Antichrist Pointed and Painted Out in His True Colors, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. How Antichrist is descrybed by Iohn, Revel. 13.11.
FIrst for our better information heerein, Antichrist his first originall, or manner of rising, whence and how is set down to wit, as Revel. 13.1. The first beast there described (whereby the old Romam Empire is signifyed) is sayd to hauehave come out of the sea: that is, to hauehave risen to it greatnes by tumultuous warres, like stormie s…rges and waves of of the sea, and by Martiall atchievments. So the second beast, designing Antichrist by cōsent of all Interpreters & described verse 11. Is said to arise out of the earth, because 1. As the Iesuit Ribera expoundeth, he shall arise from a verie small beginning to a great hight, as these things that from small seeds arise and grow out of the earth to be tall trees, which their own Franciscus Duarenus telleth us was the way of the Popes arising from Episcopus unius urbis, Duarenus de Sacris ecclesiae ministeriis.to be Episcopus totius Orbis; or Universall Bishop of the whole Church. 2. Hee is said to arise out of the earth, to show that as things that arise out of the earth, do rise and grow up unperceiveablie, ita vt crevisse non crescere cernimus, so should Antichrist arise piece and piece, working in a mysterie and by deceiveablenes of unrighteousnes.1. Tim▪ 4.3. which beganne in the seeds thereof in the Apostles tymes (as they declare and we may see COLOss. 2.) And as the tares which the envyous man did sow in the night tyme whill the servants were asleepe, did grow up to a good degree before they were espyed, so did Antichrist before hee was revealed and thereafter opposed. 3. This beast did arise out of the earth, as being hatched out of earthlie avarice & ambition, as Gregorie speaketh of Antichrist, Greg. l. 4. indict. ep. 38.calling him therefore, The King of Pryde, who by usurping the title of Vniversall Bishop would exalt Himself like Lucifer aboue all his fellow Angels, and who ariseth out of the earth (sayeth their own Carthusian) that is (sayeth hee) Ex rerum terrenarū opulentia, out of the aboundance of earthlie riches, wherewith that mysticall Whoore is so puft up, that shee is described so glorious, Revel. 17 4. and sayeth, I sitt as a Queene and shall see no sorrow.
Next seing that it is said that this beast is horned like the Lamb; but speaketh like the Dragon, Let us 1. see what is meaned hereby in generall, 2. What is to be …nderstood by these hornes in particular. First then in generall hereby is showne that Antichrist is not an open & avowed, but a covered and disguysed enemy, like a Wolfe in sheeps cloathing, oppunging CHRIST and His Trueth not by force, but by fraud,2. Thess. 2 10. 2. Thess. 2 7. and all Deceiveablenes of unrighteousnes speaking lyes in hypocrisie, Therfore Antichristianisme is called The mystery of iniquitie, whereupon the ordinare glosse sayeth, The impietie of Antichrist is mysticall, that is, cloaked under rhe name of godlienes, so that hee is a prime hypocrit, like Iudas after whom hee is called The sonn of perdition, pretending himself to bee Dux foederis, that is, the prince of the Covenant, as Ierom calleth him,Hierom in Dan. 11. and consequentlie the Head of the Church, whillas hee is the greatest opposer thereof, Neither could it be (sayeth Radulphus Flaviacensis) that Antichrist should attayne unto Ecclesiasticall honours, in Levit. l. 18. cap. 1. apud Magdeburg. cent. 10.and (as the Apostle testifieth) sit in the Temple of GOD, that's the society of the Faithfull▪ & take the Chayre of honour, unlesse having first pretended a kind of conformitie with the Faythfull, hee should deceive these of whom hee is to bee received. Next by the two bornes of the Lamb, whereby simple and unsound Christians are deceived, are understood (sayeth their own Primasius & with him the ordinare glosse) the Two T…staments, to wit, the Old and New which agree with the Lamb CHRIST, and which the beast shall attempt to usurp (as having authoritie over the Scriptures,) and counterfiting himself to be the Lamb (sayeth he) to wit, in power, as his Viccar upon earth, that so hee may (sayeth hee) invade the Lamb. to wit the more craf…ily. The Iesuit Ribera also sayeth that by these two hornes is meaned, The beasts simulat meeknes and holieres, (which the Pope also pretendeth being called his holines, and the servant of Gods servants, whill as hee is Lord of Lords. As likewise he is horned like the Lamb. (sayeth their ordinare glosse, because thereby hee will counterfit himself to hauehave innocencie of lyfe (pretending chastitie,) and true doctrine, (pretending infallibilitie. (Others also understand by these two hornes the Royall & Propheticall Offices of CHRIST. Which as CHRISTS Viccar the Pope doeth claime, as to be sole Monarch, and the infallible DOCTOR of the Church, and as Platina the Pops Secretarie reporteth in the life of Paull the second that he said, that all Lawes were placed in the Cabinet of his breast, so that what he determineth, all flesh must yeeld unto.
