Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Part 2 · Chapter 5
CHAP. 5. Touching the continuance of Antichriſts reigne.
1. ANtichriſt is to be conſidered two waies: either in reſpect of his perſon, or in reſpect of his reigne. Touching his perſon, he was borne in the Apoſtles time, and ſhall continue in the world, till the ſecond comming of Chriſt, though with many changes and alterations, as it happeneth to the life of man: where we muſt take the word Perſon, not as it is ordinarily vſed in our language, for one certaine particular man, but as the beſt Latine Authors often do, for a certaine title, office, and quality, belonging to one at once, yet to many by ſucceſſion. And thus when we ſay the Pope is Antichriſt, we make all the Popes ſince Boniface the third, but one perſon, though they hauehave bene diuers men in ſucceſſion: and for this cauſe it is, that when mention is made of Popes, the ſpeech is in the ſingular number, though that thereby they intend not any one in particular, but the whole order of them in generall: as the Pope is head of the Church, the Pope cannot be an Heretick, the Pope is Chriſts Vicar on earth, &c. Which ſpeeches cannot be vnderſtood of any one ſingular Pope, but of the ſeate and ſucceſſion of the whole order. And thus alſo we ſpeake of Kings and Emperours, who at one time are but one in number, yet vary by a perſonall repreſentation, whether by election, or hereditary ſucceſſion; and ſo we ſay, that the King neuer dyes, not the Pope, nor the Emperour, to wit, ſo long as there is a ſucceſſion and continuance in the Kingdome. Now in this ſenſe I ſay, that A…tichriſts continuance in the world, hath bene from the Age of the Apoſtles, and ſhall continue till the laſt day. But if we vnderſtand it of Antichriſts reigne, then the time is of a ſhorter limitation: for as hath bene already ſhewed, that began in Boniface the third, and grew to the height in Boniface the eight, and Gregory the ſeuenth, and not long after, began to fade and decline, as we ſee at this day.
2. The Papiſts affirme, that he ſhall reigne iuſt three yeeres and an halfe, and no more; which they ſtriue to proue out of Daniel 7.25. and 12.7. and Apoc. 12.14. where mention is made of time, times, and halfe a time: vnderſtanding by time, a yeere; by times, two yeeres; and by halfe a time, halfe a yeere. But this interpretation is ſufficiently diſpelled by the Author himſelfe: onelyonly I will ſhew them how ſenſeleſſe a deuiſe it is, and what difficulties they thereby caſt themſelues into, which are not poſſible to be reconciled. For firſt, to ſay that Antichriſt ſhall reigne but three yeeres and an halfe, and in that ſpace to reduce the whole world into his obedience, is as impoſſible, as if a man ſhould vndertake to trauaile ten thouſand miles in three daies: it is beyond the compaſſe of mans power to atchieue ſuch a conqueſt in ſo ſhort a time, no not if we make him as fortunate as Timotheus the Athenian Captiue, whom they painted ſleeping, and Fortune caſting Cities and Countries into his lap: and albeit he be armed with all the power of hell, yet the diuell himſelfe is not able to bring the whole world vnderunder the ſubiection of one man in ſo ſhort a time. Secondly, they ſay, that he muſt reigne ouer the Nation of the Iewes, at Ieruſalem, and that they ſhall receiue him for their Meſſias. But how can this be brought to paſſe within that ſpace? The Nation of the Iewes, is di perſed almoſt ouer the whole world: now what Poſtes or Pegaſuſſes ſhall he hauehave, to admoniſh them ſo ſpeedily of their Meſſias his