himselfe to die and rise againe therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answere to the proposition that no such miracle in the scripture is assigned vnto Antichrist but that it is a sond imagination of the Papists which by some of them and namely by Lib. 3. de pontif Rom. cap. 5 Bellarmine himselfe is propounded more fondly to wit that Antichrist shall faigne himselfe to die and by the helpe of the diuell shall rise againe For if his death be but counterfeit he shall not neede the diuels helpe to raise him Notwithstanding they would grounde this miracle vpon those words Apoc. 13. 3. And I sawe one of his heads as it were wounded to death but his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondred after the beast I answere that in these words the holy Ghost speaketh not of Antichrist that he of whom he speaketh doth not saigne himselfe to die and rise againe As touching the first of those two beasts described in this chapter the former is not Antichrist but the latter The former which is described vnto the 11. Verse is the Romane Empire especially vnder the persecuting Emperours as hath bene shewed euery part of that description fitting the same And that the latter beast signifieth Antichrist it is in a maner confessed of all Heare what Bellarmine saith in the beginning of his tenth chapter speaking of the Lib. 3. de Pontif. Ro. ca. 10. 16. 17. and 18. Verses of this 13. chapter of the Apocalyps which are spoken concerning the second beast Fatentur omneo saith hee pertinere omnino ad Antichristum verba illa Ioannis Apoc. 13. fuciet omnes pusillos cum magnis c. All men confesse that those words of Iohn Apoc. 13. And he shall make all both small and great c. do wholy appertaine to Antichrist And in this very chapter how doth Bellarmine proue 1. that Antichrist shall worke great signes because it is said verse 13. fecit signa magna and he wrought great signes 2. that many of the signes of Antichrist shall be phantasticall and onely in appearance because it is said in the same verse that he doth cause fire to descend in the sight of men 3. that Antichrist shall cause fire to come downe from heauen and make the Image of the beast to speake because it is so prophesied of Antichrist verse 13. and 15. Now if this be confessed that the latter beast is Antichrist then can it not be truly affirmed that the former beast is Antichrist vnlesse we may say that the former and the latter are one and the same But that cannot be truly saide For of the latter Iohn saith And I sawe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an other beast verse 11. If it be an other then is it not the same and the great difference in the descriptions of both doth shewe that they are diuerse beasts The one arising out of the Sea hath tenne hornes the other arising out of the earth hath two hornes like the Lambe The latter exerciseth the power of the former and that in his sight causeth men to worship the former beast whose deadly wound was healed maketh an Image to the former beast which had a deadly wound liued verse 14. Therfore the second Vers. 12. beast which signifieth Antichrist is not that beast which had the deadly wound and was cured thereof nor yet the head which was so wounded 4 Againe to come to that obiection which Bellarmine maketh vnto himselfe and doth not satisfie this miracle and the two first doo not belong to one and the same subiect if therefore the two first concerning fire and the Image belong to Antichrist then this doth not or if this do then the other two do not but all confesse that those two do belong to Antichrist therefore this doth not Herevnto Bellarmine would seeme to answere that the former beast signifieth either the Romane Empire or the multitude of the wicked and that one that is to say the chiefe head thereof which seemed to dye and rise againe is Antichrist For saith hee Antichrist shall be the chiefe and the last head of the wicked as also of the Romanes The second beast signifieth either Antichrist himselfe according to Rupertus or the Ministers and Preachers of Antichrist according to Richardus and Anselmus And therefore these three miracles belong either to Antichrist alone or to him and his Ministers In which answere of Bellarmine we see that prouerbiall speech verified that Great it the truth and it shall preuale Seeing the force and euidence Esdr. 341. of truth hath expressed from him in this place a confession that ouerthroweth the popish concerning Antichrist and manifestly proueth the Pope to be Antichrist Namely when hee confesseth according to the true interpretation of the auncient Interpreters and Fathers of the Church that the beast with seuen heads is the Romane Empire that Antichrist is one of those seuē heads as also else-where he hath confessed that the whore of Babylon is the citie of Rome From hence therefore it followeth that Antichrist shall be the head Cap. 13. not of the Iewes but of the Romanes that his chiefe seate or See shall be not Ierusalem but Rome that the name of the beast is Romane or Latine that Antichrist is not one particular man no more then the other sixe heads of the Romane Empire but a state of gouernment as the Kings were one head and the Consuls an other and the Emperours but one head and the Popes and Papacie but one head and lastly that the head of the beast or Romane Empire which is Antichrist can be no other but the Pope of Rome For of these seuē heads S. Iohn saith that in his time fiue of thē were fallen one was an other was not yet come These fiue which were fallen were the fiue first viz. kings consuls Decēuiri tribunes dictators The head that then was out of question was the Emperours who were the sixt head the seuenth which is of the Popes was not yet come Which then of these seuen heads doth signifie Antichrist surely none of the fiue first for they were past before S. Iohns time nor the sixt which is the state of Emperours for that then was and Antichrist was not yet come and as the Papists confesse that was it which hindered the reuelation In 2. Thess. 2. of Antichrist and therefore was to be done out of the way before Antichrist could bee reuealed It remaineth therefore that the seuenth head which is of the Popes is Antichrist For as touching the Imperiall state renewed in the West the holy Ghost plainely saith that the beast which was and is not though it be as being but the Image of the olde Empire is the eight and is one of the seuen that is in name and title it is the same with the sixt as Images beare the names of those things which they doo represent If therefore Antichrist bee one of the
Anno. 1260. of that vniuersitie called the monks and priests the subiects of Antichrist One Lawrence also an Englishman master of Paris proued the Pope to be Antichrist the synagogue of Rome the great Anno. 1290. I. Fox BabyloÌ„ About the same time Maenardus Tyrolius in a publick edict calleth the Popes effeminate Antichrists And againe if they be not Antichrists I pray you what are they Auentin annal boior li. 7. Michael Cesenas principall of the gray fryers wrote against the pride tyranny and primacy of the Pope accusing him to be Anno. 1322. 1. Fox Antichrist and the church of Rome the whore of Babylon drunken with the bloud of Saints Hayabalus a fryer in the time of Clement the sixt preached and that as he saide by Anno. 1345. Henrie de Herford in Chronic. Catalog test 1. Fox commaundement from God that the church of Rome is the whore of Babylon and that the Pope with his Cardinalles is the very Antichrist Wilhâ—…lmus Occomensis as Auentine calleth him wrote a booke against Charles and Clement the sixte wherein he calleth the Pope Antichrist Auentin annal Boior li. 7. Briget whom the Papists worship as a canonized Saint calleth the Pope a murtherer of soules more cruell then Iudas Anno. 1370. more vniust then Pilate worse then Lucifer himselfe She prophecieth 1. Fox that the See of Rome shall bee throwne downe into the deepe like a milstone according to the prophecie of Saint Iohn Apocalypse 18. 21 About the same yeere Matthias Parifiensis a Bohemian writing a booke of Antichrist proueth that he is already come and noateth him to be the Pope Franciscus Petrarch in many places of his writings calleth Anno. 1374. the court of Rome the whore of Babylon the mother of the fornications and abominations of the earth Vrhanus the sixt and Clement the seauenth two Popes at once call one the other Antichrist As Bernard before had called Baldus de vit pontif Anacletus against whom Innocentius the second was chosen as Antipope That beast saith hee in the Apocalypse to Anno 1378. Anno. 1130. Epist. 125. whom is giuen a mouth speaking blasphemies to war with the Saints meaning Antichrist occupieth the chaire of Peter as a Lyon ready for the pray But most effectually doth our godly and learned countryman Iohn Wicleffe discouer the enormities and heresyes of the Anno. 1383. Bellar. de pont Rom. lib. 3. c. 1. Pope whom he pronounced to be Antichrist Artic. 30. His iudgement as in other things so also in this that worthy Martyr of Christ Iohn Husse followed Who affirmeth in his Anno. 1405. booke de ecclesia that hee was troubled because he preached Christ and discouered Antichrist That the Censures of the Romish church were Antichristian and proceeding froÌ„ Antichrist as Gerson the Parisians obiect against him Art 16 that in those times many ages before there had bin no true Pope nor true Romane church but the Popes were Antichrists the church of Rome the synagogue of Satan Whose iudgement many in Bohemia followed Sir Iohn Oldâ—…astell the Lord Anno 1413. 1. Foxe Cobham that famous noble martyr of Christ prosessed to K. Henry the 5. that by the Scriptures he knew the Pope to be the great Antichrist the son of perdition c. Hieronimus Sauanarola taught that the Pope is Antichrist because he did attribute Anno. 1500. 1. Foxe more to his owne indulgeÌ„ces pardoÌ„s then to Christs merits About the yeare of our Lord 1517. Luther began to preach against the Popes indulgences and afterwards against other Anno. 1517. errours and abominations of the Pope and church of Rome discouering more plainely then any had done before him that Rome is Babylon and the Pope Antichrist Since whose times this truth hath beene almost generally acknowledged by the true and reformed Churches of Christ. Seing therefore we haue proued that Antichrist was to sitte in Rome professing her selfe the church of God and that after the taking away of the Romane Emperour whom hee was to succeed in the gouernment of Rome and there to be reuealed both by his owne shewing himself in his colours also by the acknowledgement of others it cannot be auoided but that the Pope is Antichrist For he and none but he sitteth that is reigneth in Rome professing her selfe the church of God and that after the taking away of the Romane Emperour not onely by the remouing of the imperiall seat but also by the dissolutioÌ„ of the Empire in the West whom hee succeedeth in the gouernment of Rome where he hath bene reuealed not onely by his owne shewing himselfe in his colours but also by the acknowledgement of others 8. Vnto the former place of the Epistle to the Thessal we will adde two other places out of th'apocalyps from whence both the place and time of Antichrist may be iointly gathered The former place is in the 13. of th'apocalips where two beasts are described signifying two estates of the Romane gouernment 2. as they are opposed vnto Christ the former representeth the persecuting Emperours the latter Antichrist Of the former he saith thus I saw a beast arising out of 〈◊〉 sea that is of many diuers peoples which it had vanquished Now the description of this beast containeth in it the resemblances of those 4. kingdoms which are described in Daniel the Romane Empire farre surpassing theÌ„ al. The first of the beasts in Daniel signifying the kingdome of the Babylonians is coÌ„pared to a Lion The 2. resembling the kingdome of the Medes and Persians to a Beare The 3. representing the monarchy of the MacedoniaÌ„s to a Leopard The 4. figuring the kingdome of the Seleucidae and Lagidae to a beast with 10. hornes resembling so many of their kings who should tyrannize ouer Iewry The Empire of Rome therfore as if it were compounded of them all is resembled to a beast hauing ten hornes with so many diademes vpon them both in respect of the ten persecuting Emperors answering the 10. Seleucedae Lagidae as also in regard of the 10. kingdoms or prouinces wherinto the Romane Empire in those times was diuided being also like a Leopard hauing the feet or pawes as it were of a Beare the rauening mouth of a LioÌ„ And besides all this is said to haue seueÌ„ heads which afterwards chapt 17. are expounded to be 7. hilles also 7. heads of gouernmeÌ„t c. to this beast was giuen authority or power ouer euery tribe Verse 7. language and nation c. al which are proper to the Empire of Rome The former beast therefore signifieth the Romane state especially as it was vnder the persecuting Emperours as Bellarmine Lib. 3. de pont R. cap. 15. confesseth The second beast described vers 11. and so forward to the end of the chapter is as Bellarmine saith all men do confesse Antichrist who also is by the coÌ„fession of the said
