not be so vncharitable We say of those and this that the very Church of Rome is a true Church Which will appeare onely from the definition of the Church If I should proceed no farther The Church is a company which professe Christ and are baptized This is the definition of the Hooker Politie lib. 3. num 1. Bish Abbot de Ant. cap. 3. nu 4. Deane Whites reply to Fisher pag. 49. Dr. Beard de Antich cap. 4. num 6. Dr Crakenthorp in Spal c. 16. 21. Answer to Fishers relat of the 3. cons Church according to the common current consent of our most and most learned Divines So the essentiall difference of the Church of Christ from all other companies congregations or societies consisteth in these two points Profession and Baptisme For the first Revel 2. 13. the spirit testified that the congregation of Pergamus was not fallen from being a Christian Church because thou keepest my Name Therefore keeping or professing the Name of Christ is one essentiall part of a Christian Church Next upon the acknowledging of the name of Christ the Eunuch was baptised by Philip Act. 8. 38. Therefore Baptisme is another and profession with baptisme are the two things which absolutely constitute a Church Consider moreover 2 Tim. 2. 20. and Math. 13. 47. To amplifie and honour this point with Hookers Politic lib 3. sect â— the very words of that incomparable learned man in that unanswerable learned booke For want of this profession and baptisme it is that Iewes Infidels and pagans are excluded out of the bounds of the Church Others we may not deny to be of the visible Church so long as these things be not wanting to them For apparent it is that all men of necessity must either be Christians or no Christians If by externall profession they be Christians then are they of the visible Church of Christ And Christians by externall profession they are all whose marke of recognisance hath in it these things which wee have mentioned Yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked Heretikes persons excommunicable yea cast out for notorious improbitie Such withall we deny not to be theimpes and limmes of Satan even as long as they continue such From these premises I frame these arguments the first from the definition of the Church A Company which professe Christ and are baptised are a Church But the Romanes are a Company which professe Christ and are baptised Therefore The Romanes are a Church Adde also out of the amplification Although the papists be impious Idolaters wicked Heretikes or excommunicable persons Although for their persons they be the limmes of Satan their profession bee the deceiveablenesse of Satan their City bee the Throne of Satan and their Head bee the sonne of Satan yet whilest they professe Christ and imbrace the Christian Baptisme they are notwithstanding the Church of Christ But if any interpose that Rome indeed is a Church but not a true Church such must know that Ens verum Beeing and true are convertible So if they grant the Romane to be a church they must confesse withall that it is a true Church Videlicet in regard of the Essence not of the goodnesse thereof And a thiefe is a true man in regard of the truth of his Essence as he is a creature indued with Reason yet is he not a true man in regard of the truth of his goodnesse his equity and honesty So the popish Church is a true Church in regard of the truth of the Essence of a Church as a Church is a company which professe Christ and are baptised yet is it not a true Church in respect of the truth of the goodnesse of a Church That is it is not a true holy Church neither in doctrine nor in manners In a word the Church of Rome is a true Church in respect of the Essence but a false Church in respect of the doctrine thereof To prove that the Church of Rome is a true Church in our sense and its Essence I will make it good by two sorts of arguments Artificiall and inartificiall But these inartificiall arguments shall be interlaced with many artificiall ones also The Testimonies are lined with their severall Reasons Reverend Calvin Hoc rationibus satis validis Calvin Epist 104. me probasse puto Ecclesiam licet semiruptam imo si libet diruptam ac deformem aliquam tamen manere in Papatu I suppose saith hee that in the Papacy some Church remaineth a Church crazed or if you will broken quite in pieces forelorne mishapen yet some Church And his Reason is my Text because Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God Learned Zanchie I Zanchius praesat de natura Dei acknowledge the Church of Rome Nec potuit Satan c. Maugre the Devills malice for a true Church of Christ His reason because the Church of Rome holdeth the doctrine of truth concerning Christ that he is the Redeemer and shall be the Iudge of the world baptizing in the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Buchanus loc 44. quaest 5. Ghost Buchane Caetus Pontificiorum sunt Ecclesiae sicut homo lepra corrupt us mente captus non desinit esse homo The Frenzie maketh not a man cease to be a man no more doth Heresie make Rome to cease to be a Church Moreover Hooker in Abâ—k 2. 4. 〈◊〉 27. as the Frenzie though it selfe take away the use of Reason it doth notwithstanding prove them reasonable creatures which have it because none can be frantike but men So Antichristianitie being the bane and plaine overthrow of Christianity may neverthelesse argue the Church wherein Antichrist doth sit to be Christian That Rex Iacobus oratione ad ordines Nou. 9. 1605. patterne and Patron of learning King Iames confesseth Rome to bee a Church and concludeth from hence because some in Rome may be saved Charitable Hooker although saith Hooker in Hab. 1. â— nu 16 17 25. he the Church of Rome hath played the Harlot worse than ever did Israel yet are they not as now the Synagogue of the Iewes which plainly deny Christ Iesus quite and cleane excluded out of the Covenant But as Samaria compared with Hierusalem is termed Aholah a Church or Tabernacle of her owne contrariwise HierusaleÌ„ Aholâ—bah the resting place of the Lord. So whatsoever we terme the Church of Rome when we compare her with reformed Churches still wee put a difference as then betweene Babylon and Samaria so now betweene Rome and Heathenish assemblies He doth render his Reason also Bishop Andrewes Tort. prope sinem B. Morton Apol. lib 4. ca. 2. sect 5 B. Abbot de Antiâ—b lib. 3 nu 4. Deane Whites Reply pag. 49 Dr. Whites Defence cap. 37. Dr. Whitak Contr. 4. quaest 5. cap. 3. Dr. Sharpe spâ—culo c. 5. Dr Beard cap. 4. num 6. Answer to Fishers Relation of the 3. conser because Rome doth overthrow the foundation of Christianity
Iesuited English Papist â—or all that I can conceive it is impossible to be saved From hence you may take a view of that inheritance which those purchase unto themselves who in these dayes of English Protestants turne to bee English Papists Nothing but this Thereby they become the Limmes of Antichrist Children to him who is the Sonne of Perdition seruants to him who is servus servorum the slave of the Devil the Devils Proselytes men sure to perish and of undoubted damnation But beloved I hope God hath provided better things for you If therefore you be inveagled as Demosthenes said when he was inticed to Lais that beautifull but common Strumpet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not buy repentance at too deare a rate So if the Whore of Babylon doth reach forth her Cup of Poyson unto you whether she pretend Commodity Affinity Preferment or promotion feare favour or vain-glory Let none of these glorious but vaine pretences prevaile with you Say you will not gain the world to lose our soules Yet these dangerous times are full of Satans snares But from haeresie and Poperie and from the Power of Satan and seducing Iesuites good Lord deliver us SERMON XXI 2 THESS 2. 10. Because they received not the love of the trueth that they might be saved Antichrist not a Iew. The Church of Rome doth vse the Scriptures for their owne turne The Ambition of the Church of Rome Consolation against Antichrist Five notes of such as love trueth HEre we may have the remembrance of the Psalmists saying Psal 101. 1. I will sing of iudgment and mercy And here wee have the resemblance of Sampsons Riddle Iudges 14. 14. Out of the Eater commeth meate Devouring judgment is contained in the Body of this discourse and nourishing Mercy in this â—ext the Part thereof For what judgment â—ore terrible can we conceive than this To consider either in generall that Antichrist doth so devillishly deceive millions of such as are men seeme Christians or in particular that even true Christians shall be so far deluded by the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse that they shall not know him though indeed they doe not serue him The first is notorious in the Catholike Apostacy of the Roman Church and the second is too manifest in too many of the Reformed who will neither teach nor beleeue that Rome can bee Babylon But by distinguishing betwixt an Antichrist and the Antichrist they inferre their position that the Pope is no Antichrist But then what mercy is more comfortable then this that any Christian if a true Christian may conclude Though I am not able to dive into this deepe disputation pro con of Antichrist yet can I infallibly collect that whosoever Antichrist shall be whensoever Antichrist shall come and whatsoever Antichrist shall doe I shall not serve him For Antichrist shall deceive finally onely those who doe not receive the love of the truth But my soule telleth mee I doe receive the love of the truth Ergo My soule is assured that Antichrist shall not deceive me finally This clause containeth the cause that so many are captives unto Antichrist because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved A double cause being a double errour The errour of their minde and the errour of their end The first because they received not the love of the trueth the last because they did not receive it to the right end that they might be saved And therfore they are deceived by him who commeth in all power and deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse The first cause of so many Christians captivity Lessâ—â—s de Antic Dem 6. Bell. de Pâ—nâ—â—â—â— Rom. lib. 3. c. 12. unto Antichrist is Because they received not the love of the truth Lessius following Bellarmine and Bellarmine some of the Fathers doth expound this of the Iewes that the Iewes did refuse Christ therefore the Iewes shall receive Antichrist And to put a shew of probability on this reall impossibility Bellarmine disputeth from the Tense receperunt Saint Paul saith saith he those shall receive Antichrist who have not received the trueth that is Christ and these were the Iewes I borow my answere from our good Bishop Donnam de Antich part 2. ad Dem. 6. the best that ever put pen to paper in this point For his Argument he erreth in the Tense Saint Paul doth use the Aorist not the Praeterperfect Tense The sense whereof is not non receperunt they that did not receive but non receperint they that shall not receive the love of the truth For such is the signification of the Aorist Marc. 16 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui credidit baptizatus est hoc est qui crediderit baptizatus erit not hee that did beleeve was baptized but he that shall beleeve shal be baptized shal be saved So Ioh. 5. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 procedent according to the vulgar translation in resurrectionem qui bona fecerunt hoc est qui fecerint Christ saith there those who shall doe good workes shall enter into the Resurrection of life So here in the same Tense and sense also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that shall not receive the love of the trueth shall bee deceived by the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse Saint Pauls words in this place being to bee referred not to the time of the Epistle hee wrote in but to the time of the Punishment hee wrote of But for the thing it selfe that Saint Paul here speaketh onely of the Iewes this conceit hath no colour of probability as it will appeare if wee consider these foure particulars The Phrase the Persons the Punishment and the purpose of Saint Paul in publishing of this prophecy 1. Take the word truth for the word Christ which is not the true sense thereof in this place and yet Saint Paul doth not say that those shall be deceived by Antichrist who doe not receive veritatem Christ as the Iewes did but who doe not receive Amorem veritatis the love of Christ which is not proper to the Iewes but to the false Christians 2. The Iewes refused to receive Christ 1600 yeeres since It must follow therfore that the Iewes received Antichrist so long also For the prophecie is of the same persons those who doe not receive the love of the trueth those very men are delivered into the power of Sathan 3. The punishment of Antichristians is damnation but Antichrist shall bee the accidentall cause of Salvation to the Iewes which shall come with Enoch and Elias to convert the Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. cap. 6. Iewes say the Papists The Iewes therefore are not those who are spoken of in the Text. 4. The purpose and maine drift of this prophecie is to proclaime to the world the Catholike cause of being captives unto Antichrist to be this Because meÌ„ do not receive the love of the trueth Whosoever doth not receive it shall be deceived and damned And
a double admirable delusion the first in regard of the deluders the second in regard of the deluded that the one should be so wicked as to preach a lye and the other so besotted as to beleeve a lye If wee can admire any thing wee shall apprehend both these to be most admirable Both which are admirably evident in the Church of Rome In the former clause as the Dipsades or Iansen in Evang cap. 83. Vipers involve themselves in the egges of Ostriches so by the appearance of food to draw on the hungrie creatures to their Destruction So the Romanists seduce the superstitious with the probabilitie of truth a strong delusion a cunning lye if you will as it were by Equivocation But in my text like Frogges as they are aptly resembled Revel 16. 13. animal impudens obstreperum loquax coaratione garrulitate intolerabile like the unappeasable croaking of Frogges Blaterones ministri Antichristi to Malvend lib. 5. c. 18. borrow Malvenda's owne words to invest his owne friends withall the clamorous agents of Antichrist with open mouth will publish grosse untruths as it were by protestation In plaine English they perswade the plaine people to and by a plaine lye And which is most admirable in truth lamentable the plaine people do beleeve them This also I make evident in the Church of Rome But I must be cautelous on prosecuting this point I am advised by a friend to take heed of two things of my quotations and imputations wherewith I charge the Papists I do thanke him and will obey him His counsell is good yet I had a better counsellour before mine owne conscience I thanke God my conscience doth teach mee to shunne that sinne in my selfe which I reprove in others My Conscience doth prompt mee to speake in truth when I speake of lying And my conscience telleth mee and you also Catholicus sum et non August epist 48. Vixcentio audeo mentiri Precipitated lyes I decline premeditated lyes I detest but Pulpet lyes let God and man abhorre mee if I do not abhorre them To assure you of my truth concerning their lyes I have wrote nothing in this booke but what hath fallen from their pens I will speake nothing with this tongue but what hath beene spoken by their own mouths Their owne mouths and pens shall testifie against them That as Caligula who had a frowning face by nature yet did he compose his countenance by a glasse that it might appeare yet more grimme and terrible So though their nature bee prone enough to that facultie yet they adde art to their audacious lyes And as it were set their faces by a glasse that they may be able to utter such vast lyes Such lyes that wee can hardly imagine it to be true that any of them should speake such lyes but that any should Beleeve such lyes This surpasseth imagination They beleeve lyes Since the Devill is called the father of lyes Ioh. 8. 44. devillish doctrine is called the doctrine of lyes 1 Tim. 4. 2. devillish power is termed lying wonders in this chapter devillish teachers the teachers of lyes in this text and Christ himselfe is called the truth it selfe Iohn 14. 16. That Church therefore which wee shall see supported by lying wee may suspect it if not detect it to be no true Church of Christ but rather the Synagogue of Satan and indeed the very seat of Antichrist Suchis the Church of Rome Some sprinkling of this aspersion I may cast on the Church of Rome And I suppose it will exercise the best of that infallible Sea to wash away the supition of a lying religion Their lying doctrine as all Divines do all doctrine the papists establish two waies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 astruendo and destruendo first by way of confirmation and finally by way of confutation The groundwork of their Religion is lying and the grandworkers in their Religion are lyers All Popery is Sopistrie and so is all heresie All Popish controversies contradicting the Protestants and contrarie to the truth are false that is lyes although supported by sufficient learning But for plaine palpable lyes let the Popish legends triumph in the whet-stone To an abridgement of which voluminious lyes I referre you in the treatise of our learned Dr. Featly in Fisher pap 370. Pius 2 epist ad Morbisan Doctor For the authours of lyes I will oppose their Italian St. Francis and their Spanish St. Dominicke to equall and exceed in more and more foolish and blasphemous fables even Arathes and Marathes those sottish Mahometane fables mentioned so scornesully by Pope Pius 2. But that ever even B Aronius and BELlarmine should bee Architects to build up Babel with such untempered morter I thought it uncredible to be true till I did transcribe abundance of apparent and transparent lyes out of theirs into this treatise Neither do our Dr. Featly preface to the Conference English Popish Doctors blush to father such Bastards Within one weeke after that conferēce the Earle of Warwick at St. Omers was assured by father Weston that in the disputation betwixt Father Fisher and Father Sweet and two Ministers in London the Iesuites quited themselves too well That they conquered the disputants and converted two Earles and an hundred of the auditory Which number popish reports did afterwards augment unto foure hundred The pitty was the good old man was foiled in two mistakes That worthie Earle was one of those two still is a constant mēber lover of the Church of Englād Againe at the conference there were not fully one hundred present of whom almost twenty were professed Papists How out of these two Earles and an hundred other could be converted to Rome it must bee a cunning lying Romist who can perswade it Yet such tricks as Geo Black de Aequivoc pag. 96 these passe for Piae fraudes devout deceits Profitable for procuring popish Proselytes The phrase is owned by Blackwell and hee might haue remembred the practice of a Pope to have beene the patterne thereof It is the Ples myst Jniq Oppos 41. record of Aventine that when Pope Vrban 2. for the advantage and advancement of the Papacie purposed to send the Emperour Henry 3 of his errand into Palestine there was raised a rumour that a voice from Heaven was heard Deus vult God will have it so whereupon a thrave of people of all sorts thrust themselves into that expedition Concerning August Soliloq lib. 2. cap. 9. which I will give you St. Augustines item Acute quidem falleris sed ut falli desinas acutius attende They take great paines to teach you lyes take you the like paines to examine their teaching and you shall descrie their lyes Carefull industrie will undoubtedly discover their Sophistrie To give you a tast thereof take you a little notice of that maine matter wee contend about the primacie Incredible lyes are the Malvenda lib. 1 cap. 8.
