plainely shewed against Tortus or rather counterfet Bellarmine that the Apostles Creede was set foorth whereto Iames the Apostle before his martyrdom had added the Article of Christ before the departure of the Apostles from Ierusalem and therefore before S. Peter came to Rome by the testimonie of Baronius himselfe Anno 44. and had concluded necessarily from thence that the Catholike faith was fully finished before the Apostolike See was begunne hence it is said there arose a doubt in that right honourable Calanders conscience a Papist but very moderate and honest not onely of the supremacie of Peter and of that depriuing power annexed to the supremacy but of all the whole Romish Catholike faith which he saw was contained in the popish not Apostolicall Nycene or Constantinopolitane Creede § 125 Therefore when those former learned men together with William Argentine came againe to visite him It is very well sayd Calander that you are met againe to discusse before vs a verie difficult controuersie of the popes new creede which Pius the fouth had formerly compiled Paul the 5. comanded it lately to be printed my good freind Argentine hath lately recited it and I hope by and by he will recite the same to you This being prescribed by the Church vtterly to reiect it I doe as yet to speake truely make a conscience and to admit it wholly vnlesse it bee ratified by the testimonies of the holy Scripture I cannot admit without scruple of conscience For I haue lately learned to giue attendance to the holy Scripture which holy S. Peter doth directly affirme to bee as a candle lightned in this life to vs wandring in darknesse 2. Pet. 1. Which holy Paul doth likewise make the foundation of the Church Ephes 2.20 1. Tim. 3.15 and yet I cannot depart rashly from the Catholike Church whereto I haue beene accustomed which the same S. Paul calles the piller and ground of truth by which there is a creede of faith set out for me So I hang doubtfull betweene the Scripture the Church which God hath giuen vnto vs as the Sunne and Moone the two great lights to giue vs light to life Then Patriott you say right Calander said he in the § 126 generall that as the Sunne and Moone so the Scripture and the Church as two lights shew light vnto vs The Scripture and Church compared to the Sun Moon but that you erre in the speciall as after it shall better appeare But the holy Scripture hath light in it selfe as the Sunne the Church is a light but borrowed from the Scripture as the Moone from the Sun these two I confesse are giuen vs of God to direct vs vnto eternall life But the Scripture directs vs with masterly authority the Church with her ministery for the holy Scripture is the wisdome of God in Christ inspired from aboue into holy men for the eternall saluation and perfection of the Church as the Apostle hath defined it God hath commended the Scripture to the Church The office of the Church as an heauenly charge that it may discerne expound keep and publish it to men the Scripture is therefore mens master but the Church is Gods minister Therefore the Apostle calles the truth the foundation of the Church and the Church the piller of truth as Salomon made his chariot to haue a golden axtree and pillers of siluer vnderstanding by the axetree the sound doctrin of the Messias by the pillers the faithfull teachers of the same § 127 It is a wicked thing therefore to detract from the maiestie of the holy Scripture and it is vniust to derogate from the ministery of the true Church for the Scripture is the truth of God The office of the Scripture and the Church is the house of God the truth is the golden foundation of this house and this house is the siluer piller of this truth that is cut out of the truth as out of the rocke as Chrysostome obserueth So if the Scripture be the base of the Church then the Church is the piller of the word as he spake very wittily Now reason teacheth that the foundation is not sustained by the house but the house by the foundation And religion concludes from thence that truth makes the Church not the Church the truth For the approbation of the truth is the working cause of the Church For before it do approue the written word of God it is but a company of Infidels and Idolaters after it hath approoued it it beginneth to be the familie of the faithful worshippers of God that is a Church Further although the Church by the Spirit doe discerne the true Scripture from the false yet the Scripture being once knowen and acknowledged as before it made so after it sheweth the Church For what more certain note can there be of shewing a thing then the working cause of the thing Againe what priuiledge soeuer the Church doth rightly challenge to it selfe it receiued from the Scripture as that which calleth the Church the piller of truth Therefore the truth of the Scripture is more ancient in time more perspicuous for the light and greater for authority then the Church which when it once receiueth her essence light and power from the Scripture then at last as a piller it vpholdeth with her ministery the truth in respect of men and reueales it to the inhabitants of the earth and it is that ground whereon men both may and ought to leane and rest Lawes vpon pillers so the Scriptures on the Church Whereupon the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine is said to bee the foundation of the Church the Church is the strength of doctrine not the foundation It is euident therfore that the Church is founded and sustained by the truth and that the truth is sustained and reuealed by the Church once founded as it were a watch-tower for trauellers to direct them into heauen The Heathens were wont to write their lawes in tables and hang them vp vpon pillers to bee read of the people The Apostle describing the Church compareth it to such a piller the vse wherof was to shew the Law when it selfe was not the Law So the true Orthodoxe and Catholike faith being written in the tables of the Scripture is fastned to the Church as it wereto a most beautifull piller as a most strong prop which resteth vpon it not with its owne but a borrowed strength Wherefore the Apostle in the second to the Ephesians defines the Church when in the second to Timothie hee describes it For there hee argueth from the causes heere from the effects in each place he vnderstandeth the Church of Ephesus that is a particular Church In the first place he teacheth what made that in the second what that did nor so much what it alway doth for of necessitie the foundation being taken away the Church must fall as it happened first to the Church of Ephesus and afterward to the Church
Pauls authoritie one of them that S. Peter without doubt was a Catholike but Paul if he be not warily expounded seemes to smell of heresie Thother that places out of Paul by the testimonie of Peter were hard to be vnderstood and had need of a Romish Commentarie Peter I said made mention of the hardnes but not of the commentarie In whose Epistle say they whatsoeuer soundeth against the Romane faith therein wee do not attaine to the true sense that which the Rhemists haue obserued Rhem testam argument epist in gene For he in the first chapter say the Fryers did commend the faith of the Church of Rome whereto Cyprian denieth that vnfaithfulnes can haue accesse But in the 11. chapter I say Epist 50. he warned the same Church that if it departed from the bountifulnesse of God it should take heed lest as the Church of Israel was cut off so shee were not cut off also It may therefore be cut off be it spoken by Cyprians leaue For it is in act cut off when it is fallen from that foundation which is placed in the only mercy of Christ apprehended by faith That faith therefore of the Church which Paul the Apostle so much commended and taught by his writings is one and the faith of this Church which Paul the Pope hath left so deformed with his vnwritten traditions is another And yet shee glorieth much as I said that Paul is hir founder I had rather they would vse him as an author But she will neuer doe it Shee maketh more accompt of Pauls Bulls than Paules Epistles which the ancient Fathers did rightly tearme the key of the Scripture Which most of the popish sort do so feare that they cannot reconcile Paul and S. Iames together but oppose them one against thother The reconciling of Paul and James as if Iames the Apostle had concluded that a