Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 11 · Controversies

Commentary on Daniel · Chapter 11 · Controversies

p. 4395. Places of controversie.

Here follow certaine controversies concerning Antichrist.

1. Controv. Of the birth and offspring of Antichrist.

Many of the auncient writers, as they liuing many yeares before the manifestation of Antichrist in the world, were deceiued in these particulars; so also they were much out of the way in true vnderstanding of other points belonging to this mysterie of iniquitie. 1. Hyppolitus thought that Antichrist should be a Deuill incarnate,Antichrist not a deuill incarnate. and be begotten by fornication, & phantastica carnis substantia organi vice vtetur, and should vse a phantasticall bodie, as his organe, &c. he thinketh that he should not hauehave a true bodie, but onelyonly in appearance.

2. Damascen thinketh not that Antichrist should be a Deuill incarnate, yet he saith,Antichrist whether actually possessed of the deuill. that illum inhabitet Diabolus, &c. the deuill should dwell in him, lib. 4. de fide orthodox. c. 18. that the Deuill should possesse him both bodie and soule, that in him and by him he should exercise and practise all his malice. But these are mens fansies: 1. S. Paul calleth him the man of sinne: therefore a man he shall be, and not a deuill in mans likenes. 2. and his comming shall be by the operation of Sathan, 2. Thess. 2. 9. not by the possession, and habitation of Sathan: Sathan may worke by those whome he possesseth not, and he may possesse their bodies by whome he worketh not.

3. An other opinion of some auncient writers is,Whether Antichrist shall be borne in Babylon. that Antichrist should be borne in Babylon: as Gregorie would gather so much out of the 2. of Numbers, where it is saide, that Dan pitched his tents toward the North: for Babylon Antichristi patria Aquilonaris est, p. 440&c. for Babylon the countrey of Antichrist is North to Iudea. Gregor. lib. 31. moral. c. 10. But this is a very slender collection: 1. there onelyonly the situation of the seuerall tribes is described, how they were placed in respect of the Tabernacle, which marched in the middes among them: and not onelyonly the tribe of Dan, but of Asher also and Nepthali did campe Northward. 2. Babylon is not now standing, but is come to perpetuall desolation, according to the prophesie of Isai, c. 13. 19. that Babylon should be as the destruction of God in Sodome and Gomorrha.

4. But it is almost a generall opinion among the auncient writers,Wh…ther Antichrist shall be of the tribe of …. that Antichrist should be borne of the tribe of Dan: thus thought Ireneus, Hyppolitus, Hierome, Augustine, Prosper, Ambrose, Beda, …upertus, with many others, which they would prooue by these three places of Scripture, as Gen. 49. 10. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, biting the horse heeles. Ierem. 8. 16. The neying of his horses is heard from Dan: and because Apoc. 7. where 12. thousand are reckoned of eueryevery tribe, Dan is left out: the reason whereof they say is this, because Antichrist should come of Dan. Pererius subscribeth to this opinion, and alloweth of these reasons. But Bellarmine reiecteth this opinion as a fansie, and very sufficiently answereth all the former places obiected: for the first place is vnderstood of Sampson, who was of the tribe of Dan: the second of Nebuchadnezzers comming to destroy Ierusalem, and so Hierome also expoundeth it: and in the third place Dan is left out, and so is Ephraim; because Ioseph is named for the latter, and Levi for Dan. Thus Bellarmin. lib. 3. de Roman. Pontif. cap. 12. Thus in this question one Iesuite (or if you will Iudasite) is opposite to an other.

2. Controv. That Antichrist shall not be one particular man.

All these aforesaid, which affirme that Antichrist shall be a Deuill incarnate, shall be borne in Babylon, and come of the tribe of Dan; they likewise hold, that he shall be one particular man. And this generally is the opinion of the Romanists at this day: so Pererius, Pintus, Bellarmine, with the rest: for if this could be prooued, the Pope should be freed from the imputation of Antichrist.

But this opinion hath as small ground as the other, and it may thus be refelled by Scripture. 1. S. Paul saith, that the mysterie of iniquitie beganne euen then alreadie to worke in his time, 2. Thess. 2. 7. and S. Iohn also agreeth, Of whome ye hauehave heard (namely of Antichrist) how that he should come, and now alreadie he is in the world. If Antichrist begunne to shew himselfe by his Antichristian doctrine euen in the Apostles time, which is aboue 1500. yeares since, then can he not be one singular or speciall man.

2. S. Iohn againe saith, 1. Ioh. 2. 18. Babes, it is the last time, and if ye hauehave heard that Antichrist shall come, euen now are there many Antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time: out of this place two conclusions may be inferred: the first is, Antichrist was to come in the last times, but Antichrist is now come, therefore these are the last times: If then Antichrist was come in his members and forerunners, he could not be one man, to hauehave so many forerunners, and so long before: The other conclusion is this, that one Antichrist is many Antichrists, which is thus prooued; those are the last daies, wherein the Antichrist shall come: but in these last daies there are many Antichrists: therefore many Antichrists are that one Antichrist.

3. S. Paul saith further, 2. Thess. 2. 3. There must come a departing first, and that man of sinne must be disclosed: from hence we may reason thus: There shall be a generall departure from the faith when Antichrist commeth: but a generall apostasie or departure from the faith, can not be in one particular enemie: therefore there shall not be one particular enemie to Christ, when Antichrist commeth.

But whereas the Scripture speaketh of the Antichrist in the singular number, the reason thereof is, because the Antichrist shall be the head of that Antichristian bodie, which shall set it selfe against the Church whereof Christ is the head: which Antichristian headship shall not rest in the person of one particular man: but shall adhere to a personall succession of particular men, who shall be the captaines and ring-leaders vntounto all Antichristianisme. Antichrist then vponupon the foresaid reasons shall rather be an Antichristian bodie politike, as are the Popes and Bishops of Rome, then any particular bodie. See more of this question Synops. Centur. 1. err. 56.

p. 4413. Controv. That Nero the Emperour shall not be the great Antichrist.

Severus Sulpitius writeth, lib. 2. sacr. histor. that it was the opinion of some, that Nero should come againe in the ende of the world to be that great Antichrist: his words are these, Nero creditur, etiamsi seipsum gladio transfixerit, curato vulnere eius servatus, Nero is held, although he did thrust himselfe through with a sword, beeing healed of his wound, to be preserued: and to that purpose they alleadge that place, Apoc. 13. 3. I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, but his deadly wound was healed: which they vnderstand of Nero his wound healed againe.

But the same Sulpitius dialog. 2. reporteth an other opinion, that Nero should come againe in the ende of the world, and tyrannize in the West parts, compelling men to worship the idols of the heathen: and Antichrist should rage in the East, whose seat should be at Ierusalem, commanding men to be circumcised, and making himselfe the Messiah.

Augustine likewise remembreth this opinion of the comming againe of Nero in the ende of the world: Nonnulli Neronem resurrecturum & futurum Antichristum suspicantur: alij …um non occisum putant sed subtractum potius, &c. diuers doe thinke, that Nero shall be raised againe to be that Antichrist: some thinke that he was not slaine, but rather taken away, and preserued in the same state of yeares, &c. lib. 20. de civit. Dei. c. 13.

But Augustine misliketh this opinion, and saith it is mira praesumptio, a wonderfull presumption for any so to thinke. And beside there is no probabilitie of it: for it is not like that God would worke such a miracle for so notorious a wicked man, as either to raise him from the dead, before the generall resurrection, or to preserue him aliue: we read onelyonly of two that were translated, Henoch and Elias, both holy men: for such a wicked man to be translated, it neither hath probabilitie, neither yet is there any example for it.

That place in the Revelation is indeede vnderstood of Nero, but not in that sense: in him the stocke of the Cesars was extinguished, and so the Imperiall succession receiued a deadly wound: but it was cured, in that the dignitie of the Empire was restored in the Emperors succeeding, though not lineally descended from Cefar.

4. Controv. That Antichrist shall be a deceiuer rather then a victorious conqueror.

Pererius concurring with other Romanists, thinketh that Antichrist shall be the greatest Monarch that euer was: and that he shall ouercome three kings, of Egypt, Africa, Ethiopia, and all the rest shall submit themselues vntounto him. lib. 14. in Daniel. in v. 24. Of the same minde was Lactantius, that Antichrist should ouercome three kings, qui tum Asiam obtinebunt, & in societatem assumetur à caeteris, which shall then raigne in Asia, but he shall be admitted to the societie of the rest, &c. Lactant. lib. 7. c. 16. But Lactantius here saith, that the three kings, which Antichrist shall subdue, shall be three kings of Asia; whereas Pererius, and so likewise Bellarmine suppose them to be in Africa: so well men agree together, when they follow their owne fansies.

2. Whereas Pererius would hauehave Antichrist to be the greatest Monarch that euer was in the world, because it is said, v. 24. that he should doe that, which his fathers had not don, nor his fathers fathers, that place is vnderstood of Antiochus, who is not simply saide to doe that, which his fathers had not done: for there were of his predecessors, mightier then he, as Seleucus Nicanor, and Antiochus the great: but none had made such spoile of Egypt before, as he should doe, as hath beene further shewed, qu. 31.

3. But that Antichrist shall insinuate himselfe rather as a craftie deceiuer, then as a mightie conqueror, is euident by S. Pauls description, 2. Thess. 2. 9. Whose comming is by the working of Sathan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders: in all deceiueablenes of vnrighteousnes: and v. 11. God shall send them strong delusions to beleeue lies. He shall deceiue rather with lies and false doctrine, then conquer by force and violence. So S. Iohn describeth the Antichrists in his time by their corrupt doctrine, 1. Ioh. 2. 18. and 4. 3. see more hereof Synops. Centur. 1. err. 64.

5. Controv. Of Antichrists miracles.

1. It is also an old opinion, that Antichrist shall worke many strange miracles: as Hyppolitus thus setteth them downe, Leprosos mundabit, paraclyticos sanabit, daemones expellet, &c. he shall clense the lepers, heale them that hauehave the palsey, cast out deuills▪ he shall tell things farre off, as if they were present, raise the dead, remooue mountaines, walke with his feete vponupon p. 442the sea, bring downe fire from heauen, he shall turne the day into darkenes, and night into day, and bring the Sunne about which way he will, and he shall shew that all the elements are obedient vntounto him: so also Lactantius saith, l. 7. c. 17. that he shall stay the sunne from his course, and cause images to speake.

2. Pererius also deliuereth his opinion thus, speaking more distinctly of these miracles: Some are profitable miracles, as such as Christ did in healing of the lame, and sicke: some are curious, as to cause images to speake, and to cause ignorant persons, and children to speake with diuers tongues: some are powerfull miracles, as to bring downe fire from heauen, and to command the Sunne: all these things he thinketh Antichrist shall doe. But yet there are some miracles which are done by a supernaturall power, as to raise the dead, which onelyonly God can doe, and these shall be exempted out of Antichrists power: yet whatsoeuer may be wrought by naturall causes, Antichrist, the deuill concurring with him, shall doe, though they be neuer so strange.

3. But these are mens phansies and dreames: 1. to heale diseases naturally incurable, as to make men see or heare, that are naturally blind, is beyond any naturall cause: and onelyonly the Creator can heale those defects in his creature. 2. much more supernaturall is it to command the Sunne, and to change the season of the day or night: the Deuill can doe none of these things. 3. Neither can he by his owne power raise lightning and tempest: for the Lord brought vponupon Egypt by Moses ministerie the great thunder and lightening: and the fire which came downe from heauen, and destroied Iobs sheepe, is called the fire of God, wherein it pleased God to vse the ministerie of Sathan: for if this were in Satans power, then Baals priests that serued the Deuill, might hauehave brought downe fire from heauen to consume the sacrifice, as Elias did. 4. The Deuill yet, when the naturall causes beginne to worke, can applie them, and remooue them from place to place, as the fire and lightning beeing caused by Gods power, he might bring it downe vponupon Iobs sheepe: and the winds first raised, he directed vponupon the house, where Iobs children were: though of his owne power he can not cause lightening and tempest: see this question handled more at large, Hexapl. in Exod. c. 7. qu. 15. 5. Whereas then it is said, that Antichrist shall bring downe fire from heauen, and cause an image to speake, though some vnderstand these things mystically,Synops. Centur. 1. err. 63. Bulling. as I hauehave shewed els where; yet it may literally also be vnderstood: for in the Popes legends such things are to be found, that their canonized Saints are said to hauehave raised tempests, walked vponupon the sea, and caused images to speake: such things their legend stories are full of. And at the tombs of their Saints, to the which simple people come in pilgrimage, they made them beleeue, that many blinde receiued their sight, many comming lame, returned hole and sound: yea they imagined the dead to be raised out of their graues. 6. And these strange things, so farre as the power of Sathan could extend, were done verily: for euen such things were wrought by the operation of Sathan among the heathen: as Claudia a Vestal Virgin to prooue her chastitie, did stirre a shippe alone by tying her girdle to it: and Tucia an other Virgin of the same order, did carrie water in a sive from the riuer Tibris to the Capitol. Plin. lib. 28. c. 2. But many of their strange works, were but fained and counterfeit miracles, such are those fore-named, which they fable to be done at their Saints tombes. So that, though all the foresaid miracles, mentioned by Hyppolius (Pererius subscribing) shall be wrought by Antichrist: yet many of them, some true, some forged, hauehave beene practised in the Papal Church, that in this behalfe, we neede goe no further to seeke Antichrist.

