The True Catholic, Tract · Section 3 · Chapter 11

The True Catholic · Tract · Section 3 · Chapter 11

p. 276Of Antichrist.

Fer. in cap. 4. Io.OF the ſucceſſion of place, howe little it auaileth, Ferus writes thus: As the Iewes bragged of the citie of Dauid, and of the Temple of Salomon: ſo the Samaritanes had the dwellings of the former patriarkes; who dwelt in thoſe places. And by reaſon of theſe places, they defended and comforted themſelues againſt the Iewes, when as they had nothinge of Iacobs religion; as alſo the Iewes nothing of Dauids holines. Thus farre Ferus. The like may be ſaid of the ſucceſſion of the Romane Biſhop. Succeſſion of place without faith is nothing.

Ferus of the preaching of the Goſpell thorough all the world, before the ende of the world, writes thus: The goſpell came before the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, euen to the verie end of the world: but it ſhalbe fulfilled more perfectly, before the end of the world. Let vsus marke how (he ſaith) that the goſpell ſhall be preached further and more perfectlie nowe, In cap. 24. Mat.then in the Apoſtles daies. And after: Behold the goodneſſe of God, hee might iuſtlie condemne vsus, and yet he deferreth his iudgment till all be called to merciemercy. Before he deſtroied all men with the floud, Noe admoniſhed them an hundred yeares; before he deſtroyed Egypt, firſt he ſent Moſes▪ Euen ſo before the vniuerſall iudgement, firſt he calles all to mercy, by the goſpell. And after: To the good the goſpell is to their ſaluation, but a teſtimonie againſt the wicked. Let all men take heede then now, that make light accompt of the goſpell, & marke not the doctrine conteyned therin, leaſt it be a teſtimonie againſt them, to condemne them.

p. 277And againe, he writes thus: Marke that that Ieruſalem, on whom Chriſt pronounced the ſentence of deſtruction, ſignifies the world; and the Temple of God in the world is the Temple of the faithfull: Therefore in the Church he foretold, that there ſhoulde be an abhomination before the end of the world. To abhorre, is to execrate, to loath, to diſdaine, not to ſuffer; to throw a thinge away, with diſdaine or indignatiō. Hence an abomination or a thing abominable that is called, which engenders an abhorring, loathing, or deteſtation: But no outward vncleannes God doth loath, but our ſinnes. Hereof verie often, and for the moſt part, they are called abominations in the ſcripture, as for example: The way of the vngodly is abomination vntounto the Lord; but the greateſt abomination of all other in the ſcriptures, is Idolatrie, impietie, hereſie, and falling away frō God. Therfore after this māner, Chriſt doth ſaie, that there ſhalbe abomination in the Church, that is, an apoſtacie or departing from God; And that not any meane departing or falling away; but ſuch a one as ſhall bring deſolation with it: that is, ſhall vtterlie goe about to ouerthrow chriſtian religion. And this abomination, S. Iohn meanes in the Reuelation, ſometime by the beaſt, to which the Dragō hath giuen his power; ſomtime by the woman ſitting on the beaſt and making all Nations drunken of the wine of her fornication. Of which S. Paul ſpeaketh more plainely, vnleſſe (ſaith he) that a departing come firſt & that, that man of ſinne be reueiled, &c. Therefore this abomination is nothing elſe, then the kingdome and tyrannie of Antichriſt, or the falling away from god, which ſhalbe vnderunder his kingdom. And ſée how euidentlie, in theſe fewe wordes hee deſcribes this kingdome of Antichriſt: firſt, It ſhalbe nothing elſe but an abomination. Secondly, it ſhall make a deſolation of true faith and religion. Thirdly, it ſhall ſitte in the Church. This abomination ſhall reſt in the hearts of men, that externally they ſhall ſéeme the temples of God: but inwardly in ſtead of Chriſt, an Idoll ſhall ſit: That is, this abomination ſhall poliſh it ſelfe, with a faire ſhew; that it ſhall be able to beguile the ſaints, vnleſſe they were by Gods power preſerued.

What can be more manifeſtlie ſayde then this? that there ſhalbe in the Church of Chriſt ſuch an abomination, that ſhall quite ouerthrow all true religion; and ſhall poliſh it ſelfe with a great ſhew of holines? Doth not this plainly paint out poperie: p. 280who will venter the health of his ſoule vponupon the name of the Church, wherein his abomination ſhall reſt, and that with ſuch a great ſhew of holines? But he goes forward: When you ſhall ſee the abomination, that is, when that ſonne of perdition ſhall make himſelfe manifeſt, (For he ſhalbee made manifeſt.) Although his kingdome begun by and by in the Apoſtles time, as Paul ſaith, Now the myſterie of iniquitie worketh: And Iohn ſaith. Now there are many Antichriſtes: yea euen as Chriſts kingdome began from that iuſt Abell; ſo the kingdome of Antichriſt, from that wicked Caine yet in the end of the world, that impietie ſhall manifeſtly diſcouer it ſelfe: and of this Chriſt here puts vsus in minde. And Chriſt hath added: He that readeth let him vnderſtand: By which word he giues vsus to vnderſtād, that that abomination & apoſtaſie ſhall creepe in ſo ſecretly, that none vnleſſe he be verie attētiue & watchfull, ſhalbe able to perceiue the ſame. The which is moſt worthie of marking, otherwiſe the ſame thing ſhall happen to vsus with Antichriſt, as befell to the Iewes, with the true Chriſt: for they onelyonly looked for in Chriſt promiſed an earthlie kingdome, worldlie iuriſdiction and peace: This they gaped after, and do as yet gape for. In the meane while, they knew not Chriſt being preſent amōg thē: yea they cōdemned him, as a wicked man to death: who, if they had cōpared Chriſts doctrine & miracles to the ſcriptures, might eaſilie hauehave knowne him. So it falles out, for the moſt part with vsus; we marke onelyonly thoſe thinges which are externally ſpokē of Antichriſt, which as long as we ſee not, we liue careleſſe. And in the mean time, no mā marks that this abomination, in many things is fulfilled dayly, which one ſhall eaſilie perceiue, that compareth Chriſts doctrine to our times. Marke therefore, that as Chriſt came firſt ſecretly; ſo that he was knowne, but of a few, neither did it appeare who he was, before that he had ouercome the Diuell and Death; but theſe being ouercome, when as he raigned, then at laſt, he appeared to the world, by the preaching of the Apoſtles; All power (ſaith hee) is giuen to mee, goe yee therefore and teach, &c. So the kingdome of Antichriſt enters in ſecretly; neyther ſhall it be perceiued, till he hath gotten poſſeſſion of the temple, and then ſhall Antichriſt himſelfe appeare. To conclude, if Chriſt at the firſt had ſhewed who he had been, all men would hauehave receiued him: So the Deuill, if in the beginning, hee ſhould hauehave ſhewed his wickedneſſe manifeſtly, all would hauehave fled from him. p. 277Againe, as Chriſts kingdome began, before hee appeared in the fleſh; for all the elect from Abel, euen to the worlds ende, belong to the kingdome of Chriſt, and are one bodie with him: So Antichriſts kingdome began before he appeared himſelfe, as S. Paul ſaith, the myſterie of iniquity worketh, which ſhalbe reueiled in his time: yea all the wicked from Cain, euen to the laſt of them, doe belong to the kingdome of Antichriſt, & are one bodie with him. Let eueryevery bodie nowe conſider himſelfe, and ſearch the Temple of his hart leaſt peraduēture he find any thing of Antichriſts kingdom & abomination, that is of Idolatrie in himſelfe. Which that thou maiſt the better doe: Take with thee the firſt commaundement, wherein wee are taught, to hauehave but one God. If thou findeſt any thing in thy ſelfe, wherein thou truſteſt, beſides God, whether it be any externall thing, as to truſt in thine owne righteouſnes and merits, now thou haſt that abomination in thy heart and that true Antichriſt: For Chriſt teacheth contrarie thinges. If thou heareſt or ſeeſt any thing in the Church, which is repugnant to the doctrine of Chriſt & to his life, that truly belonges to the kingdome of Antichriſt: for this is a true ſaying, He that is not with me, is againſt me.

Thus farre Ferus. And ſecondlie here we may not, that Antichriſt ſhall come in cloſelie and priuilie, that he ſhall poſſeſſe y^e temple, that is the heart of man; and that the onelie way to diſcouer him, is by the ſcriptures; that all doctrines contrarye to them are Antichriſtian: And that this is a principall braunch of antichriſtian doctrine (to taſte of one for all) to truſt in our owne merits, or righteouſnes. And is not this moſt euidentlie to affirme, that the Church of Rome is the ſeate of Antichriſt, who hath taught, and doth teach this doctrine?

Againe vponupon theſe wordes; Behold here is Chriſt, or there, Ferus writes thus: Doe the falſe prophets preach Chriſt? yea verelie: for to preach Chriſt, is to preach righteouſnes, ſanctification, forgiuenes of ſinnes, and redemption. For Chriſt is become al theſe thinges vntounto vsus. And theſe thinges the falſe Prophets preach, how we may obtaine righteouſnes and redemption: But they teach not that we muſt looke for and ſeeke theſe thinges onelyonly from Chriſt, and onelyonly by Chriſt. Yea they neglecting Chriſt, doe teach to ſeeke for righteouſnes and forgiuenes of ſinnes in other thinges: Behold ſay they: here or there is Chriſt, which in deede is to ſeduce, and leade out of the way. For theſe thinges are founde no where elſe p. 280but in Chriſt. There is no other name vnderunder heauen, by which wee muſt be ſaued. Thus farre Ferus. If this be true, then let all the world iudge, who be falſe prophets, whether the Papiſts or wee, who teach all men to truſt onelie in Chriſt, and by his meanes onelyonly, to ſéeke for all good thinges at Gods handes: when as they teach men to truſt in their owne works, and to hope for remiſſion of ſinnes, by the merits of their friers: which things onlie are to bee founde in Chriſt, ſaith Ferus, and in nothing elſe. This doctrine Ferus taught, & we teach. But the latter edition of Ferus printed at Rome, hath thus corrupted Ferus. To preach Chriſt, is to preach righteouſnes, ſanctification, remiſſiō of ſinnes, & redemptiō; for Chriſt is become all theſe thinges vntounto vsus. Theſe thinges alſo the falſe prophets preach, how we ſhall obtaine righteouſnes and redemption, but they teach not vsus to obtaine theſe things by Chriſt, & his ſacramēts, and following his ſteps: yea they neglecting theſe, do teach vsus to ſeek for righteouſnes, & remiſſiō of ſinnes, through a vaine & raſh confidence. Behold (ſaie they) here & there is Chriſt: The which is in truth to ſeduce: for theſe things are to be founde no where elſe, then in the Catholike Church his ſpouſe by Chriſt. Thus the Romane edition enterlaceth and addes to Ferus. They doe miſlike, that righteouſnes and remiſſion of ſinnes ſhould be obtained from Chriſt, and by Chriſt: They will hauehave (as ſhould ſéeme) our owne workes, and their ſacraments of pardones ioyned with him, and their Church: For that they meane by the Catholique Church. This they would force Ferus to teach, which he neuer taught.

But Ferus in his true originall concludes this matter thus: Chriſt therefore meanes in theſe wordes, that wee ſhould hope or looke for no other Chriſt, but him, that is, that we ſhould ſeek for righteouſnes, ſaluation, remiſſion of ſinnes, of him alone; nothing regarding if the falſe prophets taught any other thinge. Secondly, of theſe wordes thou haſt taught thee that Chriſt is tyed to no place, outward ſhew, peculiar kinde of worſhippe or ſtate of men, that he ſhould be found there alone, and no where elſe; otherwiſe all men muſt be forced to goe to one place, or to be of one trade. He is not bounde to Ieruſalem nor to any other Citie, that there all men ſhould finde him: neyther that he ſhould bee founde of any other, but of him that went thither: Chriſt may be founde in eueryevery Citie, and in eueryevery ſtate and trade of mans life, which is not repugnant p. 281to the word of God. There are two things, to which he hath bound himſelfe, & wherein he hath foretold that he may be found, that is to ſaie, his word, and his ſacraments annexed to his worde. There thou ſhalt finde Chriſt in deede, neither is hee a falſe Prophet that ſendeth thee thither.

Thus farre Ferus. Where wee may note, that to teach men to ſéeke for righteouſnes, in any other thinge, then in Chriſt, is to looke for another Chriſt: is to denie Chriſt to becomed in the fleſh: And therefore is to be a diſciple of Antichriſt. Though they ſéeme neuer ſo much to reuerence Chriſt with their toongs, if they beleeue not with their hearts, that he is ſuch a Chriſt, as the goſpell teacheth, that he alone is our righteouſnes: they are of Antichriſt. Secondlie, if we will hauehave Chriſt, we muſt ſéeke him in his word: He is tyed to no place but to it. How greatlie then did they beguile our forefathers, which taught them to goe a pilgrimage, to vndertake great iournies to ſéek Chriſt at Ieruſalem, and other places; and in the meane time negelectd and neuer regarded his word? Surelie they taught men the wrong waie to finde Chriſt, if this be true that Ferus taught; which is moſt true. No nor if Chriſt bee not tied to any one ſtate of men more, then to another: then not to their Friers (as they bragge he is) more then to anie other kinde of men. If this doctrine had been taught our forefathers, I thinke they would not hauehave beſtowed their landes vponupon Frieries and Monaſteries, as they did. Laſtlie, whereas Ferus ſaith, that Chriſt is only tyed to his word, and ſacraments annexed to his word: the Romane edition leaues out (Annexed to his word) as though there might be ſacraments not annexed or grounded vponupon the word of God: As in truth manie of their ſacraments are.