man is iustified by his workes before God not with faith alone against the Apostle Paul when as Paul doth not vnderstand the same faith and the same iustification which Iames doth For hee requireth faith placed in the heart this reiecteth faith bragged on in the tongue Hee requireth a liuely faith this reiecteth a dead faith Hee doth enforce a heauenly faith which layeth hold on the promise this casteth of a diuelish faith which doth onely acknowledge Christs historie without application hee doth commend and extoll fruitfull faith working by loue this doth rightly condemne a barraine faith voide of the duty of holinesse he doth set forth the iustification before God which Aquinas calleth the righteousnes of imputation Iames the iustification before men whom the same Aquinas calleth the righteousnesse of declaration Moses from whom either Apostle drew his testimonie doth expound ech and doth take vp the controuersie begun by the Aduersarie The imputation of righteousnesse whereof Moses maketh mention Gen 15.6 went thirty yeares before that worke for which they dreame that Abraham was iustified before God Which circumstance of time Paul most earnestly weighing concludeth that faith was imputed to Abraham to obtaine righteousnesse before God 15 yeares as Moses noteth before hee begat Isaac and other 15 yeares at the least before he would haue sacrificed him They know not well how to loose themselues out of this indissoluble knot whosoeuer thinke that righteousnes was imputed to Abraham before God because he killed his sonne who was not as yet borne when as the Holy Ghost doth pronounce him to be righteous which S. Iames himselfe v 23 seemeth to vnderstand as Oecumenius gathereth out of the place that Abraham was the image of iustification which is wrought by faith alone when it was imputed to him for righteousnesse ver 23. ver 21. that he beleeued and of that iustification also which is by workes when hee would haue offred his sonne Isaac vpon the Altar Therefore faith did make perfect the person of Abraham and the worke did iustifie the faith and declare ech to be perfect Is this a fight is this an opposition especially betweene two holy Apostles who writ their Epistles with the instinct of the same spirit But no one thing doth more neerly gaule the Synagogue then that Paul the Apostle by the direction of the spirit writ the commentarie of the mysterie Apoc 9. 2 Thess 2. 1 Tim 4.1 which S. Iohn afterward set forth of that great Antichrist whom hee maketh to be the falling starre i. an apostata from the faith or rather the prince of the apostacie as Paul expounds it Iohn calls him the Angell of the bottomlesse pit the key-keeper of hell the beast arising out of the earth and counterfeyting the lambe with two hornes and in his voyce resembling the Dragon Therefore in shew the Vicar of Christ in deed his aduersarie in ambition aboue Kings Gods emulus as Paul explaines it Iohn in order the 7. King of the Romane state Apoc 13. the reviued image of the former beast to be after reuealed within the Empire decayed as Paul doth interpret it Iohn sitting in the common place Lord of the seauen hill'd Citie in the speciall place in the temple of God A description of the Pope that is in the Church of God as Paul doth expound it for Kings thrones are called Bishops seates Therfore he is in office a Bishop in name Romane or Latine in his disposition a great hypocrite and a notable dissembler by his cunning an inchanter and bewitcher of soules by his worship an Idolater by his malitious practise a murtherer giuen ouer to sinne sold ouer to destruction as both of them define Water is no liker water than Antichrist to the Pope But S. Paul being not therewith content defineth Antichristianitie to be not iniquitie but the mysterie of iniquitie And doth after diuide it into three parts 1. Curious speculations 2. Absurd superstitions 3. Iewish ceremonies whereof it is wholy compounded which who so holdeth doth not hold the head as the Apostle speaketh I beseech thee Christian Reader tell me what is more like than old and new Antichristianitie What is become of them who deny that Poperie hath his beginning from the antient heresies which being of the same age with the Apostolike truth in many things as Tertullian saith was wounded with the Apostolike style as shall be made manifest in the discourse following I do therfore more disdaine than admire that the Apostle Paul doth so exceedingly displease the Romane synagogue who did foreshew that Poperie should be patcht together of Paganisme Idiotisme and Iudaisme A little Glasse of Christ and Christianitie BVt I purposing to set out all the force and nature of Antichrist and Antichristianitie in latine I thought good to set before it a liuely and short forme of Christ and Christianitie which the Apostle defineth to be the mysterie of godlines that the truth of the Gospell being brought into light out of the labyrinth as it were of discoursing might put to flight with her authoritie and countenance
the foundations of mans saluation laid by the Apostle as it shall plainly appeare by the discourse vpon the popish Creede Antonie Marinarius did withstand that wicked decree euen in the Councell it selfe who taught the perseuerance of the faithfull was secure and their securitie to be perseuered in Ambrose Catharinus did likewise resist who maintayned that a sonne of God by the certaintie of faith doth know that he is in the state of grace as any man may be sure that there is Rome yea and that without doubting or feare so that he openly did resist the Councell Albertus Pighius did afterward oppose himselfe who of set purpose doth defend that our righteousnesse is imputed to vs by faith alone vnto life The Councell of Colen may thee ioyned to these wherein many learned Diuines True it is say they and it is required to the iustification of a man that he certainely beleeue not only in generall that they who do truly repent shall obtaine mercy by Christ but that the man that beleeueth shall obtaine forgiuenesse of his sinnes by faith in Christ which they learned out of the Apostle by the interpretation of Bernard Thou hast Gentle Reader the Glasse of Christ the summe of the Apostolike doctrine to be set before the doctrine of the Trent Councell who doth strike vs with a curse for the same more fully hereafter to be propounded and maintayned The power whereof is such that it doth clip the winge of humane pride that it doth aduance the glory of Gods grace that it doth stirre vp an earnest desire of godlines and doth fasten a sure anchor of saluation that the sonnes of God may be made lowly in sinne thankefull in blessing holy in life and cheerefull in death This doctrine Trent Councell doth ouerthrow from whence those twelue articles of faith proceeded which Pius the 4. brought into the forme of a Creede enioyned to be publikely professed of his by his Bull vnder an oath which though they had their birth and beginning from heretikes yet they carry the name of the true faith and counterfeit the Apostles to be their parents that the greater store of Christians may be induced to receiue them As wee heretofore haue heard that Lambert counterfeting the name and kindred of the Earle of Warwicke had many followers when in truth he was the bastard of a villanous Priest So if any shall compare these twelue bastardly and false articles of the Popes creede with the true and right articles of the Apostles creede hee shall finde them to be as like the Apostles as the bastard of Simon the Priest was like the soone of the Duke of Clarence The schoolemen and the Canonists haue had great adoe between them whether the Pope could make any new articles of the faith Bellarmine as a worshipfull moderator takes vp the matter in Tortus He diuides the articles into two sorts He writes that some are of immediat reuelatiō others drawn fetch from them which notwithstanding are to be receiued with a catholike beleefe How foolishly I shall shew hereafter now only I shew what they hold Articles of the first sort Bellarmine denieth may be made of the Pope As much as if he should deny the sunne could be made by the Pope so many ages fastned to his globe by the hand of God The articles of the second stampe hee doth plainly affirme may be made by the Pope as if he should say that he professeth himselfe to be the author and maker of that booke whereof he is the