494 Prayers 494 Discipline 495 SERMON 18. Of Satan 497 Papists refuse all Communion with Protestants 498 Why so many learned be Papists 501 No Reconciliation with Rome 506 SERMON 19. The Doctrine of Devills 521 The Church of Rome teacheth the doctrine of Devills 522 Popish forbidding mariage 531 Popish forbidding meats 537 SERMON 20. All who are deceived by Antichrist are damned 542 Whether all Papists be damned 545 Of Apostates to Poperie 558 SERMON 21. Antichrist not a Iew. 560 The Church of Rome doth use the Scripture for owne turne 567 The ambition of the Church of Rome 570 Consolation against Antichrist 574 Five notes of such as love the truth 575 SERMON 22. The Papists surpasse the Pagan Idolatry 579 Angells made Idolls 584 Saints 585 The V. Marie 587 Images 589 The Crosse 592 The Sacrament 594 Every Creature made an Idol 597 SERMON 23. Precedents of obstinatenesse 601 The Papists obstinate and deluded 607 No Reconciliatâ—on 441 The Papâ—sts are deluders 607 Want of pâ—ovâ—sion for Converts an hindrance to Reformation 617 Pronenesse of People to be deluded by Popery 447 God doth send delusion 623 A Caveat to the Church of England against obstinatenesse 625 SERMON 24. Popery supported by lying 631 The Primacie 636 The Crosse 638 Popish lies against the persons of Protestants 640 Against Calvin 642 Beza ibid. Luther ibid. Bishop King 643 Queene Elizabeth 644 Popish lies against the Profession of Protestants 646 Concerning the Sacraments 647 Our Government ibid. Our Preachers ibid. The Scripture 650 Our obedience to our King 651 Our obedience to our God 653 Popish lyes concerning their persecution 654 SERMON 25. The Pope may Erre 677 Hath â—rred 687 In his Translations ibid. Canon Lawes 688 Papacredens docens that distinction examined 680 Of implicite faith 698 SERMON 26. Popish points that are damnable 702 Inhibition of the Scriptures 706 Latine Prayers 707 Merits 711 The Communion in one kind 712 Worshipping of Images 715 SERMON 27. Six opinions of Antichrist 721 The Devill shall be Antichrist 722 Nero. 724 The Turke 726 The Turke and Pope 732 Antichrist shall be a Iew. 737 The Papists Trienniall Antichrist 740 SERMON 28. The Summe of the whole Treatise 746 The Paraphrase of the whole Text. 754 The Parallel to the Pope 757 The Conclusion 764 A Dehortation from Poperie 766 A Plaine Exposition upon the first part of the second Chapter of St. PAVL his second EPISTLE to the THESSALONIANS SERMON I. 2 THESS 2. 1. Now we beseech you Brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ and by our assembling unto him That obstinacy in error is dangerous to salvation And that it is dangerous to breake the peace of the Church Ministers should win their people by Leuity Of the Resurrection Blessings bind us to bee constant in Religion Of Vnion WHen first I cast mine eye on this Chapter it reflected my mind on the first Chapter of the first Epistle and I undertooke that Epistle because of this Chapter that so I might discusse the Point of Antichrist here so plentifully proposed A point none more difficult none more necessary to be knowne This also did call into my memory my Text at my first Sermon entring upon that Epistle to the Thessalonians which was the nineteenth and twentieth verses of the sixt Chapter to the Ephesians That ye should pray for me that vtterance might be giuen unto me that I might open my mouth boldly to make knowne this Mystery that therein I might speak boldly as I ought to speake I hope that your Christian prayers have beene like the Leviticall fire that they have beene ever fervent in my behalfe But now I beseech you to blow them up with an extraordinary affection to beg an extraordinary blessing upon my poore Labours I expect Argus and Midas and Momus and Magus to be my Hearers I looke that broad eyes long eares wide mouths and false hearts shall observe every syllable in these Sermons I am resolved to haue my reputation torne for my paines But let Malice speake truth and spare neither my life nor my learning For the End of my Labours in this point I know the Sunne cannot give light nor sight to the Blind or Blind-folded I know Truth it selfe cannot satisfie Prejudice and Obstinacy But to the seeker of the Truth I promise thus much in the presence of God before whom I stand I will endeavour to discusse this point with all Humility Industry and Impartiality Which that I may doe againe and againe I beseech you for that for which St. Paul besought Ephes 6. 19 20. the Ephesians in those verses of that Chapter before cited Brethren I beseech you to pray for me that utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth holdly to make knowne This Mysterie and that therein I may speake boldly as I ought to speake I beseech you to pray for me For it I will be your Debtor and yet will I pay you in your owne Coine Pray you for me and I will pray for you Pray you for me in Speaking and I will pray for you in Hearing Let us promise and performe this as a Preface to this great worke Let us heartily pray for one another and thou Lord let the words of our mouthes and the prayers of our hearts be alwayes acceptable in thy sight both now and ever O Lord our strength and our Redeemer This second Epistle consisteth of three Chapters wherein the argument of the first is gratulatory for what they had beene of the second Expository of what they must bee and the contents of the third are Hortatorie what they should bee The Expository argument of this Chapter is twofold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praedicit praedicat Information of Antichrist is delivered to the thirteenth verse and Consolation against Antichrist from thence to the end of the Chapter The information or first generall part of this Chapter doth branch it selfe into two particulars concerning this Discourse on this cause consider the Occasion thereof related in the two first verses and part of the third and the question it selfe debated from the third verse unto the thirteenth The occasion why St. Paul did dispute of Antichrist was an Errour among the Thessalonians concerning the Comming of Christ This being premised in the three first verses the Apostle sheweth them the thing by which he doth disswade them in the first and the thing from which hee doth disswade them in the second and third The debating of the question it selfe may be drawne into these five particulars First we have Antichrist described in the third and fourth verses secondly revealed in the fift sixt seventh and part of the eighth verse Thirdly destroyed in the remnant of the eight Fourthly confirmed in the ninth and part of the tenth verse and finally we have Antichrist embraced in the tenth eleventh and twelfth verses The summe of this Text is the thing by which St. Paul did disswade the
sin By both hee fulfilleth that in the first to the Romans and the last He doth not onely do things worthy of Death but hath pleasure in them which doe them But who is this Man this Paterne and Patron of all impiety the Rhemists call it Blaspemy we verity We say The Pope is The Man of Sinne both by Acting it in Himselfe and by effecting it in others Anno 1562. the Archbishop Trent Hist lib 7. pag. 588. of Granada and all the Spanish Bishops desired reformation in the Trent Councill saying that the Fountaine of all abuses was the Court of Rome which is not onely corrupt it selfe but the cause of Deformation in all the Churches This truth is also confirmed by that false proselyte Radix omnium malorum Spalâ—â—â—â—â—â—s de Rep. lib. 4 c. 11. nu 11. est Romana Curia the Court of Rome is the cause of all evill For the first the personall sinnes of the Popes I passe that Onely because Suarez saith Suarez Apol. lib 5 cap. 17. nu 5. Christoph de Antichristo against Doctor Dounam Trisâ—gion lib. 3. cap. 39. that there were aliqui improbi not many and Christopherson in his catalogue doth not mention any evill persons amongst all the Popes I must therefore give a tast of other mens observations The learned author of the Trisagion saith that there sate in the See of Rome fourteene Popes which were Adulterous nine Simoniaks twelve Tyrants three and twenty Sorcerers and ten Traitors To which I must Toâ—â— Torâ—i pag 219. adde what our Bishop hath delivered out of their Platina Monstra Portenta more then twenty Monsters of Mankind which sate and more than thirty Schismes were hatched in the Chaire of Rome And for the space of one hundred fourescore yeeres for the succession of Fifty Popes hee could reckon Vix unum Pontificis nomine dignum hardly one worthy to be called a Pope and that you may not Hâ—m 2. lib. Whits 2. part sol 219 c. judge this to be a private judgmeÌ„t or mine to be a rash judgement reade the judgement of the Church of England fully to this point in the Homily for Whitsontide But I will remove my finger froÌ„ this sore which I had not touched had not their bragging Tongue coÌ„strained my Hand a little to discouer it Next to come to the life of the cause That the Pope is the cause of sinne it will be confessed if we consider onely this one thing There is a booke called Taxa Cancellariae Apostolicae where in print the Absolutions from sinne and dispensations for sinne are set at a certaine Rate Can any imagine a fitter introduction and a more imboldning incouragement for any sinfull man to commit any sinfull action This is much which I say but much more is said by one of their owne and best authors Claudius Espencaeus Liber palam ac publicè hic Cl. Espâ—â—â— in Tit. cap. 1. Digres 1. impressus hodie ut olim venalis Taxa Camerae seu Cancellariae Apostolicae inscriptus in quo plus scelerum discas licet quam in omnibus omnium vitiorum summistis ac summarijs et plurimis quidem licentia omnibus autem Absolutio empturientibus proposita That is There is a booke publikely to be sold the Taxa Camerae whereby a man may learne more wickednesse than ever was comprised in all the summists and summaries of Vices which ever were set forth and wherein some may buy leave and all pardon for any sinne The same author proceedeth in the same place and point that that booke doth dispence with Adulterers Murtherers and Sorcerers Adulteros In cantatrices Homicides yea they absolve Parricidas Incestos contra naturam cum Brutis those that kill their Fathers defile their Mothers or that are so farre past grace that they commit that foule crime against nature By name for Perjurie Cap. 4. a villaine which hath falsly and willingly forsworne himselfe shall be absolved and the price of his Absolution is printed sixe grosses Cap. 3. or nine shillings and the same price is pitched for that child of the devill who out of a diabolicall lust shall defile a woman in the holy house of God in the very Church it selfe Thus also under Alexander the sixt the Cardinall Waldenses lib. 2. cap. 3. pag. 48. of St. Xist sent into Dauphine two bulls one by which he gave absolution for Simonie Theft Murther Vsury Adultery Detension of Benefices Destruction of goods Ecclesiasticall Perjurie yea Apostasie and Heresie All which may bee established by the Bellaâ— de Pont. Rom. lib. 4 ca. 5. sect Quod. judgement of learned Bellarmine for saith he Si Papa praecipiat vitia prohiberet virtutes tenetur Ecclesia credere vitia esse bona virtutes malas nisi velit contra conscientiam peccare That is If the Pope should command vices and interdict vertues every person who would not offend against his conscience must beleeue that the vices are good and the vertues are bad And that none may surmise me to wrong Bellarmine or to wring his words beyond his meaning behold a like egge of the same bird Bellar. de Pont. Rom. lib. 4. ca. 2. sect Dein de Catholici omnes convenient pontificem aliquid statuentem sive errare possit sive non esse ab omnibus fidelibus obedienter audiendum that is all Catholikes doe accord in this that the Pope whether he may erre or no is yet to be heard with all obedience And Bellarmine doth but Blanch Bell. Recogn de Sum. Pontif. pag. 507. the Aethiop when as he would seeme to retract this paradoxe saying that hee did speake de dubijs actibus and in the last citation he hath in re dubia For the Powder Traitors propounding Abbati Antilog cap. 9. it as rem dubiam to murther a King and ruine a Kingdome at one blow from these principles if the Pope had returned the affirmative they must have obeyed him yea have beleeved that that vicious act had beene a vertue Tolet. Instr lib. 4 cap. 3. sect 7. nay as another Cardinall speaketh in another case they might have thought that bloody barbarous villany meritorious Let any patron of the Pope under heaven name any man or succession of men on the earth who have given the like incitements incouragements and commandements unto sinne And I will recant and confesse that I have done his Holinesse and the holy series of his predecessours much wrong saying that The pope is the man of sinne But principally the Pope is the cause of three sinnes hee is the cause of Ignorance of Whoredome and Treason Now if I can prove that the Pope is the cause of these 3 sins I have cause enough to conclude The pope is the man of sinne For the first If the Councill of Tolet hath defined Concil Tol. 4. cap. 24. right that Ignorantia est mater omnium errorum Ignorance is the
Templa Dei Antichrist saith he shall sit in the Temple of God that is in the Temples or Churches of Christians for these alone may truly be termed the Temples of God Baronius more plainly yea Baron anno 72. sect 28. as peremptorily as any Protestant that ever set pen to paper in this point This yeare saith he the Iewes were subdued to the Romanes Nunquam posthaec servire desierunt aut desinent usque ad sinem mundi after which they shall live in perpetuall servitude even to the end of the world Neque spes est aliqua restituendae iterum Hierosolymae vel Templi denuo excitandi Neither is there any hope that that City shall be ever restored or that Temple ever built againe According quoth he to that Prophesie of Daniel 9. 27. He shall make it desolate even unto the consummation Also hee confirmeth it by a second argument drawne from Experience When as saith he the Apostate in hatred of the Christians and the Iewes in contempt of Christ hoping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—zâ—menus lib. 5 cap. ult to make Christ a lyar and a false Prophet indeavored to re-edifie the Temple the workmen were terrisied with hideous apparitions and dreadfull fires issuing out of the earth which forced them to desist from that building To his judgement may be added this reason the Temple was a type of the Dounam de Ant. part 1. lib. 1 cap. 2 sect 1. Church of Christ and therefore when the Church of Christ was once planted like other Types and Figures the Temple of the Iewes was utterly to be abolished And this seemed to be no singular opinion of any private person but the universall Tenent of the most and best Divines of that age Hence S. Chrysostome composed an Oration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Orat. 2. contra Iudaeos tom 6. onely to prove this point That the Temple of the Iewes should never be repaired Yea Suarez himselfe more plentifully and as substantially Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. cap. 5. nu 5. as if Truth did extort confession from the mouth of that Adversary who doth labour to contradict it and suppresse it He speaketh so to the purpose that I now purpose to shut up my interpretation of this place only in his owne words Quod Paulus per Templum Dei Ecclesiam intellexerit probabile est sic interpretatur Hieronimus Hugo Chrysostomus Occumenius Theophylactus Theodoreti verba haec sum Templum Dei appellavit Ecclesias in quibus Antichristus primam sedem arripiet I will English it for no Englishman can speake more plainly to our conclusion That S. Paul saith Suarez by the Temple of God doth mean the Church it is probable for this is the exposition of Hierome Hugo Chrysostome Occumenius Theophylact and Theodoret hath these words Saint Paul doth call the Temple the Church in which Antichrist will usurpe the chiefe See I conclude from the Phrases of my Text from the Testimonies of the Scripture and from their owne Confession The Papists themselves alledging the authority of the most and best of the Fathers and establishing this assertion with reason That the Temple shall not be built againe Therefore The Man of sinne shall sit in the temple of God and the verie Church of Christ shall be the seat and place of Antichrist Thus have ye the Explication What this Temple is I proceed to the Application Where it is The last sentence I quoted I will make my first entrance into the second point This is the saying of Theodoret cited by Suarez templum Dei appellat Ecclesias in quibus Antichristus arripiet primam sedem that is Paul doth call the temple of God the Church in which Antichrist shall usurpe the prime See Hence I argue The prime See of the Church is the seat of Antichrist But Rome is the prime See of the Church Therefore Rome is the seat of Antichrist Therefore the Pope the other properties of this Text and Chapter being his by a just application is Antichrist sitting in Rome the principall Church of Christ But here the Papists oppose a plausible objection Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. ca. 13 that by this we confesse the Church of Rome to be the Church of Christ I answer we doe so with these limitations First the Church of Rome may be termed Vhitak Contr. 4. Quaest 5. the Church of Christ because heretofore it hath beene a true Church As they themselves call the Host Bread because it was bread before the consecration And Isay 1. 21. wicked Hierusalem is called the faithfull City because it had beene so Secondly the Church of Rome doth usurp the name of the Church of Christ Thirdly it is the Church of Christ in the opinion of the Papists And finally it doth still retaine the relicks of the Church in that respect therefore wee may call it the Church of Christ Or to answer in the very words of Suarez himselfe Congregatio in quae Antichristus adorabitur Suarez Apol. lib. 5. cap. 15. nu 8. vocabitur Ecclesia templum quia antequam perverteretur erat ecclesia templiâ— Dei That is the Congregation of Antichrist is called the Church and Temple of God because it was the Church and Temple of God before their Apostasie Or yet more acurately with acute Tilenus Tilen syntag part 2. disp 36. thes 25. c. We say that the Church of Christ may be considered two wayes Vel ratione externae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel internae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in regard of the outward profession of the truth or of the inward possession of the truth The Pope or Antichrist may sit in the Church of Christ in the first sense but according to the second only the servant of Christ can sit in the Church of Christ I will divert a little to discusse one great point Whether the Romane Church be a true Church In which discourse I will insist on these foure particulars First I will declare What the Church is Secondly the reasons to affirme the proposition Thirdly the restrictions limitatioÌ„s therof And finally I will remove away some stones whereat the Protestants do stumble and pluck away some plumes wherewith the Papists doe magnifie themselves Both from this one ground because wee yeeld them to be Templum Dei a true Christian Church Such indeede is the charity of the Popish Spalatens Cons Red. pag. 12. Bell. de Notis Eccl. lib. 4. ca. 8. Dico secundo Church that they peremptorily pronounce Ecclesias Haereticas ne Ecclesias quidem omnino esse all hereticall Churches to bee indeed no Churches yea precisely to name the very particular As namely that the great Church of the Graecians is also no Church Whereby they also define all those infinite soules to bee also damned For extra Ecclesiam nulla est salus There is no saluation out of the Church But nobisnon licet esse tam impios we dare
