Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Part 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. 6. Of the preaching of the Gospell through the whole world.
1. THat the Goſpell ſhould bee preached through the whole world, is no queſtion, ſeeing the mouth of truth hath ſpoken it, Ma…. 24. But whether that prophecy be already fulfilled, or whether it bee yet to come, is all the doubt. The Papiſts hold, that it is not yet accompliſhed, and thereupon conclude, that Antichriſt is not yet come: but we on the contrary anſwere two things. Firſt, that though it be not yet accompliſhed, yet it doth not therefore follow that Antichriſt is not come. For our Sauiour ſpeaketh not at all of Antichriſt in that whole Chapter, except in generall vnderunder the name of falſe Prophets but of the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, and of the ſecond comming of Chriſt, which were the two queſtions propounded vntounto him by his Apoſtles, as he ſate ouer againſt the Temple. The firſt whereof, to wit, touching the deſtruction of Ieruſalem and the Temple, he reſolues from the 4. verſe to the 23. And the ſecond from the 23. to the 34. and then in the 34. and 35. verſes, he deſignes a certaine time for the firſt, to wit, before that generation ſhould paſſe, that is, the age of the Apoſtles, but leaues the time of the ſecond vncertaine, and therefore exhorts to vigilancy and ſobriety, to the end of the Chapter. And that the 34. verſe is to be vnderſtood of the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, and the 35. of the ſecond comming of Chriſt to iudgement, the Pronownes demonſtratiues there vſed plainely euince. For the Diſciples had asked him thus, When ſhall theſe things bee, (that is, theſe things which thou ſpokeſt concerning Ieruſalem and the Temple) and what ſhall bee the ſigne of thy comming? Now Chriſt anſwereth, hac, theſe things which I ſpake of Ieruſalem ſhall bee fulfilled before this generation paſſe: but concerning that day, to wit, of my ſecond comming, No man knoweth, &c. So then, if it be granted, that in the 24. and 25. verſes, ther be an implicite prophecy of Antichriſt as Chryſoſtome ſuppoſeth, yet it is apparent that the preaching of the Goſpell through the whole world, cannot be made a ſigne concerning his comming, but either of the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, or of the ſecond comming of Chriſt, which were the queſtions which the Diſciples deſired reſolution in.
2. But more probably, wee affirme, that this ſigne was effected before the deſtruction of Ieruſalem in the Age of the Apoſtles, and by their Miniſtery. For firſt, Chriſt being ready to aſcend into heauen, layde this charge vponupon his Apoſtles that they ſhould goe out into the whole world, and preach the Goſpell to eueryevery Creature: now can wee doubt but they performed what Chriſt had enioyned? This was to accuſe thoſe holy Heraults of want of zeale and diligence in their calling; yea, of manifeſt infidelity and contempt. Or ſhall we imagine, that God reſerued this worke to be brought to paſſe by certaine new Apoſtles, the Diſciples of a reformed ſouldier in this laſt Age of the world, which were to make vp that which was ſailing in the others duty. Secondly, to this end and purpoſe Chriſt furniſhed his Apoſtles with the guiſt of tongues, whereby they were enabled to ſpeake all languages without ſtudy, as is apparant, Acts. 2. Now ſhall we thinke that this gift was giuen them in vaine? And in vaine it had beene doubtleſſe if they had not preached to all Tongues, Languages, and Nations: to what end had beene the faculty of ſpeaking he Arabian, Scythian, Indian, tongues, if they had not preached the Goſpell to thoſe people? Thirdly, the City of Ieruſalem, with the Temple, were ſhadowes and types of the Catholike Church, which was to be diſperſed ouer the whole earth: now the type was not to ceaſe till the body came in full place, and therefore before euerſion of that City and Temple, it was neceſſary, the Goſpell ſhould be preached through the whole world. This i… the collection of venerable Bede, B edain Marc. 13. Oroſ. part. 1. lib. 2.1.thus writing. Diuin…tus procuratum eſt, &c. It was diuinely procured, that the grace of the