Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Part 2 · Chapter 2
CHAP. 2. Obſeruations vponupon the thirteenth Chapter of the Reuelation of S. Iohn, verſe eleuenth.
1. SAint Iohn, Apoc. 13.11. ſaith, That he ſaw in the ſpirit another Beaſt, comming vp out of the earth, hauing two hornes like a Lambe, but ſpeaking as a Dragon. In which words, the Spirit of God doth reueale vntounto vsus by certaine circumſtances, a notable deſcription of Antichriſt, who is intimated vntounto vsus by this ſecond Beaſt. For by thoſe two Beaſts mentioned in this Chapter, is figured out the double Empire of the moſt cruell tyrants and perſecutors of the Church of Chriſt, ſitting and reigning in one and the ſame City, ſpirituall Babylon: as the foure Monarchies repreſented by Daniel, reigned ſucceſſiuely in the Caldean Babylon, which was a type of this. So that as the firſt Beaſt, repreſented the State and dominion of the Romane Emperours, ſo the ſecond without doubt, demonſtrated the Papall Empire, wherein Antichriſt was to reigne. This I ſay, will moſt euidently appeare, if we ſhall aduiſedly conſider three notable circumſtances of this Text.
2. The firſt circumſtance is, of the time when this Beaſt appeared, to wit, after a great confuſion of the City of Rome by bloody wars: for in the tenth verſ. immediately going before, it is ſaid, He that leadeth into captiuity, ſhal be led into captiuity, and he that killeth with the ſword, muſt be killed with the ſword: and then preſently S. Iohn addeth: I ſaw another Beaſt riſing out of the earth. By which it is plaine, that when the City of Rome was reduced into that miſery, that there was nothing in it, but murther, bloodſhed, and confuſion, then was the time of Antichriſts appearance. Now there is no man ſo ignorant in hiſtory, that knoweth not how the Empire and City of Rome, was hareſſed and ſpoiled by the barbarous Gothes and Vandals, and other Nations, inſomuch that it was almoſt brought to vtter deſolation, eſpecially in the Weſt: and how preſently after theſe broyles, the City of Rome fell into the hands of the Pope, the whole dignity of the Romane name, ſetling it ſelfe in him. For though there is at this day a Prince that beareth the name of the King of the Romanes, or Emperour of Rome; yet he hath no command in Rome, it is the Pope onelyonly that ruleth in that City.
3. Secondly, it is ſaid, that this Beaſt aroſe out of the earth, that is, from a baſe and low eſtate, and from ſmall beginnings, and as it were out of the duſt, exalting it ſelfe by degrees vntounto that height: which circumſtance alſo fitteth the Pope to an haire. For at the firſt, the condition of the Biſhops of Rome, was humble and baſe, vnlike in mans iudgement euer to aſcend to that greatneſſe, which it after came vntounto. They were poore men, liuing by the labour of their hands, and eating their bread from the ſweat of their browes S. Peter himſelfe, whom they falſly brag to hauehave bene Biſhop of Rome, was a poore fiſherman, wanting money to pay the ordinary tribute to Caeſar, till Chriſt ſupplyed it by a miracle: And Acts. 3.6. confeſſeth of himſelfe, Siluer and Gold he had none: And the firſt Biſhops of Rome, till Conſtantines time, as Mantuan vnderunder the perſon of Teleſphorus, that liued. An. 142. reporteth, gaue themſelues to ploughing the earth, planting of Orchards, making of Gardens, digging and deriuing of Riuers, with many other ſuch like manuall exerciſes to keepe them from idleneſſe. Mantuans verſes are worth the reading, touching this ſubiect. But beſides this, he that ſhall looke but ſomewhat neerely into the manners of the Popes, ſhall eaſily diſcerne, that the Papall power is meerly earthly, little ſauouring of heauen and heauenly things. For what erected the Papacy, but the ambition of earthly men? The Ancient Councils declare, that the true cauſe of the Papall primacy ouer other Biſhops, was neuer the commandement of Chriſt, nor the holineſſe of thoſe Biſhops, but only the prerogatiue of the Imperiall City wherein they ſate. Hence they obtained the firſt degree of honour and dignity amongſt other Biſhops; as afterwards the Biſhops of Conſtantinople obtained the next or equall preheminence, by reaſon that that City was made the ſeate of the Empire, being tranſlated thither by Conſtantine. This is ma…ifeſtly to be ſeene in the firſt Councill of Conſtantinople, and …n the 28. Canon of the Councill of Chalcedon: and is confeſſed by Cardinall Cuſarus, in his firſt booke of the Catho…icke Concordance, Chap. 