Popery the Grand Apostasy, Sermon 1

Popery the Grand Apostasy · Sermon 1

p. 92 THES. 2. v. 1. to 12.

Now we beſeech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and by our gathering together unto him: v. 2. That you be not ſoon ſhaken in mind or be troubled neither by Spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Chriſt is at hand. v. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day ſhall not come except there come a falling away firſt: and [that] man of ſin be revealed, the ſon of perdition, &c.

THeſe words begin a new diſcourſe, and contain an earneſt obteſtation to the Theſſalonians not to be troubled at the Doctrine of ſome, that the day of Chriſt, viz. his ſecond coming, was at hand: which though in appearance it tended to holineſs and watchfulneſs, to make men p. 10live in preparation for Chriſts coming; yet, ſeeing his coming was not nigh, and many great things were to be tranſacted firſt both in the world and the Church; this perſwaſion would take off Chriſtians from their repective duties, in the ſeveral places and times they ſhould live in; and would give great occaſion to Atheiſtical mockers to think and ſay Chriſt would never come, ſeeing his coming was ſo long delaied beyond expectation of his ſervants; and conſequently that all the Goſpel was a fable, and Religion vain, which alſo was foretold, 2 Pet. 3. v. 3, 4. In the laſt days ſhall come Scoffers, walking after their own luſts, ſaying Where is the promiſe of his coming? for ſince the Fathers fell aſleep all things continue as they were. The Apoſtle therefore beſeecheth them by the coming of Chriſt and our gathering to him, i. e. As ſure as they did believe Chriſt would come, and his Saints ſhould be gathered to him, ſo alſo to believe that his coming was not nigh; but that great tranſactions and changes ſhould come before that day. Or foreign may be well rendered, I beſeech you for the ſake of the coming of our Lord, and our gathering to him, i. e. that you may not bring this Doctrine of Chriſts coming p. 11into Queſtion when the world ſhall ſee you are miſtaken in the time when you looked for it.

That you be not ſoon ſhaken, foreign, i. e. That you be not unſetled or made to fluctuate in your minds, foreign, nor be perplexed. This is the obteſtation.

Next the Apoſtle ſignifies the means, how this perplexing Doctrine was introduced amongſt them: viz. By ſpirit, by word, or by pretence of his Epiſtle, v. 2.

Then renewing his obteſtation, v. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means, foreign, by any pretence whatſoever; he entereth upon the confutation of this opinion, telling them that Chriſt would not come, till there had been an Apoſtaſie in the Church, foreign, it is an Ellipſis, wherein ſomething for brevity ſake is omitted: For except there come an Apoſtaſie firſt, it is to be ſupplyed from the firſt v. The day of Chriſt ſhall not come.

Afterwards he deſcribeth the manner and meaſure of this Apoſtaſie, to v. 12. Hence we may obſerve by way of introduction.

Obſ. 1. That the Church even in the beſt ages of it hath been infeſted with errours and diſturbances.

p. 12The Church of old under Moſes, immediately after their deliverance out of Egypt, and their receiving the Law from God by an audible voice, did preſently return to the Idolatry of Egypt in the worſhip of the Golden Calf, Ex. 32.1, 2. though they had obliged themſelves to the Lord by Covenant, a few days before, chap. 24.3, 6, 7, &c. And all his time he was wearied with their ill carriage. And in the times of the Prophets, there were uſually falſe Prophets ſeducing the people, 2 Pet. 2.1. Our Saviour foretold falſe Chriſts and falſe Prophets ſhould ariſe ſoon after his days, Mat. 24.24. And his Apoſtles, that there ſhould be falſe teachers in the Church, privily bringing in damnable Hereſies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and that many ſhould follow their pernicious ways, 2 Pet. 2.1, 2.

The Primitive times, as they were moſt happy. in Zeal and affection in the ſound and Orthodox profeſſours; ſo they were as unhappy in the manifold errors, Sects, diviſions that did diſturb them, as any of theſe latter Ages. Auguſtin hath given us a Catalogue of 80. Hereſies that troubled the Church in thoſe days;Auguſt. Lib. de Haer. ad Quod vult Deus. and yet he ſaith he omitted many and named but the principal.

p. 13It appears by their Epiſtles, that the Apoſtles had no ſooner planted Churches, but the weeds of errors and opinions did ſtraight ways ſpring up amongſt them: and this chiefly by theſe three means here mentioned.

1. By pretence of the ſpirit. When God did afford his ſpirit in extraordinary gifts and revelations to his Prophets and Apoſtles, there never wanted men who pretended to the ſame ſpirit, and the like revelations for their own devices; moſt of them wilfully feigning, ſome artificially and ſome by diabolical means procuring revelations and Enthuſiaſms; and ſome weakly miſtaking their own fancies and ſtrong perſwaſions for dictates and inſpirations of the Holy Ghoſt. 1 Joh. 4.1, 2. Believe not every ſpirit, but try the ſpirits, whether they are of God: for many falſe prophets are gone out into the world, ſuch as pretended to the ſpirit, and that to the ſubverſion of the greateſt truths in the Goſpel, even to deny the perſon, and coming of Jeſus Chriſt, as Simon Magus and his followers; therefore he ſubjoyneth this mark, v. 2, 3. Every ſpirit that confeſſeth that Jeſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh, is of God: and every ſpirit that confeſſeth that he is not come, is not of God. The ſame direction is p. 14given, 1 Cor. 12.2, 3. I give you to underſtand that no man ſpeaking by the ſpirit of God calleth Jeſus accurſed: Such it ſeems there were, that preten ding to the ſpirit the Apoſtles had, rejected and reviled Jeſus Chriſt.

2. By pretence of a word or oral tradition. They that could not pretend the ſpirit ſpeaking in themſelves, pretended the judgment and ſayings of Chriſt and his Apoſtles when abſent, for their own opinions, ſometimes forging their ſayings, ſometimes miſtaking the meaning of them, affixing their own ſence to them. Thus a tradition was received, as coming from the mouth of Chriſt, that the beloved Diſciple ſhould not die, Joh. 21.22, 23. and is yet believed in the Greek Church who ſhew a place near Epheſus where they ſay that Apoſtle when old commanded himſelf to be buried alive; where by ſome eſtuation or bubling of the earth they conclude he ſtill breatheth. St. Paul was often troubled by the Judaizing Chriſtians, who would have kept up the ceremonial law, pretending the authority and practice of Peter, and other Apoſtles that lived among the Jews; which he refuteth at large, Gal. 2. And it appeareth by almoſt all Pauls Epiſtles that this tradition was p. 15importunately urged and ſcattered through all the Churches by that ſort of men, even when the Apoſtles and Church of Jeruſalem had declared, that they never commanded ſuch doctrine to be preached, Acts 25.24.

3. Thirdly, By the pretence of Scripture, [our Epiſtle in the text.] And this either by pretence of forged Scripture, or falſe and forced interpretations of the true Canonical writings. Of the former ſort were the writings of the falſe Prophets among the Jews, and thoſe fabulous Legends of Tobit, Judith, Suſannah, &c. which were never received by the Jewiſh Church. And ſuch were the many ſuppoſitious writings in the primitive times, as the Goſpel of Peter, Andrew, Thomas, Nicodemus, and almoſt of all the Apoſtles; the Goſpel and Epiſtle of Paul to the Laodiceans, the Liturgie of James, and the like, mentioned by Euſebius and other writers. Of the latter ſort the Apoſtle ſpeaketh 2 Pet. 3.15, 16. That there were many unlearned and unſtable Chriſtians who did wreſt ſome hard places in Pauls Epiſtles and the other Scriptures to their own deſtruction; of this kind is this in the text as ſome ſuppoſe,Cartwr. in Locum. that this opinion of Chriſts coming to judgment p. 16was raſhly collected by ſome, from thoſe words in the former Epiſtle to the Theſ. ch. 4. v. 15. We that are alive and remain unto the coming of our Lord, ſhall not prevent thoſe that are aſleep: hence they thought that the Apoſtle ſuppoſed that at leaſt ſome of them who were then alive might live to the coming of Chriſt. Though it ſeems that all theſe three means of pretended revelations, traditions and Scriptures were uſed for this doctrine.

Theſe arts have been all along uſed to diſturb the Church and to pervert ſouls. The Gnoſticks, Montanus and Manes pretended their inſpired revelations,Cont. Haer. De praeſer. and many others in latter ages. Irenaeus and Tertullian tell us that many of the Hereticks of their days pretended traditions from one Apoſtle or other for their doctrine and practice; as alſo others had their Apocryphal Scriptures or Canonical texts miſapplied to maintain their errors.

The Papiſts make great uſe of all three of theſe pretences to eſtabliſh their groſſeſt errors. The doctrine of the real preſence of Chriſt in the bread, of the worſhip of Saints and of religious Orders, and Images is mainly built upon Revelations, dreams and apparitions.

p. 17Lindanus ingenuouſly confeſſed that all thoſe doctrines and practices wherein the Proteſtants do oppoſe them, and diſſent from them, are to be proved by traditions of the Apoſtles, not from the Scripture. Their doctrines of Purgatory, invocation of Angels, equivocations and diſſemblings are proved by the book of Tobit, Judith, Suſan. &c. The Apoſtles Canons, increaſed from 50 to 85, in the laſt age, do them great ſervices in the matters of their diſcipline: and ſometimes they wreſt Scriptures for their purpoſe; but they have been ſo baffled and ſhamed out of this ſince the Bible hath been common and ſtudied by Proteſtants, that they have forſaken this hold, and the Jeſuites think the poor ſecular Prieſts have betrayed their cauſe by undertaking to diſpute for it out of the Scriptures.

Theſe troubles by errors ariſe from the weakneſs of ſome who have more zeal than judgment, and uſually deſire new things,2 Pet. 3.16. 2 Tim. 4.3.2 Pet 3:162 Tim 4:3 People unlearned and unſtable and that have itching ears; from pride and conceit in others, who that they may ſeem wiſer than their brethren, will be wiſe above or againſt what is written: ſome teach perverſe things to draw diſciples after them; ſome p. 18for ſecular intereſt. There was no other reaſon why the Popes of Rome imbraced the worſhip of images, tranſubſtantiation and ſome ſuch doctrines, but becauſe the promoters of them did alſo promote their authority and ſtrengthen their hands againſt the Godly and moſt ſerious part of the Church. But the moſt uſual cauſes of errors are ignorance of the Scriptures, and of the principles of religion founded on them (which in the primitive times had a great occaſion given it by the prejudicate opinions that new Converts brought from Judaiſme and Paganiſme, and from the new Teſtament not being fully written in a conſiderable time, and the ſeveral books thereof not gathered into one volume in a long ſpace after) and chiefly corrupt affections: Men will imbrace errors becauſe they love not the truth.

Ʋſe 1. This ſheweth the neceſſity of adhering to the Scripture, and of a ſtanding Miniſtry. If we ſtick not to the Scripture, the pretence of the Spirit and Traditions will lead us into a wilderneſs where there is no end. Heathens, Mahometans, Papiſts and all Enthuſiaſts will diſtract us by their ſeveral and contrary pretenſions. And if there be not a ſtanding and learned Miniſtry, Apocryphal Scriptures, and p. 19falſe interpretations of Scripture will eaſily beguile the unskilful and hinder the edification of the more wiſe.

2. The Papiſt's brags of infallibility of the Pope or Church, and the neceſſity of it to the foundation of our faith, is as fooliſh as it is untrue: The Apoſtles and Apoſtolical men were infallible, and yet this will not prevent errors and Hereſies of the higheſt nature either in their own or in the next ſucceeding ages. An infallible head or guide will not ſecure the Church from errors and diviſions, unleſs all the people be infallible likewiſe, certainly able to diſcern the truth declared to them, and perfectly free from all evil affections which may hinder their receiving and ſubmitting to the truth.

3. It is no Wonder to ſee errors and diviſions in theſe laſt days of the Church, ſith they were in the firſt. While men are ſubject to ignorance and evil affections, there will be both errors and diviſions; and if we go to the Church of Rome to avoid all errors and Schiſms (becauſe they boaſt of ſuch Unity, which was never promiſed nor long enjoyed by any Church) we ſhall but do like Children that tear many little holes in a garment into one great one that comprehends them all and more and cannot be repaired.

p. 20Obſ. 2. It is certainly foretold that there ſhould be an Apoſtaſie in the Church.

The ſame Apoſtle almoſt in the ſame words foretels it, 1 Tim. 4.1. The ſpirit ſpeaks expreſly that ſome ſhall depart from the faith.

The firſt Chriſtians might be apt to expect the coming of Chriſt, and their everlaſting reſt to be at hand, from the love and joy they had conceived upon their firſt receiving the Goſpel, but they are here told [that] happy time is not ſo nigh.

There muſt come a departure of many from the faith firſt, and many conteſts and perſecutions ſhould enſue thence; and therefore they ſhould arm themſelves with patience to a conflict before they muſt expect the Crown. When God made the world, he made it wonderful great and large, and ſtored it with almoſt infinite variety of creatures to ſet forth his own Majeſty; he hath alſo continued it ſome thouſands of years with as great variety of providences in his governing of it, to ſhew his manifold wiſdom, power, mercy, and juſtice; and what will be the wonderful tranſactions of the world to come throughout eternity to ſet forth the glory of the …ernal God, no creature can conceive. p. 21In like manner when our Lord came from Heaven to purchaſe a Church to ſerve him, it was not quickly to expire, but to conflict with the world and the Devil, with enemies without and within, through many changes and viciſſitudes a conſiderable time; and at laſt through faith and patience to inherit the promiſes. It was long that the Church continued under the bondage of the Law; and there were many changes and declinings of it at ſeveral times under the Judges and Kings of Judah: but there was one great Apoſtaſie of the Ten tribes under Jeroboam, which ended in the ruin of that State and people. Such a departure was there to be in the Chriſtian Church, ſignified here by the indeterminate word, There ſhall come a departure or Apoſtaſie: for the falling off of a few particular perſons was no ſtrange thing, but happened in every age. Now ſuch Apoſtaſies are permitted,

1. To puniſh the ingratitude of men for the Goſpel. Becauſe they receive not the love of the truth: becauſe Chriſt and his Goſpel are not welcome to the generality of men; but any or no religion would content them as well, if they might have outward peace and proſperity, therefore Chriſt ſuffers them to be inticed with p. 22Errors and Hereſies to their own deſtruction, which at laſt bring publick calamities and ruin.

2. To puniſh the Hypocriſie of others. Some pretend great zeal and affection in the peace of the Church, which is either meerly pretended for worldly intereſt, or but a light and tranſient paſſion (as in the ſtony ground) who can never be perſwaded to be zealous and rooted Chriſtians;Matth. 13.20.Matt 13:20 therefore when they have been tryed a convenient time, opportunities of backſliding are ſufferred to come to diſcover and ſhame them.

3. To manifeſt and honour thoſe that are ſound. 1 Cor. 11.18, 19. There muſt be hereſies among you, that they which be approved may be made manifeſt among you. When peace and truth meet together, the ſound and beſt Chriſtians are unknown, and for the moſt part leſs regarded than the Hypocrites, that make more ſhew and noiſe; Chriſt therefore ſuffers apoſtaſies to come, to diſcover and honour his ſincere, humble, diligent, and ſtedfaſt ſervants.

4. Errors are alſo permitted to clear the trut more, and make them that are ſound more ſtedfaſt and ſtrong. The truths of p. 23the Goſpel have in all ages been prejudiced by the zeal and good affection of ſome well minded, as well as by the oppoſition of enemies, becauſe their affection overrun their judgment and their care to get a diſtinct knowledge of the principles of religion: but the appearance of errours and corruptions makes them more careful to ſearch the truth, which hath been always more cleared and fortified by occaſion of the oppoſitions againſt it, and thoſe who are upright have been put upon getting a clearer knowledge of the grounds of their faith, worſhip, and practices thereby.

5. And in all this Chriſt manifeſteth his diſtinguiſhing grace to ſome, and his righteous judgments upon others, Rom. 11.22. Behold therefore the goodneſs and ſeverity of God: on them which fell, ſeverity; but towards thee goodneſs, if thou continue in his goodneſs.

6. Hereby all are ſtirred up to diligence and watchfulneſs. When there ſhall come a falling away of many, all are warn'd thereby to take care how they ſtand leſt they alſo fall.Rom. 11.20Rom 11:20

Ʋſe. Be not therefore ſuprized at, diſcouraged or tempted by, the apoſtaſies of others. Though the Church be fair as the Moon, ſhe hath alſo many dark ſpots; p. 24though clear as the Sun, ſhe hath her clouds and Eclipſes. Many will be carryed away with errour, ſuperſtitions, and carnal policies; yea ſome of all ſorts; rulers, as well as ruled; learned, as well as unlearned: Thoſe that have made great ſhew, as well as the common ſort: be not troubled nor ſuſpect the true doctrine and worſhip; theſe things are foretold and therefore muſt be.

We are next to enquire what this departure is, which is here foretold; and who be guilty of it. Some have underſtood it of the defection of the world from the Roman Empire, following the conjecture of ſome one leader without conſideration (as Calvin obſerves) And the Rhemiſts recede from it very unwillingly and under correction of their Superiours, but the Apoſtles ſaith, the day of Chriſt ſhallnot come except there come a departure firſt, viz. a departure from Chriſt The word foreign, here uſed for departure or apoſtaſie, is appropriated to ſignify a defection in or from religion: ſo the ſame Apoſtle uſeth it, but with an explication, 1 Tim. 4.1. foreign, ſome ſhall depart from the faith. Moreover the head of this Apoſtaſie is to ſit in the Temple, the Church of God, v. 4. and p. 25to bring it about by deluſions and lying miracles, ſeducing thoſe that loved not the truth that they might be ſaved, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs, v. 10, 11, 12. It muſt therefore be a departure from the truth and purity of the Chriſtian religion. It is agreed betwixt Papiſts and Proteſtants that it is the apoſtaſie under Antichriſt as the chief head and leader of it, which is here foretold: but the queſtion is, who is this Antichriſt? Where and when this apoſtaſie may be found? As the Jews did generally expect the coming of Chriſt, yet knew him not, believed him not, when he was among them; ſo the Papiſts believe and expect that Antichriſt ſhall come, and miſerably ſpoil the Church, but cannot or will not ſee and own him, though he is and long hath been amongſt them.

