Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Part 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. 6. More particular obſeruations about the ſame ſubiect.
1 The Doctors of the Church of Rome deriuing their opinion from Saint Ierome, apply that prophecy of Daniel, Chap. 11.45. (Hee ſhall plant the tabernacle of his Royall Palace betweene the ſeas) literally vntounto Antichriſt. Now though we know that this prophecy is literally to bee vnderſtood of Antiochus, and of Antichriſt onelyonly Anagogically, of whom Antiochus was a type; yet it makes a good argument againſt them, that Rome is moſt likely to bee the ſeate of Antichriſt, becauſe it is ſituate betwixt two Seas, the Tyrrhene and Adriaticke, according to this prophecy.
2. In the ſeuenteenth Chapter of the Apocalyps, there is mention made of the great Whore, which name cannot more properly bee applyed to any thing then vntounto the City of Rome: for the vſuall cuſtome of the Prophets is, ſo to terme Cities corrupted in maners, and giuen to idolatry by the name of Whores. So Niniueh is by the Prophet Michah, Chap. 1.7. and by the Prophet, Nahum. Chap. ….4. and Ieruſalem by the Prophet Eſay, Chap. 1.21. How is the faithfull City become an harlot? And therefore the Prophet Ieremy repreſenteth the corruption of the Tribes of Iſrael and of the realme Iudah, by two debauched or whoriſh women, Chap. 3.6. &c. and Ezekiel amplyfieth the ſame metaphor at large, Chap. 16. Now this name agreeth very fitly with the City of Rome, which was in ancient times painted like a woman gorgeouſly attired, to whom other women, repreſenting the ſundry Prouinces of the Romane Empire, came to offer their preſents, as is to be ſeene in the booke intitled, Notitia Imperij Romani. Thus was Rome alſo painted, triumphing ouer the Dacians, and the picture thereof was to be ſeene in Marble in the Gardens of Cardinall Fredericke Caeſius in the yeere, 1549.Hubert Gol… zius l…erum Antiquar. c. 3. Ataulphus King of the Gothes hauing taken Rome, and deſiring to eternize the name of his Country, ſtamped a certaine coyne, wherein the City was figured like a woman, to whom Victory preſented a Laurell branch with this in…cription, Memoriae Gothiae. But a more excellent picture then al theſe, we read of in the time of the Emperor Veſpaſian, where Rome is protrayed in the ſimilitude of a woman, with an Helmet on her head, her armes naked, one halfe of her breaſt open, her thighes almoſt vncouered, holding in her hand a Scepter, and feated vponupon ſeuen Mountaines, with the riuer Tiber running on the one ſide, and a Wolfe the Nurſe of Romulus and Rhemus ſtanding on the other. In the bottome was this inſcription in great letters, Roma. Now this ordinary deſcription of that City, being not likely to be vnknowne vntounto S. Iohn, and being directed by the ſame Spirit by which the former Prophets ſpake, it cannot bee doubted but that hee followed the ſteps of the one, and alluded vntounto the other in calling Rome the great Whore.
3. This woman is ſaid to ſit vponupon waters, Apoc 17.1. that is, to reigne ouer Kings, Peoples, Multitudes, Nations, and Tongues, as the Angell himſelfe expoundeth it, verſe. 15. and 18. Now as a ſeate is ſubiect to him that ſitteth on it, and ſerueth, vpholdeth, beareth, and giueth eaſe vntounto him; and as the Maieſty of a Throne procureth authority to him that ſitteth thereon, and ſtriketh a reuerence into the beholders, in ſuch ſort that when it is void, men giuegive a certaine ob…y…ance vntounto it: ſo al Kings, People, and Nations for a long … …ued, ſuſtained, and maintained by their greatneſſe and … …y this Papall ſeate, the name whereof being deriu…d from Saint Peter, ſtroke ſuch a terror into them, that they re…enced the pe… ons for the ſeate ſake, and ſo this prophecy was myſtically fulfilled. And if thereunto we ſhall adde literally the topography and ſituation of the place, wee ſhall finde, that the City of Rome is ſituate vp…n many waters: for it is built vponupon the bankes of Tiber, into which Riuer, excepting al Fountaines, and petty rundlets, th…re diſcharge themſelues, as Pliny writeth, 42. Riuers, beſides the great number of Bathes, Fountaines, and Conduits, as are there to bee found, ſeruing not onelyonly for neceſſity, but for pleaſure, ſo that eueryevery way it is a City ſituate vponupon many waters.
