Answer to a Popish Pamphlet Called the Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel, Part 2 · Subpart 13 – Subpart 14
13. THat Antichriſt ſhall not be a particulare man, and that the Pope is Antichriſt.
VVHichWhich he ſayeth is contrary to 2. Theſſ. 2. 3. where he is called, That man of ſinne, &c. and therefore a particulare man onlie. Whereunto I anſwere in the Ieſuit Ribera's words on Revel. 17. 10. That it is not unuſuall in Scripture, that by one man, many the like and of the ſame incorporation are ſignified, (ſayeth hee) which he proveth out of Math. 22. 11. where, by One man that wanted the wedding garment many ſuch are ſignified, and out of Dan. 7. where, by the King of the Medes and Perſians, not any individuall and one onlie perſon is ſignified, but the whole ſucceſſion of theſe Kings one after another. likewiſe by the cōſent of all Romaniſts, that ſpeech 2. Theſſ. 2. 7. wher it is ſaid, (Onlie he who now letteth, will let, till he be taken out of the way) is to be underſtood, not of an individuall Roman Emperour onelie, but of the whole ſucceſſion of the old Roman Emperours then reſident at Rome, in their full integrity. Yea, the papiſts even now, when they ſay, that the Pope is Chriſts vicar, they meane not this or that Pope onlie, but the whole ſucceſſion of ſuch one after another.
The ſecond place is Revel. 13. 18. Where the number 666. is called the number of a man, whence hee concludeth That Antichriſt ſhall be one onlie individuall man. To which I anſwere, that from the number of a man, 666. to argue to the ſingularitie of a perſon, is a bad conſequence, but by this number the Ieſuite Ribera teacheth us better, that Ireneus who lived neare to the Apoſtles times, according to the cō putation by the greek letters, found it out, to be Lateinos or Roman, as their Church is called at this day, Eccleſia latina ſeu Romana, and the Pope Papa Romanus, &c.
The third place is, 1. Iohn 2. 22. That Antichriſt denyeth the Father & the Sonne, which the Pope doeth not. Whereunto I anſwere 1. That the word (Antichriſt) is ſomtimes taken generallie, for all theſe who openlie & avowedly oppoſe Chriſt and his trueth, and of ſuch the Apoſtle Iohn ſpeaketh verſe 18. That even in his time there were many Antichriſts. And ſomtimes it is taken more ſtrictlie, as 2. Theſſ. 2. for that great Antichriſt to come, & wherby is ſignified the ſucceſſion of ſuch, who under the profeſsion of the Chriſtian name. ſhall notwithſtanding oppoſe Chriſts trueth, by all deceavablneſſe of unrighteouſnes, and in deepeſt hypocriſie working in a myſterie, and therefore is ſaid to bee herned like the lamb, but to ſpeake like the dragon. And in this ſenſe we ſay, that the Pope is Antichriſt. 2. Hee who denyeth the ſonne, is ſaid to deny the Father, as wee ſee, 1. Iohn 2. 23. Now the Sonne is denyed either directlie and in expreſſe words, or indirectlie, by conſequence or in deeds (as Auguſtin ſpeaketh, lib. contra Donatiſtas) & that this way the Pope denyeth the ſonne in the veritie of his humane Nature by their tranſſubſtantiation, and in all his three offices, as ſole King of his Church, ſole Prieſt and ſole Prophet, by many learned divines hath beene clearlie proven, the Pope alſo claiming all theſe three▪ a▪ Monarch of his Church on earth, high Prieſt, and infallible Prophet therof.
The fourth place which he bringeth is, 2. Theſſ. 2. 4. where it is ſaid, That Antichriſt ſhall exalt himſelf aboue all that are called gods. To which I anſwere, that this place rather clearly proyeth him to be Antichriſt, it being evident that Princes and Kings are called ſo, Pſal. 82. 6. and it is notour, both by doctrine and practiſe, that the Pope exalteth himſelf above all ſuch, as wee may ſee (Extravag. lib. 1. tit. 8. cap. Ʋnam S…nctam.) to the very making them kiſſe his feet, depoſing them, and treading on their necks, as Alexander the third did to the Emperour Frederick, and as I hauehave ſhowne at large in my late Treatiſe Of Antichriſt, painted and poynted out in his true colours.
