would haue Antichrist to be but one man partly because our Sauiour saith I a Ioh. 5.43 am come in my Fathers Name and yee receiue me not if another shall come in his owne name him yee will receiue and partly for that in the description of the great Antichrist the Greeke Text prefixeth the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make an indiuiduum Sol. There is a double fallacie the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the ignorance of Argument since our Sauiour there speaketh not of one onely opposite but indefinitely of all who are against him be they false Prophets or Antichrists or whosoeuer other wicked Seducers who agree neither with him nor amongst themselues to their owne conuiction and confusion according to that old rule Veritas vna error multiplex Truth is but one and error is manifold For the vse of the word in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to note an indefinite any or many as to giue instance in two places for a great many where it is said b Iohn 4.37 one soweth and another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reapeth and c 1. Cor. 12.8 to one is giuen by the Spirit the word of wisedome to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word of knowledge by the same Spirit Euen as d Nonnus in paraphrasi Ioh. Euang ex correct· Fr. Nansij Nonnus doth well expresse the indefinite terme in paraphrasing this foresaid place of S. Iohn after this manner most faithfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in English are thus much word for word if any other Bastard false named man come opposite against God seeking the praise not of the Great God but of himselfe then yee men amazed will againe make much of this deadly Deceiuer that any man may say they deny the lawfully born receiue the Bastard appearing to theÌ„ For though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the singular nuÌ„ber yet it noteth indefinitely mo then one if we may beleeue the report of olde e Ammonius de simil different dictionibus Grammarians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth another also is appointed to signifie the second of two but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to intimate any of many So that what our Sauiour here speaketh in the singular indefinitely he is f Reuerend Patre Episc Sarisb D. Abba 1 bi sup well obserued to deliuer the same expresly in the plurall number when he saith g Mat. 24.5 Many shall come in my name saying I am Christ and shall deceiue many For as many were before so many should come after him being most vile Impostors who whether they come in their owne name that is not by Gods will and pleasure but onely vpon their owne motion and madnesse or whether they come in the Name of Christ that is counterfeiting themselues to bee Christ yet are still opposed vnto Christ who is h Iohn 14.6 the onely way the truth and the life that i Iohn 5.43 came in his Fathers Name as it is k Mat. 21.9 Psal 118.24 said therefore of him Blessed is hee that commeth in the Name of the Lord. Eudaemon l Eudaem p. 139 yeeldeth vnto the exposition of m Io. Maldonat in Ioh. 5.43 Maldonatus which maketh onely for vs since first his Paraphrase is of Si quis alius by the indefinite Quisquis alius secondly hee taketh it to bee spoken not of Antichrist only but of all false prophets who n Iere. 23.21 ranne when they were not sent thirdly he iudgeth these Deceiuers to bee those whom o Act. 5.35.36 Gamaliel did mention Theudas Iudas of Galilee and that Rebell Barchochebas of whom p Euseb lib. 4. hist Eccl. cap. 6. Eusebius maketh mention and fourthly he reconcileth the places afore-mentioned seeming to bee repugnant in the termes of comming in Christs Name and in their own name by the very same distinction which wee vse of name which signifieth either Christs agnomination in which these false prophets are foretold to come or else Christs authoritie which yet they want Therefore Cardinall Bellarmine must now find out some better proofe to shew that Antichrist must be one man since this his first reason bewrayeth his impudencie I cannot say ignorance in a man of such great learning Sol. For what I pray you may wee thinke of him for his second Argument drawne from the Article á½ before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as of a Iuggler giuen onely to trickes of colloguing and delusion since it is another fallacie which may bee more plainly discerned to be drawne à figurâ dictionis from the figure or fashion of the Word it selfe For the Article prefixed as hee saith doth note out some certaine one particular person by the iudgement of q Epiph. â—aer 9. Epiphanius But Epiphanius doth not helpe him if hee looke well to the words of that learned Father who saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a King and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Man doe indefinitely signifie any King any God any Man whereas if the Article be prefixed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it determinately doth signifie one certaine King one true God one particular Man For all this wee grant and confesse of Antichrist that hee is one particular person but not one onely particular person as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth point at one particular King God or Man by the iudgement of Epiphanius but not at one onely singular in any of these kinds as Bellarmine must prooue if he will say any thing vnto the purpose But alas what can they doe in causâ deploratâ in a desperate Plea where both Scripture and their owne mouthes make most against them Scripture where the Article doth not intimate determinatum indiuiduum one onely single singular person but indiuiduum vagum any singular person indefinitely as in these places r Marke 2.27 the Sabbath was made for man but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not man for the Sabbath and Å¿ Luke 4.4 man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liueth not by bread onely and t Heb. 9.7 into the second tabernacle went the High Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 once euery yeere u Ioh. Ep 2. verse 7. this is a Deceiuer an Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own mouths For Eudaemon x Eudaemon pag. 151. admitteth the Article to giue a double limitation one to designe the nature onely the other to limit the vniuersall nature to this or that particular so as it may agree to any other of the same kind and what is this else but to grant that the Article may as well expresse indiuiduum vagum as determinatum Nay hee y Jdem p. 159. further admitteth that the name of Antichrist may be giuen to any notorious Heretike euen with the
27. Angel Canin in Orthog apud Clenard exedit Schot pag. 103. new haue taught without controlment then doth it most fitly expresse the number of sixe hundred sixtie and sixe or if it be the name of a man proper or common it maketh no matter whether since as it is proper to the whole body so is it common to euery one supplying the head of that bodie then it fitly noteth the time wherein from the Natiuitie of Christ after all other Heretikes in the Primitiue Church Antichrist should come euen that then from the yeere sixe hundred sixtie and sixe of our Lord and so alwaies afterward till the second comming of Christ the same Antichrist should raigne in the Latine Church as some very good approued i Balaeus in Vital lo. Fox in 13. Apoc. D. Whitak in Sander demonst 39. D. Willet in Synops pag. 197. Authors doe deliuer it from other words intimating the same number both by Hebrew and Greeke letters By the Hebrew in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Rome and by the Greeke in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which noteth out plainely the Church of Italie So that now from these two names litterall and mysticall wee may define Antichrist to be an enemy and contrary to Christ who yet so dissemblingly behaueth himselfe that he would be taken for the Vicar of Christ ruling and raigning in the Latine and Italian Church at Rome with all worldly pompe and raging crueltie against Gods Saints from the yeere of our Lord sixe hundred sixtie and sixe till the comming of Christ Iesus to iudge the world § XIII The causes of Antichrist whence wee shall gather a full definition and first But what is this Monster Antichrist really The reall definition is to be gathered from his Nature which wee shall easily finde by the true and due consideration of these foure causes First the efficient Secondly the materiall Thirdly the formall And fourthly the finall cause of this great Antichrist The efficient cause is two-fold The cause efficient the first is principall and this is Sathan k 2. Thes 2.9 after whose effectuall working the comming of Antichrist is in the world The second is lesse principall and this is eyther occasioning or inducing Occasioning this mischiefe two manner of wayes first by the raigne of the Romane Emperours which l 2. Thes 2.7 was to let or stop the comming of this Beast for a time till at length he should bee taken out of the way And secondly by the liberalities and donations of mighty Princes who committed m Reue. 18.9 fornications and liued deliciously with the Whore But inducing and drawing on this mysterie to a ripenesse by those many worldly pleasures wherein this great n Reuel 18.7 Esay 47.8 Harlot glorified her selfe and liued deliciously saying in her heart I sit a Queene and am no Widdow and shall see no sorrow 2. The materiall cause § XIIII Now the matter or subiect of Antichrist is a Man not a Deuill although the o Occumen in 2. Tress 2. The state of the Question in the Materiall cause The first opinion of Papists Deuill must be Antichrists Doctor Onely heere is the question betweene vs and our Aduersaries the Papists Whether this great Antichrist shall be one onely man in person or many men succeeding one after another in a Kingdome apostaticall from the true Church of Christ They all so p Saund. den 2 8. Bellar. lib. 3. cap. 2 ac 12. Henriq vbi sup Blasius Viegas qu. de Antich 2. 3. â—udaem lib. 2. in Rob. Abbat c. The latter opinion of Protestants being the truth many as I haue read of them hold the former affirming that this great Antichrist being but one man in person shall be a Iew by Nation borne of the Tribe of DAN But we maintaine the latter denying the former while q Vid. D. Whit. contra 4. q. 5. cap. 1.2 D. Abbat de Antich cap. ◠§. 6. M. Lauren. Deios in his first Serm. D. Willet D. Down Gabr. Powel D. Sharp in speculo Papae cap. 1. c. we plainly and truly auouch thus much against them That Antichrist at one time is but one person but in continuance of time he is many men succeeding one after another in a gouernment gotten by meere vsurpation as in a well setled Monarchie there raigneth onely but one King at once although in succession of time there may bee many one after another according vnto our owne English Prouerbe The King neuer dyeth Our prooâ—eâ— For this we shall make good by many strong reasons from the Scriptures from the proportion of faith and from the plaine testimonies of Orthodox Fathers From Scriptures out of these plaine words first of Paul First from Scriptures and secondly of Iohn Of Paul two wayes first when he saith r 2. Thes 2.7 that the mysterie of iniquitie doth alreadie worke For this is not spoken onely in respect of the fore-runners of Antichrist who were open Heretikes as our Å¿ Bellar. cap. 2. resp 1. Aduersaries interpret it but also in regard of that secret transfusion of inuenoming poison from one Heretike to another through the close conueiance of deuillish delusions vnto the great Antichrist who being the common corps of all their corruption t Theod. in 2. Thes 2. shall after that he is reuealed openly and plainely preach what he alwaies had priuately confirmed as therefore before he was openly made knowne it is said of his working in the time of the Apostles Many u Ioh. 2. Ep. v. 7 deceiuers are entred into the world who confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that deceiuer and that Antichrist then working in a mysterie euen at Rome by Simon Magus and other Heretikes whose poyson is now deriued tanquam per traducem into Peters Chayre For vpon the Whores fore-head x Reue. 17.5 was a name written Mysterie Babylon The great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth Secondly this appeareth from the same Apostle calling Antichrist y 2. The. 2.3.11 an Apostasie and shewing that it must continue till the end of the world when the Lord shall consume him with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy him with the brightnesse of his comming For this Apostasie which is not as z Ambros in 2. Thess 2. some thinke a reuolting in obedience from the Romane Empire but as Cyril a Cyril Hierosol Catech. 11. saith and to him our Aduersaries conuicted in conscience do assent a defection from the right faith cannot be complete in the number of few yeeres nor yet haue full residence in one only man since it must endure from the first full disclosing thereof which fell out in the yeere of our Lord sixe hundred sixty and sixe vntill the end of the world as we shal haue occasion God