Againe, Ferus vponupon theſe words (Let them that be in Iewrie flie vntounto the hilles) writes thus: But whither muſt we flie? To the hils, to the higher places, As he did which ſaide, I hauehave lift vp mine eies vntounto the hilles, from whence commeth my helpe. And alſo, In thee O Lord, hauehave I put my truſt, I ſhall neuer bee put to confuſion: And, I hauehave lift vp my ſoule vntounto thee. Happie is hee that hath fled to the hilles, he ſhalbe ſafe in deede. Ferus heere by theſe hilles, meanes heauen, and that we muſt truſt onelie in God: as is moſt manifeſt by the ſcriptures he alleadgeth. The Romane edition addeth, Wee muſt flie vntounto the hilles, that is, to the Catholique p. 282Church And to the ſuperior places, as he did ſhal ſaid: I hauehave lift vp mine eies vntounto the hilles, &c. They would hauehave men truſt in their Church, as ſhould ſéeme: And ſo they abuſe both Ferus meaning, and the Scriptures he alleadgeth; which cannot be referred to the Church, but to God alone.

Gagneius vponupon that place of S. Peter (Babylon Coelected) writes: That the Greeke ſcholia, and al other interpretors doe interprete Rome to be Babylon, which he ſo calles for the confuſion of their Idols. Where we maie note firſt, that Peter makes himſelfe equall with other elders, calling himſelfe Compreſbyterum, that is, a fellowe elder, in his former epiſtle. And in this his ſecond epiſtle (If Babylon be Rome) as Gagneius ſéemes to affirme, he makes it equal with other Churches, calling it Coelected, that is, equallie choſē of God with other Churches. And what prerogatiue then can either Peters ſucceſſors, or the Church of Rome challeng? Secondlie, if by al interpretors iudgments, as Gagneius affirmes, by Babylon Rome is vnderſtood; then no doubt this ſéemes to giuegive a light to S. Iohns Reuelation, foreſhewing where that Babylon ſhould be, which he ſhould prophecie of. For all the ſcriptures are as a golden chaine, one linked within another; and like that ſtrange whéele Exechiel ſawe: A wheele appeared on the earth by the beaſts, hauing foure faces. The faſhion of the wheeles and their worke was like a Chriſolite; Eze. 1.15.Ezek 1:15and they foure had one forme, And their faſhion and their worke was, as one wheele in another wheele. This ſtrange whéele, no doubt, repreſented the goſpell: The ſcriptures agrée altogither: S. Peter and S. Iohn did meane one Babylon. And that former is Rome by Gagneius and all interpretors iudgments: And ſurelie the ſecond alſo. Who will now then, if he doe but marke theſe two places conferred togither, (for in ſcriptures one place expoundes another) looke for anie good from thence?

Againe: if Peter had béene made head of the Church, by our ſauiour; he had ſinned in not taking that power and authoritie vppon him, in debaſing himſelfe and making himſelfe equall with other paſtors.In 1. cap. Luc. Stella ſaith; That it is humilitie to accept any honour offered of God: And it were pride to put any let or hinderance vntounto it. How then did not Peter here by Stella his iudgment, offend in pride, in putting a ſtoppe or hinderance to that authoritie, which our ſauiour had giuen him; when as he makes p. 283himſelfe equal with other paſtors? That place of S Paul, which they alleadge for the authoritie of the Church of Rome ouer all the world: I thanke my God, thorowe Ieſus Chriſt for you all; becauſe your faith is publiſhed thorowe the whole world: In 2. cap. LucStella expounds, That is, in manie places. Stella alſo of the obedience to the ciuill magiſtrate, writes thus: That wee are taught in this place, firſt by this fact of our Sauiour, that the authoritie of a kinge is of God, which is both worthie of honour and reuerence. So hee payde tribute to Caeſar, and to the tol gatherers of Caeſar, he would that tribute ſhould bee paide of Peter: and being asked whether tribute ſhould be payde to Caeſar; hee anſwered: GiueGive to Caeſar the thinges that are Caeſars. He would be ſubiect to lawes euen from the beginning of his birth, leaſt he which ſhould bee to others an example of life, and holineſſe, ſhould trouble the cōmon wealth; which alſo came to amende that was amiſſe, that he might alſo inſinuate, that a iuſt Empire hath lawes acceptable to all mē, while the common wealth is maintained in peace & iuſtice. And for this cauſe no man ought to reſiſt the higher powers, when as Chriſt the example of humilitie would be ſubiect vntounto them. Thus farre Stella. He excepts none from that ſubiection, and obedience, and paying of tribute, neither Pope nor cleargie. And whereas the Papiſts ſaye that one miniſteriall head is neceſſarie for the gouernment of the Church,Auguſt. in pſal. 56. and that ſuch a head is the Pope; S. Auſten concerning this matter writes thus: Becauſe all Chriſt is a head, & a bodie, which I doe not doubt but that you knowe well enough, our Sauiour himſelfe the head, who ſuffered vnderunder Pontius Pilate, who now after he roſe from the dead, fitteth at the right hand of his father: The Church is his bodie, not this Church or that Church, but that which is ſpred ouer the whole world; nor that onelyonly which is among men, which now preſently liue, but they alſo belonging to her, which were before vsus, and thoſe alſo which ſhalbe after vsus, to the worlds ende. For the whole church conſiſting of all the faithfull, becauſe all the faithfull are mē bers of Chriſt, hath now that head which is now placed in heauen, which gouernes his bodie. And although hee bee ſeparated from ſight, yet hee is not ſeparated from louelove: Therefore, becauſe all Chriſt is a head and his bodie, therfore in al Pſalmes, let vsus ſo heare the voice of our head, as we alſo heare the voice of his bodie: For he would not ſpeake ſeuerally, becauſe he would not be ſeparated. Saying: I am with you euen vntounto the ende of the world: If hee bee p. 284with vsus, he ſpeakes in vsus; he ſpeakes of vsus; and hee ſpeakes by vsus; becauſe we ſpeake by him. And therefore we ſpeake truth, becauſe we ſpeake in him. For if at any time wee ſhall ſpeake in our ſelues, and of our ſelues; we ſhall continue liers. Thus far Auſten: where he ſaith plainly, that Chriſt himſelfe is a head, gouerning his Church: And that which is the chief part of a gouernor, he ſpeakes vntounto it; and that not by anie one, but by all his miniſters:Fer. in 14. ca. Ioh. To whome hee hath promiſed, He wil be with to the end of the world. And how this gouernment is executed, that is by his holie ſpirit, Ferus verie excellentlie declares: Chriſt alwaies (ſaith he) doth the part of a moſt faithfull Father. For euen as a father his children being yet young, doth not onelyonly leaue them his inheritance, and all the goods he hath, but alſo placeth Tutors and guardians ouer them, that may keepe that inheritance for his children, and may reſiſt thoſe that would iniurie them; which thing the children themſelues & orphanes could not doe. So Chriſt here being not content by his teſtament to leaue vsus his inheritance and his goods but moreouer he promiſeth and appointeth the holie ſpirit to be our tutor and guardian, who ſhould take vponupon him the care, and guardianſhippe of his Orphanes, and ſhould in euerie court before any Iudge, King, or tyraunt, defende by his lawfull pleading, the inheritance of the father bequeathed them in his teſtament; nay written with his owne bloud: and ſhould hauehave a care, leaſt the children by their owne negligence ſhould loſe their inheritance: Thus farre Ferus. Now to be appointed tutor or guardian of the church; what is it elſe but to be appointed gouernour of the Church?

Ieron. in 4. ca. Mal.The Papiſts doe teach, that before Antichriſt, Elias in his owne perſon ſhall come. Concerning which thing, Ierome writes thus: The Iewes, and heretiques following the Iewes, before their Meſſias thinke that Elias ſhall come, & ſhall reſtore all things: And hereupon in the Goſpell this queſtion was made to Chriſt: Why the Phariſees doe ſay, that Elias ſhall come? To whome he anſwered: Helias truly ſhall come; And if you beleeue, he is comed alreadie, by Elias meaning Iohn. Thus much Ierome: Where we may note, that Ierome calles them Iewiſh heretiques, that looke for Elias: And yet the Papiſtes at this daie looke for Elias. If this had béen a point of Catholique doctrine, in the Church in Ieromes daies, no doubt, hee would not hauehave béen ignorant of it: neither would he hauehave called the profeſſors p. 285thereof, heretiques. So that it ſhould ſéeme, the papiſts opinion concerning Antichriſt, was comed ſince Ieroms daies: whereof this comming of Elias, is a principall braunch. And that the Papiſts are of this opinion, Gagneius writes thus: Neither in this place, a myſtical expoſition of the number, Gag. in cap. xx. Apoc.can fitly be applied, when as in deede in the time of Antichriſt, that Elias ſhall come and preach, according to the teſtimonie of Malachie, we holde for a ſuretie. Maiſter Bellarmine alſo affirmes the ſame:De Rom. pont. lib. 5. cap. 6. The third demonſtration (ſaith he) is drawne from the comming of Enoch and Elias, which as yet liue; and liue to this ende, that they may oppoſe themſelues againſt Antichriſt when he commeth, and ſhould preſerue the elect in the faith of Chriſt, and at the length ſhould conuert the Iewes. Theſe are the cauſes why Maiſter Bellarmine ſaith, that Elias and Enoch ſhall come.

But theſe cauſes hauehave no ground in the ſcripture, and therfore the effect of them ſhall not follow. For S. Paul ſaith,Eph. 6.17.Eph 6:17 that the word of God is the ſword of the ſpirit; with which ſworde, no doubt, all Gods enemies, amongſt whom Antichriſt is chiefe, muſt be wounded and confounded. And S. Paul ſaith plainly, that Antichriſt muſt be conſumed, with the breath of Gods mouth: 2. Theſſ. 2.8.2 Thess 2:8that is, no doubt, with this ſword. And as our Sauiour Chriſt fought againſt Antichriſts father the Deuill, ſaying:Luk. 4.48.Luke 4:48 It is written; and not ſaying, thus it is taught by tradition: ſo muſt all his ſouldiers fight againſt his ſonne, the ſonne of perdition Antichriſt himſelfe, ſaying, Thus it is written: Euerie Chriſtian armed with the ſword of the ſpirit, that is with the word of God, muſt oppoſe himſelfe againſt Antichriſt. This ſword is able to confound him and cut off his head. There néedes not Elias and Enoch to come to oppoſe themſelues againſt him. They blunt the edge of this ſword, which teach this doctrine. And with this ſword alſo Saint Iohn armes euerie Chriſtian againſt Antichriſt: Theſe things hauehave I written vntounto you, 1. Ep. 2.26.as concerning thoſe that deceiue you: and the annointing yee hauehave receiued of him, abideth in you; ſo that no man needeth to teach you any thing, no not Elias nor Enoch. We may note here, how that he armeth the faithfull onelyonly with the Scripture, and the holie ſpirit, againſt Antichriſt; and that they neede no other armour. And againe: I write vntounto you children, Verſe 14.that you hauehave knowne the p. 286father; I write vntounto you fathers, that you hauehave knowne him that was from the beginning; I write vntounto you young men, that you are ſtrong, and the word of God dwelleth in you. The worde of God, is the knowledge and light of olde men, againſt Sathan and his ſonne Antichriſt; and the ſtrength alſo of young men, to wraſtle and encounter with them both: and with this they being ſtrengthened, they are able to ouercome them.

Saint Paul alſo ſpeaking of Antichriſt and of his members, which by and by after his departure ſhould ſuccéed in the church, ſaieth thus:Act. 20 24.Acts 20:24 I knowe this, that after my departure, ſhall grieuous Wolues enter in amongst you, not sparing the flocke: and from amongst your ſelues, ſhall men ariſe speaking peruerſe things, to drawe away the Diſciples after them. Therefore watch ye, remembring how by the space of three yeeres, night and day, I hauehave not ceaſed to warne euerie one of you. And now brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you further (then I hauehave as yet builded you) and to giuegive you an inheritance amongst all thoſe which ſhall be ſanctified. Here Saint Paul teacheth, that Wolues ſhall ſuccéede in the Church: and no doubt theſe were the members of Antichriſt. Againſt theſe, as a faithfull Paſtor, he commits his ſhéepe to God, and to the word of God, which is able to build them further; naie to preſerue them ſafe and ſound from all errors and dangers in the wilderneſſe of this worlde, and to bring them euen to heauen, if ſo be that they ſhall follow onelyonly the direction of it. And here alſo, we maie learne an excellent commendation of the worde of God; it is a bottomeleſſe pitte; no man can euer come to the depth thereof: ſo that of it, that ſaying of Saint Auſten is verified. So great is the depth of the holy Scriptures, that I ſhould euerie day profit in the ſtudy of them, Aug. ep. 3.if from mine infancie till I were a verie olde man I ſhould learne them, hauing neuer ſo much leiſure, ſtudying neuer ſo earneſtly, and hauing neuer ſo good a wit: they are ſtill able to build further. This teſtimonie Saint Paul and Saint Auſten yéelde to the worde of God; and what néedes Maiſter Bellarmine then, to adde the comming of Elias and Enoch, as neceſſarie to preſerue the elect in the faith? as though the worde of God were not ſufficient. Our Sauiour himſelfe in the Goſpell teacheth the ſame doctrine, and that it is dangerous to beléeue anie p. 287riſing againe frō the dead, whoſoeuer they are, in points of ſaluation:Luk. 16.31.Luke 16:31 They hauehave Moſes & the prophets ſaith Abraham the father of the faithful; if they will not beleeue them, neither wil they beleeue if anie ariſe from the dead againe; no, if it were Enoch and Elias. This leſſon Abraham by our ſauiours teſtimonie, hath taught all his children; and yet by Maiſter Bellarmine his iudgement, the faithfull muſt looke for Elias and Enoch to come to preſerue them in y^e faith Eſay alſo oppoſeth the word of God againſt all doctrines of dead men whatſoeuer:Eſay 8.20.Isa 8:20 Should not a people enquire of their God? From the liuing to the dead (will you ſeeke?) To the lawe and to the teſtimonie. Pſal. 119.105.Ps 119:105The lawe and the teſtimonie muſt be a light to our feet; our counſellers in all controuerſies and doubts, as alſo they were Dauids.

