The Whole Revelation of John in Two Treatises, Treatise 1 · Proposition 26 – Proposition 28
26 PROPOSITION. The Pope is that only Antichriſt, prophecied of, in particular.
AMongſt the pluralitie of Antichriſtes, ſpoken of in the Scripture to be generallie in all ages: there is one particular Apoſtatik kingdome, who is the chief and principall of al Antichriſts, and is that great Antichriſt, whom Paul calles the man of ſinne, and ſonne of perdition, adverſary to God, and an extoller of himſelfe aboue all that is called God, with diuers other epithets conteined 2. The. 2. Leauing therefore al other ſmaller Antichriſts, this great Antichriſt and chiefe heade of all Antichriſts, is he whome here we hauehave to trie out, whom (for remoouing of all doubts) wee ſay cannot be the Mahomet, neither any Turk, Iewe or Ethnick. Firſt, becauſe it is not apparant, that the ſpirit of God, wold trauel ſo carefully, to point them out to vsus, by dark myſteries, and ſecreet ſigns to be the Antichriſt, who when they come, doe with moſt cleare confeſsion graunt & aduouch thēſelues to be Antichriſtians, as all Iewes, Turks and Ethnicks do plainly confeſſe: and therfore their owne confeſsion is ſufficient to knowe them by, and al farther ſecreet tokens, wer ſuperfluous. Then muſt he needs be a latent and not a patent enemie, that the ſpirite of God ſo carefully points out: and ſo no Turk, Iewe, nor Pagan; yea, no plaine Wolfe muſt he be:Mat, 7, 15 & Act, 20, 19 but a Wolfe in a Lambs skin, even an Antichriſt vnderunder the name of a Chriſtian. Secondly, he muſt ſit, ſaith Paul, in the Church of God:2, Theſſ, 2, Therefore an alledged Chriſtian muſt he be: for no Turke, Iewe nor Pagan hath other ſitting, than in their owne Temples: theſe be not Gods temples, onelyonly the ſocietie of Chriſtians is Gods temple, of their nomber therefore muſt the Antichriſt call himſelfe: and among them muſt he, ſit, as a pretended Chriſtian: and conſequently muſt he be no Iew, Turk, nor Ethnick. Thirdly, apart muſt his raigne be of the Latin Empyre, as is prooved (Propoſition 24.) & one pretending friendſhip thereunto, yea, hee muſt ſit in that ſpiritual Babylon prooued to be Rome: Then muſt he not be the Mahomet, nor any Turk, or other Ethnik, but a pretended Chriſtian Prince. Finally, and in a word, this Antichriſt is no Turk, Iew, nor avouched Ethnik, becauſe on the one part, all the notes and tokens of the Antichriſt, giuen vsus by the ſcriptures, are moſt evident properties of the Pope, and doth altogether agree to him. And on the other part, the ſpecial points of doctrine and converſation, of Chriſt & his Apoſtles, ar altogether cōtroverted into his perſō: Him therfore ſhal we proue, both by the ſyntheſis or ſympathie, that his properties hath with the Antichriſtiane tokens, as by the antitheſis or antipathie, that hee hath with Chriſt, to be the very ſelfe greate. Antichriſt prophecied of in particular.
