History of the First Ten Persecutions

A TREATISE, Of the Uniuersall Bishop.

A MBITION is a reproueable fault in all men especially in men who are Preachers of the humility of Christ: Yea, and the time wherein ambition got the greatest upper-hand in the Church, was the time wherein the Antichrist sat in the Temple of God, extolling himself against all thing that is called God. When I read the confession of Augustine, I find no fault that he damneth in himself (before his conversion) more vehemently, than the fault of ambition, and desire of vain glory: comparing his own estate with the estate of a beggar whom he saw at Millane overcome with wine. In some things he was like unto that beggar, in other things he was vnlikethee was like in this, that the beggar was both miserable and he rejoiced in his misery: the like Augustine saith of himself, that he likewise was miserable. and delited in his misery: but the difference stood in three things: The beggar was drunken with wine, but Augustine was drunken with a desire of vain glory: Secondly, the money wherewith the beggar had bought the wine wherewith he was over-come, he had gotten it by begging: but the vain glory wherewith Augustine was over-come, he had gained it by flattery and lies: Thirdly, the drunken beggar, when he had slept a short time, his drunkenness departed from him: but the desire of vain glory was daily augmented in Augustine, until the time came that God would renew him according to his own likeness, When this vile sin defiled the chair of Constantinople, and the chair of Rome, greater desolation followed than was under the reign of Honorius, when the town of Rome was set on fire: or under the reign of Arcadius, when Constantinole was shaken with earth-quake.

The short Treatise which I set forth concerning the supremacy of the B. of Rome, in the 3. Century, was to declare, that the foresaid supremacy was not countenanced with such antiquity as the Remane Church do brag of: but now is the due time, & proper place, to speak more largely of the magnifick style of y ^e Uniuersall bishop.

In this Treatise, God willing, I shall declare, that the honorable title of Uniuersall Bishop is only due to Christ: Secondly, that the bishops of Rome sought this preferment dishonestly: and when they had obtained it, they fsed it more vnhonestile & tyrannously: and thirdly, that he who usurpeth this honor due to Christ only, may justly be called the Antichrist: Not that I have intention to confound these two Treatises of the Uniuersall bishop, and of the Antichrist, but only to make the one a prerparation to the other.

Now the Great and Uniuersall Bisoph of our fowls, as holy Scripture describeth him, is he only who hath broken down the partition wall, and who hath made both Jew & Gemile one House-hold and family of God, and he who hath made them both both one Sheep-fold, like as there is but one great Shepherd, & he who giveth his life for his Sheep, & who knoweth them all by their names, and who giveth unto them all eternal life. This descriptiō pointeth out unto us no man except Jesus Christ, the Son of God only. The B. of Rome is so far from conferring eternal life unto all the Sheep of God, that he knoweth not them all by their names: yea, further than this, no bishop of Rome ever knew all the Sheep of God in the town of Rome by th •… ir names: how much less could they know all the Sheep of God dispersed upon the face of the whole world?

It may be objected, that like as Christ conferreth his own names unto his servants, whom he hath appointed to gath •… r his Sheep to his Sheep-fold: so in like manner, without sacrilege and robbery they may accept the names of Christ: as namely Christ, he calleth his disciples the Lights of the world, yet it is perfectly known, that Christ only is the true Light, who lighteneth every man, who cometh into the world. To this I answer, That it is the labor of curious & idle men, to dispute upon names, whē as in substance & matter there is no disagreement. No man doth offend when the Apostles are called lights, because they are neither equalled nor matched with Christ, but only the liberality of Christ is commended, who out of y ^e plenitude of his light bestoweth a portion upon his servants, to conserve light in the house of God. But when the B. of Rome is called Uniuersall Bishop, so many other perogatives are linked with this title, that he is equalled with Christ: as namely, That he is a lawgiver, he cannot err in matters of faith, he may dispense with the law of God, he may correct y ^e very testamentall legacy of Christ, & ordain the holy Sacrament of y ^e Supper to be otherwise administered than the institution of Christ beareth. Now is y ^e question not of words only, (which oft times being lenified & mollified by y ^e dulcenesse of tolerable interpretations, are over-passed for the peace of the Church) but the question betwixt us and the Roman Church is of matter & substance, and of the very honor only belonging to Christ. If it had been y ^e purpose of Christ to make mortal man on earth his Vicare he had done to y ^t person as Pharo did to Joseph, that is, he had plucked y ^e ring from his own finger, & put it upon y ^e finger of his Vicare, so that y ^e sight of Christ's ring (that is, of power to cōfer eternal life to all Christ's Sheep) had been an undoubted token, that Christ had indeed constituted him his Vicare on earth.

As touching the Apostle Peter, to whom the feeding of Christ's Sheep was recommended, it is to be considered, that Peter in th •… se words, Feede my Sheep, was not preferred to the rest of the Apostles: yea, rather, it was a great benefit to Peter to be restored to the dignity of his Apostleship, from which he had fallen by his three-fold denial of Christ, and to be made equal again with the rest of his brethren. But the Roman Church can never hear a word of Christ spoken to Peter, but it soundeth in their ears, as if Christ were breathing the superiority of Peter over the rest of the Apostles. So did Pope Leo, the first with the grandeur of his speeches, so oft iterate that one sentence, Tu es Petrus, & super hac petra, &c. that is, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church: as if the whole world should have stowped at the roaring of him who was a Lion only by name. Nevertheless, whatsoever Leo speaketh in the loftiness of his partial conceits, the opinions of the ancient Fathers have over-swayed the conceits of Leo: And we are fully persuaded, that Christ recommended the feeding of his sheep to all his Apostles, as well as he did to Peter.

Then let the name of the high Bishop, and great Sheepheard of our souls, only remain with Christ, who is only worthy of such high dignity: For like as many comforters came out of Jerusalem, to comfort the two sisters, Martha and Marie, who lamented for the death of their brother Lazarus, yet there was but only one great comforter, to wit, Jesus Christ, who could raise Lazarus out of the grave, & restore him to life again: Even so, there are many bishops, but there is only one great and universal Bishop, who can confer eternal life to all that believe in him. Let this royal garment be laid up in the Kings wardrope, and let none other man honor his own body with it: Let this oil of consecration be kept in the Lord's Sanctuary, and let not the flesh of a stranger be anointed with it: Let this inaccessible dignity remain as a fixed star in heaven, whereunto no mortal man can reach his hand: Let the death, resurrection, ascension, and glorious sitting of Christ in heaven, at the right hand of his Father, budding forth better fruit than the rod of Aaron did, testify, that this honor of the great Bishop of our souls belongeth only to Christ: And finally, Let him who only is called the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of Prophets, be counted also the Bishop of all bishops, who is worthy to be glorified forever, AMEN.

Upon the neck of this Treatise, if the next Treatise, concerning the Antichrist, be subjoined, let no man marvel: For in my opinion, when the Popes hyrelinges cast themselves down at his feet, they testify, that they will be subject unto him, as to the only Vicare of Christ upon earth, as to the Uniuersall bishop of the Church, as to him that cannot err in the Decrees of Doctrine concerning Faith, and finally, as to whom only it is lawful, as he listeth himself, to determine of Religion, and Christian Discipline: So that these outward submissions of the body, do then appertain to Idolatry, when they are testimonies, that the mind attributeth more unto a creature than is meet: But the misery of all miseries is this, that as it were by hereditary succession, every man, who is seated in the chair of Rome, shall also have right to govern the affairs of the whole Church how beit they be not good common Christians, let be good Bishops: and by the testimony of their own writers they be ambitious, auaritious, contentious, and libidinous monsters.

Surelie, before we should confer the glory of CHRIST to such vile persons, it were better that men should sacrifice their life for the honor of CHRIST: For even the LACEDEMONIANS, when they were commanded to render their children, answered to the MACEDONIANS, Si grauiora morte imperatis, mori volumus: that is, If ye command things more grievous than death, we will choose rather to die, to wit, than to obey such commandments: And the very Ass of Balaam is set down unto us as an example of striving against the unlawful commandments of unlawful prelates, because the sword of the Angel of GOD is more terrible than the staff of Balaam: And albeit with Balaam's Ass we were thrice beaten with the staff, yet it is better to remember the by-past evils which we have suffered, than with the rich glutton to be tormented not only with the sense of present pain, but also with the remembrance of bypast pleasures, which we have moste unrighteously abused.

The Roman Church, after the six hundredth year of our Lord, had the wisdom of dogs, who are wiser in senting than in barking: for they knew that ambition was ambition, and that very few climbed up to the papale dignity by virtue, but rather by procuration, friendship, bribes, and other unlawful means, but few durst bark against their doings, as dogs will not bark against men with whom they are familarly acquainted: yea and men, whom neceslitie of the extraordinary lewd conuersatiō of P •… pes, compelled at sometimes to bark. Onuphrius the Advocate of all evil causes, is ready with snurling words to reprove the reprehenders of them, and by impudent denial of the verity of the history, to blind-fold the eyes of the simple and ignorant Reader.

Now is the way of righteousness made rough and difficill, and the broad way is smooth and easy, and many walk therein: But whensoever it pleaseth God, to exercise the faith of his Saints with difficill times, it is not to move them to forsake a good course, but rather to be well shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. Indeed incase the course of ungodliness be made rough and difficill, then the Lord hath set thorny hedges in our way, to the ende that we may rep •… nt, and return to our own husband again, from whom we have wandered. And happy is he, who can discern the way, and the cause wherefore the Lord hath made it either rough or smooth.

Now is the time come, wherein Church-men are become like unto carnal Jews, who loathed MANNA, and the waters of the spiritual Rock, and the cloud of God, and the holy Tabernacle: yea, and the flesh-pots of Egypt are laid in balance with all the treasures of the goodness of God, bestowed upon a carnal people: Even so, Church-men at Rome, after the six hundredth year of our Lord, began to loathe the humility of Christ, the patient suffering of the Apostles, the riches of faith, and other spiritual treasures, which were the glorious ornaments of the Primitive Church, whereunto are preferred the riches and honors of this world, justly called by Nazianzenus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, Precious dungue.

IN the second head of this TREATISE, it followeth to be declared, that the bishops of Rome sought this dignity of Papal supremacy dishonestly, and used it tyrannously and impiouslie, after they had obtained it. Concerning the seeking of it, Philip Morney, that Phoenix of FRANCE (from whom I am not a shamed to borrow many things in this TREATISE) he proveth, by the testimonies of Paulus Diaconus, Freculfus, Regino, Anastatius, Hermannus Contractus, Marianus Scotus, Sabellicus, Blondus, Pomponius Laetus, Platina, Author compilationis Chronologicae, and Otho Episcopus Frisingensis, that Boniface the third begged at the hands of the Emperor Phocas, that the Church of Rome should be called the head of all other Churches. He who sought this supremacy was a flatterer: he at whose hands it was sought, was a traitor, a parricide, and the vile excrement of all governors: and the time wherein he sought it, was at that time wherein the words of Gregory the first, uttered against Johannes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , bishop of Constantinople, were in recent remembrance, to wit, That whosoever did usurp such a magnificke style to be called Uniuersall Bishop, he was the fore-runner of the Antichrist. But seeing the time was now come wherein the purpurate Harlot was to sit upon the City of seven Mountains; in her first entry she layeth aside all shamefastness and modesty, she wipeth her mouth, and saith, she hath committed none iniquity: ambition so blindeth her eyes, that inconstancy is counted no fault, and taking deep root in her heart, hideth from the eyes of her mind the sight of heaven, and all heavenly virtues, such as humility, modesty, constancy, and uprightness of a siable and unwavering heart.

The preeminence that God licenciateth to be sought over brethren, is like to the preeminence of Moses over the Elders: he ascended higher upon the mountain of God than they did: and when he came down again from the mountain of God, his face shined with greater splendor of celestial glory, than the faces of others did. Would God Pastors could strive to attain to such preeminence: for the striving for prerogative of places, hath bred many unnecessary and unfruitful contentions in the Church, as an ancient Father hath well marked.

This supremacy aforesaid so dishonestly sought, was used tyrannously & unrighteously. Pope Boniface the fourth dedicated the Temple called Pantheon, wherein all the Gentile gods were worshipped: this Temple, I say, he dedicated to the Virgin Marie, and to all the Martyrs, rather changing, than correcting, the vile abomination of Idolatry. Honorius the first, in the sixth general Council, was found to have been an Eutychian heretic, The Popes, Martinus the first, and Eugenius the first, Vitalianus, and Adeodatus, were so puffed up in pride, that they counted the Bishops of R •… uenna heretics, only for this, because they received not their ordination from the Bishops of Rome, & were not subject to their authority: And this heresy they called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Pope Sergius 1. obstinately refused to subscribe the decrees of the sixth general Council, partly because in it the doctrine and laws of prohibition of marriage to men in spiritual functions, was damned, and partly also, because the Bishop of Constantinople was equalled in honor with the bishop of Rome. Constantine the first, and Gregorius the second, were the first open, and avowed traitors against the Emperors: the one of them rased the name of the Emperor Philippic •… s out of charters: the other assoiled the subjects of Italy from the oath of all edgeance to the Emperor Leo Isaurus, because these two Emperors d •… tested the worshipping of Images. What villainy was in Pope Stephanus the third, who persuaded CAROLVS MAGNVS, king of FRANCE, to repudiate his wife BERTHA, the daughter of DESIDERIVS king of LOMBARDIS? abusing in moste impudent manner the words of holy Scripture, What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 2. Cori •… t. chap. 6. verse. 14. In that place the Apostle is giving counsel to Christians, who are disposed to marry, not to couple themselves in matrimonial band with infidels: but the counsel of the Apostle, to them who are already married, even with infidels, is this, If any brother have a wife, that believeth not, if she be content to dwell with him, let him not for sake her, 1. Cor. 7. 12. So that albeit Bertha, the daughter of Desiderius, had been an infidel, she being willing to cohabite with her husband, there was no reason to repudiate her. But now the bishops of Rome are become wiser than the Apostles of Christ and they bid repudiat the wife, with whom the Apostle Paul in express words biddeth a Christian man cohabite. It is more intolerable that Suphanus the third calleth Bertha an infidel: was she not baptized in the name of Christ was not her father Desiderius, & before him Aistulphus, partakers of the Lord's holy Sacraments? was not Rachis, the brother of Aislulphus, so devout, according to the superstitious form at that time, commended in the Roman Church, that he forsook his kingdom, and entered into a Monastery, there to lead his life? But the bishops of Rome are become so prodigal of their reproachful speeches, that all persons are counted Infideles, who follow not absolutely all the conceits of their changeable minds. Pope Adrian the first, with advise of a great Council, ordained, that no man should be consecrated bishop of Rome, before he had received investment by staff and ring, by the Emperor: but Gregorius 7. by the contrary, cursed them who received inuestment from the Emperor, anno 1073. These two popes speak contradictory things, yet they must be counted holy Fathers, who cannot err. Pope Leo the third, took upon him boldness to change the Empire, and to proclaim Charles the Great, king of FRANCE, to be Emperor in the West. And Baronius, the moste in •… pt expounder of Scriptures, of any learned men of late days, defendeth this doing of L •… o, by a place of Scripture, The moste High beareth rule over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom he will, Dan. 4. 22. Daniel in that place speaketh of the Eternal GOD, who indeed is moste high, and giveth the kingdoms of the world to whom he pleaseth: but Baronius applieth this to the bishop of Rome, as if he were moste high, and had the kingdoms of the world at his own dispensation, to give them to whom he pleased: So said the Devil of himself, (Luke 4. 6.) but he lied, for he had no such power: and Baronius, attributing this power unto the Pope, lieth as impudentlie as the Devil did. sergius the second, with his brother Benedictus, for gaining vanta e unto themselves, were not ashamed to sell bishoprickes, and to prefer men to spiritual offices: not for the worthiness of their gifts, but for the weight of their numbered money: and so the chair of ROME was filthilie spotted with simonic. Yea, it came to pass, that the prid •… , and simonicall avarice of the bishops of ROME brangled their late usurped authority: so that AVGVIBERTVS bishop of MILLANE, with allowance of many bishops of ITALIE disclaimed the authority of the bishop of ROME, and with great difficulty after the issue of two hundredth years, was the chair of MILLANE reduced again to the obedience of the bishop of ROME, in the days of Pope Stephanus the ninth.