6. Controv. That Antichrists comming shall not be deferred to the ende of the world.

This is the generall opinion of the Romanists, that Antichrist shall raigne but 3… yeares and an halfe, and then at the end of the world shall be slaine: so Bellar. lib. 3. de Rom. Pontif. c. 4. and the rest doe concurre with him therein. Lactantius also seemeth to fauour this opinion, who thinketh that the comming of Antichrist shall be in extremis mundi temporibus, in the last times of the world. lib. 7. c. 16.

But this opinion can not stand with the Scriptures: 1. the mysterie of iniquitie beganne to worke in S. Pauls time, euen then a way was preparing for Antichrist: If euen then Antichrist were in hatching, it is not like, that all this while he should onelyonly be in the egge: that vncleane bird hath long since broken the shell, and the cockatrice egge a good while since hath brought forth a serpent. 2. Antichrist must come at the loosing of Sathan: p. 443for then, when Antichrist should shew himselfe, he shall come by the operation of Sathan, with all power and signes, and lying wonders, 2. Thess. 2. 9. But Sathan is let loose many yeares since: he was to be bound but for a thousand yeares, Rev. 20. 3. which thousand yeares are long agoe expired. 3. We graunt that Antichrist shall not vtterly be confounded till the second comming of Christ: some reliques of that aduersarie shall remaine for Christ to abolish at the brightnes of his comming, as S. Paul saith, 2. Thess. 2. 8. but his comming vponupon the foresaid reasons cannot be deferred so long:Synops. Centur. 1. err. 57. see more also of this matter elswhere.

7. Controv. That Antichrists seat shall not be at Ierusalem.

So hold the Romanists generally that Antichrist shall hauehave his Imperiall seate at Ierusalem, command circumcision, and cause the Temple to be reedified. Bellar. lib. 3. de Roman. Pontif. c. 13. Rhemists 2. Thess. 2. sect. 11.

But this is a groundlesse and weake conceit of theirs, as it may appeare euidently by these reasons: New Babylon shall be the seate of Antichrist, Apoc. 17. 5. but Rome is new Babylon: the great citie which then ruled ouer the earth was Babylon, Apoc. 17. 5. 18. but that was Rome, which then had the command of the earth: Hierome also saith, speaking of Rome, dum in Babylone versarer, while I was conuersant in Babylon. praefat. ad Paulin…m. 2. Againe, in the same chapter, Apoc. 17. v. 9. it is said, the seuen heads are seuen mountaines, whereon the woman sitteth: the citie which stood vponupon seuen mountaines should be the seat of Antichrist: but Rome is notoriously knowne to be that citie built vponupon seuen hills:Synops. Centur. 1. err. 6… therefore none other seat shall Antichrist hauehave then the citie of Rome: see further elswhere: we must but touch eueryevery thing briefly here.

8. Controv. That the citie of Rome shall not be vtterly destroyed before Antichrist shall come.

This was an other of Lactantius conceits, approoued by Pererius, Incolumi vrbe Roma nihil istiusmodi videtur metuendum, as long as the citie of Rome is safe, no such thing is to be feared; but when that head citie of the world is fallen, and Rome begun to be foreign, (that is, a ruine) as Sybil said, who will doubt but that the end of humane things is then at hād, &c.

1. The same Lactantius was of opinion, that the world should ende within 200. yeares after his time: the one is as true as the other. 2. True it is that as long as the Romane Empi…e continued in the full strength and authoritie, Antichrist was kept out, and that is it which should with old and let Antichrists comming, till it were taken out of the way, whereof S. Paul speaketh, 2. Thess. 2. 7. for it is euident, that the Pope encreased in power by the ruine and decay of the Empire. 3. It is also true, that the citie of Rome was neuer more ruinated, defaced, and spoiled, then since it hath beene vnderunder the command and obedience of the Pope, by the Gothes, Vandals, Lombards, and others. 4. But that Rome should be vtterly desolate, and brought to a finall ruine, is contrarie to the diuine prophesie of the Revelation, which maketh the citie with seuen hills to be the seat of Antichrist, as is shewed in the former controversie.

9. Contro…. That the Papists Antichrist, and the Iewes Messiah shall come together.

Hyppolitus, whose opinion herein Pererius followeth, thus writeth of Antichrist, Potissimum Gens Hebraeorum prae omnibus Antichristo chara erit, &c. The nation of the Hebrewes shall be before all other most deare vntounto Antichrist, and one shall say vntounto an other, can a man in our age such as this, so good, and so iust be found? the Iewes therefore hoping that he shall obtaine a most large Empire, shall thus say vntounto him: We will all obey you, for we acknowledge you to be iust aboue all the earth, all we hope to obtaine saluation by you, &c. Gregorie also in his time seemed to fauour that fansie: quia Iudaizare populum compellet, vt ritus Mosaicae legis revocet, &c. because he shall compell the people to Iudaize, that he might revive the rites of Moses law, and bring the Iewes in subiection vntounto him, he shall cause the Sabbath to be obserued, &c. lib. 11. epist. c. 3.

These scrappes of some auncient writers the Romanists in these daies hauehave gathered vp, who affirme the same, that Antichrist shall hauehave his seat at Ierusalem, reedifie the Temple, and command circumcision.

The same is the generall opinion of the Iewes, that when their expected Messiah commeth, the citie and Temple shall be built againe, and he shall restore vntounto them their kingdome p. 444and countrey, & be a victorious conqueror, suppressing the armies of Gog & Magog.

Now then, as the Romanists themselues hold the obstinate Iewes to be in error, that denie the Messiah and Christ to be come, looking for an other: so they making their Antichrist to be the same with the Iewes Messiah, are in the like error, expecting for the comming of an other Antichrist, who long since is come alreadie, and manifested in the world: and as soone shall the Iewes Messiah come, as this their imagined Antichrist. Hauing now thus briefly discouered these errors of the Romanists concerning Antichrist, we will now come to set forth the true signes and marks, whereby the Antichrist is discouered, and so find him out where he is.

10. Controv. Of the true markes whereby Antichrist may be discerned.

1. As he is called Antichrist, so he shall in all things be opposite and contrarie vntounto Christ. 1. Christ was most holy▪ and by the spirit of God which remained in him, was mooued in his thoughts, words, and workes onelyonly to that which was good: but Antichrist by the operation and instinct of Sathan shall be stirred vp vntounto all kind of euill: this Pererius confesseth: & how this hath bin performed in that Romish chaire of pestilence, all the world seeth, and they which are not wilfully blinded must needes acknowledge: what blasphemie, idolatrie, profanenes, vncleannes of life, murders, and other impieties hauehave beene committed by that Sea, hath beene abundantly shewed elswhere: so that that title, which the holy Apostle hath giuen vntounto Antichrist, calling him the man of sinne, 2. Thess. 2. 8. doth more fitly agree vntounto none, then to the Bishop of Rome. 2. Christ was humble and meeke: but Antichrist shall be most proud. 3. Christ was most obedient vntounto his father, and gaue most honourable testimonie of him: Antichrist shall be most contumelious and blasphemous against God, and therfore he is said Apoc. 13. to be full of the names of blasphemie. 4. Christ came to preach the truth, Antichrist shall be the sower of all corrupt and false doctrine. 5. Christ said his kingdome was not of this world: but Antichrist shall altogether seeke the pompe and glorie of this world. 6. Christ was the head of all good and holy men, and Antichrist shal be caput malorum, the head of the euill and wicked men. These notes and marks Pererius giueth of Antichrist, shewing wherein he shall be an enemie and aduersarie vntounto Christ. All which notes and markes doe most fitly agree to the Bishop of Rome: for what place can shew more examples of all kind of wickednes then that? who is more proud and ambitious blasphemous then he? where is taught more false and corrupt doctrine then there? who seeketh more the outward pompe of the world then he? and who els chalengeth to be head of the (malignant) Church but he?

2. Pererius saith that Antichrist shall be a great dissembler and hypocrite, he shall make a shew of three great vertues, chastitie, abstinencie, and pietie. And who maketh a greater shew of these then the Pope? he would seeme to be so chast, that he forbiddeth his Clergie lawfull marriage, yet suffering them to practise secretly all kind of vncleannes: he would seeme to be abstemious in forbidding the vse of lawfull meates: and for his pietie he will be saluted and called the most holy father.

3. Antichrist shall corrupt many with his great gifts and liberall rewards: And so the Pope hath Cardinals hats, Archbishops palles, Bishops miters, and other dignities, with ample and large reuenues to bestow vponupon his followers: as Bishop Fisher in king Henries daies was rewarded with a Cardinals hat for his good seruice in maintaining the Popes supremacie: but the head that should hauehave worne it, was first set vp vponupon London bridge. Bellarmine for his great paines taken in defending of the Popes supremacie, and other points of Antichristian doctrine, was made a Cardinal.

4. Pererius addeth further, that whome Antichrist cannot winne with flatterie & gifts, he will seeke to ouercome by terror and torments, lib. 14. in 11. Dan. v. 21. Such hath beene the practise of the Antichristian Prelates, as the former daies of persecution in England doe plentifully testifie: for first they would set vponupon the faithfull seruants of God by flatterie and faire promises, and so not preuailing, they would threaten faggot and fire: this may be euidently seene in the examinations of the blessed seruants of God, D. Taylor, M. Philpot. M. Bradford, with the rest.

5. Last of all, Antichrist shall deceiue, saith Pererius, faciendo plurima & admiranda prodigia, by working many prodigious things: And this hath beene the continuall practise of the Papal Church, with forged miracles to deceiue the simple people, as hath beene before p. 445declared: And hitherto I hauehave followed Pererius steppes, shewing how his markes of Antichrist doe most fitly agree vntounto his Pope holy father the Bishop of Rome.

11. Controv. How the description of Antiochus historically, doth typically decypher the Pope and Antichrist.

Though in this propheticall narration of Daniel, c. 11. from v. 21. to the ende, Antiochus be properly described, yet figuratiuely it may be applyed vntounto Antichrist. And it letteth not, that Antiochus was a ciuill and temporall king, and the Pope taketh vponupon him chiefely to be a spirituall gouernour: for as Doeg, notwithstanding he was one of Sauls courtiers, yet was a type of Iudas one of the twelue Apostles, as appeareth, Psal. 69. 26. and 109. 8. compared with Act. 1. 20. And so Achitophel also one of Dauids politike Counsellers of state, a figure of the same Iudas, Psal. 55. 14. and Mark. 14. 20. So Antiochus as well may be a figure and type of the Antichristian Prelate.

1. Antiochus is said to be a vile and abiect person,1. note of the rising of th… 1. shop of Rome by craft and flatterie. and not to hauehave come vntounto the honour of the kingdome by any right and title, or by consent or election, but by flatterie: So the Romane Bishop was at the first of small respect, who by little and little vsurped ouer the Church, not by any right or title thereunto, or by common consent and suffrage of the Church, but by flatterie and deceit, Bulling. Polan. Hereunto also agreeth the former prophesie, c. 7. 8. where this enemie vntounto the people of God is called a little horne, in respect of his obscure and base beginning: and Reuel. 13. the beast which signifieth Antichrist, is said to ascend out of the …arth.

2. Antiochus is set forth as a victorious conqueror:2. …ore his prospering & preuailing. the armes shall be broken before him, v. 22. So the Antichrist of Rome hath much preuailed and prospered in the world, though not so much by force as by craft and subtiltie, Oecolamp.

3. Antiochus is set forth by his rapacitie:3. his rapacitie and couetousnesse. he spoyled and robbed Egypt, and the most pleasant places thereof more, then euer did any before him, v. 24. And thus hath the Romane Antichrist in time past polled and pilled the world, by his annates, first fruites, tenths, Peter-pence, pardons, and such like deuises to get money.

