THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PROPHECIES; OR THE THIRD BOOKE IN defense of the Catholicke faith, con­tained in the booke of the high & mighty KING IAMES. I. by the grace of God King of Great Brittaine and Ireland.

AGAINST THE ALLEGATIONS of R. Bellarmine; and F. N. Coëffeteau & other Doctors of the Romish Church: BY PETER DV MOVLIN Minister of the word of God in the Church of Paris.

Translated into English by I. HEATH, Fellow of New College in Oxford.

Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes and are to be sold by Iohn Barnes dwelling neere Holborne Conduit. 1613.

THE PREFACE TO the Reader.

I wrote my two first bookes beeing di­versly distracted, & my spirit surseized with feare, foresaw the dismal chaunce that is nowe come vpon vs. The sediti­ous sermons, the impairing of a dutifull respect to the king, the cōmon reports that were spred abroad of his death, before his death, the encrease of the Iesuits, & by a consequent the esta­blishment of their maxims, made many to suspect shrewdly, & it was no great praise to bee a prophet. We haue therefore fore­seene, & foretold the future calamity that was like to betide vs to our great losse, & spake more true in it, then we could wish to haue done; Vpon the downefall of this so great a Prince many haue powred out [Page] the torrents of their eloquence, and haue bewailed him with so much art, that na­ture hath no more left to say. And to speak the truth wordes are too weak and feeble signes to expresse such a griefe; light affli­ctions speak, when the greater are dumbe, and with the vaile of silence cover that which cānot be vttered. O miserable age! The murdering therefore of kings will ere long turne into a custome; and the naturall respect that the French were wont to haue of their Soveraigne bee choaked by super­stition. We see it to our great griefe. For whosoever shal hereafter take vpō him to attēpt the life his king, shal be vnderpropt by many examples, &, which is more, shall not want for rules: and if this growing e­vill be not by time prevented, it wil at last be held a punishment to raigne, & the co­ronation of our kings, shall be as it were a consecratiō of sacrifices markt out for the slaughter. For howbeit the singular wise­dome, and vigilant care of our Queene his Maiesties spowse hath served vs as a prop to sustaine our ruinous estate, yet may wee say that in him Fraunce hath lost the wor­thyest king it hath had these many yeares, and the manner of whose death is a fatall [Page] example, and a grand caveat to posterity.

This wound did so smart, that I coulde never get my fingers of from it, nor for a long time togither settle my selfe about fi­nishing the remainder of this work. Griefe which of its owne nature is idle, is then so most especially, when the thing grieved at is past all remedy. Herevnto adde that this third booke, which entreats of the accom­plishment of prophecies, togither with the interpretatiō of them, requires a more cō ­posed spirit then the two former did: For as God intending to reveale future events to his prophets, withdrew them aside, and carryed them either to the desert, or els to the sea shore, that so having pluckt them from amidst the presse, he might setle their mindes in a quiet repose; So thinke I, that to diue into their prophecies a man neede be free from all cares, & to partake of their rest, that he may partake of the cleerenesse of their spirit. And, indeed, what by rea­son of the publike griefe, the greatest part whereof hath fallen vpon vs, and what by reason of many interruptions, I had never dared to haue set vpon this matter, had not the excellent spirit of the King of Great Brittaine enlightened me, and if in the vn­folding [Page] of these prophecies I had not been assisted by experience, which is the cause, that I haue more need of a memory herein, then any extraordinary revelation. God also, whom I here invoke to mine aide, wil by his spirit sharpen the dulnesse of mine, and as hee hath given this property to the sea-cards needle to stand firme in the most violent tempests, so is he able to giue his servants a piercing wit, and a setled minde amidst this confusion. He reveales his se­crets to those which feare him, and makes them to vnderstand his will. Now that no man may accuse me of rashnesse herein, as though I did too curiously pry into after ages, or presumptuously gaue mine owne interpretations for rules; the reader shall do well to consider, that it is one thing to prophecy, another thing to speak of the ful­filling of prophecies: the one is done by revelation, the other by experience; for the one we need to be inspired from aboue, for the other we need nothing but a memory to­gither with some insight in the present times. The Prophets drew their prophecies from the counsell of God, but we finde the accomplishment of their prophecies in histo­ries, by conferring the predictions with [Page] the events; for the predictions after the e­vents become histories, and the promises performances.

This is the reason why his Maiestie of England saith (and that most truely) that the fathers of the first ages, spake of this matter but only by coniectures, wheras we speake of it by experience; For the prophecies which foretell of an evill to come, may ea­sily be interpreted by those vpon whom it is come. Even as the Iewes being led cap­tiues into Babylon did easily vnderstande the prophecie of Ieremie; so Christians held vnder the second captivity of Babilon, may soone know the meaning of the prophecies in the Revelation, which foretell of it; I would to God we were not the interpre­ters of our owne miseries, and that we had not learn'd the meaning of these prophe­cies by experience. Which makes mee to wonder at our adversaries who to intan­gle this point the more, doe nothing but quote passages out of the fathers, whenas they speake only but by coniecture, or else say such things as our adversaries them­selues do deride, & which experience hath confuted. Lactantius in the 25. chap. of his 7. booke saith that the world should not last [Page] aboue 200 yeares more at the most, and yet notwithstanding it is well neere 1300. yeares past since Lactantius wrote. Sulpiti­us Severus in the second booke of his history tels vs that it was generally thought in his time that Nero was not dead, but that hee vvas cured of the vvounde that vvas given him, and that his wound being cured, he is reserved aliue for the last day, to the end that he may exercise the mysterie of iniquity. S. Austin in the 19. Chap. of the 20. book of the cittie of God, expounding S. Pauls prophecie, in the 2. Chap. of his 2. Epist. to the Thess. speakes thus, I confesse that I vn­derstand no thing of all that which hee hath said; only I will relate the divers surmises of men, that I could ever heare of, or read vpon this subiect; Then he alleages divers opini­ons, which he cals coniectures. Compare the booke of Antichrist fathered vpon S. Austin, with the expositions of Andrew Archbishop of Cesarea, and Bedaes, and S. Ieromes Commentaries vpon Daniell, & you shall see but little agreement between them. Wherefore the Iesuits writing vpon this subiect are often times troubled a­bout confuting the Fathers opinions. If we then speak with more certaintie thē they, [Page] it is not our sufficiency that is the cause thereof, but rather our misfortune to bee reserved till the last daies, that wee might see the execution of the plagues foretold in these prophecies.

This notwithstanding their praise re­maines whole vnto them stil: for he which expoundes prophecies not yet accompli­shed, ought to be more admired, if amōgst ten false expositions hee hit vpon one or two true, then if after they were fulfilled hee should expound them all truly. Nowe the Fathers doe happily light vpon the true meaning in many of these points, and bring divers expositions, which the expe­rience of succeeding ages hath confirmed, which we will produce in their place.

But heere before wee venter vpon this matter, the faithfull reader must bee advi­sed to avoid two extreames; the one is, that he tie not himselfe too religiously to these things; the other, that he set not too little by them. As for the former, his Ma­iestie of England plainely affirmeth, that in this doctrine there are obscure things which he would not vrge as necessarie to sal­vation for every one. And that with good reason. For I am perswaded that in Chri­stian [Page] religion, there is no one article of faith, which may be necessarie to salvatiō at one time, and yet not necessarie at ano­ther. Now all confesse that the vnderstan­ding of these prophecies was not necessa­ry before they were fulfilled. It followes therefore that even after their accomplishment a man may bee saved without the knowledge of them. And I finde not that the reading of civill and ecclesiasticall hi­stories is recommended vnto vs in the ho­ly Scriptures as necessary to salvation. But so it is that partly out of them, partly out of the present evils, wee draw the meaning of these prophecies. The articles of the do­ctrine of salvation, are no prophecies, but Commandements, or simple and bare pro­mises; or if it please any one to call the ar­ticles of the resurrection of the flesh, and of the life everlasting, by the names of pro­phecies; yet are they coucht in such cleere tearmes, that they haue no need of any in­terpretation. For God which hath cove­red future events with a thick darkenesse, doth propose the things simply necessary to salvation with great perspicuitie.

The other extremitie, which is the set­ting too little by these prophecies, hath no [Page] lesse danger. For as when the ruine of Ieru­salem by Nabuchadnezar did fulfill the Prophecy of Ieremy: or when the birth of our Saviour, made the prophecies of Iacob, Esay, and Micheas, plaine, & perspicuous; if any one were so obstinate that he would not vnderstand these prophecies, hee had reiected the grace of God. So now adaies when God hath made vs to see the accom­plishment of matters foretold by Daniel, S. Paul, and S. Iohn, whosoever shall here­vpon close his eies of set purpose, that man doth resist the wisdome of God, and fru­strates the holy Ghost of his intēt, making (as much as lies in him) these prophecies to be vnprofitable. For God revealed these things to his Prophets and Apostles to no other end but to profit vs. That so the de­liverances, which they foretell of, taking effect, wee might not attribute it to our owne wisdome or force, but to his provi­dence, and determination, which hee de­clared long before to his Prophets: as also that we might knowe, that these calami­ties, being foretold of, come not vpon vs by hap hazard, but by his fixt counsell, re­solved vpon from everlasting, and to the end that we might keepe our selues from [Page] being amongst the number of those vpon whome he will powre out the vials of his wrath because of their vnbeliefe. For who­soever shall labour to prevent the iudge­ments of God denounced by his Prophets will never stile the studie of knowing thē, by the name of curiositie. But on the con­trarie even as the faithfull which lived a little before the birth of our Saviour, com­forted themselues vnder the Roman yoke by meditating vpon the comming of Christ promised by his Prophets which they called, Luc. 2. the cōsolatiō of Israel, so ought wee vnder this Romish bondage, which tyrannizeth over our consciences, com­fort vp our selues by these prophecies, part of which being already finished, assure vs that the rest too shall in their due time bee put in execution. Otherwise the reproach wherewith the Iewes were vpbraided by Ieremie shall also be cast in our teeth, to wit, Ierem. 8.7 that the Storke, the Turtle, the Crane and the Swallow knew their seasons, but the people of God knew not theirs. For hee iustly sends them to the schoole of beastes, that will not be schollars in the house of God. But if these prophecies be not necessary as articles of our faith, yet at the least are [Page] they necessarie as Gods forewarnings to vs ward, which we cannot reiect without hurting our selues, & displeasing him. For is it no fault, trow we, if that after hee hath painted out the sonne of perdition vnto vs long time before his comming, we wil nor knowe him then when he is come, & whē we are within his clumbs? The holy Pro­phets, should they ever haue foreseen these evils so long time before hand, to the ende that we should not see them when they a­riue? And if we demonstrate, that accor­ding to the predictions of the Prophets, that man of sinne must needes bee already come; what carelesnesse is it not to harken out his habitation, and not so much as vouchsafe to looke whether it may not be that we our selues serue him without thin­king of it. I omit to tell how the vnderstā ­ding of these prophecies, are of great force to giue waight and authoritie to the Gos­pell. For the mysterie of godlinesse is made more cleere by beeing opposed to the my­sterie of iniquitie. Because we are soon in­duced to beleeue that the Prophets are true in their doctrines, when wee finde by effect that they speake truth in their pro­phecies. We doe not therfore herein serue [Page] our owne curiositie, but the good of the Church, and the commandement of God. Let others read the events of things to come in the Starres, or study Chiromancy, or Meteoposcopie; the best Prognosticke that a man can haue, is the feare of God, & his word, the best booke of predictions, wherein God speakes, as if hee did stretch out his finger from heauen, and point out the See of Rome vnto vs, saying, behold her here of whō my Prophets spoke, & which I marked out vnto you in my word.

It remaines that I speake of the subiect of this booke, & of the end that I propo­sed to my selfe therein. I doe not here di­spute who that Antichrist should be, nor whether the Pope should be so called. And I refraine from doing this for two reasons, The one is, because I would not willingly contest about wordes, but rather tie my selfe to the things. For since all the fathers and our adversaries agree with vs in this, that in the 2. Chap. of the 2. to the Thessal. and in the 13. of the Apocal. and other pla­ces, Antichrist is pointed out, it shall suf­fice if we search the meaning of these chapters. For if it be found that they speake of the Pope, the difficultie touching the name [Page] wil be taken away. We will make the pro­positions, let who so will drawe the con­clusion. The other reason is, because this very name doth exasperate the simpler sort who thinking this an odious word, con­demne the booke for the titles sake. They thinke that other controversies pricke his Holynesse at the throat, but that this cuts his wind pipe. To whose quaint stomacks, and impatient delicacie I thought good to fit my selfe at this time; being content only to shewe the meaning of these holy prophecies, and to confirme my expositiō with proofes: which I hope to deliver so cleerely, and make them so agreeable, that I am perswaded that hee which is resolved not to beleeue any of them, shall at the least wonder by what chaunce it coulde come to passe, that so many things fore­told by Daniel, by S. Paul, & S. Iohn should all meete iointly together in one man. Or how they could draw a picture so like the Pope, and never thinke vpon him.

Now, this being a difficult point, and a matter of importance, I must of necessitie (to handle it with order and care) speake a great deale more in it then Mounsieur Co­effeteau bindes mee to doe. For seeing hee [Page] doth but florish the matter over superfici­ally being content to cast some light dif­ficulties here and there in the way, it had beene impossible for mee to sound the depth of it in following him. Nevertheles he hath said nothing, to which I doe not answer, as it crosseth my course. God, of his mercy, fil vs with his grace frō aboue, and after the accomplishment of these prophecies which threaten vs, giue vs the accomplishment of his promises.

A TABLE OF THE MAT­ters contained in this third booke.

  • A Preface.
  • An exposition of the 4 first verses of the fourth Chapter, of the first Epistle to Timo­thie. Chap. 1.
  • An exposition of the second Chapter of the second to the Thessalonians. Chap. 2.
  • An exposition of the 12 Chapter of the Revelation. Chap. 3.
  • An exposition of the 13 Chapter of the Revelation. Chap. 4,
  • An exposition of the 14 Chapter of the Revelation. Chap. 5.
  • An exposition of the 17 Chapter of the Revelation. Chap. 6.
  • An exposition of the 18 Chapter of the Revelation. Chap. 7.
  • An exposition of the 7 Chapter of Dani­el. Chap. 8.
  • [Page]An exposition of the 11 Chapter of the Revelation. Chap. 9.
  • The conclusion with the clozure of the king of Great Brittaines Preface. Cha. 10.

THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE accomplishment of the Prophecies.
THE PROPHECIE OF THE Apostle S. PAVL in the first to TI­MOTHY, and fourth Chapter. CHAP. I.

1 Now the spirit speaketh evidently, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, and shall giue heed vnto spirits of error, and doctrines of Devils.

2 Which speake lies through hypocrisie, & haue their cōsciences burned with an hot yrō.

3 Forbidding to marry, and commaunding to abstaine from meats, which God hath cre­ated to be received with giving thankes of them which belieue and know the truth.

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing ought to be refused, if it be received with thankesgiving, &c.

The accomplishment of this Prophecie.

THis prediction of the Apostle, being not wrapt in riddles, nor shadowed vnder figuratiue words, need no subtil ex­plication, nor laborious coniectures to be vnderstood, we need not speake by guesse, [Page 2] when we feele the evill, & I would to God we saw it lesse cleere then we do.

The Apostle speaks of an evill that must happen in the last times; these last times be gunne from the Apostles times, as he him­selfe tels vs in the 10. Chap. of his first epi­stle to the Corinthians: whēce it followeth that these last times are now much neerer, and that this present age is more the last times, then that was wherein S. Paul lived.

In these last times therefore he foretels of a departing from the faith, of spirits of errour, which shall teach the doctrine of devils through hypocrisie against their owne conscience.

This being spoken in generall would haue a thousand faces, and bee subiect to divers interpretations, were it not that the Apostle himselfe did put his finger vpon the evil, and specifie some examples there­of; not the worst but the most sensible, not the most wicked, but the most easie to bee knowne. These are the errors. 1. A forbid­ding to marry. 2. A commanding to abstaine from meats. Both which are the errors of Papistry, and the ordinances of the church of Rome, more religiously observed then the commandements of God: Wee will [Page 3] speake of each of them severally.

Of the single life of the Clergie, and Monks in the Church of Rome.

MArriage is an holy bond betweene mā & womā, whereby they are made one body, & one flesh. If antiquitie giue authoritie to things? it was from the be­ginning of the creation? If the author, God did first institute it; If the place where it began? it was established in Paradise; If the witnesses? Iesus Christ himselfe did autho­rize it by his presence; If sanctity? God cō ­pares it to his holy covenant, promising in Hosea. 2.19.20. O see, that he will marry vs vnto himselfe for ever in righteousnesse and mercy; It is an assistance given vnto man; a lenitiue of all afflictions, a remedy against in cōtinency; and amongst faithfull persons it is a spiri­tuall harmonie, to ioine their praiers, to comfort them vp in their miseries, to en­courage them on to good workes, and in slipperie places to reach out their helping hands to each other. This is that which preserues mankind from perishing, it is the seed-plot of the Church, the fountaine and originall of al kinred and affinitie that [Page 4] is in the world; without this men would liue dispersed like savage beastes, without making vp families, which are the first and principall parts of a Common wealth.

Where is the man this day living, whose virginitie may be compared with Abra­hams marriage, in whome all the nations of the world were blest? Wherevpon Lib. de bo­no coniugali cap. 21. S. Austin also opposeth it to the virginity of S. Iohn. But there is nothing that doth add more authoritie vnto marriage, then that comparison so often Ephes. 5. Psal. 45. Rev. 19. reiterated in the ho­ly Scripture, whereby the vnion of Iesus Christ with his Church is compared vnto marriage. The bond whereof is the holy Ghost, the contract the Gospell, the Apo­stles were the Registers of this contract, and Iesus Christ himselfe sealed it with his bloud: the betrothing is here below in the Church, but the wedding it selfe shall bee solemnized in heaven. God clothing this spiritual vnion with these borrowed terms to the end that no man might condemne marriage, but he should withal despise his covenant. The Prophets, Levits, yea and the High Priests entered this holy course of life, which before the division made by David, were to serue every day at morning [Page 5] and evening sacrifice. But if God had thought that there had beene any polluti­on in marriage, hee would haue found some other meanes to continue the suc­cession of his Priests, then by the heredita­ry succession of childrē after their fathers. Especially seeing that then in outward things, and bodily cleannesse, God requi­red a great deale more puritie vnder the law then he doth now adaies. The Apo­stles also were married: for in the first of S. Mark there is mention made of the mo­ther of S. Peters wife. And S. Ambrose vpō the 11. Chap. of the 2. to the Corinthians, All the Apostles, saith hee, except Iohn and Paule had wiues. Ignatius in his Epistle to the Philadelphians, doth not except Saint Paul; but saith, that Peter and Paule, & the other Apostles were married. And Cle­mens Alexandrinus in the 3. booke of his Stromes, after a long reprehension of those which despise marriage vnder the shew of a more strict sanctititie, addeth. Doe they reiect the Apostles? For Peter and Philip begat children. Philip married his daugh­ters to husbandes, and Paule sticks not to speake vnto his wife in one of his Epistles. Now it is to be noted that in these places, [Page 6] the Fathers speak of marriage as it is a re­medy against incontinencie, and as it was thought by some to be lesse holy then vir­ginitie; to the end that none should thinke that they thought the Apostles had wiues, but never lay with them. They tell Christ truly in the 9. Chap. of S. Matthew, Be­hold we haue forsaken all and followed thee, And Iesus answers them; Whosoever shall forsake houses, or brethren, or sisters, or fa­ther, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my names sake, hee shall receiue an hun­dreth fold more, and shall inherit everlasting life. But we must knowe that this promise is made vnto all the faithfull, and not only to the Pastours of the Church. For he saith Whosoever shal leaue &c. and yet neuerthe­lesse no man would infer out of this place that all the faithfull must abstaine from their wiues, or forsake their children for Christs sake; only our Saviour would that all the faithful should leaue all that is most neare and deare vnto them, when it shall hinder them from following him, & when it cannot stand together with the pro­fession of the Gospell. Moreover Christ here placeth the wife, and the children, & the lands, and the houses in the same rank. [Page 7] If a Bishop therefore may bee suffered to enioy his lands, or houses, in the same fa­shion that hee did enioy them before hee was a Bishop or Priest, what reason is there but that he should enioy his wife in the same manner that hee did before hee was a Priest? And if a father that is after­wards made a Priest shal not for all this be less a father thē he was before, why should hee become lesse an husband? Especially seeing that there is an expresse commaun­dement of our Lord in the 19. of S. Matt. which doth not permit a man to leaue his wife for any other cause but adulterie. And which saieth, that they are no more two but one flesh, Let no man therefore put that a­sunder which God hath coupled together; Now it is manifest that the separation which he speakes of, is a separation of the bed, seeing that he opposeth it against that coniunction by which man and woman are made one body.

This doctrine being sound divinity, and built vpon the worde of God, as we will shew it yet more manifestly; it is not with­out iust cause that the contrary doctrine is called the doctrine of Devils. The first that ever spake against marriage were the Ta­tians, [Page 8] Marcionites, & Manichees, after whō Papistrie succeeded, a religion patched vp togither out of the divers shrids of ancient heresies. For the Popes haue set themselues directly to contradict the Apostles St 1. Tim. 3.2.4. Paul who saith, that a Bishop should be vnreprou­able, the husbād of one wife, having his chil­dren vnder obedience with all honesty. On the cōtrary Pope Pelagius in the 61. Distin­ction commandes, that there should be no bi­shop chosen, but such a one that hath neither wife, nor children, nor any other crime con­trary to the canons. There is nothing more opposite. But yet in this contrariety there is no question to be made, but of the two the Pope must rather bee believed, since that in his Tit. 80 de concessione praebendarū. Canons he vaunts that hee can dispense aboue the law. And that the glosses of the Church of Rome tel vs herevpon, that he can dispense against the Apostle, & that he doth dispense with the gospell in giving it what interpretation he please, and that the Apostle had nothing else but certaine Reve­lations; marry his holinesse Can. licet Tit. 2. de cō ­stit. in Sexto. brags that hee hath all the law close lockt vp within the clo­zet of his brest. We haue therefore plaine­ly seene the accomplishment of this pro­phecie.

[Page 9]It is true that our adversaries to obscure this truth, say that S. Paul speakes of here­tickes which forbad marriage not onlie to Clarckes and Ministers, but to the lay people too, and that as a wicked and vn­cleane thing in its owne nature; That the Church of Rome forbids marriage only to Clarckes, and Monkes, and such as haue made a vow of continency, and forbids it them not as an vncleane thing, but as a coū sell of perfection, and as a more strict & san­ctified profession.

1 I answere that they delude themselues in seeking to delude vs. For the Apostle calleth those false teachers in general that forbid marriage without specifying anie cause for which they forbid it: the rule be­ing general, it is not for vs to put in I know not what exceptions which the worde of God shall not put in. By diverse lines wee may well come to the same point, and by diverse waies runne to the same precipice. The selfe same errour is formed in the spi­rit of men by diverse reasons, yet all the causes of error, and contrary to the holie Scriptures.

2 Besides I say that they deceiue them­selues if they think that the Manichees for [Page 10] bad marriage vnto all, they forbad it them only whom they called their chosen or e­lect; For so did they name their pastours, & such as made profession of a more exact & sanctified kinde of life amongst them. S. Austin is a witnesse fit to bee believed for this, because himselfe was a Manichee at first for a long time: who in the second book, of the manners of the Church, and the Ma­nichees, & 18. Chapt. brings in the Mani­chees speaking as our adversaries doe at this day. Here, saith he, I knowe that you wil exclaime for to make vs odious, that you doe not forbid marriage at all, since that is not forbidden to your hearers (which are in the 2 rancke amongst you) to marry, and to haue wiues. And in his 74. Epist. They which are called the hearers amongst them, eate flesh, plough their fields, and haue wiues too if they will, none of which are done by those whome they call their elect. Whence it also appears that they did not take marriage to be sim­ply bad, since they did permit it to their people. No more true is that which our aduersaries say that the Church of Rome doth not maintain that marriage is a wic­ked and vncleane thing in its own nature. For see how the Popes speake of it. Pope [Page 11] Innocent in his 82. Distinction, doth forbid Can. Pro­posuit. that they which dwell with their wiues should be receaued to any holy charge, be­cause it is written, Be yee holy as I am holy, saith the Lord. This Pope it seems thought that marriage could not stand together with sanctity. And by consequence that it was a prophane thing. And note the a­buse; For when God saith, Be yee holy, hee speakes to all men: but if by this comman­dement God did require that men should abstaine from their wiues, what remaines there more but that there should no man bee married? To the same purpose doth he produce the passage of the Apostle to Titus Chap. 1. Vnto the pure al things are pure, but to them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing, is nothing pure. Vpon this place doth hee ground the single life of Priests to the end they may bee pure, otherwise hee thinkes them defiled and vnbeleiuing. Also wicked­ly wresting that saying of the Apostle Rom. 8. v 8.9. against married persons. Hee speakes thus to the Clarks. They which are in the flesh cannot please God; Now yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit. Could hee more disgrace married men then to saie they cannot please God. For note that the [Page 12] Apostle in this place speaks to al the faith­full in generall.

Pope Syricius in the same Distinction speakes yet more disgracefully of marri­age; for first he ranckes the Priestes which beget children vpon their owne wiues, with those that commit adulterie. We haue vnderstood, saith he, that many Priests and Deacons, haue a long time after their con­secration, gotten children both in marriage, as also by fornicatiō; A little after he speaks vnto them both equally; Let them which are giuen to fornicatiō, & which teach these sinnes tel me &c. And we haue heard aboue how Pope Pelagius accounts the marriage of Clarkes for a sinne. So in the 31. Cause, 1. Quest. Canon. Hac ratione, the Romish de­cree saith, that howbeit the Apostle S. Paul haue commanded second marriages, yet according to truth, and in reason it is for­nication. And the vow of single life is by them called the vow of chastity, as though there were no chastitie in marriage. Bel­larmine in his 34. Ch. of the book of Monkes, stiles the marriage of Clarkes and Monkes by the name of sacrilege, and affirmes that they sinne lesse which cōmit fornicatiō, after they haue once taken a vow, then they doe [Page 13] which marry. And in the 19. Chap. of the 1. booke of Clarkes, he saith that the marriage of Saints is not without some pollution & vn­cleanesse. And indeed should this people hold their peace, yet experience would tel as much. For who is there but knows, that to see a Priest keepe a pretty wench in his house, or to goe into a Stewes, is thought but a laughing matter, and held to be a ve­niall slip? But if a Priest should be married in the sight of the Church, this would bee held for a prodigie; They would say that this were the cause of the plague or the dearth that lay vpon them; that the eclipse of the sunne did prognosticate this: & out of question it should bee recorded in their Chronicles. The former is but simple fornication, but the other is sacrilege. For 500. publicke brothell▪ houses to be in the citty of Rome is thought nothing so hainous a crime, as that one of the Cordiliers should be seene to be married. Moyses, Samuel, the Prophet Esay, and the Apostle S. Peter, which were all married, would be thought monsters now a daies; & a man might get mony by leading them about to bee seene for strange sightes. By this therefore wee see that this prophecy is fulfilled every [Page 14] kinde of way.

They excuse it by their vow, and say that the marriage of clarks and monks is there­fore sacrilege because in beeing married they breake their vow. To which I an­swere that if the marriage of clarcks were therfore only to be condēned, they should call it by the name of faithlesnesse only, or infidelitie, and not of pollution as Pope Sy­ricius doth; nor yet of sacrilege as Bellar­mine. And in trueth why is it that before they receiue any to be clarckes they exact this vow of them so severely without anie exception, but that they thinke that marri­age in it selfe is not lawfull for them al­though they tooke no vow.

As for the necessity of keeping vowes, I say, that the first vowes whē they are good and necessarie, may not be brokē by those we take after, & I am perswaded they will grant me this. But a clarcke before ever he were a clarcke did he not make a vow and promise to God to keepe his commaunde­ments? This is that which we all promise at our first entrance into the Church, and although we did not promise it, yet for all that were we bound to keepe it. Now a­mongst the commandements of God this [Page 15] is one. Hieron. ad Eustochium. To avoid fornication, let every man haue his wife, & every woman her husband. If therefore any Monke be lustfull, and it fare with him as it did with S. Ierome, who after all his prayers and fastings, did yet still dreame of women and burne with incontinencie, I demand to which vow he is most bound, either to that which hee made to obay God, who commands all such to marry, or to that which he made to the Church that hee would never marry? Can they without impietie affirme that he must rather keepe the vowe made to the Church wherevnto he is not tied by God, then that which he made to God, & which he were bound to keepe although hee had not made it? Especially seeing that Tho. in 22. qu. 88. art. 2. Tho. Aquinas, and Cardinal Bell. lib. de Clericis. c. 18 Bellarmine con­fesse that the single life of Priests is but by the law of man, but to abstaine from for­nication, is inioined by the lawe of God, why then is the law of man observed more religiously then the law of God? Why are humane institutions more strictly kept thē Gods commandements? insomuch that a Priest which shall commit fornication a­gainst the law of God, is thought to haue sinned a great deale lesse then if hee were [Page 16] married against the promise made to the Church without the commaundement of God? the one being called but fornicatiō, but the other held to be sacrilege. To ab­staine from fornication is nothing but to obay the law of God, but never to marry is a counsell of perfection, and a worke of super­erogation ▪ which sets the Monkes in Para­dice in a far higher degree of glory, then Abraham, Moses, and all the Prophets that were married could euer attaine vnto.

But I would yet further be informed, if when a man take vpon him to be a Monk and promise to liue chastly, whether by this promise he doe not withall promise to abstain from fornicatiō: they would blush to deny this. It followes therefore that hee sinnes far more in committing fornication then in marrying, seeing that by fornica­tion (besides the violating of the generall vow which all men are bound to make to God, he also breaketh his very monasticall vow which hee tooke vpon him over and aboue the commandement of God. To all these things our adversaries never answer directly, nor speak they ought to the pur­pose. They make digressions in the praise of Virginitie; But this concernes not vs, [Page 17] who acknowledge that virginitie is the most cōmodious state of life to serue God in without straying, that marriage hath its discommodities, and as the Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 7. troubles in the flesh, especially in time of persecutiō. But these praises agree only to chast virginitie, which doth not consist only in keeping the body from vn­cleannesse, but in withholding the minde too from lust. Whosoever hath this perfe­ction, & besides hath discretion enough to guid his familie, that man doth wisely to liue single. But if he be set vpon by wic­ked desires, and yet notwithstanding doth still affect a single life, he provoketh God, exposeth himselfe to temptatiōs, ensnares his conscience, and digs a pit for himselfe to fall in. Chast marriage will never be lia­ble to so many discommodities as incon­tinent virginitie, for what doe they which liue in this state, but chew the bit it secret, thinking that condition of life most sweet and happy which they are denyed to liue, desiring that which they fly, hauing their thoughts defiled with vnchast imaginati­ons, and yet notwithstanding all this re­solued not to follow the counsell of God, and to abstaine from vsing the remedies [Page 18] which hee hath prescribed. This is a vice for which Philosophie could never finde a name, to burne with lust, and whilst wee are in this taking, to vow to God that wee will flie from the remedies that hee hath ordained against it; which is all one as if a man were sicke, and should promise God that he would take no Phisicke, there is rashnesse in this mixed together with ob­durat superstition.

To vrge this yet further we aske if this continent virginitie be the gift of God, or whether it be in our owne power, Bellar­mine answers that it is truely the gift of God and yet neverthelesse that it is in our owne power. Lib. 2. de Mon. cap. 31 Which is a plaine contradiction; for if God giue it vs then is it not in our power, seeing that wee doe not carry the key of his gifts, and that his goods are not at our disposall. It is true indeed that wee aske the grace of God freely; & vse it with out constraint, but it is God that maketh vs disposed to aske it, and giues vs the will to vse it. Phil. 2.13. It is hee which worketh both the will and deed in vs, even of his good pleasure. Seeing then it is the gift of God, when any man doth aske the gift of continuing in a single life without desire of marying, doth [Page 19] God stil heare him? And where is then the promise that God will heare him as con­cerning this. For cōfidence of prayer must bee grounded on some promise of God. Bellarmine cannot produce any promise, only he brings vs, as his fashion is, a ridi­culous distinctiō; Cap. 34. lib. 2. de Mon. saying, that God giues all men a possibility of containing them­selues, but that hee giues not vnto all men actually to containe themselues, but only to such as he thinkes good. As who should say, that God gaue one power to be an Emperor, but yet did not grant that he should be an Emperour; that God gaue a man power to bee wise, but yet did not graunt that he should be wise. But to what ende serues that power, that is neuer reduced in to act? For our question was not, whether God gaue the power or the act; but whe­ther he gaue the act of being continent to all men? Hee confesseth therefore that hee giues not this but to some particulars; and that to be actually continent is a guift of god that is not given to all. If then there be a Monke, to whom God hath not givē the gift of continency, and which burnes with inward lust, who shall tell you him­selfe, that after so many Pater Nosters said, [Page 20] and often fastings, hee is yet still tempted with the spirit of fornication; I woulde knowe whether such a one bee to followe the Apostles counsell, that is to marry, or else to continue in his former incontinen­cie? But it ill befits these fellowes to talke of such things. For as it ill beseems a slaue to discourse of liberty, or a man with his belly ful to preach fasting & pennance: so also is it ill beseeming these squires that liue so vnchastly, to dispute of chastitie. For their liues speak against them, & their rules are refuted by their actions. Hardly would a man beleeue them since they doe not beleeue themselues, and since they make a vow of chastity, that so they may liue the more dissolutely. They speake a­gainst nature, whilst they are most giuen to nature; (to say nothing of their plea­sures contrary to nature.) Let them there­fore first learne to liue, before they goe a­bout to dispute; and let the Covent go no more to the Stewes, nor the Stewes bee kept any more in the Covēt, if they would not haue vs beleeue that continency is a gift, which God giues not to such as cor­rect his word. Or if every one may haue it that will, the more to blame they for refu­sing [Page 21] it, since it was in their power to haue had it.

Nor let them speake any more to vs of these vowes, which are a yoke of yron, and a snare to intangle weake soules. For they omit the first point, which is, that they should knowe before they take any vowe, whether it be good and lawful; seeing that if it be not lawfull to make, it is vnlawfull to keep. Things which are bad to promise, are worse yet to performe. Virginity is a good thing, & honest, but for a man to tie himselfe thereto, is a token of rashnesse & ignorance of his owne infirmity.

For vowes are thē good whē they haue these 3 conditions, 1. If the things vowed be good. 2. If they bee such as we know to be in our owne power. 3. If we vow them willingly and wittingly. None of al which are found in the vowes of chastity which the Monckes and Clarckes take; For to liue single is good, but not for all, but only for such as haue the gift of continency: it is good, but not in that degree of goodnes as they would haue it, making it a kinde of perfection aboue the law, and a worke of supererogation whereby we render God more then we owe him. It is hard that that [Page 22] which is the occasion of so much vnclean­nesse should be a work of more worth thē to loue God with all our hearts. Or that that should be a worke of supererogation, which if every one kept, the church would ere long bee abolisht from the face of the earth, 2. That it is not in our power we haue shewed already, & their liues which make this vow, shew their vnablenesse to perform it. 3. The monastical vow is not alwaies made wittingly, and willingly. Ma­ny there be that enter into it through cho­ler, some through despaire, and others out of ignorance, and in their tender age when they doe not knowe what the motions of lust meane. A father will say, how shall I marry all my daughters, how shal I devide my goods amongst so many sonnes? I must needs place my lame sonne in a monastery, & since he is fit for no other calling, make him a man of the church. It is a rare thing and seldome seene to offer a lamb without spot to God. And these poore children being come to yeares they finde themselues taken in the net, into which they entred at first as it were reioicing, but liue therein sorrowing, seeing themselues caught, with out all hope of ever being set at liberty.

[Page 23]Seeing then it is better for the governe­ment of our life to follow sacred and sure rules, then rash and indiscreet vowes; and not so much to keepe that to which wee haue bound our selues, as that to which we are bound by God, we will conclude this discourse, with the rule of the Apostle. 1. Tim. chap. 3. Let a bishop therefore be vnre­proueable, the husband of one wife, ruling his owne house honestly, having his children vn­der obedience with all reverence.

The common evasion is, that S. Paule meanes only that a Bishop must not haue had but one wife before his election into that charge, but that after his election he is to haue none. Hierome a professed enemie of marriage vnderstandes it thus. They in­terpret these words therefore, Let a Bishop be, by these, Let a Bishop haue beene. By their reckoning the Apostle should speak thus. Let such a one be chosen to bee a Bishop that hath beene irreproueable, the husbvnde of one wife, watching, temperate, modest; or, but let him now be so no longer; so doe they make the Apostle the teacher of vices, and the entrance into a Bishoprick to be a cea­sing from vertue. But though it were harde for S. Paul to foresee that any should wrest [Page 24] his words so strangely, yet, as it seemes, he meant purposely to put the matter out of controversie, by that which he annexeth in the 12 verse. Let the deacons be the husbāds of one wife, and such as can rule their childrē well, and their owne housholds; where these words Let them be, go immediatly before, and are ioined only to the word, husbands. And, which is more, in the 11. verse, he or­daineth that their wiues be honest, not evill speakers, but sober, and faithfull in al things. Who would thinke that S. Paule did in­struct the women that had been the wiues of Bishops, but not such as were▪ His mea­ning therefore is that Bishops, and Dea­cons should not be Digamists, & that they should neither in former times haue had, nor at the present haue but one wife at once; because then it was the custome that man and wife were often separated by di­vorce for other causes besides adulterie, & vpon light occasions, and afterward mar­ryed againe as they thought best, which the Apostle S. Paule doth forbid, not onlie to Bishops and Deacons, but to such 1. Tim. 5 9 wid­dowes also as served in the church, to the end no man might say that they had two husbands, the one with them, and the o­ther [Page 25] divorced.

Wherein the truth is so cleere, and the liberty of expounding being, by having beene, so intolerable, that Bellarmine him­selfe, (howsoever he threaten as though he would contest) is faine to yeeld vnto it, in the 21. chap. of his 1. booke of Clerckes, in these words, Chrysostome and the other fa­thers vpon this place teach that Paule made no law that bishops should haue wiues, but only that they should not haue, nor haue had but one. Agreeable to Pope Leos expositiō in his 85. Epistle. The Apostle bids vs t [...] choose a bishop that is knowne to haue beene marryed, or to be marryed but to one wife.

This so manifest a truth, and so forcible an evidence, hath by force extorted con­fessions frō our adversaries which are in­serted in the Romish decrees. In the 23. Distinction about the governement of Clerckes, it is said, Let them labour to pre­serue the chastitie of their bodies inviolable, or at the most let them marry but once; and in the 26. cause quaest. 2. The marriage of Priests, and of cousens, is forbidden neither by the Legall, nor Evangelical, nor Aposto­call authority, neverthelesse it is absolutelie forbidden by the authority of the Church. [Page 26] Where by the Church he vnderstands the Romish church. For in the Aethiopian Church, which containes 17. realmes, the Monckes are married, and are labouring and handy crafts men; and in the Greeke Church the Priests and Deacons are mar­ried once. Witnesse the Canon Aliter in the 32. Distinction. The tradition of the East church is divers frō this of the church of Rome. For their Priests, Deacons, and Subdeacōs are marryed: But in this church no priest frō a subdeacon to a bishop hath any liberty to marry. In the very same Di­stinction is the iudgement of the councell of Nice set downe in these words, concer­ning the resistance made by Paphnutius bi­shop of Thebais. Now Paphnutius the con­fessor withstood this, shewing that marriage was honorable, and saying that it was chasti­tie for a man to liue with his owne wife. Wherfore hee advised the councell not to establish such a law; affirming that it was a matter of importance, and that it would bee an occasion either to them or their wiues of fornication. And this was Paphnutius his opinion al­though himselfe were not married, whose advise was approved of by the Synod. The like is reported by Socrates in his 1. booke [Page 27] and 8. Chap. & by Sozomene in his 1. book 23. Chap. & by Nicephorus Callistus in the 8. book of his history, Chap. 19. and by the actes of the councell of Nice written by Gelasius Cysicensus, all which do not onlie speake of suffering Priests to haue wiues, but graunt them the enioining of the mar­riage bed, as honest and lawfull. Which I haue therefore the longer insisted vpon, because there be some that haue mard this history, and that tell it otherwise. In the 56. Distinction, in the Canon Osius, there is a greate bedroll of bishops reckoned vp, which were the sonnes of bishops, Priests, or Deacons; And least a man should think that they were begotten before their fa­thers had taken holy orders, a little after in the same Distinction, the exposition is annexed in these wordes. When we reade a­boue that Priests children haue beene made Popes, we must not thinke that they were be­got by fornication, but by lawfull marriage, which, before this prohibition, was permitted vnto all, and is at this day (as all know) suffe­red in the East Church.

Hence come these Canons of the aun­cient Councels. The 4 Canon of the coun­sell of Gangres is this. If any one shall put a [Page 28] difference betweene a Priest that is married, as though it were not lawfull to receaue the sacrament at his hands when he shal serue it, Let him be an Anathema. A Canon which Bellarmine hath falsified in the 21. Chap. of his first book of Clerkes, having turned [...], by Qui vxorem habuit, which had a wife, whereas it signifieth, Qui vxo­rem duxit, which hath married a wife, that is as much to say, which is marryed. Wit­nesse the vulgar translation allowed of by the Councell of Trent, which translates the 10. verse of the 7. Chap. of the 1 to the Corinthians; [...], ijs autem qui matrionio iuncti sunt, to those which are marryed, and not as Bellarmine, Iis qui vxorem habuerunt, to those which haue beene marryed.

The 6. Generall councell assembled at Trulla to make Canons hath an expresse ordinaunce herevpon in the 13. Canon in these words. For as much as we haue vnder­stood, that it hath beene ordained for a rule in the Church of Rome, that whosoever will bee a Deacon or Priect, must first protest that he will never any more after that haue to doe with his wife: we, following the Apostolicall order & discipline, will that the lawfull mar­riages [Page 29] of Clergy men be for ever availeable, by no means separating them frō their wiues, nor forbidding them to come togither at con­venient times. Wherefore if any one shall be thought worthy to be chosen a subdeacon, deacon, or a Priest, let him not be hindred from mounting to this degree because he dwels to­gither with his lawfull wife, and let it not bee exacted of him in the day of his election to re­nounce the cōpany of his lawfull spowse. Least by this we be constrained to disgrace marri­age, which was first instituted by God, and blessed by his presence, seeing that the Gospel cries out that no man shoulde separate that which God hath ioined togither; This, vnder the paine of excommunication & deposi­tion: and all against the Church of Rome, expresly named in the Canon. It is true in­deede that Bellarmine incensed against the Councel, cals it profane, in his 1. booke of Clarkes 19. Chap. so defaming and disgra­cing these ancient coūcels as often as they shall speake against the Church of Rome. But he did not marke how withall he con­demned Pope Adrian, which allowes of this 6. Councell togither with all the Ca­nons thereof: which approbation is inser­ted in the Decretals in the third Distincti­on [Page 30] of Consecration.

To this councell doth Iustinians consti­tutiō agree in the Code, & 2. law De Epis­copis & Clericis: the wordes whereof are these. Let not clergie men be cōpelled to finde post horses, nor carts for common carriages, and let not their goods and substance be tax­ed for this purpose. Let all Clarcks enioy this priviledge, so that neither their wiues nor their children be subiect to this burden.

Wee haue heard a multitude of ancient authors herevpon, which teach that the A­postles were marryed. If we beleeue Plati­na in the life of Cletus the 1. S. Luke was marryed, and had his wife in Bythynia. A­thanasius towards the end of his epistle to Dracōtius, shews the custome in his daies. Many bishops, saith he, are not marryed, on the contrary there bee Monckes that are the fathers of childrē; as on the other side we haue knowne bishops that haue had children, and Moncks that haue had none: as who should say, that in this there was no law nor ne­cessitie imposed.

Socrates in the 22. chap. of his 5. booke. Many (saith hee) whilst they were bishops haue had children of their lawfull wiues. St. Gregorie of Nysse, brother to Basilius, was [Page 31] married; of whom Nicephorus speaks thus in the 11. Chap. of his 11. booke. Although he had a wife, in other things he was not infe­riour to his brother. Sozomene in the 11. Chap. of his 1. booke speakes thus of Saint Spiridion. Hee was a plaine man hauing wife and children, but this made him never the worse for his divine function. Mantuan speakes after this manner of S. Hilarie in the first booke of his Fasti.

Non nocuit tibi progenies, non obstitit vxor
Legitimo coniuncta thoro, non horruit illa
Tempestate Deus thalamos, cunabula, taedas
Thy children did not marre thy course of life,
Nor wast thou made the worser for thy wife,
God likt the marriage bed well till of late,
But what he thē did like, he now doth hate

And Synesius Bishop of Cyrene, was ad­mitted Bishop, although hee tolde them plainely that hee would not therefore de­part from his wife, and would haue as ma­ny children by her as he could. S. Hierome himselfe a mortall enimie of marriage, yet neverthelesse (when hee is out of coller a­gainst Iovinian) allowes of the marriage of Bishops. For in his Epistle to Oceanus, [Page 32] he defendes Carterius a Bishop of Spaine which had a second wife, against a certain lewd fellowe, which being a fornicator spoke il of Carterius his marriage. He saith therefore. Carterius hath desired to haue children by his wife; but thou by giuing thy body to a queane hast destroyed thy race. He hid himselfe in the secret corners of his chā ­ber, whilst he served nature, and the blessing of God, saying, encrease and multiply, & fill the earth; but thou serving thy beastly lust in open places wert detested by the beholders. Hee concealed a lawfull action by an honest modesty; but thou hast exposed thy vnlawfull actions to the sight of all men. For him it is written, that marriage is honorable, and the bed vndefiled; but for thee, that God shall iudge fornicators and adulterers. And the same Hierome against Iovinian, where hee speaketh so disgracefully of marriage, doth yet acknowledge that in his time Priestes were married. If it be said (saith he) that Samuel, which was brought vp at the Taberna­cle, had a wife, how doth this preiudice virgi­nitie? As if there were not at this day many Priests that are married: seeing that the A­postle describes a Bishop to be the husband of one wife, &c. Leo the 1. Bishop of Rome in [Page 33] his 85. Epistle speaking of the Apostles Commandement of choosing a Bishop, which either is, or hath beene the husband but of one wife, saith that this Commande­mēt was alwaies observed so religiously that the same condition was held fit to bee kept in choosing the wife of a Priest.

Yet (notwithstanding al this) I doe not deny, but that many holy men in times past, haue devoted themselues to a single life; thinking marriage a state of life not so agreeable with a Bishops calling as virgi­nity. Wee may see many examples for this in Chrysostome, Epiphanius, Hierome, and Ambrose. And which is more, Origen that hee might liue chastly did vtterly disable himselfe for being fit for the act of ge­neration; whether it were that he did geld himselfe, or vse some other means to mor­tifie his members. And indeed, as the Coū ­cels before mentioned doe permit a Priest to take a wife, and to enioy her as hee did before he was a Priest; so I confesse it was the most vsual custome for Priests to mar­ry before they tooke orders, it being the common fashion at this day in Greece for their Priests to take wiues some few daies before their ordination, and those once [Page 34] dead, never to marry againe; but to bee married after their ordination this was vn­vsuall. Vntill at last the Councell of Neo­caesarea which is but provinciall, did in the 1. Canon forbid Priests ever to marry af­ter their admission. These were yet but the seeds of error; to which, that they might not encrease, the Councels held in the East, haue made Canons cleane contrary. But in the West, that is to say, in the Latin Church, which is called the Roman, the Romish Bishops hauing found by experi­ence, that virginitie was the fittest state for the preserving of Church goods, & of maintaining their authority ouer the Clergie, did willingly admit of it, and by all meanes seeke to vphold it. And this evill, being increast amongst the Gaules, Salvi­an a Bishop of Marsilia, which lived in the time of Clowis as then an heathen, cō ­plaineth much of it, towards the later ende of his 5. booke of providence; where hee speakes after this wise vnto such as did re­fraine from marriage that they might en­ter into some holy order of religion. This is a new kinde of change. They doe not that which they may, and doe that which they may not. They abstaine from marrying, but doe [Page 35] not abstaine from rapine. O foolish perswasiō! what dost thou? God hath forbidden sinnes, & not marriages.

Gregory the 1. bishop of Rome did maintaine this errour to the vtmost of his pow­er, about the yeare of our Lord, 600. and yet notwithstanding in Boniface his que­stions, and 4 booke of dialogues, 11. chap. he speakes of Priests wiues whom hee cal­leth Presbyteras, and makes mention of a Priest of Narsia, that did abstaine from ly­ing with his wife, For (saith Gregory) holie men haue this property, sometimes to abstaine from lawfull things, that so they may alwaies estrange themselues from the things that are vnlawfull. In his iudgement therefore, if this priest had dwelt with his wife, hee had done no more then what he might do law­fully.

To be short, what care and diligence so ever the bishops of Rome and their substi­tutes did vse, they coulde not effect what they intended, but slowly: there being not as yet aboue 500. yeares past, since that Priests were married in France, England & Germanie. For the proofe whereof I could produce many good witnesses, which re­port of the great oppositiōs that the Popes [Page 36] haue had in this matter, and the generall outcries of the whole clergie.

It remaines that wee make good this clause of the Apostles prophecy, wherein hee foretelleth vs that lying spirites shall teach this errour through hypocrisie, ha­ving cauterized consciences, that is to say, having lost all sense and feeling of consci­ence, as a tooth or other part of the bodie that is seared with an hot yron to dead it.

Nowe that this doctrine was first plan­ted by the Doctours of the Romish church even against their owne consciences it is easie to prooue by vnanswerable argu­ments.

1 For they call marriage a sacrament, and yet they say that in Monks & Priests it is sacriledge. Can they possibly imagine that one and the selfesame action shoulde be a sacrament in one, and sacriledge in an other? Or that any one may be said to commit sacriledge in vsing a sacrament?

2 Againe, this is against their consci­ence, when they faine that they establish this decree of virginity for no other ende but that Clerkes should be the more holy, when the true cause thereof indeede, is the preservation of church goods, for feare a [Page 37] bishop or Priest should pare awaie some thing from them, and imploy it to the vse of his wife and children; as Pope Gregorie witnesseth in the 28. Distinction, & Canon De Syracusanis, where he saith that the reason why he did refuse to admit of a certain bishop, was, because he had a wife, & chil­dren, by whom the church goods doe vse to be endangered. And yet notwithstan­ding, at the vrgent request of the people of Syracusa he did receiue him, on condition that his wife and children should not meddle at all with the church revenewes.

3 It is also against their owne consci­ence, that having once confessed, that the single life of priests and monkes, is not by the commandement of God, but only by the law of man; yet they labour to proue it out of the scripture. For if their proofes be good, then is it by the law of God.

4 It is likewise against their consci­ence, that after they haue acknowledged that fornication is vnlawfull by the law of God, and that the single life of priests is e­stablished only by the law of man, yet not­withstanding they mainetaine that it is a lesse sinne for a Priest to commit fornicati­on, then to marry.

[Page 38]5 It is not with a good cōscience that whilest they exact a vowe of chastitie of their priests, they should in the mean space excuse their lasciviousnesse, as the * Cano­nists do, which haue made this glosse on the Decree in the 11. cause quest. 3. But if a priest embrace a woman, it is to bee presumed that hee doth it to no other end, but to giue her a fatherly benediction.

6 They goe against their conscience, when they say, that they doe not forbidde marriage, and yet will not suffer a priest, that is a knowne fornicatour, to bee mar­ried.

7 They speake against their consci­ence, when they say that they are no ene­mies of such marriages as are approved of in the Scripture, and yet never the lesse in their Decrees (which are the lawes of the church of Rome) they suffer Can. hac ratione caus. 31. quaest. 1 a. Canons to be, which say that S. Paule commaunding such as are widdowes to marry againe, spake against truth and reason, seeing that such marriage is fornication.

8 With the like dissimulation they speak of chastity, and yet for all this, suffer vnchast laws and Canons in their decrees. As in the Canon. Is qui, in the 34. Distin­ction. [Page 39] Where of behold the inscription. He that hath no wife, let him in steede of a wife haue a concubine. The Canon following is not much better. It is not lawful for a Chri­stian to haue. I do not say many wiues, but not so much as two wiues, but only one wife, or in defect therof a Cōcubine. Likewise the Ca­nō, Dilectissimis in the 12. cause, & 1 quest. which doth commend and approue Pla­toes opinion the wisest amongst the Greekes▪ which saith that all things should be common amongst friends, now vnder this name of all things (saith this Canon) questionlesse mens, wiues too are comprehended.

9 It cannot bee with a good consci­ence that they exact the vow of continen­cy, and yet take away the remedy against incontinency: that they tie men to chastity and yet wincke at fornication: forbidding marriage, and opening the Stewes: where­by they say that they avoid a greater evil, contrary to the rule of the Rom. 1. Apostle, whoe bids vs that we should not doe evill that good may come thereby. And yet let a man but note how this is a remedy against other e­vils. For there are many towns where true religion is established, where there are no Stewes, and yet fornication is not frequēt­ly [Page 40] practised, nor the name of Sodomie scarse knowne. But the Pope by establi­shing Stews in Rome, hath he thereby ex­tinguished the sinne of Sodomie, or dimi­nished the number of adulterers?

10 This is also against their consci­ence that confessing many of the Apostles to haue beene married, they do yet call the forbidding of marriage an Apostolicall tradition.

11 Finally to know what subtile de­vises the Pope hath vsed in these matters of marriage, we are to vnderstand that he hath remoued all causes concerning ma­trimonie from the secular Courts of Prin­ces, and taken order for them to bee deci­ded at Rome. Nowe to the ende that hee might hereby tyrannize over mens con­sciences, he hath invēte [...] a thousand scru­ples. He hath found o [...] newe degrees of spiritual kindred: forbidding marriage be­tweene Godfathers, and Godmothers, or their children. Also, the Lev. 18.20 word of God not forbidding marriage any further then be­tweene the Vnckle and the neece, or the Nephew and the Aunt, which are in the first or secōd degree, the Pope going low­er hath forbidden it betweene Cosen ger­mans, [Page 41] and their children, and those which are remote even to the fourth degree. Hee hath likewise made it vnlawfull to marry in Lent. For looke howe many the more prohibitions there are, so many the more dispensations must there bee, which are bought at a deare rate, and by so much the more is he repaired vnto. And note that he doth not only dispense with prohibitions of his owne making, but with those which God hath made too; suffering Vnkles to marry their Neeces, especially in the fami­lies of Princes: to the end that the childrē borne of such that are thus married, should for their owne ease bee glad to vphold his authoritie. The counting booke of the fees belonging to the Romish court of Chaun­cerie, imprinted at Paris by Tousains De­nis, in S. Iames his street, neere S. Yuoes. in the yeare 1520. hath these words. The pe­nitentiarie may dispense with the first de­gree of affinity in the Court of conscience, & such a dispensation is sold for 9 Ducats and six groats. That is to say, that the Pope may giue permission to a woman to marry the brother of her dead husband, or to a man to marry his dead wiues sister, a thing forbidden by the word of God. Levit. 18. [Page 42] 16. and 20.21.

Wee haue therefore in this point also plainely seene the Apostles prophecie ful­filled.

The second part of this prophecie, concer­ning the forbidding of meates.

THe Apostle S. Peter commaunding vs to watch, and be sober presupposeth that sobriety is a helpe to vigilancie. For it is hard to watch with a full belly: one that is drunke is no fit mā to be a sentinell. This watchfulnesse is requisite to foresee the as­saults of Satan, and to avoide his temptati­ons, and to make vs lift vp our harts direct­ly vnto God. For as a man cannot well stu­dy in the kitchin, so neither can one easilie meditate of heavenly things whilst his de­light is set vpon meat. The belly must hold his peace, when the spirit speakes to God, and the desire of eating be as it were mor­tified by this spirituall hunger, wherof our Saviour speakes in the 4. of Iohn, saying, My meate is to do the will of my father that sent me; hardly can the loue of God liue togither with the pāpring of the body. Hardly can a mā ever imprint any mark of god­lines [Page 43] in his hart, whose palate is more skil­full then his vnderstanding: or which en­thralleth his minde to his belly, nourish­ing this not so much for necessity, as curi­osity: but if this evill be pernicious at all times, it followes that sobriety is alwaies necessary, and that a Christians life ought to be a continuall fast; yea, I dare affirme, that in this, piety may learne of superstiti­on: For if the superstitious do fast the evēs of holy daies, why should not wee fast all our life long, since it is nothing els but the vigill of that great holyday which is the e­verlasting sabbaoth?

Fasting therefore is an holy exercise, & in the worde of God ordinarily ioined to­gither with praier. So our Lord Iesus in the 17. chap. of S. Matthew and 21 verse, speakes of certaine stubborne spirits, that could not be cast out but by praier & fasting. And S. Paul in the 1. to the Corinthians, & 7. chap. Defraud not one an other, except it be with consent for a time, that yee may giue your selues to fasting and praier. For they knew that there was a mutuall accord be­tween praier and fasting. Fasting enflames praier, and praier sanctifies fasting; Fasting remoues negligence from praier, and prai­er [Page 44] remoues pride and superstition from fa­sting. For as prayer without fasting is but slow, so fasting without praier is but a bo­dily diet, and no spirituall exercise. God is more angry then pleased with this service, if that whilst a mā hath an empty stomack, he be drūken with wrath, or glutted with lewd lusts. For he reckons of both alike, both of the surfets of the wicked, and the fasts of hypocrits, which change vertue in­to foolery, and christian sobriety into a di­stinction of meats, and into scrupulous observations, with (I know not) what opini­on of merit, and satisfaction. As though fa­sting could satisfie God, or as though hee were bounde more to pleasure him which hath lost his dinner. For true fasting is to make vs more fit for to serue God, but not for to merit any thing at his hands, or for to lay downe a payment for our sinnes, for which Iesus Christ hath already fully satis­fied.

But it is not so now a daies; so hath su­perstition overrun true devotion, and mar­red this holy exercise. This abuse began in the Apostles time; and is reprehended by the Apostle S. Paul in the 2. chap. of his E­pistle to the Colossians, where he rebukes [Page 45] those which said, tast not, touch not, handle not, doing this, not because they thought any kinde of meate more vncleane then o­ther, but (saith he) by a voluntary religion, and humblenes of minde, that they might not spare their bodies, nor haue any regard to pampring of their flesh. Some 150 years after came the Tatians and Montanists, thē the Manichees, and after them Eustacius bishop of Sebastia (whom Sozomen takes to be the author of the Asceticks of Basil) taught certaine superstitious fasts and di­stinctions of meates; all which were con­demned for hereticall by the ancient Church.

Last of all came the Church of Rome, which now is so far transported with this errour, that the greatest part of their religion consisteth in these petty observatiōs of daies, and distinctions of meats, which are so many in number, that the bondage of the legall Ceremonies might be called li­berty in respect of these; For whosoever will reckon vp all their fasting daies in a yeare, shall finde that they come to more then 5 months yearely. In some of these daies flesh only is forbidden; in others butter also and egges. In Spaine they are suf­fered [Page 44] [...] [Page 45] [...] [Page 46] on fasting daies to eate the inwardes of calues, and sheepe, which they call mor­sillos and menudillos. A good and religious christian is now a daies discerned by this, to wit, if he keepe Lent, and the fowre Em­ber weeks, and the vigils of Festival daies; that which was craftily imposed at first. For in taking away the holy scripture frō the people, and giving them divine service in an vnknowne tongue, he must needes thinke on some think to busie their bodies withall, whilst he did blind their minds, & giue them some corporall exercise, whilst hee robbed them of spirituall instruction. Hence comes it that the poore people doe to a day know all the fasting daies exactly, and how many holy day evens there be to be fasted; but knowe nothing at all in the scripture. Hence also comes it that the priest in confession doth carefully enquire of the sinner, whether he hath kept Lent or no, and the 4 fasts: but never asketh if hee haue confirmed his faith in the promises of the gospell, if he be instructed in the holie scripture, if he vnderstand the misteries of our redemption: if he loue God with all his hart, and his neighbor as himselfe: But if it be found that the sinner haue broken [Page 47] the ordinance of the Church by eating flesh in Lent, especially in the week which they call, the holy weeke; the Priest then hath no power to absolue him, but sendes him to the penitentiarie. As for murder, & adulterie, and other lesse sinnes which are but against the law of God, the Priest can easily absolue him from such crimes; On the contrary, if hee haue fulfilled the com­mandement of the Church, and fasted ac­cording to the lawes thereof, why, this is a meritorious worke, not only for his sins that shall thus haue fasted, but for the sins of others too. And this fasting is not mea­sured by the quātitie of meat, but he is said to keepe Lent, that eateth no flesh, nor egges, although hee drinke that which is better, and feed on the best fish that can be got: for as for their after-suppers of com­fits, and drie suckats, they are not recko­ned, because they take these as Physick, & for to follow the Apostles counsell whoe advised Timothie to comforte himselfe by drinking wine against the weaknes of the stomacke. So haue they beene more care­full to fulfill the Apostles prophecie then the commandement of God.

