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
that the teÌ„ple should neuer be reedified and Hierome saith that the opinion which is Ad Marcell for the restoring of the temple is a Iewish fable Whereas therfore the Papists teach that Antichrist shall cause this temple to be built and that he shall haue his seat there which they know shall neuer be what doe they else but make a mockery of all the prophecies of the holy Ghost concerning the comming of Antichrist and with Iulian goe about to giue the lie to Daniel and our Sauiour Christ. 14. Againe if th'apostle had by temple meant such a temple as should be built by Antichrist hee would not haue called it the Temple of God but rather of the Diuell Non enim templum alicuius idoli saith Augustine aut daemonis De ciuit Dei lib. 10. c. 19. templum Dei Apostolus diceret For the temple of some idoll or Diuell the Apostle would not call the temple of God Neither are wee by the temple of God to vnderstand a materiall building for such as Bellarmine truely saith are not called the temple of God in the newe Testament And therefore the more grosse is he to vnderstande it of a materiall temple and of a corporall sitting For first materiall temples in the writings of th'apostles are not called the temples of God but the congregations of Gods people are the temple of God See 1. Cor. 3. 16. 17. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Ephes. 2. 21. Apoc. 3. 12. And according to the Scriptures phrase speaketh Lactanâ—…us Solâ—… Instit. lib. 4. cap. 30. saith hee catholica Ecclesia est quae verum cultum retinet hic est fons veritatis hoc est domicilium fidei hoc templum Dei It is the catholicke Church alone which retaineth the true worship this is the welspring of trueth this is the house of faith this is the temple of God The temple of God therefore signifieth the congregation or companie of them which professe the name of Christ. In this temple Antichrist sitteth that is ruleth and raigneth For wee are not to vnderstand it of the corporal gesture as appeareth by that which followeth he shal sitte in the temple of God as God that is he shall rule and raigne as if he were a God for that is meant by Gods sitting who doth not sitte after a corporall maner In the temple Psalm 9. 5. of God therefore which is his Church Antichrist sitteth that is ruleth and gouerneth challenging a soueraigne and vniuersall dominion ouer all those that professe the name of Christ as being the head husband and Lord of the vniuersall church which agreeth most fitly and properly to the Popes of Rome Neither are we to omit the phrase of sitting For whereas princes are said to raigne so many yeares the Popes are saide to sitte and the chiefe place of his dominion is called his Sedes that is Sec or seat 15 And this our interpretation is confirmed by the testimonies of the auncient The temple of God saith Theodoret he calleth the churches wherin Antichrist shal challeÌ„ge to himselfe in 2. Thess. 2. the first seat endeuouring to shewe himselfe to be God And againe Dei autem templum vocat ecclesias The temple of God Epitom he calleth the churches Hierome in templo Dei saith he vel Hierosolymis vt quidam putant vel in ecclesia vt veriùs arbitramur Ad Algasiam quaest 11. And he shall sit in the temple of God either at Ierusalem as some thinke or in the church as we more truely suppose Chrysostome in 2. Thess. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where it seemeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put corruptly for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the greeke scholiast whoe vsually reporteth worde for worde out of Chrysostome saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Oecumen in 2. Thess. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the temple Hee saithe not in the temple at Ierusalem but in the churches of God And likewise Theophylact not in the temple which is at Ierusalem in 2. Thess. 2. specially but simply in the churches and in euery temple of God Augustine of these words saith But in what temple of God he shall sit as God it is vncertaine whether in that ruine of De ciuit Dei lib. 20. c. 19. the temple which king Salomon built or else in the church For the Apostle would not call the temple of an idoll or diuel the temple of God Whereupon some to whose iudgement not only Augustine in this place but Primasius also subscribeth some I say by Antichrist in this place will haue understood not the prince Bellarmine citeth it as Augustines owne iudgement cap. 13. himselfe but his whole body after a sort that is the multitude of men pertaining vnto him together with the prince himselfe And they thinke it might better be read in the latine as it is in the greeke non in templo Dei sed in templum dei sedeat tanquam ipse sit templum Dei quod est ecclesia Sicut dicimus sedet in amicum i. velut i amicus c. He sitteth not in the temple of God but as the temple of God as if he were the temple of God which is the church euen as we say sedet in amicum that is he sitteth as a friend Which exposition most fitly agreeeth to the Pope and church of Rome who esteeme themselues alone to be the catholike church and all others professing the name of Christ to be heretikes and schismaticks By this which hath bene saide it is plaine that by the temple we are to vnderstand the church of God And yet this doth no more proue the church of Rome to be the true church of God then they can proue the temple of Antichrist at Ierusalem where they say he should sit to be Of this see more in the 2. booke 13. chap. §. 4. 5. 6. the temple of God It is sufficient that the church where Antichrist sitteth hath bene the true church and still is in title and profession although in truth it bee but an Apostaticall church Eor Antichrist as he was to sit in the church so he was to be the head of the Apostasie and of those that fal from god who notwithstanding according to that exposition in Augustine shall sit in templum Dei as though they alone were the true church of God 16 But the Papists confirme their exposition viz that the temple of God signifieth the temple at Ierusalem out of the Apoc. 11. 8. eleuenth of the Apocalypse eight verse Where Iohn sheweth say they That the bodies of Enoch and Elias being slaine by Antichrist shall lie in the streets of Ierusalem Whereunto I answere that Iohn in that place neither speaketh of Enoch and Elias not yet of Ierusalem And whether he speake of the persecution of Antichrist there may be some doubt because he seemeth verse 2. and 7. to speake of the same persecution of the holy
of himselfe sheweth what kind of defection hee speaketh of For afterwards in the same chapter he noteth this Apostasy 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. 12. to be of those who because they haue not loued nor beleeued the truth that they might be saued but haue taken pleasure in vnrigteousnes are therefore giuen ouer by the iust iudgement of God to beleeue the lies of Antichrist to their damnation But more plainely the same Apostle speaking of that Apostasie which in these later times was to accompany the reuelation of Antichtist he saith 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. The spirit speaketh euideÌ„tly 1. Tim. 4. 1. 2. that in the latter times some shall make an Apostasie from the faith attending to erronious spirits and doctrines of diuells speaking lyes in hypocrisie hauing their owne conscience seared 3 Now the Papists are as ready to obiect this Apostasy to vs as wee to them How then shall we discerne whether we or they haue made this reuolt The Apostle in the same place setteth downe two of those doctrines of diuells as certaine notes whereby those which make this Apostasie may be discerned Forbidding saith hee to marry and commaunding to abstaine 1. Tim 4. 3. from meats which God hath created to bee receiued with thanksgiuing The former where of Hierome also hath noated to bee a In Dan. 11. marke of Antiehrist Nota est Antichristi prohibere nuptias But these notes agree not vnto vs who neither forbid mariage nor commaund abstinence from any meats for religion sake As for the Papists especiallie since the times of Gregory the seauenth they forbid mariage to some men at all times and certaine meats to all men at sometimes and that for religion sake esteeming of mariage in their clergie worse then adultery or Sodomy and eating of flesh in Lent or other forbidden times as a mortall sinne And as touching the falling away of the Church certaine it is that although neither the inuisible 1. Iohn 2. 