that was then Bishop of Rome was Antichrist a good argument if Antichrist were but one man which is the question 13. Now whereas S. Iohn saith that Antichrist in his time was come Bellarmine faineth him to speake of Antichrist as he saith Our Sauiour spake of Elias Mat. 17. 11. Elias indeed shall come namely in his own person but I say vnto you Elias is already come in suo simili in his like that is Iohn Baptist. So S. Iohn speaketh of Antichrist that he was indeed to come in his owne person but now he was come in his type You see to what silly shifts this worthy chaÌ„pion of the Pope is driuen For first he fathereth vpon Christ that Iewish fable which with the Iewes the Papists holde against Christ himselfe For whereas Malachie had prophecied of the comming of Elias before the day of the Malac. 4. 5 Lord meaning the first comming of Christ our Sauiour Christ plainlie anoucheth Mat. 11. 14. that Iohn Baptist was that Elias who according to the Prophecie of Malachie was to come Now Iohn Baptist was called Elias because he came in the spirit and power of Elias to turne the hearts of the fathers c. as the Angell also applyeth that prophesie Luk. 1. 17. But suppose that Christ had spoken of Elias Malac. 4. 6. according to Bellarmines conceit yet how dooth it follow that Luke 1. 17. therefore Iohn speaketh of Antichrist after the same manner No more then it followeth that Dauid should long after his death be sent againe to gouerne the people of God because it was prophesied by Ezechiel that the Lord would raise vp a Pastor for his people euen Dauid his seruant c. But as by the name of Dauid in Ezechiel Eze. 34. 23 24. 37. 35. is meant not Dauid himselfe but Christ of whom Dauid was a type so by the name of Elias in Malachie is not meant Elias himselfe Iere. 30. 9. but Iohn Baptist who resembled Elias in spirit and power in reforming the Church of God 14. Our second argument is this That which in the Prophecies of the Scriptures especially in the 7. and 11. of Daniel and in Apoc. the 13. and 17. is described vnder the name and figure of a beast is not one singuler thing or person but a whole state or succession Antichrist is described in the Apocatypse 13. vnder the name and figure of a Beast therfore Antichrist is not one singuler person but a whole state and succession The proposition is prooued by induction of particular examples As in the 7. of Daniel by the Lion is figured the Kingdome of the Assyrians and Babylonians by the Beare the Medes and Persians by the Leopard the Greekes and Macedonians by the beast with ten hornes the Seleucidae and Lagidae and so Chapt. 8. In the 13. of the Apocalypse there are two Beasts described the former signifying the state of the Romane Emperours the second signifying the state of Antichrist Bellarmine answereth that Daniel as sometimes by the beasts he signifieth whole kingdomes so sometimes also particular persons As in the eight Chapter by the Ramme â—…he vnderstandeth Darius the last King of the Persians by the Goate Alexander the great In which answer the vpright dealing of Bellarmine with the Scriptures appeareth For in the 20. verse of the 8. Chapter where that vision is expounded Dan. 8. 20. the Angels words are these The Ramme which thou sawest hauing two hornes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Kings of the Medes and Persians And the Goate is the King of Iauan or Grecia meaning as before the Kings or Kingly estate as appeareth plainly by the words that follow and not as Bellarmine saith Alexander and the great horne betweene his eyes is the first King namely Alexander which being broken foure other stand vp in the steed thereof As Daniel therefore by seuerall beasts Dan. 8. 22. meaneth not so many particular men but whole states and orders of men and as Iohn in the 13. of the Apocalyps by the former beasts meaneth not any one Emperour but the whole state and succession of Emperours at the least so the holy Ghost in the same Chapter by the second beast describing Antichrist meaneth not any one particular Apo. 13. 11 person but the whole state and succession of Antichristian Popes to whom as heretofore hath beene shewed that description wholy agreeth And whereas Bellarmine addeth that Paul when he entreateth of Antichrist speaketh not of any one of the foure beasts in Daniel but of the little horne mentioned in the 7. of Daniel vers 8 I answer that the Apostle speaketh neither of the one nor of the other and therefore the former part of Bellarmines speech is vaine for no man saith so and the latter is false For the little horne is not Antichrist but Antiochus Epiphanes who liued aboue 200. yeares before the incarnation of Christ who although he were but one man might not vnsitly be called a type of Antichrist who is a state or succession of men 15. Our third argument is taken from that Apostasie which the Apostle foretelleth 2. Thes. 2. For where he speaketh of a defection whereof Antichrist is the head without addition we vnderstand a 2. Thes. 2. 3. generall defection of the visible Church which as it began to worke in the Apostles time so was it to increase vntill the reuelation of Antichrist and to continue more or lesse vntill his destruction This Apostasie because it cannot be the worke of one man or of a fewe 2. Thes. 2. 7. yeares euidently prooueth that Antichrist is not one singuler man but rather a state and succession of men To this Bellarmine for want of one good answer maketh many First saith he by that Apostasie wee may very well nay he saith rectissimè vnderstand Antichrist himselfe as diuers of the fathers teach and what will he inferre thereupon that therefore Antichrist is but one man Nay rather the contrary is to be inferred For if Apostasie be put by a metonymy of the adiunct for the subiect or rather of the effect for the cause that is for the parties which doe reuolt then it followeth that Antichrist who according to
Empire But Popish Rome of Bethel is become Bethauen and of a faithfull city an harlot exceeding all others in whorish entisements cousenages impudencies cruelties and all filthines insomuch that we may truely say with Mantuan Roma est iam tota lupanar Rome wholy is become a stewes and with Petrarch that shee is scelerum aetque dedecorum omnium sentina The sinke and sewre of all villantes and shamefull practises and hath not onely plaid the harlot her selfe but is become the mother of all fornications that is idolatry and superstitions and the fountaine of all other abhominations in the christian world With which the cup of her fornications inebriateth which more argueth the sottishnes of the Romish religion all kings and people that consent vnto her and with fire sword obtrudeth her superstitions and Idolatrous religion vnto all nations that they can make subiect to that See 9 Againe if Iohn had spoken of old Rome which then openly persecuted the saints then had he not spoken of a mysterie 3. as he doth neither would he so greatly haue wondred to Apoc. 17. 5. 7. see the whore of Babylons eitheir idolatry or cruelty against the Saints as he doth vers 6. if by the whore were meant old Rome whose Idolatrie and crueltie to Iohn was not strange And further that the holy ghost by Babylon meaneth Popish 4. Rome it may be proued out of the rest of the 17. chapter beginning at the 8. verse where the Angell declareth vnto Iohn the mysterie of the beast whereon the woman sitteth which hath the 7. heads and ten horns For although this beast as appeareth by conference with the thirteenth chapter may signifie in generall the Romane state as it is opposed to Christ Apoc. 13. 1. 2. c. which in respect of the regiment hath been subiect to seauen heads of gouernement in respect of the imperiall citie is seated on seauen hilles and in respect of the Empire was diuided in the Apostles time into ten prouinces or kingdoms as Strabo and others testifie yet here the Angell speaketh especiallie of the Romane state and Empire renewed and as it were reâ—…ed by the Pope To the which as also to the Papacy which is the second beast in the 13. of the Apocalypse though they be either of them but seuerall heads of the beast vers 10 11. yet the holy ghost giueth the name of the beast For this beast saith he on which the woman sitteth was is not and shall arise out of the depth and again that it is the beast which was and is not though it be And vers 11. hauing shewed that the 7. heads of this beast signifie both the imperiall seat standing on 7. hils also 7. kings that is 7. chiefe gouernments he saith that this beast which was and is not is the eight namely head of gouernment or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he speaketh in the masculine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is one of the seauen namely of Emperors All which cannot be vnderstoode of the Romane Empire as it was heathenish but as it is Popish For this head which had bene and after was not for it lay voide from the time of Augustulus vnto Charlemaigne the space of 325. yeers viz from the yeer 475 vnto the yeere 800 was after to arise for so hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being reuiued by the Pope who was to put Ap. 13. life into the image of the former beast For this Empire erected by the Pope although it hath the name of the beast ascribed vnto it yet it is but the image of the former beast therfore is not in truth imperiall authority dominion the Empire of Rome although in title it be And further it is said that this beast is the 8. head is one of the 7. which cannot be vnderstood of the heathenish Emperors but of the Popish If therfore this beast whereupon the whore of Babylon sitteth ruling guiding the same as the rider doth the beast on which he sitteth be not the old Empire but the new erected by the Pope then the whore of Babylon is not old Rome vnder the heathenish Emperors but Rome christened vnder the Pope But the first is true therefore the last 10 And siftly the ten homes saith the Angel which thou sawest are ten kings that is the chiefe gouernors of the ten prouinces 5. or kingdomes who before the dissolution of the Empire in Apoc. 17. 12. the west had not as yet receiued the kingdome because they stil remained as procoÌ„suls or propraetors that is deputies lief tenaÌ„ts vnder the Emperor But after the Empire was dissolued in the west they receiued power as kings about the same time with the beast i. Antichrist the Pope for so Antichist both in the 13. chap. in the 17. is coÌ„sidered 1. as a head of the beast 2. as a beast by it selfe For albeit neither hee could raigne in Rome nor they in the prouinces by soueraign authority while the Empire stood in the west and flourished yet when it was once decaied but especially when the Emperour also of the cast had by the Popes meanes lost his title in Italy and Rome and was by him bereaued as the authour of the booke called fasciculus temporum saith of the westerne Empire then he seizeth on Rome and a great part of Italie and they on the seuerall prouinces And that these ten hornes are the heads of ten kingdomes which together with the beast meaning Antichrist shall diuide among them the Romane Empire for that is signified when it is saide that they receiue power as kings that is soueraigne authoritie the same houre with the beast it is the receiued opinion of the best writers Yea Bellarmine himselfe saith Ioannes dicit decem reges qui sibi diuident Rom. imperium odio habituros purpuratam meretricem i. Romam Lib. 3. de Pont. R. cap. 13. et eam desolatam facturos Iohn doth say that the ten kings which shall diuide among them the Romane Empire shall hate the harlot arayed with purple that is saith he Rome and shall make her desolate And therefore the holy ghost in that place speaketh not of Rome as it was vnder the Heathenish Emperours nor of the Empire as it was Heathenish for then it was not dissolued and long before the dissolution had Rome ceassed to be Heathenish but of the Empire erected and renewed by the Pope which although it neither enioyeth Rome it selfe the imperiall seate nor yet the prouinces which in times past belonged to the Empire yet hath the name and title therof And consequently he speaketh of Rome as she should bee not onely after the dissolution of the old Empire in the west but also after the erection of the new that is to say of Rome Popish 11 Of these ten hornes it is further said that they haue all 6. one minde being all of the same Popish religion al
of the world Yea we further confesse that his destruction shall concurre with the consummation of the world for Christ at his coÌ„ming shall destroy him But this proueth not that his coÌ„ming shal be within three yeers a halfe before the end of the world For Iohn saith He was come in his time Paul saith he should be reuealed wheÌ„ that which hindered was done out of the way which was done many hundred yeeres ago Therfore though his end concur with the end of the world yet there shall be a greater distance then Bellarmine imagineth betwixt his comming and the end of the world This Bellarmine foreseeing perceiued very well that iâ—… this demonstration by it selfe alone there is no force at all And therfore he joyneth it with the fift of both which together he saith an vnanswerable demonstration may be made to prooue that Antichrist is not yet come that the Pope is not Antichrist For saith he if presently after the death of Antichrist the world shall haue an end and Antichrist shall dye after he hath raigned but three yeeres a halfe then it followeth that Antichrist shall not appeare nor begin â—…o raigne til within 3. yeers a halfe before the end of the world But the Pope hath raigned longer then 3. yeers an halfe and yet the world coÌ„tinueth therfore the Pope is not antichrist The vanity of the former demonstratioÌ„ which is made the grouÌ„d of the last I haue sufficiently shewed before therfore that which is said of two ciphers in ciphering the same may be said of these two demonstrations ioyned together that naught to naught makes naught For now I will not stand to tell you how the three yeares and a halfe which in the former demonstration were 1260. dayes precisely are now growne to 1335. dayes For Antichrist shall not begin to reigne saith Bellarmine vntill within three yeares and a halfe before the end and yet from the beginning of his reigne vntill the end of the world shall be 1335. dayes so that in Bellermines precise account of halfe a yeare 75. dayes that is 10. weekes and 5. dayes are nothing Thus haue we answered these sixe demonstrations which we haue shewed to haue beene farre from proouing demonstratiuely either that Antichrist is not yet come or that the Pope is not Antichrist Wherefore to conclude if the Papists demonstrations in so weighty a cause whereupon all Poperie dependeth be such trifling trumperie as is scarse worth the answering what shall we thinke be their ordinary arguments in other causes of lesse importance And this was his third principall argument wherein he hath spent seauen whole chapters The 10. Chapter Concerning the name of Antichrist 1. NOw followeth his fourth disputation concerning the name marke of Antichrist From the name he fetcheth this vnanswerable argument as he calleth it If the Insolubile argumentum name of Antichrist spoken of Apoc. 13. be yet vnknowne then is not Antichrist as yet come and consequently the Pope is not Antichrist But Antichrists name spoken of Apoc. 13. is yet vnknowne therefore Antichrist is not yet come c. Of this vnanswerable argument there is no part sound as shall appeare The proposition he proueth because when Antichrist is once come his name shal be câ—…only knowne Which he prooueth first by a similitude As NotissimuÌ„ Christs name before his comming was vnknowne although the Prophets had foretold many things concerning Christ and Sibylla had prophecied that his name should conteine 888. but after he was once come all men know that his name is Iesus so although before Antichrists comming his name be vnknowne yet after he is once come there will be no more question what his name is then of the name of Christ which all euen Turks and Iewes and Pagans know to be Iesus Secondly from a common adiunct of all prophecies to be doubtfull and obscure vntill they be fulfilled as Irenaeus teacheth and prooueth Lib. 4 Chap. 43. For answer first I deny the proposition and the Hypothesis whereupon it is grounded contrariwise affirme that the name of Antichrist meaning the name which Antichrist shall impose vpon men spoken of Apoc. 13. might be vnknowne for a time yea was to be vnknowne for a long time after his comming For the name of Antichrist cannot be knowne as the name of Antichrist vntill Antichrist himselfe be knowne and acknowleged But Antichrist himselfe was not commonly to be knowne acknowleged at his first comming For then he could not be able to seduce many few or none being so desperately madde as to follow him whom they know to be Antichrist First therefore the mysterie of iniquity was to worke secretly to the seducing of many afterwards Antichrist was to be reuealed first by his manifest appearing and shewing himselfe more plainely and openly after by his acknowledgement whereof also there are degrees first by some particularly secondly by whole Churches generally and yet neuer in this world to be acknowleged of those that receiue and retaine his marke Againe the name of Antichrist is a mysterie Antichristianisme is a mysterie of iniquity In the whore of Babylons forehead In Apoc. 17 5. is written a mysterie And so far is it froÌ„ the vnderstanding of all to tell the name of the beast that the holy Ghost speaking of this name saith Here is wisdoÌ„ he that hath vnderstaÌ„ding let him reckon the number of the beast meaning the number of his name Apoc. 13. 18. 2. In the similitude taken from Christ there is no likene howbeit Beâ—…armine taketh great felicity in coÌ„paring Christ with Antichrist Christ as he was one particular man so at the time of his circumcision a proper name was giuen vnto him Antichrist as he Luke 2. 21. is not one particular person as hath bin proued but a state could not haue a proper name giueÌ„ vnto him And accordingly it is said to be the name of the beast which beast as hath bin shewed signifieth not one particular man but a whole state Againe Christ comming to saue his name Iesus the name of the Sauiour was tâ—… be made knowne that he might the rather be embraced Antichrist comming to deceiue to destroy was according to his diuellish pollicie to conceale that name whereby he should be known to be Antichrist least being knowne he shold be forsaken of all And as touching Sâ—…bylla she did not only foretel that the name of Christ should coÌ„taine the nuÌ„ber 888. as indeed the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus doth but also setteth downe certaine Acrostiches that is verses the first letters whereof containe this sentence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iesus Christ the sonne of God the Sauior which are also cited by Augustine But of antichrist she speaketh nothing De ciuit dei lib. 18. Chap. 23. so plainly Howbeit she plainly calleth Rome BabyloÌ„ as Iohn doth and in the 8. booke describing antichrist as