Euangelicall faith being manifeſted through the whole world, that Temple ſometimes ſo famous, with it ceremonies, ſhould be taken out of the way, leaſt ſome being weake in the Faith, ſeeing thoſe things to remaine which were inſtituted of God, ſhould fall into admiration thereof, and ſo be withdrawn from the ſincerity of that Faith which is in Chriſt, to carnall Iudaiſme. Fourthly, our Sauiour doth not onelyonly foretell that the Goſpell ſhould bee preached through the whole world, but doth alſo determine the time that it ſhall be, before the conſummation or end come: which conſummation or end, is not to be intended as of the world, but of Ieruſalem, for ſo Saint Luke cleareth it, Chap. 21. where the ſame predictions that are in Saint Mathew, ſtand applyed and limitted to the ruine of the City and Temple of Ieruſalem: and ſo moſt of the Fathers interpret that conſummation or end. Tertullian de Reſurrectione carnis, cap. 22. Hilar. in Mathae. Can. 25. Chryſoſt. in Math. hom. 76. whoſe words for their plainneſſe deſerues to be ſet downe, foreign, that is, And then ſhal be the end, not of the conſummation of the world, but of Ieruſalem. Theophilact hath it, foreign: Not of the world, but of Ieruſalem. Of the ſame minde are Ignatius, epiſt. ad Philipp. Euſebius hist. lib. 2. cap. 3. Ierome on Eſay. 11. and Daniel. 9. Ambroſe on Rom. 10.8. Theodoret, and Beda, with many others. Laſtly, there are diuers expreſſe Texts of Scriptures, which affirme, that the Goſpell was preached in the whole world in the Apoſtles time. As Mark. 16.20. where it is ſaid, that the Apoſtles Went forth and preached eueryevery where, foreign; which eueryevery vvhere muſt needes incircle the whole habitable world. Their ſound (to wit, of the Apoſtles) went out (ſaith Paul) into all the earth, and their words vntounto the end of the world. The like hee affirmeth, Col. 1.6. where he addeth, that it did not onelyonly come into all the world, but alſo brought forth fruite, and therefore it muſt needs bee that it was not onelyonly virtually (as Bellarmine cauilleth) but euen actually in the whole world: for how elſe could it bring forth fruite? Laſtly (which is without all exception) the ſame Apoſtle in the 23. verſe of the ſame Chapter ſaith, That the Goſpell was then preached to eueryevery creature vnderunder heauen. And ſurely reaſon ſheweth the ſame to be poſſible:Chryſoſt. in Mat. hom. 76. for as Chryſoſtome well obſerueth, If one Paul was able to plant the Goſpell in ſo many Countries, as from Ieruſalem to Spaine, imagine what the other eleuen might do, who were employed in this worke, and diuided the world betwixt them.
3. When we ſay, that the Goſpell was preached by the Apoſtles in all the world, our meaning is not, that the Apoſtles preached in eueryevery particular Region of the world, in their owne perſons; ſo that there was no Country, Prouince, or City which they honoured not with their preſence: for this could not poſſibly be in ſo ſhort a time, as twenty, or thirty yeeres, which was the vttermoſt extent of their Legacy. Neither yet do we thinke the ſpeech to be meerely Hyberbolicall, as if by all the world were meant ſome part of the world. But we ſay confidently, that the Apoſtles themſelues preached the Goſpell in the moſt famous and generall Countries of the world, and whither themſelues could not penetrate, thither they either ſent their Diſciples in their roomes, or ſome of thoſe new conuerted Chriſtians, in zeale to the faith receiued, went of their owne accords; or at leaſt the fame and eccho of the Goſpell ſpread it ſelfe without any ſet teachers, as S. Ambroſe expreſſely affirmeth.Ambroſ. in Rom. cap. 20. Where (ſaith he) the preſence of a preacher was wanting, there the report and fame of the Goſpell ſounded, as the fame of the miracles in Aegypt ſpread it ſelfe to all Nations, as witneſſeth Rahab the Harlot.Euſeb. hiſt. lib. 2. cap. 3. And thus (as Euſebius ſaith) The ſauing doctrine of the Goſpell, by the vertue and working of God, like a gliſtering Sun-beame illuminated the world, and as water being ſtroken with a ſtone, leaueth not circling, till the circles come to the bankes, ſo neither was the ſound of the Goſpell ſtaid, till it touched the very ends of the