19. church in generall nor any one sound member thereof caÌ„ fall away from faith either totally or finally yet not onely the members of visible churches but also the churches themselues consisting of hypocrites as of the greater part may fall away As the Church of England which was in King Edwards daies reuolted in Queene Maries time from Christ to Antichrist So hath the church of Rome which once was famous for her Rom. 1. faith as may appeare not onely by those notes set downe by the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. 3. and some others which hereafter See the 2. boke chapt 2. shal be noted but also in those innumerable particulars both in doctrine and maners wherein they haue reuolted from the purity of the primitiue Church And of this catholicke Apostasie the Pope is head 4. Secondly Antichrist is not an open and outward but a couert disguised enimy oppugning Christ his church not by open violeÌ„ce but with all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes 2. Thess. 2. 10. For he is not so foolish as to professe himself to be Antichrist Neither could that be which the Apostle testifieth as Radulphus FlauiaceÌ„sis saith that Antichrist should attaine vnto ecclesiasticall In Leuit. lib. 18 cap. 1. apud Magdeburg centur 10. honours and in the temple of God that is the society of the faithfull should take the chaire of honour vnlesse hauing first pretended a kind of coÌ„formity with the faithful he should deceiue those of whom he is to be ordained Therfore Antichristianisme is called the mystery of iniquitie whereupon the Glose saith 2. Thess. 2. 7. The impiety of Antichrist is mysticall that is cloaked vnder the In 2. Thess. 2. name of godlinesse And as in the Popes miter was wont so also in the whore of Babylons forehead is written a mystery Apoc. 17. 2. Thess. 2. 4. Augustin Primasâ—… glossâ—…in Apoc. 13. And Antichrist himselfe is deciphered as an hypocrite sitting in the teÌ„ple of God professing himselfe and his followers to be the onely true church of God vsing the two Testaments pretending himselfe as Hierome saith to bee the Prince of the couenant And consequently head of the Church deceiuing vnsounde In Dan. 11. Christians with a glorious profession of religioÌ„ signified by the Apo. 17. golden cup with a shew of couÌ„terfait holinesse otherwise he could neuer so effectually deceiue many christiaÌ„s as that the elect Mat. â—…4 24. should be in any dauÌ„ger to be seduced speaking lies in hypocrisie oppugning Christ his truth vnder the outward shew 1. Tim. 4. 2. profession of Christian religion hauing two hornes like the Apoc. 13. 11. lambe couÌ„terfeiting in some things the humility meekenes of Christ yet challeÌ„ging that double power both spirituall teÌ„porall which belongeth to Christ the laÌ„be as our chief priest and king and not onely that but speaking also like the dragon Which is to be vnderstood partly of his blasphemous speaches which he doth vtter partly of the doctrines of diuels which he 1. Tim. 4 1. doth teach partly of those hellish curses which he thundreth against the true professors of the faith partly of those great promises which like the prince of the world he maketh to those Mat. 9 4 that will adore him These things need no application for those to whom the disguising more then pharisaical hypocrisie of the Pope Papists is knowne For must not his holines be called sanctissimus most holy wheÌ„ he is most wicked doth not he call himself SeruuÌ„seruoruÌ„ the seruaÌ„t of seruants wheÌ„ in truth he maketh himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords And as Faber hath obserued the Pope in word saith that he is the seruant of seruaÌ„ts but in deed he permitteth himselfe to be adored Praesat instit which the Angel in th' Apocalyps refused FroÌ„ which fact of the Pope as if it were a rule of iustice Antoninus concludeth that Suâ—… part 3. there is no lesse honour due to the Pope then to the Angels Wherupon â—…it 22. 〈◊〉 4. saith he he receiueth from the faithfull adorations prostration or falling downe before him and the kisses of his feete which the Angell permitted not to be done vnto him by Iohn the Euangelist Neither was Bernards complaint either vniust or Apoc. 22. Serm. in conuers Pauli vntrue Heuheu Doâ—…ine Deus c. Alas Lord God that they be first in thy persecution which seeme to loue the primacie in thy Church and to beare rule And else where A silihy contagion saith he spreadeth it selfe now adaies through the whole In cant seâ—…m 33. body of the Church c. All are louers and all enemies all friends al aduersaries all domesticall or of the houshold and none peaceable all neighbours and yet all seeke their owne they are ministers of Christ and they serue Antichrist And such was the complaint of diuerse Bishoppes in their Epistle to Pope Nicolas recorded in Auentine
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
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
foretold do now come to passe The king of pride meaning Antichrist is at hand and that which is horrible to be spoken an army of priests is prepared for him Whereby he would also insinuate that he should be the prince of priests Now this is a principle in the church of Rome that the Pope especially such a Pope as Gregory the great speaking definitâ—…uelie and confidentlie can not erre And if this be true as they may not deny the Pope being the foundation of all their trueth then must they needs confesse that Antichrist was come almost a thousand yeers since and that the Pope their prince of priests who not onely succeedeth Iohn of Constantinople in that Antichristian title but also farre exceedeth him in all Antichristian pride challenging a soueraigne and vniuersall authority not onely aboue all other Bishops and priests but also aboue all kings and Emperours is that Antichrist 5 To this testimony of Gregory I might adde diuerse other witnesses But my purpose is not to draw mine arguments from the writings and as it were the cisternes of men who liued before the reuelation of Antichrist and therefore except themselues had bene prophets could not fully expound these prophecies but from the pure fountaines of holy scriptures expounded by the history and euent the best interpreters of prophecies For as Daniell saith of the like or rather as the Papists say of these same Dan. 129. prophecies concerning Antichrist The words are closed vp and sealed vntill the appointed tyme. And accordingly was it said by Augustine prophetias citiùs impleri quà m intelligt that prophecies are fulfilled sooner then vnderstood and by Irenaeus whome Bellarmine also alleadgeth to the same purpose omnes prophetiae Lib. 〈◊〉 aduers. haeres c. 43. Bell. de pont R. lib. 3 c. 10. saith he priusquam habeaÌ„t efficaciam aemgmata sunt ambiguitas hominibus All prophecies before they haue their complement are vnto men darke and doubtfull speeches And therefore speaking of some part of the prophecies concerning Antichrist hee Apoc. 13. saith Certius sine periculo est sustinere adimplet ionem prophetiae quà m suspicari c It is more sure and safe to wait for the fulfilling of the prophecie then before hand to deliuer vncertaine ghesses Lib. 5. advers hares pag. antepenult Omitting therefore the vncertaine coniectures of men for such are diuerse opinions of the fathers concerning Antichrist as Bellarmine confesseth of some from the sacred scriptures the Lib. 3. de pont R. c. 10. vndoubted oracles of God I frame this demonstration 6 Vnto whomesoeuer the prophecies of holy scripture describing Antichrist the head of the Antichristian body doe wholy and onely agree hee is that graund Antichrist who is foretold in the scriptures Vnto the Pope of Rome the prophecies of holy scripture concerning Antichrist the head of the Antichristian body do wholy and onely agree therefore the Pope of Rome is that graund Antichrist which is foretold in the scriptures The proposition I take for graunted For seeing the holy ghost hath of purpose in diuerse places of the scripture taken vpon him fully and sufficiently to describe Antichrist and that to this end that he might bee knowne we neede not doubt but that this description of Antichrist is so perfect and so proper vnto him as to whome that description agreeth not he is not Antichrist contrarywise whom it wholy and onely fitteth hee must be held and acknowledged to be that Antichrist All the controuersie therefore is concerning the assumption namely whether the descriptions of Antichrist in the scriptures agree to the Pope or not Antichrist is described by the holy ghost especially in three places viz. in the second chapter of the second epistle to the Thessalonians in the thirteenth of the Reuelation from the eleuenth verse to the end and in the seuenteenth chapter of the same booke For I omitte those places in the prophecie of Daniel which vsually are alleaged because they speake properly of Antiochus Epiphanes Chap. 7. 