A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 59
¶ Agayne of the power of Antichriſt, and howe the fourmer beaſte is worſhipped. The .lix. Sermon.
ANd he did all that the firſte beaſte coulde do in his preſence. And he cauſeth the yearth, and them whiche dwell therein, to worſhip the firſt beaſt whoſe deadly woūde was healed.
The ſecōd beaſte executeth the power of the firſt.Agayne he reaſoneth of the power of the ſeconde beaſte, or Antichriſt and of poperie. He doeth or executeth, ſayeth he, the power of the fourmer beaſte: that is to ſaye, exerciſeth the ſame authoritie, that the old Romane Empire exerciſed. Where he addeth, in his preſence: Aretas expoundeth, in followyng immediately after, and euen in imitatyng the ſame. But what power and authoritie they exerciſed, I declared before in his place, about the beginnyng of this chapt. Therfore as the Romane Emperours ſuppoſed all kyngedomes and prouinces to be theirs, and to appertayne vntounto them: ſo do the Biſhops of Rome make their boaſte that all realmes are theirs. I geue nothing here to affection or hatred. There came forth lately a boke printed at Liōs, of Auguſtinus Steuchus keper of the Popes librarie, in the which he reciteth out of the regiſter of one Gregory (I ſuppoſe the .7.) all the kingdomes of Europe, Spayne, Englande, Fraunce, Denmarke, Hongary. &c. The proprietie whereof apperteyneth to that ſeate of Rome, the vſe vntounto the Princes, Clientes of the ſame ſee. Ful ofte hauehave the Popes aſſayed to bring into ſubiection to them and to their Sea the kingdomes of the Eaſte alſo, and that vnderunder pretence of the holy warre, and recoueryng the Lordes ſepulchre. And like as the olde Romanes vexed with continuall warre the nations that did not acknoweledge or obeye the olde Romane Egles: ſo the See of Rome in our time, and in the memory of our forefathers hath put to buſines and trouble, thoſe kingedomes, and nations and people, that went aboute to reuolte, and would not acknoweldge thoſe double keyes, that is to ſaye two hornes. For who knoweth not with what cruel warres he vexed in times paſt the lande of Boheme? who knoweth not what Germany and England hath ſuffered in fourmer yeres? So verely the ſeconde beaſte exerciſeth gallauntly the Tiranny of the olde beaſt. The olde beaſte ſet forth proclamations concernyng religion, and paiyng of tributes and cuſtomes, and ſo impoueriſhed in a maner all realmes, their richeſſe beyng brought to Rome. And what other thing doeth that ſeate at this daye? what hath it done nowe, to reken the leeſt, theſe fiue hondreth yeres? who therfore doeth not ſee, that the ſeconde beaſte exerciſeth moſt aboūdantly the power of the firſt beaſte? A certen man made verſes in Latin tauntyng the couetouſenes, and diſceiptes of Rome: and where Rome doeth magnifie her ſelfe to be head of the world, which in Latin is Caput, thus ſayeth he:
If Caput come of Capio, which ſignifieth to take
Than maye Rome well be called ſo, whiche doeth nothing forſake.
If you decline Capio Capis, and to the groundes come
Her nettes are large and can not miſſe, to catch both al and ſome.
He addeth hereto an other thing,Who worſhip ye firſt beaſte. that this ſeconde beaſte doeth procure, that they that dwell vponupon Earth ſhould worſhippe the firſt beaſte. Which doubtles we ſee fulfilled in the Popiſſhe kyngedome two wayes. For firſte the Papiſtes hauehave procured, ſuch authoritie and reuerence to the Romane Empire, which they cal both ſacred & holy, that as many as liue at this day, whē they heare but the name of the Romane Empire ſpoken of, doe Imagine a certen diuine thinge, and brought vntounto them from Heauen. I graunt, that there hauehave ben many right noble Princes, godly, and al praiſe worthie, in that ſame Empire: as was Conſtaunt, Conſtantine wyth ſome of his ſonnes, Gratiane, Valentinian, Theodoſe, and diuerſe others. I graunte, that vnderunder theſe and ſuch other like the Empire was holy, and was in dede thempire of Chriſt. For Chriſt was acknowledged with a trewe fayth: and yet we ſee, how the lord Ieſus hath neuertheleſſe, as Daniel hath done alſo, called that Empire a beaſte, doubtles figuratiuely and for the tirannes. Therfore we muſt wiſely and iuſtely attribute to eueryevery one that is his, and not without reſpecte to imbrace and reuerence that blouddy Empire for ſacred and holy. And we hauehave alſo declared before, in what ſorte kingedomes are of God, and howe farre their workes are to be allowed that are in kingedomes. And hereof ſhall be ſpoken a little after yet more plentifully.