which they esteeme as a note of the true church they contemne and despise all other churches which doe not vaunt of miracles as they do 2. And yet notwithstanding al their miracles are nothing worth First because they serue to confirme vntruths as shal be shewed therefore are not to be regarded Secondly because the vaine brag of manifold miracles amōg those that professe the name of Christ in these later times wherein miracles need not for the confirmatiō of Gods truth which heretofore hath bin sufficiētly cōfirmed is so farre frō being a note of the true church as that rather it is a plaine signe of false teachers an euident marke of the Synagogue of Antichrist For their owne deuises indeed doctrines of men do stil need signes wonders to cōfirme thē But the truth of the gospell which we professe hath bin sufficiently confirmed by the miracles of our Sauiour Christ of his Apostles and Disciples Whosoeuer therfore will not beleeue this doctrine thus cōfirmed neither will he beleeue though one should rise frō the dead to preach vnto Luke 16. him Againe miracles are graunted not for the beleeuers but for thē that liue in infidelity And as Augustine saith Quisquis Tharasius in cōcil Nicen. 2. adhuc prodigia vt credat inquirit magnum est ipse prodigium qui mundo credeme nō credit Whosoeuer yet seeketh after wonders that hee may beleeue is himselfe a great wonder who when De ciuit Dei lib. 22. c. 8. the worlde beleeueth doth not beleeue And therfore in another place he saith Contra istos mirabiliarios cautum me fecit Deus meus c. Against these miraclemongers my God hath made Tract 13. in Ioan. me wary saying There shall arise in the last daies false prophets working signes wonders that they might bring into errour if it were possible the very elect Likewise Chrysostome or whosoeuer Chrysost homil 49. in Matth. was the authour of those learned Homilies vpon Matthew in the 49. Homily where hee proueth that the true Church of Christ cannot now bee knowne or discerned by signes or other meanes but onely by the Scriptures hee saith that now the working of signes and wonders is altogether taken away namely among the true professours and and the working of counterfeit miracles is more found among false Christians And that Peter in the history of Clement declareth that vnto Antichrist shal be graunted the power of working full that is to say profitable signes So that now wee cannot knowe the ministers of Christ by this that they worke profitable signes but because they worke no signes at all And the Papists themselues confesse yea Bellarmine would seeme to set it downe as one of his grounds that to Antichrist and his followers shal be graunted the power of working many and great signes and wonders And therefore vnlesse the Pope and his followers did vaūt of their miracles we should want one good argument to proue the Pope Antichrist And thus it appeareth that the first point concerning the miracles of Antichrist doth fitte the Pope and so fit him as that from hence he may be proued Antichrist For vnto whomsoeuer in these latter times this properly and onely belongeth to boast of their myracles they are Antichrist and the synagogue of Antichrist For the scriptures haue foretold that by Antichrist and his adherents many signes and wonders should bee wrought in these latter times But to the Pope church of Rome in these latter times this properly and onely belongeth to vaunt of their manifold and great myracles For the Iewes want them the Turkes disclaime thē professing that their religion must be propagated not by miracles but by force armes All other Christians which already beleeue the trueth seeke not signes which they know among true beleeuers to be superfluous and in others to be badges of Antichrist therefore the Pope is Antichrist and the Church of Rome the Synagogue of Antichrist 3. The second thing which the Scripture noteth is what maner of myracles they are which Antichrist was to worke This the Apostle saith Bellarmine declareth in one worde when hee calleth them Lying wonders or as the wordes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signes and wonders of lying that is most lying 2. Thess. 2. 9. signes and wonders Now they are called lying wonders either in respect of the end which is to seduce men by confirming vntrueths or in regarde of their substaunce which is counterfeit And thus Chrysostome expoundeth the words of th'apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he In 2. Thess. 2. saith lying wonders that is either false and counterfeit or else leading into falshood Augustine likewise reciteth these two expositions that they are called lying signes and wonders because De ciuit Dei lib. 20. c. 19. he shall deceiue the senses of mortall men by counterfeite shewes and appearances that he may seeme to doe that which hee doth not or else because howsoeuer they shall bee true wonders they shall drawe vnto lyes such as shall beleeue that they could not be done but by the power of God not knowing the power of the diuell c. First I say they are called lying signes in respect of the ende which is to seduce men Mat. 24. 24. to make them beleeue lyes and to deceiue them 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. Apoc. 13. 14. For this is the end whereunto the signes and wonders not onely of Antichrist but of all false prophets are referred Deut. 13. 1. 2. Out of which places of scripture we are to obserue that the Lord many times suffereth false prophets and Antichrists to worke strange signes and wonders for the triall of the faithfull and seducing of those that will not beleeue the truth that they might be saued If there arise among you saith the Lord a prophet or dreamer of dreames and giue thee a signe Deut. 13. 1. 2. 3 wonder and the signe wonder which he hath told thee come to passe saying let vs goe after other Gods which thou hast not knowne and let vs serue them thou shalt not hearken vnto the words of the prophet or vnto that dreamer of dreames For the Lord your God proueth you to know whether you loue the Lord your God with all your soule and with all your heart c. Our Sauiour Christ also hath forewarned vs that in these latter times Mat. 24. 24. there shall arise false Christs and false prophets which shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceiue euen the very elect In like sort the Apostle 2. Thess. 2. noteth that the comming of Antichrist shall be according to the 2. Thess. 2. 9. 10. efficacie of Satan in all power and lying signes and wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse in them that perish c. on whome God shall sende the efficacie of deceipt that they may beleeue lyes Likewise Iohn the diuine prophecieth
Antichrist Hierome and Theodoret where they deliuer Hieronyâ—… ad Algas 9. 11. Theodoret in 2. Thess. 2. Epitom 1. Anselm their owne iudgement doo not affirme that he shall sit in the Temple at Ierusalem but in the Churches of Christ. 3 His third testimonie is 2. Thess. 2. 4. In so much that he sitteth in the Temple of God Of which words there be many expositions saith Bellarmine some by the Temple of God vnderstand the mindes of the faithfull in which Antichrist shall sit after he hath seduced them which interpretation agreeth fitly to the Pope who only sitteth as it were a God in the mindes of men prescribing lawes to binde the conscience and that with guilt of mortall sinne as they speake Others expound these wordes of 2 Antichrist and his whole people who is therefore said to sit in templum August de ciuit Dei because Antichrist shall professe himselfe with his people to be the true church of God which also most fitly agreeth to Dei lib. 20. cap. 19. the Pope and church of Rome which vaunt that they alone are the catholike church and that all others professing the name of Christ which are not subiect to the Pope or acknowledge not themselues members of the church of Rome are heretikes or schismatikes Others by the temple vnderstand the churches 3 of the Christians which Antichrist shall make subiect to himselfe Chrysost. c. The which as we proued it to be the most true exposition so doth it properly agree to the Pope of Rome Others by the temple 4 of God vnderstand the temple of God at Ierusalem wherin Antichrist shall sit and this saith Bellarmine is the more common more probabte and more literall opinion I doubt not but that it is an opinion more plausible to the Papists who care not what they holde concerning Antichrist so that it agree not to the Pope But of these three things which Bellarmine avoucheth in commendation of this conceit two are false and the third is to no purpose For neither is this exposition more common among the auncient Fathers then that other which by the temple vnderstandeth the churches of the Christians which heretofore we haue shewed to haue beene the iudgement of Theodoret Li. 1. ca. 4 § 15. Ierome Chrysostome Theophylact Oecumenius c. And although it were the more common exposition yet that would not proue it to be more true for truth goeth not by voices neither is to be weighed by multitude of suffrages but by weight of reason Neither is it more probable for if the temple shall neuer be reedified as hath bene shewed then is there no probabilitie that Antichrist should sit in it Neither were that materiall though it were more literall vnlesse the literall were vsuall For in all the Epistles by the temple of God is meant the Church and there is an vsuall metonymie betwixt the words which signifie either the assembly or the place of the assembly So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the place is often vsed for 1. Cor. 3. 16. 17. 2. Cor. 6. 16 Ephe. 2. 21. Apoc. 3. 12. the assembly or church and Ecclesia that is church is often vsed for the place Neither can the temple erected by Antichrist be truly called the temple of God Yea but saith Bellarmine in the scripture of the new testament by the temple of God are neuer vnderstood the churches that is to say the temples of Christians The more absurd is he to vnderstand this place of a materiall temple contrary to the vsuall acceptation of the word in the writings of the Apostles The Apostle therfore by temple meaneth not a materiall temple of wood and stone but a spirituall temple compact of liuing stones and by sitting in the temple not a corporall gesture for Antichrist is to sit there as God that is he is to rule and raigne in the church of God as if he were a god vpon earth But of this whole matter see more in the first booke chapt 2. § 13. 14. 15. 4 Now let vs come to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or disproofe of our assertion who hold that Antichrist shall sit not at Ierusalem but at Rome and in Rome professing her selfe the church of God First by a fond cauillation wherein hee greatly pleaseth himselfe he seeketh to driue vs to an absurditie For saith hee if Antichrist shall sit in the Church of God and if the Pope be Antichrist then the church wherein the Pope sitteth is the true church and consequently the Protestants and all others that be not of that church are out of the church c. This cauill is to be resolued into three syllogismes 1. Antichrist sitteth in the Church of Christ The Pope of Rome is Antichrist therfore saith Bellarmine the Pope sitteth in the true church of Christ. But hee might as well conclude thus Hee that professeth the name of Christ is a Christian the Papist the Anabaptist the Familist c. professeth the name of Christ therefore the Papist the Anabaptist the Familist is a true Christian. But hath not Bellarmine learned so much Logicke as not to foist into the conclusion that which is not contained in the premisses the word true is not coÌ„tained in the premisses and therefore sophistically thrust into the conclusion For Antichrist may sit in the church although not in the true Church Generally the Church of Christ signifieth the company of Christians that is of those that professe the name of Christ. But as of Christians some are onely in title and profession some indeed in truth so of Churches some are onely in title and profession Churches of Christ others are his true Churches Now Antichrist he was to be an Apostata and the head of the Catholike apostasie therfore the church whereof Antichrist is the head although it be in title and profession a church of Christ as being a company of them that are christened and professe the name of Christ yet it is but an apostaticall church a church which of a faithfull Citie is become an harlot and of the true Church of God the whore of Babylon But may not this absurditie rather be returned vpon the Papists who by the templeof God 2. Thess. 2. 4. vnderstand that temple which Antichrist shall build at Ierusalem Antichrist shall sit in the temple of God saith the Apostle Antichrist shal sit in that temple which himselfe shall build at Ierusalem saith the Papist therefore that temple which he shall build at Ierusalem shall be indeed the temple of God Whereas in truth according to their owne conceits it were rather to be called the temple of the diuell If any man obiect that it might after a sort be called the temple of God because the temple of God did stand there and because Antichrist will pretend to make it to the honor of God wherevnto the former temple was erected I answere by the like reason the church of Rome