16. His words are theſe, If the …rimacy of ſeates might be demonſtrated by the holineſſe of him …hat firſt preſided, or by the reuerence of the place, doubtleſſe Ie…uſalem ſhould be the firſt, becauſe there our great high-Prieſt …eſus Chriſt waſhed his Church with his blood. Adde hereunto, that preſently after Antichriſt began to reigne in the Romane ſeate, there came in a rabble of Biſhops, borne of …o baſe parentage, and more vile in condition, that they deſerued truely to be called the ſonnes of the earth: as Iohn the eleuenth, ſonne to Pope Sergius, and the Harlot Marozia: Hildebrand or Gregory the ſeuenth, was the ſonne of a Carpenter: Ʋrbane the fourth, of a Cobler in Campania: and ſo alſo, Iohn the 22. or the 23. as Platina numbreth him: Bennet the eleuenth, of a poore Laundreſſe: Bennet the twelfth, of a Paſterer or Cooke: Sixtus the firſt, of a Swineheard, with diuers others, which are to be found in the Catalogue of the Popes. And theſe, beſides their baſe off-ſpring, were infamous for bad conditions, as Hiſtories report of them: and that which is moſt ſtrange, none were equall to them in pride and arrogance, none ſo much eleuated themſelues aboue Kings and Princes. Hildebrand depoſed the Emperour Henry the fourth, and thruſt into his place (though with ill ſucceſſe) Rodulph of Sabandia. Iohn the 23. excommunicated Lewes of Bauaria, for taking vponupon him the name and title of Emperour, before he was crowned of him, though lawfully elected: And Sixtus the fift, excommunicated the Prince of Conde, and the King of Nauarre, declaring them by his Bull vtterly vncapeable for euer of the Kingdome of France. And thus eueryevery way, this ſecond Beaſt, may be ſaid to riſe out of the earth, if we take the words not in a literall, but in a ſpirituall vnderſtanding, as they ought to be.
4. The third circumſtance is, That this Beaſt had … hornes like vntounto a Lambe, but ſpake like the Dragon. That i… in generall thus: that Antichriſt ſhall be a Lambe in appearance, pretending humility, mildneſſe, and courteſie; b… what ſhew ſo euer he maketh, yet his voyce is like the Dragons, that gaue his power and throne to the firſt Beaſt: by which voyce, notwithſtanding his diſſembling, he diſcouere… himſelfe to be the great enemy vntounto Chriſt. This interpretation is entertained by the Ieſuites, Ribera, and Vug…, writing vponupon this very Text of the Apocalyps. By theſe hornes, ſaith Ribera, are not meant Kings or Kingly power, which ſheweth it ſelfe openly, But a certaine ſecret and ſubtile power lurking in ſweet words, ſauouring of nothing but humility and holineſſe, but by the which notwithſtanding be produceth wonderfull and ſtrange effects: and to ſhew that this is … violent power, therefore they are ſaid to be like to the hornes of a Lambe, which are not ſtraight and pointed, but crooked … tender, vnfit to deſ… withall. Thus Ribera. But Viegas mou… plainly, when he ſaith: That this Beaſt ſhall hauehave two bor… like vntounto a Lambe, becauſe he ſhall make ſhew to be gentle … innocent: but becauſe this gentleneſſe and innocency ſhall … true but counterfeit, therefore he is ſaid not to hauehave the har… of a Lambe, but like vntounto a Lambe: and he is ſaid to ſpeake l… the Dragon, becauſe vnderunder his words, which ſeeme to proce… from zeale of the truth, is hidden the very poyſon of the Dragon. By which interpretation the hypocriſie of Antichriſt is notably ſet forth; which S. Paul cals the myſtery of iniquity, an… the holy Ghoſt alſo ſaith, that the word Myſtery, ſhould b… written in the Whore of Babylons forehead: All to ſignifie, th… his proceedings ſhould not be by open force, but by ſecr… and myſticall ſtratagems. Now this doth ſo properl… marke out the Pope of Rome, as that it ſo agreeth to him, that it cannot ſo fully be verified of any other. For doth it not vnderunder the title of, The ſeruant of the ſeruants of God, couer his power of being Lord of Lords? He calleth himſelfe the ſucceſſout of Simon Peter, and yet in cloſe couetouſneſſe, reſembleth Simon Magus: he braggeth of the Keyes of …eauen, and yet may draw with him (as themſelues write) …roopes of ſoules to hell without controllment. He hath no…hing in his mouth, but the names of S. Peter, and S. Paul, …uen then when he trampleth Kings vnderunder his feet, and trea…eth on their necks: his temporall reuenues are called S. Peters Patrimony; he exacteth homage of the Kings of the earth in the name of S. Peter; he excommunicateth, proſcribeth, and dethroneth them, all vnderunder