That Nero ſhall riſe again and be the Antichriſt, as he was the firſt perſecuting Emperour, I not worth the refuting.

The Papiſts generally teach that Antichriſt is yet to come, and ſhall endure but three years and a half, immediately before the end of the world: that he ſhall be a Jew of the tribe of Dan; rebuild Jeruſalem and the Temple; aboliſh the Chriſtian worſhip, and almoſt the name p. 26of Chriſt: but all this without any colouor proof, except that ſlender one that he ſhall ſit in the temple of God, v. 4. Some few are ſo ingenuous as to confeſs that Rome is Babylon, Antichriſts ſeat: but then ſome ſay the Heathen perſecuting Emperours in the firſt three hundred years of the Church, were this Manof ſin. Some again, conſidering that it is an apoſtaſie of profeſſing Chriſtians here ſpoken of, conjecture that ſome Pope of Rome at the end of the world ſhall deny Chriſt, become an Infidel, and cauſe himſelf to be worſhipped as God; this ſhould be this man of ſin. But the Text plainly ſpeaks of, a defection of Chriſtians which was ſecretly working in the Apoſtles days, only ſome thing hindered its prevailing and full diſcovery, vi. 6, 7, 8. The myſtery of iniquity doth already work, and it was to be a myſterious defection, not an open and totall apoſtaſie from Chriſt: it was to be brought in by ſigns, miracles, lying wonders, and all ungodly deceits, for the juſt condemnation of them that received not the love of the truth that they might be ſaved, though they received the profeſſion of it, v. 9. to 12. And the man of ſin the Head of this apoſtaſie was to ſit or rule in the Temple of God, which is p. 27his Church, 1 Cor. 3.16. Therefore this apoſtaſie was to be, not total from the name and profeſſion of Chriſt ad of his Church, but a defection in the Church, an apoſtaſie from the purity of the Doctrine, worſhip, Diſcipline and practice of the Goſpel, ſuch as ſhould have ſo many excuſes and ſpecious pretences for it, that the deluſion ſhould be ſtrong, and ſuch as thoſe that do not heartily love the truth, ſhould not be able to diſcern.

Whence we collect this propoſition,Propoſition. That the Church of Rome is and for a long time hath been the ſeat of this man of ſin, the mother of this apoſtaſie: or, That Popery is the grand Apoſtaſie of the Church here foretold. This I ſhall make good, firſt by ſome general reaſons, and then by the particular criteria, or marks laid down in the text.

By the Church of Rome, we mean all thoſe Nations and Churches which as ſo many members make up that great body which they call the Roman Catholick Church, whereof the Pope is the Head, and the Church of the City of Rome the principal part. By Popery we underſtand that religion, viz. Doctrines, worſhip, Diſcipline and Government, which is peculiar p. 28to them and diſtinct from all other Chriſtians, eſpecially from the Proteſtant Churches; and whereby they are knit into one body and ſociety, and live in one Communion diſtinct from and oppoſite to the Reformed Churches. Now that this Church is apoſtatized from Chriſt, and this religion is a Doctrine and practice of apoſtaſie, may appear in the general by comparing the true ſtate of the Church of Chriſt with the ſtate and Doctrine of the Roman Church.

1. Firſt, The true Church of Chriſt acknowledgeth and worſhippeth one only God; the creator of the world, and father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. This is the foundation of religion, that there is one only infinite Being, the fountain and author of all things elſe; and therefore that all worſhip, fear, truſt, and obedience is due to him alone, 1 Cor. 8.5. Though there be that are called Gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there are Gods many and Lords many) But to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him. But the Papiſts do acknowledge and worſhip other Gods beſides him, even the Hoſt or Bread in the Sacrament, and the Virgin Mary.

p. 29The Heathens pretend to acknowledge but one ſupreme God: but the Papiſts do acknowledge that which ſenſe, reaſon and ſcripture witneſs to be a bit of bread, to be the ſupreme God their maker and Lord; which they uſually call the Hoſt; and that it is to be worſhipped cultu Latriae, Conc. Trid. Seſ. 13. Cap. 4, 5. ibid. c. 6.with that worſhip that is due to God alone: This they keep upon their Altar in a gilded Box in imitation of the Ark of old, there (they teach) is the ſpecial preſence of God, as it was in the Holy of Holies. This they worſhip, and carry in triumph, by this they ſwear, viz. by the Maſs, and by the Pix; and this is a peculiar note and badge of their communion, by which they difference themſelves from others, and deſtroy all that do not acknowledge and worſhip this their God as far as their power reaches. The Hoſt hath its Temples, its Holydays, and all divine honours given to it, alſo the power of healing diſeaſes, caſting out Devils, and working all manner of miracles aſcribed to it. The Virgin Mary hath more temples, offerings, and prayers made to her, than either the Father or the Son: Her name is moſt ſacred in oaths, and a greater offence it is to p. 30ſpeak any thing derogatory to her honour,Vid. ſpec. Europ. Sands. Jure matris impera redempotri. than to blaſpheme the name of God. In her they put their truſt, and to her they aſcribe authority over Jeſus Chriſt himſelf. It is true, in words the Schoolmen diſtinguiſh the worſhip of the Virgin which they call foreign, from {fo}, the worſhip of God; yet they confeſs a higher worſhip is due to her than to any creature: and when we can make a medium betwixt the creator and creature, then may we aſſign a worſhip which is not divine, and yet ſuperiour to the civil reſpect due to creatures.

But the ſame learned author obſerves, that whoſoever travelleth in Italy will ſee in their practice no ſuch diſtinctions; but that more honour and worſhip is given to the Virgin than to God himſelf. It is known to all, that Papiſts are more zealous for the worſhip of the Hoſt and Virgin (whom they call their Lady) than for the honour of God; and make the worſhip of them a greater cognizance of their religion than any part of the religion of Chriſt.

2. The Churchof Chriſt acknowledgeth and truſteth in one only Mediator the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. None can reconcile ſinners p. 31to God nor intercede with God for them, but he that is equal with God, God himſelf; no creature can approach ſo near the infinite Majeſty, or have any, much leſs ſuch authority with him; therefore the divine honour that is given to Chriſt the Mediator doth not derogate from the honour of God, nor is any robbery of him, becauſe Chriſt is one with himſelf, 1 Cor. 8.6. There is but one Lord Jeſus Chriſt by whom are all things, and we by him. But the Papiſts do own, truſt in, and pray to many Mediators beſides Jeſus Chriſt, even all the Angels in heaven, who are therefore to be honoured and worſhipped as inferiour Magiſtrates under a King and Courtiers under their Lord,Catech. Rom. in 1. praec. Q 4. Noſtras preces deo offerunt & Lachrymas, They preſent our prayers and tears to God. Alſo the Saints in heaven who, they ſay, being prayed to, will obtain for us the remiſſion of our ſins, and the favour of God. Si enim gaudium eſt in Coelo ſuper uno peccatore poenitentiam agente; Ibid. Q. 5.nonne etiam coeleſtes cives poenitentes adjuvabunt? Nonne rogati & peccatorum veniam impetrabunt & conciliabunt dei gratiam? The invocation and worſhip of Saints, as both lawful and neceſſary, p. 32is avouched and decreed by the Council of Trent. Seſ. 25. Decr. 2.Nor will their evaſion excuſe them, that they make Saints and Angels only mediators of interceſſion to pray to God for us, but not of redemption to reconcile us to God; interceſſion depends upon redemption and ſatisfaction, and is as proper a part of the prieſthood of Chriſt as the ſacrificeof himſelf was; even Chriſts interceſſion would not have been prevalent unleſs he did thereby preſent his blood and merits to the Fathers; and as the Saints couldnot intercede for us unleſs they had merited for us, ſo the Church of Rome doth aſcribe ſuch merits to them, viz. to their works of ſupererogation, whereby they have done more than God required, which merits they ſay are kept in the treaſury of the Church to be applied to ſinners as the Pope feeth fit, and eſpecially to their Martyrdom, though they die for rebellion to their lawful Princes, according to that known prayer, Per Thomae ſanguinem quem pro te impendit, fac nos Chriſte ſcandere quo Thomas aſcendit, Vid. Tho. Becket of Cant.Grant that we may come to Heaven through the blood of Saint Thomas which he ſhed for thee. It is the p. 33merits and prayers of Saints that muſt relieve the ſouls in Purgatory,Concil. Trid. ſeſ. 25. decr. 1. ibid. dec. 22, 23. ch. 1. yea every Maſs-prieſt, they ſay, celebrating Maſs doth offer up Chriſt to the Father as real and proper a ſacrifice as he offered himſelf on the Croſs, and hereby makes reconciliation both for the living and dead, viz. that are in Purgatory. If then Chriſt was a compleat Prieſt, merited and ſatisfied for us in ſacrificing himſelf, then every Popiſh Prieſt doth merit and ſatisfy for us, when he offereth the ſame ſacrifice as Chriſt did to the ſame intent and purpoſe.

3. The Church of Chriſt is to worſhip him with ſpiritual, rational worſhip. Chriſtians are to give themſelves to God as a living and the only acceptable ſacrifice, which is their reaſonable ſervice, Rom. 12.1. and to worſhip Godin ſpirit and truth, in oppoſition both to the ſuperſtition of the Heathen, and the ceremonies, and bodily worſhip of the Jews, in any place convenient for that purpoſe, John 4.22, 23, 24. The outward worſhip of Chriſtians conſiſteth in prayer and praiſes with underſtanding; ſometimes adjoyning faſting for the furtherance of repentance and mortification: in hearing Gods p. 34word, and the reverent uſe of his ſacraments which Chriſt hath appointed, which though they are outward and viſible ſigns, yet they are but few, plain, and familiar, and the efficacy of them dependeth upon the rational and ſpiritual conſideration of the things ſignified. But the Papiſts have changed the whole worſhip of God into a pompous, carnal, dead ſervice. They have taken away the Scriptures from the people, and give them dumb images in ſtead of them,Con. Trid. Seſ. 25. Dec. 3. Cat. Rom. in 1. praecep. Q. 14. to teach them and to excite their devotion. Inſtead of preaching the word, moſt of their preaching is to ſet out the praiſes and lying miracles of their Saints. Their prayers both publick and private are in a tongue unknown to the people and very often to the Prieſt alſo, who only reads by roat: and hereby prayer is made but a bodily exerciſe. When the Jeſuites had publiſhed an Engliſh prayer book for our Engliſh Papiſts, the Pope called it in and prohibited the uſe of it. There Lords ſupper they have changed to a ſacrifice (which the Prieſt offereth with many myſtical, but ridiulous, ceremonies and geſtures) which they ſay obtains the pardon of ſin and the grace of God for the people for whom it is p. 35offered, though they underſtand not what is ſaidor done, yea though they be abſent, following their worldly buſineſs, or their luſt at the ſame time. They darkne the nature & meaning of baptiſm by conjuring the water, putting milk and honey into the mouth, ſpittle into the ears and on the tongues, anointing the head, uſing ſalt & many ſuch things, which being all in Latin not underſtood by the people are more like magical myſteries than Goſpel inſtitutions. Their chief worſhip & devotion lyeth in building and adorning Temples, for Maſſes, not for preaching; in buying Maſſes, in decking of images with Gold, Jewels; in offering incenſe, and wax Candles; in pilgrimages, and offerings to their Saints; in vows of forced and uſually feigned chaſtity, & of Hypocritical and lazy poverty, and ſuch like bodily exerciſes which profit little, 1 Tim. 4.8.

4. The Church of Chriſt owneth him only for her head, King, and Lord. God gave Chriſt to be head over all things to his Church which is his body, Eph. 1.23. He hath all power in Heaven and earth committed to him to rule and order all things concerning his Church which is his own houſe, Mat. 28.18, 19, 20. Whereupon he appointed Apoſtles to bring all nations to be his Diſciples, to conſecrate p. 36and ingage them to him by Baptiſm, and to teach them to obſerve all as he commanded. Chriſt as mediator is the only head of the Church, which is his body, and all Chriſtians members in particular of him, receiving life, ſtrength, and ſpirit from him, and being governed by him. But the Papiſts acknowledge and adhere to the Pope as the head of their Church, which they ſay, could not be one Church unleſs it be united to the Pope as their viſible head.Catec. Rom. de Symb. Art. 9. Q. 11. De eo, i. e. Pontifice Romano fuit illa omnium Patrum ratio & ſententia conſentiens, hoc viſibiel caput ad unitatem eccleſiae conſtituendam & conſervandam neceſſarium fuiſſe. They ſay that Chriſt and the Pope make but one compleat Head of the Church; That all which is ſaid in the Canticles or elſewhere concerning Chriſt's relation to his Church may be truly applyed to the Pope. That he hath all power in heaven and earth given to him.

Pope Boniface the 8. declared that it was abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation for every man to be ſubject to the Pope of Rome: Definimus, decernimus, declaramus eſſe de neceſſitate ſalutis omni humanae creaturae eſſe ſubditum Pontifici Romano; accordingly they teach, peccatum pagantiatis incurrit quiſquis Pontifici p. 37non eſt obediens, i. e. Whoſoever is not obedient to the Pope doth thereby become an Heathen. They aſcribe to the Pope an univerſal headſhip not of order only, but of power and juriſdiction: he is the Rock, the foundation of the Church, he giveth authority to the Scriptures, and without him authoritas Scripturarum plane nulla eſt, ſaith one, i. e. the Scriptures have no authority at all: he can lay aſide the Bible if he pleaſe, or diſpenſe with any of the commands of the old or new Teſtament ſaith their Canon Law, and he daily doth diſpenſe with oaths, vows, and obligations of all ſorts, both to God and man, with unlawful marriages, &c. They ſay indeed in diſputation that the Pope is a miniſterial head, the Deputy, the Vicar of Chriſt; but a Miniſter is only to execute the pleaſure of his Lord; a Deputy and Vicar is to ſee his Maſters laws and commands obſerved, not to enact laws of his own, not to relax or abrogate any of his Maſters laws, which power the Pope both challengeth and exerciſeth.

5. Chriſt's Church profeſſeth ſubjection to his law only, Iſa. 33.22. The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King. Chriſt is the only p. 38King of his Church; and the power of making Laws is the chief prerogative of a King. He gave his word to be the ſtanding Law, whereby his people ſhould be ruled and guided, and by which they muſt be judged at the laſt day, John 12.48. But the Papiſts have another Law, by which they are governed, and the Pope is their law-giver who ruleth them. The Scriptures they own indeed as the word of God, but not as his whole mind and law, and that no otherwiſe than as the Pope interpreteth and alloweth them. They joyn with the Scriptures unwritten Traditions, which the Council of Tent ſaith are of equal authority. Traditiones non ſcriptas pari pietatis affectu & reverentiâ ſuſcipit & veneratur. Conc. Trid. Seſ. 4. Cat. Rom. Pref. Q. 12.The Canons of Councils, viz. thoſe that the Pope likes and confirms, and the decretal Epiſtles of Popes they reckon equal with the Holy Scriptures. Decretales epiſtolae meritò inter Scripturas canonicas recenſentur. The conſciences of men they do ſubject to the determinations and commands of the Pope as to Jeſus Chriſt, ſo that the law of the Church of Rome is compoſed and made up of the Scriptures, Traditions, Canons and decretals of Popes, over all which the Pope ſuperintends as p. 39the ſupreme law-giver to confirm, relax, add or alter as he pleaſeth, according to the known Ruleof Cardinal Cuſanus, Lex currit cum praxi &c. Whatſoever is the preſent allowed practice of the Church of Rome, that muſt be taken for the infallible rule or law of Chriſt. So that the will of the Pope is the ſupreme law of conſcience to the Papiſt in this world.

6. Chriſts Church acknowledgeth only his Sacraments, Baptiſm and the Lords ſupper. The Sacraments of the Goſpel are badges of our profeſſed Subjection to Chriſt and of our dependance on him for remiſſion of ſins, for grace and eternal life, and it is fit that Chriſt alone ſhould appoint what ſhould be the ſigns, Seals, and conveyances of his grace and the marks of ſubjection to him, and the tokens of the Covenant betwixt him and his people. Chriſt appointed his Diſciples to enter into his Covenant by the ſign and Seal of Baptiſm, Matth. 28.19. to renew and confirm this Covenant from time to time by the uſe of his holy ſupper, 1 Cor. 11.23, 24. &c. and he appointed no other but theſe: and his people muſt inſtitute and uſe no other as ſigns and Covenant ſeals betwixt him and them. But the Papiſts have added five more, which they own and maintain p. 40to be Sacraments, beſides many other ſignificant ceremonies to which they attribute the uſe and effects of Sacraments, theſe they make ſigns of Gods Covenant, means to convey grace; ſome of them as univerſally neceſſary as thoſe that Chriſt appointed, yea without which Chriſts Sacraments are not ſufficient to Salvation, viz. the Sacraments of Confirmation and Penance; of the former they ſay, a man cannot be a Chriſtian till he be confirmed by the Biſhop, Baptiſm is not compleat without it.De conſecra. diſt. 5. ch. de jejun. Nemo poteſt eſſe Chriſtianus niſi ad Baptiſmum acceſſerit unctio epiſcopalis, niſi confirmatione chriſmatus. Their penance conſiſteth of confeſſion of ſin to the Prieſt, contrition for ſin and the Prieſts abſolution; and they teach that ſins cannot be forgiven unleſs they be particularly confeſſed to the Prieſt, and he abſolve them in the name of Chriſt upon their undergoing or promiſe to undergo ſome outward auſterity or penance impoſed on them by him. Theſe Sacraments are badges and means of their ſubjection to the Prieſt and to the Pope their head, not to Chriſt. The Lords ſupper is not ſufficient to comfort a dying Chriſtian, but they add their Sacrament of extreme p. 41unction to ſtrengthen them againſt the flames of Purgatory. Thus they have more Sacraments and for other ends than Chriſt appointed.

