Antichrist Pointed and Painted Out in His True Colors, Chapter 10
CHAH X. Of Antichrists exorbitant & matchlesse Pride, in exalting himself aboue all that is called GOD. 2. Thess. 2.4.
The first mark then wherby the Scripture deseriveth Antichrist to bee known, is his exorbitāt & matchless pride, For which Gregorie the first called him Rex superbiae, or the king of pride, and which pride the Apostle describeth in these words 2. Thess. 2.4. who opposeth & exalteth himself (sayth he) aboue all that is called GOD, that is, (as sayeth their own Carthusian) aboue al creatures, that are either reputed or for some singular eminencie are so called by participation of name onlie, and not of essence; whom the Apostle 1. Cor. 8.5. distinguisheth in these who are either Earthlie or Heavenlie, saying, For tho there be that are called gods whether in Heaven or upon Earth, &c. of which the earthly are princes, so called Psal. 82.6. & the heavenly are angels so called, Psal. 97.7.
Extrav. l. 1. Tit. 8. …. unā sanctam.Now to apply that the Pope exalteth himself aboue all Princes or Magistrates; that proud claime and decree of Boniface the 8. witnesseth: wherein he affirmeth that He is to judge al men, but is to be judged by none, and that all humane creature whatsoever is to be subject to him under paine of damnation, and that he so farr exceedeth the Emperour, as the sun doth the moone; wherupon (as hath beene said) the author of Fasciculus temporum. a charter Monck sayeth, That it was he tha… raised himself to such a hight of pride, as he called himself Lord of the whole World.
With this proud decree, so speaketh also his parasits,Rep…rt. Panor. tit. P apa. therefore sayeth Panormitan, The Pope (sayeth hee) Habet subditas omnes creaturas, that is, he hath subject to him all creatures, and none may decline, nor appeale from his Iurisdiction. Cardinall Turrecremata likewise speaketh thus,Turrecrē. l. 2. summae c. 52. As CHRIST got Dominion from his Father (sayeth hee) aboue al principalities and powers, and over all creatures whatsoever that hath being, that all knees should bow to him▪ so hath he givē this ful domini… & power to Peter and his Successours.
Where I cannot omitt that which is related by that learned Italian, author of the historie of the Councell of TRENT.hist. of the councell of Trent. lib. 3. p. 395. who speaking of Paull the fourth, telleth That hee never spake with Ambassadours, but hee thundred in their ears, (sayeth hee▪) That he was aboue all Princes, and that hee would not that any of them should bee too homelie or familiar with him. That he could also change and dispose of Kingdomes, and was his successour who hath deposed Kings and Emperours, and did often repeat, for a begining of the authority exercised by him, that he had made Ireland a kingdome, and went on so farre (sayeth hee) that in consistorie, and at his table publicklie in the presence of many; He said, he would not hauehave any prince for his Companion, but all subjects under this foot. (so he said, stricking it against the ground) as it is fitt, and as it is his will who hath built the Church, and hath placed them in this degree.
Yea not onelie will he hauehave kings and princes subject to him, and (as Platinae reporteth of Boniface the 8. as we hauehave showne) at his pleasure will depose them from their kingdomes,In praef. operis De principiis. Blondus Dist. 96. or repone them; but likewise he will hauehave them all to adore and worship him, as the supreame God on earth, (as Stapletoun and others style him. Therfore sayeth Blondus. Omnes Principes orbis terrarum Po…tificem u… Deum summum adorant. That is, All the princes of the World adore the Pope as the most high GOD. Whence it is, that their Carmelit Frier Baptista Mantuanus speaketh thus of him. Cujus vestigia adorant.
Caesar, & aurato vestititi murice Reges. Whence it is also that Stenchus speaking of the Emperour Constantins Donation of Rome to the Pope, sayeth, That at that tym Constantine adored the Pope as GOD. Platina likewise in the life of Steven the second telleth us how Pepin king of France at the Pops entrie within his bounds kissed his foot and adored him,Lib. 27. …ist. p. 5.7. and Paulus Iovius, speaking of Charles the fift his coronation at Rome, sayeth, That he religious…ie kneeling, and grooflings having kissed his foot, he adored or worshipped the Pope, (by a religious adoration, as CHRISTS vicar upon earth.l. 7. c. 26. Baron ananno 1191)
Ranulphus also in his polychronicon, and Baronius in his annal's, setteth down the manner of the Coronation of the Emperour Henrie son to Fredrick by Pop Celestin the third. That sitting in his pontificall Chayre, he held the imperiall Crown betweene his feet, and when the Emperour bowing his head lowlie had taken it up, and it was put upon his head▪ The Pope presentlie with his foot stricking of the Crown, cast it down upon the ground in token that he had power, if he deserved, to depose him there from: and then the Cardinalls taking it up, set it agayne upon the Emperours Head, which made Matheus Parisiensis say of the forenamed Innocent,Math. paris. in Iohanne rege Angliae. that hee did know, and many wayes had learned by experience; Quod Papa super omnes mortales ambitiosus erat & superbus. That is, That the Pope beyound all mortall men was the most ambitious and proudest. As likewise made that worshipfull Gentleman, and great poet in his time Gefrey Chaucer, of whom we spoke before,āno 1340 to say of the Pope, as head of the Roman Church. in his plow-mans tale.