And firſt, to account his moſt notable Sympathies with the Antichriſt. Rome (vnderunder the name of Babylon) is the Antichriſts ſeate: ſo in Rome doth the Pope ſitte. In the2 Theſſ, 2, lib. 5 ſexti can. Foelicis …n gloſſ. & …ib. 3. ſexti. …it. 16. can. periculoſo. Church of God muſt the Antichriſt ſit: over Chriſtian Churches doth the Pope ſit, profeſsing himſelfe their ſupreame head. The Antichriſtian kingdome muſt be a part of the Latine Empyre, and thereof muſt it proceed (Propoſition 24.) ſo is the Popes kingdom, a part of the Latin or Romane empyre, for in Rome doth hee ſit. The Antichriſt (who is meere impiety and wickednes) was tranſported figuratiuely, as in a cloſe veſſel, to the land of Shinar, which is Babylon, where he ſhuld hauehave his dwelling builded, Zacharie 5. So in figuratiue Shinar or Babylon els prooued to be Rome, doth the Pope dwell and remaine. Chriſt ſhewes that there ſhall ariſe falſe Antichriſtian Prophets,Matt, 24, 26 who ſhal ſay, there Chriſt is in the deſert, or he is in the ſecreet places &c. So the Pope & his Clergie ſaith, that there Chriſt bodelie is that hoſte, which ſometime they carrie in proceſsion in deſert & barrē fields, to bles the fruits thereof; at other times they cloſe it vp again in their ſecreet box beſide their Altars. The Antichriſt ſpeaking lyes through hypocriſie, ſhal1, Tim, 4, 3 forbid al his to marrie, and ſhall commaund abſtinence from certaine meates: ſo doth the Pope vnderunder hypocriſie, and lying pretext of chaſtity & abſtinence, forbid al his Clergie to marrie, and to eat fleſh in Lēt, or on frydaies. The falſe Antichriſtian Prophets ſhall priuilie bring in damnable errours, thereby denying the Lorde that redeemed them, and through couetouſnes, they ſhall with fained wordes make marchandiſe of Chriſtians (as ſaith Peter) and ſhall ſell their ſoules, as ſaith the Reuelation: ſo hath the Popes Clergie brought in pardons and indulgē ces,2. pet 2 Apoc, 18, 13 whereby they promiſe remiſsion of ſinnes and the kingdome of heaven, priuilie and in effect therby, denying Chriſt to be their onelyonly redeemer, and ſo hauehave they through covetouſnes vnderunder fained pretext of religiō, made marchādiſe of poore Chriſtians, ſelling by ſuch deuilliſh wares, even their ſoules to the Devill. The Antichriſt the ſon of perdition ſhall extol himſelfe againſt al that is called God,2. Theſ, 2 Diſt, 96 can, ſatis euidenter ſo doth the Pope ſtyle himſelfe God, and cauſeth Emperours and Kinges to kiſſe his feete. And Pope Alexander the third trod with his feete vponupon the neck of the Emperour Frederick Barbaroſſa, his clergie ſinging, Super Aſpidem & Baſiliſcū ambulabis et Leonem & Draconem pedibus conculcabis: In Daniel that blaſphemous Antichriſtian horne, that ſprang of the fourth monarchie,Dan, 7.25 & in the Revelation, that blaſphemous mouth that was giuen to the Romane beaſt, had the ſaints of God vnderunder his hand,Ap, 13, 5. impyring over them and perſecuting them 1260 propheticall daies, prooved by the firſt and 16. Propoſitions, to be 1260 yeeres: ſo the Popes kingdome which is of the Romane impyre, hath had power and authoritie over al Chriſtians, and of theſe that were moſt true Chriſtians, ſuch as Iohn Hus, Hieronymus Pragenſis, Hieronymus Sauonarola, & of many thouſād mo, hath he bene a perſecuter theſe 1260. yeeres, even from the time that Sylveſter the firſt,Diſt, 96 and firſt Pope vnmartyred receiued his three crowns and large patrimonie of the Emperour Conſtantin, as is alledged betwixt the yeere of Chriſte 300. & 316. to the year of God 1560. which time the notable decay of his kingdom began. The Antichriſts cōming (ſaith duplicate page duplicate page Paule) is by the working of Sathan, …. Theſ, 2with all power, and ſigns, and lying woonders in all deceiuableneſſe. So of Popes, 22. knowne (ſaieth Platina and others) came to the Popedome, being abhominable Necromancers, & exerciſed their mightie imperiall power ouer whole Chriſtianitie, ſubdewing & ouerwhelming the moſt mightie Princes and Emperours thereof: And whereas Paule ſaith, that hee ſhall worke with ſignes and lying wonders in all deceiuableneſſe: So hath the Pope aduanced his credite, deceiuing the ſimple ſorte, by his fained fables, and alledged miracles of the Legendary, and de vitis Patrum, & by ſuch juglings, as the holie blood of Wales, and the Maiden of Kent in England, and the fained miracles of Lauret in Scotland; and lateſt of all, by ſuch as the Spaniſh Goddeſſe, with her fiue bloodie wounds, Prioreſſe of the Abbay of L'Annunciata, in this laſt 1588. year of Chriſt, now priſoner there, as a deceitfull witch. And ſhortlie all the whole indices and tokens of the Antichriſt, contained in the Reuelation, (beſide theſe before ſpecified,) doe moſt perfitelie agree to the Pope, his ſeate, kingdome, and Cleargie, as ſhall bee particularlie diſcuſſed in our principall Diſcourſe, beeing here for breuitie omitted. It reſteth then to ſhew a certaine of the notable contrarieties betwixt Chriſte and his alleadged Vicar, the Pope, whereby he ſhall be found not his Vicar, but his aduerſarie: yea, not a Chriſtian, but the Antichriſt.