may be called the church of God bicause once it was a true church and stil is in title professiō the church ofChrist although in truth it be but little more the church of Christ then Antichrists imaginary temple at Ierusalem would be the temple of God 5 His second syllogisme which is inferred vpon the former is this If the Pope sit in the true Church of God then the church of Rome is the onely true Church for the Church of Christ is one as Christ is one but the Pope sitteth in the true church of God as was proued in the former syllogisme therefore the church of Rome is the onely true church of Christ. First I answere to the proofe of his proposition The Catholike inuisible Church of Christ is one sheepfolde vnder one shepheard Christ but particular visible churches are more then one as the church of Corinth the church of Rome the seuen churches in the Apocalyps and all the Churches of the Gentiles mentioned Rom. 16. 4. and therefore the church of Rome although it were a true visible church yet were it but a particular church and therefore not the onely true church But now the church of Rome is not a true visible church of Christ but the whore of Babylon an adulterous and Idolatrous and Apostaticall church which once was Rome as Petrarch saith now Babylon once Bethel now Bethauen once the Church of Christ now the synagogue of Antichrist as hath bene proued And therefore there being no truth either in the proposition or the assumption I answere the proposition by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although the Pope did sit in the true church yet it followeth not that therefore the church of Rome is the onely true Church and the assumption by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Pope doth not sit in the true church and therefore there is no shewe of reason in this cauill 6 His third syllogisme is inferred vpon the second If the Church of Rome be the onely true Church then those which are not members of this Church whereof the Pope is head as namely the Protestants are out of the Church But now say I the church of Rome is so farre from being the onely true church as that it is that Babylon Apoc. 18. 4. from which we are commaunded to seperate if wee will bee saued there being no saluation in that Church for those that receiue and retaine the marke of the beast Apoc. 14. 9. therefore this also is a fond and sophisticall cauill Notwithstanding as the adulterous and apostaticall state of Israel vnder Ieroboam and Achab so the Church of Rome vnder the Pope may be called the church of God in respect both of some notes and signes of a visible Church as the administration of some sacraments and profession of the name of the Lord and also of some reliques and remainder as it were the gleanings of the inuisible Church In Israell although an Apostaticall and Idolatrous state the sacrament of circumcision was retained so in the church of Rome the sacrament of baptisme The church of Israel professed Iehouah to be their God although they worshipped him Idolatrously so the church of Rome professeth the name of Christ but exceedeth Israel in Idolatry In Israel euen vnder Achab the Lord had reserued 7000. who neuer bowed their knee to Baal and so we doubt not but that in the corruptest times of Popery the Lord hath reserued some who haue not receiued the marke of the beast And as the church of Sardis was still called the church of Christ although greeuously fallen from Christ because they still professed the name of Christ and retained no doubt the Sacrament of Baptisme and had among them some fewe names that had not defiled themselues so I confesse with Caluin that the church of Rome may be called a church of Christ both in respect of some vestigia and outward notes of a visible church as administration of Baptisme and profession of the name of Christ and some secret reliques of the inuisible church which haue not bowed their knees to Apo. 20. 4 Baal But that which is saide to the church of Sardis may most iustly be avowed to the church of Rome Thou hast a name that thou liuest but indeed art dead thou professest Apoc. 3. 1. thy selfe to be the church of Christ but art the synagogue of Antichrist thou art called the church of Rome which once was famous for her saith but art the whore of Babylon the Apo. 3. 4. mother of all the fornications and abhominations in the christian world 7 Heere Bellarmine obiecteth two things If there remaine in the church of Rome but ruines and reliques of a true church then the church may be ruinated and the truth hath lyed who saith that the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it Ans. The Catholike and inuisible church of Christ which is the whole company of the elect can neuer faile But visible and particular churches which consist of hypocrites many times and vnsounde christians which are in the visible church but are not of the inuisible as the greater part may faile and fall away although not one sound christian that 1. Ioh. 2. 19. is of the inuisible church doth fall away As the lamentable experience of the church of Israel seuered from Iuda the examples of Corinth Ephesus and many other famous Churches which were planted by the Apostles Againe saith Bellarmine If the Church be ruinated and the ruines remaine in Poperie then the Papists haue the Church although decayed and ruinated but the Protestants haue no Church not entyre for the entyre Church is ruinated not ruinated or decayed for the ruines are among the Papists What haue they then a new building which because it is new is none of Christs and therefore who seeth not that it is safer to liue in the church decayed then in no church at all But in this cauill there is not so much as any shew of reason vnlesse he take that for graunted which we do most confidently denie and they are neuer able to proue that the church of Rome not onely is the true church of Christ but also the onely true church For otherwise the church of Rome may fall and yet the Catholike church of Christ may stand yea shall stand maugre the force of Antichrist and malice of Sathan himselfe And as for the church of the Protestants it is no new building as Antichrist vaunteth but is a part of the Catholike church of Christ reformed and renewed according to the word of God and the example of the primitiue church euen as the Church of Iuda vnder Iosias was no new building but the olde frame as it was vnder Dauid renewed and reformed according to the lawe of God 8 The exceptions which he taketh against our arguments concluding that Rome is the seate of Antichrist I haue for the Lib. 1. cap. 2. most part taken away before It shall suffice therefore
directly and expresly deny Iesus to be Christ. Notwithstanding seeing they are called Antichrists not onely because they belong to the Antichristian body as inferiour members thereof but also as it may be thought because they did after a sort deny Christ as the great Antichrist also should doe although not after the same manner I doe therefore thus farre graunt the proposition it selfe that Antichrist was in some sort to denie Christ. For Iohn speaketh not of the manner how he doth denie Christ. Neither are we to thinke that Antichrist will denie him after euerie manner but in such sort as shall be most consonant to the whole mysterie of iniquitie and suteable to the rest of his lying and deceipt That is to say in outward 2. Thess. 2. shewe and semblance to professe Christ as those Antichrists did of whom Iohn speaketh but in deed and in truth to denie him To come therfore to the assumption let vs consider whether the Pope and church of Rome doe not in some sort denie Christ Christ may be denyed either in deeds or words Quisquis autem factis negat Christum is Antichrist us est And whosoeuer in deedes saith Augustine denieth Christ he is Antichrist Let vs therefore marke saith he who it is that denieth Tract 3. in Epist. Ioan. let vs not attend to his tongue but to his works I regard not what he speaketh but how he liueth Works do speake and do we require words He is the more lying Antichrist who with his mouth prosesseth Iesus to be Christ and by deeds denyeth him According to the Lawyers rule it is more to testifie a matter by deedes then by words And Tullie saith that where the things themselues Contra Salust beare witnesse words are needlesse And as Antichrist was thus to deny Christ both as he is the man of sin and an aduersary oppugning Christ and his church So doth the Pope howsoeuer in word he professeth Christ. For euen the diuells themselues haue in word confessed Christ whom notwithstanding by their deeds they deny If therefore the Pope be a man of sin which we shall proue anone and an aduersary opposed vnto Christ which now we haue in hand to proue then it cannot be denyed but that indeed he denieth Christ. 7 Secondly Christ may be de denyed in word doctrine and that either indirectly and by consequent or else directlie expresly He that denieth Christ by consequent howsoeuer openly he doth confesse him doth indeede deny him as those which deny either of his natures or any of his offices For such is the necessary coherence of truth within it selfe as nothing can by necessarie consequence be deducted from it which is not also true And therefore it is impossible that the consequent should be false the antecedent being true Whereupon it followeth that whosoeuer denieth the consequent doth indeed deny the antecedent Iesus is Immanuel and consequently God and Man He is Christ and consequently annointed of God to be our King our priest our prophet He therefore that denieth any of these denieth Iesus to be Christ. And further is Christ truly God then is he also Iehouah one that is of from himself namely as he is God theÌ„ is he also the Lord creator of al things gouerning all things with his presence and prouidence Is he truly man then hath he a true body consisting of three dimensions length bredth thicknes circuÌ„scribed visible conâ—…ined in one place at once as being but one body not discontinued Is he the true Messias Mediator betwixt God man then is he the only mediator for there is but one Wherefore 1. Tim. 2. 5. Act. 4. 12. whosoeuer saith that Christ is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himself he denieth him to be God or preferreth any creature before him either in heauen or in earth he denieth him to be the Lord and maker of al or assigneth a vicar vnto him to supply his absence on earth denieth his omnipreseÌ„ce Again whosoeuer saith that Christ his body doth not consist of 3. dimensioÌ„s that it is not circuÌ„scribed that it is not visible that it is not coÌ„tained in one place as al other bodies yea as al other finite natures are he denieth Iesus to be truly man consequently denieth him to be Christ. Lastly whosoeuer adioyne other mediators vnto Christ and in some respects preser others aboue him deny him to be the only mediator therfore deny him to be the true mediator for there is but one consequeÌ„tly deny Iesus to be christ And thus as the Antichrists wherof Iohn speaketh according 1. Iohn 2. 22. Lib. 3. de pont Rc. ap 14. to Bellarmin his own expositioÌ„ did as the graund Antichrist according to our coÌ„fessioÌ„ doth deny Christ not only in deed but also in word and doctrine although not openly and expressely yet indirectly and by consequent So doth the Pope and church of Rome deny Iesus to be Christ. For what a God and Lord what a creatour and gouernor of all things the Pope and Papists make our Sauiour Christ you may easily conceiue First when they deâ—…y him to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of himselfe and consequently Iehouah For whosoeuer is Iehouah he is of and from himselfe True indeed it is that Christ is filius a patre sed Deus a se quate nus est Deus that is sonne of and from his father but God of and from himselfe namely as he is God And if he were not of and from himselfe he were not God And although in the concrete we may and must say with the councel of Nice that Christ is God of God that is Christ who is God is from the father who is God the word God beeing taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 personallio because the person of the sonne who is Deus genitus God begotten is from the person of the father who is Deus gignens God begetting yet it is not likewise true in the abstract For howsoeuer the Godhead is communicated from the father to the sonne by eternall generation and from the father and the sonne to the holy ghost by eternall procession yet the deity of the sonne and so of the holy ghost beeing the selfe same infinite eternall and indiuisible essence of the father is from and of and by and for it selfe And who knoweth not that such is the simplicity of the diuine nature as that God is the godhead and the godhead is God and consequentlie that Christ as he is God is the Godhead which is of and from it selfe And therefore to conclude Christ is God of God in respect of his person and he is also God of himselfe in respect of his essence which is of it selfe he is God of God the name God being vsed personally and relatiuely for hee is God the sonne of God the father and God begotten of God begetting and he is God of himselfe the name God beeing taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Apoc. 13. 13. 