Trent Laynez the Iesuites Generall delivered it for a generall conclusion that the Pope and Christ have the same Tribunall and the same Authority and the same assertion is avouched by Capistranus The first degree of Capistran so 124 correcting their disobedient is by way of Excommunication Concerning which this is the opinion of Withrington a moderate Papist in Withring◠of the Oath of Allegiance preface his Admonition to the Reader concerning the Oath of Allegtance The Church saith he hath power to impose a Temporall punishment by way of command if it bee necessary for his soules health not by way of coertion So that if hee will not obey the command of the Church imposing such a temporall punishment on him she can onely for our disobedience punish finally with spirituall punishments as by inflicting censures not by depriving our lands or lives This is the judgement of Withrington our learned and excepting his errours our honest Adversary He calleth himselfe a Romish Catholike I am sure his opinion in this point is Catholike but not Romish And I am perswaded if Rome did sway the Land where hee doth live he should feele the Romish fire for this Catholike opinion Howsoever the first punishment for disobedience is Excommunication But we esteeme this to be but brutum fulmen the Protestants reject the Popes Excommunications like Sampsons cords like a threed of tow which toucheth the fire What do they to such From such if they be in their power he taketh away their liberty they cannot buy and sell in safety as I feare some of our owne Merchants have found it Next hee raketh from them their lands forcing them to flie their native country as the poore French have felt in our dayes Then their lives as our wofull English could witnesse in Queene Maries reigne And finally he will take from them that which is dearer unto them then their lives their Names Thus did the Papists to Calvine whom they published to have died desperate when as many years he survived that presumptious calumny Yea hee will saevire in cineres punish their carkeises and command their bones to be raked out of their graves as he did to Paulus Fagius Neither shall Kings disobey the Pope uncorrected For he hath authoritie to take away their Scepters and lives also sayth Suarez in the sixt booke of his Apology But for that fatall Inquisition It is a correction like the fourth Beast in the seventh of Daniel and the seventh verse It is dreadfull and terrible devouring all but it hath no Name Although Gonsalvius hath in some sort discovered it yet I am perswaded that none living but the tormentours and the tormented can fully tell what the intralls are of that Bull of Phalaris it is the very embleme of Hell none returne from thence to tell the torments thereof And certainly whosoever is caught within the compasse of that engine of cruelty if he bee fortified with courage from Heaven in a rare measure hee may alter the Prayers of the old Leturgie they prayed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Save us by those unknowne torments these may pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Lord save us from those unknowne torments And thus doth this Tyrant both usurpe out strip the correcting power of a King The Pope as Christ doth rule in the Church of Christ in the phrase of my Text Antichrist as God sitteth in the Temple of God I adde briefly Me thinkes the Empire of Christ in his Church is most briefly and emphatically expressed by Christ himselfe Iohn 14. 6. Ego sum Via Veritas Vita that is saith Calvine I am the beginning the meanes and the end of saving knowledge Or as Saint Augustine Christ is Via sine errore the Way without errour Veritas sine falsitate the Truth without falshood Vita sine morte the Life without death Others interpret these words otherwise that Christ sheweth the meanes descryeth the things and giveth the end concerning eternall felicity All these doth the Pope usurp First that he is Via the Way that hee cannot erre a property of Christ never communicated but to some persons and at some times onely Secondly that he is Veritas the Truth His Councill of Trent commanded all credere to beleeve that and only that to be Truth which he taught And lastly he arrogateth himselfe to bee Vita to be the Life No salvation except a man bee a member of the Church say Christians not unlesse he be a member of the Pope say the Papists And therefore Bellarmine in his third Booke de Ecclesia and the second Chapter maketh the Pope to be an essentiall part in the definition of the Church So No Pope no Church and no salvation but in the Church and under the Pope Hence some beginne to thinke that the name of a Papist is more honourable than the name of a Catholike because the last doth imply a communion but with the Body but the first with the Head And how farre this Tyranny hath prevailed on the consciences of the blinded Papists you may perceive by this proverbe which they say is familiar in Italy I beleeve God and the Pope And thus doth hee dominiere in the highest nature The Pope as Christ doth rule in the Church of Christ that is Antichrist as God sitteth in the Temple of God Thus hath the Pope exalted himselfe Give me leave to exalt him one step higher and in the words of a Papist Qui desiderat Primatum interris inveniet confusionem in coelis that is He that will reigne as Christ on earth shall never reigne with Christ in heaven This is the period of the Popes primacy and this is the censure of Stella upon Luke 9. 48. Can notwithstanding all these premises any protest with Cupers that he is mancipium Romanae Ecclesiae that he is a professed Slave of the Church of Rome inthralling himselfe by a servile inflexible obedience in any case and against any person where a spirituall Soveraignty Tyranny doth command man and countermand God imposing injunctions uncontroulable exacting subjection unutterable or inflicting correction unsufferable ruling in the Church of Christ as Christ urging his owne Lawes with more severity than Christs Lawes I hope I know No servant of Christ will bee can be such a slave to Antichrist This truth have I delivered plainly painfully impartially even in the sight of a great God and of an innocent conscience I have done my duty I have delivered it For your duty to beleeve it I must leave that to him who is the Author and finisher of your faith Now the God of all truth give you all his holy Spirit that you may fulfill all his holy will SERMON X. 2 THESS 2. 3 4. Shewing himselfe that he is God Antichrist shall not call himselfe the true God The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God plainly THis fourth verse containeth three properties of Antichrist
therefore I conceive neither reason nor authority why any man should make a particular of that which Saint Paul doth propose as a generall The conclusion therfore is plain and true The Apostle doth here describe the adhaerents of Antichrist non a natione sed conditione ipsorum Doun part 2. Dem. 6. not from their Region but from their Religion Antichrist shall prevaile on such as receive not the love of the trueth Now whether these men be Iewes or Christians it skilleth not Having cut off this cavill I come to the naturall exposition The Object of Antichrists prevailing power is here foretold to bee men who will not receive the love of the trueth Of the Truth I may distinguish as the Greekes doe of the Word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veritas Christi Veritas Christus the truth written and the Trueth begotten the first Matth. 22. 16. thou teachest the way of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in trueth the second Iohn 14. 16. I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth Christ did the former Doctrinally and he was the latter Essentiallie The Text speaketh of both but of the first properly and primarily it being most convenient thereunto For the fallacy is a deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse that is false doctrine Therefore the Apostasie is from the true Doctrine or the trueth taught us in the Gospell By the truth then here we are to understaÌ„d the Gospell The Gospell is termed the trueth for three causes from the infallibility use and efficacy thereof First each syllable is true and shall come to passe Math. 5. 18. Secondly it maketh a man true and absolute in the knowledge and practise of Holinesse 2 Tim. 3. 16. Thirdly the Gospell is veritas magna praevalebit the Gospell is that trueth which above all things beareth away the victory The Gospell is a true sword to cut downe all errour and transgression Heb. 4. 12. Marke moreover it is the obseruation of our blessed Bishop Iewell marke hee doth not say Because they receive not the trueth but because they receive not the Love of the trueth therfore God sendeth theÌ„ strong delusions Of which sinne and punishment wee have an example and withall a wonderfull resemblance of the Roman Church in the persons of Hophnie and Phineas 1 Sam. 2. It is said in the twelfth verse They knew not the Lord. Now that they did know the Lord and his Will it is evident first from their Vocation in the thirteenth verse they were Priests and therefore their Lips did preserve knowledge Secondly from their Information both by the people in the sixteenth verse and also by their Father who verse 24 said Nay my sonnes for this is no good report that I heare The meaning then is they did not love the Lord which is all one as if they had not knowne him Adde to these three other remarkeable observations First their Sinne Whoredome verse 22. Secondly the cause of their continuing therin they made themselves fat with the offerings of the people verse 24. And the punishment which was twofold They would not hearken because the Lord would slay them in the same verse The parallell whereof wee may perceive in the Papacy punctually in all particulars The Church of Rome cannot be said not to know God it appeareth from their Vocation they have a Priesthood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Word Rom. 3. of God and learning labour and languages to peruse them Wee cannot say therefore They doe not know God but alas which is far worse They doe not love God To know him they have information sufficient from the Fathers most of their opinions have little some of their opions having no mention made of them in those ancient Writers from their owne fathers divers of the Bishops of Trent relenting but the Pope did controule them Finally they have had information from our Father I doubt not but God doth check the consciences of many of their learned that they see the trueth but doe not receive the love thereof Their sinne also is whoredome spirituall whoredome their See Babylon spirituall Babylon and the Mother of Fornication Their cause of continuing therein They make themselves fat with the offerings of the people they swimme in worldly wealth and honour The same Punishment they may feare shall feele Hophni Phineas did not hearken because the Lord would slay them And my Text telleth us that those who receive not the love of the trueth God will send theÌ„ strong delusion that they may be daÌ„ned Now that the Church of Rome doth not receive the love of the Gospell though they have the Gospell I thus demoÌ„strate it Because they use the Gospell either onely or principally for their owne turnes They have Gods Covenant in their mouths but hate to be reformed Quia superbi Ps 30. 16. 17. sunt nec noverunt Moysis sententiam sed amant suam non quia vera est sed quia sua est saith Saint Augustine They are surly and selfe-conceited and receive not the judgement of the Gospell but the judgement of the Church of Rome they love the Romish opinion not because it is the true opinioÌ„ but because it is the Romish opinion Those words of the men in Matth. 26. 73. St. Matth. to St. Peter may be aptly applyed to this purpose Certainly thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee Herein the Bishop of Rome is Saint Petâ—rs Successor Certainly they are those who use the Gospell to their owne turnes for their speech doth bewray them although they sweare and curse that they doe it not Thus they speake Docet spiritus sanctus omnes modo ordinato Suarez Apol. lib. 1. cap. 11. num 8. communem scilicet plebem per Doctores ipsos autem Doctores per Concilia maxime per Vicarium Christi The Holy Ghost saith Suarez doth teach all but in an ordinary maner to wit the common people by the Doctors and the Doctors themselves he doth teach by Councils but principally by the Vicar of Christ Pontifex potest Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. c. 14 moderari praecepta Apostolorum prout Ecclesiae expedicrit Bellarmine saith the Pope can moderate the Precepts of the Apostles as shall seeme expedient for the Church Scripturas recipio secundum sensum Ecclesiae it is the second Article of their second Creed established by their Councill of Trent that they receive the Scriptures indeed but as the Church shall expound them Their words are plaine enough containing a plaine injury against man and as plaine an indignitie against God First they and wee contend Who hath the trueth The Iudge Wee call for the Scriptures peradventure they will permit them But with this proviso Prout Ecclesiae expedierit prout Ecclesia exposuerit The Scripture shall be Iudge betwixt the Reformed and the Church of Rome But As the Church of Rome shall bee pleased to expound it Let any impartial man judge
themselves that the Pope is their lawfull head in things Spirituall and indirectly in things Temporall Nempe quatenus id ad gubernationem spiritualem est necessarium Eudaemon de Ant. l. 2. Sect. 14 so farre forth as shall bee necessary for the spirituall government It is the judgement of all Papists according to Eudaemon Authoritativè unum esse Pontificem qui cum omnes judicet ipse a nemine judicetur that is they hold that the Pope alone is he who alone hath authority to judge all men and no man hath authority to judge him Finally Malvenda concludeth Malvenda de Ant. l. 1. cap. 2. and comprizeth all in a more short and plaine sentence Pontifex Romanus est Ecclesiae Dei Monarcha the Pope is the Monarch of the Church of God I wonder what more could be said of GOD himselfe I conceive therefore no blasphemie in that speech for which Bellarmine doth so blame Beringarius Bell de Rom. Pont. Praef. calling him Pompificem instead of Pontificem that the Pompe of Rome is the Pope of Rome for that indeed is the Essence of their Religion I will end this point as I began this point with the words of Dr. Steuard Ambitto est Steuartius in 2 Thes 2. multorum perditio the Ambition of the Church hath beene the perdition of the Church By it is Rome become the Seate the Romanists the servants and the Roman Pope the Person of him who is here termed Filius Perditionis the Sonne of Pedition Thus by way of contestation for them that the Papists have not received the love of the truth that they might be saved And therefore they have received Antichrist that they may bee I will not adde the Sequell that they may bee damned no! God avert that and convert them if it be his blessed Will Briefly by way of Consolation for our selves That wee have received the love of the truth that we may be saved And therefore we shall not receive Antichrist nor be damned Lutherans they call us we may take up the Trent Hist l. 1. phrase and courage of Luther Luther said that he would to Wormes without feare although there had beene as many Devils in that Towne as there were Tiles on the houses So if we indeed love the Truth we may say We will not feare though there were as many Antichrists on the earth as there are Tiles on the Houses thoughout the World For if wee doe receive the love of the truth then shall wee be saved both from Antichrist the Sonne of Perdition and from Sathan his destroying Father But I feare I may use that phrase of this Iam. 2. 14. 18. love which Saint Iames doth of faith If a man saith he hath love will such a love save him will it save him from Antichrist Now shew thy love by thy deeds Let thy deeds shew it that thou doest indeed love the Gospell Solvitur in cinerem fit vana favillaque Pomum Saint Cyprian in his Sodoma saith The Apples of Sodom seeme delicate to the eye but indice tactu but so soone as they were touched they turned into dust and vanished I feare the fruite of our love to the Gospell to bee of that nature Heavenly to the eye and to the eare too but touch them they turne to dust indeed nothing but Earthly affections Let us touch our love to the Truth by this fivefold Tryall If wee love the Truth then have we an Ardent desire of it then will wee seeke to know it use the meanes to obtaine it bestow cost on it and rejoyce in it 1. If wee have love to the Truth wee would long after it as Ahab did after his Neighbours Vineyard 1 Reg. 24. 4◠and be sick for the want of it nay as Rachel did for Children we would cry give mee the Gen. 30 1. truth or I die 2. If wee did love the truth like the Aethiopian Eunuch wee will plod on Act. 8. 30. the Scriptures although they appeare not at the first altogether so plaine and perspicuous 3. If we love the truth wee will frequent Heb. 10. 25. the Assemblies be constant hearers of publike exercises on publike daies of Sabbath sermons 4. If wee did love the Gospell our affections would be like Fire which both is light active to ascend and hath Heate to consume all Obstacles Such men would like Hezechias Give the portion of the Priests that they might bee incouraged 2 Chron. 31. 4. in the Law of the Lord. And 5. they would speake that phrase of David with the heart of David We love thy Commandements above Psal 119. 127. Gold yea above fine God But come to the triall and experience will tell us that England is like Zebulun 2 Chro. 30. 10 11. the most laugh at the love of the truth Onely some God bee blessed humble themselves and goe to imbrace it If Bishop Iewel Iewelin 2 The. 2 complained of his time that they had much Preaching and little practising I suspect wee may encrease that complaint of our time and say we have more preaching and lesse practising We have many who receive the truth but few very few who receive the love thereof 1 Doe men desire the truth Yes as Agrippa Act. 26. 28. did peradventure as almost perswaded to desire it They are not ardent but ardelios in a short pang of zeale they will breathe out that transitory ejaculation Lord evermore Iohn 6. 34. give us of that bread But as Christ there told those they will not take paines for it As some for the Corporeall so these for the Spirituall they will not get their bread in the sweat of their browes 2. Doe men seeke to know it and read it I beleeve from the Idiot at his Ballade to the States-man at his History most men are more conversant in the writings of men then in the Scriptures of God 3. For the Sunday-Assemblies we see some in the Streets heare others in the fields and know of a third sort in their Houses when the Church is not full or not so full as it should bee if they did indeed love the truth 4. Doe men in our age bestow cost on the Word Some few I must exempt from this generall rule of this generall misse-rule For the most Hezechias is transformed into Ananias Men will rather withdraw or Act. 5. withhold that which is Consecrated then Consecrate any thing to the Priests Portion to incourage them in the Law of the Lord. 5. Finally Hah Did men love the Truth as they doe gold then were our Church walled with Brasse Antichrist would finde it impregnable and impossible to be entered It is reported of the Indians at Brasil that Dr. Beard of Antichrist part 1 they have a Tradition of one long since who came and preached the Gospell unto them But when those Barbarians would not beleeve him another came after him who gave them a sword and ever since
Take heed therefore that you make not any Image And the Commination threatned in the 24. The Lord is a consuming fire as if Hell fire were the reward of image-worshippers Againe in the second Commandement very bowing to an image is forbidden Whereupon the Church of Rome fearing that by the light of this evident inhibition their Mystery of iniquity should be discovered they leave this Commandement out of their bookes and Catechismes which come to the hands of the Common people And Vasques to shew his love to the truth goeth yet Vasq de Ador. l. 2. disp 4. c. 4. farther and affirmeth that the second Commandement is Ceremoniall and ought to be abolished Lactantius his words shall bee my conclusion for this point Non est dubium quin religio nulla est ubicunque simulacrum est According to whom thus I conclude Without peradventure they have no religion who worship images But the Church of Rome doth worship Images Therefore without peradventure the Church of Rome hath No Religion But are the Apostates Who do not receive the love of the Truth but take pleasure in unrighteousnesse The fift is the worshipping of the Crosse a worship altogether unknowne to the Heathen and therein therefore more then Heathenish Cruces etiam nec colimus nec optamus vos plane Arnobius lib. 8. qui Ligneos Deos consecratis Cruces ligneas forsitan adoratis ut deorum vestrorum partes saith Minutius that is Wee neyther wish nor worship Crosses but you who doe plainly hallow wooden gods peradventure you adore wooden Crosses as parts of your gods The Christians apologie is absolute that they did not worship wooden Crosses their recrimination to the Heathens that they did worship Crosses is qualified with a peradventure It is therefore without peradventure that the worshipping of a wooden Crosse was abhorred as abominable both by the Christians and Heathens Indeede some hereticall Christians have Pappus Hist pag. 345. beene knowne and taxed for that Idolatrie The Armenij thence were termed Charinzarij that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worshippers of the Crosse And since in the dotage of the Church and nonage of Antichrist that Idolatry hath crept in amongst Christians Aquine undertooke a Aquin. 3. 25. 4. solemne disputation of the worship of the Cross And Cornelius Mussus is transported with the Corn. Mussus to 1. 662. adoration admiration of that wooden Idolatry O Crux admiranda O Salus Vita Resurrectio Salus animarum Vita coporis Resurrectio animae simul corporis that is O admirable Crosse O Health Life and Resurrection Health of the soule Life of the body and Resurection of both soule and body And that these may not be put off as private opinions of some particular persons heare the universall practice of their whole Church O Crux ave All Haile O Crosse Spes vnica Our onely Hope Hoc Passionis tempore This time of the passion Auge pijs justitiam Augment the godlies devotioÌ„ Reisque dona veniam And forgive the ungodlies transgression Never could I conceive the just cause of such senselesse idolatry till my text suggested it They have not the love of the truth but take pleasure in unrighteousnesse The sixt is the Sacrament Bee that blessed Bread as Sacred as the most sanctified heart can conceive yet it is but Bread notwithstanding Howbeit the Papists give unto it cultuÌ„ latriae that worship which is due to God DominuÌ„ DeuÌ„ tuuÌ„ Concil Trident. Sess 13. Can. 5. Costerus Enchir. cap. 7. adorabis Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God saith Costerus speaking of the Sacrament The whole Church doth cry to it Agnus Dei qui tollis peccatamundi O thou Lambe of God which takest away the sins of the world According to which is that stupendious superscription of our Sanders to his Treatise on the Lords Supper To the Body and blood of our Saviour Iesus Christ under the forme of Bread and Wine all Honour Praise and thankes be given for ever and ever Now wee knowing that the Carnall presence is but a carnall conceit and that the tricke of Transubstantiation is as true as any of Ovids Metamorphoses Wee cannot but pronounce the words of Costerus which he delivereth by way of supposition Colere frustum panis pro Deo to worship a peece of bread is worse then to worship viva animalia the brute Beasts as the Egyptians did or Imagines images as the Heathen did or to worship rubrum Stannum inhasâ—am elevatum a red Clout clapped on a Pole as the Lappians doe Nay it is saith hee such a grosse idolatry qualis in Orbe terrarum non fuit as the like whereof was never in the world never seene among all the Heathens Those stupid Idolaters did absurdly-execrably The first did make their god furthermore they did worship it But these to shew that they are superlative goe a degree farther 1. They make their god 2. They worship it 3. They eate it Now that men should make their god and eate their god none can beleeve it but those that doe not receive the love of the Truth but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse Thus the Papists doe make this Holy Sacrament a prophane Idol acording to our positions and they may make it so also according to their owne opinions It is their opinion yea a ruled case confirmed by a Canon of the Councill of Florence That three things are required Conc. Flor. in Dec. Euchar. sect Quinto to the perfect celebrating of the Sacrament Materia Forma Persona 1. That there bee a right matter 2. A right Forme that they use the words belonging therunto 3. That the Minister doe celebrate that Sacrament cum intentione faciendi quod facit Ecclesia with an intention to doe what the Church doth quarum si aliquid desit non perficitur Sacramentum if any of those three be wanting it is no Sacrament I assume but it is possible that the Priest may forget to have the same intention with the Church possible therefore it is that the Sacrament which hee administreth may be no Sacrament And therefore it is possible that the Papists may worship a meere peece of Bread which in the judgement of their owne Dr Costerus is the most absurd and abominable Cost Enchir. c. 7. idolatry that ever was in the world They will therefore be constrained unto Gersons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to adore the Host with this Caution Scilicet si recte consecrat a sit that is I adore thee O Host must the Papists say if thou beest consecrated aright Otherwise they cannot escape that concession and confession which our Doctor Featly extorted from their Dr Featly's Cons with Mr Musket touching transub die 1. Mr. Musket That the Popish Communicant may sometime commit Idolatry materially Salva res est erubescit Finally the World is their Pantheon and according to some Papists every Creature therin is an Object of their religious adoration The opinion
