Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Treatise 3 · Answer 7
A…ſwere.
It is an idle fancy and imagination, that the ruine of the Romane Empire ſhould precede the comming of Antichriſt, ſeeing that he was already in the world in the time of the Apoſtles: as the Spirit of God ſpeaking in holy Scripture doth aſſure vsus. Yet let vsus heare their grounds vponupon which they build this Chimera.
The Prophet Daniel (ſay they) in the ſecond Chapter of his Prophecy, deſcribeth the ſucceſſion of the principall kingdomes of the world, to the end thereof, by a Statue whoſe head of Gold ſignified the kingdome of the Aſſyrians, breſt of Siluer the Empire of the Perſians, belly of Braſſe that of the Greekes: and feete of Iron, the laſt Empire of the Romanes: and by the ten toes that are on the feet, are vnderſtood ten Kings, which ſhould diuide amongſt them all that which this great Empire had poſſeſſed. And in the ſeuenth Chapter, he repreſenteth the ſame, by the ten hornes which iſſued out of the head of the fourth Beaſt, which alſo was ſignified by thoſe ten hornes, that is to ſay, ten Kings ſpoken of by S. Iohn in his Reuelation, Chapter 17.
This interpretation of the fourth Beaſt for the Romane Empire, is repugnant both to the end, euents,R. and ſequele of the Prophets words: who by this Beaſt vnderſtandeth the Kingdome of the Seleucides, by the which the Iewes had bene grieuouſly vexed, after the reigne of Alexander the Great, as Iunius moſt learnedly hath declared vponupon the ſecond and ſeuenth Chapters of Daniel. And it is alſo certaine, that Daniels Prophecy doth not extend to the worlds end, but onelyonly to the comming of Chriſt in the fleſh: whoſe Kingdome was to be eſtabliſhed eternally, as may be gathered out of theſe words: And in the time of theſe Kings, Daniel. 2.44, 45.the God of heauen ſhall raiſe vp a Kingdome, which ſhall neuer be diſſolued, and this Kingdome ſhall not be transferred to another people: but it ſhall break in peeces and conſume all theſe Kingdomes, and ſhall be eſtabliſhed eternally. Inſomuch, as thou haſt ſeene that a ſtone is cut out of a Mountaine without hands. Per…r cem. in Ioh. lib. 2.And this the Ieſuite Pererius is conſtrained to avow in expounding theſe words, a ſtone cut out without hands, albeit otherwiſe he interprets by this fourth Beaſt the Romane Empire. Neither is Bellarmine himſelfe repugnant to this interpretation, when he confeſſeth,Bel de Rom. Pont. l. 3. c. 2. that the Prophet Daniel in his ſeuenth Chapter ſpeaketh literally of Antiochus Epiphanes, which is the little horne, that pulled vp the three firſt hornes of the tenne of the fourth Beaſt. As touching S. Iohn, his words are ſo farre from prouing that which they pretend, that they rather ſupply vsus with a ſtrong argument for the proofe that Antichriſt is come: Seeing that not onelyonly the Romane Empire hath bene diſmembred into many kingdomes, which are ſubſiſting at this day: But alſo theſe kingdomes hauehave giuen their power and authority to the Beaſt, and ſubmitted themſelues to the Pope, who aſſumeth to himſelfe the power to change and diſpoſſeſſe them at his pleaſure. If any deſire to ſee the enumeration of theſe ten Kings, which receiued their power at the ſame time with the Beaſt, he ſhall finde them particularly deſigned in their writings, who hauehave at this time commented vponupon the Reuelation.
Ob. 2 You know (ſaith the Apoſtle) ſpeaking of Antichriſt, What it is that withholdeth him, that he may be reuealed in due time, for already this myſtery of iniquity is on foot, onelyonly he that holdeth let him hold foreign, donec é medio fiat, that is, vntill he be taken out of the way: and then ſhall this wicked one be reuealed. This paſſage is by moſt of the Ancient both Greek and Latine Fathers, interpreted of the Romane Empire, and for the ſame cauſe they vſed to pray vntounto God in his Church, for the preſeruation of this Empire, becauſe they knew; that when this Empire ſhould be ruined, great calamities were ready prepared, and like to fall vponupon the Church.