willing to shew hereafter Ob. For in the meane time where they b Bellar. ubi yn in resp ad 3.4 would haue this Apostasie not to appertaine to one body and Kingdome of Antichrist nor yet to require necessarily that it should haue one only head thereof but to bee only a disposition or preparation vnto the future Kingdome of Antichrist and to be done in diuers places vnder diuers Kings vpon diuers occasions as Afrike is fallen away to Mahomet Asia to Nestorius and Eutyches and other Prouinces to other Sects where I say they would thus vnseasonably separate Antichrist and this Apostasie Sol. I wish them to looke better into the holy Apostle who maketh these two Reciprocals Antichrist and Apostasie since there can bee no Apostasie from the right faith which is not against Christ neither is their any one to be accounted Antichristian which is not an Apostate either more or lesse as Augustine c August lib. 20 de Ciuit. Dei cap. 19. thought and therefore construed these words of Saint Paul only of the Great Antichrist yea as Bellarmine d Bell. vbi supr himselfe confesseth in his first answere vnto this our Argument that Antichrist is called Apostasie either by a Metonymie because he is vnto many men the cause of their backe-sliding from God or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of some excellencie in that hee is the most famous Apostate although this figuratiue identitie supposed by these men doth not hinder the succession of the Great Antichrist in many men who are heads of this Monster successiuely since they all are both notorious Apostates in themselues villanous Seducers of an infinite number of people from Christ as wee shall find presently from the formall cause In the mean while as this truth is proued from Saint Pauls wordes so let vs now demonstrate the same from Saint Iohn who calleth this Great Antichrist in one place e Reue. 13.11 a Beast that commeth forth of the earth and after that in the same Chapter the f Verse 14. image of the Beast and in another place the g Reue. 17.10 seuenth King For euery one of these names signifie a succession of men sitting on Antichrists Throne since as the h Reue. 13.1 first Beast rising out of the Sea signifieth not one Emperour only but all the whole company of Emperours succeeding one another in that Monarchie so the second Beast importeth a body of beastly Tyrants arising by succession into a Gouernment which is called the Image of the Beast i Gloss interlin in cap. 13. Apocalyp Râ—â—har de Sanc. Victore lib. 4 in Apocalyps cap. 5. because it most fitly resembleth the State and Pompe of the Empire that as in the Empire the Head was one not by vnitie of Person but by succession of one person after another in that same authoritie so in this Kingdome of Reprobate Antichrist the Head must be one not singular in one only person and no more but single by the succession of one after another For else how can hee bee the seuenth King which was to come in the place of the sixth then flourishing when Iohn did write this Prophesie I will goe no further then to their owne Rabbies the k Rhemists Annot in 13. Reue. §. 1. Rhemists who first expound the seuen heads to bee seuen Kings but how truely they speake this I send them vnto l Qui prorsus negat hanc gloss lib. 2. in Rob. Abbat pag. 127. Eudaemon for iudgement Fiue before Christ one present and one to come and secondly m Rhemens Annot in 17. Reue. §. 8. interpret the eight to be the Great Antichrist one of the seneÌ„ in regard of order but for that the malice of all the rest is complete in it called the eight and the odd Persecutors For who are the fiue Kings before Christ The n Iidem ibid. §. 7 Rhemists tell vs that they were the Empires Kingdomes or States of Aegypt Canaan Babylon the Persian and Greekes which bee fiue as sixthly the Romane Empire which persecuted most of all Well then I demand whether the seuenth head or Kingdome shall resemble the rest in State and Gouernment or differ cleane from them They cannot say that hee shall differ from the other in forme of policie since he is one of the seuen and o Reue. 13.12 shall doe all that the first Beast could doe Therefore hence I conclude that since the heads of Aegypt Canaan Babylon Persians and Greekes yea and of the Romane Empire were not one singular person and no more but single men succeeding one after another as the p Herod lib. 2. Pharaohs in Aegypt q Iere. 52.31 Nabuchadnezzar Euilmerodach c. in Babylon r Herodot lib. 1.3 c. Cambyses and Darius Histaspis in Persia Å¿ Dindor Sicul. bibliothes lib. 17 18.19 c. Alexander alone and after him his Captaines in foure seuerall Kingdomes of Grecians and the t Sueton. Dio Corpus Romane historiae Caesars in Rome since I say these Kingdomes to which Antichrists Kingdome is like for outward Gouernment had a succession of many one after another Antichrist shall be such an head as when the Deuill hath cut off one he shal presently in succession set another in place But although this glosing Exposition of the Rhemists be sufficient to conuict the Romish Sect yet the faithfull must bee satisfied by reason onely grounded vpon the truth which is this concerning these seuen Kings that as the sixe former kinds of Gouernment were vpholden by succession of one after another vntill their last period so must this Kingdome of Antichrist continue in a company of wicked Caterpillers succeeding one another like Vipers the latter eating out his way to raigne by the ruine of the former For they are all alike both Heads and Kings for power and authoritie ouer the same Citie and they had a succession in euery kind seuerally as they were in force first Kings then Consuls thirdly Tribuni militum fourthly Decemuiri fifthly Dictators and sixthly Emperours as the Histories and Annales of the Romanes doe demonstrate and we shall shew hereafter But u Eudaemon pag. 122. c. ad 128. c. Eudaemon in his madnesse denieth all at once here Antecedent and Consequent that Ob. because there were not in Rome before Christ fiue seuerall kinds of Gouernment which kept this succession since Kings and Emperours were all one kind of Gouernment as Consuls and Dictators since Dictators were not ordinary but chiefe men chosen vpon extraordinary occasions since there was an often interruption of Consuls by Dictators and Tribuni militum this for that if we grant those fiue to haue a succession yet it followeth not that the seuenth must continue by the like succession since some of those raigned but two yeeres as the Decemuiri others but fifteene as the Tribuni militum nay all of them but seuen hundred yeeres at
promised to the perseuerant vnder this good precept o Reue. 2.10 Be thou faithfull vnto death and I will giue thee a Crowne of life The Reall and full definition of Antichrist § XVII The efficient the matter the forme the end now all put together will openly discouer what is this Great Antichrist to wit a man by ordinarie substitution succeeding another in a kingdome raised vp by Satan vpon the ruine of the Romane Empire and the liberalitie of Christian Princes through the pleasures of the world who being in opinion an Hereticke and a most wicked man in life couetously seeketh to imprint his Character vpon all men whomsoeuer coozeningly endeuoureth to doe signes and wonders and cruelly persequuteth in bloodie massacres the Saints of God in the middest of the Church sitting at Rome growing mysteriously in the Primitiue time but from the sixth hundreth sixtieth and sixth yeere after Christ openly manifest till his vtter destruction at the end of the world both for the blinding of the reprobate and the triall of the elect to the glory of God Eculmo spicam By the halfe you may know what the whole tale meaneth For by this definition thus prooued in all points we may easily perceiue what now in the second place we are to make search for Who is this Great Antichrist § XVIII Some The second Question Who is this Great Antichrist The first opinion as Iodocus Clicthoueus p Clicthou Commentar in Damascen l. 4. ca. 27 reporteth thought that this Great Antichrist was that Seducer Mahomet and his succeeding bloud-suckers Saracens and Turks But Cardinall q Bellar. lib. 3. de Pontif. cap. 3. Sanders Henriq Viguer c. Bellarmine together with all our other Papists which I could as yet euer read concerning this matter vtterly reiect this opinion as most false being indeede conuicted by the strength of Truth For first Mahomet and the Turkes had neuer any place of residence in the middest of the Church at Rome secondly hee neuer was a Prince Ecclesiasticall thirdly he could not by any reason bee accounted for an Heretike or an Apostate from that faith which hee neuer professed fourthly although hee began to raigne in Arabia r An. Dom. 623. vt Genebrard lib. 3. Chronolog much about the time when Antichrist did manifest his rising at Rome yet he neuer made himselfe an vniuersall Bishop and the Vicar of Christ as Antichrist did And therefore some other must be found out to be Antichrist The second opinion and the Truth The Pope is that Great Antichrist Proofes are two 1. From the Names 2. From the Nature or causes of Antichrist From the name are two 1. Literall 2. Mysticall The Literall Name § XIX Who I pray you then can this Antichrist be but Pontifex Romanus the Bishop or as they commonly now call him the Pope of Rome For both his name and his nature agree so fitly vnto that which we haue noted of the Great Antichrist that we may well conclude them to be both one so truly and fully as that now the Pope of Rome is the onely Great Antichrist and the Great Antichrist is only the Pope The name of both is litterall and mysticall The litterall name is Antichrist by which although the Pope bee not called totidem sillabis in those same sillables yet in the same sense he beareth that name if we marke the true Etymologie of the word Antichrist since first hee is so opposite vnto Christ Iesus both in doctrine and life as we shall finde hereafter in the application of the formall cause And secondly since he is commonly called by his chiefest Å¿ Bell. in praefat Tom. 2. ad Sixtii 5. Azor. in dedicat Tom. 1. ad Clem. 8. Flatterers Christi in terris Vicarius Christ his Vicar on earth ouer the Church of which being but t Extrauag Cömun lib. 1. tit 8. cap. 1. vbi sic Ecclesiae vnius vnicae vnum corpus vnum caput non duo capita quasi monstrum Chrisâ—us viz. Christi Vicarius Petrus Petrique successor c. one onely there is but one body one Head not two heads as if he were a Monster to wit Christ and Christs Vicar PETER and PETERS successour c. But howsoeuer they may cauill against this application of the litterall name the mysticall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 included in the number 666 more plainely agreeth vnto the Pope For who raigneth in Latio but only u Ex fictâ— Constantini donatione vide Laur. Vallam the Pope who maketh the Scriptures translated into the Latine tongue The mysticall name to be onely the Authentique Word of God but x Con. Trident. sess 4. decret 2. the Romish Pope onely who forbiddeth the vse of the Liturgie in any other language saue the Latine tongue onely but only the y Con. Trident. sess 22. can 9. Pope Yea marke how this mysterie of this name is made plaine For at that very time when the yeeres after Christ came vp to the number of sixe hundred sixtie and sixe Vitalianus a Musicall Pope notwithstanding through z Jn bello Longobardico inter Imperator barbaros vid. Ottonem Frisingens lib. 5. cap. 11 the misery of the time when hee liued there was more neede of praying then singing yet a Fascicul Tempor compilata historia Platina Balaeus Valero in Vitalian Magdeburgens Câ—nt 7. c. 6. Osiander Câ—nt 7. lib. 3. cap 10. brought into the Church singing of the Seruice the vse of Organes commanding that the Canonicall houres the Hymnes and other Ceremonies should onely bee celebrated in the Latine tongue A matter of mayne consequence since thereupon ignorance arose amongst all people now lulled as it were asleepe by the confused noyse of many voyces in an vnknowne tongue and vpon that ignorance an easie admittance of many grosse opinions if it carried the colour of aduancing deuotion although it was no better as their case then stood then b Act. 17.23 the Altar erected to an vnknowne God And therefore where some c Bell. in Apolog. pro Resp ad Reg. cap. 12. of our Aduersaries mocke at this our applying of this number to Vitalian Ob. since hee was in their opinion a zealous good man in whose time there was no such innouation or change in the Church as we pretend We answere for Vitalian Sol. that his goodnesse shall bee iudged of at the great Day of the Lord In the meane time we know that d 2. Cor. 11.13 14. Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and his ministers as the Ministers of righteousnesse For secondly concerning the innouation and change which fell out to bee in the dayes of Vitalian Vitalian himselfe was the onely cause thereof by those his Ordinances for playing and singing Latine Hymnes in the Church since thereby e Luke 11.52 the Key of Knowledge was hidde when common people f Vide Polydor.