But it is said, that he is horned like the Lamb, whereby hee deceiveth many simple soules, yet he may be knowne by this, that hee speaketh like the Dragon, to wit, by his erronious doctrine clearlie opposite to what CHRIST speaketh in his holie Scriptures, as may be instanced almost in all the points of poperie, likewise (sayeth Ierom of Antichrist) Quasi Deus loquetur, Hierom. in Dan. 11.vt qui Dei assumit potentiam, that is, hee shall speak as if hee were GOD, as taking upon him divine authoritie or power, to wit, that he cannot erre, and againe in the same place, Religionem omnem suae subijcere potestati conabitur, (sayeth hee) that is he shall attempt to subject al Religion to his power, yea more, augere tentabit (sayeth hee) Sacramenta Ecclesiae, that is he shall augment the number of the sacraments of the Church, to wit, his fyve bastard sacraments, all which that the Pope doth, none can be so impudent, as to deny. For how he subjects al Religion to himself, let Cardinall Cusanus declare,Card. de Casa ep. 2 & 3. ad bohenos. who affirmeth that according to times and occasions hee may change the sense of Scripture, and when His sense or the Churches is changed, it is to be believetd that GOD changeth his Iudgement, which if this bee not the Dragons mouth. I know not what can bee it. In like-manner in the Popes Cannō Law,Dist 40. c. 6. si Papa· ther it is said, that tho the Pope should leade in troups innumerable people after himself to hell. Hujus culpas redarguere praesumat mortaliumnullus, quia cunctos ipse judicaturus, a nemine est judicā dus, that is, Let no mortall man notwithstanding presume to fynd fault with him because hee is to judge all men, but is to be judged by none: And if this againe be not the Dragons mouth; let a Pope himself Gregorie the first declare,Greg. l. 4. indict. ep. 38. who speaking of him, who should usurpe the Antichristian tytle (as hee calleth it) of Universall Bishope (Which the Pope now doeth) sayeth; Qui conabitur in culmen singularitatis erumpere, vt & nulli subesse & solus omnibus praeesse videbitur, That is, who will strive to such a Hight of singularitie, that he will be subject to none, and yet hee alone will bee aboue all others;Card. Cusan. lib. 2. cōcord. eccles. c. 34. Which Cardinall Cusan declareth to bee the right meaning of that tytle of Universall Bishope, which the Pope now assumeth, saying, that It importeth one to bee so Principall, as all others should be subject to him, and hee to none. which made Eberhardus Archbishope of Salisburg likewise in an imperiall dyat holden at Reinsburg, in the yeare, 1246.Avent… l. 7. ānal. Bojor. p. 54. As Aventin reporteh, avowedly speaking of the Pope, to call him that Antichrist, saying, Perditus ille homo quem Antichristum vocare solent, in cujus fronte blasphemiae nomen scriptum est; Deus sum, errare non possum, in templo Dei sedet ac longe lateque dominatur, &c. That is, that man of perdition. whom they use to call Antichrist, in whose fore-head the name of Blasphemie is written, that is, I am God and cannot erre, he (I say) sits now in the Temple of GOD, (sayth he) & farre and wyde doeth raigne, And tho hee calleth himselfe the servant of servants; yet as if hee were GOD, (sayeth hee) Hee will bee Lord of Lords. Thus wee see how this apocalyptick & Antichristian beast speaketh like the dragon, of whose blasphemous & dragon mouth, we shal speak more herafter.