Their ordinarie excuse is, that S. Paule [Page 48] in this prophecie speaketh of the Monta­nists and Manichees, which held some meats to be vncleane & profane: But that the Church of Rome thinkes no meat vn­cleane, but only forbids certaine kindes thereof for some few daies, to take downe the flesh by using it the more coursly, and by withholding such meates from the bo­dy, as doe most provoke lust.

1 But against this, wee haue seene a­boue, how the Apostle S. Paule in his Epi­stle to the Colosians, condemneth those by name which by refraining from set kindes of meate (being led therevnto by a volun­tary religion and humblenesse of minde, thought to vse their bodies hardly, & had no regard to the pampring of their flesh. And hee speakes not to the Iewes, for the Iewes did not abstain from certaine kinds of meats for to subdue their bodies, but to obay Moyses law. Besides S. Paul calleth these observations the commandements of men, but the Iewes kept theirs as the commandements of God. Herevnto adde that the Apostle speaketh of such who be­sides the errour of distinguishing of meats did worship Angels withall. An errour wherewith as then the Iewes were not branded.

[Page 49]2 Moreover the Apostle speakes ge­nerally, and reckons the forbidding of meat, amongst the errors and doctrines of Devils, without specifying any reason for which it is done; The Church of Rome doth doe that which heretickes doe, al­though it be for another reason.

3 But what matter is it whether wee knowe for what cause they of the Church of Rome do abstaine from certaine meats, since in effect they make a conscience to eate of them, & that the Apostle doth for­bid vs to make a conscience of this; For behold his words in the 10. of the 1. to the Corinthians. If any of them which belieue not, call you to a feast, and if you will goe, what soever is set before you, eate, asking no que­stion for conscience sake. This rule likes not the Church of Rome, the people whereof are instructed, when they shall bee invited by such as they call hereticks and infidels, to make a conscience of not eating all things indifferently that are set before thē. Behold therefore a forbidding of meates condemned by the Apostle, and by con­sequence the fulfilling of this prophecie.

But what if wee shewe that the Church of Rome doth count flesh and the like [Page 50] meats to be vncleane in their own nature? For if it forbid the eating of flesh for no o­ther reason but onely because it provokes to lust, it should far rather haue forbidden, wine, and sauce, and sweet meates, which enflame the bloud, and doe far more pro­voke lust then any thing else whatsoever. 2 But what meanes that custome of car­rying their meat after Lent to the Priest for him to say his exorcismes over it, and blesse it, if they did not thinke that some wicked spirits lay lurking in it al the Lent long, and that it had some pollutiō where­of it had need to be purged? For if it were otherwise, and if that the intent of the Priest were only to blesse the meate, as we doe ours vsually at meales before we feede vpon it, this blessing would bee as good at any other times, as after Lent, and there would need no coniuration. This is like­wise confirmed by this, that the religious which make profession of a greater sancti­tie then others, as the Benedictins, and Chartrians, doe altogether abstaine from flesh all their life long, and eschewe the touching or tasting of it, as of a profane thing: Doing in this worse then they whō the Apostle condemnes in the 2. to the [Page 51] Colosians which say, tast not, touch not, be­ing moued therevnto onely with a volun­tarie religion, for to humble themselues & bring downe the flesh. But if you read the disputations of our schoole Doctors, as of Durandus, and Alensis, & others, you shall find that the reasons which they giue, why flesh is forbidden and not fish, do presup­pose some vncleannesse in flesh. For there be some of them say, that the reason is, be­cause the creatures of flesh were curst and drowned in the generall deluge, & not the fish: by which reason it should follow, that neither duckes, nor any other water fowle should be forbidden to bee eaten in Lent. Others of them there be that say that the reason is, because Iesus Christ never did eate any thing but fish after his resurrecti­on. They cannot deny but that he did eate his part of the paschall lambe the last week in Lent before Easter: but I imagine these Masters will presuppose that he did dispēse with his owne sanctitie in this. Finally if of two impure actions committed by any one, the one be more grievously punished then the other, is it not because it is more impure? When therefore the Church of Rome doth inflict a greater punishment [Page 52] on him that doth eate flesh in Lent, then on him that hath committed fornication; doth it not thereby shew that it takes flesh in Lent to bee more vncleane then forni­cation?

Neverthelesse, for to pleasure them, let vs suppose that the forbidding of certaine meats in the Church of Rome, be not built vpon any impuritie conceited to be in the meat; and hauing granted them this, let vs see, if herein our adversaries differ frō an­cient hereticks. Sozomene in his 3. booke, and 31. Chapter. witnesseth that Eustacius Bishop of Sebastia in Armenia, was the first that ever brought the monastical pro­fession into Armenia, Pontus, and Paphla­gonia, putting a difference between meats, and inventing a strange kinde of habits, & other absurd things contrary to the ordi­nance of the Church. Hee tels vs also how that many women being ruled by the Dis­ciples of that sect, shaved their heades vn­der the shewe of religion: that the Coun­cell of Gangres declared them to be cut of from the Church, if they did not renounce their opinions. In this Councell Sozomene saith that Eustacius protested how hee did not bring vp this as a necessary doctrine, [Page 53] but only for discipline sake, or as a devout exercise and acceptable vnto God. This at that time was the excuse of heretickes, whereby they did excuse their forbidding of meats, iust after the same manner that the Church of Rome doth now adaies.

The Montanists likewise were general­ly condemned by the auncient church be­cause they forbad flesh to be eaten. Whe­ther they did this out of an opinion they had, that flesh was defiled and polluted, or for exercise sake, to beate downe the flesh, and curbe in their lust, no man can better resolue vs then Tertullian, the captaine of that band; who himselfe was stained with this heresie, and hath purposely written a booke of this matter, intituled, Adversus Psychicos, against fleshly men: For so is it his pleasure to stile the catholicks. Whose obiections against the Montanists, he pro­duceth in the second chapter, which are al one with ours against the church of Rome. For in the 2. chap. the Catholickes tell the Montanists. That the lawe and the prophets lasted but till Iohn, after what time mē fasted as they thought best, not for that they were so commanded by the imposition of a new disci­pline, but accordingly as every man saw his [Page 54] occasion. That the Apostles vsed to do thus, imposing no other burden of solemne and set fasts. They do yet farther alleadge the say­ing of the Apostle rebuking the Gal 4. v. 10 Galathi­ans, because they observed daies and mo­neths. They do also obiect that God him­selfe in the 58 of Esay approues not of that fast that is an abstaining from meate, but of that which is an exercise of the workes of righteousnes. And that Iesus Christ hath in a worde answered all these scrupulous observations of eating and drinking, by saying, That which goeth into the mouth de­fileth not the man, Mat. 15. v. 11 but that which commeth out of the mouth, that defileth the mā. Wher­fore he himselfe made no scruple to eate & drinke, till at last hee was reprehended for it, and called a glutton. That the Apostle teacheth that it is not meate that maketh vs the more acceptable vnto God, &c. To be briefe, the faithfull in times past did dis­pute against the Montanists as we do now a daies against the church of Rome, & the Montanists likewise did defend themselus by the same shiftes and excuses that the Church of Rome now doth. For see how they answere in the 15. chap. of the same booke. The Apostle, say they, condemneth [Page 55] such, as did commaunde men to refraine from meate; But the holy Ghost by his prescience, condemned such hereticks, before they came, as should enioine a perpetuall fast, for to de­stroy and vilifie the workes of the Creatour. Herevnto adde, that this errour of refusing Gods creatures, may wel be foūd amongst the Marcionits, Talians, and Pythagoreans but not in the schoole of Montanus, which he calleth the Paraclet. And a little after; we abstaine from meates, which we do not re­iect, but only forbeare to vse them for a time. And a few lines aboue. The Apostles intent was, to reprehend such as did abstaine from meate, out of a kinde of loathing disdaineful­nesse, and not out of duty, that is to say, out of a voluntary devotion. So did these he­reticks excuse themselues, whose forbea­ring of meate; was not yet left vnreckoned amongst their heresies, what protestations soever they made, that they did not thinke them to bee vncleane or vnlawfull in their owne nature. Whence it also appeares that Ep. 1. Her. Epiphanius knewe not their tenent, when he accuseth them for mainetaining, that certaine meates were vncleane and profane.

Now although the ancient church be­ganne [Page 56] to encrease the number of fasts, yet were they nothing like those which are nowe a daies practised in the church of Rome. For they did abstaine not only from flesh, but also from wine, and all other de­licacies. Witnesse S. Austin in the 1. booke of the customes of the church 33. chap. Let those that can, abstaine from flesh and wine for two causes, either because of the weaknes of their brethren, or else for their owne liber­ties sake herein. And in the booke of Faith to Peter the Deacon. 42. chap. Hold this for certaine, that the servants of God, which abstaine from flesh and wine, do not reiect thē as vncleane things, but they refraine from stronger meats & drinks for to chastise their bodies. Chrysostome in the 4. of his Homi­lies made at Antioch vpon the breaking downe of the Emperours statues. There bee some (saith he) that go two whole daies with­out eating a bit, and againe there bee some, which cutting of not only wine and oile from their table, but all sort of flesh & fish too, feed all the Lent vpon nothing but bread and wa­ter.

Basill in his 1. sermon of fasting, would that in fasting there be nether flesh nor wine vsed, nor any thing else that they like, which [Page 57] serue their bellies; and that we should feede on nothing but bread only. And a little after. Thou dost eate no flesh, but thou dost eate thy brother; thou dost abstaine from wine but thou dost not abstain from doing outrage, and bearing thy selfe insolently, thou stayest for thy meate till night, but thou art all daie wrangling at the bar; Wo be vnto those that are drunke, but not with wine.

Also the Fastes of the Auncient, were made partly by the wil of some particulars which fasted more or lesse, as they thought best: & partly by the directions of Bishops, and Pastours of every church, and not by the ordinance of the Bish: of Rome, which had no power in prescribing rules in these matters out of the precincts of his own bi­shopricke. This appeares by the divers cu­stomes in the Church. In the time of S. Ambrose they fasted at Rome vpon Saturdaie, but at Millan they did not fast then, as S. Austin witnesseth in his 118. epist. to Ia­nuaries. The church of Millan herein did follow the custome of the Gre [...]ke church, which fasted neither saturday, nor sūday in Lent; and did for this very cause excom­municate the church of Rome, and de­nounce it Anathema in the 6. general coū ­cell, [Page 58] and the 55. Canon, in these words. Be­cause we haue vnderstood that in the cittie of Rome they vse to fast on the Saturdaies in Lent, against the custome left to the Church: This holy Synod hath therefore decreed, that they shall likewise in the church of Rome keep that Canon, which saith; If a Clarke be found to fast on saturday or sunday, let him bee de­graded; if a lay man, let him bee excommuni­cated. But this fell out a long time after, this Councell being not assembled before the 674. yeare of our Lord. But at the first these things were more free, and the rules for them, lesse strict. S. Austin in his 86. E­pistle, saith, I see well, that fasting is commā ­ded, in the Evangelicall, & Apostolicall wri­tings, and throughout all the new Testament, but vpō what daies we should fast or not fast, I see no commandement for this, neither of Christ, nor his Apostles: and a little before hee said that the diverse observations of Fasts, did not trouble the truth of Faith: & that these things are the plaits of the kings daughters Robe. So did hee call the diffe­rent customes of the Church.

Eusebius in the 5. booke of his historie, recites an Epistles of Ireneus, to Victor Bishop of Rome, wherein hee speakes of [Page 59] the diverse manners of fastings before Ea­ster. There be some, saith he, which think they must not fast but one day, others there be that fast 2, & some that fast more, some measure their fasting daies by 40. houres, day and night. And this diversitie betweene the ob­servers of the Easter fast, began not from our time, but long before, from their time (as it is credible) which governing the Church with­out observing any exact rule, did, a little af­ter, turne that into a custome, which was done in simplicitie, and by particular observation. Neverthelesse they had all peace amongst themselues, and we yet liue in peace together, Agreeably to this in the passage of Tertul­lian aboue alleaged, the Catholike Church maintaineth against the Montanists, that since Iohn Baptists time, fasts haue beene free, and that there is no rule which binds vs to certaine fasts that wee must keepe in common. S. Basil in his two sermons of fa­sting, speaking of the fast before Easter, tels vs, I knowe not how often, that this Fast lasted not aboue 5 daies. Let the belly, (saith he in his first Sermon) giue vs some time of truce, and let that, which is ever a craving, bee at peace with vs for fiue daies. And towarde the ende of the homily, hee [Page 60] sharply rebukes such, as did vse before the fiue daies came, to stuffe their guts with meate and wine, to the ende they might fast the more easilie, and haue their bellies filled with provision. And in the second Sermon. This is an ill mind, because we hear of a fast to come of 5 daies, therefore to make our selues drunke before hand.

We may not omit the history of Alci­biades, recited by Eusebius in the 3. chapt. and 5. booke of his historie. This Alcibia­des did macerate his body by fasting, li­ving onely vpon bread and water, even whilst he was in the prison: But it was told the Martyr Attalus by revelation, that Alcibiades did ill in abstaining frō Gods creatures, and did thereby scandalize his brethren; Alcibiades being told hereof, belieued it, and did ever after that time eate of all meats indifferently, and without feare, and gaue God thanks for it.

The historie of Spiridion, related by So­zomen, in the 1. booke, 11. chap. witnes­eth that S. Spiridion, and his houshold, did eate no bread vpon fasting daies, and that commanding his daughter to cover the table for a stranger, which came sud­denly vpon him, shee answered him that [Page 61] there was no bread in the house, for (it be­ing as then a time of fast) it would haue beene superfluous. Notwithstanding all this Spiridion made her serue in a peece of porcke that he had left. But the stranger (brought vp belike in some superstitious place) told him that hee would not eate of it, because he was a Christian. Then Spiri­dion replied, But for this very reason thou shouldst the rather eate of it, for God saith, al things are cleane to the cleane, and did eate thereof himselfe. He did not say, eate of it, for I haue nothing else in the house, necessity may excuse thee; But hee alleages the Apo­stles rule, which had not beene lesse true, although hee had had never▪ so much vari­etie of meate in the house: and he himselfe in eating thereof without any necessity, & only to giue him an example, shewes that there was no necessitie in this kinde of ab­stinencie.

S. Austin in his 33. chap. of the 1. booke of the customs of the Church (speaking of the fasts of Romish and Easterne Monkes. which were all artizans, every one get­ting his living by his trade) saith that none amongst them were put to any hard thing that they were not able to beare: There is [Page 62] no man which putteth a burden vpon any one that he shall refuse to carry; and he is not cō ­demned by others because he confesseth him­selfe too weake to follow them, for they haue not forgot, how that all things are cleane to the cleane, &c. And the whole Chapter is spent about this, to shewe that when a faithfull man well informed, doth refraine from certaine meats, hee doth doe this for feare of offending the weake, although he knowe well enough that it is a thing law­full and indifferent in it selfe.

This diversity of customes in diverse countries, grounded vpon Christian liber­tie, is set downe at large by Socrates in the 22. chap. of the 5 booke of his history. Hee saith that they did not fast at Rome but 3 weekes before Easter excepting Saturday and Sunday. That in Sclavonia, and Greece and Alexandria, they fasted 6. that in o­ther places they fasted 3 times 5 daies, at 3 severall times, and yet that neverthelesse they did cal this Lent, every one alleaging a diverse reason. That there was the like differēce in their fasting from meat. Some of them abstaining from all living crea­tures, others feeding vpon fish only, others eating fowle together with fish, as which [Page 63] (according to Moses testimonie) were made out of the water. There bee some (saith he) which abstaine from the fruits of trees, and from egges. And there bee some that tie rhemselues to eate nothing but bread. And againe, there be some, that eate no bread at all. Whence hee collects, that since no man can shew any expresse comman­dement as concerning this, it is evident that the Apostles did remit it to everie mans will and pleasure, to the end every one might doe good, but not through feare, or by constraint. Neither can it be said, that this which hee saith of Rome, is contrary to S. Austin. in his 86. and 11. Epistles. where he saith, that they fast at Rome vpon Saturday. For Au­stin speakes of the Saturdaies all the yeare long, but Sozomene speakes only of the 3 last Saterdaies before Easter. And, say hee were mistaken in this, yet is it not likely, but that hee told the truth of other Chur­ches, which he himselfe saw. Especially seeing that his testimonie is agreeable to so many witnesses aboue cited. To whom we will ioine S. Ambrose, in his 34. Sermon, saying that in his time there were some which made their Lent to last 20 daies, o­thers 30. by interchangeable weeks. Now [Page 64] as touching the fast before Easter, the an­cients doe not ranck it in the same degree, as they do the other fasts of the yeare. For the Catholicke Church disputing against the Montanists in the 10. Chapter of Tertullians booke of Fasts, saith, that those daies in the Gospell are markt out for fasting, in which the bridegroome was takē away, that is to say, the daies in which Iesus Christ suffered, and was in his graue; that all other daies are in a mans owne li­berty. And S. Austin giues the selfesame reason for it in his 86. Epistle to Casulan. Because Iesus Christ said in the 9. of Saint Matthew, that the day would come wherein the bridegroome should be taken away, and then they should fast. This reason (ioined to­gither with the ancient custome, witnessed by Irenaeus concerning this, to wit, that many did fast 40 continuall howres before Easter) doth discover the very head spring and first beginning of Lent. That is, that they thought themselues bound to fast 40 howres, because Iesus Christ was for so long togither kept vnder death, and that this was the time wherin the bridegroome was wanting. Which is likewise confir­med, by that ancient custome of forbid­ding [Page 65] them to fast after Easter, till whitson­tide were past: because this was the time wherein the bridegroome was restored, & did converse here on earth after his resur­rection. But by little and little this fast be­gan to be enlarged, & men vsed to fast ma­ny daies before Easter, some more, some lesse. Till at last those 40 howres, were tur­ned into 40 daies.

During this diversity of customes in di­vers countries, wee never read that the bi­shop of Rome did take vpō him to correct other churches, or ever laboured to bring the Greeke Church, or that of Millan, to the fashions of the church of Rome.

But I cannot deny but that some of the ancient were excessiue in the praise of fa­sting. As Ambrose and Basill, which killed himselfe with fasting, making his body, for a long time, feeble, and vnfit for his voca­tion by emulating Xerophagies a Monke of the desert. In their Homilies of Fasts, they say that Adam fell because he did not fast. That it was fasting that hardned the bo­dies of the three children throwne into the fornace, and made them not to bee burnt. That fasting gaue Daniels body a temper of steele so that the teeth of the Lyons [Page 66] could not bite him.

And in S. Austins time these and such like scrupulous observations taking place, this good servaunt of God complained of it. Behold what he saith in his 119. Epistle. That which is brought vp besides the commō custome, as though it were the observation of some sacrament, I cannot approue of it, al­though I dare not freely to reprehend it, for feare of offending some persons; either holy, or turbulent. But I am much grieved at this that we set little by many wholsome doctrines contained in holy writ, and all things are so full of presumption, that he shall be more grie­vously reprehēded, which during the Octaues shall touch the earth with his bare foote, then hee that shall haue buried his vnderstanding in drunkennesse. And a little after speaking of such as did charge the church, with ma­ny were observations, & particularly with that of abstaining from flesh, he saith. Al­though it cannot bee found that these things are contrary to the faith, neverthelesse they lade religion with servile burdens (which God would haue to be free, he himselfe laying nothing vpon it, but the observations of the Sacraments, which are but few, neither yet obscure) in such sort, that the condition of [Page 67] the Iewes is more tollerable. For although they knewe not the time of libertie, so it is, that they were subiect onely to the burdens of the law, and not to humane inv [...]ntions. But the Church of God, mingled with much chaff and many tares, suffereth many things. But she approues not of that which is against the faith, or a good life, neither doth she conceale it, nor yet doe it. Wherefore, that which thou wrotest vnto mee, that there bee some which doe abstaine from flesh, thinking those to bee vncleane which eate of it, is manifestly a­gainst the faith, and sound doctrine. So did this good servant of God, suffer that with griefe, which hee coulde not amend. Al­though the slaverie and burdens of which he complaineth, were nothing in respect of ours now adaies. He himselfe in the 118 Epistle, telleth vs that hee followeth the counsel of Ambrose, as of an oracle, which is this. When I am at Rome I fast the satur­day, when I am here, I doe not fast. So thou, to what Church soever thou shalt come by chance, conforme thy selfe to the customes thereof, if thou wilt not bee a scandall to any body, nor haue any one to bee a scandall vnto thee.

The abuses which followe, are more [Page 68] grosse yet, and farther remote from the an­cient simplicitie. For the Ancients did not thinke that their fasts were payments to God, to satisfie for the paine due to our sinnes. This is a strange kind of fashion, for a man to pay his debts with fasting, as if a creditour should abate his debtour 10 crownes for every day he should fast. Hee that thinkes that God is contented with this, dreames of an easie composition, and payes him but in light mony. I cōfesse that God hath wrought many deliuerances for them that haue fasted: but our adversaries doe wrong to attribute that to the vertue of fasting, which was meant by God to faith and prayer, that doe sanctifie fasting. And they may doe well to remember the Luk. 11. Pharisee, who was sent away, although he fasted twice a weeke, and gaue God to vnderstand of his workes of supereroga­tion.

Aboue all, they haue a good grace, to make one man fast for another, and they would haue me belieue, that God wil par­don my sinnes, because my neighbor hath fasted for me. There is no iudge so foolish­ly connivent, that will pardon a crime to any one, in consideration that his brother [Page 69] hath not dined. But that which we would iudge an intolerable sottishnesse in a man, shall we thinke this fitting for God? For the Pope would haue him to rest conten­ted with this. And they that are not in the humour of fasting, loue rather to borrowe it of others, & to change their bodily fast, into a pecuniarie mulct. They wil say therefore to some religious person, fast for mee, and I will content thee. And that which is thus given to Monkes shall bee called an almes, although they be never so rich. This pretty doctrine is taught in the Canon, Presbyter, in the 82 distinction. He may re­deeme the moonday fast, if need be, by singing a Psalme, or giuing a penny to the poore. And the glosse of the Doctors herevpon. Hee may free himselfe from fast by giving a pe­ny; wherefore by a greater reason he may bee freed by others fasting for him. Because also that the fasting of the living is availeable for the dead. Agreeable to the Canon. A­nimae, in the 13. Cause, & 2. Question. The soules of the dead are delivered by 4 means; either by the oblation of Priestes, or by the praiers of the Saints, or by the almes of their friends, or else by the fastings of their kin­dred and allies. It is Pope Gregorie which [Page 70] speakes this, who belieued that the soules were in Purgatory, some in hot houses, o­thers vnder the leaues of trees, others in rivers, and hee was much troubled how to get them out thence. Now I say that if the fasting of the living doe refresh them, their feasting also must burne and torment thē. Track mee but any footing of al these opi­nions in the 3 or 4 first ages.

Or else of that proper custome, where­by the Prelates that enioine fasts doe dis­pense with them, giuing these dispensati­ons not to the poore but to their friends, and such as are gracious with them. At Rome yee shall get letters of a perpetuall dispensation. In the booke of the Taxati­on of the Romish Chancerie, formerly al­leaged, this article is found in the 6. leafe. For that a lay man is not tyed to fast on the daies which are enioyned him by the Church, and may eate cheese, this letter costs twentie groats. If a poore man pay it, he shall for al that fast after he hath payd it.

This being so, it is no wonder; if hee which giues dispensations to others, doe take one for himselfe, and if the Pope and Cardinals doe often dispense with them­selues in these matters. For we are to know [Page 71] that in the 25 cause, 1. quest. in the Canon Ideo. vpon a question which some made, whether the Church of Rome were subiect to the Statuts of Councells, Pope Leo the fourth, makes this answere. The holy Church of Rome giues all power, and autho­ritie to the holy Canons, but shee for her owne part is not bound, nor tied to keepe them. And a little after hee saith that as Iesus did sub­mit himselfe vnto the lawe, and sometimes withstand it, to shewe that hee was master of the law. So, saith he, the Bishops of the chiefe see, respect the Canons made by themselues, or others vnder their authoritie, and do yeeld to keepe them, that they might make them to be kept of others; but sometimes too, either in commanding or decreeing, or by oppugning them, they shew that they are Lords over the decrees, and the makers of them. And a little after he saith, that the Church of Rome gi­veth it selfe speciall privileges, against gene­rall decrees.

Herevnto adde the custome, of making the people to go in procession to our Lady in the beginning of Lent, that they may haue leaue to eate butter. As also the trick, whereby they delude the ancient custome, of eating nothing in Lent before evening. [Page 72] For now a daies they make the evening service to bee song before noone, and after­wards eat, saying, that evening is past: And a thousand such like shifts, which betraie not only abuse, but mockery too; to the ende that the prophecy of the Apostle might be fulfilled, when he saith, that this error shall be taught thorough hypocrisie, and by such as haue their consciences sea­red with an hot yron. And doubt not, but, if that we had not opposed our selues a­gainst the tyranny of the Pope, which did daily encrease like a swelling torrent, there had beene worse things seene. After that he had once got the kitchins and shambles vnder his dominion; he tooke vpon him to make other lawes for attire, and houshold stuffe, so that a man might not lie vpon a matteresse, nor weare silke, nor presume to bath himselfe without some speciall dispē ­sation. And their booke of dispensation fees, made a hundred yeares since, doth suf­ficiently shew, that they did even then be­gin to encroach vpon these things. For as then, letters of dispensatiō for a Nunne to bath her selfe, were prized at a certain rate And letters of dispensation for a lay man, to study in the schooles; and letters of dis­pensation [Page 72] for to bury a body in two sepul­chres: and letters of dispensation for a mā to keep that which he had got vniustly. To conclude, they amongst this people which do most hate vs, may know, that they are bound to vs, for that little liberty which they do yet enioy.

THE SECOND PROPHE­cie contained in the 2. Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians. CHAP. 2.

3 Let no man deceiue you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that the man of sinne be disclosed, even the sonne of perdition.

4 Which is an adversary, and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that hee doth sit as God in the temple of God.

5 Remember yee not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now yee know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mysterie of iniquity doth al­ready [Page 74] worke, only he which now withholdeth, shall let till he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shal that wicked man be re­vealed, whom the Lorde shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his comming.

9 Euen him whose comming is by the ef­fectuall working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders.

10 And in all deceiueablenesse of vn­righteousnesse among them that perish, be­cause they received not the loue of the truth, that they might be saved.

11 And therefore God shall send them strong delusions, that they should belieue lies.

The vnfolding of this prophecy in man­ner of a Paraphrase.

3 LET no man by any meanes seduce you, by seeking to perswade you that the day of iudgment is neere at han [...]. For this day shall not come, till there be a generall backsliding, whereby men shal fal from the true doctrine; & that man of sin, which is markt out to perdition, to wit, the bishop of Rome, be disclosed.

4 Whō ye shall know by these marks [Page 75] He shall oppose himselfe against all that is called God, and which is worshipped; to wit against the true and highest God, and against Emperours, and Kings, and Magi­strates, whom the holy scripture calleth Gods. Nay, which is more, he shall exalt himselfe aboue God, and especially aboue that which is called God by Idolators, till he shall haue got to be absolute comman­der over the church, and be called the head thereof, vsurping both the name and au­thority of God.

5 Remember you not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

6 And now yee know what it is that staieth his comming, which shall come to passe, at the time appointed, & foreordai­ned by God.

7 For the foundations of this son of perditions dominion are already laid. And Satan doth evē now draw out the threeds, and spinne the beginnings of his doctrine, which shall be woven togither by an abo­minable art, and ful of wicked craft. There is nothing but one that hinders the disclo­sing hereof: that is, the Romane Empire (which doeth nowe oversway the whole world) must remaine yet for a time, and af­terwards [Page 76] be abolished.

8 And when this Roman Empire shal be destroyed, then shall this bishop be ful­ly disclosed, and the Papall See shal be ex­alted by the ruines of the Empire; which bishop, God shall beat down, and weaken by the preaching of his word, but shal not destroy him vtterly til the last day of iudgement, then when Iesus Christ shal come in glorie.

9 Which Pope shall come fortified with the might and efficacie of Satan, with power, and signes, and false miracles, ser­ving to establish lyes.

10 Whereby such as are markt out to perdition, shal be lewdly seduced, because they haue not loved the truth of the Gos­pell, which might haue saved them.

11 And therefore God will suffer thē to be seduced, and to be driven into strong delusions, and that they may beleeue lies.

The proofe of this exposition.

He that in the texture of this whole dis­course shall not see the Popes image, & his doctrine, and the meanes of his rising, all set out in their true colours, doth wil­lingly [Page 77] erre, and is blind at noone daie. For we bring no bold coniectures; and our ex­plications are not violent or forced, but naturall, and such as do of their owne accord offer themselues to our hands: such as doe not depart from the words of the Apostle, and are taught vs by experience. Whosoe­ver wil cōtest about some particulars, shal not thereby endammage the whole bodie of this Prophecie. For though hee moue some difficulties vpō certain verses here & there, yet it is enough to stagger the most strongly opinionated, when they shall see that all the peeces of this so long a Pro­phecie doe agree vpon one only man, and that there is so good a correspondency betweene all the parts thereof: which shall appeare yet more manifestly by the proofs and by the difficulties which our adversa­ries moue to the contrary; let vs therefore once more againe run over this Prophecy from the beginning, and examine every particular thereof.

The first part of this Prophecie.

3 LEt no man deceaue you by any meanes; for that day shall not come except there [Page 56] be a departing first, and that the man of sin [...] be disclosed, even the sonne of perdition.

The Exposition.

3 LEt no man by any meanes seduce you, by seeking to perswade you that the day of iudgement is neere at hād. For this day shall not come till there bee a generall depar­ting, whereby men shall fall from the true do­ctrine, and that man of sinne which is markt out to perdition, to wit, the Bishop of Rome, be disclosed.

The proofe of this Exposition.

MAny, being either led by curiosity, or spurred on by impatience, affir­med that the day of the Lord was hard at hand. Whose over rash and headlong for­wardnes, is here staied by the Apostle, tel­ling them that this day shall not come till there be a falling away. What manner of falling away this is, he himselfe telleth vs in that 1. Tim. 4.1. Prophecy of his, which wee haue formerly touched; telling vs before hand, that in the latter time many shall fall away from the faith. And so did some of the An­cient [Page 79] vnderstand it; Primasius, Chrysostome and Theodoret, whom, his Maiestie of Eng­land, followes. There be some that vnder­stand it, of the peoples falling away, from vnder the Roman Empire. And so do some of the Ancient: which also agreeth with the event. For we shall see anon how that the papacy increased by the decreasing of the Empire, and that the greatnesse there­of was built vpon the ruines of the Empire.

The head and chiefe cause of this fal­ling away from the faith, is by the Apostle S. Paule, called the man of sinne, & sonne of perdition, according to the vsuall forme of speech in Scripture, which calleth a bloody man, a man of blood. And those the children of hell, which are markt out for hell. So the man of sinne, and the sonne of perdition, signifie, a man that is a noto­rious sinner, and such a one as is markt out vnto perdition.

That these qualities, some ages since, were fitting the Bishop of Rome, no man can doubt that hath read the writings, not of their enimies, but even of their owne servants that haue most respected them. Never was there man that did more pro­stitute himselfe to vphold the Popes pow­er [Page 80] then Baronius did. And yet see his own words in the yeare 912. and 8. article. With what face did the Church of Rome then look, and how ilfavoredly? then, when famous queanes, and lewd strumpets did domineere at Rome? at whose pleasure Church livings were bestowsd, Bishopricks given, and that which is horrible to heare, and not to bee spo­ken, their louers, false Popes, thrust into the seat of Peter. It would bee long to repeate the whole passage; till at last hee breakes out, and asketh, What Priests, and Deacons Cardinals do yee thinke were chosen by these monsters? And hee complaineth that Iesus Christ did sleepe, Now hee speakes of such a great number of wicked & vitious Popes that it should seeme by his reckoning, that Iesus Christ slept a long time. Platina in the life of Benedict the 4. saith, The liberty of sinning hath begot vs these monsters, and prodigies, which by ambition and corruption, haue rather vsurpt, thē possest the holy chaire of Peter, no Prince repressing the wickednesse of these men. Nay I dare affirme, that the hi­stories of Emperours, and Pagan kings, written by their enimies, or by strangers, doe not speake so ill of them, as the histo­ries of the Popes, written by their owne [Page 81] servants, and flatterers, doe speake ill of Popes. From the yeare 870. to the yeare 1050. You see none but Necromancers, but Adulterers, and Murderers, and infa­mous persons preferred to the Papacy: E­very one knowes the complaints of Ber­nard, of Petrarke, of Mantuan, bewailing the corruption, & bad report of the Court of Rome. If these witnesses bee not of au­thoritie enough, at least I hope Popes thē ­selues shall bee beleeued herein. Aeneas Sylvius otherwise called Pius secundus in the 66. Epist to Iohn Peregall, speaks thus. The court of Rome giues nothing without mony; yea the imposition of hands, & the gifts of the holy Ghost are sold; and the remission of sinnes is communicated vnto none, that haue not wherewithall to pay for it. Where is the man that durst now adaies speake so bold­ly as S. Bernard did in his 125. Epistle. The beast (saith he) of the Apocalyps, to whome a mouth was given speaking blasphemy, and to make warre vpon the Saints, doth possesse the Chaire of S. Peter, as a Lyon prepared for the pray. I will annex one passage out of the Canonists, which haue glozed the decre­tals, in the title of Election, and 6. Chap. Their wordes are. Rome built at first by [Page 82] theeues, doth yet retaine the smacke of her first religion, being called Roma quasi rodens manus. It must needs be that this evill was great, seeing that in a booke so publike & authenticall, which containes all the laws and Statuts of the Church of Rome, these doctors did insert such things to their owne shame. To be briefe, if this be huma­nitie, to cause 70000 persons, within a few daies to be murdered in a massacre in France; If this bee chastitie, to establish Stewes at Rome: If this bee humilitie, to make Emperours and Kings kisse his feet: If this be fidelitie, to dispense with vowes and oaths; If this be religion, to weare the crosse of Christ vpon his Pantophle: If this be liberalitie, to set the absolutions from sin, and Taxa Can­cellaria A. post fol. 11. dispensations for ill doing, at a certaine price of money, and to make ex­presse books thereof; I am then content that we be said to haue done his Holinesse wrong by calling him the man of sinne.

As for the title of the sonne of perditi­on, it is not our parts to giue iudgement vpon any body, or positiuely to define what men are damned: but wee pray to God to shew mercy to these Popes, which haue bathed their handes in our bloud. [Page 83] Howbeit * Platina the Popes servant and Secretarie, speaking of their vices, doth as it were despaire of their salvation, saying. Our vices are growne to that heigth, that they will hardly ever find mercy in the sight of God.

Now here. least our adversaries should perplex vs, we are to knowe that the Apo­stle doth not say, that there must of neces­sitie be a generall departure, before the son of perdition be revealed, so that when hee shall once come, there shall no more faith­full men be left in the world: It is enough for the fulfilling of his Prophecie, that this departure be begun, and haue already ga­thered some little strength, then, when the sonne of perdition shall be disclosed; of which departure hee shall make himselfe the head, and seeke to increase it with all his power; which yet shall never bee so great, but that there shall be some faithfull men in the world, left hid amidst this great corruption.

Moreouer, wee neede not wonder that the Bishop of Rome, is called the man of sinne, in the singular, though there be ma­ny of them, one after another. For we speak so commonly, and say that the Emperour [Page 84] goeth before kings, although there be ma­ny successiue Emperours. So our adversa­ries say that the Pope is the head of the Church, and not the Popes, because there is but one at a time. In France wee vse to say that the king dieth not, because that by the king, wee doe not vnder­stand Henry, or Lewis, but a continuall descent of kings, one succeding the other So in the 7. and 8. chapter of Daniell a con­tinuall succession of kings, is represented by one only beast, which appeareth yet more plainely in the 8. chapter 20. verse. The ramme which thou sawest having two hornes, are the kings of the Medes and Per­sians. And in the verse following, the kings of Greece are figured by a Goat, the horn of which signifieth the first king. The Greeke article [...] which is singu­lar, doth most vsually signifie an indefinite person: as in the 2. to Timothy, and 3. chap. where it is also, [...], &c. that the man of God may be absolute, where this word, The man, is aswell, as in this prophe­cie, taken indefinitely, and applyed to di­verse men a part. And so Matthew the 18. verse 17. Let him be vnto thee, as the heathē man, or publican, although there were a [Page 85] great number of this sort; and so shall wee finde it often. But if the sonne of perdition were but one only man that were yet to come, how shall the saying of the Apostle stand, who presently vpon this telleth vs, that the mystery of iniquity did even then in his time begin to worke, for to prepare his way? Is it credible that 5. or 700. yeares should bee imployed about the producing one only man, which should not last aboue 3. yeares, and some few moneths? Or that the mysterie of iniquity shoulde even then begin to worke, and that this man shoulde not yet be revealed? Especially seeing that our adversaries make Antichrist to bee [...] Iew, of the tribe of Dan, and which shall build vp Ierusalem againe, whereas we see no preparations for all this, so that by their reckoning the mysterie of iniquity should bee lesse prepared nowe then it was in the Apostles time. But if any one thinke it strange, that Antiochus Epiphanes which was but one person, should bee a figure of divers successiue persons, Let him remem­ber that many high Priests one succeeding the other, were the figures of Iesus Christ, which yet neverthelesse was but one per­son. And yet the reason is alike on both [Page 86] sides. Besides, Antiochus is not the figure of many at a time, seeing there is never but one Pope at the same time.

Neither, can so great a dominion over so many nations (got, not by any exploite of war, but by guile, as the Apocalyps fore­tels vs in the 17. ch.) be the work of one only man, much lesse of such a one, that shall raigne but 3. yeares and an halfe; this is a worke of many ages; that which followes, sutes with this, and is full of perspicuity.

The second part of this prophecie.

4 Which is an adversarie, and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he doth sit as God in the temple of God, shewing himselfe that hee is God.

5 Remember yee not that whē I was yet with you, I told you these things?

The exposition.

4 Whom yee shall know by these markes. He shal oppose himselfe against all that is called God, and which is worshipped, to wit, a­gainst the true, and highest God, and against [Page 87] Emperours, and kings, & magistrates, whom the holy scripture calleth Gods. Nay, which is more, he shall exalt himselfe aboue God, and especially aboue that which is called God by Idolatours, till he shall haue got to be absolute commander over the Church, and be called the head thereof, vsurping both the name and authority of God.

5 Remember yee not that whē I was yet with you, I told you these things.

The proofe of this exposition.

The proofe of this exposition consisteth in fiue pointes.

1 To shew that the Pope calleth him­selfe God, & taketh the authority of God vpon him.

2 That hee doth exalt himselfe aboue God, and especially aboue that which is called God by Idolatours.

3 That hee doth oppose himselfe a­gainst God.

4 That hee doth oppose himselfe a­gainst kings, and princes, and magistrates.

5 That he calleth himselfe the head of the church vniversall.

The first point.

That the Pope names himselfe God, and is so called by his favourites, this is a com­mon thing, whereof the Popes Decrees, & the coūcels where he sat as chiefe, are full. The Canon. Satis, in the 96. Distinction, speakes thus. It is manifestly seene that the Pope can in no wise, neither be vnbound, nor bound by any secular power; who is knowne to haue bin called God, by the religious Prince Constantine before mentioned: now it is ap­parant, that God cannot be iudged by men. He excludes princes therefore from the ti­tle of God, that he may reserue it to him­selfe; and approving of Constantines saying which calleth him God, thence inferreth that the Pope may not bee iudged by any person. Where we are to note by the way, that Constantine in the councell of Nice, speaking to al the bishops present, said vn­to them, Yee are Gods, but never spake this in particular to the bishop of Rome.

The glosse of the extrauagant, cum inter of Iohn the 22. hath these words. To thinke that our Lord God the Pope, the author of the aforesaid Decretall, and of this, had no power to decree as he hath decreed, would be iudged [Page 89] an heresie. Where we must note that the Cardinals, & Doctors appointed by Pope Gregory the 13. for the correcting of the Canons, Decretals, Clementines, and, Ex­travagants, having corrected many other glosses, do not touch this at all, and were willing to haue it remaine as it is.

In the last councell of Lateran, and 9. Session in the yeare 1514. one of the secre­taries of the Popes chamber speakes thus to Leo the 10. The lookes of your divine ma­iestie, with the beame-darting splendor of which, my weake eies are dimmed, which was inserted in the councell, as good, and war­rantable; For there must never any impie­ties bee put into councels, without being found fault with. Nay which is more, after that the said coūcel was written out, Pope Leo approved of it, and his approbation is set in the frontispice thereof: in the same Pag. 510. edit. Colon. tom. 4. page the papall dignity, is called, Divinū imperium, the kingdome of God.

In the 2. book of holy ceremonies 7. se­ction, & 6. chapter. There are these words, The seate of God, That is to say, the Aposto­lical seat. And Steuchus likewise the Popes library keeper, in his booke of the donati­on of Constantine, saith that Constantine [Page 90] held Pope Sylvester for a God (& adoravit vt Deum) and worshipped him as God.

In Italie vpon the gate of Tolentū there is this inscriptiō. to Paul the 3. the most high and mighty God vpon earth. Vpon the tri­umphall arch, erected to Pope Sixtus the 4. as he entered in state into Rome, there was this written

Oraclo vocis mundi moderaris habenas
Et merito in terris crederis esse Deus.
This lower world thy sacred words do sway,
Stile thee an earthly God we rightly may.

Stapleton an English Iesuit in the preface of his booke, of the principles, of the do­ctrine of faith cals Gregory the 13. Supre­mum, plane supremum in terris numen. The supreame, the most absolute supreame God vpon earth.

And Coeffeteau denieth not this, but saith that the Pope is God in the same sense that the scripture calleth kings, and other powers by the name of Gods: an idle ex­cuse, and against the intent of his Holines For in the old testamēt, this word of Gods is indeed attributed to Princes in the plu­rall. But for a mans selfe to attribute the name of God vnto himselfe in the singu­lar; this is a thing which no christiā prince [Page 91] nor prelate ever did. The bishop of Rome is the first, who some ages since began to vsurpe this title.

We are also to note, that the word Ieho­vah in the old testament is never attribu­ted to any creature: but well the worde of Elohim may in the plurall, which signifieth Gods, and Lords. As for the new testamēt, wherein the head-springs of all christiā re­ligion are contained, & which should rule our fashion of speaking, yee shall never there finde the name of God in the singu­lar attributed to any but God himselfe, or to Satan whom the Apostle calleth, The God of this world, because in this world hee seeks by al meanes to encroach vpō Gods right. Heathen Emperours also haue taken vpon them the title of God, as Bassi­an Caracalla, & before him Domitian, whō Sues. in Dom cap. 13 Mart. lib. 5. ep. 8. Sueton, and Sues. in Dom cap. 13 Mart. lib. 5. ep. 8. Martiall call Dominus De­us noster, the Lord our God, which are the very same words with those which I haue formerly cited out of the glosse. But this name was ever reputed odious amongst the Christians, when it was once attribu­ted to man, because they haue no more ex­cellent or reverent name then this; not as the Hebrewes, who are of opinion that the [Page 92] name of Iehova is more holy and incom­municable.

But for to know in what sense the Pope is called God, the Pope himselfe can best resolue vs. For out of this title, he gathe­reth by consequence that he should bee a­dored; The last councell of Lateran, in the 3. and 10. sessions saith. The Pope ought to be worshipped of all people, and is most like vnto God: and that a man might not imagine that it speaketh of a civill kind of worship, it is there told vs what manner of adorati­on this must be, wherwith he is to be ado­red; to wit, that it must bee with that kinde of adoration that is mentioned in the 72. Psalme. Adorabunt eum omnes reges terrae, All the kings of the earth shall worshippe him. Where by worship, the highest kinde of worshippe is meant, which is due to the son of God; as Tertullian teacheth vs in his 5, booke 7. chap. against Marcion. So doth Mantuan vnderstande it, which speakes of the Pope:

Ense potens gemino, cuius vestigia adorāt
Caesar, & aurato vestiti murice reges,
He hath 2 swords within his power to draw,
Caesar adores him with an humble awe:
And kings with Caesar too in this do meete,
[Page 93]Bowing their necks down for to kisse his feet.

The histories of these last ages are ful with examples of this adoration of the Pope. In the 2. Tome of councels they doe highly magnifie Iustinian because hee did adore Pope Agapet [...]. But the most remarkable worship that is given him, is that which they do vnto him within the conclaue, im­mediatly after his election. As soone as e­ver he is pronounced Pope by the Cardi­nals shut vp in the conclaue, they presently run vnto him, and pulling of his owne ap­parell, put on other insteed thereof, redde hose, and red shooes with a crosse of gold, a red girdle with buckles of Gold, a red cap, and a rochet, and answerably fitting him with a red mantle, and a triple crowne glittering with Diamonds, they mount him vp vpon their shoulders aloft, as it were some glorified body, and set him vp­on the Altar. This amongst the Italians is commonly called adoration: and is there­fore the more worth the noting, because the Pope is set vpon the Altar, which is a place where they set their Masse-god, and which is appointed for divine worship: so that this worship, cannot be taken for a ci­vill worship. Herevnto adde that in civill [Page 94] affaires kings haue more authoritie then Popes, and should therefore by a conse­quent rather bee worshipt with civill ho­nour. But they doe not only not worship Kings, but exact of kings themselues to worship the Popes. But if a King called himselfe God, he might seem to haue some shew for it, by alleaging the passage out of the old Testament wherein kings are said to be Gods, yet should a king so doe he would be thought by Christians to bee little lesse then a blasphemer, and I am perswaded that the Pope himselfe would not like it, being that hee vsurps the name of God excclusiuely from al other Princes vnto himselfe, by reason that it is a holy word, and imports as much as adoration. Neither will hee bee woone to grant, that kings, because they are called Gods by David, should therefore deny to bee iudged; seeing that he takes vpon him to bee their iudge. And yet we haue seene before, how the Pope out of this very saying of David, concludeth that no man may be his iudge, although in that place there bee no menti­on made of Bishops or Pastours, but of Princes: It is easie to bee knowne in what sense he calleth himselfe God, since hee v­sually [Page 95] calls his decrees, and Canons by the name of Extra. D [...] Mai [...]rit▪ & obed titulo. 33. cap. Per­petuas. Oracles. Now an oracle signifi­eth an heavenly answer, proceeding from the mouth of God. Rom. 3. verse 2. & chap. 11. v. 4. with the like modestie doth he call his decretall Epistles Canonical scriptures in the 19 Distinction, in the Canon In Ca­nonicis, the inscription whereof is this. In­ter Canonicas scripturas Decretales Episto­lae connumerantur. The decretall Epistles are reckoned amongst the Canonicall scriptures. That is to say, that the Popes Decrees are equall to the holy scripture, and by a consequent are the word of God.

What can one say more of God then that which the aboue cited councell of Lateran, in the 9. & 10. Sessions speakes of the Pope, to wit, that hee hath all power a­boue all powers, both of heaven and earth? And he himselfe speakes as much of him­selfe in the 1. booke of holy ceremonies. 7. sect. 6. chap. where Pope Sixtus the 4. speakes thus. This Pontificall sword repre­senteth the Soveraigne temporall power that Christ hath given the Pope his vicar vpon earth, as it is written. All power is given mee both in heaven, and in earth, and Ps. 72. v. 8. elsewhere. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, & from [Page 96] the river vnto the ends of the land. Which power is also signified by the velvet cap which Popes weare. Of which power even over heaven it selfe, Innocent the 3. was bold to make vse in the bull▪ Ad liberandum: where he grants vnto Pilgrims, that die in their pilgrimage, to enioy a greater degree of glory in Paradice aboue others.

Besides I say, that to call himselfe his Holines exclusiuely to al others, is to take a name vpon him that is proper to God a­lone, who is not only the most holy Father, (a name which the Pope doth also assume) but Holinesse it selfe. As also for to attri­bute all power vnto himselfe as Paule the 5. doth in this holy register, where he calls himselfe a Vice-God, the Monarch of the Christian world: the vpholder of the pa­pall omnipotency.

Next in order comes our Saviour Iesus Christ, adorned with titles, names & qua­lities, all which the Pope applyeth vnto himselfe. Hee calls himselfe at least a hun­dred times in his Canons and Decrees, The spowse of the vniversall Church; Bellar­mine goeth yet farther, Etiam Christo se­cluso, (that is) that hee is so indeed, Christ being set apart, in the 9. Chapt. & 1. booke [Page 97] of the Pope; And although Christ were not excluded, yet so it is that in matter of marriage, men doe not lightly admit of a companion, much lesse will this bee endu­red in that holy coniunction with Christ, concerning which S. 2 Cor. 11. v. 2. Paule saith. I haue prepared you for one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. And that hee might leaue him nothing proper, Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lateran formerly cited, is called the Lion of the tribe of Iuda, the roote of David, the Saviour of Sion. And Bellarmine in the preface of his booke of the pope, calleth the pope the corner stone, a tryed stone, a pretious stone, whereof Esay speakes in his 28. Chap. 16. verse. Which is therefore the more to be noted, because the Apostle in the 9. Chap. of the Epistle to the Romans, saith, that none that belieue in this stone shall be put to confusion.

After that he hath once seized vpon the names and titles of the Father, and of his sonne our Saviour, it is no wonder that he equalleth himselfe with the holy Ghost, saying in the 25 cause, 1. quest. that to vi­olate his Canons & ordinances is to blas­pheame against the holy Ghost, to the end we should know, that such an offence shal [Page 98] never be pardoned, neither in this world nor in the world to come.

The second point. That the Pope doth exalt himselfe aboue God.

THE Apostle will tel vs in the 10. verse of this Chap. that the sonne of perdi­tion shall vse all guile and deceitfulnesse. Whence it follows that we must not think that this man of sinne, this sonne of perdi­tion, shall openly proclaime vnto vs, and say. I am more great and powerfull thē the eternall God, which created the world. For who would followe him if hee should speake thus? Or how could any one be se­duced therewithall? but rather he must in­sinuate himselfe through deceipt, and vn­der the shewe of sanctitie. Hee shall haue (saith the holy Ghost in the 13. of the A­pocalyps) two hornes like the lambe, but hee shall speake like the Dragon: making a shew of Christianitie, and professing the name of Christ, but teaching divelish doctrine, As S. Hilarie saith against Auxentius; vn­der the colour of preaching the Gospell he shal be contrary vnto Christ, so that the Lord Ie­sus shall bee denied, whilst men thinke hee is preached. It is sufficient therefore for the [Page 99] fulfilling of this prophecy, that the sonne of perdition doth in effect lift himselfe a­boue God, although he professe that he is beneath him. And it will be no great labor to proue this.

1 Whosoever shall quit a servant frō the obediēce due to his master, must needs be greater then his master: But the popes dispense with the setvants of God for o­baying of God: Whence it followeth that they are greater then God. A horrible thing, yet that which is necessarily infer­red out of their doctrine, No man will de­ny the maior, the minor is verified by a thousand examples.

1 It is Gods will that we should keep our oathes and vowes, but the pope vseth to dispense with them. Say that a man haue vowed and promised to God to goe on pilgrimage; the pope if it please him, will dispense with him for it, teaching him how to be periured with a good cōscience. And how knowe I whether God also will free me, or whether hee will condescend to his Holinesse his will.

2 God hath knit man and wife toge­ther with a knot, that may not bee losed for any thing but adulterie. But the [Page 100] pope breakes of marriages in many other cases, frustrating the rule of the Gospell, which saith, That which God hath ioined let no man sever.

3 God hath expresly commanded the obedience & fidelitie of subiects towards their Prince, although he bee an infidell: But the Pope will free subiects from this obedience & fealtie towards their Prince, although this Prince bee no infidell, nor tainted with any other crime, nor one that shall withstand the Romish religiō, but only if the pope be of opiniō that he is not fit for governemēt, as pope Zacharie boasted that he dealt with Childericke, and Sixtus the 5 a little after with our K. Henry the 3.

4 God saith in the gospell, Do workes worthy of repentance, This commandement is expresse and generall, with which yet the Pope will dispense by his Indulgences as Cardinall Bellarmin saith in the 13. cha. of his 4. booke of pennance; Indulgences cause that for the paines which are pardoned vs by the Indulgences, we be not bound to this commandement of bringing forth fruits wor­thy of repentance.

5 God in his law doeth formally for­bid marriage in the 1. degree of affinitie, [Page 101] that is for a man to marry the sister of his deade wife, or for a woman to marry the brother of her dead husband. Levit. 18. & 20. And yet for all this, the taxe of the Popes Chancery fees in the 40. leafe, giues a dispensation and permission for this at a certaine price. The Penitentiarie in the Court of Chancerie may dispense in the first degree of affinitie, and such a letter is sold for 9. ducats, and sixe groates.

6 As for a man to marry his Aunt or his neece, a thing which God also hath ex­presly forbidden in the 18. and 20. chap. of Levit. The Popes dispēsations are frequēt in this kinde; especially in great families.

7 In all these things, and more such like, the Pope doth exalt himselfe aboue God, since he dispenseth with men not to obay his commandements. And he him­selfe & his Doctors do not dissemble this. For in the 8. Title of the grant of Prebēds, he boasteth that by the fulnesse of that po­wer which he hath, he can dispense with the law, & aboue the law. And the Glosse of the Canonists vpon this place maketh it cleere, where it is said. Papa contra Apo­stolum dispensat, & contra Canones Aposto­lorum. Item contra vetus testamentum, Itē [Page 102] in iuramento. The Pope dispenseth against the Apostle, and against the Canons of the Apostles, and against the new Testament, and with oaths. And vpon the Canon, Le­ctor, in the 34. Distinction. The Pope can dispense against the Apostle; and vpon the 25. cause, 1. Question. The Pope doth dispēse with the Gospell, by giving it what interpre­tation he list.

8 How many dispensations for age doth he giue contrary to the Apostles wil? Who 1. Tim. 3.6 forbiddeth that a bishop should be a young schollar. He bestoweth bishopricks vpon children; yea, the very Popedome it selfe (into which none are nowe a daies in­vested, but old men) hath in times past bin given to children. Benedict the 6. was not aboue 9. yeares old when he was chosen pope, as Baronius witnesseth in the yeare, 1033. 6. Article. Hee which as yet knew not what faith meant, could not erre in the faith.

2 To this proofe we may annex an o­ther, which is a demonstration, built vpon these maximes, that, those faults are grea­ter which are committed against a greater person; so it is a greater iniurie for a man to wrong his king, then his neighbour, & [Page 103] for to strike his father, then his compani­on, as also vpon this, that the more grie­vous the faults bee, they are punished the more grievously: If therefore an offence committed against the Pope, be more se­verely punished then an offence commit­ted against God; if the Popes Decrees be more authorized, thē the commandemēts God: if a man bee thought to haue sinned more hainously in disobaying the Pope, then in disobaying God; how can wee but confesse, that this sin of the two is thought to be the greater, and by a cōsequent that the Pope doth exalt himselfe aboue God? Experience confirmeth this; swear, & blas­pheame in Italie, no man is moved at it. Oathes are thought to bee but the flowers of eloquence. But should a man goe to Rome, and there say, that the pope is not head of the Church, it is not the intercessi­on of a king that could deliver him from the stake, or free him frō the clumbs of the Inquisition. The Iewes say that Christ was a deceiver, and yet they are suffered to liue quietly at Rome, but shoulde a man once dare open his mouth to dispute of purga­tory, hee would presently bee had to the house of Inquisition. There be certain sins [Page 104] which they call reserued cases, from which no bishop can absolue a man, except it bee only vpon the point of death. You will i­magine perhaps, that these cases are either murder, or parricide, or incest, or atheisme, or sodomie; no such matter. But these great sinnes from which none can absolue a mā except the pope only, are, the stopping of a man vpon the way as he is going to Rome to purchase him great pardons, the intru­ding ones selfe in a benefice, the stealing of church goods, to haue spoken ill of, or done ill, vnto the Apostolical seat, &c: such sinnes as these cannot be pardoned on this side the Alpes, except it be by a special permission, and that vpon the point of death. If you haue committed either murder or fornication, the priest will absolue you frō this. But if you haue eaten flesh the weeke before Easter, the priest cannot pardō this but must send you to the penitenciarie: and yet notwithstanding, one is the ordinance of God, the other a commandement but of man. In the Taxe of the popes Chancerie, in the chapter of pardons, 36. leafe. Incest with ones mother is fined at fiue groates, but in the page following, the falsifying of the Apostolicall letters are set at tenne groates.

[Page 105]2 Againe, the pope exalteth himselfe aboue God, when he takes vpon him to be the chiefe iudge in controversies of religi­on, in steede of deferring this soveraigne iudgement to the holy scripture, which is the word of God. It is said, that it is the church, which doth giue force & authority to the scripture, and that the pope is aboue the church: so he is two degrees aboue the word of God, seeing that he is aboue the church, and the church aboue the Scrip­ture.

3 But especiallie the pope exalteth himselfe aboue that, which is called God in the church of Rome, for so do papists at this time, call the bread of the Eucharist; they say, that they holde vp God in the Masse, when they hold vp the bread, that they carry God to the sick when they car­ry the bread, that they eate God and take their creatour, when they take▪ and eat the bread. Many kinde of waies doth the pope exalt himselfe aboue this God. For in the procession vpon the day of his coronation, and at other solemne times, they make this God go before him, carryed vpon a white horse, having a Sansbell about his necke, and a lantherne before, being covered all [Page 106] over with a Canopy, which is carryed vp by the citizens of Rome. But the pope comes after being carried vpon mens shoulders, vnder a Canopie helde vp by princes or princes ambassadors, the Emperor to (if he be there) putting to his helping hand, or if his Holynesse bee on horse backe holding his horses bridle, after that hee hath first held the stirrup for him to mount; as it is described at large in the 1. booke of holy Ceremonies, 2. Section, & 3. cha. compare the popes manner of furniture with that of his God, and yee shall see the Apostles pro­phecie fulfilled, where it is said, that he shall exalt himself aboue that which is called God, and is worshipped.

4 You shall see the like example to this, in the 1. Section of the 2. booke in the 14. cha. where it is set downe, with what solemnitie the pope doeth celebrate the masse in his owne person. As he is going vp to the Altar, the greatest prince, or the Emperour himselfe (if he be present) hol­deth vp his traine: there is a Canopy car­ried ouer his head, borne vp by 8. princes, or princes ambassadours: being before the Altar, whilst he is singing of the masse, the prelates come, and kneeling downe kisse [Page 107] his right knee: others kisse his feete. He doth bow himselfe, I confesse, before the host; but the standers by doe him ten times more reverence, then they doe God. The greatest prince in the company giues him water 4. times to wash, serving it to him vpon his knee, as Charles the 8. did to A­lexander the 6. He is capt, & vncapt, shod, and vnshod; gloued, & vngloued; ringed, & vnringed, I know not how often. There is his taster by him, as they vse to haue at princes tables. There standes one by his side, that points at the words in the booke with his finger, as we vse to serue litle chil­drē. He sucks wine out of the chalice with a reede. So that all well considered, this whole solēnitie, vnder a shew of worship­ping the Host, is done farre more for the honour of the pope, then for the honor of his God.

