Mystical Babylon Availed, Proposition 2
Propoſition II. That the POPE of Rome is the BEAST.
THe great Monarchs and Monarchies of this World have been Figured forth by Beaſts of Prey. God ſhewed his Prophet Daniel the four great Kingdoms of this World, viz. the Aſſyrio-Caldean, the Medi-Perſian, the Grecian, and the Roman Kingdoms by a Viſion of four Ravenous and devouring Beaſts, Dan. 7.3, 4.—8.(a)Dan. 7.7. foreign And behold a fourth Beaſt (the Roman-Kings and Kingdoms with ſeven Heads, and ten Horns, and upon the Horns ten Crowns; And upon his ſeventh Head two Horns, like a Lamb; Rev. 13.1.11.) dreadful and terrible, &c. ver. 7. Exceedingly, And divers from all the other three Beaſts. And Jeſus Chriſt ſhewed his Apoſtle John the ſame fourth Beaſt, Rev. 13.2. And the Beaſt that I ſaw, was like unto a Leopard, and his Feet were as the Feet of a Bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon, And the Dragon (b)That old Serpent, the Devil and Satan, For the Devil and the Pope are alike (as Father and Son) in many Things: The Devil contradicted Gods word, Gen. 3.4. So doth the Pope 1 Tim. 4.3. forbidding to Marry. This confeſſeth Chriſt, Mark. 3.11. but denies his Laws; So doth the Pope, Rev. 13.11, 15, 16, 17. The Devil would be worſhipped as God, Matth. 4.6. The Pope would be Exalted above all that is called God, or that is worſhipped, 2 Theſ. 2.4.gave him his Power, his Throne, and great Authority; And he ſpake as the Dragon, ver. 11. The moſt full Deſcription of the Roman-Papal Beaſt is expreſly written in the 17. Chapter of the Revelation. And the Angel ſaid unto me, ver. 7. I will tell thee the Myſtery of the Woman, and of the Beaſt, &c. This BEAST the Angel deſcribed unto St. John in three particulars (which can agree with no other Perſons, Powers, Emperours, Kings, The Devil challengeth to be the diſpoſer of all Kingdoms of the Earth, Luke 4, 5, 6, 7. So doth the Pope of Rome, vid. Bellarm. lib. 5. cap. 8. de Pont. Rom.nor Dominion in the World but the Popes of Rome only.) Firſt, by his Paſt, Preſent, and Future State, ver. 8. The Beaſt that Was, and Is not, and yet IS. Secondly, by his twofold Number, ver. 11. HE is the Eight, and … of the Seven. Thirdly, by his Riſe and Ruine, verſ. 8. & 11. The Beaſt ſhall aſcend out of the bottomleſs Pit, and go into Perdition: That lawleſs One the Son of Perdition, and goeth into Perdition.
Firſt, The Beaſt is deſcribed by his PAST State, Rev. 17.8. The Beaſt which thou Saweſt, WAS, and is not; that is to ſay, The Roman State and Kingdom was formerly, and even in St. John's Time, what it is not, now in our Time, in divers Reſpects, viz. 1. The Roman Kingdom was then a Power ordained of God, Rom. 13.1.7. unto which Roman-Power our bleſſed Saviour Jeſus Chriſt being then in the Form of a Servant, Phil. 2.7.8. was obedient to Death. So were Chriſts Diſciples, and the Primitive Chriſtians, Search thoſe Scriptures(c)Mar. 12.17. Acts. 25.10.11. 1 Pet. 2.13, 14, 15. Tit. 3.1. Not only Paul, but Peter, and Chriſt himſelf was Subject to the Roman-Pagan Emperours, Kings, and Governors. But the Beaſt of the eighth Head the Pope of Rome will be the Supreme Power over all Kings & Kingdoms. In Bella Coenae Dom. Sect. 3, 4, 5. againſt Queen Elizabeth and all Hereticks, vid. Remonſtran. Hibernorum per R. Caron. part. 1. cap. 3. Sect. 4. pag. 7.. The Roman Powers though Pagan Perſecutors of Chriſt and Chriſtians WAS Gods Ordinance of Magiſtracy, until the Ten Kings gave the Beaſt (the Pope of Rome) his Power, his Throne and great Authority. Rev. 13.2. And then the Angel told St. John; HE is not; viz. The Beaſt of the ſeventh and eighth Head is not Gods Ordinance of Magiſtracy; nor a Power ordained of God. Here let it be Seriouſly conſidered, That the Dragon, which gave the Beaſt his Power, Throne, and great Authority, Was not the Roman-Pagan-Emperours, for they never gave their Power and great Authority unto the Beaſt of the ſeventh and eighth Head, viz. the Pope of Rome. The Roman-Heathen, yea and Chriſtian Emperours ſtood in the Popes Way, and did let and hinder his Riſe, and Reigning Power, until they were Removed out of his Way, as was foretold by the Apoſtle Paul, 2 Theſ. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10. And thus it came to paſs; Conſtantine the Great leaving Rome, and making Conſtantinople the Imperial Seat, thereby (ſede vacante) the then Biſhop of Rome got full Poſſeſſion of that City; And ſo the Chief Biſhop of Rome continued his Primacy from that Time until (at laſt) the Weſtern Empire determined in Auguſtulus anno 475. or thereabouts; And about the year 607. the then Biſhop of Rome, Boniface the III. obtained from Phocas the Emperour of the Eaſt, That not the Patriarch of Conſtantinople but the Biſhop of Rome be univerſal-Biſhop. But for all this Riſe and Advance,Avent. Annal. Boyor. lib. 5. and pag. 447. and lib. 9. The Beaſt of the eighth Head, (the Pope of Rome) IS NOT of the Seven, that is to ſay, HE is not Supreme as the Roman Emperours were. For although the Emperours aſſumed the Title of Pontifex Maximus (e)Dionyſ. Halicarnaſ. Ant. Rom. 12. And Godwin's Antiq. l. 2. Sect. 2. cap. 15.and added it to the Imperial Crown; yet the Imperial Crown of the Roman Government and Kingdom was not added to the Pope of Rome, (f)Petra dedit Petro, Petrus Diadema Rodulpho. Bellar. de Concil. lib. 2. cap. l. 2. c. 17.until Henry the IV. (Emperour), whom Gregory the VII. Excommunicated and Depoſed, and Made Rodulphus Emperour in his ſtead: And afterwards when Henry the V. came to Rome to be Crowned by Pope Paſcal. II. The Pope would not conſent to his Coronation, untill the Emperour did give over all Right of Election of Popes, and of Inveſtures of Biſhops by Staff and Ring. And thus the Pope gained the Power of Temporal Soveraignty, and ſo IS of the Seven.
Nor did all this Epiſcopal, Pontificial, and Imperial Dignity, Power, and Authority fill and ſatisfie the Beaſtly Pope of Rome, until he obtained Supremacy above all general Councils(g)Bellarmine boaſteth ſaying, The laſt Lateran Council under Leo 10th. expreſly and profeſſedly teacheth, That the Pope is above all Councils, Bellar. de Concil. l. 2. c. 17., And ſo the Pope became Pontifex Maximus, the chief high Prieſt, who tranſlated Kings and Emperours at his Pleaſure. Bellarmine (h)Bellar de tranſ. Imp. Rom. in tribus libris, per Epiſcopi Rom. authoritatem.ſaith, The Roman Empire was by the Authority of the Pope, tranſlated from the Graecians to the French, and from Charles the Great and the French unto the Family of Otho and the Saxons, which is now the Roman Papal Empire of Germany with its ſeven Electors.
Secondly, The Roman Beaſt alſo (that WAS) is deſcribed by his Preſent State, 1. Negatively, And is NOT. 2. Affirmatively, And yet IS(i)Rev. 17.8, 9.. Herein lyeth another Myſtery; And here is the Mind, that hath Wiſdom: to know in what Reſpect the Roman Beaſt is NOT, and yet IS. I will not be poſitive, nor dare I preſume to make a determinate Judgment, and to give a Reſolution herein; but I humbly offer my Opinion, and ſubmit it to the Mind, that hath Wiſdom, and let him, that hath underſtanding in this Myſtery, judge what I ſay. It is ſaid HE is NOT, with Reſpect to thoſe five Kings, or Kinds of Kingly Government, viz. Kings, Conſuls, Dictators, Decemvirs,Ancients. Irenaeus, l. 5. adverſus Haereſ. c. 28. Tertul. de Reſur. car. c. 25. Ander. Caeſar. Epiſc. cap. 36. in Apoc. 13. v. 1. Beda in Apoc. 13. v. 1. and Tribunes, which were fallen, that is, paſt and gone before St. John's time. For this BEAST, which roſe out of the Sea of the Troubles and Confuſions in Rome, and in the Roman Empire, and out of the Earth of the Apoſtacies(k)1 Tim. 4.1, 2, 3. and 2 Theſ. 2.3, 4, 5. which the Apoſtle foretold ſhould be in the latter Days, and which the Angel was now Revealing unto John (l)Rev. 13.1. and ver. 11. and Rev. 17.3.7, 8.viz. Papal Rome, Is NOT yet Come, Rev. 17.10. that is, HE was not in Being, when St. John write this Book. And yet HE IS, that is to ſay ONE IS,Modern. Joan. Viguer. Inſtit. Theol. c. 21. Sect. 3. v. 4. Nich. Sander. l. 8. de viſib. Eccl. Monarch. c. 1. in Libro octavo. Nich. Zegar in Apoc. 13. to wit the Emperour, who IS the ſixth King, then in Being in