delusion on the Christian Romanes who extinguish the light of grace Such as goe out of the way with the candle in their hand demerite to have the Candle put out and themselves to wander in unextricable darkenesse Since the Romanes Malvenda de Antich lib. 4. c. 4. doe bragge of themselves that Rome is the Arke to preserve Gods Oracles that in Rome the Gospell of Christ hath beene sealed with the blood of two Apostles seven and twenty Bishops and of three hundred thousand holy Martyrs Now that these Children of such fathers shall so degenerate and these Successours of such Predecessours shall so apostate that they transgresse the Commandements of God to observe the traditions of men that they advance the honor of their Church above their love to the Truth Is it not now Gods just judgment to cast them into the Armes of Antichrist and for this cause to send them strong delusion In a word you have the absolute accomplishment of this Prophecy Consider what the Church of Rome hath beene what it is and what Rom. 11. 33. it shall bee O altitudo Lord how unsearchable are thy judgments thy wayes past finding out To end but I must not end thus These judgements on them are for another end to cause Gods mercies unto us These things happened 1 Cor. 10. 11. to them for ensamples to admonish us upon whom the ends of world are come Wherefore Let our Church which standeth take heed that it doe not fall If the glorious Church of Rome did fall what may bee the fate of the Church of England which in old time was but an obscure part of that Body whereof the Romane Church was the most illustrious member Let us therefore consider and decline the cause of their obstinate Apostacy They did not love the Truth I would I could wipe away this blot from the face of our English people I feare I may pronounce that saying of Saint Augustine Aug. ep 121. concerning Africa Tanquam servus sciens voluntatem Domini sui non faciens multis vapulet The Church of England know their Masters Will but doe it not And therefore we deserve to bee beaten with many stripes and the Pope to gather the Rod. God may justly send on us strong delusion To which I may adde what Saint Augustine addeth in the same Epistle Attendunt quanta celeritate Evangelium praedicatur sed non attendunt quantá perversitate contemnitur that is we rejoyce because there is such plentifull preaching of the Word but wee doe not lament to behold the common contempt of the Word Require you an instance I neither flatter nor slander Clero Anglicano c. it is Campians scornefull exprobration The people of England saith hee love preaching but not their Preachers Gladly would I apprehend an Apology but the Truth must be confessed In England we have many Colossians the Word doth dwell plentiously amongst them Colos 3. 16. But very few Galatians who will give their eyes for their Pastors or that which they may spare somewhat better then their eyes And the ground of our reformed unkindnesse is the selfe-same of the Romish blindnesse custome Let not your Charity be offended at my Verity I suppose there be few Parishes through EnglaÌ„d but the Preacher if he be their Pastour and comformable then though his paines be never so great and his gaines never so small yet they thinke the phrase of Laban Genes 29. 26. will justifie their actions and Conscience in the sight of God and man Non est nostro loco consuetudinis it is our custome and it may not be broken Yet passe not your censure as if I did winch because I am galled as if a personall dislike did put mee into this passionate declamation No I thanke my God and my Parish too my Parish doth give me supplies for my labour in a poore Vicaridge But beloved this ought not to be done in Israel If men doe love the Treasure they cannot despise the Vessell although it bee earthen though their Pastours have their Personall infirmities And certainly this judgement of men shall not escape the judgements of GOD though they have custome to pleade for them I will not say with Saint Augustine Dabis impio Militi quod non dabis Sacerdoti that you take from your Preachers to treasure for souldiers I say not so the Bodie of Christendome hath bled enough already The Lord prevent future effusion for IESVS CHRIST his sake But I may tell you out of my Text Ideo mittet Deus operationem erroris for this cause God may send you strong delusion Those that will not bee perswaded by their English Preachers they may bee perverted by Popish Priests by strong delusions because indeed they doe not love the Truth It is the end of the Terme and may bee the end and Terme of our lives If I were like old Isaac Genes 27. 28. at my last end and to make my last Will and had but one Blessing to bequeath you my Beloved it should bee this blessing a blessed reciprocall affection betwixt the Pastors and people My heart could spend her last spirits in such a perswasion to leave this legacy of Love And blessed were I if I should so dye in the Lord For I should rest from my labour and that worke would follow me If it bee possible let the people and Pastours bee like Ionathan and David let them love one another as their owne soules If not so yet let them be like Abraham and Lot Let no strife bee amongst them for the Canaanites are in the Land the Papists will rejoyce and increase by our unkindnesse To stop their mouthes and to save our owne soules Let the Preachers feed the soules of the people and let the people feed the bodies of their Preachers both cheerefullie without grudging But I am a man not God I can speake to the eare not incline the heart that I must leave to the Lord. Only the Lord preserve us from a wicked custome and from all strong delusions SERMON XXIIII 2 THESS 2. 11. That they should beleeve a lye Popery supported by lyes The Primacy the Crosse â—opish lyes against the persons of Protestants Against Calvin Beza Luther B. King Q. Elizabeth Popish lyes against the profess on of Protestants Concerning the Sacraments our Government Preachers the Scriptures our Obedience to our King to our God Popish lyes concerning their Persecutions in England No Papist put to death for his Religion English Lawes against Papists THe verse containeth the passiue propertie or the punishment internall of those that imbrace Antichrist Wherein I have absolved two things I have shewed you an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one thing notable that they should bee seduced by strong delusion another admirable that they should bee so deluded as to beleeve a lye The admirable delusion is the subject of this Sermon Wherein two other things offer themselves to our admiration
the Pope may indeavour to destroy the Church I goe not then so farre as Bellarmine if I conclude It is probable that the Pope may erre Our Countryman Sanders commeth yet Sand. de Antich Demonstr 15. closer to the point It is saith hee so farre from being lawfull for the Pope to change the lawfull degrees of his predecessours in expounding the Articles of faith and principles of nature that if any Pope shall attempt to doe it publikely and to that purpose shal interpose the authority of the Apostolicall Sec for that very attempt he is to be censured to have fallen from his Apostolicall power tanquam deficiens a fide as a man who hath fallen from the faith and thereby become an Infidell cuâ— pertinaciter in errore suo and if he shall obstinately persist in his error he must be deposed from being Pope This man putteth it as a probable and possâ—ble case that the Pope may oppose the decrees of his predecessors interpose his Apostolicall power to confirme what is false fall from the faith become an Infidel persist in an errour yea and be deposed from his papacy This I hope will warrant my conclusion as probable that the Pope may erre Still there remaineth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one undeniable testimony In their sacred treatise of their sacred Ceremonies it is solemnely pronounced Sacr. Cerem l. 1. Sect. 1. c. 4. that Romanus Pontifex canonice institutus fiat haereticus that is an absolute Pope may turne an absolute heretike and if the Pope may be an Heretike his Conclusion may bee hereticall Doubtlesse then verity is not in the Church of Rome as they brag victory was in the Empire of Rome They have not so clipped the Iuel Ap. pa. 163 wings thereof but that they still feare that truth may flie from them Now to build their faith an a man whom they themselves confesse may erre This appeareth to mee a strong delusion and that these men doe beleeve a lye To dispute ex ore from our adversaries confession is a strong argument but the argument which is drawne a facto from their action is yet stronger Therefore to strengthen this assertion I will propose infallible instances that the Popes have fallen actually from their infallibilitie Their Translations of the Scriptures are testimonies that the Pope hath erred Sâ—xtus 5. set out one and Clemens 8. revised it and set it out againe It must follow that the Edition of the second is superfluous or rather the Edition of the former Pope was erronious Ex ungue Leonem take a taste of such errours Genesis 3. 15. Ipsapro ipse She shall â—iblia saâ—ra Sixti 5. Pontif. Maximi bruise the Serpents Head for He shall bruise the Serpents head I thinke it is so translated by one Pope I am sure it is defended by many papists Malv de Ant. l. 8. c. 11. Iohn 21. 22. Sic volo eum manere donec venero So will I have him remaine till I come for If I will have him remaine till I come This is the traÌ„slation warranted by those two Popes Sixtus 5. and Clemens 8. May not I say that they lye who give the lye to our Saviour who saith plainely in the next verse That he said not that Iohn should tarry till he come Next I have law for what I say The Canonists Duar. de Benificijs praef say Totum jus Canonicum his voluminibus continetur All the Canon Law is comprised in these three volumes The first whereof was composed by Gratiane 400 years agoe which consisteth of Canons and Sentences collected out of the Fathers and is called the Decrees which is indeed a very profitable Treatise in eo tamen desiderent eruditi yet the learned complaine of some wants in it The second is set out by Pope Gregory 9. coÌ„taining divers Epistles of several Popes are called the Decretals in which there are many things much degenerating a prisca illa disciplina froÌ„ the primitive integrity The third is the Constitutions of Pope Boniface 8. which are reported to have beene rejected in France because they were inacted in hatred of Philip King of France and invented for the commodity of the Church of Rome Collect there being but three Volumes of the Canonicall constitutions and the first the Decrees are defective the second the Decretals degenerated from the Decrees and the third the Constitutions of Boniface 8. were passionate against the King of France and partiall for the Court of Rome This instance justifieth my inference The Pope hath erred de facto and therefore is not infallible Againe the solemne Decrees of the Popes Eras in 1 Cor. 7. pronounced judicialiter definitively have been directly contradictory as it is instanced in those of Iohn 22. of Nicholas of Innocent 3. Caelestine of Pelagius Gregory That learned Lord du Plessis recordeth another famous exaÌ„ple Pless Myst Progr 36. 897. Iohn the tenth solemnly in a synode at Ravenna of seventy foure Bishops demanding every mans opinion severally published his definitive sentence in these words The Synod celebrated by our predecessour Steven 6. in which the carkeise of Formosus the Pope is drawn out of the Sepulchre we utterly abrogate Here wee have a Synode and an Antisynode the Decrce of one Pope abrogated by another Pope and decree also The illation is evident A second Pless My. Pr. 55 famous example I will transcribe out of the same famous Authour About the yeare 1300. Peter Moron an Hermit being chosen Pope and called Clemens 5. was thus abused by Benedict that cunning Cardinall of Cajeta hee suborned divers who by a trunke privily conveyed it into his eare by night as if it had beene a warning from heaven Caelestine Caelestine demitte papatum si vis salvus sieri negotium est supra vires that is Caelestine Caelestine give over the papacy if thou meanest to be saved it is a burthen beyond thy strength The simple man thus deluded intended nothing but to resigne the papacy if this scruple could be removed that he might do it with a good CoÌ„science wherein Benedict gave him easie satisfaction and caused a Decretall to bee passed That the Pope might lawfully give over his charge And not long after this when himselfe had atchieved the papacy and was stiled Boniface 8. he digested another like decretall which we finde in Sexto Quod Papa papatui libere renunciare potest that the Pope might freely resigne the papacy although when Caelestine was dead he passed another that it was Scelus imexpiabile an unpardonable crime for the Pope to resigne the papacy Before we had Decree against Decree here Decretall against Decretall There a Pope abrogating the definitive sentence of another Pope here the same Pope abrogating his owne Both concurring in one conclusion these contradictions cannot issue from one and the same unerring infallibility Another instance is added by that solidly Dr Crakenth in Spalat c. 72. acute
A PLAINE EXPOSITION VPON THE FIRST part of the second Chapter of Saint Paul his second Epistle to the THESSALONIANS Wherein it is plainly proved that The Pope is The Antichrist Being Lectures in Saint Pauls by IOHN SQVIRE Priest and Vicar of Saint LEONARDS Shordich Sometime Fellow of IESVS Colledge in CAMBRIDGE August Epist 89. Hilario Melius exponant ist a meliores Nam ego paratior smu discere quam docere Psalm 115. 10. Attamen ipse credidi propter quod locutus sum LONDON Printed for Philip Waterhouse and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of St. Pauls Head in Canon street neare London Stone 1630. TO THE RIGHT Honourable EDVVARD Viscount CONVVAY Lord President of his Majesties Honorable privie Counsell My most honored Lord. MY LORD THese Lectures I laboured principally to satisfie mine own conscience in this great point But understanding that some conscionable persons have received some small satisfaction by hearing them I print them And presume to present theÌ„ to your Honor to read them or some of them at your Lordships leasure That I may publish to the world how I am assured of your Honors sincere affection to the Church of England as it standeth now in opposition to the Church of Rome VVhich that it may be daily confirmed and increased in your Honour and in the rest of our Honorable English Nobilitie shall be the daily and sincere prayer of Your most unworthy yet most humble Chaplaine IOHN SQVIRE To the READER CHristian Reader Let me commend these briefes to thy Christian Charitie For this Booke If my small judgement and the eyes of many of my judicious friends have not failed me it may have some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some slips no grosse Errours For the Quotations though some may seeme perhaps to have bin alleaged judicio errante yet animo reluctante not one I may misunderstand some but I mis report not one Author by a voluntary falsification For the Author he is a thorough conformable member Minister of the Church of England And for the Scope it is for the information and salvation of thy soule and his owne soule Take the Treatise and give prayers for Thy fellow-member in Christ Iesus IOHN SQVIRE To the Papists or popishly affected I Beseech you by our Christ performe this Christian duty whereto my Practice doth invite you by a Precedent Read my Treatise As I doe and will the learnedst Authors on your side If your impartiall judgement censure it as Erronâ—ous reject it refute it But if my arguments be strong love not the name of the Church more than you doe the Truth of the Church Magna est veritas Christ grant that his Truth may prevaile on either partie Yours in the Truth IOHN SQVIRE The Contents of this Treatise SERMON 1. OBstinacy an error dangerous to salvation 6 Ministers should win their people by lenity 8 Of the Resurrection 10 Blessings bind us to be constant in Religion 14 Of Vnion 7 15 SERMON 2. The comming of Christ may not be defined 18 The authoritie of the Fathers 21 The errours of the understanding terrours to the Conscience 22 Six meanes to avoid errour 26 Three Fountaines of Errour 28 Of Enthysiasme 29 Of the use and abuse of eloquence 31 Of false quotations and corrupting Authors 32 The meanes of seducing to Popery 34 SERMON 3. The point of Antichrist may be handled 38 The name of Antichrist 43 The Fathers not the best Expositers in this point 46 The Apostasie 47 Whether the Church was ever extinguished 55 When was the Apostasie 57 Communion in both kinds 60 The Primacie 60 Image worship 61 Deposing Kings 62 The Pope above a Councill 62 Priests mariage 63 Apostates to Poperie 63 Latine Service 65 SERMON 4. Antichrist not one man 68 The man of Sinne. 76 The Pope the cause of Ignorance 83 The Pope the cause of Whoredome 85 The Pope the cause of Treason 90 The Powder Treason 94 SERMON 5. Antichrist the sonne of Perdition 97 Antichrist and Iudas parallell'd 99 Antichrist Iudas and the Pope parallell'd 101 The Pope may erre 105 Popish Persecutions passe those of the Emperours 106 Of the Inquisition 121 Rome Destroyed 135 Whether all Papists be damned 136 Popish threatnings to draw men to Popery 137 SERMON 6. Antichrist not an open Adversarie 140 The Pope doth oppose Christ 145 Fundamentally 147 Vniversally 149 Six plaine propositions where Christ is plainly opposed by the Pope 153 The Pope the worst Adversary that ever the Church had 154 SERMON 7. 〈◊〉 Temple 159 Antichrists seat 159 Not thâ—â—â—teriall Temple 159 Rome the seat of Antichrist 167 Whether Rome be a true Church 168 A Parallel betwixt Rome and Babylon 185 SERMON 8. Antichrist shall not exalt himselfe above the true God 197 The Pope doth 200 And above all that is worshipped 202 The Popes Ambition 204 The Pope doth exalt himselfe above Kings 207 Above the Emperour 216 Papists are Traitors 226 SERMON 9. Antichrist shall not sit corporally in the Temple 288 The Pope usurpeth the same power with Christ 232 The same titles 233 That he is above Councills 238 That he can make a Creed 240 The Pope is not the head of the Church 234 The King is the Head of the Church of England 235 The Pope countermands all the Commandements 244 SERMON 10. Antichrist shall not call himselfe the true God 257 The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God 259 The Pope doth shew himselfe to be God plainly 268 SERMON 11. What hindred the Revelation of Antichrist 289 The Ro Empire not to be abolished 294 It is removed ibid. Of Travellers and travelling to Rome 301 SERMON 12. The time of the Revelation of Antichrist 305 Where our Church was before Luther 326 Affected ignorance of Antichrist 328 SERMON 13. The Mystery of Iniquitie 335 Popish mysteries to advance the papacie 343 Popish mysteries to advance poperie 360 Baits to catch papâ—sts 369 Hookes to hold papâ—sts 373 SERMON 14. The Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the lawlesse person 381 In regard of Scriptures 391 Of the Creed 395 Of humane Lawes 396 Of Oaths 397 Of nationall Lawes 402 The Exemption of the Clergie 404 Of Childrens obedience 408 Of Mariages 409 Of his owne Constitutions 411 SERMON 15. The destruction of Antichrist 414 The beginning of the Reformation 416 Poperie may returne into England 417 Poperie may not be put downe by force of Armes 418 The finall destruction of the Pope uncertaine 428 Popery shall not be extinguished till the last day 432 The destruction of Rome 434 SERMON 16. Of lying miracles 440 Of Popish miracles 343 The miracle Rev. 13. 13. explained 465 Whether Papists doe any miracles 467 Whether miracles should perswade unto Poperie 470 SERMON 17. Of the Antiquity of the Church of Rome 478 Vniversalitie 478 Vnitie 478 Infallibilitie 478 Of disputations with Papists 487 The care of the Popish Church for Controversie Writers 488 Of Popish perswasions 491 Devotions