14. of Antichrist that he should do great wonders whereby he should deceiue them that dwell on the earth Hereby therfore it is euident that false prophets and Antichrists many times haue power to worke great signes and wonders not onelie in shewe and appearāce but in deed and in truth Whereby they indeauouring to deceiue all and to make them belieue lies are permitted both in the iustice of God to seduce the wicked in his mercy to try the faithfull And therefore signes wonders as they haue not alwayes bin signes tokens of true teachers professors of the truth but onely then when they haue Miracles are diuine testimonies whereby the Lord doth beare witnesse to his truth Heb. 2. 4. bin wrought for the cōfirmation of the truth So in these later times the same being wrought for confirmation of vntruthes are vndoubted signes of the synagogue of Antichrist 4 Let vs then consider whether such signes and wonders be wrought in the church of Rome It is recorded of Gregory the 7. who was the first of the Popes which was openly acknowledged to be Antichrist that as he was a notable sorcerer so he wrought many signes and wonders among the rest he vsed to shake fire out of his sleeues And of his votaryes after he had forbidden mariage in the clergy Auentinus writeth that vpon that occasion many false prophets did as it were cast mists and by Annal. Boior lib. 4. fables and miracles did turne away the people of Christ from the truth And againe False prophets did then arise false Apostles false priests who by counterfeite religion deceiued the people lib. 5. wrought great signes and wonders and began to sit in the temple of God and to bee aduanced aboue all that is worshipped And while they endeuour to establish their owne power and dominion they haue extinguished Christian charity simplicity And since those times the church of Rome hath much boasted of her manifold miracles which haue beene partly deuised and partly wrought for the confirmation of such Antichristian doctrines idolatrous superstitions as cannot be cōfirmed by the scriptures as namely the absurd doctrine of transubstantiation and adoration of the breaden God the heathenish doctrine of purgatory and superstitious prayer for the dead the idolatrous inuocation and worshipping of Saints the more then heathenish adoration of images rotten reliques the Antichristian aduancing of the Pope aboue all that is called God or worshipped and such like doctrines of diuels lyes of Antichrist for the confirmation whereof the miracles of the Apostaticall church of Rome haue bin inuented But how many miracles soeuer they produce for the countenancing of such vntruthes they are so many arguments to proue their church Antichristian their Pope Antichrist Because as Antichrist and his followers were in these latter times to abound with signes wōders but alwayes such as serue to lead mē into error so neither Turks nor Iewes nor any other churches of Christians but only the Pope and church of Rome do vaunt of miracles and yet all their miracles are such as serue to deceiue men to make them beleeue vntruthes And therefore although they were in respect of their substāce neither counterfeit nor fabulous as in deed the most of the miracles in the church of Rome are yet were they to be esteemd as notes signes of false prophets Antichrists because their end is to seduce mē confirme lyes 5 Secondly they are called lying signes in respect of the substance being as Augustine speaketh vel figmenta mendacium De vnitat eccl 16. hominū vel portenta fallaciū spirituū either fictions of lying men or wonders of deceipt full spirits And such are the miracles whereby the aforesaide points of Poperie are warranted and confirmed And of them there are three degrees For many of them were such fabulous fictions ridiculous fables incredible lyes whereof their legends and festiualls are full as none would euer beleeue were they not intoxicated made drunk with the whore of Bylons cuppe of fornications and also giuen ouer of God to beleeue lyes And these loud lyes and more then poeticall fictions were in such request in the church of Rome that the records of them I meane their legends festiualls and such like fabulous treatises were both publickly and priuately read in the vulgar tongue whē as the holy scriptures were kept frō the people in an vnknown lāguage The 1. degree then is of such miracles as neuer were indeed nor yet in apparānce but in the opiniō only of men besotted giuen ouer to beleue incredible vntruths The 2. is of such as were phātastical in apparāce only as being crafty cōueiāces of deceitful men or iugling tricks of legerdemaine As for example the nodding or mouing the smiling or frowning the sweating or speaking of images the apparitiōs of souls deceased the manifold cures supposed to be wrought by saints departed or their images such like For of these two sorts there be innumerable wonders recorded in their legends and festiualls liues of Saints which are either altogether fabulous as beeing reports of things which neuer were not so much as in apparāce◅or if any such things haue bene done in the sight of men they haue bin either praestigiatory conueyances of wicked men or mere illusions of the diuell The third degree is of such as were lying miracles in respect of the forme as Bellarmine speaketh although true in respect of the matter For howsoeuer they were things truely done yet they surpassed not the whole strength of nature whereas true miracles are supernaturall neither can bee wrought by any naturall causes whether knowne or vnknown but onely by the omnipotent power of God And such lying signes are the principall miracles of the Apostaticall church of Rome Neither is the Pope and al his adherents able to produce any one true miracle wrought by the finger of God for the confirmation of those doctrines which are peculier to that church that is to speake more plainelie for the proofe of any point of popery But all their miracles as they are lying signes and wonders in respect of their ende so also in regard of their substance being either merely fabulous and therfore such things as neuer were not so much as in shewe and apparaunce or merely phantasticall that is such things as were in shewe onely and not in truth or merely natural and therefore but counterfeite miracles effected by the power of the diuell 6 Some of their owne writers confesse that sometimes there is great deceiuing of the people in fained miracles by the Nicol. Lyran. in Daniel 14. priests and their adherents for temporall gaine And another saith in the sacrament appeareth flesh sometimes by the conueyance of men sometimes by the operation of the diuell I once did Alexander de Hales see an image of Saint Nicolas as it was said when it with many others
this interpretatioÌ„ is signified by Apostasie doth not signifie one man but the whole body and company of those that doe reuolt that is the whole body and kingdome of Antichrist which we haue prooued to be the Apostaticall Church of Rome And so Augustine whom Bellarmine alledgeth in the very same place which he citeth reading in the concrete nisi venerit refuga primum vnlesse the Apostate first come and expounding what is meant by De ciuit Dei lib. 20. cap. 19. the temple not the temple at Ierusalem but rather the Church of God because the Apostle would not call the temple of the diuell the temple of God propoundeth the opinion of some which hee doth not mislike Vnde nonnulli non ipsum principem c. Whereupon some vnderstand in this place not the Prince himselfe but his whole body as it were that is the company of men pertaining vnto him together with their Prince to be Antichrist and they thinke that it might more rightly be said in Latine as it is in the Greeke that he sitteth non in templo dei sed in templum dei not in the Temple of God but as the Temple of God as though he were the Temple of God which is the Church Which as hath beene shewed notably sitteth the Pope and Church of Rome And here we are by the way to note whereas Bellarmine saith that Antichrist shall be such a notable Apostate as that he may be called the Apostasie it selfe that seeing none can be an Apostate which hath not beene a Christian by this assertion therefore of Bellarmine Antichrist shall not be a Iew but a backslyding and reuolted Christian 16. Secondly he saith by Apostasie we may vnderstand a reuolt from the Romane Empire as many of the Latin fathers doe expound To omit the dissension of the fathers which prooueth that their exposition can be no good rule of interpreting the Scriptures we doe confesse that before the manifest reuelation of Antichrist there was to go noâ—… onely a defection from the faith but also a reuolt from the Romane Empire But as the reuolting from earthly kingdomes is neuer in the Scriptures termed Apostasie so is it not here signified but as the word elsewhere is vsed and by the most and best writers here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a falling away from God a defection or departure from the true faith as heretofore I haue shewed Augustme saith quem refugam vocat vtique a domino Deo whom he calleth a Lib. 20. cap. 19. §. 2. runnagate namely from the Lord God Neither can it be denied but that this Apostasie is that which afterward the Apostle calleth the mystery of iniquity which was working in and by the heretiques of those times whom also Bellarmine calleth the forerunners of Antichrist because they peruerted the faith and therefore the defection caused by Antichrist is an Apostasie from the faith according to the prophesies of the Apostle that in these latter times diuers should make an Apostasie 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. Tim. 4. 4. from the faith and should turne away their hearing from the truth and shal be turned vnto fables 17. Thirdly although we should grant saith he that by Apostasie is to be vnderstood a defection or reuolt from the true faith and religion of Christ yet it is not necessary that it should be an Apostasie of many yeares For it may be that the Apostle speaketh of one great Apostasie which shal be onely in that most short time of Antichrists raigne that is of three yeares and a halfe But this bare ghesse of Bellarmine ought not to be of so great waight with vs as the plaine speech of the Apostle compared with the euent And therefore it is but vaine to tell vs what might be seeing we haue seene the contrary to be which the Apostle foretold should be For as the Apostle tolde vs that there should be an Apostasie so he saith that the mysterie of iniquity whereby many were seduced did worke already euen in his time and insinuateth that it should worke vntill the full reuelation of Antichrist And the euent hath shewed how by degrees this Apostasie hath bin wrought euen from the primitiue Church vntill it came to that height wherein it continued vntill Antichrist began to be acknowledged And surely as this generall Apostasie could not grow at once but by degrees so can it not be abolished at once but by degrees and therefore was not like to be an Apostasie of three yeares and an halfe onely Neither is it credible that by one man the greatest part not onely of Christians but also of the Iewes should be seduced in three yeares and an halfe seeing Christ in the like space of time could not as he was a man and minister of the circumcision conuert many of the Iewes notwithstanding that his doctrine was more effectuall and his miracles more admirable then those of Antichrist can be yea the Apostlès some other of the disciples who for so long time scarce went out of Iewry were able to preuaile but with a few of the Iewes in coparison of those which reiected their doctrine And shall wee thinke that Antichrist who as the Papists hold shal be but one man shall in three yeers an halfe seduce the remnant of the Iewes and al the visible Church of God dispersed into so many parts of the world And wheras he alledgeth Augustine as a fauourer of this ghesse therein he abuseth the authority of that learned father to seduce the ignoraÌ„t who onely deliuereth the Iudgement of others concerning the mysterie of iniquity that to this effect That the mystery of iniquity worketh in De ciuit Dei lib. 20. cap. 19. euill men in the Church and counterseit Christians when as they reuolt from the truth and that vnto this mystery belongeth the reuolting of those of whom S. Iohn speaketh They went out from vs but 1. Ioh. 2. 19 were not of vs c. And that this mystery should stil worke that is that vnsound men in the Church should more and more reuolt vntill they make a sufficient number for Antichrist But there is neuer a word of this defection caused either by one man or in so short a time but rather the contrary as hath beene shewed 18. Fourthly he answereth that although it should be granted that this Apostasie is of many ages which he saith cannot well be denied seeing th'apostle saith it began to worke in his time yet it is not necessary that it should appertaine to one body vnder one head neither that it appertaineth to the kingdome of Antichrist but rather is a disposition thereunto happening in diuers dominions vpon undry occasions c. But this fourth answer is ouerthrowne by the first wherein this Apostasie was made so proper to Antichrist as that by it Bellarmine thought we might most fitly vnderstand Antichrist himselfe or rather as we shewed the whole body