4. Antiochus is also described by his dissimulation,4. his dissimulation. that he with the king of Egypt shall talke of deceit euen at the same table, but his heart euen then shall be to doe mischiefe, v. 27. So there hath not beene more deepe dissimulation practized with kings and Princes, then by the Bishops of Rome.

5. As Antiochus practised with the forsakers of the holy couenant,5. the generall apostasie and falling away from the faith. v. 30. by their meanes to seeke to preuaile against Gods people: So hath the Pope vsed as his ministers and instruments runnagates from their countrey, and Apostataes from the faith: as is euident to all the world in those monstrous and vnnaturall treasons, which hauehave beene attempted against this nation and Church of England: And as Daniel prophesied of Antiochus, that he should hauehave intelligence and consult with them that did forsake the couenant, v. 30. so S. Paul saith that there shall come a departing first, (that is, from the faith) and that man of sinne shall be disclosed: But because there is some difference betweene vsus and the Papists, what this apostasie and departure from the faith should meane, it shall not be amisse a little to insist thereupon.

Controv. 12. That S. Paul speaketh of an apostasie and departing from the faith, 2. Thessal. 2. 3.

1. Pererius thinketh that this Apostasie is to be vnderstood of the departure and falling away from the Romane Empire,lib. 14. in praefat. and to that purpose he alleadgeth Lactantius, who faith, incolumi vrbe Roma nihil istiusmodi esse metuendum, that so long as the citie of Rome is safe, no such thing is to feared, &c. Bellarmine also bringeth this for one exposition. 2. and further he addeth that by this apostasie we may vnderstand, dispositionem adregnū Antichristi, a disposition or preparation to the kingdome of Antichrist. 3. and if it be vnderstood of a defection or falling away from the faith, he thinketh it rather to agree to the Protestants, then any other, who are departed from the vnitie of the Church.

Contra. 1. It shall be shewed that apostasie is here to be taken, not as the word is vsed in the Ciuill lawe, for a departure either of a subiect from the obedience of his prince, or of a souldier from his captaine: for S. Paul speaketh not here of such ciuill and politike matters: or as the Romanists call apostasie, when one leaueth the order and sect into the which he was entred: for in S. Pauls time, there were no such superstitious sects of Monkerie: but p. 446that Apostasie here is to be taken for a departure and falling away from the faith, it may thus appeare.

1. So is this word vsed in other places of the newe Testament: as Act. 21. 11. They are informed of thee (saith Iames to Paul) that thou teachest the Iewes to forsake (or play the Apostataes from) Moses: 1. Timoth. 4. 1. the spirit speaketh euidently, that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, and shall giuegive heede to the spirit of error, and to the doctrine of deuils. 2. The euent is answerable hereunto: for together with the rising and manifestation of Antichrist, came in a generall corruption and deprauation of the most of the a… …icles of Christian religion. 3. thus also diuerse of the auncient writers expound this place: Iustin. Martyr calleth Antichrist, defectionis homo, a man of apostasie or falling away, dialog. cum Tryphon. Ireneus saith, he shall be sine lege quasi Apostata, as an Apostata without lawe, lib. 5. aduers. haeres. c. 21. So also expound Primasius, Cyrillus, Chrysostome, Oecumenius. 4. Thus also Thomas in explanation. Lyranus, Hugo Card. expound, and the Rhemists also vponupon this place mislike not this sense.

2. A disposition or preparation it cannot be vntounto Antichrists kingdome: because it is said that the man of sinne shall thereby be disclosed: he shall then come together with it, because he shall be reuealed by it.

3. But it is a false imputation vponupon the Protestants, that they are Apostataes: They hauehave separated themselues from the Church of Rome, as did Enosh, and the faithfull of the olde world from the posteritie of Caine, and as our Blessed Sauiour and his Apostles diuided themselues from the synagogue of the Scribes and Pharisies: But they were departed first from the doctrine of Moses: as the Romane sectaries hauehave declined from the auncient Apostolike faith, in stead thereof establishing their owne traditions, and the doctrines of men.

13. Controv. Of other notes and markes wherein Antiochus and Antichrist agree.

6. As Antiochus vsed the armes and armies of his captaines to oppresse the Iewes:6. note: the abusing of the secular power to be ministers of their cruelty and butcherie. So likewise the Bishops of Rome hauehave abused the secular arme and power to maintaine their pompe, and ambition, and to establish their superstition.

Marcellinus the historian (who was no Christian) writeth of the dissension betweene Damasus and Vrsicinus, about the Episcopall seate, that the contention betweene them was so hoate, and such parts taking; that in one day in the Church of Seruinus there were found an 137. dead bodies, which were slaine in a skirmish: And yet the ambition of the Romane Bishops was in those dayes nothing like to the pride of that vaine-glorious Sea now.

Gregorie the 7. called Hildebrand, as witnesseth Benno a Cardinall of that Sea, did mooue and make great warres to vphold his papall dignitie: so did Paschal. 2. Innocentius 3. Gregorie 9. fill all Germanie, Fraunce, Italie, Spaine with warres: and so hauehave the Popes maintained their factions and quarrells a long time by the Ciuill power.

Phocas the Emperour, that killed his Lord and Master: Pipinus king of Fraunce that murtherer: Rodolphus that disloyall duke to Henrie the 4. Emperour: Henrie 5. that disobedient sonne to Henrie the 4. his father; were all the Popes vassals to fight his battells, and to maintaine his quarrels with the sword. So hauehave beene of late the kings of France on a rowe, Henrie the 2. Francis the second, Charles the 9. Henrie the 3. Such was the Duke of Albanie in the lowe countreys, and other captaines and Generalls vnderunder the king of Spaine.

By the secret practising of Nicolaus 3. all the French in one day were killed thorough out Sicilia: Matchiavil: with the priuitie and knowledge of Vrbane the 6. was Ioanna Queene of Naples slaine before the altar, Theodoric. à Niem. lib. 1. de schism. c. 25. Iulius the 2. was a warriour himselfe, and present in the battels which he fought. Sixtus the 4▪ spent most of his time in warres: and when they were ended vponupon a conclusion of peace, he died for griefe. Paulus the third was author of the German warre, Polan.

The Pope sent his secular armes, the king of Spains forces, among the Indians, vnderunder pretence of embracing them to his religion: but they practised most horrible butcherie and crueltie among them: they hewed them in peices, rosted them at the fire, worried them with dogges: …ipped their bellies, and drewe out their bowels: opened the wombes of women with child: hung them vp, and burned them: set them on stackes of strawe, and set fire to them: and thus in 40. yeares space they destroyed 15. millions of men, that is, 150. hundreth thousand, and left wast and vnpeopled fiue times so much ground as all Spaine containeth. p. 447They put them to vnspeakeable torments, some they shodde with yron shoes nayling them to their feete, some they fleaed, and cast in salt, to put them to more paine: they cut off their lippes, noses, eares, their fingers and toes: and with fire and sword, they consumed an infinite number, as is before rehearsed: Polan. ex Bartholom. Casa.

As Apollonius sent by Antiochus against Ierusalem, made faire promises vntill he was receiued into the citie, but then he fell vponupon them on a sudden, and put them to the s…ord, and fell vponupon the Iewes on the Sabbath,2. … while they kept the feast, and vsed all outragious crueltie against thē: So within these few yeares, perdinandus Mendoza, with his crue of Spaniards, a champion for the Pope-catholik faith, practised most horrible & sauage cruelty in Westphalia, sparing neither age nor sex, no not them which submitted themselues, and were of their owne religion: the women great with child they stretching out their hands nailed to bourds,Most vnspeak… able and … heard of … of the … Papists. and ripped their bellies, tooke out the infants, cut them in peices, and hung them about their mothers neckes: they compelled the men with long famine to eate their own children, and some they hung vp by the pri…ie members, and the womens bellies they opened, and thrust in children of two yeares old, and strangled them in their mothers blood: Neuer did any Turkes or infidels shew such examples of crueltie, as those the Popes armes and champions, Palanus.

7. As Antiohus by his captaine Apollonius caused the daily sacrifice to cease, set vp abominable7. note: the setting vp of … in the Church and abrogating the rig… vse of the E…charist. idols, burnt the bookes of the lawe: So the Antichrist of …ome hath abolished the right vse of the Eucharist, which is a continuall commemoration of Christs death: yea the sacrifice of Christs death, and the vertue thereof is by them obscured, if not abolished, while he bringeth in other satisfactorie and propitiatorie sacrifices in their ordinarie masses: the Pope setteth vp in Church idols and imagerie, which are things abominable in the seruice of God: the bookes of Scripture beeing in the vulgar tongue he commandeth to be burned, and hererein he treadeth in the steppes of his forerunner Antiochus.

8. Antiochus beside his forren power vsed the seruice of the Apostatate Priests, and8. note: the Pope vseth the penne and tongue of false teachers. Iewes, as Iason, Menelaus: So the Pope beside the secular power hath his runnaga…e and fugitiue Priests, Iesuites, Seminaries, which doe by their subtill perswasions seduce many: Gregorie setting forth Antichrist, sheweth that he shall vse two kind of ministers: conatur ad se cord… hominum & missis praedicatoribus trahere, & commotis potestatibus inclinare, he shall endeauour both to drawe mens hearts vntounto him by sending of preachers, and to bend them by the moouing of Potentates, in Iob lib. 33. c. 23. This also he sheweth further by that place, Apocal. 9. 19. their power is in their mouth and in their taile: in ore doctorum scientia, in cauda secularium potentia significatur, &c. in the mouth the knowledge of the learned is signified, and in the taile the power of secular men.

Thus the Romane Antichrist bestirreth himselfe vsing both the sword of cruell potentates, and the penne and tongue of corrupt teachers, whom he enticeth with rewards, and promise of dignities to vphold by their subtile wittes the kingdome of darkenesse: and so in eueryevery point he imitateth the example of wicked Antiochus his liuely image, that both these wayes practised against the people of God.

Controv. 14. How the Antichrist of Rome hath persecuted Emperours, Kings, Princes, learned men, whole Churches for religion.

9. As in this great persecution vnderunder Antiochus there were many faithfull, that did not forsake the lawe, but did cleaue vntounto the Lord, and instructed others so to doe likewise, who were most cruelly persecuted for their faith: so in the times of persecution vnderunder the Romane Antichrist, many of all sorts, that hauehave opposed themselues to his vngodly proceedings hauehave beene euill entreated, and cruelly handled. 1. both Emperours. 2. Kings. 3. Princes. 4. Learned confessors of the truth. 5. whole Churches, as now shall be briefly shewed in order.

1. Of the Emperours. First, Philippicus Bardanius, because he commanded all images to be remooued out of Churches by the consent of Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople,Emperors persecuted by the Pope. was declared to be an heretike together with the said Patriarke, and publikely excommunicated in a certaine Synod by Pope Constantine, who inhibited that the image of the said Emperour should be stamped in any siluer or gold, or any mention to be made of him in the common prayers, Vrspergens.

Leo the 3. Isauricus, called Iconomachus, a fighter against images, caused images in Italie p. 448and Sicilie to be cast out of the Churches, and by his publike edict commaunded all images to be remooued: for the which fact he was excommunicated of Gregorie the 2. and Gregorie the 3. and the Venetians with others were stirred vp to rebellion, and the Eparch or viceroy with his sonne slaine: by which occasion the Pope stripped the Emperour of his Exarchateship or gouernement of Italie, which the Emperours of Constantinople had held an 164. yeares.

Constantine the 5. in a synode at Constantinople of 330. Bishops, decreed that images should be cast downe and burned, and no more be worshipped, nor the Virgin Marie prayed vntounto: that Saints reliques should not be kept: that it should be lawfull for Monkes and Nunnes to marry: for the which Stephanus the 2. translated the Empire of Constantinople into Fraunce: and his bodie was taken vp 23. yeares after it was buried, by the Empresse Irene (to please Pope Adrian) and burnt to ashes.

Constantine the 6. for remoouing images which his mother Irene had set vp, was by her depriued of his kingdome, sight, and life also.

No better dealt the Popes with their owne Emperours of the West. Henrie the 4. who had encountred with his enemies 62. times in open battell, was by Gregorie the 7. Vrbane the 2. Paschal the 2. excommunicate: his Empire was first giuen to Rodolphus the Duke of Suevia: then his sonnes were set against him, vnderunder colour of religon: first Conrodus, afterward Henricus the 5. his sonne, who depriued him of his Empire, and caused his bodie to be digged vp, after it was buried, and cast forth as a carion into the fields, where it lay vnburied fiue yeares, vntill it was brought to Spire, and there buried. Friderike the 1. called Barbarossa, was most hardly vsed by the Popes Adrian the 4. and Alexander the 3.

