A Treatise Concerning Antichrist, Title page – Dedication
A TREATISE CONCERNING ANTICHRIST, DIVIDED INTO TWO BOOKES, THE FORMER, PROVING THAT THE POPE IS ANTICHRIST: THE LATTER, MAINTAIning the same assertion, against all the obiections of Robert Bellarmine, Iesuit and Cardinall of the Church of Rome.
By GEORGE DOVVNAME, Doctor of Diuinitie, and lately reader of the Diuinity Lecture in Paules.
Apoc. 18, 4. 6.
Come out of Babylon my people, that you be not partakers with her in her sinnes, and that you receiue not of her plagues, &c. Render vntounto her as she hath rewarded you, and repay her double according to her workes.
AT LONDON Imprinted for Cuthbert Burbie. 1603.
TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE, MOST CHRISTIAN AND WORTHY KING, IAMES, by the grace of God King of England, Scotland, Fraunce and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. All prosperitie and true happinesse in this life, and eternall felicitie in the life to come.
THE blessed dispensation of Gods most gracious prouidence towards this land; (for which his holy name is alwayes to be praised in his church) in bringing your Highnesse vntounto this kingdome, in the beginning of this seuenteenth century after Christ, seemeth to presage, that the happy reformation of the church, restitution of the Gospell, consumption of Antichrist, decay of Babilon happily begun in the last centenary, shall in this age or century receiue a notable confirmation and increase, if not a perfect consummation. For howsoeuer whiles the darkenesse of Popery ouer spred the Christian world, not onelyonly the inhabitants of the earth were made drunke with the goulden cup of the whore of Babylons Apoc. 17. 2, & 18. 3.fornications, but the Kings also and Princes of the earth hauing drunke of the same cup, committed spirituall whoredome Apo. 17. 13with her, … … … power to support … …: … when as it … God … enlighten the world with the bright beames of his glorious Gospell, then Antichrist began to consume, and Babylon to decay: the Preachers discouering Antichrist, the people comming Apoc. 1…. 1. & 14. 6. 3.out of Babylon, and the Princes which before had assisted Antichrist, setting themselues against him. This great worke of God in the full consumption of Antichrist and confusion of Babylon, the Ministers of God, that is to say, Princes and Preachers, are Rom. 13. 4.to accomplish and bring to passe. The Preachers, by preaching the euerlasting Gospell; at the sound whereof Babylon falleth, as once Apoc. 14. 6. 7. 8.the walles of Iericho at the noise of the Trumpets sounded by the Priests: and by the ministerie whereof as it were the spirit of the Ioh. 6.Lords mouth, Antichrist falleth into a consumption, as Dagon 2. Thes. 2. 8once did fall before the Arke. Th Princes, partly by their godly example, going out and in before the people in the sincere profession 2. Sam. 5.of the truth, and detestation of popery; partly by their authoritie, prouiding faithfull Ministers, countenancing their Ministerie, oppugning Antichrist in his religion and in his members, bereauing the whore of Babylon the Popes concubine of her meanes, Apo. 17. 16and lastly sacking her and consuming her with fire. For which cause as I thought it my duety (being called to read a Lecture in diuinitie) when I perceiued the Papists within these few yeares (I know not vponupon what other hopes then of raising their fortunes out of the ruines of this whole Island) growne more insolent then in former times, to make the best opposition I could against them, and to that end handled this maine controuersie concerning Antichrist (whervpon all Popery dependeth) both foreign proouing the affirmatiue, viz. that the Pope is Antichrist, and also foreign disproouing the negatiue against the obiections of Bellarmine the Goliath of the Papists: so being now at the instance of many well disposed persons, to publish this treatise, I hauehave thought good to dedicate the same to your Maiestie, as the chiefe patron and defender of the faith and Gospell of Christ (vponupon earth) against Antichrist and his adherents. For hereby not onelyonly your royall courage may be stirred vp, and your godly resolution in oppugning Antichrist (according to the prophecies of the scripture, foretelling the dutie of