And firſt (ſaith Matthew) Chriſt came ſo ſoberlie, and ſo meekelie,Matt, 12 20 that he woulde not hauehave broken a bruiſed reede. The Pope came proudlie, ouerwhelming the moſt mightie Empires: Hee changed the kingdome of France from Chilperike the lawfull king, to Pipin the Popes confederate: he extinguiſhed the king of the Longobards, & broks their kingdōe to this day: he bereft the Exarchat of Ravenna from the Emperour of the Orient, he trode with his feete vponupon the neck of Frederike Barbaroſsa, Emperor of the Occident. Chriſt wold not worſhip the Deuil for al the kingdoms of the world, as teſtifieth Matthew: Twēty two Popes bound thēſelues ſlaues to the Deuil for euer, to be made Popes, as teſtifieth Platina and other vnſuſpected writers. ChriſtMatt, 21, 12 caſteth out the merchandes out of the Temple, the Pope eſtabliſheth his marchands in the Temple to ſell his Pardons, Maſſes, and Indulgences. Chriſt waſhed his poore Diſciples feete: The moſt rich and mightie Emperours kiſſe the Popes feete,Iohn. 13, 5 and he doth tred on their neck. Chriſt honoured marriage in Cana of Galilee, had ſomeIohn 2 Mat. 8 14 1 Cor. 7, 2 married Apoſtles, and commanded all to marry that culd not liue chaſt: The Pope forbiddeth his Clargie to marie, though they were never ſo filthie whoremongers. Chriſt forbiddeth whoredome of al kinds. Of Popes, 13. were adulterers, three were common brothellers, foure were inceſtuous harlots, eleuen were impoiſoned with vile Sodomie, ſevē wer whormongers & erecters of brothel houſes. Finally one was a whore, and died of childe in open proceſsion; and all theſe are named in their own hyſtories. God forbiddeth that the price of a harlot beDeut 23 18 offered in his ſanctuarie. The Pope receiued of everie whoore in his brothels weeklie, a Iulian pennie, which wil amount ſom yeers, to 40000 Ducats by yeere. Chriſt payed tribute to the Emperour: the Pope bereft the Emperour of both landes and tribute within Italie. Mat. 17, 27Chriſt had not of propertie, ſo much mony of his own, as to pay his tribute pennie. Mat. 17.27,The Popes propertie is ſaid at this hour to be 18000. Ducats every day:Palmerius alſo Pope Iohn of Avinion left in ſtore 25. millions of gold. Chriſt grants libertie of all meats, ſaying that nothing enters in the mouth that defiles the ſoul, and commanding vsus to eate of al thing, that isMat, 15.11 1. Cor. 2 10 verſe 25 ſolde in the market. The Pope forbideth fleſhe in Lent, Friday, and other his faſting times. God miſliketh the obſeruing of daies, moneths, and years. Galat. 4.10The Pope commaunded to obſerue his feſtiual and holie dayes, ſeptuageſes, Lentes, & years of Iubilees, & indictions. Chriſt is the onelyonly Mediatour betwixt God and man. The Pope makes and canonizeth his own ſaints,1 Tim. 2, 5 whome he cals Mediatours betwixt God and vsus. Chriſt is both God and man: The Pope is ſtyled, neither God nor man. The fowls of the aire, In prologo Clementina rum in gloſſtorehauehave their neſts and beaſts hauehave their dennes (ſaith Chriſt) but the Son of man hath not where to repoſe his head, the Pope hath ſtore of Towres, caſtels, and princely pallaces.Mat. 8.20 Chriſt threatneth Peter for drawing his ſword: the Pope vſurpeth both the tē porall and ſpirituall ſworde:Math, 26 52 for proofe whereof, Pope Boniface the 8. ſhewe himſelfe the one day in his pontifical apparel of a Biſhop, the next day cled in armour as an Emperour, beating before him two ſwordes, proclaiming theſe words, Ecce duo gladii hîc, Behold here the two ſwordes. God forbiddeth in hisExo. 