A Treatise Concerning Antichrist, Book 2 · Chapter 7
The 7. Chapter: answering his fourth demonstration, concerning the most greeuous persecution vnderunder Antichrist.
1. THe second signe accompanying Antichrist, from whence Bellarmine draweth his fourth demonstration, is the most greeuous & notorious persecutiō of the Church, in so much that the publicke seruice of God shall wholy cease. His demonstration is thus to be framed. When Antichrist is come there shalbe the most greeuous and manifest persecution that euer was, insomuch that the publicke seruice of God shal wholy cease: But as yet there hath bin no such persecution, neither hath the publicke seruice of God wholy ceased, therefore Antichrist is not yet come. Of his third argument, and consequently of the proposition and assumprion, there are three partes, which seuerally are to be considered, that the persecution vnderunder Antichrist is, 1. Most greeuous. 2. Most manifest. 3. Such as shall cause all Gods worship to cease. As touching the first, he reasoueth thus: VnderUnder Antichrist shalbe the most greeuous persecution; as yet this most greeuous persecution hath not bin, especially vnderunder the Pope; therefore Antichrist is not yet come, neither is the Pope Antichrist. The proposition, namely, that the most grieuous persecution is vnderunder Antichrist, he proueth by two testimonies. The first, Mat. 24. 21. And then shalbe great tribulation, such as hath not bin since the beginning of the world, neither shalbe. The other, Apoc. 20. 7. Then shall Satan be let loose, namely, after the thousand yeeres are expired. Answer. We doubt not but that the persecution vnderunder Antichrist was to be very greeuous, because the holy Ghost testifieth so much Apoc. 17. 6. Where the whore of Babylon is said to be drunke with the bloud of the Saints, and with the bloud of the Martyrs of Iesus. But his proofes are not to the purpose. For the place in Mathew, as heretofore hath beene shewed, and as appeareth by the text it selfe, is to be vnderstood of the calamities, which at the destruction of Ierusalem by the Romanes, the Iewes sustained. For when you see (saith our Saulour Christ) the abomination Mat. 24. 15of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place, that is, as Luke expoundeth, when you see Ierusaelem Luk. 21. 20compassed about with armies (which Daniel calleth the abominable Dan. 9. 27.wings of desolation) then let those which are in Iewry flye vntounto the mountaines, &c. And his reason is, because then there Mat. 24. 2…shalbe great affliction, such as hath not beene from the beginning of the world vntill now, neither shalbe. Which Luke expresseth thus, for there shall be great distresse in the Land, and wrath foreign, in Luk. 21. 23. 24.this people, and they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be carryed captiue into all nations, and Ierusalem shall be troden vnderunder f…ote of the Gentiles, vntill the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
2. As touching the thousand yeers mentioned, Apoc. 20. After which Satan was to be loosed: although the expiration of them fal in Antichrists raigne, yet we are not to begin his raigne thereat, as appeareth plainely Apoc. 20. v. 4. Neither is that letting loose of Sathan to be vnderstood of the persecution onelyonly vnderunder Antichrist: for it is manifest by the text, that within those thousand yeares, many martyrs were put to death by Antichrist for refusing to receiue his marke, and that the greatest part la▪ dead in Antichristian errours and superstition, verse. 4. & 5. and by the 8. verse, that Satan was let loose not onelyonly to stirre vp persecution against the faithfull, but also and that principally to stir vp vniuersall wars betwixt the nations of the world, betwixt Gog and Magog, that is, as some expound, the Papists and Mahometans. Now I would gladly know of Bellarmine when these thousand yeeres began, and when they expired: for hereof there be diuers opiniōs, but I wil touch the principall, 1. That these thousand yeeres begin with the incarnation of Christ, and determine accordingly, when as Siluester the second had obtained the Papacie by the helpe of the diuell: after whom followed in the Antichristian seat a succession of notable sorcerers. 2. That the thousand yeeres begin about the 73. yeare of Christ: at which time the people of the Iewes being destroyed, and the Church of Christ of a particular became catholick & dispersed throughout all nations, the diuell as it is in the end of the 12. Chap. seeketh by all meanes to ouerthrow the seede borne of the Church Apoc. 12.of the Iewes, that is, the Churches of Christ begotten vntounto God by the ministry of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ. Whereupon it is said Chap. 20. (where the former story, as some thinke is continued) the Angel! bindeth Satan for a thousand yeares, which end in the yeare 1073. which being expired, the diuell is loosed, and Gregory 7. alias Hildebrand (a notable sorceres, and murtherer, in whom Antichrist came to his full growth) was installed in the Papacie. Augustine beginneth this account much about De ciuit. Dei. Lib. 20 cap. 8.this time. 3. That these 1000. yeares take their beginning from the time of the reuelation, which was about the yeare of our