being, and reigning at Ieruſalem? Shall he get the Sunne to be his trump…ter, and the Moone to carry his letters, to ſummon this ſcattered people? But ſuppoſe the fame of him may come to their eares; how ſhall they ſo ſpeedily march out of thoſe farre Countries wherein they inhabite, and aſſemble ſo ſuddainly at Ieruſalem? or if they could, and would; will thoſe Nations wherein they liue, ſuffer them to paſſe thus ſuddainly from them, with bag, and baggage, and not rather retaine them by violence, as Pharoah did their progenitors in Aegypt? Beſides, they hold that Antichriſt ſhall reedifie Salomons Temple, which is ſo demoliſhed, that one ſtone is not left vponupon another. But Salomon was ſeuen yeeres in building it at the firſt, and that with an hundred and fifty thouſand workemen: and for the ſecond reſtauration of it, we heare the Iewes ſaying vntounto Chriſt, ſix & forty yeeres was this Temple in building, & will Antichriſt in three yeeres ſpace ſet it vp anew? Where of ſuch a ſudaine, ſhall he finde workemen, timber, ſtone, and other materials, with inſtruments, and wages? Belike becauſe Chriſt ſaid of his body, deſtroy this Temple, and I will build it againe in three daies, therefore Antichriſt ſhall build againe the materiall Temple in three daies, taking a day for a yeere. Againe, by their doctrine, after Antichriſt hath obtained the Kingdome of the Iewes, he muſt fight with three mighty Kings, of Aegypt, Lybia, and Ethiopia, and poſſeſſe their Kingdomes: Now theſe Kingdomes are vnderunder the dominion of two great Emperours, to wit, the Turke, and the Emperour of the Abaſſines; and is it probable that they can be ſo ſoone conquered? Surely Caeſar was neuer ſo ſpeedy in his victories, when he wrote to the Senate of Rome, Ʋeni, vidi, vici: I came, I ſaw, I ouercame. He muſt al o ſubdue ſeuen other great Kings, and ſo become the great Monarch of the whole world, and cauſe all Nations to Apoſtate from Chriſt, and entertaine his religion The whole age of a man, is not ſufficient to diſcouer and veiw all the Nations of the world, and yet this monſter muſt quell and tame them in three yeeres, whereas the Romanes ſcarce in ſeuen hundred yeeres could erect their Empire, and that but ouer one part of the world. The Apoſtles of Chriſt, endued with diuine vertue, and power of miracles, and the gift of tongues, could hardly in twenty yeeres plant Churches in moſt part of the world, and hardly in fiue hundred yeeres was Heatheniſh Idolatry aboliſhed; and ſhall he, as more powerfull then Chriſt, effect as great a worke in three yeeres and an halfe? Further, when they ſay that he ſhall cauſe himſelfe to be worſhipped in all places, I wonder what kind of Apoſtles and preachers he ſhall hauehave, thus to peruert the whole world in an inſtant. Shall men fly about the world on the wings of the windes? and if they do, with what eloquence and Art, ſhall they perſwade both learned, and ſimple, to this defection? What ſhall become then of the Pope, with his Colledge of Cardinals, and whole Romane Cleargy? Shall he finde them ſo light of faith, that they will renounce, not onelyonly their religion (which is no great matter with them) but their State, Pompe, and Authority, vponupon ſo ſleight a ſummons? Theſe and a number ſuch like dotages, are fitter to be preached to ſtockes and ſtones, or as their Friar Franci… did, to beaſts, and fou…es, rather then to men of vnderſtanding and iudgement: and yet their great learned Rabbies, are not aſhamed to propound them to ſimple people as Oracles of faith: but their repugnancy ſhewes their vanity.