4. It is ſaid further, Ap…cal. 17.2. That the Kings of the earth commit fornication with the Whore, and the Inhabitants were made drunke with the wine of her fornication. Now, was there euer any City of the world, to which this might be ſo fitly applyed, as to the City of Rome, whether ancient or new? For touching ancient Rome, the abominable Idolatries both originall in themſelues, and deriued from conquered Nations pr…ctiſed therein, were innumerable. They worſhipped as Goddeſſes Clo…cria, (that is, the Iakes and …ewer o filthineſſe) Feare, Paſtor, the Feuer, &c. Worthy indeed for their impiety to hauehave their Gods alwayes preſent with them, Acea Laurentia and Flora, two famous Harlots, were reckoned amongſt their adored Dei…ies: and their Templ… were no b…tter then common Stewes, as Minutius Felix reporteth.M…n … The moſt of their Emperors with their wiues were conſecrated after their death, and made Gods, hauing Temples, Prieſts, and Sacrifices, appointed for them: as the Prieſts of L…uia, Drufilla the wife of Auguſtus, and of Domicilla the ſiſter of Titus and Domitian; and to make vp the full heape of her idolatry, Rome it ſelfe was worſhipped of them as a diuine Godhead,Dion in Auguſto. as Dion reports: and had a Temple dedicated to her, as P. Victor, Onuphrius ciuit. Roman.and Onuphrius report. In the treaſure of Antiquity, written by Hubert us Sol…zus, we finde theſe two inſcriptions deriued from ancient coynes, one in Greeke, foreign: the other in Latine, Dea R…m…, that is, Rome a Goddeſſe, whence are theſe excellent verſes of Prudentius a Chriſtian Poet:
Delubrum Romae colitur, nam ſanguine et ipſa
More deae nomen que loci ſeu numen habetur,
At que vrbis, veneriſque pari ſe culmine tellunt
Templa, ſimul geminis adolentur thura deabus.
Which is thus in Engliſh,
Rome like a Goddeſſe is ador'd at Rome,
With Image, Altar, Sacrifice, and blood,
And by a change moſt wonderfull, whilome
A City, is become a God of wood:
Ʋenus, and ſhe, their equall Temples ſhare,
And to them both, men incenſe daily bare.
Where beſides the deifying of the City, from the correſpondence betwixt the worſhip which the Romanes performed to Venus and Rome, we may by good right conclude, that ſhe is truly named by S. Iohn, The great Whore. But as co…g new Rome, ſince the Papall ſeate exalted it ſelfe to the height of Antichriſtianiſme, the ſpirituall fornications and idolatries, are ſo euident to the world, as no man can doubt thereof that hath his eies in his head. But of them more particularly in other places.