Lord, 96. and consequently ended about the yeare 1096. in which yeare those vniuersall wars were raised for the recouery of Ierusalem and the holy land out of the hand of the Sara…s, which the holy Ghost here seemeth to speake of betwixt the nations of the earth. In this expedition there met at Ierusalem 600000. footmen, and 100000. horsemen out of Christendome, besides eight or nine other expeditions afterwards, for the recouerie forsooth of the holy-land. 4. Others begin this account at the beginning of Constantines reigne, which happened not long after the yeere 300. who being the first Christian Emperour, gaue peace to the Church of God, and according to this account the thousand yeeres expired about the yeere 1300. in which yeere the Turkish Empire began in Ottoman; and Pope Boniface the eight most insolently and Antichristianlie challenged, especially in that his yeere of Iubilee, an vniuersall dominion ouer the world, both spirituall and temporall. All which opinions being seuerally probable, it is more then probable, that those 1000. yeeres are already expired: and consequently that Antichrist is already come. For as Bellarmine teacheth, the diuell was to be loosed in the time of Antichrist, and the Text plainely sheweth, that before the expiration of the thousand yeares, and loosing of the diuell, many were slaine by Antichrist. So that the testimonies which he alledgeth are against his purpose. For the great tribulation whereof Christ speaketh is already past, and the thousand yeeres whereof Iohn speaketh, already expired: and therefore if Bellarmines allegations be to the purpose, then Antichrist is come.
3. But supposing his proposition to be thus farre true, that the persecution of the church vnderunder Antichrist, shalbe very great and grieuous (for that vnderunder him shalbe the greatest tribulation that euer was or shalbe, I dare not auouch, because our Sauiour hath said, that the calamities of the Iewes at the destruction of Ierusalem, were the greatest that euer were or shalbe to the end of the world:) let vsus come to his assumption, and consider whether there hath not bin great and grieuous persecution of the church, vnderunder the Pope. Bellarmine confesseth, that many of our religion hauehave bin put to death by them: but he maketh it a matter of nothing. First, because this persecution if it were so to be called, is not comparable with the persecutions vnderunder the Heathenish Emperours, and especially vnderunder Dioclesian, by whose authority 17000. Christians were slaine in … monethmonth. And secondly, because more of them hauehave beene slaine by Protestants in France and Flanders within 10. or 15. yeeres before Bellarmine read these controuersies, which was Anno. 1577, then had been… burnt of our men by the Inquisitours in an hundred yeeres: and thirdly, if there hath beene any persecution in these latter times, the Catholicks hauehave suffered it rather thē the Protestants. To which I answer, that I cannot tell whether the Papists in persecuting the faithfull, hauehave beene more cruell and barbarous, or he in cloaking their cruelty, shamelesse. For to omit the spirituall calamities inflicted by the Pope, and fearefull hauock of mens soules, wherein he taketh such libertie to himselfe, that if he cary whole troopes of soules into hell, no man may say vntounto him, sir, why do you so? omitting, I say, these spirituall calamities which are most greeuous, and in respect whereof the tribulation of Christian people hath bin more grieuous vnderunder the Pope, then vnderunder any Heathenish tyrants, and to speake onelyonly of outward troubles: why are not the persecutions of the Protestants vnderunder the Pope, comparable with those in the Primitiue church? For durance, they hauehave beene longer and more continuall: for number, more flaine in France alone vnderunder the name of Al…igenses, Waldenses, & Hugonotes, for refusing the marke of the beast, then were s…aine in any one of the ten persecutions throughout the world: besides infinite more, as Saunders confesseth in other countries, Demonstrat. 34.on whom the Papists hauehave practised most sauage cruelty. The Duke of Alba in the Low-countries alone, caused within a very few yeares 36000. to be executed. Yea but in Dioclesians time (saith Bellarmine) there were in one monethmonth 17000. Christians martyred. Yea but in France alone, say I, vnderunder Charles the ninth, within one monethmonth were slaughtered in the Massacre at Paris & Lyons, & some other places, as some say, 40000 as others, aboue thirty thousand, that is to say, twise as many as in Dioclesians monethmonth, without all order of law, but with most perfidious treacherie, and barbarous cruelty. And this bloody Massacre applauded by the Pope and his Cardinals, was committed within fiue or six yeeres before Bellarmine read these controuersies concerning the Pope, that is to say, Anno. 1572. And yet this cruell Cardinall of the purpled harlot the church of Rome, which is embrued, and as it were died redde with the blood of the Saints and Martyrs of Iesu, is not ashamed to say, that within 10. or 15. yeeres there hauehave bin slaine more Catholicks in France and Flanders, then had bin burnt by the Inquisitours these 100▪ yeeres. As touching the Inquisitours, they can kill but all that they finde of the religion, and that I am sure they spare not to doe. Vergerius, who could 1. Bal. de act. Pontific.well tell, witnesseth, that within the space of 30. yeeres, there were put to diuers fearfull deaths by the bloody Inquisition, a hundred & fiftie thousand Christians. But we speake not onelyonly of those which hauehave bin burnt, or by other more exquisi…e torments martyred by their meanes (although the number of them in all countries cannot be reckoned) but we speake also of those that hauehave beene in great multitudes by outragious Massacres most butcherly murthered.