7. Chriſts Church is to be guided and governed only by the officers and Miniſters of his own appointing; and that according to his word. Chriſt as the head and Saviour of his Church, hath appointed that it ſhall be inſtructed and governed by his laws; guided and ruled by his officers in the practice and execution of his laws and Commands: what they ſhall be, he hath appointed, Eph. 4.11, 12, to 16. viz. Apoſtles, Prophets, & Evangeliſts to convert the world: and raiſe his Church at firſt, Paſtors and Teachers to guide and inſtruct it to the end of the world, and theſe he hath ordered to teach his people his Commands, Matth. 28.20. to preach his word, adminiſter his Sacraments, and to be examples to the flock of all humility and holineſs not for filthy lucre but out of deſire of their good, 1 Pet. 5.1. to 4. But the Papiſts have quite altered the nature and uſe of the Miniſtry of the Church.Council. Triden. Seſſ. 23. ch. 1, 2, 3. Can. 1, 2. They have added five or ſix orders of Officers to thoſe that Chriſt appointed only for pomp and ſuperſtition, viz. Subdeacons, Exorciſts, p. 42Readers, Singers, Acolothites, and Porters. Their Prieſts preach not the word, but are chiefly ordained to offer the ſacrifice of the Maſs, which alſo is moſt of their imployment. The Pope the Head of their Church is an earthly Monarch above all Princes and Emperors, living in all the ſtate and pomp of the old Roman Emperours, challenging the ſame honour & obſervance, and more than they did (viz. the kiſſing of his feet) except one or two moſt inſolent Tyrants. His Cardinals are Princes, and the chief Cardinal Biſhop taketh place of the Emperours Embaſſadour, and the next takes place of all other Embaſſadours. Their whole miniſtry almoſt conſiſteth in hearing confeſſions, pardoning ſins, enjoyning penance, preaching the authority of the Pope, the Canons and Traditions of their own Church, and in ſaying Maſſes and prayers for the abſent and for the dead.

8. The great deſign of the Goſpel is, that men being reconciled to God may live to him in all holineſs and righteouſneſs; and this is the practice of the Church of Chriſt. The Church is redeemed and purchaſed to be a peculiar people to Chriſt zealous of good works; therefore is it called out of the world, inſpired with his ſpirit p. 43of grace and holineſs; taught by his holy law; and ſubjected to his holy diſcipline; the work of Chriſtians is to be dying to the world, mortifying their luſt, and growing in grace, in hope of and preparation for Glory, Titus 2.11, 12, 13, 14. But the deſign of Popery by keeping the people ignorant of the word and Sacraments is to bring them into ſubjection to the Pope and his Clergy.

Their ordinances and worſhip tend not to purifie the conſcience, but under a vain ſhew of a carnal pompous ſervice to cheat them of knowledge and ſpiritual edification, and to enthral men to their Church and their own Inſtitutions. They teach that the bare uſe of the Sacraments conferreth grace, though a man neither underſtand what he doth, nor is ſerious in it: and if perhaps he ſhould be ſerious, yet the efficacy of the Sacraments dependeth on the Prieſts intention; ſo that if he be not ſerious or underſtandeth not what he doth, the Communicant can have no benefit. They tolerate all manner of wickedneſs. Pope Nicholas teacheth, it is better for their Clergy to live in ſecret fornication than to marry, Satius eſt pluribus occultis implicari, quam in conſpectu mundi cum una ligari. And the people may live how they pleaſe p. 44ſo they be obedient to the orders of the Church, confeſs, and receive Maſs once a year, this will blot out all ſin; and though a man ſhould live in wickedneſs all his days, yet if he but die in their communion, with the Prieſts abſolution, which may be eaſily had, he ſhall go to Purgatory but for a time and ſo to Heaven: and money may procure Maſſes and prayers for him when dead, that will haſten his deliverance thence alſo; ſo that they that will not leave their ſins while they live, may buy their pardon and redemption from torment after they are dead: how can there be a more effectual way to encourage men in ſin?

9. Self-denyal, contempt of the world, and bearing the Croſs are the profeſſion and badge of Chriſts Church. Our Saviour declared that his Kingdom was not of this world: and his Diſciples muſt not expect, nor fight for it here, John 18.36. He hath promiſed them his ſpirit and comforts in a greater meaſure than formerly, becauſe they were to meet with much tribulation in this world, John 16.33. and our Saviour hath given us this univerſal rule, except a man deny himſelf and take up his croſs and follow me, he cannot be my Diſciple, Lub. 14.27. Matth. 16.24. But the Papiſts make outward proſperity p. 45and grandeur a mark of the true Church; and that the Pope and Biſhops are Princes above all Princes, and that inſtead of ſuffering any perſecution they are to make War upon all Princes that diſpleaſe them, to deſtroy by open force of battle or ſudden Maſſacres, and private treacheries all they can reach that are not obedient to them, or ſuſpected not to be hearty, or but to favour or be mild towards thoſe they call Hereticks.

10. Heaven is propoſed as the certain reward of the ſervants of Chriſt. The grace of God that brings Salvation teacheth us to deny all ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, and to live ſoberly, righteouſly and godlily in this world, looking for the glorious appearance of God our Saviour, Tit. 2.11, 12, 13. In this life Chriſtians are to fight, ſtrive and run, but when this life ends, their courſe is finiſhed, and there remains nothing but a Crown of life which the righteous judge ſhall give to all them that love his appearance, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7. But the Papiſts teach that all aſſurance of Salvation is preſumption;Concil. Triden. Seſ. 6. ch. 12, 13. Can. 15, 16. the moſt we muſt expect is after many afflictions from Gods hand and voluntary ſeverities upon our ſelves to ſatisfie for ſin, at laſt to go to Purgatory for a p. 46long time there to ſuffer the ſame torments that the damned do in Hell. It is reported of Bellarmin that when ſome about him would have comforted him at his death with his great merits, and that he ſhould certainly go to heaven; he anſwered, It is not ſo eaſie a thing to get to heaven, and that he could be content to ſuffer the pains of Purgatory many years if he could be ſure to come to heaven at laſt. Thus though they tell men they may merit Heaven and do works of ſupererogation, viz. more than God requires of them, yet they muſt go through Purgatory: hereby robbing them of the comfort of the Goſpel, and miſerably enthralling their conſciences to themſelves and their Tradition.

By all this it is evident that the Papiſts have altered the nature and ends of Chriſtian religion, which was the doctrine and inſtitution of Jeſus Chriſt to exalt him as the only mediator of the Church by whom only we ſhould come to God, and have framed a new platform of a carnal worldly religion, to exalt the Pope and his Clergy, and to worſhip the creatures inſtead of the Creatour. Let us add their doctrine of perſecuting and deſtroying all Hereticks (as they call them, that is, all that will not obey them) The firſt Lateran Council, p. 47Ann. Dom. 1215. decreeth,Sub Innoc. 3. P. That if any Prince or Lord be a Heretick or favourer of Hereticks, or will not deſtroy his own ſubjects being Hereticks, he ſhall be deprived of his dominion, and it be given to ſome other Catholick Prince. Accordingly they gave away the Eſtates of divers Earls, Ramund Earl of Tholouſe, the Earl of Beſieres and others, becauſe the former favoured, the other would not deſtroy the Albigenſes their Subjects.Vid. Hiſt. Walden. The Inquiſition giveth orders not only to deſtroy Hereticks, but alſo all ſuch as favour them or habour them, or give them any relief in their diſtreſs, or conceal them or any of their goods; Yea that thoſe, who do not diſcover and accuſe their own relations or friends being Hereticks ſhall themſelves be puniſhed as Hereticks.In Concil. Conſtan. Pope Martin the 5. decreed by a Bull, That Hereticks ſhould not be ſuffered to buy or ſell, or to injoy the benefit of humane ſociety. This Doctrine and their practice according to it makes them an Apoſtatical body or ſociety, maintaining it ſelf in oppoſition to the pure Church of Chriſt, and therefore to take part with them, to joyn with or ſubmit to their intereſt, is to deſert Chriſt p. 48and to ſide with or become a member of that great Apoſtaſie.

Let us now take notice of the ſeveral characters or marks that the Apoſtle gives of this Apoſtaſie, which will further prove the Papiſts to be guilty of it. The firſt is v. 3. That the Head of it is the man of ſin, the ſon of perdition, foreign. An Hebraiſm, where the genitive of the ſubſtantive is put for the adjective, and that by way of eminency, The ſinful or wicked man, as he is afterward called, v. 8. foreign, the wicked or lawleſs man; v. 3. foreign, the ſon of perdition, this is exegetical of the former, viz. ſuch a wicked man as is ripe for and appointed to deſtruction. By this is meant not a particular perſon, but a ſtate or government in the hands of one or more perſons, though perhaps ſome one of thoſe governors may be intended in a ſpecial manner as more ſingularly wicked and active than others, even as Nebuchadnezzer was ſaid to be the head of Gold of the great image,Dan. 2.Dan 2 i. e. in ſpecial manner, though the whole ſeries of the Aſſyrian and Babylonian Monarchs for 1300. years was repreſented thereby. Thus the Devil is expreſſed ſingularly when the whole ſociety of thoſe wicked ſpirits is intended, and no p. 49one particular meant. And the four Monarchies are expreſſed by 4.Dan. 7.Dan 7 Beaſts though they were poſſeſſed not only by many Kings, but the laſt by the people of Rome for a long time, conſiſting of the Senate and Plebeian. The Papiſts would infer from theſe notes of particularity that Antichriſt this man of ſin muſt be but one particular perſon,Vid. Whit. reſp. ad. Sand. Q. 1. and therefore not the Popes who have been many.

But themſelves grant, what is here ſaid, v. 8. He that letteth will let till he be taken out of the way, is meant of the Roman Empire which was in the hand of many ſucceſſively, though expreſſed as one man: and it is common ſo to expreſs States or Kingdoms when we ſpeak of their conſtitutions, prerogatives or Laws. And when our Saviour, Matth. 16.18, 19. ſaid to Simon, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom, &c. they will needs have it meant that this was granted to Peter and all his ſucceſſours the Popes, though none but Peters name is mentioned. Why then may we not ſo underſtand the man of ſin here? The Apoſtles ſenſe is, there well come an apoſtaſie of the Church, p. 50a declining in and from religion, which will encreaſe till the man of ſin be revealed, i.e. till theſe apoſtates ſhall frame themſelves into a body and ſtate of a moſt wicked government: this is the Pope and his Clergy, who ſucceſſively govern and manage that Apoſtaſie. This will appear if we conſider the wickedneſs of their Perſons, Doctrines and Practices.

1. For their perſons. There was a ſeries of Popes for about an hundred years in the 10. and 11. Centuries who were Magicians, Murderers, open Adulterers and deſtroyers of each other; of whom Genebrard the Jeſuite ſaith they were Apoſtatici potius quam Apoſtolici, apoſtates rather than Apoſtolical men. Gregory the 7. they report poyſoned 6 Popes his Predeceſſours to obtain the Papacy, and was himſelf a known Magician, he threw the hoſt his breaden God into the fire, becauſe it would not anſwer him in his Magical charms. Many others of them have been profeſſed Magicians, ſome bold Atheiſts, as Leo the 10. who ſaid to Cardinal Bembus, Behold what great riches we get by that fable of Chriſt, Quantas opes nobis tulit iſta fabula de Chriſto. Moſt Adulterous Sodomites, Simoniacks, and ſome have lived in inceſt with their own Siſters and daughters: inſomuch that one p. 51of themſelves gives this teſtimony, Nemo hodie in Pentificibus Romanis virtutem aut pietatem requirit, Invita Pauli tertii.optimi putantur ſi vel mediocriter boni ſint, vel minus mali quam caeteri mortalium eſſe ſolent. i.e.} No man looks for virtue or godlineſs nowadays in the Popes, they are accounted moſt excellent if they be but indifferently good, or not quite ſo bad as other men.

The Cardinals and all their Clergy are like their head and father, being allowed Sodomy, fornication, and adultery to keep them chaſt, i. e. from marrying. Where ſhall we find a man of ſin if this be not him?

2. Next conſider we their wicked doctrines.

1. That of abſolute ſubjection to the Pope, that whatſoever he commandeth muſt be done though never ſo wicked. Bellarmine ſaith, Etiamſi Papa erraret prohibendo virtutem & praecipiendo vitium, &c. Though the Pope ſhould forbid virtue and command vice he muſt be obeyed; And their law ſaith, ſi Papa totos populos ſecum in inſernum traheret, nemo poteſt ei dicere, Domine cur ita facis. i. e. Though the Pope ſhould draw whole Nations into Hell with himſelf, yet none may ſay to him why doſt thou ſo. This daily experience atteſteth. p. 52Murdering of Kings, deſtroying of Kingdoms, any villanies muſt be done and that upon pain of damnation, if the Pope or any inferiour governour of their Clergy commands it. Never any ſtate or government in the world (though many have been very wicked) challenged this prerogative to command whatſoever they pleaſed, right or wrong, and that men are bound in conſcience to obey them though againſt God and men, but this the Pope doth challenge and practiſe.

2. The Doctrine of the Popes infallibility, whereby they father all their errours, ſuperſtitions, and corruptions upon the ſpirit of God. It is blaſphemous againſt God to imagine that he ſhould annex the infallible guidance of his ſpirit to a ſucceſſion of men who defile and deſtroy his Church, oppoſe his ſon and his Goſpel, and themſelves are Monſters of men. Innocent the 10.S. Amore's Journ. (who ſuffered himſelf and his holy Church to be governed by an impudent Harlot Don Olympia his own Brothers wife) when the people of Rome complained to him of the unjuſt exactions of his Officers anſwered them, You muſt not find fault which mine Officers, for I chuſe them and I am guided by the infallible p. 53ſpirit of God. What is more wicked than to aſcribe wicked actions to the guidance of Gods ſpirit? Some Papiſts indeed acknowledge not the Popes infallibility, but then they aſcribe it to a Council of Biſhops moſt of them as good and as wiſe as the Pope.

Some give it to the whole Roman Church, but it will come all to one, if whatſoever the Church of Rome or the Heads and guides of it do determine, muſt be reckoned infallibly true and good, hereby they wholly wave the Scriptures as the Rule, and Chriſt as their Law-giver, and are both Rule and Law-givers to themſelves.

3. The Papiſts have reduced the whole body of the Heatheniſh worſhip into the Church: and this is the greateſt part of their worſhip. The Heathens honoured the good Angels with divine honours, as the ſervants of the ſupreme God, that they might be their friends to him, and that they might do them many good Offices. They deified men and women eminent in any way, eſpecially Princes, honoured them with Temples, Images, Feſtival days, and Sacrifices, that they might mediate with God for the good of their Country, family, or friends, putting themſelves and their affairs under their ſpecial p. 54protection, and this took up moſt of their worſhip. The Papiſts do aſcribe the very ſame honour and worſhip in all particulars to the Angels and Saints, and for the ſame reaſons every Country, City, yea every perſon hath his Tutelar Saint, and upon theſe they call, and to theſe they pay more devotion by many degrees than they do to God.

4. Their Caſuiſts allow common ſwearing and uſing of the name of God lightly in common diſcourſe, and contend that the Third Commandment forbideth only perjury, ſwearing falſely or to a falſe thing in the name of God. Hence it is that Papiſts almoſt univerſally are common and profane ſwearers.

5. They teach that the Pope in all and the inferiour Clergy in ordinary caſes can diſpenſe with Oaths, Vows and the moſt ſolemn obligations that can be made to God or man. The Pope taketh himſelf for head of the Church, therefore whatſoever vows and ingagements men make to God, he can looſe them from them; when it ſerves his intereſt he gives licence to men and women to marry, who have vowed ſingle life, and to his Fryars to leave off the habit and rules of their order, though they have vowed never to lay them aſide. p. 55Alſo as he is Lord of all the world he can give away Kingdoms, looſe Subjects from their oaths of Allegiance, yea make it their duty to break their oaths and to rebel, and what is moſt abominable, they can give men leave to take Oaths, to make vowes and proteſtations on purpoſe to deceive, when they do not intend they ſhall be kept, but be uſed to carry on their own deſigns the more ſecretly by deceiving the credulous.Hiſt. Albig. Book 1. ch. 5. Thus the Popes Legat ſent a Gentleman to the Earl of Beſiers to draw him into his Camp, commanding him to aſſure him in his name by what Oaths and proteſtations he would deſire, that he ſhould return ſafe home; as ſoon as the poor Earl came into his preſence he abſolved the meſſenger from all his Oaths, kept the Earl priſoner and ſoon after privately murdered him.

6. They make the Sabbath either a Tradition or an inſtitution of their Church, profane it with ſports and plays, and obſerve their Saints days with much more ſtrictneſs and devotion than the Lords day.

7. The Pope and his Clergy can diſſolve all bonds and duties betwixt men. p. 56They can command Princes to deſtroy their Subjects, and abſolve them from all their oaths and promiſes to them of protection; They can diſcharge Subjects from their obedience to their Princes, and make it meritorious of heaven to kill them, and a ſure way to go to heaven immediately to dye in fighting againſt them. They can divorce or ſeparate husbands and Wives at their pleaſure.Concil. Trid. Seſ. 24. Canon. 6. Can. 8. Alphonſus the preſent King of Portugal was depoſed and impriſoned by the Popes order, and his wife taken from him and given to his Brother two now rules the Kingdom. Parents and children, Maſters and ſervants in caſe of Hereſie muſt betray each other; and if they will enter into religious houſes or give any thing to the Church, then they are freed from all obligations to, or care of their relations. Is not this a man of ſin that can and daily doth diſſolve all bonds of men to God and of men to themſelves?