Chryſoſtome vponupon Matthew, writes thus of Antichriſt, and of the onelyonly way to bewray him: Then, that is, Chryſ. Ho. 49. in ca. 24. Mat.when Antichriſts kingdome ſhall come, they which are in Iewrie, let them flie vntounto the hilles. Theſe things are to be vnderſtood ſpiritually thus: Then when you ſhall ſee the abomination of deſolation, ſitting in the holy place, that is, when you ſhall ſee a wicked hereſie, which is the hoſt of Antichriſt, ſtanding in the holy places of the Church: at that time, they which are in Iewrie, let them flie to the hilles, that is, they which are Chriſtians, let them get them to the Scriptures. For as the true Iewe is a Chriſtian, as the Apoſtle ſaith, not he which is a Iew openly, but he which is a Iew in ſecret: ſo chriſtendome is true Iewrie, whoſe name ſignifies confeſſion or thanksgiuing: and the hilles are the writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles, of which hilles it is ſaid, Thou wonderfully giueſt light from the eternall hilles. And againe, of the Church he ſaith, the foundations are vponupon the holy hilles.

And why doth he command all chriſtians at this time to get them to the ſcriptures? Becauſe at that time ſince that hereſy hath taken place in the Church, there can be no other proofe or triall of true chriſtianitie; nor any other help for chriſtians, which thē would know which is the true faith, but the holy Scriptures. Before by many meanes it might be ſhewed, which was the church of Chriſt, and which was the heatheniſh Synagogue. But now, they which will know which is the true Church, can know it by no meanes elſe, but onelyonly by the Scriptures. And after, Therefore the Lord knowing what a great confuſion of all things ſhould be in the latter p. 288daies; therefore he commaunds, that Chriſtians which would be ſure to know the true faith, ſhould flie to nothing elſe but to the Scriptures. Here we maie firſt learne, what Antichriſt is, not a Deuill incarnate, as the Papiſts imagine; but a wicked hereſie, which ſhall take poſſeſſion in the Church: nay in the beginning of that Homily he ſaith, That when as all hereſies are as it were the hoſt of Antichriſt: yet eſpecially that, which ſhall take vponupon it the face and roume of the Church, Quae obtinuit eccleſiae locum, & stetit in loco ſancto, ita vt videatur quaſi verbum veritatis ſtetiſſe; cum non ſit verbum veritatis, ſed abominatio deſolationis, id eſt, exercitus Antichriſts, qui multorum animas reddidit deſolatas à Deo: which hath borne the ſhew of the Church; ſo that it ſeemed to hauehave continued in the holy place, as the word of truth; when as it is not the word of truth, but the abhomination of deſolation, that is the hoſt of Antichriſt, which ſhall make many mens ſoules deſtitute of God. And dare anie man then venture his ſaluation vponupon the bare name and ſhewe of the Church? He ſaith here plainlie, that Antichriſts hereſie ſhall hauehave the roume and ſhewe of the Church. Therefore it is dangerous onelyonly to relie vponupon the Church, as manie doe nowe. Chryſoſtome (or whoſoeuer he was that wrote this booke) a verie auncient and learned Chriſtian was of this iudgment long before Antichriſt came: and ſhall we now not beleeue it, ſeeing it with our eies? And he addeth, that the onelyonly way nowe to trie the truth, is by the Scriptures: This is his counſell. And the Pope herein by diſſwading men from reading the ſcriptures, declares plainely, that hee is Antichriſt: for as the Goſpell teacheth, He that doth euill hateth the light, and will not come neere it. Why ſhould the Pope debarre men from reading the ſcriptures, but that he feares they would diſcouer his darkeneſſe and falſe doctrines? Neither is the comming of Elias and Enoch neceſſarie for the conuerſion of the Iewes. The ſcriptures doe teach vsus other meanes of their conuerſion: Euen to this daie (ſaith Saint Paul) when Moſes is read, 1. Cor. 3.15.1 Cor 3:15there is a vaile put ouer the hearts of the Iewes; but when they ſhall returne to the Lord, the vaile ſhall be taken away. It is God alone which muſt take awaie the vailes from their hearts, and then they ſhall be conuerted.Pſal. 119.18.Ps 119:18 As Dauid alſo prayeth: O Lord take awaie the vaile from mine eies, and I ſhall beholde the wondrous things of p. 289thy law. And in another place ſaint Paul writes thus: If the reiecting of them were the reconciliation of the world, Ro. 11 15.Rom 11:15what is the reſumption and taking them againe, but euen life from death? The conuerſion of the Iewes then, and their reſumption is euen as it were of dead men to make liuing men. And this is the worke of God alone. And this worke doth he worke euen in a moment as many hiſtories do proue. That hereof then, no Chriſtian may dreame of any long continuance of this world, becauſe the Iewes are not as yet conuerted, when as their conuerſion is of the hand and power of God, as ſaint Paul plainly teacheth, and not of the comming and preaching of Enoch and Elias; and is as it were putting life into dead men, which God can doe in a minute.

And of the ouerthrowing of Antichriſt,2. Theſ. 2.82 Thess 2:8 Saint Paul alſo writes thus: That he ſhall be conſumed by little and little, by the Spirit of Gods mouth, and ſhall be quite aboliſhed by his glorious appearance. Ieſus Chriſt himſelfe by his word, and by his owne preſence ſhall conſume and quite deſtroie Antichriſt: he ſhall not need the miniſterie of Elias and Enoch. The prophet Zacharie alſo prophecying moſt manifeſtly of the conuerſion of the Iewes, attributes it to Gods extraordinary merciemercy, and not to the preaching of Elias and Enoch: And I will powre out (ſaith God) vponupon the houſe of Dauid, and vponupon the inhabitants of Ieruſalem the ſpirit of grace and prayers, or of merciemercy. (For the hebrew word may ſignifie both.Zach. 12.10.Zech 12:10) And they ſhall looke vponupon him whō they hauehave thruſt thorow, & they ſhall lament ouer him as one doth ouer his onelyonly begotten, and the whole land ſhall lament family to family by themſelues; the family of the houſe of Dauid apart, &c. And here in this waightie matter concerning the fulfilling & explication of this prophecy, to let all mens interpretations paſſe, the holie ghoſt it ſelfe, by whom the prophet ſpake, is the beſt interpreter of this prophecie, and teacheth vsus moſt plainly in whom, and when it ſhall be fulfilled. As concerning the firſt, in whom it ſhall be fulfilled, ſaint Iohn in his goſpell tels vsus plainly: That it ſhall be fulfilled in thoſe Iewes that put Chriſt to death, and cauſed him to be pearced with a ſpeare.Io. 19.37.John 19:37 For he ſaith that therefore, one of the ſouldiers thruſt him thorow with a ſpeare, that that ſcripture might be fulfilled. And they ſhall behold him, whom they hauehave pearced. That was done then, that p. 290this might be fulfilled hereafter: So that of the perſons, vponupon whom this prophecie ſhall be fulfilled, it is plaine, that by Saint Iohns interpretation, they are the true naturall Iewes; and not as ſome hauehave here allegorically gone about to expound this place, the ſpirituall Iewes, that is, vsus Chriſtians. And if S. Iohn here do plainly affirme, that this latter branch of Zacharias prophecie ſhall be fulfilled in the true Iewes; I will adde that then likewiſe the former branch of this prophecie, that is, That God will powre vponupon them the ſpirit of grace and merciemercy, ſhall be fulfilled in them. We may not diſmember the prophecies of God: If the latter part be verified in them; then ſurely it neceſſarily inferres, that the former is verified alſo. And at what time all this ſhall be fulfilled, the ſame ſaint Iohn in another place declares. Behold (ſaith he) he comes in the clouds, and all eies ſhall ſee him, Reue. 1.7.Rev 1:7yea euen they which hauehave pearced him, and all the tribes of the earth ſhall lament ouer him. Amen. That this ſhall be fulfilled in the day of iudgement, here ſaint Iohn plainly affirmes: and he alſo ads that wéeping, whereof Zacharie maketh mention, to make the matter more plaine.

And that this wéeping which Zacharie ſpeakes of, ſhall be of ſuch as ſhall be ſaued, is manifeſt hereby: firſt, that the prophet ſaith, That God will powre vponupon them the ſpirit of grace and mercy. This powring this aboundance of grace and merciemercy, argues, no doubt, the hainouſnes and the miſerablenes of their eſtate, wherein they are euen now: alſo it argues their fauourable acceptation and pardon at Gods hands. And that alſo it ſhal be of ſuch as ſhall be ſaued, appeares hereby, that the prophet declares the manner thereof ſo apparantly, euen twiſe togither. They ſhall lament him (ſaith he) as one that lamenteth bitterly for his onelie ſonne, and they ſhall be ſorie for him, as one that is ſorie for his firſt borne. No doubt this argues that this their repentance ſhall be ſyncere,Gen 34. Heb. 12. Mat. 27.4. Luke. 7.3. Mat. 26.7 8.Gen 34Heb 12Matt 27:4Luke 7:3Matt 26:7 euen from the bottome of their hearts: not like Eſaus or Iudas his repentance; but like Marie Magdalens, and Peters. So that to expound this place of vsus Chriſtians, who are ſpirituall Iewes, ſeemes not to agrée naturally with the text, and alſo to gainſay ſaint Iohns expoſition. Who ſaith, that Chriſt was pearced with a ſpeare, that the ſcripture might be fulfilled in them: and that not then, but hereafter: And they ſhal ſee him whom they hauehave pearced. Neither do we p. 291read of anie ſuch generall mourning required or practiſed of the ſpirituall Iewes, that is, of vsus Chriſtians when we were conuerted. In the Acts of the Apoſtles:Act. 2.37.41.Acts 2:37Acts 2:41 They were pricked in their hearts we read; and of their baptiſme: but of the teares of anie, we read not.

Neither was it fulfilled in thoſe women, which when Chriſt was led to his paſſion, came weeping after him. Luke. 23.27.Luke 23:27For theſe were but certaine women: neither do we read that they wept apart, but altogither, neither that anie men wept with them, but women onelyonly. And thoſe women wept before he was pierced; but this which Zacharie ſpeaks of, ſhall be after. Neither was it fulfilled in the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, as ſome other hauehave expounded it. Becauſe the incredulous Iewes, hauing now quite forgotten the death of Chriſt, when as Ieruſalem was deſtroyed, neuer thought of Chriſt: neither that they ſuffered all thoſe euils for his ſake, but rather for the ſins of ſome ſeditious perſons, and of ſome other that then were in the citie, as Ioſephus himſelfe thought: I will not refuſe to ſpeake that (ſaith hée) which ſorrow enforceth me to ſpeake: I ſuppoſe, Lib. 6. de bel. Iudaic. cap. 16.that if the Romans had not comed againſt thoſe wicked perſons, that either the citie ſhould hauehave beene deſtroyed by ſome earthquake, or ouerflowed with ſome Deluge, or ſhould hauehave beene conſumed with thunder and lightning from heauen, as was Sodom. For ſhe then had brought forth a farre more wicked brood then euer Sodome did. To conclude, togither with their wickednes, paſt all cure, the whole people alſo periſhed. So that this prophecie is to be fulfilled in the true naturall Iewes, and as yet it hath not béene fulfilled in them.

And no doubt our bleſſed Sauiour himſelfe in the Goſpel had relation to the prophecie of Zacharie, Mat. 24.…0.Matt 24who ſpeaking of the day of iudgement, ſaith: Then ſhall appeare the ſigne of the ſonne of man in heauen, and then ſhall all the kinreds of the earth weepe: And they ſhall ſee the ſonne of man comming in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie. What other ſigne can any man iudge here to be meant, then the ſigne of the croſſe? the glorie & brightnes of Ieſus Chriſt going before him cannot be that ſigne, for of that he ads a little after: Then ſhall they ſee the ſon of man come in the clouds of heauen with power and great glorie. But before this great glorie, ſhall this ſigne appeare: So p. 292that, it cannot be properly this great glorie. They are two diſtinct things. Let vsus marke diligently here alſo, how the Euangeliſt cals it the ſigne of the ſonne of man, and not the ſigne of the ſonne of God. And therefore ſhall be an humble and not a glorious ſigne. All the whole life of our Sauiour was humble: but eſpecially in his death on the croſſe he declared this his humilitie. That he touched leapers: that he talked ſo familiarly with that ſinfull woman of Samaria: that he was baptiſed of Iohn: Mat. 8.3 Io. 4.7 Mat. 3.15. Ioh. 13.5. Phil. 2.6.Matt 8Matt 3:15John 13:5Phil 2:6nay that he waſhed his Apoſtles feete: but aboue all other ſignes of his humilitie, this was the greateſt, that he died vponupon the croſſe. And therefore ſaint Paul ſaith, who when he was in the ſhape of God, and thought it no robberie to be equall with God: but he made himſelfe of no reputation, and tooke on him the forme of a ſeruant, and was made like vntounto men, and was found in ſhape as a man. He humbled himſelfe and became obedient vntounto the death, euen the death of the croſſe. Wherefore God hath alſo greatly exalted him, and giuen him a name aboue euerie name. On the croſſe appeared his greateſt humilitie. So that the croſſe in this reſpect, may verie fitly be called the ſigne of the ſonne of man. And this alſo the ſpéeches of the Iewes ſpoken to our ſauiour, may inſinnate. If he be the king of the Iewes let him come down from the croſſe: And we will beleeue in him. It was the croſſe that they ſtumbled at:Mat. 27.42. Gal. 5.11. Eſ. 9.6.Matt 27:42Gal 5:11Isa 9:6 that to this day is that that offends the Iewes: And that is Chriſts greateſt glorie; His principalitie is vponupon his ſhoulder, as Eſay ſaith. Nay it ſhall be ſuch a ſigne, as ſhall make all the tribes of the earth to wéepe, which beleeue not in Chriſt. And ſurely what other ſigne can this be, then the ſigne of the croſſe? What other ſigne in heauen could make the Iewes to wéepe, but the ſigne of the croſſe? No doubt the ſight of this will euen breake their hearts, & make them burſt out into teares: and to fulfill this prophecie of Zacharie.