seuen heads of the Romane state as vndoubtedly hee is and as our aduersary here confesseth then can it not be denied but that the Pope who is the seuenth head is Antichrist 5 The other interpretation that the beast with seuen heads doth signifie the whole multitude of the wicked is senselesse and absurd For if the beast be the vniuersall company of the wicked what is the world which verse 3. is said to wonder after the beast what are all the kinreds tongues nations which are made subiect to the beast verse 7. who are all those inhabitants of the earth that do worship him doth not the holy Ghost plainely say verse 8. that they are those whose names are not written in the booke of the Lambe that is to say the company of the wicked and reprobates When as Bellarmine therefore saith that this beast signifieth either the Romane Empire or the whole company of the wicked wee may adde but it signifieth not the whole company of the wicked It remaineth therefore that it signifieth the Romane state whereof Antichrist is a head But although Antichrist bee one head of the seuen yet it followeth not that the head which was as it were wounded to death is Antichrist but rather the estate of Emperours which then was For albeit the bâ—…ast with seuen heads doth signifie the Romane state in generall yet in that place it seemeth to bee described as it was subiect to the sixt head In the 17. chapter as it is renewed and subiected to the Antichristian state For the beast which he there speaketh of which was and is not though it be was after to arise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and being the eight in order was in name one of the seuen on which beast as also vpon those waters that is nations wherof the old Empire did arise the whore of Babylon whereby is meant the Antichristian state sitteth that is ruleth and raigneth as a Queene 6 And that it may appeare that there is no necessitie that we should vnderstand this wound of Antichrist let vs consider what wounds the Romane state had receiued and was cured thereof First therefore by the death of Iulius Caesar and the ciuill warres therevpon ensuing the Romane Empire receiued as it were a deadly wound yet recouered it so againe as that in Augustus and some of his successors it flourished more then euer before And this some thinke to be the wound of the beast which was cured whereof the holy Ghost here speaketh describing the beast by that which was knowne to haue bene done in the Romane state The second wound which the Romane Empire receiued was at the death of Nero in whom the stocke of the Caesars ended which being cut off the succession of the Imperiall Crowne was vncertaine and by the vncertaintie of succession the like desolation threatned to that Empire which happened to the Graecian Monarchy after the death of Alexander the great the Empire being left as a prey for the mightiest Neither was this wound cured vntill Uespasian obtained the Empire For after Nero Sergius Galba seized vpon the Empire and enioyed the same but seuen monethes and seuen dayes And albeit to establish the succession hee had adopted Piso yet was hee murdered by Syluius Otho who succeeded him and Otho after three moneths and fiue dayes was slaine by Uitellius who also after eight moneths was deposed and put to an ignominious death by Uespasian In whom the Empire which since the death of Nero had bene incertum vagum as Suetonius saith was established and as it were cured of the former wound which diuers learned men thinke to be vnderstood in this place Others rather expound this deadly wound of the dissolution of the Empire in the West Augustulu being ouercome by the Gothes and the Empire in the West lying voyd vntill Charles the great in whom this wound was after a sort cured Therefore although Antichrist be one of the heads of this beast yet seeing he is but one of the seuen and the holy Ghost speaketh of this Empire especially as it was ruled by the sixt head that is to say the Emperours there is no necessitie nay no probabilitie that by the head which was wounded wee should vnderstand Antichrist especially seeing Antichrist is afterwards described at large and that by these notes among others that he causeth men to worship the former beast whose mortall wound was healed verse 13. and caused an Image to be made to the beast which had the deadly wound verse 14. which as appeareth also by the Image was the Romane state vnder the Emperors for thereof the Empire renewed is an Image 7 But now suppose that Antichrist were this head which was wounded and cured as he is not yet how doth it follow that therefore Antichrist shall faigne himselfe to die and rise againe seeing he speaketh not of a particular mans death and resurrection as the Papists imagine but of the wounding and curing of a state signified by the head Neither speaketh he of death and resurrection but of wounding and curing neither is the wound and the cure counterfeit and faigned but the wound is truly inflicted and truly cured such as was both the wound of the Romane Empire either at the murther of Iulius Caesar or death of Nero or vanquishing of Augustulus and also the cure in Augustus in Vespasian and as Bellarminee else-where De translat imperiâ—… lib. 1. cap. 4. saith in Carolus Magnus If therfore neither Antichrist be spoken of in this place nor yet he who is spoken of doth faigne himselfe to die and rise againe how is it proued from these words that Antichrist shall faigne himselfe to die and rise againe Chap. 16. Of the kingdome and battailes of Antichrist COncerning the kingdome and battailes of Antichrist we reade foure thinges in the scriptures 1 saith Bellarmine 1. that Antichrist arising from a most base estate shall by fraude and deceit obtaine the kingdome of the Iewes 2. that he shall fight with three kings to wit of Egypt Libya and Aethiopia and hauing ouercome them shall possesse their kingdomes 3. that he shall subdue seuen other kings and by that meanes shall become the Monarch of the whole world 4. that with an innumerable army he shall persecute the Christians in the whole world and that this is the battaile of Gog and Magog Of all which seeing none agreeth to the Pope it followeth manifestly that he can by no meanes be called Antichrist To these foure points I will answere first ioyntly to them all and then seuerally to euery one For whereas Bellarmine saith that these foure thinges are read in the scriptures concerning the kingdome and battailes of Antichrist I answere that not any one of these foure is to be found in the scriptures and therefore that this argument as it is the last so of least force and that his disputation standing now as it were on the tilt he seemeth to drawe of the lees Notwithstanding the
being set in the way toward the celestiall Canaan and land of promise seemed with the vnthankfull Israelites to be wearie of the celestiall Manna the foode of their soules and desired to be againe among the flesh-pots of Egypt For seeing they had not receiued the loue of the trueth that they might be saued therefore God hath sent vpon them the efficacie of errour 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. 12. that they should belieue lies meaning the lies of Antichrist that all they might be condemned which belieued not the truth but delighted in vnrighteousnes meaning the mysterie of iniquitie wherof he had spoken verse 7. that is to say Antichristianisme or 2. Thess. 2. 7. Popery 2 And that we may proceed in order we are first to set down the state of this controuersie which in deed is the cheese of all controuersies betwixt vs and the Papists and of the greatest consequence For if this were once throughly cleared all others would easily be decided Our assertion therefore in few words is this That the Pope of Rome who is as it were the God of the Papistes is that grand Antichrist who according to the prophecies of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures was to be reuealed in these latter times The Papists hold the contrary And whereas we say and proue that their Lord God the Popes holinesse in Antichrist they affirme that our assertion is blasphemie and our arguments dotages Rhemist in 2. Thess. 2. Bellarmin lib. 3. de Pont. Rom. siue de Antichriste cap. 18. But if it were no harder a matter to demonstrate the truth of our assertion then to proue their conceipt concerning Antichrist and the proofes therof to be meere dotages I should very easily put this Question out of controuersie that the Pope is Antichrist 3 But first our assertion is to be expounded and afterwards proued As touching the name wee agree saith Bellarmine in Lib. 3. de pont Rom. c. 2. this that as the name Christ is taken two waies to wit commonly and properly so also the name Antichrist The name Christ commonly belongeth to all that are annointed of God and that either to the speciall calling of a King Prophet or Priest or to the general calling of a Christian. And in this sence it is taken either Psal. 105. 15. more largely for the whole body of those that professe the name of Christ whereof some are members of Christ in title and profession 1. Cor. 12. 12. onely or more strictly for the society of the elect the citizens of heauen who haue the marke of God and are not only Apoc. 9. 4. in shewe and profession but also indeed and in truth members of the mysticall body of Christ. Peculiarly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name Christ belongeth to Iesus the sonne of God who was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes and is the Psalm 45. 7. head after a general maner of all Christians but more specially of the elect In like sort the cōtrary name Antichrist belongeth commonly to all that be enemies to Christ and those either open professed enemies as the Iewes Turkes Infidels in which sence the worde is not vsed in the Scripture or else couert professing themselues Christians and vnder the name and profession of Christ oppugning Christ and his truth And so it is taken 1. John 2. 18. 22. either more largely to signifie the whole bodie of Heretickes as in the Epistles of Iohn or more strictly the societie of them who hauing made an apostasie from Christ haue receiued the marke of the beast Properly or rather peculiarly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it belongeth to the man of sinne the sonne of perdition who after 2. Thess. 2. 3. a more generall maner is the head of all Heretickes and more specially of that societie which hath the marke the number and Apoc. 13. 17. name of the beast The societie or body of those who hauing made an apostasie frō Christ to Antichrist the Antichristian state which in the Scriptures is called the whore of Babilon wee hold to be the apostatical church of Rome The head of this Antichristian Apoc. 17. body catholicke apostasie we hold to be the Pope of Rome and consequently that the Pope is that graund Antichrist whom the holy Ghost in the Scriptures hath described vnto vs And that he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called the Antichrist not onely because he is the head of the Antichristian body but also because he being in profession the vicar of Christ is in deed Aemulus Christi that is an enemy opposed vnto Christ in emulation of like honour as if we should say a counter-Christ as the worde Antichrist doth also signifie 4 But when we say that the Pope is Antichrist wee meane not this or that Pope howsoeuer some of them haue beene more notorious Antichrists then others as for example Siluester the 2. Gregory the 7. aliâs Hildebrand Boniface 8. Iohn 22. aliâs 24. Alexander 6. c. but the whole rowe or rabble of them from Boniface the 3. downeward For although the Antichrist be but one person yet he is not one as Christ the head of the Christian body is one Christ because he liueth for euer hath no successours and therefore is one in nature and number as being one singular definit person The head of the Antichristian body which is to continue to the end of the worlde is continued not in one singular and definit person but in a succession of many who are mortall and momentary which successiuely haue bene are or shal be the heads of the catholicke apostasie of any wherof indefinitely or of all commonly the worde Antichrist is vnderstood For euen as the Pope or vicar of Christ according to the Popish conceipt is one person not in number and nature but by lawe and institution one at once ordinarily but many successiuely so Antichrist is not one singular person but a succession of Antichristian Popes which we begin at Boniface the thirde Because he with much adoe about the yeare of our Lord 607. obteined from the Emperour Phocas and al his successours since haue challenged vnto them the Antichristian title of the head of the catholicke or vniuersall Church or oecumenicall vniuersall Bishop Which title of blasphemy as Gregory calleth it befitting Lib. 4. epist 32. 34. 38. him that resembleth Lucifer in pride when as Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople had challenged not long before to wit about the yeare 600. in the time of Mauritius whom Phocas cruelly murdered Gregory the great then Pope of Rome affirmed confidently for so he saith Fidenter dico that therein he was the forerunner of Antichrist who was now euen at hand Omnia enim Lib. 4. epist. 38. quae praedicta sunt fiunt Rex superbiae propè est quod dici nefas est sacerdotum ei praeparatur exercitus For all things saith he which were
and therefore the Angell nūb eth them vers 10. Fiue saith he are fallen one is and the other is Apoc 17. 10. not yet come which is verified of these 7. regiments wherof I spake For the regiments of Kings Consulles Decemuirs Tribunes Dictators were ceassed in the Apostles time One that is of the Emperours then was and the seuenth that is to say of the Popes was not yet come And as touching the Romane Empire erected and reuiued by the Pope it is the beast that was a flowrishing imperiall state but is not Apoc. 17. 8. indeede and in trueth the Empire of Rome but rather an image of it Apocal. 13. although it bee in name and title the Empire of Rome This beast that was and is not it is also the eight head or regiment and is one of the seuen namely of Apoc. 17. 11. Emperours 5. Secondly that Rome is mysticall Babylon it may bee Hieronym in Esay cap. 47. v. 1. item in epist. ad Marcell◅ quaest 11. ad Algasiam in praef de spirit sanct ad Paulin proued by the testimonies of very good Authours Ierome saith Romanam vrbem in Apocalypsi Ioannis Epistola Petri Babylonem specialiter appellar◅ that the citie of Rome is called Babylon specially in the Reuelation of Iohn and epistle of Peter Augustine calleth Rome the second Babylon and Babylon of the West To these we may adde Tertullian Primasius Victorinus who saith the seuen heads are the seuen hilles on De ciuit Dei lib. 18. cap. 22. 27. which the woman that is the citie of Rome doth sitte Prosper and many others Sibylla also oftentimes expresly calleth Rome Babylon Lib. aduers. Indaeos 3. 6. Thirdly by the confession of our aduersaries themselues De promiss praedict For first to proue that Peter was at Rome they say that by Babylon mentioned 1. Pet. 5. 13. is meant Rome although there can no sufficient reason be giuen why the Apostle if he had meant Rome should not rather haue vsed the name of Rome then of Babylon Secondly the Rhemists conuicted with clearenesse of truth writing on the last verse of the 17. of the In Apoc. 17. 18. Apocalypse confesse that if by Babylon is meant any one citie which before we haue proued it is most like to be old Rome And on the 5. verse they doe confesse that as the persecuting Emperours which as they say were figures of Antichrist did principally sit in Rome so it may well be that the great Antichrist shall haue his seate there And againe on the 18. verse they alledge a reason For say they by the authoritie of the old Romane Empire Christ was put to death first applying the prophecie of the 11. Chapt. verse 8. to Rome thereby at vnawares confessing that Rome is that great citie which as in the 17. of the Apocalyps is called Babylon mystically so in that place is termed spiritually Sodom and Egypt where our Lord was also crucified Thirdly the authour of the Wardword not knowing how to denie this so euident trueth is content thus farre to agree with vs that Rome is Babylon For not onely S. Iohn saith he in the Apocalyps but Peter also in his Epistle doth call Rome Babylon and we doe not denie it Bellarmine also confesseth so much Per meretricem intelligi Romain that Lib. 3. de pont R. c. 13. by the whore of Babylon is to be vnderstood Rome and proueth the same by the testimonie of Tertullian and Hierome Therfore seing mysticall Babylon is the chiefe citie and See of Antichrist as our aduersaries cannot denie with any shewe of reason and seing Rome is mysticall Babylon as hath bene proued not onely by reason testimonies but also by the confession of our aduersaries the conclusion must necessarily be inferred that Rome therefore is the seate of Antichrist 7 What then what cā the Papist answer to this syllogisme Mysticall Babylon is the seat of Antichrist Rome is mysticall Babylon Therfore Rome is the seat of Antichrist It may well be ◅y the Rhemists that the great Antichrist shall haue his seate there And we doe not denie saith the authour of the Wardword but that Rome is Babylon And Bellarmine doth not onely say it but proue it How then Forsooth wee must distinguish of Rome For Rome is either Heathenish or Christened Heathenish Rome vnder the persecuting Emperours was Babylon But Rome Christened is the Apostolicke See and as it were the Ierusalem of the Christians But this cuasion of theirs howsoeuer they please themselues in it is friuolous and absurde as shall appeare by these reasons For 1. first if Rome be Babylon as now at the length they confesse and consequently the seate of Antichrist as they cannot denie with any shewe of reason I would faine know of them whether vnder the heathenish Emperours Rome could be called the seat of Antichrist because Antichrist did then sitte in Rome or because he was to sitte there after the Heathenish Emperours were remoued If they say because he sate there then their answere is ridiculous and contrary to all that themselues hold concerning Antichrist Therefore they must needs confesse that Rome is called Babylon and the seat of Antichrist not because Antichrist sate there whiles it was heathenishe but because he was to sitte there after the Emperours were remooued 8 And that the holy ghost by Babylon doth not meane Heathenish Rome vnder the persecuting Emperours either onely or principally but Rome christened vnder the Pope it may further appeare out of the whole discourse of Saint Iohn in the seuenteenth and eighteenth of the Apocalypse The whore of Babylon is the great city which in the Apostles 2. time and since vnder the Popes reigned ouer the kings of the earth called a whore and the mother of fornications not onely because her selfe hath by spirituall fornications plaid the strumpet according to that which is sayd of Ierusalem Fidelis ciuit as fact a est meretrix The faithfull city is become an Esay 1. harlot but also infected al kings and nations subiect vnto her with her superstition idolatry But Rome heathenish which neither dealt by whorish sleights and allurements but by martiall pollicy and power neither had professed her selfe to bee the Church and spouse of Christ could not so fitly be called an harlot whereby is signified an adulterous and apostaticall state And besides Heathenish Rome for the most part permitted to euery countrey their owne religion and was so far from enforcing her religion vpon other nations subiect vnto her that as in her was erected the Pantheon in honour of all the Gods which Boniface the fourth hauing obtained of Phocas Marcellin lib. 16. Rosin lib. 2. c. 9. consecrated to the virgin Mary and all the Saints so shee admitted the idoles religions and superstitions allmost of all other countries excepting the religions of the Egyptians and the Iewes because they did not forsooth beseeme the maiesty of the