8. 11. 12. who was but a type of Antichrist as Bellarmine also confesseth and the ninth of the Apocalypse because it is by some expounded Lib. 3. de pont R. c 18. 21. of the Turks 7 And that the description of Antichrist in the scriptures fitly agreeth to the Pope it appeareth by this induction For whereas all the arguments and notes whereby Antichrist is described in the scriptures may be reduced to these heads to wit the place or seat where we are to find him the time when we were to looke for him his condition and qualities that he is an aduersary opposed vnto Christ in aemulation of like honour a man of sinne in generall and more particularly an horrible Idolatour his actions and passions that is such things as he shall either do or suffer I will make it euident by the helpe of God whose all-seeing spirit I humbly beseech to guide me into the truth that all and euery one of them doe so fitly and properly agree to the Pope of Rome that in the descriptions of Antichrist in the scripture the Pope may behold himselfe as it were in a glasse Chap. 2. Of the place or seate of Antichrist 1. ANd first as touching the place or seate of Antichrist I reason thus Mysticall Babylon spoken of in the seuenteenth and eighteenth of the Apocalypse is the seat of Antichrist Rome is Mysticall Babylon spoken of in the seuenteenth and eighteenth of the Apocalypse Therefore Rome is the seat of Antichrist As touching the proposition you are to vnderstand that Babylon in the scriptures is taken sometimes literally and sometimes mystically literally for Babylon either in Chaldaea or in Egypt Babylon in Chaldaea was the Metropolis or imperiall city of the Babylonian and Assyrian Monarchy Babylon in AEgypt is called Babylis and Cayrus of which some vnderstand the Apostle Peter to speake 1. Epist. 5. 13. Babylon mysticall in the Apocalypse is the seat or chiefe city of Antichrist resembling the 1. Pet. 5. 13. Apoc. 17. 5. Assyrian Babylon in pride idolatry filthinesse and especiallie in most cruell persecution of the church of God And for the same causes Apoc. 11. 8. is called spiritually Sodom and Egypt Sodom Ap. 11. 8. for pride and filthinesse Egypt for idolatrie and for cruelty towards the Israel of God And as the church of Christ in the Apocalypse is called Ierusalem mysticallie or the holy city so the church especially the Metropolis or chiefe city of Antichrist is mysticallie called Babylon This as it is the receiued opinion of the faithfull so may it euidently be gathered out of the seuenteenth and eighteenth of Apocalypse which without all doubt are prophecies concerning Antichrist and the Antichristian city and seat as the Papists themselues often confesse Bellarm. lib. 3. de Pâ—…t R. c. 2. Sander demonstr 13. 18. c 2 For that which the Papists sometimes obiect That by Babylon is
the earth haue committed fornication being made drunke and intoxicated with the golden cuppe of her fornications that is of her glorious idolatries and Antichristian heresies who as she is cloathed with Scarlet so is she died red and Apoc 17. 4. 6. drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesu as being that citie and church wherin the two witnesses of Christ are put to death Apoc. 11. And cā she then be the whore of Babylon and not the Antichristian citie and state especially considering these two thinges which the Papists themselues are forced to confesse first that the state of Rome is here figured as it shal be in the time of Antichrist secondly that Antichrist shal be one of the seuen heads namely the last head of the Romane beast and consequently shall haue Rome for his principall seat Let vs see then whether the Iesuit be able to bring so much as a shew of reason against this truth For it may be you expect his proofe Antichrist saith he Lib. 3. de pont Rom. cap. 13. making his collection out of Apoc. 17. 16. shall hate Rome and shall fight with her and shall make her desolate and burne her Whereupon it followeth manifestly that Rome shal not be the seat of Antichrist But it should seeme the Iesuit was in a dreame when he framed this argument For it is euident that not Antichrist but the ten hornes that is the ten Kings shal hate the whore that is the Antichristian city president therof accordingly Tertullian Prostituta illa ciuitas à decemregib dignos exitus referet That city which hath prostituted her selfe to De resurrect carn c. 25. play the harlot shall frō the ten Kings receiue her deserued end And so in another place himselfe being better awaked reasosoneth from that place The ten kings saith he which shall diuide among them the Romane Empire and in whose time Antichrist shall come shall hate the purple harlot that is Rome and make her desolate how then shall shee be the seat of Antichrist Whereunto I answere that the very contrary is to be inferred vpon that place where it is said that the 10. hornes that is the 10. kings which shall diuide among them the Romane Empire shal in deed for a time ioyne with Antichrist and giue their power vnto him But when as Christ shall begin to waste and to weaken him with the spirit of his mouth that then these 10. Kings shall oppose themselues against the Antichristian citie and the head thereof Which euent and experience in parte hath proued to bee true in some of these 10. Kings as hath before beene shewed From that place therefore wee §. 11. may reason thus The purple harlot which the 10. Kings shall assault is the city of Antichrist Rome is that purple harlot as the aduersarie himselfe confesseth therefore Rome is the citie of Antichrist 19. Their last refuge is this that Rome Christian where the Pope sitteth doth not stande vpon 7. hilles but is remoued from the seuen hilles into the plaine of Campus Martius and that the Pope sitteth on the other side of the riuer vpon the mount Vatican Saunders therefore thought it to bee but a childish argument to proue from the 7. hilles that the seate of Antichrist is at Rome But we would knowe of him whether it be the same Rome where they say Peter sate or not If it be the same then it standeth on seuen hilles if it bee not the same how is it then the Apostolicke seate and chaire of Peter True in deede it is that in the time of the Emperours the Pomarium of the citie was enlarged so that it enclosed a good parte of Campus Martius and that since some more auncient partes of the citie being decaied the greatest parte of priuate buildings stande in the plaine Yet notwithstanding euen to this day the seuen hilles are enclosed within the walles of the citie and vpon them there doe yet remaine besides some of the Popes palaces and courts diuers churches and houses of religion and other buildings of note as that learned diuine of blessed memory D. Fulke particularly sheweth In Apoc. 17. 