Philip the sonne of the said Friderike by the procurement of Pope Innocent the 3. who established transubstantiation, was slaine at Bamberge by Otto Count Palatine.

Otto the 4. and Friderike the 2. were excommunicate by Pope Innocent the 3. and Gregor. 9.

Henrie the 7. was poisoned with a consecrate host by a Monke of the faction of the Guelphes, which was on the Popes side: the Gibellines were an other faction, which held with Emperour.

Lodovike the 4. was likewise excommunicate by the Pope, who sent forth his Monkes and Friers into euerie quarter to defame the Emperour, and the Cardinals did stirre vp the Princes to warre against him, Avent. And thus hauehave the Popes handled the Emperours: Kings, and Princes, opposing themselues to their superstition, hauehave found no better measure.

2. Childericus king of France was deposed and thrust into a monasterie.Kings hardly vsed by the Pope.

Rachis king of the Lombards, was by the same Pope Zacharie put into a monasterie.

Lodovike the 12. was much encumbred by Iulius the second: who himselfe leading his armie from Rome, as he went ouer the bridge of the riuer Tiber, threw S. Peters keies into the riuer; and seeing they would doe him no good, he said he would betake himselfe to Pauls sword.

Henrie the 4. now king of Fraunce, was assaulted by 6. Popes, Gregor. the 13. Sixtus the 5. Vrbane the 7. Gregor. the 14. Innocentius the 9. Clement the 8. who the last named, hauing brought the king to be reconciled to the Church of Rome, did thereupon triumph insolently ouer him: As in a certaine booke set forth of that matter, there is a tractate, de victoria Clementis 8. de Henric… 4. &c. gloriose triumphantis, of the victorie of Clement the 8. most gloriously triumphing ouer Henrie the 4. king of Fraunce and Navarre.

Thus hauehave the famous kings also of this Realme of England beene serued by the Popes and their ministers. King Iohn was poisoned by a Monke.

King Henrie the 8. that most famous and renowned king, was by the bull of Paulus the 3. depriued of his kingdome, and his subiects freed from their oath of alleagance.

Queene Elizabeth our late Gracious Soueraigne of blessed memorie, before she came to her crowne was persecuted by her sister Queene Marie, and her chiefe agent Stephen Gardener, for her religion: and after that by Gods fatherly prouidence and care to his Church, she was aduanced to the kingdome, she was practised against by nine Popes: the sixe before named, and by Paulus the 4. Pius the 4. Pius the 5. both by open warre and hostilitie, wherein the two Philips of Spaine bare the chiefest stroke, and by priuie treacherie and treason.

Our kings maiestie that is now, both in Scotland had experience of Popish practises against him; and since his happie comming into England, some of the Popish faction hauehave p. 449more then once or twice conspired against him. But blessed be God he hath escaped their snares.

3. Now in the third place,Princes & Nobles … by the Pope. Some Princes and nobles shall be produced whom the Popes hauehave cruelly assaulted.

The Exarc… or viceroy of Ravenna, vnderunder Leo the 3. Emperor, by the Popes faction was slaine with his sonne.

The Medices at Florence were set vponupon in the Church by the counsell of Sixtus the 4. the Popes legate gaue the signe, when the host was lift vp, Volaterran. lib. 5. Geograph.

The Earle of Tholouse was pursued by the French king by most fierce warre, at the instigation of the Pope, onelyonly because he fauoured the Albigenses.

Iohn Friderike Duke of Saxonie, and Philip the Lantgraue of Hassia, were assaulted by most cruell warre, onelyonly for the cause of religion.

Count Egmond, and Count Horne were beheaded for fauouring the Protestants.

The Prince of Condie was poisoned.

Caspar Colignius slaine in the Massacre in Fraunce.

Antelot and Cardinall Castilion poisoned.

William prince of Aurane was slaine by a villane.

Charles the king of Spaines sonne, because he was thought to fauour the Protestants, whom they call heretikes, was made an ende of by the Inquisitors for religion, neither could his father, or would not deliuer him.

4. These learned confessors also,Learned … and confessors of the … against the …ope. and some holy martyrs hauehave in diuerse ages opposed themselues against the Pope, and were euill entreated for it.

Vigilantius Bishop of Barcellona in Spaine, because he found fault with the adoration of reliques, and with single life, was counted an heretike.

The Bishops and Presbyters, which held a synod at Eliberine in Spaine, were adiudged heretikes by Pope Adrian in a synod at Frankefort.

Ann. 840. Bertram writ against transubstantiation.

So did Ioannes Scotus Ann. 869. and was slaine of his schollers with their writing pens.

Ann. 964. Huldericus Bishop of Augusta impugned the single life of the Clergie.

Ann. 1039. Berengarius bent himselfe against transubstantiation.

Ann. 1157. Ioannes Sarisburiens. did teach, that the Pope was Antichrist, and Rome Babylon.

Arnoldus Bishop of Brixia denied vntounto the Pope the vse of the temporall sword.

About the same time liued Peter Bloix, who publikely maintained in his writings that Rome was Babylon, the Popes officers harpies, his Priests Baalites.

Ann. 1160. Petrus Waldo of Lions, ann. 1240. Petrus de Vineis, ann. 1260. Gulielmus de S. Amore, ann. 1306. Petrus Cassiodorus a learned Noble man of Italie, 1314. Dulcimus of Navarre. 1315. Arnoldus de noua villa. 1383. Iohn Wicleffe in England. 1405. Iohn Hus and Nicolaus Clemangis a Doctor of Paris. Hyeronym. Savonarola a Monke of Ferrara, whom Alexander the 6. caused to be burned. Antonius Mancinellus, Gulielmus Occam: All these were great impugners of the Pope.

Ann. 1517. Martin Luther. ann. 1519. Huldericus Zuinglius: and since many learned men in Germanie: Oecolampadius, Capito, Melancthon, Martyr, Bullinger, with others: in Fraunce, Calvin, Beza, Farellus, Viretus, with others: in England, B. Cranmer, B. Ridley, B. Hooper, M. Latimer, M. Filpot, M. Bradford, holy martyrs, and since B. Iewell, D. Fulke, D. Whitakers, D. Reynolds, with many more excellent writers, and worthie preachers hauehave discouered the nakednesse of the whore of Babylon.

5. Lastly whole Churches hauehave beene persecuted for resisting the Pope and his doctrine:Whole Churches persecuted by the Pope. the Albigenses vnderunder Innocentius the 3. the Waldenses vnderunder Pope Iohn the 22. the Church of Calabria, of Sevill in Spaine, of England in Queene Maries dayes: and the Curches of Fraunce vnderunder Charles the 9. and Henrie the 3. endured much oppression, by the tyrrannie of the Popish faction.

And thus doth the Pope resemble Antiochus in persecuting with fire and sword the faithfull seruants of God professing the truth.

15. Controv. Of the pride and blasphemie of Antichrist against God.

10. v. 36. He shall magnifie himselfe against all that is God: This is most true of the Antichrist p. 450of Rome: for he exalteth himselfe aboue the Angels which are called gods in respect of their excellencie of nature and condition,10. note: the Pope exalteth himselfe aboue all that is called God. making himselfe iudge of the Angels. Princes and Magistrates also are called gods: them hath the Pope caused to kisse his feete, and hath troad vponupon their neckes, disposing of their kingdomes at his pleasure. Innocentius the third thus writ vntounto the Emperour of Constantinople: that as gold exceeded le…d▪ so the Papall dignitie the Imperiall: as the Sunne was the Lord of the Planets, so the Pope of all secular dignities: and as the Moone receiueth light from the Sunne, so the Emperor hath his dignitie from the Pope: thus he exalteth himselfe aboue temporall gouernours, which are as terrene gods. Likewise the Pope maketh himselfe superior to Saints, whom he taketh vponupon him to canonize or not to canonize at his pleasure, Polan. The Pope also challengeth to be Superior to all other Bishops and Pastors, who are as Angels set ouer the Churches: and so he magnifieth himselfe aboue whatsoeuer is called God, Bullinger.

11. Antiochus did exalt himselfe against the true God,11. note: Antichrist shall exalt himselfe against the true God. who is here called the God of gods: so the Pope glorieth to be called God in earth: as Nicolaus the Pope in his epistle to Michael Emperor of Constantinople saith, that the Pope à pio principe Constantino Deum appellatum, was called God of the godly Emperor Constantie, distinct. 96. c. satis: So in a certaine glosse in the ende of the Extravagantes, the Pope is called Dominus Deus noster Papa, our Lord God the pope: which glosse is not ignorantly thrust in, but wittingly and well allowed of among the Papists: for notwithstanding that the Canon lawe was by the appointment of Gregorie the 13. reuised and corrected by certaine Cardinals and others, they suffred that glosse to remaine vnaltered. At the coronation of Sixtus the 4. there was this inscription in a certaine triumphall pagen, at one of the gates thorough the which he should passe, & merito in terris crederis esse Deus, thou art worthily held to be a God in earth. Ludovicus Gomesius in reg. Cancellar. saith, that the Pope is quoddam numen, a certaine diuine thing representing a visible God in earth: And Stapleton the Iesuite in his preface to Gregor. 13. before his booke de princip. fid. doctr. calleth the Pope, supremum in terris numen, the most diuine power in earth. Therefore Friderike the 2. in his epistle to Otto Duke of Baevaria saith, not without iust cause, Pontifices Romani affectant Dominationem quandam & diuinitatem, the Romane Bishops affect a kind of Lordlinesse, yea diuinitie in earth.

12. Antiochus vttered horrible blasphemies against God:12. note: Antichrist blasphemous against God. The Pope therein is no whit inferior vntounto him: Boniface the 8. in c. quoniam de imm. in Sext. calleth the Church his spouse, which onelyonly is peculiar to Christ to be the husband of his Church, 1. Cor. 11. 3. the same Pope also, among many other his arrogant speeches, saith, haec authortas non humana, sed diuina, this our authoritie is not humane, but diuine: and againe, subesse Romano Pontifici omni creaturae, definimus omnino esse de necessitate salut is, we doe define, that it is of necessitie of saluation for euerie creature to be subiect to the Bishop of Rome, extrav. commun. de maiorit. & obedien. lib. 1. titulo 8. The same Boniface the 8. in the 1300. yeare, when the Iubile was solemnized, shewed himselfe the first day in his pontificall attire: the next day he came forth in the Imperiall robes, causing a naked sword to be carried before him, and he himselfe came after crying with a loud voice, Ego sum Pontifex & Imperator, terrestreque & coeleste imperium habeo, I am both chiefe Bishop and Emperor, and hauehave both the terrene, and celestiall gouernement. Sixtus the 5. in his bull against Henrie king of Navarre, now king of Fraunce, and the Prince of Condie, boasteth, that his authoritie deliuered vntounto him from Christ and S. Peter did exceede the power of all kings and Princes, & incumbere sibi, ecclesiarum omnium, populorum, & gentium sollicitudinem, that the care of all Churches, peoples, and nations did lie vponupon him, &c. so that the Pope doth challenge to himselfe, that which is peculiar to Christ, ex Polan. Such like blasphemies are those which are currant among the Popish sort: as in the glosse of the decrees, the Pope is saide neither to be God, nor man, sed medius inter vtrunque, but a middle thing betweene both: Augustin. Boetius addeth further, Papam omnia in terris posse, quae Deus potest in coelis, that the Pope can doe all in earth, which God can doe in heauen: and Philippus Decius, Papam omnia posse facere, quae Deus facit, &c. that the Pope can doe all things, which God doth: such horrible blasphemies doe proceede from that pestilent Sea.

And as that man of sinne speaketh wondrous and marueilous things against God: so doth he take vponupon him to worke wonders against the truth: which are called lying wonders in two respects, because they are not done indeede, but in shew, and because they are wrought against the truth: both these are touched by the Apostle in the description of Antichrist, p. 4512. Thess. 2. the first. v. 9. Whose comming is by the working of Satan, by all power, and signes, and lying wonders: the other, v. 11. God shall send them strong delusions to beleeue lies. Papp…. And thus this blasphemous Antichrist hath according to this prophesie magnified himselfe against the God of gods: and as S. Paul prophesied of him, that he should sit in the Temple of God, shewing himselfe that he is God, 2. Thess. 2. 4. for the further explaning of which words, I will make here a short digression.