8. They teach that no faith, leagues, promiſes are to be kept with Hereticks, or any that are not of their Church. Pope Eugenius the 4 made Ʋladiſlaus King of Hungary break his league with the Turk ſolemnly ſworn by him and all his Nobles, p. 57and abſolved them by Julian his Legate. The Council of Conſtance burnt John Huſs, though the Emperour Sigiſmond had promiſed him ſafe-conduct to and from the Council, they telling the Emperour that Oaths and promiſes to Hereticks muſt not be obſerved.

9. They teach Equivocations and mental reſervations both in oaths and common diſcourſes, viz. that a man may take any Oath, make any promiſe, anſwer any Queſtion directly and plainly according to the words propoſed, and yet mean no ſuch thing or the contrary, keeping another ſenſe or intent in their minds. Garnet and Treſmond two Jeſuites that were in the powder Plot being examined apart, Treſmond ſaid he had not ſeen or ſpoke with Garnet for 14. years before, Garnet confeſſed that they two walked and diſcourſed together in Moorefields London about four months before they were taken: being asked what his fellow meant to ſay they had not met ſo long a time, he anſwered, I ſuppoſe he meant to equivocate, and this was excuſe enough. Thus all bonds of humane Society and all means of intercourſe and confidence in each other may be diſſolved when the Pope or a Prieſt pleaſeth. If any Papiſt pretend to diſown p. 58any of theſe doctrines, I demand by what rule he doth it? By the Scripture? the Law of Nations? or the Law of nature? they all maintain the Pope is above theſe: Theſe are not a perfect rule neither apart nor together, nor do reach all caſes; if they did, there were no need of an infallible head to direct the Church, nor any warrant for moſt of the worſhip and practices of the Church of Rome. If then the Pope be above all, and infallible, then a Papiſt muſt believe that in this and that particular caſe that concerns him he may and muſt break his Oaths, deny his promiſes, murder, lye, or commit any ſuch enormity when commanded, or elſe he prefers his own judgement above the Popes and denies his principles. Whence we may ſee that no truſt is to be repoſed in a Papiſt, becauſe they are not maſters of their own reaſon and Conſcience, of their Oaths and promiſes, but the Pope and their Confeſſours have the diſpoſal of them all, and make them do as they pleaſe: and ſo long as their Church challengeth a power and juriſdiction over all the world, and is always contending for it, it is to be ſuppoſed their rulers will always put them upon thoſe things that promote their own intereſt.

p. 5910. Their doctrines that extenuate ſin and make forgiveneſs very eaſiy, are nothing elſe but doctrines of wickedneſs. They extenuate ſin by their doctrine of venial ſins, which they ſay are praeter, non contra Legem, not commanded by God nor forbidden of him, and therefore ſcarce to be called ſins.

Such they make all firſt thoughts, and motions of the mind and affections to be, when there is not a deliberate aſſent with them; all wandering thoughts, diſtractions in holy duties, the ſtirrings of the moſt vile affections with ſome titillation or pleaſing are all but natural actions and infirmities which do not deſerve Hell or the wrath of God.

They make pardon of ſin very eaſie. Upon confeſſion to the Prieſt he doth abſolve upon ſome eaſie penance almoſt any ſin; and thoſe reſerved caſes, which the Prieſt cannot pardon, are forgiven by the Pope for money. There is a printed book called Taxa poenitentiariae Apoſtolicae, wherein the prices are ſet down for all manner of ſins: and in the general all ſins againſt God and his Law are more eaſily forgiven than thoſe againſt the Popes law and Tradition. What need men fear to commit ſin that can be ſo eaſily remitted, eſpecially p. 60to them that have money? They have alſo another device of transferring their ſins upon their friends, viz. a few friends agree together to take each others ſins upon them, ſo that he who dieth firſt leaveth his ſins to be ſatisfied for by the Survivours; and they again take others into their number, and ſo can ſin ſecurely, having Executors to pay their debts for them when they are dead. The Sacrifice of the Maſs offered for them by the Prieſt alone expiates all ſin, ſo that for 6 pence or 12 pence a Maſs, any ſins may be taken away, though they be not preſent or concerned about it, or be committing wickedneſs the mean while.

Laſtly, Though a man live all his days in wickedneſs, if he die in the communion of the Church of Rome and be abſolved by a Prieſt, which is rarely denyed to any, he muſt go but to Purgatory and there ſatisfie for all his ſins, and at laſt be ſaved: and if he leave any thing to the Church, or his friends will buy Maſſes or prayers for him, his time in Purgatory ſhall be ſhortened and his pains leſsned.

3. Thirdly, Their Practice is as wicked as their doctrine, not that only of particular perſons, which is incident to all p. 61ſocieties, but the allowed practice of the Church, and that whereby their State is upheld. To inſtance in a few.

1. They perſecute and by all means deſtroy all that ſubmit not to them in every thing; ſo that in Rome is found the blood of all the Saints and Martyrs that have been ſlain in all the earth, being ſhed by her command. About the year 750. the Popes Gregory 2. and 3. begun wars againſt the Emperors and their adherents in the defence of Image worſhip, and afterward renewed them to obtain the right of inveſtitures or beſtowing of all Eccleſiaſtical preferments, and to deprive the Emperours of their power of electing the Pope, till they had brought the Emperours under their feet, and compelled all the Clergy to put away their Wives. Thus the Popes ruined all Chriſtendom for about 400. years, till they had got all the power into their hands: and ever ſince they have ſhed blood in abundance to preſerve what they had gotten. They began with the Waldenſes about the year 1160. of whom T…uanus ſaith they had ſlain above two Millions, and they have added many thouſands more of late years of that poor people. Afterward they deſtroyed p. 62many thouſands in Bohemia, in Germany both in the former and late wars. Virgerius who was the Popes Nuncio tells us that in the ſpace of 30. years at the firſt reſormation their inquiſition in ſeveral parts had ſecretly made away 150000 perſons. The Duke of Alva Governour of the Neatherlands in a few years is ſaid to cut off 36000. The French Maſſacre Ann. 1572. in one Month treacherouſly and barbarouſly deſtroyed above 30000. In the late Iriſh rebellion Ann. 1641. they deſtroyed above 300000. of all ages and conditions: and what they have done and attempted and do ſtill attempt upon this Land is well known. All theſe were authorized by the Popes, and had their benediction and prayers for ſucceſs; beſides the innumerable company of Martyrs which they have put to death by form of tryals in all countreys.

2. Their toleration of all uncleanneſs, beſides what they allow in their Clergy privately. They have publick Stews in all Cities of Italy and Spain, and the Pope has a tribute from them for their Licences. Pope Sixtus the 4. built at his own Charge a famous Stew in Rome both for men and women. Paul the 3. had Catalogues found amongſt his Papers after his death, p. 63of 45000. Strumpets, who payed him a monthly impoſition.

3. They are allowed Simony, i. e. ſelling of all Eccleſiaſtical offices. There is another book called Taxa cancalleriae apoſtolicae i. e. of the Popes Chamber, wherein the prices of all benefices, and promotions are ſet down: no places of any value are diſpoſed of without money. A nameleſs Papiſt dedicated a book to King James wherein he acquaints him that all the Popes from Clement the 7.Called the new man. to his time had got the Popedom by Simony and other indirect means. This he was able to prove: but he might truly have ſaid, ſo did all the reſt for many ages before. In England formerly benefices have been ſold to two, three, or more, ſometimes to ten ſeveral perſons, and then when the incumbent died, the Pope muſt be judge who ſhall have it of all theſe, which ſhall certainly be he that will give moſt money; Thus they make woful Merchandize with mens ſouls.

4. Continual endeavours to ſtir up wars and imbroil Nations. The Pope pretends to be Lord of Lords and King of Kings: and therefore he diſpoſeth of Kingdoms, ſets up and pulls down Princes as p. 64he pleaſes, and this is a ſufficient pretence for any unjuſt wars and invaſions; and wherever there are any differences among Princes and their Subjects, he interpoſeth his authority, uſually taking the unjuſt part (if like to prevail) that they being beholding to him may requite him with ſome addition to his authority or revenue. Pope Zacheriah gave France to Pipin an aſpiring man, depoſing Childerick their lawful King as unfit to govern. Leo the 4. gave the Empire of the Romans to Charles the great, and another gave England to the French in King Johns time, and ſent them to Conquer it: and of late the Pope gave the Eaſt Indies to the Portugal, and the Weſt to the Spaniard, where they murdred the poor natives as wild beaſts made to be deſtroyed.

Theſe doctrines and practices are not taught and practiſed by a few only among them, but they are the State policies by which they ſtand, which they never diſown, never endeavour to reform: it is the deſign of their government to be univerſal and to attain it by any means.

Hence we infer that to hold communion with this Church is to conſpire againſt the Church of Chriſt, againſt all that is ſacred or moral. Nor may we expect any p. 65reformation from them, they will not they cannot be better; their intereſt and government depends upon theſe methods, and therefore this Man of ſin is the ſon of perdition appointed to be deſtroyed, not to be reformed: let us not deceive our ſelves with vain hopes; They are and muſt be the ſame when they have opportunity.

The ſecond character of this Apoſtaſie is laid down v. 4. Who oppoſeth himſelf, viz. the man of ſin the Head of this apoſtaſie. foreign, an adverſary or one that ſets himſel againſt Chriſt. The ſame title that is given to the Devil, viz. Satan an enemy or adverſary. Now the Devil was an adverſary not by denying the true God; he believes and trembles, James 2.19. nor by cauſing himſelf to be worſhipped as the ſupreme God; for the Idols which the Heathens worſhipped, they worſhipped as Mediators and ſervants to the ſupreme God; but under this pretence the Devil took to himſelf all the worſhip and ſervice of the world, and left God but an empty name of Creatour and ſupreme reſiding in heaven, when he himſelf was the God of this world, ordering all things after his own luſts: this the Devil did ſo long as Heatheniſm prevailed, by the ſeveral Governours and Princes of p. 66the world, and when he was caſt out of Heaven, viz. his worſhip, Idolatry and Heatheniſh ſuperſtition aboliſhed by the fail of the Heathen Roman Empire,Rev. 12. v. 7, 8, 9, 10.Rev 12:7Rev 12:8Rev 12:9Rev 12:10 and oppoſition to the name of Chriſt was taken away, he caſt about, and after ſome time delivered his power to the ſecond Beaſt who uſed the power and tyranny of the former Beaſt; i. e. the Roman Empire oppoſing Chriſt and his worſhip, ſetting up himſelf with all ſuperſtition and Idolatry, but under fair pretences of Chriſts authority, Rev. 13.11, 12, &c. This beaſt was like a Lamb, but ſpake as the Dragon, and uſed all the power of the former beaſt, viz. the Heathen government. Now that the Pope and his adherents do thus oppoſe Chriſt and not his name but his power and worſhip, drawing all ſubjection to himſelf and leaving Chriſt but a bare and empty title, he being as Stapleton calls him plain ſupremum in terris numen, i. e. the moſt high and abſolute God in earth,

It is manifeſt,

1. The Pope will not ſuffer Chriſt to be King and law-maker in his Church. Kingly power conſiſteth in making laws and ruling according to them; this belongs to Chriſt; and he gave his word to p. 67be the law of his Church, and his Mininiſters to execute and adminiſter it according to his mind. But the Pope challengeth the ſole power and government of the Church on earth to belong to him; the authority of the Scriptures to belong to him; that he can add to them, take from them, or diſpenſe with any thing there commanded; that he only muſt interpret and give them their ſenſe; that his determinations is the rule of conſcience, for whatſoever he defineth or commandeth is to be believed and obeyed: and ſo under the pretence of Chriſts Vicar he rules as Chriſt on earth.

2. The Pope will not allow Chriſt to appoint the ordinances of his own worſhip. It belongs to Chriſt as King to appoint how and by whom he will be worſhipped, but the Pope will not give him leave. He appoints more orders of Officers than Chriſt did; more Sacraments, and alters thoſe of his appointing; the bread in the ſupper he maketh a God to be worſhipped, and yet a Sacrifice to be offered to God; the cup he takes away from the people, the Council of Trent moſt inſolently telling us that though our Lord Chriſt inſtituted and gave his ſupper to his Apoſtles under both kinds, of bread and wine, p. 68yet that doth not oblige all the faithful to receive it under both kinds.Concil. Trid. Seſ. 21. ch. 1. Etſi Chriſtus dominus in ultima coena venerabile hoc Sacramentum in panis & vini ſpecicbus inſtituit & Apoſtlis tradidit: non tamen illa inſtitutio & traditio …ò tendunt, ut omnes Chriſti fideles ſtatuto domini ad utramque ſpeciem accipiendam aſtringantur? He appoints Saints and Angels and eſpecially Chriſts Mother to be worſhipped and honoured, yea the very Croſs on which he was murdered, pretending theſe to be more honour to Chriſt than the preaching or hearing his holy word. Almoſt the whole body of the Papiſts worſhip is of the Popes own inſtitution.

3. The Pope will not ſuffer Chriſt to appoint the means of his own grace to Salvation. Chriſt as the Saviour of his people, as divine and Princely Saviour is to appoint and hath appointed by what means and in what duties he will beſtow and increaſe his grace to eternal life: but the Pope lays theſe aſide at his pleaſure, viz. the reading and hearing the Scripture, the uſe of the Sacraments, and prayer in a tongue that can be underſtood by thoſe that uſe it, and appointeth more upon which the greateſt ſtreſs of ſalvation is laid; as confeſſion of ſin to Prieſt, without p. 69out which there is no forgiveneſs to the living; and private Maſſes both for the quick and dead; anointing of Children to confirm them in grace, and anointing the dying to ſtrengthen and comfort them againſt the terror of death; croſſes and holy water to drive away the devil; and ſo many of this kind that they have greatly obſcured the means of grace that Chriſt inſtituted.

4. The Pope oppoſeth Chriſt in the main ends of his coming into the world. Chriſt came to take away ſin, to finiſh tranſgreſſion and to bring in everlaſting righteouſneſs by once ſacrificing himſelf to the Father, Dan. 9.24. Heb. 10.10, 11, 12, 13, 14. But the Pope will have Chriſt offered for ſin in every Maſs, as truly as he was upon the Croſs; and that it is as ſatisfactory and meritorious; he will have the merits of Saints, our own penance, and purgatory oſter death to ſatisfy for and take away ſin, whereby the ſatisfaction of Chriſt is rendered as ſtill unfulfilled and the pardon of ſin unprocured as it was before his coming into the world. Chriſt came to give a greater meaſure of his ſpirit to the Church, that his people might have more freedom of acceſs to God, Eph. 3.12. more boldneſs with him, Heb. 10.19, 20. and more p. 70abundant grace to enable them to pray to and ſerve God, Rom. 8.25. John 10.10. for having removed the ſhadows and ſacrifices of the Law, and clearly exhibited himſelf and his redemption, they were now to come with greater confidence and freedom through his name to the Father, John 16.23, 24. but the Pope diſappointeth all this by hiding from the people the plain doctrine of ſalvation, by teaching them that they muſt not come to him immediately but by the mediation of his Mother and all the Saints, and that theſe muſt be ingaged by many prayers, Temples and offerings to interceed with Chriſt for them, whereby the ſervice of the Goſpel is made as uncomfortable and as chargable as that of the Law; and the people are kept in as much ignorance as ever the Jews were, and in as much bondage to their Prieſts and more, without whoſe Maſſes and abſolutions they cannot be forgiven: yea by their doctrines and uncertainty of Salvation, penances, ſatisfactions, and purgatory, and the neceſſity of Chriſt's being often ſacrificed for them, their conſciences are brought into a far greater bondage than ever the Jews were in. Again Chriſt by his death, reſurrection and aſcenſion hath obtained all power, conquered the p. 71Devil, opened a clear way into heaven for his ſervants, Heb. 2.14. Philip. 2.9, 10. Heb. 6.19, 20, 29. But the Papiſts keep the people in as great bondage by fear of the Devil as ever the Heathens were in: except there be a Croſs in the way they are in danger to meet him at every turning, in every Church-yard, Market, &c. yea every time they go out of doors unleſs they croſs themſelves, or be ſprinkled with holy water: if it were not for croſſes the devil would get into their meat, their drink, their books, their beds, and into their pockets alſo. And as for Chriſts entering into Heaven it is little comfort to them, ſeeing they muſt hope to go thither but after ſome thouſands of years ſpent in the pains of Purgatory.

5. Chriſt aboliſhed the Tyranny and bondage his people were in both to Heathen Monarchs and the Jewiſh Polity. Chriſt appeared in the latter end of the fourth Monarchy to ſet up his Kingdom, that his people might be ſubject to him, and no longer to the luſts and wills of lawleſs Tyrants as they had ſucceſſively been oppreſſed and devoured both by Babylonians, Perſians, Greeks, and Romans: and he promiſed that Kings ſhould be their nurſing fathers and Queens nurſing p. 72mothers, being ſubject as well as they to the laws of Chriſt. But the Pope interpoſeth and uſurpeth all the domination and prerogatives, and exerciſeth all the Tyranny of the Roman Emperours, cauſing all people to ſubmit to Rome with as great ſlavery as ever, Rev. 13. v. 15, 16, &c. and maketh laws as abſolutely by his own will as ever the Heathens did. Chriſt alſo diſſolved the Jewiſh Polity that his people ſhould no longer be bound to one temple, City or Land for any part of their worſhip as the Jews were to Canaan and Jeruſalem; or to any Common wealth of People: but that in all places they might lift up pure hands to him, and have his preſence with them whereever two or three ſhould be gathered in his name for the intents or purpoſes of his worſhip, Matth. 18.19, 20. But the Pope will have Rome to be the mother of all the Churches, thither all the world muſt come to keep their Jubilees every five and twenty years, thither they muſt bring their controverſies and hard caſes; and many ſins cannot be forgiven without coming to him as the high Prieſt: all Churches depend upon him, yea are one body whereof he is the Head, and muſt receive their laws, their Prieſts, their benedictions all from p. 73him and his power: ſo that they are in greater bondage than the Jews were, by how much they are diſperſed abroad in the world, and are more numerous.