Dom. 24. Poſt. Pent. Conc. 1.To this effect Granat. hath a notable ſentence, and to the confirmation thereof he cites Euſebius Emiſſenus, and he writes thus: Before the comming of this heauenly king, the triumphant ſigne of the croſſe more cleere then the ſunne ſhall appeare. And then ſaith the Lord, all the tribes of the earth ſhall lament: becauſe in that ſigne all the wicked ſhall manifeſtly ſee their condemnation. The infidels, becauſe they hauehave blaſphemed the croſſe of Chriſt; the faithfull which hauehave liued wickedly, becauſe they hauehave p. 293made no vſe of ſuch a great benefit and remedie. For as Euſebius Emiſſenus ſaith, So farre more greater ſhall be the ſinners of men, how much more Gods benefits hauehave ſtretched forth themſelues vntounto them. Therefore (ſaith he) it is to be beleeued, that the Lord will pronounce and ſpeake to the veſſels of iniquitie at his iudgement, that ſame voice which he ſpake at his reſurrection, declaring the precious prints of the wounds, which he receiued on his croſſe. Put thy finger in hither, and behold my hands, and bring hither thy hand, and thruſt it into my ſide: and acknowledge (O wickednes of men) what for thy ſake, and of thee I ſuffered. For thoſe ſame ſignes of his nailes, healthfull to the godly, but terrible to the wicked, which ſhal not be done away vntil the day of iudgment, no doubt are reſerued to caſt men in the teeth withall. Thus farre he. Neither ſhal that croſſe condemne onelyonly our ingratitude, and make it void of all excuſe: but our ſlothfulnes alſo and our idlenes, for by what meanes poſſible, can a wicked man excuſe himſelfe, when as he ſeeth the croſſe of Chriſt, which is a moſt forcible remedie againſt that excuſe of our infirmitie, and all other our euils? Wherefore to all other crimes, wicked man may hauehave ſomthing to ſay, but to theſe (that is his ſlothfulnes and ingratitude & infirmitie) nothing at all; for if it ſhall be laid to his charge: Thou haſt beene an extortioner, an adulterer, thou haſt curſed, forſworne & blaſphemed: He may anſwere perchance, I am a fraile man; conceiued in ſin; I was prone to ſin, I was compaſſed about with ſinful fleſh. But when the Iudge ſhal replie: Is there not Roſine in Gilead, and is not there a phiſition there? which is, as though he ſhould ſay, were there not medicins in my Church, were there not ſacraments which flowed out of my ſide? Was there not confeſſion there, a remedie of former ſins, & the Euchariſt a treacle and preſeruatiue for thoſe which were to come? was there not in my croſſe, moſt vehement procurements of charitie and moſt cleare examples of moſt great humilitie, patience, obedience, and of all vertues by which thou mighteſt hauehave caried thine infirmity, wherfore then is not the wound of the daughter of my people healed? That is, wherfore haſt thou not healed thy wounds with theſe medicines? which the heauenly phiſition hath bought for thee with the price of his bloud, & hath beſtowed freely vponupon thee what to theſe things ſhall thoſe moſt miſerable men anſwere? what ſhall they ſay for themſelues? what ſhall they doe? ſurely euen that which p. 294our Sauiour euen here ſaith. Then ſhall all the kinreds of the earth lament, &c. Thus farre Granatenſis.

But here ſome will ſay; all the infidels in the world ſhall wéepe at the beholding of this ſigne: And ſhall they all be ſaued? I anſwere. The ſcripture ſaith not that all thoſe which then wéepe ſhall be damned: And therefore where the ſcriptures hold their peace, let man take héed, how he pronounceth ſentence. Let vsus leaue them to the mercy of God: God may among thoſe weepers ſaue ſome if it pleaſe him; as among two théeues he ſaued one on the croſſe.Luke. 25.43. Hab. 3.1.Hab 3:1

That ſaying of Abacucke may then be fulfilled; When thou art angrie thou wilt thinke vponupon merciemercy. And Dauid ſaith; I will ſing of merciemercy and iudgement. Pſal. 101.1. Luke. 16.9.Ps 101:1Luke 16:9Iudgement excludes not merciemercy, euen in that terrible and great day of account. MercieMercy muſt ſaue all Chriſtians:Io. 2.13.John 2:13 and why may it not at that time ſaue ſome Iewes alſo? Eſpecially ſéeing God promiſeth here by his prophet, that he will powre vponupon them the ſpirit of grace and merciemercy, and then they ſhall weepe. This wéeping thall procéed of grace: and therefore ſhall be healthfull.

This powring forth of the ſpirit of grace and merciemercy, and this hauing reſpect then to him, whom they hauehave pearced, and this weeping, belong all to one kind of people, and are fruites and effects the one of the other. The former, the powring out of the ſpirit of grace and mercy, doth belong to the elect; and this latter, the beholding of him whom hauehave they pearced, and theſe teares, to the reprobate: As Ribera would hauehave it, on that place of Zacharie. And that the croſſe was taken for the ſigne of the ſonne of man, in the primitiue Church, Euſebius teſtifieth:Rib. in za. c. 12. For ſo when as the Chriſtians admitted vntounto their ſociety one Baſilides, he ſaith they gaue him the Lords ſigne. And the next day he was martyred. And he that tranſlated Euſebius addes in the margine, that by the Lords ſigne he vnderſtands the croſſe. But if we ſhall not admit his expoſition,Euſ. lib. ca 5. let vsus heare what Sibylla an ancient Propheteſſe, prophecieth of Chriſts comming to iudgement, and of this ſigne.

Sib. lib. 8. Orac fol. 383.foreign,

foreign,

foreign.

Which Verſes are thus turned into Engliſh.

p. 295VntoUnto all men a famous ſigne, whereby they may be knowne,

In thoſe daies ſhal be giuen euen by the wood a trumpe moſt dire

Of all the faithfull much eſteemd, but to the worlds ſtate

Repoſing truſt in earthly things, a cauſe of great offence.

Here Sibylla in her Achroſtickes, as ſhe doth moſt truly and plainly paint out vntounto vsus Chriſtes name and his merits: This King (ſaith ſhe) whom we hauehave deſcribed in the firſt letters of our verſes, is our God and our eternall Redeemer and Sauiour, who ſuffered for vsus: And of his comming againe to iudgement, why ſhould ſhe not alſo ſaie the truth in y^e appearing of this the ſigne of the croſſe? It is a great argument to make one be truſted, if he ſhall hauehave borne true witnes often before in other matters: The true faith of Sibylla in the former, may alſo win her credit with vsus in this latter. And to confirme the authoritie of her prophecie,Cic. lib. 2. de Diuin. Au. de ciuit. dei lib. 18. ca. 23. that it is no new thing forged of late ſince Chriſts paſſion, Cicero makes mention of this her Achroſticks who was before Chriſt; and Lactantius in his booke often cites her verſes: And ſaint Auſten ſaith; That a certaine noble man called Flactianus, who was the Emperors Lieutenāt, when as they two talked togither of Chriſt, ſhewed him a Greeke booke ſaying, that they were the verſes of Sibylla Erithrea, and that he ſhewed him in a certaine place of that booke in the beginning of euerie verſe, letters ſet in ſuch an order, that theſe words might be read therein; Ieſus, Chriſt, Son of God, Sauiour. This account all theſe famous men made of Sibylla her verſes, and ſhal we diſcredite them? Gualter alſo a learned man of our daies, of famous memorie, ſo expoundes that place of ſaint Matthewes goſpell, and by the ſigne of the ſonne of man, vnderſtandeth the ſigne of the croſſe. Theſe be his wordes: Moſt of the auncient fathers expound the croſſe, to be this ſigne, whoſe image (as Euſebius witneſſeth with this inſcription, In this ſigne thou ſhalt ouercome) appeared to Conſtantine, when he made warre againſt Maxentius, that he might helpe the Church, which ſeemed then forſaken. In cap. 24. Euan. ſecun, Mat,For becauſe Chriſt by the merit of the croſſe, ouercame all the power of the enemie; the ſigne of the croſſe appeareth moſt fitly before any other to our victorie, and by it alſo we ſhall ouercome. And it is verie profitable for vsus often to muſe vponupon this: and it is a ſhame for vsus, to feare any misfortune, when as the verie name of the croſſe promiſeth vsus moſt certaine victory. Thus farre Gualter. p. 296Wherein he doth not onelyonly declare his owne opinion, but alſo the opinion of the fathers concerning this matter. That ſame learned father alſo Thomas Cooper ſometimes Byſhoppe of Lincolne, in his viſitation there, agreed with Gualter in this his expoſition, who ſpake to this effect to his cleargie in Latine in my hearing: all the reſt of his Sermon being in Engliſh: Annon poteſtis ferre fratres mei, Anno Dom. 1583.ſignum illud formari hîc in terra, quod ante aduentum iudicis erit conspicuum in coelo? Can you not abide (my deere brethren) that that ſigne ſhould be made here on earth, which ſhall appeare manifeſtly before the iudge come in heauen?

In cap. 4. Ioh.Ferus alſo of the conuerſion of the Iewes, writes thus: Allegorically as the foreſaid woman of Samaria was a figure of the Church of the Gentiles: ſo this noble mans ſonne was a figure of the Iewes. And it makes much to the purpoſe, that the woman came to Chriſt at the ſixt houre, but he was healed firſt at the ſeuenth houre. For the Church of the Gentiles beleeued, the true ſonne of Righteouſneſſe Chriſt Ieſus aſcending into heauen: but when as he ſhall begin to come downe againe, that is, when he ſendeth before him the ſignes and wonders of his comming to iudgement, then ſhall the people of the Iewes beleeue. Ferus thinkes that the verie ſignes and wonders, which ſhall immediately precede Chriſts comming to iudgement, ſhall cauſe the Iewes to beléeue; and not the preaching of Elias and Enoch. And it is verie likely that he means among thoſe ſignes, which ſhall appeare immediately before the iudgement, which ſhall conuert the Iewes, ſhall be the ſigne of the Croſſe.

And of this conuerſion of the Iewes, and of this their wéeping ioyning hands as it were with the Prophet Zacharie, Ier. 50.1.Jer 50:1the Prophet Ieremie propheſieth thus alſo, ſaying: The word, which the Lord spake concerning Babylon, and the land of the Chaldees, by the hand of Ieremie the Prophet: Declare among the nations and publiſh it; ſet vp a standarde and conceale it not: ſay, Babel is fallen, &c.

And in thoſe daies and at that time (ſaith the Lord) the children of Iſrael ſhall come, they and the children of Iuda togither going and weeping, they ſhall go and ſeeke the Lord their God.

And that this deſtruction of Babel ſhall be in the end of the worlde, Saint Iohn witneſſeth, who out of Ieremy cites this p. 297Verſe: Go out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her ſins, Ier. 50.8. Reu. 18.4. & 21. Reu. 18.21.Jer 50:8Rev 18:4Rev 18:21and that ye receiue not of her plagues.

And after, A mightie Angell tooke vp a great ſtone like a milſtone, and caſt it into the ſea, ſaying: With ſuch violence ſhall the great Citie Babylon be caſt, and ſhall be found no more.

And this is alſo Ieremies concluſion of his propheſie, concerning Babel: Ier. 51.6….Jer 51:6And when thou haſt made an ende of reading this booke, thou ſhalt binde a ſtone to it, and caſt it into the midſt of Euphrates: And ſhalt ſay, Thus ſhall Babel be drowned, and ſhall not riſe from the euill I will bring vponupon her, and they ſhall be wearie. Thus farre are the words of Ieremy. So that this deſtruction of Babylon, and this wéeping and conuerſion of the Iewes, ſhall be at one time; no doubt in the verie latter ende of the world, immediately before Chriſts comming to iudgement. The Babylonians ſhall ſtill ſtriue to maintaine their kingdom, but they ſhall not proſper: they ſhall be wearie. I would to God that all Seminaries and Ieſuits, that take ſuch great paines to eſtabliſh the Popes kingdome, would marke but this one word, and the laſt of Ieremies propheſie, it would make them ceaſe from their vaine labours.

And that teſtimonie alſo which Saint Paul cites out of Eſay for the conuerſion of the Iewes,Rom. 11.26. Eſay 59.17.Rom 11:26Isa 59:17 plainly prooues that they ſhall be conuerted in the verie latter end of the world, and euen by Chriſts comming to iudgement. For thus ſaith the Prophet: He ſhall put on righteouſneſſe as an habergeon, and the helmet of ſaluation vponupon his head, and he ſhall be cloathed with the garments of vengeance for cloathing, and was clad with zeale as with a cloake: As to make recompence, as to requite the fury of the aduerſaries with a recompence to his enemies: he will fully repaie the Ilands. So they ſhall feare the name of the Lord from the Weſt, and his glorie from the riſing of the ſunne, when the enemy ſhall come like a floud. But the spirit of the Lorde ſhall chaſe him away, or ſhall lift vp a ſtandard (that is, Gods word) againſt him; as it is in the Hebrew. Is not here a moſt plaine and euident deſcription of Chriſts comming to iudgement?Phil. 2.7.Phil 2:7 In his firſt comming he came as a ſauiour, clothed in his apparell like a man: but now he comes like a iudge, to requite his enemies; now he comes cloathed with the garments of vengeance: And ſhall he not come thus at his ſecond comming? Doth not now alſo Antichriſt and enemies p. 298aſſault the Church of Chriſt like a floud? and doth not the ſpirit of God put them to flight? doth it not raiſe vp the ſtandard of Gods word againſt him,2. Theſ. 2.8.2 Thess 2:8 as Saint Paul alſo propheſieth, that by that meanes Antichriſt ſhall be ouerthrowne? And then next after this, followes in Eſay that propheſie, which Saint Paul alleadgeth for the conuerſion of the Iewes: And the redeemer ſhall come vntounto Sion, and he ſhal turne iniquitie from Iacob. So that by the comming of Chriſt to iudgement, the Iewes ſhall be conuerted, and not by the comming of Elias and Enoch.