3. The Texts out of which they deriue this fancy, are as full of contradiction to their interpretation, as the fancy it ſelfe. For firſt, whereas it is written, Dan. 7. They ſhall be deliuered into his hand for a time, times, and halfe a time, In the eight Chapter, it is ſaid: That he ſhall trample downe the Sanctuary, 2300. daies: both which Texts, are applyed by them vntounto Antichriſt. But how can this agree, whereas in one place they finde, three daies and an halfe, and in the other, aboue ſix yeeres, for ſo 2300. daies import. Secondly, the time, times, and halfe a time, in the twelfth Chapter, are expounded in the eleuenth verſe, by the number 1290. daies, which Bellarmine confeſſeth to determine the durance of Antichriſts reigne: but 1290. daies, make three yeeres, and ſeuen moneths, which is a monethmonth more then three yeeres and an halfe: now if Antichriſt muſt reigne three yeeres and an halfe, or 1260. daies, as they gather out of the Apocalyps, then he cannot reigne 1290. daies, or if this, then not the former. Thirdly, they ſay, Antichriſt muſt reigne three yeeres and an halfe, and Enoch and Elias muſt preach againſt him 1260. daies, which make iuſt three yeeres and an halfe, and yet they adde, that theſe two Prophets muſt be ſlaine by Antichriſt, a monethmonth before his owne deſtruction: but how can th s hang together? If Antichriſts reigne, and Enoch and Elias preaching, hauehave one and the ſame ſpace of time allotted vntounto them; how can it then be true, that they ſhall be ſlaine a monethmonth before his deſtruction? Or if the laſt be true; th n the firſt muſt needes be falſe, that Antichriſt ſhall reigne but three yeeres and an halfe: for here by their owne confeſſion is a full monethmonth after their ſlaughter giuen vntounto the life and reigne of this monſter: which difference of time, though it be but ſmall, yet it plainly proueth, that thoſe numbers in Daniel, and the Apocalyps, cannot be aſſigned for the preciſe terme of three yeeres and an halfe for Antichriſts reigne.
4. But ſaith Remond, Remon de Antichriſt c. 17.2.following his counterfeit Hyppolitus, Antichriſt ſhall ſend out his euill ſpirits through the world, to ſignifie and proclaime vntounto all men, that a great King is borne in the world, and ſummon them to acknowledge and yeeld obedience vntounto him. A ſtrange dreame doubtleſſe, concerning the which, I would demand of them three queſtions. Firſt, what ground of Scripture they hauehave for this dreame. S. Paul indeede, 2. Theſſal. 2.9. ſaith, that his comming ſhall be with the efficacy of Sathan, with all power, and ſignes, and lying wonders, and with all deceiuableneſſe of vnrighteouſneſſe: but that he ſhall hauehave at command the infernall Spirits, and ſend them as his trumpeters through the world, to gather his ſubiects together, is no where to be found in holy Scripture. Secondly, I demand, whether theſe maligne ſpirits, which he ſhall ſend a broad, ſhall be viſible with aſſumed bodies, or inuiſible as ſpirits? If they ſay inuiſible, how then ſhall they found out this meſſage to their cares, and how can it be but that all men will ſuſpect them for deceiuers, ſeeing they know that the diuell was a lyer from the beginning? Or if viſible like men, how ſhall they be able to perſwade the whole world to Apoſtacy from Chriſt in ſo ſudaine a manner, when as Chriſts owne Apoſtles, furniſhed with the gifts of the holy Ghoſt, could not conuert the world in a farre longer time? Beſides, appearing as men, they muſt needs be ſuſpected of errour and infirmity. Thirdly, I aske what ſhall become at that time of their great Biſhop, his Cardinals, and the innumerable Armies of Monkes, Friars, Ieſuites, Prieſts, &c. will they all bend their knee at one inſtant to this Idoll, and renounce their Chriſtianity: yea their Pompe, Riches, triple Crowne, red Hats, with all S. Peters Patrimony, for the maintenance of which things, they hauehave ſo laboured and ſtriuen ſo many hundred yeeres? Is this the foundation vponupon which their Church is built? Is this their faith, which they ſay the gates of hell cannot preuaile againſt? Is this S. Peters chaire, which they affirme cannot either erre or faile? When they hauehave anſwered theſe queſtions, then we will beleeue this dreame.