9. in his answere to the Rhemists Neither doth the enlarging of the citie in one parte and the decaying of it in another proue it not to be the same citie And although the Pope doth liue in the Vatican or in any other pallace of his whersoeuer yet who knoweth not that Rome is the Papal or as they cal it the Apostolick seat appointed as they a Rod. Cupers de eccles pag. 37. num 1. say by Christ himself Neither can the Pope as b Cupers dae eccles p. 226. num 16. they teach chaunge his seate or if he should he should ceasse to be the successour of Peter For whosoeuer is chosen Bishop of the citie of Rome he say they is the successor of S. Peter the vicar of Christ and Bishop of the world And as Rome in generall is the Popes seat or See Cupers pag. 37. num 4. so more specially the cathedrall church of Laterane whereof more properly the Pope is Bishop as the husband of one wife Cupers pag. 221. n. 31. In which respect they say that as S. Peter and his successours bee the head of the whole church or vniuersitie of the faithfull so the Laterane church being referred to other materiall Cupers pag. 106. num 11. churches is the head of all churches of the world Vnto this church was adioyned the chiefe pallace of the Pope which was inhabited by them vntill the time of Boniface the 9. as Onuphrius testifieth that is to say 1400. yeares almost after De 7. vrb eecl Christ howsoeuer since the time of Leo the 10. who lodged therein it is within these last hundred yeares decaied Now it is well knowen that the pallace and church of Laterane standeth on the mount Coelius in the most remote part of the citie and furthest distant from the Vaticane So that all these shifts and euasions of the Papists notwithstanding it is euident that Rome which we haue now proued to be the seat of the Pope is by the former reasons alleadged the seat of Antichrist CHAP. 3. Concerning the time of the Reuelation of Antichrist 1. AS from the place we gather the Pope to be Antichrist because the seat of Antichrist is Rome christned or professing her selfe the church of Christ So the consideration of the time ioyned with that of the place doth make this trueth much more euident Rome Christned is the seate of Antichrist but when doth Antichrist sitte that is raigne there I answere that he could not exercise Antichristian dominion there whiles the Emperours had their seat in Rome But when the Emperours were remoued and the Empire in the West dissolued then did Antichrist succeed them in the seat that is in the gouernmēt of Rome And this may be proued first by
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
Thou bearest the person An. Do. 862 Annal. Boior lib. 4. of a Bishop say they but thou playest the tyrant vnder the habite or attire of a pastour wee feele a Wolfe the lying title calleth thee Father thou in thy deedes boastest thy selfe to be another Iupiter When as thou art the seruaunt of seruants thou striuest to be the Lorde of Lords c. Hee counterfeiteth the Lambe in calling himselfe the vicar of Christ and exercising the very same office which Christ himselfe had Bellarm. whiles he was vpon the earth And because by horne in the Scriptures often is meant power he may be saide to haue two hornes like the Lambe whiles he challengeth that two-fold power which is peculiar to Christ the Lambe as our King and Priest and vsurpeth both the swordes I meane both spirituall and temporall He speaketh like the Dragon in teaching those doctrines of Diuels mentioned 1. Tim. 4. 3. forbidding to mary and commaunding abstinence from meates in belching foorth most horrible blasphemies whereof wee will remember some in the next chapter in his diuellish curses against the Saints and Satannicall promises of the worlde and kingdomes thereof to them that will adore him Luc. 4. 6. Ecce in potestate nostra est imperium vt demus illud cui volumus Auentin Annal Boior lib. 6. saith Adrian the Pope Beholde the Empyre is in our power that wee may giue it to whom wee will And whereas Hierome writing of those wordes 1. Tim. 4. They speake in Hypocrisie saith he who being not continent would seeme to be so chaste as that they condemne mariage and so abstemious as that they iudge those who vse the creature sparingly whereas thēselues are giuen ouer to belly cheere what could haue bene spoken more fitly to shewe foorth the hypocrisie of the Pope Papists For do not they whiles they condēne contemne mariage vnder the shew of vowed chastity practise all vncleannesse and whiles they cōdemne all moderate eating of flesh do not they vnder a colour of fasting feast feed themselues with the choisest dainties Doe not many of them vnder the pretence of voluntary pouerty gather infinite riches And doth not all their religion stande in Opere operate in the bare performaunce of the outwarde worke that is to say in hypocrisie Neither are wee to omitte an hypocriticall pollicie which of late they haue vsed For when as they coulde not preuaile with their Sophistry that is to say with their Bookes of controuersies they hoped to preuaile among the simple with their hypocrisie that is to say with their bookes of deuotion Wherein there is a notable shewe of counterfait deuotion zeale and holinesse to bleare the eyes of the simple and vnstaied But it were to be wished that as they are so they were esteemed to be no better then baits of Antichrist seruing to allure men vnder shew of deuotion vnto idolatry apostasie from God especially if we cōsider that the principall of these bookes were set forth by Parsons other Iesuits who Quodlibet c. are plainly discouered euen by some of their owne side to be mere Machiuilians and wicked Atheists 5. Thus you see what maner of aduersary Antichrist is Now wee must shewe in particular wherein he is opposed to Iesus Christ. He is opposed vnto him as he is Christ and as he is Iesus as hee is Christ that is as he was annointed of God to be our Prophet our King and our Priest in which respect especially he is called Antichrist He is also opposed vnto him as he is Iesus that is to say as he is our Sauiour So that Antichrist opposeth himselfe both to the offices of Christ signified in the name Christ and also to the benefites signified in the name Iesus Now these things also most fitly agree to the Pope who opposeth himselfe to Christ in all these respectes not indeede aperto Marte as an open and professed enemy for so it becōmeth not Antichrist who was to be an hypocrit sitting in the Church of God c. but couertly and cunningly For we must remember that Antichristianisme is the mystery of iniquity wherin Christ was in word shew to be professed but indeed truth denied First thē to Christ our Prophet he is opposed partly as he oppugneth the prophecy of Christ and partly as himselfe is a false Prophet He oppugneth the prophecy of Christ First in denying Christ to be our onely Prophet whose voice in the canonicall Scriptures concerning matters necessarily to be beleeued vnto saluation wee ought onely to heare whiles he and his followers do teach that the scriptures are not perfect and that besides the Apocryphall writings which they haue matched with the canonical their owne traditions also are necessary and of equall authority with the scriptures Secondly by withholding from the people the scriptures which containe the whole doctrine of Christ our prophet in a strange language and also by reading and preaching vnto them their owne fancies and inuentions out of the legends and liues of saints and festiualls c. in steede of the sincere truth of God And by these two practises the Pope whiles he leaueth to Christ the name and title of beeing our prophet he taketh the thing to himselfe Againe he is opposed to Christ our prophet as himselfe is the false prophet spoken of in the Apocalypse teaching Antichristian errours and doctrines of diuells For so many errors as are taught and held by the Pope and church of Rome are so many oppositions betwixt him and Christ our prophet Of the errours of the Romish church there be many centuryes or hundreds and diuerse of them fundamentall In respect whereof wee may truly say that the catholike Apostasie for so I call the Romish religion is the common sewre of many grosse heresyes 6 But it will be said that howsoeuer the Pope holdeth diuerse errours yet he teacheth not those which the holy ghost hath noted as the peculiar doctrines of Antichrist Whereof the authour of the Wardword reckoneth vp three and Bellar-mine hath a fourth But neither of them durst mention those two doctrines of diuells which Paul assigneth to that Apostasie 1. Tim. 4. 3. whereof Antichrist is the head The first doctrine of Antichrist say they is to deny Iesus to be Christ. Which they Of this see more in the 2. booke and 14. chapter would proue out of 1. Iohn 2. 22. 4. 3. and 2. Iohn 7. But the Pope say they doth not deny Iesus to be Christ. To the prosyllogisme or proofe of the proposition I answere that these places of the Apostle Iohn doe not speake properly of the graund Antichrist who is the head of the Antichristian body but of certaine petite Antichrists or heretickes of those times which denied either of the natures of Christ for he speaketh of such as were then already come into the world and therefore from thence it cannot be proued that the great Antichrist shall
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