20.4 ſecond commandement, not onelyonly the worſhipping of Images, but alſo to make any ſo vile figures, to repreſent his ſo incomprehenſible maieſtie. The Pope and his Clergie, not onelyonly make they vile images to repreſent God and his ſaints, but alſo, they command to reverence them, to come in pilgrimage bare-footed & bare-headed, kneeling before them, praying ſuch prayers to them, as are intituled in their books; A prayer to the Image of Chriſt, a prayer to the croſſe of Chriſt,Deut 11 18 19.20 and ſuch others. God hath commāded to engraue theſe ten commandements on the poſts of our houſes, & on all patent partes: yea, and in our hearts. The Pope and his Clergie leaues out the ſecond commandemēt, and to make them ſeeme ten, they devide the laſt commaundement into two and teacheth them that way to the people. Chriſt commandsMat. 6.7, vsus not to make much babling, nor oft repetitions of prayers as the Heathen. The Pope commaundeth to repeat over your prayers, as to ſay fiue Pater noſters, fiue Avees, and to ſay a Trental of Maſſes, which is 30. Maſſes, & ſo to obſerue a number as the Witches do, and asLib. Meta. morph. Ovid ſaith of the Witch Medea in theſe wordes.
Verbaque ter dixit placidos facientia ſomnos,
Quae Mare turbatum, quae flumina concita, ſiſtant
Thriſe from her lips did wordes redounde, which moueth ſleepe and ſlummering ſound.
And ſtaieth ſtorms of roaring ſeas, & furious floods do ſet at eaſe.
And for better proofe hereof, they muſt hauehave beads to keep their coūt with. And to ſpeak briefly of their doctrin in one worde, Chriſt teacheth a religion whollie in ſpirit & void of all externall ceremonies, except his two ſacramentall ſeales. The Pope hath conſtitute a religion, conſiſting wholly in bodily rites, & ful of al external ſuperſtitions, partly Ethnike, partly Iewiſh, which Chriſt hath vtterly aboliſhed. Finally, both Chriſt was mocked with a crowne of thorns, and the Pope contrarily honoured with a threfold imperial crowne. As alſo, Chriſt ſhed his blood once, that we might raign ſpirituallie. The Pope ſheds our blood daylie, that he may raign temporallie. And ſo, although in al points of doctrine and converſation, Chriſt & he be altogether contrary, yet for the breuitie of this treatiſe, we muſt pretermit the reſt at this preſent, truſting theſe foreſaide to be ſufficient to inſtruct the found judgment of him, whoſe hart God hath mollified: as to the Reprobate, the wordes of Chriſts owne mouth: yea,Luk. 16.31 the Lawe nor the Prophets, neither finally the riſing of the dead to teach them, could any waies convert them. And yet, for the more ſuperabundant certaintie of this matter, we wil alſo remoue certain doubts of Scripture, which might moue the ſimple ſort (by adhearing to the literal ſence,) to beleeue that al the Antichriſts that were to come, were alredy come, and paſt in the daies of the Apoſtles; or that might any waies ſeeme to purge the Pope from being the Antichriſt.