16. Controv. How Antichrist is said to sit in the Temple of God.

1. Some doe vnderstand it of the Temple of Ierusalem, which they say, Antichrist shall cause to be builded againe, and therein he shall sit to be worshipped as God: so Hyppolitus, Cyrillus: and Chrysostome misliketh not this sense in his Commentarie vponupon the 2. of the 2. epistle to the Thessal. But this can not be the meaning: 1. because the Temple of Ierusalem shall neuer be builded againe, according to the saying of our Sauiour, that one stone should not be left vponupon an other. The Iewes were licensed by Iulian the Apostata to reedifie their Temple, but they could not goe forward: that which they built in the day, was cast downe in the night, and beside a strange fire came forth, which consumed the instruments and engines of the artificers. 2. And though that Temple should be builded againe, it could not be called the Temple of God, seeing it should be set vp to revive the sacrifices and ceremonies of Moses law, which are abolished by Christ.

2. Theodoret and Damascen vnderstand it of the Temples of Christians which Antichrist shall command to be set vp and erected to his worship: but thus he should sit in many temples, whereas the Apostle speaketh of Temple, in the singular: neither doth the Apostle call the Churches of Christians by the name of foreign, temple.

3. Wherefore the Apostle meaneth hereby, not materiall temples, but by the Temple he vnderstandeth the Church of God, as it is called, 1. Cor. 3. 16. Apoc. 3. 12. Not that Antichrist shall in deede sit in the true Church of God, for he shall be an enemie to the Church of Christ: but he shall sit in the visible Church so reputed: and he shall style and title himselfe by the Church: As he taketh vponupon him to be Head of the Church, and to be Christs Vicar in earth: Melancth. Papp. Fulke annotat. 2. Thess. 2. v. 4. He sitteth also in the temple of mens consciences, taking vponupon him to hauehave power to forgiue sinnes, and to make lawes to binde the conscience. Bulling.

4. Some, that hold the Turke to be Antichrist, may by the Temple vnderstand those places, where sometime was the Church of God: but the Apostle speaketh of the Temple, that shall then be so reputed and taken, at the time of Antichrists sitting therein.

17. Controv. Of the prosperitie and outward successe of Antichrist.

As it is here said of Antiochus,13. note: of the prosperous successe of Antichrist for a time. that he shall doe what him list, and againe, that he shall prosper: so the Romane Antichrist hath both so taught, that he is to doe what he list, and he hath practised, and prospered accordingly. For the first: Nicolaus the Pope thus writeth to Michael the Emperor, à seculari potestate nec ligari posse, nec solvi Pontificum, &c. that the chiefe Bishop can neither be loosed, nor bound of the secular power: and then he inferreth how that Constantine the Emperor called the Pope God: and so concludeth, nec posse Deum ab homme iudicari manifestum est, it is manifest, that God is not to be iudged of man, &c. And these are their positions in their Canons, that the Pope is without law, and that he is to be iudged of none: and if all the world should determine any thing against the Pope, yet the sentence rather of the Pope must stand: and seeing he hath all fulnesse of power, no man is to say vntounto him, why doe you so? for his will standeth for reason, distinct. 19. 17. quaest. 4. nemini.

And as this is their doctrine, that the Pope may doe what he list, and no man is to checke or controll him: so he hath mightily prospered in his wicked proceedings, as Antiochus did: for Emperors, Kings, and Princes hauehave furthered his enterprises: learned men hauehave and doe desend his errors: All kingdomes almost in the Christian world, Vniuersities, schollers, hauehave applauded him: So many Monasteries in diuers countries with their Monks and Fryers depended of him. This is the prosperitie and externall happie successe, which the Romanists doe boast of; and Bellarmine among the rest, maketh it a speciall note to know the true Church by: but as Antiochus prosperous successe against Christs Church was no signe of Gods fauour toward him, no more is it in the kingdome of Antichrist. But I will here stay a while, a little further yet to sift and examine this point.

p. 45218. Controv. That externall happines is not a sure note of the Church.

Bellarmine making externall felicitie a note of the Church,lib. 4. de Eccl. c. 18.Sir 18 giueth these instances of the good successe of the Romanists in their battells.

1. In the time of Innocentius the 3. the Catholikes in France with an armie of 8000. conquered an 100. thousand of the Albigenses. Aemil. lib. 6. hist. Francor.

2. Anno 1531. the Helvetian Papists, had fiue conflicts with the Helvetian Protestants, and still had the better.

3. Charles the 5. ann. 1547. obtained a miraculous victorie against the Protestant Princes in Germanie.

4. In France and the low countries, the Papists hauehave had many victories, not without miracle: and the Protestants seldome had the better.

1. Ans. These instances produced by Bellarmine are false, as shall now appeare in the particular examination of them. 1. Mathias Parisiens. reporteth farre otherwise of that battell, writing, that Lewes the French king died in the siege of Avenion, and that his sonne hauing the leading of a great armie against the Albigenses was ouercome ab exiguis copijs, of a few small bands. And this is like to be the truer report: for it seemeth not probable, that the persecuted Church of the Albigenses could set forth such an huge armie. 2. The Popish Helvetians had not so many battells with the Protestants: there was but one battell and a skirmish: the Popish sort had the better, hauing the aduantage of the higher ground: neither was it such a great victorie, for they were glad to aske peace, and to compound the matter vponupon equall conditions. 3. It was no miracle for Charles the 5. to preuaile in that battell, setting vponupon Duke Fredericke on a sudden, and some of his confederates hauing forsaken him: neither did the Emperor long enioy that victorie, for he was not long after by Mauritius, who ayded him against Duke Frederike, chased out of Germanie for the wrongs offered vntounto Philip the Lantgraue, and neuer after that returned he into Germanie againe. 4. Of the successe of the battells in France and low Germanie, they hauehave no cause to brag: Henrie the 4. …ow king of France and Navarre, when he professed and maintained the Gospel, was alwaies superiour in battell: and how the warres hauehave prospered on the Protestants sides in the low countries, no man is ignorant. So that if the goodnes of the cause is to be esteemed by the good successe, if they had no other arguments to defend themselues, this might plead for them, that God hath aboue these 30. yeares vpheld that small countrey miraculously against all the power of Spaine. But they hauehave diuers reasons besides, which may iustifie their warres against the king of Spaine.

1. The breaking of their priuiledges by the Duke of Albanie: 2. the vnreasonable exacting of tribute vponupon things which were sold:The reasons which mooued the low countries to defend themselues by warre against the king of Spaine. 3. the vniust execution of diuers both noble and others: 4. the setting of garrisons of strangers in their cities: 5. the building of castles and sconces: 6. the constituting of Iudges of the Spanyards, and not of their owne countrey: 7. the generall restraining of their libertie, Polan. p. 1070. 8. beside the bringing in among them of a strange religion.

2. Now that outward prosperitie is not a signe of Gods fauour, or a marke whereby to discerne the Church, it is euident by the example of Antiochus here, who mightily prospered in his wicked attempts against the people of God: So also Nebuchadnezzer preuailed against Ierusalem, and destroied the very Temple. All the tribes of Israel beeing assembled together, against the children of Beniamin, hauing the better cause, yet were twice ouercome, Iudg. 20. God then in suffering his Church to be for a time afflicted and oppressed, doth not thereby testifie his fauour toward their oppressors, but doth rather shew his wrath against his owne people for their sinnes: which was the cause that Antiochus prospered, whome the Lord vsed as his scourge: as it is here saide, till wrath be accomplished: that is, Gods wrath kindled against his people. And the same is one of the reasons, why the Lord shall suffer Antichrist to rage in the world: whereof more shall be here inserted in the next controversie.

19. Contr. Why the Lord suffereth Antichrist to rage against his Church.

That is no reason which Bellarmine pretendeth, that the Romane Church is by their outward prosperitie knowne to be the true Church, and therefore it is giuen vntounto them to prosper: but these rather are the causes:

1. That herein Gods merciemercy may appeare, who for a long time tied vp and bound Sa…han, though for a while he be let loose: yet in that vntill the reuealing of Antichrist, he was p. 453bridled, and not suffered hetherto to powre out all his malice against the Church of God, it must be ascribed to his merciemercy.

2. The Lord by this persecution vnderunder Antichrist will trie out the faithfulnes of his seruants, that they may be discerned from the hypocrites: as it is shewed here in the former verse, that diuers were suffered to fall into affliction, to trie and purge them: both that they might be scuered and purged from hypocrites, as the wheat is from the chaffe and drosse; and that the Lord also might hauehave experience of the faithfulnes and constancie of his seruants. Hereupon Hyppolitus thinketh, that the Martyrs vnderunder the tyrannie of Antichrist, shall be the most glorious Martyrs, that euer were in any persecution before: which verily may be affirmed of our holy Martyrs that suffered in the daies of Queene Marie in England, and then and since in other places: for beside that their torments and cruell manner of death were equivalent,… the cause for the which they suffered was more hard to be iudged of, and their enemies more subtle: for the Martyrs of the Primitiue Church died for not yeilding vntounto most grosse idolatrie of the heathen, which was most manifest impietie: and their aduersaries were professed enemies to all Christianitie: But these latter Martyrs suffered for matters of religion, euen controuerted among Christians, and their persecutors themselues pretending to be Christians.

3. A third reason is, that God by the hypocrisie and tyrannie of Antichrist, punisheth the sinnes of the world, which abounded at the reuealing of Antichrist. Hyppolitus thus well setteth forth the iniquitie of those times, wherein Antichrist shall come: omnes suo arbitratu vivent, silij manus inijcient in parentes, &c. all shall liue as they list, the sonnes shall lay violent hands vponupon their parents: the wife shall deliuer the husband to death, the husband the wife: masters shall be cruell toward their seruants, and seruants shall be stubborne against their masters: no man shall reuerence the aged, nor hauehave pitie on the poore: then shall enchanters and sorcerie be in force: Pastours shall become wolues, and Monks shall couet and desire the things of the world, &c. All these vices and corruptions abounded in the world, when Antichrist beganne to shew himselfe, and these things are yet practised vnderunder the Romane tyrannie: Wiues doe accuse their husbands, and husbands their wiues, children the parents, and parents the children, one brother riseth against an other to put them to death for religion. So that for these and other sinnes, the hard yoke of Antichristian bondage yet lieth vponupon the world. And S. Paul sheweth the reason thereof, 2. Thess. 2. 11, 12. God shall send them strong delusions to beleeue lies, that all they might be damned which beleeue not the truth, but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes. And so those nations, which are yet in bondage vnderunder Antichrist, because they desire not to leaue their superstition, and vnrighteous liuing, but still continue enemies to the truth, therefore they are by the iust iudgement of God kept still in ignorance and misbeleefe.

20. Controv. That out of this text, v. 36. it can not be prooued that the Pope is not Antichrist, as Bellarmine intendeth.

Bellarm. lib. 3. de Rom. Ponti…. c. 21. goeth about to prooue by diuers arguments out of this text, that the Pope can not be Antichrist.

Argum. 1. Antichrist here described, shall doe what he list, and exalt himselfe against God, as not holding himselfe tied vntounto any law, nor acknowledging any superiour: so doth not the Pope, who taketh himselfe to be bound vntounto the law, and confesseth Christ to be his Iudge and superiour.

Ans. The Pope confesseth thus much in words, but in effect he abrogateth the law of God, and so consequently denieth Christ to be his superiour.

1. The Pope dispenseth against the law of God, which sheweth his superioritie ouer the law: Pope Martin the 5. with the aduise of his Popish diuines, dispensed with one to marrie his owne sister germane: this is committed to writing by Antoninus Florentin. summ. 3. p. tit. 1. c. 11. §. quod Papa. whome Necolaus Boerius followeth, consil. 20. vtrum papa. numer. 26. such were the incestuous mariages of Egypt: for Ptolome Philadelphus maried his owne sister Berenice, and so did Ptolome Philopator his sister Eurydice, whome he killed: Ptolome Physcon married Cleopatra his brother Philometors wife: in which very case the Pope dispensed with Henrie the 8. to marrie his brother Prince Arthurs wife.

Likewise the law of God forbiddeth the setting vp of all images to be worshipped, Levit. 18. 9. which the Pope commandeth eueryevery where to be done. The holy Apostle saith, that concupiscence is against the law, and consequently sinne, Rom. 7. 7. But the Pope in his p. 454Councell of Trent decreed the contrarie, that concupiscence is not vere & proprie peccatum, verily and properly sinne.