lenitate tractavi I did not saith he reject him as a boy with sowre severity but I did admit and instruct him as a Christian with all courtesie and lenity And according to his owne practise hee proposed a Rule unto other Preachers Quanto melior tanto Aug. epist 28. mitior The more religious the more courteous Those Twinnes will alwayes goe together and grow together With this proviso if the nature of the people will beare it If they be not tractable then indeed Christiana charitas severitas must bee yoake-fellowes saith the same St. Augustine then Lenity and Severity must Aug. epist 19. be used interchangeably as occasion shall be offered For some Asses will not move with a spur when a good metall will speed on with the least motion of the body The Virgin Claudia Lactant. de Orig. â—â—r lib. 2 sect 7 saith Lactantius did lead on a laden Ship with her Girdle which all the men in Rome could not hale on with Gables Sometimes I suppose some Ministers may meet with both these natures it behoveth them therefore to be armed with both these qualities Severity and Lenity that they may be able to cope with either disposition But with the latter Lenity especially For God doth not alwaies appeare in the strong winde of rough reprehensions 1 King 19. 11. 12. nor in the Earthquake of bitter invections nor in the Fire of over-fervent declamations but our great God may come in a still small voice If the People be Thessalonians the Preacher must be St. Paul Then must we beseech them as brethren to beware of seducers and all other Transgressions Miserable therefore are our times and Vse our sinnes more miserable when braving heresie beginneth to trample on Lenity Severity and Authority also The Ministers words yea and the Magistrates swords also have lost their edge they doe not touch the erroneous The Owles dare looke on the Sunne and those who were wont to creepe together by night now flock together by noone day That we must Non apud Aug. Epist 109. vos verbis sed apud Deum lachrymis agere as St. Augustine once complained we must turne our preaching into prayers and teares But for you let me use the phrase of my Text. Notwithstanding all our preaching you shall have strong seducers But Oramus vos fratres We beseech you brethren by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ to beware of them I have dispatched the advent or comming of Christ now I proceed to the Event thereof wherein we are to ponder the thing and the persons The first is termed in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a gathering together The simple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth the place or act of gathering together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is when other persons are added to that place or action 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I may well translate a Congregation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Aggregation that is an addition to the Congregation St. Pauls meaning may then be thus expressed As you know that Christ will come with a company of Saints and as you hope and desire that your selves shall be added to that company Even so We beseech you brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by our gathering together that you bee not moved from the truth by any seducers Which offereth this doctrine to our consideration Doctr. All true Christians which dye shall meet together in heaven Now there is the congregation the aggregation shall bee when our happy soules shall be ioyned to those blessed Saints already departed The Angels shall gather the Elect together from the foure windes saith our Saviour Matth. 24. 31. And loving Martha comforted her selfe concerning the death of her beloved brother because shee knew that he should rise againe in the resurrection at the last day Ioh. 11. 24. This truth we cannot but conceive if we consider the end of the resurrection which is that God may bee glorified in his Saints 2 Thess 1. 10. That our poore carkeises shall be raised out of the dust how glorious will this be to our Raiser who then can doubt of our gathering together of our blessed Resurrection The Husbandman determining to fill his Granary doth scatter the seed in divers furrowes and fields the seed dyeth but afterward returneth into one roome So our bodies may be buried in divers Cities and countries and scattered on the land or in the bottome of the Sea but heaven is the Granarie there shall we at the last day have a blessed gathering together Not unlike Iacob Ioseph and the Patriarches as they by many unpleasing meanes yet met al together joyfully in one place So we Death Diseases and the Grave are indeed distastfull to flesh and blood yet are they Gods instruments for this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gather us all together at that blessed day of our ioyfull Resurrection A great comfort in a great affliction Our Vse friends dye there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a congregation but we shall dye after them and goe to them here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our aggregation Indeed our singular consolation Praemittuntur non amittuntur saith St. Cyprian our Friends by death goe before us not from us I shall goe to him he shall not returne to me said holy David of his childe and it may be said by every Christian of his deare acquaintance Xerxes viewing his numerous army wept because he conceived that all those were to die within a few yeares So the tender Father when his loving eyes are cast upon his bosome and his bowels upon his beloved wife and children Quis temperet à lachrymis will it not wring teares from his eyes if not sighes from his heart to thinke that they even they must dye Indeed we may doe as much in humanity but Divinity will tell us that like Iob. 42. 12. 14. The Lord will blesse our latter â—â—d more than our beginning that even death shall give back our children and friends in greater affection in greater perfection And shall not we gather comfort from such a comfortable gathering together The last point containeth two persons concurring in this act of gathering together Our gathering together unto him Vnto him this sheweth the action Our the affection concerning this gathering together The first the action of our gathering together Christ our Head will performe it when hee doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1. 10. that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gather together all under one head This he hath done already by his first comming gathering together both Iewes and Gentiles under one Head and making them one Church militant But this he will doe in a fuller manner by his second comming gathering together all both living and dead under one Head and making them one Church triumphant That the gathering together of the Iewes and Gentiles into one Church militant was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Congregation This the gathering together of the living and dead
Rudder or Anchor and conceive the terrours of that soule which floateth on groundlesse errours to surpasse imagination The Apostles phrase Eph. 4. 16. importeth that the erroneous are like a bone out of joynt it will cost many an hearty groane before they be reduced to their right place They will bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3. 11. their owne consciences will be both the accusers and the accused and in conclusion they will become aliens from Gods Commonwealth Eph. 2. 12. Now suppose a traveller in the night and out of the way how will he be troubled a Rebell out of the Kings favour how perplexed The Athenians mutined Iust hist for a time against Alexander but they were glad notwithstanding their brags to be reconciled upon any condition Alas beloved the Erroneous are those Travellers so troubled those Rebels so perplexed and those mutinous Athenians their feare must be great till they be reconciled to their God upon any condition 1 King 2. 30. Ioab having run a wrong course of erroneous election against his Lords liking although he could pretend that he did adhere to the right heire was incouraged by the High Priest and might bee excused by his other former services and was protected by the Altar notwithstanding because he erred against the Kings will the terrours of death did compasse him on every side So let the erroneous gild over their positions with never so many glorious pretences that they adhere to the right heire to the old Religion that they are incouraged by the High Priest by the Pope himselfe that their life otherwise is very innocent and that they have the Altar the onely Catholike Church to protect them Notwithstanding all this if they wander without the warrant of the Lord without the apparant Scriptures the sword of Benaiah hangeth over their heads The conscience of the erroneous cannot but suffer the terrours of the Lord with a troubled minde Loe here the lot of all those who are seducers Vse or seduced Feare and trembling are their companions From the Papist to the Anabaptist all seducers are like the Aspen they cannot but quake continually and like the old Romanes mentioned by S. Augustine Deum colunt timorem Aug. epist 44. Maximo horrorem Terrour and horrour are housed in their consciences As the text speaketh their consciences are shaken and troubled perpetually But say the Erroneous the Papists especially we have none of these terrours we have resisted your Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are carelesse and fearlesse to shed your blood or our owne blood in the confidence of our Catholike cause We are not shaken nor troubled in conscience for teaching our Doctrine I say notwithstanding their bragges some of them doe feare though they will not shew where their shooe wringeth them Some of them shall feare Morte personam non ferent Death shall unmaske them and discover their consciences pale and wan with feare and trembling If some of them live and dye confident in their errours then I apply that other phrase of my text unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are besides their mindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens and Clem. Alex. Protrept p. 2. Ign. ep 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius their blindnesse is madnesse and franticknesse Mad men will wound themselves and feele not and the franticke will run into the fire and feare not So those men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they ranne out of their wits when they ran out of the Church and this makes them like Bedlems to be so couragious indeed so outragious in their herefies But how may wee avoid these errours and terrours and be setled in the Truth I can teach men no better than Erasmus taught children Quod lego Scripturis Symbolo summa siducia credo si quid receptum est ab usu Ecclesiae quod non plane cum Scripturis pugnat servo That is that man who doth constantly beleeve whatsoever is taught him by the Scriptures and conscionably obey whatsoever is commanded by the Church provided the Church command nothing plainly contrary to the Scriptures Such a man I say will bee setled in the Truth and seldome or never shaken in minde or troubled concerning any Errours Yea but some speake of all the Scriptures what S. Peter spake of some of the Scripture 2 Pet. 3. 16. they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to bee understood I answer Vse these meanes faithfully and thou shalt finde the necessary principles of the Scripture to be a food for the Lamb to wade through and to be food for very Babes to feed on Eschew three things and insue three things Let these sixe points be the practise of thy piety Eschew Pride Prejudice and Profit in searching out the Truth Mater omnium Haereticorum superbia St. Augustine saith t is Pride which progues Aug. contra Manich. 2. 8. men to factions and partakings Simon Magus would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 9. a great man this was the Magicke that bewitched him to his heresie and sorcerie Prejudice is a second and maine prevention of knowing and imbracing the Truth In hac side eram natus in hac educatus in ea moriar said an Eutichian because hee was borne therein therefore hee would live and dye in that opinion There are many mad Ephesians who will cry out against Paul when they know not the cause wherefore they cry out against him Acts 19. 32. And finally profit and commodity is Truths common adversary there are wretched men who subvert whole houses for silthy lucres sake Tit. 1. 11. and their gaine teacheth them to teach falshood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to please their Patrons and maintaine errours because errours maintaine them On the other side insue three other things Fidelity Charity and Humility Fidelity towards the Scriptures Charity towards the Church and Humility towards thy selfe Fasten thy Faith on the Scriptures say with the Pythagorians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath said it and therefore we will beleeve it And say with St. Paul Though an Angell from heaven should preach another Gospell and teach thee any thing contrary to the word of God let him be an Anathema accursed by God and man Gal. 1. 8. Next to thy fidelity to thy Father thy God speaking in his Scriptures exercise thy charity to thy Mother to the Church speaking in her Institutions Alexander saith Iustine did lament that hee had wronged his Nurse in his drinke The Church of England is our Nurse and surely they are not sober who wrong it and I hope that at length they will have grace to lament it If any accuse our Church which hath nursed thee let thy love teach thee to take heed of such accusers and abstaine from the very appearance of evill 1 Thess 5. 22. Let both Fidelity to the Scriptures and charity to the Church be a garland to
thy Christian head but let Humility be the Flower of that garland O be not high-minded Thinke not thy owne chickens the whitest or thy owne opinions the truest The right way to bee baptized that is to be washed from errour is to imitate the humble Ethiopian Act. 8. 31. to crave a guide to understand the Scriptures Thus putting away pride prejudice and profit if a man read the Scriptures carefully heare the Church charitably and esteeme of himselfe modestly I dare say it confidently that such a man shall understand the truth sufficiently And for a motive to put these meanes in practise let the phrase of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remember us that to be in an errour is to be out of our wits Let us therefore labour to settle our mindes and to be resolved in our Religion Wee must not forget it Such as are out of the truth are out of their wits The Lord therefore settle our mindes and preserve us from all spirituall madnesse Having dispatched the Heresie it followeth that I discourse of the Fallacy Which in the first place we finde here related to be threefold by spirit by word and by letter The first fallacy or tricke whereby seducers did deceivâ— the Thessalonians was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit that is the pretence of some Vision Revelation Inspiration or Spirituall information Thus 1 Iohn 4. 1. Beleeve not every spirit that is yeeld noâ— credence to every Doctor who doth gild oveâ— his doctrine with the pretence of the spirit oâ— spirituall infusions So the Scholia interprâ—â— this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false prophets say they use to plead for their false doctrine This say they is the dictate of the Spirit an extraordinary gift we are indued with The second meanes to deceivâ— these Thessalonians was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by word whether spoken or written S. Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inticing words Coloss 2. 4. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shew of wisedome Coloss 2. 23. so speake the Scholia also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certaine persons say they by their eloquencâ— and inticing words perswaded the poore Thessalonians That the day of the Lord would come in their age And finally the last fallacy is set downe in the next words nor by Letter as from us Two wayes did the seducers endeavour to deceive the Thessalonians in this kinde by quotation and falsification Some did quote that place of St. Paul in the 17. verse of the fourth chapter of the former Epistle Then we which are alive shall be caught up this they alledged that the Thessalonians in their owne persons should see the comming of Christ in that age Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others forged Epistles and spred them abroad under the name of S. Paul say the same Scholia Here then we discover three fountaines of errours and false doctrine Inspiration Disputation and Quotation By Inspiration and the Spirit they deceive the Ignorant By Disputation and Word they deceive the Learned By Quotation or Letter or mis-alledging the Scriptures they deceive both the Learned and the Ignorant S. Paul doth arme them against all these with this Caveat Bee not shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by Letter as from us The first sort support their errours by Inspirations These are the Enthusiasts both old and new In old time Montanus and the Montanists in our time Monetarius and the Anabaptists seduce ignorant people by pretended Inspirations This foule errour doth evidently appeare from the act and effect thereof First God doth governe naturall things according to the nature of them therefore hee doth usually and ordinarily instruct men since they have bodies by corporall meanes and not by immediate spirituall infusions Againe these visions may be suggested by the Evill spirit Let them therefore confirme them by Miracles and then peradventure we may beleeve them or rather by the Scripture and then we must beleeve them without peradventure Next they nickname the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Pen-men of the holy Scriptures Impure Quintinus Bell. de verbo Deilib 1. c. 1. with a prophane tongue doth call S. Paul vas fractum S. Peter abnegatorem S. Matthew foeneratorem and S. Iohn juvenem stolidulum Bullinger saith that Thomas Schykerus killed his brother kneeling at his prayers a pretended effect of his godly Inspiration And Sleidan hath historied it that 1525. the Anabaptists did murder 50000. Germanes in one day guided also by InspiratioÌ„ One place may satisfie al men concerning this fantasticall frensie Luk. 16. 31. If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they bee perswaded though one rose from the dead it is the Scripture not Inspiration on which our Faith must rely So S. Cyprian although he had a vision yet hee proved the point he perswaded out of the sacred Scriptures Ne videretur verbum Dei adulterare lest he should seeme to derogate from the Scriptures whilest he did arrogate to Inspirations But I will pursue this monster no further For I assure my selfe if this Viper did but creepe upon the body of our Church the hand of Authority would shake it into the fire Our Land would bee impatient of such an impious assertion A second sort deceive the simple by their discourses and disputations by uttering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Peter speaketh they make 2 Pet. 2. 18. their swelling words to be the windy bladders on which children swimme in a streame of errours as if they were the most current assertions of Orthodoxall Divinity And indeed Eloquence is very potent for either party Tertullus was no meane opponent of S. Paul himselfe And Faustus the Monke was surnamed Laqueus Diaboli Aug. confess lib. 5. cap. 3. saith S. Augustine the ginne of the Devill Quo multi implicabantur per illecebram suaviloquentiae because hee insnared many ignorant persons by his eloquent discourses On the like ground Alexander did exile all the Oratours out of Athens causas insurrectionis as the only Trumpets of Rebellion Yet must we consider what we ought to think and to doe concerning Eloquence discreetly distinguishing betwixt the use and the abuse thereof We cannot but know that Eloquence is an excellent instrument and assistant to the Truth also Eloquent Apollos was as effectuall a propugner of the Gospell as ever Eloquent Tertullus was an oppugner of the same And the eloquent tongue of S. Ambrose through the Eare did touch the heart of Aug. Consess 5. 14. Augustine with the knowledge and love of the Truth Veniebant in animum cum verbis quae diligebam etiam res quas negligebam saith that holy Father in his heavenly Confessions Who Aug. de Magisho cap. 3. also doth instruct us in our duty in that point Acute falleris sed autem ut falli desinas acutius attendas If they take such great paines to seduce us by their Rhetoricke and Logicke let us take as