It grieved the bishops of ROME, that they were bound by the constitution of Adrian the first, to have the allowance of the Emperor to their election: and therefore by degrees they endeavored to shake off that yoke of bondage. Stephanus y ^e fourth was elected without the fore-knowledge of Ludovicus 'Pius: but he pacified the Emperors wrath by his coming to FRANCE. Pascalis the first, in like manner, was chosen bishop of Rome, without the foreknowledge of the Emperor. Nevertheless, by his letters sent to the Emperor Ludouicus, he excused himself, and ratified the constitution of Adrian. In like manner, Leo the fourth, following the example of his predecessors, was admitted without the fore-knowledge of Lotharius: he likewise excused himself to the Emperors son Ludouicus, pretending that the sudden incursion of the Saracenes was y ^e cause moving the people to precipitate his election, and hindering himself to make due advertisement to the Emperor Lotharius, in whose time he was elected. But the issue after following declared, that all these excuses were nothing else, but a seeking of occasions how to shake off the yoke of the Emperors subjection. Was not the chair of Rome abused, the world mocked, and the Christianity exponed to the derision of Heathen people, when Pope Ihonne the eight, of the feminine sex sat in the Apostolic chair, taking the greater liberty to play the Harlot, because she had an uncontrolled preeminence? Onuphrius, in counting this to be a fable, rather than a true History, is not unlike to y ^e Philosopher, who denied, that the Heaven was under a continual motion, and turned about by a circulare reuolution: So doeth Onuphrius take liberty to brangle the credit of all ancient Histories. Philip Morney notably discovereth the falsehood, and shifting excuses of Onuphrius, who allegeth, that this fable of a feminine Pope sprang up by occasion of a libidinous Pope, called Johannes, the twelft, who had three notable Harlots attending his lust, namely, Joanna, Raineria, & Stephania: Now (saith Onuph.) all things being ordered according to y ^e pleasure of Ioāna, as if she had been Pope, of this proceeded y ^e rumor of a feminine pope. But Philip Mor. citing y ^e testimony of Lintprandus, proveth, that y ^e cōcubines of Joānes 12. were Raineria & Stephania, but no mention is made of Joanna, as one of y ^e Popes concubines, but only of one named Anna, y ^e Popes nice, not his concubine: so that Onuphrius, in proving the History of the feminine Pope to be a fable, he is found himself to be fabulous, and an inuenter of lies.

Nicolaus the first, suffered Lodouik the second, the son of Lotharius, to go on foot, and to lead his bridle while as the Pope was riding on horse-back: which proud fact, Platina cannot excuse better, than to count Nicolaus so venerable a man, that he was accounted of all men as a god. In like manner, he compelled Lotharius, prince of Loraine, and brother to Louis 2. to forsake his new married wife, Valdrada, and to adhere again unto his first wife named Thiethberga, under pain of cursing. This is the first time wherein the bishop of Rome durst take boldness to threaten the princes of FRANCE with his cursinges. So the bishop of Rome, who fished in all muddy waters, partly by the intestine discord of the posterity of Charles the Great, and partly by their faults, he increased his own estate mightily: so that he became like unto a mighty Hunter, who goeth to the Forest of intention to pursue one beast only, nevertheless his dogs do no sooner bark, but all the beasts in the Forest are agaste, and with fear and trembling look when they shall be pursued. This is that Pope whom y ^e Roman Church hath honored with the reverend name of the third Helias: but he was unlike unto the first Helias, and more unlike unto the seconde Helias, to wit, unto John the Baptist: The first Helias girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab, until he came to Jzreel: But Pope Nicolaus suffered the Emp. to go on foot, and to lead his horse by the bridle: The seconde Helias came to prepare the way of the Lord: but pope Nicolaus, whom they call the third Helias, prepared a way to his successors, and to the standing of the popedom, because he was like unto a City of refuge unto all men, who appealed from their own ordinary Judges, willing once fully to possess the chair of Rome into that priueledge to be Judges of all appellations.

Adrian the second, by those same means, increased his papal authority, by which Boniface the third had first grounded the popedom, namely by flattering of a notable parricide Basilius Emperor of the East, who had traitorously slain the Emperor Michael, who had made him associate with himself in government. This Emp. Basilius so highly advanced Adrian, that in the eight general Council, assembled in Constantinople, for deposition of Photios, and restitution of Ignatius, no man was permitted to have ingress to the Council, except he who first subscribed to the supremacy of the bishop of Rome. Morecuer, the Emperor Basilius procured, that the Bulgarians should be subject to the Pope of Rome, and not to the Patriarch of Constantinople. Howbeit this ordinance, violentlie extorted, contrary both to equity and custom, could not continue long.

After Adrian succeeded pope shonne the ninth, who restored Photios, at the desire of Basilius Emperor of the East. This inconstancy of pope Ihonne the ninth, who restored Photios, whom his predecessor, Adrian the second, had deposed, furnisheth occasion to Baronius, to affirm, that this is the pope, who was supposed to have been of the foeminine sex, in respect of the inconstancy of his flexible and effeminate mind: and so much the more, because that pope Ihonne the ninth not only restored Photios to his place again, but also ramuersing his affection again, he cursed Photios, because he had gathered a Council at Constantinople of 380. bishops, wherein he annulled the decrees of the preceeding Council, vulgarlie called the eight General Council. Moreover, it was ordained in this Council convened by Photios, that the pope of Rome should accept no man into his fellowship, whom the patriarch of Constantinople had excommunicated: by this decree cutting off all appellations from Constantinople to Rome. This fact so grieved the pope, that he cursed Photios, whom before he had restored to his office again. Here I leave Baronius and Onuphrius, reckoning one against another concerning the feminine pope: Baronius saith, it was pope Ihonne the ninth, whose inconstancy gave occasion to the rumoured opinion of the feminine pope: Onuphrius saith, it was the inconstancy of a libidinous pope Ihonne the twelft, following all the desires of an harlot: but if either of them had written truly, it had been more competent in such a sense to have said, that there had been many femenine popes, rather than one only.

The barbarous cruelty of Stephanus the sixth (other reckon Stephanus the seventh) against Formosus, Whose dead body he raised out of his sepulcher, and cut off his consecrating fingers, and cast them into Tiber: Is there any fact of unnatural inhumanity practiced amongst the Indianes and Ethiopians, comparable to this? Onuphrius counteth this History also to be a fable, as if his impudent denial of every dishonest fact, done by the bisshops of Rome, were able to derogat •… credit to all ancient Histories. But what shall be thought of the opposite decrees of Councils gathered by Formosus & Stephanus, no less repugnant one unto another, than light is unto darkness? Shall it be thought that these opposite Councils were indicted by the holy Spirit, as if the holy Spirit could be repugnant unto himself?

From the 900. year of our Lord, until the 1000. year, the bishops of Rome were so far degenerate from the manners of their ancient predecessors, that whereas the ancient bishops of Rome, attending the holy exercises of prayer and exhortation, contemned dignities offered unto them: now by ambition and bribes they strive for the Popedom: and when they have gotten it, as cruel tyrants, they contend, with hateful malice, everyone against the fame of another: and laying aside divine worship, they follow the lusts of their own hearts, the more securelie, because their is no man to restrain their inordinate desires. This Platina writeth of them in the life of Sergius the third. The moste part of them were like unto Monsters, whose nativity, like as it breedeth sorrow in the harts of their very parents: so in like manner it is some mitigation of their hearts grief, when the Monster hastily dieth. This second comfort God g •… ue unto the world. Few of these ambitious, auaritious, and libidinous Monsters continued long in the popedom. I will not anticipate the History, but shortly I hope thus far hath been declared, that the Roman Church sought this preeminence dishonestly, and abused it vilely by simony, idolatry, heres •… treason, tyranny, schism, and all kind of inhumanity, which one of them could practice against another: And that they have casten behind their back that holy form of preparation for entering into spiritual functions used of old, to wit, that their spiritual senses were well exercised with seeing of Heauenlie sightes, with hearing of Angelical hymns, with feeling the opetatiue virtue of the coal taking from the Altar of God, and touching their lips, and so being well prepared and furnished with celestial grace, they entered into spiritual callings, assisted with the grace of God, that cometh from above. But now the preparation is turned to riches and money, where with if a man be well surnished, albeit he were like unto Johannes the thirteenth, that is, a man who is perjure, the very child of the d •… uill, the brother of Judas, and a man whose name will remain in perpetual execration: yet such a man furnished, as said is, with riches and money, may be promoted to the popedom. Now is leaven eaten in time of the passover and he who calleth himself the Vicare of Christ, he climbeth to that office by the leaven of sin. And truly, like as the types and figures of good things, cannot equal in goodness the things that are figurated by them: even so, the figures of evil things were not so much to be abhorred as the evil things themselves represented by types & figures. He who commanded to purge the old leaven, to the end, that we might be an holy lump, hath utterly forbidden us to enter into holy callings by vile and dishonest means.

NOw followeth the third head of this TREATISE, as a preparation to the TREATISE following, to prove that the chair wherein the Uniuersall Bishop sitteth, is the chair of the Antichrist, which I prove by this argument, The chair that extolleth it self above Christ, is the chair of the Antichrist: but so it is, that the chair wherein the Uniuersall Bishop sitteth, extolleth it self above Christ, Ergo, it is the chair of the Antichrist. The first part of the argument is proved by the words of the Apostle, writing to the Thessalonians: The second part of the argument I prove by this reason, That chair which taketh upon it power to dispense against the law of God, extolleth it self above Christ: but so it is, the chair of the Uniuersall Bishop arrogateth power to dispense against the law of God: as namely, in the matter of Marriage, licentiating a man to marry his brothers wife, and others to marry women of their nearest consanguinity: Ergo, the chair of the Uniuersall Bishop is the chair of the Antichrist. Here let us remember, that no law can be dispensed withal, but either by the same authority, by which it is made, or by a greater: But the law of God is manifestly annulled in many points, corrected, and dispensations givē against it by the chair of ROME, as shall be declared hereafter, GOD willing: what can be said of it then, but that it is become the seat of the Antichrist?

Concerning the style of the Antichrist, which I mind to attribute to the bishop of Rome, especially since the year of our Lord 666. I admonish the Reader, that he be not deceived with the generality of the word Antichrist: which albeit it may be attributed to Infideles, Heretics, and to all them who obstinately contend against the doctrine of the person or office of Christ: yet doeth this name most properly belong to the principal ring-leaders and authors of that great defection from the faith, fore-told by the Apostle Paul, 1. Tim. 4. For like as when Moses in Holy Scripture is called a Prophet, and faithful Pastors are called Angels, this hindereth not Christ from being called the Great Prophet, & the Angel of the Covenant: Even so, when Heretics, who gainsay the divinity of Christ, or verity of His human nature, are called Antichrists, this hindereth not, but the chair which hath chiefly blinded the world with errors, and hath poisoned kings and people with the cup of her fornications, to be called the seat of the Antichrist. Nazianzenus in a general sense, counteth Arius, whom he pointeth out by the style of a recent Apostate, and Nestorius, by whose opinion the natures of Christ were divided, to be Antichrists. But Chrysostom, in a proper sense, supposeth him to be Antichrist, who should tread under foot the Roman Empire: like as the Romans had subdued the kingdom of the Macedonians, and •… he Macedonians had subdued the kingdom of the Persians, and the Persians had undone the kingdom of the Babylonians: Even so (saith Chrysostom) the Antichrist shall undo the dominion of the Romans: and in ende, the Antichrist shall be consumed by the Spirit of Christ's mouth, and shall be abolished with the brightness of His coming.

Many things are written of the Antichrist, who deceaueth people in error, so that they misknowe the Antichrist when he is come, no less than the nation of the Jews misknew CHRIST when He was manifested in the flesh. They write, that he should be of the Tribe of DAN, that he should be borne in BABYLON, and he should be brought up in CORASIM and BETHSAIDA, that SATHAN should over-shaddow his mother, and poss •… sse her, that he should re-edify the Temple of HIERVSALEM and that the people of the IEWES should adher •… unto him. But all these opinions are grounded partly upon a wrong interpr •… tation of Scripture, and many of them are sh •… owded •… alselie under the name of AUGUSTINE, Bishop of HIPPO: but it is known that RABANVS, Archbishop of MENTZ, was the compiler of that foolish TREATISE, De Antichristo, whereinto the fore-mentioned opinions are contained, and not AUGUSTINE. More-over, they say, that the Antichrist should be one particular man, opposite to Christ, whose continuance in fighting against the Saints should not exceed the space of three years and an half.

But what madness is it to refer the secrete beginning, the open tyranny, the revelation and destruction of the Antichrist to the person of one singular man, which is a work working from the days of the Apostles, until the second coming of Christ: The argument whereby some Papists would make it to s •… eme probable, that the Antichrist is one singular man only, is taken from the force of the prepositiue article, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . A childish argument indeed, as who would say, that it were not lawful to pray in any chamber, except in one on •… lie, in respect of the prepositiue article set before 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : that is, Enter into thy chamber. The time of the continuance of the Antichrists persecution, three years and an half, is borrowed from Augustine, who supposeth, that the horn which shall speak words against the moste High, and who shall change times and laws, as things given unto his hands, vntilla time and times, and the dividing of a time: by this horn, I say, Augustine supposeth the Antichrist to be presented: how beit others more judiciously have referred this prophesy to Antiochus Epiphanes, who blasphemed God, changed Sabbo •… hs and Festival days, yea, and by his impious laws, presumed to abrogate the law of the Almighty God: and immediately after such presumptuous attempts, God shortened his days, for within the space of three years, and some few days, he ended his life in moste miserable manner.

They have no better ground to affirm that the Antichrist shall be of the Tribe of Dan, than this, Because the Tribe of Dan is not reckoned amongst the rest of the Tribes, Apocal. 7. yet this was not done to exclude this Tribe from the saving mark of Christ, but to give place to the Tribe of Levi, and not to exceed the number of twelve Tribes: for Holy Scripture, which commendeth the faith of Barak of the Tribe of Naphtali, and Gideon of the Tribe of Manasseh, and Jephthah of the Tribe of Gad, commendeth also the faith of Samson of the Tribe of Dan, Hebr. cap. 2. verse. 11.

One thing I cannot pass by: The inuenters of such fables, that the Antichrist should be of the Tribe of Dan, borne in Babylon, &c. in some things have over-seen themselves miserably: namely, when they affirm, that the Antichrist shall build the Temple of Jerusalem, and shall sit there in the Temple of God, and the nation of the Jews shall adhere unto him, and immediately after this, the ende of the world shall come, and Christ shall destroy the Antichrist by the Spirit of his mouth. Here mark the great contradiction that is betwixt the prophesy of Paul, concerning the conversion of the Jews, before the seconde coming of Christ, and the foolish opinion of Papists: Paul saith, that the Jews shall be converted to the true faith before the Great day of the LORDES seconde appearance: but Papists say, that the Jews shall be adhering to the Antichrist, when Christ shall come to judge the world, and to destroy the Antichrist, by the brightness of his coming. These two opinions cannot both consist: therefore, let the fable invented by men fall, that place may be given to the truth of God, who is blessed for evermore,

A TREATISE, Of the Antichrist.