Acts 3.20.Acts 3:20The ſame leſſon alſo Peter taught the Iewes: Amend your liues, and turne, that your ſinnes may be done away when the times of refreſhing ſhall come from the face of the Lord, and he ſhall ſend Ieſus Chriſt who hath been preached to you before: Thus farre Peter. This refreſhing, no doubt, argues the great heate of afflictions the Iews hauehave endured. And theſe comfortable times ſhall come to them, but not from the face of Elias and Enoch, (which they now dreame of) but from the face of the Lord himſelfe, when he commeth to iudgement. For before that time now after his aſcenſion they cannot ſée his face: For Saint Peter there ſaith, that the heauens muſt containe him till all things be reſtored, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his prophets, ſince the world began. This Sermon of Peter may ſéeme to be a perpetuall leſſon to the Iewes for euer. Dauid alſo in the Pſalme moſt euidently declares the ſin of the Iewes againſt Chriſt;Pſal. 59.Ps 59 their diſperſion; and alſo the manner and time of their conuerſion.Verſe. 2.3. Deliuer me (ſaith he) from the wicked doers, and ſaue me from the bloudie men. For loe they hauehave laid waite for my ſoule: the mightie men are gathered againſt me, not for mine offence, nor for my ſinne, O Lord. Here is firſt Ieſus Chriſt painted out moſt liuely vntounto vsus, who alone might ſaie; The mightie men are gathered togither againſt me, not for my ſin, O Lord: who euer could ſay ſo els? Now verely here is the ſinne of the Iewes, they conſpired againſt him, they ſought his life being a poore innocent.Verſe, 11. Slay them not, leaſt my people forget it, but ſcatter them abroad by thy power, and put them down, O Lord our ſhield. Here is their diſperſion, and continuall and grieuous puniſhment like Caines; whoſe poſteritie they are, for their bloudie and haynous offence againſt their brother.Gen. 4.12.Gen 4:12 And thou O Lord p. 299God of hoſts, O God of Iſrael, awake to viſit all the heathen: Verſe, 5.and be not mercifull to thoſe that offend maliciouſly. Is not here plainly the laſt iudgement? What is it els, for God to awake and to viſit all the heathen, and not alwaies as it were to be a ſleepe, and to keepe ſilence, as it is in the 50. Pſalme, but to come to iudgement? And then followes the time of their conuerſion:Verſe, 6. They go to and fro in the euening; they howle or barke like dogs, and go about the Citie. Their conuerſion ſhall be in the euening: they ſhall weepe or howle like vntounto dogs: Is not this plainlie to agree with Zacharie? that they weepe and lament wofully one by one euen as dogs vſe to doe. And after, their zeale followes: And in the euening they ſhall go to and fro, howle like dogs, Verſe, 14.and go about the Citie: they ſhall run here and there for meate, and ſurely they ſhall not be ſatisfied, though they lie without doores all night. This declares the great zeale that they ſhall hauehave, and the louelove to Ieſus Chriſt, when as they are once conuerted: they ſhall be like Marie Magdalen, as zealous of him at his ſecond comming, as ſhe was at his reſurrection. Peter and Iohn, when as they had come to the graue and found not his bodie there, went home againe by and by;Ioh. 20.10.11.John 20:10John 20:11 but Marie tarried ſtill by the graue weeping; ſhée loued him better then ſo: ſo zealous of Chriſt ſhall the Iewes be, when as he ſhall ariſe alſo to them.

And here alſo is inſinuated to vsus a good leſſon: why God wil then ſhew them ſuch merciemercy, and to make vsus beware leaſt we fall from Gods merciemercy: Oh ſaith Dauid, Pſal. 59.5.Ps 59:5bee not mercifull to thoſe that offend of malicious wickedneſſe. Rom. 10.2.Rom 10:2As though he ſhould ſaie: thoſe that offend ignorantly, yet zealouſly, but not according to knowledge (as Saint Paul witneſſeth that the Iews doe now) be mercifull to thoſe, O Lord. But be not mercifull to thoſe that offend maliciouſly, which knew their maſters will, Luk. 12.47.Luke 12:47and yet will not doe it: ſuch ſhall be beaten with many ſtripes. And this leſſon concernes vsus: thoſe ſins are the ſins which Dauid cals the greateſt ſins: ſinnes of preſumption. Pſal. 14.13. 1. Tim. 1.13Ps 14:131 Tim 1:13And ſo Saint Paul alſo writes of himſelfe, that he obtained merciemercy, becauſe that he ſinned ignorantly through vnbeliefe. And ſo alſo it ſéems here by Dauids prayer, that the Iewes alſo ſhall obtaine merciemercy.

The man alſo that appeared to Daniel, Dan. 10.14.Dan 10:14that was cloathed in linnen, whoſe loines were girded with fine gold of vphaz: telles p. 300Daniel that he is ſent to ſhew him what ſhall come to his people in the latter day: but yet the viſion is for many daies. And Daniel thus is inſtructed of this man verie manifeſtly of the calling of the Iewes:Cap. 12.1. At that time Michael the great prince ſhall ſtand vp, who ſtands for the children of thy people: and there ſhall be ſuch a time of trouble, as there was neuer ſince there was any people, till this time; and in this verie time ſhall the people be deliuered, all that ſhall be found written in this booke. And many that ſleepe in the duſt of the earth, ſhall awake; ſome to euerlaſting life, and ſome to ſhame and perpetuall contempt. Thus much this heauenly man reueiled to Daniel; that the Iewes ſhall be called in that troubleſome time. And our Sauiour referres this trobleſome time both to the deſtruction of Ieruſalem, and alſo to the ende of the world: as we maie plainly ſée in Saint Markes Goſpell, Chap. 13. v. 20. & 24. And thoſe daies ſhal be ſhortned for the elects ſake, or els no fleſh ſhould be ſaued. Therfore by this propheſie of Daniel, it maie be verie neceſſarily collected, that ſéeing this troubleſome time ſhall immediatly precede Chriſts comming, and that in that time they ſhall be conuerted, and that thoſe daies ſhall be ſhortned, that they maie be conuerted euen immediatly before the comming of Chriſt. For he addes the Reſurrection, as the next thing that ſhould follow their calling: and what is that els, but the verie appearance of Chriſt himſelfe?

Ier. 30.7.Jer 30:7Ieremy alſo agrees with Daniel, both concerning the day and the Iewes deliuerance: Alas for this day is great, none hath bin like it; it is euen the time of Iacobs trouble: yet ſhall he be deliuered from it. Ieremie ſéemes here to come néerer then Daniel: and to ſaie, that not onelyonly in that troubleſome time, but in the latter daie thereof, which no doubt is the daie of iudgment, that then Iacob ſhall be deliuered: What great daie is this, then the which none hath béene like, but the daie of iudgement? And ſo the Prophet Ioel alſo deſcribes that daie: A day of blackneſſe and of darkneſſe, Ioel. 2.2.Joel 2:2a day of cloudes and obſcuritie. And Zacharie alſo of this ſtrange daie writes thus:Zach. 14.7.Zech 14:7 And there ſhall be a day (it is knowne to the Lord) neither day nor night, but about the euentide it ſhall be light. In this ſtrange and great daie, (ſaith Ieremy) ſhall Iacob be deliuered.

Thus we maie plainly ſée, how that all the other Prophets p. 301almoſt do agrée with the prophet Zacharie; that the Iewes ſhall be called at the day of iudgement.

But to let paſſe the ſcriptures and to come to the fathers,Iuſt. …. apol. and to ſhew what ſome of them hauehave thought concerning this matter; Iuſtine the martyr affirmes, that this generall wéeping the Prophet Zacharie ſpeaks of, ſhal be at the ſecond comming of Chriſt, who writes thus: The prophet Zacharie hath foretolde what words the people of the Iews ſhal ſay, when as they ſhal ſee him comming in his glory, I will commaund the foure winds (ſaith God) that they may gather togither my diſperſed children: And then in Ieruſalem ſhall be great mourning, not mourning of countenance and face, but of heart. And then they ſhall not rent their garments, but their minds: And they ſhal lamēt tribe to tribe. And they ſhall ſee him whom they hauehave pierced. Thus farre Iuſtine. And he plainly referres this prophecie of Zachary to be fulfilled in the end of the world.

To whom agrées alſo Theodoret who writes thus:Theo. in ca. 12. Zach. And it ſhall come to paſſe that at that day, I will deſtroy all nations that fight againſt Ieruſalem; and I will powre vponupon the houſe of Dauid and the inhabitants of Ieruſalem the ſpirit of grace and merciemercy. &c. VponUpon theſe words Theodoret writes thus: I hauehave euen loaden them with all kind of benefits, I hauehave killed their enemies by diuers meanes. And contrariwiſe, to them I hauehave opened the fountaines of my mercy, and hauehave filled them with all kind of graces. But they hauehave betraied me comming into this world into the hands of mine enemies, and hauing nailed me, and lifted me vp vponupon a croſſe, they hauehave thruſt me to the heart with a ſouldiers ſpeare, and hauehave railed vponupon me, and hauehave laughed me to ſcorne: but notwithſtanding, when as within a little while after, they ſhall ſee me comming in my diuine maieſtie, then they ſhall bewaile and lament this their madnes.

And a little after, ſpeaking of their lamentation, he ſaith: Laſtly, he inferres that all the other tribes ſhall alſo ſeuerally weep and lament. This ſelfe ſame thing the Lord in his goſpell alſo hath foretolde. Then they ſhall ſee the ſigne of the ſonne of man in heauen, and then all the kinreds of the earth ſhall lament. It is moſt certaine that all they which hauehave not receiued the preaching of the goſpell, ſhall lament, looking for nothing elſe but vtter deſtruction. But theſe things ſhal be fulfilled in the time of the verie end; yet p. 302I will defend them (meaning the Iewes) although I am not ignorant how they ſhall crucifie me, and kill me comming into this world, for my benefits beſtowed vponupon them, &c.

He referres the fulfilling of this prophecie plainly vntounto the end of the world, and that God will defend the Iewes, for all this their ingratitude.

De ciuit. Dei. lib. 20. ca. 30.Saint Auſten alſo referres this prophecie of Zacharie, to be fulfilled in the end of the world: It ſhall repent (ſaith he) at that day the Iewes, yea euen thoſe which ſhall receiue the ſpirit of grace and mercy, hat in this paſſion they hauehave triumphed ouer him: when as they ſhall hauehave reſpect vntounto him comming in his maieſtie, and ſhall know, that this is he, whom being humble before, and of no account among them, they hauehave laughed to ſcorne in their parents: Although their parents, the ringleaders of that moſt hainous offence, riſing againe ſhall ſee him alſo, but to be puniſhed, not to be pardoned. Therefore in this place he meanes not them, whereas he ſaith: I will powre out vponupon the houſe of Dauid, and vponupon the inhabitants of Ieruſalem, the ſpirit of grace and merciemercy, and they ſhall now hauehave a ſpeciall regard of me, for that they made a ieſt of me: but only thoſe which come of their progenie, which at that time ſhall beleeue by the meanes of Elias. Thus farre Auſten: where he alſo thinkes, that this prophecie of Zacharie ſhall be fulfilled in the end of the world, and in the ofſpring and progenie of thoſe Iewes, which put Chriſt to death.

But Auſten here ſaith that Elias ſhall come. But what then? Ierome denies it,Ier. in cap. 4. Mat. and cals them heretiques that ſay ſo. And whether of theſe now ſhall we beléeue? The Angell alſo taught Zacharie, that in Iohn Baptiſt that prophecie of Malachie was fulfilled, and he repeats the verie words of that prophecie, that he ſhal turne the hearts of the fathers to the children, &c. leaſt any one ſhould doubt,Luk. 1.17.Luke 1:17 whether he meant that prophecie or no. And our ſauiour alſo in the goſpel plainly teacheth that Elias was thē come, and that they had done to him, whatſoeuer they would: Therefore he is not to come, and to be killed againe of Antichriſt, as the papiſts teach.Luk. 17.12.Luke 17:12 Likewiſe alſo (ſaith he) ſhall the ſonne of man ſuffer of them: They may as well ſay that Chriſt ſhall come and ſuffer againe, as to ſay that Elias ſhall come and ſuffer againe: for Chriſt himſelfe compares both their ſufferings togither. p. 303And ſpeaking of the prophecies which ſhould be fulfilled: All the law and the prophets (ſaith he) prophecie, but vntounto Iohn: Mat. 11.13.14.Matt 11:13Matt 11:14And if ye will receiue it, he is Elias which was to come. What can be more planly ſpoken? The prophecie of Malachie is fulfilled, & Iohn is not a type or figure of Elias, as the papiſts would hauehave him: but he is Elias, which was to come, ſaith our Sauiour. And ſhall we not beléeue the Angell that taught Zacharie, alleadging the verie words of the prophecie of Malachie, that Iohn ſhould fulfill it; nor our Sauiour, who agrées with the Angell, and ſaith, that that prophecie is fulfilled: Nay, who ſaith plainly, that Iohn is Elias which was to come? In this matter being ſo plaine, to doubt, ſurely is great incredulitie. Nay our Sauiour addes yet more, to make vsus very wel to marke and beléeue this:Verſ. 15. He that hath eares to heare let him heare, (ſaith he). And yet for all this, ſhall we not heare this doctrine of our bleſſed Sauiours owne mouth? ſhall we not beléeue it? So that then the prophecie of Malachie is fulfilled alreadie: And what néds then Elias to come againe to fulfil it? But they will ſay, Elias neuer died: but all men muſt die: And therefore, he muſt needs come againe to ſuffer death.1. Cor. 15.51,1 Cor 15:51 Muſt all men die? Thoſe that liue when Chriſt comes againe to iudgement ſhal not die, vnleſſe you cal that their change to be a death:2. Cor. 5.4.2 Cor 5:4 They ſhall not be vncloathed, but cloathed vponupon; which thing ſaint Paul himſelfe deſired. And ſo no doubt Elias and Enoch hauehave died already, and are chaunged. And therefore their bodies now, vnleſſe God ſhould create them new bodies, cannot ſuffer death: And therefore for this cauſe they néed not, nay they cannot come.