Reſp.This text doth no wayes proue, that the Romane Empire muſt be vtterly deſtroyed; whatſoeuer the Ancients hath ſaid to the contrary: for we are no more bound to beleeue them in this point, then in that which they affirme touching the kingdome of Chriſt vponupon earth, for a thouſand yeares after the reſurrection: nor that this deſtruction muſt forerunne the comming of Antichriſt. On the contrary, it rather makes faith that Antichriſt was in the Apoſtles time. For as touching theſe words, foreign, vntill hee be taken out of the way, they doe not inforce an entire abolition of the Romane Empire, no more then when the Apoſtle complaineth, that the Corinthians had not ſorrowed, to the end that the inceſtuous perſon might be taken out of the way, foreign. 1. Cor. 5. verſe 2. Now he meaneth not that he ſhould be put to death, or vtterly deſtroyed: but onelyonly that he ſhould be caſt out of the Church. In like manner, if we take theſe words: he which holdeth let him hold, till he be taken out of the way, to be vnderſtood of the Romane Empire, (which notwithſtanding all admit not) yet who can let vsus from interpreting them thus; vntill ſuch time that he be taken out of the middeſt of Rome? That is to ſay, vntill the Emperours tranſlating the Imperiall ſeat to ſome other place, and quitting Rome, doe by little and little giuegive place to Antichriſt, to eſtabliſh there his tyranny. For in truth, when the Emperours forſook Italy, they opened a wide doore for the Popes dominion: who afterward came to be reuealed by his effects, to be that man of Sinne, ſpoken of by the Apoſtle to the Theſſalonians. And if we will giuegive any credit to the Oracles of the Sybils, the Romane Empire ſhould hauehave bene deſtroyed before that time: for they deſcribe the durance thereof, by the number of yeares collected from the numerall letters of the Citty of Rome in the Greeke tongue, in theſe words.
foreign
foreign
foreign.Sibill. Orac. l…b. 8.
That is in Engliſh:
When thrice three hundred, forty yeares and eight
Thou ſhalt fulfill: then loe the Deſtinies,
Thy vtter ruine hauehave decreed ſtreight,
Accompliſhing thy name: which thus implies.
For the number of the word Rome, is 948. taken in this ſort according to the value of the Greeke letters.
| … | 100 | |
| ω | 800 | |
| μ | 40 | |
| η | 8 | 948 |
And in very deed, to ſpeake properly the Romane Empire ended at the death of the Emperour Decius, when Gallus his ſucceſſour made it tributary to the Gothes, which it neuer was to any Nation before. Now this happened in the yeare 1003. ſince the foundation of Rome: which amount by fiue and fifty yeares, onelyonly the terme ſet downe by the Sybill: who deſigned this time after this manner, to place the end of the Romane Empire, at the beginning of that of the Gothes: by whom the Citty of Rome was at laſt taken, ruined, ſackt, and burnt in the 410. yeare of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, vnderunder the conduct of Alaricus their King, and in the time of Honorius the Emperour: which was the true decline of the Weſterne Empire, and the way making to the kingdome of Antichriſt. As alſo plainely appeared ſoone after in the yeare 418. when was held a Councill at Carthage, wherein Pope Zozimus cauſed to be propounded by his Legats a Canon, which they affirmed to hauehave bene agreed vponupon at the Councill of Nice: whereby it was decreed, that the Biſhops of all Prouinces might appeale to Rome, and that the Biſhop of Rome might either take knowledge of their cauſes himſelfe, or commit them to the deciſion of whom he pleaſed. But this pretended Canon was found counterfeite, after that the originall coppy of that Councill was fetcht of purpoſe from Conſtantinople, and looked into: ſo that the Biſhop of Rome was diſappointed of his deſire land it was decreed, that whoſoeuer of the African Clergie ſhould appeale beyond the Sea, ſhould be depoſed: as is to be ſeene by the Acts of the Councill, and by the Epiſtles which were written thereof to Pope Boniface, and his ſucceſſour Celeſtine, which Celeſtine had receiued into communion one Appiarius, excommunicated by the Church of Africa. So that this was the firſt introduction which the Pope made into his ſoueraigne Primacy, vntill ſuch time, that at length his tyranny was fully diſcloſed, and authorized by the Emperour Phocas. Albeit otherwiſe we ſee by the 13. Chapter of the Reuelation, that both theſe Beaſts, to wit, the Romane Empire,Apoc. 13.12. and Antichriſt, ſhould ſubſiſt together. Seeing that the ſecond Beaſt ſhall exerciſe the power of the firſt in his preſence, and ſhall cauſe the earth, and them that dwell therein, to worſhip the firſt Beaſt. In ſumme, the Apoſtle ſaith, that this Sonne of perdition was withheld or kept backe: he was then extant; for that cannot be with held which is not. He ſaith, that the myſtery of iniquity did then worke; he muſt then needs be: for what operation can there be, by that which is not? He ſaith, that he muſt be reuealed in his time: he was then, before he was reuealed. And thus this pretended demonſtration vapoureth away into ſmoke, and cannot hinder, but that this remaineth as an inuincible truth, that Antichriſt is come, and that it is he whoſe ſeate is, where heretofore was the ſeate of the Romane Empire.