Act. 17. 53. 23. 10. hinder and was to be taken away and in what sence it hindered not and was to remaine For the better vnderstanding whereof we are to distinguish betwixt the old Empire and 1. Cor. 5. 2. 2 Coâ—… 6. 17. the new The old Empire as it hindered the dominion of Antichrist was to be taken out of the way that it might bee no more an hinderance thereunto The new Empire in the west erected by the Pope hindreth not the dominion of Antichrist but rather supporteth him and therefore together with Antichrist was to remaine Neither doth the Apostle speake of the new Empire but of the old as shall appeare by these reasons 3 First the Apostle speaketh of the Empire which hindered 1. or held then of that only for so he saith only he which now letteth wil let vntill he be taken out of the way And Hierome expoundeth those words and now what hindreth you know after Ad Algas quaest 11. this maner quae causa sit vt Antichrist us in praesentiaruÌ„ non veniat optimè nostis You know very well what the cause is that Antichrist cometh not now But the old Empire hindered them and not the new And therefore the Apostle speaketh of the taking away of the old Empire not of the new Again when he saith 2. the Empire hindred he meaneth the imperial authority dominioÌ„ that at Rome not the title or name therof in Germany For it is not the name or title of an Emperour in Germany that can hinder the dominion of Antichrist at Rome much lesse at IerusaleÌ„ where the Papists say his seat shall be Thirdly 3. Antichrist appeared shewed himselfe and in that sence was reuealed before the erection of the new Empire For the new Empire is the image of the former beast which Antichrist the 2. beast Ap. 13. causeth to be made And wheras Antichrist is as the Papists also coÌ„sesse the 7. head of the beast which hath heads the Empire renewed which is the beast that was and is not though it be is the 8. in order though in name it is one of the 7. and in that sence is to bee referred to the sixt head namely the Emperours Fourthly the whore of Babylon that 4. is the Antichristian state was to sitte vpon the beast which afterwards was to ascend that is the Empire renewed Therfore with Antichrist there was to remaine an imperial state though much abased vnder him Fiftly the Empire renewed is the 5. beast whereon the whore of Babylon sitteth And therefore is Ioan de turrecrem lib. 2. c. 114. so farre from hindring Antichrist that it supporteth him as the beast doth the rider And to that end in deed was this Empire erected in the west that it might support the church of Rome For when as the church of Rome was oppressed by the king Adrian 4. in epistol ad archiep German apud Auenlin lib. 4. of the Lombards it sought aide of the Emperours of Constantinople and when they would not defend the church the Pope translated the Empire to the French king and from him vpon the same occasion to the Germaines and that to this end vt Dist. 96. c. si imperator in glossa Rex Teutonicorum foret imperator patronus sedis Apostolicae that the king of the Almaines might be Emperour and patrone of the See Apostolicke And for the same cause the Emperour 6. is called of them procurator siue defensor Romanae Ecclesiae the proctor or defender of the church of Rome Sixtly the Papists themselues doe hould that the Empire which now is shall continue vnto the end of the world For they say that in the second of Daniel as many others also haue said is described a succession of the chiefe kingdomes or Monarchies of the earth which should continue vntill the end of the world the last whereof is the Romane Empire Seauenthly the destruction of the Romane Empire which the fathers say shall go before the reuelation of Antichrist is the dissolution and diuision thereof among ten kings which in deede long since happened to the old Empire but cannot happen to the new vnlesse we can imagine that ten mightie kings shall arise out of the bare name and title of an Emperour diuided among them When as the Papists therefore teach vs not to expect Antichrist vntill the Empire that now is either be diuided into ten kingdomes they are ridiculous or vtterly abolished which they say shall continue to the end they are absurd and in both impious making as it may seeme a scorne of the prophecyes concerning Antichrist which they make to imply impossibilities and contradictions 4. By this which hath bene said it plainely appeareth that howsoeuer the old Empire in the west which hindered the dominion of Antichrist was to be takeÌ„ out of the way before Antichrist should be reuealed yet notwithstanding euen with vnder Antichrist there was to be an imperiall state in name title which is the beast whereon the whore of Babylon sitteth therfore is so far froÌ„ hindering Antichrist as that it supporteth him Let vs then coÌ„sider how the Empire which hindred the reuelatioÌ„ of Antichrist was takeÌ„ out of the way how afterwards Antichrist was reuealed Of the taking away of the Emperour as also of the reuelation of Antichrist there are two degrees The Romane Emperour was first takeÌ„ out of the way when the imperiaâ—… seat was by Constantine the great translated from Rome to Bizantium or Constantinople and that to this end as they haue set downe in the forged donation of Constantine that he might leaue rowme to the Pope Because forsooth where the princehood of priests and head of Christian religion Dist. 69. c. Constantinus de electione c. fundament in sexto was by the heauenly Emperour placed there it is not iuste that the earthly Emperour should haue power Secondly after the death of Constantine the great and of Flauius Valerius ConstaÌ„tinus his son the Romane Empire being diuided into 2. partes the Easterne the Westerne and by diuisioÌ„ being weakened the Westerne was ouerthrowne in the yeare of our Lord 475. Rome it selfe taken by the Gothes So that neither in Rome any Romane afterwards had his seate of authority vntill the Pope tooke vpon him the souerainty neither in the West was there any Romane Emperour vntill Charles the great that is to say from the yeare 475. vnto the end of the yeare 800. In the meane time Italy was gouerned first by the Gothes and afterwards a great part thereof by the Lombards And howsoeuer the Emperours of the East had recouered Rome and some part of Italy which because they gouerned by exarches hauing their seat in Rauenna was called the exarchat of Rauenna the Lombards enioying the rest yet before the renewing of the Empire in the West the Emperour of the East had lost all Italy and Rome and
Anno. 1260. of that vniuersitie called the monks and priests the subiects of Antichrist One Lawrence also an Englishman master of Paris proued the Pope to be Antichrist the synagogue of Rome the great Anno. 1290. I. Fox BabyloÌ„ About the same time Maenardus Tyrolius in a publick edict calleth the Popes effeminate Antichrists And againe if they be not Antichrists I pray you what are they Auentin annal boior li. 7. Michael Cesenas principall of the gray fryers wrote against the pride tyranny and primacy of the Pope accusing him to be Anno. 1322. 1. Fox Antichrist and the church of Rome the whore of Babylon drunken with the bloud of Saints Hayabalus a fryer in the time of Clement the sixt preached and that as he saide by Anno. 1345. Henrie de Herford in Chronic. Catalog test 1. Fox commaundement from God that the church of Rome is the whore of Babylon and that the Pope with his Cardinalles is the very Antichrist Wilhâ—…lmus Occomensis as Auentine calleth him wrote a booke against Charles and Clement the sixte wherein he calleth the Pope Antichrist Auentin annal Boior li. 7. Briget whom the Papists worship as a canonized Saint calleth the Pope a murtherer of soules more cruell then Iudas Anno. 1370. more vniust then Pilate worse then Lucifer himselfe She prophecieth 1. Fox that the See of Rome shall bee throwne downe into the deepe like a milstone according to the prophecie of Saint Iohn Apocalypse 18. 21 About the same yeere Matthias Parifiensis a Bohemian writing a booke of Antichrist proueth that he is already come and noateth him to be the Pope Franciscus Petrarch in many places of his writings calleth Anno. 1374. the court of Rome the whore of Babylon the mother of the fornications and abominations of the earth Vrhanus the sixt and Clement the seauenth two Popes at once call one the other Antichrist As Bernard before had called Baldus de vit pontif Anacletus against whom Innocentius the second was chosen as Antipope That beast saith hee in the Apocalypse to Anno 1378. Anno. 1130. Epist. 125. whom is giuen a mouth speaking blasphemies to war with the Saints meaning Antichrist occupieth the chaire of Peter as a Lyon ready for the pray But most effectually doth our godly and learned countryman Iohn Wicleffe discouer the enormities and heresyes of the Anno. 1383. Bellar. de pont Rom. lib. 3. c. 1. Pope whom he pronounced to be Antichrist Artic. 30. His iudgement as in other things so also in this that worthy Martyr of Christ Iohn Husse followed Who affirmeth in his Anno. 1405. booke de ecclesia that hee was troubled because he preached Christ and discouered Antichrist That the Censures of the Romish church were Antichristian and proceeding froÌ„ Antichrist as Gerson the Parisians obiect against him Art 16 that in those times many ages before there had bin no true Pope nor true Romane church but the Popes were Antichrists the church of Rome the synagogue of Satan Whose iudgement many in Bohemia followed Sir Iohn Oldâ—…astell the Lord Anno 1413. 1. Foxe Cobham that famous noble martyr of Christ prosessed to K. Henry the 5. that by the Scriptures he knew the Pope to be the great Antichrist the son of perdition c. Hieronimus Sauanarola taught that the Pope is Antichrist because he did attribute Anno. 1500. 1. Foxe more to his owne indulgeÌ„ces pardoÌ„s then to Christs merits About the yeare of our Lord 1517. Luther began to preach against the Popes indulgences and afterwards against other Anno. 1517. errours and abominations of the Pope and church of Rome discouering more plainely then any had done before him that Rome is Babylon and the Pope Antichrist Since whose times this truth hath beene almost generally acknowledged by the true and reformed Churches of Christ. Seing therefore we haue proued that Antichrist was to sitte in Rome professing her selfe the church of God and that after the taking away of the Romane Emperour whom hee was to succeed in the gouernment of Rome and there to be reuealed both by his owne shewing himself in his colours also by the acknowledgement of others it cannot be auoided but that the Pope is Antichrist For he and none but he sitteth that is reigneth in Rome professing her selfe the church of God and that after the taking away of the Romane Emperour not onely by the remouing of the imperiall seat but also by the dissolutioÌ„ of the Empire in the West whom hee succeedeth in the gouernment of Rome where he hath bene reuealed not onely by his owne shewing himselfe in his colours but also by the acknowledgement of others 8. Vnto the former place of the Epistle to the Thessal we will adde two other places out of th'apocalyps from whence both the place and time of Antichrist may be iointly gathered The former place is in the 13. of th'apocalips where two beasts are described signifying two estates of the Romane gouernment 2. as they are opposed vnto Christ the former representeth the persecuting Emperours the latter Antichrist Of the former he saith thus I saw a beast arising out of 〈◊〉 sea that is of many diuers peoples which it had vanquished Now the description of this beast containeth in it the resemblances of those 4. kingdoms which are described in Daniel the Romane Empire farre surpassing theÌ„ al. The first of the beasts in Daniel signifying the kingdome of the Babylonians is coÌ„pared to a Lion The 2. resembling the kingdome of the Medes and Persians to a Beare The 3. representing the monarchy of the MacedoniaÌ„s to a Leopard The 4. figuring the kingdome of the Seleucidae and Lagidae to a beast with 10. hornes resembling so many of their kings who should tyrannize ouer Iewry The Empire of Rome therfore as if it were compounded of them all is resembled to a beast hauing ten hornes with so many diademes vpon them both in respect of the ten persecuting Emperors answering the 10. Seleucedae Lagidae as also in regard of the 10. kingdoms or prouinces wherinto the Romane Empire in those times was diuided being also like a Leopard hauing the feet or pawes as it were of a Beare the rauening mouth of a LioÌ„ And besides all this is said to haue seueÌ„ heads which afterwards chapt 17. are expounded to be 7. hilles also 7. heads of gouernmeÌ„t c. to this beast was giuen authority or power ouer euery tribe Verse 7. language and nation c. al which are proper to the Empire of Rome The former beast therefore signifieth the Romane state especially as it was vnder the persecuting Emperours as Bellarmine Lib. 3. de pont R. cap. 15. confesseth The second beast described vers 11. and so forward to the end of the chapter is as Bellarmine saith all men do confesse Antichrist who also is by the coÌ„fession of the said
Bellarmine De pont Rom. lib. 3. c. 10. 15. one of the heads of the former beast By the description of this beast that we may now note that which serueth for the present purpose reseruing the residue vntil their due time place it is apparant that there is one the same principall seate of both the beasts that in that seat the second beast succeedeth the former practising al the power or authority of the former beast Verse 12. that before him that is to say euen at Rome and that his chiefe endeuors teÌ„de to magnifie the beast that is the Romane state as in making meÌ„ to worship it in causing meÌ„ to make an image of to the beast wherunto he giueth spirit speach enforcing men to worship the same finally in compelling men to take vpon theÌ„ the marke of the beast his name nuÌ„ber of his name All which as they argue Antichrist to be a Romane succeeding the Emperors in the gouernmeÌ„t of Rome so also they fitly properly agree to the Pope who succeedeth the Emperours in the gouernmeÌ„t of Rome where he vsurpeth all more then al the power of the Emperours chaleÌ„ging a more vniuersal soueraigne or rather diuine authority then belonged to theÌ„ whose maine endeuors are to aduaunce the Romane state which he calleth the See Apostolik which he maketh al meÌ„ to worship causing them also to make an image of the Empire which was the head that had receiued the deadly wouÌ„d to in behoofe of the Romane state an image I say partly in the Emperour of Almaine reseÌ„bling the title ornameÌ„ts shew of the former Emperours partly in his owne courts not onely in Rome but in all other couÌ„tries represeÌ„ting the former imperial authority tyraÌ„ny both in Rome it selfe and in the prouinces thereunto beloÌ„ging This image both in the Empire popish courts he animateth authorizeth For as there is no question to be made hereof in respect of his courts so is it as true in respect of the Empire if that be true which themselues professe Namely that what the Emperor hath he hath it wholy froÌ„ theÌ„ that the Empire in the West was renewed by the Pope who traÌ„slated the title of the Emperor of Rome froÌ„ the Emperor of the East first to the FreÌ„ch after to the GermaÌ„s that the Pope caused this new Emperor to be made that he crowned authorized him that he appointed 7. Electors in Germany reseruing the coÌ„firmation of the electioÌ„ coronatioÌ„ of the Emperour to himself of which points we shal hereafter speake more at large Further he causeth al meÌ„ to worship the image by him Chap. 7. erected coÌ„pelleth all men to receiue the marke of the beast as also the name of the beast which caÌ„ be no other but either Romane or Latine the nuÌ„ber of his name i. to liue insubiectioÌ„ to the See of Rome to professe theÌ„selues to be Romanes Latines in respect of their religioÌ„ as herafter shal be shewed Chap. 8. 9. The same is proued out of the 17. chap. of th'apocalyps 3. where be reckened 7. heads that is 7. kinds of principall rulers as it were heads of gouernment whereby Rome hath bene gouerned euery one succeeding another The sixt head being the Emperours the seueÌ„th Antichrist which is the Pope For Antichrist is one of the 7. heads of the beast which hath 7. heads 10. hornes And this beast signifieth the Romane state therfore Antichrist is a head of the Romane state All which Bellarmine after a sort coÌ„fesseth Now it is most certaine that Antichrist is Lib. 3. de pont R. c. 15. none of the first 5. heads for they were past in th'apostles time neither is he the sixt head which was of the Emperours that then was for that was to be done out of the way as the Papists theÌ„selues do teach before the reuelatioÌ„ of Antichrist It remaineth therfore that the seuenth head which is the Pope is Antichrist The eight head which also is one of the seuen is the Empire renewed by the Pope is said to be the beast which was is not though it be wheron the whore of BabyloÌ„ sitteth If it be obiected that the seuenth head wherby Antichrist is signified was to continue but a short time as it is said vers 10 and that this therfore cannot agree to the Pope who hath raigned already in Rome many 100. yeares I answere that this is spokeÌ„ of purpose to arme the faithfull with patience who otherwise would thinke the reigne of Antichrist very long our Sauiour Christ also to be slowe in coÌ„ming Whereas in truth neither is our Sauiour Christ slow in coÌ„ming as Peter sheweth neither is 2. Peter 3. the kingdome of Antichrist long But in respect of God with whom a 1000. yeares are as one day in coÌ„patison of the eternal kingdome of Christ with whoÌ„ the faithful are to raigne after they haue suffered vnder Antichrist it is to be accompted very short And surely if the whole time from the Ascension of of our Sauiour vntil his returne vnto iudgement is noted in the Scriptures to be very short and that to this end that we should not thinke it long then is the raigne of Antichrist which is but part of this time much more short The holy Ghost in the beginning of the Reuelation signifieth that the time of fulfilling Apoc 1. 3. the prophecies therein mâ—…tioned was at haÌ„d And our Sauiour Heb. 10. 37. Christ promiseth by the Apostle that after a very litle while he would come in the last chapt of the reuelatioÌ„ he saith yea I Apoc. 22. 20. come quickly And Iohn likewise in his Epistle noteth that the 〈◊〉 Iohn 2. 18. whole time of Antichrist was but a part of the last howre 10. And further whereas the Papists obiect in respect of the time that Antichrist is not yet come because the Romane Empire is not yet dissolued and consequently that the Pope is not Antichrist it may notwithstanding euidently be shewed out of the same chapter of the Apocalypse compared with the Apoc. 17. euent both that the Empire is dissolued and that Antichrist is already come For the Empire is then knowen to be dissolued when it is diuided among ten who shall haue receiued power as kings as Iohn noteth the fathers teach the Papists themselues confesse But it is most certaine that the old Empire of of Rome is diuided among ten kings at the least who before the dissolution had not soueraigne authority and that the Empire which now is being but a title and contayning no such kingdomes is not capable of such a partition And that Antichrist also is come it is as euident For those ten hornes which in the Apostles time had not receiuèd the kingdome nor soueraigne authority but were gouernours of the prouinces by deputation froÌ„ the Emperour were after the
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
habet à nobis What soeuer the Emperour hath that hee hath wholy from vs. As Zacharias translated the Empire from the Greeks to the Almaines so wee can translate it from the Almaines to the Graecians Ecce in potestaâ—… nostra est vt demus illud cui volumus Behold it is in our power to giue it to whome we will For therefore are we appointed of God ouer nations and kingdomes to destroy and pluck vp to build and to planâ—… In the Clementines it is professed that the Pope Cap. Romani de iureiuran do hath traÌ„slated the Empire from the Greeks to the Germaines that he hath giuen power and authoritie to certaine of their princes to elect a king to be Emperour that the king thus chosen receiueth from the Pope the approbation of his person vnto the Empire as also his annointing consecration and imperiall crowne and that in respect hereof the Emperors are to submit themselues vnto the Pope and to bind themselues vnto him by an oath of fealtie and obedience And elsewhere in their lawe it is said Imperator tenet imperium a Papa vnde tenetur praestare iuramentum homagij scil quod vasallus praestare solet domino suo The Emperor holdeth his Empire from the Pope Whereupon hee is bound to performe the oath of homage to wit which the vassall vseth to performe vnto his Lord. 15 Thus therefore this argument is returned vpon the aduersary Whosoeuer causeth the image of the beast to be made putteth life into it and causeth it to speake he is vndoubtedly Antichrist But the Pope of Rome hath caused the image of the beast to be made put teth life into it causeth it to speake therfore he is Antichrist The assumption is proued because the image of the beast is the Empire renewed in the west the life is the imperiall dignity and the speeche are the edictes thereof This image the Pope causeth to be made this hee putteth life into this he hath made to speake For first he renewed the Empire in the west after it had lyen voide by the space of 325. yeares when hee annointed and crowned Charles the greate Emperour of the west so caused him to be acknowledged after he translated the Empire to the Almaines among whom he hath appointed seauen electours as it were to renewe this image but so as himselfe putteth life thereinto by approuing the person and ratifying the election maketh him to speake by annointing him Emperour and giuing vnto him the name and title of Augustus and Caesar. Which things I shal not need further to proue because they are matters wherof the Pope and Papists do greatly boast And therfore from their own profession we may conclude that the Pope is Antichrist Chap. 8. Of the name and marke which Antichrist shall impose vpon men of all sorts with some other effectes 1. THe second effect of Antichrist is noted Apoc. 13. 16. 17. 18. And hee Apoc. 13. 16. 17. 18. made all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receiue a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads And that no man might buy or sell saue hee that had the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name Here is wisedome let him that hath vnderstanding count the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is six hundreth sixty and six Of which prophecie Bellarmine saith thus Fatentur omnes pertinere omnino Lib. 3. de pontis Rom. c. 10. ad Antichristum verba illa Ioannis Apoc. 13 c. All men confesse that those words of Iohn Apoc. 13. doe vndoubtedly belong to Antichrist From this ground therefore we may reason thus Whosoeuer enforceth all sorts of men according to this prophecie to take vpon them the name of the beast or the marke or number of his name he is Antichrist But the Pope of Rome enforceth all sorts of men according to this prophecy to take vpon them the name of the beast or the mark and number of his name therefore he is Antichrist For the clearing of this argument two things are to be coÌ„sidered First what this name number and marke is Secondly whether the Pope impose the same vppon all sorts of men The number is expressed in the text to be 666. And it is plainelie saide to bee the number of the name That we may not thinke it to be the number of the time when Antichrist should appeare as some haue imagined neither can it in any good sence bee said that Antichrist inforceth men to take vpon them the number of that time And it is called the number of the name because in the letters of the name this number is contained For it is the maner of the Hebrewes and Greekes to vse their letters for notes of number according to their order in the Alphabet c. it is also called the nuÌ„ber of a man because as it may seem the name of the beast coÌ„taining this number is also the name of a man And this I take to bee the most simple interpretation 2 What the name is wherof the holy ghost here speaketh it may easily be gathred out of the text For 1. the holy ghost doth not speak of Antichrist his name properly but of the name of the beast which Antichrist should cause al sorts of men to take vpon them If therefore we know what the beast is it will not be hard to tell what the name is The beast whose name Antichrist shall compel men to take vpon them is the former beast described in the beginning of the chapter For so it is said that Antichrist the second beast exerciseth the authority of the former beast that he causeth meÌ„ to worship the first beast whose v. 12. deadly wouÌ„d was healed that he causeth an image to be made v. 14. to the beast that he giueth spirit to the image of the beast that v. 15. he suffereth none to buy or sel which haue not the name of the v. 17. beast which caÌ„not be vnderstood but of the former beast Now that beast described in the former part of the chapt is without doubt the Roman or Latin state as hath bin proued heretofore the Papists soÌ„times coÌ„fesse the name wherof without questi on is Roman or Latin If therfore the name Romane or Latin in the learned toÌ„gues containe the nuÌ„ber 666. then the name of the beast which Antichrist causeth men to take vpon them is Roman or Latin But in what laÌ„guage are we to accouÌ„t the nuÌ„ber of the beasts name Surely either in Greeke which is most likely because the reuelatioÌ„ was writteÌ„ in greek or in Hebrew because the reuelatioÌ„ as some think was giueÌ„ in hebrew to S. Iohn being an Hebrewe borne or else we may take the beasts name according to his own laÌ„guage set down in Hebrew characters because the Latines doe not vse their letters as the Hebrewes Greeks do