5. The apparrell of this great Whore, is ſaid in the fourth verſe, To be purple and ſcarlet, beautified with gold, precious ſtones and pearles. Syneſius foreign. Pliny lib. 22. cap. …. Gratian diſt. 96. C. Conſtantinus. Durand Rationale. lib. 3. cap. 19.And were not the Romane Emperours ſo adorned? Syneſius ſpeaking to the Emperour Arcadius, deſcribes their attyre at large, and ſo doth Pliny, with other writers more. But the Popes maruailouſly vaunt themſelues in this colour, ſaying, that they receiued this priuiledge from great Conſtantine, to weare royall Robes, as Gratian reports, and Durand giueth reaſons of their wearing Scarlet: as namely: Firſt, that they are ready to giuegive their liues for their ſheepe, and therefore are clad in red. And ſecondly, as Scarlet is twice dyed, ſo their charity is exceeding great, both towards God and men. But if we deſire to behold this Man of Sinne in his ruffe, attired in all points like the Whore of Babylon, obſerue him as he is deſcribed in the booke of his owne Ceremonies,Sacrar. Ceremon. ar. ad. 1 cap. 2. after this manner: He that is new Elect to the Papall dignity, is preſently diſrobed of his old attyre, and couered with a garment of white wooll, with red hoſe and ſandals, adorned with a golden Croſſe, a red girdle with golden claſpes, a red cap, a red rochet, a longe Albe, and Aumuſſe and a Stole behung with Pearles: And after all theſe, they caſt vponupon him a red cloake of coſtly price, and a Mitre adorned with gold and precious ſtones. Could (I pray you) the Whore of Babylon be more fitly repreſented in the perſon of the Pope? Their Cardinals alſo weare red hatts, and ſeldome go forth, but clad in Scarlet. In a word, there is no colour …o much in vſe and affected in the Court of Rome, as this is; all the ſeates of the Cardinals in the great Hall of the Pallace, are painted with red, together with the Armes of the Pope: all which doth not onelyonly declare Rome to be the Whore of Babylon, but alſo doth ſignifie the blood that this Whore hath ſhed, and the ſhame that ought to poſſeſſe their faces, for her abhominations. I conclude with that witty Epigram of learned Beza, touching this matter:
Semiuiros quicun que patres radiante galero
conſpicis, et rubrae ſyrmata longa togae:
Crede mihi nullo ſaturatas murice veſtes
diuite nec cocco pilea tincta vid…s.
Sed quae rubra vides, ſanct num caede virorum
et merſa inſonti tota cruore madent,
Aut memor iſtorum quae caele… crimina veſtri,
pro dominis iuſto tacta pudore rubent.
In Engliſh thus.
When thou beholdſt the hats and ſacred weeds
Wherewith the Romiſh Cardinals adorned be:
Thi…ke not theſe garments dy'd, with purple ſeedes,
Nor yet deriu'd from old Antiquity.
The blood of Innocents, which by their hands is ſhed,
Doth giuegive vntounto their caps, this colour red:
Or elſe the garments bluſh with open ſhame,
For thoſe f…wle ſi…res, which do their Lords defame.
6. Againe, ſhe is ſaid to be full of names of blaſphemy, Reuel. 17.3. which to be apparantly verified of Rome, may appeare by the blaſphemous titles which are giuen both to the City it ſelfe, and alſo to the Emperours and Popes thereof. To the City, they call it, vrbs ſacra, the holy City: Ʋrbs aeterna, an euerlaſting City: Inuicta Roma, inuincible Rome: Inuicta Roma aeterna, Rome inuincible and eternall: Conſeruatrix vrbis ſuae, the preſeruer of it ſelfe (for they made her a Goddeſſe as before.) In the time of Maxentius the Emperour, they repreſented Rome in this figure; A Goddeſſe ſitting in her Temple, holding in one hand a Lance, and in the other a Globe, as the Queene and Lady of the whole world. And in the time of the Emperour Probus, ſhe was painted alſo ſitting in a Temple, hauing in one hand the Goddeſſe Victory, crowning her with a Crowne of Lawrell, with this inſcription: Romae aeternae, that is, to eternall Rome: what greater blaſphemy can be ſpoken then this? The like titles they giuegive to their Emperors, as to Iulius Caeſar, foreign, Iulius Caeſar a God, Deo Auguſto, to the God Auguſtus: yea they were not aſhamed to affix the title of God, to moſt wicked and infamous perſons, as Adrian did to his Gan…mede Antinous. Neither doe the Popes come behinde the Heathen Emperours in theſe blaſphemous titles, as when the Canoniſts call him, a God on earth, hauing fulneſſe of power, an eſſence of the ſecond intention, compounded of God, and man: pertaking both the natures of Chriſt, as being not God alone, nor man alone, but both. Neither doe their flatterers onelyonly adorne them with theſe braue titles, but the Popes themſelues approue thereof, as is euident by that triumphall verſe made of Sixtus the fourth, at his entry into Rome, which he well appr…ed of.
Oraclo vocis mundi moderaris habenas,
Et merito in terris crederis eſſe Deus.