world. Now this is moſt probable, becauſe the Apoſtles by mutuall conſent, or as ſome thinke, by lot, diuided the world betwixt them: ſome trauailing into one Country, and ſome into another: As Andrew to the Scythians, Thomas to the Indians, Bartholomew into Armenia, Mathew into Aeth…opia, Simon Zelotes into Perſia, and ſo of the reſt, as we may ſee at large deſcribed by Baronius, in the 44. yeere of Chriſt. And it is alſo to be noted out of Chryſoſtome, in the Homily formerly alledged, that Chriſt doth not ſay, that all the world ſhall beleeue, and receiue the Goſpell, but onelyonly that it ſhall be preached to all the world. So that it can be no good argument to ſay, that ſuch a Nation neuer heard of the Goſpell, becauſe they are not Chriſtians, but Pagans: for it might be preached vntounto them, and finde no entertainment; and if it did, yet it might be taken away againe from them for their ingratitude, and they themſelues abandoned by Gods iuſt iudgement to their former Idolatry: as is notorious at this day in many Countries now wholly ſeruing Mahomet, hauing bene before famous for their Chriſtian profeſſion.
4. But if it be granted, that this vniuerſall promulgation of the Goſpell, was not effected before the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, yet it doth not follow (ſuppoſing this as a neceſſary fore-runner of Antichriſts comming) that he is not yet reuealed. For it might be long agoe accompliſhed, and ſo was, if we giuegive any credit to the teſtimony of Antiquity: For Irenaeus, Irenaeus aduerſus hareſ. lib. 1. cap. 3. Theodoret de curand. Grac…r. affect. lib. 9.one of the moſt Ancient, commendeth the Churches in Germany, and the Eaſt, for the integrity of their faith. Theodoret affirmeth, that not onelyonly the Romanes, and they that liued vnderunder the Romane Empire; but alſo the Scythians, and Sauromatians, Indians, Ethiopians, Perſians, Seres, Hircanians, Brytaines, Cimerians, Germains, and in ſumme, all mankind, and all Nations, were conuerted before his time,Tertul. contra. Indeos. to the Euangelicall Law. Tertullians witneſſe is moſt pregnant, for he peremptorily affirmeth, that in his age, The varieties of the Cetulians, the many borders of the Moores, and coaſts of Spaine, the diuers Nations of the Gaules, with the places of Brittaine vnacceſſible to the Romanes, the Countries of the Sarmatians, Dacians, Germans, and Scythians, with many other hidden and vnknowne Nations, Prouinces, and Iſlands, had receiued the faith of Chriſt. Where it is to be noted, that when he nameth hidden, and vnknowne Nations, Prouinces, and Iſlands, he taketh away clearly that exception of Bellarmine touching the finding out of the new world: for that muſt needs fall within the compaſſe of thoſe termes, which though it hath bene but of late diſcouered vntounto vsus, yet might be knowne to the remoteſt Chriſtian Prouinces, by whoſe neighbourhood and traffick, they could not but receiue ſome taſt of the Goſpell. Nicephorus teſtifieth,Nicephor. lib. 40. cap. 43. that after S. Marie had planted a Church at Alexandria, he went and preached to the Aegyptians, Lybians, Barbarians, Cyrenians, and Pentopolitanes. Euſeb. hiſt. lib. 6 cap. 1.Euſebius writeth of diuers Martyrs that were in Thebais, vnderunder Seuerus the Emperour: and we read, that in one Councill of Carthage, Concil. Carthag. apud Cyprian.vnderunder S. Cyprian, were aſſembled together foureſcore Biſhops, out of A… a Numidia, and Mauritania, which plainly ſheweth, that though in S. Auguſtines time, the faith of Chriſt might bee extinguiſhed in ſome parts of Affrica, yet it formerly had receiued the ſound, if not the faith of the Goſpell: As Ortellius ſpeaketh of the kingdome of Nubia, Ortellius in tabul. Africa.which is a part of Affrica, That it was in time paſt imbued with Chriſtian religion, and yet at this day, doth ſcarce acknowledge any religion at all. So then, all theſe teſtimonies of Antiquity do manifeſtly proue, that the Goſpell hath bene preached through the whole world: what…oeuer, onelyonly Origine, in a ſingularity of opinion affirmeth to the contrary: and therefore that this doth not hinder, but that Antichriſt may be come and reuealed, and that the Biſhop of Rome is he.