expounder and interpreter Now the Iesuites haue diuided those that were drawne from the first into two other kindes which are so cunningly coucht together that they can hardly be distinguished Some of them consist in practise whereby treason is nourished other consist in doctrine wherby superstition is cherished Those they scatter mystically and closely these plainly and openly Those I call practicall and mysticall which concerne the Popes power in deposing of Kings by the sentence of excommunication and absoluing subiects from the oath of fealtie and conspiracies and rebellions to be concealed vnder the seale of confession and Clerkes to bee exempted from the iudgement of a secular Prince and the power of the Pope aboue the Councell and other wicked conclusions of the same kinde with the schoole of Paris hath lately condemned And a certaine Priest termed a more moderate answerer that hee may more couertly and freely teach the professed articles of superstition doth ouerthrow those mysticall articles of rebellion for which cause he complayneth that their salary is denyed him and the Priests of his order by the Pope Whom I thinke good hee should answer as the Asse answered Balaam Am not I thine Asse whereon thou wert wont to ride euen till this day Tell me if euer I did the like before and now I haue once offended in telling the truth why wilt thou beate mee and take my prouender from me If such Priests will giue eare to me let them forsake so vnthankfull and vniust a master and come ouer to our side For I feare lest while they secretly sow their open articles of superstition among our Country-men that they will draw them from the faith of Christ and beget schollers for Iesuites whom they will infect with their hidden articles of rebellion and bring them from their allegeance and obedience to the King These are fetcht from the first bastards borne of bastards vipers bred of vipers the last more wicked than the former shortly bringing forth an of spring more vilanous Those that are fetcht from immediate revelations as they bee supposed make truth the way for heresie as the authors thereof pretend iustice for wickednesse But this is the disposition of all heretikes that out of a generall truth propounded they alway assume and draw out heresie which as a witch doth cast in a sacred furie into their deceiued mindes The Pelagians from the generall allegation of Gods grace and helpe do gather a speciall rule of their heresie which as poyson they distill more easily into the mindes of their simple Auditors The Papists holding those articles of Christ generally do infuse hereticall poyson deepe into their mindes being seasoned with the sweet of those generals I will giue you one example which doth farther spread it selfe They beleeue in generall that Christ is ascended vp into heauen and sits at the right hand of God and shall come from thence to iudge both the quicke and the dead Yet the Priest doth daily bring Christ from thence to wit out of heauen into the sacrament so that he is corporally present in the sacrament when it is manifest that hee is conteyned in heauen till all things be fulfilled But here they distinguish that Christ shall come once from heauen visibly to iudgement but commeth invisibly euery day into the sacrament O notable deduction that ouerturneth the principle from whence it is drawne O notable distinction which doth by distinguishing vtterly ouerthrow the
many persons which when we affirme it must not be preiudiciall to those holy Bishops who for Christs sake spent their bloud at Rome vnder the Emperours but to the shame of their Successors who forsaking the rule of holy Scripture haue spilt the blood of other men For it is not Rome regenerated and suffering but degenerated and persecuting must be counted the seat of the Beast with many heads which notwithstanding is to be vnderstood that to the Beast there is but one only head at one time more successiuely whom God hath permitted The properties effects of Antichrist 1 To be like the Lambe in two hornes 2 To speake as a Dragon 3 To shew forth the power of the first Beast in his owne sight 4 To make the earth and the inhabitants thereof to worship the first Beast 5 To cure the deadly wound of the former Beast 6 To restore spirit and speech to the image of the first Beast 7 To kill such as will not worship the image of the Beast 8 To worke false wonders namely to make fire descend from heauen in the sight of men 9 To haue the name of the Beast and the name of a man and the number of his name which number is six hundred sixtie and six 10 To imprint the marke of the Beasts name vpon all either on the forhead or on the right hand 11 To forbid that none shall buy or sell without the marke of the Beast These be the true notes of the second Beast that is of Antichrist by your owne interpretations which notwithstanding are miserably detorted as afterward shall plainly appeare Now I take this as granted that these so weighty and admirable matters cannot be brougnt to passe by one singular Beast within the compasse of three yeeres and a halfe whereunto so many Beasts and so many ages are required Antichrist therefore is that ould-aged Animal not a simple but a compound beast for as many Marij were in one Caesar 2 Thess 2. v. 3.4 so there be many Antichrists in that Antichrist whom Paul termeth that man of sinne and that sonne of perdition They doe therefore but trifle and say nothing to purpose A comparison betweene the people of Rome and Antichrist who thinke that therefore he is called the man of sinne because he is a single man For as Florus did paint out all the people of Rome vnder the figure of one man to wit an infant 250 yeeres and 250 yeeres a young man a strong man other 250 and an ould man the last 250 yeeres the same people still gouerning successiuely in the same Citie with the same policies alwaies to the same end as one man aspiring to greatnesse till by the lazinesse of some of the Emperours it became decrepite and exceeding feeble So it doth seeme that the Apostles by the spirit of prophecie did describe many Bishops of Rome as one wretched man and one beast successiuely gouerning in that seuen-hilld Citie an infant in the Apostles time after closely growing vp in certaine of the ambitious Romane Bishops till it came to strength in Boniface the third and to the full age of a man and greater ripenesse in Gregorie the seuenth and others of his successors euer another man not another thing the same an infant the same a youth and a man differing not in minde but in age by the same meanes breathing and aspiring to greatnesse the same closely hidden and openly reuealed the same dominering and the same to be ouerthrowne and now at the last an ouer-worne and a decayed Antic so that he seemeth by his long lasting impietie to be vtterly consumed and brought to nothing The summe of all is this that Antichrist properly so termed is a succession or a kingdome contrary to the kingdome of Christ in profession a Vicar in presumption an Opposite in purpose an Aduersarie CHAP. V. Wherein is inquired what manner of one Antichrist is WE haue found out what Antichrist is now let vs search out what kinde a one hee is by that meanes we shall certainely know who it is Who that hee might not appeare vnto vs in his likenesse Satan hath abused the witts of certaine good men being ignorant of the euent of the prophecie who haue out of that first errour deuised a notable tale For first presupposing that Antichrist is but one single aduersarie hence they haue imagined The Popish description of Antichrist that he shall be by Nation and Religion a Iew of the tribe of Dan the Messias of the Iewes and that he shall sit in the Temple of Ierusalem being re-edified by himselfe that he shall raigne three yeeres and a halfe that he shall put to death three Kings and subdue seauen others and shall obteyne the Monarchie of the whole world that those two witnesses whom they thinke to be Enoch and Elias reserued aliue in some place all this while shall returne vpon the earth and fight with Antichrist and being slaine by him shall rise againe after three yeeres and a halfe and it shall come to passe that the Iewes being conuerted by that miracle shall kill Antichrist in Mount Oliuet and shall ioyne themselues with Christ who shall come to iudgement fiue and fortie daies after This tale certaine ancient writers haue deuised which they so vnconstantly report Bellarmine an A better of the former tale that it easily appeareth by the contradiction that it is but a lye All this false tale Bellarmine telleth as truth except that part concerning the Tribe of Dan. But let vs reiecting all fables Antichrist described out of the Scriptures and Fathers seeke after the truth of God written by the Apostles being now manifested by euent the best Interpreter of the prophesie and by the iudgements of the Fathers agreeing with the Scriptures Apoc. 9. 