by the Spirit when they fight so much against the true working thereof by denying those Truthes which the Spirit doth testifie in the Word and deluding those Workes which the Holy Ghost effecteth in the conscience for comfort by strengthening the assurance of life eternall But why doe I vrge Grace to those who either refuse it or receiue it in vaine their hearts and consciences being hardened and feared They doe not onely grieue the Spirit The ninth Article infringed 1. By false members of the Church but abuse the Bride that is the holy Catholike Church and the Communion of Saints the subiect of the ninth Article first by accounting both x Bell. lib. 3. de Eccles Militante cap. 4. Heretikes and Reprobates to bee members thereof when my Text saith plainely y 1. Iohn 2.19 They were not of vs and our Sauiour himselfe saith z Iohn 15.6 If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and withered and men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned For as Saints are the members of Christ so are the wicked the members of the Deuill saith a Am. in Psal 37 Ambrose secondly 2. By holding the Church to bee onely visible by b Bell. lib. 3. de Eccle. Milit. c. 11 making the Catholike Church to bee visible onely when Dauid saith that c Psal 45.16 the Kings Daughter is all glorious within and our * Luke 17.24 Sauiour that the Kingdome of God is within you For because one part of this Catholike Congregation is Triumphant now in the Heauen of the Blessed secluded from our eyes and the other part scattered into a warfare here vpon Earth some secretly amongst Iewes Turkes and Heathen others openly in a visible particular Church wherein yet the best part are the fewest and knowne to God onely therefore the good men d Interrelig Caesariana c. 9. apud L. Osiand in Epitome hist Eccles Centur. 16. tom 1. lib. 2. cap. 68. of that Deuillishly-deuised Interim or hotch-potch religion penned and published by the sole Commandement of Charles the fifth ingeniously confesse that the Church as it consisteth of those members which liue according to Charitie is onely belonging vnto the Saints 3. In affirming that the Church cannot erre and in that respect spirituall and inuisible thirdly in holding that a particular visible Church such as e Bell. vbi supra they call the Church of Rome can neither erre in faith nor faile in state when yet experience sheweth what the Prophet f Esay 1.20.21 said of Ierusalem and the Church of the Iewes the holy Citie is become an Harlot it was full of iudgement righteousnesse lodged in it but now Murtherers thy siluer is become drosse thy wine mixt with water to bee fulfilled not onely in most of the Greeke Churches g Vid. Brierw Enquiries and Knollâ— his Turkish Historie both corrupted with the Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches and now subuerted vtterly almost by the furie of the Turkes but also in the Church of Rome it selfe by the iudgement h Apud Gowlaâ—tium in Catalog tâ—st Veritat of Petrarch who alluding to the Prouerbe in Samnio nihil Samnij said Et Româ Romae nil reperi mediâ I found nothing of Rome in Rome For the i Mat. 13.38 Deuill is alwaies ready to sow his Tares of Heresie and Iniquitie and the Church through the allurements of the flesh and the World very apt to retaine them whereupon GOD in iudgement many times remooues the k Reuel 2 4. Candlesticke out of his place that as the Moone which receiueth her Light from the Sunne sometimes shineth cleerely when the Sunne-beames are not hindred and sometimes is eclipsed and darkened in the shadow of the Earth interposed betweene the two bright bodies of the Sunne and Moone it is a similitude vsed by good l Sadeel lib. de legitima Ministorum vocatione D. Whitaker de Eccles q 3. cap. 3. arg vltimo learned men borrowing it of m Ambros lib. 4 Hexan cap. 7. August Ep. 80. ad Hesych some Ancient Fathers so the Church which receiueth all her light of Truth from the Sunne of Righteousnesse Iesus Christ sometimes flourisheth in the bright Profession of the Truth not hindered or crossed by the Cloudes of Errour and sometimes lyeth desolate vnder the darke shaddow of Hereticall Opinions interposed by the Deuill betweene Christ and his Chosen Congregation visible which when it once came vnto Christian Princes became greater in Power and Riches saith n Hieronym in vita Malchi 4. By wrong marking the Church with vnproper Notes Hierome but lesse in Vertue fourthly by assigning such notes and markes to the Church as marre her but marke her not some being false markes as the o Bellar. lib. 4. de Eccles mil. cap. 14. power of Miracles for p Tharasius in Concil Nic. 2. Actione 4. ex 1. Cor. 14.22 Signes are done for Vnbeleeuers q Math. 7.21 Autor oper Impers hom 19. many times by such some true but not fitly agreeing to the particular but to the generall onely as Antiquitie and Vniuersalitie for this is the right Catholicisme r Ex regula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Aristot lib. 1. Poster cap. 4. of the whole Church from the beginning of the World lastly others being both true and fit to a particular visible Congregation but not well vnderstood as Succession which Å¿ Bellar. lib. 4. de Eccles mil. cap. 8. they take to bee personall whereas it is the succession of Doctrine that t Tertullian lib. de praescript aduers haer cap. 21. prooueth a Church to be Apostolicall But what need I so strictly examine their markes They u Vid. D. Whitaker q 5. de Eccles cap. 1. B. Keck rm system theolog lib. 3. cap. 6. make indeed so many that a reasonable man may well thinke that they haue not one true marke amongst them some reckoning foure as Costerus some sixe as Sanders some twelue as Cunerus some fifteene as Bellarmine and some full twentie as Socolouius whereas if this bee a true rule which all the x Hieronym in Psa 133. August lib. 11. de Ciuit. Dei cap. 1. Albert. Magnus Comment in Luc. 13. best Diuines allow for a maxime in Theologie that nothing marketh out a Church but that which maketh vp a Church the Church shall haue but one onely proper and essentiall marke to wit the Word of God effectually preached vnto which if we adde the true administration of the two Sacraments Baptisme and the Eucharist as Seales to an Indenture we haue the full marke of a particular visible Congregation of Christ if besides diuers Ancients wee stand to the iudgement of y Apud T.M. celeber Doctor p 1. Apolâ—g lib. 2. cap. 28.39 c. learned Papists who conuicted in conscience subscribe to this truth deliuered in the z Interrelig Caesarian
as yet are subiect to this ambitious Antichrist and on their hands for working since neither Prince nor Priest must now adaies practise the seuerall duties of Magistracy or Ministery without an Oath of Fealtie first made vnto the Pope not Prince since he f Clement lib. 2. tiâ— 9. cap. 1. in princip is so coÌ„manded to secure his Kingdome from the Pope vnto him by the bond of an Oath the former whereof is diuersly set down but all to this purpose That the Emperour must bee subiect to the Bishop of Rome as it was taken Gratian â—ist 63. can 30. by Lewis the Sonne of Charles the Great vnto Paschalis the First by h Grat. dist 63 can 33. Otho the First to Iohn the twelfth by i Platina in Gregor 7. Henry the Fourth to Gregorie the Seuenth by k Lib. 1. Ceremon Rom. Eccle. sect 5. cap. 2. Fredericke the Third to Nicholas the Fifth by Charles the Fifth to Clement the Seuenth yea and by King Iohn m Math. Parisiens in Ioh. pag. 217. of England to Innocent the Fourth all this truly verifying the words of SALOMON l Coâ—nâ—l Agrippa in historia de Coronat Caroli 5 â—ononiae tom â— Oâ—er n Eccles 10.6 I haue seene seruants vpon Horses and Princes walking as seruants vpon the earth For this seruant of seruants is by this Oath promoted aboue his elder Brethren in Christendome Kings and Princes not Priest since his tonsure or shauing his Chrisme or anoynting giuen by the Pope and Popelings onely o Henriquez lib. 10. Moral theolog cap. 34. §. 2. in textu are ratified by an Oath of subiection vnto the Pope to bee taken in the Chapter-House before he enter the Possession of the Temporalities belonging to his Bishopricke or other like Benefice as p Idem ibidem in margine Gregory the Thirteenth of late set out the forme and whereof we find a Copie registred in the q I. Fox Martyrolog lib. 4 pa. 208. lib. 7. pag. 961. Acts and Monuments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prayse iust dealing but yet bee thou set wholly vpon gaining r Sophocles in Aiac said one in the Poet whom the Pope fitly followeth in requiring these Oathes of Magistrates and Ministers vnder the colourable pretence of maintaining true Vnitie and Vniformity in Church and Common Weale but in truth as the euent sheweth for a readie occasion and sound cause vpon which hee may gather money both of Princes who before they were admitted vnto their places by this Oath as by a posterne gate or a window did solemnely promise some one speciall Temporalitie of Earldome c. for a thankefull Beneuolence to holy Church as Caelestine Å¿ Roger Houeden in Ioh. the Third peremptorily vrged it to Henry the sixth Emperour and of Priests who if they were Archbishops were to t Vid. lib. 1. Ceremon Rom. Eccles sect 10. cap. vlt. pay a great masse of monie for their Pall if Bishops according to the rate of their Liuing Abbots Priors Deanes or any way Beneficed men u Fox Martyr lib. 4. pag. 322. were to send their first Fruits of all their Liuings vnto the Pope who was not ashamed by his Legate Otho x Math. Paris in Henr. 3. p. 316 to require out of England besides this bridle of bondage in the mouthes of the Clergie from euery Cathedrall Church two Prebends one from the Bishop and another from the Chapter from euery Abbey and Couent two Portions yea y Idem pag. 677 and many times reseruing Benefices for Strangers amongst many other grieuances and heauie burdens by the Pope in times before layd vpon this flourishing Kingdome of England which the Pope in respect of the Peter-Pence Annales Pensions Prouisions and other gainefull Iniunctions brought from hence to Rome might well terme truely z Idem pag. 683 his Garden of Delights his Bottomlesse Poole out of which since many things abound there many things from many may well be extorted euen thereby verifying of his Court at Rome both what the Fox in the Poet said of the Lions Denne a Horat. Ep. 1. lib. 1. quia me vestigia terrent Omniate aduersum spectantia nulla retrorsum I feare to goe thither being affrighted by the footings of all other Beasts looking towardes but not returning backe from this Denne of Men worse then Lions yea euen of Deuils whose Court is b Scaliger de â—tâ—litate exercitat 52. like the Sea at Paria and the Iles of Maidegascar euer flowing in but neuer ebbing out and that of old when Rome was in her Ruffe as one well rimed with reason from a strange yet true Deriuation of the word Roma thus c Ioh. Monachi apud Gowlart in Catalog test Veritat â—om â— lib. 14 pag. 494. 