C ONTROVERSIES in civil matters, are not all of like moment: therefore it was ordained by the counsel of Jethro, that great matters should be brought to Moses, and that inferior Magistrates should judge in small causes. But in controversies of religion, all causes, both great and small, are to be brought unto the mouth of Christ, our true Moses, who will speak from his Sanctuary unto us, and give unto us resolution of all our doubts out of His blessed word. In this TREATISE especially, let us run to the month of Christ, speaking by his Apostle Paul, and uttering a notable prephesie concerning the coming of the Antichrist in the words following:

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be d •… sclosed, even the son of perdition,

Who is an adversary, and exalteth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he doeth sit as God in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Remember ye not, that when I was with you I told you these things?

And now ye know what with-holdeth, that he might be revealed, in his time.

For the mystery of iniquity doeth already work, only he, who now with-holdeth, shall let, tell he be taken out of the way.

And then shall the wicked man be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall abolish with the brightness of his coming.

Even him whose coming is by the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders.

And in all deceivableness of unrighteousness amongst them that perish, because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

And therefore, God shall send to them strong delusion, that they shall beleeuelies:

That all they might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The occasion moving the Apostle to embarke into this Pr •… pheticall prediction, concerning the coming of the Antichrist, was this, Because some in Thessalonica spake of the second coming of Christ, that it was near approaching, and even at hand. The Apostle on the other part would assure the Thessalonians, that before the coming of that Great day, there should first be a defection from the true faith and that the Antichrist should be disclosed. It is not the purpose of the Apostle to dissuade any man from remembering the terror of that Great day, wherein the very Elements shall melt: and if so be, what manner of men aught we to be in holy conversation, looking for and hastening unto y ^e coming of the day of our Lord: yea, and the oblivion of the second coming of Christ is the principal ground of the security of the evil servant. But the Apostle, led by the conduct of the Holy Spirit, fore-seeing that two things were needful to be remembered, to wit, the seconde coming of the Lord Jesus, and the preceeding coming of the Antichrist: he would have them so to remember the one, that they should not forget the other, lest whilst we run fast to the mark, without marking the perilles that are in the way, we fall into the snares of the Devil. Our master Christ, when he corrected the foolish precipitation of the sons of Zebedee, who would have sitten at the right and left hand of Christ in His kingdom before they had been baptized with his baptism, and before they had drunken of the cup of the sufferings of Christ: he dissuadeth them not from continual fastening their eyes upon the glory of Christ's Kingdom, but rather so to look unto the mark, that they over-leap not the way leading to the mark. God hath ind •… edep: epared a kingdom for us, but by many tribulations we must enter into that kingdom.

The apostasy whereof the apostle prophecieth, is not a desection in manners only, but also a departing from the faith, as is clearly witnessed in another place, in those words, Now the Spirit speaketh evidently, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, &c. Defection in manners is so usual a thing, that where the word of God is preached in most powerful manner, there also corruption in manners doeth abound, arguing the evil inclination of our nature, which taketh occasion, by the commandment, and worketh in us all kind of concupiscence: so that the corruption of our nature is like unto a gutter of water, the passage whereof is hindered: it gorgeth, swelleth, and setteth forward its own accustomed way more impetuouslie than ever it did before. But the Apostle is speaking of a deeper mystery, and of a thing more rarely contingent, to wit, of an apostasy from the faith. This is the sharpest of all punishments, which GOD inflicted upon mankind for the contempt of his truth, to cast off a people into a reprobate mind, whether we look to the actions of God, who rejecteth, or to the miseries of them, who are rejected. The actions of God, who rejecteth, are set down by the Prophet Zechariah, The Lord will not feed that people, yea, he will break his shepherds staff, to wit, the staff called beautiful, & the staff called bands. The miseries of them, who are rejected, are set down by the Prophet Isaiah, in these words, Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand: ye shall plainly see, and not perceive: make the heart of this people fat, &c. So it cometh to pass, when this heavy judgment is inflicted, there is no comfort to be found, neither in Heaven above, nor in the Earth beneath: When we look up unto God, he will feed us no longer: when we look down to our selves, we receive no comfort by the external ministry of the word, it is to us the savor of death: yea, and we are in so desolate a case, as the Prophet speaketh, That that dieth, let it die: and that that perisheth, let it perish: and let the remnant everyone eat the flesh of another. Of this unsupportable and remediless evil, that there should be a defection from the faith, neither could the Church of the Jews of old, nor the visible Church of late ever be content patiently to hear, because it seemed to be repugnant to the everlasting covenant of God, made with Abraham and his seed. Nevertheless, that same blessed mouth, which made the covenant with Abraham and his seed, fore-told also, that they should be cast off into a reprobate sense, and that the Great Shephearde would feed them no longer. Now both these things being uttered by the blessed mouth of God, it is certain, that there is infallible truth in both: & it is better, & more agreeable with the honor of God, to search out what way both these things can consist without impeachment one of another, than so to talk of the covenant, that we should gainsay the prophesy of the defection of the Church of the Jews. And the Apostle Paul hath wisely observed, that the covenant of God is not annulled by the defection of the most part of the I •… wes, in respect that a remnant are saved through the electiō of grace. The Roman Church in like manner, casteth up, that God hath promised, that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church. And the same God, by the mouth of his holy Apostle hath fore-told, that there should be a defection from the Faith. Both these Prophesies must be true, neither doeth the apostasy of the great multitude presuppose, that the Church of Christ is perished, or the promise of God made of none effect, but in the midst of this apostasy a remnant are saved, according to the election of grace. Joseph, in the years of famine, was provident, and kept corn asore-hand, both for food to men and beasts, and for seed to the ground: But Christ is more provident in the years of horrible apostasy from the faith, to keep afore-hand a saved hand-full, as seed for the propagation of the Church. Wherefore, let no man conclude of the long lasting apostasy of the Jews, or yet of the Popish Church, that the covenant of God is of none effect, and that the Church is perished.

The Antichrist, of whom the Apostle speakeeh, is not one particular man, opposite to the kingdom of Christ, as many do think: but rather a kingdom, having fore-runners, having a growth, and hinderers of the growth, having aduancers, admirers, worshippers, followers, discouerers, against whom wars are intended, y •… a, long lasting wars, until this kingdom be drunken with the blood of the Saints: and finally, for this kingdom God hath ordained a fall, whereat all her followers shall be sad, and lament for her sudden and unexpected desolation: but the Saints in Heaven shall rejoice. All these things cannot be done in one man's age. Therefore, I take the word Antichrist, for a kingdom opposite to the Kingdom of Christ: he is called the man of sin emphaticklie, because in multitude, ripeness, and superlative excess of all kind of sins and abominations, this kingdom goeth beyond all other king •… omes, lewder in manners, more corrupt in doctrine, more blasphemous in opinion, more deceitful in carriage, more proud in attempts, even against them who are in authority, than any society of people hath been before: setting their mouths against the Heaven, commanding the Angels of God to carry souls to Heaven, because their armor was crossed, their feet were in the way, leading to the Holy Land, their intention was to fight against the Saracenes. This did Pope Clemens the sixth, in his Bull given to the crossed soldiers. Now, whether their souls have been purged by faith in the fountain of Christ's blood or not, it is no matter, it is enough that they died in that journey, the Ang •… ls must be obedient to the Roman Antichrist, to carry their souls forthwith to Heaven after their death. Notwithstanding of all this, the man of sin must be counted so complete and perfect, that he cannot err in matters of faith, and to be in such high preeminence, that albeit he carry innumerable souls headlongs to Hell, no man should demand of him wherefore he did so. Yea, and further horrible sins, such as promise breaking to Infideles and Heretics, and vile treasons against Christian Princes, have open allowance in the kingdom of the Roman Antichrist: and therefore he may justly be called the man of sin.

Moreover, the Antichrist is called the child of perdition, in two respects, to wit, actively, and passively: actively, because he is a ring-leader to those who walk in the way of perdition: passively, because he is ordained for destruction, and to be consumed by the breath of the mouth of Christ. In both these respects Judas seemeth to have been the type of the Antichrist: first he was a ring-leader to the band of soldiers which came from the High Priest, and the Rulers, to take Christ: secondly, he was appointed to destruction, and of him Christ said Surely, the Son of man goeth his way as it is written of him, but woe be unto that man, by whom the Son of man is betrayed: it had been good for that man, if he had never been borne. Now the Antichrist represented by Judas, he is also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, the child of destruction, for both the fore-mentioned respects: he leadeth men to destruction, and he is ordained to be consumed by the glorious appearance of Christ. How the Roman Antichrist leadeth men headlonges to destruction, I might prove by many examples, but for the present I shall content me with the example of one age, and of one nation in this age (to wit, in the seventh CENTURY) absolutely led by the counsel of the Roman Antichrist: The nation of the Goths domining in Spain, they forsook the impious Heresy of the Arians, whereunto they were miserably addicted, in the days of Richaredus: After Richaredus days, they followed the Roman chair so absolutely, that in the Councils conuened by the authority of Sesiuandus, Chintilla, Chindasuvindus, Recesuvindus, and Bambas, whatsoever was allowed by the Roman Church, had allowance by them: and whatsoever the Roman Church disallowed. that was in like manner disallowed by them in the Councils of Toledo, Bracara, and Hispalis. Yea, and in following the R •… mane Church, they were so officious, that albeit in bidding and forbidding, they exceeded not the precepts of the Roman Church: yet in aggreadging the punishments of them who transgressed the ordinances which they borrowed from the Roman chair, they over-went the severity of the Roman discipline.

In the ninth Council of Toledo, marriage of men in spiritual callings is detested in Spain, as it was in Italy: but the children procreated by Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons, &c. were ordained to be more severely punished in Spain, than they were in Italy: for in Italy we read of Theodoretus, that he was the son of Theodorus, bishop of Jerusalem, yet was he admitted to the Popedom, and was successor to Pope Ihonne the fourth: but in Spain the children of bishops were not only deprived of the heritage •… ppertaining to their parents, but also were mancip •… ted to perpetual service, as slaves and servants who are bought with money. In like manner, in the fourth Council of Toledo, gathered by Sesinandus, they are superstitious out of measure even beyond the Roman Church in doxologies, when Gloria Patri is sung, they ordained, that to Gloria, Honor should be added, with intermination of punishment to them who should say, Gloria Patri, & Filio, without this addition, Gloria, & Honor, Patri & Filio: in so doing, damning the very perfect form of prayer indicted by our Lord to his Disciples, the doxology whereof is this, For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the glory, forever, Amen: without mention of the word Honor. In a word, the Goths riegning in Spain, the more officious they were in following absolutely all the customs of the Roman Antichrist, the nearer they were to eternal destruction, because he is justly called the man of sin, and the child of destruction. Now it is to be marked, that these two names of the Antichrist, to wit, the man of sin, and the child of perdition, they go conjunctly together, because when sin is near, destruction also is at hand, except sin by repentance be abolished: And y ^e Prophet pronounceth a woe against them that put far away the evil day, and approach to the seat of iniquity. More-over, the Apostle fore-telleth, that the Antichrist shall be disclosed, or revealed: that is, how soever he shall mask himself with the vizards of holy titles, that he is the Vicare of Christ on earth, & the successor of Peter, & to him is concredite the care of all the sheep of Christ, dispersed in the whole world: Nevertheless, he shall be stripped naked, & all these masks shall be plucked from his face, and he shall be known to be an adversary to Christ, and an abuser of Christ's people. Now consider, that this prophesy presupposeth, that the Antichrist should be unknown for a long space, and in ende, should be discovered. If it shall be demanded, how could the Antichrist be unknown, who lurked not in a corner, but sat in y ^e Temple of God, and had power of government of Church-affairs? To this I answer, That in time of the darkness of the night a foe is hardly discerned from a friend: and the smoke of the bottomless pit, whereby both the sun & the air were darkened, might easily have dimmed the sight of simple people, so that they could not discern the insolent pride of the Antichrist, usurping the honor only due to Christ. The means of the discovery of the Antichrist, I remit unto the 8. verse, and I proceed to the next verse. In the 4. verse of the chap. the Apostle c •… lleth the Antichrist an adversary, to wit, to God: and he subjoin •… h the reason, because be exalteth himself against everything that is called God, or that is worshipped. First let us mark, that the Antichrist is pointed out by one of the names of the Devil, to wit, that he is an adversary, to God, to his word, and to his Saints, yea, an adversary in the superlative degree, because he usurpeth the honor only due to Christ. Mortall Princes count all subjectes, who are disobedient to their laws, to be their adversaries: but if any man usurp the title of the Kingdom, the King will count him his corriuall, and principal adversary: Even so, amongst all the adversaries of Christ, he is counted his principal enemy, who enricheth himself with the honor due to Christ only. Howsoever he call himself the servant of the servants of God, yet indeed he usurpeth upon himself higher honor than is due unto a mortal man, and therefore is called an adversary to God: for the Lord will judge the world according to his Gospel, as the Apostle speaketh, Roman. 2. 16. and not according to our conceits.

The two principal pointes of the honor of Christ, are Faith and Obedience. The Roman Antichrist, for to move ignorant people to put their trust in him, as the Vicare of Christ in earth, taketh upon him power to open the gates of Paradise to whom he pleaseth, as an absolute commander of Heaue, and to deliver to the Devil and send to Hell, by his anathemes and cursinges, whom he pleaseth, as absolute commander of Hell, and to loose prisoned souls out of purgatory, as absolute commander of purgatory, and to distribute the kingdoms of the earth at his pleas •… re, as if the earth were his, and he had power to confer all the glory of the dominions of the world to whom he •… pleaseth. All this is done to move people to put their trust in him, as said is. The other principal point of y ^e honor of Christ, is absolute Obedience to his blessed will, without disputation, doubting, or resoning in y ^e contrary, as Abrahā y ^e father of y ^e faithful did, Gē. 22. The like obedience the Rom. Antich. demandeth to all his laws & ordinan •… es, even to such as are repugnant to the law of God, as namely, to invocation of Saints, worshipping of images, &c. therefore he is justly counted the principal adversary of Christ.

The Antichrist is said to exalt himself against all that is called God, or is worshipped, because he taketh upon him to dispense against the law of GOD, which argueth, that he arrogateth unto himself authority above the law-maker: for no law (as I have declared already) can be dispensed withal, but either by the same authority by which it is made, or by a greater. Against Christ's Kinglie, Priestlie, and Prophetical offices, he advanceth himself, in abrogating the institution of Christ concerning the receiving of the blessed Sacrament of the Supper, under both forms of bread and wine. In prohibition of marri •… ge and meats, and in setting up a new propitiatory sacrifice in the Church, as it were protesting the insufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ once offered. Let us in this point mark the degrees of the defection of the visible Church, not unlike unto the decaying estate of a diseased man: First, his natural sap and moisture decayeth: Secondly, corrupt humors do abound: Thirdly, his blood is inflamed, & perilous fevers seizing upon his body, do threaten death: Even so in the Church, when holy exercises of prayer and preaching are intermitted, this is a biginning of evil: Next, when superstitions, rites, and ceremonies, serving to no profitable use, do abound in the Church, (as vicious humors in the body) then is the defection increased: But when the visible Church admitteth another Law-giver than Christ, and stoupeth under the yoke of his obedience, then is the defection from the faith come unto a ripeness, and the Antichrist then siueth in the Temple of God. showing himself that he is God: and if the Lord had not kept unto himself a remnant by his gracious election, the visible Church had been like unto Sodom and Gomorrhah.