2. Thes 2. 1. Tim. 4.10 Saint Iohn doth call Antichrist a starre falne from heauen Paul an Apostata from the faith or rather the chiefe Captaine and Ring-leader of that generall Apostasie a Renegate from the Lord God as Augustine doth expound it August de ciuit Dei lib. 20. cap. 10. Greg. lib. 4. epist 38. That falling starre not Lucifer Esa 14. The King of pride with his prepared armie of Priests and therefore a Bishop as Gregorie the first thinketh But Bellarmine doth vnderstand that starre to be Lucifer according to that how art thou fallen from heauen O Lucifer And doth vrge the pretertense that Saint Iohn did not see the starre to fall hereafter but that it is fallen alreadie Neither doth hee marke that this his glosse is farre wide from the text 1. That Lucifers fall from heauen went long before the sound of the fift trumpet 2. Hee is ignorant of the phrase of the Prophets who when they foretell things to come for the certainty of them speake as if they were come already 3 Neither doth he obserue the sense of this Prophet who by the name of starres meaneth the Pastors of the
to be shut vp in an vnknowne tongue lest the people might vnderstand God speaking vnto them when hee commanded prayers to be made in an vnknowne tongue Scriptures in an vnknowne tongue that the people might not speake to God with vnderstanding when he taught implicite faith that is brutish ignorance whereby hee blinded their mindes with incredulity Implicite faith Images to be adored when hee set pictures before them not to be gased on onely but to bee adored that he might feede their eyes with vanities and choake their soules with idolatrie Doe you not perceiue the bottomlesse pit to be wide open you do not see the smoake rising out of the pit for the darknesse which hath darkned the sunne and the aire For the kingdome of lyes is the kingdome of darknesse While hee hath taken away the Scriptures as pearles from Swine Scriptures as pearles for Swine Prayers as chaâ—tering for Parots Faith for asses Images for Idiots and prescribed prayers as pratings for parrets and deliuered faith as an instruction for asses and allowed images as books for ideotes So Antichrist hath obscured the eternall Gospell of Christ more cleare and bright then the Sun it selfe with the thicknesse of hellish darkenesse being worthy to be choaked vp with the smoake of the pit that selleth nothing else but smoake as is euident by the doctrine of Antichrist A short description of Christian religion cleane contrarie to the doctrine of Christ For the doctrine of Christ doth bring foorth 4. principall effects 1. It doth cast downe the corrupt nature of man 2. It doth aduance the sauing grace of God 3. It doth weaken the strength of concupiscence 4. It begetteth peace of conscience 1. So it settles true humilitie in a sinner 2. Right faith toward God in him being humbled 3. Holinesse in him being faithfull 4. And security in him being holy Whereby 1. displeasing himselfe 2. and trusting in God 3. And liuing holily 4. hee is secure in his way and triumpheth ioyfully in his end The doctrine of Antichrist doth bring foorth effects cleane contrarie 1. It doth extoll the corrupt nature of man A short description of popery 2. It doth diminish the free grace of God 3. It addeth matter to encrease concupiscence 4. It withdraweth peace of conscience For 1. it maketh a sinner proud with a conceit of his owne strength 2. Vngratefull by the diminishing Gods grace 1. Inwardly filthy outwardly glorious 4. Doubtfull in the way and fearefull in the end That 1. neither he knoweth himselfe truly 2. Nor beleeueth in God rightly 3. Nor liueth holily 4. Nor dieth quietly You haue Paul the fift the very forme and face of Christianitie and Antichristianitie set before you and yours that they might loue the one and detest the other No Egyptian darknesses are more grosse no Cymmerian to bee compared with these darkenesses of the Popes kingdome which Antichrist the Angell of Hell hath fetcht out of the smoake of the pit CHAP. XII Antichrist his ministers are Locusts whose properties are described WHose ministers the Locusts and Scorpions being ingendred of smoake and darknes it makes well for them that the world is full of darknes Blinde superstition will be more bountifull to them then quick-fighted religion Apoc. 9.3 What a Locust is 4 The Locusts came out of the smoake as S. Iohn saith the Locust is bred of corrupt smoake an Antichristian Monke out of peruerse doctrine who neither can flie aloft by heauenly contemplation nor walke beneath according to Gods ordinance but being lifted vp by certaine Luciferian speculations into heauen falleth downe againe to the earth and when he hath deliuered many things truly and grauely about the Trinitie doth presently fall backe to prate of idle traditions mingling some truth with much falshood like the Deuill who makes true premisses to inferre false conclusions The Locusts spring out of the ignorance of the people as it were out of smoake The diuision of Locusts The Locusts are either elder or younger The elder out of the familie of Francis Dominicke Bennet c. The younger out of the house of lymping Loyola these be more learned and polished who after they had translated the Bible into the English tongue they of Rhemes the New and those of Doway the Ould they adde certaine smoakie interpretations whereby they bring obscuritie to a for or translation So the translation intricate enough in it selfe is made more intricate by their notes As you may see in this very mysterie Places of Scripture obscured by popish interpretations 1 Ioh 2.18 whose parts being plaine enough by the text euent is much obscured by the darknesse rising out of the Glosse and Commentarie of the Iesuites 1. S. Iohn saith that that Antichrist was in his time whom Paul saith shall continue till the comming of Christ what can be more cleare To this place they bring obscuritie out of the Glosse when they imagine that Antichrist shall be one man of three yeeres continuance 2. S. Paul makes him an Apostata not from the name of Christ but from the faith of Christ and doth describe the Apostacie by two euident notes This place they darken with their Glosse which tels vs that he is a Iew who neuer came to Christ and therefore can neuer depart from Christ 3. What is more cleare then that the Citie with seuen Hills that dominiering Citie is the seat of Antichrist as S. Iohn sets it now made the Temple and Church of God as S. Paul will haue it Matth 24.14 that is Rome by their owne confessions and yet this light is darkned with another Glosse that Ierusalem is his seate whose finall destruction Christ did foretell should be after the preaching of the Gospel ouer the whole world the Prophet Daniel that the desolation of the Temple shall continue to the consummation and end that is the end of the world Luc 21.22.24 as not onely Ierome but Christ himselfe hath expounded Yet they giue the lye both to Daniel and Christ when they outface the matter saying that Ierusalem shall be builded againe by Antichrist together with the Temple wherein hee shall sit and raigne 4. What is more euident then that Enoch was translated that he should not see death Heb 11.5 yet to this plaine Text they put a darke and contrary Glosse when they say that he shall returne againe and see death and be killed forsooth by Antichrist Doe you not perceiue that the Locusts doe spring out of the smoake of the pit which doe darken with their Glosses certaine places of the Scripture that be as cleare as the Sunne beames So that all their endeuours are to darken nor enlighten this mysterie They feare nothing more then that Antichrists hood should be pluckt ouer his eares out of which now like Democritus he laugheth at all the world The Pope like Democritus which hee hath deceiued with his smoake As the Poet brought sorrowfull Agamemnon