Empire in the west they together with Antichrist diuide the Romane Empire among them raigning by soueraigne authority he in Rome and part of Italy they in the other prouinces Of these ten hornes it is said that they for a time should giue their power and strength vers 13. to the beast meaning Antichrist and that in his quarell they shall fight against Christ the lambe in his members But the v. 14. bloud of Martyrs being the seede of the Church and the truth preuailing when it is most oppugned Christ by the constancie of his Martyrs and preaching of his word ouercommeth For though in respect of the manner of his resistance hee seemeth a meeke lambe yet hee shall be sure to ouercome because he is the king of kings and Lord of Lords being able by weake and foolish things as they are esteemed in the world to ouercome the wise and strong And howsoeuer those fewe in comparison that stoode with him were condemned for hereticks and schismatickes yet are they the called chosen and faithful seruants of the Lord. Whereas contrarywise the generall multitudes whereof the catholicke apostasy consisteth are the slaues of Antichrist and subiect to the whore of Babylon For the waters whereon she sitteth are peoples and multitudes nations v. 15. and tongues But when as our Sauiour Christ shall discouer Antichrist and by the ministery of the word as it were the breath of his mouth waste and consume him then shal the ten kings which before had ioyned with him set thēselues against him and those which before had committed fornicatiō with the v. 2. whore of Babylon shall hate her and make her desolate and naked v. 16. and shal eate her flesh and shall burne her with fire And that this decay of the Antichristian state doth follow vpō the preaching of the gospell it appeareth Apoc. 14. 6. 7. 8. where it is said that vpon the preaching of the euerlasting Gospell an angell saith It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great city for shee gaue to all nations to drinke the wine of the wrath of her fornication v. 17. For vntill this time that Christ discouer Antichrist and in some measure consume him with the spirite of his mouth the ten kings are giuen ouer of God to support with one consent the beast and purple harlot whome after Antichrist is discouered they shall hate and oppugne 2 But let vs come to the application For euen as from this place I proued before that Antichrist is already come so may I now from hence conclude that the Pope is that Antichrist That Antichrist is come it is as certaine as that the prouinces of the Empire are not ruled by deputyes of the Emperour but by soueraigne princes who haue together with Antichrist diuided the Empire among them And that the Pope is that Antichrist it is as certaine For he it is who as well as the kings hath risen by the decay of the Empire in the west he it is and no other to whome these kings haue with one consent giuen their strength and power submitting themselues vnto him as his vassalls swearing to mainetaine and support him fighting his battailes and drawing their sword at his becke And being made drunke with the cuppe of his fornications they fought against the lambe and persecuted those seruaunts of Christ whom Antichrist condemneth as hereticks and schismaticks who notwithstanding are in truth the called chosen faithfull though few and despised in the world When as contrarywise the vniuersality of people whereon the whore of Babylon sitteth and whereof the adulterous church of Rome consisteth are but the branded slaues of Antichrist But howsoeuer these kings whiles they were besotted and giuen ouer of God in his iust iudgement that they should submit themselues to the Antichrist of Rome did seeke by all meanes to support him yet when Christ had discouered him to be Antichrist and by the preaching of his word as it were the spirit of his mouth began to waste consume him and more and more since the times of Luther to abate the opinion which men had conceiued of him then these princes not al but some of them began to reuolt from Antichrist and to hate the Antichristian whore See chap. 2. §. 11. of Babylon the city and church of Rome and as much as in them lyeth haue left her desolate and naked and the rest in Gods good time shall accomplish his will For this prophecie concerning that which Antichrist was to suffer is as yet fulfilled but in part And still there remaineth to bee fulfilled the finall destruction of Rome the seat of Antichrist before the end of the world soretold Apoc. 18. and the finall ouerthrowe of Antichrist at the glorious appearing of Christ at his second comming prophecied 2. Thess. 2. 8. Apoc. 19. 20. Seeing therefore Antichrist the great enemy of Christ and his church is to be ouerthrowne by these three meanes by the powerfull ministery of the word by the puissaunt strength and power of Christian princes by the glorious comming of Christ to iudgment all faithfull ministers are to bee stirred vp seriouslie and earnestly to oppose themselues against Antichrist that by their ministery as it were the spirite of Christs mouth he may bee more and more wasted and consumed All true Christian princes are to be excited not onely to hate the whore of Babylon but also according to the prophecie of the holy ghost to make her desolate and naked to eate her flesh and burne her with fire to do to her children as she hath done to the seruants of Christ. And finallie all sound Christians are to be exhorted earnestly Apoc. 18. 6. and continuallie to pray that the Lord Iesus would not onely consume Antichrist giuing successe to the ministerie of his seruants but also that he would hasten his second coming and destroy him at his glorious appearing Euen so Lord Iesu come quicklie And thus haue I shewed that the prophecyes of Ap. 22. 17. 20. the holy ghost in the scriptures concerning Antichrist Conclus do most fitly and properly agree to the Pope of Rome whereupon I doe necessarily conclude that therefore the Pope of Rome is the graund Antichrist described in the scriptures FINIS THE SECOND BOOKE maintaining that the Pope is Antichrist The first Chapter answering Bellarmine his first argument concerning the name Antichrist HAuing in the former Booke sufficiently prooued by euident demonstration out of the worde of God that the Pope of Rome is Antichrist it remaineth that we should maintaine this our assertion against the arguments of the Papists For as the force euidence of our proofes may perswade vs to embrace this truth so the weakenesse and sophistry which appeareth in the obiections of our aduersaries may confirme vs in this perswasion And the rather if we consider either the weight of this controuersie it selfe or their will and skil to maintaine their part or lastly the
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
2. Tim. 4. 4. trueth and are conuertd vnto fables They cannot abide to heare that the Scripture should be the onely rule of faith and maners they cannot endure to see any of their people to read the Scriptures and therefore desire to keepe it from them in an vnknowne language The foundation of their trueth is the authoritie of their Church and in the Church of their Pope who they say cannot erre But if the Pope teach doctrines of Diuels and speake lyes in hypocrise as the Apostle hath prophesied especially of them then is there in that Church little soundnesse of trueth that is built vpon so vnsound a soundation Thus therefore I reason The head of the generall Apostasie is Antichrist The Pope is the head of the generall or catholicke Apostasiei therefore he is Antichrist 21. To the three former arguments a fourth may be added The seuen heades of that beast which signifieth the Romane state are not so many persons but so many heades or states of gouernement wherby the common wealth of the Romanes hath beene at diuerse times gouerned the sixt head was the state of emperours the seuenth Antichrist as the Papists confesse the eight which also is one of the seauen the state of Emperours renewed Whereby it euidently appeareth Rhem. in Apoc. 17. Bellarmi not onely that Antichrist is not one man but also that the Pope who is the seuenth head is Antichrist CHAP. 3. Concerning the time of Antichrist his comming 1. TO withdraw our minds from beholding Antichrist in the See of Rome and to make vs looke for the expected Messias of the Iewes that neuer shall come the Papistes labour by might and maine to perswade vs that Antichrist is not yet come For euen as the learned of the Iewes when Christ was among them contrary to their one perswasion for worldly respects refused the true Messias and made the people expect another which neuer shall be So the learned among the Papists hauing Antichrist among them for worldly respects cannot endure that he should bee acknowledged but teach the people that he is not yet come and describe vnto them such an Antichrist as themselues may well know shall neuer come as by the grace of God shall appeare in the particulars Now as touching the time of Antichristes comming Bellarmine first reciteth diuers false and erronious opinions as heo calleth them and afterwarde setteth downe sixe solemne demonstrations to prooue that he is not yet come In the former he spendeth a goodlong chapter reckoning vp diuers opinions both of the fathers in former ages and also of hetetiques as â—…he calleth them in latter times mingling the trueth with errours that the credit of both might be alike As touching the fathers because he taketh it for granted which is the question that Antichrist is not to come before the end of the world which we deny according to the Scriptures 1. Ioh. 2. 