popular favour did attempt to excommunicate the Emperours Now their Rebellion was growne to some head and maturity About eight hundred yeares after Christ Pope Leo the third did create Charles the most potent Prince of Europe Emperour of the West yet with this politike and profitable proviso That the whole Romane Territory should be rendred to the possession of the Romane Bishop Finally in the eleventh Century Hildebrand commonly called Gregory 7. annexed the Temporall unto the Popes Spirituall Monarchy We need not therefore be dainty to propose our conclusion in their owne words Pontifices deficisse ab Imperatoribus Bell. de Imag. lib. 2. cap. 15. It is notorious that the Romane Bishops have falne away from the Romane Emperours Thus have the Popes performed the first Apostasie The second their Ecclesiasticall falling away from the Faith is yet more plaine This disputation were ended if S. Paul himselfe might be permitted to be the Moderator Here St. Paul doth say there shall be a falling away it is demanded what manner of falling away St. Paul himselfe doth answer in the latter times Espens in 1 Tim. 4. 1. Anselm in 1 Tim 41. some shall fall from the faith 1 Tim. 4. 1. But from what points of faith is the second enquiry S. Paul himselfe againe doth name those very points 1 Tim. 4. 3. They shall forbid to marrie and command to abstaine from meats Their Perertus doth assent to one of these Antichristus Perer. in Dan. cap 14. c. ut sertur ut plurimos decipiat simulabit castitatâ—m it is the common opinion that Antichrist may deceive the common people he shall therefore pretend Chastity And our Ignatius applyeth both and driveth the naile Ignâ—t ad Philadelph home to the head He shall call mariage pollutions or meats abominable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an one is possessed by the Apostaticall Serpent Now for one Thiefe to appeach another it doth not cleare the Accuser to be guiltlesse The Papists cannot excuse themselves by accusing Marcion and Montanus guilty of the same Apostasie But it is as cleare as the Sunne The Pope doth forbid meats and mariage Therefore The Pope is falne from the faith The Pope is falne from the faith Therefore The falling away is in him The falling away is Therefore Antichrist is come Finally for the figurative falling away the Pope is ipse Apostata Refuga the Head and Author of this falling from faith I omit infinit particulars and insist in three onely Adoration of Images against the second Commandement Invocation in an unknowne tongue contrary to the fourteenth Chapter of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians and Mediation through and Salvation by the Virgin Mary I wonder there can be men so blinde that doe not see or rather that will not see how grossely they have fallen from the Primitive faith But yet more grossely have they fallen away in one point by the conclusion of two of their Councils Licet Christus instituerit Concil Constant Sess 13. Concil Trident. Sess 21. c. 1. c. Although Christ did institute the Sacrament to be administred in both kindes yet it seemed good to their Church to injoyne the administration thereof in one kinde and to pronounce an Anathema against any Christian who shall affirme it necessary to be received in both kindes as Christ himselfe did institute Concil Trident. Sess 21. Can. 1. and administer it Now that Church that doth professe they have falne from Christ in one point and doth practise palpable Apostasie in many we may call that Church Apostata the Head of this falling away To close up this point with that Iewell on Iuel in 2 Thess 2. 13. this place Their Church is increased in outward glory decreased in the inward truth they have the Chest lost the Treasure They were Bethel the House of God they are Bethaven the house of vanity O Roma a Roma quantum mutata vetustaes Nunc caput es sceleris quae caput Orbis eras How much is Rome altered from it selfe It was the prime Church for verity it is the prime Church for heresie It is Apostata the very head of this falling away Now concerning the Time when this falling away was I will absolve that point when I come to speak of the second part Antichrist revealed Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will onely glaunce at that question About sixe hundred yeares after Christ it was performed by Mahomet openly and at the same time wrought by Rome cunningly and secretly It was begunne by all Heretickes preparatively from the very Apostles times The mystery of iniquity doth work already saith the Apostle verse 7. But it was brought to the height and perfection thereof about fifteene hundred yeares after Christ when the world was in quiet under Pope Leo the tenth Then onely a remnant of the Waldenses and Albingenses lived in the Alpes as also the Picards Hist Trent lib. 1. pag. 3. and followers of Iohn Hus called the Calistini or Subutraqui in Bohemia Being all but a few and ignorant simple men unfit for opposition To conclude Since first the Pope is falne from the Emperour politically possessing Rome the Metropolis of the Romane Empire Secondly since Popery is falne from the first Faith forbidding meats and mariage was S. Paul himselfe did foretell Thirdly since we see that the Papacy doth injoyne worship contrary to the Primitive Faith And that they themselves confesse That they have falne from Christs institution in one point I say therefore of this Apostasie as Gregory said of Iohn the Constantinopolitane Greg. lib. 4. Epist 38. Fidenter dico I am confident in this first conclusion Rex superbiae prope est Antichrist is come for the falling away hath been long since Hereunto will I annex the assoiling of one Quaere Whether this Apostasie hath beene totall and universall I answer No In S. Ambrose Ambr. Hexam lib. 4. c. 2. his phrase Ecclesia obuâ—â—brari potest offluere non potest Religion was Eclipsed not extinguished the Church was hidden not taken away Which truth will appeare from the consideration of the contents of the Scripture and froÌ„ the consideration of the Books of the Scripture First then how could the truth be conveied unto us without new Apostles Next how could the Scriptures be derived unto us since the Church is the Pillar of the Truth and the preserver of those Oracles And M. Cartwright Cartwright in 2 Thess 2. saith well on this place If we should say that the Church could full away or cease to bee one Isay 59. 21. word of the Prophet which calleth â—â— an everlasting people were enough to confute us Other arguments may be added From a Prophesie My words shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed for ever From a Precept Goe and teach even to the end of the world
most palpable apostasie These seven particulars are sufficient to shew that point they so impetuously presse us to in what time and under whose reigne this Apostasie was acted Although I suppose that I may undeniably conclude That an old man hath an hoary head when I see it gray although I be not able to shew the very day when every haire did turne colour One word for our practice and so I end To fall from the truth the text tells us it is the time of Antichrist the signe of Antichrist and the worke of Antichrist indeed the very Essence and Quintessence of Antichrist Apostasie hath beene a thing ever and most abhorred in the Church of God Peter did fall from Christ but Christ knoweth it cost him deare He wept Cypria epist 52. for it bitterly Matth. 26. 75. Trophimus a Minister fell from the truth afterwards he repented and returned and was received into the Church but Cyprian would never suffer him to execute the function of the Ministry any more Fortunatianus a Bishop fell from the Cyprian epist 64 68. Church but Cyprian and Cornelius and many others denyed him his Bishopricke although he repented and recanted his wicked Apostasie Marcellinus a Bishop of Rome for feare of the Pappus pag. 108. tyrant Maximian revolted but he returned with remorse sought out the persecuted Christians in a Crypta a Conventicle at Suessa in Campania and did voluntary penance in sackcloth and in ashes and in abundant teares in the open Congregation Our noble Archbishop Fox Acts and Monuments Anno 1556. pag. 2067. Cranmer thrust that hand first into the fire which had subscribed unto Popery And the most disgracefull name that ever was fastned on a gracelesse wretch was the sirname of Iulian Iulian the Apostate or Revolter from the Christian Religion Nay the very Apostates themselves cannot indure Apostasie but if the tortures of the Inquisition doe extort recantation from any fraile consessour sometimes they dyed notwithstanding most times bore Tapers in their hands and wore Halters on their neckes and Sambenitos that is coats painted with Devils on their backes and all times suffered shame for such a crime and so shamefull a transgression For our selves know we that Antichrist hath his instruments of Apostasie at this day amongst us also Laborious Papists who will Math. 23. 13. compasse sea and land to make one Prosylite Subtile Iesuites who creepe into houses and lead captive silly women And many an Elimas many an audacious Seducer that will pervert Paulus Sergius and seeke to turne away even Noblemen from the truth But know Facilis est descensus averm It is easie to fall from the truth but Hic labor hoc opâ—s infinite labour and dolour to returne to the truth A garden is most weedy if once undigged and a Christian most savage if once revolted Remember Luke 9. 26. Whosoever denyeth Christ on earth before men Christ will dâ—ny him before God and his holy Angels in heaven Remember Hebr. 10. 25 26 27. If we forsake the assemblies and sinne wilfully after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devoure the Adversary Remember that Apostasie and revolting from Religion is the pledge of Hell and Badge of Antichrist Christ therefore confirme us and make us constant in his Truth without Hypocrisie Apostasie or Backsliding SERMON IV. 2 THESS 2. 3 4. And that Man of sinne be revealed Antichrist not one person The Man of sinne The Pope the cause of Ignorance of Whoredome and of Treason The Powder Treason ANd tha◠〈◊〉 of sinne bee revealed I have 〈◊〉 the first of these five points which I propounded in the description of Antichrist I have shewed you the Antichristian Apostasie The second succeedeth His Titles which are three The first of them followeth in these words of my Text And Suarez Apoloâ— lib. 5. c. 17. â—â— 1. that Man of sinne be revealed Suarez in the fift booke of his Apology and seventeenth Chapter in the beginning thereof disliketh our Kings discourse because hee omitted this clause Therefore to satisfie those that follow Suarez I will discusse this point largely And indeed there is ample matter in this short sentence In it I commend foure points to your consideration the Subject Article Adjunct and Accident First Antichrist is here termed a man secondly the man thirdly the man of sinne and finally the man of sinne to be revealed First Antichrist is here called a man as I conjecture to imply the manner of his invading the Church which is by subtlety and Policy That whereas other persecutors have bin compared to Beasts because they assaulted the Church with a brutish violence Antichrist is termed a man to shew that hee fighteth not onely with the horne of a Beast Hostility but also with the tongue of a Man Subtlety Both Os gladij and gladius or is both the sword and the word also shall be his instruments to cut downe true Professors Howsoever this quencheth that errour which was a little kindled by Hyppolitus that Hyppolitus â—e Consum mundiâ— Antichrist should be Daemon in corpore phantastico a Devill in a phantasticall body This opinion is a phantasticall assertion for Antichrist shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man saith S. Paul in my text Oecumen in â— Thess 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an absolute man saith Oecumenius on my text The second point 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ille homo The man of sinne This article of the word the Papists urge as an Article of their faith that the Pope cannot be Antichrist Hence is Suarez his Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 2. nu 3. admiration and Lessius his demonstration The former doth wonder Quis sedem Regni hominem peccati appellare solet that any should call a Kingdome by the name of a man And the latter deriveth his third demonstration ab unitate Less de Ant. Dem. 3. Antichristi Antichrist is one man therefore the Pope is not Antichrâ—st Our Rhemists say this Rhemistâ— in 2 Thess 2. Bell. de P. R. lib. 3. c. 2. article or the signifieth one singular man Et. sane mirum est saith Bellarmine nullum adversariorum quâ—tamen jactant linguarum peritiam hoc non ammadvertisse I wonder saith hee that none of the Protestants who professe themselves great Linguists could observe this property of the Greeke language where this articleâ— or the doth signifie one singular person Surely the Rhemists might be right English and Bellarmine a true Italian but neither of them good Graecians their argument I may shape into this Syllogisme The article doth signifie one singular person The Pope is not one singular person ergo The article doth not signifie the Pope Ergo The Pope is not the Antichrist The answer is easie First I aske any Divine wherefore may not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Man in
but one Pope saith that Papist Augustine de Ancona Even so Antichrist is the Adversary of Christ not one Person but the succession And all those Adversaries that ever were are or shall bee quoad officium in regard of their function to oppose Christ they are all but one Antichrist Examine now the argument by these parallels Christ is one person therefore his Vicar the Pope is one person Christ is one person therefore his Adversary Antichrist is one person Yee easily discerne the Fallacie Howbeit wee say that Antichrist may bee called one man for two causes First from the phrase it being propheticall and in Prophecies by one beast a whole Kingdome is designed Dan. 7. 23. Secondly from the properties of the persons composing that Antichrist they may be all called in the singular number unus homo one man quia Omnes habent unum regnum unum propositum unum spiritum saith Rollocke on this place They all haue one Kingdome Rollock in 2 Thess 2. in the same forme of gouernment one purpose in persecuting the faithfull and one spirit they being all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Oecumenius speaketh all madded by the same Devill to underproppe Antichrist Thus Antichrist may be called one man but indeed hee Mâ—gdâ—burge Cent. 1. lib. 1. cap. 4. is many a maine succession I conclude Antichrist us est regnum falsorum doctorum Christi doctrinam obscurantium mundanum regnum arripientium Antichrist is a State fighting against the Church in a long succession Now who they are which plead most for succession I leave this to your conjecture as a preface to plainer demonstrations Thirdly the Adjunct is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the two former points concerning the two remaining Men Fathers and Brethren heare my Apologie which I make unto you Of those two points I shall speake Nil Nimium of the one I shall seeme to speake too much and of the other too little The last shall I now passe I reserve Antichrist revealed to his proper place The first will enforce me to spinne out the thread of my Sermon somewhat too long But of the first with what breuity I may The Adjunct is The man of Sinne the very word will cause some to expect invections bitternesse clamours and evill speakings but let me prevent them by my protestation I protest therefore in the presence of God before whom I stand I will speake nothing falsly nothing partially but onely what this Text putteth into my mouth and their owne writings into my eyes And in them also will I silence infinite personall instances Againe I protest by the same blessed Majesty that my hearts desire is to confirme the Protestant to reforme the Papist but to exasperate neither Therefore my tongue shall not be a vultures beake to prey upon the putride parts of the Papacy and to rip up their personall vices But it shall discusse the Reall parts of Popery their positions published in print If therefore those which themselves avouch as the sound parts of their religion if they shall appeare to be rotten and putrifide Then I hope the sheepe of Christ will not like Wolves swallow downe whole whatsoever is put into their mouths by such Carvers But to keepe my discourse within the compasse of truth I remember that saying of Christ Math. 12. 36. Every idle word that men shall speake they shall giue an account thereof at the day of judgement I remember also what a Father said of that saying Si pro omni verbo otioso quanto magis pro omni verbo injurioso malitioso if I must give an account unto God for every idle word what must I doe for every lying word If I must give an account for every lye in my house what an account must I make for every lye in my Pulpit Here then are two reines for that one member Yet I must insert one Proviso Our Adversaries also are abundant in their accusations Wee say that the Pope is The man of sinne And they say we are The men of sinne They have their Babels and their Libels infinite popish pamphlets which publish us to be the sinke of sinne the shame of Christendome and the scumme of the whole world But those imputations they put upon us falsly and impertinently Falsly St. Hierome taxed Sabinian for destouring a Nunne Sabinian retorted vpon St Hierome the like suspition of lewdnesse Herein they differed Hierom did accuse Sabinian per veram convictionem and Sabinian Hierom per falsam confictionem This is our case wee charge the Papists that they defile the Church by foule sinnes they charge us with the same Herein wee differ our accusation is per veram convictionem by true conviction and just relation theirs is per falsam confictionem by false consiction and forged calumniation Againe as these calumnies are false so are they impertinent also for they accuse us of personall sinnes which alwayes have are and ever will be in the purest Churches upon the face of the earth But we charge theÌ„ with doctrinall and dogmaticall crimes with crying sinnes supported by the Doctors and doctrine of their church Having premised these items I will speake to you as St Paul spake to Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 7. I will speake the words of truth and sobernesse Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man of sinne Genitivi Sâ—ar Apol. lib. 5. cap. 17. nu 2. pro adjectivis in scriptura positi exaggerationem significant saith Suarez Genitives put for Adjectives doe augment and increase the significatioÌ„ as here The man of sin that is a most sinfull man Now Antichrist is termed a most sinfull man two wayes both affectivè and effectivè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all men hee principally is both the Practiser and the Causer of Sinne. Magdâ—burgens Câ—nt 6 cap. 4. He is the Prime practiser of sinne and herehence Antichrist was called by the ancients Secundus Adolescens the Adventurous youth quia iuvenili temeritate fervidus est in malo because with a youthfull frensie hee doth plunge himselfe into all madde courses Againe he is the grand cause of sinne therefore Aquin. Sum 3. quaest 8. Art 8. Greg. Moral lib. 24. c. 3. is Antichrist called caput impiorum the Head of wicked men every wicked man membrum Antichristi the member of Antichrist as if all wicked men and wickednesse receiued their beginning and continuance from that fountaine Both these are included in one sentence by Oecumenius on this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen in 2 Thess 2. that is Antichrist is called The man of sinne because he doth sinne incomparably himselfe and because hee doth constraine others also to commit iniquity By the first he is like Ahab who sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. By the second he is like Iâ—roboaÌ„ who made Israel to
Curia Romana Ecclesia Romana the part ruled and the part ruling The part ruled are those particular Churches which professe the Romish Relâ—gion as Spaine France Polonâ—â— c. The part ruling is the City or Court of Rome I say therefore that Antichrist doth sit in all the Romish Church but to speake in the phrase of Suarez collocavit Thronum suum regalem Curiam imperij Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. cap. 15. nu 1. 2. sui in urbe he hath seated his Throne and setled his royall Court in that City This will I prove by three arguments drawne from the scituation and domination of Rome and thirdly from the Assimulation betwixt Rome and Babylon The Velites shall give the onset I will propound their owne argument as a preamble to our more solide proofes Dan. 11. 45. He shall plant the Tabernacle of his royall Palace betweene the Seas Now although we know that this Prophecie speaketh literally of Antiochus and of Antichrist onely Anagogically of whom Antiochus was a Type Yet because the Papists doe expound it literally of Antichrist against them wee retort it as a true propertie and strong probability that Rome is the seate of Antichrist because it is seated betweene two seas the Tyrrhene and the Adriatike according to this Prophecy of Dan. 11. 45. I proceed to our owne proofes First from the situation Babylon is seated on seven hills Rev. 17. 9. and so is Rome situated also no City under the cope to be compared to it in that kinde So is it termed by Tertullian and Tertul. Apol. cap. 35. Dionys Halicar lib. 4. Plin. lib. 3. ca. 5. Sibylla lib. 2. so was it founded by Servius Tullius the last King of the Romanes Hence also the Latines gave it the sirname of Septicollis that is the seven hilled City and the Graecians called it in the same signification 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The common epithite of the Poets and almost the burden of their Poems Dumque suis victrix septem de montibus orbem Ovid. de Trist lib. 1. Eclog. 4. Propert. Eclog. 10. Virgil. Gâ—oâ—â— 2. Prospiciet domitum Martia Roma legar Septem urbs alta jugis toti quae praesidet orbi Scilicet rerum facta est pulcherrima Roma Septem quae una sibi muro circumdedit arces Varro mentioneth a Feast called septimontium Varro de Ling. Latin lib. 5. as it were dedicated to celebrate a City seated on seven hills and their Names are famously knowne throughout the world Calius Exquilinus Palatinus Viminalis Quirinalis Aventinus Capitolinus All Dounam Der. Epis de Antich part 1. lib. 1. c. 2. these at this day are within the Walles of the City though decayed in the number of houses yet still beautified with many Churches Monasteries and other goodly buildings Moreover on the first the hill Coelius at this day standeth the Laterane Palace and Church Which divers Popes have consumed to be Constitut Rom. Pont. pag. 11. 454. 618. the Head church of all the churches in the world as Gregory 11. Pius 4. and Pius 5. If any except that these Hills are to bee taken metaphorically I answer here can be no metaphor because it is an interpretation of an Angell expouÌ„ding the seven heads to signifie seven mountaines Now interpretatâ—â—â—s must be plaine not metaphoricall Plaine therefore it is that Rome is seated on seven hills the very situation of the very seat of Antichrist Secondly that City which in S. Iohns time did reigne over the kingdomes of the earth is Babylon the seat of Antichrist Revel 17. 