at the last The description of Antichrist whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is destroying The very Romane Antichrist himselfe destroying soules ouerthrowing common weales casting downe crownes dissipating Churches being armed with so many bloudy lawes so many conspiring Councells so many warlike Legions fetters halters gallowses rackes fires inuironed with so many Inquisitors so many cursatiue Iesuits some of them dogmaticall some pragmaticall King-killers that hee may be rightly called Abaddon and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 You see Paul the fift the disposition of the Romane Antichrist by the starre that fell from heauen by the key of the bottomlesse pit which hee receiued by the pit which he opened by the smoake of the pit which he brought forth by the kingdome of smoake which hee built vp by the stinch of the smoake that he thrust out by the Locusts and Scorpions which do very liuely resemble the Monkes new and olde by their infinite swarmes whereby they do hurt their double venome which they instill their deadly sting wherewith they strike their power pride cunning cruelty which they practise very worthy subiects of their King Abaddon whom they obey CHAP. XIV Wherein is set downe actions of the Beast OF what kinde Antichrist is wee haue expounded now wee must shew whereabout hee is occupied The starre which fell from heauen doth shew his disposition The beast that rose out of the earth shall expresse his action Saint Iohn describeth two beasts one ascending out of the sea another out of the earth The first doth resemble the Romane Empire the other Antichrist properly so called Saint Iohns Sea-beast The Romane Monarchy rose out of the sea that is out of a turbulent state out of the factions and disorders of nations as out of a troublesome sea who is called a beast not in respect of his ciuill authoritie which he hath from God but of his beastly vices which hee tooke from the Dragon Saint Iohns land-beast The Prophet brings in another beast rising out of the earth not the same but diuers from it like in many things yet not the same For I saw saith Saint Iohn another beast rising out of the earth which is both the seuenth head of the Romane beast and yet a beast in it selfe for her different beginning and nature The actions of Antichrist the land-beast 1 Ascending out of the earth therefore Antichrist is the sonne of the earth Therefore from the earth being borne of earthly and sensuall concupiscence and diuelish counsell as Iames the Apostle doth ioyne these 3. Ia. cap. 3.15 signifying all one thing earthly sensuall diuelish To speake like the Dragon 2 She is said to speake as a Dragon although shee dissembles the 2. hornes of a lambe whereof I spake before And herein Bellarmine doth almost agree with vs. That by the Dragon the Deuill is vnderstood by the first beast the great number of sinners but vnder the Romane Empire as we haue set downe by the consent of all Interpreters neither doth Bellarmine greatly denie it By the later Beast Antichrist as elsewhere as also the Preachers and Apostles of Antichrist being the head of the first beast cut off and liuing againe hee doth acknowledge with vs to be the true image of that Beast 3 She is said to worke all her power in his sight She worketh in the sight of the first beast First it is certaine that one and the same seat the citie with seauen hills belongeth to them both which hath ruled ouer Kings and Princes which can bee no other then that great Lady Rome In which seate the land-beast did succeede the sea-beast and deriued all the power of the Romane Empire to herselfe so that by her owne men it is called the Kingdome of Priests shee doth shew all the power of the first beast in his sight that is at Rome 4 She doth constraine the earth and the inhabitants thereof to worship the beast how will some say when the Pope doth enforce the inhabitants of the earth not to worshippe the Emperour but himselfe So you are to vnderstand the beasts not to be the person that did raigne either in the Empire or in the Popedome but those tyrannicall powers which those beastly persons did put in practise Againe you are to consider the Papall power to bee truely imperiall and although it commend it selfe vailed with the name of Christ yet that it was brought in by the Dragon as well as the other that it might worship the Dragon and be an expresse image of the Imperial power which contained in it the Papall The actions of Pagan Emperors For the Emperor was the cheife Bishoppe Now the Emperours did belch out blasphemies against God condemne the true worshippe of God oppresse the true worshippers of God maintaine the worshippe of Deuills and did openly serue the Dragon from whom they receiued their tyrannicall power And what did the Popes The action of the Antichristian Popes Did they not with a blasphemous mouth challenge to themselues the diuine name and godhead with Domitian did they not scoffe at the grace of Christ with Iulian did they not persecute the seruants of Christ with Dioclesian did they not bring in the worship and doctrine of Deuills and while they did openly professe the name of Christ did they not closly and secretly serue the Dragon So the difference betweene the Emperours and the Popes about the manner of worshipping the Dragon was somewhat but in plaine truth nothing at all But heere is a necessarie distinction to be vsed There was in the Emperours a blinde ignorance of Christ in the first Bishoppes a true confession of Christ in their successors a fained who did in word condemne the olde Romane Idolatrie and tyrannie What popery is but did call it backe againe in deede For what is poperie indeede if you doe truely weigh many of the parts of it but refined paganisme The Authors whereof were so bewitched of the Deuill that they intended one thing and did another in intention they worshipped God in very deede the Dragon as deceiuers so deceiued the principall Authours of the Deuills worship as Saint Iohn saith of the doctrine of Deuells as Saint Paul saith What is popery else therefore whether you consider the worshippe or the doctrine but secret Draconisme 1. They thinke that they do gaily well when they call vpon other Mediators either Angells or Saints when they adore the Pictures of Saints yeelding worshippe to the Image as they say which is due to the example whenas the contrary is fit to giue no worshippe to the Image when none is due to the substance They thinke they do passing holily but indeede they worshippe the Deuill when they worshippe the Image as Iohn teacheth whence Lactantius concludeth there is no religion there where there is an Image Hence it followeth that the Romane Synagogue is voide of religion which is full of
say that the words are shut and sealed vp to the time appointed Who if we grant to haue foretould of the Romane Empire and of Antichrist he will neither much hurt our cause or helpe theirs For if Daniels fourth beast be the state of the Romane Empire and the 10. hornes the tenne Kings among whom it shall bee diuided and the eleuenth horne springing thence be Antichrist assuredly the Pope who is raised out of the fall and ruine of the Empire is Antichrist Here if you please I will consider of all those places alleaged by Bellarmine and search-out how they agree within themselues and how with the text Bellarmine saith that the fourth Empire Bellarmines contradiction which he taketh to be the Romane shall last to the worlds end And yet hee saith that the Romane Empire shall be vtterly destroied before the comming of Antichrist who shall raigne three yeares and a halfe How can hee then alleage it for a truth that the Romane Empire shall last to the worlds end I send this great Chrisippus againe to Aristotles Analytickes whither some time he sendeth others without cause that when he hath reuiewed them he may teach vs how two contradictions can be true at one time The Romane Empire shall last to the worlds end The Romane Empire shall not last to the worlds end for it must haue the finall destruction at the comming of Antichrist who shall raigne three yeares and a halfe Now let vs consider how Bellarmine and Daniel doe agree Many of our age and those very learned who seeme very exactly to search into Daniel do thinke that the fourth Empire which many other without doubt as well learned as they doe take for the Romane Monarchie was the Kingdome of the Seleucides and the Lagides in Siria and Egypt The exposition of the 7. of Daniel as they afflicted Iury hembd in betweene them and therefore designed to be more terrible then the three former because more dangerous to Iury. And that the ten hornes were ten Kings of Siria Egypt who did successiuely oppresse the Iewes and that Antiochus Epiphanes was the tenth and last who more then the rest did plague them most cruelly and that therefore he was the type of Antichrist who should no lesse afflict the Christians and not Antichrist himselfe as Bellarmine dreameth Let vs if you please alledge some of the reasons drawne out of the Text. Reasons th t Antichrist is not properly in Daniel 1 The fourth beast was a kingdome to be abolished before the comming and raigne of the Messias as the Prophet teacheth cap 7. v. 11. 