in numeratioÌ„ For seeing we know what the beast it self is we might wel take that name which fitteth this nuÌ„ber any of these ways Irenaeus whose master Policarpus beene Saint Iohns disciple reporteth that those who had seen Iohn face to face did teache that the number of the name of Lib. 5. the beast according to the computation of the Greeks by the letters which be in it shall containe 666. Hee therefore setteth downe three names in greeke letters contayning that number in two whereof there is no shew of reason that either of them should be this name seeing neither of them I meane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the name of the beast The third name is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof hee writeth thus Sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen sexcentorum sexaginta sex numerum valde verisimile est Quoniam verissunum regnum hoc habet vocabulum Latini enim sunt qui nunc regnant But the name Lateinos also containeth the number 666. and it is verse likelie because the most true kingdome hath this name For they are Latines which now raigne Which in effect is as much as if hee had saide the name Latine is very likelie because it hath the number 666. and is the name of the beaste which figureth verissimum regnum the most true kingdome that is the Latin or Romane state The name of the beast Apoc. 13. 7. therefore in greek contayning the number is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Latine 3. In Hebrew the beasts name comprehending that number is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Romane For the beastes name beeing a nowne or name collectiue may indifferently according to the maner of the Hebrewes be vttered either in the Masculine or Foeminine gender And the Foeminine termination doth better fitte the prophecy not onely because it rendreth the iust number but also because the beast as it is subiect to Antichrist beeing the adulterous Romane state is elsewhere in the foeminine called the whore of Babylon and the mother of fornications The most vsuall name of the beast in it owne language that is the Latine tongue is Romanus which in Hebrewe characters is as Master Foxe supposeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the knowledge whereof as himselfe reporteth hee attained by earnest prayer And that the name Latine or Romane in the learned tongues is the name whereof the holy ghost speaketh it appeareth because euery thing here spoken of the name agreeth fitly and properly thereunto For first it is the name of the beast Secondly is containeth the number 666 as may appeare by this suppâ—…ion Thirdly it is such a name as he to whom all other notes of Antichrist doe agree I meane the Pope enforceth men to take vpon them as shal be shewed Fourthly because the name Latinus or Romanus is also the name of a man For Latinus was one of the auncient Kings of Italy and Romanus was one of the Popes Wherefore I doubt not to conclude that the name is Romane or Latins in the learned tongues For howsoeuer many others names may be produced which comprehend the number 666 yet either they are not the name of the beast or are such names as Antichrist was not to impose vpon men But Lib. 2. cap. 10. of this more here after 4. Now let vs see what that marke is whereof the holy Ghost speaketh Charaâ—…t or Character is as it were a cognizance a note of difference wherby men of any profession or religion are knowne and distinguished from others And it is partly in ward and partly outward The inward is that which is imprinted in the soule the outward is that which is either expressed or receiued outwardly as namely in the forehead or in the right hand In the forehead that is by outward profession and in the right hand that is by operation as the ordinary glose expoundeth As for example the character or marke of a christian or seruant of Christ is subiectioÌ„ vnto Christ and acknowledgement of him to be our head Sauiour This inwardly is the grace of a true faith wrought in the soule by the finger of Gods spirit wherby we beleeue in Christ our sauiour For those that truly beleeue are sealed or signed to saluation That which Eph. 1. 13. outwardly is expressed is either by consession of the mouth or operation of the hands In respect whereof profession of the ChristiaÌ„ faith may truely be said to be the outward marke of a Christian as also determinat us modus us viueÌ„di c. as the scholemen speake the certaine maner of liuing according to the law religioÌ„ of Christ. So that he which beleeueth with his hart coÌ„fesseth with his mouth that Iesus is Christ withal frameth his life according to the law doctrine of Christ he may be said to haue the marke of God Apoc. 9. 4. both in the heart by beleeuing in the forehead by profession in the right haÌ„d by operation See Rom. 10. 9. 10. 2. Tim. 2. 19. And furthermore the outward markes receiued to testifie our subiectioÌ„ vnto Christ our coÌ„munion with him as also to distinguish vs froÌ„ men of other religions are the SacrameÌ„ts of Christ as baptisme and the Lords supper And thus you see the marke of a Christian which is but one in substance namely the true acknowledgement of Christ is thus diuersly expessed testified 5. The like may be said of the marke of the beast which is also called the marke of his name The beast as wee haue proued Apoc. 14. 11. is the Romane state the name is Romane or Latine The marke therfore of the beast is that whereby they of the Romish or Latine religion whom we call Papists are distinguished froÌ„ others that is their subiection vnto the Pope as their head and acknowledgement of the See of Rome This inwardly in the soule is their implicite faith whereby euery Papist is bound hand ouer head to beleeue whatsoeuer the Pope or Church of Rome beleeueth and the rather because they are to be perswaded that neither of both can erre That which outwardly is expressed is either by confession of the mouth or operation of the hands So that the profession of the Romishe religion and certaine maner of liuing according to the Lawes and customes of the Pope and church of Rome may also be said to be the marke of Antichristians euen as the obseruation of the Heathenish rites is called 2. Macah. 4. 10. the Character of the Graecians Who soeuer therfore in heart beleeueth whatsoeuer the Pope church of Rome do or shall beleeue outwardly professeth the Romish religion frameth his life according to the lawes customes of the church of Rome as for exaÌ„ple to fal downe before images to adore the Eucharist to frequeÌ„t the Masse c. he may be truly said to haue the marke of the beast Moreouer the outward marks
he haue the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name that speeche doth so fitte the Popes of Rome as that it might seeme rather to bee a narration of that which they haue done thâ—…n 〈◊〉 prophecy of that which they were to doe For Martin 5. in his bull annexed to the councill of Constance giueth straight châ—…rge to all gouernours that they should not suffer any Christians such as Iohn Wickleffe Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage who in that bull are condemned for hereticks who acknowledge not the See of Rome nor embrace the doctrines and traditions of holy mother church not beleeuing as the church of Rome beleeueth nor liuing in the coÌ„munion of that church that is to say which haue not the marke nor the name of the beast nor number of his name they should not suffer them I say domicilia tenere larem fouere contractus inire negotiationes mercaturas quaslibet exercere aut humanit at is solatia cum Christi fidelibus habere To keepe house nor harth to make contracts to exercise any trafficke or merchandise or to haue any comforts of humane societie with other Christians In like sort Paulus 3. when Henry 8. of famous memory had shaken of his yoke and renounced his marke he forbadde al men to vse any trafficke or merchaundise or to make any contractes or couenants with him and his subiects he deposed as much as in him lay by his bull of excommunication the king disabled his posteritie absolued his subiectes from obedience exposed his subiectes and their goods to violence and spoile according to the inscription in his coyne Gens regnum quod non seruiâ—…rit mihi exterminabitur The nation or kingdome which serueth not mee shall bee rooted out The like thunderbolt Pius 5. sent out against our Soueraigne Ladie of blessed memorie Queene Elizabeth and Sixtus 5. against Henrie the king of Nauarre now king of Fraunce and Henrie prince of Condee And heereunto serue their blodie inquisitours at this day who are to suffer none to liue or to haue the benefite of humane societie who are but suspected of schisme or heresie And who is an hereticke That doth not beleeue as the Pope and church of Rome beleeueth though hee beleeue according to the scriptures And who is a schismaticke That doth not acknowledge the Antonin part 3. tit 22. c. 5. §. 11. Pope to bee the head of the church Seeing therefore the Pope of Rome causeth all sortes of men to take vpon them the marke of the beast and suffereth none to buy or sell that haue not the marke or name of the beaste or number of his name it cannot bee auoided but that hee is Antichrist 8 And these were the principall effects of Antichrist noted in the scriptures whereunto some others may bee added out of Apoc. 13. which haue in part beene touched heretofore as first that he exerciseth al the power of the former beast secondly that he causeth men to worshippe the former beast thirdly that he forceth men vpon paine of death to worshippe the image of the beast All which as well as the former agree to the Pope For as touching the first who knoweth not that the Pope hath swayed the Romane state for many hundred yeares exercising a more soueraigne and absolute authoritie ouer men of all sorts then euer the heathenishe Emperours did For hee forsooth hath the authoritie of the king Bald. in c. ecclesia vt lit pendent Bloud Rom. insâ—…aur lib. 3. of kings ouer his subiectes hee is perpâ—…uus dictator whome the princes of the worlde adore and worshippe hee is as Boniface the eightth in the greate Iubile Anno. 1300. hauing shewed himselfe the one daye in his pontificall vestimentes and the second in the imperiall robes proclaimed of himselfe I am Pope and Emperour I haue both the heauenlie and the earthly Empire and as they speake in their lawe the Monarchie of both powers hee hath the princehood of the whole world as wee haue hearde before And where doth he exercise this authority in the sight of the beast that is at Rome which is his Papall seate and in the gouernemente whereof hee succeedeth the Emperours 9 And that the Pope maketh the inhabitants of the earth to worship the former beast it is as euident seeing his main policyes and chief indeauours serue to magnifie the Romane state To this end besides many other policyes in part obserued before do his Iubileyes tend wherin he vseth to promise plenaâ—…y remission of al sinnes to all that either come on pilgrimage to Rome or miscarie in their iourney as also the incredible indulgences and pardons which hee graunteth to those which shall come as Pilgrims to Rome to visite the holie places there especially the 7. churches which are priuiledged aboue the rest To which purpose there is reported in an old English book and the reporte no doubt was currant in times Arnaldus Londinens of popery the whole pardon of Rome graunted by diuerse Popes a part whereof I will breefly recite for their behoofe to whome the absurdities of Poperie are not knowne The seauen priuiledged churches whereof not onely that Author speaketh but 〈◊〉 also of late hath wrieten a whole booke are 1. the church of Saint Peter in the Vatican 〈◊〉 the De 7. vrbis ecclesâ—… church of Saint Paul without the walles 3. the church of Saint Laurence without the walles 4. the church of holy crosse in Ierusalem 5. the church of Saint Mary Maior 6. the church of Sa it Sebastian without the city 7. the church of Saint Iohn Laterane To all them that dayly goe to the church of Saint Peter Sylâ—… graunted the third part of all then sinnes released 1. and 2800. years pardon And the 〈◊〉 of as many Lentons or Quarins Now a Quarin saith my author is to goe woolward and barefoot seuen yeare and to fast bread and water on the frydayes 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 one night where he sleepeth another 〈◊〉 coâ—… vnder no coâ—…ed place vnlesse 〈◊〉 be to heare masse in the church dore or porche 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or drinke out of no other vessell but in the same that he mede his auowe in Hee that doth all these points seuen yeares together death and â—…inneth a quarin that is to say a Lenton Besides there is an image of our Lord about the church dore hauing between his feete one of the pence that God was sold for as oâ—… as you looke vpon that pâ—…ny you haue 1400 yeares of pardon In that church be eleuen altars of which 7. are specially priuiledged with grace and pardon At the first altar is the visage of out Lorâ—… who looketh on that hath 700. yeares of pardon c. Before the quire dore stand 2. 〈◊〉 â—…rosses who kisseth the crosses hath 500 yeares pardon From the 〈◊〉 to the assumption of our Lady hangeth a cloth of our Ladies owne making before the quire and as many times 〈◊〉 a man beholdeth it
he hath 400. yeares of pardon c. 10 They that visite the church of Saint Paul without the walles haâ—… 48000. yeares of pardon Item on Childerâ—…asse day 2. 4000 yeares of pardon Item on the vias of Saint Martin when the church was hallowed 14000. yeares of pardon and as many quarins and the third part of all sinnes released Those that visit the church of Saint Lauâ—…ence at the high altar haue 18000. 3. yeares of pardon and as many quarins And who goeth thither euery wednesday he deliuered a soule out of purgatory himself quite of all â—…nes In the church Sanctâ—…crucis that is of holy crosse is giuen an hundred thousand yeares of pardon and as 4. many quarins and euery Sunday a soule out of Purgatory and the third part of all sinnes released To theÌ„ that visite the church of 5 S. Mary Maior is grauÌ„ted at the high Altar 14000. yeares of pardon as many quarins And at the altar on the right haÌ„d 19000. yeares of pardoÌ„ And Pope Nicolas the 4. S. Gregory each of them grauÌ„ted thereto 10000. yeares of pardon And froÌ„ the AscensioÌ„ of our Lord vnto Christmas yee haue there 14000. yeares of pardon and as many quarins and the third part of all sins released To them that visite the church of S. Sebastian is granted 6 forgiuenesse of sinnes and all penaunce At the high Altar is giuen 2800. yeares of pardon and at the first Altar in the Church 2400. There is a vawte where lie buried 49. Popes that were Martyrs whoso commeth first into that place deliuereth 8. soules out of Purgatory of such as hee most desireth and as much pardon therto that all the worlde cannot number nor recken And euery Sunday you deliuer there a soule out of purgatory In that vawte standeth a pitte in which Peter and Paule were hidde 250 yeares he that putteth his head into that pitte and taketh it out againe is cleane of all sinnes To that place siue Popes each of them graunted a thousand yeares of pardon and as many karins And so the grace that is at S. Sebastians is grounded that it cannot be taken away To those that 7 visit the Church of S. Iohn Laterane Pope Siluester gaue as many yeares of pardon as it rained droppes of water the day that he hallowed the same Church And that time it rayned so sore that no man had seene a greater rayne before that day And when hee had graunted this hee doubted whether hee had so much power Then a voice came from heauen and said Pope Syluester thou haste power enough to giue that pardon And God graunted this much thereto that if a man had made a vowe to Ierusalem and lacked good to doe his Pilgrimage if hee goe from S. Peters Church to S. Iohn Lateranes hee shal be absolued from that promise And any time that a man commeth to Saint Iohn Lateranes hee is quite of all sinnes and of all penaunce with that that he be penitent for his sinnes Blessed is the mother that beareth the childe that bareth Masse on Saterdayes at Saint Iohn Lateranes For hee deliuered all them that hee desired out of Purgatory to the number of 77. soules Item on the tower of the Churche standeth a double crosse that was made of the sworde wherewith Saint Iohn was beheaded and euery time a man beholdeth that crosse hee hath 14000. yeares Pardon At the high altar a man may haue remission of all sinnes and of all penaunce and innumerable pardon more then he needeth for himselfe There is a graue wherein Saint Iohn laid himselfe hee that putteth therein his head hee hath an hundred thousand yeares of pardon and as many karins These indulgences with many such like which for breuity sake I omitte my Authour saith are written in a Marble stone before the Quire dore c. Besides these seuen there are many inferiour Churches whereunto great indulgeÌ„ces haue bene graunted by the Popes There are named in the aforesaid Booke 26. Churches wherein is graunted to them that visit any of them 1000. yeares pardon and in some 3000 in others 5000. some wherein promise is made of release from a third parte of sinnes and in some from all sinnes Here is a Church of Saint Gregory in which whosoeuer is buried hee shall neuer be damned Thus saith my Authour may a man haue at Rome great pardon and soule health blessed beene the people and in good time borne that receiueth these graces and well keepeth them c. 11. Hereby it appeareth that the Pope causeth the inhabitants of the earth to worship the beast with seuen heads that is seuen hilles that with the citie of Rome which wee haue proued to bee the whore of Babylon the inhabitants of the earth haue committed spirituall fornication and that with the cuppe of her fornications they haue beene infatuated and made drunke And that the Pope hath caused men vpon paine of death to worshippe the image of the 3. beast which he hath animated and put life into it is easie to proue whether you vnderstande it literally or mystically For literally as they haue put life and motion into images and made them to speake in the sight of men so haue they suffered none to liue that would not participate with them in their idolatry which they call worshipping of images Mystically the image signifieth either the Popes court or Empire renewed or both the one resembling the authority and power the other bearing the name and representing the dignitie of the old Empire Of the Popes court at Rome and of his Legates and Officers abroad there is no question to bee made but that none are suffered to liue which worshippe not them And it is true also of the Empire But by worshipping the image of the beast wee doe not vnderstand obedience to the Emperour in his lawfull decrees but the obedience performed vnto him as hee is an image of the persecuting Emperours inspired by the Pope and seruing as his minister to establish and propagate the Romish religion In this sence as hee who obeyeth him worshippeth the image of the beast and is in the same predicament with those that receiue the marke of the beast Apoc. 14. 9 So hee that obeyeth him not is put to death and dying in this quarell is in the same happy state with Apoc. 14 13. 15. 2. those which refuse to receiue the marke of the beast CHAP. 9. ¶ Of those things which Antichrist was and is to suffer 1. WE haue heard what Antichrist was to doe to others now let vs consider what the holy Ghost foretelleth shall be done vnto him There is mention made Apoc. 17. 12. of the Apoc. 17. 12. c. ten hornes that is the rulers of the ten prouinces subiect to the Empire in the West who although in the Apostles time had not receiued kingdome or soueraigne authority but were deputies onely vnder the Emperour yet after the decay of the
