A Hundred Sermons on Revelation, Sermons · Sermon 58
¶ Of an other beaſt, which cometh vp out of the Earth: that is to ſaye, of Antichriſt. The .lviij. Sermon.
ANd I behelde an other bea… c… vp out of the Earth and he had two hornes like a lambe: and he ſpake as did the Dragon.
The Apoſtle S. Paule playnely teſtifieth,What is thende of this prophecie. Rom. 15. ſuch thinges as are written to be written for our learnyng, that through the patience & conſolation of the ſcriptures we maye hauehave hope: wherfore we muſt alſo applie therunto theſe things preſent. For Chriſt the lord of all, when he foreſawe how greatly ſathan ſhould by his choſen membres the olde and newe Romane Empire, afflicte the church, would hauehave vsus dilligently admoniſhed of eueryevery thing, to the intent that al afflicted perſones ſhould hereof learne patience, and conceaue comforte and hope, and not be diſcouraged with the heauy burthen of euilles. Like as he hath therfore diligently deſcribed the olde Romane Empire, and ſhewed as it were p…yntyng with the fingar what miſchief it ſhould worke to the church, & admoniſſhed al to hauehave faith & patience: right ſo wil he from hence forth deſcribe poperie or Antichriſtianiſme, in ye which deſcriptiō he ſetteth forth before our eyes, what ſo euer the ſainctes ſhall ſuffer: that beyng warned before, they maye abide more manfully perſecution, and leſſe yelde to miſchauntes.
The ſecōd beaſte cometh not forth tyll the firſt be taken awaye.And in goodly order beginneth he to ſette forth Antichriſt after the Romane Empire torne and taken awaye. For Daniel ſayeth, that a little and ſmall horne ſhoulde arriſe vp emonges the ten hornes, and three of thoſe hornes to poole downe, plucke of, and caſte awaye, and ſo to atteyne vntounto greate power. For he ſignifieth, that the Romane Empire beyng diuided, and brought now vntounto decaie Antichriſt ſhal arriſe, whiche ſhould procure to himſelfe a newe, and countrefet Empire. And S. Paule ſayeth alſo, that Chriſte ſhall not come vntounto iudgement, till Antichriſt hauehave gone before: and that he ſhall not come nother, vnleſſe this be firſte taken awaye, whiche hindereth and letteth, that he can not come. The whiche S. Hierome and other holy expoſitours do vnderſtande of the Romane Empire,2. Theſſ. 2. whiche muſte be plucked vp, and taken awaye, and that then ſhall Antichriſt arriſe. But the Maieſtie of the Empire was diſtroyed aboute the yere of our Lorde .480. when Odacer inuaded Rome. For from that time by the ſpace of .300. yeres and more, ther was no Emperour of the Weſte after Auguſtulus. And beſides this vnderunder the Emperour Iuſtinian, Rome was brente and layde waſte of Totila. Sins the whiche time the Biſſhoppes of Rome hauehave begonne to loke a lofte, and to thinke vponupon a newe kingedome.