26. 27. which is true of the kingdome of the Seleucides false of the Romane 2. The fourth beast did make warre with the Iewes and did greuously oppresse them did hinder the worship of God not onely before the comming of Christ but before the purging of the Temple and the restoring of the Iewish worship by Iudas Machabeus cap 7. v. 25. 26. 27. which agreeth with the kingdome of the Seleucides not with the Romane 3. Ten hornes and no more did belong to the fourth beast that is ten Kings I will name them anon who did oppresse Iurie with their tyrannie which being vnderstood of seuen Seleucides and three Lagides is very true of the Romanes very false who after they got the gouernment of Iurie were more then ten 4. Besides those Kings did succeed one another orderly in the same kingdome this is true in the seuen Seleucides and three Lagides but not in them who after descended from the Kings in the Româ— Empire who at the same time did raigne in diuers Prouinces as the Aduersarie himselfe confesseth 5. Lastly the Leopard cap. 7. signifying the Graecian Empire is shadowed by the Goate cap 8. which appeares by that that as the Leopard is said there to haue had foure heads so the Goate when his great horne was broken of Alexander foure hornes are said to succeed in his place i. foure Princes among whom the Empire of the Goate was diuided which to the Romane Empire agreeth not but to the Greeke it doth Alexander and his foure Princes For after Alexanders death Ptolomey the sonne of Lagis held Egipt Philip Alexanders brother Macedon Seleucus Nicanor Syria and Babylon Antigonus Asia the lesse these were Alexanders foure Princes as Hierom obserueth If it bee demanded how the two feet prophecied of by Daniel What is ment by the 2 feete and 10. toes which in Bellarmines iudgment doth fitly resemble the Rom Empire diuided into the East and West from whence ten Kings as ten toes did proceede I answer from those foure Princes of Alexander two of them that is Seleucus Nicanor and Ptolomey Lagis were the most potent who brought the other four Kingdomes by mutuall warres vnder their subiection from him the kingdom of the Seleucides and the kingdome of Syria in the North from this the kingdome of the Lagides and of the Kings of Egipt in the South did descend and both these did with their invasions greatly afflict the Iewes placed in the middest These were the two feet which did so miserably trample vpon the Iewes from whence did spring out ten Kings as ten toes which Daniel describeth cap 11. Daniels litle horne who it is for the three Lagides descended from Ptolomie the seuen Seleucides from Seleucus and from thence in the end of the kingdome of the Selcucides ouer the Iewes a litle horne sprouted out cap 7. 9 that is a King with a bold face that is The ten hornes Antiochus â—piphanes the tenth horne cap. 11. properly and liuely described 1 Ptolomie Lagis The first horne of the fourth and namelesse beast Ptolomie Lagis King of the South .i. of Egipt is described v 5. then Seleucus Nicanor the most puissant of Alexanders Princes v 11. 2. Seleucus Nicanor 3. Antiochus Soâ—er 4. Anâ—iâ—chus Theos the King of the North is the second horne for hee preuailed against Ptolomie and recouered Iurie and all Siria from him and gouerned there himselfe Him did Antiochus Soter the third horne succeed whose sonne Antiochus Theos the fourth horne that he might establish a league betweene himselfe and Ptolomie Philadelphus King of Egipt v 6. tooke Bernice Philadelphus daughter to wife that thereby he might fulfill that part of the Prophecie of the two feet one of yron thother of clay that they should mingle themselues with mans seede and yet should not grow together Dan 2. v. 43. the prophecie was proued true by euent for Antiochus Theos had already Laodice another wife aliue 5. Seleucus Callinicus of whom he begat Seleucus Calinicus the fift horne who slew Bernice her sonne and seruants Antiochus Theos was poysoned by Laodice his wife and Ptolomie v 7. Bernices Father presently after the mariage died for griefe 6. Ptolomie Euergetes But in his place arose Ptolomie Euergetes the sixt horne who being of the same race with Bernice .i. her Brother made warre vpon
truth and power to be ouercome by errour and wickednesse Assuredly hee will neuer suffer it The Christians therefore haue no cause to feare the Pope hath no cause to insult For the Pope alone hath all the markes of Antichrist The Pope alone therefore is Antichrist CHAP. XLII The scope and conclusion of the whole worke I Haue finished the Glasse Paul the fift set before you to see your selfe before others to look on themselues wherein Antichrist is fully set downe as in preface Heere you may see contained his right and true marks the false being reiected and cast by Euery of them in seuerall and all of them ioyntly together doe prooue the Pope to be that great Antichrist Hence it followeth that Popery is Antichristianity What hee is and who he is appeares out of the preface What he doth and what he teacheth out of the Dialogue diuided into three bookes First comes vpon the stage Antichrist pragmaticall In the two other bookes Antichrist dogmaticall There he carries himselfe like a Rebell heere like a Sophister there he doth impaire the glory of the Empire heere the truth of the Gospell there hee doth vndermine the faithfulnesse of subiects heere the faith of Christians The first booke doth propound the rules and grounds of Christian fealty and obedience toward Kings against Christian rebellion shadowed ouer with a shew of Catholike religion The other two doe erect the foundation and pillers of Christian doctrine and faith against the Antichristian heresie compacted of twelue new articles of the faith brought into the forme of a creede by Pius the fourth whereupon I call it the Popes creede I doe solemnely professe that I am afaithfull seruant of Christ and the King I doe not take vpon me being the meanest and the least of all other to giue warning vnto Kings once already warned by the great King not therefore to bee warned of any but of Christ the King of Kings Let Iesus Christ therefore bee in our thoughts a while who although he be absent in body yet present in spirit hath an interest and being yea and a gouernment also in the spirits of all Christians and chriefly of all Princes his bountie is to be loued his maiesty is to be dreaded euen of Kings for as the powerfull gouernment of Kings is to be dreadfull to their owne subiects so the most powerfull gouernment of God is to bee dreadfull to Kings of God I say manifested in the flesh who being present with them in spirit seemeth thus to speake and complaine CHAP. XLIII THE PROSOPOPEY I AM not ignorant who am ignorant of nothing ô yee Christian Kings and Princes that the Byshop of Rome my Vicare as he calles himselfe my Aduersarie The Pope both an hereticke and traytor as he carries himselfe hath beene a Teacher of heresie in the Church and a Practiser of treason in the common-weale for these many yeares For euer since hee was made the vniuersall Byshop he hath done nothing else but corrupted my Gospell and peruerted your Empire And no maruell for out of the corruption of the Gospell doth follow the dissolution of the Empire For whereas I haue erected by the Gospell a twofould pillar of gouernment Authoritie in Magistrates and Allegeance in Subiects it is strange to see the Gospell peruerted in the mindes of men how each pillar of gouernment falles to the grounds The greatest fault whereof is in the Byshops treacherie and in your