2. Of coozenâ—ge in his miracles Roma manus rodit quod rodere non valet odit Dante 's exaudit non dantibus ostia claudit Now to couer this Couetousnesse hee flyeth to the Coozening course of Quacksaluers in the fraudulent vse of lying Miracles the glory d Bellar. lib. 4. de Eccles Militant cap. 14. whereof is made a marke of their Church in which euen now adayes e Vid. Binderi Scâ—olasticam theolog cap. 10. they must haue a Miracle done to make a good doctrine warrantable no other wayes as may appeare in that f Bellar. in locis de Purgatorio Sanct. Eucharist Iesuicall custome of proouing their Conclusions by the vncertaine report of lying Wonders For what truth can be authentike by Miracles without Scripture Miracles may bee done g Mat. 7.20 24.24 2. Thess 2.7 by the Deuill and his Ministers being true in the act through Gods permission though false in the end which is to deceiue And yet wee doubt of the truth of their Miracles seeing Lyra reporteth h Lyra in cap. 14. Dan. great deceiuing of the people to be wrought in the Church by lying Miracles done by Priests and their Adherentâ— for temporall gaine and i Canus lib. 11. loc Com. cap. 6. Canus their owne Champion censureth Beda his English Historie Gregories Dialogues Vincentius his Speculum Antoninus his Historicall and the Leaden not the Golden Legend for vncertain Records of many idle reports concerning Miracles done by some Saints which not onely wise men but euen common people dare not beleeue k Horat. de Arte poetic Pictoribus atque Poetis Quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas Painters and Poets and Popish pardoners haue all the like priuiledge to lye for an aduantage But loe what a blocke is here layd in our way Ob. Antichrist saith the l Bellar. lib. de Pontif. ca. 15. Sanders demons 25. Eudaemon lib. 3. contra D. Abbat pag. 244. Cardinall must doe these three miracles first cause fire come downe from heauen secondly make the Image of the beast to speake thirdly faine himselfe to dye and to rise againe But the Pope doth
Synechdoche for all the knowne World by its habitation since euen through all the habitable World then knowne to Geographers the sound of the Gospell hath passed by z Rom. 10.18 the Apostles after their dispersion abroad from Hierusalem if we may relye vpon the report of a Euseb lib. 3. Eccles hist cap. 1 Nicephor lib. 2. per totum ancient and b Genebrard lib. 3 Chronolog Bisciola ad Anaâ—â— Christ 44. late Historians or truely and plainely for the whole World indeed which although it now doth not professe the faith of Christ scarce in c M. Edw. Brierwood in his Enquiries touching Languages and Religions cap. 14. the sixth part for it is neere the ending when faith will bee growne very scant vpon the earth yet might haue had and holden this word of faith long before this time d Luke â—8 8 since it is not ouer-clouded in e Hieronym in Math. 24. any part thereof with inuincible ignorance God being so kinde and mercifull to all men as to send them some light of Truth either by the works of Nature ordinary and extraordinary or by the word of grace preached f Vid. Witaker in resp ad 5. demonsh at Sanderi qu. 5. de Pontif. Rom. ca. 2 euen in China and in the Indians by those three who were called Thomas so much praysed and celebrated for their generall preaching of the Word throughout the World by that great learned man Mr. Doctor Stapleton in his Booke De tribus THOMAS Secondly Part. 2 wee answere vnto their latter part of the Minor that the name of the Romane Empire is yet remayning but the Kingdome is abolished and quite defaced since first there is not scarce one Acre of ground which properly and absolutely belongeth to the Emperour as hee is called Emperour of the Romanes because what he now hath in possession in Hungarie Bohemia Carinthia Silesia c. g Vid. Sleidan lib. 5. 6. Commentar is by right of inheritance from his most illustrious Progenitors of Austria and Hungaria yee and the free Cities in Germanie are not subiect to the Emperours absolutely but according to certaine conditions and couenants expressed and contayned in their seuerall Charters h Vid. Onuphr lib. 3. Rom. Antiquitat qui est de Jmper Romano most of them being situated without the Ancient Pale of the Romane Empire vnder which they continued but a small time being the last conquered and the first recouered Secondly there is not now a Romane Emperour by our Aduersaries owne report for till the Pope i Aurea bulla Caroli Quarti cap. 2. crowne him who is by the seuen Princes Electors chosen and called King of the Romanes they might more truely say of the Germanes they k Clementin li. 2. tit 9. de Iuram lib. 1. Câ—rem Rom. Eccles §. 5. cap. 1. â—ellar lib. 3. de translat Iâ—â—erâ— ca. â— 3 c. account him no Emperour Now since CHARLES the Fifth the Pope hath not set the Crowne Imperiall vpon any mans head neither is it likely that either hee will or shall since there is a barre betweene Germanie and Rome which is not passable by the Emperours Forces euen the power of the Venetians and the King of Spayne in Italie who with the great Duke of Tuscia and other petty Potentates haue vsurped vpon the Rights of the Empire so long a time that they l Iuxta leges Imperiales ss de diuers tâ—mâ—or possess l. 3. longae Cod. lib. 7. tit 31. l. 1. may now prescribe against the right owner Wherefore the wise Bononians m Apud Cornel. Agripp in historâ—aÌ„ de duptici Caesaris Coronat cap. 5. might very well ominate by the breach of that Bridge vpon which Charles the Fifth entred into the great Church there vnto his coronation that not any man euer after should be crowned for Emperour yea and Lypsius n J. Lipsius in praefat lib. de magnitudine Rom. Imperij might very truely hold that all what remaines of the Romane Empire standeth onely vnder the Pope whose Imperiall both Seate and Senate is at Rome So that their former doubt opposed against our Demonstration is so throughly cleered that we may notwithstanding their wrangling allegations of the Gospell not published throughout the World and the present state of the Germane Empire well conclude the Pope to bee that great Antichrist § XXVI The latter exception against our demonstration But now the later scruple is of greater difficultie and indeede very much preiudiciall to our assertion since it is as some thinke contrarie to the iudgement of some of our best and deepest Protestant Diuines such as o Zanchius lib. 2. Miscellan Zanchius and others who deny the Pope to bee that great Antichrist described in Scripture Our answere yet I must needs say againe that since these great and good men be worthy of all true and most reuerent respect for their profound learning and sincere life they are not to be brought forth as opposites to that truth which p Luther lâ—b de Captiuit Babylon Caluin lib 4. Iustit cap. 7.15 Hâ—shâ—sius lib. de sâ—xcentis Papistorum error ca. 23 others of as great learning and sound iudgement haue deliuered out of the most sacred Scriptures especially for that they deliuer nothing against vs demonstratiuely but vpon meere probabilities as q Zanch. vbi supra in Confessione themselues confesse while they professe plainely that this is their opinion concerning Antichrist to wit 1. That the Pope is Antichrist and his Kingdome Antichristian 2. That this hindreth not but that there may come in the end of the world some one notorious Antichrist who may doe Miracles and other such great things as are probably collected from the Scriptures and firmely asserted by the ancient Fathers A graue and good sentence agreeable to the Truth if we respect the matter howsoeuer in the manner of the reuealing of this Antichrist they seeme to runne into Popish Tents onely vpon a peaceable minde and zealous affection towards some of the Ancient Fathers especially for the Greekes r Damascen li. 4. Orthodox sid cap. 27. DAMASCENE and for the Latines Å¿ August lib. 20 de Ciuitate Dei per totum AVGVSTINE who liuing before the sixe hundredth yeere after Christ defined this matter onely vpon coniectures according to that tradition which is recorded in t Hyppolyt Orat de consummat saec Antichristo tom 2. Biblioth sanct Patrum Hyppolitus his Oration concerning Antichrist an Author most iustly u Sixtus Senens lib. 4. Bibli suspected to be counterfeited and yet if hee were true he is no sound warrant for vs to build our faith vpon concerning Antichrist For although the authoritie of ancient Fathers bee of great force in the litterall exposition of the Scriptures out of which wee haue most fully declared the former question What is that great Antichrist yet haue
is Saint Bernard the worthy Abbot of Clarae-vallis who feared not to write m Ber. Epi. 125. thus vnto one GERARDVS DE LORITORIO The Beast in the Reuelation to which is giuen a mouth speaking Blasphemies and making Warre with the Saints possesseth PETERS Chaire as a Lyon readie to the prey And thus hath the Iurie giuen their verdict against which The supply against exception by a Decem tales if the Prisoner at the barre make exception by disliking of any of them as too too partiall and so worthily to be challenged we haue a Decem tales others void of exception readie vpon the call to appeare The first as amongst the Princes Fredericke Barbarossa Emperour who writing to the Cardinalls said n Albert. CraÌ„tzius in Metropoli lib. 7. cap. 53. that the authority of the Romane See had loosed the reines of boldnesse and replying vnto Hadrian the fourth protesteth o Hen. Mutius l. 18. rerum Germanic ex Chronâ—co HirsaugieÌ„s The second that hee would prouide for the peace of the Church since he seeth that the detestable beast of pride hath crept vp into Peters chaire and Lewes the Twelfth king of Fraunce who in the heroicall spirit of his most illustrious Progenitor Philip the faire p Naucler tom 2. Generat 44. Platina in Bonisac 8. the famous suppressour of that Raging Tyrant Boniface the eight caused q E Chron. Gal. apud Pet. Molin de Monarchiâ temporali Pontific Rom. ca. 15. his coyne of Gold to be stamped on the inside with these words Perdam nomen Babylonis I will destroy the name of Babylon meaning Rome the seate of Pope Iulius the second his deadly enemie and lastly our most Puissant Princes and Kings of England r Vide in horvitis Chron. Anglicana praecipuè Mat. Paris Roger. Houeden Holinshed Stow l. Fox in Martyrologio King Iohn King Edward the third King Henrie the eight King Edward the sixth blessed Queene Elizabeth all of them to their power renouncing the Pope as the very Antichrist but especially our most Gracious Soueraigne King Iames concerning whose most Å¿ Apolog. cum praef Medita in Apocalyps 20 Diuine Discourses of this argument well knowne to all the world yea and carped at by t Bell. Parsons Suarez Coquaeus Schioppius c. Popelings but not corrected admired at but not answered we may most truely take vp that prouerbe u Prou. 31.29 The fourth c Many haue done vertuously but thou surmountest them all Secondly amongst the Bishops x Nilus Thessalonic li. 2. de primatu Papae Nilus of Thessalonica pulling downe the Popish Primacie and y Apud Auent lib. 7 p. 573. Probus Tullenses shewing the Popes Legats to be Antichrists seruants and Honorius z Hono. Angustod dial de praedest et l. arbitrio Augustodunensis auouching the seate of the beast to be in the Pope and Cardinalls yea and all a CoÌ„cil Turonensi sub Lodouico 12. the Bishops of Fraunce in the dayes of Lewes the twelfth and of England in the Raigne of Henrie b Vid. Fox Mart. sub Hen. 8 Edwar. 