The ſecōd beaſte of ye Earth.And therefore the Lorde ſayeth, that this beaſte arriſeth of the very earth. The kyngedome of our lorde Ieſus Chriſte cometh from heauen, and bringeth to heauen. Papiſtrie cometh nother of Chriſt, nor of his doctrine, but cometh out of the Earth: that is to witte, of euill meanes, Ambition, auarice, treaſon and crueltie. What miniſters of the churche Chriſt ordeyned, is eaſely perceyued by the Goſpell of Ieſu Chriſt. That he forbadde them gouernement, ſupremacie, ſuperiorite and maioritie (as they terme it) appereth of the .18. and .20. chapt. of S. Matthew. and .22. of Luk…. Therefore do the Actes of Apoſtles, and the doctrine of Peter teſtifie, that Peter was a Miniſter, and not Lorde of the Apoſtles, muche leſſe Prince of the citie or Empire of Rome. For they lye lowde, that ſaye, howe Rome and Italy are the Patrimonie of S. Peter, geuen him of the Lorde. At the firſt the Apoſtles, and Apoſtolicall men, miniſters of churches, gouerned the churches equallye, neyther ded one take vponupon him more preheminence than an other. Which thyng I am able to proue, by many teſtimonies of auncient wryters, yf nede requyred. Aboute the counſell of Nice, and a litle before that tyme, when churches were greatly multiplied, were ordeyned, and cuſtumably receyued Metropolitanes, inſtituted in dede by a laudable (but yet mannes) ordinaunce: that is to witte, in a certen prouince or head citie was ordeyned a Byſhop or Paſtor, which ſhoulde hauehave as it were, thē ouerſighte of the reſte, and ſhoulde ſerue for the calling of Synodes or aſſemblees. Yet was it than dilligently prouided, that he ſhoulde not be called Primate: leeſte any manne ſhould thinke himſelfe preferred before others in power, but in order. Nother was the Byſhop of Rome at that tyme, exalted aboue all others: but there were dyuerſe Metropolitanes, whereof the byſhop Rome was one. The Niceyue counſell confyrmed that ſame cuſtome, and woulde hauehave it ratified. Socrates in his eccleſiaſtical Hiſtorie the .5. boke the .8. chapt. reciteth many Metropolitane churches in Aſia. S. Hierome to Euagrius, and in an epiſtle to Titus ſayeth playnely, that in oulde tyme churches were gouerned by the common counſell of prieſtes or elders, and that time Byſhops and prieſtes were all one: After by the cuſtome of the church, not of the veritie of the Lordes ordinaūce (I rehearce Saincte Hieromes wordes) Byſhops were preferred before prieſtes, yet muſte they gouerne churches together.
And of that ſame cuſtome,Howe the Biſſhop of rome came to his ſupremacie. yea rather of the abuſe of the cuſtome, Antichriſt had his beginning. For Boniface Biſhop of Rome began fyrſte to take vppon him dominion ouer the churches of Affricke. But he was immediatelye repreſſed by the ſixte Affricane coūcell, where at Sainte Auſten is red alſo to hauehave bene: After that, began alſo the Byſhop of Cōſtantinople to chalenge to himſelfe the Supremacie, for this cauſe chiefelie, that Conſtantinople was than the courtelyke Palace, and chiefe Citie of the Empyre. Howe beit here certen Byſhoppes ded reſiſte him: emonges whome was Leo, Biſhoppe of ould Rome. There remayne certen Epiſtles of his to the Emperour of Conſtantinople, to the Byſhops of the Eaſte, and to others. So was this trouble for that tyme alſo appeaſed. But ſtreight way an other Byſhop of Conſtantinople blynded wyth Ambition, requyred a freſh, to hauehave the ſupremacie geuen hym. Whome Pelagius and Gregory Byſhoppes of Rome wythſtood: And this later ſo impugned the ſupremacie of the Patriarch of Conſtantinople, that he ſticked not to call him the vauntcurrour of Antichriſt, which woulde vſurpe the tytle of generall byſhop. There remayne not a fewe epiſtles wrytten of this matter, in his regiſter.
Neuertheleſſe a fewe yeares after, when the Byſhoppes of Rome were ſore affrayde, leeſte that dignitie ſhulde be geuen to the byſhoppes of Conſtantinople, Boniface the .3. obteyned of themperour Phocas a parricide, that he which was biſhop of old Rome, might be taken for the vniuerſal biſhop, and Rome for the head of al churches: which conſtitution ſet vp the Pope in Authoritie,Apoſtolicall. that he was nowe, taken of the moſte parte of the weſt Biſhops for Apoſtolicall, and manie matters brought before him to determine: whereby he got the fauour of many Princes, chieflie of Fraunce, by whoſe ayde he droue oute of Italie both the Emperour of Grece, and kinges of Lumbardie, and brought Rome, and the beſte & moſt floriſhing partes of Italie vnderunder his own ſubiection. Thus I ſaye out of the earth cometh vp the ſeconde beaſte.