Nay Paulus Quintus of late, and his Nephew the Cardinall Burgheſius, cauſed eueryevery peece of their plate to be marked with this inſcription; Burgheſiumae aeternitati dicatum. But what doe I ſtand vponupon theſe things, whereas he cauſeth himſelfe to be worſhipped as a God, with proſtration of body, adoration, buſſing of feete, exaltation of mens ſhoulders? &c. as one of their owne crue ſham'd not to write touching Paulus Quintus: quem n…m…nis iuſtar vera colit pietas: yea he takes vponupon him to be omnipotent like God, as not to erre, to hauehave power to diſpence with the Law of God; to be the firſt cauſe, and the cauſe of cauſes, &c. Theſe, and a number more ſuch like horrible blaſphemies, are belched forth by them, againſt the God of heauen; and therefore Rome both Pagan and Papall, may well be ſaid to be full of names of blaſphemy.
8. In the Whores forehead is written the name, Myſtery, Apoc. 17.5. to ſignifie, not onelyonly that all that is ſpoken of her, ought to be vnderſtood myſtically and ſpiritually, but alſo that all abhominations and idolatries, were to be preſented to the world as diuine myſteries, and that this City hath gotten all her power and authority by the pretext of Religion,Minutius …aelix in Octau…s. as Minutius Faelix affirmed, That ſuperſtition gaue, founded, and encreaſed the Empire to the Romanes. Hereunto may be added,Pliny lib. 3. cap. 5. S…linus. Polyhiſt. ap…. that Rome had a certaine other myſticall name, which by their lawes might not be publiſhed and vttered abroad, and therefore Valerius Sorannus was condemned to death, for preſuming to divulge this myſticall name of Rome againſt the Law. And for this cauſe they had a Temple dedicated to the Goddeſſe Angerona the Goddeſſe of Silence, to whom they ſacrificed about the twelfth of the Calends of February. This Goddeſſe was painted with her mouth couered, to ſignifie the vertue of ſilence, not onelyonly in other things, but eſpecially in this myſtery: but hence alſo the name of the God to whoſe protection Rome was committed, was kept ſecret and hidden (as witneſſeth Pliny) for feare leaſt being knowne,Pliny lib. 28. cap. 1. he ſhould be called out of their City, and allured away by the prayers of their enemies, as the Romans were accuſtomed to entice vntounto them by certaine charmes and exorciſmes the Gods of other Cities which they beſieged, promiſing them greater honours, and ſeruices at Rom…, then euer they had b…fore: Howbeit this name more fitly accordeth to this Whore vnderunder the Popes. For what is it, that eleuated them to that authority, which it once had ouer the whole world, but the opinion of Religion, as i… it had engrauen in it forehead, all the myſteries of the Kingdome of heauen, to teach, giuegive, and ell them at his pleaſure? yea, and to conceale them too, from the Lay-people, whoſe ſaluation (as they ſay) depended vponupon the faith of the Church, which they ignorantly beleeued in all things, keeping them from ſearching the Scriptures, and medling with matters of faith, as myſteries onelyonly appertaining to the Church, that is, the Romiſh Prelates. Beſides that alſo, they had, and hauehave ſtill at this day, certaine ſecrets in their Religion, which in no caſe may be communicated to the common people: To all which, if we ſhall adioyne the word, Myſter…, reported to hauehave bene vſually imprinted in the Popes Miter,Ia…. …rocard. … …p…c. 17. D …arat. Trancijci M…nach…. in Eccleſ…e v…nd … in Ian. 28. …n. 1601. …l ny lib. 6. …p. 2…. as witneſſe Iames Brocard, and Francis the Monke, who beheld it with their owne eyes; what can be mo…e cleare and euident?