The fifth place which he bringes, is, 2. Theſſ. 2. 8. which ſayeth, That our Lord Jeſus ſhall kill him with the spirit of his mouth at his comming, which agreeth no more to the Pope he) then That Chriſt is come the ſecond time. To which place I anſwer, 1. That this deceatfull Seducer dealeth moſt falſlie and fraudfullie in citing theſe words, as if they were the words of our Bible, whereas the words of our Tranſlation according to the originall are theſe, Whom our Lord ſhall conſume with the spirit of his mouth, & deſtroy with the brightnes of his cōming, and in the Rhemes tranſlation, it is thus, whom our Lord Ieſus ſhall kill with the spirit of his mouth, and ſhall deſtroy with the manifeſtation of his advent. So that the Apoſtle maketh two degrees of his deſtruction, The firſt whereof he calleth a conſumption by the ſpirit of his mouth, & a conſumption we know is a lingring diſeaſe, whereby one waſteth away piece and piece. And this is by the spirit of Gods mouth, whereby is ſignified Gods Word, as wee ſee Gal. 3. 5. 1. Tim. 4. and 1. 1 Iohn 4. 1. And this conſuming of Antichriſt by this meane, by the preaching of the everlaſting goſpell Revel 14. 6. we ſee (praiſed be God) in a good meaſure performed. The ſecond degree he calleth the deſtroying of him altogether by the brightnes, or (as the Rhemiſts ſpeake) by the manifeſtatiō of his cōming. which wee hope in God alſo is drawing verie near.
The laſt place which he bringeth, is Iohn 5. 43. I am come in my Fathers name & ye receive me not, if another ſhall come in his owne name, him yee will receive. To which I anſwer, 1. That our Saviour ſpeaketh not of Antichriſt ſtrictlie taken, and by way of eminencie, as he is deſcribed by Paull, 2. Theſſ. 24. who was to come and appeare after the diſſolving of the ancient Romā Empire, but of falſe Prophets that were ſhortlie after Chriſts aſcenſion to ariſe, to deceiue the incredulous Iewes, (as hiſtories report) becauſe they did not beleive, but rejected the true Meſsias. And this their owne Ferus declareth to bee the meaning of the place, and diverſe other Romaniſts.
2. We ſee that the jewiſh Nation onlie were to receive theſe of whō our Saviour ſpeaketh. But Antichriſt (of whō the Apoſtle ſpeakes 2. Theſſ. 2.) was to be an univerſall deceiver of multituds, of peoples, of nations and tongues, which (Revel. 17. 15.) are called the waters whereon the Whoore ſitteth, and whereunto the papall title of Ʋniverſall Biſhop doth therefore properlie agree.
14. THat none but God cā forgive ſinnes.
VVHichWhich he ſayeth is contrary to Iohn 20. 23. where it is ſaid, Whoſe ſinnes yee forgive are forgiven them, and Math. 9. 8. wher it is ſaid, When the multitude ſaw it, they marvelled & glorified God which had given ſuch power to men. To which I anſwere, that this place of Iohn, proveth onlie a Miniſteriall power given by Chriſt to his Apoſtles and their ſucceſſours, which we deny not, and which his owne words alſo on Math. 9. 8. doth only grant unto them, ſaying, Which tho they (to wit the multitude) knew to appertaine to God onlie by nature, yet they perceived that it might be done by mans Miniſtrie on earth.
Wherfore we ſay 1. with Ambroſe (lib. 3. deſp. Sancto c. 19. Men (ſays he) doeth onlie afford their Miniſtrie to the remiſsion of ſinnes, but they exerciſe not any right of authoritie. Iſtirogant, Divinitas donat (ſayeth hee) that is, They ſeeke it, but God giveth it, 2. Lombard alſo their Maſter of ſentences teacheth, how God only forgiveth ſinnes properlie, & men Miniſteriallie, ſaying, lib. 4. ſent. diſt. 18. God onlie remitteth and retaineth ſinnes, and yet he hath given power to the Church to do ſo, but Hee remitteth and retaineth otherwiſe than the Church. For he remitteth ſins onlie by himſelf (ſayeth he) becauſe he purgeth the ſoule from the inward ſpot thereof, and delivereth it from the debt of eternall death. But he hath not given this power to Prieſts, notwithſtanding, he hath given them power of binding and looſing, that is, (ſayeth he) of declaring that men ar bound or looſed, as the Prieſt declareth the Leper to be cleane, whom firſt the Lord had cured and made cleane. And therefore this is their Commiſsion to preach repentance and remiſsion of ſinnes in Chriſts Name. Luke 24. & Act. 13. 38. And this Miniſteriall power is that onlie which the Fathers whō he citeth doth prove as out of Ambroſe I hauehave alreadie ſhowne.