St. John's time, and ſometime after, Rev. 17.10. And there are ſeven Kings, Five are fallen, And ONE IS, And the Other is not yet come, viz. to be the Seventh head of the Roman Empire, and the Supreme Governour of the Roman Monarchy. The Roman-Papal BEAST is NOT, that is to ſay, HE is not God's Ordinance of Magiſtracy, nor a lawful Power ordained of God, but he IS an Uſurper of the Roman Kingdom; And an Inſtrument of the great Dragon,Papiſts. Benedict. Pererius, l. 14. in Dan. R. Bellarminus l. 3. de R. P. c. 2.8. Franciſ. Rib. in Apoc. 13. Sect. 1. Hiomne Beſtiam Apoc. 13.1. ipſiſſimum eſſe Antichriſtum inter…retantur. that old Serpent, called the Devil and Satan, Rev. 12.3.9. viz. The Roman Pagan Emperour, And alſo the Dragon, that old Serpent, which is the Devil, …ad Satan, Rev. 20.2. viz. He that beguiled Eve, through his Subtilty, 2 Cor. 2.11.3. gave the BEAST his Power, and his Throne and his Supreme Authority. So that Beaſt (the Pope of Rome) hath the Roman-Power, but not Jure Divino, HE IS NOT, by God's Approbation. And yet HE IS the Supreme Roman-Governour. Yea HE IS of the Seven, to wit, the ſeventh King or kind of Kingly Government, as is before ſaid. And HE even he is the Eighth. Rev. 17.11.(m)Beſtia ſc. Papa Rom. Is octavus eſt, Et de ſeptem illis eſt, Quia nimirum Papa ſc. Antichriſtus (Cornu illud parvulum Dan. 7.20.) oriturus erat de medio Cornuum quartae beſtiae, quae Imperium adumbrabat Romanum, &c. J.W. lib. de ultimo Romae Exitio. p. 6..
Thirdly, The Roman BEAST is deſcribed by his Future State: Rev. 17.10. And the other is not yet Come, that is to ſay, the other King or Kind of Kingly Government, viz. Popes had not gotten the Supreme Power, neither Political, nor Eccleſiaſtical. But this Beaſt, that was to Come, that is, to ſucceed the Emperours, was the Popes, and they are the Eight and of the Seven. Rev. 17.11. Which will be made appear in the ſecond Particular of the Angels Deſcription of the BEAST by his twofold Number.
The Second particular, or Part of the Angels Deſcription of the Roman Beaſt is by his twofold Number, Seven and Eight, The Pope of Rome is of the Seven, or the Seventh King, or Kingly kind of Government with Reſpect of his Imperial, or Magiſterial Power(n)Bellar. contra. Barcl. c. 5. Non ſolùm in Spiritualibus quoque Imperatore & Rege major eſt Papa, ſed etiam in temporalibus. over Emperours and Kings of the Roman-Kingdom; And HE IS the EIGHT with Reſpect of his Hierarchical, or Pontifical-Power(o)Oriohou. in Chymer; 10 l. 97 Quanto creatura Deo, tanto Impeperatoria Majeſtas eſt Papae inferior. The Pope is the ſeventh Head in Nature and Kind: and an Eight alſo in Degree and Power. Hen. Biſh. of Meath, of Antichriſt. pag. 11. or Principality, which was alſo there before, under former Roman-Governments; For as to matters of Religion, the Romans had of old Inſtituted by Numa Pompilius their Pontifices or under-Prieſts and over them a Chief Prieſt called Pontifex Maximus, which lower Prieſts were exempted from civil Juriſdiction, and only Ordered and Governed by him, who was their Pontifex Maximus, HE himſelf not being accountable to any(p)Dionyſ. Halicarnaſs Ant. Rom. 12. Godwin's Antiq. lib. 2. Sect. 2. cap. 15.. And therefore the Pope is ſaid to be of the SEVEN with Reſpect of his Imperial and Pontifical Power, unto which HE hath Advanced himſelf in his Dominion and Titles above all Principalities and Powers on Earth, (no Kings nor Emperours being excepted or exempted) (q)Triplex imperium habet Papa, in terra, in coelo, & (ubi Chirſtus nullum habit) in Purgatorio, in cujus ſignum Tiara Papalis triplici coronâ ornata eſt. Caeremon. l. 1. Sect. 5 c. 9. & Sect. 7. f. 78. Hab. 3.4. and Zech. 1.18.21.. And ſo in his exalted Power of Imperial and Pontificial Horns the Pope of Rome became the BEAST of the Eighth Head Rev. 17.11. Who did Riſe out of the Earth having two Horus like a Lamb, Rev. 13.11. Horns do ſignifie Power in the Propheſies of the Holy Scripture of Truth, as in Dan. 8.20, 21, 22, 23, 24.(r)Purgatorium eſt peculium Papae, ſaith Angelus Pariſienſis. Antoninus part. 3. tit. 22. cap. 5. Sect. 6. & 7. Bal. in vita Leonis 10. &c. Patres concil. Lateran. Seſſ. 10. in Orat. Steph. Patracenſis.. So that the two Horns of that Beaſt (the Pope of Rome) ſignifie his two fold Power Political and Eccleſiaſtical, or Imperial and Pontifical twiſted and united together in his Seventh and Eighth Headſhip, For even HE is the Eight, and is of the Seven, Rev. 17.11. This Number of the BEAST viz. the Seventh and Eighth can agree with none of the Roman Heads, but Popes only.