9. When S. Iohn calleth this City Babylon, he ſpeaketh not of Babylon in Chaldea, which at that time was vtterly d…ſerted, by reaſon of the neighbourhood of Se…e…cia, as Pliny who liued about S. Iohns age, reporteth: nor of the Aegyptian Babylon, to which the markes giuen vntounto it in this Chapter, do no waies agree: but of a third; whereof the Ancient Ch…ldean Babylon was a figure, that is, Rome, as all writers for the moſt part do teſtifie.…u…. de ciuit. …ei lib. 18. cap. 2. Ibid. cap. 12. S. Auguſtine elegantly … …th, Babylon the firſt Rome, and Rome the ſecond Babylon: an in another place he ſaith, That Rome was built as a ſecond Babylon, and as it were the daughter of the firſt. And Oroſius hauing treated of the corre ponden…e and ſimilitude betwixt Babylon and Rome, concludeth thus:Or…ſius lib. 2. cap. 2. & 3. Behold a like beginning of both Cities, like in power, like in greatneſſe, like … time, like in goods and euils, but yet not like in iſſue or e…. For the Empire of Babylon was then worne out, but that of Rome ſubſiſted yet vnderunder the gouernme t of Honorius. Thi… opinion is alſo confirmed by Tertullian before them both,Tertull. aduertus, Iuda…s. et contra Marcion lib. 3. Hieron in prol…g. lib. 6 Didymi de ſp ritu. i… theſe words: Thus Babylon in S. Iohn doth beare the figure of the City of Rome, and conſequently, both great, and proud in Empire, and the murderer of Saints. And S. Ierome alluding to this paſſage of the Apocalyps ſaith, When I conuerſed … Babylon, and was an inhabitant in the Harlot clad in purple, and liued after the Romane rights, &c. The ſame is confeſſed by Bellarmine, Bel. de Rom. Pon. lib 20. 2. Baron. ad An. 45. R. b re in Apoc. cap. 14. Ludoui…. Viues. in Aug. de ciuit. lib. 18. cap. 21.Baronius, Ribera, the Rhemiſt, Ludo…ie… Viues, and others. The words of this laſt are worth marking: Though S. Ierome (ſaith he) in his Epiſtle to Marcella, calleth Rome Babylon, yet now it is deliuered from that odious name: For there is no confuſion in her, but all things are diſtinguiſhed and reduced vntounto certaine Lawes: ſo that though there be a ſale of all, yet nothing is done without law and proceſſe, and a moſt holy right. Thus merrily he taunts this ſcarlet Strumpet, intimating in plaine tearmes, that ſeeing there is no confuſion ſo great, as that which is eſtabliſhed by Law, therefore Rome euen in this regard, deſerueth the rather to be ſtiled with the name of Babylon, which ſignifieth confuſion: and that worthily. For as Theophilus ſaid of old Rome, that it was foreign, an abridgment of the ſuperſttion of all Nations which ran thither as into a common ſewer: ſo may we truly ſay of new Rome, that there is a confuſed medley of all ſuperſtitions and Hereſies, and not onelyonly ſo, but of all Nations and Cities alſo, as Athenaeus writeth. In the heauenly City Rome, are found encloſed all Cities: all Nations dwell there, Cappadocians, Scythians, they of Pontus, and innumerable others, ſo that it may well be named, the epiteme of the habitable world. So that as the name Babel, was giuen to the old City in the plaine of Shinar, by reaſon of the confuſion of languages which was there made; ſo worthily may it be giuen to this, wherein there is as great a confuſion as there was.
10. And of what City can it be truly ſaid, that it is ſituate vponupon ſeuen hils, but of Rome onelyonly? For though they write the ſame of Conſtantinople; yet that City was not in being in S. Iohns time, and he deſcribeth a City that was then extant; and beſides, Rome onelyonly of all the Cities in the world, was named Cinitas ſepticolli… in Latine, and foreign in Greeke, by Ancient Poets and Hiſtorians: and in this it fitly reſembleth ancient Babylon, which by the Oracle is ſtiled foreign, a City of ſeuen letters, becauſe the name Babylon, containeth ſo many; which ſeuen letters of Babylon, anſwere to the ſeuen hils of Rome: And becauſe it is myſticall Babylon, what number is fitter to repreſent this myſtery, then ſeuen? The Greekes called the true God foreign, that is, whoſe name conſiſted of ſeuen voyces or vowels, and it is to be ſeene in the booke of ancient Oracles, collected by Iohn Opſepeus: and that, either becauſe the name of God might be gathered out of the ſeuen Greeke vowels, or becauſe the name that God himſelfe taketh vponupon him to Moſes, Exod. 3.14. is compoſed of ſeuen letters foreign, …, He that is, as Ioſeph Scaliger obſerueth.Scaliger de emendat tempore. In Hebrew alſo the name foreign conſiſteth of foure conſonants, and three vowels, which in Latine is written with ſeuen entire letters: And indeed it would be tedious to relate the myſteries that are by ancient Authors found in this number. So that whether we take this number in a literall, or in a myſticall ſignification, it fitly ſorteth with the City of Rome.
