Antichrist Pointed and Painted Out in His True Colors, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of Antichrists, or the Popes idolatrie, and spirituall whooredome. Revel (17.6.
IN regard wherof Rome with her Papall Head,Gloss. ordin. integer Antichristus, caput & corpus. (Revel. 17.6.) is called That Great Whoore, (and alluding to Her usuall. and usurped Tytle of Mother-Church.) Shee is called, The Mother of Harlots; and, abhominations of the earth: Being not onlie guiltie herself of idolatrie, (called spirituall whooredome;) But, also, being the propagater thereof to all other parts under her jurisdiction. So that shee is lyke Ieroboam: Who not onlie sinned by Idolatrie himself; but also made all ISRAELL to sinne.
How guiltie then, the Pope, and the Roman Church under him is hereof, wee shall make manifest: 1. By their Adoration of Images. 2. By their Invocation of Saincts and Angells: And 3. By their Adoration of the Hoste.
First, then, concerning the Adoration of Images; Decreed in their late Councell of Trent, under Pius the fourth, Sess. 9. the doctrine; which by all their Schoolmen is asserted, (as testifieth their own Bishop Peresius, Peres. de traed. part. 3.) is this; That Images are to be worshipped, with the same worship as these whom they represent. And therefore, the Images of GOD and CHRIST, are to bee worshipped, with the highest Divine Honour; which they call LATRIA. Which doctrine these who are here after named doe maintaine: To wit, Their canonized Sainct, Thomas Aquinas. parte. 3. q. 25. art. 3. Alexander de Hales. part. 3. q. 30. art. vlt. Azorius, instit. moral. l 9. tit. 1. c. 6. Bonaventure, in tertiam Sent. Dist. 9. Cabrera in tertiā Thomae, q. 25. art. 3. disp. 2. num. 34. Iacobus Atlantus, in Rom. 1. f. 42. edit. venet. 1557. with dyvers others.
The Iesuit Vasquez, in lyke manner, disputeth the …uestion, and concludeth;Vasq. l. …. de ador. c. 1. disp. 6. num. 168. That if the worship of Images, bee a religious act at all, it may justlie bee called LATRIA: For LATRIA and Religion, are the same thing, (sayeth hee.) And, so sayeth their Bishop Peresius lykewyse, in the place forecited. And, as for such subtile distinctions; whereby they would palliat their Idolatrie. They are such, (as Bellermine speaketh;Bell. l. 2. de imag. c. 22. §. 4. which neither themselves vnderstand, who hauehave broached them. And, farre lesse the vnlearned people, (sayeth hee.) And, especiallie, that of DULIA; The Scripture witnessing, That the religious act therof, is proper to GOD onlie, Deutr. 6.13. 1. Sam. 7.3. and Act. 20.19. And, when it was given to anie creature, it was ever counted Idolatrie, GAL. 4.8.
And, as this is their Idolatrous do…trine, concerning the sort of Adoration. So, lykewyse, concerning the extent,Bell. l. 2. de imag. c. 21. & 23. or termination there of; Thus sayeth Bellarmine: To wit, That images are to bee worshipped properlie: That is, As they are considered in themselve… ▪ So that the worship stayeth it self in the Image, (sayeth hee.) For, if the Image were not to bee worshipped; but vnproperlie. To wit, Because before it, or in it, or by it that which it representeth, is adored. Then, surelie, it might bee simplie denyed, (sayeth hee,) That Images should bee worshipped at all.