The third Particular, or Part of the Angels Deſcription of the Roman-Papal-BEAST of the Seventh and Eighth Head is by his RISE and RUINE, Rev. 17.8, 11. The BEAST ſhall aſcend out of the Bottomleſs Pit, and go into Perdition, ver. 11. And goeth into Perdition. I ſhall here ſhew briefly, firſt his Riſe, then his Ruine. Whereby it will more plainly appear, That the Pope of Rome is the BEAST.
Firſt, as to the Riſe of the Beaſt of the Seventh and Eight Head, viz. the Pope of Rome; we find in the Roman Hiſtories, That Conſtantine the Great changed the Seat of the Emperour from Rome to Conſtantinople, thereby leaving the City of Rome, as it were vacant. After his Death the Roman-Empire was divided, and the Roman-Eagle having two great Wings ſpread her ſelf into the Eaſtern and Weſtern Empires; At laſt about anno 475. the Weſtern Empire quite expired in Auguſtulus (s)Ambroſe, Cyrill, Theophylact upon 2 Theſ. 2.6, 7. When the Roman Empire ſhall be taken out of the Way, then ſhall Antichriſt Come.. For the Empire having been invaded by the Goths and Vandals, and other barbarous Nations, by whom alſo Rome it ſelf was taken and poſſeſſed about fifty years, The Pope or Biſhop of Rome himſelf being alſo expelled out the City of Rome, Chryſoſtome 2 Theſ. 2.6, 7. foreign (ſaith he) foreign,and put to ſeek (for a Time) another Place of abode. About the year 607. Boniface III.(t)Prideaux Introduction of Hiſtories, Interval. 7. Sect. pag. 89. then Biſhop of Rome obtained from Phocas then Emperour of the Eaſt, That not the Patriarch of Conſtanſtinople, but the Biſhop of Rome ſhould be Ʋniverſal Biſhop. And now was the Title of Pope appropriated to the Biſhop of Rome, which was before communicated to other Patriarchs and Biſhops alſo indifferently. After this Pope Gregory VII. contended with the Emperour Henry the Fourth, whom he excommunicated and depoſed, and gave the Imperial Crown to Rodulphus (u)Petra dedit Petro, Petrus, DIADEMA Rodulpho Bellarm. de Concil. lib. 2. cap. 17. 2 Theſ. 2.4. foreign, &c. foreign, Numen., with this verſe. The Pope of Rome being now Riſen above all Biſhops Patriarchs and Emperours, HE advanced himſelf above all general Councils, which Riſe was fully attained by Pope Leo X. as Bellarmin boaſteth. The Pope of Rome having aſcended thus high, HE was Ambitious to Riſe yet Higher. That ſo he might appear to be That Man of Sin, and Son of Perdition, who oppoſeth and exalteth himſelf above every one called God, or divine Power, So that HE as God might ſit in the Temple of God, ſhewing himſelf that he is God. And to that End the Pope of Rome confirmed thoſe erroneous Doctrines, and Poſitions of the Church of Rome, and cauſed them to be Concluded and Decreed for Doctrines and Articles of Faith, in the general Councils of Conſtance, Lateran, and of Trent. Chriſtophorus Mercellus ſpeaking to Pope Julius II. in the Council of Lateran, ſaid(w)Tu es alter Deus in Terra. Extra. Joh. 22. de verb. ſignif. cap. cum interp. & lib. cerem. 1. Sect. 1. fol. 16. Eberhardus Epiſt. Salisburgenſis Impreſſ. Lugd. Anno. 1555. Edit. nov. Ant. Papae Greg. 13. Credere Dominum Deum noſtrum Papam non ſic potuiſſe Statuere, prout Statuit, haereticum Cenſeatur. Thou art another God upon Earth. And in the Gloſs on the Canon Law HE is called, Our Lord God the Pope by the Popes allowance, as alſo divine Adoration(x)Thoſe words, All that is called God, and worſhipped, 2 Theſ. 2.4. are not to be interpreted foreign of Kings, &c. nor foreign of Prelates and Prieſts, but foreign of Objects of divine worſhip, So the Athenian foreign, Acts 17.23. were their Idols and Modes of Devotion, and divine Worſhip. So Dan. 11.36.37.40..