In the 5. verse, he saith, Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? This verse is not superfluously casten in, to admonish the Thessalonians, that the coming of the Antichrist was a matter of great moment, and tending to the hurt of many men's souls: therefore it was needful, that timeous premonition should be made unto the Saints, to eschew the danger to come. This is the Lord's customable dealing, in matters grave, weighty, and serious, to give aduertisementes proportionallie agreeing with the nature of the thing fore-told. But what shall we speak of the lethargy and security of the world? we never read that men were so sluggishe, and over-laid with so deep security, as when they were fore-warned of great things to come: as if the loud sound of the trumpet of God served to none other use, but only to lull men into a heavy sleep. The deluge of waters, the first coming of Christ, the destruction of Jerusalem, the coming of the Antichrist, and the great tempest of the wrath of God, that shall be revealed at Christ's second appearance: all these things (I say) have been fore-told: but the contempt of the warnings of God, have procured, and will procure, the heavy weight of God's indignation. We read of Christ's Disciples, that when they saw their master walking upon the waters, they supposed he had been a spirit, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, a fantasie, and delusion: this they did only at one time, in f •… are and weakness; but the wicked at all times, and in the obstinacy of their unbelieving hearts, call both the promises and threatenings of GOD 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, fantasies and delusions. For this cause, the Apostle, both by word and writ, inculcateth this proph •… sie of the coming of the Antichrist, into the ears of the Thessalonians, to the ende they should not lightly regard the fore-warnings of God, as the sons-in-law of Lot did in Sodom.

Now follow the 6. and 7. verses, with the beginning of the 8. verse, And now ye know what with-holdeth, that he might beercueiled in his own time: for the mystery of iniquity doeth already work: only he, who now with-holdeth shall let, till he be taken out of the way: and then shall the wicked man be revealed.

The natural order requireth, that in these words three things should be entreated: First, howe the mystery of iniquity began to work in Paul's days: Secondly, who is this, that should be a let and hindrance to the Antichrist: And thirdlie, when was it, that he was made out of the way, so that he could hinder the Antichrist no longer. The mystery of iniquity began to work even in the days of Paul, because some Heretics sprang up at that time, who denied the divinity of Christ, such as Ebion, and Cerinthus, these appertained to the kingdom of the Antichrist, because they were his fore-runners, beginning with enticing speeches to seduce men from the truth of God. And what was wanting in them, except power, and uncontrolled authority, to bring to a full ripeness the work of defection, already begun. So Heresies, and the doctrine of lies, is the very first foundation of the kingdom of the Antichrist. And like as an Eagle, that buildeth her nest in the face of a steepie rock, the first stick that she carrieth to her nest, belongeth to the mass thereof: Even so, without all controversy, the Heretics, who prepared a way to the kingdom of the Antichrist, they are members of the body of his kingdom. If any man shall object, that the chair of Rome damned the old Heresies of Ebion, Cerynthus, and of the Manichies, and therefore such men cannot be justly reckoned to appertain to his kingdom, whom he separated from his fellowship, by detesting their opinions: To this I answer, That like as the gold, and silver, the brass, and iron, and likewise the claye of the great image, which Nebuchadneser saw •… in his vision, had no agreement one with another, yet in this they agreede, to constitute one stately image, opposite unto the little stone hewn out of the rock without hands: even so, heresies are repugnant one unto another, yet all belong unto the kingdom of darkness, and to the throne of the Antichrist, set up against the glorious throne of the kingdom of Christ: Yea, and these Heretics, who impugned the true doctrine of the person of Christ, they brake the ice, as it were, & gave example to others, to impugn the doctrine of his office also.

In the second place, by him that letteth, Chrysostom understandeth the Roman Empire, which consisting into its own integrity, with vndiminished and vnbrangled authority, the Roman Antichrist durst not attempt high things, and things far surmounting the modest carriage of subjects. And here by the way it is to be marked, that like as the Apostle by him who letteth and hindereth, understandeth not one particular Emperor only, but an Empire, wherein one Emperor succeedeth to another: Even so, by him that is letted, he understandeth not one particular man, but the estate of an usurped kingdom, wherein likewise one succeedeth to another. But now let us see how the Roman Emperor, so long as he consisted in his own full strength, did hinder the attempts of the Antichrist: First, no man was admitted bishop of Rome a long time, without the consent of the Emperor: Secondly, inuestment of bishops, by staff and ring, being likewise in the Emperors hands, the excessive pride of the Roman bishops (even after they were called Uniuersall Bishops) was mightily borne down: Thirdly, so long as Emperors kept in their own hand the power of conuocating General and National Councils, the bishops of Rome all this while acknowledged Roman Emperors for their sovereign lords: But when the Emperors were bereaved of all their forementioned rightes, as Palinurus, by storm of weather, was cast out of the ship, and the rudder, by violence of the tempest, was washen out of his hands, then all things were turned up side down, as we shall hear (God willing) in the subsequent words, wherein he prophesieth, that he who letteth should be taken out of the way, that is, the Roman Empire shall be utterly weakened, so that it cannot make resistance against the Antichrist, but it stoupeth under his might, adoreth him as the Vicare of Christ, who cannot err and as a god on earth, is content to be crowned by him, and to make the oathe of alleadgeance to the Pope. In what base estate are the Emperors of late days? how is their gold turned into dross? and the might of their dominion into servile subjection unto the Antichrist? as was shortly comprised in these verses,

Is not the Roman Empire so far deuested of their ancient glory, that whereas their predecessors wanted nothing of the dominion of the habitable continent known in their time, except a little part in the East, now it hath no commandment, except in a little part of the West?

But it may be demanded, How can the bishops of Rome be blamed, as over-throwers of the glory of the Roman Empire? seeing it was the Saracenes who undid the Empire of the East, and the Goths, Vandals, Lombardis, Huns, Auares, Danes, and Normandis, weakened the Empire of the West: To this I answer, That the Bishops of Rome were like unto a lowse tooth, and a wrested foot, and were deceitful friends, both to the Emperors of the East, and of the West, rendering unto them evil for good. Did not the Emperor Justinian deliver them from the tyranny of the Goths? Did not Tiberius the second support them very kindlie, when they were sore pinched with famine, and oppressed by the Lombards? But what recompense rendered the bishops of Rome to the Emperors of the East, when they found their estate to be weak? Even such as the Edo •… ites rendered to God's people in the day of their trouble, of whom the Prophet speaketh, Thou shouldest not once have looked on their affliction in the day of their destruction, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their destruction: Even so, the bishops of Rome should not so much as have laid their hands upon the substance of the Emperors of the East, who had dealt so kindly and friendly with them. Nevertheless, the first occasion that they found to enrich themselves with the possessions of the Emperors of the East, they over-passed it not, but took the gift of Exarchatus Rauennae, and Pentapolis in Italy, which duly belonged to the Emperor of the East: These dominions, I say, they took by the gift of Pipinus, king of France (who was prodigal in bestowing unto the chair of Rome other men's possessions) and they possess the dominions afore-said, with their towns, villages, and territories, even until this day. On the other part, Carolus Magnus, Emperor of the West, was friendly to the chair of Rome, and made them free of the molestation of the Lombards. Notwithstanding, after his death, and the death of Ludouicus Pius his son, when cruel hostility fell out amongst the children of Ludouicus Pius, to wit, Lotharius, Louis, and Charles, whereby the puissance of France was weakened, and the Danes and Normans got the more easily place in France. What was the carriage of Sergius the second, bishop of Rome, at this time? Platina writeth, that he sent Gregorius, Arch-bishop of Rauenna, to reconcile these brethren, who contended one against another, with insupportable hatred: but the tragedy of Ludouicus Pius house, declared, that the bishops of Rome were little grieved, when the estate of Emperors houses decayed providing, their own estate did increase. And I remit to the course of the History, what friendship the posterity of Carolus Magnus, and his son Ludouicus Pius, found at the hands of the bishop of Rome, for all their bountiful kindness towards that unthankful chair. Always, remember the words of Solomon, He that ewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house, Prouerb. 17. 13.

What shall I speak of the Imperial authority, when it came amongst the Germans? Otto the first, a worthy Emperor, what fidelity found he in Pope Ihonne the thirteenth, whom Onuphrius calleth Ihonne the twelft: He assisted Berengarius, and his son Albertus, against the Emperor Otto, nothing regarding his oath of alleadgeance made to the contrary: And albeit every Emperor was not so magnanimous as Otto, and every Pope was not so beastly as Pope Ihonne the thirteen: yet when one of the best Emperors, and one of the worst Popes were matched together, we may easily perceive whereat the Popes aimed continually, to wit, at the undoing of the dominion of the Emperor.

By the way let us mark diverse affections striving in Onuphrius, as they did of old in Medea, when she killed her own child, to wit, anger and motherly affection contended one against another in her: but anger got the upper-hand, and the child was killed: Even so in Onuphrius, a desire to cover the turpitude of the Roman chair, contendeth with a necessity to report the truth of the History, and truth getteth the upper-hand at this time, and he leaveth the defense of this vile beast.

The valiant courage of the Emperor Hendrie the fourth, counted no less fortunate in war-fare, than Julius Caesar was in old times: and the gallant spirits of Frederick the first and second, could not mende this matter: the curses of the Antichrist so terrified the world, that they forgot their duty to their sovereign lords, and suffered them to be trodden under the feet of the Antichrist.

In the 8. verse followeth the prophesy of the discovery and destruction of the Antichrist: concerning his discovery, three things are to be considered: First, who shall be discovered: Secondly, when shall he be discovered: and thirdly, the mean •… s of his discovery. The Antichrist is he who shall be discovered, to whom the Apostle attributeth a new name, and calleth him that wicked man Is he not pointed out already with a sufficient number of odious names? He is called the Antichrist an adversary to God, the man of sin, the child of perdition: and in other places, the false prophet, the beast that is worshipped, great Babylon the mother of whoredoms: which style, albeit they transfe •… re it unto the Roman chair, when the ten persecu •… ing Emperors compelled men to worship heathen gods: yet the holy Scripture referreth it to that whore, who braggeth that she is married, (to wit, to Christ) and she is not a widow, Apocal. cap. 18. verse 7. And this agreeth better with the chair of Rome, wherein Popes do sit, than with the chair of Rome when persecuting Emperors sat into it.

Besides all these odious names, the Apostle addeth another hateful name, & calleth him 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, that lawless man, who will be subject to no law, neither divine nor human, but he will be above all laws: he will judge all men, and be judged of no man: what regard he hath of the law of GOD, it may be known by this, That the breaking of the Popes law is counted a greater sin, than the breaking of the Law of GOD: for in matters of marriage, and meats, if the Popes law be transgressed, forth-with a man is counted an Heretic: But when the Law of GOD is broken, for a small sum of money, a pardon may be purchased: Yea, further I am bold to say, that the moste discrepant Idiomes of the GREEKE language, such as the ATTICKE and IONICKE Idiomes, they differ not so far, as the laws of CHRIST and ANTICHRIST differ one from another. Albeit the Atticke Dialect delighteth in contractions, and the Ionicke in resolutions, yet notwithstanding one, and the self same thing, in substance and matter, may be uttered in both these discrepant Idiomes. But the Laws of CHRIST and Antichrist, are so opposite in matter and substance, that they cannot both consist and stand: namely, when the Law of CHRIST biddeth, alloweth, and approveth: and the law of the Antichrist, in that same subject, forbiddeth, disalloweth, and disapprooueth. The Law of GOD (Exod. 20.) counteth worshippers of Images, haters of GOD: The law of the Antichrist counteth them good Catholics. The law of CHRIST, in the doctrine of Faith, Invocation, and Mediation, sendeth us only to the Creator: The law of the Antichrist, sendeth us to the creatures also: so that the Antichrist is justly called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , or a lawless man, in respect he will not be obedient to the Laws of CHRIST.

Concerning human and civil ordinances: He who dare assoil subjectes from the oathe of alleadgeance to their sovereign lords, he vndoeth all civil government, policy, and laws from the very foundation. I superceede to write further in this point.

In the second place, let us consider the time, wherein the Antichrist shall be revealed, pointed out in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : that is, and then shall the wicked man be revealed: which words being relative to that which immediately passed before, importeth, that the Antichrist should be revealed at that same time, when the mighty Monarchy of the Romans was trodden under his feet. Then it seemed, that all the nations of the world should adore and worship the beast continually, and that the tongues of men should have been locked up in silence: so that no man ever should take boldness to speak one word against the whore of Babylon: yea, and the Holy Apostle describeth the great security of the mother of whoredoms, saying in his heart, I sit, being a Queen, and am not a widow, and shall see no mourning, Apocal. 18. 7. At this same time the unchangeable decreet of the Almighty God appointed, that this wicked one should first be revealed, and afterward should be destroyed. Wherein it is to be noted, with what patient expectation we should attend upon the times and seasons, wherein it should please the Lord to perform his own works: for like as Christ thought it more expedient, & more tēding to the advancement of His own glory, to raise Lazarus out of his grave, (John. 11.) rather than out of the bed of his infirmity: Even so, the Lord thought meet to suffer the Antichrist to mount up unto the top of all his desired preeminence, & then the Lord put hand to work, both to discover, & to destroy him, to the further manifestation of his own unspeakable power & wisdom.

In the third place, the means are to be considered, whereby the Antich. should be discovered, namely, by y ^e sincere preaching of the Gospel, by y ^e mouths of men, holy & zealous, (Apoc. 11. 3) & in gifts not unlike unto Enoch & Helias. Now seeing the man of sin is to be discovered by y ^e sincere preaching of the Gospel, let us consider what benefit redoundeth to us by the true and sincere preaching of the Gospel of CHRIST: it is like unto the light of the day, which manifesteth everything in its own colors: The thing that is beautiful, is seen to be be beautiful, and the thing that is evil favored, is seen to be such as it is: where of the madness of some Heretics, such as Gnostici and M •… nichet, is clearly perceived: who rejected the Scriptures of God, because in them is contained a commemoration of the faults of the Patriarchs. Shall the light be despised, because it manifesteth both beauty and desormitie, both strength and debility, both the perfection of a complete body, and the imperfection of a dismembered and mutilate body? In like manner, the Holy Scriptures are to be had in the more reverend regard, when they describe everything in their own colors, and manifesteth on the one part the riches of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ, and on the other part the falsehood, subtlety, hypocrisy, and pride of the Antichrist, to the end, that God's people may eschew the Antichrist, and rejoice in the sweet salvation of Christ Jesus.