5. Yea but ſaith Remondus, hee ſhall be ſo ſtored and furniſhed with abundance of treaſures amaſſed together by the deuill, that by them he ſhall be able to draw after him infinite multitudes of people: for Quid non mortalia pectora cogis auri ſacra fames? What cannot Gold doe? Indeede Gold can doe much, but is it poſſible that hee ſhould heape together ſo much Gold, as to corrupt the whole world therewith? Muſt he not needs hauehave a maſſe bigger then Mount Atlas to bring this to paſſe? Beſides, is it likely that all the people of the world would bee tempted with Gold to forſake their God, and their Faith, which is more precious then Gold? How many of the very Heathen do we reade of, that hauehave deſpiſed Gold, and preferred Vertue before it? And ſhall there bee found no Chriſtians to bee compared vntounto them in continency and vertue? Credat Iudaeus Apella. Let the vnbeleeuing Iew beleeue this fable, ſurely wee cannot. But if peraduenture they ſpeake this of themſelues, and thoſe that are of their owne profeſſion: why then they muſt of neceſſity confeſſe themſelues to bee miſerable ſlaues vntounto Gold, and to hauehave ſ…leable conſciences. Neither is it any maruaile if in this regard we affirme the Pope to bee Antichriſt, ſeeing by riches and worldly honors and preferments hee bindeth vntounto himſelfe his followers, eſpecially his Cleargy, whoſe worldly ſtate and pompe is ſo great, as ſcarce any Prince doth goe beyond them: Gold, Honors, and preferments being the very ſinewes of the Popes kingdome.
6. But if they ſtand preciſely for the terme of three yeeres and an halfe for Antichriſts reigne, and becauſe the Pope hath reigned ſpiritually in the Church fifteene hundred yeeres, as Bellarmine affirmeth, that therefore he is not Antichriſt: I anſwere two things: Firſt, that if they take Antichriſt to be one ſingular perſon, as they doe, then ſome of their Popes might be Antichriſt by this computation of their reigne: for it hath fallen out by Gods prouidence to them, as neuer to any other kingdome in the world, ſo farre as I hauehave read, that they hauehave reigned full three yeeres and an halfe, according to this prophecy. As St…phen the third or fourth, gouerned the Papacy three yeeres, fiue moneths, and twenty eight dayes, as Anaſtaſius reports in the liues of the Popes. Bennet the fourth ſate three yeeres ſix moneths and fifteene daies, and Leo the ſeuenth, three yeeres ſixe moneths and ten daies; ſo that one of theſe might bee Antichriſt according to their owne account. But becauſe wee muſt not ſeeke for this monſter in any one particular man without relation to ſucceſſion; therefore I ſay ſecondly, that whoſoeuer preſumeth to reigne ſpiritually in the Church beſides Chriſt alone, the true and ſole ſpirituall King thereof, the ſame is Antichriſt ſitting in or ouer the Temple of God. But the Pope by their owne confeſſion hath done this; hee therefore without doubt is that Antichriſt ſpoken of, vſurping an vnlawfull tyranny in the Church of God. For Saint Peter forbids all Paſtors to behaue themſelues as Lords ouer Gods heritage, 1. Peter. 5.3. and conſequently to reigne ouer them.
7. Out of all which I conclude, that thoſe numbers in the Apocalyps of 1260 daies, 41 moneths, and three yeeres and an halfe, are not to be taken in a literall, but in a myſticall ſignification: and that they denote not any certaine or definite time in reſpect of humane vnderſtanding: but onelyonly this, that God in his counſaile hath determined a ſet bound to the perſecution of his Church, which cannot bee paſſed; which bound though it be certaine vntounto him, yet is vncertaine vntounto vsus, becauſe it is not for vsus to know the times and ſeaſons which the Father hath placed in his owne power. Acts. 1.7. And therefore as after foure hundred yeeres compleat, God brought the Children of Iſrael out of Aegypt, ſo he will after ſome hundreds of yeeres, deliuer his Church from the cruell and bloody perſecution of all the enimies thereof, and giuegive it a peaceable and quiet repoſe, as we ſee effected in the time of Conſtantine the great: and to this end ſerues the diuers ſupputation of times by yeeres, moneths, and daies, partly that the faithfull might know, that the leaſt moments and minutes of time are determined by God, and partly that they might be ſtrengthned in their miſeries and afflictions, with the conſideration of the ſhortneſſe of them, intimated by ſuch ſhort limitations of time, as of a few yeeres, moneths, and dayes. And beſides, in that all thoſe ſeuerall numbers iumpe together in one ſumme of time; for 1260 daies, 42 moneths, and three yeeres and an halfe, are all one in computation; it ſheweth plainely, that they muſt bee ſpiritually conceiued, otherwiſe to what end ſhould that variation ſerue?