3 Let vs annex one proofe more; he that giveth authority to the holy scripture hath more authority thē the scripture. But Bishops of Rome take vpon them to giue authority to the holy scripture, & say that wee are to receaue it, because the pope hath so ordained He attributs more au­thoritie therefore to himselfe, then to the [Page 108] holy scripture. The minor is proved by the words of pope Nicholas in the 19. Distin­ction, and Canon. Si Romanorum, where he approueth of their saying which said, That the old and new Testament are to bee recea­ued, not because they are annexed to the Ca­nons, but because holy Pope Innocent hath pronounced that they must be receaued, For there, he doth not only not reprehēd those that speake thus prophanely, but doth herevpon ground the establishment of the popes Decretals, which are not inserted in the Canons. By this reckoning then, wee must beleeue; that God created the world; that Cain killed Abell; that Noah built the Arke; that God made a covenant with A­braham; that God gaue his law vnto Moy­ses; wee must belieue all this I say, not be­cause the holy scripture witnesseth as much, but because the pope & the church of Rome doe say that it is true, and that these bookes ought to be receaued; And for to make vs relie more vpon the autho­ritie of the Church of Rome, then of the scripture, they vse commonly to speake thus vnto vs. How would you knowe that this were the scripture, if the Church had not told you of it? whence they conclude [Page 109] that the church is aboue the scripture. As if I should say, I should not haue knowne that this was the king, but that such a man shewd him to me, therefore this man is a­boue the king. A wicked church may in­forme vs that this is the scripture. The Iewes made the old Testament knowne to the Apostles, & yet notwithstanding they persecuted our Saviour.

4 Briefly, to take such wordes out of the common forme of Gods law, as doe forbid vs to make images, or to fall down be­fore them, what is this but to correct God, and by a consequent to exalt himselfe a­boue God.

The third point. That the Pope doth set himselfe against God.

This needeth no long proofe, & it doth followe out of the two precedent points. For it is impossible, that hee should call himselfe God, & exalt himselfe aboue God, without being contrary vnto him, & withstanding his wil: yet behold some for­mal proofs for the confirming of this too.

1 God in the 4. of Deut. 2. verse, doth [Page 110] forbid vs to adde any thing to, or take any thing from his word. And at the end of the new Testament, God doth denounce a curse against him that shall adde any thing to the things contained in that booke. A passage, which the Councell of Friuli ap­proved by the Church of Rome doth thus expound. The Apostle S. Iohn in the Apo­calyps, vnder the name of one book, doth pro­test of all the bookes, both of the old and newe Testament, If any one, &c. On the contrary the pope doth presume to make new arti­cles of faith, and to adde to the Creed. At the ende of the last Councell of Lateran, there is a Bull of Leo the 10, wherein all Luthers heresies are reckoned vp. The 26. heresie is, that he said, That out of doubt it lay not in the handes either of the Church or Pope to make new articles of faith. And in the Councell of Florence, in the last session it is defined, that the Church of Rome may adde vnto the Creed. Of all the articles of faith which the pope hath ad­ded, I am perswaded that this is the worst. That Iesus Christ did not satisfie for the paine due to sinnes after Baptisme.

2 God saith, Drinke yee all of this, the Pope on the contrary, Yee shall not all drink [Page 111] of this, but this is the priviledge of Priests, and kings, If in the line going before, the commandement of eating bee made vnto the people, as well as vnto the Priest, why not the commandement of drinking as well?

3 God saith in his lawe. six daies shalt thou labour. The Pope saith, Yee shall not la­bour six daies, but yee shall keepe a great many other resting festivall daies in the weeke.

4 God saith, Deuter. 4.16. Take heede that yee corrupt not your selues, and make you a graven image or representation of any figure, whether it bee the likenesse of male or female. On the contrary the Pope suffereth images of God to be made in stone, and in painting, of the Trinitie in wood, and of God the Father in papall habiliments.

5 God saith in his law, thou shalt not lust; whence it followeth, that to lust, is to sinne, and so S. Paul calleth it, Rom. 7. v. 7. The Church of Rome on the cōtrary saith, that to lust is not to sinne. And the Coun­cell of Trent in the 5 Session saith, that this lust, which the Apostle calleth sinne, to speake properly is no sin, but onely that it springs from sinne, and makes vs prone▪ to [...].

[Page 112]6 God saith, Thou shalt worship God onely, where he speakes of a religious kind of worship. On the contrary, the Church of Rome doth with a religious worship▪ worship the virgin Mary, the Saints, their Images, their reliques, and the Pope takes vpon him to be thus worshipped, as wee haue aboue shewed by many witnesses, & by experiences, where wee haue also refel­led their evasions.

7 God saith in the 2 of Chron. 6. cha. 30. ver. That God only knoweth the hearts of men. On the contrary the Romish Church saith, that the Saints knowe our hearts, & our thoughts.

8 God saith in the 1. of the Apocalyps 3. v. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy. And S. Paul wrote vnto the people of Rome, Corinth, &c. vnto the ende that they should reade that which he wrote. On the contrary the pope forbids the people to reade the scrip­tures, to finde a Spanish or Italian Bible, in Spain, or Italie, is held for a capital offence and thought to be a note of heresie.

9 God by his Apostle in the 1. to the Corinth. 14. Chap. doth beate altogether vpon this, that wee ought not to speake in the [Page 113] Church with an vnknowne tongue; On the contrary, the pope doth make all his publicke service to bee read in a tongue, which the people vnderstand not, and ac­custometh women to pray in Latin, as though they were afraid to be vnderstood

10 God saith by his Apostle. 1. Tim. 3, v. 12. Let a Deacon be the husband of one wife. The pope on the contrary, Let him not be married at all; and so of Bishops.

11 God saith by his Apostle. 1. Cor. 10. If any of them which belieue not call you to a feast, whatsoever is set before you, eate, as­king no question for conscience sake. On the contrary the pope saith. If hereticks invite you to a feast, eate not of flesh vpon a fish day although they carne it vnto you, for it is a case of conscience.

12 God commandeth kings expresly to read in his law; which is the holy scrip­ture, al the daies of their life, that they may learne to feare him. On the contrary the popish Doctors, Bishops and Confessours, which are about Kings, never recommend the reading of the scripture vnto them; for they are afraid, that by this reading they might chance to learne the truth, & come to knowe that their Crownes are not sub­iect [Page 114] to the pope.

Finally, The holy scripture saith that life everlasting is the gift of God; Rom 6.23. Ephes. 2 8. Rom. 8.17. 1 Ioh 1.3. i. Cor. 10 11 Heb. 2.4. Heb. 9.10. & an in­heritance, which wee haue as wee are the children of God. That the bloud of Iesus Christ doth purge vs from all our sins. That we eate & break bread in the Lords Supper; That Iesus as he was man, was like vnto vs in all things, sinne only excepted. That Iesus Christ was offered vp for a sa­crifice but one onely time. All which doc­trines are cleane overthrowne by merits, by purgatory, by transubstantiation, by the sacrifice of the Masse, as wee haue for­merly shewed.

In all these things the pope doth op­pose himselfe against God, and resist his word. In so much that he suffereth a C [...]n Hac [...]. causa 31. quaest 1 Ca­non to be in his book of Decretals, which saith, that the Apostle S. Paul spoke against truth and reason.

The fourth point. That the Pope doth set himselfe against Kings and Magistrats, and exalt himselfe aboue them.

This fourth point hath been proued suffi­ciently [Page 115] in my first book. To degrade kings and thrust them out of their kingdomes. & after that he hath denounced them depo­sed, to expose them to the mercy of their subiects, in saying with Con. Bar­claium. c. 7. Bellarmine, that, Executio ad alios pertinet, the execution belongs to others: To tread vpon Empe­rours necks, and when they come to kisse his pantofle, to strike of the imperiall crowne with his foot: To make them hold the stirrup and the bridle of his horse; To whip Kings or their Ambassadors in their place with rods by way of pennance, ma­king them to fall downe before him; for which wee haue fresh examples, and they themselues brag of it: to raise infinite sums of mony vpon their Kingdomes vnder the colour of first fruites, bulls, dispensations, absolutions; and to withhold the fift part of their subiects from them, and the third part of their kingdome; are things that cā ­not be taken for any great good turnes, or testimonies of his loue towardes Princes. As for the exalting himselfe aboue them, pope Innocent the 3. in the Decretall that beginneth with, Solitae, puts as great a dif­ference betweene the pope, and the Em­perour, as there is betweene the sun & the [Page 116] moone. Which according to the rules of Astronomie. is 6539 times lesse then the sun; and we haue seene before how Bellar­mine maketh Kings as much inferiour to popes as artificers are to Kings.

The fift point. That the Pope doth call himselfe head of the Church.

WE need plaints rather them proofs vpō this point. For the pope doth not onely take the title of the head of the Church vpon him, but makes vs to feele the effects of it. Neither, when we say that the pope calleth himselfe head of the vni­versall church, doe our adversaries say that we wrong them, but they take it hardly, that we doe not beleeue them. And I must needs condemne our selues of blockish­nesse in offering to dispute about this title with him, seeing that pope Anaclet in his 3 Decretall Epistle, hath proued it so well out of the Gospel; saying, that Peter is cal­led Cephas, that is to say, the head. For this Etymologie must needes stand for good, since the pope hath approued of it. With the like soliditie, Extrau. v­ [...]m sanctā. doth pope Boniface the 8 [Page 117] ground this superiority vpon the very first line of scripture. In the beginning God cre­ated the heaven and the earth.

It is true, that to shift of the matter, they vse to say that the pope is but a ministeri­all head. But herein mee thinkes they doe delude themselues, because these wordes of a ministeriall head, are meerely contra­dictory, for it is as if one should say, a kingly subiect, or a masterly servant. And there is no king in the world, which hauing sent his Vice-gerent into a Province, woulde endure that hee should call himselfe king, although he should excuse it, and say that he were but a ministeriall king, And do we thinke that Iesus Christ, whome the holy scripture calleth the head of the church, will be well pleased that a man should take this title vpon him, vnder the pretext that some doe excuse it by,, saying that he is an inferiour, or ministeriall head? And yet for all this, not forbeare to rule like the cheife head, as it often falleth out, that vnder the title of the Kings Lieutenant many, doe v­surp the authority of the King.

But this is an other question. It is suffi­cient for vs if it appeare that the Pope names himselfe head of the church, for this [Page 118] is enough for the fulfilling of the prophe­cie contained in these words, that the son of perdition shall sit in the temple of God. For it is not without cause, that the holy ghost doth vse this worde of sitting, in steede of raigning. Because this is a word whereby the dignity, and papall authority is com­monly exprest. It is said, that he sitteth in the chaire of S. Peter, the common fashiō of speech is to say that Boniface or Clement sate so many yeares, insteed of saying they governed the church so long. And so doth the whore speak in the 18. of the Apocal. I sit as Queen, that is to say, I rule, shee the sāe sat vpon many waters, which are the people and nations, Apoc. 17. ver. 15. To sit there­fore in the tēple of God, signifieth to take vpon him to rule in the temple of God.

This temple of God, is the church of God: according to the stile of the new Te­stament, S. 2. Cor. 6.19 Paul speaks thus to the church of Corinth, What agreement hath the temple of God with Idoles? For yee are▪ the temple of the living God. So likewise it is said in the Apocalyps chap. 3. Him that overcommeth will I make a pillar in the temple of my God. And in the 11. c. the Angel of God cōmandeth S. Ioh. to mete the tēple of God, which is not a building of stones, but the church [Page 119] of God, called by S. Paule the house of God.

I am not ignorant that some of the An­cient by the Temple of God, haue vnder­stood the temple of Ierusalē, 1. Tim. 3.15 with the like cōiecture, as they haue said that Antichrist should be Nero, raised vp againe from the dead. But there be some others of the An­cient which contradict them. Chrysostome vpon this place. He shall sit in the temple of God, not in that of Ierusalē, but in the church Theophylact, and Oecumenius, vsing lightly to follow him, say the same. Authors, whō Bellar. hath thus falsified; He shall sit in the temple of God, not only in that of Ierusalem. This Only is of his own, falsly put in cōtra­ry to the reading of all copies. S. Hierome sheweth himselfe cleerly to be of this opi­niō. He shal sit in the Temple of God, that is either in Ierusalē, or in the church, which la­ter expositiō I take to be the truer of the two.

Others thinke to catch vs with a subtil­ty, and say. If the sonne of perdition be sate in the church, and the Pope be that sonne of perdition, it followes that the church of Rome is the church, since the Pope is sate there. The Apostle lendeth vs a helping hand to get out of this difficulty. For every one knowes that it is one thing to sit, and another thing to bee sate; the one notes a [Page 120] moving, the other a resting; the one signi­fies to take a place, and the other to keepe it. This is the reason why the Apostle hath set it downe in the accusatiue, [...], to represent a moving vnto vs. His meaning then is that the Pope shall sit in the temple of God, and take place there, but he doth not deny that after he is entered into the temple, and is sate there, hee shall driue the service of God thence. The temple of Salomō, was it not the house of God? And yet the Priests which were sate there changed it into a den of theeues: how much more if they had brought Ido­latry into it? They therefore which know­ing the abuses of the Church of Rome, say that they must not go out of it because Antichrist is there, suffer themselues (as it see­meth to me) to be bound with a straw, and to be held with a slight reason▪ and I can­not sufficiently wonder at their foolish­nesse: for they speake as if they should say. We may not go out of this house, for the plague is here; or thus, that we may not be the children of perdition, we must be sub­iect to the sonne of perdition. We confesse that the Church of Rome was the true church, when the Pope was first establisht [Page 122] therein, as well as the Greeke church, the Syrian, or Armenian, but whē he was once establisht there, by little, and litle he over­threw religion, so that they, which look to be saved, must of necessity goe out of her; And he that shall go out of her, goeth not out of the vniversall Church, but out of a particular corrupted church.

The fourth part of the Prophecie of S. Paule.

6 And now ye know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time.

7 For the mysterie of iniquity doeth al­ready worke.

The exposition of this prophecie.

6 And now ye know what it is that stai­eth his comming, which shall come to passe, at the time appointed, and foreordained by God.

7 For the foundations of this sonne of perditions dominion are already laied. And Satan doth even now draw out the thre [...]des, and spin the beginnings of his doctrine, which shall be woven togither by an abominable art, and full of wicked craft.

The proofe of this exposition.

For to proue this exposition, wee are to shew two things. 1. That there were some seedes of Papistry sowen even in S. Paules time. 2. That Papistry is built with artificiall mysteries, & fraudulent devises.

The first point. That there were some seeds of Papistry sowen even in S. Paules time.

1 THe affectation of preheminencie in the church. 2. The religious service done to creatures. 3. The Distinction of meates, and of daies. 4. The allurements of philosophy. 5. The traditions of men; all these are the maladies of the Papacie, and vices of the church of Rome.

There were some seedes of these vices sowne in the Apostle S. Paules time. For e­ven at that time, one called himselfe the disciple of Peter, another of Paule, and a third of Apollos; which were enflamed with emulation about chiefdome. The encrease of which disorders was for the present hin­dered [Page 123] by the humility, and vnion of the A­postles. And it may well seeme not to bee without great consideration, that the same Apostle hath advertised the Romanes not to be high-minded, vnder the paine of be­ing cut of. Rom. 11. For although the same instruction be giuen in general to the gen­tils, yet doth he meane it more in speciall to the Romans; foreseeing that their fall would come by pride; & giueth them this information, which they should take in­steed of a prophecy.

2 There were some of them too which were giuen to worship Angels, whom hee reprehendeth in his epistle to the Colossi­ans, 2. chap. Let no man (saith he) beare rule over you, by humblenesse of minde, and wor­shipping of Angels.

3 There were euen in those daies these words heard, Eate not, taste not, touch not. Col. 2. and many made a conscience of eating certaine meates. 1. Cor. 10. Rom. 14. and this for a religious exercise, and out of a voluntary devotion, & for no other end but to keepe downe the flesh. Then did some begin to make a distinction between daies, as if one had beene better then ano­ther, Rom. 15.5. Gal. 4.10.

[Page 124]4 Then were there some, that sought to seduce the simple by philosophy; where of S. Paul doth also admonish the faithful. Beware that no man spoile you through phi­losophy, and vaine deceipt.

5 In the same place he forbiddeth the Colossians to sticke to the traditions of mē; and he toucheth the corruption, that was growing amongst thē. Out of these sparks, through continuance of time, there arose a great flame: Satan endeavouring at that time to beate vpon this yron with as little noise as might bee, which hee could not bring to that perfect forme as hee desired, till many ages were past; There were many yeares to be imployed about the licking of this beare, before it could be brought to any handsome shape. The authority of the Apostles, the zeale of their disciples, the violence of persecutions, did stop him frō going forwards in his worke; but if frō the very infancie of the christian church, & in the sight of the Apostles, he did begin to set about this mysterie of iniquity; what did he do after these lights were extingui­shed, after this zeale was waxen cold; is it likely that hee woulde forget his former worke, or begin it so earely to cast it off at [Page 125] last? Seeing that if Antichrist must be such a one, as our adversaries describe him to be, to wit, a Iew, one that must build vp Ie­rusalem againe, and be a soveraigne mo­narch over the whole world, we see no be­ginnings yet of all this, nor nothing more vnlikely to come to passe.

The second point. With what cunning the prophecie is built and of the diverse sortes of guile that are therein.

AS the Apostle calleth the doctrine of our redemption, a secret or mistery of godlynesse, because of the height, & depth thereof: so doth he call the doctrin, which is framed with deceipt, and continued by deepe policie, a secret or mistery of iniqui­tie: which is the selfesame with that, which the spirit of God in the 2. of the Apocalyps calleth the deepnesse of Satan.

The policies imployed about the buil­ding of Poperie, and establishment of the papall dignity, are of 4. sorts. 1. There be some of them, which serue to blinde the people, and to darke their vnderstandings. [Page 126] 2. There bee others that serue to heape vp riches; 3. There be others that serue to ex­alt the pope, and his clergie to honour, & dignitie. 4. There bee others which serue for the preservation of that which is got­ten.

The first sort of Policie serving to blind, and inveigle the people.

THat the people therefore might bee blinded, and deceaued without vnder­standing so much; the pope hath wrested the scriptures out of their hands, and takē order that they should not bee translated into a knowne tongue. Within these fewe yeares, the scriptures were no more knowne to the people of France, then the Alcoran was: There were only some Latin Bibles in Monasteries, and in clergie mens houses. And evē at this very time in Spain, Italie, Sicilie, &c. to see an Italian or Spa­nish Bible, would be deemed to bee a pro­digy, and thought a matter sufficient to fetch one vnder the inquisition. To the same ende it is that hee will haue the com­mon service read in a strange tongue, and the women and children are taught to [Page 127] pray in Latin, for feare they should vnder­stand themselus. This once effected, it was easie for the Pope to drawe religion to his owne profit, & to disguise it as he thought best; the poore people suffering themselus perforce to bee led along by these guides, which haue hoodwinckt their eies. Ne­verthelesse because it is the nature of the people to be busie about some thing; ha­ving taken away the scripture from them, insteed thereof he gaue them images, to­gether with many outward ceremonies, & gay ornaments, to the end that whilst they stood gazing vpon these he might the ea­sier display his nets to ensnare them; Some pretty recreations they haue for to occu­py their mindes, whilst hee in the Interim builds a strong fort round about them, for to keepe them in slavish bondage.

2 But because, be you never so care­full herein, yet there will ever be some cu­rious spirits that will escape and get out, and that it is hard, but that some one or o­ther will be desirous to see the head spring and knowe vpon what authoritie Christi­an religion is founded; for feare least such a man as this, hauing gotten the sight of the scripture by stealth, should bee offen­ded [Page 128] for to see it so little agreeing with the doctrine of the Romish Church, they haue sought to prevent this inconvenience, by an impudent shift. That is, they vse to re­vile the scripture, saying that it doth not containe all things necessary to salvation, that it is but a peece of a rule, that it is ob­scure, and ambiguous, that the divell him­selfe makes vse of it, that it is not the chief iudge of controversies; but that frō thence wee must appeale to the Church of Rome, which cannot bee deceaued, and to the Pope which cannot erre in the faith; By these meanes they haue made the rule of religiō subiect vnto themselues, since that they themselues, are the rule of religion: and haue made themselues, both iudges & parties, since that in the accusatiōs against the Church of Rome, they will haue the Church to be iudge, and acknowledge no other true Church but the Church of Rome.

3 To the same end is it that they bind and tie the beliefe of the people, with an ignorant respect, making them to followe without vnderstanding, and to beleeue without knowledge, whereas the Iob. 10 4.17.8.6.69. Scrip­ture would haue vs first know & then be­lieue. [Page 129] So doe they fold the faith of an ig­norant man within the faith of his curate; but take away the means from him, where by hee might knowe whether his Curate taught the truth or no.

This also serueth to detain mens minds, to wit, that the Church of Rome by varie­tie of recreations hath studied to fit it selfe to all sorts of humors, and to content all kind of persons; There is not so distasting a spirit, but may finde something here to please his palat. Doe you loue pompe and magnificence? where is the like to that of the Cardinals, and Prelates? or set out with that stately furniture, as their most solemne Masses are? But if a sordid life bee more pleasing to any one, you haue the Capuchins, and Fevillants; doe you loue to liue at your ease? you haue your Abbays, and Priories, together with richly landed places for Canons and Monckes: who enioy their hearts desires, & haue the world at wil; but if you like ra­ther to liue like a beggar, you haue the 4. orders of begging Friars; if you affect soli­tarinesse, you haue the Hermits; if to keepe company, you haue the Convētuall Mōks; are you desirous of knowledge, behold the [Page 130] Iesuits that take vpon them to professe it; or if ignorance? you haue the ignorant Fri­ars, which haue made a vertue of ignorāce; Doth insolencie, and lasciviousnes, like a­ny one, there is shrouetide, a time appoin­ted to daunce, and revell in, which sportes if any chance to distaste, presently there­vpon ensueth ash-wednesday, which chā ­geth their countenances, and turneth all their lewd mirth into a suddaine devotion. At Rome you haue covents of cloystered Monckes wonderfull for their austerity, & stricktnesse of life; and hard by, the commō stewes: liberall almes bestowed on the ho­spitall of the holy Ghost; but withall sel­ling of benefices, dispensations, absoluti­ons, and Church offices.

All this is done in divers places, and by divers men, but behold contrary things in one and the selfe same person. The Pope makes Emperours to kisse his feet, but hee himselfe on Maundie Thursday washeth poore mens feet; he calleth himselfe a Mo­narch & God vpon earth, but ye shal heare him at another time, say that he is the ser­vant of servants. Pretty diversity, and de­lightfull; a witty people, to cloath religion with this variety of colours. There are [Page 131] none there, euen to little children of 6. and 7. yeares old, but shall haue some thing or other that wil content them; there are cer­taine feasts of purpose for them, as the feast of S. Catharin, and S. Nicholas, when they are clad in gay apparell, when they are led about in procession, & haue little painted pictures giuen them to beare in their hāds. When they are 9. or 10. yeares old they haue their heads bound about with fillets, and little crosses laid vpon them of beaten gold, thē the bishop stroaks their crowns, and this is that which they call confirma­tion.

The second Policie serving to gaine.

IN the second place, Popery hath made religion serue, as a meanes to gather vp riches;

1 This is the reason why they haue made a new article of faith, which over­throwes the whole gospel: to wit; that Ie­sus Christ by his passion hath not satisfied for the paine due to our sinnes which wee commit after Baptisme, but that it lieth vp on vs to satisfie for them, by doing pen­nance in this life, and after this life by bee­ing [Page 132] in the fire of Purgatory; a fire, seauen times more hot then common fire is, and wherein a man shall fry for many ages to­gither. But such is the mercy of his Holi­nesse, that hee pardoneth a great deale of this time to some, whither it be by iurisdi­ction, or else by way of suffrage.

2 To the same end is it, that they tie their pardons to certaine churches, and hang them on certaine altars; to which this priviledge is granted, that whosoeuer shal cause a Masse to bee said there, on such a day, shal haue his choice to free what soule he will out of Purgatory; but this is neuer done without paying; And in the buls of Indulgence there is this clause ordinarily inserted, that this priuiledge is for none, but Manus porrigentibus adiutrices, for such as shall put to their helping handes, that is to say, for such as shall giue some thing to the Church, or which shall put some thing into the poore mans boxe, which for this purpose is set before the church dore where the pardons are han­ged. Wherein wee may note a notable point of subtilty, for the Pope sending his Iubilee into Fraunce, sendeth it but onlie into two or three places of the Realme, & [Page 133] not thorough the whole Country, for so it would be hard for him to gather in the cō ­tributions; and the summes of mony being dispersed must needs be much diminished in passing through so many mens hands.

3 With the like cūning is it, that they vse to make the people institute obits, and yearely masses to bee said for their soules, which are bought at a deare rate. For to hope to haue Masses without mony, were but a folly; it is no reason that a mā should die cheape; yet this is one commodity that in this happy age, euery one is received in­to paradice for his mony; it cannot be ima­gined what profit they reap hereby: seeing that there is no mā which would not glad­ly giue all [...] he were worth, to bee deli­vered from a fire that should torment him but for halfe an howre, how much more to be freed from a fire wherein hee should lie burning I know not how many hundreth years; these were the meanes by which this shamefull gaine beganne first to encrease, whereby bodyly pennance, is turned into a pecuniarie mulct; they cannot haue the earth broken vp for them to be buryed in, nor the bels rung out, nor be named in the Memento without mony; yea & the masses [Page 134] are solde for more and lesse according to the degree of the solemnitie that they are set out in; there are none but the poore in a bad taking when they die. The 4. orders of the Friars Mendicant never come to visit them vpon their death beds, neuer accom­pany them to church at their funerals, nor do them any other seruice. For the Taxe booke in the chapter of matrimoniall dis­pensations, in the 23. leafe, doth put for an vndoubted maxime, that Hae gratiae non cō ­ceduntur paup ribus, quia non sunt, ideo non possunt consolari. These favours are not grā ted to the poore, because they are not, therfore they cannot bee comforted. For as thē they thought thēselues to stand on so sure ground, that they might scoffe at the peo­ple without any danger, and bragge how they had abused them.

4 The inuocation of Saints, and mira­cles, and supposed reliques, haue, and still do serue to the same end; for if one Saint be in credit, every one carieth his offrings to him; The Curate liues by this, & the vil­lage fareth the better for it; And when the people come to kisse the reliques, the ba­sen is never farre of. To go away without casting any thing into it, would bee [Page 135] thought to haue beene done in contempt, and be censured for an vncivill part; Their solemne feastes are daies of collection, which for this reason, haue beene so much the more multiplied; On such times as these, the Saints are better clothed then they vse to bee ordinarily, and the Virgin Mary doth change her attire.

5 To the same end is it that the Pope hath invented a thousand inhibitions for certaine meats, As also that hee hath for­bidden marriage in the third & fourth de­gree, & in spirituall parentage, & in Lent, &c. Because look how many the more in­hibitions there are, by so much the grea­ter need haue we to seeke for more dispen­sations, which do alwaies bring some pro­fit.

6 The Clergie it selfe is not exemp­ted hence, vpon whom the Pope doth raise yearely payments, and contributions, and makes every Archbishop amōgst them to buy his Pall at a deere rate, which is a white Pall; 4 fingers broad, with buttons of lead, covered over with blacke silke, made of the wool of certain Lambs which are bread at S. Agnes in Rome, according as it is related in the 1 booke of holy [...] [Page 138] vate designes of princes; If any one bee in­tended to trouble a state, and to make the people take armes against their King, his next way is to fall in with the Father con­fessours, that so he may knowe howe they are inclined, and by confession egge them on to rebellion.

5 Absolution after confession doth adde no lesse authoritie vnto them; For by this it is that they haue vsurped a tempo­rall dominion, yea ouer kings and princes; The pope will absolue a King, but vpon some tyrannicall conditions; to wit, if hee will submit himselfe to be ierkt, & to take a certaine number of lashes by the handes of Monkes; or goe in pilgrimage, or make his land tributary to the pope, holding it as from S. Peter, or send so many souldiers to such or such a country, for the service of his Holinesse; whereof we haue produ­ced many examples aboue.

6 In publike ceremonies, in Masses, in Sittings, & Feasts, they haue taken vp­on them to be princes superiours, and ex­act slavish submission at their hands; The Kings must serue popes at the Masse vpon their knees; They must hold his stirrup as he is getting vp to horse; They must hold [Page 139] his horse by the bridle as he is going; or else help to beare vp his chaire with their shoulders; they must wait vpon him at the table. And at the popes feast the chiefe Cardinall Bishop, is to sit aboue the high­est prince of Christendome; and it is a no­table maxime, and infallible rule, which is mentioned in the 3 booke 1. sect. and 2. chap. of popish ceremonies; to wit; Note that the Pope doth never doe reverence to a­ny man.

7 If there bee any fountaine that is good against the stone, or to comfort the stomacke, and strengthen the sin­newes, presently there is the statue of some Saint or other sent, and erected hard by it; as if this were done by some miracle and by vertue of the Saint, that so they may the more confirme superstition.

8 They haue also yet more exalted themselues by their works of supereroga­tion, by vertue of which, they obtaine a degree of glory in Paradice aboue the com­mon Saints, which had no other sanctitie but to obay God; wheras these squires do more then God hath commāded; their su­peraboūdant satisfactions serue for others, & the Monckes which haue suffered more [Page 140] paines their sinnes deserued, are in a man­ner our redeemers, as Bellarmin saith in the 4. chapter of his 1. booke of Indulgences.

9 The cases of marriage also haue bin a great helpe to encrease their power; for they haue remoued all matters of this na­ture from the courts of ciuill Magistrates. Whence it comes to passe that men repaire to Rome from all parts of Europe, for the disanulling of marriages, and for dispensa­tions to marry in forbidden degrees; the children that are borne out of which mar­riages, are boūd of necessity to defend the Popes authority, seeing that such marria­ges as these, depend altogither vpon his permission.

10 Of the same rancke is their com­mon service which they cause to be said in the Latin tongue. For as the Romanes did plant their language in the coūtries which they conquered, and the king of Spaine v­seth the Indians to speake spanish, because it is a marke of soveraignty, and a meanes to make them the more his owne. So the Pope hath made all the churches which are vnder him glad to yeeld their necks to this yoke, & hath giuen thē the Roman tongue, for a marke of subiection to the bishoppe of Rome.

The fourth Policie. The meanes how to keepe that which they haue gotten.

THe Popes being thus enriched, and exalted to this height of honour, did wisely cōsider, that it was to little purpose to get, if they were not able to keepe that which they had gotten; & this is the maine point aboue others in which they haue beaten their braines, and laboured to the vtmost of their power.

1 The first meanes, to preserue that which they had gotten, was to forbid men of the church to marry, for feare lest bi­shops and Curates, should encroach vpon church goods, and least they should turne little streames out of the common chan­nel to their private families; Gregory the 1. hath told vs as much aboue, saying, that he was therefore vnwilling to admit of a marry­ed bishop, because a wife and children, doe vse commonly to consume the church goods.

2 And for feare that Princes might come to finger their substaunce, and that their lands (for treason or other such like [Page 142] crimes) might chaunce to be confiscate to the crowne, they haue got to haue their iudges, their officers, & their prisons apart yea they haue so farre forth prevailed with our ancient kings, (which were intente to nothing else but to draw the sworde, and followe the game) that their civill causes were altogither decided at Rome; they did also obtaine that the church shoulde euer be held to be vnder age, that so they might not be bound to stand to any bargaine, if it were their lucke at any time to be over­taken.

3 And to the ende that kings & prin­ces should not put their noses in their af­faires, by medling with the choosing of De electi­one Papae vi­de 1. sect. 1. lib. sacr. Ce­remon. Popes, as they did heretofore, they haue not only confined this election to the suf­frages of a fewe Cardinals, but they shut them vp also within the Conclaue, damme vp the windowes, put in their meat vn­to them at a little hole; giue them their bread cut in small peeces, their wine in cleere glasses, for feare least there should be any ticket inclosed, wherby they might receaue some information from without; They dine every one apart, without hel­ping one another. And to make them dis­patch [Page 143] their businesse the sooner, their cō ­mons are diminished, and their ordinarie made lesse from day to day; yea Princes now adaies thinke themselues highly fa­vored if they can buy the Cardinals voy­ces for huge summes of mony, to the ende they may haue a Pope that will not handle them too rigorously; And there is scarse ever a Pope made but by such meanes as these.

4. The same politicke wisdome of theirs hath suggested this maxime vnto them, that for the strengthning of their state they must of necessitie oblige great families, and let them haue a share in the pray. Wherefore if a Prince or Lord haue a house overcharged with children, they will bestow a Cardinallship on the youn­gest, and make him an Abbot, or a Prior, this makes the house the lighter. A father hauing put his daughter into some religi­ous order, is not troubled to provide her a dowrie against her marriage day. They giue civill magistrates leaue, and make them capable of holding benefices, al­though they be married, so to make them obliged.

5 The chiefest point of their policie, [Page 144] is their thrusting of Prelates, and other churchmen into Councels, & into Courts of Parliament, to the end they may know all the affaires of a Realme; which is more; Cardinals promoted to this honour by Popes, sit in the Councels of kings, against all the rules of state, that a king should ad­mit such into his Councel, as are the crea­tures of a stranger; By the like reasō, kings should also for their parts haue some lay men in all Ecclesiasticall assemblies, and generall Councels, which should haue an eie over their actions, and knowe what they did; but they are to wise to suffer this.

6 This is not sufficient: For because a­mongst Prelats, Bishops, Abbots, and the most quallified men of the clergie, there are ever a great many honest, & well min­ded persons, which doe loue their coun­trie and the liberty of their Kings, the Pope hath therefore here and there dis­persed a great rabblement of petty Monks which should preach the obedience due to him; who meriting for themselues, and others, haue receaued certaine preroga­tiues of holinesse from the Pope, which o­thers haue not; The fraternitie of the Cor­deliers haue the privilege to drawe a soule [Page 145] out of Purgatory vpon certaine daies. The Carmelites haue the prerogatiue not to be in purgatory beyond the Saturday after their deaths. To weare the cowle, & make the vow of S. Francis & S. Dominick, doth confer the same grace that baptisme doth as Bernardine telleth vs in his Rosarie, and Thomas of Aquine, in his 4. booke of Sen­tences, and fourth Distinction.

7 But aboue all, their greatest policy, and all the depths of the mysterie of ini­quitie haue beene discouered in their in­venting the order of the Iesuites; which leaue the honour of keeping the vowe of pouertie, and chastitie to other orders, binding themselues chiefly to the vow of obedience, being tied in particular by an oath to the pope, whom they sweare to o­bay, In omnibus, & per omnia, with an obe­dience, which they call a blind obedience, such as doth execute the commandements of a superiour, without inquiring why; which are sent to run over the whole earth even to the Indies, which haue a permissi­to goe in Lay mens apparell, and to vse e­quivocation in iudgement, and not to re­veale the confessions of traytours, & con­spiratours against the life of their Kings: [Page 146] which take nothing from any by parcels, but catch by grosse, & swallow vp whole families together.

All these tricks, and devises, tend chief­ly to the ruine and reproach of kings, whō his Holinesse doth cause to bee whipt most shamefully, and with whose crownes hee dispenseth at his pleasure.

8 It is true indeed that the pope doth recompense them; For hee giueth them of his spirituall graces, an Holy Rose, a Stan­dard, or a sacred sword, a Boxe full of holy Graines, of little crosses, and beads, which in kissing and carrying about them, they shall gaine an hundred yeares of pardon. As also the priviledge of communicating vnder both kinds. Whoe will not stand a­mazed to behold these things? Or who will be so obstinate as not to be forced by the evidence of the truth? Although al this which I haue said is little, or nothing; I had need of better eies to looke downe in to the bottome of this so deepe a mystery. Wee haue produced nothing of this but what we haue knowne by experience. But how much more is that which lies hid, and which we doe not knowe? All other poli­cie is but blockishnesse in respect of this, [Page 147] and I am of opinion that they which are the contrivers of it, can hardly look vpon one another without laughing. Finally this is altogether such a subiect, as God doth demand for to shew that he doth cō ­found the wisdomes of men, and take the subtill in their own devises. But the Apo­stle calls vnto vs, intending to make the matter more cleere yet.

The fourth part of this prophecy.

7 Only he which now withholdeth, shall let till he be taken out of the way.

8 And then shall that wicked man bee revealed, whome the Lord shal consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his comming.

The explication of this prophecy.

7 There is nothing but one that hin­ders the disclosing of this Bishop. That is, that the Roman Empire (which doth now o­versway the whole world) must remaine yet for a time, and afterwards be abolished.

8 And when this Roman Empire shall bee destroyed, then shall this Bishop bee fully [Page 148] disclosed, and the Papall see shall bee exalted by the ruines of the Empire, which Bishop God shall beat downe, & weaken by the prea­ching of his word, but shall not destroy him vtterly till the last day of iudgement, then when Iesus Christ shall come in his glory.

The proofe of this exposition.

FOr the proofe of this interpretation, we are to shew, 1. That the papacie is en­creased, and exalted by the ruines of the Empire, 2. That God hath weakned the papacie by the preaching of his word.

The first point. That the Papacie is encreased by the ruine of the Roman Empire.

THe Apostle saith, That hee which doth obtaine shall obtaine, or that hee which boldeth must hold; By him which holdeth he vnderstandeth him, which possesseth, or holdeth rule; which cannot bee vnder­stood but of the Roman Empire, which did as then beare rule over a great part of the world. For the worde [...] which [Page 119] he vseth, doth signify to possesse. as in the 1. to the Cor. chap. 7. v. 30. Hee foretelleth vs therefore that the Empire which did beare rule must be abolished, and that out of the ruines of the Empire the sonne of perdition must exalt himselfe, & bee made manifest. The same word signifies also to withhold, or hinder; which also agreeth to our pur­pose. For the Roman Empire while it was in force did hinder the pope from rising, and kept him vnder, by punishing him, driuing him to corners, degrading him, if at any time he failed to do his duty. But this Empire being decayed in the West, & di­minished in the East by the Sarasins, The popes found means to seize vpō the chiefe citie of the Empire, together with a great part of Italie, & to devoure the neighbou­ring Churches, and Realmes at his plea­sure.

Now although the Fathers haue spokē nothing concerning these things, but on­ly by guesse, & coniectures; because they were not as yet come to passe, nevertheles I knowe not how it hath come to passe to bee a generall receaued opinion amongst them, and a common prophecie, that this sonne of perdition whom they call Anti­christ, [Page 150] should rise out of the destruction of the Empire, and be exalted vpon the ruins thereof: And they apply this passage to that purpose, wherin they al hold that Antichrist is spoken of: Tertullian in his book of the resurrection of the flesh, chapter 24 Onely (saith he) hee which now holdeth, must hold till he be abolished; what is this but the Roman Empire, the scattered parts whereof being divided amongst tenne kings shall pro­duce Antichrist, and then shall that wicked man be revealed, &c. Chrysostome in his 4. sermon vpon the second to the Thessalo­nians, What is it therefore that withholdeth, that hee bee not made manifest, that is to say, what is it that hindreth him from being re­vealed: some say that it is the grace of the holy Ghost, others say that it is the Roman Em­pire, of whose opinion I am altogether. The Greeke scholiast gathered out of diverse interpreters, saith the same. By him which holdeth, hee vnderstandeth him which hin­dreth; And what is this? some say that it is the holy Ghost, others that it is the Roman Empire, and this opinion is the best; S. Austin in his 20. booke and 19. chap. of the cittie of God: Whereas the Apostle saith, that only he which now holdeth, must hold till hee be a­bolished, [Page 151] this is thought by some and that not absurdly to be spokē of the Roman Empire, as if it had beene said, Only hee which now bea­reth rule, must rule, till he be put from it. Pri­masius; The Roman Empire shall be destroy­ed before that Antichrist bee revealed; S. Ierome saith the same in the 11. quest. to Algasia where he doth expoūd this place, If the Roman Empire bee not first destroyed, and Antichrist goe before, Christ shall not come. And a litle after, hauing said that the name of blasphemy written in the fore­head of the harlot clad in skarlet, is, Roma aeterna, hee addeth, that the Apostle durst not say in expresse tearms that the Roman Empire should bee abolished, for feare of drawing persecution vpon the Church.

Since therefore that the destruction of the Roman Empire must goe before the manifestation of the sonne of perdition which is called Antichrist, we are to looke whether this Empire be destroyed. For if it be found that it was long since ruinated, there is no question but the sonne of per­dition is made manifest.

Here vpon there is a question moved whether the Empire of Germanie bee the true Roman Empire, and the same Empire [Page 152] which was in the Apostles time. There be some that affirme this, building vpon this ground, that the Emperour of Germanie is called King of the Romans. Others say that we are not to stand on wordes, but things: And that the Romā Empire, wher­of S. Paul speaketh, is no more, as Machi­avell saith in his 1. booke of the Florentine historie: that, L' Imperio é tutto in terrâ. the Empire is all fallē flat vpō the ground. That the Empire of Germanie came not by succession from the auncient Romane Emperours; but that Charles the Great, King of France was the first founder of it. That the Emperour of Germanie holdeth nothing neither in Rome nor in Italie. That Germanie for the most part is out of the ancient Roman Empire. That it is vn­likely that hee should be the Roman Em­perour, which is not onely not Emperour of Rome, but sendeth to Rome to tender his submission, and to take an oath of alle­giance and obedience to him that beares sway there, to wit, to the Pope of Rome. And indeed Lypsius whoe hath spent his whole study in an exact knowledge of the Roman Empire, and which in this point yeelds to no man living, affirmes boldly [Page 153] that the Pope holdeth the remainder of this Empire; wherefore hee saith that this Pope and Roman Dictatour doth sustaine the parts of this ruined edifice. That hee hath his Senate clad in purple, whom wee may compare to Kings; That hee hath im­posts, and Embassadours from farre coun­tries. That Kings themselues, and Princes doe bend before him, and bow down their heads in token of subiection. Wherevpon also he saith that this sacred Empire at Rome, hath beene, and is, insteed of an ankor to floating Europe: And in my opinion the Pope and his Parasites do but plainly scof at the Emperor, in calling him king of the Romans, since that they haue taken away all Rome and Italy from him. But we need not here go about to decide this differēce; for it is is sufficient that all confesse the Roman Empire long since to haue beene so decayed, that one may say truly that it is ruinated, and destroyed; as say that our Kings should bee thrust out of al France, except it were a little Corner in Brittany, one might say that their kingdome were destroyed, & abolished. Besids, Bellarmine doth not see how he doth contradict him­selfe, in affirming that the Roman Empire [Page 154] whereof S. Paule speakes is not yet abo­lished: For hee saith by a consequent that the Empire of Germanie doth hinder the comming of Antichrist: which being granted, there is no likelyhood that Antichrist must be a Iew which shall take vp his seat in the kingdome of Ierusalem, for the Em­perour of Germanie hath no meanes to hinder this.

This then being out of question, to wit, that the Roman Empire, whereof S. Paule speakes, is already ruinated, it must needs also be that the sonne of perditiō is alrea­dy made manifest; since that hee is to rise out of the ruines of the Empire, and bee made manifest by the abolishment therof. We are therefore to finde out some state that did raise it selfe by the fall of the Ro­man Empire: the head whereof must call himselfe God, and take vpon him to rule in the house of God, which is his Church, and boast of signes and miracles: Doubt­lesse the Turke never tooke such titles: & there shall no man but the Pope be found to whom all these things will agree: who hath also made the seate of his Pontificall Empire in the same towne, which in the Apostle S. Pauls time was the seate of the [Page 155] Roman Empire, and which for many ages together was the chiefe cittie of the Em­pire: so that it cannot bee denied but that he holdeth the same place which the Ro­man Emperours did of old: And this is so knowne a thing that our adversaries thē ­selues are forced to confesse it, some of whose testimonies wee will cite. Nicholas Machiavell dedicateth his Florentine hi­storie to Pope Clement the 7: And yet for al that, in the 1. booke there of hee is not a­fraid to speake in this manner: The Empe­rour therefore becomming a Christian, and withdrawing himselfe to Constantinople, it followed therevpon that the Roman Empire came to decay, and the church of Rome to en­crease the more: neverthelesse till the com­ming of the Lombards (all Italie being vn­der the rule of Emperors or Kings) the Popes never tooke any other authoritie vpon them at that time, but to looke into mens manners, and their doctrine: In other matters they o­bayed the Emperours or Kings, which some­times did put them to death, and imploy them as their servants in what businesse they plea­sed: but that which woone them the more ho­nour, and made them to be the more respec­ted in Italie, was King Theodoricks laying [Page 156] siege to Ravenna: because Rome remaining without a Prince, the Romans to haue the more refuge, were compelled to yeeld the Pope the more obedience. Yet they did not gaine much authoritie by this, only the Church of Rome got to be preferred before that of Ravenna. But the comming of the Lumbards, & the division of Italie into so many parts, were the occasions of the Popes rising. Because he (be­ing as it were the head at Rome) the Emperor of Constantinople, and the Lumbards did so far forth respect him, that the Romans by the Popes meanes did enter a league of friend­ship with the Lombards, and with Longinus, not as subiects but as friends. And so the Popes continuing to be friends both with the Lombards, and with the Graecians, did en­crease their dignitie; but a little after ensued the downefall of the East Empire, which hap­ned about that time vnder the Emperor He­raclius, by the Sclavonians, Persians, Sara­sins, &c. He addeth farther that the Pope being not able to obtaine succor from the Emperour against the Lombards, sought to the kings of Fraunce for aide, and that all the wars which were in Italie after that time were raised by the Popes, which made Barbarians come to succour them, [Page 157] vnder which word of Barbarians hee doth also comprehend the French, who were the only men that did vphold the Papacie as it was falling, and which gaue the Pope whatsoever he doth possesse in Italie. Fi­nally hee concludeth this whole narration with these words. Wherfore to describe that which followed after this time, wee neede no more to tell of the ruine of the Empire which is vtterly decayed, but how the Pope came to encrease.

Hee that woulde see more particularly how the bishop of Rome hath made his cō modity by the ruine of the Empire, let him read Sigonius his historie of the kingdome of Italie. In the beginning of his 3. booke he relateth how (the Emperour Philippicus Bardanes, opposing himselfe against the receiving of images into churches) Pope Gregory the 2. did for bid the Italians to re­ceiue any letters frō the Emperour, to pay him any tribute out of their mony, to place his statue in their temples, or so much as once to name him in their publike service. This was the first time that the Popes did rebell against the Emperours, being much enfeebled by the Sarasins in the East, and spoiled of the Empire of the West. Before [Page 158] then they tooke heed not to raise any mu­tinies. Now this first attempt of the Popes fell out in the yeare of our Lord, 712. yet this stroke drew no bloud, for no man did for all this withdraw himselfe from beeing subiect to the Emperour. And Sigonius tels vs plainly that eleven yeares after, the Em­perour Leo gaue Marin, an Esquire of his body, the governmēt of the city of Rome, which place they that helde were called Dukes of Rome, to whom he gaue in com­mission to put Pope Gregorie to death: which he being not able to effect (the au­thority of Emperours as then decreasing from day to day, he commanded his Lieu­tenant in Italie who was called the Ex­arch, to spoile him of his Popedome, & to degrade him; But Gregorie sued to the vsurpers of Lombardie for aid, against the Emperour his naturall Prince: And his di­spute concerning the service of images served him for this purpose, wherein vn­der the colour of devotion he did oppose himselfe against the Emperors, which did beat downe images in all places; and ha­ving perswaded the Italians that to over­throw images was to overturne Christian religion, hee made the Emperours odious [Page 159] to the people of Italie. Till at last in the yeare 725. hee wrought them of Rome, of Campania, of Ravenna and Pentapolis to revolt from the Emperour, with a thou­sand cruelties practised vpon those that tooke the Emperours part; Wherevpon Sigonius concludeth thus; By these meanes Rome and the Dukedome of Rome came to be in the Popes power, being taken from the Grecians by reason of their wicked heresie; that is to say, that the Popes did take away the chiefest part of the Empire from vnder the Emperours government, because they would not yeeld to worship images. This was the pretext; but the true cause was, because the Emperour was poore & weak so that one might offend him without much danger. This notwithstanding was nothing in respect of the greatnesse to which Pepin king of France did exalt the Pope in the yeare 755. which is the time wherein the Pope did first begin to bee an earthly Prince vnder any title. Now even as when a great tree doth fall, every man runs with his hatchet to get some branch or other: Even so in the ruine of the Ro­man Empire, diverse Princes, and people [...]an to the wracke thereof, and every one [Page 160] snatched a part of it. But the Bishop of Rome over and aboue the possession of the head citty of the Empire, and of the coun­try round about, did by little & little take the markes and dignitie of the Empire vp­on him, to wit, his habit, & shooes of skar­let; his senate clad in skarlet, the power of enrolling some for Gods, and Canonizing them for Saints: the obeisance, & submis­sion of all the Princes which doe agnize him▪ the Canon law in imitation of the ci­vill: Embassadours called Legats, as those of Emperours. Papall iniunctions in imi­tation of the imperiall. Imposts, and tri­buts vnder the title of Annates and con­tributions. The imperiall crowne; but tri­ple. So that becomming of a Bishop to be a King, hee did labour tooth and naile to make a monarchie of the church, & a Temporall Empire of a mysticall and spirituall body: For which purpose hee made vse of our ancient kings (especially after Lewes surnamed the Debonnayre) which being plaine meaning men, not seene in pointes of religion, thinking that to study was a disgrace for a King, suffered themselues to be led by an idle respect, vnder colour of the keyes, and S. Peters chaire, till a last [Page 161] they did cease to bee their owne masters, seeing that their crowne is at the popes disposall, who takes it and giues it to whō he thinkes good▪ These things haue beene noted by Guicciardine that famous Histo­rian in the fourth booke of his historie, where after a long discourse of the rising and advancements of the popes, hee shuts vp all with these wordes. The Popes vpon these foundations, and by these meanes being exalted to an earthly dominion, having by little and little neglected the salvation of soules, and cast aside the remembrance of di­vine instructions, bending their studies howe to attaine to worldly greatnesse, & vsing spi­rituall authoritie no farther, but as it was an instrument, and help for the temporall, did begin to shew more like secular Princes then Bishops; A Out of the Venice edition printed in the yeare 1514. in pag. 125. after these wordes Il Ba glidi Digiuno. passage, which together with others the Expurgators haue razed cleane out of the last editions of Guicciardine. To be briefe he must bee very little read in hi­story, that can bee ignorant of the accom­plishmēt of the Apostles prophecy, which saith that when he which bore rule should be abolished, then the sonne of perdition should be exalted and made manifest.

The second point. That God hoth staggered the Papacy by the preaching of his word, & shall destroy it finally by his last comming.

IN the yeare of our Lord 1513. the pope­dome being in the heigth of worldly glory, and covering al the earth over with a darknesse more thick then that of Egypt, pope Leo the 10 began a most shamefull trafficke: sending messengers to carry his pardons into all places, who sold the re­mission of sinnes at a set price, and for two crownes would drawe a soule out of Pur­gatorie. These Babylonish merchants wēt from towne to towne venting their ware, and gathering infinite summes of money, which as they made shewe was to bee im­ployed in warre against the Turke, but the diuell a souldier was euer prest for this purpose; but all was converted by these Collectours to the buying of Cardinals caps, and the maintaining of pride and in­solency, as if one should take a sack full of crownes, and throwe it into a deep quag­mire. The holy scripture as then was no [Page 163] more knowne to the people then the hi­story of the newe Guinie. The subiect of their sermons was onely to speake of the miracles of Saints, and vertues of reliques: Iesus Christ could scarse be knowne from their common sort of Saints, and it was a long time before he could get a fea­stiuall day to be assigned vnto him. The common fashion was to wrap men, as they lay a dying, in a Monks gown, that so they might dy in the state of grace; this was thought to bee of no lesse vertue then a se­cond baptisme. Amidst this so grosse igno­rance which was scarse two fingers bredth from paganisme, yet for all, euen at that time, this marchandize did seeme so odi­ous, that euery one cryed after a reforma­tion, & many had a desire to see the foun­taines and headsprings of christian religi­on, and to consult with the scripture that was kept hid from them. Luther did tran­slate it into the German tongue, & being assisted by others did by vrgent perswasi­ons exhort the people to follow the Ioh. 5. v. 3 [...] coū ­sell of Iesus Christ, who willeth them to search the scriptures that they may haue e­ternall life: These abuses being by these meanes discouered, the Gospell was made [Page 164] open vnto all, and infinite sorts of people came flocking vnto the doctrine of sal­uation. England, Scotland, Denmarke, Suethland, the greatest part of Germanie, & of Swizzerland, a great part of the low Countries, of France, of Hungary, Bohe­mia, Polonia, Morauia, and Transsyluania, acknowledged their errour, opened their eies, gaue the glory to God, and shook off the Romish tyranny, not to speak of those which euen in Italy and Spaine it selfe doe grone vnder the yoke, and earne after li­berty. To these churches newly reformed in many places, we may add others which before Luthers time held the same doctrin that he did, which were in Hungaria, in Province, in the valleyes of the Alps, in Bohemia, and in diuerse other places, be­ing the remainder of that horrible perse­cution, which the pope practised amongst them some foure or fiue hundred yeares since. Since what time, euen in the Coun­tries ouer which the pope is absolute commander, the reliques are not visited so of­ten as they were wont, and may bee seene for lesse money, then they vsed to bee for­merly: The gifts and offerings of our La­dy of Loretta, and of S. Iames in Gallizia, [Page 165] are by two thirds lesse then they were: The badges of the They bore crosses on their breasts which waged warre for the Pope against the Turke, or any other infidels. crosse, by which the pope in turning of his hand could leuie whole armies; are now no more in vse. And there be some states and common-wealths, euē in Italy it selfe, which dare argue the case, and dispute with what right hee holdeth one of his swords, to wit, the temporall. And out of doubt popery had beene abo­lished ere this, if Kings and Princes had not vpheld it by their power, and if their crueltie had not compelled men to yeeld vnto it for feare; and if the great revenews which the Clergie possesse did not hold many people fast bound by the bellies, & obliged to maintaine this error. Now this so suddaine and so great a change doth e­vidently shewe, that before euer Luther taught, many did distast this abuse, and watcht for nothing but an occasion to cast of the yoke of tyrannicall superstition, we haue therefore by the events which fell out in our fathers time seene a greate part of the accōplishment of the Apostles pro­phecy, which is, that Iesus Christ shoulde consume the sonne of perdition by the spi­rit of his mouth, which is a fashion of speech vsed by Isaiah in the 11. chap. & 4. [Page 166] ver. where speaking of Iesus Christ he saith, that he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, & slay the wicked with the breath of his lips. so, that which the Prophet calleth the breath of his lips, S. Paul calleth the spirit, or breath of his mouth; wherfore also in the 1. of the Apoc. it is said that a sharp two-ed­ged sword went out of his mouth: which sig­nifies the peircing vertue of his word. And out of questiō if the kingdom of the son of perdition must be established through the doctrine of lies, it must needs bee that hee must be overthrown by the word of truth. Nor doth S. Ieromes interpretation, in the 11. quest. to Algazia, cōtradict this, which will haue the spirit of his mouth to signifie the power & ordinance of his maiesty: For what is the worde of God but his ordi­nance? And preaching, which makes the foundations of Babylon to totter, could it haue this vertue without the power & effi­cacie of God for to quicken it?

Now to shew that this finall destructiō of the son of Perditiō must not be wrought all at one blow, but by little and little, the Apostle vseth the word [...], which signifieth to wast and consume, and not to kill as the cōmon translation of the church of Rome turnes it, as if it were [...]; I do [Page 167] not here dispute whether S. Paule by this discomfiture or consuming, do vnderstand an vtter abolishment, or only a weakening of the Papacie: only this I say, that the A­postle vseth such words as signifie that this destruction shall not be effected but in processe of time, and by degrees. I say more­over that God hath already put his hande to the worke, and made vs see the accom­plishment of this prophecy well onward.

For as for the finall destruction of the sonne of perdition, S. Paule hath told vs before hand that it shall not be till the day of iudgement, saying, that God shall abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming; A­greeable to the prophecy of Daniel, which makes him to last, till the thrones were ere­cted, and the ancient of daies sate, Dan. 7. v. 8.9.10. and that the sessions were held, and the bookes were o­pened. Which we are therefore the more to note for feare least any one to delicatly impatient should flatter himselfe in his hopes and promise to himselfe that he shall liue to see the Pope vtterly abolished: for feare also least being too hasty in our desires, we come at length to murmur, and complaine as if the time were prorogued.

This point were at an end, but that I cā ­not [Page 168] passe by Apol. con­tra Regem. c. 9. parag. At inq [...]unt. Bellarmines allegation of Chrysostome, taken out of his 4, sermon vp­on the 2. to the Thessalonians, which place (as it seemes) he did not vnderstand. Chry­sostome speaketh thus, [...]. Bellarmine in the 9. chapt. of his booke a­gainst the king turnes it thus. Quemadmo­dum irruens ignis passim minuta animalia e­tiam antequam planè adveniat procul adhuc situs terrefacit & consumit. He thought that [...] signified, passim irruere, wher­as it signifies, illabi, or supervenire, & that [...] signified, terrefacere. Whereas it signifies sopire or soporare; but let vs come to that which followes.

The fift part of this Prophecie.

3 Which wicked mans comming is by the effectuall working of Satan, with all pow­er and signes, and lying wonders.

10 And in all deceiueablenesse of vn­righteousnesse, among them that perish, be­cause they received not the loue of the truth that they might be saved.

11 And therefore God shall send them [Page 169] strong delusion that they should beleeue lies.

The explication of this prophecie.

9 The Pope shall come fortified with the might and efficacie of Satan, with power, and signes, and false miracles, & serving to esta­blish lies.

10 Whereby such as are markt out to perdition shal be lewdly seduced, because they haue not loved the truth of the gospell which might haue saued them.

11 And therefore God shall suffer thē to be seduced, and to be driuen into strong de­lusions, and that they may beleeue lies.

The proofe of this Exposition.

ALthough the ordinary workes of God deserue most to be admired, yet men never wonder at these, but are still desirous to see some extraordinary thing: Few are there that take notice of the suns moving, but what a wonderment would it be to see the sun stand still? And yet notwithstan­ding the motion thereof is the more won­derful of the two. Man is naturally encli­ned to looke after extraordinary eventes, [Page 170] but to to carelesse to better himselfe by them. So the Iews resorted to Christ: be­cause of the miracle of the fiue loaues, but not to receiue instruction. This is the rea­son why God, being willing to direct mēs vnderstandings by naturall means, did an­nex miracles to the publication of his law and his gospel: that so he might plant a du­tiful respect in our hearts, before he did engraue his will in them. Yet for feare that miracles by being made to commō should cease to be miracles, he thought it not fit to satisfie every mans curiosity in this, but sends vs backe to the hearing of his word: which being once confirmed by miracles in the first publication thereof, to aske any more for miracles is manifest incredulitie. Herevnto adde that Satan doth sometimes imitate the miracles of God, but never his truth, whēce it happens that he which will not beleeue except he see miracles, doth thereby (without thinking of it) sollicit Sa­tan to worke some miraculous feates, and to sport himselfe in deluding him. This is the reason why our Lord in the 13. of Deuteronomie doth forbid vs to iudge of the doctrine by the miracles, and woulde that we should rather iudge of the miracles by [Page 171] the doctrine, saying that if any one shal giue vs a signe, or wonder, and the signe or wonder which he told of should come to passe, yet we must not harkē vnto him if he once say, Come and let vs go serue other Gods; that is to say, if he shall teach false doctrine. Such were the miracles of the magicians of Egypt, which counterfaited the power of God. Such were the miracles of the ancient he­reticks, who disputing against the Catho­lickes did alleadge their miracles, as Ter­tullian reporteth in 44. chapt. of the booke of prescriptions. They will moreover (saith he) speake much concerning the authority of every hereticke, that they haue more then any others cōfirmed the certainty of their doctrin that they haue raised the dead, healed the sick, foretold of events to come, that they might be reputed for Apostles: as though this also were not written, that many shall come doing great miracles, for to strengthen the deceitfulnesse of their wicked preaching. And in the 3. cha. of his 3. booke against Marcian, hee saith, that the false Christs doe worke miracles ve­ry easily. For Iesus Christ tels vs that in the last day many shall say vnto him, haue not we cast forth divels in thy name? To whome he shall answere, I know yee not, depart from [Page 172] me yee workers of iniquity. And in an other Mat. 24 ver 24. Marc. 13 v. 22. place he saith, that false Christs; and false prophets shall arise, & shall shew great signes, and wonders, so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very elect. And S. Paul yet more in particular saith of the sonne of perdition which is called Antichrist, that his comming shall be with signes, and lying wō ­ders, so called, both because they shall bee deceitfull miracles, and meere illusions, as also because they shall serue to establish a lie.