This discovery of the Antichrist, in some weak measure, began about the year of our Lord 1300. at what time, learned men, fearing the tyranny of the Emperor of the Turks, fled to Italy, and restored the Grieke and Latin languages to their own purity. This vindicating of languages, from the gross barbaritie of those times, opened a door of knowledge, and a desire of reading, with a judicious consideration of that which was read, whether or not it were a suppositious work. More-over, God anointed the eyes of many learned men, with the eye-salve of understanding whose sight increasing by degrees, in end manifested to the world, that the chair of Rome was the seat of the Antichrist. Marsilius Patavinus. in his book called Defensor Pacis, writeth, that the Clergy of Rome is a den of thi •… ues, and that the doctrine of the Pope is not to be followed, because it leadeth unto eternal death. Franciscus Petrarcha, a man famously learned, calleth Rome the whore of Babylon, the School, and mother of error, the temple of Heresy, the nest of treachery, growing and increasing by the oppression of others. This same Author (about the year of our Lord 1350.) writeth to one of his friends. Let none evil desire entangle thee, that thou shouldest dress thyself again, to those Princes of darkness, &c. To what purpose wouldest thou go thither? That thou mightest see good men borne down, and evil men advanced? Eagles creeping, and Asses flying? Foxes in chariots, and Ravens in castles, and Doves in the dung •… ? W •… lues to be free, and Lambes to be in bands? Finally, Christ to be b •… nished, and Beelzebub to be judge? To these spectacles am I called backc again, I will not hearken, neither do I agree with them, nor they with me. O cruel and wicked sect of men, loving no-body but themselves, and that altogether preposterously, and wickedly! Who shall relieve the oppressed woilde, and the afflicted town? Who shall reform the enormity of manners? Who shall collect the dispersed sheep? Who shall reprove errontous Pastors? Who shall reduce and bring them back again unto their own chairs? Shall there be none ende of licentiousness and sin? Hath the Spirit in vain threatened by the Prophet, These things hast thou done, and I held •… y tongue, therefore thou thoughtest, that I was like unto thee. John Wiklef, a Professor of Divinity in Oxford, affirmed, that whatsoever the Pope and his Cardinals command, which cannot be deduced clearly out of Scriptures, this same is to be counted Heretical, and not to be obeyed. These few witnesses of God, holy like unto Hanoch, the seventh from Adam, and zealous like unto Helias, by the example of their courageous zeal, and zealous courage, incited a greater number of Holy men in Germany, Switserland, France, Britanie, and Poll, to be witnesses to the truth of God: whose number, albeit it was as contemptible in the eyes of Roman Prelates, as the number of the army of Alexander of Macedo was in the eyes of Darius, king of Persia. Notwithstanding, by these witnesses of God, the Antichrist hath been discovered, the city of spiritual Babylon hath been shaken, the head of the beast hath been wounded, and all his Physicians have much ado to cure his wound again.

But let us proceed to that which followeth in the ende of the 8. verse: namely, that the Antichrist should not only be revealed, but also should be consumed by the Spirit of the mouth of Christ: whereof it may be perceived, that the Lord will not abolish the kingdom of the Antichrist, as he did abolish other Monarchies of the Babylonians. Persians, Grecians, and Romans: but he keepeth the kingdom of the Antichrist afore-hand to be consumed by the tempest of his own wrath. This argueth the great indignation of God against the kingdom of the Antichrist wherein he findeth might joined withslight, so that the Lord will draw out against him his great and mighty sword, wherewith he visiteth Leviathan, that piercing Serpent, and Leviathan, that crooked Serpent, and he slayeth the Dragon that is in the Sea, for all his might, the wrath of God shall be revealed against him from Heaven, because he hath withholden the truth in unrighteousness. Whatsoever shall be done against this mother of whoredoms in this world, is nothing else, but an earnest-penny of that unspeakable wrath of God, that shall seize upon the kingdom of the Antichrist at the latter day. More-over, the equity of the justice of God is to be noted in this, that God rendereth unto the Antichrist such punishment, as doeth moste proportionallie agree with the nature of his fault: for by the Anathemes and Curses of his mouth, he subdued the mighty Monarchs of the earth: so shall Christ pronounce a Curse against him, by the power whereof he shall be sent unto the furnace of everlasting punishment.

Now it might have been objected, Howe could it come to pass, that ever the Antichrist should have obtained so great place in the Temple of God? To this objection the Apostle returneth a four-fold answer: First, it came to pass by the mighty operation of the Devil: Secondly, by lying miracles: Thirdly, by the deceivableness of unrighteousness: And fourthly, by the incredulity of men who would not believe the truth of God: therefore the Lord suffered them to be deluded with errors: These four causes are set down in the 9. 10. 11. and 12. verses, whereof when we have spoken a little, GOD willing, we shall conclude this Treatise.

The first cause of the prevailing power of the Antichrist, is the mighty operation of Satan, concurring with him, who is to be considered two manner of ways, sometimes as bound, at other times as lowse and set at liberty: he is a perilous enemy at all times, even when he is bound, in respect of our childish simplicity: we are like unto babes, who through curiosity at sometime will come within the reach of a bound Lyon, and will be harmed by the means. But when Satan is set at liberty, then hath he a mighty operation, even so great, that albeit light be offered unto men, yet they love darkness better than the light of God. If ever Satan was set at ample liberty, (who is ever, for the Elects sake, somewhat restrained) he was set at greatest liberty, when the Roman Antichrist had greatest preeminence: for at that time the smoke of the bottomless pit so ouercouered all things with darkness, that men saw neither Heaven nor Hell, nor yet themselves: The Heaven was darkened, because men sought an entry into it another way, than by the blood of the everlasting Covenant of God, by the worthiness whereof the moste Holy place is made patent to us, and none other way: And Hell was darkened, because men lived in a deep security, as if they had made a covenant with Death and Hell: the Popes pardon, and the fulfilling of the penance enjoined by the Priest, was counted a complete armoure to save them against the fiery indignation of God's wrath: Yea and men saw not themselves, but in seeking to establish their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God. Now it is our duty, with all our hearts, to bless the King of Heaven, who hath begun to cast Satan into bands again: for experience of our wavering minds declareth, that if Satan were set at liberty again, it were an easy thing to transport us headlonges to all kind of errors.

The second cause of the prevailing power of the Antichrist, is signs and lying wonders: in the Grieke language 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , signifieth, miracles, confirming a lying doctrine. All the miracles of the Antichrist, are either false miracles, wherein nothing is wrought above nature, nor contrary to nature, or else the ende of his miracles is the confirmation of a false doctrine. The Roman Church braggeth much of miracles, as if the power of working miraculous works were a gift continually to remain, and an undoubted token of the true Church of God: Howbeit Holy Scripture attributeth to false Teachers, who entice people to worship strange gods, power to work signs and wonders. Socrates also, in his Ecclesiastical History, writeth of Eusebius Emisenus, an Arian Heretic, under the reign of Constantius, who had the gift of working miracles. And Platina writeth of miracles wrought at the sepulcher of Rhotaris, king of Lombardis, an Arian prince. Yea, and the Apostle Paul saith, if I had all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and had not love, I were nothing. Now what wisdom is it to count working of miracles one of the principal notes of the true Church of Christ. which is found also in the kingdom of the Antichrist, and amongst Heretics, & amongst them who in the sight of God are counted nothing? if we taught a doctrine, either in substance or form, different from the doctrine of Christ, and his Apostles, it were good reason, that we should confirm it with new miracles. But if we teach no doctrine, except the doctrine of Christ, and his Apostles, then is that ancient doctrine already sufficiently confirmed by ancient miracles wrought by Christ, & his Apostles. Now let us set forward to the purpose, and let us speak of the false miracles, whereby the kingdom of the Antichrist was advanced, and that through the mighty operation of Satan: for like as Ahab is said to have consented to the death of Naboth, because the letters which procured his death, were sealed with his ring: Even so, Satan liked well the advancement of the Antichrist, because he set himself to work, by many lying miracles, to advance the kingdom of the Antichrist. Before the 600. year of our Lord when the way was preparing for the Uniuersall Bishop, was not the worshipping of the Cross confirmed in Apamea, by the fi •… e which shined about Thomas, bishop there, and burned him not. The town of Edessa, was thought to be saved by the picture of Christ dipped in water: which picture was alleged to have been sent to King Agbarus. The town of Sergiopolis to have been s •… ued by the relics of the martyr Sergius. But after the 600. year of our Lord, false miracles were so multiplied, that it would be tedious to read y ^e shortest abridgement of them that could be compiled. The miracles wrought by the relics of Saint Oswald, King of ENGLAND, written by Beda. The miracles wrought by the relics of John the Baptist, written by Sigebertus: and of S. Sebastian, written by Paulus Diaconus. The miracles of the popes, Deus dedit, and pope Agatho, written by Platina. The miracles of S. Dionyse, S. Maurice, and S. Martin, who miraculously delivered the soul of Dagoberius, King of France, out of the hands of evil spirits, written also by Platina. The miracle of Immas, a captive and a prisoner in ENGLAND, whom no bands could bind, because his brother, being a Priest and supposing that Immas had been slain in the battle, and that his soul had been in purgatory, he made prayers to GOD, and said Mass oft times, for relief of his brothers soul: the benefit whereof, as Beda supposeth, redounded to the weal of Immas soul and body. O foolish fable! and yet thought worthy, by master Brestow, by a new commemoration thereof, to be kept in continual remembrance. To be short, the Legendes, Portuses, Festiuals, Promptuaries, Sermones, and other books of the Roman Church, which are all stuffed so full, that nothing almost is thought to be sufficiently proved, that is not confirmed by a number of false and frivolous miracles: all these, I say, clearly prove, in what account false miracles were, and are, in the kingdom of the Antichrist. Every man, who is a judicious Reader, may consider, that I leave this point, not for l •… cke of abundance of matter, but for fear to offend the Reader with superfluity of miracles unworthy to be rehearsed.

The third cause of the prevailing power of the Antichrist, is set down •… in the 10. verse, in these words, In all deceivableness of unrighteousness amongst them that perish. In which words the Apostle pointeth out unto us three things: First, that the mark and butte, whereat the Antichrist shooteth, is unrighteous: Secondly, the means, whereby he endevoreth to attain unto his intended purpose, are deceitful: and thirdly, that the deceitfulness of the Antichrist shall not hurt the elect of God, but only them that perish. The principal butte, and ende whereat they aimed continually, was superiority and preeminence above their brethren. The deceitful means, whereby they attained to that preeminence, were flattery lies, and f •… lse accusations of good men. They flattered the Emperors, Phocas and Basilius: They falsified the acts of the Council of Nice, for excessive desire to be counted judges of appellations: They accused the bishops of Rauenna, moste falsely, of the He •… esie of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : And not content with superiority over their brethren, they aimed continually at the honor due to Christ, that is, to be law-givers in the Church of God. This was a matter of greater difficulty to be brought to pass: for albeit a man may climb up unto the top of the highest mountain in the world, yet can he not reach his hand above the Sun and Moon, and the glistering lights of the firmament: Even so, when all the Bishops in the world are casten under the feet of the Bishops of ROME, howe dare they presume with sacrilegious boldness, to make themselves companions to CHRIST, and to be Law-givers in the Church? By deceiveable means also this unrighteousness behooved to be brought to pass: for a false opinion was settled in the hearts of the people, That in matters of Faith the Bishop of ROME could not err: So ignorant people, bewitched with vain hopes, without all due examination, received all their ordinances, howe repugnant soever they were to the ordinances of CHRIST.

The last cause wherefore the ANTICHRIST shall prevail so mightily, is the power of the wrath of GOD, justly punishing the contempt of His truth in the world. The contempt of mercy deserveth punishment, and the contempt of great mercy deserveth great punishment. Now it is certain, that amongst all the rich treasures of the mercy of GOD, CHRIST is the greatest, with whom, and for whose sake, all other things are given, as the Apostle PAUL speaketh, in the eight Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans, and the thirty and two verse. And seeing CHRIST is manifested to the world by the preaching of the Gospel, the contempt thereof is an utter rejecting of CHRIST. And what wonder is it that GOD suffer them to be deluded with errors, who will not belecue the truth of His word?

The strong delusions, or efficacy of error, as the GREEKS word soundeth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is rather to be referred to the ostentation of signs and wonders, than to the power of the doctrine that shall be under the ANTICHRIST: for it is said, (In the Gospel according to Saint MATTHEW, in the twentle and fourth Chapter, and the twenty and fourth verse thereof) There shall arise false Christ's, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, so that if it were possible, they should deceive the very Elect.

The minds of people in all ages have been mightily transported with signs and wonders, in so much, that the GENTILES firmelie believed, that there was a divine power in IVPPITER, because the LORD permitted the Devil to raise a mighty storm of wind, and to over-blow with sand the army of CAMBYSES, which went to PENTAPOLIS, of purpose to spoil the Temple of IVPPITER, AMMONIVS. The GRECIANS likewise believed, that there was divinity in APOLLO, because GOD permitted the Devil to shake the mountain of PARNASSVS, and to destroy a great number of the army of ZERXES, who came to spoil the Temple of DELPHVS. Heathen people were ravished with admiration of works which seemed miraculous: But Christians, to whom the written word of GOD belongeth, they should regard no miracle, which leadeth them from the form of true worshipping, set down in the written word of GOD, (DEVTRONOM. CHAP. XIII.) for all such miracles are called by the Apostle, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, miracles of falsehood, or miracles confirming a false doctrine.

Now blessed be our GOD, who by the breath of His own mouth hath begun to remove the misty cloud of horrible darkness, and who hath made the beams of His truth to shine upon us. And the LORD establish our souls with His saving Grace, unto the ende, and in the ende,

A TREATISE, Of the Sacrifice of the Mass.

T HE soul of the Antichrists kingdom is the Mass, which being abolished, the Antichrists kingdom cannot consist. Now, therefore, it followeth by due order, that I should speak of the Sacrifice of the Mass, keeping this method: first to search out if it be an ancient Service in the Church of God: secondly, to search out the definition of the Mass: and thirdly, to declare the absurdities of the Mass.

To prove the Mass to be an ancient Sacrifice, used and approved in the Primitive Church, they allege the liturgy of Saint James, the books of Abdias, bishop of Babylon, the books of Martialis, bishop of Burdeaux, and one of the seventy Disciples, the books of Clement and of Saint Dionyse, the liturgies of Basel and Chrysostom, a book found in Verona, a town of Ital •… e, set forth under the name of Amph •… lochius, bishop of Iconium, the head city of Lycaonia, which describeth the life and miracles of Saint Basel. But now it is time to be ashamed of their supposititious books and legendes of lies, wherewith they were accustomed to deceive simple people. These books, for the moste part, are so unknown to Antiquity, that there is no mention made of them in ancient Authors. The liturgy of Chrysostom is a book falsely shrouded under his name, because in that liturgy there is a prayer conceived for the prosperity and well-fare of Nicolaus the first, universal bishop. And it is known, that Nicolaus the first was not borne three hundredth year and more after the death of Chrysostom. And in the book set forth under the name of Amphilochius, a description of the life of Thomas Bekket, bishop of Canterbury, is set down, who was at least seven hundredth years posterior to the days of A •… philochius. Such legendes of lies do very well agree with the kingdom of the Antichrist.

Moreover, the form of Church-discipline used of old, will prove, that there was no such Church-service as the Mass: for these who had committed great sins, by the strict discipline of the Church, were debarred, some from hearing of Sermons, others from the Prayers, and some from the Communion: but we read of no man, for the space of five hundredth years, who was debarred from the sight of the Sacrifice of the Mass, because there was no such Service in the Church for the space aforesaid. For mine own part, I found nothing in the History, that once seemed to countenance the Popish Mass, before the six hundredth year of our Lord, at what time the bishop of Centum-celle made a fabulous narration, to Gregory the first, of a man tormented in purgatory, who requested a Church-man to offer to God consecrated hosties for his relief out of pains: but this fable cannot prove the Mass to be an ancient Churchseruice.