4. But what Catholicks, I beseech you, hauehave bin put to death by protestants for their religion? Bellarmine answereth that manie of them hauehave died in the ciuill warres in France & Flanders. It may be that the Protestants in these ciuill warres vnderunder-taken for their owne defence, that they might be free from such outrages, hauehave slaine in lawfull battaile many of the Papists, as contrariwise many of themselues hauehave beene slaine. But what is this to the purpose? Thus many in the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes, the most cruell persecutor of the Church of the Iewes, were slaine in Iewrie in the time of the Macchabees, as well as they had slaine many of the Iewes. But I say againe, what Catholicks (as they call them) hauehave beene put to death for religion? As for those fewe that hauehave beene executed among vsus, what one was put to death, that was not found guiltie eyther of treason or rebellion, or some such capitall crime? And yet the Papists report, and in Bookes doe publish, that I cannot tell how many of them are martyred here in England for their religion. Neither are they ashamed to write, and in Rome to publish that some of them hauehave beene put into Beares Ecclefi… Anglic. Troph…. Printed at Rome An. 1584. cum priuileg. Gregor. 13skinnes and baited with Dogges, which also they hauehave set out in tables. But compare I beseech you with those many that were martyred in Queene Maries fiue yeeres, those few that hauehave beene executed in Queene Elizabeths fortie fiue yeares. Compare the causes, which make persecution in the agents and martyrdome in the patients. What one put to death of those which were burnt in Q. Maries time for any crime, but onelyonly for religion, which they cal heresie? what one of the Catholicks, as they call them, in Q. Elizabeths time executed, who was not found guiltie of some capitall crime? Compare the estate of Papists liuing among Protestants at this day, as namely in England, with the estate of Protestants liuing among Papists, as namely in Spaine. Is any one suffered to liue among them, that is but once suspected to be of our religion? Is not eueryevery such a one either priuately murdered, or publickly brought to the stake? Among vsus who is not suffered to liue, although he be knowne to be of the Romish religion? To liue, did I say? Nay, God be mercifull vntounto vsus that suffer them so to liue as they doe, to the encouragement and infection of others. I speake not onelyonly of ordinarie Papists, and those that are at liberty, but of the ring-leaders also that be in custodie: whose life hath beene more easie and pleasant, and maintenance more plentifull, then of the Let the Cas…les of UUisbich, and Fremingham be witnessemost students or ministers among vsus. Yea but there is cause (will they say) that we should deale worse with you, then you with vsus. Nothing lesse. They object to vsus onelyonly heresie, and that as truely as the Iewes did to Paul, which we doe truely object vntounto them, and in regarde thereof, might, nay should doe to the children of Babylon, as they hauehave done to vsus. But besides Apoc. 18. 6many grosse and capitall heresies, which race the foundation, we truely object vntounto them, that their religion bringeth with it, treason against the Prince, and rebellion against God. Treason against the Prince, not onelyonly because of their confederacie with the chiefe enemies of our state, the Pope and Spaniard, in regard whereof those Iesuites and Priests, which come among vsus from beyond-Seas, as also those which harbour them, are worthy of death: but also because more generally they holding the Popes supremacie and authoritie to depose Princes, and withall, beleeuing that the Pope in his definitiue sentence cannot erre: they cannot but approoue the Bull of excommunication, wherein Pius the fift, (as much as was in him) deposed our Queene of famous memory, and absolued her subjects from all allegeance to her. Rebellion against God, because it perswadeth an Apostasie and falling away from God, into grosse and palpable idolatrie. Of which fault whosoeuer are found guiltie, that is, to perswade others to idolatrie, by the law of God they ought not be suffered to liue, because they hauehave perswaded an Apostasie from God, Deut. 13. All this notwithstanding, Deut. 13. 5. 8. 9.we deale too remissely with them, and they most barbarously with vsus. And yet forfooth, if there be, or hath beene, any persecution in the Church in these latter times, the Catholicks are they which suffer it, and not the Protestants. Alas poore Wolues, how cruelly they hauehave beene handled among the sheepe of Christ!
