Popery Anatomized, Section 27 – Section 28
SECTION XXVII. Concerning Antichrist.
Maſter Johns Concluſion.
ONe thing which I hope will cut off all controverſie, I offer to prove the Pope to be the Antichriſt. And if this be true, then all men that profeſs him, ſecretly or openly, as it is ſaid in the Rev. 14.10. ſhal drink of the wine of the wrath of God.
Master John Welſch, Preacher of Christs Gospel at Kirkubright.
Maſter Gilbert Brown.
If this controverſie of ours ſhal not be cut away while M. John prove the Pope to be the Antichriſt, certainly it will indure ten hundred thouſand years after the Laird of Merchistons doomſday. Then it muſt follow (ſeeing that is a thing impoſſible to be done) that all theſe that will not openly and privatly obey the Pope, and reverence him as the Vicare of Chriſt, becauſe he is choſen by God to rule his Church here on earth, that they muſt drink of the wine of the wrath of God.
Our merciful Lord illuminat M. John with his holy Spirit and grace, that he may underſtand the truth, and receive the ſame, and ſo become a member of his true Church, whereby he may be partaker of the merits of Chriſt, that his ſoul may be ſafe. Amen.
Maſter Gilbert Brown Prieſt, and defender of the Catholick Faith.
Maſter John Welſch his Reply.
It is not impoſſible to prove your Popes to be the Antichriſt. It hath been proved already by the learned on our ſide; to the which, you, and all your Clergy of Rome is not able to anſwer. It hath been taught and ſealed with the blood of infinit number of Chriſtians: And I have not taken ſo long a term, as you have ſet down here; and yet, I hope, I have proved it ſufficiently. Put all your might to diſprove it, if you can. And as to that threatning of yours, M. Gilbert, wherein ye ſay, that all thoſe who will not openly and privatly obey the Pope, &c. muſt drink of the wine of the wrath of God. If it may be believed, then how doth this ſtand firſt with your Popes pardons, whereby he gives men pardon or licence to profeſs, ſubſcribe, and ſwear to our Religion, as it is reported that ſome of your own Religion have confeſſed it? Next, how ſtands it with the diſſimulation of your Jeſuites, and ſeminary Prieſts, when they come to any place where our Religion is openly profeſſed? Thirdly, what comfort is this which ye have pronounced to your own poor Countreymen, who do not openly avow Papiſtrie, but have ſubſcribed and communicat with us? Is this an open profeſſion, or not? And if it be not, if ye be a true Prophet, then muſt they drink of the wine of the wrath of God, then muſt they be condemned in Hell, by your judgement, becauſe they profeſs him not openly. And laſt of all, if this threatning of yours be true, then beſide the many infinit thouſands who profeſs him to be the Antichriſt you condemn to Hell all the Greek and Eaſtern Churches, who in number far exceed them who obey you; and all the Churches that have been ſix hundred years and more after Chriſt: For they obeyed not the Pope openly nor privatly as Chriſts Vicare over them, as I have proved before. And alſo you condemn a number of your Anti-Popes to Hell, with their Cardinals, Biſhops and Churches who followed them: For they gave out themſelves to be Popes, and did not obey the other. As alſo a number of the Fathers of your own Religion, who in two General Councils, the one of Conſtance, where there was almoſt a thouſand Fathers: the other of Baſel, did not obey the Pope, in defining General Councils to be above the Pope. So, if ye ſpeak truth, infinit millions of Chriſtians, in all ages, and innumerable Churches, and thouſands of your own Religion, are condemned to Hell. But this is falſe, M. Gilbert, and who will believe you? And to the end now my concluſion yet holds ſure, That ſeeing his Kingdom is that ſecond beaſt that hath two horns like the Lamb, and ſpeaks like the Dragon, Rev. 13.11. And himſelf is, that man of ſin, and ſon of perdition, that adverſary and Antichriſt that was to come, 2. Theſſ. 2.3.4. And his doctrine, is that Apoſtaſie and abomination ſore-told in the Scripture, Rev. 17. And his ſeat, that Harlot, and myſtical Babylon, that mother of whoredoms, who is drunken with the blood of the Martyrs of Jeſus. Whoſoever receives his mark on his fore-head or hand, that is, openly or privatly, profeſſes obedience unto him, ſhal (as the Angel proclaimed) drink of the wine of the wrath of God, yea of that pure wine in the cup of his wrath, and he ſhal be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy angels, and before the Lamb. And the ſmoak of his torment ſhal aſcend for evermore: and they ſhal have no reſt day nor night which worſhip the beaſt or his image. And as for your prayer, I beſeech God (M. Gilbert) that he may open my eyes, and inlarge my heart to underſtand and imbrace his truth more and more, and to make me to grow up in that ſpiritual communion with Chriſt and his members more and more. But that which ye call truth, is hereſie, and that which ye call the true Church, is Babel: and therefore that doctrine and Church of yours, is that ſtrong deluſion and whore of Babel; with the which, whoſoever ſhal communicat, is excluded from the merits of Chriſt, and ſhal be partaker of her plagues, and finally ſhal be damned.
SECTION XXVIII. That the Pope is Antichrist.
Maſter Gilbert Brown.
IF the Pope be the Antichriſt, what is the cauſe that M. John would not ſet down ſome place out of the Word of God that proves the ſame? But, good Reader, I will let you ſee how far M. John is againſt the Word of God in this, and that by ſome examples only. Firſt, our Savior ſhew unto the Jews, that albeit he came in the name of his Father, yet they would not receive him. If another (ſaith he) ſhal come in his own name, him ye will receive. This no doubt, as Auguſtin expones the ſame, is meant of the Antichriſt, that the Jews ſhal receive. Now it is out of all controverſie, that the Jews never received the Pope: Therefore the Pope is not the Antichriſt. Again, the Pope came never in his own name, but in the Name of Chriſt; for he is called the Vicare of Chriſt, and the ſervant of the ſervants of God: therefore he cannot be the Antichriſt.