Which made me not a little wōder how Bellarmine and others came to put mira­cles amongst the notes of the true church, since the spirit of God hath given it vs in these last daies for a marke of the false. And that after the miracles of the Apostles, and their disciples, we hear of no miracles foretold, but only those of false teachers, and the sonne of perdition, as the author of the commentary vpon S. Matthew (common­ly fathered vpon Chrysostome) saith in the 49. sermon. We do not now acknowledge ani [...] to be the ministers of Christ because they doe profitable miracles, but because they do no [...] of these miracles. It is an evill and adulte­rous generation that seeketh signes, saith [Page 173] Christ in the 12. of Matthew; But the faith­ful rest the contented with the wil of God revealed in his word: For if we teach no o­ther doctrine then that of the Apostles, their miracles are ours, and confirme our religion. It is for them that forge newe ar­ticles of faith, to worke new miracles, that they may be beleeued.

Now for to finde the accomplishment of S. Pauls prophecy in the miracles of Popery, wee are of necessitie to rippe vp the whole matter from the beginning, and to see by what miracles the Papacy beganne first to be advanced.

The Apostles & their Disciples having wrought many excellent and sauing mira­cles, this vertue did insensibly diminish by little and little. This notwithstanding in the third and fourth ages there were some miracles done. But wheresoever God hath his Church, the divell will be sure to build him a chappell not far of: and where he cā ­not overthrowe the worke of God by cō ­tradicting it, hee will obscure it by coun­terfeiting the like therevnto. He did ther­fore doe many miracles by the handes of hereticks, as S. Austin doth confesse in his 13 tract vpon S. Iohn, and in the 16. chapt. [Page 174] of his booke of the vnitie of the Church, where he saith that Donat and Portius did miracles, of whom and of all those which pray towards the sepulchers of the dead, and which see visions, he saith, that they are either the fictions of lying men, or prodi­gies of deceitfull spirits.

Satan hath for this purpose made vse of another more subtill device. For hee hath raised vp historians, which in rehearsing the true miracles of the good servants of God, doe adde some of their owne, & min­gle the true with the false. Or else he him­selfe hath wrought some absurd and ridi­culous miracles, which hee hath patcht in among the actions of the Saints, so to make the true miracles suspected, being thought to come out of the same shop.

S. Martin did doe God great service in winning the Gaules from Paganisme, and advancing Christian religion, and was a man full of zeale, and mightie in workes; but Severus Sulpitius, which tels vs that he saw him, reporteth many things of him which turne to his disgrace, and make the whole historie ridiculous. Hee saith that Martin healed one that was possessed of a divel by giving him somthing to purge, [Page 175] and that he made him void the divell out at his backe parts. Tractain de trans [...] Martini. He, the same relateth how Martin did inioine a company of wild fowle not to catch any more fish, cō ­manding them to flie thence into a desert country. A certaine man comming into one of Martins cels, & finding a fire there sate him down, tuckt vp his clothes about his knees, so to warme him the better, which Martin (who as then was in ano­ther roome) knowing by revelation, cryed out from farre. Quis nudato inguine nostrū incestat habitaculum? These tales which follow here are worse. He saith that Mar­tin promised the mercy of Iesus Christ vn­to the divell, if hee would but repent, as if Iesus Christ had died for the divels also. The brother of Martin being dead, his soule was presented before God, and for his sinnes sent to hel, there to be grievous­ly tormented: But two Angels, came, and signified to God (for God himselfe knewe not of it) that this was the man for which Martin prayed, wherevpon God com­manded that hee should bee releast, sent backe againe into the world; and restored to Martin. After his death a dog barked incessantly at certaine men as they passed [Page 176] by, one of which turning backe, said vnto the dog, In the name of Martin I command thee to be quiet. What was this but to place Martin in the roome of Iesus Christ, & to make vse of his power in a matter of no importance? whereby you may see, that Satan did euen then begin to cast his pro­iects, how he might establish the worship of Saints in the Church, and make them which had abandoned the false Gods, change the true Saints into Idoles. Now this was about the 400. yeare of our Lord.

But these things began dayly to growe worse and worse; for two hundred yeares after came Gregory the 1. Bishop of Rome, surnamed the Great, for what reason I knowe not; who in his dialogues doth furnish vs with other examples of this kinde. In the 1. booke and 4. chap. an Angell gel­deth S. Nocte qua­dam assisten­te Angelo Eunuchiza­vi sevidit. Equitius in his sleep. In the same place a maid comming into a garden, and taking a lettice to eate it, crusht the divell betweene her teeth in the lettice: and this poore divell (whom belike she swallowed downe together with the lettice (being commanded to goe out and chekt by E­quitius, excuseth himselfe, saying. Ego quid feci? sedebam ibi super lac­tuc [...]m venit illa & m [...] ­mordit me. Alas what hurt did I, I was sitting quietly vpon [Page 177] the lettice, and she came & bit me. The fault was in her for not making the signe of the crosse when she gathered the lettice: and it may bee the diuell would haue vanished from out the leaues, if shee had but dipped her lettice in vineger. In the 19. chapter. S. Boniface maketh a fox, with all gentlenes that may be, to bring back a chicke which he had taken away. And in the 10. chap. a Lady of good fashion is possessed with a diuell because shee lay with her husband the day before the dedication of a certaine church. In the first chapter of the 2. booke, the diuell breakes S. Bennets bell with a stone, which hee did vse to ring, when hee would haue meat brought vnto him. A lit­tle after, the same Saint burning with the fits of loue, did (for to correct the outragi­ous insolencie of his flesh) roll his naked body vpon thornes, and nettles, till the blood sprang out againe. In the 20. chap. a Monke holdes a candle to S. Bennet all supper time, as though it had beene a sinne for him to set it downe vpon the table. In the 22. chap. the Deacon saying, as the fa­shion is, Si quis non communicat det locum. If there be any one here that doth not communicate, let him depart, two maids being buried in the church, which died [Page 178] without euer receauing the Communion, rose out of their graues, went out of the church, & returned againe after the com­munion was ended. In the 14 chap. of the 3. book, S. Eutiche calleth a Beare his bro­ther, giuing him a charge to lead his flock to feeding, and to bring them home still at night. In the 15. chap. some of the cloaths of this Saint, being hanged out, haue the vertue to procure raine. In the 4. booke and 21. chap. two Monkes that were han­ged, doe sing most melodiously vpon the gibbet after their deathes. And this fourth booke is spent wholly in mentioning of soules, that say they are in Purgatory, not in a fire vnder the earth, that the Pope might draw them out by his Indulgences (for this invention was not yet thought vpon) but in bathes, in the wind, vnder the leaues of trees, or in the cold water. And these soules being asked why they suffe­red these paines, answered, because they had wronged some Monk or other, or had not giuen that to the Church which they had promised. Wherevpon Gregory stands amazed at the so frequent visions of souls, neuer heard of before. Saying in the 41. chap. Whence comes it to passe I pray you, [Page 179] that in these latter daies we haue so many things revealed concerning the soules of the departed, which lay hid from vs before?

Behold two abuses, euen in those daies, crept into the Church of Rome, and both confirmed by miracles, to wit, the Adora­tion of Saints, and the opinion of Purga­tory; although this were another kinde of Purgatory, thē that, which we haue in the church of Rome now adaies. And this was not aboue 600. yeares after Christ.

But in the two next ages following, Sa­tan holding on his olde course, did much advance the mysterie of iniquitie, hauing raised vp a new heresie, to wit, the Adora­tion of images, which was no small helpe to the exalting of the Papacy. For in the controversie cōcerning Prioritie between the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the Bishop of Rome, the Emperour Phocas de­ciding it on the Bishop of Romes side, & a little after the Emperours forces decay­ing in Italie, the pope after hee had vsurpt the title of the head of the church, began to cast about how hee might shake of the yoke of the Empire: and the Bell. lib. [...] Imag cap. 1 [...] parag Arg [...]mentum. E [...] adem occas [...]one amisit dem Leo [...] successor es ius imperi [...] Italiae. the question concerning images falling fit to his pur­pose for to withstand the Emperor, which [Page 180] did persecute the worshippers of images, he made himselfe Prince of Rome, and of a great part of Italy, by such meanes and de­grees, as we haue formerly related. Mira­cles were made serue to this end, which as then were so frequent, that it was held for a miracle, not to worke a miracle. Baroni­us in his Annals, in the 870. yeere parag. 63. names certaine witnesses which report that three miles of from the towne of Da­mas, there was in former times a table or image of the virgin Mary in painting, the painting whereof came to bee flesh incar­nate within the wood, and sent forth a more odoriferous oyle then balme. Luit­prandus, and Platina in the life of Sergius the third, reports that when the body of pope Formosus was carryed into S. Peters church, all the images of the Saints that stood there did him obeysance. Bellarmine in the 12. chapter. of his booke of images, speakes of an Hermit that was tempted with fornication, to whom Satan promi­sed that he would tempt him no more, that is to say, that hee would giue him the gift of continency, on conditiō that he should ever after that adore the image of the vir­gin Mary. This was a meanes rather to in­cite [Page 181] him on to it afresh. There are images shewed at Burgo in Spaine, which are re­ported to haue fallen from heauen, and to be made by S. Luke, and images of a cru­cifix the haire & nailes of which do grow out new every month. Caesarius and others recite infinite miracles done by images, which did sweat, or weep, or speak, or wag the head, and it is certaine that (if at least­wise we may beleeue these people) the i­mage of the virgin Mary hath wrought a thousand times more miracles, then Iesus Christ himself ever did in his own person. Which holy virgin they haue prophanely dishonored, by attributing such miracles vnto her as are scarsely honest. There is an Italian booke sufficiently knowne, intitu­led, Miracoli d' ella gloriosa virgine Maria printed at Milan in the yeare 1547. which saith that a certaine Abbesse being great with child, the holy virgin willing to co­ver her crime, did in her steed present herselfe before the Bishop in forme of an Ab­besse, and shewd him by an ocular demon­stration that she was not great with child. The same booke relateth that an honest woman snatcht the virgin Maries sonne from betweene the armes of her image, [Page 182] saying vnto her, Giue me my sonne which is kept prisoner, or I will not giue thee thine, & that the virgin Mary for to haue her owne sonne did free the other womans sonne out of prison. Caesarius in his 7. booke 35. chap. reports that the virgin Mary for 12. whole yeares together, did supply the place of a certaine Nunne called Beatrice, whilst shee lay in the Stewes, till at last she came backe againe to take her place, and freed the Virgin from standing sentinell any longer. And God being enraged a­gainst the rebellion of men, hath giuen to these miracles a powerfulnes of deluding, that so the Apostles prophecy might bee fulfilled.

Nowe looke after what manner Satan went about at first to establish the wor­ship of Images, the same way did he go to lay the foundation of transubstantiation, & did also for the authorising of this, serue his owne turne with a new sort of false mi­racles. For many faithfull servants of God opposing themselues against this errour in the rising thereof, the foster-fathers of this abuse, began to invent a kinde of miracles never heard of before. A certaine Monke reportes that he saw Iesus Christ in forme [Page 183] of a childe sitting vpon the Altar; another saith, that Albertus Krantzius in Metrop lib. 1 cap 9. Wer­nerius Role u­ingius de laud Westph cap 7. Sigon. de reg. Ital. ad annum 1264. Plati­na in Leone 3. Onuphr. in Platinae Vr­banum 4. Meierus an­nal. Flandri. lib. 33. Wittikind King of the Saxons, entring disguised into a church, and dili­gently observing the Christians fashion of receauing the communion, saw them put a litle pretty smiling boy into their mouths. Others report that they haue seen the host make the signe of the Crosse: others that they saw Angels which held a little childe vpon the altar, and afterwards cut him in­to a thousand small pieces. Iodocus Coccius Canon of Iuliers doth produce 35. such like examples as these, and yet doth not al­leage the one moyty of them. All these mi­raculous apparitions of flesh, and bloud, beganne in the yeare 785, for before that time they were never heard of, nor doe our adversaries alleadge any one example of them: neverthelesse to giue colour to these new fables, by the testimony of some an­cient witnesse, one (I know what manner of man) Amphylochius by name, hath writ­ten the life of S. Basill, many ages after Ba­sill was dead, altogither different from that which Nazianzen hath writtē of the same subiect, where he saith that a Iew saw an infant torne in many pieces betweene S. Basils handes. The like fable is related by [Page 184] Simeon the Metaphrast, a new author, in the life of Arsenius the Hermite. For it shal never be found that any author, as ancient as Basill, or Arsenius, or those which came long after, did ever speake of this. The 8. age began first to bring forth these prodi­gies, and impostures: Iesus Christ as then beginning to make himselfe known in the Masse, and to shew himselfe in his proper shape, beeing a perfect compleate man in heauen, and but a childe vpon earth, whol­ly entire in heaven, but here cut and man­gled into small pieces betweene the hands of the Priest. Wherefore they do yet keepe some bloud & flesh in many churches, for feare least the people suspect that these were illusions. For Satan even in those daies did secretly begin to weaue the web of the mistery of Transubstantiatiō: which having cōfirmed by these miracles, he got it at last to passe in an article of a councell, the Lat [...]ran Councell I meane, held vnder Innocent the 3. in the yeare of our Lorde, 1215. To these apparitions they annexe the testimoines of beasts. There were an hiue of Bees seene in S, Gervays his mona­stery in Paris which builte a chappell of waxe in honor of the Host; but aboue all, [Page 185] the miracle of the Asse that left his proven­der to worship the hoast, seemes most ridi­culous to the king of Great Brittaine: and that with good reason: howsoever Apol. in Re­gem cap. 9. Bel­larmine in his answere to the king seeke to colour it with other miracles mentioned in the Scripture, which, as he saith, seeme no lesse absurd to him. Wee are therefore now come to that passe, that it is helde im­piety not to think that foolish legends for­ged but of late, must haue all one authori­ty to bind our beliefe, as the word of God, besides, no miracles of the scripture do plāt Christiā vertues in brute beasts: for it must needes be (by their reckoning) that this Asse (going of his own accord to worship the hoast) had some zeale in him & know­ledge of God, which was not to be seen in the Kine that drew the Arke, nor in Bala­ams Asse. The miracles that are done nowe a daies are of no more worth, and are al re­ducible to one miracle, which is to driue away divels, who make as though they were afraid of holy water, and the signe of crosse, so to detaine the people still in er­rour: and as theeues are thought to giue life when they do not take it away, so the divels are said to do good when they cease [Page 186] to hurt. Wherevnto they do willingly cō ­descend, for to make men thinke that the Masse or these cōiurations haue some ver­tue in them. The Pharisies accused Iesus Christ for casting out divels by Beelzebub Prince of the divels, thinking that Beelze­bub did cast out others as being more po­werfull then they. But we speak not as the Pharisies: for we say not that these coniu­rers of spirits in this age, do cast out divels by any superiority or predominancie that they haue over them, but by collusion, and by the voluntary departing of the divels themselues. Wherefore they cannot an­swer vs as our Lord did the Pharisies, that if Satan cast out Satan his kingdome can­not endure, because hee is divided against himselfe, for in all their exorcismes we pre­suppose that the diuels are to well agreed. Yea and I say, that if Christ could haue done no other miracle but to heale those which were possessed with diuels, the Pha­risies had had some reason to doubt of his power: but he gaue sight to such as were borne blinde, raised the dead that lay stin­king in their graues, multiplyed the bread, things which the diuels cannot doe, and which our aduersaries (though neuer so [Page 187] foole-hardy in imitating) doe not yet dare to counterfait: for they haue beene manie times taken tardy in lesse matters, and pu­nished for such pranckes by iudges of the same religion that they are. In the yeare 1509 there were fowre Iacobin Friers exe­cuted at Berne, for raising vlcers, in the feete, in the hands, and in the side of a sim­ple man, of whom they would haue made another S. Frauncis, and giuen him the marks, as Langii Chron. Citi­zense ad an­num. 1509. Langius witnesseth in his chro­nicle, and it is a thing commonly practised to this day in Swizerlād. In the year S [...]e [...]dan l ▪ 9 1534 the Cordeliers of Orleans did put a Novice of their profession over the vault of the church, which with pittifull sighes & great lamentation did faigne that hee was the soule the Provosts wife of Orleans, that died without giuing them any thing, and gaue them to vnderstand that she was dā ­ned, and that her body must bee digged vp againe out of the earth. This point of kna­very being detected by the Officiall, the two principall authors of it, to wit, Colimā and Steven of Arras, were sent to Paris, & after iudgement past, were forthwith led backe againe to Orleans, and there in an open place (where malefactours vse to suf­fer) [Page 188] were made to confesse their imposture. Papon in the sixth edition of his Reportes, 1. title, & 6. Iudgement. doth relate manie sentences that haue past in the high Courts against these false, and abusiue miracles. The miracles of Martha Brossiere, which was possest with a diuell, haue lately beene found to be false, and shee condemned in iudgement, Mounsieur Marescot a Physi­tiā that was sent for to visit her, hath writ­ten an expresse booke of this. Mounsieur Boutiller that famous advocate at Paris hath written a set tract against the fable of Gargoville of Roane, slaine by S. Roman, wherein it is said, that for a requital of this good turne, God hath done him this favor that whosoeuer doth but lift vp his coffin (be it that he bee a parricide or haue com­mitted incest) is forthwith absolued both from the punishment, & the guilt of these crimes. Read the miracles of our Lady of Halls in Flaunders, published by Lipsius, & you shall see that the good man hath spent 40 yeares in gathering choice flowers of Grammar Latin to throw them downe at the feete of an image, and made vse of all his philosophy vpon an idle toy: there shal you see how he doth often call the Virgin [Page 189] Deam, & Divam, Pagan-like substituting femall Gods. S. Ignatius Loyola the father and patron of the Iesuits had not for a lōg time done any miracles: but his opening vertue began of late to shew it selfe, by vn­stopping the obstructions of a wench troubled with the stone & making her to leake. This is the first signe of any powerfull ver­tue that was in this Saint, and this goodly miracle was newly printed of late at Liege and at S. Omers, and is proclaimed by the common cryer to be sold at Paris.

To go about here to reckon vp a thou­sand false miracles wherewith the legends are stuft, were nothing else but to rake vp heapes of dunge. S. Dominicke heales a wenches thigh, by rubbing it over with the oile of Loue, as his Legend reporteth. That of S. Frauncis saith, that he preached to the Pyes, and Swallowes, and called thē his sisters: that he gaue his hand to a wolfe calling him his brother, and that the wolfe gaue him his paw. The booke intituled Fasciculus temporum, composed by a religious Carmelite, vpon the yeare 754, repor­teth of S. Gingolfs wife, that she vsed to sing with her lower mouth, which was in­flicted vpon her for a punishment, because [Page 190] shee scoffed at her husbands miracles. In all this, the greatest miracle is the patience of God▪ and the blockishnesse of the peo­ple, that are thus led. But it must needs bee that the Apostles prophecie, must be fulfil­led; which saith, that the comming of the sonne of Perdition should be in all power, and signes, and lying wonders: and that God should send the powerfulnesse of de­lusion for a punishmēt vnto such as would not loue his truth, On whom (saith the Apostle) God hath sent strong delusions, that they should beleeue lies.

THE PROPHECIE CON­tained in the 12. Chapter of the Apocalyps. CHAP. 3.

1 AND there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sunne, and the moone was vnder her feet, and vpon her head a crowne of 12. starres.

2 And shee was with child, and cried travailing in birth, and was pained ready to be delivered.

[Page 191] 3 And there appeared another won­der in heaven: for behold a great red dragon hauing 7. heads, and 10. hornes, & 7 crownes vpon his heads:

4 And his taile drew the third part of the starres of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the wo­man which was ready to bee delivered, to de­voure her child, when shee had brought it forth.

5 So she brought forth a man child, which should rule all nations with a rod of iron: and that her child was taken vp vnto God, and to his throne.

6 And the woman fled into the wilder­nesse, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand, two hundreth, and three score daies.

7 And there was a great battaile in heaven, Michael and his Angels fought a­gainst the Dragon, and the Dragon fought and his Angels;

8 But they prevailed not, neither was their place any more found in heaven.

9 And the great Dragon, that olde serpent, called the divell and Satan, was cast out, which deceiveth all the world; hee was e­ven cast into the earth, and his Angels were [Page 192] cast out with him.

10 Then I heard a lowd voice in hea­ven, saying, Now is salvation, and strength, and the kingdome of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast downe, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 But they overcame him by that blood of the Lambe, and by the word of their testimonie, and they loued not their liues vn­to the death.

12 Therefore reioice yee heavens, and yee that dwell in them. Wo to the inhabitants of the earth, and of the sea: for the divell is come down vnto you, which hath great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the Dragon saw that he was cast vnto the earth, he persecuted the woman, which had brought forth the man child.

14 But to the woman were given two wings of a great Eagle, that she might fly in­to the wildernesse, into her place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and halfe a time, from the presence of the serpent.

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water after the woman like a flood, that he might cause her to be carried away of [Page 193] the flood

16 But the earth holpe the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, & swallowed vp the floud which the Dragon had cast out of his mouth.

17 Then the Dragon was wroth with the woman, and went and made war with the remnant of her seed, which keepe the com­mandements of God, and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ

18 And I stood on the sea sand.

The Exposition of this Prophecie.

1 A Great signe appeared in heaven, to wit, a woman which was the type of the Church of Israell. And this Church was il­lightned with the brightnesse of the knowe­ledge of God and did tread vnder her feet the mutable instabilitie of worldly things, which is like to the change of the moone. And was crowned with a douzen starrs, which are the twelue Patriarchs, the fathers of the twelue tribes of Israell.

2 And of this Church must there a child be borne, to wit, the Messias, in expec­tation of whome she did suffer, and was in an­guish, [Page 194] looking for the manifestation of this Messias.

3 But behold on the other side the divel like a red dragon, hauing 7 heads, and tenne hornes, and 7 crowns vpon his heads.

4 Whose venemous temptations haue v­sed to make the third part of those that are in the visible Church, to fall away, whom he turneth aside from heauenly things to earth­ly. And this divell did watch with all dili­gence for the time when Iesus Christ should be born of the Church of Israel, that he might make him to perish as soone as ever hee was borne, having raised vp a persecution against him in his cradle, then when Herod would haue put him to death.

5 Now of this Church of Israel was a man-child borne, to wit, Iesus Christ, which must rule all the world with a strong & mightie scepter. And this Iesus was lifted vp from earth to heaven by his ascension.

6 And after the ascensiō of Iesus Christ Satan hauing raised vp a persecutiō against the Iewes, so to enwrap the Christian Iewish Church in the same ruine, this Church did retire aside into a place called Pella, where she lay hid 1260. daies, which are three years and a halfe.

[Page 195] 7 Now after this ascension, there was a great battaile fought in heaven, Iesus Christ and his Angels fighting against the Prince of the divels, and the wicked spirits that took his part.

8 But Satan was overcome, & cast out of heaven.

9 So was this old serpent, called the di­vell and satan (which thought to haue sedu­ced all men) put to flight; And was throwne downe from heaven to earth, and all wicked spirits together with him.

10 Then I heard a great voice in hea­ven, saying; Now by the ascension of Iesus Christ (vvhich hath taken possession of the kingdōe of God, being sate at his right hand) is salvation purchased vnto the Church, and the mightie kingdome of our God is establi­shed, and the power of his Christ. For the di­vell vvhich did accuse the faithful incessant­ly before God, is cast out of heaven, and put by from his trade of accusation.

11 But in vertue of the death of Iesus Christ, which by his death hath subdued him that had the power over death, to vvit, the divell, they haue overcome him, being armed vvith the vvord of the Gospell, to vvhich they haue geuen testimony by their suffrings, [Page 196] & by their preaching, hauing vvillingly ex­posed their liues to the death, for the iustify­ing of their faith in Iesus Christ.

12 Wherefore reioice O yee Saints which dwell in heauen, but tremble yee inhabitants of the earth, which dwell in the continent, & in the Ilands; for the divell is come downe vnto you, for to vvreake his anger vpon you, knowing that he shall ere long be cast into the bottomlesse pit, and that all his povver to doe hurt, shall shortly be taken away from him.

13 When the divell therefore savv that he vvas casseered of his kingdome, & that he vvas throwne out of heauen, hee did set him­selfe to persecute the Church of vvhich Iesus Christ was borne, that is, the Church of the faithfull Iewes, amongst vvhom vvere the Apostles, and Disciples of Iesus.

14 But God shewd this Church a vvay to escape the persecution vvhich the divell had raised, by flying away, & hiding herselfe in the aboue named towne of Pella, on this side Iordan, vvhere God did nourish and de­fend her, for a yeare, two yeares, and a halfe an yeare; that is, for three yeares and a halfe.

15 This persecution then of the Chri­stian Church, being no vvaies advantagious to Satan, he mooved Pagan & heathen peo­ple [Page 197] to rise vp against the Church of the Apo­stles, and their Disciples, so to oppresse them and vvorke their ouerthrowe.

16 But these people stirred vp by Satan vvere swallowed vp in the bottomelesse pit, and vvere cast downe into hell.

17 Satan therefore being enraged that hee could not vvorke the overthrowe of the Christian Iewish Church, laboured by all means to persecute the Churches of the Gen­tiles, vvhich the Church of the Iewes had planted and begotten, vvhich Churches of the Gentiles doe keepe the Commandements of God, and lay vp the doctrine of the Gospell in their hearts.

18 And in this vision that I saw I was not transported out of my body, but, being only ravished in spirit, I remained on the sea shore.

The cleering of this prophecie, togither with the proofe of this exposition.

ALbeit this chapter make no mention of the bishop of Rome, yet I must of necessity expound it, because it serues for the vnfolding of the chapters following, and because they depend vpon this. Now the [Page 198] exposition which I giue of it is so cleere & naturall, that it may be thought a labour spent in vaine to goe about to proue it.

By this woman I vnderstand the church of Israel, after Abraham & the patriarches, which were the fathers of the 12 tribes of Israell, till the Iewish church began to bee mixed togither with that of the Gentils, which came to passe presently vpon the time of the Apostles. This is the reason, that (although the church of the Iewes before the preaching of the gospel, and before the ascension of Iesus Christ be the selfe same Church with that of the faithfull Iewes, which from the Apostles time did beleeue in Iesus Christ) yet so it is, that for the more perspicuities sake I cal the church of the Iews after the ascension of our Saviour Iesus Christ the Iewish-Christian church, for to distinguish it from the Iewes that were the enimies of the gospell: & yet not­withstanding it is still the Church of Is­raell.

There be 2 reasons that enforce me not to vnderstād the church in generall by this woman, but only the church of Israell. The first is because Iesus Christ is borne of the church here mentioned. For least any man [Page 199] should vnderstand this of a metaphoricall birth, the holy Ghost doth there make ex­presse mention of a birth that goeth before his ascension: which cannot agree to rege­neration, whereby Christ is formed a new in vs. The second reason is because in the 17. verse this church is manifestly distin­guished from that of the Gētils; as the mo­ther from the daughter. Besides the whole course of the chapter sheweth vs that this is the meaning.

In the third verse the diuell is represen­ted in the forme of a beast having 7. heads and ten hornes, which is the forme vnder which the Roman Empire is represented in the 7. of Daniell: and in the 1. verse of the chapter which wee come next to handle; where we will examin the reason why the Empire is described in this manner. And the diuell and the Empire are both repre­sented vnder the same forme, because the diuell did as then make vse of this mightie Empire for to persecute the church.

In the 4. verse their revolting, which held some place in the Church, is compa­red to the falling of starres throwne down from heauen vpon earth. For as the church is often called the kingdome of heaven, so [Page 200] by the same reason they which are placed therein are compared to starres: whose a­postacie is as the falling of one from heavē to earth, both because they are shut out of heauen, as also because they deiect & de­base their desires and affections from hea­venly to earthly things. Which will also serue vs to expound the 10. verse of the 8. chapter of this booke, where it is said that a great star fell from heauen, which did in­fect the thirde part of the waters of the earth, the meaning whereof is nothing els, but that a great man of note in the Church should fal from the faith, and by his exam­ple corrupt many others.

That which is said in the fifth verse, that the child (which is the Messias) shall go­verne all nations with a scepter of yron, is taken out of the 2. Psalme, ver. 9. Thou shalt crush them with a scepter of yron, that is to say, thou shalt keepe them vnder with a mighty scepter, and with a powerfull do­minion: in which Psalme the extent of the absolute Empire of Christ Iesus is descri­bed vnto us.

The flight and retiring of the Iewish church, and the three yeares and an halfe wherein shee lay hid, as it is in the 6. & 14. [Page 201] verses, are proved to be true by history. Eusebius in the 2. booke of his history, and 5. chapter saith; The people of the church of Ie­rusalem were before the warre began by an o­racle revealed to some of the chiefe amongest them, commanded to depart out of that citty, and to dwell in a towne on this side Iordano called Pella, whether as many as beleeved in Iesus Christ fled hauing left Ierusalem. Now this warre lasted 3. years and a halfe, as we may gather out of Dion, and Iosephus, from the third booke of his Iudaicall historie to the 6. In the 67. yeare of our Lord, in the month of Aprill, 4. moneths after the death of Nero, Vespasian sent at first by Nero be­gan to lay his siedge to Gadara, and Iota­pata, and to subdue Galilee. In the 70. year of our Lord on the 8. of December Titus the sonne of Vespasian tooke Ierusalem, & razed it to the ground, afterward departed thence to triumph at Rome, leauing some few forces to finish that which he had left vndone, which was effected with little or no resistance.

The Prince of the Angels Michaell which is spoken of in the 7. verse, is Iesus Christ our Lord. For this is he which is the head of the Angels; this is Heb. 2.14. Col 2.15. Ps. 68.19. Eph. 4.8. he which hath [Page 202] overcome the diuell; this is he to whom a­lone the name of Michael agreeth, which signifieth, Who is as God? for hee hath thought it no robbery to be equal to God his father. Phil. 2.6.

Now the battel that was fought in hea­ven must bee vnderstoode to haue beene fought after the death or ascension of our Lord, and not after the retiring aside of the Iewes into Pella, although there be menti­on made of this before the fighting of the battaile in heauen: for S. Iohn hauing first related what befell the church vpon earth, mounts vp againe to the things that were done in heauen: and indeed in the 14. this very flight of the church is set after the fighting of the battaile in heaven: which I doe not thinke was so in effect, but that hereby God did in a visiō represent to S. Iohn, that Satan was cast out of heauen by Iesus Christ.

To this purpose wee are to note that in the 1. of Iob, the 6. verse, it is said, that the children of God (which are the Angels) came and stood before the Lord, and that Satan also thrust in amongst them. And in the 22. chapt. of the 1. of Kings 21. verse, it is said, that a wicked spirit came and stood [Page 203] before the Lord, offring his service to se­duce the Prophets, and to be a lying spirit in their mouths. By which places it ap­peares, that Satan in that time had as yet free accesse into heauen, and that he was found amongst the Angels. But in the 10. chap. of S. Luke, and 18. verse, Iesus spea­keth thus, I saw Satan like lightning fall downe from heaven. And in this 12. chapter of the Apocalyps, Satan is described vnto vs falling from heauen to earth presentlie after the ascensiō of Iesus Christ. By which passages of scripture it seemeth that the as­cension of our Lord did wholly exclude Satan out of heaven, and barred him al en­trance there again for ever after that time, tumbling him downe into this lower regi­on. Wherevpon S. Paul also in the 2. chapt. to the Ephesians, calleth the wicked spirits, the powers that rule in the aire, & the prince of the diuels, the Prince of the powers that rule in the aire. Which region of the aire is in infinite places of holy writ called by the name of heauen: in which sense I am per­swaded that must be vnderstoode which the same Apostle speaketh in the 6. chap. of the same epistle, where he saith, that the spirituall wickednesses are in the high, or [Page 204] heauenly places.

Now that Satan being in heauen did accuse and calumniate the faithful to God, it appeareth by the example of Iob, whom he accused to God, as if al his zeale and inno­cencie had beene mercenary, and led by profit. Wherefore also hee is called the di­vell, that is to say, a slanderer.

The waters which Satan did powre out after the church for to hurt her, are the people, and nations. The meaning whereof would haue been hard for vs to haue foūd out, if the holy Ghost himselfe had not ex­pounded it in the 15. verse of the 17. chap. The waters which thou sawest, are people, and multitudes, and nations.

THE PROPHECIE CON­tained in the 13. Chapter of the Apocalyps. CHAP. 4.

1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea having seaven heads and ten hornes, and vp­on his hornes were ten crownes, and vpon his head the name of blasphemy.

[Page 205] 2 And the beast which I saw was like a Leopard, and his feete like a beares, and his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon: and the dragō gaue him his power and his throne and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, but his deadly wound was healed, and all the world wondered and followed the beast.

4 And they worshipped the dragō, which gaue power vnto the beast, and they wor­shipped the beast, saying, who is he like vnto the beast? who is able to warre with him?

5 And there was given vnto him a mouth, that spake great things and blasphe­mies, and power was given vnto him to do 42. moneths.

6 And he opened his mouth vnto blas­phemie against God to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7 And it was given to him to make warre with the Saints, & to overcome them, and power was given him over every kinred, and tongue, and nation.

8 Therefore al that dwel vpon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not writ­ten in the booke of life of [...], which [Page 206] was slaine from the beginning of the world.

9 If any man haue an eare let him hear.

10 If any man lead into captivity, hee shall goe into captivity: If any man kill with a sword, he must be killed by a sword: here is the patience, and the faith of the Saints.

11 And I beheld another beast cōming vp out of the earth, which had two horns like the Lambe, but he spake like the Dragon.

12 And hee did all that the first beast could do before him, and he caused the earth and them which dwell therein, to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

13 And he did great wōders, so that he made fire to come downe from heaven on the earth, in the sight of men.

14 And he deceived them that dwel on the earth by the signes which were permitted him to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound with a sword, and did liue.

15 And it was permitted vnto him to giue a spirite vnto the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast should speake, and should cause that as many as would not wor­ship the image of the beast, should be killed.

16 And he made all both smal & great, [Page 207] rich & poore, free & bond, to receiue a marke in their right hand, or in their foreheads.

17 And that no man might buy or sell, saue he that had the marke, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdome. Let him that hath wit, count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man, and his number is six hundreth threescore and six.

The exposition of this Prophecy.

1 Then I saw the Roman Empire to raise it selfe vp from amongst the people and nations, hauing its seat in the towne which hath 7. hills, and which must be go­verned with 7. kinds of principal govern­ments, to wit, by kings, by Consuls, by mi­litary Tribunes, by Decemvirs, by Dicta­tours, by Emperours, and last of all by Popes. Which Empire is composed of 10. principall parts, which are so many king­domes. And this cittie seated vpon 7. hills bore a wicked, and blasphemous name, to wit, Rome the Euerlasting.

2 And this Empire looked like a Leo­pard, by reason of the speedy atchieue­ments of its conquests. And held fast the [Page 208] substance of the people as a beare, which keeps that which he hath gotten vnder his pawes, and devoured the nations as a Li­on deuoureth his pray. And the divell (which is the Ioh. 16.11. Prince of this world, and which Luk. 4.6. takes vpon him to dispose of king­domes at his pleasure, gaue him his power and rule, and great glory.

3 And it came passe that one of these governments, to wit the 6, which is that of the Emperours, was ouerthrowne, then when (the Lombards hauing chased the Lieutenants of the Empire out of Italie) Rome did cease to be vnder subiection to the Emperours; wherefore to say truth, the Empyre did euen at that time leaue to bee the Roman Empire. But not long after this mortall blowe by which the Empyre of Rome was layed on the ground, this mo­narchie began to grow vp afresh, and to reviue againe by the Roman Hierarchie, which did reerect a newe Monarchie at Rome, and raise vp the Empire that was fallen: And all the people submitted them­selues vnder the gouernement of this Ro­mish church,

4. And did serue Idols; which who so serue, doe serue the divell, the author and [Page 209] aduancer of this Papall Hierarchie, & did attribute that vnto this Hierarchie which did appertaine vnto God, saying who is there that is like vnto this Empire, & who is able to resist it?

5 And God hath suffered this Empire to take proud and blasphemous titles, 1. Cor. 10. [...] and it must endure 1260. yeares.

6 And this papall Hierarchie doth set it selfe to belch forth horrible blasphe­mies against God, and to wrong his name and his Church, and his Saints.

7 Yea God hath suffered it to perse­cute the faithfull, and to ouercome them, & power was giuen vnto it ouer infinite people, and tongues, and nations.

8 In so much that all men shall fall downe to worship it, whose names are not found in the booke of life of Iesus Christ which died for vs, written before the foū ­dations of the world were laid.

9 If any man haue an vnderstanding to conceaue this, let him conceaue it.

10 For they which persecute, shall be delt with after the same manner▪ whosoe­ver leadeth the faithfull into captiuitie, shall himselfe at length be made a captiue; whosoeuer slayeth them shall bee slaine. [Page 210] Herein appeareth the faith and patience of the Saints.

11 I saw also a Monarch of another name and fashion then the former Roman Emperours, to wit, the Pope, which wore a miter with two hornes vpon his head, & which seemed in outward shew to profess Christ, and his doctrine, but whose do­ctrine indeed was diabolicall.

12 And he tooke all the power of the Roman Empire vpon him at Rome being the seate of the Empire: and exhorted all people to submit themselues to this Ro­man Empire, which being destroyed by the Lombards in Italie, was brought to life againe, and reestablished by the Papa­cy.

13 And this Pope wrought miracles; insomuch that he sent forth the thunder­bolts and lightnings of his excommuni­cations against Kings and their people: & caused S. Anthonies fire to come downe from heauen, and made it to thunder and lighten by a miracle.

14 And the people were seduced by the miracles which God gaue him power to effect, for to establish this Roman Papal [...], commanding the people to make [Page 211] vp the image of the ancient Roman Em­pire againe; that is to say, to serue the Pa­pall Empire with the same manner of obe­dience as they did the old Roman Empire, which being demolished was built vp a­gaine by the Papacy.

15 And God did suffer him to giue force and strength to this Papall Empire, which did resemble the ancient Empire, for the spirituall power that it did vsurpe gaue life & strength to its temporall pow­er. Which Papall Empire being nothing but an imaginarie Empire, and which con­sisteth only in opinion, neuertheles speaks proudly, and maketh such to be massacred, and burnt, as doe refuse to submit them­selues to this imaginarie Empire.

16 And hee made all, both small and great, rich and poore, bond and free, to giue him their handes, and take an oath to be faithfull vnto him, and to bee markt by their actions. And their foreheads were marked with the marke of Confirmation, and they made profession of his religion, which profession of religion is often in the holy scripture, called by the name of a marke in the forehead.

17 And he tooke order that no man [Page 212] might trafficke nor sell, nor buy, nor ex­change benefices: nor bee suffered to pur­chase an Archbishops Pall, nor haue a Li­cence, nor any pa [...]t in the Church goods, no nor yet buy an estate, if hee had not the name, and profession of a Papist: and were not of the number of those which are marked with the figures or numbers of the letters of his name.

18 In which nūber they which think themselues the wisest may find some thing worth their search. Whosoever hath vn­derstanding let him diligently calculate the summe, to which these greeke cyphers or numbers of the pope of Rome doe a­mount, for it is an vsuall number amongst men, and therefore easie to be vnderstood. And this number to which the greeke let­ters of his name do amoūt, is six hundreth sixtie six. For this word (Latin) (which is the ordinary name, by which the Greeke church doth cal those of the Romā church and their head) being written in Greeke and after calculated, makes vp iust 666. Which number also by an admirable oc­currence, doth admonish you that 666. yeares after the revealing of this Prophe­cy, this 2. beast, to wit, the Pope shall be­gin [Page 213] to heale the wound of the ancient Em­pire, and place the Roman Empire againe in its former seat.

The proofe of this exposition.

BEfore wee goe about to proue this ex­position, wee are to note fiue things.

1 That all the ancient, and our adver­saries themselues doe vnderstand the Ro­man Empire by the first beast, and Anti­christ by the second.

2 That the holy Ghost in this pro­phecy doth not speake according to cu­stome, but according to the truth; and therefore holds him to be the Roman Em­perour which raigneth at Rome, and not him which doth not rule there, howbeit he beare the title thereof.

3 That in the yeare of our Lord 752. the Lieutenancie of the Empire being de­stroyed by Aistulphus king of the Lom­bards, the Emperour of Constantinople did vtterly loose all his dominion ouer I­taly, & the citie of Rome, so that he could neuer after recouer it: whence it followes that the Emperour of Constantinople, did at that time cease to be the Roman Empe­rour.

[Page 214]4 That the holy Ghost in this Pro­phecy makes the Hierarchicall Roman Empire, to be a continuation of the Romā Empire, as which did succeed in the rome, and vsurp the rights thereof, and makes but one Empire of them both, hauing chā ­ged the head, that is to say, the forme of governement.

5 That the holy Ghost in this prophe­cy puts a difference betweene the Roman Hierarchie and the Pope. Seeing that the Pope is but one person at once: but the Hierarchie is the whole body of the Pre­lates and Clergie, that doe vphold his au­thoritie.

This being premised for the better o­pening of the matter in hand, we will now come to proue, and demonstrate the seue­rall parts thereof.

The first part of this Prophecie.

1. THen I saw a beast rising out of the sea, hauing seaven heades and tenne hornes, and vpon his hornes were tenne Crownes, and vpon his head the name of blasphemy.

The Exposition of this Prophecy.

1 THen I saw the Roman Empire to raise it selfe vp from amongst the people and nations, hauing its seate in the towne which hath 7 hills, and which must be gouerned with 7 kindes of maine go­vernements, to wit, by kings, by Consuls, by militarie Tribunes, by Decemvirs, by Dictatours, by Emperours, and last of all by Popes. Which Empire is composed of 10. principall partes, which are so many kingdomes. And this citie seated vpon 7. hils bore a wicked and blasphemous name to wit, Rome the Everlasting.

The proofe of this Exposition.

By the sea, the people and nations are vnderstood; according to the exposition of the Angell in the 17. chap. and 15. verse of this booke. The waters which thou saw­est, are people, and multitudes, and nations. A fashion of speech vsed by Daniell, in the 7. chap. and 3. verse; Where in steed of saying that he saw 4 great Empires rise vp from a­mongst the nations, he saith that 4 great [Page 216] beasts did rise vp out of the sea. So speakes Esay in his 8. chap. and 7. verse; and David in the Psalmes, 46. verse 4. and 65. verse. 8.

That by the 7. heads, 7. hils are vnder­stood, vpon which the citty of Rome was situate, the Angell witnesseth in the 17. chap. of this booke, and 9. verse. The seaven heads are seavē mountaines whereon the wo­man sitteth. Afterward he addeth in the 18. verse, That woman which thou sawest is the great citty which raigneth over the kings of the earth. This cannot be vnderstood of a­ny other citty but of Rome, which in the time of S. Iohn raigned over realmes, and was the seate of the Empire, and there was no other citty at that time which had sea­ven hils, wherfore also it is called in greek [...], Septicollis. And there was a so­lemne feast, called Septimontium, in honor of the towne, as Varro lib. 5 Dies Septi­mentium no­ [...]inatu [...] ab [...]is 7. moati­ [...] in queis [...]rbs sita est Varro witnesseth in his 5. booke of the Latin tongue. And Varro lib. 5 Dies Septi­mentium no­ [...]inatu [...] ab [...]is 7. moati­ [...] in queis [...]rbs sita est Mar­tial saith that hee coulde see the 7. hils of Rome from his house: and Propertius in the 10. elegie of his 3. booke,

Septe vrbs alta iugis toti quae prasidetorbi. Also our aduersaries themselues doe not deny but that this citty whereof S. Iohn speaketh is Rome: but they would haue it [Page 217] to be heathnish Rome. We will shew in the 17. chapt. that S. Iohn did speake of Rome also after Paganisme was abolished: but in this chapt. it is sufficient for vs that by the 7. heads the 7. hils of Rome are vnderstood, taken in that sense as our adversaries would haue it.

By these 7. hils we do vnderstand 7. di­vers successiue governments, which haue borne soveraigne rule ouer the citty of Rome: to wit, the Kings, whō the Consuls succeeded, whose forme of governement was interrupted 3 several times by the Mi­litarie Tribunes which were endued with consular authority. Afterward by the De­cemvirs; and by the Dictatous, at diuerse times, but most especially vnder the Dicta­torship of Sylla, and Iulius Caesar. After whom Octavius Augustus established the Monarchicall state of Emperours, whose gouernement ouer Rome and Italie being interrupted by the Herules and Goths, ne­verthelesse they made a shift a little after to recouer it againe: vntil the Lombards at last hauing destroyed the Empire in Italie, opened a way vnto the Pope to make him­selfe Lord of Rome, & to build vp the Ro­mane Monarchie to that heighth as we see [Page 218] it is come to at this day. And this expositi­on is not of our owne inuenting, but groū ­ded vpon the 17. of the Revelation the 10. verse, where he saith that the 7. heads are 7. kings (so doth-he call all soueraigne pow­er) fiue of which were fallen, and the 6. was, & the 7. was not yet come. There is nothing so cleere and evident. For at the time when S. Iohn had this Revelation the 5. first of these 7. soueraigne gouernements were abolish­ed, to wit, the kings, the Consuls, the Mili­tarie Tribunes, the Decemvirs, and the Di­ctatours, the sixth did flourish, to wit, the Emperours, and the 7. to wit, the Popes were not as yet come. I am not ignoraunt that euen then there were Consuls still re­maining, and Militarie Tribunes, but they had no soueraignty. The Consulship was a place more of dignity, then any authority, and serued for nothing else but to distin­guish the yeares in their Fasti. And the Mi­litary Tribunes were but the Captaines of one Legion, which are at this day called the Colonels of a band. It is not therefore an interpretation of our owne inuention, when we say that these 7 heads doe signi­fie 7. seueral formes of soueraigne gouern­ment ruling Rome one after an other, and [Page 219] not all at the same time: seeing that S. Iohn saith that 5. of these 7. heads were fallen, that one was, and that the 7. was not as yet come. This doubtlesse is an admirable ex­position, and was suggested to his Maiesty of England by the spirit of God.

S. Iohn doth adde further, that this beast which is the Roman Empire had 10. dia­demes, or crownes; the meaning is plaine: we vse to say that our King, besides the crowne of Fraunce hath also the crowne of Navarre: and that the kings of England & Spain, are kings of more crownes thē one, that is to say of more Realmes or Provin­ces; The like is here to be vnderstood. The 10. crownes of the Roman Empire are 10. great Provinces & principall parts, where­of the Empire did as then consist; Italie, Spaine, the Gaules, Germanie, Hungary and Bulgarie, Greece, Natolia or Asia minor, Syria and Assyria, Egypt, and Affricke. The Iles are dependances of the next continēt. And vnder euery one of these great partes are comprehended the next small provin­ces which were kept in subiection by the same armies: as Dacia & Moldavia by the Legions appointed for Hungarie. If there were any other Provinces, as Armenia, & [Page 220] Arabia, they were neuer held but weakly, and in part, and were often lost, and they are reckoned for dependences of Asia mi­nor, and of Syria.

And although the Romane Emperour be here compared to a beast, yet this doth not deny but that there were some good Roman Emperours: and we may not think it strange that the holy Ghost doth repre­sent this Empire vnto vs by a Beast, which was not only gouerned by Neroes, Domi­tians, and Heliogabales: but by Theodosies also, & Valentinians, Christian and religi­ous Princes. For Empires are called beasts in the Prophecy of Daniel, and in the A­pocalyps, because of the manner by which they did first rise and increase, to wit, by vi­olence and crueltie. For no man can deny that the Romans at first were nothing else but theeues, and common robbers, which heretofore hauing nothing but onely one walled towne, had no right ouer Italy lesse yet ouer Greece, ouer the Gaules, ouer Spaine, Africke, or Asia; but it is possible enough to gouerne that with order and e­quitie, which was first laid hold on by in­iustice.

It remains that we see what these names [Page 221] of blasphemy are, which this citie and Em­pire of Rome did beare. S. Hierome in the 11. question to Algasia, expounds this place thus. There is (saith S. Iohn in the Re­velation,) a name of blasphemy written in the forehead of the queane clad in skarlet, & this name is, Rome The Everlasting. The same citie is likewise called Dea, Goddess, And so doth Iulius Frontinus cal her in his booke of water workes. The queene and Empresse of the world, which is the God­desse of the earth, and all the nations. And Martial speaketh after the same manner, in the 8. Epigram of his 12 booke.

Terrarum Dea gentium (que) Roma
Cui par est nihil & nihil secundum.
Queene of the earth, Goddesse of this worlds round,
Whose like or second may no where be found.

The Emperours also were not without Virg. Ecl. 1. O Meli­bae [...] Deus. & paulò pòst, Bissenos cui nostra dies altaria fu­mant. Marti­al. Epig. 8. l. 5 Edictum domini dei (que) nostri. Horat. Epist. 1. l. 2. Praesenti tibi maturos lar­gimur hono­res, Iuran­das (que) tuum per nomen ponimus aras Codicis lib. 1. tit. 2. de sa­crosanctia Ecclesiis, Ca­pitationis modum be­neficio nostri nominis sub­levandum blasphemous titles. For they were called Gods, not only after their death, but whilst they were liuing too: There were altars built in honor of them, They had sacrifice offered vnto them; The common fashion of swearing was to sweare by the Genius of the Emperour, their statues were places of refuge for offendours, as for ex­ample, [Page 222] to the servants of Iulius Sabinus, of whom for this fact there is mention made in the 8. chapt. of the 1. booke of Iustinians Institutioos. There offendours might rest more secure then in a Temple, as Philostratus saith in the life of Apollonius; and Tertullian in his Apologeticke oratiō against the heathen affirmeth that it was lesse danger, for a man to sweare falsely by Iupiter, then to periute himselfe by the name of the Prince. And Plinie the youn­ger in the 97. Epistle of his 10. booke saith, that he made al such, as renounced christi­anity, to kneele downe before the image of the Empeorur, and to offer incense and wine vnto him for sacrifice. Which impie­tie beeing abolished by the Christian Em­perours, yet neuerthelesse (that this pro­phecie might be fulfilled, there were still some names of blasphemie abiding, for re­taining of which they cannot be excused. In the yeare of our Lord 314. Petronius Arrianus, and Iulian being commaunded to look to the safety of many bishops that were returning into Affricke, & to defraie the charges of their iourney, writ thus to Domitius Celsus the Emperours Lieute­nant in Affricke, Many bishops of Affricke [Page 223] are cōe to the country of the Gauls by the hea­venly commandement of our Lord Constan­tine. And a little after; Following the com­mandement of the Eternitie of that thrice gratious Prince, as Baronius doth relate it vpon the 314. yeare of our Lord. The selfe same title is giuen by Symmachus to Va­lentinian, Theodosius, & Arcadius in the 54 Epistle of the tenth booke. Multa victoriae debet Aeternitas vestra, & adhuc plura de­bebit. In the second Apologie of Athana­sius, there is an Epistle of Colluthas, where­in he saith, that the Godhead of Augustus had taken order for a Church to bee built in the village of Secontaururus with all speed possible, and commands them to fall about it as soone as ever they should receaue the Di­vine letters patent. Ausonius speakes thus to the Emperour Theodosius in the begin­ning of his Poems.

Nil dubites authore bono, mortalia quaerunt
Consilium, certus iussa capesse Dei.

and a little after. Non tutum renuisse Deo. According to this manner of speaking did the Emperours vse to call their Instituti­ons, Divine Institutions, and their Edicts, the Edicts of God. In the 1. booke of Iusti­tinians Code, and 2. title, the Constituti­ons [Page 224] of the Emperours are called heavenly Oracles, and divine Sanctions; that is to say the word of God.

The second part of this Prophecy.

2 ANd the beast which I saw was like a Leopard, and his feet like a beares; & his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon; and the Dragon gaue him his power, and his throne, & great authoritie.

The Explication.

2 AND this Empire looked like a Leo­pard, by reason of the speedy atchieue­ments of its Conquests. And held fast the substance of the people as a Bear, which keeps that which he hath gotten vnder his pawes, and devoured the nations as a Lyon devou­reth his pray. And the divell (which is the Ioh 16.11. Prince of this world) and which Luk. 4.6. takes vp­on him to dispose of kingdomes at his plea­sure, gaue him his power, and rule, and great [...].

The proofe of this Exposition.

THis interpretation needeth not much proofe; euery man knowes the speedy atchieuements of the Romans conquests, especially after the 2 Punick war. Then (as Florus saith) the conquest of Macedon fol­lowed that of Africke, then, that of Greece, & of Syria, & of all the rest in a huddle, car­ried away by the vnresistable tide, & rushing torrent of Fortune. It is said of Pompey that he ouerran the world by his conquests in lesse time, then one could haue run it ouer a foot. And Caesar in the war against Phar­naces doth boast, that hee no sooner came and saw him, but he ouer came him. Who­soeuer shall but consider the exploits of this Empire, will thinke that more then twice the time was imployed about the performance of them.

As for the shedding of bloud, Plutarch in the life of Caesar reporteth, [...]hat in the conquest but of the Gauls only which was 10 years a working, there were a milliō of men slaine. And Iosephus telleth vs that in the siege of Ierusalem vndertaken by Titus and Vespasian there died 11000000 men: [Page 226] and yet neuerthelesse these Princes haue beene noted for examples of clemency. What might Marius and Sylla those blou­dy minded men doe? and how much blood may we thinke, was shed in all the rest of Europe, Asia, and Africa? The Amphithea­ter where the people were entertained to passe away the time, where murder was a common sport, where men went to see Li­ons and Tigers teare men asunder, so to solace themselues, what else was this but a discipline of crueltie, and a means to ac­custome the people to murder, & to drink in bloud at their eies by way of recrea­tion?

As for the wealth of this Empire, it is an incredible thing: the riches of our Kings are but pouertie being compared to these. Some of the citizens that were enfran­chised by the Emperors, haue not yeelded to kings in this respect, a great many ex­amples whereof are found noted by Lipsi­us in his last chap. and 2. booke of the greatnesse of the Roman Empire. Lucullus and Apicius did spend more at one supper, then a Prince does in a month. Caligula in one yeare did consume all that which the couetousnesse of Tiberius had scraped to­gether, [Page 227] which did amount to six hundreth and fiftie millions, and 4 hundreth fiftie foure thousand crownes, as it is summed vp by Hadrianus Iunius.

These great riches came vpon them by the robbing and pilling of the Provinces of the Empire, whereby they did sucke a­way all their substance from the Provinci­als, and spoiled thē of their goods as much in time of peace, as of warre.

—Referebant navibus altis
Occulta spolia, & plures ex pace triumphos.

Read, to be informed in this, the life of Antonie in Plutarch. He levied two hundreth thousand talents out of Asia yearely, eve­ry talent being worth 6 hundreth crowns. But this being not enough to content his greedy mind, he doubled the sum. Where­vpon the people seeing themselues not a­ble to hold out, sent Deputies vnto him, one amongst which told him. If thou wilt raise a double yearely Tax vpon vs, giue vs also double harvests, two summers & two au­tumes in one yeare. Hence arose the great hatred against Publicans, which is often mentioned in the scripture, and witnessed by Cicero in the first Epistle to his brother Quintus.

[Page 228]Now albeit some of the Romans did excell in morall vertues, and that we take many examples of iustice, continency, cle­mency, and sobrietie from them, especial­ly before the time that Attalus bequea­thed his mooueables and treasures to the people of Rome, yet so it is that all these did nothing but assist iniustice, and their vpright dealing was like that of theeues, which when they haue robbed a man will goe aad divide the pray equally. For what were the Romans, but common robbers, and forragers of all habitable countries? If they did sometimes mannage that with or­der, or were liberall of that which they did take from others wrongfully, or if out of a theeuish mercy, they did suffer them to liue whom they might haue killed, I say that these vertues are no vertues; since they serue to vphold vices, and are imploi­ed either to color iniustice, or to establish tyranny.

Finally, no man may thinke it strange that the holy Ghost saith, that the Diuell gaue this power to the Roman Empire. For howsoeuer Monarchies be of God, & the Roman Empire was established by his providence, for secret reasons reserued to [Page 229] himselfe, yet it was not he that did vrge on the Roman to invade others countries, but Satan, to whome also they haue attributed all the glory of their victories, as Symma­chus saith in his 54. Epist. where he brings in the citie of Rome speaking after this manner in favour of the heathenish super­stition. This religious service hath brought the world vnder my lawes: these sacrifices haue driven Hannibal from my walles, and forced the Gaules to remoue their siege from the Capitoll. Whensoeuer a Captaine had slaine another Captaine of the aduerse ar­mie with his owne hands, hee hung vp his armor to Iupiter Feretius. Because the army of the Romans as they were flying away did take courage againe & turne back vp­on their enimies, therefore did Romulus e­rect a temple to Iupiter Stator. In orat. de aruspice resp. Cicero re­porteth that the Captaines of an hoast af­ter a conquest obtained did vse to goe to Pessinunte, there to performe their vowes to the mother of the Gods. And we neuer read that they vndertooke any businesse of moment without consulting their Augurs and Soothsayers, and without obseruing the flying, the eating, the singing, the go­ing of birds. To conclude, Plutarch in a [Page 230] set tract of his brings in the Fortune of the Romans contesting with their vertue, wherein they dispute whether of the two did conferre more to the founding of this Empire, so that on whether of thē it light, God shall bee sure to goe without his ho­nour.

The third part of this prophecie.

3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, but his deadly wound was healed, & all the world wondered and follow­ed the beast.

The Explication.

3 And it came to passe that one of these governments, to wit, the sixth, which is that of the Emperours, was overthrowne, then, whē the Lombards having chased the Lieue­tenants of the Empire out of Italie, Rome did cease to be vnder subiectiō to the Emperours. Wherefore (to say truth) the Empire did evē at that time leaue to be the Romane Empire: But not long after that mortal blow by which the Empire of Rome was laid on the grounde, this Monarchie began to grow vp a fresh, & [Page 231] to reviue againe by the Romane Hierarchie, which did reerect a new monarchie at Rome, and raise vp the Empire that was fallen, and all the people submitted themselues vnder the government of this Romish Church.

The Proofe.

THere is nothing more agreeable to the event then this interpretation. In the year 752. Aistulphus king of the Lombards destroyed the Exarchat of Ravenna, and put downe the Exarchs, which 200. whole yeares after Narses had beene the Empe­rours Lieutenants in Italie. This is the deadly wound which the beasts did re­ceaue. Now because Rome was a part of the Exarchat, Aistulphus did pretend that being Lord of the Exarchat, he was also to be Lord over Rome, and began to wast the territories of the Duchy of Rome. Ste­phen the second was then Pope, who in this extremitie sought to his soveraigne Lord the Emperour for succour, to wit, to the Roman Emperour, but being not able to get any aide from him, because he was weake, and elsewhere occupied, the fore­saide Pope had recourse to Pepin king of [Page 232] Fraunce, which not long before had got to bee king by deposing Childericke his Master and lawfull Soveraihne. At his re­quest Pepin came downe into Italie in the yeare of our Lord .754. And having com­pelled Aistulphus to receiue conditions of peace, returned into Fraunce. But in the yeare following Aistulphus broke the a­greement, & did forrage the Roman ter­ritory againe: This drew Pepin the second time into Italie, where having overcome Aistulphus he took the Exarchat frō him, and bestowed it on the bishop of Rome, & made him Lord over Rome, and a great part of Italie, 666. yeares after the time that the Apocalyps was revealed to Saint Iohn. So the Popes became Princes by the inconsiderat liberality of our kings, & be­gan even then, to shew their good wils to cut of Monarchs, to imitate their actions, and to encroach vpon the rightes of the Roman Empire. Hereby the Church of Rome became to bee Queene over other Churches, and in her Prelats and Hierar­chicall orders did reerect the Empire that was fallen: tyrannising over the goods & consciences of men, vsing her temporall riches as a meanes to augment her spiri­tuall [Page 333] power, and to establish a Monarchie at Rome over the Church, bearing rule o­ver the Temporaltie, and Spiritualty in Christian kingdomes; For how be it the successours of Charlemaine were and are as yet stiled the kings of the Romans, and that the Othons had a Regent at Rome, & handled the Popes as their subiectes, yet this did not last long: and the Pope foūd a meanes so to free himselfe from beeing vnder their dominion, that at length hee made them to be his vassals & bondmen, and to receiue their crown by his benefit, & vnder his permissiō, till it should please his Holynesse to take it from them, & be­stow it on whom hee thought good: to to kisse his feet, to lay downe great sums of gold at his feete for tribute; and even then when the German Emperours did curbe the Popes, yet they did stil acknowledge themselues subiect to the Church of Rome. This once obtained it is no mar­vell if hee name himselfe a King and Mo­narch, and call his Bishoprick an Empire, and so haue reestablished the Roman Em­pire in its former seate, as Austin Steuchus the Popes library keeper saith, Pag. 3. in his first booke of Constantines donation, in such [Page 234] tearmes as may seeme to be made of pur­pose for the vnfolding of this prophecy. After the destruction of the Roman Empire (saith hee) caused by the lewd liues of the Emperours, if God had not raised vp the Pa­pacy, in which the Roman maiestie did re­viue, it would haue hapned, that Rome be­ing succoured by no man, had beene inhabi­table, or made astinking oxe-stall or pigstie. But in the Pope there arose, if not the great­nes of the Ancient Empire, at least a forme not much vnlike vnto that, whereby all na­tions did heretofore obay the Emperours. And this is that which S. Iohn addeth, that all the earth went after the beast wondring. A little after the same Steu­chus calleth the Papacie an Empire, and maiesticall Royalty: And so doth Lipsius speake of it, and others for­merly cited, all which doe acknowledge, that the Popes are the true possessours of the Empire, and doe hold the place of the ancient Roman Emperours, that is to say, that they are Caesars successours more thē the Apostles. Now by these words of S. Iohn, to wit, that all the earth wondring at the healing of this wound went after the beast, it appears that the woūd which [Page 235] the Empire did receaue by the Herules, Gothes, Vandals, was not the wound here spoken of: For the healing of this wound by Belisarius and Marses, drewe no peo­ple or nations to the obedience of the Empire, no countrie moved with admi­ration, did for this submit it selfe volun­tarily. The fruit of this conquest over the Gothes was the establishment only of the Exarchat in a part of Italie. But the resto­ring of the Roman Empire by the Roman Hierarchie drew infinit sorts of people to the obedience of this Empire; And wee may say that all the earth moued with ad­miration, out of a voluntarie respect ran after the beast, which shall bee proved more fully yet by the 12. and 14. verse.