The Pope of Rome, the BEAST of the Seventh and Eighth Head, having aſcended out of the deep Abyſs, or Bottomleſs Pit, and Riſen at laſt unto this Hight of Impiety; He having overcome the Saints of God, Rev. 13.7. and killed the two Prophetical Witneſſes of Chriſt Rev. 11.7. muſt go into Perdition; Rev. 17.8, 11. and goeth into Perdition: which implies his gradual Ruine, ſtep by ſtep. As HE did riſe gradually to the hight of his Grandeur, ſo HE muſt fall by degrees into Perdition. 2 Theſ. 2.8. Whom the Lord ſhall Conſume with the Spirit of his Mouth, and ſhall deſtroy with the Brightneſs of his Coming. So that this BEAST, (the Pope of Rome) ſhall be firſt Conſumed, and afterwards Deſtroyed, as is foretold, Dan. 7.11, 12, 13. Now to be conſumed is to decay, to wax weak, and by ſome Sickneſs or Diſtempers to waſte, pine, and wear away, and at laſt to dye: even ſo ſhall the BEAST, that Man of SIN, the Son of Perdition, the Pope of Rome. Who hath been Conſuming many years by the Spirit of Chriſts mouth, viz. The powerful and ſpiritual Preaching of the Goſpel of free Grace: by the Prophetical witneſſes of Chriſt, his godly and faithful Miniſters. Bellarmin's Confeſſion is a full Confirmation of the Popes Conſumption, his words in Engliſh are theſe—The Roman See hath by little and little decayed, &c.(x)Bellarm. de Rom. Pon…if. lib. 3. cap. 21. Scrip. 1577.. And it hath much more decayed, and been conſumed ſince that Time, by the Preaching of the Goſpel, through the powerful operation of the holy Spirit(y)Mr. Rich. Bernar's Key of Knowledge, part. 4. pag. 126, 127, 128, 129. Since 1558. (ſaith he) the Pope hath nothing Increaſed upon us, But we by Gods power have prevailed againſt him. Have not the Papiſts had ill Succeſs in all their Attempts againſt us? And in ſpite of their Policy, Trecheries, and Treaſons, — we ſtand and they fall; and ſo muſt they now (ſaith he) continually, for by an Oath of God it is confirmed unto us, Chap. 10. 5, 6. That there ſhould be Time no longer. Read pag. 127, 128. & 129..
The utter downfal, and Deſtruction of the Roman Beaſt (the Pope) is alſo Propheſied, Rev. 14.8. Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great City, (which is Rome as hath been fully proved). Alſo Rev. 18.2, 8, 10, 19, 21. Therefore ſhall her Plagues come in one Day—and ſhe ſhall be utterly burnt with Fire, for ſtrong is the Lord God, who judgeth her. Alas, alas! that great City Babylon (that is Rome-papal) that mighty City, for in one Hour is thy Judgment come; and ver. 19. Alas alas! that great City (Rome) for in one hour ſhe is made deſolate. And Rev. 19.19, 20— And the BEAST, (that is the Pope of Rome) was taken, and with him the falſe Prophet—Theſe both were caſt alive into the Lake burning with Brimſtone. Then ſhall Rome-Papal be found no more at all, Rev. 18.21. and Then ſhall the Beaſt, (who is the Pope of Rome) be tormented day and night, for ever and ever, Rev. 20.10.