8. But howſoeuer they be taken, yet it is cleare, that they cannot be meant of the reigne or perſecution of Antichriſt, but either of the ſtate of the primitiue Church vnderunder the heathen Emperors, or of the durance of the Romane Empire figured by the firſt beaſt, Apoc. 13. The firſt of theſe opinions is built vponupon this ground, becauſe it is not the maner of holy Scripture to premonſtrate any certaine periods of thoſe inteſtine troubles which are raiſed vp in the Church by falſe Chriſtians, but onelyonly of ſuch as ariſe from forraine enemies that profeſſedly hate the truth: as we ſee the perſecution of the ancient Church, vnderunder the Aegyptians, Babylonians, and Antiochus, defined by a certaine number of yeeres by the Prophets: but not that which was inflicted by Idolatrous Kings, as Manaſſes, Ieroboam, and the reſt of the Kings of Iſrael: and ſo theſe numbers in the Apocalyps are not to be referred to Antichriſt who was to be a domeſticall foe, but to the bloody cruelty of thoſe heathen Tyrants. And this is plainely euinced by the number of 42 moneths, which is all one in effect with the other two: for Apoc. 11.2. it is ſaid, that the Gentiles ſhall tread vnderunder foot the holy City 42 moneths, which I ſee not how it can be well vnderſtood but of the heathen Emperors. And Apoc. 13.5. it is ſaid of the firſt Beaſt, that power was giuen vntounto him to continue 42. moneths; now by the firſt Beaſt is ſignified doubtleſſe the Romane Empire, which is ſaid to riſe out of Sea, that is, out of warlike tumults; and by the ſecond which ariſeth out of the earth, that is, out of peace and quietneſſe, in a flie and ſubtill maner, the ſtate of Antichriſt. If then this be directly ſpoken of the Romane Empire which is the firſt Beaſt, then it can no wayes appertaine to Antichriſt figured by the ſecond; vnleſſe we will make theſe two Beaſts ſignifie but one and the ſame thing, which is as much, as to make a thing both before and after it ſelfe: and that which the holy Ghoſt cals another, yet not to be another: and laſtly, the image of a thing, to be the thing it ſelfe. The ſecond opinion touching the durance of the Romane Empire, ſeemeth alſo to hauehave ſome probability of truth: for the words in the originall, Apoc. 13.5. doe thus ſound, and Power was giuen vntounto him, foreign, Facere, to do forty and two moneths. Now this word Facere to doe, being put abſolutely, ſignifieth in the Scripture language, to command, reigne, or execute whatſoeuer a man intendeth without impeachment: as Daniel. 8.12. ſpeaking of Antiochus, it is ſaid, That hee caſt downe the truth to the ground, and did (Fecit) and proſpered: and verſe 24. He ſhall deſtroy, prosper, and doe. And ſo Saul ſaith vntounto Dauid, 1. Sam. 26.25. Bleſſed bee thou my Sonne Dauid, thou ſhalt doe and preuaile. The words as they are tranſlated Verbatim by Arias Montanus are theſe: Faciendo facies, et valendo valebis, that is, thou ſhalt come to the end of thy deſire, and reigne in Iſrael as God hath promiſed. So heere when it is ſaid, Power is giuen to the Beaſt to do, 42. moneths, the meaning may ſeeme to be to reigne 42 moneths. So that Saint Iohn in great likelyhood ſeemeth heere to define the length of continuance of the Romane Empire by 42. propheticall moneths, which make 1260, yeeres, taking according to the vſe of prophecy, a day for a yeere: which opinion is ſtrengthned by the euent. For from the firſt foundation of Rome, till the vtter ruine and ſacking of