this venerable name: he filleth his treaſures, enricheth his Whores, and aduanceth his Nephewes and kindred, by S. Peters pence: Indulgences, and pretence of recouering the holy-Land, and of defending the lib…ty of the Church: he ſpeakes ſcarce three words, but …he repeates this ſentence of the Goſpell, Thou art Peter, and to thee I giuegive the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen: and that nothing may be wanting to procure himſelfe reuerence, he ſtiles himſelfe an Apoſtle, and his Decrees Apoſtolicall ordinances: Thus vnderunder ſpecious titles and names, he glideth into mens hearts the venom of the Dragon. He eſtabliſheth idolatry by the worſhipping of images, and yet with his mouth deteſteth Idols: he Anathematizeth Hereticks, as Marcion, Montanus, Pelagius, and yet decketh his religion with the flowers of their hereſies: he dares not vtterly deny the efficacy of Chriſts blood, and yet he annihilates it, by conferring it vponupon holy Graines, Crucifixes, Agnus Deis, holy-water, whips, Monkes Coules, &c. as if he had power to infuſe grace into mens ſoules by ſuch fopperies. In a word, he commandeth the Saints in heauen to be worſhipped & inuocated as God himſelfe, giuing to them the honour which is due vntounto Chriſt, in ſeeking remiſſion of ſinnes, and the kingdome of heauen by their merit: and yet as if all were well, their praiers muſt be finiſhed with this concluſion, Per Dominum noſtrum Ieſum Chriſtum: By our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. So it were miſerable blindneſſe, to ſeeke any where elſe for the Beaſt, that hath two hornes like a Lambe, and ſpeaketh as the Dragon, but in the Romane ſeate.
5. But there be ſome of the learned, that interpret this circumſtance of the two hornes otherwiſe, to wit, for a double power, which this Man of Sinne ſhould challenge vn… himſelfe; Ciuill, and Spirituall: which interpretation, as it agreeth vntounto Antichriſt in generall, ſo doth it alſo vntounto the Pope in particular, to demonſtrate, that he is that Antichriſt here ſpoken of. To Antichriſt, for the name of the falſe Prophet, which importeth a ſpirituall dignity, is giuen vntounto him of S. Iohn, Apoc. 15.13. and as this, ſo he is repreſented, Apoc. 17.18. and 8.7. as a King armed with ciuill power and authority. For the Whore is ſaide to reigne ouer the Kings of the earth, and the ſecond Beaſt to exerciſe the power of the firſt: & ſhe her ſelfe in the pride of her heart, vaunteth to ſit like a Queene: So that as the Emperours of Rome, were called not only Kings, but High-Prieſts: ſo Antichriſt is deſcribed as inueſted with both the titles. And it agreeth to the Pope alſo: for he ſo apparantly vſurpeth both theſe powers, that he both boaſteth of them in his Decrees, and his Fauourites alſo aſcribe the ſame vntounto him. Bo…iface the eight, in the extrauagant de maiorit. et obedient. C. vnam Sanctam; proueth this to be true in plaine tearmes: for he ſaith, That i… this power (to wit of the Popes) there are two ſwords, the ſpirituall, and the temporall: and we are inſtructed herein (ſaith he) by he words of the Gospell: for when the Apoſtles ſaid, Behold two ſwords, our Sauiour Chriſt doth not anſwere, Theſe are too much, but, It is enough: and certainly be that denieth that the …emporall ſword, is not in the power of S. Peter, doth not well conſider the words of Chriſt, ſaying, Put thy ſword into thy ſheath. C. fundamenta tu ſexto de Electaet Elect. poteſtate. Aquin. de Regimine princip. lib. 5. cap. 10. Bel. de Rom. Po t lib. 3. cap. 6. aet. 7.Nicholas the third affirmeth, that the Pope rightfully poſſeſſed both Monarchies; ſpirituall, and temporall. And the Authour of the booke intitled, Of the gouernment of Princes, amongſt the opuſcula of Aquinas, auerreth directly, That the Pope is both King and Prieſt as our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Bellarmine alſo that ſhewed more modeſty and diſcretion in this cauſe then his fellowes, though he affirmeth that the Pope hath this Soueraigne temporall power, but indirectly in order to ſpirituall ends, yet he ſaith, that he can change kingdomes, by taking them from one, and giuing them to another. And if the Ancient Chriſtians did not vſe this their authority against the perſecuting Emperors, it was, becauſe they had not temporall forces to bring it to paſſe, though they had right to doe it. And thus both the Swords are vſurped by the Pope, repreſented, according to this interpretation, the two hornes like vntounto the Lambe.