2. As the Pope alloweth that which Gods law forbiddeth and condemneth, so likewise he forbiddeth that, which Gods word alloweth and commandeth. As Gods word commandeth obedience to parents, but the Pope set Conradus and Henrie against their father Henrie the 4. who warred against him; and Henrie depriued him of his Empire, and of Christian sepulture. Our Sauiour biddeth to giuegive vntounto Cesar, the things which are Cesars; as homage, tribute, obedience: but Gregorie the 2. forbad tribute to be paied to Leo the 3. for pulling downe of images, or any obedience to be yeilded vntounto him. The Scripture alloweth, that they which hauehave not the gift of continencie, should marrie: but Calisthus the 3. refused to dispense with the marriage of a certaine Deacon, that alledged he had not the gift of continencie, for whome also Cardinal Senensis entreated, who was afterward Pope called Pius the 2. who writ hereof vntounto his friend in these words, alterum Papam expectandum, qui melior sit, that an other Pope must be expected, who should be better. Boerius loc. citat. num. 20. The Scripture counteth mariage honourable, and maketh it free for all men, Hebt. 13. 4. yet the Pope forbiddeth mariage to his Clergie, as a disgrace to their orders.

3. And that it yet may more euidently appeare, how the Pope extolleth himselfe aboue Christ: In the yeare 1447. when Felix was Bishop of Rome, who succeeded Eugen…us, this answer was made by the Cardinal of S. Angel to the Embassadors of Bohemia, Siquis non crederet Christum esse verum Deum & hominem, & idem sentiret Papa, eum, non damnatum …ri, if any did not beleeue Christ to be God man, and the Pope did so thinke also, he should not be damned: and at the same time Henricus the master of the Palace said to the same Embassadors, Papa potest mutare S. Evangelium, & potest S. Evangelio pro loco & tempore alium sensum tribuere, the Pope may change the holy Gospel, and may giuegive an other sense to the Gospel, according to time and place. ex Polan.

Argum. 2. Antichrist shall care for no God at all: But the Pope worshippeth God the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost: yea all the Saints in heauen, images and reliques in earth (if we will beleeue the Protestants, saith Bellarmine) he adoreth also.

Answ. In that the Pope inuocateth Saints, praieth vntounto images, adoreth reliques, and so setteth vp other gods: it is an euident argument, that he denieth the true God.

Argum. 3. Antichrist shall ouerthrow the policies and states of kingdomes, so doth not the Pope.

Answ. The contrarie is euident: for Gregorie the 2. forbad any obedience to be yeelded to Leo the 3. and Gregorie the 3. depriued him of his Empire. Alexander the 3. so serued. Frederike the 1. Frederike the 2. and Lewes the 4. were so likewise vsed. Gregorie the 7. deposed Bol…slaus king of Polonia: Iulius the 2. gaue away the kingdome of Navarre. How then is not Bellarmine ashamed, these things beeing so manifest, to say, that the Pope is not an enemie to politike states?

Argum. 4. Antichrist shall prosper: but the Pope, since the Protestants made him Antichrist, hath much decreased: he hath lost a good part of Germanie, of Fraunce, Helvetia, Bohemia, Pannonia, Eagland, and all Suetia, Gothia, Norway, Denmarke: but Luther hath prospered, by his carnall preaching seducing many, who of a silly Monke became as it were Pope ouer all Germanie; he rather may be taken for Antichrist.

Answ. 1. The Protestants in these dayes are not the first, that discouered Antichrist, he was so called and counted many yeares since. 2. the prospering here spoken of is not vnderstood of any spirituall successe by the preaching of the Gospell, but of such prosperous euents as are compassed by violence and force of armes, and cunning deuises. 3. it is no carnall preaching to teach men not to be addicted superstitiously to carnall …ites and ceremonies, which was the scope of Luthers preaching. 4. neither did Luther affect a papall preeminence ouer Germany: though it be true, that of late one Felix Peretus of a poore Monke came to be vniuersall Pope, called Sixtus 5. 5. God be thanked that many good morsells are snatched out of the wolues mouth: he speaketh but of a good part of England, that is reuolted from the Pope: But all England in generall and Scotland doe detest the Pope with his superstitious and treacherous practises, except onelyonly a fewe tha… are Popishly addicted; whose number I trust daily will decrease. 6. And though Antichrist doe not prosper, as he hath done, and I am sure, neuer shall: yet that followeth not, but he is Antichrist still: for he shall prosper onelyonly for a time, not alwaies.

p. 45521. Controv. How Antichrist shall forsake his fathers God, v. 37.

v. 37. He shall not regard the god of his fathers. 1. This is most true of the Pope,14 note: the … who hath swarued and departed from the religion and faith taught by the holy Apostles, and Apostolicall men in the purer ages of the Church: 1. as S. Paul teacheth, 2. Tim. 3. 17. that the Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect to all good workes; and so consequently are perfect, and all-sufficient: so Tertulliane, aliunde suadere non poterunt de rebi… fidei, quam ex literis fidei: de praescript. haeretic. c. 15. they can not otherwise perswade of matters of faith, then by the Scriptures of faith: But the Pope teacheth that beside the word of God written, there are traditions, which he calleth the word of God not written, which they make of equall authoritie to the Scriptures: and so they bold, that the Scriptures containe not all things necessarie to saluation. 2. Their forefathers hauehave taught, that the Scriptures are plaine and easie, and therefore are to be heard, and read of all: as Iren. lib. 2. adv. haeret. c. 46. vniversae Scripturae, &c. apertae & ab omnibus audiri possunt, all the Scriptures are open, and may be heard of all: But the Pope holdeth them to be obscure, and not safe to be read of the lay-people. 3. Clemens teacheth, ex ipsis Scripturis capere sensum veritatis opor…et, we must take the sense of the truth out of the Scriptures, distinct. 37. c. relatum. but the Pope will hauehave the sense of Scripture depend of his owne mouth. 4. Their fathers hauehave taught that the translation of the Scriptures must be examined by the originall, distinct. 9. c. 6. ve…erum librorum fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examinanda est, the credit of the bookes of the old Testament must be examined by the Hebrew: but now among the Romanists, the vulgar Latine is made authenticall, Trident. sess. 4. and preferred before the originall Hebrew and Greeke. 5. Their Elders hauehave taught, that we are onelyonly iustified by faith, Basil. concion. de humilitat. this is perfect righteousnes, &c. when a man knoweth himselfe sola fide in Christum iustificatum, to be iustified by faith onelyonly in Christ: so also Ambrose, impius sola fide iustificatur apud Deum, a wicked man is iustified onelyonly by faith with God. in 4. ad Roman. But the Romanists hold, that we are also iustified by the merit of our workes. 6. The Fathers hauehave taught that there are no other mediators of our prayers but Christ, as Chrysostome, nihil tibi opus est patronis apud Deum, &c. you neede no patrons with God: for God will not heare so easily, if other pray for vsus, as if we pray our selues, though we be full of euill, &c. And in many other points of doctrine it is euident, that the Pope hath lost and forsaken the faith and the religion of the auncient Fathers, and so consequently their God also.

But Bellarmine thus would wipe away this marke: that this no way can be fastened vponupon the Pope, who confesseth the God of his fathers, God the Sonne, God the Father, and God the holy Ghost. lib. 3. de Roman. Pontif. c. 21.

Contra. In words indeede they confesse Christ to be their God, but in fact they denie him: 1. They doe not acknowledge him to be their onelyonly Prophet, seeing they detract from the Scriptures, making them obscure, and imperfect: whereas Christ onelyonly is to be heard in the Scriptures: yea Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz vttered this blasphemous speach, magis ab ore eius quam à sacris pagini… antiquam Christianae religionis institutionem expetant, let them seeke and desire the auncient institution of Christian religion rather at his mouth, then from the sacred booke, &c. which horrible blasphemie is inferted in their Canon law: distinct. 40. cap. Si Papa. Bellarmines best answer here is to doubt of the truth of this speech: but if it be not true, why standeth it in the Canon, after so often reuising and perusing of the Canons. 2. They denie Christ to be our onelyonly Priest, in making other Mediators and intercessors beside him, contrarie to the Apostle, 1. Tim. 2. 5. There is one Mediatour of God and man, the man Iesus Christ. 3. Neither doe they acknowledge Christ to be the onelyonly king of his Church, making the Pope his Vicar, and head of the Church: and they say that vntounto the Pope is giuen all authoritie in heauen and earth: lib. 1. Ceremoniar. cur. Roman. Bellarmine answereth, that the Pope no more denieth Christ to be king, then a Viceroy in a countrey denieth the king of the land. Ans. 1. The reason is not alike: for a king can not be present in eueryevery part of his kingdome, and therefore committeth many things to his deputie, which he can not doe himselfe: but Christ is for euer present with his Church. 2. the Viceroy taketh not vponupon him to be the king and head, as the Pope doth. So then it is euident, that the Pope in effect renounceth the God and religion of his fathers: see further in the Appendix exercis. 3. argum. 1.

p. 45622. Controv. How the Romane Antichrist regardeth not the desire of women.

Though the Antichrist of Rome doth publikely pretend chastitie,… yet all fornication and vncleannes both naturall and vnnaturall, is practised and suffered vnderunder that licentious gouernment. And herein the Pope regardeth not the desires of women, in that he is an enemie vntounto lawfull marriage, forbidding his Clergie to marrie: which is made lawfull to all men, 1. Cor. 7. 1. Hebr. 13. 4. And while marriage is restrained, there is a way open to all other kind of vncleannes, euen that filthie Sodomitrie, which is against nature: in commendation whereof, a great Bishop of Italie did write publikely, and that without any checke. Papp. This sinne some scoffingly hauehave called, mutum peccatum, a dumme sinne: but they shall finde that it is peccatum clamans, a crying sinne, which called for fire and brimstone from heauen vponupon the Sodomites. Bulling.

But Bellarmine to cleare his great Master the Pope of this suspition also, he alleadgeth, that in the originall the words stand thus; and he shall be in the desires of women: though that in the Greeke translation it be read negatiuely, he shall not, &c. And he giueth two coniectures why it should be read rather affirmatiuely, then negatiuely; both because Antiochus, as Hierome writeth, who is here historically meant, was giuen vntounto the desire and lust of women: neither is it probable, that Antichrist should command or commend single life: but the Iewes rather doe expect, that Antichrist shall suffer them to hauehave many wiues, which they count a part of their terrene happines.

Contra. 1. That it is more agreeable to the originall to read here negatiuely, he shall not hauehave respect to the desires of women, then affirmatiuely, is shewed before, qu. 45. whether I referre the Reader. 2. Though Antiochus were one way giuen vntounto the desire of women, in respect of his carnall lust, yet an other way he was not, in not regarding the request and desire of his wife, for to spare Ierusalem, as is shewed likewise before, qu. 45. 3. It is most probable, nay rather that Antichrist shall enioyne single life, and restraine marriage, because he shall maintaine the doctrine of deuills, whereof this is one. 4. And though the Iewes expect such carnall libertie, when their Messiah commeth, that is nothing to the purpose: for such a Messiah, as they expect, shall neuer come. But we know certenly that the Antichrist should come into the world, and is indeede alreadie come. 5. And that Antichrist shall outwardly seeme to maintaine single life, it is the opinion of their owne writers, exterius finget castitatem vt facilius decipiat, he shall outwardly faine chastitie, that he may the more easily deceiue, Lyran. so also Pererius, Intimis animi sensibus erit super omnes libidi…osus, &c. in his inward disposition he shall of all men be most licentious and lustfull, though he shall outwardly dissemble chastitie.

23. Controv. That Antichrist shallnot care indeede for any God, nor hauehave any sense of religion.

That the Antichrist of Rome herein also was well resembled by Antiochus,16 note: Atheisme, prophannes, not caring in effect for any God. may be prooued first by particular induction, that many of their Popes hauehave beene found in a manner to be very Atheists, hauing …o sense of religion. Iohn the 12. whome Platina maketh Iohn the 13. nec Deum nec hominem prae oculis habuisse, had neither God nor man before his eyes: so testifieth Theodoric. à Niem. lib. 3. c. 9. Innocentius the 8. was seene for the most part to sleepe in the time of diuine seruice: of Alexander the 6. saith Guicciardine, that he had nullum religionis sensum, no feeling of religion: his holy-daies exercise was to see Plautus comedies plaied: of Leo the 10. it is reported, that he should thus say, quantum nobis profuit fabula ista de Christo? how much hath this fable or tale of Christ profited vsus?