worth yet he was content to make a flourish with it because he had some of the Fathers to father it vpon Afterwards he commeth nearer to the purpose and saith that Caluin as some of the Fathers before him to wit Cyprian and Ierome affirmeth and so doth Bellarmine himselfe else where that Daniel speaketh of Antiochus Epiphanes who was a type of Antichrist Therefore leauing his former hold he reasoneth thus Such as is the type or figure such is the thing figured Antiochus the type was but one singular person therfore Antichrist that is figured is but one The proposition is to be vnderstood of the proportion and likenesse onely in those things in respect whereof the type is a figure and not generally in all things As for example the High-priest was a type or figure of Christ but therefore it doth not follow that there was but one High-priest because Christ is one The Papists holde that Melchisedec who was but one was a type of their Masse Priests which are many Iosuah Dakid and Salomon were types of Christ but therefore not like vnto him in all things So Antiochur may not vnfitly be said to haue beene a type of Antichrist because as Pharaoh was a type of other tyrants which oppressed the Church of God so he in falshood deceit pride idolatry cruelty and persecuting of the Church of God resembled Antichrist the man of sinne which is an enemie and is listed vp about all that is called God or that is worshipped In which respects Antiochus was so fit a type of Antichrist that R. Leui Gerson alledged by Bellarmine in the end of the 12. chap. applieth whatsoeuer is spoken of him Dan. 7. 11. to the Pope of Rome If therefore you vnderstand the proposition generally it is false if particularly the whole argumentation is a fallacion 8. His fift testimonie is Apoc. 13. 17. For these places are to be vnderstood of Antichrist as Irenaeus teacheth and as it is plaine by the likenesse of the words in Daniel and Iohn c. His reason is thus framed If Daniel spake of one King then also Iohn but the former is true therefore the later The proposition wherin there is indeed no coherence he prooueth by the similitude of their words First because both make mention of ten Kings which shal be in the earth when Antichrist shall come It is true that both make mention of ten hornes but with such difference as that otherwise there is no likenesse Antiochus in Daniel by whom Bellarmine would haue vs to vnderstand Antichrist is the last of the ten not one besides the ten otherwise the fourth beast were a beast of eleuē hornes Antichrist is one besides the ten hornes in the Reuelation and of Bellarmine somtimes is called the eleuenth Bellarmines Antichrist in Daniel is the little horne signifying indeed but one man but the true Antichrist in the Reuelation is called not an horne but the beast whereby not one man but a state is signified The ten hornes in Daniel are so many kings which succeed one another in the kingdome vsurped ouer the Iewes before the cōming of the Messias the ten hornes in the Reuelation are so many rulers ouer diuers kingdomes which receiue their kingdome together not only after the incarnatiō of Christiō but also after the dissolutiō of the Roman Empire So that in truth nothing is here alike saue that in both there is mention of ten hornes Secondly saith Bellarmine both of them foretel that the kingdome of Antichrist shall continue three yeares and an halfe But I answer that neither of both assigne that time to Antichrist For first Daniel assigneth a time and times and parcell of time that is three yeers and ten daies to the persecution vnder Antiochus wherby the publick worship of God was for that time interrupted viz. from the 15. day of the month Casleu in the 145. yeare of the kingdome of the Seleucidae See Chap. 16. 1. Mac. 1. 57. vnto the 25. of the month Casleu in the yeare 148. 1. Mac. 4. 52. But of this more hereafter Neither doth Iohn any where assigne three yeers an halfe to the raigne of Antichrist but to the beast with seuē heads ten hornes which signifieth the Roman state either generally as it is opposed vnto Christ or particularly as it was gouerned by the sixt head that is the emperors he assigneth fortytwo Apoc. 11. 2. 7. and 13. 1 5. months which are not literally to be vnderstood Now Antichrist is not the beast with seuē heads but one head of the seuē is described vnder the second beast as our aduersaries also confesse which in plaine terms is called another beast For how can he be that beast if he be another Apoc. 13. 11. And of this also I shal haue better occasiō to speake more fully hereafter Lastly he flieth to the authority of the fathers as his last refuge but neither do these fathers expresly say that Antichrist shal be See Chap. 8. but one man neither if they did can any sound argument be drawne from their testimonies vnlesse Bellarmine be able to prooue that whatsoeuer these fathers haue written concerning Antichrist is true And againe diuers of the Fathers as Irenaeus Origen Chrysostome Ierome Ruffinus Primasius Augustine expounding that place Math 24. 24. which speaketh of more then one as spoken of Antichrist they could not vnderstand Antichrist to be but one Yea but the Fathers say that Antichrist shall be a most choise instrument of the Diuell that in him shall dwell all the fulnesse of diuellish malice bodily euen as in the man Christ dwelleth the fulnesse of the diuinitie corporally But although this allegation were true as I will not thereof dispute yet is it impertinent for the Pope meaning the whole succession of Antichristian Popes may be a notable instrument of the diuell c. and yet hereof it followeth not that there hath beene but one Pope As touching the other assertion of Antichrists raigne three yeares and a Chap. 8. halfe we are hereafter to intreate 9. Now that Antichrist is not one singuler man but a whole state and succession of men it may appeare by these arguments First by conference of 2. Thes. 2. with the Epistles of Iohn for Iohn plainely 1. Ioh. 4 3. 2. Iohn 7. 1. Ioh. 2. 18 saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Antichrist of whom they had hard that he should come was in his time And of whom had they heard it but of Paul in the 2. Thes 2. where in like sort the Apostle saith that euen in his time the mysterie of iniquitie that is Antichristianisme was working noting that Antichrist in some of his members was already come although he were not reuealed vntill that which hindered was taken out of the way Now as Paul and Iohn doe both testifie that the Antichrist was in their time so Paul also sheweth that Antichrist shall remaine vnto the second comming of Christ
2. Tim. 4. 4. trueth and are conuertd vnto fables They cannot abide to heare that the Scripture should be the onely rule of faith and maners they cannot endure to see any of their people to read the Scriptures and therefore desire to keepe it from them in an vnknowne language The foundation of their trueth is the authoritie of their Church and in the Church of their Pope who they say cannot erre But if the Pope teach doctrines of Diuels and speake lyes in hypocrise as the Apostle hath prophesied especially of them then is there in that Church little soundnesse of trueth that is built vpon so vnsound a soundation Thus therefore I reason The head of the generall Apostasie is Antichrist The Pope is the head of the generall or catholicke Apostasiei therefore he is Antichrist 21. To the three former arguments a fourth may be added The seuen heades of that beast which signifieth the Romane state are not so many persons but so many heades or states of gouernement wherby the common wealth of the Romanes hath beene at diuerse times gouerned the sixt head was the state of emperours the seuenth Antichrist as the Papists confesse the eight which also is one of the seauen the state of Emperours renewed Whereby it euidently appeareth Rhem. in Apoc. 17. Bellarmi not onely that Antichrist is not one man but also that the Pope who is the seuenth head is Antichrist CHAP. 3. Concerning the time of Antichrist his comming 1. TO withdraw our minds from beholding Antichrist in the See of Rome and to make vs looke for the expected Messias of the Iewes that neuer shall come the Papistes labour by might and maine to perswade vs that Antichrist is not yet come For euen as the learned of the Iewes when Christ was among them contrary to their one perswasion for worldly respects refused the true Messias and made the people expect another which neuer shall be So the learned among the Papists hauing Antichrist among them for worldly respects cannot endure that he should bee acknowledged but teach the people that he is not yet come and describe vnto them such an Antichrist as themselues may well know shall neuer come as by the grace of God shall appeare in the particulars Now as touching the time of Antichristes comming Bellarmine first reciteth diuers false and erronious opinions as heo calleth them and afterwarde setteth downe sixe solemne demonstrations to prooue that he is not yet come In the former he spendeth a goodlong chapter reckoning vp diuers opinions both of the fathers in former ages and also of hetetiques as â—…he calleth them in latter times mingling the trueth with errours that the credit of both might be alike As touching the fathers because he taketh it for granted which is the question that Antichrist is not to come before the end of the world which we deny according to the Scriptures 1. Ioh. 2. 18 2. Iohn 7. 2. Thes. 2. 7 he would make their opinion concerning the approching of Antichrist which they heid according to the Prophesies of the Scripture compared with the euent of no better credit then their conceit of Christs approching vnto judgement grounded not so much vpon the Scriptures as vpon their owne conjecture For to omit their conjectures concerning Christs comming consuted by experience what can Bellarmine answer to the sound argument either of S. Ierome or Gregorie concerning the comming of Antichrist confirmed by experience alledged by Bellarmine himselfe Ierome applying the Prophesie of Paul Epist. ad Geront de Monogamia 2. Thes. 2. 6. 7. 8. that Antichrist should appeare when he that hindereth meaning the Romane Emperour was taken out of the way to his time wherein not onely the imperiall seat had beene remooued from Rome which was the first degree of taking out of the way that which hindered but also Rome it selfe in distresse being taken of the Gothes and the Empire in decay Quitenebat saith he de medio fit non intelligimus Anticbristum appropinquare He which did holde is taken out of the way and do we not vnderstand that Antichrist dooth approch And likewise Gregory Omnia quae praedicta sunt fiunt Rex superbia propè est All things which were foretold doe come to passe the King Lib. 4. epi. 38. of pride is at hand Which arguments alledged also by vs Bellarmine because he could not answer he thought to discredit by reckoning them among erronious conceits 2. But let vs come to his heretiques Who although they all agree in this that Antichrist is come and that it is the Pope yet saith Bellarmine they are deuided into sixe opinions The first opinion viz. of the Samosatenians in Hungarie and Transyluania is not worth the mentioning being of such heretiques as deny the Trinity and also the diuinity of Christ with whom though we haue as little to doe as the Papists sauing that some of our men haue soundly confuted their heresies whiles the Papists held their peace yet he numbreth our opinion with theirs as Christ was numbred among the wicked that by this mixture of truth with falshood he might discredit the truth As for the rest it is easie to shew that all Protestants almost that haue written in this argument and namely those whom Bellarmine alledgeth doe agree in the substance concerning the comming of Antichrist And that there is no such difference among them as Bellarmine would beare vs in hand For concerning this matter this is the receiued opinion of our Churches When with Iohn in his Epistles we speake of Antichrist meaning the whole bodie of Heretiques and Antichrists we hold with Iohn that euen in the Apostles times Antichrist had as it were set his foote in the Church and that from that time the mysterie of iniquitie that is Antichristianisme did more and more worke vntill the head of this body the man of sinne was reuealed Which with Paul we hold to haue beene done after that which hindered was remooued out of the way But when we speake of the head of this body who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called the Antichrist figured by the second beast Apoc. 13. of whom also the Apostle intreateth 2. Thes. 2. the constant opinion of the learned is this that of the reuealing or manifest appearing of Antichrist there were two principall degrees The first about the yeare 607. when Boniface the third obtained the supremacie ouer the vniuersall See lib. 1. cap. 3. Church The second after the yeare 1000. when he claimed and vsurped both swords that is a soueraigne and vniuersall authoritie not onely ecclesiasticall ouer the Clergie but also temporall ouer Kings and Emperours Vnto which second soueraigntie they had long aspired but neuer attained vntill the time of Gregorie the seauenth We holde then that Antichrist was come and shewed himselfe in Boniface the third and that after this his birth as it were he grewe by degrees vntill he came to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the answering in his fourth Chapter 6. For to what purpose should I tell you of his argument which notwithstanding he saith it was now no time to prooue to wit that before the comming of Antichrist the Gospel should be preached throughout the world because the cruel persecutioÌ„ of Antichrist should hinder al publicke exercises of trus religion therfore was to be preached generally throughout the world either before the time of Antichrist or not at al which we shall in part finde time to answer in his fourth demonstratioÌ„ In the mean time we answer first that the greeuous tribulation before which our Sauiour saith the Gospel was to be preached in al the world is not the persecution vnder Antichrist but the affliction of the Iewes at and before the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romanes as I haue manifestly prooued And secondly that if the generall preaching of the Gospell were made a signe of Antichrists comming as it is not but of the end yet is it not necessary that it should be preached generally throughout the world at one time for it might suffice that in one age it were preached to one nation and in another age to another people And therefore although during the persecution of Antichrist the Gospell were not preached generally and at once to all nations yet in that time it might be preached to some nations where it had not formerly beene preached and therefore might be preached to all nations before the destruction of Antichrist though it were not before his comming Or to what end should I spend any time in answering the testimonies of the fathers who supposed that the Gospell should be preached in all the world before the comming of Antichrist seeing according to the meaning of our Sauiour Christ it was to be preached in al the world before the destruction of Ierusalem Or what account should we make of his obiections wherein he alledgeth that the Gospel hath not as yet beene preached throughout the world seeing our Sauiour who cannot he hath prophecied and the Apostle by the same spirit of truth hath testified that before the destruction of Ierusalem the Gospell of the kingdome was preached in all the world And therefore the Papists in this point whiles they study to contradict vs are not afraide to giue the lye to our Sauiour Christ. Neither are his cauillations wherby he indeuouteth to auoide elude those testimonies of Scripture which doe testifie that the Gospell was in the Apostles times preached in all the world worth the mentioning For whereas Paul saith No doubt their souÌ„d went out through all the earth their words into the ends Rom. 10. 1â—… of the world Bellarmine cauilleth that the Apostle vseth the time past insteed of the future as if he had said no doubt their sound shal goe through all the earth But say I the Apostle prooueth that the Iewes had heard the Gospel because the sound of the Preachers thereof was gone through all the earth and therefore they from whom the Gospell proceeded to other nations could not be ignorant thereof And againe whereas the same Apostle saith that the Gospell in his time was in all the world and addeth that Col. 1. 6. it did bring forth fruite euen as it did among the Colossians Bellarmine answereth that the Apostle would not say that it was actually but virtually as they say in all the world But how could it bring forth fruite vnlesse it were actually and besides the Apostle in the same Chapter saith the Gospell had been preached 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod agit est non solum actu primo sed etiam actu secundo Col. 1. 23. to euery creature vnder heaueÌ„ which is a more large speech then this prophesie of our Sauiour Mat. 24. 14. To conclude if by the end in that place is to be vnderstood the end of the world as Bellarmine will needs haue it contrary to the text yet the Gospell before the and might be preached throughout the world and yet not before the comming of Antichrist If by the end is to be vnderstood the end of Ierusalem as I haue manifestly prooued then according to our Sauiours prophesie the Gospell was preached in all the world in the Apostles times But that the generall preaching of the Gospell should be a signe of Antichrists comming the Scripture hath neuer a word The 5. Chapter maintaining against Bellarmine his second demonstration that Antichrist is already come 1. THe second signe going before Antichrist is as Bellarmine saith he vtter desolatioÌ„ of the Romane Empire From whence this demonstration is raised If the Roman Empire be not yet vtterly destroyed then is not yet Antichrist come for the vtter desolation of the Romaine Empire is a certaine signe going before his comming But the Roman Empire is not yet vtterly destroied therfore Antichrist is not yet come We coÌ„fesse that before antichrist could be reuealed by exercising a soueraigne dominion in Rome it was necessary that the Emperour so farre forth as he hindred this reuelation of Antichrist should be taken out of the way But that there should be such an vtter desolatioÌ„ of the Empire as that there should not remaine so much as the name of the Emperor or king of the Romans that we doe vtterly dony He that hindred was taken out of the way partly when the imperiall seate was remooued from Rome to Constantinople and that to this end as they haue set downe in the donation of Constantine that the City of Rome might be left to the Pope but especially when as after the diuision of the Empire into two parts the Empire in the West which properly was the Empire of Rome was dissolued and lay voyde for many yeares All which was accomplished before Boniface 3. attained to the Antichristian title Neither doth the reuiuing of the Westerne Empire in Charlemaine after it had bin voide 325. yeares hinder the reuelation or dominioÌ„ of Antichrist but rather proueth that Antichrist was then come For this new Empire erected by the Popes meanes it is the image of the beast that is of the old Empire which Antichrist Apoc. 13. the second beast causeth to be made putteth life therinto It is the beast wheron the whore of Babylon sitteth therfore is so far froÌ„ hindring Antichrist that it supporteth him This beast which was an imperiall state but is not indeed though in title it be as being but an image of the old Empire is said to be the eight head of the beast yet one of the seuen wheras Antichrist Apo. 17. by the confessioÌ„ of papists is the seueÌ„th Wherfore although the old Empire in the West which hindred was done out of the way and indeed dissolued before the reuelation of Antichrist yet euen with and vnder Antichrist there was to be an imperial state in name and title which is the beast whereon the whore of Babylon sitteth as I haue heretofore prooued Lib. 1.