A third character of this Apoſtaſie is inſolent pride, v. 4. This man of ſin and adverſary of Chriſt exalteth himſelf above all that is worſhipped or called God, foreign, or as Calvin in loc. foreign, he is lifted up above all that is called God, foreign, or that is any way ſacred. We read of ſome Heathen Princes, as Romulus, Alexander, &c. that would be accounted the ſons of God and be worſhipped, but their own people deteſted their pride, and yet they acknowledged a ſupreme God above them. Caligula would be thought equal with Jupiter their chief God: but theſe were impious inſolencies never eſtabliſhed by laws, or approved by the people, much leſs defended and practiſed by ſucceeding generations: but this Popes arrogate to themſelves through many ages ſucceſſively: this their whole Clergy defend and their whole people practiſe: yea it is the very ſoul and life of the Popedom to be honoured and obeyed above all that is called God.

1. Magiſtrates are called Gods, being p. 74Gods Vicegerents, Pſalm 82.6. But the Pope exalteth himſelf above all theſe, challenging the dominion of the whole world to be given to him; and he diſpoſeth of it to whom he pleaſeth: He calleth Emperours and Kings his ſervants and vaſſals: He ſets them up and pulls them down at his pleaſure. Paul the 4. taxed Queen Elizabeth with inſolency for preſuming to take the Crown without his leave. The Roman Ceremonial appointeth that when the Pope rideth abroad the Emperour or chief King that is preſent, or their Embaſſadors in their abſence ſhould hold his Stirrup, and accordingly ſome Emperors have done it, and have been checked for holding the wrong Stirrup, and if the Pope be diſpoſed to be carried in his Chair, the Emperour, Kings, and their Embaſſadors are to put their ſhoulders to it.

2. He exalteth himſelf above all the Miniſtry. Lanis the general of the Jeſuites maintained in a ſet Lecture at the Council of Trent; that the ſole power of the Church was committed to Peter, and that the other Apoſtles, Evangeliſts, &c. received their Power from him. In like manner the Pope as Peters ſucceſſour hath the ſole power of the univerſal Church, and p. 75all Biſhops, Prieſts, &c. receive their power from him. So that all are but his Deputies, his ſervants, the diſpoſal of all Biſhopricks and benefices (if he pleaſe throughout the world) belongs to him. The power of Excommunication and abſolution, of making and altering all Eccleſiaſtical laws and injunctions reſides in him, and to him all appeals muſt be made.

3. The Pope challengeth power over the Devils. They have their book of exorciſmes; the office of exorciſts, their many myſteries, certain prayers, forms of words, Holy water, conſecrated circles, &c. by which they pretend to caſt out, to raiſe, to lay, and bind the Devil as they pleaſe.

4. They pretend alſo that the Holy Angels and glorified Saints are at their Command. Pope Clement 6. the firſt author of their Jubilees, in his Bull, wherein he promiſed great priviledges to all that would come to Rome, adds this, viz. that if any of theſe holy Pilgrims ſhould chance to die by the way in their journey, he commandeth the holy Angels immediately to tranſport their ſouls to heaven. The Keys of heaven are one of the Enſigns of the Popes dignity: he can unſaint thoſe that are gone to heaven: he p. 76can releaſe out of Purgatory as ſoon, or detain there as long as he pleaſeth. Yea Pope Gregory the 1. they ſay by his prayers brought the ſoul of Trajanus the Emperour out of Hell, 500. Years after he was dead. They interpret the 8. Pſalm v. 4. &c. of the Pope, viz. he is that ſon of man that is crowned with glory and dignity, that hath dominion over all the works of God, that hath all things put under his feet, all Sheep and Oxen, i. e. all Chriſtians; all the Beaſts of the field, i. e. all the Infidels; the Fowls of heaven, i e. the Angels and Saints above; and the fiſh of the Sea, i. e. the ſouls in Purgatory.

5. The Pope exalteth himſelf above Chriſt, he challengeth the ſole government of the Church on earth to belong to him, to make and abrogate Laws and to guide it infallibly: ſo that Chriſt now hath nothing to do with the Church militant, he can and daily doth interpret and diſpenſe with the Laws of Chriſt, and hath authority above his word. When the Pope goes out of Town, the hoſt his breaden God is carried on Horſe-back amongſt his Sumpters and other furnitures a day before-hand, as one of his utenſils, and in the Church the Pope ſitteth above the Altar and above the Hoſt, and giveth it but a p. 77ſmall nod as he paſſeth by, when the people give ten times more reverence to him than they do to the Hoſt, even according to their own ceremonies.

6. He exalteth himſelf above God. He taketh more care to have his own Laws obſerved than Gods commands, and puniſheth the violation of them more ſeverely than ſins againſt God. To ſpeak againſt the Pope, the virgin Mary, or any of their Saints, to work on their Holy-days, to eat fleſh on a faſt-day (eſpecially in Lent) are greater offences and harder to be forgiven, than any ſins againſt God. Yea it is the deſign of the Papacy to exalt themſelves whatever comes of the honour of God. A man may be of any religion or no religion, may live as he pleaſe ſo he own the Popes power and hold the Communion of that Church, and this is all their unity they ſo much brag of. Papa poteſt omnia quae Deus poteſt, ſay their Canoniſts, The Pope can do all that God can do; yea and more, as they add, poteſt facere juſtum ex injuſto, he can make evil good, vice to be vertue, yea every Popiſh Prieſt, they ſay, can make his God and maker out of a piece of bread. A Frier in a Sermon before the Spaniſh Governour at Milan, magnifying the Prieſts power p. 78ſaid, a Prieſt could do more than God, For God could only make creatures, but every Prieſt could make the infinite God, the maker of all, which God could not do; and yet, ſaith the Authour, this paſſed without controul.

The Apoſtle amplifieth this pride in the next words, he exalteth himſelf ſo as he ſitteth as God in the Temple of God, ſhewing himſelf that he is God, i. e. he ruleth in the Church of God, and challengeth honour from the Church, as if he were God. The Papiſts would hence infer that Antichriſt or this man of ſin ſhall be a Leader of the Jews ſitting and being worſhipped in their Temple at Jeruſalem, to be rebuilt by him; but that Temple ſhall never be rebuilt: when the Jews attempted it in Julians time, they were hindred by fire breaking out of the earth and deſcending from heaven; and the Jews themſelves ſhall all be converted to Chriſt. The Temple of God here is his Church in which the Man of ſin muſt ſit, who muſt therefore be an apoſtate Chriſtian only, not the Turk neither alone, as ſome Papiſts would have it, nor in conjunction with the Poipe, as ſome Proteſtants think,Piſcator in Loc. he never was a Chriſtian nor ſitteth in the p. 79Church, nor endeavoureth to alter or corrupt the worſhip of it, nor aſſumeth divine prerogatives to himſelf, nor was known to the world for many ages after this was written; neither his religion, name, or Nation: whereas this myſtery of iniquity was working in the Apoſtles days; and by him diſcovered and pointed at to the Church. But that the Pope doth ſit in the Church as if he were God, is manifeſt. It is not amiſs to obſerve the word here uſed foreign, he ſitteth in the Temple of God, is the term the Popes uſe. Kings are ſaid to reign, Popes to ſit ſo many years, and Rome it ſelf is Sedes Apoſtolica, the Apoſtolical See or Seat.

1. The Pope challengeth an abſolute univerſal power over the whole world. When John the Biſhop of Conſtantinople uſurped the title of univerſal Biſhop, Pope Gregory the 1. called him the King of pride, the forerunner of Antichriſt; yet he challenged that title only over the Church; and meant it only of a primacy of order to be the firſt and chief Biſhop: but Boniface the 3. ten years after obtained to be head and univerſal Biſhop, and his ſucceſſours have ever ſince uſed it, exerciſing an abſolute juriſdiction both in Civil and Eccleſiaſtical matters. p. 80The Pope challengeth the diſpoſal of all Kingdoms; if there be any queſtion about ſucceſſion, or any controverſie among Princes, he interpoſeth, and pretendeth to decide all, as having the abſolute power of diſpoſing and ordering all things; and in the Church the ſole authority belongs to him of binding and looſing, of appointing Biſhops and Miniſters and degrading them, of conferring all imployments, receiving all appeals, not only in reſerved caſes, but in all ordinary caſes when he pleaſes, or the parties pleaſe to remove the caſe to Rome. This is a power beyond a mortal man, a charge that no creature can perform, to inſpect and order the affairs of the whole world both of this life and that which is to come.

2. He challengeth an abſolute power to make laws for the whole Church. Whatſoever he appointeth, though againſt Scripture and reaſon, muſt be accounted good and be obſerved. He muſt with authority interpret Scriptures, and what he determineth muſt be received as the ſenſe of them. He declareth what is Hereſie and Schiſm, he judgeth all things and perſons, but muſt himſelf be judged of none. Now this is a Divine power p. 81and God's prerogative, that the reaſon and conſciences of men ſhould be ſubject to him. We are to ſubmit our reaſon to God, becauſe he cannot err; and our conſcience to him, becauſe he can command nothing but what is good, yea things are good becauſe he commands them; therefore the Pope in uſurping this power ſits as God.

3. He claims a power to diſpenſe with Gods Laws & to appoint new means whereby men ſhould come to heaven. He doth frequently diſpenſe with marriages in all the forbidden degrees:Concil. Trid. Seſ.} 24. Can. 3.4.6. and the Council of Trent curſeth thoſe that think the Church hath not power to forbid marriage in more degrees than the Scripture preſcribes: or to alter thoſe there ſet down: and to allow marriage in thoſe caſes as it ſhall ſee cauſe. The Scripture ſaith, marriage is honourable in all, Heb. 13.3. but the Pope, ſaith it is not only a diſgrace but a damning ſin for any of the Miniſters of the Goſpel to marry. It is Gods law, 1 Cor. 7.2. to avoid fornication, every man ſhould have his own Wife and every woman her own Husband: but the Pope ſaith, it is better for Prieſts to live in fornication than to marry; yea and for all p. 82perſons 'tis meritorious of heaven to vow not to marry, though they live in all uncleanneſs: he diſpenſeth with Oaths and vows, and nothing humane or divine is or can he obliging any further than he alloweth it, he being the ſupreme judge, and determiner of all things. God alloweth us the uſe of all meats fit for food; but the Pope forbiddeth the uſe of many: yea annexeth merit and the promiſe of heaven to the forbearance of certain meats at certain times, though they gorge and glut themſelves with other ſorts of dainties. And here let us obſerve that the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of an apoſtaſie from the faith that ſhould be in the latter times, v. 1. and he giveth this as one character of this apoſtaſie, that theſe apoſtates ſhould forbid marriage, and the uſe of meats in an hypocritical pretence of godlineſs: which doth ſo point out the Papiſts as if they had been named, none but they teaching thoſe doctrines, eſpecially that of forbidding marriage. The Pope maketh it meritorious of pardon, and great immunitys, to wear the habits to certain Monks and Friers, to be buried in a Monks cowle, or in the gown of a Capuchin or Carmelite Frier, but above all to the ſaying of ſo many Ave-maries or Pater Noſters in the 7. p. 83chief Churches of Rome, which will procure ſome hundred thouſand years pardon.

4. He pretends to forgive ſin. The Jews could ſay, Who can forgive ſin but God only? and he that taketh upon him to forgive ſin,Luke 5.21.Luke 5:21 maketh himſelf a God. But with the Papiſts, every Prieſt taketh upon him to forgive ſin: yea a man cannot be forgiven unleſs he be firſt abſolved by the Prieſt: much more doth the Pope claim, a power to forgive all ſin, and that not declarative only, to pronounce the promiſes of pardon to the penitent; but authoritative alſo, to give abſolution and heaven to whom he pleaſeth. In his Jubilees he carrieth in his hand a golden hammer to break open Paradiſe for all the Pilgrims that come to Rome.

They do often publiſh and ſell indulgences for all manner of ſins: it was one ſpecial thing that ſtirred up the ſpirit of Luther, that Frier Teſelius came into Germany with indulgencies from Leo the 10. publiſhing in all Markets and Fairs that he could grant pardon for all manner of ſins, even though a man had laid with the Virgin Mary. The Pope can prevent mens going to Purgatory at all, or ſhorten and p. 84lengthen their time there as he pleaſeth, though they teach Purgatory to be a place where men muſt ſatisfie for their ſins.Part. 3. tit. 22. cap. 5.5.6, 7. Antoninus maketh a grave Quere whether the Pope may empty Purgatory and releaſe all the ſouls that be there; and as gravely determineth, that out of the fulneſs of his power he may without doubt do it, though he thinketh it not expedient he ſhould: and ſo doth the Pope too, for then the private Maſſes and prayers for the dead, (which are a great part of their ſervice, and by which the poor Prieſts get their livelyhood) would ceaſe.

5. The Pope taketh to himſelf the name and titles of God and Chriſt. Dominus Deus noſter Papa, our Lord God the Pope, is the language of their Canon Law. Paul the 5. cauſed a triumphal Arch to be ſet up at Tolentum, under which he was to enter the City, with this inſcription, Paulo quinto Vice deo, to Paul the 5. the vice-God. They ſay the Pope is the rock, the foundation of the Church, her head and husband, Lord of Lords and King of Kings &c. When ſome among themſelves were offended at theſe blaſphemous titles; Biſhop Beedle informs while he was in Italy about 70. years ſince, there was a congregation p. 85appointed at Rome to redreſs theſe abuſes,Beed. anſwer to Wodſw. called congregatio de moderandis titulis; but before they could do any thing to purpoſe, the Pope forbid them to proceed, becauſe, he ſaid, there were no titles given him but what, dignitas & praerogativa Sancti Petri &c. the dignitys and prerogatives of Peter would well enough bear. Thus this Roman State is the Beaſt in whoſe head are the names of Blaſphemy.Rev. 13.1.Rev 13:1

Hence it appears, though the Pope call himſelf the ſervant of ſervants and the Vicar of Chriſt, yet he doth indeed uſurp the place of Chriſt and the honour and authority of God himſelf; wherefore he is deſervedly accounted the Antichriſt in both ſenſes of the word, Hoſtis & emulus Chriſti, both the oppoſer of Chriſt and his competitour that contends with him for honour, and uſurps his place and dignity. The Apoſtle ſaith, that there were many Antichriſts in the world in his time, 1 John 2.18. and that the ſpirit of Antichriſt was then entered into the world, 1 John 4.3. and that theſe Antichriſts were apoſtates from the Chriſtian Church. They went out from us, chap. 2.19. but yet that there was one ſpecial Antichriſt to come, p. 86of which the Church was forewarned, you have heard that Antichriſt ſhould come, cap. 2.18. and ſurely there hath never been a more dangerous enemy of Chriſt than this apoſtate State of Rome. The Heathens had but one way of oppoſing Chriſt, viz. perſecution, which tended much to the honour of Chriſt and his grace by the ſufferings of the faithful: but theſe both deſtroy by perſecution thoſe that are moſt upright, and corrupt and poyſon the reſt by errour, ſuperſtition & Idolatry. The Papiſts plead that Antichriſt ſhall deny both God and Chriſt his perſon and incarnation, 1 John 2.22. cap. 4.3. But this the Pope doth not: yet the doth it in effect though not in words, when he uſeth and exerciſeth the names, titles, power and office both of the father and the Son, and hath ſet himſelf againſt the pure doctrine, worſhip, and diſcipline of the Goſpel. The Papiſts cannot prove from this or any other place certainly that ſuch an Antichriſt as they deſcribe is to be expected: and we do prove all the properties of Antichriſt to belong to the Pope, even this of denying Chriſt to be come in the fleſh in effect though not expreſly, and yet ſome of them have called the Goſpel a fable: and have been profeſſed Atheiſts. If Chriſt rule not his p. 87Church, if the Pope be head, with abſolute power over it, if Chriſt he daily made of a bit of bread and daily Sacrificed by the Prieſt to make attonement with the Father, as they teach and practiſe, this is in effect to ſay he is not come, nor hath made ſatisfaction to God for the ſins of his people. However we need not contend whether the Pope be: foreign the Antichriſt that what to come, or ſome other Heretick may be intended; we are ſure Antichriſt fits the Pope; and we have little more of him than his name, but that he is the man of ſin, the Son of perdition, the author and maintainer of a general apoſtaſie; and that Rome is the Whore of Babylon, is clear from this place and Rev. 17. and this is all the Proteſtants mean by the name of Antichriſt.

V;ſe From all this we inferr, 1. That pretence of ſome Papiſts that they are of the Church but not of the Court of Rome, i. e. for the Romiſh religion, but not for the Popes ſupremacy, is altogether vain. The Pope as Pope claimeth the full power of Chriſt both over the Church and over the world, and if they believe him to be infallible, they muſt believe he hath this power alſo; if he deceiveth them in this, he may deceive them in matters of religion p. 88likewiſe. But they that will refuſe the Oaths of Allegiance and ſupremacy, becauſe thoſe deny the Popes juriſdiction over our Kings, and can conſent to the depoſing of their perſons and the giving away their Kindoms to ſtrangers, are certainly for the Court as well as for the Church of Rome.

2. That the Pope is not to be acknowledged or reſpected as a temporal Prince. The power he hath is uſurped on the pretence of being head of the Church, which is a power Chriſt never gave, a magiſtracy that God never inſtituted; his titles and claims are blaſphemous; he rules as a God not as Gods vicegerent, nor doth he uſe his power for the proper ends of government, to maintain the true religion, juſtice, honeſty, or ſobriety among men, and to preſerve the peace of the world, but to ſubvert religion, juſtice, and all morality, and to imbroil all nations for his own intereſt. As a ſociety of Bandites or Pirates is no common-wealth, but they are to be reckoned hoſtis humani generis, enemies of mankind; ſo the Pope is to be reckoned hoſtis Eccleſia, the profeſſed irreconcileable enemy of Chriſt: and it is ſome degree of defection to have any commerce with or any reſpect for that Antichriſtian State.

p. 89Ver. 5. The Apoſtle having ſpoke thus much of the man of ſin, calleth the Theſſ. to remembrance of what he had ſaid to them about this matter when preſent with them. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you theſe things? Moſes forewarned Iſrael of a great apoſtaſie, that would be among them; even ſuch as would threaten utter deſtruction, did not God remember his Covenant; and that even then there was ſuch a leaven working a nongſt them. Our Saviour foretold his diſciples that falſe Chriſts and falſe Prophets ſhould ariſe, and deceive many; and the Apoſtles in all their Epiſtlesforetell that ſeducers and defections would come in the Church: all which is done to prevent the ſecurity that men are prone to, and that the Godly might both beware of, and be leſs ſtartled at ſuch things when they ſhould ſee them come to paſs.