5. Moſt friuolous then is that argument of Remond, in his eight booke of Antichriſt, where he inſtanceth in Granada, a Country of Spaine, which (ſaith he) caſt it ſelfe at the foote of the croſſe, and quitted Mahometiſme in the time of our Fathers, vnderunder the Armes of King Ferdinand: conclude; therefore they neuer heard of Chriſt before; for this is the queſtion: Surely either too groſſe ignorance, eſpecially in a learned Lawyer, whoſe knowledge in matter of hiſtory ſhould be more then vulgar, or too too palpable malice, if he knew it and concealed it: For who knoweth not, that this kingdome being before repleniſhed with Chriſtians, was inuaded by the Sarazens, in the time of King Rodericke, about the yeere, 713. or 714. as Baronius confeſſeth? The Hiſtory of which inuaſion is particularly recited by Gueuara, Baron. ad An. 713.in one of his golden Epiſtles: where he ſaith, that the Sarazens gained in eight moneths, that which was not regained by Chriſtians in almoſt 800. yeeres: for ſo much time paſſed from the firſt looſing of Spaine, till the recouery of Granada. And if this were not, yet the religion of Mahomet, whereof he ſaith the Granadans made profeſſion before they were ſubdued by King Ferdinand, might hauehave taught him that they had heard report of Chriſt before, ſeeing Mahomet himſelfe maketh mention of him in his Alchoran. The like folly he ſheweth in ſpeaking of the Kingdome of China, when he ſaith, That the great Kingdome of Sanglai, which we call China, neuer heard of Ieſus Chriſt, but ſince the yeere, 1577. A bold aſſertion, and contradicted by the Spaniards themſelues, in their reports of that Country. For Mendoza affirmeth, that the inhabitants of China, made great reckoning of the bookes of the Armenians, wherein it is found written, that S. Thomas trauailing towards the Indians, paſſed by China, and there preached the Goſpell, though with little fruite, by reaſon of the bruite of warre at that time; but yet neuertheleſſe that ſome of the Chinans were baptized, & receiued the doctrine of the Apoſtles, with commandement to publiſh and diſperſe the ſame. To which report, agreeth that which is written by the Ieſuite Maffeus, Maffeus hiſt. Indica. lib. 2.in the ſecond booke of his Indian Hiſtories, where he ſaith; that in the diuiſion of the habitable world amongſt the Apoſtles, India falling to the lot of S. Thomas, it is held by tradition, that he arriued firſt in Socotora, an Iſle of the Arabian Sea, and hauing there made many Chriſtians, that he paſſed to Cranganor; where alſo after he had begotten many Children to Chriſt, he came to Colan, and hauing not ſowne the ſeede of the Goſpell there in vaine, he paſſed into the Eaſt parts, ouerthwart the Mountaines, with greate toyle; where hauing alſo happily aduanced Chriſtian Religion in many places, eſpecially in the Kingdome of Coromandell, he came at length to the famous Kingdome of China, and in this field ſowed the ſeed of the Goſpell with no ſmall fruite, and built Temples for the worſhip of Chriſt, and after returned to Coromandell, to reuiſite and confirme his new apprentiſes in the ſaith. Remond therefore ſhould either hauehave bene better aduiſed, or elſe held his peace in this ſubiect.