6. But it is to be noted, that that nouell opinion of theſe Antichriſtian Prelates, was in ancienter times either neuer heard of, or vtterly condemned and confuted. Not to remember Saint Chryſoſtome, Saint Auguſtine, Saint Ambroſe, and Saint Gregory, with other of the Fathers, who were all againſt this temporall Sword of Biſhops; wee finde many holy men of later time moſt earneſt oppugners thereof: as firſt Petrus Damianus, a man famous in their Church for his holineſſe, who liued about the yeere of Grace, 1050. as Baronius confeſſeth. This man, in an Epiſtle written againſt Pope Leo the ninth, who was then in armes againſt the Normanes, thus writeth in effect: The Terrene kingdome and the prieſthood are diſtinguiſhed by proper offices: the King vſeth ſecular armes, and the Prieſt is girt with a spirituall Sword, which is the word of God: It is of the ſecular Prince that Saint Paul ſaith, he beareth not the Sword in vaine, and of the Prieſthood, that the weapons of their warfare are not carnall, but ſpirituall: and therefore, as when King Ozias vſurped the Prieſtly Office, he was couered with a leporoſie, ſo when the Prieſt vſurpeth the office of the King, he cannot eſcape Gods vengeance: with much more to the ſame purpoſe. For which cauſe,Baron. ad An. 1053. ſect. 10. Baronius for all his holineſſe, taxeth him to hauehave maintained a doctrine in this point, contrary to the Catholike faith: and produceth aga…nſt him Saint Bernard, Pope Gregory the ninth, and Boniface the eight: who all aſcribe this double power to the Pope vponupon the ground of thoſe words of Chriſt, Put vp thy Sword into thy ſheath: But by his leaue, more credit is to be giuen to Damianus then to himſelfe, or any of thoſe whom hee alledgeth. For Damianus proueth his aſſertion by the diuine teſtimony of holy Scripture; hee onelyonly by the humane teſtimony of Bernard, Gregory, and Boniface. For as for thoſe paſſages of …e Goſpell, Behold two Swords, and It is enough, Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. c. 5. Maldona. in Luc. c. 22.38.and Put vp thy ſword into thy ſheath, Bellarmin… himſelfe, and Maldonate, confeſſe that no ſuch thing can bee literally concluded. Liſten to Saint Ambroſe, who ſaith, that by the two Swords are meant the Old and New Teſtament, with which vvee are guarded againſt the ambuſhes of Sathan: and by (It is enough) that hee vvanteth nothing that is furniſhed vvith the doctrine of both the Teſtaments. Beſides, Damianus was more ancient then either Saint Bernard or the others oppoſed by Baronius, and according to Ariſtotles rule, foreign, well ſeconded by Tertullian, Antiquiſſimum quodque veriſſimum, that which is more ancient is more reuerent and true. For Damianus wrote this Epiſtle in the yeere 1053. and Saint Bernard ſent this Bookes of conſideration to Pope Eugenius the third, in the yeere 1152. that is, vponupon the point of an hundred yeeres after: and as for Gregory the ninth, and Boniface the eight, they were yet later; the one elected in the yeere 1227. and the other in the yeere 1294. Adde hereunto the differences of their perſons: Damianus was as famous for his holineſſe as euer Saint Bernard was; and for the two Popes they are marked out for their deteſtable ambition, the one againſt Fredericke the ſecond, and the other againſt Phillip the Faire, King of France; and therefore ſuch witneſſes as deſerue no credit, eſpecially in their owne cauſe. Laſtly, we may oppoſe Saint Bernard to Saint Bernard, who more fully and plainely declareth his minde in another place of the ſame booke, where he proueth out of Saint Peter, 1. epiſt. chap. 5. and of the Goſpell of Luke, 22.25. that that Prieſt or Biſhop which taketh vponupon him the power of the Temporall Sword, doth there withall looſe the Spirituall it ſelfe: the place is remarkable and worth the noting. But was this man alone for this defence? No, there ſucceeded him diuers others, who ſet themſelues as bulwarkes againſt this vſurpation: as the Author of the booke intituled De vnitate eccleſia conſeruanda, attributed to Venericus of Verſelles, in the time of the Emperor Henry the fourth. Againe, an Epiſtle of the Clergy of Lieges written to Pope Paſchall the ſecond: Ott… Friſingenſis in prologo. lib. 4. Chronicorum, about the yeere 1150. Dantes the Italian Poet, Marſilius Pataninus, and others: all of whom conclude ſtrongly againſt the temporall power of Popes, ſaying, that as the Prince may not meddle with the Spirituall Sword, ſo neither may the Prieſt with the Temporall: but that there is a diſtinct order ſet by God betwixt theſe two great powers which muſt not be confounded. Thus it is cleare, that this aſcription of a double power to the Pope, which we ſay is the marke of Antichriſt, was condemned, and reiected long agoe; and therefore that it is no nouell doctrine now in theſe dayes, to ſet our ſelues againſt it.