it by Theodoricke the Goth, which was in the time of the Emperor Anaſtaſius, in the yeere of the world, 4456. and of Grace, 507. paſſed ſo many yeeres by preciſe computation: at which Antichriſt began to grow ripe, and to ſhew himſelfe more and more in the ruines of that Empire. Hitherto may bee annexed the account of Pagans themſelues.Cenſorinus de die nat. 1 …. Cenſorinus reporteth out of Ʋarro, in the eighteenth booke of his Antiquities that one Vectius a famous Augure affirmed, That ſeeing the Romane people had paſſed in good eſtate ſix yeeres, it ſhould continue 1200. and then ſhould be an end both of the City and Empire: which accompt differs from that in the Apocalyps but onelyonly 60. yeeres. The like vntounto this is that heatheniſh prophecy found in the Sybilline Oracles, where the tearme of Romes durance is defined by the letters of the name in Greek foreign, which being numbred, make 948. which numbers though they differ from thoſe in the Apocalyps, yet they euidently proue this much, that the end of the Roman Empire was to be about that time, and that it is no ſtrange thing thus to coniecture.
9. Our learned and godly countriman M. Fox, hath an opinion of his owne, different from all others touching theſe numbers, which hee ſaith, was after long ſtudy and prayer caſt ſodainly into his minde, by ſome diuine inſpiration. It is this, that thoſe 42. moneths are to be referred to the perſecution of the Church vnderunder the Romane Emperors, counting from the time of Iohn Baptiſt, that was ſlaine by Herod the Tetrarch, vntill peace was giuen to the Church by the Emperor Conſtantine, after the death of Licinius, taking theſe 42. moneths for weekes of yeeres: ſo that forty two moneths make by this reckning 294. yeeres, to which if we adde the 3…. yeeres of our Sauiour Chriſt, when hee was baptiſed by Iohn, we ſhall fall vponupon the 324. yeere of Chriſt, in which Conſtantine embraced Chriſtian Religion. Which interpretation of changing moneths into weekes, though it ſeeme not to accord with the ordinary current of the Scripture, where daies are put often for yeeres, but neuer moneths for weekes: Yet ſeeing the ſanctity and holineſſe of the man is ſo famouſly knowne, and he ſaith, that he receiued it by diuine reuelation, and the euent anſwereth ſo fitly thereunto; why ſhould it be vtterly reiected? Sure it is, that a monethmonth by reaſon of the ſolemnity of the new Moone was religiouſly obſerued by the Iewes, and the number of ſeuen, whether of daies or yeeres, was Gods owne ordinance and appointment. Now who can tell, whether in this regard, the Spirit of God did tranſlate the name of a monethmonth, to ſignifie a weeke of yeeres? The ſeuenth day was to them a ceſſation from all worldly buſineſſes: the ſeuenth yeere was deputed for manumitting ſeruants, releaſing debts, and giuing refreſhment to the tilling of the earth; ſeuen times ſeuenty yeere, was their Iubilee, wherein liberty was reſtored to all bondage, a reſtoring of inheritances, and as it were a renouation of the world: wherefore ſeeing this Religion of Sabbaths depended in a maner vponupon the monethly courſe of the Moone, why ſhould it ſeeme abſurd to referre a monethmonth to a Sabbath of yeeres? But heere I affirme nothing, but leaue the opinion of this good man rather to bee charitably conſtrued, then contumeliouſly diſgraced, as it is by the Papiſts: for it hath in it more probability and reaſon, then a number of their idle dreames and conceites.