were his groud-worke he buildeth three conclusions as you shall heare after we haue also considered of his assumption The assumption he proueth by experience as though it did testifie that the publicke seruice of God had not beene taken away vnder the Pope 〈◊〉 the sacrifice of Christians ceased But if by the publicke seruice of God he meaneth his true worship and seruice in spirit and truth assuredly it hath beene taken away in the Papacy except will-worship superstition and Idolatry be the true worship of God As touching Christian sacrifices we acknowledge the sacrifice of praise the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart the Heb. 13. 15 Psal. 51. 17 Rom. 12. 1. Heb. 13. 16. sacrifice of obedience wherein we offer our selues the sacrifice of almes wherby we offer our goods these sacrifices no Antichrist can wholy take away As for the sacrifice of the masse we holde it to be a moâ—…strous abomination wherein the holy sacrament of the Lords supper is turned into an abominable Idoll Seeing therfore there is no soundnesse of truth either in the proposition or assumption must we not needes thinke that the question in hand is soundly concluded And yet vpon these grounds Bellarmine doth not only infer the question in hand but two more also From hence saith he three things may be gathered First that Antichrist is not as yet come becà use the daily sacrifice yet continueth He might as well haue concluded with the Iewes that Christ is not yet come for he was to abolish the daylie sacrifice Dan. 9. 27. partly by his owne sacrifice vnto which the shadowes of the Law were to giue place and partly by the ouerthrow of the temple in which and not elsewhere it was to be offered His second conclusion is that the Pope of Rome is not Antichrist but rather an aduersary vnto him seeing hee doth adore and maintaine this sacrifice which Antichrist is to abolish Nay rather by ordaining this propitiatory sacrifice and erecting a new priesthood to offer the same the Pope sheweth himselfe to be Antichrist For by this Priesthood Christ is denyed to bee our onely Priest by this Sacrifice his sacrifice on the Crosse is supposed not to be sufficient in this sacrifice the humanity of Christ as hath beene shewed is ouerthrowne and a God of bread set vp in his roome to be worshipped and adored In this sacrifice Christ alter a sort is made inferiour to euery masse-monger who as they can make their creatour by breathing out a few words hoc est corpus meum so when they haue made him in their conceit they offer him vp to God to be a sacrifice propitiatory both for the quicke and the dead His third conclusion is that the heretickes of this time aboue all others are forerunners of Antichrist because they desire nothing more then the ouerthrow of this sacrifice of the masse Nay rather as appeareth by the former answer they shew themselues the limmes of Antichrist who ouerthrowing the sacrament of the Lords supper which we haue reduced to the first institution seeke to vphold this masse and heape of all abominations and sacrilegious Idolatry And how are all these things prooued forsooth because Daniel hath prophecied that Antiochus was to take away for a time the daily sacrifice of the Iewes therefore Antichrist is not yet come therefore the Pope is not Antichrist therefore those that mislike the masse are forerunners of Antichrist And so with these three conclusions as it were so many roapes of sand he knitteth vp his fourth demonstration Chapter 8. Answering his fift demonstration concerning the terme of Antichrists raigne viz. 3. yeeres and a halfe 1. THere remaine two demonstrations as he calleth them proouing that Antichrist is not yet come taken from those signes which follow Antichrist to wit the death of Antichrist after three yeers an halfe and the end of the world Where Bellarmine teacheth vs not to looke for Antichrist vntill he be gone not to expect his comming vntill the world haue an end For if these be signes that Antichrist is not yet come as Bellarmine maketh them then may we argue now and so may argue euen vntill the end of the world Vntill Antichrist be dead and the world haue an end Antichrist commeth not but at yet may we say now and so may say vntill the end Antichrist is not dead neither as yet hath the world an end therefore as yet Antichrist is not come By this argument therefore you see how fitly these two signes are made the ground of two demonstrations that Antichrist is not yet come Now as touching the former Bellarmine reasoneth thus The fift demonstration viz. to proue that Antichrist is not yet come is taken from the continuance of Antichrist Antichrist shall not raigne but three yeeres and a halfe But the Pope hath raigned spiritually in the Church aboue 1500. yeerâ—…s neither can any be assigned that hath bene taken for Antichrist who hath raigned precisely three yeers and a halfe The Pope therfore is not Antichrist Wherefore Antichrist is not yet come His reason is thus to be resolued If neither the Pope be Antichrist nor any other who hitherto hath beene taken for Antichrist then is not Antichrist as yet come But neither the Pope is Antichrist nor any that hitherto hath beene taken for Antichrist therefore as yet Antichrist is not come Where you see by a circular disputatioÌ„ the Iesuit for want of better arguments bringeth the maine question namely whether the Pope be Antichrist as an argument to proue that Antichrist is not yet come and consequently that the Pope is not Antichrist The Pope is not Antichrist why because Antichrist is not yet come and why is not Antichrist yet come because the Pope is not Antichrist He may as well goe on for there is no end in a circle and why is not the Pope Antichrist because Antichrist is not yet come and why is not Antichrist yet come because the Pope is not Antichrist And thus Bellarmine as you see danceth in a round 2. But to come to the purpose how doth he prooue that neither the Pope is Antichrist nor any other that hath beene taken for Antichrist by this syllogisme Antichrist shall raigne but three yeeres and a halfe precisely but neither the Pope nor any other that hath beene taken for Antichrist hath raigned three yeers and a halfe precisely therefore neither the Pope is Antichrist nor any other that as yet hath bene taken for Antichrist The assumption which he might haue proued by a truth he chooseth to proue by a falsehood For whereas he might haue said and that truely that the Pope hath raigned spiritually in the church aboue 900. yeeres and therfore aboue three yeers a halfe he saith he hath raigned meaning an vniuersall raigne ouer the whole Church or else he proueth not his assumption aboue 1500. which is vntrue For he could not obtaine this vniuersall raigne before the yeere 607. But all the controuersie is
signification of a curse And I adde that they might with as good reason alledge that Antichrist shal be of the Tribe of Beniamin of whom it is said verse 27. that he shal rauin as a Wolfe Ieremy vndoubtedly speaketh not of Antichrist nor yet as Bellarmine saith of the Tribe of Dan but of Nabuchadonosor who was to come by the coast or countrey called Dan to destroy Ierusalem as Ierome rightly expoundeth Why Dan is omitted in Apoc. 7. it is not wel knowne saith Bellarmine especially seeing Ephraim also which was one of the greatest Tribes is left out But here Bellarmine doth praeuaricari and by trifling betray the truth For it is not true that Ephraim is left out for seeing Manasses is mentioned Verse 6. wee must needes by the Tribe of Ioseph mentioned Verse 8. vnderstand the Tribe of Ephraim Neuer thelesse this may truly be said that there are other causes of this omission then that which is alledged concerning Antichrist For else we may say as well that Antichrist should come of the Tribe of Simeon because he is not mentioned in the blessing of Moyses Deut. 33. The truth is that where the holy Ghost numbreth the 12. Tribes and mentioneth Leui which for the most part is not As Apoc. 17. reckned among the 12. Tribes because it was scattered among them all some one of the other Tribes is left out otherwise where 12. are named 13. should be reckned The mentioning therfore of Leui is the cause why some one of the rest is not expressed but either comprehended vnder an other that is mentioned as Simeon vnder Iuda Deut. 33. Ephraim Manasses being two seuerall great Tribes vnder Ioseph Deut. 27. 12. Ezec 48. 32. are altogether omitted as Dan. Apo. 7. Now Dan seemeth to be omitted rather then any other because that was the first Tribe which fel from God vnto Idolatry for the same cause as some thinke the genealogie of that Tribe is omitted in the first booke of the Chronicles 3 These opinions therfore though countenanced with the authoritie of the Fathers Bellarmine dareth not deliuer as matters of truth because they cānot be proued out of the scriptures The which in truth is the cause why we reiect all the fancies of the Papists concerning Antichrist wherin they differ from vs because that although many of thē were also the opiniōs of the auncient writers who could but ghesse at the meaning of prophecies not then fulfilled yet they cannot be proued out of the word of God wherein Antichrist is sufficiently described This libertie therefore which Bellarmine lawfully taketh vnto himself in reiecting the testimonies of the Fathers in this point not warranted by the scriptures must in equitie also be graunted vnto vs. For vpō the same principle or ground which Bellarmine here setteth downe we reason against the Popish conceits after this maner Those opinions concerning Antichrist which cannot be proued out of the scriptures are not to be held as certaine truthes or beleeued as matters of faith although they haue the testimony of the Fathers But all the Popish cōceits cōcerning Antichrist are such as cannot be proued out of the scriptures therefore none of the Popish conceits concerning Antichrist are to be receiued for certaine truthes though diuers of them haue the testimony of the Fathers 4 Now let vs heare in the third place what those things are which Bellarmine would haue vs to take vpon his word for certaine and sound in this point There be two things saith hee most certaine one that Antichrist shall come for the Iewes especially and shal be receiued of them for their Messias The other that he shall be borne of the Nation of the Iewes and shall be circumcised and shall at the least for a time obserue the Sabbath On which two points the propositiō of the syllogisme before rehearsed doth consist the which Bellarmine thought to set out as true by setting by §. 1 it other opinions more absurd then it is But although there be degrees of falsehood in all these opinions yet all of them are false as being grounded vpon this false supposition that Antichrist 1 is but one singular man And secondly by the same reason that moued Bellarmine to reiect the former opinions may 2 these also be reiected namely because they cannot be proued out of the scriptures but contrariwise may be disproued thereby For Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God that is shall raigne in the church of Christ and shall be an Apostate 3 and the head of the Apostasie as Bellarmine confesseth and therfore not the head of the Iewes who cannot be said to make an Apostasie before they be called but of back-sliding Christians Againe Antichrist is one of the seuen heads of the beast mentioned Apoc. 17. that is of the Romaine state hauing his 4 seate in Babylon that is in Rome in the gouernment whereof hee succeedeth the Emperour who whiles hee ruled in Rome hindered the reuelation of Antichrist as it hath beene shewed heretofore out of Apoc. 17. 13. 2. Thess. 2. All which do sufficiently proue that Antichrist was not to be a Iew either by nation or religion but a Latine or Romaine which name with the marke therof he causeth all sorts of men to take vpon thē And lastly for as much as the Papists themselues hold the calling of the Iewes it would be knowne whether they shall reuolt after their calling from Christ to Antichrist or whether they shall be called after the destruction of Antichrist or during the time of Antichrists raigne which shal be as they say the terme of three yeares a halfe precisely or 1260. daies But themselues denie that the Iewes shall reuolt after their calling or that they shal be called in the time of Antichrists raigne that they shal be called after the destruction of Antichrist which shall not be before the ende of the world it is absurd 5 But let vs see how he proueth these things which he saith are most certaine sure from whence he draweth his most euident demonstration First that Antichrist shall be receiued of the Iewes for their Messias he proueth by testimonies of scripture by authoritie of Fathers and by reason Out of the scripture he produceth two testimonies the former Ioh. 5. 43. which place I haue heretofore freed frō the corruptiōs of the papists shewing that our Sauiour Christ doth not speake absolutely Another shal come but cōditionally If an other shal com therfore doth not foretel what they were afterwards to do but telleth them what in respect of their present dispositiō they were readie to do if an other should come in his owne name vnto them not sent of God 2. Neither doth he speake definitely of Antichrist but indefinitly of any false teacher 3. he speaketh of those Iews to whō he speaketh who could not be the receiuers of Antichrist vnlesse he were come aboue 1500. yeares agoe 6 His second