11. Remond, cap. 26. de Antichriſto, ſpeaking of Harmag…ddon the place where the battel ſhould be fought for the falſe Prophet, that is to ſay, Antichriſt, Apoc. 16.16. doth ſtriue to encounter the name of Geneua in thoſe words: but the Hebrew letters wherewith this word is written, do eaſily confute this malicious dotage, and plainly ſhew they care not what they ſay, ſo they may any waies diſgrace our Religion. Daneus giueth vsus a more probable interpretation thereof, when he fixeth it vponupon Rome, becauſe Armageddon ſignifieth in Hebrew (the word being read backward, after the Hebrew manner) The ſubuerſion of highneſſe; and what is Rome but haughtineſſe, if it be conceiued in the Hebrew, as S. Ierome witneſſeth:Hieron. adu…rſus …uinian. lib. 2. And if in Greeke, ſtrength, well then may Rome be called Armageddon, The ſubuerſion of highneſſe, both for that ſhe hath a long time ſubuerted many of the great Kingdomes of the earth, by her temporall firſt, and ſecondly, by her ſpirituall ſword: and alſo for that ſhe ſhall at laſt ſubuert her ſelfe by her owne greatneſſe and pride. But yet to ſpeake ingenuouſly, I take that the place is otherwiſe vnderſtood, in a more ſimple and plaine meaning, which in a word is thus. Har in Hebrew ſignifieth, a Mountaine, and Mageddon, is the proper name of a City, ſituate in the land of Canaan, as we read, 1. Kings. 9.15. from the mountainous ſituation of which City, ariſeth the name Harmageddon: and of this …ity, thoſe waters take their denomination, which are mentioned, Iudges. 5. neere vntounto which, was that great Armie of Iabin vnderunder the conduct of Siſera, diſcomfited by an handfull of the Iſra…lites, vnderunder Debora and Barak. Now vntounto this defeate doth S. Iohn ſeeme to allude, as to a moſt excellent figure and repreſentation of thoſe things which he intended to propound. For this King Iabin with his nine hundred Chariots of iron, and innumerable multitudes of ſouldiers, doth he not liuely repreſent the deſignes, leagues, and conſpiracies of Kings, and people, fighting againſt Chriſt, vnderunder the banner of Sathan and Antichriſt? And what did Debora, a feeble and diſarmed woman repreſent, but the Church of Chriſt, ſtanding valiantly in oppoſition againſt all theſe aſſaults? And why is the Mountaine of Mageddon aſſigned to be the place, wherein this combate is to be fought, rather then any other? But to repreſent, that they that fight againſt the true Church, ſmall in ſtrength and number, in compariſon of her enemies, ſhall hauehave the ſame iſſue of their battailes, as the Canaanites had againſt the Iſraelites of the two Tribes of Zabulon and Nephtalim, neere vntounto the waters of Mageddoni where they were all ſlaine euen to one, as it is euident, Iudg. 4.16. and Iudges. 5.19. This I take to be the moſt probable interpretation of this Text: and the rather, becauſe it is vſuall, to ſhadow out the prophecies of the deliuerances of Chriſts Church in the New Teſtament, by ſome famous deliuerance of Gods people in the Old Teſtament: as our redemption by Chriſt, by the redemption of the Iſraelites out of Aegypt: the conquering of our ſpirituall enem…es by Ieſus Chriſt, by the ouerthrow of the Madianites by G…d o…, Eſay. 9.3. the deliuerance of the Church from her enemies, vnderunder the name of the deliuerance of Ieruſalem, Zach 12.9.11. where is alſo expreſſe mention of this Mageddon, where the Iſraelites wept for King Ioſias. But enough of this: the concluſion of all is, that there is nothing in the deſcription of this Harlot, but fitly agreeth vntounto Rome, not onelyonly ancient, but moderne, which is named by an excellency of ſpeech (the City) without any other addition, as Saint Iohn ſtileth it in plaine termes foreign, the City, the great, the Articles repeated importing ſo much.