Next: To come to the practise of Adoration of Images: It is more than manifest, Cass. consult. de imag. c. 21.(sayth their own Cassander,) Then can bee exprest by words; that the worship of Images, is come to that hight: That the verie Pagans themselves hauehave given to their Idoles. Neither is that excuse of anie worth, (sayeth hee.) Which some vse to pretend, that they worship not the Images, Arnob. l. 6 adv. gentes Lact. l. 2. divin. in. stit cap. 2. Aug. in psal. 96. and 13.but them whom they represent, for this colour the Pagans also used for their idolatrie as wee see in Arnobius (sayeth he) and may be also seene in Aug. l. 3. de doct. Christ. c. 7. and elsewhere. And which excuse likewise BELLARMINS forecited words refuteth, where he sayeth, That if the Image were not to bee worshipped, but improperlie: Because before it or in it; or by it that which it representeth is adored. Then, surelie, it might bee simplie denyed, (sayeth hee,) that Images should bee worshipped at all; yea, the same is come to that hight of madnes (sayeth their own Polidor Virgil.) That this part of Religion is little different from impietie it self, L. 6. de inven. reris▪ c. 13▪for there are very many so exceeding rude and stupid (sayeth hee) who worship images made of stocks & stones, brasse and marble &c. not as representing figures, but as if they had sense and feeling, and confide more in these (to whom speciallie they go in Pilgramage) then in Christ Himself.
Yea, some dote so upon images (sayth their own Gabriel Biell) that they believe a certan Deitie, grace or holienes to bee in them, Biel. in camissae, lect▪ 49.whereby they are able to work miracles, restore health, and deliver from dangers, and to preserue from hurts and snares, out of the confidence of the forenamed, being moved to worship them, that they may obtaine some of the former things: Whence also it is (sayeth hee) that they obliege themselves to undergo Pilgramages▪ some to this and some to that Church, according as they respect the images, believing that this image in such a place is of greater vertue than in another, and is more famous for miracles, & of greater power, (a cleir example wherof we hauehave in the pilgramages to our lady of Loretto & Hales) And if at any time miracles bee wrought upō men who hauehave recourse to them, this is not by vertue of the image (sayth he) but some tymes by the operation of the Devill, to d… ceiue such idolatrous worshippers, GOD so permitting, and their infidelitie so deserving the fame.
Secondlie of Popish Adoration and invocation of Saints.
This their idolatrie which they perform heerein, they seeke to palliat by this distinction, that they invocat them not as mediators of redemption, but onelie of intercession, which last, tho it be altogether unlawfull, CHRIST being onelyonly our Mediator of intercession in the heavens, & this being that part of his priestlie office which he there performeth, & shall performe till his second comming, and wherein he will hauehave no partner neither Saint nor Angel, yet to showe the contrare, to wit, that they invocate thē, as mediators of redemption, I shall prove the same. 1. Out of their Roman missall, where they say to the virgine Marie,
O Faelix puerpera, nostra pians seelera,
Iure matris, impera redemptori.
And thereafter, Tua semper ub…ra nostra sanent vuln…ra. That is,
O Happie Mother, who expiats our sinnes, by the authoritie of a Mother command our Redeemer, and let thy Pape milk heale our wounds. Wher we see the expiation of our sinnes, and healing our souls wounds attributed to the virgin Marie and her milk, which is onlie proper to CHRIST, and to His Blood, and that most blasphemouslie is ascribed to her a power now to cōmand her Sonne▪ and consequently the Creator to be subject to the creature, and therefore also in a book called ANTIDOTUM ANIMAE. They speake thus, Tu ancillam Iesu Christi te vocare voluisti, sed vt doc… Lex divina, tu illius es Domina: nam Lex jube… & ratio, matrem praesse Filio.
The like blasphemous stuffe wee hauehave in that book written by a Iesuit of late named Carolus Bonartius, alias, Scribonius called Amphitheatrum honoris, Who inquiring what is the best soules plaister, answereth,
Lac matris miscere volo cū sanguine Nati
Non possum antidoto nobiliore frui.
That is I will mixe (sayeth hee). the Mothers milk with the Sonnes Blood, for I cannot hauehave a more soveraigne plaister than this.