6. The eight c. the eight and Edward the sixth renouncing the Pope Lastly amongst the Monks Henrie c Petrus CluniaceÌ„s l. 1. Ep. 1. 2 the Scholler of Petrus de Bruis calling Rome Sodome and Babylon and d Rob. Gallus l. de vaticinijs apud Posseuinum to 2. Apparatus Robertus Gallus a Dominican describing the Pope for Antichrist vnder the figure of a Serpent and e Guido Carmelâ—t Bern. de Luzenburg in Catalog haeres Bell. in ChroÌ„ ad annum 1191. Petrus Iohannis Bitterensis a Franciscan in his Postills vpon the Reuelation prouing the Pope to be that Antichrist to conclude if all this thicke cloud of witnesses will not cast him we can produce whole Churches as f Catalog test verit lib. 3. at Leodium whole Synods as those g Ap. AueÌ„ l. 7. c of Rome vnder Otho Fredericke and Lewes Bauarus and a great many such Councels holdeÌ„ in h Sub Philippo Pulchro Lodouico 12. France yea whole peoples in Countreys who euer reiected the bondage of this Antichrist as in England those faithfull ones whome i Fox Martyrolog â—ub Rich. 2. Henrie 5. they wickedly nickenamed for Lollords in France k Reinerius de Waldensiâ—us the Waldenses in Italie the l Naueler tom 2. Gen. 44. Fratricellians in Bohemia m Iacob Misnensis de aduent Antichr apud Catalogum test Ver. lib. 1â— the Melitzians all before Iohn Wickleffs time yea and in the Mountaines of Rhetia aboue Sauoy the n Ioh. Nicho's his Recantation Mornaeus de Mysterio Iniquitatis pa. 730. An exception against these truely answered faithfull Inhabitants of Vallis and Telina who had from their first conuersion to Christ alwayes their owne true Pastors neuer subiect to the bondage of Babylon and Antichrist Rome and the Pope But me thinks I heare some Papists except against all these voyces as giuen by their enemies and by Heretikes condemned by the Catholique Church But to these men I cannot make a better reply then such as that of o Reg. 18.13 Elijah vnto wicked Ahab proudly demaunding Art thou he that troubleth Israel when he said I haue not troubled Israel but thou and thy Fathers house in that yee haue forsaken the Commandements of the Lord and thou hast followed Baalim For none of these were otherwaies their enemies but as true men are to theeues neither did the Catholike Church their Mother at any time condemne them for Heretikes who mainteined no doctrine contrary to Scripture neither followed other discipline then at that time was vsed Indeed the Pope and his adherents in hatred of that truth which God reuealed by them to the world did enterprise to condemne them and persecute them with Fire and Faggot sword and desolation onely to fulfill the Prophecies giuen out concerning the crueltie of the wicked Antichrist But yet their cause is neuer the worse since the great side doth many times ouersway the better neither is the credit of their verdict thereby any whit impaired in the iudgement of the wisest and most godly since time hath brought that truth to light which in that Darke world yet these faithfull saw clearely Three specialties enforcing good Men vnto this sharpe censure of the Pope to bee that Antichrist and the Pope hath proued their words to be true by three sundry specialties of most liuely proofe which enforced not onely the forenamed witnesses but euen the Popes owne deare dearlings and best friends to confesse that Antichrist was euen then come and amongst them The first The first specialtie was his pride in vsurping vpon the secular power by the deposing of Princes first p Vid. Bellar. cap. 1. in Barklae Reuerend D. Roffensem Episc in Bellar. lib. 1. cap. 2. attempted by Pope Hildebrand Gregorie the
seuenth with such trouble to all Christendome that euen at that time q Apud Auentinum lib. 5. pag 470. The second all honest and good men for the most part said that HILDEBRAND was Antichrist and that the kingdome of Antichrist did then begin The second specialtie is their schismes which as they were many for r Onuphrius in Chronologiâ Pontificum ad Platinam Onuphrius in his Chronologie of Popes reckoneth thirtie so were they pursued by Antipopes with such hatred that good men euen thereupon adiudged the Pope to be the Antichrist as Å¿ Apud Auentinum lib. 6. pag. 508. Gerochus Bishop of Richemberge thought of those two firebrands of hell Octauianus called Victor and his potent competitor Alexander the third The third and last specialtie is their most vile filthie The third and abominable liues abounding in all Pride Couetousnesse Sacriledge Symonie Lecherie Trecherie and all manner of Blasphemie so odious in the open sight of all the world that their owne dearest Dearling and most faithfull Friends and Seruants could not but inueigh against Rome which they name Babylon and the Pope whom they call Antichrist as it is plainely to be seene in the t Apud Catalog test verit lib. 4. Satyres of Bernardus Cluniacensis u Dante 's pa. 9. 31. Dante 's his Sonnets Petrarches x Petrarch Epistolis 9.12.13 c. Epistles and in the learned Works y Sarisburiâ—nâ— 6. Polycratici cap. 22. of Ioannes Sarisburiensis to whom as to his very great Familiar Pope ADRIAN the Fourth z In Catalog test verit lib. 14. vsed often to say that many of the Romane Bishops did rather succeede ROMVLVS in killing then PETER in feeding For indeede wee need no further euidence for this point then the words of Bellarmine and Baronius themselues he a Bell. in Chronolo ad an 1026 confessing that about the yeere of Christ one thousand sixe and twentie the Popes did degenerate from the pietie of their Predecessors this exclaiming b Baronius Annal tom 10. ad an 912. artic 3. against the See of Rome possessed by Landus Iohn the Tenth and such others Quae tum facies Ecclesiae Romanae c. What was then the face of the Church of Rome how filthy when most potent and most filthy Whores ruled all in Rome At whose appointment Sees were changed Bishops translated and that which is horrible and not to be spoken yet lo he will borrow a point in Law to speake it their Louers false Popes were thrust vp into PETERS Chayre who were not to be written in the Catalogue of the Romane Bishops but onely for signing out of times Well It is a bad Bird that defileth his owne nest but in truth they could neyther hold it in any longer nor carry it out any further The conclusion of the generall Doctrine their consciences constrayning them against their wills to tell the truth So that now I hope all doubts being cleered which any way were made against our Demonstration wee may conclude fully that the Pope of Rome is that great Antichrist whose Kingdome is by little and little to be diminished by the preaching of Gods Word and at length to be wholly and fully demolished by the comming of Christ § XXVIII The vse of the Doctrine vnto our selues Whereupon now for vse of all before deliuered concerning the great Antichrist we my deare Brethren may iustly take vp both lamentation and exultation weeping and reioycing A sorrow for our Brethren in the flesh who are Papists in profession weeping for many of our deare Brethren according to the flesh but reioycing for our owne selues For concerning many Brethren now liuing in England we may with S. Paul c Rom. 9.2 conceiue great heauinesse and continuall sorrow in our hearts because that they see not in what a great captiuitie vnder this great Antichrist they poore soules lye enthralled For as the d Plutarch in Cryllo foolish companions of Vlysses besotted with the inchanted and poysonous cups of the lewd Haâ—lot Circe thought themselues to bee the best men when they were worse then beasts as Eurylochus in the e Hom. Odyss lib. 10. Poet foretold them plainely that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shee would make them all eyther Swine or Wolues or Lions euen so many silly foules like blinde Moles or Dormise lurking in the by-waies and secret corners of Cities and Countrey throughout almost all the Counties of England being made fully drunken with the Deuillish potions of the whorish Babylon thinke themselues onely to bee the best Catholikes and Orthodox Christians when God knoweth they are wholly become through their full draught of the inuenomed Challice worse then Dogs or Swine in prophane filthinesse worse then Woules or Lions in rauenous deuouring And this great conceit of themselues is fully settled in their darkned thoughts and their hardned hearts onely because they hold of the Pope the damned Author of this their bondage being in truth at this time as farre blinded touching Antichrist as the Iewes were in the time of Christ concerning the Messiah whom they then daily looked for as appeareth by their f Vid. Ioseph li. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cap. 11. lib. 18 c. 10. Rabbinos in sine Seder Olam apud Genebrardum manyfold repinings and rebellions against their present gouernment then vnder Herod and the Romanes although when Christ came into the world at g Gal. 4.4 the fulnesse of time they neither h Iohn 1.9 would know him nor yet acknowledge him onely because hee came in a manner cleane contrary to their carnall and worldly expectations as i Esay 53.2 the Prophet fore-told that he should grow vp before him as a tender Plant and as a roote out of a dry ground who should haue no forme nor comelinesse and when they should see him there should be no beautie that they should desire him For so it is with these doting Pontificians that although they k Viguerius Instit cap. 21. §. 3. Viegas in 13. Apocalyps Perer. in Dan. 11. alij fere omnes daily make speech of Antichrist with much detestation of his mostlewd abominable waies albeit that l Henriquez lib. 14. ca. 23. §. 3 they giue out that his time is at hand when hee must peruert all holy worship yet doe they not see him now domineering ouer them neither yet will beleeue that this Pope of Rome either is he or may be him onely because he now manifesteth himselfe in a contrary forme to their conceit of Antichrist howbeit if they would with a single and an vnpartiall eye behold and compare the daily designes and accustomarie actions of the Romane Papacie with the fore-told villanies of the great Antichrist I am perswaded they could not but acknowledge how farre they haue beene deceiued before and how they are now silly soules all deluded with the sheepes m Mat. 7.16