Now if Auſten, Gal. 1.8.Gal 1:8nay if an Angell from heauen ſhall teach any thing contrarie to the goſpell, let him be acurſed, ſaith Saint Paul. neither doth Saint Auſten affirme this out of the ſcriptures; but rather by tradition: No man (ſaith he) will denie the iudgement, but he that will denie the ſcripture. But we hauehave learned that at the daie of iudgement or about that time, theſe things ſhall be, meaning Elias the Thesbite, the conuerſion or the faith of the Iewes, that Antichriſt ſhall perſecute, Lib. 20. de ciui. ca. 30,that Chriſt ſhall come to iudgement, that there ſhall be a reſurrection of the good, and a ſpoile of the wicked, a conſuming of the world by fire, and a renewing of it againe. All which that they ſhal come, p. 304we muſt beleeue, but in what manner and what order they ſhall come, experience ſhall then better teach, then now any mans wit can perfectly comprehend. Lib. 20. ciu. ca. 29.But I thinke that they ſhall come in order, as I hauehave ſaid. And of Elias comming thus he writes in another place: By this great Elias and wonderful prophet, that the Iewes ſhall beleeue in the true Chriſt, that is, in our Chriſt, before the iudgement, by Elias, who ſhal expound the law vntounto them, it is a verie common thing in the mouthes and hearts of the faithfull. It was as ſhould ſéeme a common ſpéech among the Chriſtians in Saint Auſtens daies, that Elias ſhould come; but we muſt ground our faith vponupon the ſcriptures, & not vponupon ſpéeches. To theſe fathers,Rup. lib. 5 in Zac. Rupertus a latter writer agréeth: And it ſhall come to paſſe that in that day, I wil deſtroy al nations, which come againſt Ieruſalem. This (ſaith he) needs no fauourable expoſition: for although this word conterere may ſometime ſignifie merciemercy, yet no man doubts, or is ignorant, but in that day of iudgement, God ought to breake in peeces, or deſtroy al nations, which come againſt Ieruſalem, which hauehave ſhed ſo many martyrs bloud and hauehave not repented. But before this the remnant of the Iewes are to be conuerted. And therefore he ſaith; And I will power vponupon the houſe of Dauid, and vponupon the dwellers of Ieruſalem, the ſpirit of grace and prayers, that is, the ſpirit of the rem ſſion of their ſinnes, which is the chiefeſt and greateſt gift of grace. And it ſhall come to paſſe, that they ſhall be the houſe of Dauid, and the inhabiters of Ieruſalem. And after, this ſhall be the great day of iudgement of which he ſaid, In that day I will ſeeke to breake in peeces all nations which come againſt Ieruſalem. And therefore by and by he addeth: and they ſhall behold me whom they hauehave pierced, and they ſhall lament ouer him, as ouer their onelyonly begotten ſonne, &c. Here is Rupertus iudgement, that God will powre vponupon the Iewes the ſpirit of merciemercy and grace, and euen then by and by after ſhall follow the iudgement.

Lumnius devicinitate extremi iudicii lib. 1. cap. 15.Lumnius a Papiſt concerning the comming of Elias & Enoch writes thus: That although they ſhall preach but three yeeres and a halfe; yet that the day of iudgement ſhall be neuertheleſſe vncertaine to the world. Although (ſaith he) we beleeue that Elias ſhall come, and although the remnant of the Iewes be ſaid to be conuerted, when as the fulnes of the Gentiles ſhall hauehave entred in: yet we muſt thinke that this muſt be done ſecretly, and by little p. 305and little. So that all the world ſhall ſtand in doubt of the perſon of Elias, and of the time of the conuerſion of the Iewes, euen as the world ſtood in doubt of the perſons of Iohn, and of our Sauiour Ieſus. Thus farre Lumnius.

But this his expoſition agrées not with the reſt of the papiſts,Reu. 11.6.Rev 11:6 for they expound thoſe two witneſſes in the Reuelation literally to be meant of the perſons of Elias and Enoch. And that they ſhall hauehave power in the daies of their prophecies, to open and ſhut heauen, and to turne water into bloud. If they ſhall do theſe euident ſignes, ſurely no man can ſay that they ſhall come ſecretly. Theſe ſignes alſo are ſo manifeſt, that no man can doubt of their perſons.

Nay Saint Iohn there ſaith,Verſ. 9. that all people and nations ſhall ſee their bodies lie dead in the citie that ſpiritually is called Sodome and Egypt, and that they ſhall be glad of their deaths, and ſhall ſend preſents one to another, becauſe they were ſlaine: For they ſhall vexe the people of the earth; and not conuert the Iewes, as they imagine. Theſe prophets then ſhall not come ſecretly when they come, as Lumnius imagineth, but all the world ſhall heare of them and hate them. They ſhall be enemies to their carnall mirth and ſpirituall fornication. How angrie will the adulterer be, to be depriued of his pleaſure; ſo pleaſant alſo is ſpirituall fornication to fleſh and bloud. Theſe two witneſſes then are the preachers of the goſpell,Mat. 24.12.Matt 24:12 which ſhall preach the goſpell to all nations In teſtimonium, and not in patrocinium, for a teſtimonie of their condemnation, & not for a helpe of their ſaluation, as the ſame Lumnius alleageth out of Hilarie: Lum. ca. 14. Reue. 10.11.Rev 10:11Which vnderunder the type of Iohn in the chapter going before, hauehave receiued the little booke yea from the hand of the Lord, to preach againe to nations, peoples, tongues and many kings, not Elias and Enoch.

Ferus alſo of the vncertaintie of the day of iudgement writes thus: If you enquire of me the daie and howre, I will not tell you: In 24. ca. Mat.but if you will know the ſeaſons and beginnings, I will hide nothing from you; I hauehave ſhewed you in many words, how that that day is not vnknowen vntounto me: But I hauehave brought you to the gates onelyonly thereof: for he had ſaid before, know ye then that it is euen in the verie gates. But it is for your profit, that I will not open the gates vntounto you, leaſt you ſhould waxe careleſſe. For ſo it is p. 306written of me: I am thy God, teaching thee profitable things onelyonly: as much as might profit you, I hauehave taught; but that which might engender in you a falſe ſecuritie, I conceale from you. Here therefore thou ſeeſt the cauſe, why he would hauehave both the day of our death, and of iudgement vnknowne vntounto vsus, leaſt we ſhould be more ſlouthfull: but being alwaies vncertain of this, we ſhould euer liue in feare, & ſhould euer watch, being careful, as though we ſhould be iudged the next day; and that we ſhould looke for him euerie day, whō we know not when he wil come. Thus far Ferus.

Here is then a Chriſtians life, euerie day to looke and waite for Chriſt, and ſo to liue as though he ſhould not liue til to morrow; according to that ſaying of the heathen Philoſopher. Who being bidden to a feaſt againſt to morrow: Surely (ſaid he) I neuer thought that I ſhould liue til to morrow, theſe many yeeres. And it is reported that Saint Ierome, that in all his doings he thought he heard that laſt trumpet ſounding in his eares: Then Elias comming ſhall not giuegive Chriſtians warning thereof, thrée yéeres & an halfe before it come; as the Papiſts do teach.

In ca. 11. Mat.Ferus alſo, writing vponupon theſe wordes, And if ye will receiue him, he is Elias which is to come; ſaith thus: As though he ſhould ſay, that you may plainly ſee that there is no other prophet to be looked for of you, who ſhould ſhew you that Meſſias ſhould come; Iohn is that verie ſame Elias, which Malachie promiſed vnderunder the name of Elias. And in theſe words he makes anſwere to a queſtion couertly: all men were perſwaded, that Elias ſhould come before Meſsias came, whom becauſe they ſaw not, they doubted of Chriſt: And therefore the Apoſtles, when they ſaw the Lord tranſfigured, ſaid: Wherefore do the Phariſees ſay, that Elias muſt firſt come? To whom he anſwered, Elias is come alreadie. But who this Elias was, here he ſignifieth; Iohn himſelfe is Elias, not in perſon, but in ſpirit and power. For as Elias with great zeale was zealous, that he might bring the people of Iſrael to the true God, and for this cauſe he ſpared not kings: ſo Iohn, by the ſame zeale, endeuoured to bring the people vntounto Chriſt. After Iohn therfore no other thing is to be looked for, but that great & terrible day of the Lord. The which alſo followes in the ſame prophet. Thus farre Ferus. If after Iohn nothing is to be looked for, but that terrible day of the Lord; then not Elias and Enoch according to maſter Bellarmines aſſertion.

p. 307Cuthbert Tunſtall Biſhop of Dureſme thus writes in a Sermon put in print, which he preached before king Henry the eight on Palme ſunday, vponupon this text: Let the ſame mind be in you, that was in Ieſus Chriſt: Theſe many yeeres paſt (ſaith he) little warre hath beene in theſe parts of Chriſtendome, but the Biſhop of Rome either hath beene a ſtirrer of it, or a nouriſher of it; and ſeldome any compounder of it, vnleſſe it were for his ambition and profit. Wherfore ſeeing, as Saint Paul ſaith in the four- 10. chapter of the firſt Epiſtle to the Corinthiās, That God is not the God of diſſenſion but of peace, who commaundeth by his word alwaies peace to be kept: we are ſure that all thoſe that go about to breake peace betweene Realmes, and to bring them to warre, are the children of the diuell, what holy names ſoeuer they pretend to cloake their peſtilent malice withall; which cloaking vnderunder hypocriſie, is double diuelliſhnes, and of Chriſt moſt deteſted, becauſe vnderunder his bleſſed name, they do play the diuels part. And therefore ſince Chriſt is on our ſide, let vsus not feare thē at al: but putting our confidence in Almightie God, let vsus cleaue faſt to the Kings Maieſtie our ſupreme head in earth, next vnderunder Chriſt, of this Church of England; as faithfull ſubiects, by Gods law ought to do. Though they go about to ſtirre Gog and Magog, and all the rauenours of the world againſt vsus, yet we truſt in God verily, and doubt not but they ſhal hauehave ſuch a ruine and ouerthrow, as is prophecied by Ezechiel in his 39. chapter, againſt Gog & Magog going about to deſtroy the people of God: whom the people of God ſhall ſo vanquiſh and ouerthrow on the mountains of Iſrael, that none of them ſhall eſcape, but their carcaſſes there to lie, to be deuoured by kites, and crowes, and birds of the aire. And if they ſhal perſiſt in this their peſtilent malice, to make inuaſion into this Realme; then let vsus wiſh that their great captaine Gog (I meane the Biſhop of Rome) may come with them, to drinke with them of the ſame cup, that he maliciouſly goeth about to prepare for vsus, that the people of God might after ſurely liue in peace. Thus far Biſhop Tunſtall. By whom we may learne theſe notable leſſons: that the Pope hath béene no peacemaker, but a maker of wars, theſe many yéeres; and therefore he is the child of the diuell, by his iudgement. Secondly, that all true ſubiects ought to truſt in God and their Prince: and not to feare anie inuaſions, he ſhall deuiſe againſt them. Thirdly, that he is p. 308that Gog, that hidden and hypocriticall enemie of Chriſt, of whom Ezechiel prophecieth, and that he and all his ſhall be deſtroyed, and all their attempts againſt Gods Church ſhall not proſper. Tunſtal a man of great learning and iudgement ſaw thus much in his daies, when the daie of the goſpel began but to ſhine: and ſhal not we now in the cléere ſunſhine therof, acknowledge ſo much.

But to returne to Maſter Bellarmine againe: he anſweres to the former place,De Rom. pont. lib. 3. ca. 6. that I hauehave alleadged out of Ierome vponupon Malachie: That although Ierome in this place was of this iudgement: yet in his Commentaries vponupon Matthew he taught the contrarie. But Maſter Bellarmine doth miſtake Ierome: For Ierome himſelfe doth not ſay vponupon Matthew, that Elias ſhall com before the ſecond comming of Chriſt,In Mat. ca. 11. but he there ſhewes the opinions of others. Theſe be his words. There are ſome (ſaith he) which thinke that therefore Iohn was called Elias, that as in the ſecond comming of Chriſt, according to Malachie, Elias muſt come before, & muſt ſhew the comming of the Iudge: So Iohn did in his firſt comming. And ſo they both are meſſengers either of his firſt comming, or of his ſecond. Ierome ſhewes here the opinion of others, and not his owne, why Iohn was called Elias, which he had ſet downe before in theſe words. That Iohn was called Elias, not according to the opinion of ſome fooliſh Philoſophers, and certaine heretiques, which bring in tranſmigration of ſoules from one bodie to another; but becauſe according to another teſtimonie of the goſpell, he came in the power and ſpirit of Elias, and that he had the ſame grace or meaſure of the holy ſpirit, which Elias had. And alſo, the auſteritie of life, and courage of mind, both of Elias and Iohn, were equall. Hee was in the wilderneſſe; ſo alſo was he: He was girded with a girdle of a skinne; ſo alſo was he: He becauſe he rebuked Ahab and Iezabell of their wickednes, was compelled to flie; he becauſe he reproued the vnlawfull mariage of Herode and Herodias loſt his head. Theſe are Ieromes conſiderations, why he thought Iohn might be compared to Elias. Then he addes. (There be ſome others that thinke, &c.) As though that which followes, were not his opinion, but the opinion of ſom others, whom he alſo makes mention of in that other place of Malachie, which I hauehave before alleadged. And there he cals them plainely Iewiſh heretikes. p. 309And the ſame opinion of others concerning the comming of Elias, Ierom alleadgeth in other places, and he inueieth againſt all ſuch followers of Iewiſh fables. Iohannes Viualdus a Papiſt (in opere regali de duodecima perſecutione eccleſiae Dei) affirmes plainly, that Ierom thought, In explic. orat. Ier. in cap. 29. Ezec.that Elias ſhould not come in his owne perſon: but that the vertue and power of Elias ſhould come. But he himſelfe ſaith, that he followes rather Auſten, Thomas and Vincentius. So that Ierom in this matter is not contrarie to himſelfe, as Maſter Bellarmine would hauehave him: but all one: Nay he is ſo farre from being of the Papiſts opinion concerning Antichriſt, that although the booke were ſealed and this matter concealed from the fathers, and by degrées, & not all at once opened to the church (as we maie note in the Reuelation:) yet euen by that ſmall light of Gods word,Reu. 5.2. & 6.1.Rev 5:2Rev 6:1 which at that time was giuen the Church of this matter, he aiming at the truth, doth quite ouerthrow the Papiſts opinion.