5. But to proceed: As the persecution vnderunder Antichrist, saith Bellarmine, shall be most grieuous; so shall it be most manifest. For thus he reasoneth: The persecution vnderunder Antichrist shall be most manifest: this vnderunder the Pope is not manifest; therefore this is not the persecution of Antichrist. The proposition is prooued, because then all the wicked shall aperto marte, oppugne the whole church: and not onelyonly those that be Infidels and open sinners, but the hypocrites also and false brethren, shall then joyne themselues to Antichrist, and discouering themselues, openly assault the Church. And is not this well gessed thinke you, contrary to the word of truth, vttered by our Sauiour Christ? For whereas our Sauiour hath said, that the good and bad shall growe together like Wheate and Tares, vntill the day of the great haruest: Bellarmine telleth vsus, that when Antichrist commeth, there shall such a separation be made, that there shall not an hypocrite be left in the Church: but all the wicked without exception, shall be together Omnes prorsus impios simul futuros in exercitu Antichristi.in Antichrists hoste; and shall openly oppugne the whole Church of the Saints. But such separation is not to be looked for, vntill Christ shall seuer the Lambes from the Goates. And therefore if we must not beleeue that Antichrist is come, vntill such a separation be made: assuredly Christ will come vponupon vsus to judgement, whiles we looke for Antichrist. Yea but Augustine saith, That now there be many false bretheren in the De ciuit. Dei. lib. 20. c. 11.Church, At tunc erumpent omnes (inquit Augustinus) in apertam persecutionem ex latebris odiorum, But then all shall burst forth, saith Augustine, out of their couert hatred, into open persecution. If Augustine had said so, we might wel hauehave esteemed his speech to hauehave beene but a humane conjecture, rather then a Prophecie diuine. But Bellarmine without all shame falsifieth his words. For Augustine in that place speaking of those words, Apoc. 20. 7. Soluetur Satanas de custodia sua & exibit ad seducendas nationes, Satan shall be let loose out of his warde, and shall goe forth to seduce the nations: Exibit autem dictum est (saith he) in apertam persecutionem, de latebris erumpet odiorum: Now it is said that he shall goe forth, viz. into open persecution; he shall breake forth of the couerts of hatred, speaking of the diuell alone, and not of all the wicked. And thus was his proposition doughtily prooued, being neuerlesse according to his sense, repugnant to the Scriptures, which describe Antichrist, not as an open enemy, but as a secret; and decipher antichristianisme, not as a professed hostilitie, but as a mysterie of iniquitie, as hath beene shewed.