Her head loveth all honour,
And to be worshipped in word & deed,
Kings mot to him kneell & cowr,
To the Apostles that Christ forebeed:
So seemeth hee aboue all.
And Christ aboue him nothing,
When he sitts in his stall.
Damneth & saveth as him think,
Such pride before God doth stink.
Yea not onelie is it enough that Emperours and Kings be subject unto him, & that he exalt himself aboue them, and that he make them kisse his foot, and kick off their Crowns off from their heads (tho he be the Emperour) but lykwise when he pleaseth, to treade upon their necks, as Abbas Vrspergensis reporteth that Alexander the third, did to the Emperour Frederick at S. MARKS church in Venice. As also we hauehave it set down in the book of sacred Ceremonies,Fol. 26.35▪ & 41. That the Emperour or greatest Prince that is present at the Pops Coronation, is to carrie his trayne that day, to hold his stirrop at his leaping on and lighting: and if he go in litter, to carrie him on their shoulders, hold the basen to him, and bring in his first measse of meat. Whereof I may say, Is this the imitation of CHRISTS humilitie which he recommended to His disciples? Or as Bernard sayd to Pope Eugenius, in the like case, did Peter so?l. 4. de cō sider. Ad Eugenium or played Paull such prancks? when hee was reprehending Eugenius for his pompous carriage and convoy, saying, Thou goeth in procession glistering with gold, and compast about with such a varietie of convoy, and by so doing what example getteth Christs sheep or edifying? If I durst say, (sayth he) it is the Divels pasture rather which they get, teaching them pride, nor Christs, and thou may see that all ecclesiasticall zeale is now hote, onlie for defending of worldlie dignitie (sayeth he) all men hunting after honour, but little or nothing after pietie. Thus you see how the Popes pride, & his Clergies was painted out in Bernards time neere 500. yeares agoe.
Next; let us see how the Pope exalteth himself aboue Angells, that are likewise called gods, Psal. 97.7.Roder. Episcop. Zamorensi…, l. 2. cap. 1. And first Rodevicus a Popish Bishop who was Constable of the castle of S. ANGELO in his Book called Speculum vitae humanae sayeth That the Pope is ordayned to bee aboue not onelie humane but divine principalities, and not onlie to rule mortall men, but immortalls, not onelie men▪ but Angells. After which hee applyeth to the Pope places of scripture which speake onlie of GOD, in IOB. That he is one, Ioh. 9.4.and there is not a second, and againe, Thou art mighty aboue the mightiest and wise in counsell, and elswhere in Scripture, where it is sayd by the Prophet, to whō all power and dominion is given, & of whom David meaned, when he sayd he hath given him all power & dominion, & that all people and languages should be subject unto him. Of which blaphemous trash the reader may see more in the oration uttered before Pius the second, by the Deputies of Florence, registrat by Antonius bishop of that Citie, as also in that of Iacobus Tecano Chamberlaine to Vrban the sixt, and Alvarez Pelagius Penitentiarie to Iohn the 22. As likewise in Augustinus triumphus, alias, de Ancona in his Booke De potestate Ecclesiae, dedicat to Iohn the 22. and thereafter to Gregorie the 13. Printed at Rome, 1582. With the Popes priviledge, and in Lancelotus Conradus his book of the same subject, approved by Pius the 4. And the Bishop of Bitonto in his Oration before the councell of Trent, with diverse others.
Next we see that he exalteth himself aboue Angells in respect, as Iohannes Faber sayeth,Faber in Praef. he permitteth himself to bee adored, by religious adoration, as Paulus Iovius speaketh in the place before cited, which the Angell refused Revel. 22.9. because he was Iohn's fellow-servant, & yet the Pope hypocriticallie calleth himself the servant of GODS servants; As also, wheras the Angells are only called holie, yet hee is called in the abstract, Holienesse it self.
Thirdlie, In the bull of Clement the sixt, in favours of these who should happen to die comming to his jubile, these were his words. Wee command the Angells to carrie their soules into Abrahams bosome which bull is extant, registrat in the treatise of Iohannes Phofferus Professour of divinitie in Friburg. DE MATERIA INDULGENTIARUM, anno 1472.
From all the which former, we frame this argument, hee who exalteh himself aboue all that is called GOD, is the Grand Antichrist, & man of sin, foretold of 2. Thess. 2.4. But the Pope doth this, as hath beene clearelie proven by Romanists themselves: Therefore the Pope is that Grand Antichrist and man of sinne,See also A ventin l. 7. ānal. p. 54. foretold of 2. Thess. 2.4.