Secondly, this may be shewed how the Pope doth magnifie himselfe against God, by those blasphemous titles and prerogatiues, which he suffreth to be giuen vntounto him by his Canonists: as Osiander doth exemplifie these, the Pope is the vniuersall father of all the faithfull and of all the sheepe of Christ, Ioannes de tur. cremat. the Pope hath the same consistorie with God, and the same tribunall with Christ: the Pope is a certaine diuine power, representing a visible God in earth, Gomesius: All power is giuen vntounto the Pope in heauen and earth: from the Pope appeale is not to be made, no not vntounto God: the Pope can make something of nothing: the Pope can doe all that God doth, Decius: the Pope is God, Felinus: the Pope is greater, then any other creature, and his power extendeth it selfe to celestiall things, terrestriall, and infernall, Antonin. Florentin. the Pope may change the forme of the Sacraments deliuered from the Apostles, Archiadiacon. the Pope is the foundation of faith, as the canons speake: God p. 457hath subiected all lawes to the Pope, and no lawe can be imposed vponupon his highnesse, … Gratian. the Pope may decree against the epistles of S. Paul, Carolus R…nus: God hath brought all things in subiection vnderunder the Popes feete, Barbazia: none is equall to the Pope but God, August. Beroius: the Pope is the husband of the whole Church, Ioan. de tur. cremat. These and such like blasphemies are vttered by the Popes claw-backes, and …e accepteth them: for if he misliked them, why doth he not prohibite them to vse such grosse and blaspemous seatteries? By this it is euidently manifest, that the Pope, as here it is said of Antiochus, seeketh onelyonly to magnifie himselfe, and in effect careth not for any God.

24. Controv. How Antichrist shall bring in a strange God, which his fathers neuer knewe, v. 38.

As Antiochus brought in his newe God Mauzzim, that is,… of munitions, namely the idol of Iupiter Olympius into the Temple, and guarded him about with munitions and garisons, such an idol as his fathers neuer knewe: so likewise the Romane Antichrist hath brought in a newe kind of images into the Church: as one of them obtained of Phocas the Emperour, the Church of Gentile idols called Paentheon in Rome, and set vp the images of Saints in stead thereof: likewise they doe make the virgin Marie their Ladie and goddesse, making her their Mediatrix, and offring vp prayers, consecrating Churches vntounto her: And thus they hauehave framed vntounto themselues a newe goddesse whom their fathers knewe not.

But the most famous idol of all is their newe deuise of transubstantiation, and of their breaden god, and their idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse: wherein they commit many profanations. 1. They giuegive vntounto euerie Priest power to make the bodie of Christ, and therein thinke them more worthie then the Virgin Marie: for she was conceiued but once with the holy flesh of Christ, but they doe make it daily. 2. they detract from the vertue & efficacie of Christs alsufficient sacrifice vponupon the crosse, in adding as a supplement thereof their daily vnbloodie sacrifice (as they call it) of the Masse. 3. they ascribe vntounto the Masse such vertue, as that thereby they thinke the soules to be deliuered out of purgatorie. 4. they hold that the Masse is auaileable ex opere operato, by the verie externall worke, without the good intention, faith, or preparation in them, to whom it is applye. 5. They carrie their impanate god about in procession, requiring adoration with knocking, kneeling, lifting vp the hands to be yeelded vntounto it. 6. And they make their Masse a generall remedie not onelyonly against all spirituall but temporall euills and calamities, and a meane to obtaine both spirituall and temporall blessings: as health of bodie, good successe in any businesse, victorie in warre, good speed in mariage matters, in battell, in nauigation, and such like: whence they hauehave deuised so many kinds of votiue Masses, as they are called: as for peace, for raine, for faire weather, for women in trauaile, for those which are vponupon their iourney, against the pestilence, lightening, and such like: All which are newe brought in deuises, neuer knowne in the former ages of the Church: and this may well be called their newe come God Mauzzim, which signifieth munitions: for the idolatrous seruice of the Masse, is the chiefe pillar of Popish superstition, their munition and fortresse, Pappus.

25. Controv. Of the theatricall and pompous seruice with siluer and gold, which Antichrist hath found out for his newe idol.

As Antiochus spared no cost to set forth his newe idol,18. note: Antichrists newe theatricall seruice of his new idol. he bestowed vponupon it siluer and gold, and precious things: and as Marcellus among the Romanes robbed all other Temples, to set forth and beautifie the idol-Temples at Rome: So the Romane Antichrist with all externall pompe, outward glorie, and glittering shewe of siluer and gold, doth adorne and beautifie this his new coined seruice. And how all their religion consisteth in nothing els but in an outward shew, and vaine-glorious pompe, it is euident in these three things, in their persons, Churches, and solemnities.

First for their persons, they count them good Catholikes, that obserue their outward rites and ceremonies, though they hauehave no good motion and instinct at all: as if they be in their baptisme exorcised, anealed, afterward confirmed with chrisme, and keepe fasting daies, be sprinkled with holy water and ashes, creepe to the crosse, be confessed at Easter, kisse the pax, goe in pilgrimage, offer to their idols, and when they die, be anealed, and carried to the graue with tapers and dirges, they thinke they hauehave performed all offices of Christianitie.

Concerning their Churches, there is no preaching, or very seldome, and that to small edifying, p. 458no singing of Psalmes, or praying with vnderstanding: but all things are set forth to the eare, in singing and sound of instruments, and to the eye, in adorning their images with siluer and gold, and such like.

And touching their solemnities; all their seruice is nothing else but a meere stage-play, from one ende of the yeare to the other.

At the natiuitie of Christ, an infant made of wood wrapped vp in swathing cloutes is carried vp and downe by boyes and girles.

In the festiuall of the three kings, which they say came to worship Christ, three apparelled like kings doe goe from doore to doore singing and begging with a star made of paper.

In the day of the purification candles are carried about: and ashes are sprinkled on ashwednesday. In lent certaine persons disguised goe vp and downe the streets whipping themselues: the images in the Churches are cloathed in blacke as though they mourned, the altars are couered.

On Palme Sunday, an asse is led about, and palmes carried before: on the day of resurrection, after midnight the Priest taketh the image of the crucifix out of the sepulchre, and goeth about knocking at the Church doores, and crying, be yee lift vp ye euerlasting doores, and the king of glorie shall come in: and then the question is asked, who is the king of glorie? and the Priest maketh answer, the Lord strong and mightie in battell, he is the king of glorie: and so they blaspemously ascribe that vntounto an image, which is due onelyonly vntounto Christ.

Before the ascension day they hauehave solemne processions, and then all the images of the Saints are brought forth, and carried in shew: on the ascension day one is drawen vp in a wooden tutret to the toppe of the Church, and as if he represented Christ, he crieth out, I ascend vntounto my father and your father: and when he is at the toppe he throweth downe certaine consecrated hosts, and while they are gathering them vp belowe, water is powred downe, whereupon there is raised a great laughter in the Church.

On the day of Pentecost the image of a doue is let downe from the top of the Church, together with fire, and a noise like thunder, with this voice, Receiue ye the holy Ghost.

On corpus Christi day, the host is carried about in solemne procession, with instruments of musicke, and louelove songs, such as minstrels vse to sing at feasts, to make ghests mertie: And after this manner is the Popish seruice deuised to attend vponupon their impanate God. ex Polano.

But Bellarmine laboureth likewise to free the Pope of these imputations, that this prophesie of the newe God Mauzzim, cannot in any sense agree vntounto him.

1. First he reasoneth thus: this Mauzzim is either Antichrist himselfe, or the deuill, whom he worshippeth: he shall command himselfe to be worshipped, and be a great sorceter and Magician: but the Pope is none of these.

Answer. 1. We will yeeld vntounto him the proposition: though indeed this place hath no such sense, either to vnderstand Antichrist himselfe, or the deuill by the God Mauzzim, as is shewed before, quest. 46. 2. But both the parts of the assumption are true of the Pope: for he commandeth himselfe to be worshipped: as appeareth. lib. 1. ceremon. Pontifical. sect. 3. c. 3. quod omnes mortales, &c. that all men of what dignitie soeuer, as soone as they come into the Popes sight, shall thrice bend their knees, and then come and kisse his feete.

And that diuerse of the Popes hauehave beene great Magicians, is extant in histories: Sylvester the 2. gaue himselfe to the deuill to obtaine the Papacie, Platin. fascicul. tempor. Benno writeth of Gregorie the 7. that he sent two young men to fetch a booke of Necromancie▪ which he had forgotten, charging them not to looke vponupon it: but they thereupon were the more desirous to prie into it, and while they read in it, the deuils ministers came about them to knowe what they should doe: who beeing amazed at the first, bid them presently to cast downe a great wall which was neere vntounto Rome, which was done forth with. Luithprandus writeth of Iohn the 22. that he was wont, Diabolum in alea invocare, to call vponupon the deuill as he plaied at dice: And diuerse of the Popes beside hauehave beene noted, to vse familiaritie and conference with spirits: So that taking Bellarmines owne sense we shall finde the Popish Antichrist to worship this God Manzzim.

2. Bellarmine hath here an other euasion, that Mauzzim is like to be the name of the place where Antichrist shall lay vp his treasure, and shall there secretly worship the deuill.

Answ. 1. Thus Bellarmine shifteth vp and downe, not knowing what to make of this p. 459Mauzzim: one while he thinketh it to be Antichrist himselfe, then againe he will hauehave it to be the deuill, and now a name of a place. 2. But we admit it that Mauzzim is the name of a place, for it signifieth a munition or garrison: And may not such a place be found out in Rome, where the Popes treasure lyeth, namely the castle of S. Angel?

3. Bellarmine addeth yet further, that Antichrist shall worship this god in secret, for openly he shall worshp no god at all, because the text saith, he shall not care for any God: but this cannot be said of the Pope, who professeth publikly the seruice of God.

Contra. 1. These two may well agree together, not to care indeede for any god; and yet to pretend outwardly a kind of publike worship in hypocrisie: as Antiochus set vp the idol of Iupiter Olympius at Ierusalem, beeing himselfe without all sense of religion. 2. So the Romane Antichrist, doth professe himselfe a Christian, yet is indeede an enemie to true Christianitie: And though he pretendeth to be but Christs Vicar, yet he doth magnifie himselfe, against Christ and his gospel, as hath beene shewed before.

26. Controv. How Antichrist shall distribute honours and possessions vntounto his fauourites, and that for money.

As Antiochus bestowed vponupon the idolatrous Iewes offices and dignities and possessions,19. note: Antichrist distributeth dignities and possessions to his flatterers but for money. but not without money: for Iason and Menelaus brought the Priests office for money: so the Antichrist of Rome taketh vponupon him to be the Lord of the world, to giuegive kingdomes, Lordships, Manners, to those which will receiue the marke of the beast: here two things are expressed of Antiochus, what he giueth, and for what. The like are obserued concerning Antichrist.

The things which are giuen are three, honours, places of authoritie and command, lands and possessions: in euerie one of these kinds the Pope taketh vponupon him to be a distributor both in the Church and commonwealth: for Ciuill titles and honours: he taketh vponupon him to create Emperours, Kings, Dukes: and to dispose of the kingdomes of the world, as there is extant, lib. 6. Avent. an epistle of Pope Adrian, to the Archbishops of Trevire, Mentz, and Collen, to this effect: sicut Zacharias transtulit imperium à Graecis ad Theutonicos, as Zacharie translated the Empire from the Greekes to the Germanes, so we may remooue it from them to the Grecians againe: ecce in potestate nostra est dare illud cui volumus, behold it is in our power to giuegive it to whom we will: wherefore we are set by God ouer nations and kingdomes, to destroy and plucke vp, to build and to plant, &c. And thus said the deuill to Christ, that all the kingdomes of the world were his to giuegive vntounto whom he would: In like manner the Pope hath Church dignities to bestowe, Cardinalships, Archbishoprikes, Bishoprikes, Abbies, and such like, which he conferreth vponupon those which will worshippe the beast, Bulling.

But for the manner: he bestoweth them as Antiochus did the Priesthood not without money: Alexander the 6. made 12. Cardinals, not of those which best deserued, but of such as would giuegive most for them: Guicciardin. lib. 5. histor. sui tempor. Leo the 10. had two calles or elections of Cardinals, wherein he made verie fewe without money: Clement the 7. as Onuphrius writeth, sold 3. Cardinals hattes to those, which would giuegive most: Hereupon it commeth to passe, that many vnworthie persons are preferred in the Popish Church, such as are able to giuegive most: as Bernard complained in his time, honorati incedunt de bonis Domini, qui Domino honorem non deferunt, &c. plus calcaria quam altaria fulgent, &c. they iet vp and downe honoured with the goods of the Lord, but themselues giuegive no honour vntounto the Lord, &c. whence it is that they weare more gold in their bridles and spurres, then is to be seene in the altars, &c. ser. 33. super Cant. Budaeus hath the like complaint, that the rewards of learning and vertue were bestowed vponupon such asses and doults, vt illis anima data sit pro sale, vt suibus, that their soule seemeth to serue for their bodies, as falt for swines flesh, that is, to keepe it from corruption.