slothfulnesse that whereas I had submitted all Byshops vnder your power and iudgement you haue suffered one to fly out so farre aboue the rest that he dare not onely rebell against yours but against my Maiestie also That therefore the ancient dignitie of the Empire may be recouered being lost and for euer maintained being recouered my counsell to you is that the truth of the Gospell shaken and long weakened by the Popes tyrannie may at last be restored by your princely authoritie For what is more reasonable then that I should haue you defenders of my glory whom I haue appointed Ministers of my power And if it were in question heretofore whether that Byshoppe were that Antichrist He is so prophetically described by my beloued Disciples Iohn and Paul that now it is out of question seeing that euent hath laid open and made cleare the prophecie For all the partes of the prophecie are so plainely interpreted All notes of Antichrist agree with the Pope of the succession of the persons the nature and disposition of the King and kingdome the acts of the beast the impression of the Character the number of his name the scituation of his seate the time of his reuealing the cuppe of the whore the kind of his marchandise the fall of Babylon lastly the comming in and going out the birth and death of Antichrist the last answering the first and the middle answering both with such a consent and barmonie inferring things to be fulfilled by things that are fulfilled that I could not haue made it clearer if I had named the Byshop of Rome himselfe And Antichristianity is well defined by my Apostle to be not iniquitie but the mysterie of iniquitie For if Antichrist had appeared to you in his owne likenesse you needed not to haue beene so carefull about the businesse Now that hee doth insinuate himselfe with a counterfet holinesse and a dissembled sanctity how many millions of innocent men hath he cosoned and deceiued with his hidden mysticall wickednesse But let the visard be taken off from this hidden Antichrist then none can hereafter be deceiued but he that will wittingly and willingly be deceiued Beware therefore that the old trickes and stratagemes being laid open beguile you no more He faineth himselfe to be the Prince of the couenant and yet he hath altered my couenant Hee pretendes himselfe to be a Keeper of my will and testament and yet he hath not only raced and defaced my testament The Pope hath altered Christ his Testament and brought in a new but hath foysted in one of his owne He termes himselfe the foundation of the Church and chalengeth to him my peculiar title and yet hee doth with cunning deuises subuert and ouerthrow my Church He makes a shew of great zeale to my crosse and yet doth annihilate the power of the crosse The holy Scripture makes mention of Gods double gouernment the Legale and Euangelicall The legale which hath the condition of working annext vnto it do this and thou shalt liue Ierem. 31.31 Heb. 8.5 ad finem The Euangelicall requireth the condition of beleeuing Beleeue and thou shalt be saued But it requireth faith not as a worke but as an instrument whereby you may receiue the promises of the spirit therefore that is called a conditionall this a free conuenant Where there is no couenant there is no faith and where there is no faith there is no saluation Humane faith doth rest vpon an humane couenant heauenly faith vpon a heauenly couenant Heauenly faith is
cast down to deiect kings lift vp kings and to bestow a Kingdome vpon whom hee please Hee sent Samuel onely to denounce it to Saul and to annoynt Dauid in his roome Samuel did annoint Dauid when God did expressely command it therefore the Pope may depose a Prince although God did not expressely command it I pray tell me hath the Pope any reuelation from God to depriue a King No you will say but hee hath a commandement as before him many other had true to denounce the iudgements of God either temporall or eternall not to execute them God is the actour in casting downe of Saul not Samuel God inflicted the punishment as a Iudge Samuel onely did publish it as a messenger neither as he was a Prophet by his generall vocation but as hee was a Prophet by speciall instinct appointed to that purpose not as Superiour to Saul but as Gods messenger who did precisely lay this chaâ—ge on him and named the successour with his own mouth What is this to the Pope vnlesse you thinke the prerogatiue proper to the mighty God communicable with a sinnefull man which if hee take it on him without Gods speciall and expresse commandement he doth not exercise it vnder God but equall as God And whatsoeuer is done without God is done against God But Saul as you say is deposed by Samuel by Gods commandement God set downe the censure Samuel declared it I adde also out of the text hee did not declare the § 32 person of Saul to bee cast out of the possession of the kingdome as you say but the off-spring of Saul from the succession of the kingdom for Israel and Iuda after Saul was reiected of God and Dauid annointed did for all that with Dauid obey him many yeers 1. Sam. 24.11 whom Dauid after his deposing called his Lord and the Lords annoynted God keepe mee saith hee from laying my hands vpon him for he is the annoynted of the Lord he doth not say he was but he is the annoynted of the Lord. And he restrained himselfe in ot for feare but for conscience not for curtesie but for duty when he found him sleeping in the caue and one of his captaines would haue killed him Take heede saith he what you doe 1. Sam. 24.5 for who shall strike the Lords annoynted and be guilâ—lesse hee did not thinke it compassion because hee spared him but hee would haue thought it a sinne if hee had layd his hand on him Hence arose that scruple in his conscience because he had cut off the lappet of the Kings garment hee trembled when hee cut off the skirt of the kings coat these good fellowes blush not to offer violence to the kings person Hee commanded the man to be thrust thorough who had killed Saul the Lords annointed these appoint earthly heauenly rewards for such as murther annointed Kings And if all Israel did of right obey Saul being reiected § 33 by Gods command if Dauid himselfe annointed the successour of the kingdome did performe all loyall obedience to him if he reuerenced him as the Lords annoynted and condemned it as a sinne in himselfe if he had layd his hand vpon him when hee might and reuenged it vpon another that had committed it how can the Pope absolue the subiects from the oath of obedience made to any king whatsouer or make his act meritorious who doth kill him from whom the Pope without any authoritie hath taken the gouernment you see therefore that there is neither truth in the Antecedent of your enthymem nor coherence in the consequence § 34 After the same manner wee may answere you about Ieroboam The example of Ieroboam answered that which your selfe confesse by the way that the Prophet was sent who should denounce the punishment in word only not violently inflict it himselfe and did not vtter one word of the schisme and deposing but onely foretold what should follow that Iosias should ouerturne that altar and burne the Priests bones vpon it as it fell out 300. yeares after Ieroboam was dead But whether it prefigured our falling from the Apostolicall sea Ieroboam and his Priests types of poperie as you call it or your backsliding from the Apostolicall truth and whether Ieroboam with his altar doe represent your Pope who hath corrupted the true and auncient worship of God with vnwritten traditions or our Princes who haue reformed it so corrupted by the holy Scriptures it is not to be argued at this time onely I see a great likenesse betweene his calues and your idoll vpon the altar I appeale to your religious wisedome what difference is there in the case of Idolatrie whether a caluish or a crustie Godhead bee adored I know your answere you doe not worshippe the bread but Christ in the bread And Ieroboams Priests might make the same answere that they worshipped not the calfe but God in the calfe whose Idolatrie for all that you hold to be condemned But whether Ieroboams Priests be the types of our Ministers or of your shaulings and whether they be more abiect and hungerstaru'd they who for conscience sake serue the liuing God or your Priests who to fill their paunches serue the golden calfe it belongs not to this