The Accomplishment of the Prophecies, Chapter 2 · Part 26 – Part 28
The second point. That God hoth staggered the Papacy by the preaching of his word, & shall destroy it finally by his last comming.
IN the yeare of our Lord 1513. the popedome being in the heigth of worldly glory, and covering al the earth over with a darknesse more thick then that of Egypt, pope Leo the 10 began a most shamefull trafficke: sending messengers to carry his pardons into all places, who sold the remission of sinnes at a set price, and for two crownes would drawe a soule out of Purgatorie. These Babylonish merchants wēt from towne to towne venting their ware, and gathering infinite summes of money, which as they made shewe was to bee imployed in warre against the Turke, but the diuell a souldier was euer prest for this purpose; but all was converted by these Collectours to the buying of Cardinals caps, and the maintaining of pride and insolency, as if one should take a sack full of crownes, and throwe it into a deep quagmire. The holy scripture as then was no more knowne to the people then the history of the newe Guinie. The subiect of their sermons was onelyonly to speake of the miracles of Saints, and vertues of reliques: Iesus Christ could scarse be knowne from their common sort of Saints, and it was a long time before he could get a feastiuall day to be assigned vntounto him. The common fashion was to wrap men, as they lay a dying, in a Monks gown, that so they might dy in the state of grace; this was thought to bee of no lesse vertue then a second baptisme. Amidst this so grosse ignorance which was scarse two fingers bredth from paganisme, yet for all, euen at that time, this marchandize did seeme so odious, that eueryevery one cryed after a reformation, & many had a desire to see the fountaines and headsprings of christian religion, and to consult with the scripture that was kept hid from them. Luther did translate it into the German tongue, & being assisted by others did by vrgent perswasions exhort the people to follow the *Ioh. 5. v. 3…coū sell of Iesus Christ, who willeth them to search the scriptures that they may hauehave eternall life: These abuses being by these meanes discouered, the Gospell was made open vntounto all, and infinite sorts of people came flocking vntounto the doctrine of saluation. England, Scotland, Denmarke, Suethland, the greatest part of Germanie, & of Swizzerland, a great part of the low Countries, of France, of Hungary, Bohemia, Polonia, Morauia, and Transsyluania, acknowledged their errour, opened their eies, gaue the glory to God, and shook off the Romish tyranny, not to speak of those which euen in Italy and Spaine it selfe doe grone vnderunder the yoke, and earne after liberty. To these churches newly reformed in many places, we may add others which before Luthers time held the same doctrin that he did, which were in Hungaria, in Province, in the valleyes of the Alps, in Bohemia, and in diuerse other places, being the remainder of that horrible persecution, which the pope practised amongst them some foure or fiue hundred yeares since. Since what time, euen in the Countries ouer which the pope is absolute commander, the reliques are not visited so often as they were wont, and may bee seene for lesse money, then they vsed to bee formerly: The gifts and offerings of our Lady of Loretta, and of S. Iames in Gallizia, are by two thirds lesse then they were: The badges of the *They bore crosses on their breasts which waged warre for the Pope against the Turke, or any other infidels.crosse, by which the pope in turning of his hand could leuie whole armies; are now no more in vse. And there be some states and common-wealths, euē in Italy it selfe, which dare argue the case, and dispute with what right hee holdeth one of his swords, to wit, the temporall. And out of doubt popery had beene abolished ere this, if Kings and Princes had not vpheld it by their power, and if their crueltie had not compelled men to yeeld vntounto it for feare; and if the great revenews which the Clergie possesse did not hold many people fast bound by the bellies, & obliged to maintaine this error. Now this so suddaine and so great a change doth evidently shewe, that before euer Luther taught, many did distast this abuse, and watcht for nothing but an occasion to cast of the yoke of tyrannicall superstition, we hauehave therefore by the events which fell out in our fathers time seene a greate part of the accōplishment of the Apostles prophecy, which is, that Iesus Christ shoulde consume the sonne of perdition by the spirit of his mouth, which is a fashion of speech vsed by Isaiah in the 11. chap. & 4. ver. where speaking of Iesus Christ he saith, that he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, & slay the wicked with the breath of his lips. so, that which the Prophet calleth the breath of his lips, S. Paul calleth the spirit, or breath of his mouth; wherfore also in the 1. of the Apoc. it is said that a sharp two-edged sword went out of his mouth: which signifies the peircing vertue of his word. And out of questiō if the kingdom of the son of perdition must be established through the doctrine of lies, it must needs bee that hee must be overthrown by the word of truth. Nor doth S. Ieromes interpretation, in the 11. quest. to Algazia, cōtradict this, which will hauehave the spirit of his mouth to signifie the power & ordinance of his maiesty: For what is the worde of God but his ordinance? And preaching, which makes the foundations of Babylon to totter, could it hauehave this vertue without the power & efficacie of God for to quicken it?
Now to shew that this finall destructiō of the son of Perditiō must not be wrought all at one blow, but by little and little, the Apostle vseth the word foreign, which signifieth to wast and consume, and not to kill as the cōmon translation of the church of Rome turnes it, as if it were foreign; I do not here dispute whether S. Paule by this discomfiture or consuming, do vnderstand an vtter abolishment, or only a weakening of the Papacie: only this I say, that the Apostle vseth such words as signifie that this destruction shall not be effected but in processe of time, and by degrees. I say moreover that God hath already put his hande to the worke, and made vsus see the accomplishment of this prophecy well onward.
For as for the finall destruction of the sonne of perdition, S. Paule hath told vsus before hand that it shall not be till the day of iudgement, saying, that God shall abolish him with the brightnesse of his comming; Agreeable to the prophecy of Daniel, which makes him to last, till the thrones were erected, and the ancient of daies sate, Dan. 7. v. 8.9.10.and that the sessions were held, and the bookes were opened. Which we are therefore the more to note for feare least any one to delicatly impatient should flatter himselfe in his hopes and promise to himselfe that he shall liue to see the Pope vtterly abolished: for feare also least being too hasty in our desires, we come at length to murmur, and complaine as if the time were prorogued.
This point were at an end, but that I cā not passe by *Apol. contra Regem. c. 9. parag. At inq…unt.Bellarmines allegation of Chrysostome, taken out of his 4, sermon vponupon the 2. to the Thessalonians, which place (as it seemes) he did not vnderstand. Chrysostome speaketh thus, foreign. Bellarmine in the 9. chapt. of his booke against the king turnes it thus. Quemadmodum irruens ignis passim minuta animalia etiam antequam planè adveniat procul adhuc situs terrefacit & consumit. He thought that foreign signified, passim irruere, wheras it signifies, illabi, or supervenire, & that foreign signified, terrefacere. Whereas it signifies sopire or soporare; but let vsus come to that which followes.
The fift part of this Prophecie.
3 Which wicked mans comming is by the effectuall working of Satan, with all power and signes, and lying wonders.
10 And in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse, among them that perish, because they received not the louelove of the truth that they might be saved.
11 And therefore God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lies.
The explication of this prophecie.
9 The Pope shall come fortified with the might and efficacie of Satan, with power, and signes, and false miracles, & serving to establish lies.
10 Whereby such as are markt out to perdition shal be lewdly seduced, because they hauehave not loved the truth of the gospell which might hauehave saued them.
11 And therefore God shall suffer thē to be seduced, and to be driuen into strong delusions, and that they may beleeue lies.