But Bellarmine to helpe out his Grand-master, telleth vsus, 1. that there hauehave beene many learned men among them, which hauehave taken great paines, as Eckius, Cochleus, Latomus, Driedo, Tapperus, Petrus à Soto, with others, that hauehave not receiued an halfepennie of the Pope for their great paines. 2. and yet they laboured night and day to suppresse the furies of Protestants. 3. who expect their reward from heauen, for setting forth and maintaining Gods glorie. 4. And if the Pope doe bestowe the reuennues of the Church vponupon Cardinals and Bishops, he is not said so much to conferre them, as they who in their godly zeale gaue such large reuennues to the Church. Thus Bellar. lib. 3. de Rom. Pontif. c. 21.

p. 460Contra. 1. Bellarmine discrediteth the Pope, and noteth him with the infamous marke of ingratitude, in that he suffreth such patrons and defenders of his papall sepremacie to goe vnrewarded: and yet there was none of these whom he nameth, but enioyed much more then many worthie ministers of the gospell. 2. can he for shame obiect furie vntounto the Protestants, seeing it is notorious, that diuerse of these his learned men, became furious and madde indeede. Eckius when he died cried out, why doe not ye giuegive me my gold, where is my gold? it seemeth he should hauehave bought some dignitie which he missed of. Latomus, when he should hauehave made an oration at Bruxels against Luther, before Charles the 5. and could not goe forward, beeing sent out with hisses, was so ashamed, that he fell madde; and vttered diuerse blasphemies in the Schooles, and in the Readers chaire, whence he was taken by Ruardus Tapperus, and was carried to his bed, and died in despaire, saying he was damned. Frier Cherubin, which in the yeare 1598. challenged the ministers of Berne and Geneve to dispute with them, after he had both in words and deeds bewrayed his madnesse, was tied with chaines, and had keepers appointed him. 3. neither is it true that they striue for Gods glorie, but for the Popes, whom indeede they make their terrene god; and therefore they cannot expect any reward from God: he must reward them whose seruants they are. 4. And these great reuennues, which the Pope hath to bestowe, he hath rather gotten by rapine and violence, then by the pietie and deuotion of others: As the Dukedome of Ferrara ann. 1598. was by Pope Clement the 8. by force and violence taken from the right heire thereof. ex Polan.

27. Controv. Of Antichrists insatiable ambition, crueltie, and couetousnesse.

1. As Antiochus vponupon eueryevery occasion was readie to inuade Aegypt and other countreys: so the Pope vsurpeth vponupon the nations and kingdomes of the world without any title,20. note: Antichrists ambitiō. but with pretenses and fogeries: as by that forged donation of Constantine, he challengeth to be Lord of the Occidentall Empire: there is no king in all these West parts, whom either the Pope hath not made in times past his vassall, or at least will not say, that he holdeth his kingdome of him, and therefore ought to doe him homage: Boniface the 8. decreed, that it was of necessitie of saluation, for euerie creature to be subiect to the Pope, Extrav. de maiorit. & obedient. c. Vnam sanctam. And in the same canon he glorieth, that he is set ouer nations and kingdoms, to plant and pull vp, to build and destroy: he challengeth vntounto himselfe power in heauen and earth, and dominion from sea to sea, and from the flood to the endes of the world, lib. 1. ceremon. pontifical. c. 7.

2. As Antiochus tooke euerie opportunitie to afflict the people of God,21. note: cruelty toward the Church of Christ. but he spared the Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites that assisted him, and hated the people of God as he did, v. 41. So Antichrist ceaseth not to persecute the Church of Christ, and by all meanes to oppresse it, and to trample vponupon it: But such as are addicted to his superstitions, and are affected toward him, he spareth, and fauoureth.

3. As Antiochus hunted after nothing else,22. note: the couetousnesse of Antichrist. but the spoile of Egypt, the treasurers of gold and siluer, and other precious things: So the Romane Antichrist gapeth after the treasure and riches of the world, raking vntounto him whatsoeuer he can lay hold of: he selleth mens sinnes and pardons for money, releaseth the paines of purgatorie for money, dispenseth almost with any thing for money: he imposeth taxes, tenths, mulcts of money by way of penance. As Henrie the second had a mulct set vponupon him for the murder of Thomas Becket, and it was enioyned him to goe a warfare at his great charge, as a part of his penance. Frederike the Emperour beeing excommunicate by Gregor. the 9. bought his absolution for a 100. thousand ounces of gold, as witnesse Onuphryus and Guicciardin. Alexander the 6. appointed certaine rich Cardinalls to be poisoned, that he might seaze vponupon their riches, Onuphryus in Alexand. 6. The Pope exacteth great summes of the Iewes dwelling at Rome, of the harlots and vsurers. Iohn the 22. lest when he was dead 25. millions of ducats of gold in the treasurie. Boniface the 9. gathered out of one Prouince an 100. thousand Florence pieces by his indulgences in a very short time: the Senate of Paris in their petition to Lewes the 11. alleadged that the Pope eueryevery yeare had out of France 946. thousand markes. Leo the 10. receiued a great summe of money by his pardons and indulgences out of Germanie, and gaue them to his sister Magdalen a most famous strumpet. Guicciard. lib. 13. ex Polan. Therefore Theodor. à Niem thus well resembled the Pope-Apostolike sea, camera Apostolica mari assimilatur, in quod intrant omnia flumina, & non exvndat, the Apostolical chamber p. 461is likened to the Sea, into the which all riuers doe runne, and yet it neuer ouerfloweth: so many thousand pounds are brought into it, and it is neuer filled. &c. Vnion. tract. 6. c. 37.

28. Controv. Of the rage and furie of Antichrist.

v. 44. Like as Antiochus when he heard of the euill successe of his captaines,23. note: Antichrist. …. against the faithfull. how they were ouerthrowne and discomfited in Iudea, went forth with a great rage thinking to destroy many: so the Romane Antichrist hath fretted and fumed, when he heard of any that were reuolted from his obedience: As Leo the 10. and after him Adrian the 6. sent out their bulls against Martin Luther, Zuinglius, and other ministers, that preached the Gospel in Germanie. When king Henrie the 8. had abolished the Popes supremacie in England, Paulus the 3. thus bestirred himselfe: he depriued the king of his kingdome, disinherited his children of the crowne, released his nobles of their oath of alleagance, gaue the possessions and lands of his subiects to be a pray to any, that list to inuade them, he interdicted them from the Church and Sacraments: made voide all leagues confirmed with forraine kings and states.

After the same manner proceeded Pius the 5. against Queene Elizabeth, depriuing her of her crowne, releasing her subiects of their fealtie, and excommunicating all her subiects, that continued in her obedience: the like also did Sixtus the 5. who also pursued Henrie king of Navarre now king of Fraunce, and Henrie of Burbon Prince of Condie, with the same weapons: deposing them by his sentence from their honours and dignities, freeing their subiects of their fealties, and disinheriting them of their title to the crowne of Fraunce.

29. Controv. How Antichrists palace is planted betweene the two Seas.

As Antiochus pitched his pauilion betweene the two Seas,24. note: the palace of Antichrist situate betweene two Seas. the dead Sea and Mediterranean Sea, where Iudea was situate, v. 45. So the Romane Antichrist hath his seate iust betweene two Seas, the Sea called Tyrrhenum and Adriaticum: and he sitteth in the Temple of God: not either the Temple of Ierusalem, which is long since destroyed, and neuer shall be builded againe, nor in any other materiall Temple; but he sitteth in the Church of God, taking vponupon him to be the head of Christs Church: but he with his faction, are not the true Church of Christ, though he sit in the Church, as the vitious and corrupt humors are in the bodie, but are no part of it, Polan. And the Popes palace may fitly be compared to a Tabernacle: because his seate was remooued by Clement the 5. from Rome to Avenion in Fraunce, where it continued 74. yeares, Osiander.

30. Controv. Of the fearefull ende of diuerse Popes.

As Antiochus came vntounto a terrible ende: he was eaten of wormes,25. note: the miserable ende of diuerse Popes. and his flesh fell away from him, that he could not endure his owne stinke: so herein he was a figure and type of diuerse Popes of Rome, who came to an vntimely death.

Sabinianus who first brought in the canonical houres, and the vse of tapers in the Church, was frighted by a vision, wherein Gregorie the 1. appeared vntounto him, whose books of meere enuie he thought to hauehave burned, and smote him, vponupon the terror whereof he not long after died, Fascicul. tempor.

Boniface the 3. after he had obtained of that parricide and murtherer the Emperour Phocas, that the Church of Rome should hauehave the principalitie before other Churches, came home and ended his dayes in sorrowe and griefe, hauing not enioyed his papacie aboue a yeare and 5. moneths.

Leo the 3. was taken by the citizens of Rome and imprisoned, and making an escape went by stealth into Fraunce, where he ended his dayes miserably, hauing not beene Bishop full 20. moneths.

Pope Lando was suffocated by Iohn the 11. by thrusting a pillowe into his mouth.

Sylvester the 2. that obtained his papacie by the deuill, when he had solemnized Masse in a chappell called Ierusalem, which signe the deuill had giuen him that he should not die till he came to Ierusalem, died presently: and his bodie was cut into gobbets, least the deuill should hauehave carried it away, Naucler.

Iohn the 13. that had committed incest with two of his sisters, was slaine in adulterie.

Iohn the 15. had his eyes put out by Boniface the 7. and was famished to death in the castle of S. Angel: the same Boniface the 7. died suddenly a very short time after: and his body p. 462was drawne with a rope by the feet through the streets of Rome: the historie called fascicul. tempor. giueth this note here of the Popes: note saith he, that the Bishops of Rome are killed, as in the Primitiue Church, but they were no martyrs, par poena, sed dispar causa, the punishment was like, but the cause vnlike.

Benedict the 5. fledde to Hamburge, and was there strangled in prison.

Benedict the 6. was taken by the citizens, and strangled in the castle of S. Angel.

Gregorie the 7. by poison and other meanes made an hand of 6. Popes one after another, to make a way for himselfe to the Popedome. And he himselfe who so persecuted the Emperour Henrie the 4. was taken by Cynthius a citizen of Rome and imprisoned: and afterward was besieged by the Emperor, and at the last escaped into a poore village in Apulia, where he died miserably.

Victor the 3. was poisoned in a chalice by a subdeacon, and thereof died.

Paschal the second after he had stirred vp Henrie the 5. against his father, was taken by the same Henrie, and cast into bonds, and so died in prison.

Adrian the 4. was choaked of a little flie, and so ended his life.

Boniface the 8. who had beene a terror vntounto Princes, died madde in prison, and bonds: of whom it is said, that he entred like a foxe, reigned like a wolfe, and died like a dogge.

Clement the 5. was poisoned.

Paulus the 2. who as Platina writeth, exceeded Heliogabalus in riot and filthie pleasure, through gluttonie and leacherie fel into an apoplexie.

Sixtus the 4. died of verie griefe that his warres were ended.

Alexander the 6. died of the same poison, which his sonne Caesar Borgias had prouided for Adrianus Cardinall of Corneta.

Paulus the 3. that spent his time in filthie pleasure, after he had heard of the death of his sonne Pertus Aloisius, died in a peuish rage, and crying out in despaire, peccatum meum contra me semper, my sinne is alway against me, so gaue vp the ghost.

Iulius the 3. that belli-god died of a surfet, and not without suspition of poison.

Pius the 5. that had like a wolfe sucked the blood of many of Christs lambes, fell thorough griefe into a consumption, and sucked asses milke, but it helped him not.

Sixtus the 5. who so pursued and baited with his bulls Henrie the 4. now king of France, died of poison, whereas the king yet liueth and prospereth.

After him followed Vrbane the 7. Gregor. the 14. and Innocentius the 9. who died all in a verie short time, one after an other, ex Polan.

Thus Antiochus miserable ende was a right figure and patterne of the like ende of the like Romane tyrants.

And as Antiochus tyrannie ended with him: so at the length the kingdome of Antichrist shall be extinguished: as it is prophesied, Apocal. 14. 8. 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 fornications, &c.

Thus hauehave I by Gods grace shewed how diuerse wayes Antiochus was a type and figure of the Romane Antichrist: and so much of the controversies out of this chapter.