18 2. Iohn 7. 2. Thes. 2. 7 he would make their opinion concerning the approching of Antichrist which they heid according to the Prophesies of the Scripture compared with the euent of no better credit then their conceit of Christs approching vnto judgement grounded not so much vpon the Scriptures as vpon their owne conjecture For to omit their conjectures concerning Christs comming consuted by experience what can Bellarmine answer to the sound argument either of S. Ierome or Gregorie concerning the comming of Antichrist confirmed by experience alledged by Bellarmine himselfe Ierome applying the Prophesie of Paul Epist. ad Geront de Monogamia 2. Thes. 2. 6. 7. 8. that Antichrist should appeare when he that hindereth meaning the Romane Emperour was taken out of the way to his time wherein not onely the imperiall seat had beene remooued from Rome which was the first degree of taking out of the way that which hindered but also Rome it selfe in distresse being taken of the Gothes and the Empire in decay Quitenebat saith he de medio fit non intelligimus Anticbristum appropinquare He which did holde is taken out of the way and do we not vnderstand that Antichrist dooth approch And likewise Gregory Omnia quae praedicta sunt fiunt Rex superbia propè est All things which were foretold doe come to passe the King Lib. 4. epi. 38. of pride is at hand Which arguments alledged also by vs Bellarmine because he could not answer he thought to discredit by reckoning them among erronious conceits 2. But let vs come to his heretiques Who although they all agree in this that Antichrist is come and that it is the Pope yet saith Bellarmine they are deuided into sixe opinions The first opinion viz. of the Samosatenians in Hungarie and Transyluania is not worth the mentioning being of such heretiques as deny the Trinity and also the diuinity of Christ with whom though we haue as little to doe as the Papists sauing that some of our men haue soundly confuted their heresies whiles the Papists held their peace yet he numbreth our opinion with theirs as Christ was numbred among the wicked that by this mixture of truth with falshood he might discredit the truth As for the rest it is easie to shew that all Protestants almost that haue written in this argument and namely those whom Bellarmine alledgeth doe agree in the substance concerning the comming of Antichrist And that there is no such difference among them as Bellarmine would beare vs in hand For concerning this matter this is the receiued opinion of our Churches When with Iohn in his Epistles we speake of Antichrist meaning the whole bodie of Heretiques and Antichrists we hold with Iohn that euen in the Apostles times Antichrist had as it were set his foote in the Church and that from that time the mysterie of iniquitie that is Antichristianisme did more and more worke vntill the head of this body the man of sinne was reuealed Which with Paul we hold to haue beene done after that which hindered was remooued out of the way But when we speake of the head of this body who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called the Antichrist figured by the second beast Apoc. 13. of whom also the Apostle intreateth 2. Thes. 2. the constant opinion of the learned is this that of the reuealing or manifest appearing of Antichrist there were two principall degrees The first about the yeare 607. when Boniface the third obtained the supremacie ouer the vniuersall See lib. 1. cap. 3. Church The second after the yeare 1000. when he claimed and vsurped both swords that is a soueraigne and vniuersall authoritie not onely ecclesiasticall ouer the Clergie but also temporall ouer Kings and Emperours Vnto which second soueraigntie they had long aspired but neuer attained vntill the time of Gregorie the seauenth We holde then that Antichrist was come and shewed himselfe in Boniface the third and that after this his birth as it were he grewe by degrees vntill he came to his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
or full growth in Gregorie the seauenth in whose time and in all ages since the Pope hath been by some acknowledged to be that Antichrist 3. Now as touching his comming or birth which is the chiefe matter in question all agree Illyricus and the other writers 2. of the Centuries as Bellarmine coÌ„fesseth hold that about the yeare 606. Antichrist was borne when Phocas granted to the Bishop of Rome that he should be called the head of the whole Church Of the same judgement is Chytraeus For although he 3. confesse that the smoake of false doctrine ascending out of the In Apoc. 9 bottomlesse pitte began sooner to obscure and darken the truth yet he saith that in the yeare 607 Boniface the third was by Phocas ordained the Angell of the bottomlesse pit meaning thereby Antichrist when he receiued from him the title of oecumenicall Bishop Luther perceiuing that the Papacie consisteth of 4. the two swords teacheth that there is a two-fold comming of De supput annorum Mundi Antichrist the first with the spirituall sworde after the yeare 600. when Phocas gaue him the Antichristian title the latter with the temporall sworde after the yeare 1000. Bullinger doth not say as Bellarmine falsely chargeth him that Antichrist first 5. appeared Anno 763. for he aboue all others most plainely and In Apoc. 13. distinctlie hath deliuered that truth which we doe hold Pontisex Romanus saith he initium quidem dominij jecit sub Phocá sub regibus Francorum fundauit regnum ampliauit autem sub Henricis et Fridericis confirmauit demum sub sequentibus aliquot regibus regnat nostro seculo ac praecedentibus aliquot The Pope of Rome laide the beginning of his dominion vnder Phocas vnder the French Kings he founded his kingdome vnder the Henries and Fredericks he enlarged it vnder some other Kings which followed he confirmed it bereigneth in our and some former ages Musculus whom he nameth in the sixt place dooth not say that Antichrist 6. came about the yeare 1200 but by the tyrannie of the Popes and vsurped dominion ouer the Church by their shamelesse symony by their excessiue riote and diuellish pride by their abominable lusts and vncleannesse he concludeth that the Church of Rome is Babylon and the seat of Antichtist and addeth that Bernard was of the same minde Who seemeth to haue signified that Antichrist was then come and that onely it remained that the man of sinne should be reuealed that is acknowledged and detected as Musculus vnderstandeth him which discouerie of Antichrist saith he hath followed in our age And thus you see a notable consent of all our writers whom he alledgeth in the maine point concerning the time of the comming of Antichrist 4. Now let vs see what he objecteth against this receiued truth Concerning the time of his comming with the spirituall sword he objecteth that Phocas did not giue the title of vniuersall to the Pope but called him the head of the Churches as Iustinian before him had done and also the councell of Chalcedon And therefore no reason why the comming of Antichrist should be placed in the time of Phocas As touching the title good authours affirme that he receiued from Phocas both the title of the head of the Church and also of vniuersall or oecumenicall Bishop And no doubt he sought for and by suite obtained that which Iohn of Constantinople had before claimed Neither is there any great difference betwixt these two titles as they are now giuen to the Pope saue that to be the head of the vniuersall Church is the more Antichristian stile And