wicked man shal be reuealed That this is to be vnderstood of the Romane Empire he not onely affirmeth but also confirmeth by the testimonies of diuers of the Fathers the which we are so farre from denying that from hence as one especiall argument we prooue the Pope to be Antichrist But neither the Apostle nor any of the Fathers excepting Lactantius whose Prophecie in this point the Papists themselues do thinke to be erronious doth say that the Empire of Rome shall so vtterly be abolished as that not so much as the name of the Emperour or King of the Romanes shall remaine which Bellarmine should haue prooued For otherwise that the Empire was indeed dissolued before the reuelation of Antichrist the holy Ghost prophecied the euent hath prooued and we doe willingly confesse Quâ—… tenebat de medâ—… fit Ad Gerontid de Monogamia saith Ierome in his time non intelligimus Antichristum appropinquare He which held is taken away and doe we not vnderstand that Antichrist is at hand Yea but saith Bellarmine the Romane Empire is not yet vtterly destroyed and therefore Antichrist is not yet come Neither is it necessary it is sufficient that he which hindered the reuelation of Antichrist waâ—… done out of the way which was done first by remoouing the Imperiall seate from Rome which was to be the seate of Antichrist as hath beene prooued secondly by the dissolution of the Empire in the West As for the Empire renued by the Pope that hindereth not Antichrist but rather furthereth as hath beene shewed and therfore there is no necessitie that it should be taken away Neither is there now an Emperour of the Romanes indeed but onely in title without the thing it selfe as enjoying neither the citie of Rome it selfe nor yet the Prouinces And therefore either vnskilfully or sophistically are these Emperors which haue no imperiall authoritie either in the citie or the prouinces compared with those ancient Emperours who although they had the Empire wanted Rome it selfe 5. And hereby appeareth the error of our aduersaries who thinke that Antichrist commeth not before the vtter desolation of the Romane Empire whereas neither of the Apostles Paul or Iohn do say so but rather the contrary as hath bin shewed For to omit the rest before alledged Iohn saith Apoc. 13. That one head of the beast meaning the state of the emperors had indeed â—…ceiued deadly wounâ—… both in respect of Rome the head city and of the Emperours in the West but was cured therefore not vtterly destroyed and cured by the Pope both in respect of the city and in regard of the Emperour And therefore the Pope is Antichrist as some of our writers infer because this wound was to be cured by the second beast which figureth Antichrist And Ambrose saith vpon 2. Thes. 2. That Antichrist shall restore libertie to the Romans but in his owne name Bellarmine answereth That he readeth no where in Iohn that the beast which signifieth the Romane Empire was to be cured by antichrist Yea but this he might haue read that the second beast which is Antichrist causeth the image of the beast that is the new Empire to be made and putteth life vnto it For by this renuing of the Empire Bellarmine elswhere De translat imperij lib. 1. c. 4. prosesseth that the Romane Empire was restored to the same estate wherin it was before Augustulus But what hath Bellarmine read in Iohn Forsooth That one of the heads of the beast should dye and shortly after rise againe by the helpe of the diuel which the Ancient expouÌ„d of Antichrist who shall faine himselfe to be dead and by diuellish art rise againe that so by resembling the true death and resurrection of Christ he might seduce many First it is euident that the former beast figureth not Antichrist but the Romane state and that vnder the Romane Emperors especially Secondly it is not said that one of the heads did faine it selfe dead and by the helpe of the diuell did rise againe which needed not if the death were couÌ„terfeit but that one of the heads had receiued a deadly wound was cured againe The head was the state of the Emperours to wit the sixt head which receiued a deadly wound in Augustulus after whom the Empire in the West lay voide 325. yeares But this head was cured after a sort in Charlemaine his successouâ—…s in whom there was an image of the former Emperours erected by the Pope And therefore this state of Emperours renued in Charlemaine and his successours is said to be the eight head of the beast yet is one of the seuen So that the sixt head which before was wouÌ„ded to death was cured after a sort repaired in theÌ„ This in substance is confessed by Bellarmine himself in this chapt where vnderstanding by the two legs of the image §. quod 〈◊〉 in Daniel the Westerne and Easterne Empire he saith That the Westerne which was the one leg failed namely in Augustulus and was after erected in Charlemaine and that as else-wheré he boasteth by the Pope Now whereas Bellarmine laboureth to prooue that this head which was wounded to death and reuiued againe is not Charles the great he sheweth himselfe rediculous in fighting with his owne shadow For by the head is not meant any one man but the state and succession of Emperours which was interrupted and cut off in Augustulus renewed in Charles the great and his successours And that which is added concerning the vniuersalitie either of worship or of rule is not spoken of the head which was reuiued but of the beast which was to Apoc. 13. 7. 8. haue one of his seauen heads wounded to death cuted againe The sixt Chapter answering his third demonstration concerning Enoch and Elias 1. NOw we are to come to those signes which in Bellarmines conceit are to accompany Antichrist the former wherof is the comming of Enoch and Elias in the flesh to oppose themselues against Antichrist and to conuert the Iewes From whence Bellarmine reasoneth thus If Enoch and Elias be not yet come againe in the flesh then Antichrist is not yet come But Enoch and Elias are not yet come againe in the flesh and therefore Antichrist is not yet come To the proposition I answer first that if Enoch and Elias were to come in their owne persons before the second comming of Christ as some of the Ancient haue thought and that to oppose themselues against Antichrist as the Papists dreame yet it followeth not that therefore Antichrist should not be come before their comming It is sufficient that they come before his ouerthrowe and the second comming of Christ. And therefore if they were indeed to come their coÌ„ming might yet be expected notwithstanding the truth of our assertion that Antichrist is already come But if Enoch and Elias be not to come againe in their owne persons before the end of the world to fight against Antichrist what force of
Now whereas he saith that Iohn did not restore all things which as Christ saith Elias should doe I answer that Christ speaketh according to their vnderstanding and therefore that Iohn Baptist did restore all things in that sense that Elias was according to their conceit to restore al things But by restitution in this place we are to vnderstand the reformation of the people and Church of the Iewes to whom the messenger and forerunner is promised not to heretickes and seduced catholickes wherein Iohn Baptist was another Elias Neither is this restitution ascribed to the Baptist as though it had beene perfected by him but because he began that which Christ was to bring to perfection So that Iohn Baptist may truely be said to haue made this restitution Inchoatiuè 6. The fourth place is Apoc. 11. 3. I will giue to my two witnessesâ—… and they shall prophecie 1260. dayes Which words he affirmeth but without all reason are to be vnderstood of Enoch and Elias who are not once meÌ„tioned in al that chapter Neither can those two witnesses signifie Enoch Elias because they are to be killed by the beast and their bodies shall lie dead in the streets of the great Citie three dayes and an halfe For Enoch and Elias they were taken vp into heauen where in soule at the least they enioy the glorious presence of God For otherwise their estate were worse then of the rest of the faithfull departed and so their translation should rather haue biâ—… a punishment then a blessing or prerogatiue vnto them without question therefore their soules at the least are in heauen But whether they be there in soule alone or in soule body there may be some question but if they be there in body it cannot be that their body is mortall as the Papists would haue it subiect to death For how can corruption inherit incorruption or how can it be truly said that Enoch was translated that he should not see death if notwithstanding his translation 1. Cor. 15. 50. he shall suffer death If therfore their bodies be in heauen vndoubtedly they were in the translation changed and by that change became immortal as the bodies of them shall who shal be aliue vpon the earth at the second comming of Christ. If their 1. Cor. 15. 51. 53. 1. Thes. 4. soules alone be in heauen their bodies being dissolued and returned into dust then either they must come in their owne bodies or in others If in others then must we hold the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or flitting of soules into diuers bodies if in their owne then shall they not onely rise before the resurrection but also after their resurrection die againe All which absurdities plainely shew that the Popish opinion concerning the comming of Enoch and Elias is a meere fable whereby men are kept in security that they should not with vigilancie waite for the coÌ„ming of Christ because as yet forsooth Enoch and Elias are not returned The two witnesses therefore cannot signifie Elias and Enoch But if I should adde that Bellarmine caÌ„not proue that this place intreateth of Antichrist but rather of the beast with 7. heads arising out of the sea that is the Roman state either generally or especially vnder the Emperours as may be gathered by comparing verse 2. and 7. of the 11. chap. with the 1. and 5. of the 13. I would then know to what purpose he alledgeth this text to prooue that Enoch and Elias shall come against Antichrist if neither the one nor the other be here meant 7. Vnto these testimonies of Scripture he addeth the consent of the fathers who hold that Enoch Elias shal in their own persons come in the time of antichrist And to this purpose he nameth many but yet among al the ancieÌ„t which he citeth only Gregory is alledged to the purpose who in his morals expouÌ„ding the words of Lib. 14. c. 12. Bildad the Suhite as spokeÌ„ of Antichrist testifieth that in his time Enoch and Elias shal come which is as true as that Bildad spake of Antichrist Of the rest some speake of the returne of Elias only and that to conuert the Iewes without mention of his resisting Antichrist being deceiued by the corrupt translatioÌ„ of the 72. who in Malachy 4. v. 5. read Elias the Theibite and therby gaue occasion to the readers to expouÌ„d those words of Elias literally whereas in the Hebrew also in other translations we read Elias the Prophet which may truly be applied to Iohn who was a Prophet by the testimony of our sauiour Christ more then a Prophet Mat. 11. 9. Others who besides Elias mention the coÌ„ming of another agree not among themselues Victorinus refuting the opinion of in Apoc. 11 some who thought the two witnesses to be Elias Elizâ—…us or Elias Moses saith all our Ancestours by tradition haue deliuered that it is Elias and Ieremie Hilary refelling those which thought the two witnesses to be Elias Enoch or Elias and Ieremy contendeth that they must be Moses and Elias Hippolytus to Enoch in Mat. con 20. Elias addeth Iohn the Diuine who as he saith shal come with theÌ„ before the comming of Christ. All which opinions of the fathers giue vs a sufficient proofe into what vncertainties men are carried wheÌ„ they wil be wise aboue that which is written For seeing the holy Ghost hath not named these two witnesses it is hard especially for them who liued as themselues thought before the fulfilling of this prophecie to define whether by these two witnesses is not meant a sufficient though a smal number of Gods witnesses whom â—…he shall raise to testifie his trueth euen in the hottest persecution of the beast or if they be two and no more to determine particularly and by name who they are 8. Vnto these restimonies in the last place he addeth a reason to make vp this demonstration which may thus be concluded If Enoch Elias were taken vp before their death yet â—…iue in mortall bodies wherein once they shall die then shall they come in the time of Antichrist to set themselues against him But Enoch and Elias being taken vp before death doe yet liue in mortalâ—… bodies wherein they are once to die therefore they shall come in the time of Antichrist to set themselues against him The proposition is vnnecessary and the assumptioÌ„ vntrue For though we should grant that they yet liue in mortall bodies and that their death is yet deferred yet how doth this follow that they liue to resist Antichrist and to be slaine of him Yea but saith Bell armine there can nâ—…ne other reason be giueÌ„ Of their translation there is this reason that there might be euident examples of reward and happinesse laid vp both for the vpright in Enoch and for the zealous in Elias Of their yet liuing in mortall bodies if they did so according to the opinion of some of the fathers that reason might
concerning the proposition For we doe grant that the Popes haue raigned and tyrannized in the Church almost a thousand yeeres and therfore aboue three yeers and a halfe Let vs therfore consider how he proueth that Antichrist shall raigne 3. yeers and a halfe precisely He proueth it by diuers prophecies of the Scriptures ghesses of the fathers which were no prophecies And first he alleageth these places Dan. 7. 25. and 12. 7. Apoc. 12. 14. Where we read saith he that the raign of Antichrist shal continus a time and times halfe a time that is a yeere and two yeeres and halfe a yeere and so he saith S. Iohn expoundeth it Apoc. 11. and 13. by 42. moneths and 1260 daies I answer that none of these places defineth the time or terme of Antichrists raigne Daniel speaketh not of the time of Antichrists raigne but of that time wherin the Iewes were to be afflicted the temple seruice of God in Ierusalem was to be profaned by Antiochus Epiphanes which time the Angell diuersly reckoneth Chap. 16. as was in part shewed in the last chapter shal hereafter be more fully declared For of their deliuerance from the tyrannie of Antiochus there are foure degrees obtained at 4. seueral times all which seeme to be noted by Daniel The first is the restitution of Gods worship renouation of the temple by Iudas Maccabeus 1. Mac. 1. 57. From the profanatioÌ„ therfore which was on the 15. of Casteu 1. Mac. 4. 52. in the yeere 145. vnto this restitutioÌ„ made on the 25. of Casteu in the 148. yeere were 3. yeers 10. daies which Daniel calleth a time times parcel of time Dan. 7. 25. as some thinke Dan 12. 7. The second degree was the victory of the Iewes against § De bello Iudaico lib. 1. Cap. 1. the forces of Antiochus Epiphanes wherby they were expelled out of Iewry the testitutioÌ„ begun confirmed which hapned after 3. yeers and a halfe as Iosephus noteth who also affirmeth that for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioseph de bell long Antiochus had caused the daily sacrifice to cease his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The terme as some thinke Daniel Chapter 12. vers 7. calleth a time and times 〈◊〉 â—…fe a time The third degree is the deadly sicknesse of Antiochus after his flight from Persâ—…pons at what time he promised all good things to the people of the Iewes From the profanation to this Dan. 12. 11 time Daniel reckoneth 1290. dayes to his death which hapned 45. dayes after to wit in the beginning of the yeere â—…49 he reckoneth 1335. dayes Now whereas Bellarmine saith that the terme of antichrists raigne shal be 3. yeers a halfe precisely saith that this terme is expressed in the Apocalypse by 1260. dayes and in Daniel by 1290. he seemed not to haue beene well aduised for 1290. are not 1260. nor 3. yeeres and a halfe precisely And therein he contradicteth himselfe and maketh Iohn in the same matter to be repugnant to Daniel 3. As touching the places in the Apocalypse it is hard to prooue that the times mentioned in the 11. 12. and 13. chapters be the same which he must prooue or else by conference of these places he prooueth nothing and if they be the same as indeed they are not it will be as hard to define where we are to begin the account But these two things may be affirmed First that all these times are not to be vnderstood literally And secondly that none of theÌ„ defineth the time of Antichrists raigne The 42. moneths in the 11. and 13. chapters signifie the time of the persecution vnder the Romane Emperours either only or especially for Chap. 11. v. 2. it is said that the Gentiles shal tread vpon the holy city 42. moneths But antichrist as the Papists hold shal be the Prince of the Iewes and counterfeit Christians And v. 7. it is said that the beast which ariseth out of the deepe which being the same with that which is described chap. 13. 1. is the Romane state especially as it was vnder the persecuting emperours that this beast I say shall persecute the two witnesses of God and their bodies shall lie in the streetes of the great Cities whereby in the Apocalypse is meant Rome or the R. empire And hereby also it appeareth that this terme of 42. moneths mentioned in both places is not literally to be vnderstood For the persecution vnder the Romane Emperours alone endured so many Sabboths of yeeres as there are moneths mentioned in those places that is 294. yeers as Master Fox expoundeth it Now if the other termes mentioned chap. 11. and 12. of time and times and halfe a time and of dayes 1260. be the same with the 42. moneths as Bellarmine will needes haue it then by them is not signified Anchrists raigne neither are they to be vnderstood literally no more then the 42. moneths but in the 11. chap. the time of the two witnesses preaching during the time of the afore said persecution and chap 12. the womans that is the Churches liuing in the desert during the said time Howbeit the speech of time and times and halfe a time may rather be vnderstood according to Daniels phrase of three yeeres and a halfe wherin the Church of Vid. Iunium in Apo. 12. Christ which was at IerusaleÌ„ after it was admonished by a voyce out of the sanctuary to depart accordingly remoued to Pella was sustained there For in that place it is plaine that the holy Ghost speaketh not of Antichrist nor yet of the beast but of the Serpent the diuell who seeketh the ouerthrow of the Church of Christ among the Iewes afterwards turneth his anger towards the rest of her seed that is the faithful among the Gentiles and to that end standeth on the sea shore from whence he raiseth the beast with seauen heads c. 4. And further I ad that if these times meÌ„tioned in those places which Bellarmine alledgeth did signifie the terme of Antichrists 2 raign precisely were to be vnderstood literally theÌ„ it wold follow that after antichrist is once reuealed al meÌ„ that be acquainted with the Scriptures may precisely define before haÌ„d the very day of Christs coÌ„ming vnto iudgemeÌ„t which the Lord notwithstanding wil not haue known Mar. 13. 32. as Bellarmine himself Cap. 3. lib. 3. must needs grant seeing he vseth this as the chiefe argument against those which by 1260. dayes vnderstand so many yeeres Againe it is incredible if not impossible that so many so great 3. things as they assigne to Antichrist should be effected brought to passe in so short a time as Hentenius a learned Papist doth confesse and as hath bin shewed heretofore For this is an errour depending In praesat translat Arcthâ—… vpon the former concerning the person of Antichrist presupposing that Antichrist is but one man And therfore