question in hand And all this example proueth nothing else but that a wicked King may rightly bee reprehended of a Prophet as a wicked Pope may of any Priest yet you would not say that a Pope might iustly bee deposed of him as neither the king by the Prophet although hee were greiuously reprehended by him as hee well deserued § 35 Neither leprous Ozias though hee were shut from the company of men according to the Law Ozias the Leperous no type of excommunication whom you make the figure of a spirituall Leper and by that reason of one that is excommunicate was at any time thrust from his kingdome because the gouernment thereof was committed to his sonne 4. Reg. 15. For Ozias continued king to his dying day as the Scripture calleth him in the 25. yeare of his raigne which was the last of his life Iothan therefore was not as yet the King but the Kings Vicegerent while his father liued Neither did any Leper by Gods law loose his priuate inheritance Inheritance not lost for leprosie much lesse a king the publicke inheritance of the crowne Neither did heresie which you tearme a spirituall leprosie driue any out of his kingdome no more then couetousnesse or ambition or the contempt of the word cast the Pope out off his Popedome which the Fathers called the leprosie of the soule And if leprosie shall remoue a king out of his throne how shall the Popes hold their chaires that you leprous conclusion doth as well touch the Popes myter as the Kings crowne This figure then is as pernitious to the Pope as to the King For whereas you said it was the office of the Priest to separate those that were Lepers there you
the scepter the myter the crowne No maruell you say for then the Christian Byshops wanted temporall forces They might wel haue excommunicated and deposed Princes Ala contâ—exec Angli inst pa 167. if the Church had had power enough to resist As two great Masters of not building vp but of destroying diuinitie haue taught Alan and Bellarmine Bellar de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. cap. 7. So I beleeue the Apostle Paul when he saw the antient Christians to be few in number and weak in power § 58 taught them then not to resist the power How Paul vsed Princes belike he serued the time not the truth when he taught that subiects should be subiect to Nero for conscience sake For when they were encreased in number and power if wee beleeue these Cardinalls they should no more suffer as patient Martyrs but take vpon them like boasting souldiers For so they haue corrected the Apostles discipline with their worthy interpretation and put out the crowes eyes as the prouerbe is and haue wisely altered the rules of the holy Ghost which ought to be perpetuall and immutable to the practise of the Church as the case required But one thing I doubt much they cannot wipe away It is damnation to resist the power saith the Apostle Moses what is it then to lay violent handes vpon him Moses forbad that the people should not speake euill of their Gouernour would hee haue suffered Salomon if they could to resist him Salomon forbad that none should curse the king secretly in his conscience did hee grant by force to cast him off if they had might to do it Iudas Iudas the Apostle did stile them fitly Dreamers that spake ill of gouernment and despise such as bee in authoritie would he take these Cardinalls for holy Doctours who perswade the people to driue the king out of his kingdome if they can Let vs beleeue it if it be possible that Moses Salomon § 59 and Iudas the Apostle when they would haue the subiects tongues to bee tied vp they would leaue their hands to be loose Ieremy the Prophet exhorted the exiled Iewes that they should offer vp their prayers for the life of the King of Babylon Paul the Apostle did aduise the persecuted Christians to pray to God for the safety of Nero. Is it eredible that the Prophet and the Apostle for whom they would haue subiects praiers poured out that they would haue their blood to bee poured out vnlesse you thinke the Apostle was like to Charles the fift who commanded that publike prayers should bee made for the deliuerance of Clement the 7. whenas his owne legions kept him captiue I expect that the Cardinals doe thus expound the place of the Apostle to haue commanded them to haue prayed for Nero because they wanted force to resist which if they had got they might iustly haue gone from praying to violence and from orizons to weapons O warlike priests In the meane while what wrong do they offer to Peter and Peters successors who suffered death for Christ whom they insinuate not to haue wanted courage but power to resist And they make goodly Martyrs if when they died for the truth deliuered rebellious soules out of their afflicted bodies Tertul. in Apo. leget And I wonder that two so learned Cardinals were so ignorant of the historie to say that Christians might lawfully haue resisted if they had had strength when Tertullian doth alleage that they had power but might not lawfully resist Which if it may bee truely said of the second age after Christ how much more in the fourth fift and sixt age whenas Christians being graced by Princes and defended by lawes might professe the § 60 Catholike religion openly and freely It is an not able saying of Austen August in Ps 124. that the Christian souldiers did obey Iulian the Apostata their temporall Lord not because as these men dreame they wanted power to resist Christian souldiers obeyed Iulian. but for the Lord eternall For the souldiers in their warre against the Persians might easily haue surprised Iulian being farre from home Sâ—cra lib. 3. cap. 22. and succour But they were you will say Pagane souldiers Yea forsooth as Socrates tells vs the next day after Iulians death when Iouinian was chosen Emperour by them he refused that honor because he suspected the greater part of the armie to be heathenish all of them cryed out with one voice that they were Christians The Fathers writ against Iulian they fight not they vsed their pennes not their armes they strooke the Apostata with their arguments not with their weapons as they dealt afterward with Constantius and Valens hereticall Emperors But your Cardinals and Fathers do vndertake the § 61 businesse against Princes not with the penne but with the sword assoone as they bee denounced excommunicate for heresie and releasing their subiects from the Oath of allegeance tell them they may beare armes against them hauing beene sometimes their Princes and doe obtrude this as a principall head of Catholicke Religion making much for the saluation of their soules Although I haue lighted vpon some who before the sentence denounced by the Church hold that an hereticall Prince by right for the very act Caietane is to be remoued forcibly by the subiects But Caietane denieth that the subiects may be absolued before the sentence bee publickely denounced Very franckly that he will allow somewhat to an hereticall Prince But Alanus will haue all Heretickes not only after they be by name particularly denounced Alanus but by law and ipso facto as they say assoone as they beginne to appeare hereticall or be by law excommunicated should be put from their kingdomes For as Fame so Heresie Gathers strength by going forward Alanus is somewhat more earnest in the matter then Caietane who pronounceth that warre to be holy iust and honourable which subiects vndertake against their hereticall Prince and doth aduise the valiant Englishmen to take part with the enemie against the Queene But after our Cardinall had deliuered his opinion as Apollo from his three footed stoole Philop. 194. Philopater doth boldly affirme that it is an opinion certaine and of faith and vndoubtedly held of all the learned and agreeable to Apostolicall doctrine that euery Christian Prince if he flatly fall from the Catholicke religion and call others from the same to fall presently from all his power and dignitie by the force of Gods law and mans law and that before the sentence of the supreame Pastor and Iudge be denounced against him and that all manner of subiects are free from euery bond of Oath which they should by obedience haue performed to a lawfull Prince and that they may and ought if they haue power cast out from the gouernment of Christians such a man as an Apostata or Hereticke and a Renegate from Christ the Lord and an vtter enemie to the common weale § 62 There is an