Chrysostom clearly declareth the form of approaching to dinine mysteries in his time, After Sermon a deacon stood up, and cried with a loud voice, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, Holy things do appertain unto holy persons: by which words he inviteth holy men, and such as are duly prepared, to draw near to the participation of holy mysteries, & others, who in conscience sound not themselves purged from the filthiness of their sins, he exhorteth to single out themselves, and not to approach to the holy Table. This he amplifieth by a dissimilitude of the Olympiak plays, and the holy Supper: In the Olympiak plays (saith Chrysostom) an harolde stood up, and after he had pointed out a man's name, who offered to give a proof of his valor in the Olympiak exercises, then the harolde cried with a loud voice, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ? that is, Doeth ani •… body accuse this man? can any body accuse him of theft, of lewd manners, of a base and servile condition, whereby he may be found incapable of this high honou •… ? But when a man is disposed to approach unto the holy mysteries, the Church deacon calleth not upon others to accuse him but sendeth him to the secrete parlor of of his own heart, to accuse himself, and to try if he be absolved from his sin, and if he be refreshed with the earnest-penny of the Holy Spirit, and made rich in good works. This was the form of communicating in Chrysostom's days. If there was besides this form of communicating a sacrifice also, wherein a Priest stood at the Altar, and he only did eat and drink, and the rest were only spectators and beholders of the sacri •… ce, then let them produce testimonies of Scripture, or ancient Fathers, whereby it may be proved, that such form of service was in use in the Church.

Master Harding, foolishly singing the triumph before the victory, citeth a place of Chrysostom, as a full and perfect confirmation of the Antiquity of the Mass. Chrysostom, when he was a fellow-laborer, with Flauianus, bishop of Antiochia, he complained of the slowness of the people in approaching to the holy Communion, in these words, I see, saith he, great inequality of things amongst you: At other times, When as for the moste part ye are in clean life, ye come not (to wit, to the Communion) but at Easter, though ye have done something amiss, yet ye come: O what custom is this! O what presumption is this! the daily sacrifice is offered in vain: We stand at the Altar for naught, there is not one that will communicate. The very purpose whereat Chrysostom aimeth, should make him ashamed to cite this place as a defense of the Mass: for Ch •… ysostome is reprehending the people for resorting at so few times, and in so small companies, unto the holy Supper, when as of old the people were wont to communicate every day, and therefore he calleth the Lord's Supper a daily sacrifice.

The Papists are so far from reproving the people for not communicating, that they make provision only for one to eat and drink at the Altar, and not for many: and they invite not the people to communicate with them, but rather by the novelty of their new invented religion, they distinguish the Altar from the Communion table, and the Sacrifice from the Sacrament, far contrary to the custom of the Primitive Church, who by a Metaphor called the Sacrament a Sacrifice, and by the like Metaphor called the Communion table an Altar. If any man will rudely press the words of Chrysostom, express contrary to his meaning, let him understand that the like form of speaking is used in Holy Scripture, where it is said, And no •… an received his testimony, to wit, the testimony of Christ. The meaning is not, that nobody received the testimony of Christ, but that very few received it: Even so, the meaning of the words of Chrysostom is, that very few of the people did communicate. And this hath been very judiciously marked by Master IEWELL, that worthy Bishop, in his disputation against master Harding.

To be short in this head of Antiquity of the Popish Mass. Their bragging of Antiquity is not unlike to the Gibeonites shoos, which were old, and put on of purpose to deceive: yet were not their shoos so old, as the shoos of GOD'S people, which, by the miraculous work of GOD, lasted forty years in the Wilderness, and were not rent. GOD'S people might have bragged indeed, of ancient and vnrent shoos, but the deceitful Gibeonites, they bragged, and deceived God's people with antiquity falsely pretended. Such is the antiquity of the mass, and no better.

Before I leave this head, I will admonish the Reader, not to be deceived with old Latin transations of Grieke Authors. Socrates writeth of the favorers of Paulinus, that after he died they communicated not with Flauianus, bishop of Antiochia, but they kept Assemblies apart by themselves. Now the words of the Grieke language, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is better translated this way, Separatim conuentus faciebant, than as some old Latin interpreters translate the words, Separatim missarum celebrabant solennia, howbeit the old interpreters by missarum solennia, understand nothing but Ecclesiastical conuentions.

IN the second head we have the definition of the Mass, to be set down, and to be examined. The Mass is called a sacrifice propitiatory, & unbloody, wherein the Priest offereth the body of the Son of God to the Father, under the forms of bread and wine, and that without suffering for the sins of the quick and the dead. From the word of Sacrifice ancient Fathers did not abhor, but they called the Holy Sacrament a Sacrifice of thanksgiving and a commemoratiue Sacrifice of the death of Christ the words of Augustine are these, Hujus sacrifitii caro ante aduentum Christi, per victimas similitudinum promittebatur: in passion per ipsam veritatem reddebatur: post ascensum Christi, per sacramentum memory celebratur: that is to say, The flesh of this sacrifice was promised by sacrifices of similitudes: In the suffering of Christ, it was in very deed exhibited: and after the ascension of Christ, it is celebrated by a Sacrament of His memorial. In these words Augustine distinguisheth a sacrifice prefiguratiue before Christ's coming, and a sacrifice commemoratiue after the Lord's ascension, from the sacrifice of Christ's body in verity, and actually exhibited upon the cross; other sacrifices point out, as types and figures, the great sacrifice of the body of Christ once offered upon the cross: but they are not that self same sacrifice, except by a figurative manner of speech. And like as the town Nicopolis was not the victory of Augustus Caesar, when he faught against Antonius and Cleopatra, but it was only a memorial of the victory: Even so, the commemoratiue sacrifice of the New Testament, is not the true sacrifice of Christ's body, but only a memorial of that blessed sacrifice.

Justinus Martyr had good occasion offered unto him to write of the sacrifices of Christ's Church, because Pagans slandered Christians, and called them Atheists, in regard they offered not bloody sacrifices, nor incense, unto their God: to whom Justinus returned this answer, That Christians offered to GOD such sacrifices as they knew to be moste acceptable to Him, to wit, the sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving. And as concerning the creatures of God, appointed for the sustentation of mankind, we keep them (saith he) for our own use, and for the sustentation of indigent people, but we consume them not with fire. If there had been any corporal sacrifice in the Church of the body of the Son of God, under the forms of bread and wine, Justinus had occasion offered unto him to have spoken of it: but he knew no such sacrifice in his time. Yea, and the sacrament of the Lord's Supper is called, by Justinus, a Sacrifice of thanksgiving, who confidently affirmeth, that prayer & thanksgiving are the only sacrifices perfect and acceptable to GOD, even at that time when the Sacrament is ministered, which putteth us in remembrance of the Lord's suffering. Testimonies out of the books of ancient Fathers should be cited without fraud and deceit, and should not be wrested to another sense and meaning, than they were spoken into by the Authors. And so the word Sacrifice could offend no man, if it were spoken in such sense as ancient Fathers spake it.

The Roman Church should do well, so to remember the names that ancient Fathers have given to the Sacrament, that they should not forget, that Holy Scripture calleth it a Communion of the body and blood of Christ. Then let it be such a sacrifice, wherein many participates of one bread and one cup, and thereby sealeth up, that they are all members of one mystical body of Jesus Christ: but not such a sacrifice wherein the people standeth gazing and looking, and the Priest alone eateth and drinketh, and distributeth nothing unto the people. They answer, that the Priest, who offereth at the Altar, he communicateth with others, who do the like service in other places. This is but falsehood, in reasoning arising upon the deceitful handeling of one word having two significations: The word Communion importeth two things: First, a Communion in religion: Secondly, a participation of y ^e Holy Supper in one place, and an eating of one bread, and drinking of one cup: and in this second sense, it is taken by the Apostle in the 10. Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians: in which sense their private Mass cannot be called a Communion.

The second word of the definition of the Mass is propitiatory. This word doeth signify a sacrifice purchasing remission of sins, as the Apostle witnesseth. And this honor doeth only appertain to the sacrifice of Christ, who is a propitiation for our sins, & the sins of the whole world. This ground being once laid, that Christ is the only person, in whom the Father is well pleased with us: and Christ's sacrifice is the only means, whereby we are reconciled to God.

In the second place, we shall consider, wherefore the word of propitiation was in so frequent use in the old Testament. The golden coucring of the Ark was called the propitiatory: likewise the tenth day of the seventh month, whereupon the High Priest entered once in the year within the Vail, and into the most Holy place, it was called the day of propitiation: and the sin-offerings were called propitiatory sacrifices. To this doubt the Apostle answereth, that the law having the shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never, with those sacrifices, which they offer year by year, continually sanctify the comers thereunto. By these words it is evident, that the sin-offering, and the blood carried within the Vail, and the golden covering of the Ark, had no power to purge the consciences of men from sin: only they were types and figures representing Christ, in whom that was to be actually performed, which was represented by those figures. And like as no prefiguration sacrifice in a proper sense could be called propitiatory: Even so in like manner, no commemoratiue sacrifice of Christ's death, can be called a propitiatory sacrifice, except typically, and figuratively.

The words of Augustine, speaking of the sacrament of the Altar, in the celebration whereof, there was a commemoration of the names of many men, who were departed this life, presenteth to Papists some occasion of cavillation: for they say, that Augustine thought the sacrament of the Altar to be a propitiation: for men who had been of a middle-rank, that is, neither of the best, nor of the worst sort of people. But they who are well acquainted with Augustine's writings will not be easily miscarried with such Amphthologies as lurk in words. True it is, that AUGUSTINE calleth the Sacrament a Sacrifice: but in what sense? A commemoratiue Sacrifice, as hath been declared already. And in the like sense, he calleth the Sacrament of the Altar propitiatio, because in it there is a commemoration of the propitiatory sacrifice, which CHRIST offered upon the Cross. His distinction of men, who are departed, in three ranks, some have been very good men, others have been very bad men, the third rank have neither been the best nor the worst sort of people, together with his doubtsome opinion concerning the estate of weak Christians, who are departed this life, presenteth no solid ground to any man to build his argument upon the testimony of a doubting author.

The next word of the definition is unbloody. Howe repugnant this part of the definition is unto the former part, wherein it was called a propitiatory Sacrifice, GOD willing, I shall declare in the last head, concerning the absurdities of the Mass.

For one special respect Papists should speak sparinglie of their unbloody hostie: for they have made it bloody by the cruel shedding of the blood of many innocent people, whom they have persecuted to the death, massacred, tormented with forms of new invented cruelty, circumueened by false and deceitful promises: and they have excogitated horrible treasons, the like whereof have not been heard since the foundation of the world: and these villainies were hatched in their hateful hearts for the establishing of their Idolatrous Mass. Vesperae siculae, may be called an unbloody Even-song: and the sacrifices offered to DIANA, in TAVRICA CHERSONESVS, may be called unbloody sacrifices, with better reason than the Popish Mass can be called an unbloody sacrifice, because the service done to DIANA, albeit it began with the shedding of human blood, yet it ended with the shedding of the blood of beasts. But the cruelty of the Papists will make no such exchange, because they walk in the way of Cain.

The next part of the definition is this: That in the Mass the Priest offereth the body of the Son of GOD to the Father. No part of the definition is more intolerable, and more flatlie opposite to holy Scripture, than this part: for holy Scripture setteth down CHRISTES body, as the only propitiatory sacrifice, and CHRIST himself, as the only High Priest, who offered this sacrifice. And to transfer this high honor only due to CHRIST, unto a sinful man, it is a thing intolerable to true Christians, who are affectioned to the glory of JESUS CHRIST their Master and Savior.

But incase a mortal and sinful man will take upon him such boldness, as to offer the body of the Son of GOD in a sacrifice to the Father, let us consider, by what warrande of the calling of GOD dare he presume so to do. Papists affirm, that when CHRIST instituted the holy Supper, at one, and the self same time, he instituted both a Sacrament and a Sacrifice, and consecrated his Apostles, and their successors, to be Priests of the new Testament, to offer up the body of Christ, unto His FATHER, under the forms of Bread and Wine: and these were the words whereby they were consecrated to this Priesthood, Do this in remembrance of me. The Apostle Paul understood the meaning of the words of Christ better than the whole Council of Trent did: and he expoundeth these words. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, Do this, referring them both to Pastors and people: To Pastors, when he saith, That which I delivered unto you, I received of the Lord: to people, when he saith, As ost as ye drink, drink it in remembrance of me. Then the Pastors do this, when they minister the Sacrament expressly according to the institution of Christ: and the people do this, when they eat and drink at the Lord's Table in remembrance of the Lord's death. But the Apostle Paul doeth not expound the words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as the Council of Trent hath done. More-over, if CHRIST in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that is, Do this, he ordained his disciples to be Priests of the New Testament, and to offer in sacrifice the body of Christ to his Father: then Christ, when he ministered the holy Supper, he offered himself in a sacrifice to the Father: (for he biddeth them do that same thing which he did) and consequently he offered himself at two diverse times, and behooved to suffer twice, as the Apostle testifieth, which is an absurd thing once to think such a thing.

Further, I may boldly affirm, that the Levitical sacrifices were not so far different from the sacrifice of Christ, as the Mass is different from it: The Levitical sacrifices differed in many things from the sacrifice of Christ: as namely in the order of priesthood in the worthiness of the Priest, in the excellency of the sacrifice, in the preciousness of the Tabernacle, in the glory of the Vail, and moste Holy place, and finally, in the virtue of the blood that was brought within the moste Holy place: Notwithstanding of all these differences betwixt the Levitical priesthood, and the priesthood of Christ: yet there was some agreement betwixt them, namely this, that both of them were instituted by God. But the sacrifice of the Mass, over and besides all other differences, whereby it is distinguished from Christ's sacrifice, it is not the institution of God, but a foolish invention of the brain of man.

The next part of the definition that Christ's body is offered under the accidents of bread and wine, agreeth not well with the glory whereinto Christ entered by his ascension: for like as the resurrection of Christ hath glorious priueledges, he being ra sed from death, death hath no more dominion over him: Even so, the ascension of Christ to Heaven hath glorious priueledges: for he who ascended to Heaven, he sitteth at the right hand of the power of God, and will come again in the clouds of Heaven: and it repugneth as far to the glory of his ascension to appear again in a base similitude, as it repugneth to the glory of his resurrection to die again. But so it is, that the accidents of bread and wine are a base similitude to the blessed and glorified body of Christ to put on: yea, and baser than the shape of a servant, wherewith he was clothed before his ascension. Concerning the sacrifice of Melchizedek, and their confident assertion, that in the sacrifice of the Mass Christ is offered, without suffering, I remit these questions unto the last head of this TREATISE.

The last part of the definition of the Mass containeth, that it is a sacrifice for the quick and the dead. If it be that self same sacrifice which Christ offered upon the cross, not different from it in substance, but only in form of offering, then behooved it to be of infinite valor, as the sacrifice offered upon the cross was. But the multitude of Masses said for the relieving of one soul out of purgatory declareth, that there is not infinite and perfect valor in the sacrifice of the Mass: Ergo, it is not that same sacrifice in substance which Christ offered upon the cross: Even as a Physician, who adhibiteth a plaster unto a wound, having full virtue to cure the wound by once applying it, he will not apply it the second time, because the wound is perfectly healed by one sole application: Even so if the Mass had perfect valor to save, as the sacrifice of Christ offered upon the cross had, what need were it to say many Masses for the relief of one sou'e out of purgatory?

More-over, if they offer a sacrifice for the dead, it is not for them who hath died in infidelity & mis-belief, for their souls are buried in Hell, and there is no redemption out of that everlasting prison: But they offer sacrifice for weak Christians, of whom notwithstanding holy Scripture saith, that they die in the Lord, they rest from their labors, and their works follow them: so weak Christians, when they die, their souls are not carried to purgatory, to be tormented, but unto the place of rest, and refreshment, and retribution of all the good things which they have done, like as the Lord hath freely forgiven them all evil which they did in their life time, because they have repented, and believed in Christ their Savior.