And firſt, where it is ſaid in ſaint Iohn. Theſe are the laſt daies, and ye hauehave heard that the Antichriſt ſhall come: Euen now are there manie Antichriſts, and again ſaith he,1. Iohn. 2.18 but this is the ſpirite of the Antichriſt, 1, Ioh 4 3of vvhome ye hauehave heard that hee ſhuld come, & now he is in the world. It is to be anſwered hereunto, that the meaning of the firſt text is not, that that preſent time, but the whole age after Chriſt, is the laſt age & dayes of the world, in the which, the great Antichriſt ſhould come. And euen then, ſaith he, there were many Antichriſts, not that he ſaith that the great Antichriſt was any of thē, but rather, that he meaneth, that there were ſo many ſmall Heretiks & Antichriſts riſen vp, that thereby the comming of the great Antichriſt was portēded: for Paul maks this placeplain, where he ſpeaks in expres words,2, The, 2 that the myſtery of the Antichriſts iniquity was euen then begun to work, but himſelfe ſhuld not come, while he who held ſhuld yet hold ſtil a while, & then be devided or remoued out of the way: meaning that the myſtery of his iniquitie, & ſpirit of his errours, was then begun to work in theſe ſmall Antichriſts, forerunners of the greate Antichriſt, vntounto whoſe errours (ſaith2. The. 2.12 hee) becauſe the worlde hath attended, and hath left the ſpirite of veritie, whereby they ſhould hauehave bene ſaued: therefore, God ſhal ſend vponupon them the efficacie of errors, that they may beleeue lies,2, The, 2 11 that is to ſay, God ſhall ſend the greate Antichriſt to worke his miracles of lies, &c. As to the ſecond text, it is not ſpoken of the perſon of the greate Antichriſt, but plainly by the text is meant, of the ſpirite of his errours, or (as Paul calleth it) the myſterie of his iniquitie, which euen then was in the worlde and wroght in his forerunners, whome Saint Iohn calleth alſo Antichriſts: So be theſe texts, rightly conceived, it is gathered, that many ſmall Antichriſtes, (in whome wroght the ſpirite and myſterie of the great Antichriſt) were come in the daies of the Apoſtles, but yet not the greate Antichriſt himſelfe. Moreover, in cace it be doubted howe the Pope can be this Antichriſt, ſeeing ſaint Iohn ſaith, that the Antichriſt denieth the Father and the Sonne,1, Iohn. 2 22 whereas apparantly the Pope denies neither of them. To this it is anſwered, there be two denialls, the one in mouth and profesſion plainely, and that way the Pope ſeemeth a Chriſtian, and not to deny Chriſt, otherwiſe he would not be credited of Chriſtians, neither could hee be a meete Mediatour betwixt the Dragon and them, as the Antichriſt muſt be. The other deniall is in heart and deed tacitely, and that way the Pope hath denied altogether, both the Father and the Sonn: for who ſo denieth the Son, the ſame (ſaith the ſame text immediatly after) denies alſo the Father,1, Iohn 2.23 and conſequently them both: But ſo it is, that the Pope denies Chriſt, in that he eſtabliſheth other mediators of his canonized Saints, betwixt God and vsus, and vindicates to himſelf power to remit ſinnes, and ſo craftelie maketh Chriſt but a cipher, without either office of mediation, or of remiſsion of ſinnes. Wherfore, in effect the Pope denies the Son, and conſequently, both the Father & the Son. And beſides this former reaſon, is not this, certain, that the 22. Necromantik Popes already ſpoken of, could not be Necromācers, vnles they had by priuat & tacit paction, renounced both the Father and the Son, and became ſlaues to the Deuil for ever? Alſo, hath not diuers of them bin eſpyed & noted with Atheiſme, ſuch as Pope Leo the tenth, who when Cardinal Bembus was in commoning with him, of certaine Evangelical hiſtories, made this godles anſwere. Quantum nobis & noſtro coetui profuerit ea de Chriſto fabula ſatis eſt ſaeculis omnibus notum. It is known evidently to al ages, how much this fable of Chriſt, hath bene profitable to vsus and our Clergie. Of this godles number, there were eight Popes nominated in true regiſter, beſide the foreſaid Necromantik Popes, and others vnſpied Atheiſts. Here then hauehave we after foure diuers manners diſcovered the Antichriſt: firſt, by proouing him to be neither Iew, Turke nor other Ethnik, but a pretended Chriſtian Prince. Secondly, by applying of the ſpeciall tokens of the Antichriſt preciſely to the Pope. Thirdly, by declaring the notable contrarieties in doctrine and converſation, betwixt Chriſt and the Pope. Fourthly and laſt of all, hauehave wee expounded and remooued certaine doubts, which woulde ſeem to excuſe the Pope, and purge him from being the Antichriſt: ſo that nothing needes more to be ſaid, if it pleaſeth God to beſtowe his ſpirit vponthe auditour: otherwiſe, in vaine doth the Sun clearly ſhine to the blinde mould-warp. The Lord open the eies of all men, and inſpyre the hearts of Princes (as in the Revelation is promiſed) to deſtroy that idolatrous ſeat,Apoc, 17, 16 and bring the Antichriſtian kingdome thereof to an end.