as their great zeale in embracing and maintayning wil-worship did euidently demonstrate Thirdly that at the time of their death they of their owne meere good will for the settling of their troubled consciences in the sweet repose of the peace of God abiured renounced all those proud points of puffing vp Doctrine concerning the strength of mans free-will and the validitie of mans merit and the corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament and the helpe of other mens Suffrages after death with other such like onely then resting and relying themselues vpon the sole merite of Iesus Christ as I could instance in very many of them but that I am eased of this labour by n Illyric Catal. test verit tom 1. soll Illyricus first gathering o S. Gowlart tom 3. art 4. Gowlartius well marshalling into their seuerall Ranks and Orders the witnesses of truth liuing and dying before the dayes of Martin Luther Yet can I not omit the most liuely obedience oâ— these two in their times reputed for great Men the former is S. Bernard who while he liued in the middest of darknesse about the yeere p Bellar. Chronolog of our Lord one thousand one hundred and fortie was a principall Patron of many Superstitions imposed to the simple vpon the pretence of meriting heauen which carnall conceit hee at the very point of death thus plainely confuted when hee humbly beseeched the hearty prayers of his Brother Arnaldus q Lib. 5. de vit S. Bernard cap. 2. in tom 2. Oper. Be carefull to strengthen by your prayers me the very heele calcaneum or lowest member of the body of Christ voyd of all merits that hee who lyeth in waite may not finde where to fasten his tooth and to inflict a wound the latter is Doctor r Fox Martyrolog pag. 1238. Redman a good man in his time and a great Scholler who albeit in his former dayes hee politikely tooke part with the Popish side yet vpon his death-bed hee freely renounced his former tenents concerning the Reall bodily presence and Purgatorie and Iustification by Works and such other like For so strong is Truth that although some Politikes may smother it in their life time yet at the houre of their death it will breake forth either vnto comfort vpon their true repentance as it well appeareth in the former good examples or else vnto condemnation through the torment of conscience arising vpon their retchlesse resistance made against a known truth whose strength is such as compelleth them in spite of their proud hearts to yeeld an assent to that veritie which before they wilfully oppugned against their conscience euen as we read of that proud Beast Å¿ Fox Martyrolog pag. 1623. Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who vpon his death-bed hearing Doctor Day Bishop of Chichester speake of free Iustification in the bloud of Christ our Sauiour sayd What my Lord will you open that gappe now then farewell altogether To me and such others in my case you may speake it but open this window vnto the people then farewell altogether t Prou. 19.21 There are many deuices in a mans heart neuerthelesse the Counsell of the Lord it shall stand For God neuer wanted a Witnesse of his Truth but eyther a Friend to his owne saluation or an Enemie against his will confessed the same to his owne condemnation the Gospell being then as now and euer to some u 2. Cor. 2.16 the sauour of life vnto life to others the sauour of death vnto death How our fore-Fathers stood towards God in these darke dayes of Antichrist we are not to iudge peremptorily x Rom. 14.5 they standing or falling vnto their owne Masters But yet if they did as truely beleeue as they pithily penned their true confession of their faith in God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost if they did as heartily pray as they powerfully prepared themselues thereunto especially vpon their Death-bed according to the rules of comfort y In Manuali Catholicorum edit â— Guil. Crashaw in 16. Ann. Dom. 1611 ascribed to Anselmus and Iohn Gerson then surely we cannot but deeme so well of them as z Mal. 2.15 of shining lights in the middest of a crooked and peruerse Nation wherein they liued as a Gene. 12.14 Abraham in Aegypt b Gene. 19.6 LOT in Sodome c Psal 120.5 DAVID in Meshec the d 1. Reg. 19.13 seuen thousand in Israel and e Reuel 7.3 the sealed Saints in the middest of the earth from whom the Papists can haue no more allowance then the wicked f Ioh. 4.12 Samaritanes could finde from their pretended Father Iacob since if our fore-Fathers had seene but halfe so much of the Popish tyrannie superstition and abominations they would haue abhorred them with faire greater detestation then euer we haue yet done albeit we see them as openly manifested as the g Esay 3.7 The Conclusion applicatorie sinnes of Sodome And therefore now it is our onely duty to supply their defect in knowledge by a better zeale in practice for the rooting out and expulsion of Pope and Papists Generall to all if not out of our Country wherein they bee inuolued as Moths yet out of our conceits as men of a most massacring minde declared by their Powder-plot no way to bee pittied or approued of vs whose vtter subuersion and ruine they seeke as the h Psal 137.6 children of Edom cryed against Hierusalem Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground For is it not a Law made against the worshippers of any strange god that i Deut. 13.8.9 we must not consent to them neyther let our eyes pitie them Is it not a practice ratified by DAVID k Psal 139.21 to hate them that hate God as if they were our enemies And is it not the Rule of Christs Gospell l Math. 12.30 that he who is not with vs is against vs and he that gathereth not with Christ scattereth Experience doth teach vs that as Nettles doe not sting vs but vpon a light touch onely so euils increase not but vpon forbearance according to that axiome giuen by S. AMBROSE m Ambros Ser. 8. in Psal 119. Facilitas veniae incentiuum tribuit delinquenti Easinesse of pardoning giueth encouragement to Offenders So that seeing it is most certaine that n Prou. 20.8 a King and so any other Magistrate that ruleth vnder him sitting vpon the Throne of Iustice chaseth away all euill with his eyes because as he o Psal 101.8 is carefull to cut off from the Citie of God the workers of iniquitie so the wicked in the p Prou. 28.1 guiltinesse of their consciences will slye from the face of good Iustice which as the q Prou. 25.23 Northren winde the raine so scattereth abroad the backbiting tongue and since vpon the bad behauiour of these wicked wights many good and wholsome Lawes to restraine their pride and represse their
last Resurrection termed perfectio vitae that being as Naturalistâ— b Aristot lib. 3. Physic cap. 6. speake Actus in potentiâ A perfection in motion to a further degree this Actus in actu or actus purus A perfection absolute wherein the motion endeth by attayning to it proper forme and settled rest we who are Christians militant heere on earth against the Flesh the World and the Deuill are onely perfect inchoatiuè as men beginning to goe in the way like c Gene. 17.1 Abraham commanded to walke before God and bee perfect that d Math. 5.48 we may be perfect as our Father which is in heauen is perfect vntill our perfection of life bee consummate in blessednesse eternall For as e August hom 34. ex 50. hoâ—â—l Augustine saith well Omnes imperfecti sumus ibi perficiemur vbi persecta sunt omnia Wee are all here vnperfect there shall we be perfected where all things are perfect because when f 1. Cor. 13.8 that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away Wherefore by this their proud assertion what else doe these phantasticall Brownists declare themselues to be but the viperous brood of the ancient Perfectists such as were the g Epiphan haer 52. Adamians h August contr Calestrum Caelestians i Cyprian Ep. 52 Nouatians and other k Hilar. in Epist ad August Catharits against whom the Orthodox Fathers of the Church assembled by the Imperiall authoritie in the Councell at Mileuis l Concil Mileâ—itan can â— pronounced the Anathema a deadly curse because by this their opinion of perfection absolute they plainely contradict and oppose themselues to the Apostle Saint Iohn auouching that m 1. Iohn 1.8 if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. For marke they well and be they ashamed to heare what Great Constantine replied to Acesius a Nouatian Bishop much glorying in his owne personall together with his fellow-Schismatikes perfection Erige tibi scalam solus in coelum ascende Reare vp a Ladder for thy selfe and climbe vp into heauen alone for thereby heed did not commend him saith n Sozomen lib. 4. cap. 21. Sozomene but notifie to all men that they while they liue in this transitorie world should not imagine themselues to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void of all sinne But as Salomon o Prou. 30.13 hath obserued the miserie of all times There is a Generation that are pure in their owne eyes and yet it is not washed from their filthinesse These idle heads cry out against our Church Corruptions Corruptions and yet they themselues p Psal 50.16 still hate to be reformed hauing a q 2. Tim. 3.5 shew of godlinesse but yet denying the power thereof as may appeare first by their blasphemous * Tho. White his discouerie of Brownists corruption tenent concerning the goodnesse of God and other attributes which they doe not hold to bee the same with the Nature of God quite against r Damascen lib. 1. Orthod fidei cap. 5. Aquin. part 1. summae q. 3. art 3. that axiome touching Gods Simplicitie Quicquid est in Deo Deus est Whatsoeuer is in God is God and secondly by their vilely confused anarchie wherein they liue euery man as a King in his owne conceit superciliously iudging other men in those things wherein themselues most offend as in Malice Pride Adulteries and Incests besides many petty Crimes winked at by their seuere Catonian Master Pastor and his Mechanicke Elders if we may beleeue the constant reports of their Å¿ George Iohnson and others returned from them owne Sectaries detecting both their weaknesse of iudgement and wickednesse of life to their owne true shame but to our good instruction who there-hence may perceiue that all is not gold which glistereth Amsterdam is not heauen and their sanctified Parlour no such sacred Cell as Brownists pretend being no better then t Math. 23.27 whited tombes and painted sepulchers faire without but within very filthy And therefore vpon the due and true consideration of all these mischiefes it much concerneth vs all to follow the aduice of the Preacher saying u Eccles 7.16 Be not righteous ouer-much neither make thy selfe â—uer-wise why shouldest thou destroy thy selfe It is good saith x Apud Lauateran locum PLINIE to till the ground well but to bestow vpon it more cost then needs may prooue great losse Extremities are dangerous y Ouid. 2. Met. Medio tutissimus ibis The meane is the safest for therfore in the Law of God are