18. But Rome is that City which in S. Iohns time did reigne over the Kingdomes of the earth Toti quae praesidet orbi Therefore Rome is Babylon the seat of Antichrist And aptly may it be termed Babylon because it is the manner of Kingdomes to title themselves from the first notable persons which did erect their State as the Romane Emperours were called Caesars from the first Iulius Caesar And Rome was so named from Romulus So let the Romanes reflect a little further backward because they have atchieved the Babylonian Monarchy from the first this last Monarch Rome may bee termed Babylon Lastly Rome and Babylon concurre in many resemblances without any constrained comparison Babylon in the Scriptures is taken 3 wayes First Literally for Babylon in Chaldea the Metropolis of the Assyrian Empire 2 Reg. 24. 10. Secondly Literally for Babylon in Aegypt since called Babylis or Caire of which some understand 1 Pet. 5. 13. Thirdly Mystically for the City of Antichrist Revel 17. 5. of which the first was a type and this is our assertion that Rome is mysticall Babylon Rome resembleth the old Babylon in foure particulars First the old Babylon was a worke begunne by seventy Families which schismed from Shem but God was in Shems Tents So Babylon mysticall the Romane Church hath made a schisme from the pure Church of the primitive times And we hope that God doth dwell in our Tents who retaine the Apostolicall truth Secondly Nimrod by interpretation an Apostate or a Rebell was the Head of old Babylon so the Pope the Apostate it the Head of Rome Thirdly as Rome was given by the Emperours Otho Frigensis Chro. 7. 3. Pâ—â—kins Probl. pag. 581. of Christendome to the Pope our chiefe Christian Bishop so the Persian Kings granted Babylon unto their High Priest And the Persian translating the seat of his Kingdome from Babylon to Ecbatan held nothing at Babylon but the bare name of an Empire So our Emperour removing from Rome to Aquisgrave hath nothing remaining but the title onely that he is called the Romane Emperour Fourthly Babylon was a City where the Church of the Iewes were captive And a great part of the Christian Church is and a greater was captive in Rome also To these foure I may adde a fift parallell out of Bellarmine One thousand one hundred threescore and foure Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. c. 5. yeares after the building of Babylon it was sacked so in the same number 1164 yeares after the building thereof was Rome taken by the Gothes This Parallell like Pharaohs dreame to shew the certainty thereof shall be doubled To those five I will adde five other issuing out of the bowels of my text Which will accord Rome Babylon in an evident naturall congruity Arrogance Violence Improbity Idolatry Hiâ—gons Myst Bebyl Serm. 1. Inquis 2. Cruelty non ovum ovo similius are so sutable to both Rome and Babylon that they seeme to be a brace of Menechmies It must be a sharp eye which can be able to distinguish them First in this verse Antichrist is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that doth exalt himselfe behold his pride and arrogance Secondly the object is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above all that is called God or worshipped that is Kings or Emperours a violent intrusion upon Authority and Majesty Thirdly for his Improbity and wicked conditions
Law and without God At 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will not cast such durt in their faces although I may rake much with much Meleâ— Canus lib. 11. cap. 6. facility from their owne Dunghills Wee produce their owne miracles against their owne persons and their owne propositions There remaineth one maine miracle a maine argument wherin some Papists doe triumph and whereat some Protestants doe stumble From Revelation 13. 13. thus they dispute Antichrist doth cause fire to come from Heaven The Pope doth not cause fire to come from Heaven Therefore the Pope is not Antichrist I answer this cannot bee taken literally because the whole Chapter is mysticall None can be so grosse as to thinke that a Beast indeed shall rise out of the very Sea having seven heads and ten hornes as it is in the first nor that the people shall worship a very Dragon as it is in the fourth nor that there shall bee another beast like a Lambe and a Dragon as in the tweâ—th neither shall it be a very sire as it followeth in this thirteenth I say therefore is an Allusion unto 1 King 18. 24. This exposition though it be singular good yet is it not singular besides our owne learned Expositors it is so expounded also by Paulus Bernriedensis Paul Bernried in vita Greg. 7. who mentioning divers wonders of fire wrought by Pope Gregory the seventh doth sundry times resemble him to Elias According to that resemblance and not literally I say Antichrist shall cause sire to come from heaven In 1 King 18. 24. there being a difference in Israel betwixt Baals Priests and the Prophet which was the true Religion Elias testisieth his to be the truth by causing sire to come from heaven So here there being a difference in the Church whether the Religion of Christ or of Antichrist was the truth the text saith Antichrist shall cause sire to come from heaven in conspectu hominum that is he shall make his salse Religion to appeare to men to bee the truth as effectually as if like Elias hee should cause sire to come from heaven for a confirmation of his doctrine Which is most agreeable to the Pope The caeca obedientia blinde obedience of the Clergy and the implicite saith of the Laity the one beleeving whatsoever the Pope teacheth and the other obeying whatsoever the Pope commandeth without examination or disputation and both as consident in what the Pope teacheth as if they saw sire come from heaven to confirme his doctrine Here I professe that argument which once did most stagger me doth now most strengthen me in this point I take this to be an insoluble syllogisme Whosoever maketh his followers as confident in their errours as if they saw fire come from heaven to confirme them is That Antichrist But the Pope maketh his followers as confident in their errours as if they saw fire come from heaven to confirme them Therefore the Pope is that Antichrist I desire that every honest and understanding Papist may take this argument into their conscionable and serious consideration I will but touch upon two points and so conclude First Whether the Papists doe worke any miracles Secondly If they doe Whether those miracles should perswade us to be of their Religion a Proposition and a Supposition To the first the phrase of Arnobius will Arnob. adveâ—s Gentes lib. 1. frame a fit resolution by a most apt application Saepe sciamus scierimus Full often have we knowne and as often shall we know say the Papists many cured by miracles Inquiro Quis Quo loco Cui auxiliatus fuerit By what person In what place and of what disease have those miraculous cures healed them Againe An sine ullius adjunctione materiae have they beene healed without application If any thing hath beene applyed to those Creples Clinikes c. benesicia ista rerum non sunt curantium potestates they were then healed by the secret vertue of the things not by the miraculous manifest power of the Agents Finally Quod millia debillium how many millions of miserable creatures can we shew you who Cum per omnia supplices irent Templa after they have gone Pilgrimes to all the Saints Shrines in Christendome Cum deorum ante or a prostrati after they have prostrated themselves before all the holy Images Cum limina ipsa convererent osculis after they have swept the very pavement of their Churches with their lips Nullam omnino retâ—lisse medicinam and yet to have receiued no Benefit to their diseased carkeises These are the words of Arnobius but mine owne interrogations I request any sober papist to render a solid resolution Some ioyne issue and say that at this day they can instance in Miracles wrought beyond the Seas and in England also Beyond the Sea and beyond our Beliefe also Lipsius his chronicles are Lipsius de Virg. Hallens cap. 12. Acosta de salut Indorum lib. 6. cap. 4. 12. 17. Melchior Canus lib. 11. cap. 6. fraught with miracles of the Lady of Halls as giving sight to the blinde c. We answer For such miracles in generall Acosta who hath travelled as farre and Melchior Canus who read as much as did Lipsius dare not venture their credit in countenancing those Popish miracles And for the Popish restoring of the blinde in particular a French impostor was discovered at our Ladies of Renand in Paris â—â—â— Sâ—â—v Apology Fox Monum to 1. vita Henr. 6. and an English counterfeit at S. Albons in Hartfordshire both by the selfe same impudent ignorance and ignorant impudence a brace of borne-blinde Bayards would take upon them at the first moment of their miraculous sight to judge of colours Also here at home Eudaemon cryeth us downe with an instar Eudamon advers Abbot lib. 3. sect 4. omnium with one amazing miracle Quantum vobis Quantum vestris Magistratibus Quantum Regio Consilio admirationis attulit Quantum terroris incussit Garnetiana illa palea Oh quoth he what wonderment and astonishment overwhelmed you your Magistrates yea and your Kings privy Counsell because of Garnets straw We answer we value it as it was it was a miracle of straw Our boyes deride it because none of our men beleeve it As one speaketh it was done artificio by Art and by no wonderfull Art neither If any lust to spend Abbott Antilog cap. 14. time to know toyes reverend Abbots Antilogy to Eudaemon his ridiculous Apology will give him a superabundant information To unty the first knot we say The Papists doe no miracles here especially This I make good on two grounds First consider what God will doe not confirme an errour by his suffrage Which he should doe if an errour were countenanced by a true miracle Secondly what the devill can doe no true miracle Therefore his assistance availeth not Therefore neither digitus Dei nor digitus Diaboli neither can the devill nor will God inable the Papists to
would demand but this if an Arrian should say the Lords Prayer would they refuse to say Amen If they should eate with a multitude of Turkes and that they should thanke the Creatour for feeding them with his good creatures would a good Christian refuse to joyne with them If they were with Pagans in a ship like Ionah in the shippe of Tarshish would they not pray with them to be delivered from the shipwracke Nay according to their owne Legends of Bellarmine Surius and Francis if horses sheepe and oxen should worship God would they not do what they exhort us to doe to adore God even for the company of those bruit creatures Yet either so miserable are we or so uncharitable are they that they will not vouchsafe that to us which they deny not to Arrians Turkes Pagans and the beasts themselves They will not joyne with us in the worship of our common God The effect whereof is admirable for the strengthning of Popery two wayes First they can never be informed by us Secondly they will ever be inflamed against us By the first they remaine in ignorance of our positions and beleeve as their Teachers slander us that our Preachers are Coblers Tailors Tradesmen Stella in Luc. 9. 16. Stella in Luc. 3. 11. Artisans and that our Preaching is magnifying Faith onely and then that men may live as they list By the second they are made to hate us worse than the Turkes whereupon their Crusadoes are published as well against the Protestants as against the Sarasins Now that ever Religion should ever worke such an hatred in men towards their Country-men Kinsmen yea Friends and Parents that they will not joyne with them in any thing concerning Gods worship though never so farre from offence or scandall I take this to bee a strange mystery of iniquity perswaded in all power after the working of Satan A feat not of man but of the Devill himselfe Here I take just occasion to satisfie one scruple which is perpetually objected If the Pope be that grand Antichrist and Popery so grossely erroneous how then are so many learned men of the Romish Religion the very phrase of my text is answer sufficient The comming of Antichrist is after the working of Satan in all power and therefore learned men may bee entangled Againe Matth. 24. 24. If it were possible the very Elect should bee deceived therefore for the learned to be deceived is no impossibility Againe Rev. 17. â— 2. Antichrist is termed a Whore which maketh men drunke Now a gracelesse yongster who is corporally inticed by uncleannesse and intangled by drunkennesse how will he defend himselfe and despise the plaine advice of his understanding friends to enjoy his bewitching beauty And hath not spirituall drunkennesse and uncleannesse equall power to beat downe all perswasions Sampson though hee had many gaine-saying strugglings yet could he not deny his Dalilah So am I perswaded that great learned men of the Romish Religion have many checks of conscience but the magnificence of that Synagogue doth extinguish them I will inforce and inlarge this answer in the words of Pope Pius the second with a very little alteration Sciunt Christiani c. The Protestants doe know that Pius 2. Epist ad Morbisan their Religion is sincere holy and saving nor can they be removed from it quamvis aliqui aut libidine ducti aut avaritia tracti aut voluptate illecti aut metu mortis attoniti aut cruciatu superati although some either allured by licentiousnesse or intangled by covetousness or astonished by the feare of death or vanquished by tortures are shaven doe abjure and turne Papists Quorum corda si possis inspicere but if you could search the hearts of those Apostates you should see that there is not one of them who doth forsake the Gospell upon advised motives and serious deliberation In a word this may suffice Antichrist is come after the working of Satan in all power And therefore many learned are of the Romish Religion For suller satisfaction Foure causes I conceive wherefore so many learned are of the Antichristian Roman Religion their Study Prejudice Pride and Gods just judgement to blinde them First they study the Scriptures in generall this prophecy in particular depending upon their wit learning languages and reading of the Fathers These meanes externall I acknowledge to be excellent and pray that all our side may excell in them But these without the meanes internall Humility and Invocation are like the stasse of Elishah without the presence of Elishah they will give no true life to the understanding for it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent 1 Cor. 1. 19. And the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can they know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. A presuming upon their owne learning I conceive to be the first cause that so many learned are ignorant in this point of Antichrist Secondly at the comming of Christ who did or could speake more of his comming than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Scribes and Pharises the Learned and yet who farther from the apprehension of the evident arguments of his comming than those Lawyers than those learned men The reason Prejudice They had beforehand perswaded their expectation to attend a temporall Messias that when Christ came the spirituall Messias all plaine signes which were apparent to Children were riddles to those Rabbies For prejudice had possessed them with a contrary expectation So concerning the comming of Antichrist the Rabbies of Rome their learned men prescribing to their expectation that Antichrist must be a Iew an open Tyrant against the Church and to tyrannize three yeares onely If you now tell them that Antichrist is a Christian a famous Bishop in the Church and that he hath tyrannized therein many hundreds of yeares If now an Angell from heaven should say Oh come out of Babylon yet would hee seeme to their learned as Lot did to his Sonnes in Law Gen. 19. 14. He would seeme as one that mocketh They mocke at all arguments proving the Pope to be Antichrist So potent is preiudice to keep even learned men in ignorance But herein I could wish that all Papists and some Protestants also would practise the advice of a Pope Pius the second Noli falsum dicere nisi Pius 2. Epist ad Moâ—bisan cognoveris esse doe not say that our reasons are false before you know them to be so Deride not our obiections besore you can cleare them by plaine solutions Thirdly in the Iewish Church there were many who did beleeve on Christ Iohn 12. 42 43. but they did non confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue and they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They would not confesse the truth
there hath beene nothing but warres amongst them We live in a time of Warres and rumours of Warres In England the contempt of the Word is gone before God grant the sword doe not follow after it Wee feare our Antichristian Enemies because of their learning number industry policy power and malice Alas alas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perdit to tua ex te ô Israel It is our contempt of the Word that betrayes and delivers us into the Hands and Bands of Antichrist I will therefore pray for you yea pray vnto you in the words of our Common Prayer From all Sedition and privy Conspiracie from all false doctrine heresie But From hardnesse of heart and contempt of thy Word and Commandements Good Lord deliver us SERMON XXII 2 THESS 2. 12. But had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Papists surpasse the Pagans in Idolatry Angels Saints Marie Images the Crosse the Sacrament Every Creature made an Idol IN my last Sermon I have declared the first property of those men by whom Antichrist shall be imbraced in this I will unfold the second property That was Negative the servants of the man of sinne Doe not receive the love of the truth This is Affirmative but they take pleasure in unrighteousnesse That wee may consider this property the more seriously let us take two points into our consideration the Action and the Affection of Antichristians The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousnesse the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure therein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Injustitia unrighteousnesse is suum cuique non reddere Not to reÌ„der every person his due Which must be twofold answerable to the twofold object thereof There is a Morall unrighteousnesse when we doe not man his right as Luke 16. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—nrighteous Mammon when men cozen men by their covetousnesse and unrighteousnesse Moreover there is a Spirituall unrighteousnesse when wee doe not God his right as Rom. 1. 18. the Philosophers did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep downe the truth of God in obstinatenesse and unrighteousnesse Expressed in the 25. verse of the same Chapter They changed the truth of God into a lye They loved their owne errours more then they did the true knowledge of God This was their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Spirituall unrighteousnesse My text may speake of both but principally of the principall the last the Spirituall unrighteousnesse As appeareth both from the drift of Saint Paul in his Doctrine and from the drift of Antichrist in his doctrine First Saint Paul doth describe those that imbrace Antichrist by not receiving the truth verse 10. this therefore is an unrighteousnesse against the Truth of God and not against the Estate of man a spirirituall unrighteousnesse Secondly the drift of Antichrist is the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse verse 10. false Doctrine a denying of God his due his Truth by a spirituall unrighteousnesse I conclude this Vnrighteousnesse is false Doctrine in generall but in especiall the grand false doctrine of al other Idolatry For St. Paul himself doth lead us to this exposition Rom. 1. 18. hee telleth us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousnesse against the Truth That also he telleth us what it is verse 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To serve the Creature more then the Creator that is Idolatry Idolatry therefore is the unrighteousnesse in my text which is the property of those that embrace Antichrist To make the Property full and absolute the Apostle addeth the Affection to the Action it is not a light slight practise or propensitie not onely a naturall inclination or a seduced aberration but they are affected to it and infected with it in high measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they take pleasure in unrighteousnesse and delight in Idolatry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophilacts intâ—rpreter renders Dr. Sclater in 2 Thes 2. 12. it Qui oblectati sunt in injustitia The word signifieth a willing pleasing selfe-propension not without much contentment saith the Reverend Author of those religious Sermons upon these Epistles If I adde a Candle to his Torch the light will not be supersluous but the point more cleare I therefore say moreover 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an emphaticall word implying an infinite affection to any thing men delight in The most precious thing which Saint Paul did ever desire to receive hee expresseth by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Corinth 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee are willing to be present with the Lord. And the most precious thing which Saint Paul did ever desire to give he expresseth by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Thes 2. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are willing to impart unto you both the Gospell andour owne soules And when hee would extoll to the heavens that heavenly affection of the Macedonians to releeve the poore he doubled this word Rom. 15. 26. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it pleased them it pleased them that is they delighted in Charity Finally when God himselfe would expresse his un-expressible affection to his Son and in his Son to man he maketh this word his Finger to point at the backe parts of his incomparable and incomprehensible delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3. 17. By this we may conceive the absolute reciprocall property quarto modo of those that bee Antichristians To wit They are Idolaters and delight in Idolatry in the highest nature and measure of any If the Papists can wipe away this imputation I will recant and subscribe that the Pope is not Antichrist But if I shall make it as cleare as the Sunne I hope none will shut their eyes against the truth but acknowledge that the Church of Rome doth embrace Antichrist For they delight in unrighteousnesse and take pleasure in Idolatrie Triplex Nodus triplici cuneo a threefold Cord is not easily broken I object the manner matter and measure of their Idolatry in all which the Papists surpasse al the world So that I may speak of the Romanes concerning idolatry what St Paul spake of the Corinthians concerning 1 Cor. 5. 1. Fornication It is reported commonly that there is Idolatry amongst them and such Idolatry as is not named amongst the Gentiles For the better knowledge of Idolaters who they are let us know Idolatry what it is It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Paul Servire creaturae Rom. 1. 25. Aug. de mor. Manich. 1. 30. Aqu. 22. 94. 3. saith Saint Augustine Honorem divinum impendere Creaturae according to Thomas To whom assent other Papists that it is Idolatrie to worship a Creature The Papists I say surpasse the Pagan Idolaters Spal Concil Red. pag. 35. First the Pagans exercised their Idolatry with an open shew of impiety but the Papists acting the mysterie of iniquity cover their wickednesse with the Veile of Piety As wicked Ahab was made the more wicked by marrying Iezabel So the