testimony is 2. Thess. 2. 10 11. Because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued therfore God shall send them the efficacie of errour that they may beleeue lyes c. Which words he vnderstandeth of the Iewes who because they receiued not Christ shal therefore be seduced by Antichrist But the place is plaine inough to them that wil vnderstand The Apostle immediately before these words saith that Antichrist shall preuaile with thē that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued And immediately after these words Therfore God shall send them the efficacie of error that they may beleeue lyes he addeth that all might be iudged or condemned that haue not beleeued the truth but haue taken pleasure in vnrighteousnesse In which words the Apostle doth not goe about to define of what Nation or people Antichrist shal be receiued but hauing described Antichrist as by other arguments so in the last place by this effect of seducing now he describeth the followers of Antichrist who shall be seduced of him not by their nation but by their condition before God And withall cleareth the iustice of God in giuing them ouer to be seduced to their destruction The followers of Antichrist are described by their conditiō before God that they are reprobates or such as perish according to that Math. 24. 24. that it is impossible that the elect should finally be seduced by him which is set downe not so much to be a note wherby to discern Antichrist as to signifie the estate of those that follow him whom before hee had described that they are such as perish and that worthily For as I said in the next words he cleareth the iustice of God after this manner On such as haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued nor beleeued the same but haue delighted in vnrighteousnesse the Lord sendeth iustly the efficacy of errour that they may beleeue lyes that they may all bee condemned But the followers of Antichrist are such as haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued nor beleeued the same but haue delighted in vnrighteousnes therfore the Lord iustly sendeth vpon them strong illusions that they may beleeue lyes that all such as beleeue not the truth but delight in vnrighteousnesse may be condemned This is the discourse of the Apostle cōcerning the followers of Antichrist which cannot with any shewe of reason be restrained to the Iewes vnlesse it may be said that they alone are such as perish that they alone haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued that they alone haue not beleeued the truth c. for he saith that all might be condemned c. For it is certaine that as Antichrist which in this chapter is described is not the head of the Iewes but of counterfeit Christians so the Iewes as they are Iewes are not the followers of Antichrist here described Antichrist is the head of the apostasie or reuolt from Christ and consequently the head of Apostate Christians 1. Tim. 4. 1. Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God that is shall rule and raigne ouer the Church of Christ. Antichrist was to sit in Babylon that is Rome and therein was to succeed the Emperours who whiles they ruled in Rome hindered the reuelation and dominion of Antichrist All which points as they do fit the Pope so they do proue that the Papists be the followers of Antichrist and haue receiued the name and marke of the beast And hereof there can be no doubt if this description also agree vnto them as most euidently it doth For seeing they are the Apostate Christians described 1. Tim. 4 1. 3. certaine it is that they haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they may be saued That strong illusion is sent vpon them that they might beleeue lyes c. it appeareth plainly in their written vanities which they call vnwritten verities in their legends portuises and festiuals fraught full of incredible lyes in their ridiculous dotages deuout superstitions wherin they plainely shewe themselues to be besotted and made drunke with the whore of Babilons cuppe of fornications and to be giuen ouer to beleeue vntruthes That they will not beleeue the truth appeareth by their manifolde grosse errors frō which they wil not be reclaimed And that they delight in iniquitie appeareth by their doting vpon the doctrine religion of Antichrist which as there it is opposed to the truth so before is called the mystery of iniquitie This descriptiō therfore of the followers of Antichrist ought to be an admonitiō for all Ver. 12. Ver. 7. Papists to renounce that religiō of Rome if they would not be in the number of thē that perish a caueat for all Christians who professing y ◠true religiō haue no true loue therof but are ready to accept embrace the religiō of Rome least this heauy iudgement of the Lord fal vpō thē that because they haue not receiued the loue of y e truth to their saluatiō the Lord send vpō thē strong illusiō that they beleeue lies vnto their destruction 7. Yea but saith he this place cannot be vnderstood of Christians but of the Iewes for he saith that Antichrist shal be sent to them who would not receiue Christ which is true of the Iewes but vntrue of Christians The Apostle speaketh of those that receiue not the loue of the truth that they might be saued which may be verified of vnsound Christians as the Rhemists themselues on this place do graunt that is of all those who content themselues with a bare profession of the faith hauing neither a true faith nor yet a sound loue of the truth A sound Christian doth not only professe the name of Christ but also hath some good vnderstanding knowledge of the truth and withall an assent thereto in which two namely knowledge assent consisteth the historicall or dogmatical faith not only a knowledge assent for so much the diuels haue but also a loue liking of the truth not onely that for euen hypocrites temporary beleeuers may attaine to a loue liking of the truth for some temporary respects but also a speciall application of the promises of the Gospell vnto himselfe particular apprehension of Christ his merits whereby he is receiued of the beleeuer to iustification saluation Now the Papists are such as professe Christ but indeed receiue him not nor yet the loue of his truth that they might be saued And therfore this place is verified of them For doth any man I beseech you receiue Christ or beleeue in him who doth not beleeue that Christ is his Redeemer Sauiour But if thou be a Papist thou must not beleeue that Christ is thy Redeemer Sauiour thou must sing Magnificat but thou maist not say with Mary that thy soule reioyceth in God thy Sauiour nor with
some other heretickes who notwithstanding haue not openly denied Christ. Gregorie in the same place which Bellarmine alledgeth doth affirme Lib. 11. Epist. 3. that Antichrist shall haue in reuerence not onely the Sabboth day but also the Lords day which cannot stand with such an open deniall of Christ as Bellarmine imagineth His words be these Qui veniens diem Sabbati atq dominicum ab omni faciet opere custoderi Who when he commeth speaking of Antichrist shall cause the Sabboth day and the Lords day to be kept from all worke And of this there may better reason be giuen then of the other because as hath bene proued Antichrist was to be a pretended Christian. 5 These were his authorities now let vs weigh his reason which is thus concluded In whose time the publike seruice of God and diuine sacrifices shal cease by reason of the vehement persecutioÌ„ he shall openly deny Christ and shall abolish all his ordinances and in stead of them bring in Iewish ceremonies But in Antichrists time by reason of the vehement persecution the publike seruice of God and diuine sacrifices shall cease therefore c. I answere by distinction If by the seruice of God he meane the true worship of God the proposition is vntrue For in the Papacie the true publike worship of God by reason of the vehemencie of persecution hath ceased and yet the Pope doth not openly deny Christ and abolish his ordinances although he do vilely depriue them and mingle them not onely with Iewish but also Heathenish ceremonies If by the publike seruice and diuine sacrifices he meaneth generally any seruice of God although superstitious any sacrifices although idolatrous such as is the sacrifice of the Masse then the assumption is false for such superstitions and will-worshippes do best beseeme Antichrist But of this argument concerning the persecution of Antichrist we haue spoken before chap. 7. 6 This may suffice for answere to his proposition and the proofes thereof Whereas therefore he assumeth that the Pope doth not deny Christ c. I answere if he meaneth a direct deniall in open profession that the Pope may be Antichrist although he do not so denie Christ If he meaneth a deniall of Christ in deed and in truth although couertly indirectly and by consequent I haue heretofore proued that he doth so denie Christ not onely in word and doctrine as he is a false Prophet but also in deed and fact as he is a man of sinne denying him in his life and as he is an aduersary not onely denying but also oppugning Christ and his truth See the first Booke chap. 4. § 6. 7. 8. 7 The second doctrine of Antichrist saith Bellarmine is to affirme himselfe to be the true Christ. From whence he gathereth his second argument Antichrist shal affirme himselfe to be Christ. The Pope doth not affirme himselfe to be Christ therfore the Pope iâ—… not Antichrist That Antichrist being hostis amulus Christi that is an enemy of Christ opposed vnto him in emulation of like honour shall indeed challenge vnto himselfe those offices prerogatiues and authoritie which properly belong to Christ which in effect is as much as if he should say I am Christ we denie not and withall auouch that the Pope of Rome doth so affirme himselfe to be Christ. But that Antichrist shall openly and in so many words expresly affirme that he is the Christ or Messias of the world that we deny to be agreeable to that Antichrist who is described in the word of God For Antichrist was to be a dissembling hypocrite as hath bene proued and his religion is a mysterie of iniquitie cloaked vnder the profession of Christianity Neither could he seduce so many Christians if hee should plainely and openly professe himselfe to be the true Christ. But let vs see how Bellarmine proueth that Antichrist shall openly and expresly name himselfe Christ. Forsooth out of Ioh 5. 43. If an other come in his owne name him will you receiue Where saith he our Lord seemeth of purpose to haue added these words in his owne name foreseeing that the Lutherans and Caluinists would say that Antichrist shall not come in his owne name but in the name of Christ as being his Vicar But I haue heretofore proued that Christ in this place doth not speake absolutely an other shall come but conditionally if an other shall come nor definitely of Antichrist but indefinitely of any false Prophet that should come in his owne name not sent of God Neither doth it follow that if Antichrist shal come in his owne name that therefore he will professe himselfe to be Christ. For all false Prophets come in their owne name because they are not sent of God and yet the most of them haue not professed themselues to be Christ. And it is plaine that our Sauiour Christ in this place maketh an opposition betwixt himselfe and euery false Prophet in this respect that he came vnto them in the name of his Father that is not taking vpon himselfe this honour to be our Prophet and Priest without authoritie and commission from God but sent from the bosome of his Father and yet was not receiued of the Iewes but if an other meaning any other false Prophet should come vnto them not in the name of the Father but in his owne name that is hauing no commission or authoritie from God such a one should be embraced of them And further we are to consider that Christ professing himself to be the Messias seemeth to deny that he came in his owne name for hee signifieth that false Prophets come in their owne name but hee came in the name of the Father therfore to come in his owne name signifieth to come of himselfe without any calling or commission froÌ„ God And therfore our aduersaries cannot with any shewe of reason conclude out of this place that Antichrist shall professe himselfe to be Christ. And yet this is all the proofe which he can bring out of the scriptures Yea but though the scriptures teach no such matter Yet some of the Fathers affirme that Antichrist shall professe himselfe to be Christ yea but Bellarmine hath told vs that we are not to giue credit to such coniectures of theirs as haue no ground in the word of God For how could they being no Prophets certainly foretell such things of Antichrist without booke that is to say without warrant of the scriptures And whereas he addeth that these Fathers affirme that he shall be receiued of the Iewes for their Messias and therfore shal professe himselfe to be the Messias I answer that in like sort a dozen of them affirmed that Antichrist should come of the Tribe of Dan wherof notwithstanding there is no probabilitie 8 To the proposition therfore I answer that Antichrist was not plainely and openly to professe himselfe to be Christ but to challenge the office and authoritie of Christ which is in effect although indirectly by consequent as much as