The 4. part of this Prophecie.

4 And they worshipped the dragon which gaue power vnto the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, who is like vn­to the beast? who is able to warre with him?

The Explication.

4 And did serue Idols; which, who so [Page 336] serue, doe serue the divell, the Author and advancer of this Papall Hierarchie; and did attribute that that vnto this Hierar­chie which did appertaine vnto God, saying who is there that is like vnto this Empire, and who is able to resist it?

The proofe of this exposition.

This is a rare prediction, and such as giues light to this whole prophecie. For here the holy Ghost makes idolatrie to bee borne iust at the same time that the Roman Hierarchie did begin to possesse an earthly Empire, and to imitate the Ro­man Empire that was decayed. Which was manifestly verified in this, that when the Roman Empire went to ruine in Italie then was the question about the worship of images most hot. To which worship the people of the East did not yeeld then, when the Popes first of all became Mo­narches at Rome, but they were woon vn­to it by little and little, after the imitatiō, and by the authority of the Church of Rome. The other kind of Idolatrie, to wit, the worshipping the bread of the Eucha­rist, grounded vpon transubstantion, be­gan [Page 337] also to grow vp in the Church iust at the same time that the Pope grew to be a Prince and earthly Monarch; for we may see some small seeds of this in Damascene which liued in the 750 yeare of our Lord, and as this errour did increase by little & little, Bertram a Priest that liued in France vnder Charles the bald in the yeare 870. writ an excellent booke in confutation thereof, which is to bee seene at this day. And at the same time Iohn Erigen surna­med the Scot a Monke of S. Benedicts or­der wrot another booke against the selfe same errour. But the Bishops of Rome which had erected the service of images, did also establish the worship of bread: & condemned the writings of the said Scot, especially Leo the 9. in the yeare 1055 ha­ving assembled a Councell at Rome, and another at Verseil in Piemont for the confirmation of this Idolatry, a­gainst which many of the faithfull did oppose themselues, and amongst o­thers Berenger Archdeacon of Angers, a man of great knowledge and holy con­versation. At last truth was overborne by falsehoode, our kings lending a helping hand to the Pope. And that this prophecy [Page 238] might be fulfilled in all points, looke how Idolatry did encrease, so did the greatnes of the Roman Hierarchie encrease; in so much that all did dread the power therof, thinking that none was able to resist it. As for the peoples worshipping of this Hierarchie, & giving it that which did appertaine vnto God, we will speake of this in the verse following.

The fift part of this Prophecie.

5 And there was given vnto him a mouth that spake great things, and blasphe­mies; and power was given vnto him to doe 42 moneths.

6 And he opened his mouth vnto blas­phemie against God to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven,

And it was given vnto him to make war with the Saints, & to overcome them, and power was given him over every kinred, & tongue, and nation.

8 Therefore all that dwell vpon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the booke of life of that Lambe which was slaine from the beginning of the

[Page 239] 9 If any man haue an eare let him heare.

If any lead into captivitie he shall goe in­to captivitie, if any man kill with a sword he must be killed by a sword: here is the pati­ence and the faith of the Saints.

The Explication.

5 And God hath suffered this Hierar­chie, and Roman Church, to assume prowde, and blasphemous titles, and it must endure 1260 yeares.

6 And this Papal Hierarchy doth set it selfe to belch forth horrible blasphemies against God, and to wrong his name, and his Church and his Saints.

7 Yea God hath suffered it to persecute the faithfull, and to overcome them, and po­wer was given vnto it over infinit people, & tongues, and nations.

8 In so much that all mē shall fall down to worship it, whose names are not found in the booke of life of Iesus Christ that dyed for vs, which book was written before the foun­dations of the world were laid.

9 If any man haue an vnderstāding to conceiue this let him conceiue it.

[Page 240] 10 For they which persecute, shall bee dealt with after the same māner; whosoever leadeth the faithfull into captivity shall him selfe at length be made a captiue; whosoever slaieth shall be slaine: herein appeareth the faith and patience of the Saints.

The proofe.

The proofe of this exposition doth cō ­sist in 5. points.

1 To shew what blasphemous titles the Roman Hierarchie doth assume, and how she doth attribute that vnto her selfe which doth of right appertain vnto God.

2 How shee doth blaspheme against the Saints & against the Church of God.

3 To shew how she hath persecuted them and overcome them.

4 To speak of the time that she must last.

5 And of the obedience that the peo­ple yeeld vnto her.

The first point is easie to prooue, whe­ther you respect the heade of this Hierar­chie, or else consider the whole body. The head is called God, the Divine Maiestie, the vniversall Bishop, the head & Spowse of the Church, the corner stone, the Lion of Iuda, and Saviour of Sion, the most ho­ly [Page 241] Father, and his Holynesse, and doth ar­rogate many more such like prowd titles, as we haue formerly shewed by a great nū ber of examples. The body of this Hierar­chie vnder the name of the Church doeth vsurp that which appertaines to God, say­ing that the Church cannot erre, and that it is the supreame iudge in matters of re­ligion: And that it is this church which giveth authority to the scripture, & is the only infallible Iudge of the interpretatiō thereof. They cal this Church the Romā-Catholick church, not in that sense as the Ancient did take Catholicke for Ortho­dox, but by Catholicke they vnderstande vniuersall, exclusiuely to all other chur­ches, as if there were no other church but the Roman. Leo x in the Bull ex­urge, which is at the end of the last Lateran coū cell, doth cō ­demne Lu­ther for say­ing that the Church or the Pope could not make new articles of faith and the pow­er of adding to the Creed is given to the Pope in the last sessi­on of the Councell of Florence. They say that this Church hath authority to make newe articles of faith, and to adde to the Creede: That she is the mother and mistresse of all other Christian Churches: So the French and Spanish Church are become the hande­maides of the Roman, and if any one bee­ing asked of what church he were, should answere, I am of the French church, hee would bee thought ridiculous, or scarce well in his wits, because the Frēch church [Page 242] is now reckoned for nothing, or for some smal dependance of the Roman. Al which positions, are as so many blasphemies. 1. For, to take vpon ones selfe not to be able to erre, and to be supreame iudge in mat­ters of religion, is to intrude into Gods place, and to take away this dignitie of being highest Iudge from Gods word. 2. To boast that they giue authority to the holy Scripture which is the word of God, this is to exalt themselus aboue the word of God: For hee which giueth authoritie is more great then he which receiveth it. For if we consider well of the matter, wee shal finde that it is not the characters, nor the booke, which are vnderstood by the name of the holy Scripture, but God speaking in his worde: the church of Rome therfore in this doth exalt her selfe aboue God. 3. Likewise the Church of Rome doth make her selfe equall with God, whē shee doeth challenge the authority of gi­ving an infallible interpretation of the scripture, and which shall be of equall au­thority with the scripture it selfe, for none cā giue interpretation of a law, which shal be of equal authority with the law, but only he which made the law: the church of Rome therefore is God, and doth vsurpe [Page 243] Gods seat, since she giveth interpretatiōs to Gods law, which are of equal authority with the law. Nay, which is more, I say that to interpret the law after this manner, is a great deale more thē to make it, since that the people are not bounde to followe the letter of the law and of Gods word, but the interpretation which the Church of Rome shall giue of it. 4. The Church of Rome also doeth make her selfe as God, when in steed of instructing the people to beleeue in the word of God, she teacheth them to beleeue in the Church. For if you aske the simple people why they beleeue this or that, they will answer you because the church beleeues it, and by the Church they vnderstand the Roman Church, as if to beleeue in the Roman Church, and to beleeue in God were all one. Now it is to be noted, that in all these errours by the word Church, the people art not meant, for they are no iudges, they giue no au­thority to the scripture: but by the church the Hierarchie is vnderstood, and the bo­dy of Prelats which being dispersed tho­rough diverse nations doth depend vpon Rome, that is to say on the Romane consi­storie, and the Popes chaire. It was neuer heard of, before the Pope came to rule, [Page 244] that for to be saved, a man must needes be a Roman, and that the words, Vniversall and Roman were coincident; whereas the Apostle wrote to the Church of the Ro­manes after the same manner as he did to the Church of the Corinthians, or Ephe­sians, & gaue her not any title of superio­rity: without doubt he should haue spake thus vnto them. Although your Church be the Mistresse of all other Churches, and my admonitions may seeme needlesse for you, because ye cānot possibly erre in the faith, and because S. Peter your bishop is the head of the Church, to whō I my selfe also am subiect, yet notwithstanding I thought good to write vnto you for these and these reasons. Not a word of all this, but in the 11. chap. he threatens thē with being cut off, if they grow to be high minded, or disesteeme the grace of God.

The holy Ghost addeth that this Hie­rarchie doeth blaspheme against the church of God, 2. Point how the Romish Church doth revise the Saints. and against those which dwell in heaven: If by heaven hee vnder­stand the Church, as in the 9. chapt. and 1. verse, and in the 12. chapt. and 4. verse, or if the falling away of those which went out of the visible church bee represented [Page 245] by the starres which fell from heaven, it is easie to prooue how the Church of Rome doth diffame those which did, and stil do, serue God in puritie, fastning odious names vpon them, and calling them He­retickes, Schismaticks, Infidels, Vaudians, Albigeans, Huguenots, Calvinists: perswading the simpler sort, that wee hold good workes to bee vnprofitable: that wee ap­proue all kinde of dissolutenesse, that wee are enimies of the Virgin Marie and the Saints; that we make God the author of sinne: and such like things as we detest, & which are cleane contrary to our beliefe.

But if by those which are in heaven the Saints in Paradice bee vnderstoode, the Church of Rome doeth wrong these no lesse; For is it not an iniurie to the Saints to change them into Idols? and to make thē the instruments of dishonouring God worshipping and adoring them with a re­ligious kinde of worship that is due onlie to God? who cā doubt but that the Saints do hate such as honor them thus? To omit how the Romish church doth ty the S ts to a block, imploying thē about base offices, cōmending the keeping of their hogs to one, of their horses to another, the curing [Page 246] of the scurfe to a thirde; and that the Le­gends of the Saints do disgrace them, in so much that they make the Virgin Mary to converse with Queanes, and to favour them in their vncleanenesse as wee haue shewed aboue.

3. point. that the Church of Rome doth persecute the faithfull.As for the persecutions which this Hi­rarchie hath raised against the faithfull, & the victories which it hath had over the Church; It is never found that the Ortho­dox Church did make any massacres of the ancient hereticks. Crueltie is most su­table with falshood. To burne a Christi­an because he would not obey the Pope, is a thing which had never beene seene: but began after the Pope grewe to bee an earthly Monarch. It is well neere 400. yeares since Innocent the 3. within the space of a few monthes, made more then 200000 of the faithfull to bee slaine, whō they called Albigeans, after the same ma­ner as they doe vs Hugenots now adaies. It is not aboue a hundred years since, that all Europe did streame with blood, & that the Pope and his adherents thought by slaughter and torments to haue rooted vs out vtterly. In S. Bartholomewes massacre, in the yeare 1572, more then 80000 men [Page 247] were slaine in cold blood. At Lyons 150. persons put into prison were drawne out all one after another, and stabbed at the gate of the prison. At Orleans 400 persons shut vp in a house (which was called the house with 4 corners) were burnt al toge­ther. The Duke of Alua plaied the but­cher at Flaunders, and vnder the shadow of a Catholike zeale slew millions of mē. In recompence whereof the Pope sent him an holy sword, & consecrated gloues. The punishments of the Inquisition sur­passe all crueltie. The bull of Phalaris is nothing in respect of this. A man is carri­ed to prison not knowing wherefore: af­ter he hath beene cubd vp in solitarinesse, and never seene one glympse of light for a whole yeare together, at last there coms one vnto him, and questions with him a­bout certaine interrogatories; if hee say that he is a good Catholike, and doe re­nounce his former heresie, hee shall haue this favour to die a more gentle death. For recant never so much, the very once being accused of heresie is thought e­nough to condemne a man. If hee perse­vere in defence of the truth, and triumph in martyrdome, after a thousond tormēts [Page 248] endured in private, he is brought forth in publike, wrapt about the head with an ougly coife which they call S. Bennet, ha­ving a vizard on his face with a yawning mouth, and a long taile made fast behind at his backe, as they vse to paint the divel; and so burnt by little and little, being put in and taken from the fire I know not how often, to the end he might not die as some doe without feeling that they dy. Tyran­nie, which the Turkes and Mahometans (though the sworne enimies of Christs name) doe detest: for they never practi­sed any thing vpon Christians, that came neere to this crueltie.

We are also to speake of the continu­ance of time that this Hierarchicall Em­pire shall endure. The 4. point of the conti­nuance of the Empire. The holy Ghost saith that it shall last 1260. daies, where wee must take each day for a yeare: For this Prophecie doth every where almost bor­row the tearmes of Daniel, and vse his fa­shion of speech, who by a weeke vnder­stands 7. yeares, and who foretelleth that from the permission of returning, & buil­ding vp Hierusalem againe, (granted by Darius, Nothus) vntill the finall destruc­tion thereof, there should be 70 weekes, [Page 249] that is to say 70 times 7 yeares, to take a day for a yeare, which make 490 yeares which afterward came to passe; and this wonderfull prophecie was fulfilled at the time appointed. So likewise in Ezechiel in the 4. chap. and 6. verse. Thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the house of Iudah 40 daies: I haue appointed thee a day for a yeare. And in the 14 chap. of Numbers .34. verse. Af­ter the number of the daies in which ye sear­ched out the land, even 40. daies every day for a yeare, &c. It is no new thing there­fore in Scripture to take a day for a yeare; but it is the stile of the prophecies. Now here is a mystery, and an admirable cor­respondency: for herein the Iewish-chri­stian Church which lay hid 1260 daies, flying the persecution of the heathenish Roman Empire, was a figure of the flight and persecution of the Christian Church vnder the Papall Roman Empire, which persecution must last 1260 mistical daies, which amount to so many yeares.

Since it is so that the holy Ghost throughout this whole chap. speakes of the succession and establishment of this Roman Hierarchie, insteed of the Roman Empire, and that we haue shewed that the [Page 250] Pope began to lay the foundations of this temporal Empire in the yeare of our Lord 755. if therevnto yee ad these 1260 yeares of the continuance of this Hierarchicall Empire, it must needes last to the 2015. yeare of our Lord: according to which reckoning it hath 404. yeares yet to con­tinue. Wherevnto if yee ioine the predic­tion of the Apostle, who hath told vs that Christ shall abolish this sonne of perdition by the brightnesse of his com­ming, yee may well neere guesse the time of the cōming of the Lord. Here­vnto adde that amongst the Iewes this was an vsuall prophecie, that as the world was made in 6. daies, and after came the day of rest, so the world must endure sixe thousand yeares, & afterwards there shall be an everlasting time of rest: That is to say, that there must be so many thousande yeares in the worldes duration, as there were daies in the creation. For as the Apo­stle S. 2. Pet. 3.8. Peter saith: One day with the Lord is as a thousand yeares, & a thousand yeares as one day. According to this calculation, this present yeare of our Lord, 1611. be­ing the 5560 year of the world. If the pa­pall Empire must yet continue 404 years, [Page 251] its end must bee in the 5964. yeare of the world, which is nor farre of from 6000 yeares. Astrologie also doth lend vs some light in this matter: for in the yeare of the world 3665. Ptolomie Philadelph raigne­ing in Egypt, some 469 yeares after the building of Rome, there lived one Hip­parchus a famous Astrologer, who reports that in his time the star commonly called, stella polaris, which is in the taile of the lesser beare, was 12 degrees & two fifths distant frō the poles of the Equator. This starre from age to age hath insensibly still crept neerer to the Pole, whēce it appea­reth that the poles of the Equator are moueable; it is not now past 3 degrees di­stant from the poles of the Equator: when this starre therefore shall come to touch the Pole there being no farther space left for it to go forward (which may well e­nough come to passe within fiue or sixe hundreth yeares) it seemes that thē there shall be a great change of things, and that this time is the period which God hath pre­fixed to nature. All these observations put together make vs presume that the Romā Hierarchicall Empire must endure till the 2015 yeare of our Lorde. And that this [Page 252] Empire being abolisht, the Pope yet shall remaine still, but without power & autho­ritie, til that Iesus Christ shal destroy him by his last comming, which (as it should seeme by the evidēces formerly cited) shal be some one, or two and twentie ages, af­ter our Saviours incarnation, who is God over all, blessed for ever. Yet I would not haue any think that I speak this as though I went about to prie into such secrets as God himselfe would haue to be hid, or as though I meant to define any thing abso­lutely concerning the last day, but onlie that I might not seeme to neglect the Re­velations which the holy Ghost hath laid open vnto vs in this prophecy: seeing that here he telleth vs how long the Papal Empire shall last, and that S. Paule and Of this place of Daniel see th [...] 9. Chapt. Da­niell in his 7. chap. doe stretch the tearme of time, wherein the son of Perditiō shall last, to the day of iudgement.

Our adversaries goe more boldly to worke. For taking these 1260 daies sim­ply for 3 yeares and a halfe, they say that Antichrist must not raigne aboue 3 years and a halfe, and that 45. daies after the last Iudgement shall be. If this be true, thē the faithfull that shall liue vnder the domini­on [Page 253] of Antichrist, shall knowe the day of iudgement exactly, and Christs speech shall not be verified of them, wherein hee saith, Of that day and howre knoweth no mā no not the Angels in heaven, as the king of great Brittaine hath learnedly obserued: who notes also that our Lord Iesus hath foretold that at this time men shall bee ea­ting and drinking, & making merry; which sheweth evidently that this shal be a time of rest, and not of troubles and persecuti­ons, and that the comming of Iesus Christ shall not be lookt for. Besides, that such an Empire, which (as they say) shall subdue all the world, should in 3. yeares & a halfe rise, increase, and fall, is a thing altogether impossible: a man cannot in that time ride over a quarter of the countries in post, how much more time had he need aske to conquer them? Or who can imagin that the mystery of iniquitie should in Saint Paules time begin to prepare the way for the sonne of perdition to enter, and that now, that is to say, some 1550. yeares af­ter, there should bee no preparation at all. 5. Point of the religious service done to the Popes seat.

It remaines that we speake of the obe­dience and religious service which the people shall giue to this Roman Hierar­chie: [Page 254] The holy Ghost saith that all mē that inhabit the earth shall adore it: Hee saith, All men, although there bee many coun­tries which never did acknowledge it: for the Scripture lightly speakes after this manner of great Empires, which hold a great number of people and many realms vnder their dominion: especially the Pro­phet Daniel (to whose stile the holy ghost doth conform himselfe in the Apocalyps) in the 2. chap. 37. and 38 verses, speaking to Nabuchadnezar. O King thou art a king of kings, and in all places where the children of men dwell hee hath given them into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all; although hee had nothing at all in Eu­rope, and but little in Affricke. There is the like forme of speech in the 7. chapter, verse 23. So in speaking of the Pope wee vse to say that all the word is vnder him, although the Turke and Mores disclaime him: but by so saying wee meane that hee hath a large dominion. And our adversa­ries themselues doe not deny this, since they are of opinion that the heathenish Romā Empire is meant in this prophecie, which yet notwithstanding, was never absolute cōmander over one fourth part [Page 255] of the world: And I cannot imagin that there shall or can be such a Monarchie to which all the world (without excepting any place) shall be subiect. It is not three yeares and an halfe, no nor 3 ages that wil be sufficient for the obtaining of such a conquest. And there is not the man to bee found with a braine strong enough, to governe an Empire of this nature. The most politicke head in the world would in the governement of such a state be di­stracted with the multiplicitie of businesse and fall into shivers.

The dutiful respect therefore and obe­dience, which the people must yeeld to this Roman Hierarchie, is called Adorati­on: Not only because the head of this Em­pire shall cause himselfe to be adored, and make men kisse his feet, but also because of the strange kinde of soveraigntie that the body of this Hierarchie hath attained vnto. The Cardinals in all their mee­tings, and solemne feastes, goe, and fit before kings, as we haue already 1. Lib. 3. cap. she­wed. In Spaine a man may offend the king with lesse daunger then the least of the Inquisition. Frō Gregory the 7. sur­named Hildebrād, which was made Pope, [Page 256] in the yeare of our Lord 1073, to Leo the 10. who died in the yeare 1521. there are 448. yeares, during which time wee may say that the Papacie was at the height of her power and glory. Then Moncks were highly honoured, and the Popes Legates tooke their places before kings: then the Pope could command all the nobles, and all the men of armes, to come out of Frāce or England, or any other quarter of Eu­rope, and make thē trot from far through I knowe not howe many places to ioine their forces against the Sarrasins, and fil­led all Fraunce with widdowes and Or­phanes: to him that chaunced to die in this warre, the Pope gaue a degree of glo­ry in Paradice aboue the common sort of Saints. Then he which wore the badge of the crosse did cease to bee the kings sub­iect, and no Magistrate might touch him what offence soever hee had committed, because hee was the Popes souldier. At that time he made kings to be ierkt, and stroke of the Emperours crowne with his foot, and trod vpon his necke. His power now a daies is much diminished over that it was, and yet even at this time, he makes men come from farre and neere to seek at [Page 257] Rome for the remission of their sins. And an offence committed against his owne person is a reserved case, whence none in Fraunce may absolue a man, but the least Priest that is, hath authority to pardon a sin cōmitted against the Maiestie of God. Nay which is more, they take vpon them to make God, and to create their creator with the repeating of certaine words; No mervaile therefore if they be so much ho­noured and respected. So we haue seene this prophecie fulfilled on everie side: whence also wee may assure our selues of the accomplishment of the other part of this prophecie. That they which kill shall be killed, and that they which persecute vs shall bee dealt withall accordingly. Which yet we do not desire, having learn [...] of our Savior to blesse those that curse vs, and to pray for their amendment.

The 6. part of this prophecie.

11 And I beheld an other beast com­ming vp out of the earth, which had two hornes like the lambe, but hee spake like the Dragon.

12 And hee did all that the first beast [Page 258] could do before him, & he caused the earth, and thē that dwell therin to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

The Explication.

11 I saw also a Monarch to rise vp frō a low estate, being of another name and na­ture then the former Roman Emperours, to wit, the Pope, which wore a miter with tvvo hornes vpon his head, and which seemed in outwarde shew to professe Christ, but whose doctrine was diabolicall.

12 And he tooke all the power of the Roman Empire vpō him, at Rome, being the seate of the Empire, and exhorted al the peo­ple to submit themselues to this Roman Em­pire, which being destroyed by the Lombards in Italie, was brought to life againe, and re­established by the Papacie.

The proofe.

S. Iohn doth here speake of two beasts, the former of which is the Roman Empire as all confesse, and the prophecy is cleere. This Empire being excluded out of Rome & Italie by the Lombards, was recovered [Page 259] by little and little, and restored againe by the Roman Hierarchie, which is helde by S. Iohn for the same beast with the Roman Empire, because it is stil one Empire raig­ning at Rome, though vnder an other ti­tle. The second beast is a liuely represen­tation of the bishop of Rome.

1 For Saint Iohn saith that this beast came vp out of the earth, that is to say, rose from a small beginning, and meane estate, according as the Latins cal such as get vp from a little, Terrae filios, as mushromes, or toadstooles that growe vp out of the earth in a night: a fashion of speech vsual in Scripture, as in the 2. chapt. of the 1. of Samuell. He raiseth vp the poore out of the dust, that is to say, out of a base condition of life. Now who is there but knows how meane and poore the state of the bishops of Rome was before they came to be earthly Monarchs? Then when they had not one foot of ground, and that the Empe­rours made them be whipt, emprisoned, & banished them? Then when the Theod. hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 16 Imperator impera­vit Liberium relegari Be­roeam quae est in Thra­cia: Liberi [...] abeunti misit imperator s [...] ­lid [...]s 500. in s [...]mptus. Empe­rour Constantius having exiled Liberius bishop of Rome, gaue him 500 crownes for pitty sake ro relieue him. As the grain of mustard seed, which our Savior speaks [Page 260] of Luke the 13. ve. 19. which is but little, brought forth a tree, within which the birds of the aire built their nests, so out of this smalnesse of bishops, did the great­nesse of the Pope arise, within the which infinite companies of beneficed men doe nestle themselues, which liue vnder his shaddow.

2 S. Iohn also saith that he shall haue hornes like the Lambe, but shall speake like the dragon, as if he should haue said, ye wil say when yee see him that hee resembleth Christ Iesus, which is the Lambe of God; and looks like a Christian, but his doctrin is Diabolicall. This also agreeth to the Pope which cals himselfe the Vicar of Ie­sus Christ, but whose doctrine is contrary to Iesus Christ; for proofe whereof reade my second booke, in that place, where I defend his Maiesties of Englands confes­sion of the faith, It may bee that the two hornes of his ordinary miter, do serue also for the accomplishment of this prophecy.

3 In the third place S. Iohn saith that hee shall exercise the authority of the first beast, which is the Roman Empire, for as much as he shal counterfait the actions, & vsurp the rights of the Roman Empire: [Page 261] That this also agreeth to the Pope wee may proue by infinite examples. 1. Hee hath taken a crowne hauing cast away his Bishops crosier staffe. 2. He hath taken the Emperours Eutrop. l. 9 Carausius purpuram sumpsit & paulo post Galerius pur puratus tra­ditur ad ve­hiculum de­currisse. S. Ambrosius Theodosio dixit purpu­ra imperato­rem non sa­cerdotem fa­cit. habit which was of skarlet, together with shooes of skarlet, which were proper to the Emperours. 3. The Emperours had a Senat clad in skarlet, & hee hath a Senate of Cardinals clad in cloath of the same colour. 4. In the Senate there were Apotheoses, or Canonizations of Gods practised, as there are Canonizations of Saints in the Popes consistorie. 5. The Emperours caused themselues to be ado­red, and were Aurel. vict in Diocletia­no▪ Passus adorari se appellari (que) deum Lam­prid. idem ait de Helio­gabalo in vi­ta Alexandri Severi. called Gods. So the Popes call themselues God, and take vpon them to be adored. 6. The Emperours brought vp the right of fiefs and other duties to be paid to the Lord Paramont in case that the tenants were changed. In imitation whereof the Pope hath established his Annates, by which all Church livings are made fiefs to the Papall See, and pay the first yeares revenewes in case of a new e­lection. 7. The Emperours did receaue the submissions and acknowledgements of subie­ction, from forraine Princes by their Em­bassadours: so the Pope doth receaue the [Page 262] submissions of kings, and their oathes of fe­altie, which are all bound as soone as ever there is a new Pope chosen to send their Embassadours to kisse his feet, and to ten­der him an oath of allegeance. 8. The Em­perours had their Imposts, and Tributes; & the Pope hath his S. Peter pence, levied in many Countries vpon the head of every particular man: as also petty cōtributions, and a thousand diverse commodities that arise out of dispensations, absolutions, provisions, advouzons, indulgences, erec­tions, derogations, exchange of vowes, matrimoniall causes, &c. which are the tri­buts, and imposts of this Roman Empire. 9. The Emperours had their civill law, and he hath his Canon law. 10. The Emperours had their Indictions of 15. yeares, and hee hath his Roman Indictions of the like time. 11. The Emperours had their Publicans, & tole-gatherers, which did farme the re­venewes of the Empire. So the Pope hath his Dataries and Bullists which rent the commodities of this spirituall merchan­dise. 12. The Emperours had their Trape­zites, or exchangers at Rome: & the Pope hath his Banckers in Lions, and diverse o­ther places of Europe, which will procure [Page 263] dispensations and absolutions from Rome at a certaine price, and help you to obtain the remission of your sinnes by letters of exchange. 13. The Roman Emperours ha­ving conquered a countrie, laboured to plant the Latin tongue in it: in imitation of which policie, the Pope hath so prevai­led, that he hath brought all the countries which are vnder him to pray to God, Sucton. Cali­gula ex cap­turis prosti­bul [...]um ve­ctigal institu­it, quantum quae (que) vno concubitis mereret. Lamprid. i [...] Alexandr [...] ▪ Severo. Le­nonum vec­ctigal & m [...] ­retricum, & exoletorum in sacrum oe­rarium ve­tuit inferri & ad ins [...] ­rationem theatri, am­phitheatri, & Circi de­putavit. and say their service in the Latin tongue, and it is not long since that in France the law acts, and publike instruments were made in Latin; in doing this, hee hath stamped the print of his governement vpon vs, and made vs weare the badges of his Empire. 14. The Roman Emperours took an year­ly rent to suffer the Stewes; The Pope which did succeed in this Empire, hath al­so succeeded in the honestie of this acti­on.

4 For to make the matter more cleer, S. Iohn hauing said that this second beast doth resemble the first beast, and exercise his power, addes that it is in the presence of the first beast, & in the very place where the seat of the Roman Empire is, that is to say, at Rome it selfe: or at leastwise in the presence of this Hierarchicall Roman Em­pire.

[Page 264]Let the reader therfore put al this together, to wit, that we are foretold of a man 1. which shall rise vp from a meane estate. 2. Which shall be a Christian by professi­on, but yet shall teach wicked doctrine. 3. Which shall vsurpe the rights, and imi­tate the actions of the Roman Empire. 4. which shall haue his seate in the same place, where the seate of the Empire was. And after that hee hath runne overall hi­stories, and drawed his braines drie with long seeking after another besides the Pope, to whome all these things may a­gree: yet shall he never be able to shew vs such another: The verses following will tell vs of other markes no lesse cleere, and evident.

Neverthelesse (since it appeareth by the 12. verse, that the second beast which wee proue to be the Pope, shall make vse of this healing and reestablishment of the Roman Empire, for the authorising of this Empire reestablished by the Papacie) it is manifest that this wound here spoken of cannot be the death of Iulius Caesar, nor of Domitius Nero, nor yet the stroake re­ceaued by the Herules, and Gothes, be­cause the healing of these wounds did no [Page 265] way encrease the dignity of the Pope, nor did he gaine any thing by them. Who can imagine that the people were moued to yeeld themselues subiect to the Papacie, by wondring at the Empire which being fallen was set vp againe by Augustus Cae­sar, or by Vespasian, or by Narses? But wel may it be that the wound receaved by the Lumbards being healed by the advance­ment of the Roman Hierarchie, the Pope did hereby come to bee an earthly Mo­narch, and by this meanes advance his spi­rituall power. So did hee make the people to submit themselues to the Roman Em­pire that was healed of the deadly wound in as much as the state of the Roman Mo­narch, which he tooke vpon him after the destruction of the Roman Empire by the Lombards, made him to be highly respec­ted of the people, and did infinitely exalt his authoritie.

The 6. part of this prophecie.

13 And he did great wonders, so that he made fire to come downe from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

14 And deceived them that dwell on [Page 266] the earth by the signes which were permitted him to do in the sight of the beast, saying to thē that dwell on the earth, that they shoulde make the image of the beast which had the wound of a sword, and did liue.

15 And it was permitted to him to giue a spirit vnto the image of the beast; so that the image of the beast shoulde speake, and should cause that as many as would not wor­ship the image of the beast should be killed.

The Explication.

13 And this Pope wrought miracles, in so much that he sent forth the lightnings, and thunderbolts of his excommunications against Kings, and their people: and caused S. Anthonies fire to come downe from heavē and made it thunder and lighten by a mira­cle.

14 And the people vvere seduced be­cause of the miracles which God did suffer him to doe, for the authorizing of this Ro­mane Papal Empire, commanding the people to make vp the image of the ancient Roman Empire again, that is to say, to serue the Ro­man Papall Empire with the same manner of obedience as they did the ancient Romane [Page 267] Empire, which being demolished was built vp againe by the Roman Hierarchie.

15 And God did suffer him to giue force and strength to this Papall Empire, or Hie­rarchie, made after the image of the ancient Empire, for the spirituall power that it did vsurpe gaue soule and life to its temporall power. Which Papall Empire being nothing else but an imaginarie Empire, and which consisteth only in the opinion of such as yeelde obedience vnto it, neverthelesse speakes prowde things, and makes all such to be massacred and burnt, that shall refuse to subiect themselues to this imaginarie Em­pire, made according to the image of the an­cient Roman Empire.

The Proofe of the exposition.

The Holy Ghost giu [...] one more marke yet to know the [...] by, to wit, that he shall worke great sig [...]s, and mi­racles. As for the miracles of paperie wee haue spoken sufficiently of them alreadie. Amongst other signes, S. Iohn saith that [Page 268] he shall make fire fall downe from heavē. Whether it be that we are to vnderstande this of S. You haue an example of this engraued over the Portall of S. Anthonies Abby were Paris. read also the Le­gend of S. Anthonie. Anthonies fire which the beg­ging friars in times past made to fall vpon such as offended them; or whether it be to vnderstood of the divers shrines, and po­pish reliques, which when a man pul [...] down, the heaven straight waies is on fire, and there is nothing but raine, and light­ning; or whether it be that S. Iohn speakes this of spirituall thunderbolts such as are the Popes excōmunications, vnder which Christian realmes some 600 or 700. years since did tremble.

These things are done (saith S. Iohn) by the seconde beast in the presence of the first, that is to say by the Pope in the pre­sēce of the Romā Hierarchical Empire, in the same place where the seate of the Em­pire is, & for the authorising therof. Which Hierarchical Empire ▪ the holy Ghost by an admirable kinde of speech, and full of waight, cals the image of the first beast: because that although the Roman Hierar­chie, be a continuation, and succession of the ancient Roman Monarchie, and is [...] in this book by the same beast. Ne­verthelesse, if we consider the point some­what [Page 269] better, and looke a little neerer into the matter, wee shall finde that it is rather an image and imitation of the ancient Ro­man Empire, and a kinde of part that is a­cted vpon the seat of the ancient Empire. So the Roman Hierarchie is called the i­mage of the beast, both because it is built in imitation of the Roman Empire, as wee haue shewed aboue by 14 examples, as al­so because it is an imaginarie Empire, which doth consist only in the opinion of the subiects. Since the power therof hurts none but such as feare it. Its dispensations are worth as much, as we esteeme them to be worth; set light by the Popes thunder­bolts, and you shall sleepe the better. The price of his holy Graines, Agnus Dei, Beads, holy roses, and consecrated man­tles, cōsists only in the opiniō of the buy­ers. And his trading of late begins not to be so good as it was. Should a Prince or. cōmon wealth but a hundreth years since haue done but a quarter of that which the Venetians haue within these few years, he (being bound hand and foot) had beene cast downe into hell and given to the Di­vell without all remission. The Croysade had beene preached against him in al pla­ces, [Page 270] by vertue of which millions of men would haue assembled themselues toge­ther from all parts of Europe. to fall vpon the heretickes, that so they might gaine Paradice. But the King of great Brittaine, which hath stript the whore, and laid opē her mysteries, doth even to this day stand still vnexcommunicated. The gunpowder threatnings, are more dangerous then the Popes excommunications.

Now albeit this Hierarchie be an image of the ancient Empire, yet Saint Iohn saith that this image doth liue and speake, and that this second beast which is the Pope, giues life vnto it, & makes it speak; words wonderfully expresse, and significant. For the temporall power of the Popes Hierar­chicall Empire would be nothing else but a dead image of the ancient Roman Em­pire, were it not that the spirituall power, did quicken the temporall, and giue strength vnto it. For it is his spirituall power, that accumulates such great store of goods, and riches vpon the temporall; which opens the peoples purses vnto him which forceth kings necks to bow, which makes his thunderbolts so dreadfull, which compels men to repaire from all [Page 271] quarters to Rome, for to share of the spi­rituall liberalities of his Holinesse. Yet he is ever a gainer hereby, and his spirituall power, serues for nothing but to vphold his temporal, as Guicciardine formerly al­leaged, affirmeth. It is the same spirituall power, that makes this image of the beast to speake, that is to say, which causeth that this Papall Empire (formed accor­ding to the pourtraiture of the Roman Empire) should speake so big, giue lawes, pronounce decrees, decide questions of faith with a finall resolution, & command all such to bee put to death as shall refuse to obey him: sounding the trumpet from an high place, thereby to incourage kings and people to exercise crueltie.

This notwithstanding wee are to note one generall doctrine, that as they are not the carvers, nor founders, that make Idols but they which serue them, so also in this place, that the Pope which is the founder of this image, and principall promoter of this Hierarchie resembling the Romā Em­pire, is not he for all that which hath made it to be an image, but the opinion of the people. Wherefore S. Iohn saith that this second beast, which is the Pope cau­sed [Page 272] the inhabitants of the earth to make an image of the first beast, and to erect an Empire like to the Roman Empire that was decayed▪ For it is not the subtiltie of the Popes that hath made this Papall Em­pire, but the stupiditie of the people.

The 7. part of this Prophecie.

16 And hee made all, both small and great rich and poore [...], free and bond, to re­ceaue a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads.

17 And that no man might buy or sel saue he that had the marke, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The Explication.

16 And hee made all both small and great, rich and poore, bond and free, to giue him their hāds, & to take an oath to be faithfull vnto him, and to be markt by their acti­ons. And their foreheads were markt with the marke of confirmation; & they made pro­fession of his religion, which profession of re­ligion is often in holy Scripture, called by the name of a marke in the forehead.

[Page 273] 17 And hee tooke order that no man might trafficke, nor sell, nor buy, nor ex­change benefices, nor be suffered to purchase an Archbishops pall, nor haue a license, nor any part in the Church goods, no nor yet buy an estate, if he had not the name and professi­on of a Romanist.

The Proofe.

By the right hande is meant the out­ward actions. This is a fashion of speech vsuall with the holy Ghost. As in the 144. Psalme, ver. 8. Whose right hand is a right hand of falshood, that is to say, that they are disloyall in their actions. And there is no­thing more common in scripture, then by the cleanenesse, or vncleannesse of the hands, to vnderstand the iustice or iniu­stice of the actions, as Psal. 18. ver. 25. & Psal. 24. ver. 4. By the right hand wee may likewise vnderstand the promise of fideli­tie, as S. Paul in the second to the Galath. v. 9. saith that Iames, Peter, and Iohn, [...], gaue him and Barnabas their right hands. So in the last chap. of the 1. book of Chronicles, all the sonnes of king David, gaue their hands to bee vnder king Salo­mon. [Page 274] That is to say, tooke an oath of allea­giance to be true subiects vnto him.

As for the marke in the forehead, the Apocalyps it selfe shews vs, what the mea­ning of this is. For in the 9. chap. & 4. ver. the Locusts are commanded, not to hurt the grasse of the earth, neither any greene thing, neither any tree, but only those men which haue not the seale of God in their foreheads. And in the 7. cha. God doth marke his faithful servants in their foreheads. As therefore the truely faithfull are not mar­ked in the forehead with any visible mark but this marke in the foreheade is the vn­feigned profession of a true Christian, so likewise the marke of a beast in the fore­head of a man, is the profession of beeing faithfull vnto the beast, as Thomas also doth expound it in the 3. P. of his summes 63. quest. and 3. Art. Character bestiae intelli­gi potest vel [...]bstinata malicia quâ aliqui depu­tātur ad poe­nam aeternā vel professio illiciti cul­t [...]. By the Character of the beast we may vnderstand either an obsti­nate malice, by reason of which some are ad­iudged to everlasting punishment, or the profession of an vnlawfull religion. This marke therefore is the profession of Popery. But if any one be desirous rather to know of a marke really imprinted in the forehead, there is the marke of confirmation may [Page 275] satisfie him, with which the Bishop doeth marke children in the forehead, without which marke the Can. vt. Ie­iune Dist. 5. de consecrat. decrees of the Church of Rome pronoūce that a man is but halfe a Christian.

Without this marke, and profession of Poperie S. Iohn saith that no man is admitted to sell or buy, for all the goods of this Papall Empire are bought and sold. It is nothing else but a bare traffique. Benefi­ces are exchanged vpon certaine conside­rations; He that hath but a leane bishop­ricke layes about him howe hee might scorce it for a fatter. As soone as ever an Abbotship or benefice is vacant, manie may sue, but he shall be sure to carry it a­way that can bribe best, & giue the grea­test presents. There are Abbotships con­ferred vpon Captaines, and illiterat men, Bishopricks, and Cardinalships bestowed on little children; and sometimes in waie of recompense for vnhonest services. To be briefe it is a most shamefull merchan­dize. And how should not these things be sold, since that God himselfe is sold, and that we haue heard aboue how Pope Pius the 2. complaineth that the holy Ghost is sold at Rome, and the forgiuenesse of sins? [Page 276] Nowe I am of opinion that it is easier for them to sell him, then to deliuer him after they haue sold him.

No man (according to the rules of the Church of Rome) may haue a share in the emoluments of this merchandize, but on­ly he which shall professe himselfe to be a Roman, and to be of the church of Rome, & a true subiect to the Pope. The formes of the admission of Bishops, Archbishops Cardinals, Knights of Malta, yea and of kings themselues, haue this article inser­ted expresly in them, of fidelitie and obe­dience to the Papall See.

The 8. part of this prophecie.

17 And hee tooke order that no man might buy or sell; saue he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdome. Let him that hath wit, count the nūber of the beast: for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

The Explication.

17 And hee tooke order that no man [Page 277] might trafficke, nor sel, nor buy, nor exchāge benefices, nor bee suffered to purchase an Archbishops Pall, nor haue a Licence, nor a­ny part in the Church goods, no nor yet buy an estate, if he had not the name and profes­sion of a Romanist: and were not of the num­ber of those which are marked with the fi­gures, or numbers of the letters of his name.

18 In which number they which think themselues the wisest may finde some thing worth their search. Whosoever hath under­standing let him diligently calculate the summe, to which these Greeke Cyphars or numbers of the Pope of Rome doe amount; for it is an vsuall number amongest men, and therefore easie to be vnderstood. And this number to which the Greeke letters of his name doe amount, is 666. For this word, Latin, which is the ordinary name by which the Greeke church doth call those of the Ro­man Church, and their head) being written in Greeke, and after calculated makes vp iust 666. Which number also by an admira­ble occurrence, doth admonish you that 666. yeares after the revealing of this prophecie, this 2 beast, to wit the Pope, shall beginne to heale the wound of the ancient Empire, and place the Roman Empire again in its former seat.

The Proofe.

Of the traffick, and the marke, we haue said enough already. But concerning the number of the name of the second beast there is more difficultie: There bee two things that giue vs some light in this mat­ter, the one is, that S. Iohn saith, that the number is the number of a man, that is to say, a number vsuall amongst men; So hee puts vs out of the labour of seeking after mysticall numbers, as when a day is taken for a yeare. The other is, that since the question is of numbring or cyphring the Let­ters of this name, this name must of ne­cessity be in a tongue, the letters of which are cyphers or Arithmeticall numbers. Now this is proper to the Greeke and Hebrew tongues, to haue no other cy­phers but the letters of their Alphabet. But being that S. Iohn wrote in Greeke, & that to the Greeke churches too, this name cannot but be Greeke. S. Irenee fol­lowing these rules, noted (two hundreth yeares after the birth of our Saviour, that the letters of cyphars of this word [...]—30 [...]—1 [...]—300 [...]—5 [...]—10 [...]—50 [...]—70 [...]— 200 666. [...], that is to say, Latin, being added to­gether make vp iust 666. Now to knowe whether this name bee the true name or [Page 279] no of the Bishop of Rome, we are not to look to the fashion of speech that is in vse with vs now adaies in France or Italy, but to the Greeks manner of speaking, seeing that S. Iohn wrote in Greeke and to the Greekes; and into the nature of the thing.

We are therefore to knowe that after the Empire was translated, the Cittie of Constantinople was called new Rome, and the Countrie about commonly called Thracia was called Romania likewise, and is so called to this day. But as for the chur­ches of Italie, France, and Spaine, which are reckoned vnder the Roman Patriar­chat, the Greekes doe commonly call thē the Latin churches. When the Greeks see a french man or German in their country, they aske him, [...]? Are you a La­tin? that is to say, as we vse to speake here with vs, are you of the Romish Church? So at the end of the Councell of Florence, there is a long list of the names and sub­scriptions of the Greeke Bishops, and in the second place the subscriptions of the Bishops of the Romish Church, amongst which there bee some French men, and Spaniardes, and Flemmings, and yet neverthelesse over the head of all [Page 280] these subscriptions is written, Subscripti­ones Latinorum patrum; So Nilus Bishop of Thessalonica wrote two books in greek one against Purgatory, the other against the Primacie of the Bishop of Rome, where he speakes (I know not how often) of the Latins, and of the Latin Church, without ever calling it the Romā church. Let this therefore bee taken for certaine, that then when the Bishop of Rome be­came a Monarch, and erected an earthly Empire at Rome (for this is the time of which S. Iohn doth prophecie) the Roman Church was commonly called the Latin Church, and by a consequent, the head thereof was called Latin.

As for the nature of the thing, there is no name that is more agreeing vn­to it; seeing that the Latin tongue only is received in Popish churches; all their service is said in Latin, the people are taught to pray in Latin; the Buls, and Indulgences, and letters of absoluti­on are all made in Latin, the holy scrip­ture is not allowed of but in Latin, and the Latin translation is preferred before the originall. And it is not long since that in the court of Parliament, and seates of [Page 281] Iustice, al the decrees, and sentences, acts, and publike instrumentes were set downe in Latin. To conclude, all that is there is Latin. I am verily perswaded that Irenae­us speaking this had no reference to the bishop of Rome, for although he take vp Victor bishop of Rome somewhat short, for his sharpnesse & violence, yet the bi­shops of Rome in his time were so poore and feeble, that no man could possibly i­magin that they shoulde ever haue come to this heigth. And indeed Irenaeus was rather led away by the coniecture of o­ther names, where the selfe same number is foūd. But the experience of succeeding ages hath refuted his other coniectures, & ratified this, by which he hath opened a way vnto vs to know the truth, which he could not liue to know by experience, as we haue.

But if besides this we shew that not only the number of 666. is found within this word Latin: but also that this very num­ber doth point out the time vnto vs exactly in which the Pope became to be a Mo­narch, & began to lift vp the Roman Em­pire into its former seat, then I hope that they which are most set against this do­ctrine, [Page 282] will wonder at this interpretation, and by an amazed silence giue the glorie to God.

We must vnderstand therfore, that the first persecution of Christians (raised vp by Nero in the last yeare of his raigne) fell out in the year of our Lord, 69. Fourteene yeares after, that is, in the yeare 83. Domi­tian began an other persecution, in which S. Iohn was cited to Rome, and thence ba­nished into the Isle of Pathmos, as S. Hie­rome witnesseth in his Quartode [...] anno secundam post Neronē persecutionē movente Domitiano in Patmon in­sulā relega­tus scripsit Apocalypsin. Catalogue. This persecution was more gentle then the o­thers, and the Emperour went not so farre as bloud, as he did afterwardes towardes the ende of his raigne. In this Isle, did this Revelation appeare to S. Iohn, Apoc. 1. ver. 9. which afterward he committed to writing, towards the end of Domitians raigne as Irenaeus witnesseth in his fifth booke. For he remained in this Island vn­till the time that Nerva came to rule, which began his raigne in the yeare 97. Seeing therfore that the Pope began to be a commander & temporal Prince in Rome & Italie in the yeare of our Lord, 755. by the indiscreete liberality of Pepin king of Fraunce: if ye go 666. yeares higher, yee [Page 283] shal light vpon the yeare of our Lord, 89. In which yeare S. Iohn was yet in the Isle of Pathmos, where he cōtinued some few years after, at what time he had leasure to commit that to writing, which he had re­ceived from God by Revelation. It is true that Pepin, and Charles the Great his son, & Lewis the Debonnayre his grand-child which gaue this donation, did yet reserue the right of soveraignty vnto themselues. But for all this the Pope did not spare to labour the best he could to make himselfe a monarch, and did even at that time lay his proiects for the compassing of a Mo­narchie, taking vpon him to bestow the dignitie of a Patrician vpon Pepin, which none but the Emperours could conferre, & presuming to set the Imperiall Crowne vpon the head of Charles the Great, and that by a sleight, the said Charles the great not marking so much, and after being an­gry with him for so doing, and saying as he went out, that if hee had thought the Pope would haue vsed him so, he woulde not haue come into the Church, as Egi­nard witnesseth in his history. So the Pope encreasing dayly more and more, did in fine driue the successours of Pepin, and [Page 284] Charles the great his benefactours out of all Italie: and hath brought them to kisse his feet, and to hold their crownes at his mercie and discretion, calling himselfe Lord commander over the Empire, and bragging that he hath receiued the domi­nion of heaven and earth from God.

Now here I cannot but wonder at the rashnesse of some which dare accuse Ire­nee for writing this word, [...], falslie with an [...], as if a Graecian, and one of the learnedst amongst them, knew not howe to write true orthography in his owne tongue. For although this word bee also written without an Iota, yet they which haue any skil in the tongue, do know that the Graecians did vse to write an [...] where the Latins wrote an I. So Nilus, and Epi­rus, and Mithras, are written in Greeke [...]. Ioseph Scaliger in his notes vpon Eusebius Chronicle, page 106. markes how the Graecians doe often turne the I, of the Latins into [...] when it is long, & that an N comes after, as in these words, [...]. Not that they did write it so still, for this was left indifferent. Nor will any man wonder here at, which knowes that the Latins did [Page 285] pronoūce their I long like [...], whence that inscription Capteiuei of a Comedie in Plautus comes, and the verse of Lucilius cited by Quintilian in the first book of his oratoricall instructions, Iam pueret vene­re, è postremum facito at (que) I, for hee helde that it should be written puerei, mendacei, furei. The importunity of our adversaries haue forced me to play the schoole boy, and to rub vp my old Grammar learning, in steed of admiring the secrets of the wisdome of God, who vnder the transparent vaile of this prophecie, hath made vs to see, and feele his truth.

But here I am to admonish the reader that when I lay the accomplishment of of these 666. yeares vpon the 755 year of our Lord, I do not thereby vnderstande that Antichrist did but then begin to be made manifest. He was made knowne be­fore by many effectes, neverthelesse no­thing like so manifestly as after when hee came to be an earthly Monarch: For hee had before this time taken the title of Head of the Church vpon him, vnder a shew that in the contention between him and the bishop of Constantinople, the Par­ricide Phocas had adiudged the Primacie [Page 286] to the bishop of Rome, iust 666. yeares af­ter that Pompey had taken Ierusalem, and subdued the nation of the Iewes which as then was the only church of God. For Pompey wrought this exploite 61 yeares after the birth of our Saviour in the con­sulship of Cicero and Antonie, and Pho­cas gaue the Primacie to Boniface the 3. in the yeare of our Lord, 606. so that to count from this exploite of Pompey there are 666. yeares: By this meanes betweene the subduing of the church of the old Te­stament by the Roman Empire, and be­tweene the bondage of the church of the newe Testament by the bishop of Rome there are 666. yeares, which is an excellēt observation, and which his Maiestie of Englād hath faithfully noted. But this 13. chap. speaks not of the time in which An­tichrist began to appeare, but of the time in which he began to establish a worldlie Empire, and encroach vpon the rights, & imitate the actions of the Roman Empe­rour. Which he began 666. yeares after this Revelation.

THE PROPHECIE CONTAI­ned in the 14. Chap. of the Apo­calyps. CHAP. 5.

1 Then I looked, & lo, a Lamb stood on mount Sion, and with him an hundreth, for­tie, and foure thousand, having his fathers name written in their foreheads.

2 And I heard a voice from heaven as the sound of many waters, and as the sound of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers, harping with their harps.

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the 4. beastes, and the elders: & no man could learne that song, but the hundreth fortie and fowre thousand, which were bought from the earth.

4 These are they which are not defiled with women: for they are Virgins: these fol­low the Lambe wheresoever he goeth: these are bought from men being the first fruits vnto God and vnto the Lambe.

5 And in their mouthes was founde no guile: for they are without spot before the throne of God.

6 Then I saw another Angell flie in [Page 288] the midst of heaven, having an everlasting Gospell to preach vnto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.

7 Saying with a lowd voice, feare God, and giue glorie to him; for the howre of his Iudgement is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountaines of waters.

8 And there followed an other Angell saying Babylon that great cittie is fallen, it is fallen: for shee made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

9 And the third Angell followed thē saying with a lowd voice, If any man worship the beast, and his image, & receiue his mark in his forehead, or on his hands;

10 The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine, which is powred into the cup of his wrath, and hee shall bee tormented in fire and brimstone be­fore the holy Angels, and before the Lambe.

11 And the smoake of their torment shall ascend ever more: and they shall haue no rest day nor night, which worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the print of his name.

12 Here is the patience of Saints: here [Page 289] are they that keepe the commaundements of God, and the faith of Iesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying vnto me, write, The dead which die in the Lord are fully blessed. Even so saith the spirit: For they rest from their labours & their workes follow them.

14 And I looked, and beholde a white clowde, and vpon the clowde one sitting like to the sonne of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

15 And an other Angell came out of the Temple, crying with a lowd voice to him that sate on the clowde, Thrust in thy sickle and reape: for the time is come to reape; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

16 And he that sate on the clowd, thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

17 Then an other Angell came out of the the temple, which is in heaven, having also a sharpe sickle.

18 And another Angell came out from the altar, which had power over fire, & cried with a lowde crie to him that had the sharpe sickle, and said, Thrust in thy sharpe sickle, & gather the clusters of the vineyard of the earth: for her grapes are ripe.

[Page 290] 19 And the Angel thrust in his sharpe sickle on the earth and cut downe the vines of the vineyard of the earth, and cast them in to that great wine presse of the wrath of God

20 And the wine presse was troden without the citty, and bloud came out of the wine presse vnto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousande and sixe hundreth fur­longs.

The Exposition.

1 After that God had made me to see the dominion of the Bishop of Rome figu­red by the second beast, hee shewed Iesus Christ vnto me having the governement of his Church: and with him a great mul­titude of the faithfull of every tribe, and people, which had the marke of the peo­ple of God, which is the true profession of the faith, and Christianitie.

2 And I heard a voice from heaven as the sound of many waters, and like a clash of thunder, and to mixe pleasantnes with this maiesty, after this voice, I heard a me­lodious cōfort, as it were of harpers play­ing vpon harps, and a heavenly harmony.

3 And they sang a new thanksgiving [Page 291] containing the redemption manifested by the new covenant, in the presence of God and his Angels, and the Patriarches, and Apostles. And no man can conceaue what this thanksgiving was, and howe God ought to be praised for this redemption, but only the truely faithfull, chosen out of every tribe, and nation; which were saued, and redeemed by Iesus Christ, out of the whole Masse of mankind, that was lost & corrupted.

4 These faithfull did abstaine from al fleshly fornication, & from spirituall too, which is Idolatrie; for they are chast. They follow the commandment of Iesus Christ, and suffer themselues to be led whither it shall seeme good to him. They were re­deemed out of the whole stocke of man­kind for to be consecrated vnto God, and to Iesus Christ, as the first fruites of his creatures.

5 And there was no guile found in their mouthes, nor no dissembling words, for they did appeare pure and innocent before the throne of God.

6 After that I saw a faithfull Minister of the Gospell rise out of the corruption of this papall kingdome, and passing [Page 292] through the midst of the church to preach conformitie to the everlasting Gospel; & God raised him vp to preach vnto the mē that dwell vpon the earth, and to every nation.

7 And he cried out saying, Feare God & giue him the glory, for the houre of the last iudgement is at hand; worship no cre­atures any more, nor the reliques of Saints nor their images, nor the Pope, nor the Host, nor any other creature; but worship him which hath made heauen and earth, and the bottomelesse deepe, whence the rivers arise.

8 And another faithfull minister of the Gospell came after him saying, for certaine Rome is fallen, because she made all nations drunke with her furious Idolatry.

9 And a third minister came after these two saying stoutly, if any one worship the Pope, or yeeld himselfe sub­iect to the Empire, which he hath formed anew, according to the image of the an­cient Roman Empire, professing himselfe to be a Roman, or of the Latin Church, or giue him a hand of fealtie, and obedience;

10 This man shall also drinke of the wine of the wrath of God, yea of the pure [Page 293] wine, powred into the cup of his wrath, that is to say, he shall tast of Gods displea­sure to the end, and shall bee cast into hell in the presence of Iesus Christ, and the Angels there to bee burnt everlastingly.

11 And the smoake of their torment shall ascend evermore. And they shall en­ioy no rest, which doe worship the Pope, and the Empire which hee hath formed a­new according to the image of the Romā Empire, & whosoever doth professe him­selfe to bee a Roman, or of the Latine Church.

12 Here is the patience of the faith­ful to be seen, in this it is that they appeare which keep the commandements of God, and the faith of Iesus.

13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, happy are they which die in the faith of our Lord Iesus. From that time, of a truth (saith the spirit) they rest from their labours, and they shall receaue the reward of their good workes.

14 Afterward I looked, and behold, a white cloud appeared vnto me, and vpō this cloude there sate an Angel, like to a man: which had a crowne of gold vpō his head, as who had the dignitie of an Arch-Angel, [Page 294] and power over many spirits, & in his hand a sharpe sickle, for to execute the iudgements of God.

15 And another Angell came out of the assembly, and Church of the Saints, which speaking vnto the Angel that was vpon the cloude, gaue him commande­ment from God saying: Exercise iustice now vpon the earth; for the houre of dis­playing Gods iudgements is come, be­cause the causes which drawe the iudge­ments of God downe (to wit the sinnes of men) are come to their full measure.

16 Then the Angell that sate vpō the cloude, threw downe the chastisements ordained of God vpon the earth, & a mul­titude of men were destroyed, and many of the wicked cut of, as eares of corne which is reaped.

17 And after this Angell God sent out another from amongst the company of his Saints, and of his heavenly Church, having also a sharpe sickle for to doe the like execution, and to exercise the iudge­ments of God vpon the earth.

18 And after this second Angel, there went a third Angel out from before the presence of Iesus Christ (whose crosse is [Page 295] the only altar) to whome God did vse to commi [...] the executions of his iudgements by fire. This Angell cried with a lowd voice to him which had the sharpe sickle, saying vnto him, reveale the iudgements of God forthwith, and punish the sinnes of men; for their sinnes are growne to ma­turitie.

19 Then the Angel did that which was commanded him, and did exercise iudgement vpon the earth, and slewe the nations of the earth, and [...]rod vpon them as we vse to tread grapes in a wine presse.

20 And this iudgement of God was executed without the Church of God, which is the holy Ierusalem: which was exempted from this Iudgement. And the blood of this slaughter was so great, that there ran a river of blood from the place for the space of twentie leagues, & so deep that the horses stood vp in it even to the bridles.

The proofe and cle [...]ring of this Exposition.

THis Chapter is an admonition of the evils and afflictions represented in the [Page 296] 13. Chap. and a consolation to temper the hardnesse of the Churches servitude vnder the Papall kingdome, vnder which al­though the Church lye hid, yet the holy Ghost saith in the first verse of this chap­ter, that God had an hundreth, fortie, and foure thousand faithfull remaining still a­midst this corruption; according as when Elias in the kingdome of Israel thought that hee only had beene left, [...]9. God told him that hee had 7000 men more which never bowed the knee to Baal. Now the number of a hundreth fortie & foure thousand is not without a mysterie. For besides that this number is a cubicall number cō ­sisting of twelue times twelue, (God ther­by intending to signifie that the number of his elect is perfect, and prescribed with great wisdome, and which may not be di­minished) there is yet more in it, to wit, that God doth hereby shewe that this nū ­ber shall bee taken indifferently out of all people and nations: like as in the 7. chapt. this very number is taken equally out of the twelue tribes of Israel. For that by the 144000. all the Church of the Elect is here vnderstood, it appeares by that in the third verse, where it is said, that these were [Page 297] bought from the earth.