For vponupon the ſecond Chapter of Malachie, he writes thus: The Iewes (ſaith he) vnderſtand that which is ſpoken here of the prophet (Behold I will ſend my Angell) of Elias the Prophet: and that which followes (The Lord whom you ſeeke for, ſhall by and by come to his temple, and the Angell of the testament whom you would hauehave) they referre to their Meſſias; that is, to their Chriſt, who they ſay ſhall come in the ende of the world. But I maruell how that the verie experience of the things which hauehave chanced, hath not taught them the truth: for what temple ſhall their Lord find, which is ouerthrowne to the verie foundation? Or is it to be builded vp againe, of any other before Chriſts comming? What ſhal their Chriſt do more? when as all things are reſtored to their former ſtate of another. Our Lord in the Goſpell, expounding Elias to be Iohn Baptiſt, ſaith: If you will vnderſtand, he is Elias which is to come, of whom alſo this ſame Prophet, whom we now expound, ſpeakes of in the end of his propheſie: Behold I wil ſend you Elias the Prophet before that great and fearefull day of the Lord come. But how Iohn alſo might be called Elias, he gaue vsus alſo to vnderſtand, ſaying, that he came in the power and spirit of Elias. Thus farre Ierome. Where he plainly out of the ſcriptures, refutes the Papiſts opinion concerning Antichriſt: Whom they teach ſhall be borne in Babylon, of the tribe of Dan: and when he ſhall come to Ieruſalem, circumciſing himſelfe, he ſhall ſay to p. 310the Iewes, I am Chriſt promiſed vntounto you. Then all the Iewes ſhall flocke vntounto him: and they ſhall build againe the temple deſtroyed of the Romans. And he ſhall ſit there, ſaying that hee is God: and ſhall kill Enoch and Elias. This is the Papiſts opinion concerning Antichriſt; as it is ſet downe in their Catholicon, by Ioh. de Ianua a Frier. And this their opinion Ierome in this place manifeſtly refutes, who ſaith, that the temple ſhall not be built againe, and that Elias in his owne perſon ſhal not come, but that in Iohn the propheſie of Malachie was fulfilled, and that all things are reſtored alreadie, which is the ende for which our Sauiour ſaith, that Elias ſhall come. And Iohn Baptiſt ſhall turne the hearts of the fathers vntounto the children, and the vnbeleeuers to the wiſedome of the iuſt, to make a perfect people to the Lord, as the Angell teacheth, which is the end alſo why Malachie ſaieth, that Elias ſhall come. So that then both the ends and offices of Elias being fulfilled alreadie, by the teſtimonie of an Angell, and of Saint Ierome in this place, what néede is there, why Elias ſhould come. And in that other place, which I hauehave cited before, Ierome in this point calles them Iewiſh heretickes, which teach that Elias in his own perſon ſhall come: he would neuer hauehave changed his opinion, and embraced that doctrine which himſelfe before had called hereſie, without ſome great and waightie reaſons: and alſo he would hauehave ſet downe the reaſons.

In explic. orationis Ierem.And this opinion of Fathers (as ſhould ſéem) he often mentions in other places, but neuer as his owne. For thus hee writes: In that he ſaith, renew our daies as from the beginning: he ſaies it, to deſire this, that as in the beginning he made the firſt Patriarkes deuout vntounto him through perfect faith and charitie; ſo he would vouchſafe through the ſame his grace to make them faithfull and deuout vntounto him. The which thing many thinke is promiſed them by Malachie the Prophet by the comming of Elias. And I will ſend you Elias the Prophet before that great and terrible daie of the Lord, &c. Many ſaith Ierom, thinke thus: but he ſaith not that he doeth thinke ſo: he is the ſame ſtill that he was before.

And vponupon the 29. of Ezechiel, he inueies againſt thoſe, which followe and beléeue Iewiſh fables. But to make this matter yet more plainer, that Ierom did neuer change his opinion concerning p. 311this matter: Let vsus heare the opinion of Rupertus, Rupertus in Malac.a great learned Papiſt, who touching this matter writes thus: Of the comming of Elias, I dare determine nothing, becauſe ſome of the Doctors, to whom we almoſt all agree, doe beleeue that he ſhal come in deed, and that he ſhall reſtore all things, and that he ſhall be put to death. Others thinke the contrarie: to whom S. Ierom that famous man ſeemes to agree, ſaying: Although alſo there be many amongſt vsus, that thinke he ſhall come in deed, and that he ſhall reſtore all things, and that he ſhall ſuffer death: yet our Lord being asked of the Apoſtles, concerning the comming of Elias, anſwered: Elias is now comed alreadie, and they knew him not; but they hauehave done to him whatſoeuer pleaſed them, willing them to vnderſtand Iohn in Elias. And therefore by and by after be addeth: If ye will receiue him, Iohn is that ſame Elias, which is to come.

Here we maie plainly ſée that by Rupertus his iudgement, Ierom neuer changed his opinion; as Maſt. Bellarmine would make vsus beléeue, that he did. Againe, we maie note here Ieroms bulwarke againſt all the ſayings of the fathers in this matter, which muſt be ours alſo, not onelyonly in this; but in all other doubts and controuerſies whatſoeuer. He alleadgeth the authority of the Goſpel againſt all the ſayings of the Fathers: and ſo muſt we doe, not onelyonly in this, but in all other controuerſies whatſoeuer: If all the fathers ſéeme to teach that which is contrarie to the ſcriptures, we muſt here with Ierom forſake them all, and cleaue to the authoritie of the ſcriptures. No doubt Ierom had read Tertullian, and Iuſtine, and Ambroſe, and Auſten, which all ſeeme to ſaie, that Elias himſelfe ſhall come: but he preferres, as we maie here plainely ſée, the authoritie of the Goſpell before all theſe.

That reſolution alſo of Theodoret, concerning this matter,Theo. in Gen. queſt. 45. is worth the marking, who vponupon Geneſis writes thus: Hee makes this queſtion: Into what place did the God of all things tranſlate Enoch? He anſwereth, that we are not to enquire for thoſe things, which are committed to ſilence: but we are to reuerence thoſe things which are written. I thinke that the God of all things hath done this, to comfort his valiant champions. For when as Abel the firſt fruit of righteouſneſſe, being as yet vnripe, was cut vp by the rootes; and then no hope of the reſurrection did comfort p. 312men. The God of all things did tranſlate Enoch, who was moſt acceptable vntounto him, and did ſeparate him from the ſocietie of men, that whoſoeuer did determine to liue godly, might perceiue what great account God made of him; when as the God of all things, who is iuſt, and doth iuſtly gouerne all things, did thus honour Enoch, nor ſuffered not Abel to want an ornament. For for this cauſe, he beheld him when he was ſlaine, and he alſo tranſlated Enoch, that by him he might declare to all men the reſurrection, that ſhould be. For he which in this life hath not obtained the reward of his vertue, ſhall moſt aſſuredly obtaine it in the life to come. I would to God all Chriſtians would here follow the counſell of Theodoret, and not be curious in ſearching for the comming of Elias, or other ſuch hard points, which the ſcripture hath not reueiled vntounto vsus: but reuerently meditate vponupon thoſe things which are plaine and are written. Ierom alſo takes away that ſame offence, whereat manie at this day ſtumble, which is the outward name and ſhew of the Church. Manie thinke, that ſo long as they embrace the Church, which hath continued ſo manie hundreth yéers, they are ſafe enough. But of the Church Ierom writes thus:Ier. in 2. cap. Soph. Of the Church it ſeemes at the firſt ſight a blaſphemous thing to ſay, that ſhe ſhall become a wilderneſſe, and that no man ſhall walke in her, and that beaſts ſhall dwell in her. And that hereafter, how ſcoffingly it ſhall be ſaid vntounto her: This Citie is plagued with all euils, which dwelt in hope, which ſaid in her heart, I am, and there is none other beſides me any more. How is ſhe become a wilderneſſe, a paſture of wilde beaſts? But he that ſhall conſider that ſaying of the Apoſtle, wherein it is ſaid: In the latter times ſhall be perilous ſeaſons, men ſhall be louers of themſelues, couetous, arrogant, proud, blasphemers, diſobedient to parents, vnthankefull, wicked, &c. and alſo that which is written in the Goſpell; that iniquitie being increaſed, the charitie of manie ſhall wax colde; in ſo much that at that time ſhal be fulfilled, But the ſonne of man when he commeth, ſhall he finde faith vponupon the earth? will not maruel at the laſt deſolation of the Church: which (Antichriſt raigning) ſhall become a wilderneſſe, and be giuen to wilde beaſts, and ſuffer all things which the Prophet here nowe deſcribes. It appeares here by Ieromes iudgment, y^t the Church ſhall not continue alwaies in one ſtate: and therfore they, who do build their faith vponupon the Church, build vponupon no ſure foundation. p. 313Maſter Bellarmine alſo concerning Antichriſt agrées with their Catholicon, and writes thus: Adde this alſo (ſaith he) that as we hauehave ſhewed before, Antichriſt ſhall be a Iew, and ſhall be Meſſias and King of the Iewes: And therefore without all doubt ſhall make his ſeat in Ieruſalem, and ſhall go about to reſtore Salomons temple. For the Iewes dreame of nothing elſe, thē of Ieruſalē & the temple: neither do they ſeeme that they will euer acknowledge any for their Meſſias, which ſits not in Ieruſalem, and after ſome ſort repaires againe the Temple. Thus farre Maſter Bellarmine.

But Stella contrarie to this aſſertion of M. Bellarmine writes thus. If God promiſed by Aggee, In ca. 2. Luc.that Meſſias ſhould come to that Temple while it remained, and that Temple now is ouerthrowen, neither is there now any ſuch Temple, nor one ſtone thereof left vponupon another; how madde are the Iewes, that will looke yet for a Meſsias? To what ſecond Temple ſhall he come, if it be vtterly ouerthrowen, if no ſigne thereof remaine? Neither can the Iewes ſay, that they ſhall hauehave another temple, to which their Chriſt ſhould come. For Aggee their Prophet ſpeakes of that Temple which then was built in Ieruſalem, and not of any other, as his words plainly teſtifie: nay he ſaith plainly, that there ſhal neuer be any other. Thus much Stella out of Aggee. And where is then Maſter Bellarmines temple, which he affirmes after a ſort Antichriſt ſhall reſtore? Where is his Antichriſt, which ſhall lacke a ſeat, by Stellas iudgement. Nay vnlikelie is this to common experience: Iulian the Apoſtata, Egnat ca. 6.when he came to Ieruſalē and ſaw the temple quite ouerthrown by Titus, in deſpight of Chriſtian religion he commaunded Philip of Antioch that he ſhould make fit the place, and ſhould lay ſuch a foundation of the temple, that it might be compared with the former in ſtatelineſſe. The which things pleaſed Iuliā & the Iewes wonderfully. But ſodainly there were heard terrible rorings in the earth, & hot burning firebrands roſe vp among the foundations, which in a moment diſperſed all things and conſumed both the workemen and their tooles, and the ſigne of croſſes appeared in many mens garmēts which could not be put out. If God ſo reſiſted then Iulian, do we think he wil now ſuffer Antichriſt to build the temple againe?

But the ſeate of Antichriſt, the ſeat of the Babyloniſh whore, Who ſhall make all men drunke with the wine of her abominations; p. 314Saint Iohn ſaith, ſhall be a citie with ſeuen hils. And what other citie in the world can that be elſe but Rome.

And what other heretique can this be, then Antichriſt? who ſhall make the chaſt ſpouſe a whore,Re…. 17.4. and that by wine of fornication: what religion more pleaſant or like wine, then the Romiſh religion? As their ordinarie muſicke, of ſinging and Organs playing, of cenſing their precious Robes and Ornaments they vſed, wherein not the leaſt part of their ſeruing of God conſiſted; do declare: beſides their guilds & feaſtings, their fraternities of euerie trade and occupation. But to let all theſe paſſe: All things amongſt them were pardonable for mony, And what more pleaſant wine could be then this, to fleſh and bloud?

But as this their wine, wherewith they made all men drunken is manifeſt: ſo is alſo their fornication no leſſe manifeſt. It is ſpirituall fornication to truſt in anie, to call vponupon anie, to reueale the ſecrets of the heart to anie but to God. Honeſt matrons know thus much: For ſo they behaue themſelues towards their huſbands.Hoſ. 2.16.Hos 2:16 And God is the husband of his Church, as he oftentimes proteſteth. But the Church of Rome hath taught men to truſt in others, to cal vponupon others, to reueale the ſecrets of the heart to others, then to God: And can this be anie thing elſe, then ſpirituall fornication? But they did this to ſaints: and therefore it was no ſinne, neither can it be rightly iudged fornication.Pſal. 73.25.Ps 73:25 Thus they ſay. But let all true Catholikes marke what Dauid ſaith: Whom hauehave I in heauen but thee? and I hauehave deſired none on earth with thee. Here is the true ſpouſe declared and the true Catholike religion grounded. Now followes the whore:27 for lo, they which withdraw themſelues from thee (or as it is in the Hebrew, go farre from thee) ſhall periſh, thou deſtroieſt all them, that go a whoring from thee. To hauehave anie other, yea in heauen, to truſt in, to giuegive our hearts vntounto, but God; is to commit fornication: And therefore let all true Catholickes, that meane to be ſaued, take héed how they call vponupon, or repoſe their truſt in anie, no though he be in heauen, but in God alone,Reu. 14.8.Rev 14:8 as did Dauid, leſt they commit fornication againſt him, and ſo be deſtroyed all. The ſame doctrine plainely, the angell crieth out To all nations, kinreds, and people, againſt the kingdome of Antichriſt: and ſhall we be deafe? will we p. 315not heare him?Ibid. 6.7.8. Then ſaw I another Angell (ſaith Saint Iohn) flie in the midſt of heauen, hauing an euerlaſting goſpell to preach to them that dwell on earth, and to euerie nation and kinred, and tongue, and people; ſaying with a loud voice; Feare God, & giuegive glorie to him: For the houre of his iudgement is come: worſhip him that made heauen and earth, and the ſea, and the fountaines of waters. And there followed another Angell ſaying: It is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon that great citie, for ſhe made all nations to drinke of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Here firſt is the euerlaſting goſpell preached, with a loud voice of an Angel (which is) feare God, and worſhip him that made heauen and earth, and not anie creature or ſaint whatſoeuer. And ſhall we not imbrace this goſpell? ſhall we not beléeue this Angell? this no doubt, is the true Catholike faith, this is the euerlaſting goſpel, whatſoeuer all the Ieſuites in the world, teach to the contrarie. And Babylon the mother of fornications, which taught a doctrine contrarie to this, is fallen. What can be more plain, then this? To worſhip anie, but him that made heauen & earth, is fornication. This Dauid and the Angell teach: And Babylon, who hath taught the contrarie, is fallen.