The Apoſtle adds, v. 6. and now you know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. He had told the Theſſalonians, what would delay the power and revelation of this Man of ſin for a time; that he might not prevail till the appointed time, and then he ſhould diſcover himſelf; for he ſhould not get his power or ſhew his wickedneſs all at once or apparently till ſome letts be removed p. 90out of his way, but ſhould ſecretly inſinuate and grow by degrees till he ſhould come to his full ſtrength.

Ver. 8. For the Myſtery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will lett, untill he be taken out of the way. Ver. 8. And then ſhall that wicked be revealed. The Apoſtle ſaw that there was even in his days ſome beginnings of this Man of ſin, ſome tendency toward the great apoſtaſie; but it was ſecret and a myſtery of iniquity; this is another character of this apoſtaſie, viz. that it ſhould be myſterious, and under fair pretences. Chriſt and the true doctrine of Salvation are, foreign, the myſtery of godlineſs,1 Tim. 1.16.1 Tim 1:16 and the apoſtaſie from this faith is foreign, a myſtery of iniquity. The great Whore, Rev. 17.5. had a name written in her forehead, Myſtery, Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots, and abominations of the earth. Though ſhe ſhould be both unclean and wicked her ſelf, and the author of it to all the earth, yet it ſhould be under fair pretences in a myſtery. Some travellers have obſerved amongſt other antiquities at Rome, Du Moul. Accom. of proph. Rev. 17.Rev 17that there are ſhewn ſome ancient Miters of former p. 91Popes, that have the word Myſterium in Golden characters upon the front of them; as if ſhe had been ambitious to have the prophecie verified of her ſelf. The Apoſtle alſo, 1 Tim. 4.3. ſaith that the apoſtaſie of the latter times ſhould be brought about by men, that talk lies in Hypocriſie, forbidding to marry, and to eat certain meats, &c. This plainly points out the Church of Rome. The Heathens, Jews and Turks are open and profeſſed enemies of Chriſt, but the Pope is a ſecret and myſtical enemy that betrays Chriſt with a kiſs and under the pretext of friendſhip. Their pretences are ſuch as theſe.

1. That the Popes abſolute power is for the honour of Chriſt; that it was fit that he that is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, ſhould have a ſervant or Deputy on earth, who ſhould have Soveraign power over all perſons and cauſes: That his Church ſhould not be ſubject to ſecular men and temporal Princes, but to one who is Chriſt's immediate Vicar. They ſay it is not fit the Miniſters of Chriſt ſhould be under the power of men of this world, or that they ſhould judge of Eccleſiaſtical cauſes or diſpoſe of Eccleſiaſtical imployments, but that all ſhould be managed by a ſpiritual Court and ſpiritual perſon.

p. 922. They pretend the benefit of the Church. It is neceſſary, they ſay, that as the Church is one body on earth, though diſperſed in all quarters, ſo it ſhould have one viſible Head, who ſhould be the fountain of Unity, that he ſhould have ſupreme and abſolute power to judge all perſons, and to determine all caſes, to prevent diviſions and to preſerve Unity, to maintain the doctrine and worſhip of the Goſpel, and to prevent or redreſs errors and corruptions; and that things may be managed with ſafety, it is neceſſary this Head ſhould be infallible; who may neither be ſubject to deceive, or be deceived: for what end ſhall there be of Queſtions and controverſies in Religion, or in Civil matters? How ſhall Hereſies, Schiſms, Wars and Seditions be prevented, if there be not a ſupreme infallible head and judge, whoſe authority and deciſion may put an end to all ſtrife and lead into all truth?

3. They pretend great care of the peoples Salvation. They take away the Scriptures from them, for fear they ſhould prophane them by uſing them in common diſcourſe; or fall into error and Hereſies by miſtaking the meaning of them; or be puffed up with knowledge, and ſo be diſobedient to their teachers, and run into p. 93Sects & diviſions; therefore they give them Images, Crucifixes &c. which they call Laymens books to ſtir up their devotion, without danger of making them heady or highminded; they allow them little preaching, and celeberate all the worſhip of God in an unknown tongue, that the people may not grow ſlight and prophane; and that they may ſtill admire what they underſtand not, ignorance being the beſt mother of devotion; and for the greater ſecurity and eaſe they teach them implicitely to believe what the Church believes, and that being infallible they cannot believe amiſs, eſpecially when they know not in particular what ſhe believeth, nor can call her faith into Queſtion.

4. They pretend great devotion and zeal to Gods worſhip; ſpiritual knowledge, pious affections, ſpiritual worſhip, ſuch as teaching the word, prayer, and uſe of plain Sacraments as Chriſt appointed them, they think are mean things inſtead of theſe they build Temples, adorn Images, adore the bread in the Euchariſt, offer incenſe, Tapers, and many gifts, as more real devotion.Conc. Trid. Seſ. 25. The Council of Trent commands that the Prieſts ſhould carefully teach the people the right uſe of Images, which p. 94are to mind them of their Saints, their virtues, and miracles and ſufferings, that they may be ſtirred up thereby to the imitation of them. Their worſhip of the Virgin is devotion to her Son; and their praying to Saints and Angels is honour to God whoſe ſervants they are: and the Pomp and riches of the Pope and his Biſhops is to preſerve the Goſpel in honour, and religion from contempt.

5. They pretend great mortification. They have frequent faſts at leaſt, from fleſh and ſome ſorts of food to curb keep down the fleſh has they pretend. Their voluntary penance, whippings, pilgrimages to remote places, confeſſing all their ſins to a Prieſt, and craving his abſolution, and all to ſhew their ſorrow for ſin, and to break them off from it more ſurely than the plain Spiritual means of the word and prayer. It is thought great ſelfdenyal to forſake the world, to live in wilderneſſes and Monaſteries, to vow ſingle life, and to refrain thoſe comforts and imployments which God hath both allowed and commanded.

6. They pretend great humility. It is humility in them to be ſubject to their ſuperiours, eſpecially the Pope, againſt their own reaſon and conſcience, and to p. 95obey all the commands and ordinances of their Church without preſuming to inquire into the reaſon of them, or to prove them by Scripture. They account it preſumption to pretend to aſſurance of Salvation, and great humility to live and dye in doubt; but eſpecially that the beſt of them muſt not pretend to go to Heaven but through long ſuffering the pains of Purgatory, and the help of the prayers of the Church on earth, and of the merits of the Church in Heaven.

7. They pretend great care to have the Miniſtery pure and induſtrious, therefore they allow them not to marry, becauſe (ſaid Pope Ciricius) they that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God: and that being free from the cares of a family, they may wholly attend upon their Miniſtry: and leſt the ſervice of Pariſh Prieſts ſhould not be ſufficient, they have multitudes of Monks and Friars to help them in private, and whoſe prayers and private Maſſes are always going for the benefit of the Church.

Thus they have plauſible pretences for all their doctrines and practices; nevertheleſs it is a myſtery of iniquity in every particular.

1. The univerſal power the Pope claimeth is only to ſet up himſelf and his own inſtitutions; p. 96therefore he taketh upon him all the ſtate and grandeur of the Roman Emperours, even the proudeſt of them: he gives away Kingdoms when Kings any way diſpleaſe him, though they be very religious towards God; and when he can make any advantage, He ſets Chriſtian Kings at war with each other, and taketh the unjuſteſt part, ſo it be the ſtrongeſt; yea himſelf raiſeth War and driveth Princes out of their dominions to increaſe the riches of the Church, or to preferr his own Nephews and kindred: This was notorious in Julius 2 and many of his predeceſſours; he maketh the Emperours ſwear allegiance to him; and the Biſhops at their conſecration uſe to ſwear to maintain Regalia ſancti Petri, the royalties of Saint Peter.

2. The pretence of infallibility is only to gain authority to himſelf, that he may command and do what he pleaſeth in the world it is uſed only to draw people into ſeditions and maſſacres, to patronize any unjuſt actions or claims, when the Pope giveth away the right of a King or other perſon, when he diſſolveth Lawful marriages, or giveth diſpenſations to contract unlawful Matrimony (as betwixt Uncle and Niece in Philip 2. of Spain, or betwixt p. 97Brother and brothers Wife as at this day in Portugal, the former husband yet living, and the like when he forgives all manner of ſins, when he maketh (as his Canons give him leave) juſt things unjuſt, and ſins to be duties, then he maketh uſe of his pretended infallibility, and never but it ſuch caſes: for the Popes never do nor never will determine or end any controverſie in religion, for fear of loſing one part of the contenders. There is a great difference among themſelves, betwixt the Dominicans and Jeſuites, about the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary; Philip the 2 and 3. of Spain did for many years together by their Embaſſadours earneſtly ſollicite the Popes to uſe their Infallibility and decide the controverſie, but they could never obtain it. The Moliniſts and Janſeniſts contend as earneſtly about free-will and effectual grace; Clement 8. was intreated to decide the controverſie; He appointed men to conſider of it, but when they had had fourſcore meetings and diſputations about it under Clement 8. and 1 Paul 5. the buſineſs was fairly laid aſide and no determination made. Innocent the 10. being deſired to determine the matter of the five propoſitions, relating to the p. 98ſame doctrine of the Janſeniſts, firſt honeſtly told them that he never ſtudied Dinity in his life, and he was now too old to begin; The Jeſuites at laſt having prevailed with him to condemn thoſe propoſitions without reaſon why, or any explication in what manner, or ſenſe, he condemned them; he afterwards told the Janniſts that defended theſe propoſitions (as one of themſelves) that he had not condemned the doctrine of St. Auguſtine which they maintained;Sanct. amor. Journal. and ſo left the two parties at as great ſtrife as before, what doctrine it was which was condemned and which was approved by the Pope.

3. They take away the Scriptures from the people meerly to keep them in ignorance, that they may guide and govern them the better at their own pleaſure. What if ſome be gluttons and ſurfeit? Muſt therefore all men be deprived of their neceſſary meat and drink? God gave his Law that men might know how to fear and ſerve him; but the Pope pretends they may ſerve God better without knowledge. Why do they not try what effect the reading of the Scriptures will have upon people? Are not their Clergy and Scholars as likely to abuſe the Scriptures, to p. 99pervert them, to fall into errors and defend them by Scripture, as the common people? But they puniſh it with death in the people to have the Bible, or any part of it in their own tongue; and teach that implicite faith is better than explicite, and ignorance than knowledge for the common people, yea they labour to bring the people into an ill opinion and ſuſpicion of the Scriptures; telling them they are obſcure and cannot be underſtood, they have many ſences and like a noſe of wax may be turned many ways, therefore they cannot find the right meaning, yea imperfect and cannot teach them all they are to know and do as neceſſary to Salvation. Beſides the Council of Trent authorizeth only the vulgar Latin edition of the Bible for authentick,Seſ. 4. by which all things muſt be tried, though their own men acknowledge that Tranſlation to be moſt corrupt and falſe, and one of them ſaith,Iſio dorus Clarius. he in his edition had mended eight thouſand faults; ſo that they would allow even their Clergy as little knowledge as they can.

4. They give the people images, and the Hoſt to worſhip, to take them off from the ſpiritural knowledge and worſhip p. 100of Jeſus Chriſt, to make them content without the Bible, to bring them into an admiration of the Saints, that they only make and canonize, to lead them into all ſuperſtition for the gain of the Pope and his Clergy: for what may they not do with the people, when they have perſwaded them to take a bit of bread for their God, to offer their prayers to ſtocks and ſtones inſtead of their maker, or to think that he is pleaſed when they do ſo? When people will take their Mediators, and interceſſors with God, of the Popes appointment, and ſuffer themſelves to be cheated of the knowledge of their Redeemer; when they will content themſelves with offering incenſe, tapers, Latin prayers and the like, as their ſacrifices to God (which He never commanded and they underſtand not) and be taken off from hearing Gods word, and from praying with underſtanding, when they have brought the people to ſuch a paſs, they may command them what they pleaſe: and this is all they aim at to have them take their religion wholly from the Pope not from the Scriptures, that ſo they may be perfectly ſubject to his will.

5. Their practices of mortification are only to encreaſe the authority of their Church and Clergy; therefore they muſt p. 101confeſs to a Prieſt and have his abſolution, that every one may be obliged to have his confeſſour, and hereby the Prieſts both get mony, and alſo know the tempers, inclinations, and ſecrets of all the people; and ſo can teach and uſe them, for their own purpoſes: thoſe that are devout, they lay great penances on them, that by the ſhew of ſtrictneſs and holineſs they may allure the ſimple; if they be vitiouſly inclined, they grant them eaſie pardon, and give them great liberty, leſt they ſhould fright them from their communion, and that they may increaſe their hatred againſt the Proteſtants that pretend to more ſtrictneſs. The Prieſts from Confeſſions pick all inſtruments for their ſeveral purpoſes, ſome women for Nuns, and ſome for Harlots; ſome men for Scholars, ſome for a ſnow of ſtrictneſs, ſome to debauch others, and ſome to murder Princes, and overturn Kingdoms; their penances ſerve only to inſlave men to the Prieſts; their faſts are but mockeries, ſeeing men may eat any thing but fleſh, and that which comes immediately of it, as freely as they will; yet this teaches them obedience to the Church, that they ſhould do as ſhe commands: hence Bellarmin makes two ſorts of faſts, Jejunium virtutis, & Jejunium Eccleſiae, A Faſt of p. 102devotion, and a faſt of the Church, which is obſerved only becauſe ſhe preſcribes it, and ſuch are moſt of theirs. Their pilgrimages bring great gain to thoſe that keep the Shrines they come to viſite; their whippings and auſterities are to cheat their own Conſciences, and other men with a ſhow of mortification, when all the world knows they that make light of fornication, allow ſlews, diſpenſe with vows and marriages at pleaſure, and can forgive any ſins for money, do neither teach nor practiſe real mortification.

6. Their humble ſubjection to their ſuperiours which they call Blind obedience, Caecam obedientiam, is a manifeſt trick to bring the people into abſolute ſubjection to their Clergy, and the Clergy to the Pope: upon this pretence the Friars and Jeſuites daily ſend their Emiſſaries to murder Kings, to divide Nations, to ſpread Hereſies, to take upon them all manner of diſguiſes, to take any Oaths or proteſtations to carry on their deſigns; they teach men to doubt of their Salvation while they live, that they may ſtill depend upon the Prieſt to confeſs and be abſolved, that they may be ſtill under his command and correction, in appointing new ſuperſtitions and penances; and therefore do they teach Purgatory after p. 103their death, that the Pope and his Prieſts may ſtill keep them in their power, and get money for Maſſes, prayers, and Canonizations.

7. They forbid their Clergy to marry, not from zeal for holineſs and purity, (ſeeing they allow them fornication) but that having no families to care for, nor any intereſt of their own in the world, the Popes intereſt may become theirs, and their only care may be to advance and ſerve him; that thereby they alſo may be advanced and domineer in their places; by this means alſo they are made unnatural, reſolute and cruel, to proſecute the Popes deſigns, like the Turks Janizaries, being kept from thoſe relations which ſweeten mens tempers and excite natural affection; alſo having no wives and children to provide for, they may more deſperately ventuere their lives and their eſtates for the ſervice of their Church.

Their Friars make a ſhew of great devotion, renouncing the world, begging alms of the people, going in mean habit, bare-footed ſome of them, yet they get all they can from the people for Maſſes and prayers; their Abbots many are Lords, live ſplendidly, in England they had above a third part of the land, and that the beſt, p. 104as was made appear to King Henry 8^th. but theſe wholly are at the Popes devotion; of theſe he can raiſe Armies, from them he can exact vaſt ſums of money, he can make ſtrong parties in any Nation againſt their Prince, he can turn people which way he pleaſes; In a word; his unmarried Clergy, and Regulars, make him a Monarch, they are his Populus virorum, intirely at his devotion, having no poſterity nor perſonal concerns to care for: For if his Clergy had wives and children, they muſt love them, provide for them, diſpoſe of them in marriage, and ſo be neighbourly, oblige the people, pleaſe their Princes and Governours, contract affinities, and ſo they would be concerned in the ſafety, peace, proſperity of the Nations and places they live in, and would not be at the Popes beck, on at his call upon all occaſions.

Thus we ſee the whole deſign of Popery iſſueth in this; That men ſhould take their religion from the Pope and his Clergy, that ſo they may rule, as ſole Lords, both in ſpirituals and temporals.