The offering of sacrifice for the dead, do not only presuppone purgatory, but also that some help may be procured by them who are alive, to short̄ or to mitigate the pains of them who are departed this life. This opinion also repugneth to Holy Scripture, which admonisheth us to seek the Lord in a time when he may be found, that is, to seek the Lord in our life time, for it is vntimous seeking of the Lord after the soul be separated from the body. Some men seek the Lord in a wrong place: some seek him in a wrong manner, and some seek him in a wrong time, as the foolish Virgines did. But of all sort of seekers of the Lord, they are most unfortunate, who seek him in a time when he cannot be found, and when the door of his wedding chamber is shut and locked. For others, who have sought the Lord in wrong places, that is, in the synagogue of Satan, where nothing was taught but a doctrine of lies, and they have sought God in a wrong manner, inuocating Saints, and worshipping Images: yet afterward, when they have received better instruction, they have sought the Lord in a right place, and in a right manner, and have found the Lord: but they who seek the Lord in a wrong time shall never find him.

IN the last head of this Treatise, I promised to speak of the absurdities of the Mass, which albeit they be many in number, yet I shall reduce them unto a few heads. First I begin at the blasphemous Canon of the Mass, whereunto the Council of Trent hath given such a glorious testimony, that it is perfect, absolute, void of all error, and therefore not to be changed, or abrogated. I call the Canon of the Mass, that rule which prescribeth what should be said or sung in the Popish liturgy or Mass. It is not a work composed by one author, but rather a rapsodie patched up by many authors, and especially by Popes. Celestinus devised the preamble or introit to the Mass: Gregorius added kyrie eleson: Telesphorus, gloria in excelsis Deo: Gelatius the first, the Collations: Pelagius, a commemoration of the dead: Leo the third added incense: Innocentius the first, added the paxe: Sergius the first, ordained agnus Dei to be sung: other partes and members of the Mass are assigned to their several authors and inuentors. In it the Priest is commanded to bow himself before the hostie, & say, I worship thee, I glorify thee, I praise thee. Can there be any Idolattie more monstrous than this? for like as GOD hath appointed some creatures to lead us to our God in so far as he is our Creator: even so he hath appointed other creatures to lead us to our God in so far as he is our Redeamer. Now like as it is Idolatry to subsist in the Sun, Moon, and stars, and to worship them, because they are but creatures, leading us to the knowledge of God our Creator: Even so it is horrible Idolatry, to worship the bread and wine in the Sacrament, because they are but creatures, appointed by God to lead us to the knowledge of God our Redeamer.

More-over, in the Canon of the Mass, the Priest is commanded to pray such prayers as import that He is a Mediator betwixt Christ and his Father: for he beseecheth GOD to receive the oblation which he offereth, and in all things to make it blessed: Now the oblation which he offereth (as they affirm) is the body of Christ. And shall a sinful Priest be a mediator betwixt Christ and his Father? Here they forget the doctrine of Augustine, who saith, that the Mediator of Intercession prayeth for us, but no man prayeth for Him. And to the ende it might appear y ^e they are countenanced by antiquity, they insert some prayers used by holy Fathers in time of celebration of divine mysteries, but by a deceitful transposition of their words, they utterly pervert the right sense and meaning of the words of the ancient Fathers: as namely, when Ambrose saith, Command thou these (to wit, oblations) to be carried by the hands of thine holy Angel unto the high Altar in Heaven. Ambrose spake of the bread and wine, that God would vouchsafe upon those elements y ^e high honor, that they might represent unto us y ^e blessed body & blood of Christ, which was like unto an elevation of y ^e elements unto y ^e Heaven. But by a deceitful transposition of y ^e words of Ambrose, & inserting them after the words of consecration, they ordain their sinful Priest to pray for the body of the Son of God, which is a notable abusing of the words of Ambrose.

Likewise, in the Canon of the Mass there is invocation of Saints, far contrary to the ancient custom of the Church: who albeit they made a reverend commemoration of the names of holy men, when they celebrated divine mysteries, yet they invocated them not, as Augustine clearly testifieth, saying, The names of Martyrs are commemorated in their own place and order, as men of God, yet are they not invocated by the Priest who offereth sacrifices.

The seconde absurdity of the Mass, consisteth in the very grounds thereof, which I refer first to the superstition of some Christian people, who had a zeal to God, but not rightly ordered with knowledge. Some Christian people were so superstitious, that they were not content to eat the Communion bread at the holy Supper in the Church, but also they carried a part of it home to their houses, & they ate it secretly in their chambers. Of this the defenders of the Mass inferreth, If it was lawful for them to communicate alone in their chamber, much more is it lawful for the Priest to communicate alone in the Church. Upon such sandy ground is y ^e Popish Mass built. The second ground of the Mass is the timorous minds of simple people, who being informed by their deceiving teachers, that they might have like benefit, with less hazard and danger, by seeing of the sacrifice, as they had by participation of the Sacrament. The people began to loathe the frequent resorting to the holy Sacrament, and they came to see the sacrifice of the Mass. Both these grounds of the Mass are abuses of y ^e Lord's holy Supper. In y ^e first ground, that which Christ commandeth to be presently eaten in remembrance of him, a part thereof is reserved, to be eaten in y ^e chamber, contrary to Christ's institution, as is already declared. In the second ground, y ^e Apostolic precept is neglected, which commandeth us to try our selves, and so to eat & drink at the Lord's table: but he forbiddeth us not to approach to the Lord's holy table, if we be duly & rightly prepared: neither giveth he allowance to this new form of communicating, that the people shall stand only gazing and beholding, and shall communicate by y ^e mouth of the Priest alone. They who brag of antiquity, and follow new invented toys, they have no honor by their bragging.

The third absurdity of the Mass, consisteth in the rotten pillars, whereupon the Mass standeth, to wit, Trans substantiation and Purgatory: for incase the bread be not changed into the substance of Christ's body, the priest cannot offer Christ's body to His Father. And incase there be no souls tormented in Purgatory, how doeth the priest offer a sacrifice for the dead? So it is manifest, that these are the two rotten pillars upholding the Mass. I shall refute the doctrine of Transubstantiation (GOD willing) in its own place: for the present, I say, If there be Transubstantiation in the holy Sacrament, then is the spirit of man corporally fed, and the body of Christ is eaten by many in the Sacrament, to whom he is not promised in the Word, which is an absurd thing once to imagine it. And if such a place as Purgatory had been, then Christ, who hath revealed unto us all things necessary to be known, he would have revealed that mystery also unto us. But Christ hath told us of the pleasures of Heaven, and of the terrors of Hell, but never a word of Purgatory. If a house, built upon sandy ground, and leaning unto rotten pillars, can stand, then possible the Mass also may consist and stand: if not, the Mass also is in danger to fall.

The fourth absurdity of the Mass, is a vile abusing of places of holy Scripture, for upholding the sacrifice of the Mass. In the old Testament, they confirm the sacrifice of the Mass, by the fact of Melchizedek, who brought forth bread and wine to refresh the weary army of Abraham: but not to offer these elements in a sacrifice to God. And the ancient Fathers, who translate the Hebrew word (obtulit) instead of (protulit) yet their opinion is, that Melchizedek offered bread and wine to Abraham for his refreshment, but not to God in a sacrifice. But suppose the words of Moses did sound to that sense, that Melchizedek offered a sacrifice of bread & wine unto God, What belongeth that to the sacrifice of the Mass, wherein they say, that bread and wine is not offered unto God, but the very body of Christ, under the accidents of bread and wine? This was not the sacrifice of Melchizedek. Also, the words of the prophesy of Malachi are mis rably abused, for confirmation of the sacrifice of the Mass whereas he saith, For from the rising of the Sun, unto the going down of the same my Name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place: ncense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name is great among the Heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. The Prophet expoundeth his own meaning so clearly, that there is no need of any other commentary for he is speaking of the calling of the Gentiles to the kingdom of God, and under one point of the true worship of God: namely, invocation of his blessed and glorious Name, he comprehendeth all other points of God's worship, such as faith, obedience, and confession of God before men. Tertullian, Eusebius, and Chrysostona, expound this pure sacrifice to be prayer and thanksgiving unto GOD. Justinus Martyr, citing this place of Malachi, affirmeth, that this prophesy was performed at that time, when Grecians and Barbarians, Hamaxobii, and Nomades, and Scenitae, offered prayers and thanksgiving unto GOD, the Father and Creator of all things, in the Name of JESUS, who was crucified.

In the new Testament, besides the words of Christ spoken at the institution of the holy Supper, where of I have spoken already, two other places are mightily abused: First the place of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 8. verse. 3. For every high Priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is necessary, that this man have somewhat also to offer. What is in this place, that countenanceth the sacrifice of the Mass? Like as every priest was furnished with an offering: even so the High priest and Bishop of our souls, CHRISTIESVS, he had an offering, to wit, his blessed body, which he offered for our sins: But papists refer this place to an offering, which every priest must offer presently, so long as he enjoyeth the honor of his priesthood: and therefore (say they) seeing CHRIST offereth no external sacrifice in Heaven, he must do it in earth, by the sacrifice of the Mass: But the very Grammar refuteth them, for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , is a word of the preterit, and not of the present tense, and importeth, that CHRIST hath already offered a sacrifice for our sins, which hath no need to be iterated, because it hath perpetual virtue to save them that believe. Another place of the Epistle to the Hebrews, chap. 13. verse. 10. they abuse, wherein it is said, We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat, who serve in the tabernacle. Here (say they) mention is made of an altar: therefore in the Church there must not only be a Communion table, but also an altar, in a proper sense to offer CHRISTES body upon it. To this I answer, That in the new Testament, like as there is but one high priest, and one propitiatory sacrifice: so in like manner, there is but one altar, even Jesus Christ, who is in Heaven, and in whom our spiritual sacrifices are acceptable unto God, as the Apostle Peter saith, Be you made a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable unto God, by Jesus Christ. 1. Pet. chap. 2. verse. 5. Of this Altar, to wit, Christ, the Jews, who were miserably addicted to the ceremonial law, they could not be partakers: for by adhering to shadows, they neglected to embrace the verity, represented by those shadows, after it was indeed exhibited unto the world. In the book of the Revelation we read of an Altar in Heaven, under which the souls of them who were slain for the word of GOD do repose: (Apocal. chap. 6. verse. 9.) This is not a material altar, because it is in Heaven: but this Altar is Christ, under whose shadow the souls of the Godly find comfortable refreshment. And Irenaeus, in express words, saith, Est ergo Altare in Coelis: illue enim preces nostrae diriguntur: that is, Therefore our Altar is in Heaven, for thithertoe our prayers are directed. The Roman Church would deceive us in this point, as Zebul of old deceived Gaal, the son of Ebed: when Gaal saw men coming from the mountains, Zebul answered, The shaddow of the mountains seem men unto thee: (IVD. CHAP. IX. VERS. XXXVI.) Even so, when holy Scripture speak of Christ the true Altar, they would persuade us, that Scripture is speaking of a material altar, such as is among them.

The fifth absurdity of the Mass, is a contradiction to it self. In the description of the Mass there are two manifest contradictions: First it is called a sacrifice propitiatory, and unbloody: which two things are so opposite, that they cannot consist together, because the Apostle (in the ninth chap. to the Hebrews, and the 22. verse) saith, Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Secondly they say, that in the Mass the body of Christ is offered, without suffering: & these two things also are so flat contradictory one to another, that the Apostle continually joineth suffering with offering, in so much, that he saith, If Christ had offered himself often, he behooved also to have suffered often. Heb. chap. 9. verse. 25. and 26.

The sixth absurdity, is a foolish multiplication of unprofitable ceremonies, both before the Mass, and in the celebration thereof with neglecting the essential rites of the Sacrament instituted by CHRIST himself, such as breaking, distributing, eating, &c. for in their sacrifice, that which they brake in three pieces, to represent the threefold estate of Christ's body, dead, buried, and risen again from death: (by the ordinance of Pope Sergius the first) this bread (I say) which they break, they distribute not, and the bread which they distribute in the Sacrament to the people, they break it not. These essential rites being laid aside, they have invented many unprofitable ceremonies: as namely, before the celebration of the Mass, Vestmentes, Altars, Altar-clothes, Corporasses, Paxes, Torches and Candles, and many other preparations. In the very action and celebration of the Mass, are diverse hist •… ionicall gestures of the Priest, to lift up his eyes and cast them down again, to spread abroad his hands, and to close them again, to warble with his fingers, to bow down, to bend up, to turn from the right hand to the left, and from the left hand to the right, with many other unnecessary ceremonies. All these they count ceremonies of signification, representing viuelie the passion of CHRIST. But it appertaineth unto GOD, to institute ceremonies of signification, who can seal up by them some inward grace in men's hearts. The Church may content themselves with ceremonies of order, as the Apostle writeth, in his first Epistle to the CORINTHIANS, in the fourteenth chapter, and fortieth verse thereof, where he saith, Let all things be done honestlie, and by order.

The seventh & last absurdity, is the unhappy consequences of the Mass: Albeit they be many, yet at this time I reduce them to three heads. First, prohibition of marriage to men in spiritual offices, is a consequent of the Mass: for albeit in the Council of NICE this matter was seriously v •… ged, and IEROME, in the fury of his disoutation against IOVINIAN, speaketh not so reuerentlie of marriage as became him: yet this prohibition prevailed not fully, until the sacrifice of the Mass was received and established: Then it was thought meet, that like as married persons, for prayer and fasting, (I. CORINTH. CHAPTER VII. VERSE V.) should abstain, for a short time, from matrimonial fellowship: In like manner, these, who are called to a continual exercise of praying, and sacrificing, they should also continually abstain from the bed of marriage. So that prohibition of marriage, to men in spiritual offices, attended the Mass, as a Page doeth his master. And Popes, such as SIRICIVS, CALIXTVS, GREGORIVS the seventh, &c. did urge prohibition of marriage with no less vehemency, than they did the establishing of the Mass.

The seconde consequence of the Mass, is a miserable abusing of the people of GOD, because by this sacrifice, for the moste part, the people were bereaved of the preaching of the Word, and the ministration of the Sacraments, the very ordinary means, whereby the Kingdom of GOD is built amongst them: The Word was seldom preached, and in very unfruitful manner, and mixed with fables and lying miracles, borrowed out of legendes, not worthy to be read: and the holy Sacraments were seldom ministered, and with filthy addition of ceremonies, invented by the brain of man, to Baptism, and a sacrilegious with-holding from the people, the cup, in ministering unto them the holy Supper: and so the fountains of living water were stopped, and cisterns were opened, and the wholesome food of GOD'S people was turned into ashes: and in stead of preaching GOD'S Word sincerely, all Church-service was turned into a dumb guise of the Mass: and in reading of prayers and passages of Scripture, into an unknown language: so the people, for fault of good instruction, withered as grass, when it is not refreshed with dew and rain: Yea, and SALOMON saith, Where there is no vision, the people decay, PROV. 29. 18.

The third, and moste venomous consequence of the Mass, is procession and adoration: for hosties, consecrated in time of Mass, although not broken and eaten, they are counted CHRISTES body, and carried about in procession, and worshipped. This was not the ancient custom of the Church: for the sacrament consisting in the action and use thereof, so long as the blessing, and the actions of breaking, distributing, and eating lasted, the bread was counted holy, and represented the bl •… ssed body of JESUS: but after these holy actions were ended, the rest of the bread, that was not used in the Sacrament, it was distributed to the poor: but it was not kept in boxes, to be carried in procession, and to be adored and worshipped by ignorant people.

And of all things, that are deficient in Popery, I have of •… times observed, that antiquity, whereof they principally brag, is moste deficient and lacking in them.