satis euidenter obscurely called God The Canonists call him DominuÌ„ Deum nostrum Papam Our Lord God the Pope But for further proofe of this point I referre you to the former booke chap. 5 § 6. c. where I intreated of the Antichristian pride of the Pope To which former testimonies I will adde one practise of the Pope in his great yeare of Iubile when as in solemne procession he is carried in a seate of gold vpon noble mens shoulders his god of bread being carried before him vpon an backeney as his attendant and at length commeth to the gates of Paradise which hee beateth open with a golden hammer at which time he is worshipped of all sorts present as a God from whoÌ„ they expect indulgence remission of sinnes and eternal life according to his large promises made to all those which shall come to Rome to celebrate the Iubiley In a word he is numen quoddam visibilem quendam Deum preâ—…se ferens a certaine diuine maiestie shewing himselfe to be a certaine visible God The premisses therefore considered together with my allegations in the place before named this argument may be returned vpon our aduersary after this manner whosoeuer sitteth Lib. 1. ca. 5 §. 6. 7. in the temple of God as God that is ruleth and raigneth ouer the church as if he were a God vpon earth and declareth himselfe either by word or deed that he is God for example if he shall challenge vnto himselfe those titles attributes and workes which are proper vnto God and shall be willing to be saluted acknowledged and adored as God he vndoubtedly is Antichrist But the Pope of Rome ruleth ouer the church as if he were a God vpon earth and declareth himselfe both by word and deed that he is God challenging vnto himself those titles attributes and workes which are peculiar vnto the Lord c. as hath bene proued therefore the Pope is Antichrist yea but the Pope saith Bellarmine doth not declare himselfe to be God for he acknowledgeth himselfe to be the seruant of the Lord. Hee might as well conclude that the Pope neuer calleth himselfe regem reguÌ„terrae ac DominuÌ„ Dominorum the king of the kings of the earth and Lord of Lordes because he acknowledgeth himself seruuÌ„ seruoruÌ„ Dei the seruant of gods seruants Neither doth his verball professioÌ„ ouersway his reall practise But he should haue remembred that the second beast which is Antichrist Apoc. 13. 11. as hee speaketh like the dragon belching out blasphemies against God so hee hath two hornes like the lambe as a dissembling hypocrite imitateth in some things the humilitie of Christ. And therefore that the Pope could not be such an Antichrist as is described in the scriptures vnlesse he were an hypocrite who doth by open profession pretend himselfe to be the seruant of God when as in truth he aduanceth himselfe against him And yet this is all that our aduersary alledgeth to proue his assumption that the Pope doth not shewe himselfe to be God 11 The fourth and last doctrine saith the Iesuite is this he shall not onely affirme that he is God but that he onely is God and shall oppugne all other Gods both true and false and shall suffer no Idols But this absurd conceit of the papists is not onely repugnant vnto the truth but also contradictory to their owne doctrines coÌ„cerning Antichrist For is it credible either that a mortall man shall affirme himselfe alone to be the true God and none but he or if he shall so affirme of himselfe that Christians and Iewes and all the world almost will acknowledge and worship him as the onely true God Againe the Antichristian seate is figured by the whore of Babylon which because of her owne idolatrie is called a whore and because she infecteth all nations that adhere vnto her with her idolatries Apoc. 17. 2. 5. and superstitions she is said to make them drunke with the cup of her fornications and also to be the mother of all the fornications that is idolatries of the earth Yea the Papists themselues expound Deut. 11. 38. where Antiochus Epiphanes is described as an Idolater as properly spoken of Antichrist And do not themselues teach that Antichrist shall professe himselfe to be the Messias of the Iewes and consequently that he is sent and annointed of God Now if he shall professe himselfe sent from God shall we thinke that he wil say there is no God besides himselfe Or if hee being but a mortall man shall say there is no God besides himselfe may we not well thinke that either they will hisse at him as a foole or stone him to death as a blasphemer Nay do not themselues teach that he shall be in religion a Iew an obseruer of the Sabboth and other Iewish ceremonies And do they not alledge Ierome to proue that Antichrist shall faigne himselfe to be the chiefe of the couenant and a In Dan. 11 chiefe maintainer of the lawe and testament of God And are not his two hornes like the Lambe expounded by some approued In Apo. 13 Authors among them of the two testaments which hee shall seeme to professe 12 But let vs see how this wise conceit is proued Forsooth by testimonies of the scriptures and the Fathers Out of the scripture hee alledgeth two places the former 2. Thess. 2. 4. Who is extolled aboue all that is called God or worshipped As if hee should say Antichrist shall bee aduanced aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped therefore hee shall auouch that hee alone is God and will suffer no other God either true or false to bee worshipped besides himselfe I denie the consequence For first Antichrist may aduance himselfe aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped and yet suffer yea require them to bee worshipped Iupiter was supposed among the Heathen to aduance himself aboue all other Gods and yet suffered them to be worshipped as Gods Antichrist the second beast aduanceth himselfe aboue the Image of the Apoc. 13. former beast which is the Empire renewed whereon he sitteth as the rider death vpon a beast and yet requireth the same to be worshipped The Pope aduanceth himselfe aboue Angels Apoc. 17. Kings and Princes who are called Gods aboue the Saints the Host the Crosse and whatsoeuer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the church of Rome and yet requireth them all to be worshipped Secondly Antichrist may aduance himself aboue or against al that is called God or is worshipped and yet not professe himselfe to be the only God For so Antiochus Epiphanes aduanced himselfe against euery God yea against the God of Gods Dan. 11. 36. and yet he was neuer so mad as to professe himselfe the only God Thirdly seeing Antichristianisme is not open Atheisme but a mystery of iniquity Antichrist is described in the scriptures as an hypocrite pretended ChristiaÌ„ we may be assured that although in deed in truth
Epiphanes was that he shall make three expeditions into Egypt and in his returne homeward euery time shall hee afflict the land of Iury especially in the second expedition when being hindred by the shippes of Chittim Ioseph antiq lib. 12. cap. 6. that is the Romans he wreaked his malice vpō the Iewes chap. 11. 30. and all the rest of the particulars which properly belong to the person of Antiochus all which Daniel doth so fully and particularly describe that hee hath seemed to some which knew not with what spirit he did write to haue written a story rather then a prophecie of him Chap. 7. 8. 11. 12. 4 But now let vs examine seuerally the particular instances from whence Bellarmine wold proue that the Pope is not Antichrist From the first he argueth thus Antichrist arising from most base estate ex humilimo loco shall by fraud deceit obtaine the kingdome of the Iewes The Pope of Rome ariseth not from base estate neither obtaineth the kingdome by fraude and deceit therfore the Pope is not Antichrist The proposition is after his manner proued out of Dan. 11. 21. And in his place shall stand a vile person and they shall not giue vnto him the honor of a king but he shall come secretly and obtaine the kingdome by fraude I answere first that Daniel speaketh not of Antichrist and secondly that this proposition is not true of him of whom Daniel speaketh and therfore that this allegatiō is both impertinent vntrue That Daniel speaketh not of Antichrist it shall appeare out of Daniel himselfe For Daniel speaketh of him that immediately in the kingdome of Syria succeeded Seleucus Philopater For so he saith in his place who was described vers 20 shall stand vp a vile person meaning thereby Antiochus who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but properly as Polybius calleth him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto whom that which is cited out of the 21. verse and all the rest of the chapter vnto the end doth wholy and properly agree 5 For the better vnderstanding of this place the rest of Daniel we are to know that excepting one propheticall comfort of the resurrection cha 12. his whole prophecie is of those things which happened within lesse then 700. yeares that is to say from the taking of Ierusalem by the Chaldeans vnto the finall destructiō thereof by the Romanes and his prophecie concerneth those kingdomes which should in the meane time be in the worlde And those are either such terrestriall kingdomes vnto whose tyrannie the Iewes were subiect before the comming of the Messias or else the spirituall kingdome of Christ the Messias king of the Iewes before which all the former kingdoms were to haue an end Da. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 7. 11. 26 27. The time wherof as also of the desolatiō of Ierusalē is foretold cap. 9. 25. 26. 27. according to which time this Messias and king is by the wise men acknowledged to be born Mat. 2 and his kingdom by Iohn Baptist the forerunner of Christ was said to be at hand Mat. 3. 2. and in like sort preached our Sauiour Christ Mat. 1. 15. his apostles Ma. 10. 7. Christ also a litle before his death confessed that he was a king and in his death his title was the king of the Iewes After his death resurrection he professeth that all power was giuen him in heauen and in earth and therevpon ascendeth into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of God which is noted in Daniel chap. 7. 13. that after Christ the son of man was come into the worlde he went vnto the auncient of dayes and to him was giuen power glory and kingdome that all people nations and tongues should serue him Of both these sorts of kingdomes Daniel intreateth chap. 2. and 7. And as touching the terrestriall kingdomes which tyrannized ouer the Iewes before the comming of Christ in the flesh they are noted to be foure the first of the Babylonians the second of the Medes and Persians the third of the Macedonians the fourth of the Seleucidae and Lagidae And of these foure Daniel prophecieth either ioyntly of all together or seuerally of some of them In the second seuenth chapters of them all together resembling them in the second chapter by an Image the golden head whereof figureth the Babylonians the breast and armes of siluer the Medes and Persians the belly and sides of brasse represent the Macedonians his legges of yron and his feete part of yron and part of clay resemble the Seleucidae Lagidae and in the seuenth chapter the same foure kingdomes are figured by 4. beastes the Babylonians by a Lyon the Medes and Persians by a Beare the Macedonians by a Leoparde the Seleucidae and Lagidae by the beast with tenne hornes 6 Seuerally he prophecieth either of the Babylonian Monarchy or of the rest His prophecies concerning the Babylonian Monarchy which also were fulfilled in his time are set downe chap. 4. and 5. Of the three other and especially of the last because that especially was to afflict the people of the Iewes he prophecieth againe in the 8. and 11. chapters In the 11. chapter to omit the rest the Angell promiseth vers 2. Dan. 11. 2. to declare the truth that is the true and proper sense meaning of the aforesaid visions concerning the three kingdomes which yet remained recorded chap. 2. 7. 8. And first as touching the kingdome of the Medes Persians he mentioneth but foure Kings because the rest did nothing memorable against Iuda verse 2. In the third verse he prophecieth of Alexander Verse 3. the great the mightie Monarch of the Graecians and of the diuision of that Empire into soure principall parts vers 4. Verse 4. which before was foretold chap. 8. 22. Of which diuision Ierome writeth thus Quo sc. Alexandro tricesimo secundo aetatis In Dan. 8. suae anno mortuo in Babylone surrexerunt pro eo quatuor duces eius qui sibi imperium diuiserunt Aegyptum enim Ptolemeus Lagi filius tenuit c. Alexander being dead in Babylon in the 32. yeare of his age there arose in his stead foure of his captaines who diuided the Empire among them For Ptolemy Lagides held Egypt Philip who also is called Arideus the brother of Alexander held Macedonia Seleucus Nicanor held Syria and Babylon and all the kingdomes of the East Antigonus ruled ouer Asia minor These foure kingdomes were by mutuall conflicts reduced to two vnder Seleucus Nicanor Ptolemy Lagides from whom did spring the kingdom of the Lagidae kings of Egypt on the South and of the Seleucidae or kings of Syria Babylon in the North. These two vsed to contend for Iudaea which lying in the midst betwixt them became a prey to the conquerers and was greeuously afflicted by them These two are the two legges and feete of the Image chap. 2. and also the fourth beast with tenne hornes chap. 7.