We are next to enquire what it was that letted or hindred Antichriſts appearing for a time; He that letteth will lett, &c.

p. 105The Apoſtle ſaith, this myſtery of iniquity was working in his time, therefore it could not be the religion of Mahomet, which was not heard of till about the year of our Lord 622. Much leſs Heatheniſm or Judaiſm which were then the eſtabliſht religions of the world; nor yet the general oppoſition of the body of the wicked againſt the godly; which the Rhemiſts would have underſtood by myſtical Babylon; Rhem. on Rev. 17.Rev 17for this is alwaies manifeſt; the ſeed of the ſerpent doth always oppoſe the ſeed of the woman: but the Apoſtle ſaw an aſpiring ſpirit in the Biſhops and Church of Rome, which he knew would in time bring the whole Church under their yoak; this was occaſioned by Rome's being the Metropolis of the world, and the ſeat of the Empire, which as it drew all civil affairs and ſupreme Juriſdiction to that place, ſo did it inſenſibly draw the admiration, reſpect, and cauſes of all Churches to the guides of that Church, which the following Biſhops challenged as their due, and ſo gave occaſion for the conception of the Man of ſin. Victor the 14 Biſhop of Rome about the year 170. excommunicated all the Eaſtern Churches for not keeping Eaſter on the ſame day that he did. Soon after p. 106him Cornelius and Stephen ſucceſſively took upon them with great pride to determine cauſes belonging to the Churches of A. frick, while Cyprian was Biſhop of Carthage, of which he complains in his Epiſtles to them. Pope Sylveſter by his Legats in the Council of Nice an. 325. obtained power over all thoſe regions called Suburbicariae which were ſubject to the Praefect of Rome; and from that time the Biſhops of Rome boldly challenged the primacie of all Churches, and drew all cauſes and appeals to themſelves, though not without oppoſition from the Biſhops in Auguſtines time. The Council of Sardica having made a Canon that all doctrines ſhould be tried by the Biſhop of Rome, meaning it only for that time when Rome was a bulwork againſt the Arians; ſeveral Roman Biſhops, Celeſtine, Boniface and Innocent the firſt thruſt this Canon into the Council of Nice, and pretended that by authority of that venerable Council, the Tryal of all doctrines and cauſes was given to them; and when the Biſhops of Conſtantinople challenged a parity with the Biſhops of Rome, becauſe that City was made new Rome, and the Seat of the Empire in the Eaſt, Pope Leo's Legates proteſted againſt it in the Council of Chalcedon Ann. 450. Thus the ambition of Rome p. 107diſcovered it ſelf apace, but it could not yet attain its end, becauſe ſomewhat ſtill hindred, and this was the Roman Empire, which divers antient Fathers witneſs to have been the Apoſtles meaning, by him that letteth; ſaying that he did not expreſly mention the Empire leſt he ſhould give offence by ſpeaking of the fall of that Empire which they preſumed ſhould laſt for ever, inſomuch that Roma aeterna eternal Rome was always written upon the Statue of a woman that repreſented that City, and Aeternitas Veſtrûm, your eternity, was a preſumptuous title of ſome of the Emperours; they add that the Primitive Church uſed to pray for the continuance of the Roman Empire, for this reaſon amongſt others, that the coming, and perſecutions of Antichriſt might thereby he deferred: and Hierome who lived to ſee the Empire decay apace, and the City taken by Alarick the Goth, ſaid thereupon, Qui detinet fit de medio, & non intelligimus Antichriſtum adeſſe? He that letteth is taken out of the way, and do we not underſtand that Antichriſt muſt be at hand? The Rhemiſts would fain avoid this interpretation though they make nonſenſe of the place;In Locum. but the Papiſts generally acknowledge the p. 108Empire to be that which letted the diſcovery of Antichriſt; and Bellarmine would prove that Antichriſt is not yet come, becauſe there is ſtill a Roman Emperour, viz. the Emperour of Germany who hath the titles of Roman Caeſar & Auguſtus; but he hath the empty title only, and is the Popes Vaſſal, receiving his Crown from him, ſwearing fealty to him, and is by him appointed Defenſor Eccleſiae, not to rule the Empire, but defend the Church of Rome: That the Empire of Rome is here intended is manifeſt by this, becauſe that held the ſupreme dominion, and therefore the Biſhops could not obtain it, till the Empire was aboliſht: the Heathen Emperours oppreſſed and deſtroyed the whole Church, and in particular the Biſhops and Church of Rome who were neareſt to them, and the Chriſtian Emperours not only kept the civil power in their own hands, but alſo called and preſided in Councils, approved and confirmed the elections of all Biſhops, and thoſe of Rome more eſpecially, and removed thoſe Biſhops whom they liked not, at their pleaſure; till this juriſdiction was abrogated, the Pope could not get into his hands the ſupremacie either in Eccleſiaſtical or civil matters: The event alſo expounds the Text; for by thoſe degrees p. 109the Empire declined, the Biſhop of Rome aſcended the throne, as it followeth in the Text, v. 8. Then ſhall that wicked be revealed &c. foreign, that wicked or lawleſs perſon; when the reſtraint and laws of the Emperours were taken off, then was the time for the lawleſs perſon to appear, who profeſſeth himſelf ſubject to no law, but above all humane and divine. The removing the imperial ſeat from Rome to Byzantium by Conſtantine the Great gave the firſt advantage to the aſpiring minds of thoſe Biſhops, for then the eyes of all were upon them inſtead of the Emperours, then they diſdained to come to Councils, and ſet Ambaſſadours in their names, two or three at a time in Princely manner, then they cried up the dignity and primacy of Peter, and of the Apoſtolick See, and inſinuated themſelves into the affairs of all Churches; again when Rome was ſackt by the Goths and Vandals, and the Emperours power decayed in Italy, the Biſhops of Rome aſſumed more authority to themſelves, and were ready to comply with barbarians and invaders againſt their natural and Chriſtian Prince to increaſe their own power. When Odoacer had taken Rome and made himſelf King of Italy, Pope Gelaſius joyned with him, called a Council of ſeventy p. 110Biſhops at Rome, and preſided in it in the preſence of the uſurper, Ann. 570. After this when the Imperial race was almoſt extinguiſht in the Eaſt by the impious Tyrant Phocas, Boniface 3. readily joyns with him, writes flattering letters to him, and obtained of him the long deſired title of univerſal Biſhop, Ann. 606. And now the Emperours are beholding to the Biſhops of Rome, to hold their dominion in Italy; yet this was a Clog to them that their election muſt be approved by the Emperours; when therefore they had prevailed with Conſtantine 4. to releaſe them of this obligation, and to grant, that whom the Senate and people of Rome choſe, he ſhould be received as Pope without asking the Emperours conſent, then they had perfectly ſhaken off the yoak; and the following Popes, Gregory the 2. and 3. excommunicated 2. Emperours, Philippicus and Leo, for oppoſing Image worſhip, abſolved their Subjects from their Oath of allegiance, and raiſing war againſt them, finally drove them out of Italy about the year 750. Yet the Lombards troubled the Pope, till he called in Pipin who ſubdued them, and his Son Charles the great, who put an end to their Kingdom. And now the Pope was Lord of Italy, and giveth Charles the tile of Roman p. 111Emperour, and after about 6 generations he tranferred it to the Germans. And now the Pope had a new and his laſt difficulty; theſe German Emperours challenged the confirmation of the Popes election and the inveſting of all Biſhops within their dominons, but the Pope was grown ſo ſtrong, that by plain force and continuall wars he at laſt compelled the Emperours to renounce all power over the Popes, and Italy it ſelf, to reſign the inveſtiture of all Biſhopricks to the Pope, yea to have his own election confirmed by the Pope, and to hold his Crown as his gift, which was principally managed though not finiſhed by Hilderbrand, Pope Gregory 7. about the year 1077. And now the man of ſin was revealed indeed and come to maturity, and from his time divers learned men of every nation declared and proved the Pope to be Antichriſt, and ever ſince the Pope hath filled all the Weſt with wars, Maſſacres and the private murders of his inquiſition, to uphold the power he had ſo honeſtly gotten: he hath alſo made attempts upon the Eaſtern Churches, and he gained ſome power over them while the Latines reigned in Conſtantinople, but that fell with them, and the Eaſt hath been oppreſſed by the Turk as the Weſt by the Pope, though not altogether in ſo p. 112terrible a manner; for he for money grants the Chriſtians their Churches and exerciſe of their religion, but the Pope will ſuffer none to live that will not ſubmit to him.

It may juſtly be a wonder how it was poſſible the Biſhops of Rome, many of them mean and inferiour men, and many moſt flagitious, could poſſibly attain ſo great power and dignity,

It was a myſtery, ſaith the Apoſtle, and it was done inſenſibly. At firſt the Biſhops of Rome were eminent for parts, piety, and ſufferings, as uſually ſuch men are preferred and imployed in great, eſpecially Metropolitical Cities; this gained them great credit with all Churches, and both Miniſters and people had them in great veneration, and deſired their judgement and counſel in weighty caſes; then the Emperours, newly become Chriſtian, thought they could not beſtow honour and power enough upon the Church, eſpecially on the Imperial ſeat; they granted them their Courts, their Apparitors, and attendance, with leave to all Chriſtians to bring their cauſes to their Courts; this made them Pettie-Princes; then they challenged the right of appeals from all Churches, though oppoſed and ſhamefully foiled by the Churches of Africk; they would receive p. 113any perſons and cauſes into their patronage, the more unjuſt, the better for them; for the criminal perſons having no hope of redreſs in their own Churches, wholly relied upon the Popes authority, and he to increaſe his authority would do his utmoſt for them; and this was the reaſon why the Popes of Rome, who long maintained the true doctrinal worſhip, at length ſet up image worſhip, Tranſubſtantiation, and all the reſt of their ſuperſtitions, viz. becauſe the promoters and defenders of theſe corruptions fled to the Popes authority to ſhelter themſelves from the power and cenſure of the ſounder part of the Church, and the Pope ſtill ſided with the worſt that thereby he might oppreſs thoſe who would not acknowledge his univerſality and ſupremacy; at laſt the Pope having by theſe means inſinuated into the minds and affections of the worſt, but greater part, he did by force eſtabliſh his throne above all, and by force he hath kept it: moreover the ſloth and ignorance of may in the miniſtry, and the pride of others, who ſought to advance themſelves, by advancing the Pope, did not a little contribute to his power; alſo the confuſions of the Empire by the invaſions of the Barbarians much helpt it forwards, for they p. 114overturned the government, deſtroyed the more knowing people, in themſelves being both Pagans and void of all learning, received Religion from the Pope and ſuperſtition together, and ſuffered themſelves to be inſlaved by him, under the pretence of obedience to Chriſt and is chief Apoſtle St. Peter, and his ſucceſſours, and their poor Princes ſuffered their people to be deceived, and were deceived themſelves by theſe plauſible arts; inſomuch that they gave up their power to that Roman beaſt, and thought it good ſervice to Chriſt, when they could ſerve his pretended Vicar; 'tis reported that 30 Kings and Queens of England have left their Kingdoms and gone to Rome to ſee St Peters ſucceſſor and to die there. A fair warning to Princes and magiſtrates to maintain their own power, and the dignity of their places; and to all Miniſters to look to their own charge; and to the people to be ſubject to their own paſtours, and to take heed of admiring and hearkning after others; if this had been done, the Pope had never got the Chair.

Hitherto the Apoſtle hath given the deſcription of Antichriſt, and ſoretold his inſolency, and Tyranny over the Church, to teach Chriſtians what to expect, and p. 115to arm themſelves with patience and courarge. Now to prevent deſponding he foretels his deſtruction, v. 8. Whom the Lord ſhall comſume with the ſpirit of his month, and ſhall deſtroy with the brightneſs of his coming. The deſtruction of this man of ſin is as certain to be in due time, as his coming was: the Lord ſhall conſume him &c. foreign; as this wicked one is in ſpecial manner an enemy to Chriſt, ſo Chriſt will ſet himſelf to deſtroy him, will conſume, utterly deſtroy, as Armies lay waſt a Country that they invade; the means by which he will do it, is by the ſpirit of his month, i. e. his word, accompanied by his ſpirit; and we may obſerve, that no other means have been very ſucceſsful, either to hinder the growth, or to haſten the ruine of the man of ſin: the Eaſtern Emperours with all their power oppoſed the Gregories, and in the Weſt the Othos, Fredericks and Henries oppoſed the Popes in their time, but all to their own deſtruction; the people being bewitcht, and Princes too, by the inchantments of the Great Whore; but when the appointed time was come, a few inconſiderable men, Luther and his fellows, only by preaching the word, in the ſpace of about 40. years rent from the Pope half his Empire, and p. 116weakned him in all the remaining parts alſo; many in all Countries, receiving the knowledge of the truth, and both Princes and people that ſtill adhere to him ſtanding in much leſs fear of him, and paying him much leſs homage and ſubjection than before: Again ſince the firſt reformation, though powerful Princes and many Nations have imbraced the Goſpel, and have made ſome attempts by power and arms to promote it, and have had ſome very fair opportunities (as when Hen. the 4.a Proteſtant was made King of France, and conquered all his oppoſers; and in the late German wars) yet nothing conſiderable hath been done, but as to particular perſons there hath rather been a loſs in this laſt age, and a great indifferency hath grown upon the Proteſtant Churches. The time when this ruine ſhall be conſummated is here expreſt, by the brightneſs of his coming, {fo}, by the appearance of his preſence; as the man of ſin was conceived, born and grew up by degrees, ſo he hath been, and gradually ſhall be deſtroyed.

1. Chriſt by his word and ſpirit preſerved a ſelect number in all times that oppoſed him, and bore Teſtimony againſt him both by word and ſufferings; ſome Princes, ſome learned, many both of the Clergy p. 117and people proteſted againſt the encroachments and impoſitions of the Popes, whilſt they were contending for the univerſal Empire of the Church; and when they had gained it and thought all ſure, about Ann. 1160. God raiſed the Waldenſes and Albigenſes to bear witneſs againſt them, who ſpread themſelves into France, Italy, Bohemia, Auſtria, England, and could never be extinguiſht, till their doctrine ſwallowed up a great part of Popery, as Moſes's Rod did thoſe of the Magicians. Thus it was propheſied, Rev. 14.1-6. v. that there ſhould be one hundred forty four thouſand under the Tyranny of the beaſt who kept themſelves undefiled, Virgins, who followed the Lamb whitherſoever he went, and kept his Fathers name in their fore head, not ſubmitting to the mark of the beaſt.

2.A As the fall of this man of ſin draws nearer, ſo the word hath greater ſucceſs, and turneth Nations and rulers to the acknowledgement of it. God diſpenſeth his grace gradually according to the times he hath appointed: from the flood, for above one thouſand years it was reſtrained moſtly to the Jewiſh Nation, then our Lord ſent his Apoſtles to teach all Nations, but it was ſeveral hundred years before the Nations became Chriſtian, though there were many p. 118Chriſtians in them, and no ſooner had they received the Goſpel but it began to be darkned by the invaſion of Pagans, Goths and Vandals, by the fraud and violence of Mahomet and his followers, and moſtly by errors and ſuperſtitions in the Church it ſelf, which bred and brought forth the Pope, and he at laſt ſcaled up the Bible, and quite changed Chriſtian religion into a new ſort of Paganiſm; then for about 350. years the truth was forced into corners, but few received and owned it, in compariſon of the world that wondred after the beaſt; ſince that time whole Nations have been enlightened.

3. Chriſt will yet more enlighten by the preaching of his word, till all Nations ſhall ſee the frauds and corruptions of Popery and abhor them: there will come a time when the Kingdoms of this world ſhall be the Kingdoms of our Lord and his Chriſt, and he ſhall reign for ever and ever, Rev. 11.15. Not only the godly, but the generality of men alſo ſhall believe and acknowledge the cheats of the Pope, the falſe doctrines and deluſions of his Miniſters, and ſhall no more be enticed by them, and they ſhall love the godly, and willingly ſubmit to the pure doctrine, worſhip and diſcipline of the Goſpel, though they have been ſo unwilling to receive it hitherto.

p. 1194. Chriſt will ſtir up the ſpirit of Princes to deſtroy Rome it ſelf and that wicked Polity, Rev. 17.16. The Kings of the earth ſhall hate the whore and burn her fleſh with fire: As the Kings for their own intereſt and private deſigns chieſly, though under a pretence of devotion, advanced the Pope, till he was able to tread upon all their necks; ſo ſome for their own intereſt, and by reaſon of provocations from Rome, ſhall in due time be incenſed againſt her and utterly deſtroy her.

5. And by this means the Tyranny, inſinuations, and intereſts of the Pope and the Princes that joyned with him, being removed and diſſolved, the Goſpel ſhall have its free paſſage, and the Church its full liberty. Many learned men have interpreted this place of Chriſts deſtroying the man of ſin by the brightneſs of his coming, of Chriſts coming to the laſt judgement, as if the Pope & his Tyranny ſhould continue at leaſt in part till then, and be utterly aboliſht only by Chriſts perſonal coming to judgement: but it is uſual in ſcripture to expreſs great changes in Church or State by the coming and appearance of the Lord; particularly the deſtruction of the Jews for rejecting Chriſt, is expreſt by the Prophets Joel and Malachie in ſuch phraſes that have occaſioned many to interpret them of the laſt judgement; p. 120our Saviour alſo, Math. 24, 25. ch. expreſſeth his judging of that Nation in like phraſes, and calls it his coming, and commands his ſervants to watch and prepare for it; likewiſe Rev. 6. the ſubduing of the heathen world to Chriſt by the Emperours receiving the Goſpel, and eſtabliſhing it for the publick religion, is ſet out as if it were to be the end of the world, and ſuch a conſternation to ſeiſe upon men as if the end of all things were come upon them. The Scriptures foretel in many words and with many circumſtances the fall of Myſtical Babylon, which is Rome, and moſtly in the ſame words that foretold the ruin of old Babylon, as is plain by comparing the 51. ch. of Jeremiah, with the 18. chap. or Rev. and this is ſpoken both to deter men from complying with Rome, and encourage the godly to patience in their ſufferings under her Tyranny; but all this is needleſs in a great meaſure if no more were intended than to tell the world that Rome and her power ſhould be deſtroyed when the whole world ſhould end; moreover it is propheſied, Rev. 17.16. that the ten Kings that gave their power to the beaſt, i.e. ſome of them, ſhall take the Whore, eat her fleſh and burn her with fire: chap. 18.2. An Angel again foretells that Babylon ſhould be caſt down with violence as a great milſtone p. 121into the Sea, and never riſe again, which were no wonder if this were not to be till the end of the world. It is alſo ſaid v. 2, 3. as it was of old Babylon, that all unclean and hateful birds ſhould lodge in the ruines of Rome: v. 4, 5. Chriſt commands his people to come out of her that they may not partake of her plagues: v. 6. they are commanded to be the executioners of Gods wrath upon her, and to reward her double for all that ſhe hath done to them: v. 8, 9. ſome of the Kings that ſtill adhered to her with others of all ſorts are deſcribed to make great lamentation over her, when they behold the ſmoak of her burning; and chap. 19. is a triumphant Song of the Church for Chriſts victory over Babylon, and their deliverance from her: theſe things are certain, and ſhow that the Church ſhall be delivered both from the ſeduction and perſecution of the Pope, ſome time before the end of the world; and it is very probable that the thouſand years peace of the Church foretold chap. 20. is to ſucceed the fall of Rome: all other conjectures about it are already confuted by the event; and that it cannot be meant of heaven is evident from this, that Gog and Magog are to make inſurrection againſt the Church a little before the thouſand p. 122years expireth, and the general judgement is deſcribed to follow ſoon after.