we so oftentimes forbidden z Deut. 5.32 to turne eyther to the right hand or to the left because the Deuill closely layeth for vs his net vpon both sides at the right hand lyeth Heresie at the left hand Iniquitie to entangle vs if wee wander at any times from faith or righteousnesse But a Prou. 15.25 the way of Life is aboue to the wise that hee may depart from hell beneath b Prosper Epigram 17. Hos inter laqueos currentem ad gaudia vitae Non capiet mundus cui via Christus erit That is The world shall not catch that man Who runnes amongst these wicked ginnes To ioyes of life if that his way In Christ his life he well beginnes § XXXII The latter doctrine proued Now concerning the latter probleme of Heresie that all these heresies whatsoeuer they be shall alwayes haue necessarie dependance vpon the Great Antichrist it is most certaine since first the entrance of Antichrist into the Church is by a mysterie of iniquitie which as the c 2. Thes 2.7 Apostle saith began then to worke euen then in his time by tyrants and seducers saith d Aquinas lect 2. in 2. Thes 2. THOMAS AQVINAS these by false doctrine making an highway thereunto in the iudgement of e Sedul Hibernicus in 2. Thes 2. Sedulius as those by outward persecutions shew themselues to be the types and figures of Antichrist Secondly the efficacie of the Great Antichrist is onely in heresie which Antichrist sucketh from the poysoning Dugges of whoorish Impostures as the f Diogen apud Erasm in Chiliad pag. 165. Aspis is said to draw * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applicat Tertullian lib. 3. in Marcionem cap. 8. poyson from the Viper that in him may be fulfilled what was g Ezech. 16.15 said of Hierusalem Thou diddest trust in thine owne beautie and playedst the harlot because of thy renowne and powredst out thy fornications on euery one that passed by his it was Thirdly the first abolishing of Antichrist howsoeuer it be begun h 2. Thes 2.8 by the Spirit of Gods mouth through the Preaching of Gods word yet shall not bee fully and wholly perfected till Christ come to Iudgement and therefore as by the obseruation of their i Thyraeus cap. 52. de demoniacis Exorcists
Maiestie as d Euseb in orat de laudibus Constantini Eusebius did of Constantine the Great that whereas he alone is impugned by all false gods he alone of all Princes may most deseruedly be reputed the sonne of the true God who said by his Prophet e 1. Sam. 2.30 Them that honour mee I will honour and them that despise me shall be lightly esteemed Of Supplication 2. Of Supplication or most humble and dayly Praier that God in his great mercy towards vs his poore people would most firmely corroborate and strengthen the Arme of His most puissant Maiestie against all enemies whatsoeuer for the timely destruction of the wicked of the Land that he may with f Psal 101.10 holy Dauid cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord. For saith Salomon g Prou. 25.5.6 Take away the drosse from the siluer and there shall come foorth a vessell for the Finer take away the wicked from before the King and his Throne shall be established with righteousnesse because as Lampridius h Aelius Lampridius in Alexandro Seuero deliuereth of the Common-wealth it is safer if the Prince be euill rather then that his friends be euill For he is but one and may bee reclaymed by good aduice whereas they are but as so many Waspes or Vipers that not onely may hurt the head but infect the whole body And therefore i Apud Euripidem in Scirone one said well That it was a good duty to punish badde liuers for that as k Apud Stobaeum Ser. 44. Isaeus thought thereby is prohibited all iniurie from others Of Obedience and due obseruance of that most wholsome counsell which S. Paul l Rom. 16.17 gaue the Romanes 3. Of Obedience saying Marke them which cause diuisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee haue learned and auoyd them For that marking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sheweth sharpenesse of wit this auoyding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prooueth vprightnesse of will and both of them most behoofefull in dispatch of these duties seeing Heresie lyeth secret like Snakes in greene grasse very hardly to be discerned by bleared eyes or dull pates and Heretikes are craftie like their Master the Deuill able to seduce and withdraw the most constant from their settled true course if they doe not beware First therfore as the Foxes m Plutarch de solertia animaliuÌ„ of Thrace by Plutarchs report doe not runne or passe ouer any Ice whereof that Countrey hath plenty in Winter before they haue layd their eares thereunto to finde either the water vnderneath running or the bottome soundly frozen so we in this wary wisedome of Foxes as of n Math. 10.16 Serpents are not to imbrace any doctrine deliuered vnto vs by any man whosoeuer before wee haue well tryed the soundnesse thereof both in matter and forme whether it be o 1. Cor. 3.13 as Gold Siluer and precious Stone or as Timber Hay and Stubble For the p Ioh 32.3 eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meate Secondly as by sensuall memory the Beast will shunne the pit into which he hath either formerly â—alne to his hurt or is likely to fall in by the very like danger so we men by reason and Christians by grace must carefully eschew those whom we haue found Heretikes or any way resembling them and that euen both in conceit and company as S. Iohn q Ioh. Ep. 2.10 gaue counsell saying If there come any vnto you and bring not this doctrine receiue him not into your house neither bid him God speede First bid him not God speede by any inward approbation either of his learning or of his life of his learning for Quid me melior si non iustior said r Plutarch in Apopâ—thegmatis Lacoricis Agesilaus of the King of Persia What is he better then I if he be not more iust then I am And so may wee enquire of any mans learning let him bee neuer so great a Doctor what is he better learned then another man if hee be not more orthodox He surely in my iudgement is the best Scholler that is first Å¿ Esay 54.13 6. Iohn 45. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God and then t 1. Tim. 3.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach other what himselfe had well learned as therefore the Apostles although u Act. 4.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnlettered men yet were better seene in all x Luke 21.15 true learning then any of the Iewish Rabbines and so was y Epiphan haer 64. Methodius before Origen Malchion z Euseb lib. 7. histor Eccle. c. 23 the Priest before the Bishoppe Paulus Samosatenus onely for that they held and maintayned what God taught them out of the holy Scriptures For as there a Origen homil 3. in Leuiticum was no Gold either put in or bestowed vpon the Tabernacle which was not weighed with the shekell of the Sanctuarie so no kind of Learning is fit to build vp the Church of Christ but that which being weighed in the ballance of Gods Word is found to be Orthodoxe by true agreement with the proportion of Faith since b 1. Cor. 8.2 Knowledge puffeth vp and c Act. 26.25 much Learning will make a man mad if it be not found in the words of truth and sobernesse as therefore Iustine Martyr d Iustin Martyr in Exhortat ad Gentes accounted those to be the Teachers of our Religion who taught vs not according to their owne humane opinion but only from the gift giuen vnto them from aboue by God Of his life for Heretikes cannot bee honest men because they haue forsaken the ground of Honestie which is Truth as Gregory said e Gregor lib. 18. moral cap. 2. well Profectò ab aequitate discrepat quicquid à veritate discordat Truely that doth disagree from equitie which differeth from veritie Beware saith f Math. 7.16 our Sauiour of the rauening Wolues in the Sheepes clothing And therefore secondly receiue him not into your house for any priuate conuersement at all lest when hee is warmely setled he fill the house with Heresie as Aesops g Aesop de rustica serpente Snake is said to doe with hissing and so prooue no better then the base h Iudg. 17.8 18.6 Leuite did to rich Micah first a flattering Seducer and then a false Traytour as I feare me many Noble and Worshipfull Houses in England find by wofull experience in their too kind and bountifull entertainment of Iesuites or Seminarie Priests of Schismatikes or other Sectaries For as the Greeke Poet i Theognis said well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Thou shalt learne good things from the best With bad thy soule to death is prest Haue k Ephes 5.11 then no fellowship with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but rather reprooue them For your wits by the Scriptures are
had knowne them it would neuer haue beene Therefore notwithstanding these cauils of an hellish Locust wee haue now two tryed meanes whereby we may finde out good and bad Ministers Gods Spirit and Gods Word which of themselues were sufficient if our strength were answerable but seeing we are weake to weild such weapons without some helpe therefore God hath giuen and good men haue obserued three other good yet secondary meanes by which together with the Spirit and the Word we may quickly discerne betweene good and bad Guides And the first of these 3. Meanes which is the third in order is as we noted the summe of their calling described vnto vs in holy Scripture first in their Ingresse secondly in their Progresse thirdly in their Constancie and true perseuerance Their Ingresse is by a lawfull calling from God as g Iohn 3.27 a man can receiue nothing except it bee giuen from aboue and that both inwardly and outwardly Inwardly by speciall endowment of abilitie and willingnes wrought by Gods Spirit in their honest education or trayning vp to learning vpon the certaine conscience of which fitnes they may as lawfully craue admittance as Ahimaaz did of Ioab h 2. Sam. 18.22 to runne vnto DAVID otherwise not lest they proue but either bold intruders or vnconscionable vndertakers of so honourable a Calling which they cannot discharge as there are too many now adayes blue coates turned to blacke who make the Ministerie the last remedie or meanes of maintayning themselues to verifie our old English Prouerbe When hee is good for nothing then make a Priest of him But who is sufficient i 2. Cor. 2.16 saith the Apostle for these things Well To his inward indowments hee must outwardly â—ee ordayned and put apart vnto that great Worke by the laying on of hands as were k Act. 13.3 Saul and Barnabas l 1. Tim. 4 14. Timothie and other m Tit. 1.3 Presbyters in Creete by Titus For this good order is a necessary let and stop against all Iereboams n 1. Reg. 13.33 Priests who being of the basest people commonly without both learning and honestie would consecrate themselues for Priests of the high places as at this day Swenâ—kfelâ—ians Libertines Anabaptists Brownists Familists and such other addle-brayned and idle Illuminates presume to doe without any ordinary calling or appointment of their Superiours like o Ierem. 