writings before to be the scriptures Why then Ierome saith so vpon Daniel 11. 24. where Daniel speaketh of Antiochus his dealings in Egypt that he did that which his forefathers neuer did Nullus Iudaeorum absque Antichristo in tot◅ vnquam or be regnauit These be Bellarmines scriptures But where do the scriptures indeede say that Antichrist shall subdue seuen of the tenne Kings Nay the contrary may rather bee gathered out of the scriptures The tenne hornes whereof Daniel speaketh were tenne Kings which successiuely raigned ouer Iudaea as hath bene shewed And although Antiochus Epiphanes might helpe away three of his next predecessors yet hee could not hurt the other sixe for there were but nine besides himselfe which were all dead and gone before he came to yeares Yea but this opinion of the Fathers is plainely enough deduced out of Apoc. 17. 12. where we reade and the tenne hornes which thou sawest are tenne Kings these haue one minde and they shall giue their power and authoritie to the beast No maruell though some of the Papists call the scripture a nose of waxe seeing they can frame and fashion it at their pleasure and giue vnto it what sense they list Doth Iohn speake of Antichrist his either killing three or subduing seuen Or doth Iohn speake of the same tenne hornes wherof Daniel doth Daniel speaketh of tenne Kings which were to bee dead and gone before the comming of the Messias Iohn speaketh of such as in his time had not yet attained to their kingdome verse 12. Daniel speaketh of tenne Kings of the Seleucidae and Lagidae which succeeded one an other Iohn of tenne Kings among whom the Romane Empire was to be diuided who also were to haue their kingdome together with the beast Daniel telleth vs what the little horne which was one of the tenne should doo to three of the other nine without mention of the rest Iohn sheweth what all the tenne hornes should doo to Antichrist which is none of the tenne hornes but one of the heades of the beast If therefore Bellarmine can proue from hence that these are the same tenne hornes spoken of in Daniel and that Antichrist shall kill three of them subdue the other seuen he may hope to proue any thing But what other scriptures hath hee forsooth Chrysostome and Cyrill For Chrysostome on 2. Thess. 2. saith that Antichrist shall bee a Monarch and shall succeede the Romanes in the Monarchy as the Romanes succeeded the Greekes the Greekes succeeded the Persians and they the Assyrians And Cyrill saith that Antichrist shall obtaine the Monarchy Catech. 15 which was the Romanes I answere that for substance these Fathers held the truth For what Monarch hath there bene in the West these fiue or sixe hundred yeares besides the Pope who calleth himselfe King of Kings and Lorde of Lords to whom all power is giuen in heauen and in earth who hath as they say the double Monarchy both of spirituall and temporal power who forsooth is Lord of the whole earth in so much that he taketh vpon him authoritie to dispose of the new found world And that he succedeth the Emperors in the Alexand. 6. gouernment of Rome as it becommeth Antichrist who is the second beast Apoc. 13. and the 7. head of the beast Apoc. 17. whereof the Emperour was the sixt I shall not neede to proue 15 There remaineth the fourth argument Antichrist shall persecute with an innumerable army the Christians throughout the world and this is the battell of God and Magog but this agreeth not to the Pope therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answere to the proposition that no such thing can be proued out of the scripture Hee alledgeth Ezech. 38. 39. Apoc. 20. 7. 8. 9. 10. But Ezechiel speaketh not of Antichrist nor of the persecution of the Christian Church by him But hauing foretold chapter 37. the restitution of the Iewes from the Babylonian captiuitie and also prophesied of the comming of Christ in those chapters hee foretelleth of the afflictions and troubles which the people of the Iewes should sustaine in the meane time to wit after their returne out of captiuitie before the comming of the Messias and withall denounceth the iudgemēts of God against the Seleucidae who were the kings of Syria and Asia minor and their adherents who should be the chiefe enemies of the church and people of the Iewes after their returne For Gog signifieth Asia minor hauing that name from Gyges the King thereof Magog is Hierapolis the chiefe seate of Idolatry in Syria built by the Scythians and frō them hath that name So that by the land of Magog wee are to vnderstand Syria and by Gog Asia minor And the rest of the peoples that Plin. lib. 5. cap. 23. are named in Ezechiel were such as assisted the Seleucidae who were the kings of Syria and Asia minor in their warres either as their subiects or as their friends or as their mercenary souldiers And for as much as the princes and people of Syria and Asia minor were the most grieuous enemies of the Iewes by Ad Tremell Iun. in Ezech 38. 39. whom they sustained the chiefest calamities after their returne before the comming of Christ therefore by an vsuall speech in the Iewish language the mortall and deadly enemies of the church are called Gog and Magog And in this sense Iohn the Diuine vseth these names Gog and Magog to signifie the enemies of the church meaning not the same enemies whereof Ezechiel speaketh but the like enemies of the Church which should afflict the true Christians as Gog and Magog afflicted the Iewes Neither doth Iohn in this place speake of the persecution of Antichrist properly but of Sathan after he was loosed his inciting the enemies of the Church to battell and of Gods iudgements against them signified by fire And so much shall suffice to haue answered to this argument For after so long a Treatise I will not trouble the Reader with the tenne seuerall opinions which Bellarmine reciteth cōcerning Gog and Magog neither yet with any further answere to his cauillations and exceptions against some of the arguments of diuers Protestants which he thought were more easie to answere seeing in the former booke I haue sufficiently cleared those arguments whereby the Pope is more euidently proued to be Antichrist neither is the controuersie betwixt vs whether euery argument that hath bene produced by euery one doth necessarily conclude the Pope to be Antichrist That discourse therefore being rather personall then reall I let it passe Chap. 17. Being the conclusion of the whole Treatise HAuing therefore both by sufficient arguments manifestly proued that the Pope is 1. Antichrist and by euidence of truth maintained the same assertion against the arguments of the Papists let vs now consider in the last place what conclusions may vpon this doctrine be necessarily inferred for our further vse For first if this be true that the Pope is Antichrist as
I haue proued and the church of Rome that now is Babylon the Synagogue of Antichrist then all other controuersies betwixt vs and them may be easily decided their chiefe ground being the authoritie of their church and of the See Apostolike For then it is to be presumed that those doctrines which are peculiar to the Pope and Church of Rome are the errours of Antichrist yea and as the Apostle calleth 1. Tim. 4. 2. them doctrines of diuels 2 If the Romish church be Antichristian then our seperation froÌ„ it is warranted yea commanded by the word of God and all returning to it forbidden Apoc. 18. 4. Come out of her my people least pertaking with her in her sinnes you partake also in her punishment 3 If the Pope be Antichrist then those that embrace that religion and ioyne themselues to that church acknowledging the Pope to be their head receiue the marke of the beast And those that do receiue the beasts marke especially after he is reuealed shall drinke of the wine of Gods wrath and shall bee punished with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe Apoc 14. 9. This therefore must serue as a serious admonition and necessary caueat both to reclaime all tractable Papists and to confirme all wauering and vnstayed Protestants The former as they tender their saluation so to come out of Babylon The latter as they will auoid their endles confusion to keepe out of Babylon For not onely to retaine the marke of the beast wilfully after he is discouered but to reuolt from the profession of the truth vnto Antichristian religion it also is a fearefull signe of reprobation For it is impossible that the elect should finally be seduced by Antichrist Math. 24. 24. And the Apostle Paul obserueth that Antichrist shall effectually deceiue them that perish with all deceitfulnes of iniquitie because they haue not receiued the loue of the truth that they might be saued And therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeue lies that al they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but delighted in vnrighteousnesse 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. 12. Whervpon Chrysostome also writing hath these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrist preuaileth with Castawayes or such as perish And Ierome likewise Ad AlgasiaÌ„ quest 11. They shall be seduced saith hee by the lies of Antichrist who are prepared vnto perdition But on the other side those which renounce the Pope and church of Rome and rise sroÌ„ the graue of Antichristianisme and Popery and follow our Sauiour Christ in the sincere profession of the truth Blessed and holy are they for they hauing part in the first resurrection shal be freed from the second Apoc. 20. 6 death And howsoeuer they are esteemed of the followers of Antichrist as heretickes schismatickes which are to be persecuted with fire and faggot yet are they happie in their life whiles they ioyne with Christ against Antichrist for such are called elect and faithfull and redeemed out of the world and they are also blessed in their death dying in the quarrell of Christ Apoc. 17. 14. against Antichrist for of those specially doth the holy Ghost speake Apoc. 14. 13. Blessed are those that dye in the Apoc. 14. 4. Lord c. 4 If the Pope be Antichrist then those that are found to be resolute Antichristians that is recusant Papists but especially Iesuites and Seminary Priests which are sent to reconcile men vnto the Pope and Church of Rome that is as hath bene proued to set on them the marke of the beast consequently to brand them to destruction and all such as seeke to peruert seduce others ought not to be fauoured or spared in a Christian common wealth First because they are limmes of Antichrist and therfore by the commandement of God we should do to them as they haue done to vs. Apoc. 18. 6. Secondly because they are enemies to God and traitors to Christian Princes They are enemies to God not onely because themselues are Idolaters and consequently such as hate God Exod. 20. 5. but also because they labour to withdrawe others from the true worship of God vnto superstition and idolatrie and therfore in no case ought to be spared Deut. 13. 5. 8. They are traitors also to ChristiaÌ„ Princes being sworne vassals to the Pope their capitall enemie For hee esteemeth all Christian Princes that do not acknowledge him to be their head as schismatikes or heretikes And as he vseth so oft as he dareth to proceede Antonin sum part 3. tit 22. cap. 5. §. 11. against such foure wayes viz. by excommunication deposition depriuing them of their temporall goods possessions and raising warre against them so all Papists acknowledging the Popes supremacie do hold both that he hath authoritie so to proceede against Christian Princes and also that in his definitiue sentence hee Antonin sum part 3. tit 22. cap. 5. §. 10 cannot erre And therforé if they put not in execution the sentence of their holy Father it is not for want of treasonable will and rebellious affection towards their Prince but for lacke of meanes and oportunitie As for example when Pius 5. had sent his Bull of excommunication against our late Soueraigne Cupers pag. 182. num 8. Queene of happie memorie therein deposing her from her crowne and absoluing her subiects from their alleageance towards her it is most certaine that whatsoeuer many hollow hearted Papists pretended yet fewe of them did acknowledge her for their lawfull Queene and many of them thought it a meritorious worke to take away her life And surely if not their persons then much lesse ought their Antichristian religion the mysterie of iniquitie be tolerated in the Church of Christ. For what fellowship can there bee betwixt light and darkenesse or what agreement can the Temple of God haue 2. Cor. 6. with Idols 5 If the Pope be Antichrist and his Church Antichristian then can there be no reconciliatioÌ„ betwixt vs the church of Rome we being as often hath bene proued the true church of God For what agreement can there be betwixt Christ and Antichrist Such neuters therefore shewe themselues to be nâ—…llifidians and politicke Atheists who would perswade men that both wee and they are the true church of Christ and that the difference betwixt vs being in words rather then in substance may easily be composed but they might as well say that there is but a verball difference betwixt the Gospell of Christ and the doctrine of Antichrist 6 Lastly if the church of Rome which because of her largenesse calleth her selfe the Catholike that is to say the vniuersall church bee notwithstanding the Synagogue of Antichrist What infinit thankes doo wee owe to our good and gracious God who hath not suffred vs to be carried away with that Catholike Apostasie as it were an vniuersall deluge but hath gathered vs into the arke of his true church making vs with the rest of his true professors his peculiar people It remaineth therefore that seeing God hath bene so gracious to vs wee should not be vnthankful to him but rather should walke worthy our calling as it becommeth the children of the light adorning the profession of the glorious Gospel of Christ by a godly conuersation to the ende that by the plentifull fruites of righteousnesse and true holinesse wee may glorifie God our heauenly Father stoppe the mouthes of our aduersaries and gather assurance vnto our owne soules of our iustification and saluation by Iesus Christ our bessed Lord and Sauiour To whom with the Father and the holy spirit be all praise and thankes-giuing both now and euermore Amen FINIS