Ʋſe 1. This ſhould keep men from embracing and perſuade them to forſake the Romiſh religion: It is as all other carnal things be, a periſhing Religion; that Church Chriſt hath promiſed to deſtroy, and that with a deſolation proportionable to all the magnificence and pomp ſhe hath enjoyed, with an overthrow that ſhall make a change as if the world were ending.

2. Let the godly ſtrengthen their patience in bearing all her violence and perſecutions; there is an appointed end, Rome ſhall as certainly fall, and her power and policy be broken, as old Babylon was ruin'd, which was once the terror of the world, and had held the Empire near fourteen hundred years, longer than Rome ſhall; the blood and ſufferings of the Saints ſhall be revenged upon Rome abundantly, Rev. 18.7, 8. and they ſhall have abundant joy in her deſtruction and their own deliverance, even ſuch as Iſrael had when they were eſcaped out of Egypt thorow the Red Sea, and ſaw all their enemies dead on the ſhore, Rev. 15.2, 3, 4.

3. The godly both miniſters and people ſhould be encouraged to oppoſe and ſtrive againſt Popery to the utmoſt; their labour p. 123ſhall not be in vain: Chriſt will conſume the man of ſin by his word in their mouths, and in time engage the Princes that now favour her to deſtroy her; the preaching and writing of godly miniſters, the endeavours and ſufferings of godly people are ſo many Teſtimonies againſt Rome, and do weaken her intereſt, and ſhall in time be all revived and prevail for her ruin, notwithſtanding all her arts and force and cruelties to preſerve her ſelf, of which we have a pledge, in that by theſe means many Kingdoms and Nations have already forſaken her.

4. Though there be no power and ſtrength to defend the Church and the truth, though few ſhould be valiant for it, fear not, the word and ſpirit of Chriſt will turn about the hearts of Princes and people to hate the Whore in due time: the work is Chriſts own, he hath undertaken it and who can reſiſt his ſpirit, when he will turn the hearts of men? It ſeemeth that Rome ſhall have great probability of prevailing over the Church of Chriſt, and great confidence of her own proſperity immediately before her fall, Rev. 18.7, 8. She ſaith in her heart, I ſit as Queen, and am no Widow, and ſhall ſee no ſorrow, Therefore ſhall her plagues come in one day, &c. p. 124even as Pharaoh did moſt diſtreſs Iſrael, and was moſt confident of ſucceſs the night before his ruin; this very confidence of Rome and her laſt rage againſt the Church will engage God to its defence, and provoke the world to her deſtruction.

Ver. 9. Even him whoſe coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and ſigns and lying wonders: v. 10. And with all deceivableneſs of unrighteouſneſs.

Here are deſcribed the arts and methods by which the man of ſin ſhould attain his greatneſs and deceive the world, partly that we may be the more aware of him, and partly to ſet out the power of Chriſt, and the efficacy of his word, by whom he ſhall be deſtroyed, notwithſtanding all his arts and policies to preſerve himſelf: his coming ſaith the Text, foreign his appearing, and attaining ſupremacy in the Church is, foreign, according to the effectual working of the Devil; the Devil never ſhewed ſo much art and contrivance in the erecting of any power, or State, as in that of the Popedom; for beſides force the uſual methods whereby the four former great Monarchies were raiſed and preſerved, which alſo the Pope made uſe of, here are other peculiar methods ſuited to the nature of a religious Monarchy, p. 125or Tyranny under pretence of religion; theſe are, all power, ſigns and lying wonders; which are various expreſſions of miracles and miraculous operations to gain credit to their Doctrine and pretences, foreign, with all unrighteous deceits and cheats; as Moſes approved and confirmed his law and inſtitutions by miracles and wonders, and Chriſt with his Apoſtles confirmed the Goſpel with ſigns and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the holy Ghoſt, Heb. 2.4. ſo Antichriſt endeavored to prove his power, errors and ſuperſtitions by miracles, ſigns, and wonders; ſo the words here uſed, foreign ſignifie; but the difference is great betwixt them; the miracles of Moſes and the Prophets, Chriſt and the Apoſtles, were real, weighty and uſeful things, frequent and innumerable, apparent to all the world, expoſed to the Tryal and examination of all, and ſuch as carried an undeniable evidence, and divine impreſs with them; but theſe of Antichriſt are lying wonders, ungodly cheats, many of them ridiculous trifles, of no uſe, unbeſeeming the finger of God, that are done in a corner, and will bear no Tryal of judicious men, but are fitted only to deceive the ignorant multitude; it is not to be ſuppoſed p. 126that Papiſts could ever work any real ſign or miracle to confirm their falſehoods, for that were to make God himſelf (who alone is the author of true miracles) to bear Teſtimony to a lye, and alſo to invalidate the Teſtimony of miracles, when they are wrought to confirm the truth, ſeeing they may be wrought alſo to prove a lye. A falſe prophet may indeed give a ſign, foretell ſome future event by art, and God may ſuffer that ſign to come to paſs, to prove his people whether they will ſtick to his word, Deut. 13.1, 2, 3. but he will never interpoſe his immediate power to work a miracle to confirm falſe doctrine, which were to ſet his own ſeal to that which is contrary to his own word; the miracles and ſigns therefore that Papiſts pretend to, ſome of them are the meer works of nature, only ſtrange to the common people, ſome are works of art, Phyſick, Mathematicks, &c. ſome are meer tricks of Legerdemain, and ſome are more lies, without either foundation in the things, or colour of truth, many of them alſo are wrought by Magick and aſſiſtance of the Devil, as when they cauſe doleful cries and howlings in the night, and apparitions of perſons deceaſed, to make the ſimple believe that the ſouls in Purgatory p. 127come forth to beg prayers and Maſſes, which practice was very frequent in Luthers time: The pretence of ſigns and miracles is peculiar to the Papiſts; the Turks, to whom they would turn this prophecie, profeſs them not, but impoſe and propagate their Religion by force; Chriſtians that own the Scriptures for the perfect rule of faith and manners, need them not, the matter of thoſe Scriptures having been abundantly confirmed long ſince by unqueſtionable miracles and Divine atteſtations; but the Papiſts who add unwritten, uncertain traditions, and the decrees of Popes and Councils to the rule, have need to confirm them by ſigns and miracles, if they could; and upon the pretence of theſe all their chief doctrines are built, as,

1. Tranſubſtantiation and adoration of the Hoſt; for this they pretend ſometimes that the Hoſt hath been ſeen to bleed, ſometimes that the hand of a child hath been ſeen in it; that Wittikin the Saxon King in England ſeeing Chriſtians receive the Sacrament in a certain Church, went out and reported, that he ſaw the Chriſtians each one put a little ſmiling boy into their mouths; ſome affirmed that they have ſeen a youth in a glorious ſhape ſitting upon the Altar at or before the time of p. 128celebration; and they commonly tell us of Cows, Horſes, Bees, yea and the Aſs of a Jew or a Heretick, adoring the Hoſt, and the bees building a wax chappel over it when it was caſually loſt in the field.

2. The worſhip of Saints; when the invocation of Saints was oppoſed in its beginning, and Pope Conſtantine had called a Council at Rome to conſider on it, Ann. 1012. Edwin a Monk of Glouceſter made Oath before the Council that the Virgin Mary appeared to him in a viſion in great glory; commanding him to go to Rome and tell the Pope that it was the command of God that they ſhould worſhip her, pray to her, and erect Temples and Images in honour of her; upon this acknowledgement the Council eſtabliſht the firſt decree for the invocation of her and other Saints: They write whole Legends of Saints, their apparitions, revelations, miracles, and theſe they give to the people to read inſtead of the Scriptures; they alſo read the acts and lying wonders of their Saints, upon their feſtival days in their Churches, always concluding their fabulous narrations with ſuch words: Let us then learn to admire ſuch a Saint, let us pray to ſuch a Saint, p. 129&c. Saint Francis and his-Friars, they ſay, have raiſed above a thouſand men from the dead; their Saints heal all manner of diſeaſes, caſt out Devils, can bring fire from heaven, as they report, and theſe are the proofs of Divine worſhip due to them.

3. Their worſhip of Images, and Reliques of Saints; to this purpoſe they pretend that ſome Images do ſpeak, though it is the Devil or the Prieſt that ſpeaks through them; ſome Images nod their head; ſome hold up their hand, as if they did bleſs the people that pray to them; Mr. Downame ſaith he ſaw an Image of St. Nicholas at Cheſter, who would lift up his hand, as if he bleſt his petitioners, which was done by a ſtring put through the arm, by which the Prieſt draw'd it up. Some Images have bled, they ſay, when they have been abuſed; diſeaſes have been cured and all manner of miracles done, while men have been praying before Images.

4. Purgatory and prayers for the dead: The only proof of this is the apparition of perſons deceaſed, that complain of their torments and beg Maſſes and prayers of their ſurviving friends; to this purpoſe they make great uſe of the Vulcans i. e. p. 130burning Mountains in Italy, Sicily, and the Iſles of the Aeolides, where are heard frequent noiſes of divers kinds, which they tell the people are the gates of Purgatory, and the noiſes the cries of the tormented there. They report of one Birſtan Biſhop of Wincheſter, that as he was walking according to his cuſtome in the Church-yard at midnight, earneſtly praying for the ſouls in Purgatory, when he came to thoſe words requieſcant in pace, let them reſt in peace, he ſuddenly heard the voices of an innumerable company, ſmall and great, in the graves ſay Amen.

5. Their religious orders: St. Benedict, St. Dominick, St. Francis, the founders of ſo many Orders of Friars, and Ignatius Loyola, the Father of the Jeſuites, all obtained both the honour of Saints, and of Founders of religious Orders by many pretended viſions, revelations and miracles; and the opinion of miracles done by Friars, Monks and Nuns, in every generation, is that which keeps up their authority with the people.

Ʋſe. This ſhould warn men to cleave cloſe to Scripture; Revelations and miracles are the engines of deceit, but written truths are manifeſt and expoſed to the conſideration and Tryal of all; and have p. 131been already confirmed by the Prophets, our Saviour and his Apoſties, by very many and unqueſtionable ſigns and miracles; f men will not be content with this, which God hath ſo abundantly teſtified to be his mind and will, it is juſt with him to ſuffer them to be deluded; if there be now any miracles, revelations, or extraordinary impreſſions of the holy ſpirit, they are of private concern, for direction or encouragement in particular caſes, but they are not intended to confirm any doctrine or part of worſhip; ſigns and Tongues, and ſo other miracles are for them that believe not, who have not received the Goſpel, but not to them that believe (1 Cor. 14.21, 22.) who have already been convinced of the truth and fulneſs of the Scriptures, to which God expects they ſhould yield their full aſſent and obedience.

Ver. 10, 11, 12. In them that periſh; becauſe they received not the love of the truth, that they might be ſaved: and for this cauſe God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſion, that they ſhould believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs.

In theſe words we have the ſubject of Antichriſts deluſions, thoſe on whom his p. 132ſigns and lying wonders ſhould have effect, viz. they that periſh; though many of the godly may have been entangled by Popiſh ſuperſtitions, yet none receive them throughly, or give up themſelves to them, but thoſe that are to periſh. Rev. 17.11. They that dwell on the earth wondred after the beaſt, even they whoſe names were not written in the book of life. We have alſo here the reaſon why God ſuffereth ſo many to be delivered to their own deſtruction, viz. becauſe they receive not the love of the truth that they might be ſaved; and this is further amplified foreign, and for this cauſe, viz. becauſe they love not the truth, God ſhall ſend them ſtrong deluſions, foreign, deluſions that ſhall be effectual to make them believe a lie, who believed not the truth, i. e. obeyed not the truth, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs, that ſo they might be damned.

Gods judgements are ſuitable to mens ſins; thoſe that love not the truth, he ſuffereth to loſe the truth, and they that are willing to receive falſe doctrines, and falſe worſhip, that they may more quietly practiſe unrighteouſneſs, God ſuffereth them to have temptations to it, and to be prevailed with by thoſe temptations; p. 133and this is the caſe of the Papal world, becauſe men delight not in the true knowledge of God, to fear him, and be thankful, therefore he gave them up to worſhip Images, and to ſerve the Creatures more than the Creator; as he dealt with the Heathens before them, Rom. 1.21.25. Men lov'd not the knowledge of Chriſt, valued not his love and death, but loved to boaſt of their own wills, abilities and performances, therefore God ſuffered them to loſe the ſound doctrine of juſtification, faith an aſſurance, and to make men and Angels their Mediators, and to truſt in the merits of their own works and ſufferings; men had no pleaſure in holineſs, but in unrighteouſneſs and licentiouſneſs, therefore God ſuffered them to be deprived of the Scriptures the mean and rule of holineſs, and to ſpend their days either in will worſhip, ſuperſtition, and voluntary ſeverities, bodily exerciſe, which profits not, 1 Tim. 4.8. or elſe in all filthineſs and profaneneſs, and yet to delude themſelves with the vain hopes of pardons, indulgencies, diſpenſations, penances, and venial ſins. Moreover becauſe men delighted not in ſpiritual things and heavenly mindedneſs, they were deprived of the true knowledge p. 134of heaven, and the comfortable hopes of Salvation, to be taught to live in endleſs doubts and fears that can never be ſatisfied, and to count it a favour to go to Purgatory at laſt, there to ſuffer ſome thouſands of years the torments of hell, and to believe that their deliverance from thence depends upon the will of Popes and Prieſts, and is to be bought with money. Men were weary of the ſpiritual worſhip of God, Faith and love, prayer and thankſ giving, hearing the word and receiving the Sacraments with a ſerious heart and deſire to profit by them, therefore they are given up to be content to be deprived of Gods word, and to hear little but the lying miracles of feigned Saints and humane Traditions, and commandments of men, alſo to have their prayers and Sacraments in a language they do not underſtand, and to fool themſelves with a belief that the Opus operatuns, their bare preſence at them and performance of the outward work, is ſufficient to ſave them: Laſtly becauſe men were weary of a pious, profitable and learned miniſtry, therefore they are delivered to be enſlaved by a generation of men, for the moſt part, abominably wicked, ignorant, and ſuperſtitious, who deceive the people and are themſelves p. 135deceived: briefly, natural conſcience will not ſuffer men to be content without ſome religion, and ſome hope of a better life, and ſome perſons to inſtruct them in it; but their unruly luſts and affections make them love and chuſe a religion that they may play and trifle with, and ſuch is Popery, where men may ſeem very devout and zealous in external worſhip, and for the Traditions of their fathers, and yet live in all wickedneſs, and notwithſtanding hope to go to heaven.

Ʋſe 1. This may leſſen our wonder that Popery ſhould ſo much prevail upon the world, and that men ſhould be ſo ready to return to it after they have received the knowledge of the truth, and Popery been diſcovered to be falſe and ridiculous to common reaſon: it is the righteous judgement of God to ſuffer them to be deceived who would be deceived, and to ſuffer them to take up a falſe and abſurd religion, who are weary of the true, though moſt excellent and moſt rational: for this reaſon no means can withdraw men from their ſuperſtitious and Idolatrous practices, and from their brutiſh obedience to the Pope and their Prieſts, becauſe God hath given them eyes that cannot ſee, and ears p. 136that cannot hear, and hearts that cannot perceive and underſtand, till he hath executed all his wrath upon them.

2. The beſt means to be preſerved from Popery is to maintain in our ſelves love to the truth. It was want of this that provoked God to give up the world to deluſions, and ſtill to continue it under the power of them in a great meaſure. He that will do the will of him that ſent me, he ſhall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, ſaith our Saviour, John 7.17. Scripture and reaſon will not ſuffer us to receive Popery as a truth, or as any religion; but as a meer humane device to keep up the power of the Pope and his adherents, and ſenſe also will confute ſome of their errors, as Tranſubſtantiation and many of their miracles; but if we love not the truth, intereſt or fear may make us willing to believe a lye and ſubmit to it: unfeigned love of the Goſpel, and a lively ſenſe of ſpiritual things will prevent this, that we ſhall not be willing to let go the truth, and then God will not ſuffer us to be led into errors. If we delight in the knowledge of God, he will never ſuffer us to be bewitcht with Idols, that can neither ſee, nor hear, nor help.

p. 137If Chriſt be precious to us, the chiefeſt of ten thouſands and altogether lovely, God will never ſuffer us to put our confidence in Creatures, as our Mediators, or in our own works, which would deceive us.

If we have pleaſure in drawing night to God; if his word and ordinances be more to us, than our appointed food, our Heavenly Father will not inſtead of it, give us a ſtone of Popiſh auſterities and bodily ſervice, and unintelligible ordinances, much leſs will he give us the Scorpions of their idolatrous worſhip.

If we earneſtly purſue the lively hope of heaven and aſſurance of Gods favour, we ſhall never receive the tormenting deluſion of Purgatory.

And if they that bring the glad tidings of the Goſpel are moſt welcome to us, God will never ſuffer us to be deluded into a ſlaviſh ſubjection to and fears of the Popes Bulls, and an idolatrous Maſs-Prieſt.

Therefore the Apoſtle concludes this diſcourſe, v. 15. Therefore brethren ſtand faſt, and hold the Traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our Epiſtle: And this would be a ground to expect what he prays for in their behalf, v. 16, 17. Now our Lord p. 138Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, and God even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlaſting conſolation, and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts and ſtabliſh you in every good word and work.

FINIS.