The foure beasts, which are mentioned by the way in the 3. verse, are described exactly in the 4. Chapter of this booke. And this vision is taken out of the first of Ezekiel, which makes mee to vnderstand these 4 beasts in the same sense as they are vnderstood by Ezekiel, to wit, for the An­gelicall vertues standing before the thron of God: Wherefore Ezekiel giues them wings also which signifie their readinesse to ob [...]y. And they haue diverse faces for to shew the diversitie of their vertues. The one hath the face of a Lyon▪ for to shewe their courage, the other of an oxe, for to shew their strength, the other the face of a man, for to shew their wisdome, the other resembleth and eagle, which witnesseth their speech, and readinesse.

The 24 beasts are the twelue Patriarks of the old Testament, and the twelue of the newe, which are the 12 Apostles, by whom we are to vnderstand al the church of the glorified Saints. Which we may ea­sily knowe by the 9 verse of the fift chapt. where these 24 Elders do praise the Lamb because he redeemed them vnto God by his blood, out of every kindred, & people [Page 298] and tongue, and nation. Now if the 24 El­ders doe represent the whole Church of the glorified Saints, and speake in their name, by the like reason is it also agreea­ble, that these 4 beastes should represent the whole companie of Angelicall spirits.

The praises wherewith they did extoll God for revealing the mysteries of our re­demption, cannot be vnderstood by flesh­ly and sensuall men, to whome the Gos­pell seemeth folly, as our Saviour saith to Peter. Mat. 16. Flesh and blood hath not re­vealed this vnto thee, but my father which is in heaven. Of these 144000. which re­present the whole company of the faith­full, S. Iohn saith that they are not defiled with women, for they are virgins. Doubtles a continent, and chast virginitie both of body & mind is a great perfectiō: it keeps out all wicked thoughts from entrance; it frees the soule from care, and giues much libertie to the service of God. Yet for all this I cannot bee perswaded that S. Iohn doth here speake of bodily virginity, or of continuing in a single state of life: For thē we should exclude the Prophets, and the Apostles out of the number of the faith­full which follow the Lambe, and which [Page 299] were redeemed from amongst the inhabi­tants of the earth. This makes mee thinke that as Idolatrie is infinite times called fornication, & adulterie in holy scripture, so this chastitie and virginitie here spokē of is nothing else but an abstaining from the service of Idols, which are as it were the Concubines with whome Idolatours doe commit fornication, and breake the spirituall bond with which they had tied themselues vnto Christ.

They which are thus chaste and conti­nent, are by the iudgement of the spirit of God in the fift verse pronounced to bee without spot; I confesse that in the most holy whilst they are in this flesh there is ever some infirmity remaining, and the re­mainders of sin abiding. David acknow­ledgeth himselfe to be a sinner, Psa. 51. & 130. & 143. and his life confirmes it. The Apostle S. Paul confesseth that sinne dwel­leth in him, and that he doth the evill which he would not do. Rom. 7. We all of vs faile in most things as S, Iames saith. Neverthe­lesse the faithfull are said to bee iust, and without spot, because the bloud of Iesus Christ doth wash them from all their sins, 1. Ioh. 1. and because the righteousnesse of [Page 300] Iesus Christ is ours, wherefore he is also called the Lord our righteousnes, Ier. 23. ver. 6. & 1. Cor. 1. v. 30. & 2. Cor. 5. ver. 21. Hee is also saide to bee without deceipt, whose repentance is serious, and his heart without hypocrisie, as Nathanael in the 1. chap. of S. Ioh. v. 47. And they whose cha­rity and faith is without counterfai­ting, Rom. 12.9. & 1. Tim. ver. 5. albeit their charity and faith bee weake and im­perfect.

In the 6.8. and 9. verses the Angels sent for to preach the gospel, are Ministers & Pastours of the Church. For God sendeth not his Angels to preach in the church but his Ministers, which are often called Angels, in the second and third Chapters of this very booke. Which is also vsuall in the old Testament; especially in the 5. of Ecclesiastes, v. 6. And the Prophet Mala­chie seemes to haue taken his name from this. For Malachie signifies The Angell of the Lord.

From the 6. verse, to the end of the cha. the spirit of God doth reveale an admira­ble history, and discovers many secrets vnto vs, for hee describeth at large what the condition of the poore Church shall [Page 301] be vnder the government of Poperie, till the time that the day of iudgment shal be at hand. From the 6. verse to the 13. he tels of 3. Angels that went before, which one after another at diverse times did preach the gospell, seeking to turne men from I­dolatrie, and to make them cast of the Ro­mish bondage. The rest of the chapter is spent in describing the punishmēts which God inflicteth vpō men because they did not obey their preaching, and because they did conspire against God: and there­fore as he doth produce 3. Angels which at diverse times did preach the gospell in the midst of Papistry, so doth he send 3. Angels to execute Gods iudgementes, which at severall times doe punish the re­bellion of men. And as the third Angell that preached the gospell, did preach it with more perspicuitie, and greater fervē ­cie then the two former, so the third An­gell sent to revenge the hardnesse of mēs harts, doth exercise more dreadful iudge­ments, and doth mow down men as eares of corne, and tread on them like grapes in the wine presse.

Whosoever will open his eies, and dis­pell the clowd of hatred, & passion, which [Page 302] dazels the iudgement, shall finde (by that which hath fallen out within these few a­ges, and by that which we see at this day) the accōplishment of this admirable pro­phecie: that is to say, 3 severall publicati­ons of the gospell amidst the darknesse of Papistrie, and these publications backt by exemplarie iudgements, men stil perseve­ring in their obstinacie.

The 1 AngelIn the yeare of our Lord, 1039. Idola­trie being much encreased, and the Papall Empire greatly exalted, God raised vp Berenger Archdeacon of Angers, for to oppose himselfe against the abuse of the Papacie, especially against the errour of Transubstantiation, & the Popes Suprema­cy: who taught so powerfully that Fraūce, Spaine, Italie, and Germanie, were full of men holding the same confessiō with Be­renger: as Gulielmus Neobrige [...]sis witnes­seth in the 2. book & 13. chap. of his Eng­lish In the yeare of our Lord. 1063. history, where he saith that their number was as the sand of the sea. And this Berenger, was a holy man, and of great learning. The Archbishop Antoni [...] in the 2. part of his Chronicle & 16. book doth commend him for his honestie, and humility, and for distributing his goods [Page 303] amongst the poore. Which is confirmed by Platina in the life of Iohn the 15. It ap­peares (saith he) that at that time there was Oder Abbot of Clunie, and Berenger of Tours, in estimatiō noted men both for their learning and religion. A little after he saith that after he had given all his goods to the poore, hee got his owne living by the la­bour of his hands. It is true indeed that appearing at Rome in a councel there assem­bled, hee was constrained for feare of loo­sing his life, to subscribe to that which the Pope would haue him. But being retur­ned into Fraunce he protested that he did this by compulsion, and perseuered in maintenance of his former doctrine even to his dying day: vpon whom the Bishop of Ments named Hildebert, made an Epi­taph, wherein he bewailes him as a great light that was extinguished, and as a man of incomparable zeale, and learning. The Popes to suppresse this truth, did spare for no subtletie nor crueltie, and did stirre vp kings to persecute these poore religious men. Whereat God also being enraged, sent out great plagues, and did execute ri­gorous iudgements vpon the people of the Church of Rome. For in the year 1076 [Page 300] [...] [Page 301] [...] [Page 302] [...] [Page 303] [...] [Page 304] (which is about the time of Berenger's death) there arose a quarrell betweene the Emperour Henry the fourth, and Pope Gregory the 7 surnamed Hildebrand, who brought many divisions into the Roman Church, and Empire, during which there were more then 40. bloudy battels fought insomuch that every place did streame with blood, to speake nothing of the pe­stilence, inroads, & pillages, that did wast Christendome. Behold here the first prea­ching of the Gospell, which God did raise vp even in the midst of Poperie, and after this preaching the Angel throwing down the sickle of Gods iudgements vpon men.

The 2. AngelBut this darknesse still thickning more and more, and the truth being opprest as it were by force: Behold about the yeare 1130 God made this truth to grow vp a fresh againe, by the industrie of certaine servants of his which were the Disciples of Berenger, amongst which was Peter de Bruis, & Henry de Thoulouse, & a little af­ter thē, Iohannes de Waldo of Lyons, which began to shew himselfe in the yeare 1158 and translated the holy Scripture into the vulgar tongue, whose life was an exam­ple of sanctitie. In hatred of whom they [Page 305] begā to call the truly faithful the Walden­ses. These faithful spok iust as this 2. An­gel doth in the eight verse of this chapter calling the Church of Rome Babylon, and exhorting every one to goe out of her. A­gainst whom Pope Innocent the 3. caused the Croisadoe to be preached, and within a fewe moneths made aboue 200000 of them to be slaine in Provence, Languedoe, & Guyenna; as it is reported in the history of Iohn Chassanion translated out of the Albigean tongue; & all the Authors both of that time, and of after ages sticke not to affirme asmuch. So God for to punish the rebellion of men threwe downe his sickle the second time; and did execute more grievous punishments vpon them then the former. For then the quarrels be­tweene the Empire, and the Papacie (which had slept for a long time) began a­fresh, vnder Frederick Barbarossa that ge­nerous Emperour, and patterne of vertue: who was constrained to keepe many ar­mies afoot, to defend himselfe against the enimies which the Pope had incensed a­gainst him. What man is able to expresse the horrible slaughters, the sackings of townes, the pight battels, greater & more [Page 306] in number then those vnder the Henries, till the yeare 1177. When Pope Alexan­der the third, trod vpon this Emperours neck on the steps of S. Markes Church in Venice? and in the meane space the Moors and the Sarrasins wasted Spaine, massa­cring all the Christians thereabout, & the Saladin destroyed the Kingdome of Ieru­salem, that had cost vs more then twelue hundreth thousand men to conquere: which was brought to ruine in the yeare 1187, not without an vnvtterable desola­tion; for the repairing whereof all the no­bilitie, and men of courage that were in France, Germanie, Flaunders, England, & Italie, tooke the Crosse vpon them in the time of Philip Augustus, and Lewis the 9. But of all this innumerable multitude, there came not the tenth part back again, so that in Fraunce, and all the neighbou­ring Countries, there was nothing as it were to be seene, but widows & orphans. Amidst these confusions, and this generall disaster, the Church of God did subsist miraculously, and notwithstanding all the Popes persecutions against it, did, and still doth continue to this day, and in the year 1508. the Churches wrongfully called the [Page 307] Waldenses wrote their confession, & sent it to Ladislaus king of Hungarie, which confession is like vnto ours: & when God in this last age did readvance the stan­dard of his truth, these Churches ioined themselues with ours, and suffered perse­cutions together with vs for the faith of Iesus Christ. So behold the second Angel preaching the Gospell in the midst of Po­perie, and at the same time the destroying Angel sent, for [...]o punish the rebellion of men the second time, which did obstinat­ly withstand the word of God.

Last of all the third preaching Angel is come in our daies, The 3. Angel opposing himselfe a­gainst the Papall Empire. That is to saie, that God for this third time hath raised vp certaine faithfull preachers of the gos­pell, for to withstand the Papacie. This hath hapned in our time, wherein God hath raised vp certaine faithful Ministers, which haue lighted the taper of truth a­gaine, and drawne this candle from vnder a bushell: Hence come the great brea­ches that we haue seene to be made in Pa­pistrie, & the gaping creuises in the tem­ple of the Idole thorough which a man may discerne Idolatrie frō without. Hēce [Page 308] come so many churches to bee planted in Germanie, England, Scotland, Fraunce, Flaunders, Denmarke, Switzerland, Po­land, & Hungarie, with which when God shall haue bin sufficiently served by their giuing testimony to his truth, and that the malice of the contradicting shall begin to oppresse the truth, then shal the third An­gell throw downe his sickle, to reape and [...]ut downe the enimies of God, and to ex­ecute the last effects of his wrath, which are here represented by a river of bloud▪ an hundred leagues large, and so deepe▪ that the horses of the enimies ranged in battell against God shall hath themselues in the bloud of their Mast [...]rs, and stand in it vp to their bridles; for as this third prea­ching Angell spake more cleerely, & boldly, then the two former did, so the obsti­nacie of men against this so great a light, shal be punished with a more feareful pu­nishment. They haue persecuted vs by massacrings and burnings: They haue dis­graced vs with odious titles, calling vs Huguenots, Zuinglians, Lutherans, & Cal­vinists, although our relligion be the aun­cient Christian religion, and the religiō of the Apostles▪ & that we are vrgēt, that the [Page 309] people might haue the sight of the scrip­ture, & that the fashion of saying the commō service in a strange tonge might be a­bolished: complaining of this that we cā ­not haue a free councell, where we might be heard, & where our adversaries might not be our iudges: In steed of the Coun­cell of Trent, where the Pope condemned vs without euer hearing vs speake for our selues: and whether wee could not haue gone safely, by reason of that rule maine­tained in the church of Rome, that mē are not to stand to those promises, though ra­tified by oaths, which they plight to He­retickes; a rule practised vpon Iohn Hus & Hierome of Prague, which were burnt notwithstanding the faithfull promise that they had of a safe conduct. For these, and such like causes we doubt not (& wee speake it with feare, not desiring the ruine but the conversiō of our adversaries) that the third destroying Angell shall ere long throw downe his fickle vpon the earth, & display the iudgmentes of God vpon the Church of Rome, for the third time.

Hereby it appeares that the prophecie of this chapt. is accomplished as touching the 3 Angels that were sent to preach the [Page 310] Gospell, but as for the 3 destroying An­gels which were sent to execute the iudgments of God, that the two former of the is already come, and that the third is not yet come, but is neere at hand.

That which hath beene saide alreadie may suffice for the exposition of this pro­phecie. But vpon the 6. verse where there is mention made of an Angel holding the everlasting Gospell, I cannot omit that which Matthew Paris relateth in the year 1256. and Platinae in the life of Alexan­der the 4. Matthew Paris reporteth that William de S. Amore with other choice men of the Vniversitie of Paris were cited to Rome for complaining of a booke that was made by the Iacobin preaching Friars the which was intituled the Everla­sting Gospell. And Platinae in the life of A­lexander the fourth saith that this booke did teach, that the state of grace did pro­ceede, non à lege Evangelis, sed à lege spiri­tus, not from the law of the Gospell but from the law of the spirit, for so did they call their dreams & revelations. The mark at which this booke did aime, was to sup­presse the Gospel of Christ. A sinne so hai­nous, as might deservedly haue made [Page 311] their whole order to haue beene rooted out, Precepit Pa­pa vt novus ille liber quē Evangelium aeternū no­minant secreto & si possit fieri sine fra­trum scandalo combure­retur., neverthelesse Matthew Paris telleth vs that Pope Alevander did content him­selfe with only commanding the book to be secretly burnt, & (if it might be) with­out offending the fraternity. And not long after he made it manifest that he condem­ned thē by cōstraint, & because it was a shame for him to do otherwise, for hee droue away the said William de S. Amore, and made him to be banished, who hath written a book of this matter for the iusti­fication of himselfe.

The thirde verse is read diversly in the Greeke text. For there bee some copies which haue the point before the word [...], others put it after. The translation of the Church of Rome turnes it as if the point were before, trāslating it thus, Bea­t [...]mort [...] qui in domino moriuntur. A modo iam dicit spiritus vt requiescant a labori­bus suis, which seemes more smooth to me and more suitable to the Greeke phrase, then if the point were put after the worde A modo. Beda expounds this place thus, As hee saide that the wicked shoulde never haue any rest: so on the contrary he teacheth that the faithfull being assisted by their good [Page 312] workes, doe rest from hence forth, that is to say, from the time of their death. For this word [...] doth not only signifie here­after, but also from henceforth, as in the 13. chapt. of S. Iohn, v. 19. and in the 14. chap. v. 7. Howsoever it be, & in whether sense of the two you take this worde, or vnder­stand this verse, it doth vtterly extinguish the imaginarie fire of Purgatorie.

In the 14. verse hee which sitteth vpon the cloude hauing the shape of a man, cā ­not be Iesus Christ seeing that in the ver­ses following the Angels command him, and declare the will of God vnto him.

In the 16. verse and those which follow the iudgements of God are compared to an harvest, and a vintage. A fashion of speech vsuall in Scripture; as in the 13. of S. Matthew, the harvest is the ende of the world, and the reapers are the Angels. And in the 76. Psalme, it is said that God doth vintage, or cut of the spirits of Princes, & that hee is torrible to the Kinges of the earth.

THE PROPHECIE CONTAI­ned in the 17. Chap. of the Apocalyps. CHAP. 6.

1 Then there came one of the 7. Angels which had the 7. Vials, and talked with mee, saying vnto me, Come; I will shew thee the damnation of the great Where that sitteth vpon many waters.

2 With whō the kings of the earth haue committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth are drunke with the wine of her fornication.

3 So hee carried me away into the wil­dernesse in the spirit, and I saw a woman sit vpon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemie which had 7. heads and tenne hornes.

4 And the woman was araied in pur­ple and scarlet, and gilded with gold, & pre­cious stones, and pearles, and had a cuppe of gold in her hand, full of the abomination, & filthinesse of her fornication.

5 And in her forehead was a name writ­ten, A mistery, that great Babylon, that mo­ther of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth.

[Page 314] 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of Saints, and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus, and when I saw her, I wō ­dred with great marvell.

7 Then the Angell said vnto me. Wherfore marveilest thou? I will shew thee the mi­sterie of that woman, and of that beast that beareth her, which hath seaven heads and ten hornes.

8 The beast that thou haste seene, was, and is not, & shall ascend out of the bottom­lesse pit, and shall go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names are not written in the booke of life frō the foundation of the world) when they be­hold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 Here is the minde that hath wisdom. The 7. heads are 7. mountaine [...], whereon the woman sitteth: they are also 7. kings.

10 Fiue [...], fallen, and one is, and an o­ther is not yet [...]: and when he commeth he must continue a long space.

11 And the beast that was and is not, is even the eighth, and is one of the 7. & shal goe into destruction.

12 And the 10. hornes which thou sawest, are 10 kings, which yet haue not recei­ved [Page 315] a kingdome, but shall receiue power as kings at one hower, with the beast.

13 These haue one minde, & shall giue their power, and authority vnto the beast.

14 These shall fight with the Lamb. & the Lambe shall overcome them; for hee is Lord of Lords, and king of kings: and they that are on his side are called faithfull, and chosen.

15 And he said vnto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawest vpō the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and na­ked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire.

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the beast, vntill the words of God be fulfilled.

18 And that woman which thou saw­est is that great citty which reigned ouer the kings of the earth.

The Explication.

1 Then came one of the 7. Angels to [Page 316] mee which were sent from God to powre downe 7 sorts of his iudgments vpon mē; and this Angell spake vnto mee saying, Come I will shewe thee the damnation of Rome that great Idolatrous citty, which ruleth over many people; For by the citty, not the buildings, but they which beare sway therein, are vnderstood.

2 By whose suggestion the kings of the earth haue plaid the Idolatours, and she hath made the inhabitāts of the earth drunken with her Idolatrie.

3 So then the Angell tooke me, and carryed me aside into a secret place, and I saw the citty of Rome represented vnder the forme of a woman, which bore rule o­ver an Empire, the chiefe governors wher of were clad in scarlet, and did assume ma­ny blasphemous titles, and prerogatiues. And this Empire seated vpon 7. hils had 7 sorts of divers successiue governments, & was composed of tenne realmes, & prin­cipall parts.

4 And this citty (that is to say the ru­lers of it) was clad in purple & scarlet, ha­ving a crowne of gold vpon her head, and a crosse of gold vpon her feet, and vpon her crowne, and on her hands, many pre­tious [Page 317] stones, with a mantle embrodered with pearle; and through her great mag­nificence she made all the people to drink of the puddle of her Idolatrie,

5 And made profession of great my­steries in her doctrine, being indeed the great Babylon, the headspring of Idola­trie; and of the abominations of the world.

6 And I sawe this citie glutted with the blood of the faithfull, raising vp per­secutions, and making the martyrs to bee massacred, and hauing seen this, I was stri­ken with feare, and stood amazed.

7 Then the Angel said vnto me, why dost thou wonder? I will shewe thee the interpretation of the vision, and will tell thee what the beast represented by a wo­man meanes, & what the Empire is, that is figured by a beast hauing 7. heads, and ten hornes.

8 The beast which thou sawest is the Empire of Rome, which did continue for a long time, but now is no more, being vā quisht, and driven from Rome, and Italie by the Lumbards: but shall rise vp againe from a low place, and bee restored by the Papacie, till the time that God at last shall [Page 318] destroy it. And the inhabitants of the earth, which haue not beene enrolled frō the foundation of the world amongst the number of the Elect, shall wonder seeing the Empire of Rome, which was at Rome but was driven thence by the Lumbards, and neverthelesse doth nowe growe vp a­gaine, and is reerected by the Papacie, so that a man may say that the Roman Em­pire is, and is not; that it is not because the Roman Emperours are no more; that it is because the Pope doth in a manner set vp the Empire againe although it bee vnder another name and forme.

9 Here is need of wisdome to vnder­stand this matter. In this vision of the beast which hath 7 heads and 10 hornes, by the 7. heads wee are to vnderstand 7. hills, vpon which the cittie of Rome is si­tuate.

10 As also 7. sortes of soueraintie or gouernement which must beare rule at Rome one after another, to wit, the kings the Consuls, the militarie Tribunes, the Decemvirs, the Dictatours, the Emperors and the Popes. The 6. is nowe, to wit, the Emperours: And the 7, (to wit, the Popes those Pontificall earthly monarchs) is not [Page 319] yet come, and when it shall come, it shall continue for a certaine time.

11 And also by the Roman Empire, which was and is now no more, the Em­pire of Charlemaigne, and his successours, is to be vnderstood, which did governe at Rome for a time before the Monarchie of the Popes was fully perfected; which Em­perours although they be an 8 head, doe yet neuerthelesse beare the name of one of the 7. to wit of the Emperours.

12 But by the 10 hornes of this beast which is the Roman Papall Empire, are vnderstood 10 kings which haue not as yet begun to raigne, but shall raigne to­gether with the Roman Papal Empire.

13 The counsells of these kings are ruled by the councel of the Papal Empire, and they lend assistance vnto this Empire with their power.

14 They shall fight against Iesus Christ, but Iesus Christ shall overcome them because he is Lord of Lords, & king of kings, and they which are his, are called elect and faithfull.

15 After he said vnto me, the waters which thou sawest, ouer which Rome the Idolatresse hath dominion, doe signifie [Page 320] people, and multitudes, and nations of di­vers languages.

16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawst this Empire to haue, are the same 10 kings, which in the ende shall conspire a­gainst it, and consume it, and burne it.

17 For God hath inclined their harts that they should do his will in executing his iudgements, and that they should lay their heads together, and should aid this Papall Empire with their forces, only vn­till the time of its continuance appointed by God bee accomplished.

18 And this womā which thou sawst is Rome that great city, which commands the realmes of the earth.

The first part of this Prophecie.

1 Then there came one of the 7 Angels which had the 7 viols, and talked with mee saying vnto me; come I wil shew thee the dā ­nation of the great where that sitteth vpon many waters.

The Exposition.

Then came one of the 7 Angels to mee [Page 321] were sent from God to powre downe 7 sorts of his iudgements vpon men, & this Angel spoke vnto me saying; Come I will shew thee the damnation of Rome that great Idolatrous citie, which ruleth over many people, for by the citie not the buil­dings, but they that beare sway there [...] are vnderstood.

The Proofe.

This Chapter is easie to be vnderstood, for the 6. first verses are expounded by those which follow, and all the tearmes which the Angel vseth are sutable to the stile of the Prophets. They compare the Church to a womā, calling her the daughter of Sion, the spowse of our God: and so in the Apocalyps, chap. 12. he hath repre­sented the Church vnder the forme of a woman: it is no marvaile therefore, if the enimie of the Church, and the head of the Church opposite to God, bee figured by a woman.

The same Prophets doe call our cove­nant with God a marriage, and the purity of our service to God by the name of cha­stitie, and by a consequent they call Ido­latrie [Page 322] which doth violate this marriage, a­dulterie, and spirituall fornication. Ier. 3.9. Iere­my saith, that Iuda hath committed fornica­tion with stones and stooks. According to this manner of speech doe they vse to call the people, and cities that are giuen to I­dolatrie, by the name of harlots, & strum­pets. Isaiah in his 1. Chap. v. 21. How is the faithfull citie become an harlot? The 16. of Ezechiel is full of examples in this kinde. Nahum speaketh thus of Niniuie, The harlot that selleth the people through her whor­dome, Nahum 3.4. which wordes are as it were all one with the words of S. Iohn here in this pro­phecie.

Where wee are diligently to note that the Prophets and S. Iohn by the cities doe not vnderstand their walles, but those which dwell in them, and more especially such as are in authoritie, and are set over them. For S. Iohn saith that this citie reig­neth over many people, and that she doth seduce the kings of the earth, which can­not agree to the walls, and houses, nor yet to the people of the citie of Rome, but on­ly to such as gouerne there.

Now that this citie of which S. Iohn speakes is Rome, there is no man that [Page 323] doubteth, and our aduersaries themselues acknowledge it. For what citie can there bee which hath 7 hils, which reigneth o­ver kings, which is an Idolatresse, whose gouernours are clothed in skarlet; doubtlesse there is no other of this nature but Rome; And from S. Iohns time there hath beene no other citie hauing 7 hills that did reigne ouer the earth. Bellarmine in his 3 booke De Pontifice Romano, & 13 Chap. Secund [...] dici potest & meo iudicio melius per meretricem intelligi Ro­mam. We may say, and that better in my iudgement, that by the whore Rome is vn­derstood. The Iesuites Ribera, and Viega say the same in their expositions of this Chap. Tertullian in his booke against the Iewes, Babylon a­pud Iohannē nostrum Ro­manae vrbis figuram por­tat, proinde & magnae, & regno super­bae, & sancto­rum debella­tricis. Babylon in S. Iohn doth represent Rome, being as great, and as prowde of her dominions, & as tyrannising over the Saints as ever Babylon was. The like vnto which he saith in his 3 booke and 8. chap. against Marcion. S. Hierome in the 11. question to Algasia, According to the Revelation of S. Iohn in the forehead of the queane clad in purple there was a name of blasphemy writ­ten, to wit, Rome the everlasting, and in his 17. Epist. to Marcella, Et hic pu­to locus san­ctior est Tar­peia rupe quae de coelo saepius fulmi­nata ostendit quod domine displiceret. Lege Apoca­lypsin Iohan. & quod de muliere pur­purata can­tetur contu­ere. This place of Be­thlehem▪ I am perswaded is more holy then that Tarpeian rocke (that is to say then [Page 324] the Capitoll of Rome) which by being often strooke with thunder from heaven did shew that it did not please God. Read the Revelation of S. Iohn, and see that which is there foretold of the whore clad in pur­ple, and of the blasphemie written in her forehead, and of the 7. hils, and of manie waters, and the destruction of Babylon. Bellarmine doeth confesse this, but saith that S. Iohn speakes of heatbenish Rome, and not of Christian Rome, such as it is now adaies. Which is altogither inco­herent; 1. For heathnish Rome did not reigne over kings, seeing that it did put downe kings. 2. Heathnish Rome did not seduce the kings by flatterie, and perswa­sion, seeing that it went downe rightly to worke, and conquered thē by opē force. 3. Moreover here is mention made of the finall ruine of Rome, so that it shall never be built vp againe, which yet never befell heathenish Rome; when therfore this de­struction foretold of shall arriue, it shall not light vpon the citty whilest it is hea­thenish, but after that Paganisme is aboli­shed. And indeed S. Hierom in the Epistle to Marcella formerly alleadged, albeit he say that Rome by the confession of Christ [Page 325] hath defaced the name of blasphemy; ne­verthelesse he spares not in the same place to recite the threatnings in the Apocalyps against it as not yet come, & doth exhort Marcella to goe out of Babylon, which were absurd if these threatnings had been pronoūced only against heathnish Rome.

I would also know what sins should be the cause of the finall destructiō of Rome. Is it likely that it shall bee destroyed for the sinnes committed by Nero or Domiti­an 1500 yeares since? So it is cleere that it shall be destroyed for the sinnes founde in it vpon the time of its destruction. Nor may wee omit that which the King notes as very fitting to this purpose, to wit, that S. Iohn giues vs to vnderstand that his in­tent is to speake of thinges to come, but heathnish Rome and the idolatrie thereof were present in S. Iohns time. To cōclude, the truth is so cleere on our side, that the Iesuits thēselues which haue written cō ­mentaries vpon the Apocalyps, to wit, Ribera, and Viega, take our parts, and speake for vs. Ribera in Apoc. ca. 14. num. 42 De Roma intelli­gendum non solùm qualis sub Ethnici [...] imperatori­ [...]us olim suit sedetiā qualis in fine seculi futura est. Ribera saith, We are to vn­derstād this not only of Rome as it was here­tofore vnder the Emperours, but also as it shall be a [...] the end of the world. Viega after [Page 326] the same manner. Viega in 17. Apoc. com. 1. Sec. 3 omnia quae in his capitibus commemorā tur in Roma­nam vrb [...]m apertissime quadrant. All that which is spo­ken in these chapters doth manifestly agree to Rome. As for the name of Babylon it is to be applyed to Rome which served Idols before euer it did receiue the faith of Christ, & to Rome as it shall be a little before the time of Antichrist.

De praescriptione adversus Hermo­genem Foe­lix ecclesia cui t [...]tam doctrinam Apostoli cum san­guine suo pro suderunt. Tertullian (I must confesse) saith that the Church of Rome is happy, to which the Prophets did powre out their doctrine togi­ther with their bloud. But he speakes this to the church and not to the citty, that is, to a few of the faithfull which lay hid a­midst the corruption of this great cittie, which seemes to be never the purer nowe a daies for all its outwarde profession of christianity: but if the preaching of Iesus Christ in Capernaum ▪ and in Ierusalem did not exempt these townes from the curse of God, why should the presence of Saint Peter at Rome bee able to exempt it for e­ver from malediction.

Some of the auncient were of opinion that this great whore did signifie the whole body and assembly of the wicked, and the citty of the divell: which is refel­led hereby, because S. Iohn saith, that shee raigneth over the nations: for if this expo­sition [Page 327] were true, then shee must needes reigne over her selfe; shee that reigneth cannot be the same thing with those over whom shee reigneth. Herevnto adde that the 7 hils and the 7 kings, and the habit of scarlet, cannot be applyed to this mea­ning.

That to sit vpon many waters, doth signifie to raigne over many people, S. Iohn himselfe doth say in the 15 verse, and wee haue proued it in an other place more at large.

The second part of this prophecie.

2 With whō the kings of the earth haue committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth are drunke with the wine of her fornication.

The Exposition.

By whose suggestion the kings of the earth haue plaid the Idolatours, and shee hath made the inhabitantes of the earth drunken with her Idolatrie.

The Proofe.

The Papal Empire being not of strēgth sufficient to abolish the kings, doth make them drunke, and lay them asleepe. It is the Pope that doeth abuse the bounty of our kings, and vngratefully forgetting what benefactours they haue beene vnto him hath taken the third part of their land from them, and the fifth part of their sub­iects, over whom he boasteth that he hath absolute power, to giue and take away their crownes at his pleasure, & receiues homage, and an oath of alleageance frō them, and in way of recompence paies thē with trifles, sending thē some holy Beads, some Indulgences, or certaine supposed reliques: and giues them the priuiledge of communicating vnder both kinds, that is to say, he permits them, by a speciall fa­vour, to obay Iesus Christ, & giues them that by way of a priuiledge, which Iesus Christ did grant to al Christiās. Likewise it is to gratifie kings that hee doeth suffer them to hold his horses bridle, and when his Holinesse is reading the Masse in his owne person, to hold the bason vnto him [Page 329] on their knees, as if they were subdea­cons.

It is the Pope that hath taken from our kings the divine seruice in the language of their natiue countries; and hath giuen them the Romane language in token of subiection; Which hath taken the French liturgie from them, and given them ano­ther to be sung after the Romish fashion; which hath takē away wiues from priests: which hath brought vp images, and esta­blished transubstantiation, the feast God, the adoration of the Sacrament, & which hath wrested the holy scripture out of the hands of the people.

The third part of this prophecie.

3 So he carried mee away into the wil­dernesse in the spirit, and I saw a woman sit vpon a scarlet coloured beast, ful of names of blasphemie which had seaven heads, and ten hornes.

The Exposition.

3 So then the Angell tooke me, and carryed me aside into a secret place, and I [Page 330] saw the cittie of Rome represented vnder the forme of a woman, which bore rule o­ver an Empire, the chiefe governors wher of were clad in scarlet, and did assume ma­ny blasphemous titles, and prerogatiues. And this Empire seated vpon 7. hils had 7 sorts of divers successiue governments, & was composed of tenne realmes, & prin­cipall parts.

The Proofe.

By the woman (saith S. Iohn) verse 18 the citie is to be vnderstood having seauē hills, that is to say, Rome. Now by the ci­tie wee are not to vnderstand the walles, seeing that hee saith that this citie doth reigne ouer the people, and vseth flatterie to make the kings of the earth drunke: which cannot agree to the buildings, but only to the gouernours of the citie, that is to say, to the Pope & his consistory. This woman therefore is mounted on a beast hauing 7 heads and 10 hornes, that is to say, she doth reigne ouer the Roman Em­pire, which is fained to haue 7 heads be­cause of the 7 hills on which Rome is si­tuate, and because of the 7 sorts of soue­raigntie [Page 331] which haue borne rule over that place successiuely, as rhe Angel doth ex­pound it in the 9 and 10 verses, and wee haue shewd it at large in the exposition of the 13. chap. & 1. verse. She is also clad in skarlet, for this is the Popes habit, not on­ly by custome, but by expresse rule: as the third booke of holy ceremonies saith in the 3 sect. and 5. chap. Ruber color propriè ad Papam pertinet; The red colour doth pro­perly appertaine to the Pope. and in the Planum totum cū mag­no scabell [...] coopertum e [...]it panno [...]occin [...]o. 1. booke, 1. chap. and 9. sect. it is said that the Popes chaire, and the place vpon which it stands must be couered al ouer with cloth of skarlet. There is none of his apparell, even downe to his stockings, and shooes, that is not of skarlet, as it is said in the Caligis rube­i [...], sandaleis rubeis aureâ cruce orna [...]is Chap. of the 1. section of the first booke. this is also the colour of the Cardinals ha­bit, as euery mā seeth. Nay which is more, by the ordinance of Pope Paulus the 2. the Cardinals mules must be couered ouer with skarlet, as Platina reporteth in his life. Being willing it seemes that this pro­phecy which representeth the head of this Empire mounted vpon a beast couered with skarlet, should also agree to euery Cardinall apart.

[Page 332]As for the names of blasphemy which this Papall Empire doth assume, see that which hath beene said of this vpon the 5. verse of the 13. chap.

The 4 part of this Prophecie.

4 And the woman was araied in pur­ple and scarlet, and gilded with gold, & pre­cious stones, and pearles, and had a cuppe of gold in her hand, full of the abomination, & filthinesse of her fornication.

The Exposition.

4 And this citty (that is to say the ru­lers of it) was clad in purple & scarlet, ha­ving a crowne of gold vpon her head, and a crosse of gold vpon her feet, and vpon her crowne, and on her hands many pre­tious stones, with a mantle embrodered with pearle; and through her great mag­nificence she made all the people to drink of the puddle of her Idolatrie,

The Proofe.

This proposition is drawne from experi­ence [Page 333] knowne to every man, and from the rules of the Church of Rome published by our adversaries. The 6. Chap. and first section of the first booke of holy ceremo­nies hath these words; They put red stock­ings on his legs, and red shooes vpon his feet adorned with a crosse of gold; and a little af­ter, He is apparelled with a long Albe, a gir­dle, Stolam orn [...] ­tam cum per lis pendent [...] à collo. and a stole hanging vpon his necke all embost with pearle.

Whereas it is added that this whore doth giue her false doctrines vnto men in a cup of gold, the meaning thereof is that she giues them with pompe, and outward magnificence.

The capitall letters of these words, Po­culum Aureum Plenum Abominationum, being put together make vp Papa: VVhe­ther it be that it falls out so by chance, or rather that God would hereby giue vs an advertisement. And that which makes this observation the better worthie the no­ting, is that it is found in Latin, which is the language of the Church of Rome.

What these abominations are of which Rome makes the people to drinke I haue already shewed throughout my whole second booke.

The 5. part of this prophecie.

5 And in her forehead was a name writ­ten, A mystery, that great Babylon, that mo­ther of whoredomes, and abominations of the earth.

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the bloud of Saints, and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus, and when I saw her, I wō ­dred with great marvell.

The Exposition.

5 And made profession of great my­steries in her doctrine, being indeed the great Babylon, the headspring of Idola­trie, and of the abominations of the world.

6 And I sawe this citie glutted with the blood of the faithfull, raising vp per­secutions, and making the martyrs to bee massacred, and hauing seen this, I was stri­ken with feare, and stood amazed.

The Proofe.

Wee haue shewed in the exposition of [Page 335] the 13. chap. and 16. verse that according to the stile of the Prophets and the Apo­calyps, the marke in the forehead signifies the profession of religion; in this place therefore, to haue the name, Mysterie, written in the forehead, signifies to make profession of abstruse, and hidden myste­ries, such as all the mysteries of the Masse are▪ of which Pope Innocent hath written 6. books, wherein he finds great mysteries in all the attire, and euery action of the Priest; The seuerall habits of the Priest are enigmaticall, and all his gestures allego­ricall, the priest turnes his backe to the people, because God said vnto Moses Ex. 33 23 thou shalt see my backe parts. Hee which reads the Epistle, goes in at one side of the pulpit, and out at another, because it is written, Mat. 2.12 They were warned from God to turne another way. Hee which serues the priest and beares vp his traine, doth turne and apply his body to euery motion of the priest, because it is written, Where I am there shall my servant be. In the Episcopall Masse they kisse the Bishop on his shoul­der looking vpon his face backward, be­cause it is written, Videmus in aenigmate. The Priests follow the crosse being cloa­thed [Page 336] in white surplisses, because it is writ­ten, They shall follow the Lambe being cloa­thed in white roabes. And all is done is a strange language, in words mumbled out softly, for feare (saith Pope Innocent) least the flies should tast the sweetnes of this oint­ment. But the greatest mysterie of all o­thers is the doctrine of transubstantiation which makes God with fiue wordes, and restraines a human body within a point, that is to say, doth enclude that which is long, within that which hath no length, & placeth all the parts of a mans body vnder one only point, and doth at the same time make length to be in the host, & no length breadth, and no breadth.

There is a mysterie also in their saying ouer the same prayer, 7, or 50 times pre­cisely, according to the number of the beads of their bracelet, & in their making vertue to be in a number, so that if a man fail in reckoning, all the grace of the prai­er is gone, and the fruit thereof lost. Be­sides we haue shewed in our exposition of of the 2. chapt. of the 2. to the Thessaloni­ans, that Poperie is wholy wouen toge­ther with a profound mysterie, and won­derfull craft.

[Page 337]Now although this bee the meaning of this prophecie, yet this letteth not but that the holy Ghost may haue a reference to the secret and mysticall name of the ci­tie of Rome which she vseth in her cere­monies, and most secret mysteries. Which name being on a time vttered by Valeri­us Soranus, he was forthwith punnisht, as Plinie reporteth in his 3. booke & 5. chap. and Iulius Solinus in the first chapter of his first booke.

Ioseph Scaliger a man no lesse faithfull and honest, then learned, hath often told me that being at Rome with Mounsieur de Abin Embassadour for the king, amongst divers other things of S. Angeloes Castle, that were shewd them, they saw old plain miters, which had the worde Mysterium engraued on their front. And Brocard wit­nesseth as much in his notes vpon this place. If it be so, we need seeke no farther for any other interpretation.

This same Rome, in regard of those which raigne there, is called Babylon, be­cause of the resemblance betweene these two. Babylon did destroy the Temple, and this doth destroy the Church which is the Temple of God; Babylon did lead men into [Page 338] Captivitie, and this doth detaine the Church captiue vnder the yoke of the In­quisition, and of tyrannie; Babylon did ga­ther all the riches of the earth vnder her­selfe, and this doth enrich herselfe by the spoiles of christianitie; Babylon was giuen to Idolatrie, and so is this too; Both cities were first built by theeues. The captiuitie of Babylon was a forerunning signe of the first comming of our Lord, and the capti­vitie of the Church vnder the Romish bō ­dags, is a forerunning signe of the second comming of the sonne of God. The Fa­thers vnderstood it so. Tertullian hath told vs aboue that S. Iohns Babylon is Rome, and St Augustin in the 18 booke of the citie of God. chap. 2.22. saith, Babylon is the first Rome, and Rome is the second Baby­lon.

As for the cruelties and persecutions, we which haue suffered them & in whose families the wounds are yet to bee seene, beleeue them without farther proofs. See what we haue said of this vpon the 7 verse of the 13 Chapter.

The 6. part of this prophecie.

7 Then the Angell said vnto me. Wherfore [Page 339] marveilest thou? I will shew thee the my­sterie of that woman, and of that beast that beareth her, which hath seaven heads and ten hornes.

8 The beast that thou haste seene, was, and is not, & shall ascend out of the bottom­lesse pit, and shall go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names are not written in the booke of life frō the foundation of the world) when they be­hold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The Exposition.

7 Then the Angel said vnto me, why dost thou wonder? I will shewe thee the interpretation of the vision, and will tell thee what the beast represented by a wo­man meanes, & what the Empire is, that is figured by a beast hauing 7. heads, and ten hornes.

8 The beast which thou sawest is the Empire of Rome, which did continue for a long time, but now is no more, being vā quisht, and driven from Rome, and Italie by the Lumbards: but shall rise vp againe from a low place, and bee restored by the [Page 340] Papacie, till the time that God at last shall destroy it. And the inhabitants of the earth, which haue not beene enrolled frō the foundation of the world amongst the number of the Elect, shall wonder seeing the Empire of Rome, which was at Rome but was driven thence by the Lumbards, and neverthelesse doth nowe growe vp a­gaine, and is reerected by the Papacie, so that a man may say that the Roman Em­pire is, and is not; that it is not because the Roman Emperours are no more; that it is because the Pope doth in a manner set vp the Empire againe although it bee vnder another name and forme.

The Proofe.

For the vnderstanding of this prophe­cie we are to note that S. Iohn in this 8. v. doth followe the stile of the Prophets, which is to speake of things to come as if they were present, or past; & to transport his spirit beyond future ages, as if they were already gon. For S. Iohn in this place doth speake as if he were liuing at the time wherein (the Roman Empire being ruinated by the Lumbards) the Pope did [Page 341] cast about to compasse a temporall Mo­narchie, and to reerect the Empire in his owne person: The vnderstanding of this cleereth the prophecie, for larger proofes whereof turne backe to that which wee haue said vpon the 1 & 3 verses of the 13 Chapter.

That which is said at the ende is plaine enough of it selfe, to wit, that the Pope is Emperour vnder another title, and ano­ther forme of Empire. For we haue shew­ed, how he hath drawne the rights, & dig­nities of Emperours vnto himselfe; Al­though the forme of his gouernement be diuers from theirs. For the Emperours did raigne by force, but he by fraud; In the ancient Empire the spirituall power was on­ly a dependance of the temporall, but in the papacie the Temporall power doth depend vpon the spirituall.

The 7. part of this prophecie.

9 Here is the minde that hath wisdom. The 7. heads are 7. mountaines, whereon the woman sitteth▪ they are also 7. kings.

10 Fiue are fallen, and one is, and an o­ther is not yet come: and when he commeth [Page 342] he must continue a long space.

11 And the beast that was and is not▪ is even the eighth, and is one of the 7. & shal goe into destruction.

The Exposition.

9 Here is need of wisdome to vnder­stand this matter. In this vision of the beast which hath 7 heads and 10 hornes, by the 7▪ heads wee are to vnderstand 7. hills, vpon which the cittie of Rome is si­tuate.

10 As also 7. sortes of soueraigntie or gouernement which must beare rule at Rome one after another, to wit▪ the kings the Consuls, the militarie Tribunes, the Decemvirs, the Dictatours, the Emperors and the Popes. The 6. is nowe, to wit▪ the Emperours: And the 7▪ (to wit, the Popes those Pontificall earthly monarchs) is not yet come, and when it shall come, it shall continue for a certaine time.

11 And also by the Roman Empire, which was and is now no more, the Em­pire of Charlemaigne, and his successours, is to be vnderstood, which did governe at Rome for a time before the Monarchie of [Page 343] the Popes was fully perfected; which Em­perours although they be an 8 head, doe yet neuerthelesse beare the name of one of the 7. to wit of the Emperours.

This exposition doth proue it selfe, and experience speakes for it without any proofe. Besides as concerning the 7▪ hills; and 7 sorts of soveraigntie, we haue spokē of them at large in the 13 chap. & 1. verse.

The 8 part of this Prophecie.

12 and the 10. hornes which thou sawest, are 10 kings, which yet haue not recei­ved a kingdome, but shall receiue power as kings at one hower, with the beast.

13 These haue one minde, & shall giue their power, and authority vnto the beast.

14 These shall fight with the Lamb, & the Lambe shall overcome them; for hee is Lord of Lords▪ and king of kings: and they that are on his side are called faithfull, and chosen.

The Exposition.

12 But by the 10 hornes of this beast which is the Roman Papall Empire, are [Page 344] vnderstood 10 kings which haue not as yet begun to raigne, but shall raigne to­gether with the Roman Papal Empire.

13 The counsells of these kings are ruled by the counsel of the Papal Empire, and they lend assistance vnto this Empire with their power.

14 They shall fight against Iesus Christ, but Iesus Christ shall overcome them because he is Lord of Lords, & king of kings, and they which are his, are called elect and faithfull.

The Proofe.

In this number of 10 kings doth the eui­dence of this prophecie principally ap­peare. We shall see anon in the exposition of the 7 chap. of Daniel, how that a little before the Pope came to bee an earthly Monarch, the ancient Roman Empire was devided into 10 kingdomes, and cut out into 10 peeces. We haue also seene vpon the 1 verse of the 13 chap. that the Roman Empire, whilst it was in its flourishing e­state, did consist of 10 provinces & prin­cipall parts. But here mention is made of Kings that the Pope shall subiect vnto [Page 345] himselfe and which shall vnite themselues [...]n a bond of amitie with the Pope. Grego­ry the 7 surnamed Hildebrand was he that did first exalt the Papacie to the An. 107 [...]. heigth of glory, and worldly greatnesse: Now at the same time 10 kingdomes did serue Pa­pisme, first The Empire of Germanie, 2. Fraunce, 3. England, 4. Scotland, 5. Den­marke, 6. Polonie, 7. the kingdome of Spain 8. the kingdome of Navarre. 9. The king­dome of Hungarie, 10. the kingdome of Naples, and Sicilie. Yea and in the memo­rie of our forefathers Pope Leo the 10, be­ing as yet in his full force, a little before the wound which hee receaued, Papistrie held 10 kingdomes in possession. 1. The Empire of Germanie. 2. Fraunce. 3. Eng­land, 4. Scotland, 5. Denmarke. 6. Polonie, 7. Hungarie. 8. The realme of Arragon, Naples, and Sicilie. 9. The realme of Ca­stile. 10. The realme of Portugall. For the realme of Bohemia is a fiefe of the Empire of Germanie, and an Electorate of the Empire. Moreouer it is said that these kings shall begin to raigne together with the beast, because (as the King of great Brit­taine hath truely noted) all the realmes as it were of Christendome, as well as the [Page 346] Papal Monarch (if we looke back to their first originall) tooke their beginning from the division of the Roman Empire. Since therefore by this so cleere an exposition it is evident that the King of England is one of those which S. Iohn speaks of, and that his predecessours of England and Scot­land did make vp two hornes of this beast what pleasure is it vnto this so great a King to read himselfe mentioned in these diuine reuelations? or who cā better diue into the meaning of this prophecie, then he which makes vp a part of the prophecy

The 9 part of this prophecie.

15 And he said vnto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawest vpō the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and na­ked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire.

17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to doe with one consent for to giue their kingdome vnto the beast, vntill [Page 347] the words of God be fulfilled.

18 And that woman which thou saw­est is that great citty which reigned ouer the kings of the earth.

The Exposition.

15 After he said vnto me, the waters which thou sawest, ouer which Rome the Idolatresse hath dominion, doe signifie people, and multitudes, and nations of di­vers languages.

16 And the 10 hornes which thou sawst this Empire to haue, are the same 10 kings, which in the ende shall conspire a­gainst it, and consume it, and burne it.

17 For God hath inclined their harts that they should do his will in executing his iudgements, and that they should lay their heads together, and should aid this Papall Empire with their forces, only vn­till the time of its continuance appointed by God bee accomplished.

18 And this womā which thou sawst is Rome that great city, which commands the realmes of the earth.

The Proofe.

That which is propheticall in these 4. verses is not yet accomplisht, but the ac­complishment of the prophecies prece­dēt, doth make vs presume of the certain­tie of this, and is a token that it shall bee accomplisht ere long. It lies kings vpon to set themselues forward to serue God in this so great a worke. Blessed shall hee bee (saith the Ps. 137 Psamist) which shall dash the children of Babell against the stones. These children of Babell are the false doctrines. This stone is Iesus Christ, a chosen, tried stone, the foundation stone of the Church Es. 28.16. & 8 14. Mat. 21. vpō which stone whosoeuer falleth shall be broken.

THE PROPHECIE CONTAI­ned in the 18. Chap. of the Apocalyps. CHAP. 7.

1 And after these things I sawe ano­ther Angel come downe from heavē, hauing [Page 349] great power, so that the earth was lightned with his glorie.

2 And hee cried out mightily with a lowd voice, saying, it is fallen it is fallen, Ba­bylon that great citie, & is become the habi­tation of divels, and the hold of foule spirits, & a cage of every vncleane, & hatefull bird.

3 For all nations haue drunken of the wine of the wrath af her fornication, and the kings of the earth haue committed fornica­tion with her, & the marchants of the earth are waxed rich of the abūdance of her plea­sures.

4 And I heard an other voice from heaven saying goe out of her my people, that yee be not partakers of her sinnes: and that yee receaue not of her plagues.

5 For her sinnes are come vp into hea­ven, and God hath remembred her iniqui­ties.

6 Reward her even as shee hath rewar­ded you, and giue her double according to her workes: and in the cup that shee hath fil­led to you, fill her the double.

7 In as much as she glorified her selfe, and liued in pleasure, so much giue yee to her tor­ment and sorrow: for she saith in her heart I sit being a queene, and am no widowe, and [Page 350] shall see no mourning.

8 Therefore shall her plagues come at one day, death, and sorrow, and famine, shee shall be burnt with fire: for that God which condemneth her, is a strong Lord.

9 And the kings of the earth shall be­waile her, and lament for her, which haue committed fornication and lived in pleasure with her, when they shall see that smoake of that her burning.

10 And shall stand a farre of for feare of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great citie Babylon, that mightie citie, for in one houre is thy iudgement come.

11 And the marchants of the earth shall weepe, and waile over her: for no man buyeth their ware any more.

12 The ware of gold, and siluer, and of pretious stones, and of pearles, and of fine lin­nen, and of purple, and of silke, and of skarlet▪ and of all manner of sweet wood, & of all ves­sels of yvorie, and of all vessels of most preti­ous wood, & of brasse, and of iron, & of mar­ble.

13 And of cinamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oyle, and fine flowre, and wheate, and beasts, & sheep, and horses, & chariots, & seruants [Page 351] and soules of men.

14 And the apples that thy soule lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were fat and excellent are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more.

15 The merchants of these things which were waxed rich, shall stand a farre of from her, for feare of her torment, weeping & wai­ling.

16 And saying alas, alas, that great citie, that was clothed in fine linnen, & purple, and skarlet, and gilded with gold, and preti­ous stones, and pearles. How could so great riches come to desolation in one houre?

17 And every shipmaster, and all the people that occupie ships, and ship men, and whosoever trafficke on the sea shall stand a farre off,

18 And crie, when they see that smoke of that her burning, saying, what citie was like vnto this great citie?

19 And they shall cast dust on their heads, and crie, weeping and wailing, & say, Alas, alas, that great citie, wherein were made rich all that had ships on the sea by her costlinesse: for in one houre she is made deso­late.

20 O heaven reioice of her, and the holy [Page 352] Apostles, and Prophets: for God hath punnished her, to bee revenged on her for your sakes.

21 Then a mightie Angel tooke vp a stone like a great milstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, with such violence shall that great citie Babylon be cast, and shall be found no more.

22 And the voice of harpers, and mu­sitians, and of pipers, and trumpeters shall be heard no more in thee, and no crafts-man of what craft soever he be, shall bee found any more in thee: and the sound of a milstone shal be heard no more in thee.

23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more in thee: and the voice of the bride­groome, and of the bride shall bee heard no more in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth: and with thine in­chantments were all nations deceaved.

24 And in her was found the bloud of the Prophets, and of the Saints, and of all that were slaine vpon the earth.

The Explication.

1 Afterward I sawe another Angell come downe from heauen, to wit, the son [Page 353] of God, being armed with soveraigne power.

2 Who cried out with a lowd voice, saying, she is fallen, she is fallen, that great citie of Rome, because she is become the habitation of divels, and the hold of de­ceitfull spirits, and of all sortes of orders distinguisht by their habits, as of strange birds.

3 For all nations haue beene made drunke with the intoxicating wine of her Idolatrie, and the kings of the earth did cleaue vnto her Idolatrie: and the mer­chandize of benefices, pardons, annates, taxes, dispensations, indulgences, and ab­solutions, did enrich an infinite number of persons that did liue by her trafficke.

4 Afterward I heard the voice of God from heauen saying, yee my people go out from the Church of Rome, and from Po­perie; for feare least yee bee defiled in her superstition, and perish together with her.

5 For her sinnes being linckt toge­ther in a long chaine haue raught vp to the heauenly throne of God, there to bee iudged of him, and God is resolued to pū ­nish her iniquities.

6 Yee people and kings whome shee [Page 354] hath tyrannized over, and held captiues, reuenge your selues vpon her, & giue her double: and serue her as shee hath serued you, euen to the double.

7 Giue her asmuch affliction as shee hath had glory, that shee may weepe as much as shee hath ioyed in her delicious sportes and dissolutenesse. For shee said in her heart. I rule, and am queene, and mo­ther of all churches, which cānot be iudg­ed of any. I am the spowse of Christ, and shall neuer fall. For I cannot erre in the faith, nor euer be cast of, nor left by Christ.

8 For these causes shall these plagues come vpon her at once, to wit, death, and sorrow, and famin, and she shall bee burnt with fire, for God is able to doe her iu­stice.

9 And there shall bee To wit, the Kings that will not ioin themselues with others which shall conspire a­gainst her. kings of the earth, which hauing committed Idolatry with her, and hauing had a part in her dis­solutenesse, shall lament & take on, seeing her consumed by fire.

10 And they shall stand a farre of, without lending her any succour, saying, Alas; Rome, thou great and mightie citie, how is thy destruction come vpon thee so suddainely?

[Page 355]11 Likewise the Prelates, great pe­nitentiaries, bullists, dataries, notaries, & protonotaries Apostolicall, Factours, and Banckers, which helpe men to the remissi­on of their sinnes by letters of exchange, all these shall bewaile the destruction of Rome, and not they only but all sorts of merchants too shall take on, because no man thencefoorth shall buy any more of their wares.

12 Because no man shall buy any more gold, nor siluer, for to make crucifix­es, chalices, covers for cups, candlesticks, and other moueables of the Church: Nor pretious stones, to set them in the Popes triple crowne, and in Bishops rings, & for an ornament of the caskets that containe reliques; Nor pearles to hang about the Popes mantle, and to adorn [...] the Roman Courtizans: Nor silke, nor skarlet, nor a­ny kind of rich stuffe, for to cloath their i­mages, and their Cardinals, and to make Copes for priests, and Banners for proces­sions: Nor other pretious thinges, for to embellish the palaces of Cardinals, and o­ther Prelats, and officers of the Pope, as marble and pretious wood; Nor brasse, nor yuorie, to make deskes, boxes, &.

[Page 356]13 Nor odours and perfumes, to per­fume the Church, or for the priuate de­lights of Prelats, & officers of the Eccle­siasticall court. Nor wines & choice fruits for their tables. Nor riding horses, nor coach horses, for the Popes traine and his Cardinals. Nor captiues and servile con­sciences, nor mens soules, which were bought and sold, but this traffick shall be abolisht, by the destruction of Rome.

14 (For ô wretched citie, al this worldly prosperitie, all this riot of luxurie shall be taken away from thee, and thou shalt enioy them no longer)

15 All such therefore as shall bee en­richt by this trafficke, and which haue preyed vpon the people vnder the shewe of Religion, shall forsake her in her neede, fearing to be wrapt in the same ruine, and shall bewaile her with great lamentation.

16 Saying, alas Rome, thou so migh­ty and stately a citie! whose gouernours were cloathed in silke, and purple, & skar­let, and crowned with gold, and pretious stones, how couldst thou fall from al these riches in so short a space?

17 The Pilots themselues, and the marriners, which did serue to carry the [Page 357] foresaid marchandize, shall withdrawe themselues without lending her any aide.

18 And seeing the smoake of her burning shall cry out saying, what city was like vnto the city of Rome?

19 And shall cast dust vpon their heads, and shall crie out weeping, and la­menting, and say, alas, alas! that great city in which all those that did trafficke were made rich by her wealth, howe shee is be­come desolate in an instant!

20 O yee heavenly spirits, which doe reioyce at the conuersion of one only sin­ner, reioyce at her ruine; yee holy Apostles also and Prophets: For it is for your sakes that God hath taken vengeance of her.

21 Then I saw a mightie Angell take vp a great stone like a milstone, and cast it into the sea, saying. So shall Rome be cast into the deepe, and abolisht euerlastingly and shall apeare no more then a milstone cast into the sea, which neuer riseth vp a­gaine to the top of the water.

22 23 And all sorts of delights, and pleasures, of ornaments, commodities, & recreations, are past from thee. Whereas before the factours of Rome did liue like Princes, and the people and nations were [...] [Page 338] [...] [Page 339] [...] [Page 340] [...] [Page 341] [...] [Page 342] [...] [Page 343] [...] [Page 364] the Latin Church is nothing else but a shop, with a table of mony changers stan­ding in the midst of it, which Christ shall overturne the second time, when the pro­phecie contained in this chapter shall bee accomplished.

THE PROPHECIE CON­tained in the 7. chapter of Daniell. CHAP. 8.

1 In the first yeare of Belshazzar king of Babell Daniel saw a dreame, and there were visions in his head, vpon his bed: then he wrote the dreame, & declared the summe of the matter.

2 Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and behold the 4 windes of heaven stroue vpon the great sea.

3 And 4 great beasts came vp from the sea one divers from an other.

4 The 1 was a Lyon and had Eagles wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were pluckt off, & it was lifted vp from the earth and set vpon his feete as a man, and a mans heart was given him.

[Page 365] 5 And behold, another beast which was the second, was like a Beare, and stoode vpon the one side: and hee had three tuskes in his mouth amongst his teeth, and they said thus vnto him, Arise and devoure much flesh.

6 After this I beheld, & lo there was an other like a Leopard, which had vpon his backe 4 wings of a fowle: the beast had also 4 heads and dominion was given him.

7 After this I saw in the visions by night, and behold the fourth beast was feare­full, and terrible, and very strong. It had great iron teeth, it devoured, and brake in peeces, and stamped the residue vnder his feet: & it was vnlike to the beasts that were before it, for it had 10 hornes.

8 As I considered the hornes, behold there came vp amōg thē another little horn, before whom there were 3 of the first horns pluckt away: and behold in his throne there were eies like the eies of man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things.

I beheld till the thrones were set vp, and the ancient of daies did sit, whose garment was as white as snowe, and the haire of his head like the pure wooll: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheeles like burning fire.