6. But if Chriſtian religion had bene euer planted in thoſe New-found Countries, there would hauehave remained (ſaith Bellarmine) ſome tracts and footſteeps thereof: for it could not be ſo vtterly blotted out, that no memoriall thereof ſhould ſuruiue. To which I anſwere two things. Firſt, that it doth not follow, for peraduenture onelyonly the ſame and eccho of Chriſt came vntounto their eares, without any ſetled preaching; or if it were preached, yet peraduenture they did not entertaine his doctrine, nor ſubmit themſelues vntounto him: either of which might be, and the prophecy fulfilled, that the Goſpell ſhould be preached through the whole world as I hauehave ſhewed. Secondly, I ſay that in moſt of thoſe Countries there hauehave bene found, manifeſt traces of the Chriſtian faith, as may appeare, not onelyonly by thoſe examples ſet downe by this Author, but by diuers others recorded by other writers. Maffeus in his fore-alleadged booke,Maffeus hiſt. Indica. lib. 2. tels vsus of diuers Images and pictures in China, which liuely (as hee thinkes) repreſented the Chriſtian faith, as that Image of a Woman with a Child in her armes, which they ſay was the daughter of a great King, who for all her Child borne of her owne body, remained ſtill a Virgin: and that other of a body with three heades, repreſenting the Trinity, and that more expreſſely (if it were lawfull to picture the Godhead) then any of the Popiſh Images do. Againe, they hauehave a picture of twelue men, ſignifying as it may ſeeme the twelue Apoſtles of Chriſt, who the natiues ſay, were Philoſophers excelling in miraculous vertues, and at laſt tranſlated amongſt the Angels. Likewiſe amongſt the Eaſt Indians, hauehave bene ſeene diuers monuments of Chriſtianity: for their Brachmanes, that is, their Prieſts, whom they hold in great honour, acknowledge but one Soueraigne God, and they vſe to carry three Sunnes vponupon their right ſhoulder, to ſignifie the Trinity in one Diuine eſſence, as ſome write. Maffeus ſaith, that by theſe three Sunnes, they honour a certaine Parabramma, whom they eſteeme as the moſt ancient of all the Gods. They beleeue that vponupon a certaine time, God came into the world in an humane ſhape, to redeeme the world from eternall death. The learnedſt of them obſerue religiouſly the Lords day, and therein often repeate this prayer: I worſhip thee, O God, by thy grace and act for euer. They hauehave in their writings, the ten commandements of the Law, and tell of a certaine Prophecy, which foretelleth that one day they ſhall all be brought vnderunder the obedience of one Law.Nichol. Pimentaleſ. in epiſt. ad Claud Aquauiu. Melchior Cotigin a Ieſuite affirmeth of the Brachmanes in the great City of Ciandegri, that they had bookes called Sameſtretan, which anſwered in ſome ſort to our bookes of holy Scripture, and that a certaine Brachman told him, that God created man by his onelyonly thought, whom they called Adam, and that they worſhipped one God onelyonly, and gaue no part of his honour to any other. This relike of knowledge the Ieſuite referres to the diſperſion of the twelue Tribes of Iſrael, rather then to the preaching of S. Thomas, who as they themſelues confeſſe, preached in thoſe Countries, and was ſlaine in the City of Meliapor, now called S. Thomas vponupon this occaſion: Yea they alſo acknowledge, that there in were many Chriſtians, before euer the Portugals ſet foote amongſt them.Maffeus. Ibid. lib. 2. In hiſtor. …elat. de India orient. ex e…iſt. E…an Cumalij anno 1599. ex Malacu. Hiſtor …elat. de regno Moges ex vtrijs epiſt. anno 1582. 90. b. 95. Xauier another Ieſuite, reporteth of the great Kingdome of Xatui, that he was certified by a certaine Merchant who had trauailed that way, that they were Chriſtians, and had many Churches of great beauty and bigneſſe, and that he had ſeene their King go to Church, for he was a Chriſtian. And in another relation of the Ieſuites, touching the great Kingdome of Magor, they ſay, that there hauehave bene Chriſtian Kings in the Land of Induſthan, but that they were vanquiſhed by the Parthians, and that their laſt King was called Dauid, whom they held to be of the poſterity of S. Bartholomew.