27. PROPOSITION. The Image, marke, name, and number of the beaſt: are of the firſt great Romane beaſt, and whole Latine impyre vniuerſallie, and not of the ſecond beaſt, or Antichriſt alone in particular.
SOme hath mixed confuſedly, the tokens of theſe two Beaſts through other, & ſo hauehave thought to apply this Image, marke, name and number, to the Antichriſt in particular: but here ſay we, the ſame doth appertaine to the great tenne horned Beaſt, and whol Latin Empyre in generall, & not onlie to the Antichriſt in particular, and that we proue by theſe reſons. Firſt it is ſaid,Apoc, 16, 2 that in the time of the firſt Ʋial, which was betwixt the yeare of Chriſt 71. and 316. there fell a greate plague on them that had the marke of the beaſt, and on them that worſhipped his image. But at this time, the ſecond Beaſt or greate Antichriſt was skarſly come: as by the 9. ſyntheſis of the former propoſition is ſhowen, and ſhalbe more at length in the 36. propoſition. Therefore the Image and mark, muſt be of the firſt gret Roman Beaſt or Latin empire, & not of the ſecōd Beaſt onelyonly. And where it is ſaidApoc. 13, 14 16.17.18 that the ſecond Beaſt and Antichriſt, cauſed to make the image of the firſt greate Romane Beaſt, and cauſed al men to receiue his marke, and that none might buy or ſel, that had not the mark or the name of the Beaſt, or the number of his name; it followes not thereby that there was no Image, mark, name, nor number of the beaſt, before the Antichriſt come; but rather, that the ſecond beaſt or Antichriſt, cauſeth to repair thē after they wer almoſt aboliſhed; and that he did confirm & approoue them of new, as in the next propoſition is declared. Secōdly, this marke, Image, name & number of the name, appertains to the firſt gret Roman beaſt, becauſe it is plainlyApoc, 13, 14 ſaide, that the image is of the greate Romane beaſt vvhichwhich receiued the deadly vvound: And thereafter it is ſaid (or at the leſt may be gathered by the text,) that not onelyonly the image and the marke, Apoc, 9, 20 Apoc. 13.14 16.17.18but alſo the name and number doth appertaine to one ſelfe ſame beaſt. And therefore neceſſarilie the image, marke, name and number of the name, muſt al appertain to the great Roman beaſt and Latin Empyre, and not to the ſecond Antichriſtian beaſt onelie
28 PROPOSITION. The Image of the Beaſt, is theſe degenerate Princes, that in name onelyonly were called Romane Emperours, and were neither Romans of blood, nor Emperours of Magnanimitie.
SEeing that great ten-horned beaſt, is the Romane Empyre (by the 24 propoſition) and (by the former propoſition) this Image, is the image of that Empyre, and (by the text) this image muſt hauehave a ſpirite, and muſt ſpeake as the Antichriſt inſpires him. What els can this liuely and ſpeaking Image then be, but a man? yea, even ſuch a man, as doeth repreſent and beare the figure of that Romane Empyre: and therefore (as ſaith the text) doe all men woorſhip and reuerence him. This image then is of two ſorts, the one wer theſe vnworthie Emperors (not of the auncient blood of Romans) in whome the empyre did decay. Of theſe there were in the daies of this firſt Vial, as is ſaide in the diſcourſe of the former propoſition; the laſt of theſe were extinguiſhed by the Hunnes, Gotthes, & Ʋandalles. The other ſort wer the new Emperours, called the Emperours of Germanes and Romanes, of whome Charlemaigne was the firſt. Theſe alſo were but a figure of the firſt old empyre, and were but onelyonly Romane Emperours in name, & neither of their auncient blood, neither hauing ſuch authoritie as they. Theſe did the Pope crown & inaugurat as Emperours, or rather as images of the firſt empyre. Theſe inſpyred he with the ſpirit of his errours, and made them to ſpeake as he willed them, and then confirmed he their empyre, and proclaimed them Emperours, and cauſed all men to reverence them, as is ſaid in theApoc. 13.14.15. text. So then for concluſion, al the properties of the beaſts image, agree ſo fitly with theſe degenerate Emperours, both of the firſt ſort and laſt ſort (which neither Romanes of blood, neither Emperours in effect) that we can cal none other, than thē to be the Images of the ten horned Beaſt, or Romane and Latin empyre.