sinewes of that assertioÌ„ The grand pseudochrist amongst the Iewes called himselfe Barchochab that is Filius Stellae or the Sonne of a Starre when as his right name was Barchozeba that is Filius mendacij or the Sonne of a lye So the grand Antichrist among the Christians calleth himselfe Stella a Starre which giveth Light to the whole World but in sooth hee is Filius mendacij it is a lye and they have a strong delusion who do beleeue it Thus they say the Church of Muscovia hath Malvenda lib. 5. cap. 16. renounced the Greeke Church and the Greeke Church hath renounced it selfe and both submitted themselves to the Pope as the Oecumenicall Patriarke in the yeare 1595 was the first surrender made to Pope Clement 8. Eudam de Antichristo lib. 3 Yea the mighty Church of Aethiopia was reconciled to the same Pope on the same condition saith Eudaemon another popish Tell-troath because a Cretian Nay their Dominicans Franciscans and Iesuites have reduced insinite Malvenda de Antiâ—hristo lib. 3 cap 26. people and provinces to the Romish Religion in both the East and West Indies saith Malvenda For the Greek and Mosco Church wee haue both Graecians and Muscovites which frequent our land and such a famous submission would not bee untold by them could not bee unknowne to us Indeed Aethiopia and the Indias Africa Asia and America are somewhat farre off and it is farre more ease for men to beleeve it than goe try it Howbeit wee have English Navigatours who are no novices in the new world also And this new christendome could not be concealed froÌ„ theÌ„ if these conversions and Submissions were as true as famous But I doubt that the stoutest favourer and favourite of the Romane Primacie wil but speake that phrase of St Paul 1 Cor. 11. 23. Quod accepi a Domino tradidi vobis they teach that to the Papists which they have heard from their Lord the Pope But none dare say with that other Apostle 1 Iohn 1. 1. Quod oculis nostris vidimus spectavimus that they themselves with their owne eyes have seene those converted countreys In truth they are mendacia decipientium Insipientium they are foolish lyes and those are not very wise who beleeve them These lying reporters have beene the true supporters of the Popes primacie but his shop of false forged lying writers have shaped out most classicall and authenticall instruments to that purpose both in spiritualls and temporalls I will grace this proofe with the testimonie of the glory of Ireland The Donative Vsserius de Ecclesiar Successione cap. 2. sect 29. saith hee of Constantine was forged by Iohn surnamed Digitorum whereby the Pope would perswade the world that that Emperour had bequeathed unto his predecessour Silvester not onely the Citie of Rome but also all the cities and provinces of Italie and of the West This is the first lye the great lye the second is like unto this to confirme the Popes power spirituall as that former did his temporall Out of the same forge proceeded the fiction of the Decretall Epistles which they pretend to have beene indited by the Primative Romane Bishops of the purer ages but first urged as authenticall in France by Riculsus Archbishop of Menz in the reigne of Charles the great Thus were these two great Popish points the Temporall and Spirituall Primacy established by two great lyes Both which the Donative of Constantine the Decretals of the Pope were compiled into one volume by that notorious lier who sâ—rowdeth his shameless Leasings under the name of Isodore yet out of him the Popes have sucked no small advantage for the supporting of his Primacie One Whelp out of which Kennell we have experienced here in England When the Chamber Ples Mist è Matth. Par. in Henr. 3. of Pope Innocent 4. at Lyons was by chance set on fire then was burned the same Charter whereby King Iohn had made England Tributary to the Pope whereupon the Pope sent secret Messengers into England who made every Bishop to subscribe to that lamentable Charter of that King Iohn namely as it is likely to supply the want of the Originall with a Copie thus made authenticall Such considence doe they place in their practising the phrase of this prophecie if they can make the world beleeve a lye They have another petty point of Popery which followeth this Pillar of the Papacy as a little Pinnace doth the Admirall of the Fleet. And both are borne on with the same Gaile a brave-winde of wonderfull lies This is the signe of the Crosse a profitable servant for the Church of Rome and therefore they must lye for their advantage At Meliapor men Gables and Elephants did Malven l. 3. c. 7. tugge at a huge Tree to no purpose all were not able to stirre it But Saint Thomas twining his Girdle onely to a twigge thereof drew it twelve furlongs Signo tantum Crucis Malv 5. 8. facto onely by making the signe of the Crosse Anno 1520. a Portugall ship in an Indian voyage in the night running mainly before the winde suddenly it stood still The amazed Mariners searching the cause with Candles they beheld an hideous Fish glued to the ship her body spread the length of the Keele or bottome of the ship the taile being wrapped about the Rudder and over the Decke shee put up her head as bigge as a Barrell When the Sailers thought that a Fiend of Hell had beene come to swallow them out steppeth an heavenly Priest Et signo Crucis delinita est Bellua that Monster was made tame onely with the signe of the Crosse And so the men sayled merrily to the place they were bound for More It is their doctrine that the signe Malven l. 6. c 8. of the Crosse is an Antidote against all Devils as Malvenda doth dispute at large and his conclusion is when Antichrist shall come Quo fugiendum est Christians must flye to the signe of the Crosse as to their onely City of refuge against all his sorceries These are Stories indeed meere stories Falsa sicta fucata omnia fictions to bolster up their factions A true testimony that God hath sent on that Church strong delusions that they beleeve such lyes Yea the Papists are so exquisite in that Art that whilest their religion is supported by lyes they would perswade the world that the Protestants are the notorious lyers and they had done it if onely one popish project had proceeded without discovery their Index expurgatorius For when wee alleage Romish Authors against their Romish errours in time to come no such places being extant in their new editions of their Bookes which wee had quoted and they rased they would have clamoured crimen falsi that wee had belyed them by false quotations when they have prevented us by their lying false Inquisition Thus they build up their Babel with boasting and bold untruths But Falsehood advanceth it selfe highest when it taketh
It may be this may be yet extenuated that such protestatioÌ„s were unadvised proceeding from an heated exasperatioÌ„ I insist certainly their beliefe of lyes is setled after solemne deliberation It is Dogmaticall not Personall the beliefe of lyes is the very rock of the Romane religion And observe the Text speaketh in the singular number a singular argument that their beliefe in a lie is the Corner-stone of the Romane Religion To declare this let Saint Paul define the property of a man Rom. 3. 4. Omnis homo mendax every man is a lyer Some men indeed at some time have beene inabled to utter the infallible truth as the Prophets and the Apostles but none at all times è Cathedra when they listed to define any thing What was once said by Nathan although a Prophet was afterward 2 Sam. 7. 3 5. gain-said by God and unsaid by himselfe Those therefore who shall beleeve all the definitions of any mortall man doe depend on a lyer and as the Text speaketh they doe beleeve a lye Which is performed and acknowledged by the Church of Rome Omnes submittunt sensum suum sensui unius Bellarmine saith All of the Bell. de Nâ—t Ecclesâ— 4. c. 10. Romane religion submit their judgement to the judgement of one man And this they doe by a double beliefe Explicite and Implicite First the Priests doe it learnedly and maintaine it by arguments then the people doe it obstinately and adhere to the Pope as to their Oracle by an implicite faith Now that both Priest and people should make a man a god and fasten their faith on the Pope that his words like Gods Word cannot erre Here is the compleat accomplishment of this Prophecie God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lye So deluded are their priests professing that the Pope cannot erre whereby they equall him unto God To use the phrase of our learned Countrey-man to give him that prerogative Mr Mountague Appealâ— part 2. c. 3. of not erring at all is to advance him into his makers seaâ—e It belongeth not to these ancients but to the ancient of dayes not to erre Nay the Popes themselves shame not to assume claime and publish this Divine prerogative forgetting their sedes stercoraria their close-stoole which Platina witnesseth is an item Platina in vit Ioh. 8. to them that though they be set in a high place yet they are men not God subiect to humane frailties whereof I conceive erring to be one Although I thinke they may as easilie restraine themselves from disburdening of nature in this chaire as from erring in that chaire yet do the Popes challenge that unerring ability three of them especially The first emblematically the second dogmatically and the third passionately First Anno 1099 Pope Paschal 2. was Platina in Pasch 2. girt with a girdle on which there hung seven keyes and seven seales to give all men to understand that he according to the sevenfold grace of the spirit of God had power in all churches over which he bare rule to open and shut to seale and unseale Secondly Ecclesia Romana nunquam errasse inventa est neque errabit in aeternum the Pope definitively did deliver it to the Turk et credat Iudaeus that the Pij 2. Epist ad Princip Turcar. Church of Rome never did nor ever shall erre Thirdly when as a Frier Minorite had proved Zinch Miscel de Eccles that the Pope might erre and might be corrected for his errour by this argument The Pope is either a brother or not if he be a brother he may erre and may be corrected for Christ saith Matt. 18. 15. If thy brother trespasse against thee tell him his fault If the Pope be no brother why doth he then pray Our Father which art in Heaven This Pope Paul 3. being wroth with the Frier even to excommunication an acute Courtier taught him to answer this argument Ne dicat Sanctitas tua Pater noster amplius let not your Holinesse ever say againe Our Father which art in Heaven and he shall never be able to prove you a brother and so his argument is easily answered Their Priests I say themselves and the High Priest himselfe are the patrons of beleeving a lye because they found their Faith on a man who is as every man a lyer It is probable that the Pope may erre and infallible that the Pope did erre But to avouch an errour or erring man to be the pillar of their Faith this I take it is a strong delusion and such do beleeve a lye Concerning the probability that the Pope may erre I will snew it both by Reason and by their owne confessions But first let their owne Suarez state the question Wee must distinguish betwixt Pontifex credens docens Suarez Apol. l. 1. cap. 6. nu 15 betwixt the Pope as he is a private person the Pope as he is Pope To the Pope as he is Pope belongeth those promises of Christ for so he is Petra the Rock on whose firmnesse the firmnesse of the Church doth depend in his kind And in this sense the protestants can shew nullum vestigium haeresis not any one iote of errour But considering the Pope in the first sense as a private person and beleever adhuc sub judice lis est it is yet an undecided controversie among the Romish Catholikes whether any Pope hath beene an Heretike indeed or onely supposed to be so In reason examine this and wee shall finde that one legge doth here tripp up another and therefore the distribution cannot goe current If the Pope may erre qua credens as he is a beleever it is probable that he may erre quà docâ—ns as he is a teacher For I cannot imagine how a man shold define that which he doth not beleve nor understaÌ„d surely the Rule which is crooked it selfe caÌ„not streighten other things Neither is it likely that God would commit the faith of the Church unto him who is not able to direct himselfe Thus have I throwne downe this halting distinction that wee may keepe it downe from rising to wrastle with the truth I will use the hand Dr. Beard of Antichrist part 2. cap. 9. sect 4. and helpe of our learned Collegiate The Pope may erre as a particular person and Doctour but not as Pope Who seeth not the absurditie and condition of this distinction For the Pope is alwaies a publike person and Doctour of the Church and not a particular So that these are contradictorie propositions to bee Pope and yet to be a private person And therefore if Catharinus had reason to mock at Caietane who writing of Herods sadnesse for the demand of Iohn Baptists Head distinguishing betwixt the King and Herod as if it were the King that was sad and not Herod For saith Catharine if the King was sad and Herod was King then by my Logick I must conclude that Herod was sad And if
person of Antichrist shall bee confounded by the presence of Christ In the ninth and tenth verses hee prophecieth how the comming of Antichrist shall be confirmed videlicet by the meanes principall and instrumentall In Him Saint Paul foresheweth his person Satan and his power the working of Satan In it miracles signes and lying wonders And Oracles all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse From the instrument the meaning is evident that Antichrist shall bee confirmed by miracles To which shall bee added Oracles where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousnesse in this verse is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth in the twelfth so unrighteousnesse is here taken for untruth or falshood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the deceivablenesse of a strong cunning perswasion The sense Antichrist shall confirme his false doctrine by sophistrie admirable fallacies to make his errours probable yea appeare to be truth The person and agent being Satan it is evidently inferred that the Antichristians shall bee stirred up by the Devill to teach the Doctrine of Devils And the power of the agent it expressed by three termes the worke of Antichrist shall bee wrought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all power and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Energetically and effectually All concurring in this manifest construction The Devil shall inable men to spread perswade the Doctrine of Antichrist beyond admiration Finally the fift part followeth in the tenth eleventh and twelfth verses by whom Antichrist should bee embraced concerning whom we are to consider their persons and properties Their properties being Active and Passive each of them are twofold 1. Negative They received not the love of the truth and affirmative They had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Their passive properties passions and punishments are either internall â—od shall send them strong delusions or eternall That they might be damned Persons on whom Antichrist shall prevaile are here said to bee those that perish whom Saint Paul proposeth by way of anticipation And shall Antichrist and Antichrâ—stians be so powerfull to deceive Alas how shall we be able to withstand him saith the fearefull Christian Feare not saith my text Antichrist shall indeed prevaile but it is onely in them that perish so the sense is Those that are deceived by Antichrist shall bee damned The first active propertie is negative They did not receive the love of the Truth that they might bee saved Here is the cause that so many are deceived by Antichrist a double errour the former of the minde They doe not receive the love of the Truth or of the Gospell the other of their end They receive the Gospell for some pompe profit or personall respects not for the right end for the love of the Gospell The second active propertie is affirmative They tooke pleasure in unrighteousnesse Where we are to take notice of the action and affection of Antichristians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousnesse and pleasure Vnrighteousnesse is twofold morall false-dealing Luke 16. 9. the Mammon of unrighteousnesse that is covetousnesse and spirituall unrighteousnesse false-doctrine Rom. 1. 18. The Philosophers did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keepe downe the Truth of God in unrighteousnesse that is in their owne errours and false doctrine In the same place Saint Paul telleth us what that false-doctrine was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idolatrie This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shal take pleasure is very emphaticall implying the infinite affection which any beare to the thing they delight in so is the word used by man 2 Cor. 5. 8. and so is it used by GOD Matth. 3. 17. The sense The servants of Antichrist shall be Idolaters and delight in Idolatry in an high nature In the first passive propertie internall we observe the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong delusion and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to beleeve a lye In the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is strong or energeticall and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commeth of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Iuggler 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong juggling saith Oecumenius expressing thus much Such as embrace Antichrist shall have a strong strange delusion which shal make them desperately obstinate affronting religion in the phrase of Iob 21. 14. Nolumus scientiam viarum tuarum The meaning of the next phrase is manifest That they shall beleeve a lye that is Antichrist shall make and beleeve the strangest lyes of all other The last passive propertie is eternall and it is as plaine as fearefull all Antichristians shall bee damned Some are not satisfied with this interpretation and would have those condemned who say that the eternall propertie passive of the Antichristians is that they shall be damned Let such please to take foure things into their consideration 1. If they be of the English Church this is the English Translation which I preferre before all humane writings next to the Originall it selfe 2. If they bee of the Romish Church this is their exposition also Iudicandi voce condemnationis poenam intellige saith Steuartius 3. If they be Grecians they know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is common even in the Greeke Testament 4. It is the drift of the discourse if they please to peruse it And for mine own part I will not nodum in scirpâ— make a question where there is a consent on all sides Out of these plentiful points I will contract extract a compendious Paraphrase 1. Antichrist will come on a time when there shall be an incomparable falling away from Rome by Rebellion and from Christ in Religion And Antichrist himselfe shall be the Apostate and Author of them both This Apostate shal be a man of sinne the patterne and Patron of impietie and the sonne of perdition destroyed himselfe and destroying his adherents He shall be an adversary unto Christ both fundamentally in the maine point universally in many points of Christian Religion but so cunningly that he shall place his Throne in the Temple even in the Prime Church professing Christianitie Which hee shall so rule over-topping Kings and Emperours with command equal unto Christ that he shall behave himselfe as if he were God incarnate even Christ Iesus the verie Sonne of God 2. His Plots are secrets and Mysteries undermining the truth in Saint Pauls time but Hindered by the Emperour who was no sooner removed but this Antichrist was immediately revealed And then hee domineered with all lawlesse actions 3. His Tyrannie hath beene dâ—scovered and diminished by the preaching of Christ though his Kingdome is not wholly to bee finished but by the presence of Christ 4. Being dâ—scovered by preaching Antichrist opposeth such Preachers by Miracles and lying wonders and by Oracles and strong arguments As probable as Satan can infuse into man to support the Doctrine of Devills 5. By which they shal seduce many wretched Proselytes but to their fatall perdition Because they receive