[Page 366] 10 A fiery streame issued, and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministred vnto him,, and ten thousand thou­sands stood before him: the iudgement was set, and the bookes opened.

11 Then I beheld, because of the voice of the presumptuous words which the horne spake: I beheld even till the beast was slaine, and his body destroyed, and giuen to the bur­ning fire.

12 As concerning the other beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their liues were prolonged for a certaine time and season.

13 As I beheld the visions by night, behold one like the sonne of man came in the clowdes of heaven, and approached vnto the ancient of daies, and they brought him before him.

14 And he gaue him dominion & ho­nour, and a kingdome: that all people, nations and languages should serue him: his domini­on is an everlasting dominion, which shall never be taken away, and his kingdome shall never be destroyed.

15 I Daniel was troubled in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of mine head made me afraid.

[Page 367] 16 Therefore I came vnto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this: so he told me, and shewed mee the inter­pretation of all these things, saying,

17 These 4 great beasts, are 4 kinges which shall arise out of the earth.

18 And the Saints of the most high shall receaue their kingdome, which they shal possesse for ever, even for ever and ever.

19 After this I would knowe the truth of the fourth beast, which was so vnlike to al the others, very fearefull, whose teeth were of yron, and his nayles of brasse: which de­voured, brake in peeces, and stamped the re­sidue vnder his feet.

20 Also to knowe of the 10 hornes that were in his head, & of the other which came vp, before whome three fell, and of the horne that had eies, and of the mouth that spoke presumptuous things; whose looke was more stout then his fellowes.

21 I beheld, and the same horne made battell against the Saints, yea and prevailed against them.

22 Vntill the ancient of daies came, & iudgement was giuen to the Saints of the most high: and the time approached that the Saints possessed the kingdome.

[Page 368] 23 Then he said, the fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome in the earth, which shall be vnlike to all the kingdomes, and shall devoure the whole earth and shall tread it downe, and breake it in peeces.

24 And the 10 hornes are 10 kings that shall rise out of this kingdome, and ano­ther shall rise after them, and he shall be vn­like to the first, and he shall subdue 3 kings.

25 And shall speake wordes against the most high, and shall consume the Saints of the most high, and think that he may change times and lawes, and they shall be giuen into his hand vntill a time, and times, and halfe a time.

26 But the iudgement shall sit, & they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it vnto the end.

27 And the kingdome, and dominion, and the greatnesse of the kingdomes vnder the whole earth shall be given to the holy people of the most high, whose kingdome is an everlasting kingdome, and all power shall serue and obay them.

The Exposition.

1 In the first yeare of Belshazzar king [Page 369] of Babel Daniel saw a dreame, and lying vpon his bed, had his head troubled with visions, the matter of which dreame hee did afterward commit to writing.

2 And behold here what hee hath written of it. I had a vision by night, and it seemed vnto mee that the windes com­ming from the foure quarters of the world blew vpon the sea, that is to say, that the people and nations (whom the holy scrip­ture doth often compare to the sea) had many divers and contrary tumults to dis­turbe them.

3 And out of the midst of these peo­ple, and nations came fowre great beastes of different shapes, figuring 4 great di­verse Empires, which should reigne in the world.

4 The first beast which did represent the first Empire, to wit, that of Babylon, was like vnto a Lyon, to note his noble­nesse, and valour, and had the wings of an Eagle, to note the speedy atchieuements of his conquests. And I beheld till this ac­tiue vigour was taken from him, and that being spoiled of his bestiall fiercenesse, he learned the lesson of obedience, and was taught to abstaine from blood, that so hee [Page 370] might liue with humanitie like a man, and not with crueltie like a beast.

5 After this Empire succeeded the Empire of Persia, figured by a bear, which lay along vpon one side, either because his cōquests did stretch from east to west, or else because he was like a beare resting himselfe, which never lyeth farre of from the prey which hee hath seized vpon. And this beare amongst many other teeth had 3 great teeth or tuskes, signifying that a­mongst many other kingdoms which this Empire should possesse, hee should haue 3 great and mightie kingdoms: that of Per­sia, that of Media, & that of Babylon. And God being incensed against men sent out this beare to make them dye.

6 After the fall of this Empire, be­hold a third Empire rose vp, to wit, that of the Macedonians, figured by a Leopard, because of its crueltie, subtiltie, and cele­rity, represented by the 4 wings. And this Empire was forthwith divided into foure kingdoms, which are the kingdoms of the Seleucidae in Asia maior, the kingdome of Antigonus in Asia minor, the kingdome of the Ptolomies in Egypt, and the king­dome of Greece, and God gaue vnto this [Page 371] Empire to raigne over the earth.

7 After this Empire there arose ano­ther Empire figured by a most dreadful & mightie strong beast. It had mighty king­domes and provinces vnder it; it did scat­ter and ruinate, tyrannizing over those whom it did not slay. And this Empire was differing in force and power from the Empires that went before, and had 10 parts and principall provinces vnder it, & as it fell to decay, ten kingdomes also did arise out of the division thereof.

8 As I stood wondring at the great­nesse of this Empire from which 10 king­domes did arise, behold a Monarch grow­ing like a little horne amidst the other, that sprang vp from betweene these king­domes, which for his share did possesse such a portion of this Roman Empire, as there is of 3 to 10, that is to say, well neer the third part, and had the eies of humane vnderstanding, having contrived the buil­ding of his kingdome by wonderfull po­licie, and spoke prowdly and arrogantly, boasting that he could not erre, that hee was the supreme iudge in matters of faith and religion, that he was a vice-God, and God vpon earth, King of kings, the head [Page 372] and spowse of the Church, his holynesse, and a disposer of kingdomes.

9 I considered with my selfe howe this Bishop did advance himselfe, & con­tinue, vntill the thrones mounted vpon wheeles, were set in their proper places, that is to say, vntill the day of iudgement were well onward, and hard at hand, and the Lord God sat down vpō these thrones who is called the Ancient of daies, because he is from before all time, & from before all antiquitie, and hee was cloathed with the light, and had a head all hoary gray, to signifie his age, his throne was like the flame, and the wheeles of his throne were as burning fire.

10 His iudgments like a fiery stream went from before his presence. An infinite number of Angels stood before him, wai­ting his pleasure. So he sate him downe to iudge the world: and that hee might pro­ceed with equity, all his bookes were o­pened. To wit, the booke of the sinnes of men mentioned in the 65 chap. of Esa. 65. v. 6 Behold it is written before me: I wil not keepe si­lence. Esay, and in the 20. of the Apocalyps; as also the booke of the afflictions of the faithfull, mentioned in the Ps. 56. v▪ 8 Thou purest my teares in [...]o thy bottle, are they not in thy regi­ [...]er? 56 Psalm; & the booke of life wherein the elect are registred, mē ­tioned [Page 373] in the 13 of the Apocalyps, and 17.

11 And I beheld with admiration, how this sonne of perdition spoke prowd words, till at last his Empire was destroy­ed, and the body of this Roman Monar­chie abolisht, & the keyes thereof thrown into everlasting fire.

12 And al dominion was taken from the other beasts, albeit they had continu­ed for a long time in the world.

13 As I was ravisht by night with the contemplation of this vision, I saw the sonne of God our Lord Iesus, which came downe from heauen, carried vpon the clouds, and hee approached vnto God his father which sate vpon the throne. And his father made him sit on his right hand to iudge the world.

14 Giuing him a name aboue all names, and all power both in heaven and in earth, so that every knee shoulde bowe before him, and all people should giue him glory, and praise. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shal not pass away, and his kingdome shall not bee de­stroyed.

This was the vision of Daniel, the mea­ning whereof when he required, it was giuen [Page 374] him by one of the Angels that stood by in these words,

17 These 4 great beasts are foure kings that shall arise out of the earth.

18 And the Saints of the most high shall receaue the kingdome, which they shall possesse for ever, even for ever and ever.

The Exposition.

17 These 4 great beasts signifie foure Realmes or Monarches, that shal arise out of the earth.

18 Who being once abolisht, God shall giue his faithfull servants the king­dome of heauen, which they shall enioy everlastingly. This exposition having not satisfied Daniel concerning that which he desired most to know, to wit, what was meant by the fourth beast that had tenne heads, and the little horne that grew out, the same Angel doth expound it more at large vnto him, saying,

23 The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdome in the earth, which shall be vnlike to all the kingdomes, and shall devoure the whole earth, and shall tread it downe, and breake it in peeces.

24 But the 10 hornes are 10 kings that shall rise out of this kingdome, and another [Page 375] shall rise after them, which shall be vnlike to the first, and he shall subdue 3 Kings.

25 Hee shall speake words against the most high, and shall consume the Saints of the most high, and think that he may change times and lawes, and the Saints shall be giuē into his hand vntill a time, and times, & half a time.

26 But the iudgement shall be held, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it vnto the end.

27 That the kingdome, and dominion, and the greatnesse of the kingdomes vnder the whole heaven, may bee given to the holy people of the most high; the kingdome of which people is an everlasting kingdome, and all the powers shall serue and obay them.

The Exposition.

23 The fourth beast signifies the fourth Empire on the earth, which shall differ from the other Empires in greatnes and violence, and shall conquer all the earth, and subiect it, and wast it.

24 But the 10 horns which shal arise out of it, are 10 kingdomes which shall spring vp from the dissipation of this Empire, & shall divide it into 10 peeces. But after that these kingdomes shall bee erected a­mongst [Page 376] them, whose Empire shall bee al­together divers from the others, to wit, the Bishop of Rome: for hee shall [...]ule vn­der the shew of religion, & spiritual pow­er; and shall possesse well neere the third part of the provinces of the ancient Em­pire, and keepe them vnder him.

25 He shall speak blasphemy against God, and persecute the Church, and take vpon him to change the course of the year and make the daies holy or prophane at his pleasure: hee shall take vpon him also to change the law in cutting off the secōd commandement, and denying that it is sinne to transgresse the last, and dispen­sing with other commandements, & pre­scribing lawes of equall authority with the law of God, yea and of more authori­tie, and the Church shall bee held captiue vnder him for the space of 1260 yeares.

26 But the day of iudgement shall come: and Iesus Christ comming into the world shall take his dominion from him, and shall destroy him vtterly.

27 To the end, that a soueraigne do­minion over all worldly greatnesse may be giuen to the Church of God, which is the assēbly of the Saints, to which church [Page 377] God hath given an euerlasting kingdome and all power both of men and diuels shal be subiect vnto it.

The Proofe.

Albeit this exposition doe explaine it selfe, and be full of perspicuitie: yet to re­moue all difficulties, I will cleere 6. points in which the whole proofe of our exposi­tion doth consist, and will shew.

1 That the Roman Empire falling to decay in the West, and the East, was divi­ded into parts or kingdomes, which Dan. v.7. and 24. saith are vnderstood by the 10 hornes of the fourth beast. II. That the Bi­shop of Rome doth possesse well neer the third part of the ancient Roman Empire. III. That the Bishop of Rome doth chāge times and the law. IV. What the meaning of a time, times, and halfe a time is, during which tearme, the Saints shall bee made slaues, and the church kept in bondage. V. What this Empire & dominion is that is giuen to the Saints. VI. That vpon good reason by the fourth beast we vnderstand the Roman Empire, and by the little horn the sonne of perdition, which is called Antichrist [Page 378] by the Ancient, as likewise by our aduersaries.

1 The diuision of the ancient Empire into tenne partes is most euident. Danie [...] makes 10 kingdomes to bee borne out o [...] the dispersing of the Romā Empire, and a­midst this a little horn to spring vp & grow out. To find the accomplishmēt therefore of this prophecy, we are to look whether a little before the Pope became an earthly Monarch (for Daniel saith that these hornes here doe signifie Realmes) the Ro­man Empire were not diuided into tenne Realmes. We haue shewed already that in the yeare 755 the Pope began to lay the foundation of his earthly Empire, and of a Bishop to become a Monarch. Nowe a little before, (that is to say in the seauenth age) the Roman Empire was diuided into 10 peeces or kingdomes. 1, There was the kingdōe of the Frēch, which held France & a part of Germanie. 2. The kingdome of the English Saxons, which held great Brittain. 3 The kingdōe of the Visigots which held Spaine. 4. The kingdome of the Lum­bards in Italie. 5. The kingdome of the Sclavonians which held Illyria, and the countries thereabout▪ 6. The kingdome of [Page 379] the Huns and the Avarians in Hungarie & Austrich. 7. The kingdome of the Bulga­rians reigning in Bulgaria and Seruia, &c. 8. The kingdome of the Sarasens of Da­mascus that held Syria, and reigned in the East. 9. The kingdome of the Sarasens of Barbarie that reigned in Affricke, which about this very age did inuade Spaine and passe into Fraunce. 10. To which if yee ad that which as yet was held in possession by the Emperour of Constantinople, yee shall find 10 Realmes, euery one posses­sing his part of the ancient Roman Em­pire: and this, a little before that this little horne shewed himselfe, that is to say, be­fore the Pope began to take his place a­mongst Princes, and to lay the foundati­ons of his Roman Monarchie.

2 That the portion of the Roman Empire, which the Pope hath vnder him, hath such a proportion in respect of the whole extent of the Empire, as there is of three to ten, that is to say, that hee doth possesse little lesse thē the third part there­of: this is easily proued to bee true, if it please any to take but a map, and a payre of compasses, or else only to measure the countries of the Empire with his eies. The [Page 380] Pope did never possesse any thing, nor ne­ver had any dominion over Greece, Asia, Syria, Arabia, Egypt, or Affrick. For as for the incursions of our French into Syria, E­gypt and Constantinople, they were no­thing else but violēt motiōs, which lasted but for a small time, and did rather shew thē plant the Popes dominion in the East. Now all these countries being put toge­ther make vp a little more then two thirds of the Roman Empire, the rest hath beene vnder the Pope, wherein hee hath planted his Monarchie: wherevnto moreouer hee hath added certaine prouinces that were never subiect to the Ancient Roman Em­pire, as Polonie, the north part of Germa­nie, Denmarck, and Swethland, and nowe of late a part of the Indies. But Daniel lookt not to these adiunctions, for hee speakes only of the diuision of the Roman Empire.

3 As for the changing of times, and the law, it is the Pope that takes vpon him to make the yeares shorter or longer. It is not long since that Gregorie the 13 did contract the yeare by 10 daies: it is the Pope that makes holy daies of common daies, which can if it please him, transport [Page 381] the month of Iuly into Ianuarie; taking the authoritie vpon him of the ancient priests of Rome instituted by Numa, who proclaimed the holy daies, and thrust in odde days into the yeare at their pleasure. It were a needlesse labour for me to shewe more particularly howe hee changeth the law, seeing that my whole second booke is spent in declaring howe the Pope doth oppose himselfe against the word of God. Seeing also that hee boasteth that hee can dispense with oathes and vowes made to God, that he can dissolue compleat mar­riages, although they bee not violated by adulterie: that hee can dispense with chil­dren for obaying their parents in honest things, and with subiects for being faith­full to their Prince. That he can giue a mā leaue to marry his own neece contrary to the commandement of God. That hee can keepe Princes from reading the holy scripture, contrary to an expresse commande­ment that is giuen them in the 17 of Deut. v. 18. Whereupon his Doctours also say and write in their glosses vpon the De­crees of the Church of Rome, and in their bookes of controuersies, that the Pope cā dispense against the Apostle, and against [Page 382] the old Testament. And that hee can dis­pense with the commandement of the Lord wherein he saith, Doe workes worthy of repentance: as hee doth indeed dispense with it by his Indulgences.

4 Next followes the exposition of these words, A time, times, & halfe a time, which is the tearme during which, Daniel saith, the Saints shall be kept in bondage, and the church held captiue. These words at the first seeme strange, but being com­pared with other places where there is mention made of the continuance of the dominion of Antichrist, are easie to be vn­derstood. We haue seene in the 13 Chapt. of the Apocalyps, v. 5. that the Romā Em­pire after the healing of its wound by the Papacie, must continue 42 months, which make 3 yeares and a halfe, that is to say, 1260 mysticall daies, which amount to so many yeares, according to the stile of the Scripture: as we haue shewed by many ex­amples in the exposition of the said pas­sage of the Apocalyps. Now 3 yeares and a halfe, are one yeare, two yeares, & halfe an yeare, so that the spirit of God by an admirable correspondency of the Pro­phecies doth say the same thing in diuers [Page 383] words, and doth tell vs before hand that the kingdome of Antichrist and the bon­dage of the Church vnder his dominion must continue 1260 yeares, which as wee haue shewed by vndoubted proofes, must begin in the yeare of our Lord, 755.

5 As concerning the kingdome, and dominion over all things which God gi­ueth to his Saints, and the faithfull, al­though they seeme servants and strangers in this world, Daniel herein speakes ac­cording to the stile of the Scripture, which calleth them Kings, Apoc. 1. v. 6. & 5. v. 10 He hath made vs kings and priests vnto God his father. And in the 1. Epistle of S. Peter Chap. 2. the faithfull are called a Royall Priesthood. Now they are kings, both be­cause they raigne already in Christ, which is one body with vs, so that the kingdome which he now possesseth ouer all things is ours: as also because that in the last day of iudgement, the faithfull shall iudge the world, and the Angels; as the Apostle S. Paule saith in the 1. to the Corinth. Ch. 6. That is to say, that they shall bee the asses­sours of the sonne of God, and approuers of the iudgment which he shall pronoūce against the wicked, and against the divels. [Page 384] As also because that in the glory to come after the last day, they shal be aboue those which reigned over them, and shall bee kings whilst the mightie ones of this world, which were enimies to the church, shall be made slaues.

6 It remaines that we see, whether they that hold that there is no mention at all made in this Chap. of the Roman Em­pire, nor of Antichrist, but only of the kingdome of the Seleucidae: and of Anti­ochus Epiphanes, can be excused.

The ancient Doctors hold with vs, that in this chapter Antichrist is spoken of, as Hierome, and Theodoret vpon this place, S. Cyprian in his booke of exhortation to martyrdome. S. Austin in the 23. chap. 20. booke of the citie of God. And our adver­saries are of the same opinion. They of the Ancient which by a little horne vnder­stand Antiochus Epiphanes, doe withall vnderstand Antichrist by the same horne, for they hold that Antiochus was a figure of Antichrist▪ and that which is said of the one, agrees also to the other.

As for mine owne part I finde this Pro­phecie so cleere, that it is hard to doubt of the meaning; and indeed amongst all the [Page 385] chapters of holy scripture, this did ever seeme excellent vnto me, and I could ne­ver satisfy my selfe with admiring it. What deepnesse of wisdome there is in it! what cleerenesse of Prophecies! how many re­markeable circumstances! what excel­lent accord with the reuelation of S. Iohn! yee shall find the same stile in both places in the same matter. Whosoever shall take this prophecie from Christians to appro­priate it vnto the Iewes only, goes about as it seemes to mee, to stop vp a great win­dow, at which God doth let in his light vnto vs, and to take away no small stay & comfort from our faith: besides that they doe shut their eies of set purpose, and con­test against experience. Yet let vs heare what they alleage.

They lay for a foundation, that the 2. chap. and the 7. speake both of one and the same thing, and that the vision of the foure beastes hath the same signification with the image that had his head of gold, his breast of siluer, his belly & his thighes of brasse, his legs part of yron and part of clay. That is to say, that both of these visi­ons doe signifie foure Monarchies, vnder which the Iewish Church was held in captiuitie; [Page 386] I doe not deny but that the 3 first Monarchies are the same, in the 2. and 7. chap. But the fourth Empire here called the fourth beast, is altogether divers from the feet of the image in the second chap­ter.

1 For this fourth beast is described here as more able and strong then the 3. former, and his lookes are said to be more stout then his fellowes, v. 20. On the con­trary the fourth kingdome in the 2. chapt. is made to be farre weaker then the other. For Daniel in the 42. verse saith, that it shall be partly strong, and partly broken, and makes it so farre inferiour to the former monarchies, as yron & clay are in respect of gold and silver.

2 Likewise when Daniel saith that the third Monarchy (which is that of the Ma­cedonians) had 4 heads, who sees not that hereby he vnderstands, that the Empire should be divided into 4 kingdomes? As Daniel himselfe also doth expounde him­selfe in the 8. chapt. v. 22. The kingdome of the Seleucidae being one of the 4 king­domes into which the Empire of Alex­ander is divided, what probability is there that in the verse following hee shoulde [Page 387] make these very Seleucidae a diverse beast, which but in the verse going before, hee had made to bee one of the heades of the beast? To salue the matter, they tell vs of diuers confusions within the kingdome of Aridaeus, Antipater, and Cassander, where they seeke for 4 kings opposing one an other at the same time, but cannot finde them; and say they should, yet is it likely that Daniel should rather speake of the diuisions that fell out in a little corner of Alexanders Empire, then of those that fell out in the whole Empire, being that these were the greater of the two without all comparison? Or who will thinke that Daniel in this place doth speake onlie of the diuisions of the country of Macedon, which had nothing cōmō with the Iewes, and omit those of Syria where the church dwelt?

3 Nor are they lesse troubled, if not more, to finde 10 Seleucidian kings, after whom they will haue Antiochus Epipha­nes to rise. For they are faine to thrust in the Ptolomies to make vp this number, which did invade or ouerrun Syria. But Daniel saith that these 10 kings shall a­rise out of the decayed Empire, and it cā ­not [Page 388] be said that the Ptolomies did rise out of the kingdome of the Seleucidae, seeing that they did rise against the Seleucidae. They speake therefore▪ as if I shoulde saie, that Brennus did rise out of the kingdome of Romulus, or the Tarquins, whereas he did rise vp against their state, & poste­rity. And last of all, should we grant them that which they would haue, yet can they not make vp their number. For they make this Antiochus to bee the tenth of these kings, contrary to the expresse words of Daniel, which saith that this little horne shall rise vp after the ten kings: he is none of the ten therefore.

4 And they are as much out in the ac­ceptiō of the word, kings, which through­out this whole chapt. doth not signifie the person of kings, but the kingdomes, or Monarchies. As it appeareth by the 17. verse in these words, the 4 beasts are foure kings, where they themselues cōfesse that by the word kings, we are to vnderstande Monarchies.

5 Besides, I know not how they can finde that fulfilled in Antiochus, which Daniel saith in the 22. verse, to wit, That he shall subdue 3 kings; for histories re­port [Page 389] no such thing of this man.

6 Herevnto adde that, if (as they would haue it) the third beast doe signifie the Empire of Alexander only, & not that of the Seleucidae; too, then this Empire must continue but 6. yeares, which is ma­nifestly opposit to that which Daniel saith verse 12. That the liues of these beasts were prolongued, for a certaine time and season.

7 Nor can it be said, with what vio­lence they wrest the words of the 13 ver. where Iesus Christ is described comming in the clowdes of heauen. They would haue this not to be spoke of his comming at the last day, but would haue it to be vn­derstood of his incarnation, when neuer­thelesse it cannot be said without absur­ditie, that he came down from heauen vp­on the clowdes.

8 But to what ende shoulde Daniel speake so often of the glorification of the Saints, and of their heauenly kingdome, if hee spake but only of the humiliation of Iesus Christ, and not of the last iudge­ment?

9 The space also of three yeares and an halfe, exprest by a time, two times, and halfe a time, can not agree to Antiochus. [Page 390] For in the 8. chapt. ver. 14. where this An­tiochus is manifestly spoken off, it is saide that hee shall wast the Sanctuarie for the space of two thousand▪ three hundreth mor­nings & evenings, which amount to more then 6 yeares. And note that these words, mornings, & euenings, are purposely ad­ded, to shew that he speaketh of common and ordinarie daies, and to distinguish thē from the three mysticall yeares, and an halfe, spoken of in this chapt.

10. On the other side all their obiectiōs against this explication, aime at this chiefly, to shew that the Roman Empire is not spoken off in the 2. chap. of Daniel, which we do not deny; but this lets not but that it may be spoken off in this chapt.

11 And, to say truth, they presuppose without reason that Daniel speakes this here but only for the Church of the Iews. For what inconvenience is there if we say that God did reueale something to his prophet concerning the Christiā church? Seeing that in the 12 chapt. he doth appa­rantly prophecie of the resurrection, and euerlasting life; And do not they contra­dict themselues, being that they woulde haue Daniel in the 6. verse speake of the [Page 391] confusions that hapned in Macedō, where the Iewes had no interest, and which did not concerne them at all?

12 Last of all I say, that the vision mentioned in the 2. chapt. had beene re­peated in vaine in the 7. if there were no diuersitie in them, and if the second appa­rition of the same vision did not teach vs some thing that was not contained in the former.

THE PROPHECIE CON­tained in the 11. chapter of the Apocalyps. CHAP. 9.

1 Then was given me a reede like vnto a rod, and there stoode an Angell by, which said vnto me, Rise, and mete the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worshippe therein.

2 But the court that is without the tē ­ple cast out, and mete it not: for it is given vnto the Gentiles, & the holy city shall they tread vnder foot 42 moneths.

3 But I will giue her vnto my two wit­nesses, and they shall prophecie a thousand 3 [Page 392] hundreth, and threescore daies clothed in sack-cloth.

4 These are two oliue trees, and two candlestickes standing before the God of the earth.

5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, & devoureth their enimies: for if any man will hurt them, thus must he be killed.

6 These haue power to shut heavē, that it may not raine in the daies of their prophe­cying, and haue power over the waters to turne them into bloud, to smite the earth with all maner of plagus as often as they will.

7 And when they shall haue finished their testimony, the beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre a­gainst them and shall overcome them, & kill them.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the streetes of the great cittie, which spirituallie is called Sodome, and Egypt, where our Lord also was crucified.

9 And they of the tribes, and people, and tongues, and nations, shall see their dead bodies three daies and an halfe, and shall not suffer their carkasses to bee buried in graues.

10 And they that dwell vpon the earth [Page 393] shall reioice over them, and be glad, and shall send gifts one to an other: because that these two prophets vexed them that dwelt vpō the earth.

11 But after these 3 daies, & an halfe, the spirit of life comming from God, shall en­ter into them, and they shall stand vpon their feete, and great feare shall come vpon them, which saw them.

12 After this they shall heare a great voice from heaven; saying, Come vp hither. And they shall ascende vp to heaven in a clowde, and their enimies shall see them.

13 And at the same howre there shall be a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the citty shal fall, and in the earthquake shal be slaine 7000 men in nūber, and they which remaine shalbe sore afraid, and giue the glo­rie to God of heaven.

14 The second w [...] is past, and beholde the third wo will come anon.

15 And the seaventh Angell blew the Trumpet, & there were great voices in hea­ven, saying, The kingdomes of the world, are our Lords, and his Christs, & he shal reigne for evermore.

16 Then the 24 elders which sate be­fore God on their seats, fell vpon their faces, [Page 394] and worshipped God.

17 Saying, we giue thee thankes o Lo [...] God Almightie, which art, and which wa [...] and which art to come, for thou hast recei­ued thy great might, and hast begun th [...] raigne.

18 And the Gentiles were angry, [...] thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should bee iudged, and that th [...] shouldst giue the reward vnto thy servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and to them that feare thy name, to small and great, and shouldst destroy thē which destroy the earth.

19 Then the Temple of God was ope­ned in heauen, and there was seene in his Tē ­ple the Arke of his covenant: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thundrings, and earthquakes, and much hayle.

The Explication.

1 It seemed vnto me in a vision, that God put a long reed into my hand like a measure. Afterward an Angel sent from God said vnto mee; with this measure, which is Faith, measure, & learne to know the greatnesse of the Church of God ex­actly, the excellency of the sacrifice of Ie­sus [Page 395] Christ, and the state of the faithfull, which serue God in his Church.

2 But measure not that which is with­out the Church, neither make any recko­ning of it. For these are the nations, and people, which are out of the covenant of God, which shall tread vpon, and tyran­nize ouer the Church of God, for the space of a thousand, two hundreth & sixty yeares.

3 But I will giue place in my house to some few faithfull pastours, which shal giue witnes to the truth, during the 1260 yeares, all which time the enimies of the Church shall beare sway, which faithfull Pastours shal preach the truth with humi­litie, and strictnesse of life, and much affli­ction.

4 These Pastors are like to oliue trees which bring tidings of peace, and yeeld that comfortable oyle, which is the word of God, that glads the soule, and like two candlesticks, that giue light in the church in the presence of God.

5 But if any one resist them, or perse­cute them, the word shall bee like a fire, which shall consume their adversaries, & turne them into condemnation.

[Page 396]6 These faithfull witnesses shal [...] a drought to be vpon the earth, and [...] the waters to be corrupted, and raise vp mortalitie, as often as they shall prea [...] the truth, and shall not be heard. For Go [...] for their sakes shall visit men with divers plagues.

7 And when they shal haue continu­ed preaching the ful time which God hath prescribed vnto them in his secret coūsell, then the beast which is the sonne of perdi­tion, shall raise vp a great persecution a­gainst them, and shall haue the vpper hand and make them to die.

8 And their martyrdomes shall bee seene through all places, and quarters of the Popish Church, which is called So­dome by a mysticall tearme, because of the vice which raignes in the most emi­nent place of that Church; and Egypt be­cause of the bondage of Gods people, which are kept in captivitie vnder Pope­rie. Where Christ also hath beene, and stil is persecuted in his members.

9 And the people and nations that are kept in error shall see their persecuti­ons and their martyrdomes, for the space of halfe the time of the continuance of [Page 397] Poperie, and shall cast their bodies out in­ [...]o the streets, and shall let them bee dryed vp vpon Gibbets, without ever being bu­ried.

10 This persecution enduring, the e­nimies of the Church shall reioice at the death of the faithful witnesses of the truth and be glad thereof, and send presents one to another, because they shall see them­selues deliuered from the sollicitations & reprehensions of the faithfull ministers, which would not let them to be quiet.

11 But this time being once expired, they shall reviue in their successours, God raising vp others in their place hauing the same spirit, which shall stand vpright, that they may speake the more couragiously. Whereat the people that are their enimies shall be greatly astonisht.

12 After this, a voice shall come frō heauen, which shall say vnto these faith­ful servants of God, come vp into heauen: And God shall take them vp into heauen, with evident testimonies of his fauour, as their very enimes shall acknowledge.

13 At this very houre, the people of the earth shal be smitten with a trembling feare. And God shall sende out a plague, [Page 398] which shall kill the tenth part of the peo­ple of the Church of Rome: and this sud­daine feare shall swallow vp a great num­ber of them; they which remain shal stand amazed, and giue the glory to God.

14 This woe shall bee the second af­ter that of the Locusts, after which there is a third also to come.

Apoc. 9. v. 12 One woe is past, and be­hold yet two woes to come after this.15 For after this, comes the time wherein God will display his iudgments, for the seaventh and last time. So there were voices heard in heauen, saying, Now the kingdome of God is establisht, and of Iesus Christ his sonne ouer euery creature for to raigne euerlastingly.

16 Then the Patriarchs and Apostles representing the whole Church of the Saints, which stand before God, & raigne with him, fel downe vpon their faces, and worshipped him.

17 Saying, wee giue thee thankes, Lord God Almightie, and everlasting, be­cause thou hast made knowne thy great might, and hast begunne to establish thy kingdome.

18 It is true that the nations & peo­ple were incensed against thy church, but thou hast punnisht them in thy wrath, and [Page 399] at length the time of the last iudgement is come, wherein thou wilt giue a reward vnto thy seruants, the ministers of the Gospell, and to all the faithful which feare thy name, both great and smal, and wilt destroy the destroyers of thy Church which is vpon earth.

19 Then was the entrance into Pa­radice fully laid open, and God hereto­fore figured by the Arcke, called the Lord, was manifested in heauen. But he let loose his choler vpon earth, with glory & great power.

The Proofe, and cleering.

The three first chapt. of this book, con­taine nothing, but familiar instructions, with certaine representations of the ma­iestie of God and Iesus Christ, without a­ny predictiō. In the sixth chap. S. Iohn be­gins to foretell of future euents, and to draw out his propheticall revelations, in which he follows the order of the time, beginning at the nativitie of Iesus Christ, & holding on till the approaching of the last iudgement, which is spoken of at the end of this 11. chapt.

[Page 400]All this time is first of all diuided into the opening of the 7. seales, which are as so many reuelations of the hidden counsel of God a little after into the 7. soundings of the trumpets, which signifie seauen se­uerall executions of the iudgementes of God vpon the earth, which are also signi­fied by the 7. viols of Gods wrath thrown vpon men.

How many years euery seale must last, & how many, euery trumpet, this is ano­ther question; and which doth not apper­taine directly to the See of Rome. Only wee are to note, that the two witnesses must be slaine by the beast vnder the sixt trumpet, and afterward be brought to life againe by the power of God, and at last be called from heauē, to come vp thither, & that after this the 7 trumpet must soūd, as it appeares by the 13. verse of the ninth chapter, & by the 15 verse of the 11 chap. Whence it is manifest that vnto vs (which liue now vnder the sixt trumpet) as wee will demonstrate, one part of these things is accomplisht: but that the whole is not yet accomplisht. Which is the cause of the obscurity of this prophecie, that troubled many mens heads, whilst they sought for [Page 401] the fulfilling of thinges to come in ages past.

And this doth not only shew me a waie to the cleering of this prophecie, but also giues me a reason why I should expounde this chapt. out of his order, and put it last. For whosoeuer shall read the Revelation diligently, shal finde that from the begin­ning of the sixth chapter to the end of the eleauenth, S. Iohn doth follow a continu­al course of prophetical history from time to time, vntill the day of iudgement. But that the 12. chapt. he doth begin the same historie againe after another fashion, be­ginning at the birth of our Sauiour, and following the historie of the church euen to the end of the booke, which hee con­cludes with the last iudgement, and with the heauenly glory, of the church of God. Wherefore we could not choose but ex­pound this 12 chapt. and those which fol­low, before the 11. chapt. that wee might follow the order of the time. Moreouer there being but one part of this chapt. ac­complisht, reason bids that we should end with that which is not as yet come to passe; But as for that which is come to passe, the exposition which I giue of it, [Page 402] seemes in my opinion, to be easie and na­turall.

The meting of the holy Citie, which is the Church, seemes to be taken out of the 40. chap. of Ezekiel, where by a reed, or cane to measure, the holy Ghost giues E­zechiel to vnderstand, that he would learn him an exact knowledge of his Church. In the 2. verse, in saying that the Court which is out of the Temple, is giuen to the Gen­tiles, he doth glaunce at the mysticall rea­son of the building of the Tabernacle, which had three parts. 1, The court where the people stood. 2. The holy place, into which the Levits and priests entred, where the candlesticke was, the shew bread, and the altar of perfumes. 3. The Sanctuarie where the Arke surnamed the Lord stood, whither none might enter but the high Priests: The way to goe into the ho­ly place was through the Court, and into the Sanctuarie through the holy place. The Court represented the nations which are out of the Church. The holy place re­presented the Church, where the word of God doth illighten and nourish vs, and where the benefit of Iesus Christ is a con­tinuall perfume before God. The Sanctu­arie [Page 403] figured heauen, where our high Priest is gon in alone by his own power, to bring vs thither also. So the Court was a figure of the state of nature, the holy place of the state of grace, the Sanctuarie of the state of glory. And none euer entred into the second but through the first, nor into the last but through the second. Vpon good reason therefore is it that the Court here is assigned vnto the nations, which do not knowe God, seeing that it was out of the holy place, which was a figure of the church of God. And this is farther confir­med by the renting of the vaile, (which did divide the holy place from the Court) at the death of our Sauior, whereby there was an open passage laid open, for the na­tions that were strangers from his coue­nant, to enter into the Church.

Now here by the nations, not only the heathen are to be vnderstood, but all peo­ple that are enimies to the church of God. The terme of time, for which they must oppresse the church of God, is 42 months which make 3 yeares and a halfe, which amount to 1260 yeares, to take a day for a yeare: as wee haue shewed in the exposi­tion of the fifth verse of the 13. chapter. [Page 404] This is the time that is allotted to the Pa­pall Empire to trample vpon the Church of God.

As for the two witnesses, I take it that they signifie nothing else but a fewe witnesses, but yet sufficient enough to beare witnesse of the truth: whether it bee that the holy scripture doth vse these words of two or three, insteed of saying, very few; as when Christ doth promise, that where there shall be two or three ga­thered together in his name, he will be in the midst of them: and in the 32. of Deut. v. 30. two shall put ten thousand to flight, that is to say, a small number shall make a great multitude to turne their backs: and there is the like fashion of speech to bee found in the 17 of Esay, verse 6. Or whe­ther it be that in the matter of witnesses, the number of two is put downe in Scrip­ture, as sufficient, according as Christ saith that Deut. 17. v. 6. & 19. v. 15. Mat. 18. v. 16. by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is confirmed. Or whether it be, that what number soeuer there bee of Pa­stours, yet all their testimonies being ta­ken from the two testaments, which are the true witnesses of the will of God, it is not without good reason, that their testi­monie [Page 405] is reduced to the number of two, to the ende that they should not looke within the authoritie of men, nor seek af­ter customes for a third testimonie. For it is not likely that God should haue but 2 faithfull pastours to oppose themselues a­gainst the Empire of the sonne of perditi­on, which shall be so powerfull, and last for so many ages. Now, as S. Iohn said, that the oppression of the Church must conti­nue 42 moneths, which are three yeares & a halfe, so likewise doth hee say that the faithfull witnesses shal preach 1260 daies which make vp also three yeares & a halfe that is to say, that the dominion of the son of perdition shall neuer be without being contradicted by some fewe faithfull ser­uants of God, and that the gouernement of the one, and the reluctancy of the o­ther, are of the same cōtinuance. We haue In the ex­position of the 5. verse of the 13. Chap. shewed how in this mysticall number a day is taken for a yeare, according to the stile of the Scripture, and that the Papall Monarchie must last 1260 yeares.

These two witnesses are compared to two oliue trees, and to two Candlesticks: in imitation of the vision that appeared to Zachary chapt. 4. who saw a Candle­sticke [Page 406] of golde betweene two oliue trees, of which it is said at the end of the Chap­ter. These are the two oliue braunches that stande before the Lorde of the whole earth. Both because the oliue is a signe of peace, witnesse the doue, which carryed an oliue branch to Noah in his mouth in token of peace. As also, because the scripture doth attribute a property vnto oile of making glad. Psa. 104. Whence it is called the oile of gladnes, that is to say, that maketh glad, Psal. 45. ver. 8. Now the word is the gos­pell of peace; Ephes. 6.15. and maketh glad the heart, Psal. 19.9. that we may reioice in the light thereof, Iohn 5.35.

But as this preaching is the sauour of life vnto such as beleeue, so is it the sauor of death vnto the rebellious, and doeth wound them mortally. Whence God also saith that this word kils, and that his pro­phets, and faithfull Ministers smite the earth with wounds by their preaching. It is said in [...] Hosea that hee did cut downe those of Ephraim by his prophets, & slaie them by the words of his mouth, and in Ieremie chapt. 5. v. 14. I will put my wordes into thy mouth like a fire, and this people shal be as wood, and it shall devour them. In this [Page 407] sense it is, that these faithfull witnesses are said to shut heaven, and hinder the raine, and turne the water into bloud; For they are thought to do that, which God doeth do for their sakes. Notwithstanding there is a manifest allusion in this to the exam­ple of Elias, King. 1.17. which shut the floodgates of heauen, and made it not to raine for the space of 3▪ whole yeares, and to the example of Moyses, which turned the waters of Egypt into bloud. These two appeared to Iesus Christ in the moū ­taine; and these also are they, that must re­turne into the world (as Hilarius thinks) to fight with Antichrist.

After that the beast (which the Anci­ent, and our aduersaries themselues con­fesse to be Antichrist) shall haue slaine the two faithfull witnesses, S. Iohn saith that their bodies shal lie in the streetes of the great citty. He opposeth the great Cittie, to the holy Citty, which is the Church of God, of which he speakes in the seconde verse, to shew that the false church, which is at enmitie with God, shal be very great in respect of the church of God. For that by this word, city, we are not to vnderstād one only towne, it appeares by this, that [Page 408] it is not only called Sodome, but Egypt also which is the name of a great Coūtry. For as in this chapt. by the holy citty wee doe not vnderstand one towne, but the whole Church, so neither by the city that is at enmity with the Church are wee to vnderstand one only town, but the whole body of the nations vnited against the Church of God.

Now it is not without cause, that the Popish church is called Sodome, seeing that in the places where Papistrie is esta­blisht without Contradiction, and espe­cially at Rome, whence al this great body of the Romish church doth depend, this vice is familiar, and hath euer beene so e­ven from the time of the Rom. 1.27. Apostle S. Paul. The Roman authors of this time, boast of it, and glory in it. Plutarch a Graecian borne, but one that liued at the court of Rome, a graue author and full of good in­structions, in his booke of the education of children, saith that he dares not to con­demne this kinde of loue, and thinks it to befit philosophy. And it is not without a mystery that this word Amor being writ­ten backward makes Roma, because that there is the seat, and place of residence, of [Page 409] this vnnaturall and preposterous loue, or if it fell out so by chance, it hits so happily that it may seeme to haue beene intended purposely. Nor is it without example, that a towne or countrie should be called by the name of Sodome, because of their conformity in manners. Esay in his v. 10. first chapt. speaks thus to the princes and peo­ple of Ierusalem; Heare the word of the Lord O yee princes of Sodome, harkē vn­to the law of God O people of Gomorah.

In this Sodome and Egypt, the holie Ghost saith (in the 8. v.) that Iesus Christ was crucified, either because Iesus Christ was and is persecuted there in his mēbers; which is confirmed by the last verse of the 18. chap. where speaking of Rome (as our aduersaries confesse) it is said that in her was found the blouds of the Saints and of all that were slaine vpon the earth, not be­cause all were slaine within the Citty, but by her perswasion, and counsell: or els be­cause that Rome (as the King hath verie well noted to the purpose) did crucifie Ie­sus Christ in his owne person, for as much as it was done by the Romanes, that were sent out of Rome into Iudaea. For if anie one stand stifly to maintaine that this cit­tie [Page 410] where Iesus Christ was crucified is Ie­rusalem, I doubt how he cā make it good, since that Christ was not crucified in Ier [...]salem, but out of the cittie on mount Cal­varie.

In this great citty therefore, which is the false church, God saith by S. Iohn, that the faithfull witnesses shall be slaine, and their bodies cast out into the streets without buriall; which was done vnto vs in their last massacres, and persecutions, af­ter which the tyrants did reioice, as who had got the victory, and eased themselues of a great burden. There were Bonfires made at Rome, in token of ioy for the death of Lewis of Burbon prince of Con­de. In the Popes chāber of presence there is the massacre of Paris to be seene pain­ted, as a victorie of the church, that the prophecie of Iesus Christ might be fulfil­led; Verily, verily, I say vnto you that yee shall weepe and lament, Ioh. 26. v. 20 but the worlde shall reioice.

This being so, it appeares by this pro­phecie that the church of God must be opprest, and stifled as it were for a time, and that her enimies shall reioyce hereat, as if it were their doing. And this Ecclypse of [Page 411] [...]he sun of the Gospell must last for three daies, & a halfe, which once expired, God shall raise vp other witnesses of his truth, so like those that went before in power & zeale, that one may say they are the same, according to the stile of holy Scripture, which cals S. Iohn Baptist Elias, because that hee was cloathed with the vertue and spirit of Elias. Matt. 11. v. 14. And Iesus Christ himselfe was called Iohn Baptist, & Elias, of those which did take him to bee nothing but a Prophet. After this manner of speech, Ezechiel calleth Iesus Christ David. chap, 34. v. 23.

As for the time of three daies & a halfe, during which, the bodies of the faithfull witnesses shall be cast out through all the quarters of the Romish Church, it is ma­nifest that S. Ioh. doth hereby shew vs how long the persecution of the Church vnder the Roman Hierarchie must continue. For to know how long this time shall endure, and to how much the three daies and an halfe come, wee are to note that 3 daies and an halfe make halfe a weeke, which giues vs to vnderstād that the holy Ghost here vnder the name of a weeke doth cō ­prehend the whole time of the beastes [Page 412] raigne, and that he doth advertise vs that the persecution shall last halfe the time of this raigne. Since therefore he shal raigne 1260 yeares, as we haue shewed in the ex­position of the 5. verse of the 13 Chapter, and this 11 chap. doth confirme it, it fol­lowes that the Roman Hierarchie shall persecute the faithfull 630 yeares. Now I doe not find that the Church of Rome did begin to persecute, and to vse crueltie in generall against all that did withstand her doctrine, till Berengers time, whom Pope Nicolas the 2. compelled to recant by force, in the yeare 1059. And euer since the Popes haue persecuted such as haue maintained the same doctrine. If then you adde the 630 yeares to 1059 yeares, you shall finde that the persecution of the Church vnder the Pope, shall haue an end in the yeare 1689. This tearme once expi­red, the truth that was opprest shall lift vp her head afresh, and the faithfull witnes­ses shall be seene to stand vp againe, who shall astonish the Church of Rome for a short time. For the holy Ghost telleth vs vers. 12. that God shall take them vp into heauen with evident signes that hee hath gathered them vnto himselfe, and these [...] [Page 413] signes shal be made manifest euen to their very enimies.

At this time the people shall be much moued, for this is signified by the earth­quake. In this commotion, affrightment, & dissention of the people, the tenth part of the men of the Church of Rome shall be slaine, which number is exprest by the number of 7000, according to a fashion of speech vsuall in Scripture, which by 7000 men vnderstands a greater number then can be conceaued, as when Elias thought that he had beene the only faith­full man that was left in Israel, God told him that he had 7000 left yet, which never bowed the knee to Baal, that is to say, a greater number then he could imagin. At the sight of which plagues many being stricken with amazement, shall turne vn­to God and giue him the glory.

By all that which hath beene formerly said, it appeares that we at this time liue in the last half day of these three last daies and a halfe of persecution, which is the time also that goes next to the sound of the last trumpet, that is spoken of in the 15 verse, that is to say, the seaventh & last execution of Gods iudgementes, which [Page 414] shall goe before the day of iudgement. Note that the 33 years in which Christ was in the world are to be ta­ken away, and doe not fall vpon the trumpets. But if you divide the time from the death of Christ vntil the yeare 1689, into six e­quall parts (for every trumpet hath a cer­taine space of time) you shall knowe how many yeares the seaventh trumpet must take vp. And if you compare the whole summe with that which wee haue said in the exposition of the 13 Chapt. vpon the 5 verse, you shal find great agreement be­tweene them, and in probabilitie gather the time well▪ neere of the comming of our Saviour, the sonne of God, blessed for ever.

There remaines one difficultie to cleer concerning these two witnesses, which our adversaries say are Enoch and Elias, whome they would haue to returne into the world againe to withstand Antichrist, and to preach, one to the Gentiles, the o­ther to the Iewes, for this is the taske that they haue laid vpon them by their magi­stral authoritie without the word of God, and would pul them from the place of rest where they abide in happynesse, to thrust them into frayes, and of glorious and im­mortall persons, make them weake and mortall. It would haue beene hard for me [Page 415] to haue added any thing to that which his Maiestie of England hath learnedly and diligently noted vpon this question, were it not that Bellarmine and Coeffeteau go to snap at his discourse, and being not able to say any thing of themselues, take de­light only in contradicting. This therfore deserues to be examined.

Of the Translation of Enoch and Elias. Of the place where they are. Who these two witnesses be. The booke of the King defen­ded against false calumnies.

Moyses in the 5. chapt. of Genesis saith, that Enoch having lived 365 years (which is a yeare of yeares) was seene no more, for God tooke him away. This translation of E­noch being done in the body, did exempt him from death, as the Apostle saith in the epistle to the Hebrewes, chap. 11. v. 5. Enoch was translated that hee should not see death, neither was he found, for God had translated him.

The like befell Elias in the 2. chapt. of the 2. booke of Kings, where he is rapt vp [Page 416] to heauen in a whirlewinde.

This seemes to me to haue fallen out, by the secret counsell of the wisdome of God. For as the world is diuided into 3. ages, to wit, into the time before the law, into the time vnder the law, and into the time vnder the gospell, so it pleased God that in every one of these ages there should one man be taken vp to heauen in his body, Enoch before the law, Elias vn­der the law, Iesus Christ vnder the Gos­pel; to the end that the souls of the Saints that liued either before the law, or vnder the law, or vnder the gospell, and are now in heauen, should haue a man in that age of theirs that should be an image of the future estate after the day of iudgement, and a pledge of the resurrection of the bodie. For euen as Moyses and Elias did appeare vnto Iesus Christ on the mountaine, for to signifie that the law and the gospell gaue testimony vnto him (as the King hath ex­cellent well noted in his booke) so I am perswaded that these 3 were as so manie witnesses of the resurrection vnto the Saints that liued before the law, vnder the law, and vnder the gospell.

To these two seruants of God, Enoch [Page 417] and Elias, the curious spirits of men haue assigned diuers habitations. There bee some that lodge them in the aire, which is a place that the holy Scripture hath ap­pointed for the diuels, Eph. 2. v. 2. Others thinke to pleasure them more by making them to be in an earthly paradise, which (as they say) is sixteene cubits higher thē the highest hils, that so it may be one cu­bit Gen 7.20. Fifteene cu­bits vpward did the wa­ters prevaile when the mountaines were cove­red. higher then the flowd. And it is cre­dible that Enoch (which as then was there all alone) seeing the waters to come with in a cubit of his feet, thought himselfe not sufficiently secured. All these are fables that smell of the Iewish Cabalisticall tra­ditions, which it hath pleased our aduer­saries to follow in this point, and which Moyses hath cleerely confuted. For he de­scribes the garden of Eden to be in Meso­potamia, and makes the riuer Euphrates to passe thorough it, painting out the course that it runs, and naming the coūtries that it scoures, and the nature of the land is set downe by him, in that hee saith that it yeelds Gold and Bdeliū, and Onyx stone: which are most certaine proofes that hee speaks not of any fantasticall regiō. Now there are none but know that Mesopota­mia [Page 418] is a plaine even country and that the riuers do alwaies overflow the vallies and lowest places. Whence it followes that if the deluge did couer the highest hils, by a farre greater reason must it couer, and wast the champion of Mesopotamia.

All this overbusie curiosity of this peo­ple, proceeds from their neglecting to read the word of God, which decides this question saying in expresse tearmes, that, Elias went vp by a whirlewind into heaven. He was therefore taken vp▪ into heaven, and there is no reason to place Enoch any where else, since that he was equally tran­slated in body. But if the faithfull that are in heaven be with Iesus Christ, Iohn 17. v. 24. Philip. 1. v. 23. Why should these so excellent servants of God, haue an inferiour blessednesse allotted vnto them? this tran­slation had beene no favour done vnto them, but a punnishment. But if the thiefe crucified with Iesus Christ entred into Paradise 40 daies before the ascension of our Lord, what should hinder but that Enoch and Elias might haue free accesse into the same place before his ascension? Iesus Christ I confesse saith in the 3 of S. Iohn, v. 13. No man ascendeth vp to heauen, [Page 419] but he that hath descended from heaven, the sonne of man that is in heavē. But he speaks according to the Hebrew fashion, which by going vp into heauen, and descending downe thence, vnderstand, the bringing of the knowledge of heavenly thinges to men from on high: and so doth the Apo­stle take it in the 10 to the Romans. ver. 6. as it appeares by the drift of the discourse. Iesus Christ therefore in this place meanes to tell Nicodemus only thus much, that none can bring vs the knowledge of hea­venly things, but only the sonne of man that came downe from heauen. Nor may we thinke it strange that God gaue them a speciall priuiledge to be exempted from death, since that the scripture pronoun­ceth as much not only of Enoch, but also of all those that shall liue vpon the earth at the comming of our Lord. For seeing that all the Saints doe already stand pos­sest of heavenly glory, what haue these two committed, that they only should be shut out thence, and kept in a place of ex­pectation apart, to be subiect to death stil? And besides I would knowe of M. Co [...]ffe­tau ▪ if hee would make a conscienee to in­voke Enoch and Elias; if he do invoke thē, [Page 420] he presupposeth that they doe already en­ioy the presence of God, if he doe not, hee sinneth against the Church of Rome, which in their Letanies call vpon all the Prophets and Patriarchs in generall.

Since then that their abode is in heauē with Iesus Christ, let vs see what reason these men haue to pull them out thence, for to make them come downe vpon the earth againe, and condemne them to die.

As concerning Enoch our adversaries produce no place out of the Canonicall Scriptures, only they allege Ecclesiasticus in the 44 chapt. v. 16. a passage that runs thus according to the Greek which is the Originall. [...]. Enoch pleased the Lord God, therefore was hee translated for an example of repentance to the generations. Is there e­ver a word in all this either of the transla­tion of Enoch into an earthly paradise, or of his returning hither to fight with An­tichrist? Therefore Bellarmine thought it better to alleage the common translation cleane contrary to the Text, which hath translated it falsly, after this manner. Enoch placuit deo & translatus est in paradi­sum vt det gentibus poe­titentiam. E­noch pleased God, and was translated into Paradice to giue repentance to the Gentiles. The word Paradice, and the word Gentils [Page 421] are falsly thrust in; & yet when all is done we must bee faine to suppose that this Pa­radise is earthly. Let the reader iudge whether this opinion be not built vpon good grounds, which hath nothing brought to maintaine it, but only a false passage, and that out of an Apocryphall booke too. These people therefore doe much wrong to Enoch in keeping him 5000 yeares frō the presence of God, and stripping him of his immortalitie, to send him downe hi­ther for to be slaine by Antichrist, as if God had not other men enough in that age to employ. Nor may we omit, that the men which liued before the floud, were giants, and that our stature is dwarfish in respect of theirs: if Enoch therefore should come into the world in his old stature, he would be thought a kind of monster, and men would bee frighted with the bignesse of his personage.

The fable of Enoch being once confu­ted, that of Elias vanisheth with the same breath; for these squires must of necessitie seeke elsewhere for their two witnesses if one of them faile: neuerthelesse let vs see that which they produce for Elias.

They finde these wordes at the end of [Page 422] Malach. 4. v. 5.6. Malachie. Behold I go hence to send Eliah the prophet before the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord. And hee shall turne the harts of the fathers to the childrē, & the harts of the children to their fathers, least I come & smite the earth with cursing. To this the King answeres that there is no better interpreter of Malachies wordes then Iesus Christ himselfe, who doth as­sure vs that this Elias promised by Mala­chie is Iohn Baptist. If (saith he) yee will re­ceiue my saying, this is that Elias which was to come, Mat. 11.14. And yet more plain­ly in the 17. chapt. he hauing said that E­lias was already come, and that they did not know him; S. Matthew addes that his disciples vnderstood him to speak of Iohn Baptist. Iesus Christ indeed had saide be­fore that Elias must come, speaking in this (as the King hath well noted) according to the common opinion, but to the ende that this might not be vnderstood of any other but Iohn Baptist, he annexeth im­mediatly, But I say vnto you that Elias is already come, & they haue not knowne him. Good cause therefore had his Maiestie to accuse Bellarmine of falshood, for allea­ging these words of Christ, Elias shal come [Page 423] without alleaging the words that follow, But I say vnto you that Elias is already come.

Now here the point of the question is, whether Malachie and the Apostles ob­iecting to Christ that Elias must come, do speake of an Elias that must goe before the first, or second comming of our Savi­our. As for Malachie hee begins this dis­course from the beginning of the 3 chapt. in these words. Behold I goe hence to send my messenger, and hee shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom yee seeke shall speedily come to his Temple. Wordes that cannot agree to the second com­ming of Christ, when hee shall neede no preparing of his way, & the earth shall thē be his temple no more. This appeares also out of the 7. chapt. where Malachie saith that this Elias shal turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the childrē, which are the very words of the Luk. 1.17. Angell vnto Zachary declaring the office of his sonne. To the same purpose also serue these words, For feare least I come and smite the earth. For how can it be said that these two witnes­ses shall come for to hinder the comming of Christ to iudgement, and to keepe him [Page 424] from smiting the earth? Seeing that his comming is inevitable, and that the faith­full shall long for it? & pray that the king­dome of God may come, saying with S. Iohn Apoc. 22.20. Even so, come Lorde Ie­sus.

As for the 17. chapt. of S. Matthew, it is manifest that the second cōming of Christ is not meant in that place, but onlie the first. For the Apostles either ravisht with the glory of his transfiguration, or rather perswaded by the many powerfull mira­cles of Iesus Christ, to beleeue that hee was the Messias, neverthelesse found thē ­selues vnable to solue the obiectiō of the Scribes, which did proue that Christ was not the Messias by this argument, because that Elias was not yet come. Doubtlesse these Scribes did not contest about the day of iudgement, but about the manife­station of the promised Messias, which (as they thought) was not yet come.

To this they oppose the words of Ma­lachie, which calleth this day a great and fearefull day ▪ which seemes ill befitting the gentlenesse, and humilitie of Christs first comming. His Maiesties answer is that the day of the Lords passion was full of hor­ror [Page 425] and astonishment. The sun was dark­ned, the vaile of the Temple was rent, the earth trembled, the stones were cloven, the monuments were opened, the dead were raised. Or wee may say that the first comming of the Messias although it were in humilitie, was yet for all that very fear­full. For hee was sent to bee a stumbling blocke vnto many, and drew a totall de­struction vpon the Iewes. God a little af­ter (according to the prediction of Mala­chie) hauing smitten their land as accur­sed. Besides we find that [...]. iom hun­nora in Hebrew may signifie an wonder­full and honourable day as well as a terri­ble day. Aretas in the 30. chap. of his cō ­mentarie vpon the Apocalyps, turnes it, dies Domini magnus & manifestus, and the translation of the Septuagint renders it, [...], diem Domi­ni magnam & illustrem.

The passage that is alleaged out of the 48 of Ecclesiasticus. vers. 10. is of no force, for the booke is Apocryphall, & the tran­slator thereof craues pardon in the Pro­logue if hee hath chanced in some places not to expresse his Authors meaning so significantly. And yet the place is falsly al­leaged [Page 426] too. Behold the true here; Elias was appointed to reproue in due season, [...]. & to pa­cifie the wrath of the Lords iudgement be­fore it kindled, and to turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children, and to set vp the tribes of Iacob. Where is there in al this the least word of comming backe into the world, of being slaine, or of fighting with Antichrist? To be short, although all that they faine of the returning of Elias were true, yet this makes nothing for the two witnesses, till they haue proued as much of Enoch, of whome they haue nothing at all to say.

In one thing they cannot choose but be much cumbred, to wit, in this, when they say that these two witnesses shall bee sent to fight with Antichrist for the space of three yeares and an halfe, at the ende of which, Antichrist shall slay them. By this reckoning Antichrist must be in the world before them, and stay in the world after them, yea & be in the heigth of his strēgth after he hath slaine them, seeing that there by he shall become victorious. And by a consequent he must be in the world aboue three yeares and a halfe; what becomes then of their assertion, wherein they af­firme [Page 427] that Antichrist shall continue but 3 yeares and a halfe? Surely it must needes be that these two witnesses and Antichrist must come into the world in the same day and die in the same day.