although titles of honour and preheminence were sometimes giuen to the Church of Rome as the chiefe or head of the Churches the mystery of iniquitie working before the reuelation thereof in the Papacie yet before this graunt of Phocas which was obtained with much adoe and contention the Church of Rome had the preheminence and superioritie ouer all other Churches excepting that of Constantinople not in respect of authoritie and jurisdiction which after this graunt it more and more practised but in respect of order and dignitie And that for this cause especially because Rome whereof he was Bishop was the chiefe citie as it is specified in the councell of Chalcedon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the councell of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for the same cause was the Patriarch of Constantinople sometimes * Concil Chalced. matched with him sometimes ‖ Tempore Maâ—…itii preferred aboue him because Constantinople which they called new Rome was become the imperiall seate Yea and the Bishops of Rauenna because their city was the chiefe in the exarchate of Rauenna whereunto Rome was for a time subject stroue with the Bishop of Rome in the time of the exarches for superioritie Seeing therefore that now the Pope of Rome had with great contention and ambition obtained the supremacie and soueraigntie ouer the vniuersall church and now intituled himselfe the head of the vniuersall Church a title peculiar vnto Christ the head I say not onely in respect of excellencie and dignitie as a chiefe member of the Church as he had beene in former times by some acknowledged because he was the Bishop of the chiefe citie but also in respect of authoritie and Iurisdiction as beeing the prince and supreme gouernour of the Church vniuersall we doe therefore worthily call this soueraigne dominion challenged ouer the vniuersall Church the first reuelation or open comming of Antichrist 5. Concerning the comming of Antichrist with the temporall sworde after the yeare 1000. he obiecteth that from the 700. yeare the Pope had receiued teÌ„porall dominion that about the yeare 715. he excommunicated the Greeke Emperour c. But Bellarmine knoweth well enough that we speake not so much of the Popes temporall dominion ouer those parts which they call the patrimonie of Saint Peter but of that which they call and challenge to themselues Utriusque potestatis temporalis spiritualis Monarchiam The Monarchie of both powers temporall and spirituall I answer therefore that the Pope indeed had a temporall dominion before but not generall and that he had long endeuoured to get the superioritie ouer the Emperours but neuer so fully attained vnto it as in the times of Gregorie the seauenth and afterwards For Gregorie the seauenth as Auentinus saith Primus imperium pontificium condidit c. First founded the Papall Annal. Bâ—…cm lib. 5. Empire which his successours saith he reckoning vnto his owne times for these 450. yeares in spight of the world and maugre the Emperours haue so held that they haue brought all in heauen and hell into subjection From this time forwarde the Emperour is nothing but a bare title without substance c. And thus haue I answered whatsoeuer is in his third Chapter pertinent to the matter in hand omitting as my maner is his other wranglings as being either altogether impertinent or meerely
the ciuill warres in France Flanders It may be that the Protestants in these ciuill warres vnder-taken for their owne defence that they might be free from such outrages haue slaine in lawfull battaile many of the Papists as contrariwise many of themselues haue beene slaine But what is this to the purpose Thus many in the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes the most cruell persecutor of the Church of the Iewes were slaine in Iewrie in the time of the Macchabees as well as they had slaine many of the Iewes But I say againe what Catholicks as they call them haue beene put to death for religion As for those fewe that haue beene executed among vs what one was put to death that was not found guiltie eyther of treason or rebellion or some such capitall crime And yet the Papists report and in Bookes doe publish that I cannot tell how many of them are martyred here in England for their religion Neither are they ashamed to write and in Rome to publish that some of them haue beene put into Beares Ecclefiâ—… Anglic. Trophâ—… Printed at Rome An. 1584. cum priuileg Gregor 13 skinnes and baited with Dogges which also they haue set out in tables But compare I beseech you with those many that were martyred in Queene Maries fiue yeeres those few that haue beene executed in Queene Elizabeths fortie fiue yeares Compare the causes which make persecution in the agents and martyrdome in the patients What one put to death of those which were burnt in Q. Maries time for any crime but onely for religion which they cal heresie what one of the Catholicks as they call them in Q. Elizabeths time executed who was not found guiltie of some capitall crime Compare the estate of Papists liuing among Protestants at this day as namely in England with the estate of Protestants liuing among Papists as namely in Spaine Is any one suffered to liue among them that is but once suspected to be of our religion Is not euery such a one either priuately murdered or publickly brought to the stake Among vs who is not suffered to liue although he be knowne to be of the Romish religion To liue did I say Nay God be mercifull vnto vs that suffer them so to liue as they doe to the encouragement and infection of others I speake not onely of ordinarie Papists and those that are at liberty but of the ring-leaders also that be in custodie whose life hath beene more easie and pleasant and maintenance more plentifull then of the Let the Casâ—…les of UUisbich and Fremingham be witnesse most students or ministers among vs. Yea but there is cause will they say that we should deale worse with you then you with vs. Nothing lesse They object to vs onely heresie and that as truely as the Iewes did to Paul which we doe truely object vnto them and in regarde thereof might nay should doe to the children of Babylon as they haue done to vs. But besides Apoc. 18. 6 many grosse and capitall heresies which race the foundation we truely object vnto them that their religion bringeth with it treason against the Prince and rebellion against God Treason against the Prince not onely because of their confederacie with the chiefe enemies of our state the Pope and Spaniard in regard whereof those Iesuites and Priests which come among vs from beyond-Seas as also those which harbour them are worthy of death but also because more generally they holding the Popes supremacie and authoritie to depose Princes and withall beleeuing that the Pope in his definitiue sentence cannot erre they cannot but approoue the Bull of excommunication wherein Pius the fift as much as was in him deposed our Queene of famous memory and absolued her subjects from all allegeance to her Rebellion against God because it perswadeth an Apostasie and falling away from God into grosse and palpable idolatrie Of which fault whosoeuer are found guiltie that is to perswade others to idolatrie by the law of God they ought not be suffered to liue because they haue perswaded an Apostasie from God Deut. 13. All this notwithstanding Deut. 13. 5. 8. 