Bellarmine would prooue by the authority of Irenaeus as if he should haue said This name was not certainely knowne in Irenaeus his time therefore not in our time I deny the consequence Irenaeus liued before the fulfilling of this prophecie as himselfe professeth as the truth is for he liued aboue 1400. Non ante mul'um temporis pene sub nostro saeculo Iren. Lib. 5. yeeres agoe and as himselfe saith the reuelation was giuen to Iohn but a little before his age For it was giuen in the end of the first Century and he liued in the second and therefore it is more safe saith he to waite for the fulfilling of this prophecie then before hand to determine any thing For if the Lord would haue had this name knowne in Irenaeus his time he would haue made it knowne by Iohn himselfe to whom the reuelation was giuen But as before the fulfilling of this prophecie he saith this name was very obscure so he signifieth that after the fulfilling it should be more plaine And therefore that which he could but ghesse at in his time we may now define time hauing reuealed that trueth which vntill the prophecie was cleared by the euent lay hidde otherwise it shall be lawfull for men to reason from the authority of Irenaeus as Bellarmine doth euen vnto the end of the world But may we then reason thus this name was not knowne in Irenaeus his time therefore it shall neuer be knowne to what end was this prophecie giuen if it shall neuer be vnderstood Whereas therefore he vseth the arguments whereby Irenaeus prooueth that this name could not be knowne in his time to prooue that it cannot be knowne in our time he is ridiculous There are many names saith Irenaeus that haue this number therefore it is heard before hand to tell which is this name Againe if in Irenaeus his time God would haue this knowne he would haue reuealed it by Iohn 3. It is dangerous to define before hand his name for missing of his name we shall not know him when he commeth and therefore shall be in the more danger to be decoiued by him All this we grant But will Bellarmine needs be so ridiculous as to conclude In Irenaeus his time men were not able to tell which of those names that containe the number 666 is the name of the beast therefore 1400. yeeres after none shall be able to tell God would not have it knowne in Irenaeus his time therefore he will not haue it knowne now It was dangerous then before the fulfilling of the prephecie to define what this name should be therefore it is dangerous now when the prophecie is expounded by the euent to apply the one to the other And what doth he inferre hereuppon Therefore no doubt the Protestants who thinke the Pope to be Antichrist shal be deceiued of the true Antichrist when he commeth But blessed be God that hath already reuealed vnto vs the true Antichrist that knowing him we might auoyde him whereas vpon the Papists he hath sent strong illusions that they may beleeue lyes because they loued not the truth that they might be saued 2. Thes. 2. 11. 6. Againe he prooueth this name not to be knowne because there is great controuersie about it what it should be But by the same reason he may conclude that few points of religion are yet knowne because there be few concerning which there is no controuersie Notwithstanding as in other controuersies the trueth is knowne of those which are Orthodoxall howsoeuer others will not acknowledge it so I doubt not but that the trueth in this matter is knowne although some cannot and others will not as yet see it For seeing the hardest matter in this mystery is knowne it is not to be thought that the easier is hid or vnknowne especially seeing the knowledge of the one maketh the other euident The chiefe thing here to be considered is what this beast is For if the beast be knowne it will not be hard to tell what his name is especially if the number of the name be 666. The beast as appeareth by the whole context is as I haue shewed the former beast which without doubt figureth the Romane or Latine state The name of this beast is Romane or Latine If therefore this name in the learned tongues containe the number 666. and be such a name as he to whom all other notes of Antichrist doe agree shall enforce men to take vpon them then without doubt this is the name where of the holy Ghost speaketh but these properties agree to the name Latine or Romane For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Hebrew signifying Romane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke signifying Latine and Romanus in Hebrew Characters doe containe the iust number 666. and are besides such names as Antichrist compelleth all men to take vpon them as hath beene shewed heretofore See Lib. 1. Chap. 8. 7. But let vs see what Bellarmine obiecteth against this truth Of those many reasons which we doe vse Bellarmine maketh choise of two as being the easiest to answer as his maner is and against them he argueth namely the conjecture of Irenaeus and the agreement of the number But besides these we produce three other arguments as you haue heard which together with Lib. 1. c. 〈◊〉 these make the matter euident It is true indeede that Irenaeus besides Latinus produceth two other names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and seemeth to prefer the latter of these before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we build not vpon Irenaeus his authority but vpon those reasons whereon his conjecture is groūded which are two the one because it is the name of that kingdome which is figured vnder the former beast Apoc. 13. 7. whose authority Antichrist was to vsurpe the other because it containeth 666 his words be these But the name Lateinos also comprehendeth the number 666. et valde verisimile est and it is very likely For it is the name of that which most truely is called the kingdome For they are the Latines that now raigne Which in effect is as much as if he had said this name is very likely because it is a name containing 666. and is the name of the former beast spoken of Apoc. 13. 1. which figureth verissimum regnum that kingdome which most truely is called a kingdome that is the Latine or Roman state Yea but this coniecture saith Bellarmine which in Irenaeus his time was of some force now it is nothing worth for then the Latines bare the sway now they doe not For Antichrist as he shall be Potentissimus Rex 〈◊〉 most mighty king so without doubt he shal seize vpon the most mighty kingdoms Whereas therfore the kingdome of the Latines was in those times most mighty but now otherwise there was some likelyhood then that he might by subduing them be called Latinus but now there is no such probability I answere the name whereof Iohn speaketh
is not the name of Antichrist properly the second beast but the name of the former beast which name of the former beast Antichrist the second beast causeth men to take vpon them And so Latinus is not the name of Antichrist properly but of the beast that is the Latine or Romane state Neither was it Irenaeus his meaning that the name of the beast is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because Antichrist was to subdue the Latines but because the Latines then had Verissimum regnum the most true and soueraigne kingdome and therefore most truely were the beast described Apoc. 13. 7. If therefore the Latines then had the greatest kingdome and were the beast whose authority the second beast that is Antichrist was to take vpon him Apoc. 13. 12. this coniecture that the name of the beaâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was probable before the prophecie was fulfilled Apo. 13. 12 is now more then probable the prophecie being verified in the euent And the decay or rather dissolution of the Latine or Romane Empire before which Antichrist was not to be reuealed is so farre from making this coniecture lesse probable that it rather confirmeth it Neither doe we read in the Scriptures that Antichrist should be a most mighty King or should sease vpon the most mighty kingdomes only this we read that he should exercise the power of the former beast which most fitly agreeth to the Pope 2 As touching the agreement of the number 666. Bellarmine obiecteth first that the number agreeth not with the names propounded and secondly although it did yet it followeth not that any of these is the name of the beast That the number agreeth not he sheweth because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if it be written with a simple Iota as it ought to be it wanteth fiue of that number I answere that the ancient Latines vsed to write and pronounce i long by ei diphthong and the Graecians vsually expresse i long by ei And it is to be obserued that Irenaeus setting downe these two names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as containing the number 666 taketh it for granted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may so be writteÌ„ wheras of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith that it maketh that number if it be written writh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diphthong Against the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Romane he objecteth that it is not masculine vnlesse the last letter signifiyng 400. be taken away I answere that collectiue names in Hebrew are indifferently expressed in either gender And suppose the name were feminine yet that hindereth not but that it may be the name here spoken of For the Holy-ghost speaketh of the name of the beast that is the Romane state which else-where is called the whore of Babylon and foemina a woman And therefore well may the name be feminine But although the number agreed saith Bellarmine yet iâ—… followeth not that either Romane or Latine should be the name First because neither of them is his proper name but commune Neither ought it seeing it is the name of the beast which signifieth a whole state Secondly because many other â—…es make this number And therefore it followeth not that any of these is the name here spoken of because they containe the number 666. For diuers Authours haue noted diuers other names as Hippolytus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which indeed maketh not that number but rather prooueth the authour alledging 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be counterfeit neither is it a Nowne and much lesse a name Aretas seauen others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which maketh not that number but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 barbarous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rupertus and Haymo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Picâ—…x Vnto these he addeth out of lying Lindanus Martin Lauer for Luther in Latin letters taken as they neuer were for numbers after the maner of the Greeke out of Gâ—…ebrard Lithers name in Hebrew viz Lultor to which Bellarmine in his wisdome addeth Dabid Chitreiu for Dauid Chytreus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Saxon to signifie Luther Which latter names shew the Papists to be fraught with malice and voide of judgement forcing these mens names as they might their owne to this purpose But we answer that although there are many names which containe 666. yet notwithstanding none can be the name here spoken of vnlesse also it be the name of the beast that is the Latine or Romane state and vnlesse it be such a name as he to whom all other notes of Antichrist doe agree causeth men to take vpon them Consider therefore with what conscience Bellarmine would perswade vs that any of these may bee the name here spoken of as well as Latine or Romane Seeing first either of these is the name of the beast whereas none of those is or can be Secondly seeing those are such names as Antichrist will not cause men to take vpon them whereas the Pope whom we haue prooued to be Antichrist inforceth either of these names vpon men suffering none to buy or sell or to liue among them vnlesse he professe himselfe to be a Romane or Latine in respect of his religion And thirdly whereas these names agree fitly to him to whom all other markes of Antichrist agree many of those doe not and those which doe as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an euill guide which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreeth to the Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. yet cannot be this name for the reasons before alledged And thus I hope this Gordian knot is vntied and this vnanswerable argument answered by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The name of the beast is not yet knowne therefore saith he Antichrist is not yet come I answer although the name were vnknowne yet might Antichrist become But now the name of the beast is knowne how farre then is Billarmine from proouing by this argument that Antichrist is not yet come The 11. Chapter Concerning the marke which Antichrist shall impose vpon men 1. COncerning the marke of Antichrist Bellarmnine reciteth three opinions vnto which he addeth a fourth of his owne coyning The first of the Protestants who teach that the marke of Antichrist is some â—…ne of obedience and conjunction with the Pope The second opinion is of some Catholicke Papists who thinke this marke to be the letters of Antichrists name The third of Hippolytus and some others who imagine that this marke of the beast is not to vse the signe of the crosse but rather to detest and 〈◊〉 it The first opinion viz of the Protestants he detesteth as râ—…sh and â—…irde The second of the Catholicks he rejecteth as false which he signifieth when he saith they were deceiued The third he would willingly embrace because it seemeth to make against vs but the authour is counterfeit and his testimonie falsified by Bellarmine And although indeed he do reject it
signification of a curse And I adde that they might with as good reason alledge that Antichrist shal be of the Tribe of Beniamin of whom it is said verse 27. that he shal rauin as a Wolfe Ieremy vndoubtedly speaketh not of Antichrist nor yet as Bellarmine saith of the Tribe of Dan but of Nabuchadonosor who was to come by the coast or countrey called Dan to destroy Ierusalem as Ierome rightly expoundeth Why Dan is omitted in Apoc. 7. it is not wel knowne saith Bellarmine especially seeing Ephraim also which was one of the greatest Tribes is left out But here Bellarmine doth praeuaricari and by trifling betray the truth For it is not true that Ephraim is left out for seeing Manasses is mentioned Verse 6. wee must needes by the Tribe of Ioseph mentioned Verse 8. vnderstand the Tribe of Ephraim Neuer thelesse this may truly be said that there are other causes of this omission then that which is alledged concerning Antichrist For else we may say as well that Antichrist should come of the Tribe of Simeon because he is not mentioned in the blessing of Moyses Deut. 33. The truth is that where the holy Ghost numbreth the 12. Tribes and mentioneth Leui which for the most part is not As Apoc. 17. reckned among the 12. Tribes because it was scattered among them all some one of the other Tribes is left out otherwise where 12. are named 13. should be reckned The mentioning therfore of Leui is the cause why some one of the rest is not expressed but either comprehended vnder an other that is mentioned as Simeon vnder Iuda Deut. 33. Ephraim Manasses being two seuerall great Tribes vnder Ioseph Deut. 27. 12. Ezec 48. 32. are altogether omitted as Dan. Apo. 7. Now Dan seemeth to be omitted rather then any other because that was the first Tribe which fel from God vnto Idolatry for the same cause as some thinke the genealogie of that Tribe is omitted in the first booke of the Chronicles 3 These opinions therfore though countenanced with the authoritie of the Fathers Bellarmine dareth not deliuer as matters of truth because they cānot be proued out of the scriptures The which in truth is the cause why we reiect all the fancies of the Papists concerning Antichrist wherin they differ from vs because that although many of thē were also the opiniōs of the auncient writers who could but ghesse at the meaning of prophecies not then fulfilled yet they cannot be proued out of the word of God wherein Antichrist is sufficiently described This libertie therefore which Bellarmine lawfully taketh vnto himself in reiecting the testimonies of the Fathers in this point not warranted by the scriptures must in equitie also be graunted vnto vs. For vpō the same principle or ground which Bellarmine here setteth downe we reason against the Popish conceits after this maner Those opinions concerning Antichrist which cannot be proued out of the scriptures are not to be held as certaine truthes or beleeued as matters of faith although they haue the testimony of the Fathers But all the Popish cōceits cōcerning Antichrist are such as cannot be proued out of the scriptures therefore none of the Popish conceits concerning Antichrist are to be receiued for certaine truthes though diuers of them haue the testimony of the Fathers 4 Now let vs heare in the third place what those things are which Bellarmine would haue vs to take vpon his word for certaine and sound in this point There be two things saith hee most certaine one that Antichrist shall come for the Iewes especially and shal be receiued of them for their Messias The other that he shall be borne of the Nation of the Iewes and shall be circumcised and shall at the least for a time obserue the Sabbath On which two points the propositiō of the syllogisme before rehearsed doth consist the which Bellarmine thought to set out as true by setting by §. 1 it other opinions more absurd then it is But although there be degrees of falsehood in all these opinions yet all of them are false as being grounded vpon this false supposition that Antichrist 1 is but one singular man And secondly by the same reason that moued Bellarmine to reiect the former opinions may 2 these also be reiected namely because they cannot be proued out of the scriptures but contrariwise may be disproued thereby For Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God that is shall raigne in the church of Christ and shall be an Apostate 3 and the head of the Apostasie as Bellarmine confesseth and therfore not the head of the Iewes who cannot be said to make an Apostasie before they be called but of back-sliding Christians Againe Antichrist is one of the seuen heads of the beast mentioned Apoc. 17. that is of the Romaine state hauing his 4 seate in Babylon that is in Rome in the gouernment whereof hee succeedeth the Emperour who whiles hee ruled in Rome hindered the reuelation of Antichrist as it hath beene shewed heretofore out of Apoc. 17. 13. 2. Thess. 2. All which do sufficiently proue that Antichrist was not to be a Iew either by nation or religion but a Latine or Romaine which name with the marke therof he causeth all sorts of men to take vpon thē And lastly for as much as the Papists themselues hold the calling of the Iewes it would be knowne whether they shall reuolt after their calling from Christ to Antichrist or whether they shall be called after the destruction of Antichrist or during the time of Antichrists raigne which shal be as they say the terme of three yeares a halfe precisely or 1260. daies But themselues denie that the Iewes shall reuolt after their calling or that they shal be called in the time of Antichrists raigne that they shal be called after the destruction of Antichrist which shall not be before the ende of the world it is absurd 5 But let vs see how he proueth these things which he saith are most certaine sure from whence he draweth his most euident demonstration First that Antichrist shall be receiued of the Iewes for their Messias he proueth by testimonies of scripture by authoritie of Fathers and by reason Out of the scripture he produceth two testimonies the former Ioh. 5. 43. which place I haue heretofore freed frō the corruptiōs of the papists shewing that our Sauiour Christ doth not speake absolutely Another shal come but cōditionally If an other shal com therfore doth not foretel what they were afterwards to do but telleth them what in respect of their present dispositiō they were readie to do if an other should come in his owne name vnto them not sent of God 2. Neither doth he speake definitely of Antichrist but indefinitly of any false teacher 3. he speaketh of those Iews to whō he speaketh who could not be the receiuers of Antichrist vnlesse he were come aboue 1500. yeares agoe 6 His second