6. Come we to his assumption, This manifest persecution hath not bin, neither is, as yet, & why? First, because there are now so many false brethren in the church as neuer were more; speaking of the church of Rome, wherin it is hard indeed to finde a true christiā. But shal not Antichrist come whiles there are false brethrē in the church? or rather shall we not thinke, that the Apostasie of false brethren in the church of Rome & pretended Christians, wherof Antichrist is the head, is a good argument of his comming? Secondly, because no man can tell when this persecution began. That, if it were true, doth not disprooue the greatnesse of the persecution, but argue the length. Yea but vnderunder Nero, Domitian, & the rest of the persecuting Emperours, it was well knowne when the persecutions began, and when they ended. That happened because there was some intermission of those persecutions: but these persecutions vnderunder Antichrist they hauehave no end, nor yet intermissiō, except it be when they hauehave none to persecute. But how doth it appeare that none know when these persecutions of Antichrist began? For sooth, because some of vsus say, that Antichrist came in the yeere 200. others in 606. others in 773, others in 1000, others in 1200. The vanity of which objection, which now like a twice-bo…de Colewurt he setteth before vsus againe, hath bin shewed before. For of these opinions, onelyonly two belong to vsus, and those not different. For we hold, that as the whole soueraigntie and tyranny of the Pope consisteth in his two swords, which he did not attaine at once, but by degrees: so we make two degrees of Antichrist his comming: first with the spirituall sword in the yeere 607. secondly, with the temporall, after the yeere 1000. which was more fully obtained then before, in Gregorie the seuenth: In whom, as hath bin said, Antichrist was come to his full growth. Since which time, he hath been more and more reuealed, and by some acknowledged. VponUpon which acknowledgment there hath followed separation from him, according to the cōmandement of God, and refusall of his marke: whereupon persecution hath ensued, and neuer hath ceased where any such hauehave been found, where the Pope hath to do. Neither are we with Bellarmine ignorantly to confound the time of his comming, with the beginning of his persecution. For he began not to persecute, vntil men began to forsake him: and men did not forsake him vntill he was discouered what he was, and acknowledged: neither was he acknowledged, vntill he came to his full growth.
7. And thus the two first parts of this demonstration, concerning the persecution of Antichrist, how great and manifest it should be, are already answered, although in truth not worth the answering. The third part is concerning the publike seruice of God and ceremonies of the church, which (he saith) in the time of Antichrist by reason of that grieuous persecution shall wholy cease. His reason is thus framed. When Antichrist is come, the publicke seruice of God, and daily sacrifice of Christians (meaning the sacrifice of the Masse) shall cease: but as yet the publicke seruice of God, and daily sacrifice of Christians, hath not ceased; therefore as yet Antichrist is not come. To the proposition I answer, that Antichrist being an hypocrite and pretended Christian (as hath bin prooued) shall not abolish all worship of God, & much lesse at his first cōming. For Bellarmine maketh this interruption of Gods seruice, a fruite of his greatest persecutiō: his persecution (as I said) is a consequent of mens for saking him; and that of his acknowledgement: and that, of his shewing himselfe in his colours, when he was come to his full growth, whereunto he attained not at the first, but by degrees. But this proposition is prooued, saith Bellarmine, out of Daniel. chap. 12. verse 11. From the time when the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, are dayes 1290. Where (saith he) Daniel speaketh of the time of Antichrist. For the expositiō of this place, we need not with Bellarmine run to the Fathers, seeing by conference thereof with some other places in Daniel, whereunto it hath reference, it may most plainly be shewed, who it is that taketh away this daily sacrifice, and what that sacrifice is. In the eight chapt. vers. 11. and chapt. 11. vers. 31. it is affirmed, that by Antiochus Epiphanes, and his armies, the daily worship of God should be taken away. When as therfore Daniel asked when there should be an end of these things? the Holy-ghost answereth, that from the time that the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the abomination of desolation placed, whereof he had spoken, chap. 11. 31. there should be 1290. dayes. For of the restitution of Gods seruice, and deliuerie of the Iewes from the tyranny of Antiochus, there are foretold diuers degrees at diuers times, which agreeably to these Prophecies of Daniel, are noted in the histories of Iosephus, and of the Maccabees: for from the interruption of Gods seruice, to the first restitution thereof by Iudas Macchabeus, were three yeeres and ten daies, namely from the 15. of the monethmonth Casteu, In memorie hereof the Encaenia, that is, the feast of the dedication, Iohn 10. 22. was celebrated on the 25. of Casteu. 1. Macca. 4. 59.in the 145. yeere of the Seleucida, 1. Maccab. 1. 57. vntounto the 25▪ of the monethmonth Casteu, in the yeere 148 1. Maccab. 4. 52. which terme Daniel calleth, chap. 7. 25. a time, and times, and parcell of time. VntoUnto the victorie obtained by the Macchabees, whereby the forces of Antiochus were expelled out of Iewry, and thereby the restitution before begun, established, were three yeeres and a halfe, as Iosephus testifieth; which Daniel, cha. 12. 7. calleth a time & times, & halfe a time, vntounto the time that Antiochus being stricken with the hand of God, after his discomfiture and flight from Pers…polis, promised to restore the religion of the Iewes, & what else they desired, were 1290. dayes; vntounto the time of his death 1335. And that these are Prophecies cōcerning Antiochus, I will hereafter shew more at large. In the meane time to the present Chap. 16.objection I answer, that by the daily worship or sacrifice here mentioned, we are to vnderstand, not the sacrifice of Christians to be taken away by Antichrist, but the daily sacrifice of the Iewes, which was interrupted and taken away by Antiochus Epiphanes. It was the custome of the Iewes (saith Chrysostome) to offer a sacrifice to God eueryevery morning and euening, which they called foreign, which sacrifice was taken away by Antiochus: and the same is testified by Iosephus and the author of the first booke of the Macchabees.
