Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Title page – Preface
… the Pope … OR, The Pope of Rome is Anti…
Proued in two Treatiſes.
In the firſt Treatiſe,
1. By a full and cleere definition of Antichriſt, … from Scripture onelyonly.
2. By a plaine application of eueryevery part of his de… tion agreeing …nely w…th the Pope.
3. By the weakneſſe of the A…guments of Bella… Florim…d Reymond, and others; which they … to proue the contrary. All which are heere plainly and fully anſwered.
In the ſecond Treatiſe, By a Deſcription
1. Of his Perſon.
2. Of his Kingdome.
3. Of his Deluſions.
In all which, the great Questions and Doubts abou… Antichr…t, are pithily and briefely handled, yet fully and amply cleered.
By Tho: Beard, Doctor in Diuinity, and Preacher of Gods Word in Huntington.
Curſe ye Meroz (ſaid the Angell of the Lord:) Curſe ye bitterly … I…ha…ants …hereof becauſe they came not to the helpe of the Lo… to the helpe of the Lord againſt the mighty. Iudg. 5.23.
Printed by Iſaac …aggard for Iohn …ellamie, and are to be ſold at … Shop at the three golden Lyons in Cornhill … t… Royall Exchange, 1625.
TO THE RIGHT Honourable, and Right Reuerend Father in God, IOHN Lord Biſhop of Lincolne, Lord Keeper of the Great Seale of England, One of his Maieſties moſt Honourable Priuie Councell.
Right Honourable,
AElian reports, that when Diogenes ſaw certaine Rhodian Gallants gorgeouſly attyred, hee laughed, and ſaid, Hic nihil est prater faſtum: and after ſeeing certaine Laconians in baſe and ſordide apparrel, Et hic (ſaid he) alius faſtus eſt. So it may bee thought a kinde of pride and vaine-glory, to thruſt foorth many Bookes in this ſcribling Age. And again, for ſuch to put forth none that are beſt able, and that againſt the common Aduerſarie; may bee thought to proc…ede
But in regard of your Lordſhippes manifold and weighty buſineſſes of State and Church, I forbeare any further ſpeech: onelyonly I humbly intreat a pardon of my boldneſſe, in preſuming to dedicate this Booke to your honourable protection; which to do two reaſons moued me: One, that your Lordſhip is a knowne and renowned Protector of Religion and Learning: and a ſecond, becauſe you are my Dioceſan, and ſo it is your Lordſhips right by bond of dutie.
The Lord of heauen that hath aduanced you on earth, p…otect you with his grace in your honour, and at length inu…ſt you with an exceeding farre greater honour in his kingdome. Thus prayeth he that is
Your Lordſhips in all Reuerence and Obſeruance: THO: BEARD.
The Praeface.
NExt vntounto the knowledge of our Lord and Sauior Ieſus Chriſt, there is nothing ſo neceſſarie, as the true and ſolide knowledge of Antichriſt, the cruelleſt enemy to Christ and his members. For, as except wee know Chriſt, we cannot either put our affiance in him, or obey his word, and ſo obtaine ſaluation by his meanes; ſo, except we know Antichriſt we can neuer beware of him, nor reſiſt him, nor fight against him. Beſides, as it is a notorious iniurie and outrage, to call any one by the name of Antichriſt, or to flye from him, he being not ſo; ſo it is a palpable flattery vnworthy a Christian, to honour, reuerence, and adore as a God on earth, him whom we ought to deteſt and abhorre, as the moſt pernitious Organe of the diuell.
Now, that Antichriſt ought to come into the World, there is no controuerſie among Christians: but vvho, and what kinde of man this Antichrist ſhould bee, falleth into great variety and diuerſity of opinions. For the moſt Ancient Doctors which wrote before the time of his reuealing, expreſt themſelues with ſo many doubts, repugnances, and light coniectures (as it ordinarily falleth out in the vnfolding of Propheſies) that a man may eaſily perceiue thereby, that they meant not that their opinion ſhould be receiued as certain and vndoubted trueths. As alſo, the luſter, authoritie, and brightneſſe of the Church of Rome, eſpecially at that time when the cheefe glory of their Biſhops was this; to ſhedde their blouds for the confeſsion of Chriſt, ſo dimmed and dazeled their eyes, that they could not perſwade themſelues, that ſuch a Monſter ſhould one day eſtabliſh his Tyranny, in ſo flouriſhing a part of Christes Kingdome.
As touching thoſe that came after, and could more cleerely diſcerne the markes by the which he is painted out by the Spirit of God in holy Scripture: ſome of them hauehave confeſſed and divulged him to the world. Others carried with the current of the inueterate opinion of the authority of the Church of …ome, hauehave not onelyonly confeſſed the truth, but alſo banded themſelues against it, with all their force. Albeit that God notwithſtanding theſe clouds of darkeneſſe, and the furie of Antichrist, which ruined all that durſt open their mouth against him, raiſed vp alwayes certaine holy men, who neglecting their owne liues, gaue glory to God, and diſcouered the impoſtures of this Sonne of Perdition: inſomuch, that ſince diuerſe centuries of yeares, it hath pleaſed the Lord to manifeſt more fully his abhominations, by the preaching of the Goſpell.