Beaſte.Furthermore, Chriſte callth the Romiſh papiſtrie beaſte, for that in Auarice, Couetouſneſſe, Tyrannie, Crueltie, and euen in beaſtlineſſe, he differeth nothing from the olde beaſt, of whome I hauehave ſpoken before.
Hitherto of the originall of Antichriſt or Pope, and of the newe Empyre: furthermore S. Ihon procedeth to deſcrybe that ſecond beaſt lyuelie, that we ſhuld al know and eſchewe the ſame: and fyrſt he reaſoneth of the power of Antichriſte.
The beaſt had two hornes.That other beaſte, ſayeth he, had two hornes: and he addeth, lyke a lambe. For of them is ſpoken in the fifte chapter of this boke. And the Lord ſignifieth the prieſthod and kingdome, whyche the Popes vſurpe to themſelues, affyrmynge that power is geuen them in Heauen and in Earth, in ſpirituall matters and temporal. For therefore they geue in their Armes two Keyes, that is to ſaie two hornes: They boaſte that they hauehave two ſwoordes. Of the which blaſphemies, he that wyll be fullye inſtructed, let him reade the wordes of the beaſtes of Boniface .8. in the ſixte Decret. of maiorit. and obediēce. One holy: agayne Clement .5. ſecond boke of othes: finally Gregorie .9. or rather the firſt boke of Innocent the .3.33. tit. de maior. & obedient. All Hiſtories make mention that Boniface the .8. ded in the yeare of our Lorde .1300. inſtitute the firſt Iubeley, and in the ſame opēly before the people to hauehave ſhewed in the way of oſtentation the Pontifical and Emperiall maieſtie, whyleſt on the one day he appeared in the apparel of a Byſhop, on the other hauing put on purple robes ſhewed himſelfe to the people like an Emperour. They caried before him two ſwordes. And he himſelf cried, lo here are two ſwordes: as though he ſhoulde poincte with his fingar to the whole worlde, that he and certen of his predeceſſours and all his ſucceſſours, were that two horned beaſte. What ſhall we ſaie that all biſhops by him conſecrated, weare vponupon their heades miters or two horned caps. Vnleſſe therfore we be blynder than was Tyreſias, we ſee with our eyes, who is that great Antichriſte.
And here we muſte obſerue, that he ſayeth not,Lyke a lambe…. that thoſe ar the hornes of a lambe. For Chriſt kepeth ſtil both the prieſthod and kingdome with the faithful in the church: nother doeth he reſigne the ſame to any other, he hath appointed no Vycar. For he executeth continuallie at the righte hande of the Father, the offices both of King and Biſhoppe, and this all faithfull fele with ioye. He ſayeth therefore, lyke a lambes. For the Pope wyll make all men beleue, that he hath receiued of Chriſt Prieſthod, and Empire, that he is Chriſtes Vycar: wher he is nothyng leſſe. He bragth eueryevery where, that he is the great ſhepparde, and hath receyued the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen: And that of the very lambe of God, in the Apoſtle Saincte Peter: and therefore that all Biſhoppes are ſubiecte to him, finallie, al Kynges, Princes, and people.