9. we deale too remissely with them and they most barbarously with vs. And yet forfooth if there be or hath beene any persecution in the Church in these latter times the Catholicks are they which suffer it and not the Protestants Alas poore Wolues how cruelly they haue beene handled among the sheepe of Christ 5. But to proceed As the persecution vnder Antichrist saith Bellarmine shall be most grieuous so shall it be most manifest For thus he reasoneth The persecution vnder Antichrist shall be most manifest this vnder the Pope is not manifest therefore this is not the persecution of Antichrist The proposition is prooued because then all the wicked shall aperto marte oppugne the whole church and not onely those that be Infidels and open sinners but the hypocrites also and false brethren shall then joyne themselues to Antichrist and discouering themselues openly assault the Church And is not this well gessed thinke you contrary to the word of truth vttered by our Sauiour Christ For whereas our Sauiour hath said that the good and bad shall growe together like Wheate and Tares vntill the day of the great haruest Bellarmine telleth vs that when Antichrist commeth there shall such a separation be made that there shall not an hypocrite be left in the Church but all the wicked without exception shall be together Omnes prorsus impios simul futuros in exercitu Antichristi in Antichrists hoste and shall openly oppugne the whole Church of the Saints But such separation is not to be looked for vntill Christ shall seuer the Lambes from the Goates And therefore if we must not beleeue that Antichrist is come vntill such a separation be made assuredly Christ will come vpon vs to judgement whiles we looke for Antichrist Yea but Augustine saith That now there be many false bretheren in the De ciuit Dei lib. 20. c. 11. Church At tunc erumpent omnes inquit Augustinus in apertam persecutionem ex latebris odiorum But then all shall burst forth saith Augustine out of their couert hatred into open persecution If Augustine had said so we might wel haue esteemed his speech to haue beene but a humane conjecture rather then a Prophecie diuine But Bellarmine without all shame falsifieth his words For Augustine in that place speaking of those words Apoc. 20. 7. Soluetur Satanas de custodia sua exibit ad seducendas nationes Satan shall be let loose out of his warde and shall goe forth to seduce the nations Exibit autem dictum est saith he in apertam persecutionem de latebris erumpet odiorum Now it is said that he shall goe forth viz. into open persecution he shall breake forth of the couerts of hatred speaking of the diuell alone and not of all the wicked And thus was his proposition doughtily prooued being neuerlesse according to
Paul that Christ hath loued thee or giuen himselfe for thee Gal. 2. 20. Must thou beleeue that Christ is thy Sauiour redeemer theÌ„ must thou beleeue that thou art redeemed by Christ and shalt be saued by him Must thou beleeue that thou hast redemption by Christ then must thou also beleeue that by him thou hast remission of sinnes Ephe. 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. But this to beleeue without speciall and extraordinary reuelation is damnable presumption saith the Papist Therefore they professe Christ but they receiue him not Nay they are so farre from receiuing Christ by a lustifying faith that they might be saued that they haue not so much as the historicall faith which consisteth in knowledge of the truth assent thereto For the most of them haue no knowledge pleasing themselues in their implicite faith vnder which name grosse palpable ignorace is commended in the laitie of the church of Rome And the rest assent not to the truth but set themselues against it So that whereas all the faith which they professe themselues to haue is but that faith which is also in the diuels yet they haue not euen that little which they do professe But the Apostle saith Bellarmine speaketh in the pretertence which haue not receiued the loue of the truth c. not in the future therefore this speech cannot be vnderstood of any other but those who before the Apostle wrote this had refused to beleeue the preaching of Christ his Apostles that is to say the Iewes Answ. The Apostle speaking both of the sinne of the Antichristians and of their punishment which presupposeth their sin going before he expresseth their sin in the pretertence which is to be referred not to the time of the Apostles writing but to the time of their punishment Antichrist shal be receiued of those that perish But why shal they perish because they haue not receiued the loue of the truth c. But this appeareth more plainly ver 12. God shal send theÌ„ stroÌ„g illusioÌ„s to beleeue lies that al may be condemned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that haue not beleeued that is that shall not haue beleeued the truth Qui non crediderint veritati but haue delighted that is but shall haue delighted in iniquitie Sed acquieuerint in iniustitia Conferre with this place Mar. 16. 16. Goe preach the Gospell saith our Sauiour Christ to euery creature baptising them as it is in Mathew 28. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hâ—… that hath Qui crediderit bap tizatus sueâ—…it c. beleeued and hath beene baptised shall be saued that is shall haue beleeued and shall haue bene baptised but he that hath not beleeued that is shall not haue beleeued shall be condemned Otherwise if Bellarmine will needes vrge the pretertense as though the Apostle meant that Antichrist should bee receiued onely of those who before that time had reiected the truth he must with all hold that Antichrist shall be receiued in the end of the world of those who died aboue 1500. years since 8 To these testimonies of scripture he addeth the authoritie of diuers Fathers who supposed that Antichrist was to be receiued of the Iewes and accordingly expound the place alledged out of 2. Thess. 2. 10. 11. Ans. So they held that Antichrist should come of the Tribe of Dan accordingly expounded some places of scripture which no man now vnlesse he will be too ridiculous can vnderstand of Antichrist Therefore as Bellarmine in that point answered a whole dozen of Fathers so may I answere here with as good reason that although this opinion might seeme probable to the Fathers in their time liuing before the reuelation of Antichrist yet now there is no probabilitie in it seeing it cannot onely not be proued out of the scripture but as you heard is confuted both by the scripture and the euent 9 Let vs therefore in the third place consider his reason Antichrist shall without doubt ioyne himselfe first and chiefly to those who are readie to receiue him But the Iewes are readie to receiue him not the Christians nor the Gentiles therefore Antichrist first and principally shall ioyne himselfe to the Iewes First to the proposition I answere that Antichrist shall ioyne himselfe not to any whatsoeuer but to those in the Church that are readie to receiue him For as Cyprian truly noteth They be the seruants of Epist. 1. lib. 1. God whom the diuell troubleth and they are Christians whom Antichrist impugneth Neque enim quaerit illos quos iam subegit aut gestit euertere quos iam suos fecit For he seeketh not those whom he hath alreadie subdued or desireth to ouerthrowe those whom hee hath already made his owne the enemie aduersary of the church whome hee hath estraunged and kept foorth of the Church them he neglecteth and passeth by as captiues and ouercome those he assaulteth in whom he perceiueth Christ to dwell If therefore Antichrist be ledde by the spirit of Sathan then no doubt he shall passe by both Iewes Insidels set himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Thess. 2. 4. that is both in the Church of God and against it that the vnsound he may seduce and the sound he may persecute The assumption standeth on two parts 1. affirmatiue that the Iewes are readie to receiue Antichrist 2. negatiue that the Christians and Gentiles are not readie to receiue him The former hee proueth because the Iewes do yet looke for their Messias who shall be a temporall King such a one as Antichrist shall bee But this reason is built on false suppositions First that Antichrist shall be one particular man which we haue proued to be false Secondly that Antichrist shall professe himselfe to be the Messias of the Iewes which as it hath bene disproued out of the scriptures so can it not with any colour of reason be proued out of the same For as hath bene shewed Antichrist is the head of the Catholike Apostasie or Apostate Christians sitting in BabyloÌ„ that is Rome professing her selfe the church of God being one of the seuen heads of the Romane state succeeding the â—…mperours in the gouernment of Rome c. Thirdly as Antichrist shall not be such a one as the expected Messias of the Iewes so there is no necessitie that there should such a one come to the Iewes as they expect The second part also of his assumption is false For although sound and constant Christians bee not readie to receiue Antichrist but alwayes haue bene readie to resist him euen vnto the death yet vnsound and back-sliding Christians who embrace not the loue of the truth that they might be saued either are as readie to receiue Antichrist as they are apt and prone to decline from the truth a searefull caueat to those which waxe wearie of the Gospell or alreadie haue reuolted from Christ to Antichrist haue receiued the marke of the beast Yea but Christians saith he doo not expect Antichrist as