But as this excellent benefite amongst all thoſe that wa receiue from God in this decrepite Age of the world, ought to be prized and acknowledged in all reſpects; ſo there are verie few which regard it as they ought Some by their negligence, ſuffering the Empire of Antichrist to be repaired where it was aboliſhed: Others, by their miſerable diſſentions, opening away for this Woolfe, to enter into the Sheepe-fold of Chriſt: And others, by gathering together all their dexteritie and quickeneſſe of fraudes, ſophiſmes, and lies, labouring to vpholde his ſeate from falling. For to this purpoſe ſerue the new writings of thoſe that endeauour to make the world beleeue that Antichrist is not yet come, to the end, to lull men aſleepe vnderunder his tyranny. And therefore as theſe men employ all their diligence to maintaine the life of this Beaſt, against whom all ought to arme themſelues: So ought the true Seruants of God, ſtiffely to bend themſelues both with voyce and pen againſt him, for the glory of their maſter Ieſus Chriſt.
It is true, that there a ſort of men too politicke and timorous: who otherwiſe being ſound of Religion, yet thinke, that truth may be ſufficiently taught, and error confuted, without making any mention of Antichriſt: a kinde of people which require of vsus another manner of diſcretion in the execution of our charges, then was vſed by the Prophets and Apoſtles, and which conſider not how great imbecility is in man, and how eaſie hee is to be tranſported into error, eſpecially then when it creepeth in vnderunder the maske and appearance of Holineſſe & Meekeneſſe: and therefore how needfull it is to be preſſed to the quicke, that hee may bee retained constant in the profeſſion of the truth: and in a word, that regard not what dutie of obedience they owe to the Commandement of God, made to vsus all, Apoc. 18, 6. For vvhat a tyrannous part would it bee, to hinder thoſe that know and ſee the Wolfe, from making an outcry againſt him? What a lazineſſe to ſpare him, that ſpareth and careth not for the ruine of ſo many ſoules, which hee holdeth Captiue? Nay, ſo farre it is, that faithfull Teachers ought to hold their peace, that they ought rather vvith full throat to cry out, and vnite their Veines with that which reſounded from heauen; Come out of her my people, that ye bee not partakers of her ſinnes: for her ſinnes are aſcended vp vntounto heauen, and the Lord doth remember her iniquities. And albeit no man ſhould anſwer to our cry, yet at leaſt wee ſhould deliuer our owne ſoules from death, and carry this witnes in our conſciences, that we hauehave not held the trueth in vniuſt ſilence, to the danger of ſoules, which Chriſt hath bought with the price of his blood.
This is that which cauſeth this Treatiſe to come forth into publique, that they which yet know not Antichr…ſt, may at length know and deteſt him: and they vvhichwhich both know and detest him, may bee confirmed in their knowledge, and encreaſed in their deteſtation; and ſo hereby may make more account of the benefits of Chriſt, and be more rauiſhed with his louelove. For the more wee know and deteſt Antichriſt, the more are we enamored with Chriſt, and long for his comming, and deſire the full reuelation of his glory. So that ſuch as do not w…th all their heart abhominate this Man of ſinne, let them vaunt of themſelues what they will, yet are they farre eſtranged from true piety, and that holy zeale, vvhichwhich made Dauid to ſay, Pſal. 139.21.22. Lord, ſhould not I hate them that hate thee? and ſhall I not bee offended at them that riſe vp againſt thee? Yes, I hate them with a perfect hatred, as if they were my enemies. Now if this plaine confeſsion doeth further enrage Antichriſt againſt vsus, & it come ſo to paſſe that we muſt ſeale it with our blood, we ſhall be thrice happy: for then, ſhall we be receiued into heauen, there to ſing alowd this bleſſed ſong; Aleluiah, ſaluation, glory, honour, and power be to our Lord God: Apoc. 19, 1, 2.for his iudgements are true and iuſt, becauſe hee hath taken vengeance of the great Whore, which corrupted the earth with her Fornication, and reuenged the blood of his Seruants from her hand.
The method which ſhall be obſerued in this Treatiſe for more facility, is this. The firſt part ſhall containe the definition of Antichriſt, drawne out of holie Scripture: The ſecond, ſhall bee an application of this definition to the Pope, by certaine proofes. And the third, ſhall refell the opinion of the Romiſh Doctours touching Antichriſt.
For the rest, I proteſt that my intention is not to offend mens perſons: I onelyonly deſire to deſtroy errour, according to the gift of Grace giuen me of God, and to labour the reuealing of the kingdome of Antichriſt, in what perſon ſoeuer I meete withall. And in that I conceale my name, it is not in apprehenſion of any feared cenſure, which ſhall be alwaies moſt acceptable to me, if it proceede from the Spirit of Charity, which ought to guide the hearts and hands of Chriſtians. But I hauehave alwayes bene of opinion in this ſubiect, that trueth hath more force, being all bare and naked, then ſhadowed with the names of men. And if after the labour of ſo many learned men, that here illuſtrated this matter, and whoſe footsteps I hauehave purpoſely followed, there bee found ſome clearing by this Treatiſe, as I hope will bee to them that ſhall take the paines to reade it through, and eſpecially the third Part; I deſire, that the glorie thereof may bee rendred to GOD alone, who will right ſoone make knowne to the world by the comming of his Sonne, the vtter abolition of him, whom he hath already ſo cleerely diſcouered by the Torch of his Goſpell.