Secondly the ſeconde beaſte cauſeth men to worſhip the firſt, herein chiefly,Poperie hath reduced gentiliſme. that Papiſtrie hath brought agayne the heythenniſh maner, the names only chaunged. For I tolde you before, that the firſte beaſte was worſhipped, in this that ſely menne receyued the Romanes religion, and worſhipped Idolles. The heythen did verely confeſſe the high God almightie. but thei ioyned to him many Goddes, vntounto whom they ſubmitted elementes, diſeaſes, Artes, countries, cities, the membres and partes of man, and ſuch other like things. Aeolus was God of the windes, and Neptune of the Sea, Pluto ruled in Earth, Mars was God of warre, Minerua and Apollo of artes, Aeſculapius ouer diſeaſes, Hercules and many moe. Venus was lady of LoueLove, and the Goddeſſe Iuno of mariage. Nother was there any membre in the body, that had not his God: ſo had all Countries and Cities theyr ſauyng goddes, and eueryevery houſe their domeſtical Goddes. To them afterwarde they framed Idolles, that is tokens and memorialles, whiche might bryng thoſe heauenly goddes into the memorie of the Earthly dwellers. They builded for thē chapelles and churches, they inſtituted prieſtes, holy daies, rites and Ceremonies. Theſe things are foūde in the bokes of the gentiles, & in our hiſtories, and alſo in their writinges, which hauehave cōfuted the heythen Idolaters. But in the popiſh kingdome at this day, the names beyng only chaunged, who can denie, that the ſame culte, the ſame religion, naye very ſuperſtitiō is not renewed? of theſe thinges I hauehave treated at large in my booke De origine erroris. The Papiſtes teache, that the Sainctes in heauen reigne with God, and that to them are ſubiecte ſickeneſſes, artes, limmes or membres, cities and althinges, and muſte therfore be called vponupon and worſhipped. Sainctes are expreſſed and repreſented by Images, to theſe Images are erected Aultars and churches: briefly, it is done to them, that was done to the Goddes and Idolles of the Heythen. Who therefore vnderſtandeth not nowe, that Antichriſt hath procured, that the firſt beaſte might be worſhipped, that is to witte, mighte be of force agayne, and that the olde Idolatrie and ſuperſtitiouſe worſhippyng might be renewed and frequented?Who worſhip ye firſt beaſte vnderunder the ſeconde.
And as we hauehave red it to be ſayed before, and they worſhipped him all that dwell in Earth, whoſe names are not written in the booke of life of the Lābe: ſo ſayeth he alſo here plainely, and he cauſeth the Earth, and the inhabiters of the Earth, that is they that ſeke & regarde only earthly thinges, to worſhippe the firſte beaſte. For all be not polluted with popiſh Idolatrie. For hereunto apperteyneth the noble hiſtorie of Leo the thirde Emperour, and Gregory the ſeconde, and of other Popes, through whoſe wickednes Idolatrie was agayne brought into the church: which I wrote of long ſins in my worke De origine erroris.
Nother with out a miſterie is this hereunto annexed,Whoſe deadly wounde is healed. whoſe deadly plague was healed. For he ſemeth to compare together the firſte and ſeconde beaſte, and to ſhewe the lickenes of the ſame. And I tolde you, howe many menne at the firſte were kepte ſtill in the Romanes errours and Idolatrie, for that the Goddes, by Veſpaſians meanes, were ſayed to hauehave preſerued the common welth, whiche els with ciuile warres was as it were brought to ruine. Finally we reade in ſtories, that the Empire of Rome hath many times receiued deadly woundes: but yet by and by, through the wiſedome and valeauntnes of ſome noble men, the Goddes (as they ſpeake) ſo willyng, hauehave ben healed againe. In that nō bre are rekened Lucius Septimius Seuerus, Valerius Aurelianus, C. Aurel. Val. Diocletian, &c. By whoſe lucky ſucceſſe, triumphes, and victories to the Empire reſtored, many hauehave ben moued to ſaye, who ſeeth not, that Rome ſhal be eternal, and that the Romane religion is to the Goddes moſt acceptable, and that the Emperours alſo and publicke weale is indued with a certen deitie, and is to be honoured? after the ſame ſorte the kyngedome of the Pope or Antichriſt hauing tried moſte diuerſe chaunces, hath very ofte eſcaped out of deſperate daungers. Force and policie hath afflicted it, and alſo the religion of Henry the .3. Emperour, and of his ſonne Henry the .4. Fridericke the firſt and ſecond vexed the popes. There were alſo other mightie Princes, whiche inflicted mortall woundes to the See of Rome.
Agane there were Biſhoppes of Rome which with ſingular craftes hauehave cured their woundes agayne:The woū des of Antichriſte healed. of the whiche ſorte was Gregory the .7. Vrbane ye .2. Paſchalis the .2. Calixtus the .2. Alexander the .3. Innocentius the .3. Honorius the .3. Gregory the .9. Clement the .4. & .5. Boniface the .8. Iohn the .22. and diuerſe others. But was not that feate in greateſt perill in times paſte, when three Popes were created at ones: whereof one was reſident at Rome, the ſeconde went to Auignon in Fraunce, and the thirde liued in Spayne? But all theſe three putte downe by the power, diligence, authoritie and policie of the Emperour Sigiſmunde, and the counſel of Conſtaūce, that deadly wounde was fayre healed in Martin the .5. And this felicitie, and reſtoryng the Popiſh kingedome, perſwadeth many effectually, that poperie is of God, and the popiſhe religiō to be moſt certen and trewe: as that which hath ſo ofte ben of mightie princes aſſayled, might in dede be ſhaken, but neuer yet ouerthrowen. The acclamation of all the Romiſhe is knowen: the ſhippe of S. Peter is toſſed in dede with ſtormes, but can neuer be drouned. But Daniel him ſelf alſo hath prophecied that this ſhuld ſo come to paſſe, ſaiyng: and he ſhall proſper, and ſhal doe what he will, and ſhall kill the ſtrong and holy people, at his pleaſure, and guyle ſhalbe directed in his hande. Whiche thinges they doe not marke, whiche are at this daye ſo much offended with the felicitie of that chayre of peſtilence, and the beaſte therof. Therfore like as the dayes of mourning, and ſoden deſtruction came vponupon olde Rome, and vtterly deſtroied both the citie and Empire: euen ſo ſhal we heare in the .17. and .18. chapt. That Babilon ſhal hauehave her fatall deſtenies. The Lorde Ieſus confirme vsus in the faith of Ieſus Chriſte, and deliuer vsus from the guiles, lucky ſucceſſe, and felicitie of that Romiſh Antichriſt. Amen.