Yea, moreover they affirme (as wee hauehave it in their owne famous Gabriel Biell. Lect. 80. in Canone Missae.) That as Asuerus offered to Ester the half of his Kingdomes: so GOD hath divyded his Kingdomes betweene Himself and the virgin Marie (sayeth hee) giving to her, MercieMercy to bestowe, and reserving justice onelie to Himself, wherefore it is lawfull (sayeth BERNARDIN de busto) to appeale from the Sonnes justice to the Mothers merciemercy;In mariali part. 3 Serm. 3. And therefore, in like manner they hauehave turned the whole psalter of David which suteth merciemercy, from Domine ▪ Psalterum B. Virg.Lord, to Domina, our Ladie, as may be seene speciallie psal. 71. & 93. where they say psal. 71 Deus judicium tuum regi da, & misericordiam tuam Reginae matri ejus ▪ and psal. 93. They say of CHRIST, Deus ultionum Dominus, sed tu Benignae Mater misericordiae ad miserandum inflectis illum. That is, O GOD Thou art a LORD of revenge, but thou myld Mother of merciemercy thou art shee that moveth Him to pittie And not only call they her Domina but Dea, and therefore they sing unto her, Tunc tibi laudes Dea dicet omnis sexus & aetas.In lib. 8. Aug. de civit. Dei, cap. 27.
So that (as their own Vives testifyeth) They are come to that hight of Idolatrie in this poynt, that they worship no otherwise their he & she Saints (sayth he) then they do GOD Himself, neither see I (sayth he) in many things what differēce ther is between their opinion of Saints, & that which the verie Heathen hauehave of their gods. Yea, They hauehave placed more confidence in their merits and intercession than in CHRITS merite, (sayeth their own Cassander, Cass. consult. art. 21.) and so having obscured that Office of CHRISTS onlie mediation, they hauehave in place thereof substitute (say…h he) the advocation of the Virgine Marie, and others.
I may heere adde their Idolatrous Adoration by kneeling and kissing of pretended Reliques of Saints, which being most part false through the avarice of Priests (sayeth their own Cassander) hauehave beene obtruded, Cass. Consult. Art. 21.for entysing of simple People, and fained miracles hauehave beene alleadged to hauehave beene wrought by them, whereby the superstitition of people hath beene greatly fostered.
Yea, not onelie are such Reliques worshipped by kneeling and kissing, but also by putting up prayers to them, as if they heard, or had sense or lyfe, for thus they pray to the Crosse, as Bellarmine granteth which hath now no being.
O Crux ave spes unica, Ange piis justitians, reisque dona veniam.
That is,
Hayle holy Crosse, our onlie Hope, who upon earth do liue,
To godlie righteousnes augment, to guiltie pardon giuegive.
So likewise they pray to the speare that pierced CHRISTS side.
Ave ferrum triumphale, faelix hasta nos amore per te fixo saucia.
That is
All hayle triumphant yron, and speare that happie is.
Lance us with love of Him, whom thou didst pierce, I wis.
And to that Picture of CHRISTS face on Veronicas Handkerchife, they pray thus. Nos dedu… ad patriam o faelix Figura, In mirabilia Romae. p. 24.ad videnda… faciem quae est CHRISTI purae.
And as for their worshipping and Idolatrous praying to angels, chieflie whom they call their guardians, as the same is expreslie against COL. 2.18. Who affirmeth that these who do so under pretēce of Humilitie do not hold the Head, and consequentlie cannot retaine communiō with the Bodie, which is CHRISTS Church. So likewise that famous and ancient Councell of Laodicea. CAN. 35. not farre from the COLOSSIANS did solemlie decree against the same as manifest Idolatrie, and pronunced anathema to al such who did invocat Angels, because (say they) These who do so, hauehave foresaken Our LORD IESVS CHRIST, (foreign) and given themselves to Idolatrie, which canon also Theodoret upon the second to the Colossians citeth, and showeth that this was their pretence of humili…ie for their Idolatrie, saying, that GOD was invisible and inaccessible, and therefore it was fi… that men should obtaine GODS favour by the means of Angels, which is now in like-manner the very excuse of Poperie.
Thirdlie, of Popish Idolatrie in Adoration of the Hoste.