8. To this place of Daniel although nothing at all to his purpose, Bellarmine trusteth so much, that vpō it as it were his groudworke he buildeth three conclusions, as you shall heare after we hauehave also considered of his assumption. The assumption he proueth by experience; as though it did testifie that the publicke seruice of God had not beene taken away vnderunder the Pope; … the sacrifice of Christians ceased. But if by the publicke seruice of God he meaneth his true worship and seruice in spirit and truth: assuredly it hath beene taken away in the Papacy, except will-worship, superstition, and Idolatry be the true worship of God. As touching Christian sacrifices; we acknowledge the sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, the Heb. 13. 15 Psal. 51. 17 Rom. 12. 1. Heb. 13. 16.sacrifice of obedience wherein we offer our selues, the sacrifice of almes wherby we offer our goods; these sacrifices, no Antichrist can wholy take away. As for the sacrifice of the masse, we holde it to be a mo…strous abomination, wherein the holy sacrament of the Lords supper, is turned into an abominable Idoll. Seeing therfore there is no soundnesse of truth either in the proposition or assumption, must we not needes thinke that the question in hand is soundly concluded? And yet vponupon these grounds Bellarmine doth not only infer the question in hand, but two more also. From hence saith he, three things may be gathered. First, that Antichrist is not as yet come, becàuse the daily sacrifice yet continueth. He might as well hauehave concluded with the Iewes that Christ is not yet come: for he was to abolish the daylie sacrifice, Dan. 9. 27. partly by his owne sacrifice, vntounto which the shadowes of the Law were to giuegive place; and partly by the ouerthrow of the temple, in which and not elsewhere it was to be offered. His second conclusion is, that the Pope of Rome is not Antichrist, but rather an aduersary vntounto him; seeing hee doth adore and maintaine this sacrifice, which Antichrist is to abolish. Nay rather by ordaining this propitiatory sacrifice, and erecting a new priesthood to offer the same, the Pope, sheweth himselfe to be Antichrist. For by this Priesthood Christ is denyed to bee our onelyonly Priest: by this Sacrifice, his sacrifice on the Crosse is supposed not to be sufficient: in this sacrifice the humanity of Christ (as hath beene shewed) is ouerthrowne, and a God of bread set vp in his roome to be worshipped and adored. In this sacrifice Christ alter a sort is made inferiour to eueryevery masse-monger, who as they can make their creatour by breathing out a few words (hoc est corpus meum) so when they hauehave made him in their conceit, they offer him vp to God, to be a sacrifice propitiatory both for the quicke and the dead. His third conclusion is; that the heretickes of this time aboue all others are forerunners of Antichrist, because they desire nothing more, then the ouerthrow of this sacrifice of the masse. Nay rather as appeareth by the former answer, they shew themselues the limmes of Antichrist, who ouerthrowing the sacrament of the Lords supper (which we hauehave reduced to the first institution) seeke to vphold this masse and heape of all abominations and sacrilegious Idolatry. And how are all these things prooued? forsooth because Daniel hath prophecied that Antiochus was to take away for a time the daily sacrifice of the Iewes; therefore Antichrist is not yet come, therefore the Pope is not Antichrist, therefore those that mislike the masse are forerunners of Antichrist. And so with these three conclusions, as it were so many roapes of sand, he knitteth vp his fourth demonstration.