23.21 those prophets which ranne when God sent them not But forward The Progresse of a good Guide is when to his vttermost hee seriously laboureth to performe all those duties of his Office requirable at his hands as they are set downe in many places of holy Scriptures especially in 1. Tim. 3. and Tit. 1. where as Chrysostome well p Chrysost hom 10. in 1. Tim. 3. obserueth what hee speaketh of one agreeth vnto all that are good Guides But who shall examine this Not the people Ob. saith q Stapleton vbi supra STAPLETON they being but sheepe but other Shepheards or the whole Company and Communitie of Priests and especially the head of the Shepheards Christs Vicar on earth must iudge and know this But I answere First Sol. that if by Christs Vicar hee meane the Pope he beggeth a question that will not bee granted since the Pope is neyther the Vicar of Christ but r Vid. Sermon in 1. Ioh. 2.18.19.20 Antichrist himselfe neither hath he more power or authoritie to make this scrutinie then any other Prelate since as in Å¿ Cyprian de Vnitate Ecclesiae Cyprians iudgement the other Apostles were equall to PETER So in t August lib. 2. de baptis cap. 2. Augustines opinion other Bishops in their Diocesses haue as great power and authoritie to iudge of their inferiours as hath the Pope in his place it being the Decree u Concil Carthag 1. apud Cyprian August of the Councell of Carthage that none should call himselfe a Bishop of Bishops or by a tyrannicall manner force his fellowes to a necessitie of obeying since euery Bishop according to the licence of his libertie and power hath his owne iudgement Secondly that the censure Ecclesiasticall which either Priests in a Councell or Bishops in their Consistorie may lawfully giue of Ministers according to the Apostolike rules and Canons Ecclesiasticall is no let or hinderance to priuate men from their secret examination and tryall of good or bad Ministers by comparing their doctrine and liues with the Word of God for their owne priuate quiet and good satisfaction they being bound x Act. 20.32 to slee the Wolfe and discouer the y Iohn 10.3 Thiefe as much as they may For as in the Law euery z Deut. 13.4 mans hand was to be stretched out against the Intiser vnto Idolatry so are we all in the Gospell bound by our faith and loue in Christ a 1. Cor. 16.20 to detest with execration all those be they Ministers or people who loue not the Lord Iesus as euery one who will but examine the state of the Popish Clergie by the Apostles rules shall finde that they haue good cause to flee such both Heretikes and Hypocrites who swarue so farre both in their doctrine and in their liues from not onely the rules of the blessed Apostle but also from their owne Canons which I neede not produce being freed from that labour by the diligent and most godly paines of diuers most worthy and reuerend Diuines of the Reformed Church as yet not answered by any Papist referring all who heare me to the reading of b Beza Confess cap. 7. Beza c Heming in Antichrist machi Hemingius d Binder cap. 13. Theolog. Schoâ—asticae Binder and our owne good Countreyman the most painefull searcher of truth e D. Willet in Synops Pap. pa. â—43 â—44 c. Doctor Willet Lastly Constancie and perseuerance is a great marke of a good Guide when we finde that neither Honours nor age will and doth withdraw him from his former paynes as he is exhorted to bee f Reuel 2.10 faithfull to the death and to g Reuel 3.11 hold that hee hath that no man take his Crowne since he h Matth. 10.22 that endureth to the end shall bee saued For albeit hee cannot being olde endure so much labour as he tooke when hee was young yet must he pro virili imploy himselfe as much as he can both for the full discharge of himselfe and encouragement of others who by his graue example will if Grace be in them be prouoked to paines i Luke 12.43 Happie is that man whom his Master when hee commeth shall find so doing and happie those people who are blessed with such a Guide that leadeth them to life k Dan. 12.3 They shall shine as the firmament and bee as the starres for euer and euer Now the fourth meanes of searching and finding out a good Guide from a bad 4. Meanes is the testimonie of the ancient
of Beades in an Heathenish d Matth. 6.7 Battologie Pharisaically e Matth. 23.14 deuouring Widdowes houses vnder colour of long Prayers So cunningly can they collogue and vnder sheepes clothing hide woluish rauenousnesse For loe both Craft and Crueltie in Papists Craft first in compassing a Nouice seduced to bee a Recusant from our Christian Communion by setting him in the fore-front of some dangerous Schisme such as the f Vid Watsons Quodlibets q. 2. art 6. Iesuits had of late against the Secular Priests to their owne deserued ouerthrow as g Matth. 12.25 an House or Kingdome deuided against it selfe cannot stand for Babels confusion h Gene. 11.11 must bee by diuision secondly in keeping him in the desperate course of Hereticall obstinacie by the iniunction of that exercise which * Vid. Watsons Quodlibets q 3. artic 10. Iesuites haue inuented to the vtter vndoing of many silly soules and simple Gentles who thinking all sooth that such men say set Houses Lands Goods and all yea euen their Alleageance vnto their Soueraigne at sixe and seuen i Catalog test Verit. p. 2. lib. 20 pag. 31. De vitio in vitium de flammâ transit in ignem Crueltie first in bereauing their Disciples of all true vnderstanding k Matth. 23.15 by hiding the key of Knowledge that is l Concil Trid. Sess Clem. 8. in Append. ad 4. in Indice lib. prohibitorum by keeping the Scripture in an vnknowne language forbidding all whatsoeuer Translations into vulgar Tongues and so by necessary consequence the Rhemish Translation whereas m Esay 45.23 Rom. 14.11 Euerie tongue must confesse Christ secondly in captiuating their wils by enforcing vpon their Consciences a consent to their doctrine whatsoeuer it be n Bellar. lib. 1. de Iustifiâ— cap. 7. through implicit faith that so they only may be the men of Learning and Truth whereas CHRIST willeth vs o Iohn 5.39 to search the Scriptures in which we shall not only find Christ but also the Church p August Ep. 166. as Saint Augustine thinketh And therefore seeing the outside seemeth so faire and the inside is so filthie we may conclude of a Popish Rabbie or Doctor as of an vncased Hypocrite q Esay 32.5 The vile person shall be no more called liberall nor the Churle said to bee bountifull For their acts discouer their habit too plainely as appeareth first by their cunning conueyances to compasse wickednesse happily still discouered to their owne confusion as their r Vid vitam R. Elizabethae often defeated Conspiracies against Christian Princes especially the blessed Queene ELIZABETH and our most gracious Å¿ In Powder Treason Lord King IAMES and godly Ministers as t Vid. Act. Monuments Bezam de vit Caluin Master Luther Master Caluin and diuers others doe verifie what Eliphaz said of Gods great working he u Iob 5.12 disappointeth the deuices of the craftie so that their hands cannot performe their enterprize Secondly by their ends and scope well found out to their shame in their euident issues to bee First the maintenance of their pompous pride For why else did the Pope so mainely still resist the Emperour his Soueraigne as sometime to depose him as Hildebrand x Platin. in Gregor 7. did Henrie the Fourth sometimes to treade him vnder his foote as Alexander y H. Mutius lib. 18. rerum Germaniâ— the Third did Fredericke Barbarossa Secondly the embondaging and keeping vnder of all the World as appeareth by their crueltie exercised both against their enemies the godly z Vid. Act. Monuments passâ—m lac Vsserium de Eccles Occidental cap. 8.9 c. Albigenses Waldenses and the faithfull of Reformed Churches which to their power they would vtterly subuert and vpon their friends whom they tye to as great obseruance as Adonibesech a Iudg 1.7 did the seuentie Kings first lamed then fed vnder his table For they cut short their power and iurisdiction b Vid. Breuia Paul 5. ad Anglo-Papistas by their Popes Supremacie and feede c Vid. Missale c. Catechism Vaux c. them with the crummes of superstitious Rites to their small comfort either of soule so vnsettled by diuersitie of opinions or of bodie so brought low by violent and strict vsage Thirdly the fulfilling of their filthy lusts and pleasures too well knowne to the World by their keeping of d Platin. in Alexand 6. Mantuan lib. 3. Calamitatum Ariost in 7. satyr Concubines nourishing of Bastardie vnder the name of Nephewes keeping of Stewes in Rome and other places yea vsing of Ganymeds and Catamits and all such like Sodomitrie whereof their owne Fauourites are the most liuely Witnesses especially Ariosto in his excellent Satyres Wherefore deare Brethren since by this direct application of the marks before giuen to all false teachers and blind guides wee finde that Prouerbe prooued vpon Popish Prelates and Preachers which c Athen. lib. 7. cap 33. Athenaeus hath * Perca sequitur saepiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Like will to like as the Deuill said to the Collyer We here for our part haue good cause first to reioyce and prayse our good God for f Reuel 19.2 thus iudging the great Whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornications For g Matth. 4.16 now the people which sate in darknesse seeth great light and to them which sate in the region and shaddow of death Light is risen euen such as many h Math. 13.17 Prophets and righteous Men desired to see and did not see God i Heb. 11.40 in Truth prouiding better things for vs that they without vs should not bee made perfect Secondly to lament the miserable estate of our Brethren in the flesh whose diuisions cannot but bee to euery good man as Reubens was to other Tribes k Iudg. 5.15 great thoughts of heart because this Schisme is not only a weakning of the whole bodie Ecclesiasticall and Politicall in this flourishing Empire but also a most necessarie cause of certaine ruine and vtter vndoing of the parts disioyned be they neuer so strong seeing they are vnperfect by themselues and drawne by Deluders out l Prou. 27.8 of their owne place as a Bird from her nest being in a snare m 2. Tim. 2.26 led captiue by the Deuill at his will Thirdly to endeuour a reconciliation of them to their Mother-Church from whom they are â—ent like vnnaturall Bastards to sucke the brests of the Babylonish Whore For it is the Law of Charitie to pull out of the ditch n Exod. 23.5 a loden Asse such as all those are who o Psal 32.9 haue no vnderstanding being blinded in Poperie and whose mouthes must be held with bit and bridle lest they come neere vs to hurt vs either by secret Trecherie or open Rebellion Therefore as a good Physician first gently prepareth by some moderate Potion before