He procedeth to ſhewe moreouer,He ſpake as the Dragon. what the talke of Antichriſte is, what is his doctryne, and what is his ſpeach. He ſpake, ſayeth he, as ded the Dragon. The Dragon is the Deuyll, as before is playnelie ſhewed. Therefore he aſcribeth to Antichryſte or Popery, Diabolicall doctrine, or a deuyllyſh mouth or toungue. We muſte ſee therefore, howe the deuyll ſpeaketh: that we may ſo vnderſtande rightlie, howe Antichriſte ſpeaketh. In Paradiſe he ſo tempereth his talke, that he calleth in doubte the certentie and veritie of Gods word, and by that occaſion placeth his owne worde, in ſteade of the worde of God. Is it ſo, ſayth the Deuyll, hath God forbydden you,Geneſis .3. vnderunder perill of your life, that ye ſhoulde not eate of the fruicte of the tree of knowledge of good & euil? yea rather yf ye eate therof, ye ſhall be made lyke vntounto God. And after the ſame ſorte Antichriſte in his Poperie bringeth the veritie of the Scripture in doubte, which by all meanes poſſible he diſfameth as vnperfecte, maymed, obſcure, and doubtefull. And by and by vponupon that occaſion, he bringeth in his traditions, & decrees, wherewith he maye patch vp that, which he contendeth to want in the Scriptures. But in his traditions he affirmeth thinges contrary to Gods worde and ſo diſceaueth men. And all men knowe, that hauehave any ſkill of popyſh matters, that the fyrſte and chiefe principle and foundation of Papiſtrie is, that the Scriptures are vnperfecte and obſcure, and therefore to hauehave nede of traditions. Moreouer the Dragon ſpeaketh openlie againſt the lawes of God: and ſo doeth the Pope manifeſtelye. God wyll be worſhypped alone: the Pope addeth to him Sainctes. God forbyddeth Idolles and Idolatrie: the pope cōmaundeth them playnely. God wyll hauehave his name to be ſanctified, and his name to be ſworne by onelyonly: the Pope by diſpenſing with othes, polluteth the name of the Lorde, and commaūdeth vsus to ſweare by the names of Gods. God commaūdeth vsus to kepe holie the Sabboth daye: The Pope bringeth this in contempte, ſetteth forth his owne holy daies, and maketh double feaſtes. God commaūdeth vsus to honor our parents: This doeth the Pope abbrogate, and commaundeth to make more of Abbotes and Abbeſſes. God commaundeth, thou ſhalt not kyll, thou ſhalt not commit aduoutrie, or ſteale: The Pope graunteth moſte ample indulgences and pardons to his ſoldiours for raſh warres, made at his wyll and pleaſure: ſpoyleth with his ſacrileges al churches: and he with his mayden prieſtes fylleth all the world with aduoutries, whoredomes, to ſpeake in the meane time of nothing els more filthie. And where God forbiddeth lies, and falſe witnes: the Pope, and his whole doctrine (which he ſetteth forth beſides the Scripture) is ſowed of lies: and not only he diſpenſeth with falſe witneſſes, but permitteth alſo to breake ſafe conduites and publicke fayth geuen, and yf he hate the Prince, abſolueth the ſubiectes from the othe of their fidelitie and obedience: geueth libertie to al cōcupiſcences, and maketh lawes, which nurriſſhe the deſires of the fleſſhe. And whiche ſhall be the Dragons mouth, yf this be not it?Math. 4. The Dragon moreouer is red to hauehave ſpoken and ſayed to the Lorde: all theſe thinges will I geue thee (for he ſhewed him the kingedomes of the worlde) yf thou wilt falle downe and worſhippe me. What other thing ſpeaketh the Pope? doeth he not inriche his obedient children with the Riches of this worlde, eſpecially ſuch as will fall downe and kiſſe his fete? I ſuppoſe the Deuill would neuer be ſo ſhameles, as to offer to the Lorde his fote to kiſſe: but that beaſte in the ſighte of God and his Aungelles, and of al the world, dare put out his fote, marked (not with out a great mockery) with the ſigne of the Croſſe, and profer it to be kiſſed of all the childrē of God. I can not bring forth the horrible and innumerable blaſphemies out of the decrees and decretalles. For I am aſhamed of ſuch vngodlines. Who therefore wil not acknowledge that Sathan him ſelfe doeth in this beaſte reigne and rage? God ſhortely confounde the ſame. Amen. Amen.