7. Equall teſtimonies and monuments of Chriſtian religion, are found in the Weſt Indies, the late New-found world, called America; for Oſorius reporteth,Oſor. hiſtor. that in many Iſlands thereof which are now wholly Pagan, were found by the Spaniards, diuers monuments of the Chriſtian faith buried in the earth. And Peter Martyr auoucheth,Pet. Martyr de Inſu. nuper Inuent. that in Weſterne Cuba, now called Ferdinandina, circumciſion was in vſe: and that in Mexico, the Prieſts baptize all infants, both male and female, when they are a yeere old, with religious Ceremonies. Benzo alſo relateth,Benzo h ſt. no…t orbis lib. 1. cap. 16. how amongſt other Ceremonies, they offer in their Temples bread; which the Prieſts taking and bleſſing, diſtribute to the people after the manner of the ancient Chriſtians.Nichol. Pimenta ad Aq ausuam. The inhabitants of Peru beleeue, that there was vponupon a certaine time long ago, a great deluge of waters, whereby all mankind periſhed except ſome few that hid themſelues in a caue, the mouth whereof was rammed vp, that no water could enter vntounto them, with prouiſion of victuals; and that they diſcouered the abatement of the waters on the earth,Vrban Calueto com. in Benzo lib. 3. cap. 20. by two dogs ſent forth of their hole. Alſo they beleeue, that there ſhall be an end of the world, but not before ſuch a great drought and heat come, that the very Sunne and Moone ſhall be conſumed: and this is the reaſon why at the Eclipſes of the Sunne and Moone, both here, and in the Eaſt Indies, they ſo lament and cry, ſuppoſing that the Dragon of the firmament then gnaweth and deuoureth the Sunne. They beleeue alſo (ſaith Benzo) the immortality of the ſoule, and the reſurrection of the body: and therefore when the Spaniards razed and ſearched mens graues for gold, they deſired them not to diſperſe their bones, to the end they might riſe the more eaſily. The like alſo doth Iohn Leri report of the Braſilians, in the ſtory of his Nauigation.
8. All theſe things are teſtimonies of the light of the Goſpell, ſometimes preſented to theſe Nations, and reiected againe by them by their folly and ingratitude; the deuill abuſing the ſimplicity of this people, that wanted faithfull teaching, and changing the Chriſtian doctrines which they had receiued,Pet. Martyr ocean…s. Decad. ſ…cund. lib. 6. into groſſe Idolatries. Peter Martyr giueth vsus a notable example hereof concerning one of the Cariques Roitelets of Cuba, who hauing receiued from a Popiſh Mariner an Image of the Virgin Mary, placed it amongſt his Idols called Zemes, and preſented vntounto it meate and drinke, as vntounto his other Idols: which Image notwithſtanding ceaſed not to worke miracles amiddeſt the other Idols, the diuell finding it no leſſe fit to delude this ignorant people, then any other Idoll is. So then it is cleare, that there is ſcarce a Country to be found in the world, whither the Goſpell hath not penetrated, and therefore that the prophecy of Chriſt, That the Goſpell ſhould be preached through the world, being fulfilled, there is no doubt by their owne account, but that Antichriſt was long agoe come into the world. For as touching the Lands yet vndiſcouered and vnknowne, which lye (as R…mond dreameth) in palpable darkneſſe, without any light of truth: I ſay, if thoſe Countries be yet vndiſcouered, why doth he ſpeake of their religion, which muſt needs be aſmuch vndiſcouered as themſelues: if of diſcouered Countries, he is plainly confuted by that which hath bene related out of the Indian Hiſtories, and might further be enlarged if neede were. Howſoeuer, let all this be taken onelyonly in a probable diſcourſe: for though the Goſpell hath not yet ſhined in all Countries, yet Antichriſt may become for all that: ſeeing this is not ſet forth as a ſigne of Antichriſts comming, but either of the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, or of the ſecond comming of Chriſt to iudgement.