Christian Princes in this behalfe) more and more confirmed: but also it may most euidently appeare to all men, that vponupon most iust and weighty considerations, you and your people renounce all communion with the Pope and church of Rome, and by all good meanes doe set our selues against them. For if the Pope be Antichrist (which is prooued in this Booke) & consequently the church of Rome, the whore of Babylon, and synagogue of Antichrist: the papists, (who call themselues Catholicks, and vsus Heretiques) the limmes of Antichrist; the religion and doctrine of popery, the mysterie of iniquitie and meere Antichristianisme: it followeth necessarily, that Christian princes are not to tolerate either the religion of papists or their persons within their dominions. The religion Deu. 13. 1. 5of papistry being a Catholick Apostasie from God, consisting not onelyonly in respect of the worship, of manifold superstion and most grosse idolatrie; but also in respect of the doctrine, of many hundred Antichristian errours and doctrines of diuels. The persons of Catholick-papists, being Catholick heretiques and reuolters frō God, members of Antichrist, palpable idolatours; many of them (especially the Seminarie priests and Iesuites) perswaders of others to idolatry and apostasie from God. Not to speake of the treason against Christian Princes which is enclosed in the bowels of popery, and bosomes of papists. For they teach that all Christian Princes who acknowledge not the Pope for their supreame head and Lord, (as no true Christians doe) are Schismaticks at the least, and consequently that the Pope hath authoritie to depose them, and to absolue their subiects from their allegiance: and that the Pope when he proceedeth to the sentence of excommunication and deposition of them (as he did against your sister of blessed memorie Queene Elizabeth, and doth, so oft as he dareth, against others) he doth not erre in his definitiue sentence. And therefore (whatsoeuer they pretend to the contrarie) it is certaine, that they being the marked slaues of Antichrist, wholy deuoted to his will, are also willing and ready (when meanes and opportunitie faile not) to put in execution his Antichristian censures, and diuellish designements. In consideration whereof, Christian Princes and people, are not onelyonly bound to come out of Babylon, and to renounce Apoc. 18. 4.all communion with the Pope and Church of Rome, but also they are to rewarde the where of Babylon, as she hath rewarded vsus, Apoc. 18. 6.yea to repay her double: and not onelyonly to hate her, but also to make her desolate and naked, to eate her flesh and consume Apo. 17. 16.her with fire. And hereof Christian Princes are to be assured, that as those which ioyne with the Pope in persecuting the faithfull, doe fight vnderunder the banner of Antichrist the beast, against Christ the Lambe: so they in oppugning the Pope and Church of Apo. 19. 19Rome, doe fight the battailes of Christ against Antichrist. And consequently are to promise to themselues vndoubted victorie: they fighting vnderunder the banner of the Lambe, who shall be sure to ouercome, seeing he is the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings: Apo. 17. 14.and those also that are with him, though esteemed of Antichrist Qui monet vt facias, quod iam facis, ipse monendo Laudat, & …atu comprobat acta su….and his adherents, as Schismaticks and Heretiques, yet are they called, elect, and faithfull. Encourage therefore your selfe most Christian King (as we doubt not but you doe) to maintaine for euer the truth of Christ, against the falshood of Antichrist. And doubt you not both of happy successe and victorie in this life, and of an immortall crowne of glory in the life to come. The God of all mercy and power, who in his vnspeakeable bountie towards vsus, hath placed your Highnesse ouer vsus in peace, make both you and vsus truely thankfull to his maiestie for this inestimable benefit: and establish your Highnesse and your Royall posteritie in the throne of this Kingdome, to the glory of his great name, aduancement of his Kingdome, propagation of the Gospell, confusion of Popery, consolation of all true Christians, and your owne euerlasting comfort. Amen.
Your Maiesties most humble and dutifull subiect GEORGE DOVVNAME.