And as the wine of this whore is manifeſt; ſo is her ſeat alſo, as I noted before: ſo that as he is deafe, that will not heare the crying of the Angell concerning her poiſoned wine; ſo he is blind wilfully that will not ſee her ſeuen hils, whereon ſhe is ſituated.

Neither Saint Iohn onelyonly, but other prophecies hauehave taught the deſtruction of Rome, and hauehave by theſe ſeuen hils portraied her out vntounto vsus; Vae tibi ſepticollis &c. Vaticinium Leonis.Wo to thee O Citie built on ſeuen hils, ſaith a prophecie going vnderunder the name of Leo the Emperour, printed lately in Briſcia, Anno Dom. 1596 For when as the twentie letter of the Alphabet with great ſhouts ſhall be receiued within thy wals, then thy ruine and vtter ouerthrowe is at hand. Let Rome take héed of this letter Cappa, which in numeration ſtandeth for twentie; when as it ſhall be capped vntounto and honourably receiued into Rome, Rome ſhall not raigne long after: Rome therefore ſhall be ouerthrowne. And ſome Cardinall may fitly fulfill this prophecie. And of the deſtruction alſo of the world, and of Rome, Sibylla prophecieth thus: That when as a firie Dragon ſhall come vponupon the waues p. 316of the ſea of this world, hauing her belly full to nouriſh her children, Sibil. orac. lib. 8 ol. 368.in a time of death and ciuill warre, that then ſhall the ende of the world draw neere. foreign.

But firſt (ſaith Sibylla) ſhall be the inexorable wrath of God againſt Rome. O wicked Rome then, whoſe ſins ſhall be ſo grieuous (as it ſhould ſeeme) that if all the ſaints and angels in heauen, which now thou makes ſo great account of, ſhould intreat for thée, they were not able to appeaſe the heauy and grieuous wrath of God againſt thée. Repent now therefore whileſt thou haſt time and ſpace, being admoniſhed here by Sibylla. And let all true Catholikes which are wont to reuerence antiquity, herein beleeue Sibilla, agréeing with Saint Iohn; and in time forſake this wicked and ſinfull Rome, leaſt they periſh with her in her ſins.

Michael ab Iſſelt, of the great affliction that our Sauiour prophecieth of,Epiſt. nun cup. ad Torren Epiſc. Antw. which ſhall come vponupon the world before the ende thereof, writes thus. It is comed alreadie as ſhould ſéeme by his writing: and it is not marked. And the poore feele it; and the rich looke for it, when it ſhall be. His words be theſe. But we, vponupon whom I may iuſtly ſay, that the ends of the world are fallen, hauehave hapned into thoſe daies; wherein though all hiſtones and all ancient bookes hold their peace, yet the world it ſelfe cries out, that it is now ſet to reuenge the ſins of men. How often of late yeeres hauehave we ſeene the heauens inflamed, as it were with terrible firebrands? how many blaſing ſtarres hauehave beene ſeene threatning euils to the earth with their terrible ſhapes, and foreſhewers of great calamities? Leu. 26.Lev 26We hauehave had the heauens ouer our heads like Iron: we hauehave not had raine enough in winter to nouriſh the corne, nor in ſommer the accuſtomed heat to ripen it. The earth as the ſcripture hath foretold, is become like braſſe vntounto vsus. Our labour is employed in vain, the earth bringeth not forth her buddes & bloſſomes, the trees beare not their Apples. The earth is as it were parched with drought, and her mould brings forth withered hearbs: the haile hinders the vines: we ſow our lands in vaine, which the enemies deuoure. How many ouerflowings of the ſea hauehave we ſeene? how often her fortreſſes being broken, hauehave we beheld the ſhepheard to ſwim with his ſheepe, the mother with her children; and the houſe and the heard, to ſwim togither with their maſters; p. 317and the huge ſea flowing into the pleaſant meadowes, to hauehave deſtroyed al things? Hereof we hauehave had of late the famine of Saguntum, which hath ſo afflicted not onelyonly cities, but whole prouinces, that it turned the pitie of mothers into madnes, who gaue their deare children poyſon to kill them, leaſt they ſhould heare their miſerable crying. Others (as in Hungarie this laſt yeere) ſold their children to the Turks and Barbarians for bread: others (I know not whether more pitiful) leaſt their children ſhould ſerue ſuch tyrants, threw them into the water & drowned them. What ſhal I ſpeak of wars? which within theſe twenty yeers hauehave ſo ſhaken both other kingdomes, but eſpecially our Flauders, (in times paſt the paradice & pleaſanteſt countrey in the world) that now townes being burnt, cities ſacked, the ſtately Churches of the ſaints pulled downe, and being robbed of their riches, holy and prophane things being now accounted all one; ſhe hath not any ſigne almoſt remaining of her former glorie. That now her mightie prouinces being giuen for a praie to the Germanes, Frenchmen, Engliſhmen, Scots, Iriſh men, and to other forraine enemies, obey now their vnſatiable and wicked pleaſures. Neither is heere an end of our euils: But that all euils might come vponupon vsus at once, moſt grieuous plagues, new and ſtraunge diſeaſes hauehave taken away thoſe, whom the ſword and famine had ſpared, and hauehave made ſuch great ouerthrowes of men, that skant the liuing ſufficed to burie the dead. So that all the elements, and al the miſeries in the world may ſeeme to hauehave conſpired againſt vsus altogither.

Againe, when as euerie liuing creature loues his like; onelyonly now one man is afraid of another. For there are now ſo many publike periuries of natiōs, ſo many truces broken, ſo many vnderminings, thefts, deceits, ſlaunders, wiles, that now not vnfitly one man may be called a diuell to another. And if here were an end of our miſerie, all were well: but it goes further. For thoſe euils which we hauehave hitherto recited, are outward euils; and do neither adde anie thing, or take ought away from mans felicitie, if his ſoule within him were ſound and free from theſe daungers and miſeries. But the euils which are within vsus, are farre greater then they, which are without vsus. Our vnderſtanding is blind; our will is prone to all wickednes; our memorie pliable to al earthly things. And there is ſuch a diſorder and a diuerſity and contrarietie among themſelues of our deſires, that there was neuer any more troubleſome kingdom ſeen p. 318in the world: In ſo much that if all the creatures ſhould fawne vponupon man, and ſhould doe him ſeruice; yet he ſhould ſuffer the greateſt perſecution of himſelfe, and himſelfe ſhould be to himſelfe the greateſt tormentor. What ſhall I make many words? The times we liue in are ſuch, that we may truly ſay that ſaying of Silenus: The beſt thing is neuer to be borne; and the next to die quickly. Thus farre Michael of Iſſelt.

And can there be any greater affliction then this? What ſhall I adde the daungers of princes, the heart burnings amongſt noble men, the vncontented minds of gentlemen, the decaie of artificers, the oppreſſion and pouerty of the huſbandman, the laborers want of foode, worke, and wages. Euerie member is ſicke,Eſ. 1.6.Isa 1:6 euerie member is afflicted; ſo that we may now truly ſay, that of Eſay. From the ſole of the foot to the crowne of the head, there is no health.

What ſhall I adde that greateſt perſecution of all other of Antichriſt, who hath his inquiſition in Spaine, and in other countries, where his authoritie can preuaile, to perſecute moſt cruelly all thoſe that profeſſe the goſpell: Who daily labours for nothing elſe, by his ſeminaries in all places, with all Kings and Princes to make warre, to ſtirre vp rebellions againſt them which profeſſe the goſpell in anie countrie. No doubt his hand hath holpen our rebels in Ireland. Who perſecutes kings in their owne pallaces, in their chambers, in their cloſets, as the ſecret murthers of manie Princes and Kings by his fauourers in our memorie plainly teſtifie.

There lackes nothing but this, that when as he ſees that all his priuie and ſecret practiſes can do no good, that he with open warre come into the field himſelfe, and with his riches and treaſures, wherein he abounds, and with all the friends that he can make, proclaime open warre againſt that great day of the God almightie, of which great day of battell both the prophet Ioel and Zacharie, and alſo Saint Iohn in his Reuelation may ſeeme to ſpake.Ioel. 3.9. Zac. 14.13.14. Rev. 16.14. Auſt. de ciu. de lib. 18. ca. 52.Joel 3:9Rev 16:14

S. Auſtē ſaith, That ſome in his daies thought, that the laſt perſecutiō of Antichriſt ſhould be like the eleuenth plague of the Egyptians, in which, while the Egyptians fiercely perſecuted the Iſraelits in the red ſea, the people of God going thorow on drie ground, they themſelues periſhed. But Saint Auſten doth not thinke p. 319that, by thoſe ten plagues of Egypt, theſe ten perſecutions of the Roman Emperours were prophetically ſignified. Although (ſaith he) of thoſe which thinke thus, theſe are wittily and exquiſitly compared the one to the other, but not by the ſpirit of prophecie, but by mans coniecture, which ſometimes proues true, and ſometimes falſe. Saint Auſtens chiefe reaſon againſt this opinion is, becauſe of the number: For that there hauehave beene, and may be more perſecutions, then ten or eleuen againſt the Church of God. But to let the number go, the matter of this expoſition may ſéeme fitly to agrée with the other prophecies of the ſcripture: If Antichriſts kingdome be ſpiritually Egypt, as ſaint Iohn calleth it; then Pharaoh was a type of Antichriſt, and fitly may we coniecture that he ſhal both deale in Gods Church, perſecute, and alſo periſh, as he did. Is not the Pope like Pharaoh? Pharaoh killed the infants in the water: And hath not the Pope done ſo with Chriſtian children?2. Tim. 3.15. 1. Ioh. 2.14.2 Tim 3:151 John 2:14 Timothie knew the ſcriptures from his childhood. And ſaint Iohn ſaith, You young men are ſtrong becauſe the word of God dwelleth in you. And Dauid, how ſhall a yong man cleanſe his waies, (that through the filth of ſin he periſh not) but by keeping thy word? But the Pope hath taken this word from children, from young men, from all men: Therefore he hath taken away their ſtrength, and in them he hath defiled and polluted their waies. And therefore he hath as much as in him lies killed them: For God hath teſtified, that the ſoule that ſinneth ſhall die. And as alſo that other Pharaoh burthened mens backs and bodies; ſo hath he burthened all mens conſciences with the obſeruations of his ſuperſtitious lawes. And is he not then rightly Pharaoh? This perſecution of Gods Church comming out of Egypt, makes alſo the ſame moſt manifeſt: Since the firſt day that Gods people began to forſake his blinde ſuperſtition, he hath neuer ceaſed to perſecute them. And as in his doings he is a Pharaoh; ſo he ſhall be Pharaoh in his ende.

And here the papiſts opinion concerning Antichriſt how abſurd is it, and againſt all reaſon; that another Antichriſt ſhould be borne in Babylon, and ſhould come with ſuch a power, that he ſhould perſecute the Church of Chriſt more then euer it hath béene perſecuted. I thinke, they thinke that Antichriſt when he comes, ſhall not be able to ouercome their Pope; and p. 320yet this he muſt doe, if their opinion be true. The Turke hath not beene able to ouercome Chriſtendome, for all his might, riches and power: and do they thinke that euer any ſhall ariſe mightier then he?Ianſ. har. Eu. ca. 22. After the affliction of thoſe daies the ſunne ſhall be darkened, &c. which without all doubt, ſaith Ianſenius, belongs to the comming of Chriſt; to the which comming ſhall goe before the moſt grieuous perſecution of the faithfull by Antichriſt. But ſurely it is not likely that euer anie ſhall come more mightie then the Turke and Pope: and therefore let vsus thinke ſurely that this perſecution is begun alreadie, & that Antichriſt is comed. The Pope hath taught thus much himſelfe: For he decreed that none ſhould preach of the day of iudgement, nor of Antichriſt, Concil. Lat. ſeſ. 11.although he had a Reuelation: vnleſſe he firſt examine him. What néede he hauehave feared if he had not béene guiltie, eſpecially ſéeing we are commaunded to preach the iudgement?

2. Theſ. 2.8.2 Thess 2:8Nay how contrarie to the verie plaine and manifeſt text of the ſcriptures, is their opinion of Antichriſt? Saint Paul telleth vsus plainly, that the Lord Ieſus ſhall conſume Antichriſt with the breath of his mouth; and ſhal quite aboliſh & deſtroy him with his glorious appearāce. What can be plainer then this? that Ieſus Chriſt by his ſecond comming ſhall quite deſtroy Antichriſt? But they teach, that Michael the Archangel ſhall deſtroy him with a thunderbolt. And that Antichriſt being thus dead and ſlaine by Michael, Chriſt ſhal not by & by come after: but that there ſhall be granted to the elect 45. Iohes Vinaldus opere regali de 12. perſecut. Eccleſ.daies after to repent in. And that then after thoſe 45. daies no man ſhall know the time when Chriſt ſhal come to iudgement. And that then there ſhal be ſilence as it were in heauen and peace in the Church, that tribulation ceaſing: And that then Antichriſts diſciples ſhal reioyce, and ſhall beginne to marrie and to make feaſts, ſaying, although our maſter be dead: yet now we ſhall hauehave reſt and ſecuritie: And ſo that day of the Lord ſhall come vponupon them vnawares, &c. How this and ſaint Pauls doctrine doe agree togither; let euerie one in this great and waightie matter iudge but indifferently. And yet this they dare auouch euen contrary to the iudgement of Auſten, whom there the ſame author alleadgeth, who writes thus, concerning this matter in his Epiſtle to Heſichius. I dare not number the times as concerning the comming of our Sauiour, p. 321which is looked for in the end: Neither do I thinke that any of the prophets hauehave ſet downe this number: but that rather ought to be of force amongſt vsus which our Lord himſelfe ſaid. Act. 1.7.Acts 1:7No man can know the times, which the father hath put in his own power. Thus in their opinion the papiſts doe diſſent both from S. Paul and Saint Auſten But thus much of Antichriſt.