The fathers are of divers opinions con­cerning this, and resolue vpon nothing certainely. Tom. 9. Dabo duo­bus testibus meis, 1. testa­mentis. Duo candelabra ecclesia est, sed pro numero testamen­torum. S. Austin in his 8. homily vp­on the Apocalyps, I will giue vnto my two witnesses, that is, vnto the two Testaments: and a little after. The two Candlesticks are the Church, but according to the number of the testaments. Primasius saith the same in his 3. book, & Beda vpon the Apocalyps. Lactantius in the 17. chap. of his 7. booke (after many fancies with which that book is stuft) saith, that towards the last times there shall come a great Prophet, which must be slain by a king that came out of Sy­ria, & was begotten by the Divell. For Bellarmine in the thirde booke of his Apologie a­gainst the King chap. 1. where he names many fathers without alleag­ing their words. Bel­larmine belyes Lactantius when hee ma­keth him to say that Elias shall come a­gaine. Hilarie in the 20 Canon of his cō ­mentarie vpon S. Matthew, recites divers opinions of his time, in these words. Apparui [...] cum gloriae suae habitu, Moyse & E­lia in mont [...] comitantibus & h [...]s quid [...] eosdem pro­phetas duos praevenientes adventum eius intelligimus, quos Apocal. Io­hannis ab Antichristo perimend [...]s esse dicit, licet variae vel de Enoch vel d [...] Eliâ plurimorum extiterint opiniones. Ie­sus [Page 428] appeared in the forme of his glory vpon the mount, Moyses and Elias accompanying him. And these are the two prophets (as wee conceaue) which must come before his com­ming, and which the Apocalyps of S. Iohn telleth vs, must be slaine by Antichrist, al­beit there haue beene divers opinions of ma­ny, touching Enoch, or Ieremie, one of which must die as Elias. Irenie in his 5 booke saith that Elias and Enoch were translated into Paradise, & ibi manere vs (que) ad consumma­tionem conspicantes incorruptionem: and that they remaine there till the ende of the world, beholding incorruption. If they re­maine in Paradise still vntill the ende or consummation of the world, Enoch iustis­s [...]mum, non circumcisum [...] sabbati­zantem de hoc mund [...] transtulit, qui nedum mortem [...] vt ae­ternitatis cā didatus iam [...] osten­deres nos quo (que) sine le­gis onere Moys [...]s, Deo placereposse. they shall not come down hither vpon earth to fight with Antichrist before the consummation thereof. This is his Maiesties observation of England, and is most fit to the purpose. Tertullian in the 1. Chap. of his booke a­gainst the Iewes, saith that, Enoch an vp­right man, was translated by God, although he were not circumcised, neither yet did ob­serue the sabbaoth, who hath not to this day tasted of death, to the end that hee which did aspire to eternitie, might shew vnto vs that we might please God without the burden of [Page 429] Moyses law. A passage which Bellarmine clips in the 6. chap. of his 3 booke de Pon­tifice, where hee seemes not to vnderstand the place well: for Tertullian calls Enoch aeternitatis candidatum, that is to say, one that did aspire to eternitie, not because he aspires vnto it now, but because hee aspi­red vnto it, whilst hee lived here vpon the earth. For the intent of Tertullian is to make it appeare vnto the Iewes, that a mā may attaine vnto eternall life without the Ceremonies of the law, by the example of Enoch which without ever keeping of these, did not desist to aspire to immortality; And wheras he saith that he is not as yet dead, this doth not enforce that hee must die, no more then if I should say that the divel hath not as yet destroied the church or that there could no lie as yet bee found in the Gospell, doth inferre that either of these two things must come to passe. Enoch [...]. status est in car [...] Et E­lias Carneus raptus est in coelū, necdū mortui, & Paradistiam coloni, habēt membracum quibus rapti sunt at (que) trā ­slati Quod nos imita­mur i [...]iuni [...], illi posside [...] consortio. S. Hierome to Pammachius against the er­rors of Iohn of Ierusalem, Enoch was tran­slated in the flesh, Elias was rapt vp to hea­ven in the flesh: being not as yet dead, they are already made inhabitants of Paradise. They haue the same members with which they were taken vp and translated. That [Page 430] which we imitate by fasting, they enioy by their coniunction with God. Note that they are in heaven, and ioyned with God, con­trary to our adversaries tenent. As also that they are already in Paradise, that is to say, that the condition of others is such that they cannot be there in body till af­ter the day of iudgement, to the end that none might imagine that hee speaks of an earthly Paradise. Aretas in the 29. chapt. of his commentarie vpon the Apocalyps, vpon these words of the Angel to S. Iohn, Apoc. 10. v. 11. Thou must prophecie againe, Opinantur multi beatū hunc. virum vs (que) ad seculi consumma­tionē vivere, ae venturū esse circa tē ­p [...]ra Anti­christi, cum Enoch & Eliâ. saith, that many were of opinion that S. Iohn liveth vntil the end of the world, and that he shal come in the time of Antichrist with Enoch and Elias. Hippolytus Martyr saith the same in his book de consummatione seculi; To be briefe, there is nothing more di­vers, then they are in their opinions.

Our aduersaries themselues disagree a­bout this. Arias Montanus speakes after this manner vpon the 4 of Malachie: Ac diem hunc magnū & terribilē non iudicii extre [...]i sed Messiae ad­venientis tē ­pusantiqui Scribae sopiē tèr interpre­tabantur, id (que) a Christ [...] probatum & confirmatum est. Mat. 17▪ The ancient Scribes by this great and fearefull day did wisely vnderstand, not the day of the last iudgement, but the time of the comming of the Messias: which interpretatiō of theirs was approved off, and confirmed by Christ in [Page 431] the 17. of Matthew. Bellarmin in the 6. chapt. of his 3. book de Pontifice, wonders what Iansenius bishop of Gaunt dreamt off, when he said that the comming of E­lias againe into the worlde could not bee gathered out of the 48. chapt. and 10. ver. of Ecclesiasticus. The Iesuit Tam aper­tam rem esse Moysen & Eliam vetu­ros esse, vt nemo id non solùm sine temeritate, sed nec sine impudentia negare possit. Maldonate in his commentarie vpon the 17. of Saint Matthew saith, that it is so cleere a case that Moyses and Elias must come, that no man can deny it not only without being rash, but also without being impudent. In the iudgement of this Iesuit, Bellarmin is im­pudent, seeing that he denies that Moyses shall come, & would haue it to be Enoch. The Iesuit Pererius in the 7. booke of his commentarie vpon Genesis, in the dispu­tation Qu. 1. num 137. touching Enoch doth refute their proofe of this taken out of the 16 verse of the 44 of Ecclesiasticus, and expounds the place as we do.

The cause of this error (which the King with good reason calleth an idle dreame, and an old wiues tale) came from the cor­rupt Greeke translatiō of the Septuagint, which puts a word into that place of Ma­lachie, which is not in the Hebrew, for whereas in the Hebrew it is only, Beholde [Page 432] I go hence to send you Elias, the Greek trā ­slation turnes it, [...]. A translation which Chryso­stome followed in his 58 Homilie vpon S. Matthew, and which made him to be of the opinion that Elias should come back againe into the world.

This matter might haue beene ended, were it not that hereby his Maiestie takes an occasion to complaine of the wrongs that the Church of Rome hath done vnto the old and new Testament, which may probably be thought to be meant by these two witnesses, seeing that these are they which beare witnesse of Iesus Christ. The Kings complaints are. 1. That the Church of Rome doth revile the holy Scripture. 2. That she doth prefer her cor­rupted translation before the Originals of the Greeke, and Hebrew. 3. That she doth make Apocryphall books to bee of equall authoritie with the Cononical. 4. That she doth apply the psalter of David to the vir­gin Mary, by putting out Gods name, & placing hers insteed thereof. 5. That shee doth deny the people to read the Bible, and will not suffer it to be translated into their vulgar tongue, and yet for all that, [Page 433] will suffer them to haue fabulous, and ri­diculous legends. 1 Point, that the church doth revile the scripture

1 In the first place the King doth challenge them for calling the Scripture a nose of wax, a dead letter, a leaden, or Les­bian rule. Coeffeteau aunsweres, that such blasphemies are not found in the writings of the Doctours that they approue off; Bel­larmine on the contrary doth confesse it, but saith that nothing else is meant by this, but only that Hereticks do make the scripture a nose of wax, a Lesbian rule, &c which is refuted by the learned Bishop of Elie, in his answer to the Cardinals Apo­logie, where he cites Eckius, Luthers An­tagonist, in his booke de fide & iustificatio­ne, cap. 73. Eckius, ef­ficacior quā scriptura est traditio. Tradition is more powerfull thē the Scripture, and in the same book. Traditio certissima est veritatis re­gula ad quā Scripturam expendere oporteat, E­vangelistarū non f uit hoc in scribendo consitium, vt sua illa scripta prae­essent nost [...]ae religioni & fidei sed sub­ssent potius Tra­dition is a most certaine rule of the truth, by which wee ought to examine the Scriptures. The ende that moued the Evangelists to write, was not because they would haue their writings to rule over religion and faith, but rather that they should bee subiect vnto it. Coster saith the same in his Enchiridion of Controuersies. And in the 71. chap. Sunt enim scripturae velut cereus quidā nosus qui sicut hor­sum illorsū (que) trahise per­mittit &c. The Scriptures are as a nose of wax, that suffers it selfe to be turned this way, and that way, [Page 434] he saith that they are; and not that they are made to be. He alleageth Hosius also, which maintaines against Brentius, that his words which said that the Scriptures with­out the authoritie of the Church are no more to be esteemed then Esops Fables (p [...]tuisse pio sensu [...]ici) might bee spoken in a godly sense. And Turrianus Si Scripturā s [...]lam fidei regulā Chri­stus reliquis­set in Eccle­s [...]a quid ali­ud quàm gladium Delphi cum habere­mus? Turrianus who in the p. 250. saith, that if Christ had left no other rule of our faith then the Scripture, we should haue had nothing else but a Delphian sword, that is to say, a two edged sword that cuts vpon both sides. And behold here some of Bel­larmines owne words (which are little better) in his 4. chap. and § Quarto [...]ecesse. Etsi Scriptura di cat libros Prophetarū & Apostolo­rum esse di­vinos, tamen non ce [...]tò id [...]redam, nisi prius credi­der [...] Scrip­turam quae hoc dicit esse diuinam. Nā in Alcorano Mahumetis passim legim ipsum Alco­ranum de coelo à Deo dimissum. 4. booke, Of the word not written; Although the Scripture say that the bookes of the Apostles, and Pro­phets are divine, yet I shall never beleeue it assuredly, if I doe not first beleeue that the Scripture which saith this, is divine. For we read as well in the Alcoran that the Alcorā was sent from heaven. This Cardinal would haue the testimony that the Scripture giues of it selfe to bee no more credited then that which the Alcoran giues of it selfe, and in the 10. chap. he saith § Ad [...]lla. Supra diximus Scripturas non fuisse absolu­tè necessarias. that the [Page 435] Scriptures are not absolutly necessary, and in the seauenth chapt. he is bold to affirm, § Sed omissi [...] Quaedā sunt traditiones maiores quo­ad obligatio­nem quàm quaedā Scrip­turae. that there be some trad [...]tions which are greater then some of the Scriptures, as con­cerning the obligation, that is to say, that a man is bound more to beleeue them then the Scripture. In the 12. Chapt. § Respondeo Scripturae fi­nem propriū & praecipuū non fuisse vt esset regula fidei, sed vt esset commo­nitorium quoddam v­tile. The pro­per and principall end of the Scripture, was not that it should be a rule of faith, but that it should be a profitable admonition to make men entertaine the doctrine of preaching, And a little after. Dico secun­do Scripturā etsi non est sact [...] praeci­puè vt sit re­gula fidei▪ esse tamen regulam fidei non totalem sed partialem I say that although the scripture were not made properly to be a rule of faith, yet it is a rule of faith, though not a totall rule, but a partiall.

The famous Doctor Charron surpasseth them all. Behold how hee doth extoll the Scripture in his 3 Truth, a booke which France hath receaued with wonderful ap­plause. In the second chapter, hauing said that the Church and the Scripture are iudges together, he addeth, But the church is primarily and principally, and with great preheminence. And a little after, The Scrip­ture is not, nor cannot be the last rule, & so­veraigne iudge of doctrine. In the 2. page of the 3. chap. Faith that is necessary to salva­tion comes from the Church speaking, & not [Page 436] from the reading of the Scripture, without knowing of which after a sort, yea and with­out beleeuing or obaying it expresly, a thou­sand millions are saved—To be short, a man may be a Christian, and a good Christian, & bee saved, without the Scripture, but not without the Church. And a little after, How can one get out of contention by the scripture seeing that wee come into it by the Scrip­ture? This is an open field for all quarrels; & as we vse to say, a sword for all hands; yea by this many come to be Atheists—it is like a forrest where all claime right to graze, yea even Atheists themselues. And in the same chapter, The scripture hath no auctoritie, waight, power over vs, but only as much as the church doth appoint, and assigne vnto it. Now every one knowes that by the scrip­ture wee doe not vnderstand the paper or inke, but the worde of God contained therein, and none can deny but that the church is subiect to the word of God. But by these Doctours reckoning the word of God should be subiect to the church, and men should giue waight and authority to the word of God. In the 4. chapt. he saith vnto such as exact proofes out of Scrip­ture for every point of faith, that this is a [Page 437] wrongfull and vniust demand: for it is to re­quire an impossible thing; because the Scrip­ture doth not speake of all things: & in the same place, It is most false that Gods intent was to informe the world of his will, to plant the faith, and make Christians by the Scrip­ture. What was therefore the end of those holy Scribes? It was (saith he in the same place) to write certaine particulars accor­ding as they saw occasion (de re natâ) A lit­tle after he saith, that to aske for scripture is to play the ill debtor, & the part of an vn­honest man, which will not pay his mony ex­cept he may first see his bond. Thou dost be­leeue because thou dost read, thou art there­fore no Christian, for a Christian beleeues before he read, & without reading.—A Chri­stian beleeues at first without expecting a reason, with his eies close shut, & afterward hee seeth reason.—He that beleeveth be­cause he hath read the bible▪ [...]his faith & be­liefe is in a manner not Christian like: wee must call it by some other name, a humane, purchased, studyed faith, but not a Christian faith, neither is hee that shall professe it a Christiā. In briefe, vnder the shew of a re­spect towards the church (by which wee must alwaies vnderstande the Romane [Page 438] church) these people doe persecute these two faithfull witnesses, and doe plant A­theisme vnder hand, whereof this Doctor Charron in particular is not a little con­scious: as it appeares by many places in his booke of Wisdome. The Kings com­plaint therefore is iust, and had hee but held his peace, the matter would haue proclaimed it selfe.

But aboue all the Cardinall of Perons booke seemes intolerable to his Maiesty, concerning the Insufficiencie of the Scrip­ture; Coeffeteau answeres that this is an Imposture of the Minister Tilenus, which caused it to be printed at Rochel with this title. In all this Coeffeteau is ill informed. For Monsieur Titenus is not Minister to this day. Secondly although he did put this title before the booke, yet can he not in this respect be accused of imposture, because the booke being without a title, & being that there must one of necessity be put before it, he could not haue chosen a­ny more fit to the purpose then out of the first line of the booke, which is this, The scripture is not sufficient without traditi­ons. And that his Maiestie might know in what this insufficiency consisteth, the first [Page 439] point is that there is no mention made of the immortality of the soule in the books of Moyses. Which yet is mentioned there very Gen. 5.2 [...] Gen. 49.18. Exod. 3.15 Num. 23.10 often. And although there were no­thing said of it, yet these holy bookes be­ing the religion of Gods people, they doe necessarily carry the immortality of the soule imprinted on their foreheads, & presuppose it by the title, because that with­out this, religion is nothing but folly, and an vnwieldy yoke.

The seconde thing that his Maiestie findes faulte with, II. Point. Of their prefer­ring the cor­rupt transla­tion before the original. is that the Church of Rome doth preferre the vulgar Latin trā ­slation (which is corrupted in a thousand and a thousand places) before the Origi­nall text of the Greeke and Hebrew. And he saith this because the Coūcell of Trent in the 4 Session hath decreed Vt vetus & vulgata editio pr [...] authentica ha­beatur, & quòd [...]am ne m [...] reiicere quovis pr [...] ­textu audeat vel presumat that the old and vulgar edition be held for authenticall, & that none presume to reiect it vnder what pretext soever. Whence it followes that in all places where it is contrary to the Ori­ginall Greek and Hebrew, a man must be­ware how he reiect it, and that he must ra­ther thinke that the Originall is false then the Copie. And indeed Bellarmin in the 7. chapt. of his 2. booke de verbo Dei speaks [Page 440] thus of the Hebrew Bible, and of the New Testament in Greeke, In this, my opinion is that we are to hold that of the Greeke which I haue said already of the Hebrew bibles, to wit, that the Greeke Copies are not generally corrupted, and yet that their fountaines are not altogither pure. But if the Originals of the word of God be marr'd, what suretie then is there in religion? and if the springs bee troubled how can the streames runne cleere? Now amongst other corruptions of the Romish translatiō his Maiestie doth produce two. The first is in the 15 of S. Luke verse 8. where in steede of to sweepe the house, the vulgar translatiō hath turnd it, to overturn the house. The other is in the 21. chapt. of S. Iohn, ver. 22.23. where in steed of, If I will that he stay, the vulgar translation turnes it, I will that he stay so, vpon which corruption some haue groū ­ded that idle conceipt of theirs, that Saint Iohn is not dead to this day. Coeffeteau saith these places haue beene corrected in the last bibles, meaning the Bibles newly printed by the authority of Clemēt the 8. But Bellarmin Locus po­sterior non est mutatu [...], quo [...]i [...]m ha­b [...]tur in om­nibus Latinis codici [...]us. contradicts him, and saith that the first place only is corrected & not the second. But the Bibles of Sixtus V. [Page 441] printed but a little before haue nothing corrected in them: and before Sixtus, the Councell of Trent did approue of the vul­gar translation in all things; seeing that it hath pronounced it to bee authenticall cleane through out, and hath forbidden any part thereof to bee refused: But the Pope doth correct the Councels, and the Popes his predecessours, and after this Pope Clement, there will some Boniface come, which shall vndoe that which Cle­ment did.

As for the impurity of the vulgar tran­slation, it would be easier for a man to al­ter it cleane, and make a new one of it, thē to purge it. In the greatest part of the Psalmes and of the prophets, there is no more reason then there is rime: To bee short, it is cleane a diuers thing from the Original. The 13. Psalme which is the 14. in the Hebrew, at the 9. verse, where there are 10. lines added, which are not in the Hebrew. In the second psalme insteed of kisse the sonne, the Latin translation hath it, Apprehend discipline. In the 132. psal. v. 5. in steed of I will blesse her vitailes, this translation renders it, I will blesse her wid­dowes. In the 9. chap. of Esdras, v. 8. insteed [Page 442] of paxillus, this translation hath pax illius, that is to say, his peace, for a naile. And in the verse following, where it is in the He­brew for to giue vs a hedge in Iuda, this trā ­slatiō hath it, Spe [...] for se­pem, cecinit [...]udus for ce­cidit, lapides saeculi, for sacculi, ipsa mulier, for ipsum semen to giue vs hope in Iuda. In the 19. chapt. of the 1. of Samuel, verse 24. in­steed of He fell downe naked, this translati­on turnes it, He sung all naked; In the 16. of the Prov. ver. 11. the Hebrew saith, the waights of the bagge, the translation, the waights of the time. These are ridiculous faultes, but they which follow are malici­ous. As the translating it in the 3. of Gene­sis, and 15. verse, shee (to wit the woman) shall bruise the serpents head; whereas it is, The seed of the woman shall bruise the heade of the serpent. Whence in the Virgins psal­ter this commendation, of having bruised the head of the Serpent is attributed vnto her. As also the translating it in the 99. psalm. Fall downe to his footstoole, whereas it is in the Hebrew, Fall downe towardes, or before his footstoole. A corruption that was in the time of S. Augustine, who did not know that they would in ages following ground the worship of creatures vpō this place. As also for omitting these wordes in the 11. chapt. and 6. verse of the Epistle [Page 443] to the Romans, If it bee of workes it is no more grace, or else were worke no worke. I wonder much also howe it comes to passe that in the 11 of S. Luke the vulgar tran­slatiō cuts off the fourth part of the Lords praier, omitting these words, which art in heaven, as also, Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heaven, as also these words, But de­liver vs from evill. The vulgar translation (that it might bring in a diffidence & vn­certainety of saluation) renders the first verse of the 9. of Ecclesiasticus after this manner. A man knows not whether he haue deserved loue or hatred, but all things are kept in vncertainety, for the time to come. Whereas the Hebrew hath only, No man knoweth either loue or hatred of all that is before them. We might note many more such like places, whence it appeares that his Maiesties complaint is most iust.

The King complaines also that these two witnesses are wrong'd in this, III. Point. Of their e­qualling the Apocryphall books with the Canoni­call. that mens writings called Apocryphall, are made of equal worth with thē. Which we haue proued to be against the authoritie of Iesus Christ, and the Apostles, and all the ancient church, and haue shewed that Coeffeteau doth alleadge a falsified Coun­cell [Page 444] of Nice, & abuse a place of S. Austin. See the 5. Article of my 2. book vpon this. And note besides that not only the Apo­cryphall bookes are set in the same ranck with the Canonical, but also that the Ro­man Decree in the 19. Distinction in the Canon In Canonicis, saith that the Popes Decretal Epistles are to be reckoned amōgst the Canonicall Scriptures. So behold with what good companiōs these two witnes­ses are matcht.

The fourth Cōplaint that his Maiestie makes, IV Point, Davids Psalter cor­rupted. is of the horrible corruption, al­lowed off, and published in the church of Rome, in that they suffer a psalter, com­monly called the psalter of S. Bonavēture made in honor of the Virgin Mary, where the psalmes of David are applyed to the Virgin, and her name put in the place of Gods name. And this worthy psalter hath beene translated into French, and printed at Paris in the year 1601. with the appro­bation of the faculty of the Diuines of Paris. In reading thereof you would say, See here the Psalmes of David, but only that the name of God is not called vpon in them. And it seemes that David doth in­voke the Virgin Marie. The 131. psalme [Page 445] begins thus. Memento Domina David, & omnium invocantium nomen tuum. Re­member David, ô Lady, and all those which call vpon thy name. With the like grace, the Reuerende father Solier a Iesuite of Sainctes, hath lately set forth 3. sermons in praise of the Beatified Ignatius, in the first of which, page 33. he saith that Adā sung these psalmes to comfort himselfe in his banishment. It may be also that Elias did read them at the Canonical houres of our Lady. Bellarmine in his Apologie against the King excuseth the matter, saying that Bonaventure did not change Davids Psal­ter, but only made another of it in imitation of Davids Psalmes, being moved therevn­to by a goldly affection that hee bore to the holy Virgin. But that which is an impietie against God, can be no pietie toward the Holy Virgin. Shee doth not thinke her selfe honoured by the dishonour of God. For this prophane psalter is made as if one should apply the Lords praier to the Vir­gin Mary, in saying, Our mother which art in heaven, hallowed bee thy name, &c. Hee that should speak after this manner to the Virgin Mary, mought he excuse himselfe in saying that hee did not corrupt the [Page 446] Lords prayer, but made another in imita­tion thereof, being moved therevnto by a godly affection that he bore to the holy Virgin? This Psalter is little better. The 109. Psalme begins thus. Dixit Dominus Dominae nostrae, sede mater mea à dextris meis. The Lord said vnto our Lady, sit down mother at my right hand. The Psalm Which is the 110. in the Hebrew. 129 De profundis clamavi ad te Domina: Do­mina exaudi vocemmeam. Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee ô Lady, ô La­dy heare my voice. The The 91. in the Hebrew. 90 Psalme, which in our Psalters begins with, who so dwel­leth in &c. is thus applyed to the Virgin Mary. Hee that committeth himselfe to the protection of the mother of God, shall rest se­cure vnder her shaddow, and safeguard. His enimies though they come against him shall not hurt him, and the arrow that flyeth through the aire shall not strike him. and in the The 94. in the Hebrew. 93 Psalme, hee makes as though hee durst not presume to speake to God, but it is to wrong him. The Lord is a God of ven­geance, but thou ô mercifull mother art en­clined to pitie and compassion; you would say that she were set to pacifie Gods an­ger, and to make him change his will. It was a hard matter therefore to get accesse [Page 447] to God, before the birth of the Virgin, or before she was crownd queene of heaven; To conclude, all this whole Psalter is such and yet Bellarmine dares say that it was made with a holy and godly affection, & the facultie of the Divines of Paris, did not sticke to approue of it. And yet afterward they are bold to say that the worship of Latria appertaineth to God only, as if the Psalmes of David were no divine service.

V. Point. the suppressing of the holy scripture. On the complaint which his Maiestie makes in the 5 place of the suppressing of the Scripture, for feare least the people should come to see it, these Doctours say, that the reading of the Scripture is not absolutely denied vnto lay men, but that they are forbid to read it without hauing a speciall permission; (that is to say) that the Pope by a speciall priuiledge wil giue a man leaue to obay God, for God would haue the people to read the Scripture. Kings are Laymen, and yet for all that in the 17. of Deuter. they are commanded to read in the booke of the lawe all the daies of their life. And when the Apostle wrote to the people of the church of Corinth, of Rome, of Ephesus, did he not meane, that they to whome hee wrote should read his [Page 448] Epistles? And when in the beginning of the Apocalyps it is said, Blessed is hee that readeth, & they that heare the wordes of this Prophecy, why should wee not, following the counsell of S. Iohn, apply our selues to the reading hereof, seeing that it is the next way to make vs happy? And yet this is one of the obscurest bookes in all the Scripture: how much more then are wee exhorted by this to read the books of the Gospell, so full of perspicuity and instruc­tion? In the 17 of the Acts. ver. 11. they of Beroe are commended because that after they had heard S. Paule preach, they did dayly vse to examine his doctrine by the Scripture, to knowe whether it were so or no, and yet it is probable that the Apostle S. Paule did, at the least speake with as much certainety, as Curates and Bishops doe now adaies. Why then may not they which heare them (after their sermons en­ded) compare that which they heard with the Scripture▪ to see whether it bee truely alleaged or no? A strange case! These Do­ctors both in their sermons, and in their writings pretend Scripture commonly, but will not haue the people to see whe­ther they deale truely or no. As if they [Page 449] should say, S. Paul, or S. Iohn saith so, but doe not goe thither to see it. They send you to the holy Scripture, but stop you in the way; yea and in their ful sermons they alleage the Scripture in barbarous Latin, and interpret it according to such allega­tions, as if French were worth nothing except it were set in the taile of Latin. Ie­sus Christ many a time in the Scripture askes of those that stand about him. Matt. 19.4. Luk. 10.26. haue yee not read, and, How readest thou? should Iesus Christ now adaies speak in the same manner to the people of the Church of Rome, they would answer him, wee haue not read, for the Popes Holynesse will not permit it, except it bee vnto some fewe which vnderstand Latin, and which haue speciall leaue from their Ordinarie. Cer­tainely I dare maintaine that for a man to take vpon him to permit any one by his speciall favour & priviledge, to obay God or to be instructed in his word, is far worse thē if he should forbid him to serue God. For hee which doth forbid a man to serue God, doth onely oppose himselfe against God: but he which giues any one a privi­ledge to serue God, makes God to bee his inferiour, and his subiect, seeing that hee [Page 450] cannot be served but by the permission of the Pope, and it will come to this passe at last, that God must doe him reverence, if he himselfe looke to be served. Herevn­to adde that women, & the common sort of people which do not vnderstand Latin care not to sue for a permission to read it in Latin, which yet is the only tongue that is allowed of in the Church of Rome. But if you turne over all the histories of the Church, you shall never finde that any went about to hinder the reading of the Scripture, but certain monsters & tyrants, as Antiochus Epiphanes, & such like per­secutours of the Church, whose example the Pope hath followed. For that there are some vulgar translations seen now adaies in France and Italie, this hath beene but of late, and without approbation: & our aduersaries are beholding to vs for it. For it is not yet a hundreth yeares since that you should assoone haue found an Alco­ran, as a French or Italian Bible, amongst the people of the Romish church. And yet to this day at Rome, or in Spaine, to finde a Spanish, or Italian Bible with one of the people, is a burning matter, and a case of the Inquisition.

[Page 451]Yet iudge what tyranny this is. For the books of the old and new Testament, are our contract of marriage with our bride­grome Iesus Christ, and the testament of our heauenly father. The clauses of the Legacies and donations contained there­in, do appertaine to the people as well as to the Priests: why then should anie one keep their fathers testament from the people? Why may not the Spowse be suffered to see her contract of marriage? Must I in this businesse rely vpon the trust of men that liue by my ignorance, and make their gaine by concealing the truth from mee? Why do they suffer me to read fables and prophane histories, and will not suffer me to read the will, and the ordinances of my father? Why do they make me to suspect the Holy scriptures as if they were dange­rous bookes, and a knife to cut my throat with? Suffer vs at least to haue a good opi­nion of God, and she shall be bound vnto you for it. If you say, But many abuse thē; I answere that preaching is abused too, & so is the goodnesse of God, and yet for al this we are not to abstaine from them, or suspect them the more: And besides that there is more danger in a voluntary igno­rance, [Page 452] then in a desire to profit. And it shal neuer bee found that the people did hatch heresies by the reading of the holy Scrip­ture, but all the Arch Heretickes haue bin men that haue had the charge of teaching which should therefore rather of the two be bar'd the holy Scripture. They say that it is for none but men of knowledge to read them; whereas I ever thought that a man did read them to get knowledge; but these men wil haue knowledge to be got­ten before the reading of them: which is a most wicked assertion, to make a knowe­ledge in religion that may be without the scripture, & before the scripture. And yet if it were so, what shoulde become of a great company of the Priests, which are more ignorant then the most part of the people, to whō notwithstanding the rea­ding of the Scripture is permitted?

But if any be desirous to know the be­liefe of the Ancient Church concerning this, and whether the people did read the holy scripture then or no, beholde here some of their testimonies. Chrysostome in his 3. Homilie of Lazarus speakes thus to his auditours, I do exhort you alwaies, and will never cease to exhort you that you bee [Page 453] not only attentiue here to that which is spo­ken, but when you be at home also, that you would set your selus carefully to the reading of the holy Scripture. A thing which I haue not forborne to inculcat vnto thē, that haue spoken with me, in particular. For it is not fit that any should say vnto me, these words are but little gracious, and there be many other things to busie a man, I am tyed to attend at the Court, I mānage publike affaires, I haue my occupation, I haue a wife, I see to the bringing vp of my children, I looke to my fa­mily, I am mingled with the world, & there­fore it is not for mee to read the Scriptures, but for those which haue bid Adieu to the world, whose dwelling place is vpon the tops of hils, there leading a more strict kinde of life. What saist thou ô Man? must thou not turne over the scriptures because thou art distracted with many businesses? But it lyes thee vpon rather to reade them then they which are more free: For they haue not so much neede of the assistance of the scripture as thou which art tost amidst the vvaues of businesses, &c. Till at last he sayth, that it is impossible, yea I say impossible that any should attaine to salvation, if hee imploy not himselfe daily in this spiritual reading. And [Page 454] a little after. The graces of the spirit hath so ordered and fitted the scriptures, that publicans, fisher men, makers of tents, the Pa­stours and Apostles, the simple and ignorāt sort of people may bee saved by these bookes, that none of them hereafter may haue anie cause to complaine of the difficulty. To the ende that the thinges which are saide there might be easie to vnderstand, and that the Artizan, the groom, & the widdow woman, and he that is most vnlearned of all mē, may carry away some profit by the hearing of this read. To be brief the whole homily is spēt about nothing else. Hierome in an Epistle to Laeta concerning the instruction of her daughter Paula. Pro gē [...]is & serico di­vin [...]s codices [...], in qui­bus non auri & pellis Ba­bylonicae ver­miculata pi­ctura, sed ad fidem place­ [...]t emendata & erudita distinctio. Di scat primò psalterium, bis se cāticis [...]v [...]cet—Ad Evangelia transeat, nū ­quam ea po­situra de ma­nibus, man­det memoriae Prophetas, caveat om­nia Apocry­pha. In steed of pretious stones and silke, let her loue the bookes of God, in which let her not loue the gold, nor the pain­ting vpon the covers, but the scripture lear­nedly corrected, and distinguisht. Let her first learne the psalmes, let her solace her selfe with these songs. Let her learne how to liue well in the Proverbs of Salomon. Let her learne how to despise worldly things by Ecclesiastes. Let her follow the examples of vertue and patience in Iob. From hence let her passe over to the Evāgelists, & neuer lay them out of her hands. Let her learne the [Page 455] Prophets by heart. Let her beware of al A­pocryphall bookes. Then therefore the rea­ding of the scripture was permitted, yea and commanded, even to young maides.

S. Austin in the 9. chapt. of his booke de Doctrinâ Christianâ, speaking of the Canonicall bookes, In his om­nibus libri [...] timentes De­um, & pieta­te mans eti qu [...]runt vo­luntatē Dei. Cuius operi [...] & laboris prima obser­vatio est (vt diximus) n [...]s se ist [...]s libros etsi nondum intellectum, adlegendo tamē m [...] vel man­dare memo­riae vel om­ninò incog­nitos non ha­bere. In all these bookes, they which feare God, and are of a zealous disposition, do seeke after the will of God. In which worke and travel, the first taske that they haue to do, is to know these bookes: and although they cannot vnderstand them pre­sently, yet in reading them over, either to learne them by heart, or at the least not to haue thē altogither vnknown vnto thē. The third booke begins with this. Homo timēs deum voluntatem eius in sanctis scripturis inquirit. A man fearing God seekes diligently for his will in the holy Scriptures.

In a word, all this forbidding of the scripture to be read without a special per­mission, and the denying it to bee transla­ted into any vulgar tongue, for feare least the people shoulde put their noses into it, is a thing neuer heard off in al ages, a new kinde of tyranny, & a manifest betraying of a bad cause. He that is loath to haue the law seen, acknowledgeth that it doth not [Page 456] fauor him in his suite.

The other complaintes of the King, as of the abuse of fabulous legends, of the traffick, which hath changed the spiritual keyes into keies of gold, & the fishermans boate into a merchants ship, these haue been proved in the 6. Article of my second booke, and in the exposition of the 18. chapter of the Apocalyps.

PROPHECIES SCATTE­red throughout the Apocalyps, speaking of the Pope and his seate, noted by the King of Great Brit­taine. CHAP. 10.

BEsides these prophecies formerly ex­pounded, which describe the Popes seate, and his person, by a continued dis­course of whole chapters; His Maiestie hath noted other places also to this pur­pose scattered here & there in divers pla­ces of the Apocalyps, which may not bee omitted. The first is in the 6. chapt. and 8. verse, Where the Popes seate is represen­ted [Page 457] by a pale horse, & his name that sa [...]e on him was death, and Hell followed after him, & power was givē vnto him over the fourth part of the earth, to wit over Europe. Hell followes him, because it is the reward for those which serue this seate.

His Maiesty notes also that the Pope is the king called Abaddon, or Apollyon, that is to say, one that destroies, and wasteth soules, who is spoken off in the 9. chapt. v. 11. and is king over the Locusts which came out of the thicke smoake of the bot­tomlesse pit, v. 2.3. that is to say, which a­rose out of grosse ignorance that procee­ded from hell and the diuell, and that, af­ter that a starre fell from heaven, that is to say, by the meanes of one which hauing beene a light vnto the church for a time, tumbled downe, and fell away from hea­venly things to earthly, of a spirituall Pa­stor becōming a Temporal Prince: which is altogither suteable to the Pope. This is confirmed by this, that the men which serue him are punished in the 20. verse for serving Idoles of Gold, of syluer, of brasse and of stone, to the end that no mā should apply this prophecie to the Turcks. For the Turcks haue all sorts of Images in de­testation. [Page 458] And the vices reckoned vp in the 21. verse do all agree to the Romane Hierarchie, as the King hath shewed most exactly and truely.

He doth likewise apply the 16. chap. of the Apocalyps to the See of Rome, where God doth powre out 7 vials of his wrath, that is to say, 7 sorts of punishments vpon those which beare the marke of the beast in their foreheads, ver. 1. and 2. The three last are the worst. For in the fift, which is spoken off in the 10. verse, God powreth out darknes vpon the throne of the beast, and God smiting them from aboue, they blasphemed against him. But at the pow­ring out of the sixt viall, verse 13. There came 3 vncleane spirits like frogs out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, & out of the mouth of the false Prophet, by which Frogs his Maiestie vnder­stands, the Emissaries, and new religious orders, which the Pope sends out to se­duce the people, and especially the Iesuits compared (as the King hath most wittily obserued) to Frogs, because as these liue by land and water, and are of a mixt na­ture, so the Iesuits are halfe Ecclesiastical, halfe lay creatures; men of the church, & [Page 459] yet such as will thrust themselues into worldly affaires. And they are said to be 2, because (saith the King) of their three­fold direction, being sent from those 3. mentioned v. 13. Which seemes to be cō ­firmed by that which is annext in the 14. verse. These are the spirits that worke mi­racles, which goe vnto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Almightie. For these men speake of miracles, and incite kings & people on to persecute the faithfull, but at the incoun­ter God shall overthrow them in the day which he hath appointed, & doeth (as it were) expect them in battell.

The place where the Adversaries shal be discomfited, is called Harmageddon in the 16. verse, which is an Hebrew word, and signifieth the mounetaine of Mageddo, neere to which, that is to say, in the neighbouring vallie, the good Chron. 35. v. 22. Herodotus in his 2 book called Eu­terpe spea­king of this battle of Ne­co against Io­sias. s [...]ith [...] for Meguido [...]. King Iosias was slaine by Neco king of Egypt. In the same place was Si [...]era, captaine of Iabins army king of Canaan, discomfited by Debora the Prophetesse; as it is to bee seene in the 15. of Iudges, ver. 19. whence it appeares that the holy Holy Ghost doeth heere al­lude [Page 460] that discomfiture which was effected by contemptible meanes, to wit, by a wo­man attended but by a small company; to signifie, that the Popes throne, and they which follow him, shall be vanquished by the Church compared to a woman, and by contemptible meanes. Notwithstanding we are to note that this word Harmagad­don doth also signifie the overthrow of the prowd or haughtie: yea and that in He­brew it signifies [...]. Roma subversio, the subversion of Rome, which fals out by an admirable occurrence.

The 7 viall powred out in the 17 verse. Even to the end of the Chapter doth re­present the plagues which must befall the Cittie of Rome, and the Romish Church, before her destruction. The great Earth­quake, and the diuision of the great Citty into 3. parts. v. 19. doe foretell vs of the di­visions and dissentions which shall trou­ble her a little before her final overthrow: which is toucht by the way in these words. And that great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to giue vnto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath. This destruction of hers is descri­bed more at large in the 18. chap. which [Page 461] we haue expounded.

He that would be more fully informed in these thinges, let him read the Kings kooke; For all that we can doe herein, is nothing else but to follow his steps. Be­cause the holy Ghost is more concealed in these last observations, then in the other Chapters which I haue expounded all a­long; Experience will make it more ma­nifest, and posterity shall hereafter reckon this amongst one of Gods wonderfull workes, that hee did set such a great King vpō the Throne, to publish his secrets frō an high place, and to expose the truth to the sight of al mē. But especially the Kings and Princes of these and succeeding ages, will be admonisht hereby, and perceiuing that it is more then 1500 yeares since that God did speake of them, and that they do make a part of S. Iohns Revelation, wil ap­ply themselues readily to execute his or­dinance. To whō his Maiestie of England (towards the end of his preface) makes an exhortation, which deserues to bee writ­ten in letters of Gold, and which I haue put here for the conclusion of my booke, as a more delicate dish at the ende of a feast.

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THE CONCLVSION OF THE King of Great Brittaines Preface, containing an exhortation to all Christian Kings and Princes.

My harty desire is that you would deep­ly consider, & weigh your cōmon in­terest in this Cause. For neither in all my Apologie, nor in the pretended Refutatiō thereof, is there any question made anent the Popes power ouer me in particular, for the excommunicating or deposing of me. For in my particular; the Cardinall doth me that grace, that hee saith, The Pope thought it not expedient at this time to excommunicate me by name; our questiō being only generall, Whether the Pope may lawfully pretend any temporal pow­er ouer Kings, or no?

That no Church men can by his rule be subiect to any temporall Prince, I haue al­ready shewed you; And what Obedience any of you may looke for of any of them de facto, he plainly forewarneth you of, by the example of Gregory the Great his o­bedience to the Emperor Mauritius: not [Page 463] being ashamed to slaūder that great Per­sonages Christian humilitie & obedience to the Emperour, with the title of a con­strained and forced obedience, because he might, or durst do no otherwise. Whereby hee not only wrongs the saide Gregory in particular, but euen doth by that meanes lay on an heauy slaunder & reproach vpō the Christian humility & patience of the whole Primitiue Church, especially in the time of Persecution: if the whole glorie of their Martyrdome and Christian patience shall be thus blotted with that vile glosse of their coacted & constrained suffering, because they could or durst doe no other­wise; like the patience and obedience of the Iewes or Turkish slaues in our time, cleane contrary to S. Paul and S. Peters doctrine of obedience for cōscience sake; Rom. 13.6. 1. Pet. 2, 13. and as contrary to Tertullians Apologie for Christians, and all the protestations of the ancient Fathers in that case. But it was good lucke for the ancient Christians in the daies of Ethnicke Emperors, that this profane and newe conceit was then vn­knowne among them: otherwise they would haue beene vtterly destroyed and rooted out in that time, & no man to haue [Page 464] pitied them, as most dangerous members in a Common-wealth; who would no lō ­ger be obedient, then till they were furni­shed with sufficient ability and power to resist and rebell.

Thus may ye see, howe vpon the one part our Cardinall will haue all Kings and Monarchs to be the Popes Vassals; and yet will not on the other side, allow the mea­nest of the Pope his vassals, to be subiect to any Christian Prince. But he no [...] thinking it enough to make the Pope our Superior, hath in a late Treatise of his (called the Recognition of his bookes of Controversies) made the people and Subiectes of euerie one of vs, our Superiors. For hauing taken occasion to revisite againe his bookes of Controuersies and to correct or explaine what hee findeth amisse or mistaketh in them; in imitation of S. Augustine his re­tractions (for so he saith in his Preface) he doth in place of retracting any of his for­mer errours, or any matter of substance; not retract, but recant indeede, I meane sing ouer againe, and obstinatly confirme a number of the grossest of them. Among the which, the exempting of all Church­men from subiection to any Temporall [Page 465] Prince, and the setting vp not only of the Pope, but euen of the People aboue their natural King; are two of his maine points.

As for the exemption of the Clerickes; hee is so greedy there to proue that point, as hee denieth Caesar to haue beene Pauls lawfull Iudge: Act. 25.10. contrary to the expresse Text, and Pauls plaine Appellation, and acknowledging him his Iudge; besides his many times claiming to the Roman privi­ledges, Act. 22.2 [...] and avowing himselfe a Roman by freedome; & therefore of necessitie a Sub­iect to the Roman Emperour [...]. But it is a wōder that these Roman Catholickes, who vaunt themselues of the ancienty both of their doctrine and Church, and reproach vs so bitterly of our Nouelties, should not bee ashamed to make such a newe inept glosse as this vpon S. Pauls Text; which as it is directly contrary to the Apostles words, so is it without any warrant, either of any ancient Councell, or of so much as any one particular Father that euer inter­prets that place in this sort: Neither was it euer doubted by any Christian in the Primitiue Church, that the Apostles, or a­ny other degree of Christians, were sub­iect to the Emperour.

[Page 466]And as for the setting vp of the People aboue their owne naturall King, he brin­geth in that principle of Sedition, that he may thereby proue, that Kings haue not their power and authoritie immediatlie from God, as the Pope hath his: For euery King (saith he) is made and chosen by his people; nay, they do but so trāsferre their power in the Kings person, as they do not withstanding retaine their habitual pow­er in their owne hands, which vpon cer­taine occasions they may actually take to themselues againe. This, I am sure, is an excellent ground in Diuinitie for all Re­bels and rebellious people, who are here­by allowed to rebel against their Princes; and assume liberty vnto themselues, when in their discretions they shal thinke it cō ­venient.

And amongst his other Testimonies for probation, that all Kings are made & created by the People; he alleadgeth the Creation of three Kings in Scripture, Saul David and Ieroboam; and though hee bee compelled by the expresse wordes of the Text, to cōfesse, that God by his Prophet Samuel annointed both 1. Sam. 10 1. Saul and 1. Sam 16.12, 13. Da­vid; yet will he, by the post-consent of the [Page 467] people, proue that those Kings were not immediatly made by God, but mediatlie by the people; though he repeate thrise that word of Lott, by the casting whereof he confesseth that Saul was chosen. And if the Election by Lott be not an immedi­ate Election from God; Actes 1. thē was not Mat­thias, who was so chosen and made an A­postle, immediatly chosen by God: & con­sequently, he that sitteth in the Aposto­like Sea cānot for shame claime to be im­mediatly chosen by God, if Matthias (that was one of the twelue Apostles, sup­plying Iudas his place) was not so chosen. But as it were a blasphemous impietie, to doubt that Matthias was immediatlie chosen by God, and yet was he chosen by the casting of Lots, as Saul was: so is it well enough knowne to some of you (my louing Brethren) by what holy Spirit or casting of Lots the Popes vse to be elected; the Colledge of Cardinals, his Electors, having been divided into two mightie fa­ctions euer since long before my time; & in place of casting of Lotts, great fat pen­sions being cast into some of their greedy mouthes for the Election of the Pope, ac­cording to the partiall homours of Prin­ces. [Page 468] But I doe most of all wonder at the weaknesse of his memory: for in this place he maketh the post-consent of the people to bee the thing that made both these Kings, notwithstanding of their prece­ding inauguration & anointment by the Prophet at Gods commandement; forget­ting that in the beginning of this same little booke of his, answering one that al­ledgeth a sentence of S. Cyprian, to proue that the Bishops were iudged by the peo­ple in Cyprians time, he there confesseth, that by these words, the consent of the peo­ple to the Bishops Election must be onlie vnderstood. Nor will he there any waies be moued to graunt, that the peoples po­wer, in consenting to or refusing the Ele­ctiō of a Bishop, should be so vnderstood, as that therby they haue power to elect Bi­shops: And yet do these words of Cyprian seeme to bee farre stronger, for granting the peoples power to elect Church-men, then any wordes that hee alleageth out of Scripture are for the peoples power in e­lecting a King. For the very words of Cy­prian by himselfe there cited are, Cyp. lib. 1. Epist. 4. That th [...] very people haue principally the power, either to choose such Priests as are worthy, or to re­fuse [Page 469] such as are vnworthy: And, I hope, he can neuer proue by the Scripture, that it had beene lawfull to the people of Israel, or that it was left in their choise, to haue admitted or refused Saul or David at their pleasure, after that the Prophet had anoin­ted them, and presented them vnto them.

Thus ye see how little he careth (euen in so little a volume) to contradict him­selfe, so it may make for his purpose; ma­king the consent of the people to signifie their power of Election in the making of Kings: though in the making of Bishops, by the peoples consent, their approbation of a deed done by others must only be vnderstood. And as for his example of Iero­boams election to be King; hee knoweth well enough▪ 1. King. 12.20. that Ieroboam was made King in a popular mutinous tumult & re­bellion▪ onely permitted by God, & that in his wrath, both against these two Kings and their people. But if he wil needs helpe himselfe, against al rules of Divinity, with such an extraordinary example for proofe of a generall Rule; why is it not as lawfull for vs Kings to oppose herevnto the ex­ample of Iehu his Inauguratiō to the king­dome; 2 King. 9▪ 2, 3. who vpon the Prophets private a­nointment [Page 470] of him, and that in most secret manner, tooke presently the Kings office vpon him, without ever craving any sorte of approbation from the people?

And thus may yee nowe cleerely see, how deepe the claime of the Babylonian Monarch toucheth vs in all our common interest: for (as I haue already told) the Pope, nor any of his Vassals, I meane Church-men, must be subiect to no Kings nor Princes: and yet all Kings and their Vassals must not onely bee subiect to the Pope, but even to their owne people. And now, what a large libertie is by this do­ctrine lefte to Church-men, to hatch or foster any treasonable attempts against Princes; I leaue it to your considerations, since do what they will, they are accoun­table to none of vs: nay, all their treaso­nable practises must be accounted works of pietie, and they (being iustly punished for the same) must be presently inrolled in the list of Martyrs and Saints; like as our new printed Martyrologie hath put Gar­net and Ouldcorne in the Register of Eng­lish Martyrs abroad, that were hanged at home for Treason against the Crowne and whole State of England: so as I may [Page 471] iustly with Isaiah, pronounce a Woe to thē that speake good of evill, and evill of good; Isai 5.20. which put light for darknesse, and darknesse for light; Vers. 23. which iustifie the wicked for a re­ward, and take away the righteousnes of the righteous frō him. For evē as in the time of the greatest blindnesse in Popery, though a man should finde his wife or his daugh­ter lying a bed in her Confessors armes; yet was it not lawfull for him so much as to suspect that the Frier had any errande there, but to Confesse and instruct her: E­ven so, though Iesuits practising in Trea­son be sufficiently verified, & that them­selues cannot but cōfesse it; yet must they be accoūted to suffer Martyrdome for the Faith, and their blood worke miracles, & frame a stramineum argumentum vpon strawes▪ when their heads are standing a­loft, withered by the Sunne and the wind, a publike spectacle for the eternall com­memoration of their treacherie. Yea, one of the reasons, that is give in the Printers Epistle of the Colonian edition of the Car­dinall or his Chaplaines pamphlet, why he doth the more willingly print it, is; be­cause that the innocency of that most ho­lie and constant man Henry Garnet, is de­clared [Page 472] and set forth in that booke; against whom, some (he knew not who) had scatte­red a false rumour of his guiltinesse of the English treason.

But, Lord, what an impudencie or wil­full ignorance is this, that he, who was so publikely and solemnely convicted & ex­ecuted, vpon his owne so cleare, vnforced & often repeated confession, of his know­ledge & cōcealing of that horrible Trea­son; should now be said to haue a certaine rumour spred vpon him of his guiltinesse, by I know not who? with so many attri­butes of godlinesse, constancie and inno­cencie bestowed vpon him, as if publike Sentences & Executions of Iustice, were rumors of I know not who. Indeed, I must confesse, the book it selfe sheweth a great affection to performe, what is thus pro­mised in the Preface thereof: for in two or three places therin, is there most hono­rable lying mention made of that strawe-Saint; wherein, though hee confesse that Garnet was vpon the foreknowledge of the Powder-Treason, yet in regard it was (as he saith) only vnder the Seale of Con­fession, hee sticketh not to praise him for his concealing thereof, and would gladly [Page 473] giue him the crown of glory for the same: not being ashamed to proclaime it as a principall head of Catholique doctrine▪ That the secret of Sacramentall confession ought not to be revealed, not for the eschew­ing of whatsoever evill. But how damnable this doctrine is, & how dangerously pre­iudiciall to all Princes and States; I leaue it to you to iudge, whom all it most high­ly concerneth. For although it be true, that when the Schoole-men came to bee Doctors in the Church, and to marre the old grounds in Diuinity by sowing in a­mongst them their Philosophicall distin­ctions; though they (I say) do mainetaine, That whatsoeuer thing it told a Cōfessor vnder the vaile of confession, how dange­rous soever the matter be, yet he is bound to conceale the parties name: yet doe none of them, I meane of the old School­men, deny that if a matter be revealed vn­to thē, the concealing wherof may breed a great or publike danger; but that in that case the Confessor may disclose the mat­ter, though not the person, and by some indirect meanes make it come to light▪ that the daunger thereof may be preven­ted. But that no treason nor devilish plot, [Page 474] though it should tende to the rvi [...]e or ex­terminion of a whole Kingdome, must be reuealed, if it bee tolde vnder Confession, no not the matter so farre indirectly, dis­closed, as may giue occasion for preven­ting the danger thereof: though it agree with the conceit of some three or fowre new Iesuited Doctors, it is such a new and dangerous head of doctrine, as no King nor State can liue in securitie where that Position is maintained.

And now, that I may as well proue him a lyar in facto, in his narration of this par­ticular History; as I haue shewed him to be in iure, by this his damnable and false ground in Divinity: I will truely informe you of Garnets case, which is far otherwise then this Answerer alleadgeth. For first, it can never bee accounted a thing vnder Confession, which he that reveales it doth not discover with a remorse, accounting it a sinne whereof he repenteth him; but by the contrary, discouer [...] it as a good motion, and is therein not disswaded by hi [...] Confessor, nor any penance inioyned him for the same: and in this forme was this Treason revealed to Garnet, as him­selfe confessed. And next, though he stood [Page 475] long vpon it, that it was revealed vnto him vnder the vaile of Confession, in re­spect it was done in that time, while as the partie was making his Confession vnto him; Yet at the last he did freely confesse▪ that the partie reuealed it vnto him as they were walking, and not in the time of Confession▪ But (he said) hee delivered i [...] vnto him vnder the greatest S [...]ale that might be, and so hee tooke that he mean [...] by the Seale of Confession; And it had (as he thought) a relation to Confession; in regard that he was that partie▪ Confessor [...] and had taken his Confession sometimes before, and was to take it againe within few daies thereafter. Hee also said that hee pretended to the partie, that he would not conceale it from his Superior. And further it is to be noted, that hee confessed, that two diuers persons conferred with him anent this Treason; and that when the one of them, which was Catesby ▪ confer­red with him thereupon, it was in the o­ther parties presence and hearing & what a Confession can this be in the hearing of a third person? And how farre his last words (whereof our Answerer so much vaunts him) did disproue it to haue beene [Page 476] vnder Confession, the Earle of North­hamptons booke doth beare witnesse.

Now as to the other parties name, that reuealed the Powder-Treason vnto him, it was Greenwell the Iesuite; and so a Ie­suite reuealed to a Iesuite this treasonable Plot, the Iesuite reuealer not shewing any remorse, and the Iesuite whom to it was revealed not so much as inioyning him a­ny penance for the same. And that ye may knowe that more Iesuits were also vpon the partie, Owldcorne the other Powder-Martyr, after the misgiving and discoue­rie of that Treason, preached consolato­ry doctrine to his Catholike auditory; ex­horting them not to faint for the misgi­uing of this enterprise, nor to thinke the worse thereof that it succeeded not; al­leadging divers Presidents of such godly enterprises that misgaue in like manner: especially, one of S. Lewis King of France, who in his second iourney to the Holy-land died by the way, the greatest part of his army being destroyed by the plague; his first iourney hauing likewise misgiuen him by the Soldans taking of him: exhorting them thereupon not to giue over, but still to hope that God [Page 477] would blesse their enterprise at some o­ther time, though this did faile.

Thus see yee now, with what boldnes and impudencie hee hath belied the pub­likely knowen veritie in this errand; both in auowing generally that no Iesuite was any waies guiltie of that Treason, for so he affirmeth in his booke; and also that Garnet knewe nothing thereof, but vnder the Seale of Confession. But if this were the first lie of the affaires of this State, which my fugitiue Priests & Iesuits haue coined and spread abroad; I could charme them of it, as the prouerbe is. But as well the walles of divers Monasteries and Ie­suites Colleges abroad, are filled with the painting of such lying histories, as also the bookes of our said Fugitiues are farced with such sort of shamelesse stuffe; such are the innumerable sorts of torments & cruell deaths, that they record their Mar­tyrs to haue suffered here; some torne at foure Horses; some sowed in Beares skins and then killed with Dogges; nay, wo­men haue not beene spared (they say) & a thousand other strange fictions; the vani­ties of all which I will in two wordes dis­couer vnto you.

[Page 478]First, as for the cause of their punish­ment, I doe constantly maintaine that which I haue said in my Apologie: That no man, either in my time or in the late Queens, euer died here for his conscience. For let him bee neuer so devout a Papist, nay, though he professe the same neuer so constantly, his life is in no danger by the Law, if hee breake not out into some out­ward acte expresly against the wordes of the Law; or plot not some vnlawfull or dangerous practise or attempt; Priests & Popish Churchmen only excepted, that receaue Orders beyond the seas; who for the manifold treasonable practises that they haue kindled & plotted in this coun­trey are discharged to come home againe vnder paine of Treason, after their recea­uing of the said Orders abroad, and yet, without some other guilt in them then their bare home-comming, haue none of them bin ever put to death. And next, for the cruell torments and strange sorts of death that they say so many of them haue bin put vnto; if there were no more but the Law & continually obserued custome of England, these many hundreth yeares, in all criminall matters, it will sufficiently [Page 479] serue to refute all these monstrous lies: for no tortures are ever vsed here, but the Ma­nicles or the Racke, and these never but in cases of high Treason; and all sorts of Traitours die but one manner of death here, whether they be Papist or Protestant Traitors; Queene Maries time only excep­ted. For then indeed no sorts of cruell deaths were spared vnexecuted vpon men women and children professing our Re­ligion: yea, even against the Laws of God and Nature, women with child were put to cruell death for their profession; and a liuing child falling out of the mothers belly, was throwne in the same fire againe that consumed the mother. But these ty­rannous persecutions were done by the Bishops of that time, vnder the warrant of the Popes authoritie; & therefore were not subiect to that constant order and formes of execution, which as they are here established by our Laws & customes, so are they accordingly obserued in the punishment of all criminals. For all Priests and Popish Traitours here receiue their Iudgements in the temporall Courts, and so doe neuer exceed those formes of exe­cution which are prescribed by the Law, [Page 480] or approued by continuall custome. One thing is also to be marked in this case; that strangers are never called in question here for their religion, which is farre otherwise (I hope) in any place where the Inquisiti­on domines.

But hauing now too much wearied you with this long discourse, whereby I haue made you plainly see, that the wrong done vnto mee in particular, first by the Popes Breues, and then by these Libellers, doth as deepely interest you all in generall, that are Kings, free Princes, or States, as it doth me in particular: I will now conclude, with my humble prayers to God, that hee will waken vs vp all out of that Lethargike slumber of Securitie, wherein our Prede­cessors and we haue lien so long; and that we may first grauely consider, what wee are bound in conscience to doe for the planting and spreading of the true wor­ship of God, according to his revealed will, in all our Dominions; therein hea­ring the voice of our onely Pastor (for his sheepe will knowe his voice, as himselfe saith) & not following the vaine, Ioh. 10.27. corrupt and changeable traditions of men. And next, that we may providently look to the [Page 481] securitie of our owne States, and not suf­fer this encroching Babylonian Monarch to winne stil ground vpon vs. And if GOD hath so mercifully dealt with vs, that are his Lieutenants vpon earth, as that hee hath ioined his cause with our interest, the spirituall libertie of the Gospell with our temporall freedome: with what zeale and courage may we then imbrace this work: for our labours herein being assured, to receiue at the last the eternall and inesti­mable reward of felicitie in the kingdome of Heaven; & in the meane time to pro­cure vnto our selues a temporall securitie, in our temporal Kingdomes in this world.

As for so many of you as are already perswaded of that Truth which I professe, though differing among your selues in some particular points; I thinke little per­swasion should moue you to this holy and wise Resolution: Our Greatnes, nor our number, praised bee GOD, being not so cōtemptible, but that we may shew good example to our neighbours; since almost the halfe of all Christian people and of all sorts and degrees, are of our profession; I meane, all gone out of Babylon, even from Kings and free Princes, to the meanest [Page 482] sort of people. But aboue all (my loving Brethren and Cosins) keepe fast the vnity of Faith amongst your selues; Reiect 1. Tim. 1.4 questions of Genealogies and Ibid c. 4.7 Aniles fabulas, as Paul saith; Let not the foolish heate of your Preachers for idle Contro­uersies or indifferent things, teare asunder that Mysticall Body, whereof yee are a part, since the very coat of him whose members we are was without a seam [...]; and let not our diuision breed a slander of our faith, and bee a word of reproach in the mouths of our aduersaries, who make Vnitie to be one of the speciall notes of the true Church.

And as for you (my loving Brethren & Cosins) whom it hath not yet pleased GOD to illuminate with the light of his Truth; I can but humbly pray with Elizeus, that it would please GOD to open your eies, that yee might see what innumerable and in­vincible armies of Angels are euer prepa­red and ready to defend the truth of GOD; & with S. Paul I wish, that ye were as I am in this case; especially that ye would search the Scriptures, Act. 26.29. & ground your Faith vpon your own certaine knowledge, & not vpō the report of others; since euery Man [Page 483] must be safe by his [...] faith. But, leauing this to GOD his mercifull providence in his due time, Abac. 2.4. I haue good reason to re­member you, to maintaine the ancient li­berties of your Crownes and Common­wealths, not suffering any vnder GOD to set himselfe vp aboue you; and therein to imitate your owne noble Preaecessors, who (even in the daies of greatest blind­nesse) did divers times couragiously op­pose themselues to the incroaching ambi­tion of Popes. Yea, some of your King­domes haue in all ages maintained, and without any interruption enioyed your liberty, against the most ambitious Popes. And some haue of very late had an evident proofe of the Popes ambitious aspiring ouer your temporall power; wherein yee haue constantly maintained and defended your lawfull freedome, to your immortall honour. And therefore I hartily wish you all, to doe in this case the office of godly and iust Kings and earthly Iudges: which consisteth not onely in not wronging or invading the liberties of any other person (for to that wil I neuer presse to perswade you) but also in defending & mantaining these lawfull liberties where with GOD [Page 484] hath indued you. For ye, whom GOD hath ordained to protect your people from in­iuries, should bee ashamed to suffer your selues to be wronged by any. And thus, assuring myselfe, that yee will with a set­led iudgement free of preiudice, weigh the reasons of this my Discourse, and ac­cept my plainenesse in good part, gracing this my Apologie with your fauours, and yet no longer then till it shall bee iustly & worthily refuted▪ I end, with my earnest prayers to the Almightie for your pro­sperities, and that after your happy temporall Raignes in earth, yee may liue & raigne in Heaven with him for ever.

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