But before I come to this their Idolatrous adoration, I cannot pass by First, Their blasphemous assertion. Which Gabriel Biell setteth down in these words of the Priest,Lect. 4. in canonē missae. saying, Hee that created mee hath given mee power to create Himself, and Hee that created mee without mee, is created by me. Their late Iesuit likewise Cornelius a lapide sayeth,A Lapide in Isai 7.14, That CHRIST is borne and as it were begotten upon the Altar (sayth he) and if He were not yet incarnat, yet as powerfullie Hee should be incarnat by the words of consecration, as Hee was at first, wherefore the Priest (sayeth hee) is as the Virgin that boore Him, the Altar is the manger, & the little Emmanuell which he beareth, is CHRIST brought foorth under the little Hoste.
Next, as for the worship which is to be given to it, the Councell of Trent hath decreed that it is the highest Divine worship,Sess. 13. Can. 5. which they call Latria. Now if the conceate which Papists hauehave of Transsubstantiation proue false,Cap. 12. Their Iesuit Coster in his Euchiridion freelie confesseth That then they should committ the grossest Idolatrie, the like whereof (sayeth hee) was never heard nor seene in the whole world. Dist. 2. de consecr.. c. Hoc est.Now (beside the word of GOD against it, and their own exposition of the words of consecretion in their cannon law, declaring them to bee figuratiue) according to their own principles they cannot certanlie know that Transsubstantiatiō is made by the priests consecration, and consequentlie that the Hoste which they worship is any other thing but bread, & therfor that their act of adoration is Idolatrie, seing the chāge doth whollie depend upon the consecration,Concil. Trid.. Sess 7. can. 11. and the consecration again dependeth upon the intention of the Priest, which none can certanly know but himself, Bellarmin himself saying thus, Ne que potest quis certꝰ esse certitudine fidei se percipere verum sacramentū, De justif. l. 3. c. 8.cum sacramentum sine intentione ministri non conficiat…r, & intentionē alterius nemo videre possit. That is, Neither can any be sure by the certanty of faith that he receivth a true sacramēt, seing the sacrament is not made without the intention of him who ministrats it, & no man can see the intention of another. Whence it will follow that no Papist can be sure that he committeth not Idolatrie, but admit that the Priests intention should be right at the time of consecration, yet if either he that bap…ised him, or the Bishope that gau… him order hauehave missed in their right intention, then he is neither a Christian, nor a Priest, and consequentlie what he doeth is no consecration, so that the bread remeaneth bread still, and consequentlie the worshippers thereof are grosse Idolaters, and all Papists are in no better case then the Samaritans were in, of whom our Saviour said, Yee worship yee know not what.Iohn 4.22
Where I cannot omitt that notable discourse of Catarinus Bishop of M…nori in the Councell of Trent, Hist. of the Councel of Trēt lib. 2. p. 240.consonan… to this of mine; If a Priest (said hee) having a charge of 4. or 5000. soules were an Ath…st or infidell in heart, but yet a formall Hypocrit, and in absolving the penitent, baptising of Children, and consecrating the Eucharist, had an intention not to do what the Church doth, i… must be said, that the Children are damned (said hee) the penitents not absolved, and that all remain… without the fruit of the Communion, hee added, if any would say, these cases were rare, would to GOD it were so (said hee) and that in this corrupt age wee had no cause to doubt they were many. But suppose they are very few, or but one onelie, let there be a knave priest (sayth hee) who faineth, and hath not an intention to minister true baptisme to a Child, who after being a man growne, is created Bishope of a great citie, and liveth many yeares in that Charge, so that he hath ordained a great part of the Priests, it must be said that hee not being baptised, is not ordained, nor they ordained who are promoted by him, so that in that Citie there will be neither Eucharist, (and consequentlie an Idolatrous adoration of bread) nor yet confession or absolution (said hee) because that cannot be without the Sacrament of order, nor order without a true Bishope nor can he receive order who is not baptised, Behold then (said hee) millions of nullities of Sacraments by the malice of one Minister, and in one act onelie.