may be called the church of God bicause once it was a true church and stil is in title professiō the church ofChrist although in truth it be but little more the church of Christ then Antichrists imaginary temple at Ierusalem would be the temple of God 5 His second syllogisme which is inferred vpon the former is this If the Pope sit in the true Church of God then the church of Rome is the onely true Church for the Church of Christ is one as Christ is one but the Pope sitteth in the true church of God as was proued in the former syllogisme therefore the church of Rome is the onely true church of Christ. First I answere to the proofe of his proposition The Catholike inuisible Church of Christ is one sheepfolde vnder one shepheard Christ but particular visible churches are more then one as the church of Corinth the church of Rome the seuen churches in the Apocalyps and all the Churches of the Gentiles mentioned Rom. 16. 4. and therefore the church of Rome although it were a true visible church yet were it but a particular church and therefore not the onely true church But now the church of Rome is not a true visible church of Christ but the whore of Babylon an adulterous and Idolatrous and Apostaticall church which once was Rome as Petrarch saith now Babylon once Bethel now Bethauen once the Church of Christ now the synagogue of Antichrist as hath bene proued And therefore there being no truth either in the proposition or the assumption I answere the proposition by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although the Pope did sit in the true church yet it followeth not that therefore the church of Rome is the onely true Church and the assumption by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Pope doth not sit in the true church and therefore there is no shewe of reason in this cauill 6 His third syllogisme is inferred vpon the second If the Church of Rome be the onely true Church then those which are not members of this Church whereof the Pope is head as namely the Protestants are out of the Church But now say I the church of Rome is so farre from being the onely true church as that it is that Babylon Apoc. 18. 4. from which we are commaunded to seperate if wee will bee saued there being no saluation in that Church for those that receiue and retaine the marke of the beast Apoc. 14. 9. therefore this also is a fond and sophisticall cauill Notwithstanding as the adulterous and apostaticall state of Israel vnder Ieroboam and Achab so the Church of Rome vnder the Pope may be called the church of God in respect both of some notes and signes of a visible Church as the administration of some sacraments and profession of the name of the Lord and also of some reliques and remainder as it were the gleanings of the inuisible Church In Israell although an Apostaticall and Idolatrous state the sacrament of circumcision was retained so in the church of Rome the sacrament of baptisme The church of Israel professed Iehouah to be their God although they worshipped him Idolatrously so the church of Rome professeth the name of Christ but exceedeth Israel in Idolatry In Israel euen vnder Achab the Lord had reserued 7000. who neuer bowed their knee to Baal and so we doubt not but that in the corruptest times of Popery the Lord hath reserued some who haue not receiued the marke of the beast And as the church of Sardis was still called the church of Christ although greeuously fallen from Christ because they still professed the name of Christ and retained no doubt the Sacrament of Baptisme and had among them some fewe names that had not defiled themselues so I confesse with Caluin that the church of Rome may be called a church of Christ both in respect of some vestigia and outward notes of a visible church as administration of Baptisme and profession of the name of Christ and some secret reliques of the inuisible church which haue not bowed their knees to Apo. 20. 4 Baal But that which is saide to the church of Sardis may most iustly be avowed to the church of Rome Thou hast a name that thou liuest but indeed art dead thou professest Apoc. 3. 1. thy selfe to be the church of Christ but art the synagogue of Antichrist thou art called the church of Rome which once was famous for her saith but art the whore of Babylon the Apo. 3. 4. mother of all the fornications and abhominations in the christian world 7 Heere Bellarmine obiecteth two things If there remaine in the church of Rome but ruines and reliques of a true church then the church may be ruinated and the truth hath lyed who saith that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it Ans. The Catholike and inuisible church of Christ which is the whole company of the elect can neuer faile But visible and particular churches which consist of hypocrites many times and vnsounde christians which are in the visible church but are not of the inuisible as the greater part may faile and fall away although not one sound christian that 1. Ioh. 2. 19. is of the inuisible church doth fall away As the lamentable experience of the church of Israel seuered from Iuda the examples of Corinth Ephesus and many other famous Churches which were planted by the Apostles Againe saith Bellarmine If the Church be ruinated and the ruines remaine in Poperie then the Papists haue the Church although decayed and ruinated but the Protestants haue no Church not entyre for the entyre Church is ruinated not ruinated or decayed for the ruines are among the Papists What haue they then a new building which because it is new is none of Christs and therefore who seeth not that it is safer to liue in the church decayed then in no church at all But in this cauill there is not so much as any shew of reason vnlesse he take that for graunted which we do most confidently denie and they are neuer able to proue that the church of Rome not onely is the true church of Christ but also the onely true church For otherwise the church of Rome may fall and yet the Catholike church of Christ may stand yea shall stand maugre the force of Antichrist and malice of Sathan himselfe And as for the church of the Protestants it is no new building as Antichrist vaunteth but is a part of the Catholike church of Christ reformed and renewed according to the word of God and the example of the primitiue church euen as the Church of Iuda vnder Iosias was no new building but the olde frame as it was vnder Dauid renewed and reformed according to the lawe of God 8 The exceptions which he taketh against our arguments concluding that Rome is the seate of Antichrist I haue for the Lib. 1. cap. 2. most part taken away before It shall suffice therefore
himselfe to die and rise againe therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answere to the proposition that no such miracle in the scripture is assigned vnto Antichrist but that it is a sond imagination of the Papists which by some of them and namely by Lib. 3. de pontif Rom. cap. 5 Bellarmine himselfe is propounded more fondly to wit that Antichrist shall faigne himselfe to die and by the helpe of the diuell shall rise againe For if his death be but counterfeit he shall not neede the diuels helpe to raise him Notwithstanding they would grounde this miracle vpon those words Apoc. 13. 3. And I sawe one of his heads as it were wounded to death but his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondred after the beast I answere that in these words the holy Ghost speaketh not of Antichrist that he of whom he speaketh doth not saigne himselfe to die and rise againe As touching the first of those two beasts described in this chapter the former is not Antichrist but the latter The former which is described vnto the 11. Verse is the Romane Empire especially vnder the persecuting Emperours as hath bene shewed euery part of that description fitting the same And that the latter beast signifieth Antichrist it is in a maner confessed of all Heare what Bellarmine saith in the beginning of his tenth chapter speaking of the Lib. 3. de Pontif. Ro. ca. 10. 16. 17. and 18. Verses of this 13. chapter of the Apocalyps which are spoken concerning the second beast Fatentur omneo saith hee pertinere omnino ad Antichristum verba illa Ioannis Apoc. 13. fuciet omnes pusillos cum magnis c. All men confesse that those words of Iohn Apoc. 13. And he shall make all both small and great c. do wholy appertaine to Antichrist And in this very chapter how doth Bellarmine proue 1. that Antichrist shall worke great signes because it is said verse 13. fecit signa magna and he wrought great signes 2. that many of the signes of Antichrist shall be phantasticall and onely in appearance because it is said in the same verse that he doth cause fire to descend in the sight of men 3. that Antichrist shall cause fire to come downe from heauen and make the Image of the beast to speake because it is so prophesied of Antichrist verse 13. and 15. Now if this be confessed that the latter beast is Antichrist then can it not be truly affirmed that the former beast is Antichrist vnlesse we may say that the former and the latter are one and the same But that cannot be truly saide For of the latter Iohn saith And I sawe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an other beast verse 11. If it be an other then is it not the same and the great difference in the descriptions of both doth shewe that they are diuerse beasts The one arising out of the Sea hath tenne hornes the other arising out of the earth hath two hornes like the Lambe The latter exerciseth the power of the former and that in his sight causeth men to worship the former beast whose deadly wound was healed maketh an Image to the former beast which had a deadly wound liued verse 14. Therfore the second Vers. 12. beast which signifieth Antichrist is not that beast which had the deadly wound and was cured thereof nor yet the head which was so wounded 4 Againe to come to that obiection which Bellarmine maketh vnto himselfe and doth not satisfie this miracle and the two first doo not belong to one and the same subiect if therefore the two first concerning fire and the Image belong to Antichrist then this doth not or if this do then the other two do not but all confesse that those two do belong to Antichrist therefore this doth not Herevnto Bellarmine would seeme to answere that the former beast signifieth either the Romane Empire or the multitude of the wicked and that one that is to say the chiefe head thereof which seemed to dye and rise againe is Antichrist For saith hee Antichrist shall be the chiefe and the last head of the wicked as also of the Romanes The second beast signifieth either Antichrist himselfe according to Rupertus or the Ministers and Preachers of Antichrist according to Richardus and Anselmus And therefore these three miracles belong either to Antichrist alone or to him and his Ministers In which answere of Bellarmine we see that prouerbiall speech verified that Great it the truth and it shall preuale Seeing the force and euidence Esdr. 341. of truth hath expressed from him in this place a confession that ouerthroweth the popish concerning Antichrist and manifestly proueth the Pope to be Antichrist Namely when hee confesseth according to the true interpretation of the auncient Interpreters and Fathers of the Church that the beast with seuen heads is the Romane Empire that Antichrist is one of those seuē heads as also else-where he hath confessed that the whore of Babylon is the citie of Rome From hence therefore it followeth that Antichrist shall be the head Cap. 13. not of the Iewes but of the Romanes that his chiefe seate or See shall be not Ierusalem but Rome that the name of the beast is Romane or Latine that Antichrist is not one particular man no more then the other sixe heads of the Romane Empire but a state of gouernment as the Kings were one head and the Consuls an other and the Emperours but one head and the Popes and Papacie but one head and lastly that the head of the beast or Romane Empire which is Antichrist can be no other but the Pope of Rome For of these seuē heads S. Iohn saith that in his time fiue of thē were fallen one was an other was not yet come These fiue which were fallen were the fiue first viz. kings consuls Decēuiri tribunes dictators The head that then was out of question was the Emperours who were the sixt head the seuenth which is of the Popes was not yet come Which then of these seuen heads doth signifie Antichrist surely none of the fiue first for they were past before S. Iohns time nor the sixt which is the state of Emperours for that then was and Antichrist was not yet come and as the Papists confesse that was it which hindered the reuelation In 2. Thess. 2. of Antichrist and therefore was to be done out of the way before Antichrist could bee reuealed It remaineth therefore that the seuenth head which is of the Popes is Antichrist For as touching the Imperiall state renewed in the West the holy Ghost plainely saith that the beast which was and is not though it be as being but the Image of the olde Empire is the eight and is one of the seuen that is in name and title it is the same with the sixt as Images beare the names of those things which they doo represent If therefore Antichrist bee one of the
him vile in respect where of Polybius calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So is Seleucus Philopater verse 20. in the vulgar translation called Uilissimus because of his base polling of his people and not because hee did arise from base estate Wherefore it is euident that Daniel speaketh not of Antichrist in this place and that he of whom he speaketh did not arise from moste base estate as Bellarmine woulde beare vs in hand vnlesse it be a most base estate to bee the sonne of a mightie King who for his greatnesse was called Antiochus the great 9 But will you see with one view the absurditie of this Popish argument Hee proueth from this place that Antichrist shall arise from most base estate and shall by deceit obtaine the kingdome of the Iewes But say I Daniel speaketh not of Antichrist but of Antiochus Epiphanes Yea but Antiochus was a type of Antichrist Be it that hee was a type not onely in some other things but also in this particular yet from hence we must inferre not the selfe same particular which is proper to the person of Antiochus but the like and that by way of allegory onely which were but a sleight argument to proue so weightie a controuersie in diuinitie Whereas therefore he inferreth from hence not the like viz. as Antiochus obtained his kingdome by fraude so shall Antichrist obtaine his but the verie same particular viz. as Antiochus obtained the kingdome of the Iewes so shall Antichrist obtaine the same kingdome of the Iewes his argument is ridiculous and yet this is not all the absurditie of this argument for when as from the likenesse of Antichrist to his type he would proue that Antichrist shall arise from base estate this assertion is not true of the type it selfe Yea but Ierome saith that this place may better be vnderstood of Antichrist Qui consurgere habet de moâ—…ica gente id est de populo Iudaeorum c. Who is to arise of a small nation that is the people of the Iewes c. and Daniel compareth Antichrist because of his base beginning to the little horne chap. 7. I doe not denie but that Antichristes beginning might be base but yet neither can the testimony of Ierome neither doth that allegation out of Daniel proue it For Ieromes testimony in this case if it ought to be of weight with vs it must be taken either as a prophecie or else as a sit exposition of Daniels prophecie as I haue said heretofore But Ierome was no Prophet neither doth hee sitly expound Daniel who speaketh plainly not of Antichrist but of the successour of Seleucus Philopator And it is a wonder that Ierome one of the most learned of the Fathers should in so easie a matter be ouerseene For seeing hee confesseth that the former part of the chapter is to be expounded of the Seleucidae and that in the 20. verse is described Seleucus Philopator for so hee saith on those wordes Et stabit in loco eius vilissimus Seleucum dicit cognomento Philopatorem filium magni Antiochi he speaketh of Seleucus surnamed Philopator the sonne of Antiochus the great It is therefore most plaine that when Daniel saith and in his place shall stand a vile person he speaketh of the next successour of Seleucus Philopator meaning Antiochus euen as in the 20. verse after he had spoken of Antiochus Magnus he saith and in his place shall stand vp a sender forth of an extortioner meaning Seleucus Neither doth Daniel say any where that Anchrist or he of whom he speaketh shall arise of a small nation meaning thereby the Iewes that which he speaketh de modico populo vers 23. is to be vnderstood properly as Ierome himselfe expoundeth it according to the literal that is the proper sense of the small company wherwith Antiochus surprised Egypt neither can there be any such allegorical sense as he seemeth to frame Neither doth Daniel by the litle horne meane any other but Antiochus Epiphanes who may not vnfitly in diuers things be said to haue bene a type of Antichrist For the terrible beast with ten hornes doth not signifie the Romane state as the Papists would haue it but the kingdome of the Seleucidae and Lagidae and by the ten hornes not the ten Kings whereof Iohn speaketh Apoc. 17. among whom the Romane Empire was to be diuided but ten of these Kings viz. three Lagidae and seuen Seleucidae which tyrannized or ruled ouer the people of God The tenth that is to say the last of them that had dominion ouer Iudaea was not Antichrist but Antiochus Epiphanes who in crueltie towards the people of God surpassed all that went before him 10 Which I speake not as though this expositioÌ„ did much hinder our assertioÌ„ for others which haue held the same haue applied those things which are spoken of the litle horne vnto the Pope And surely if this fourth beast were the Romane state and the hornes the rulers thereof and the tenth or last horne Antichrist then is it hereby very likely that the Pope is Antichrist seeing hitherto hee is the last that hath ruled in Rome and shall according to the Papists owne conceit continue to the end But the truth is that the descriptioÌ„ of the fourth beast doth not agree to the Romanes but to the kingdome of the Seleucidae For this fourth beast was a kingdome which was to haue an end before the coÌ„ming of the Messias his kingdome chap. 7. vers 11. 26. 27. So had the kingdome of the Seleucidae so had not the Romanes 2. This fourth beast warred with the Iewes tyrannized ouer them and hindred their religioÌ„ worship of God at Ierusalem not only before the comming of Christ but also before the purging of the temple and restitution of religioÌ„ by Iudas Macchabaeus cha 7. ver 25. 26. 27. So did the Seleucidae so did not the Romanes 3 Of the fourth beast there were but ten hornes that is Princes that ruled ouer Iudaea which is most true of the Seleucidae Lagidae but of the Romanes after they had once obtained the dominion of Iury there were many more then ten that ruled ouer the holy land If any say the Romane Empire is figured Apoc. 17. by a beast with ten horns I answer that the ten hornes wherof Iohn speaketh Apo. 17. 12. are ten kings amoÌ„g whom the Romane Empire was to be diuided who succeeded not one another in the same kingdome but were rulers of so many seueral prouinces or kingdoms at the same time but these ten horns tyrannized ouer the same kingdome of the Iewes successiuely as they are particularly described chap. 11. And further he that in Daniel is supposed by the Papists to be Antichrist is one of the tenne hornes but in Iohn not 4. that which is spoken in Daniel of the tenth horne doth fitly wholy agree to Antiochus Epiphanes who was the tenth and last king of that kingdome that ruled ouer Iudaea but the same things cannot in like