The ground of Popish procession, no doubt, was the sending of the Sacraments to those who were sick and absent by some necessity. But they read not in IVSTINVS, nor in any other ancient writer, that people who met the deacon carrying the Eucharist to sick persons, fell down upon their knees, and worshipped it. This abominable idolatry, more vile than the idolatry of the Gentiles, was not of ancient time in use in the Church.

Now the LORD, who hath redeemed our souls from death, and who hath called us from darkness unto His marucilous love, establish our souls in the truth of GOD, through CHRIST JESUS our LORD,

CHAP. I. OF EMPEROURS.

CHAP. II. Of Popes, Patriarchs, Pastors, and Doctors.

A FTER Pope SERGIVS succeeded IOANNES the sixth, and continued three years and three months. And after him Pope Johannes the seventh continued two years and seven months he lived in the days of Justinian the second, who sent Ambassadors unto him for procuring an union betwixt the Churches of the East and the West, because they differed in opinions concerning the Canons of the sixth General Council, wherein prohibition of marriage to men in spiritual offices, was disallowed, and the Patriarch of Constantinople was equalled in authority to the Patriarch of Rome. These Ambassadors aforesaid returned from Pope Ihonne the seventh without any answer: which proud carriage, or as others do think, a cowardly form of dealing all writers do vituperate. And after him succeeded Sisinius, who continued not above twenty days in his Popedom.

After Sisinius succeeded Constantine the first, and governed seven years, and twenty days. His Popedom was vnd •… r the reigns of Justinian the seconde, Philippicus, and Anastasius. The Emperor Justinian supported him against Felix bishop of Rauenna, who had refused to pay to the bishop of Rome the sum of money imposed to him in time of his ordination: so that Felix was taken prisoner, by the Emperors Admiral, and sent to Constantinople, where his eyes were put out, and he was banished to Pontus. Against the Emperor Philippicus, he contended, as one having authority to rase the name of the Emperor out of charters, as hath been already declared. This is the Pope who was made judge betwixt the bishops of Ticinum and Millane, who contended for superiority: And Constantine eximed the bishop of Ticinum from the jurisdiction of the bishop of Milan: but in such way, as he should be subject to the Church of Rome. The Emperor Justinian the seconde, sent for pope Constantine, who came to Constantinople, and from thence went to Nicomedia, where he met with the Emperor, and the Emperor kissed his feet. Mark the growing, and daily increasing pride of the Roman Antichrist.

After Constantine succeeded Gregorius the second, & continued sixteen years, nine months, and eleven days. He lived under the reign of the Emperor Leo Isaurus, whom he rashly excommunicated for abolishing of images. Also he drew away from the obedience of the Emperor, the countries of He speria, Aemilia, Liguria, and other parts of Italy, forbidding them to pay tribute to the Emperor, express contrary to Christ's commandment, Matth. 22. 21. where He saith, Give unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, &c. and this Christ spake concerning paying of tribute.

Gregory the third governed ten years, eight months, and 24. days, and followed the foot-steps of his predicessor, both in advancing the doctrine of the worshipping of images, and in with-drawing the people of Italy from the obedience of the Emperor. More-over, he gathered a Council at Rome, wherein the worshipping of images had allowance. And the Emperor Leo was both excommunicated, and likewise, so far as in him lay, deprived of his Imperial dignity. So early did the beast of Rome, even in civil matters, usurp authority over the Princes and Monarchs of the world. In his days the town of Rome was besieged by Luitprand king of Lombardis. But Carolus Martellus, a noble prince in France, being solicited by the letters of Gregory, to support the distressed estate of the Church of Rome, he persuaded Luitprand to desist from molesting and befieging the town of Rome.

After Gregory the third succeeded Zacharias the first, and continued ten years, four months, and four days: In antichristian pride he surpassed all his predecessors, distributing the kingdoms of the world at his pleasure: For he procured, that Pipinus, the son of Carolus Martellus (who was but a subject, and a ruler of the kings house) should be anointed king of France, and that Childericus, the lawful successor of the kingdom, should have his head shaven, and be thrust into a Monastery. Likewise he procured, that Carolomannus, the elder brother of Pipinus, should be a Monk of the Order of Saint Benedict, in the Monastery of Cassinates. Rachis also, king of Lombardes, after he had reigned four years, gave over his kingly authority, and entered into a Monastery, and exhorted his wife and children to do the like: and so his brother Aistulphus obtained the kingdom. Pipinus was anointed king of France, by Boniface, at the commandment of pope Zacharias, anno 750. or as Platina reckoneth, anno 753. What recompense of reward Pipinus rendered to the chair of Rome, for this benevolence, or rather this manifest iniquity of Zacharias, it will be declared in the description of the life, government, and carriage of Stephanus the seconde, if the Lord please.

AFTER ZACHARIAS succeeded STEPHANVS the second, and ruled five years, & one month. In his time Aistulphus, king of Lombardes besieged Rome, at two diverse times, and Stephanus implored the aide and assistance of Pipinus king of France at both times. At the first time Pipinus besieged. Aistulpbus in Papia the chief city of the residence of the kings of Lombardes, and compelled him to restore to the chair of Rome all the towns and lands which by violence he had reaued from them. But at his second coming, he not only relieved Rome from the siege of the Lombardes, but also bestowed upon the chair of Rome the dominions of Rauenna and Penta-poles, appertaining to the Emperor of the East, and which they enjoyed since the death of Narses 170. years. In so doing, there was such bargaining betwixt the kings of France and the popes, as was of old betwixt Herod and the Jews, he gratified them with the blood of Christ's Apostles, and they gratified him on the other part by giving to him the glory of God: Even so, Zacharias, bishop of Rome, bestowed upon Pipinus the kingdom of France, which duly appertained to another: and Pipinus again bestowed upon the chair of Rome the dominions of Rauenna and Pentapolis, which duly appertained to the Emperor of the East.

It shall not be amiss to make a particular rehearsal of the towns & territories bestowed vpō the Church of Rome, by the donation of Pipinus, but not of Constantine, as they have rumoured most fabulously many years ago: INPRIMIS, Rauenna, Bononia, Imola, Fauentia, Commaclum, Hadria, Pompilii Forum, Leuii Forū, Cesena, Bobium, Ferraria, Ficoclas, and Gabellum: all these towns were under the dominion of Rauenna. And in Pentapolis, Ariminum, Pisaurum, Concha, Fanum, Senogallia, Ancona, Auximum, Humanam, Aesium, Sempronii Forum, Mons Feretri, Urbium, Balmense territorium, Callas, Luceolos, Eugubium, together with the Castles and Lands appertaining to these towns, to wit, the Provinces called in our time Romandiola, and Marca Anconitana, and of old Aemilia, Flaminea, and Picenum. Thus we see what a rich reward the chair of Rome obtained for their defection from the Emperors of the East, and their favor towards the kings of France. Also, for further confirmation of friendship betwixt the bishops of Rome, and the kings of France, pope Stephanus the second procured, that he should be invited to be witness at the baptism of the king of France his young son, at which time, as a man covetous of vain glory, he suffered Pipinus, and Charles his son, to kiss his feet, and to hold his stirrope, and to lead his horse by the bridle: and finally, he was content to be mounted up, and carried upon the shoulders of men, leaving behind him an example of stinking pride to the posterity after following.

After Stephanus the seconde, succeeded his brother Paulus the first, who continued 10. years, and one month. In antichristian pride he was nothing inferior to his predecessors, for he sent Ambassadors to the Emperor of the East Constantine Copronymus, to exhort him to restore again the images of the Saints, which he had demolished, with intermination of cursing if he refused to be obedient to the popes counsel. In his time Aistulphus king of Lombardes died, and Desiderius the last king of Lombardes reigned in his stead.

Constantine the brother of Desiderius king of Lombardis succeeded to Paulus the first, a man admitted to the popedom before he had received Ecclesiastical orders: therefore he was hated of the people of Rome, and denuded of his papal dignity, after he had continued one year and one month: some writers affirm, that his eyes were thrust out, and that he was sent to a Monastery: others affirm, that he was burnt with fire, by the hateful malice of the Romans.

To him succeeded Stephanus the third, who ruled 4. years, 5. months, and 27. days: he gathered a Council at Rome, in the which 12. bishops of France, sent thither by Charles de Mame, were present, with the bishops of Italy, who disauthorised Constantine his predecessor, & annulled all his decrees. Likewise, they damned the 7. General Council conuened in Constantinople by Constantine Copronymus, wherein the worshipping of images was disallowed. But in this Lateran Council assembled by Stephanus the third, the worshipping of images getteth allowance. And it was thought, that God and the Saints were in deterior case, than mortal Princes, incase that images might be made to represent mortal Princes, but not to represent God and his Saints. It was rumoured in this popes time, that Charles king of France was of intention to marry Bertha, the daughter of Desiderius king of Lombardes. Stephanus fearing lest this marriage should undo the friendship lately contracted betwixt the bishops of Rome. and the kings of France, dissuaded Charles from the marriage aforesaid, as if the marriage of a woman of the kindred of the Lombardes, were a mixing of darkness with light, and of Belial with CHRIST. And the minassing letter of Stephanus the third prevailed so far at the hands of Charles the great, that he repudiated Bertha the daughter of Desiderius, his lawful married wife, after he had cohabited with her one year: and he married another woman named Hildegarde, of the Dukerie of Sweue. These are the fruits of antichristian pride, to threaten the torments of hell against the princes of the world for marriage, if so be they fore-see any damnage may redound to the chaite of Rome by the marriage of princes.

After Stephanus the third, succeeded Adrian the first, and governed 23. years, ten months, and seventeen da •… es. In his days Charles the Great came into Italy with an army, and banished Desiderius king of Lombardes, his wife, and children, to Lions in France, and utterly suodued the kingdom of the Lombardes, which had continued in Italy 204. years. Now in the year of our Lord 776. this kingdom was abolished & undone, by Charles the Great king of France, for the favor he carried towards the chair of Rome. Likewise, he augmented the donation of his father Pipinus, and he bestowed upon the Church of Rome the Isle of Corsica, and the places interjacent betwixt Luca and Parma, with the Dukedoms of Spoleto and Beneuento. This being done, Charles returned back again to France, carrying with him Bertha his brothers wife, and hir children, who came to Adrian bishop of Rome, hoping for favor at his hands, and that he should have anointed her sons to be kings of France, seeing Carolomannus their father was now dead but he delivered them into the hands of Charles, and so Charles the Great reigned without exception, as absolute commander of France. Irene the Empresse of the East, during the time of Adrian’s popedom, assembled a great Council at Nice in Bythinia, where the adoration of images was allowed. In this Council the popes Ambassadors were present, and his own letter was read in the Council: no man gave greater allowance to the worshipping of images, than pope Adrian did, as shall be declared (God willing) in the head of Councils. It is to be marked, that Platina, writing of the death of Constantine Copronymus, is compelled to bear witness to the truth, and testify, that the opinion of the leprosy of Constantine the Great was a notable fable, and that it sprang up by occasion of the disease of Constantine Copronymus, the father in law of the Empresse Irene.

To Adrian succeeded Leo the third, and governed 21. years: he was hated by Pascalis and Campulus, who lay in wait for him at the Church of Saint Sylvester, threw him down to y ^e ground, spoy led him of his pontifical garments, beat him with many strokes, and finally, cast him into prison and bands: but he escaped by the means of a cubiculare, named Albinus, & lurked in the Vaticane until the time that Unigisius, duke of Spoleto, conuoyed him safely unto his bounds. At this time Charles king of France had wars against the Saxons. The bishop of Rome, who came to him to complain of the injuries which he had received, was sent back again very honourably, accompanied with the soldiers of Charles king of France: and with promise that he should without delay address his journey towards Italy. When Charles came to Italy, the popes enemies were so dashed with fear, that they durst not appear to accuse him: and the Clergy of Rome thought meet, that no man should judge of the Apostolic chair, but the bishop of Rome should be his own judge. Leo took the book of the Gospel in his hands, and swore, that he was innocent of all y ^e crimes objected against him: and so he was absolved: & Pascalis & Campulus, the friends of y ^e late deceassed pope Adrian, were counted worthy of death: but pope Leo intercided for safety of their lives: so they were banished to France. For this benefit, Leo caused Charles to be declared Emperor of the West, and crowned him with the Imperial Diademe. And from that time forwards, the custom began, that Emperors should receive their Coronation from the Bishop of ROME. Notwithstanding of this, it was ordained, that no man should be elected Bishop of ROME, without advice of the Emperor of the West, and without receiving inuestment from him.

THE Patriarchs of Constantinople in this CENTURY, were placed and displaced according to the changeable conceits of the Emperors. Under the reign of Justinian the seconde, Cyrus was Patriarch, whom Philippicus removed, and advanced one named Ihonne, who had fore-told, that he should be made Emperor. This Ihonne was infected with the heresy of the Monothelites, and was removed by Artemius, by whom Germanus was advanced to the chair of Constantinople. Germanus continued until the reign of Constantine Copronymus: He was deposed and excommunicated by the General Council assembled by Constantine, because he allowed the worshipping of images.

To him succeeded Anastasius, who albeit he disliked images, yet he was unthankfull to the Emperor, and favored the seditious attempts of the people of Constantinople, who advanced Artabasdus to the Imperial dignity. More-over, he slandered the Emperor, as if he had spoken against the divinity of Christ. He received a just recompense of his unthankfulness: for he was deposed, and scourged, and set upon an Ass, with his face towards the Asses tail, and made a ridiculous spectacle to the people.

After him, Constantine, a Mōke, was made Patriarch, who at the first seemed to damn images: but afterward he was found to be a maintainer and allower of them. The Emp. banished him to Iberia, where he spake contumeliouslie both of the Emperor and of the Council holden at Constantinople: therefore he was brought back again from banishment, and was beheaded, and his body was trailed through the town with a cord, & casten into a pit, where the bodies of male-factors were accustomed to be casten.

After him succeeded Nicetas, a man unlearned, & aduāced by the Em. Const. Copron. for none other cause but only for his zeal against the worshipping of images. After him succeeded Paulus Cyprius, who in the days of Const. Copron. damned the worshipping of images: but afterward repented: & under the reign of Irene entered into a Monastery, & lamented, that he had cōscented to the abolishing of images. The vain repentance of this timorous and superstitious man, was the chief occasion of the convocation of the seconde Council of Nice, by the Empresse Irene. To him succeeded Tarasius, who was present at the second Council of Nice, and gave allowance to the adoration of images.

The prevailing power of the Saracenes in Alexandria, Antiochia, and Jerusalem, did so obscure the names of the Patriarchs of these cities, that I have no remarkable thing to write of them in this CENTURY.

IN this declining age, wherein spiritual grace daily decayed, and nothing increased except an heap of earthly treasures, which God permitteth to be poured into the bosoms of them who love the wages of iniquity. Always, even at this time some men of good literature and learning did manifest themselves unto the world, such as Boniface bishop of Mainz. Damascene alearned Monk, Paulus Diaconus a learned writer of histories, and Beda a man counted venerable in his time: yet all these were miserably infected with the superstitions of their time, such as the opinion of Purgatory, invocation of Saints, and worshipping of Images, and prohibition of Marriage.

Boniface was a man borne in ENGLAND, in a place near adjoining to EXCESTER: he was familiarly acquainted with five popes, to wit, with pope Constantine the first, Gregorius the seconde, Gregorius the third, Zacharias the first, and Stepanus the seconde: And by them he was advanced to many honors, First, to be the Popes Legate in ENGLAND, GERMANIE, and FRANCE, and afterwards to be Archbishop of Mainz. All his studies and travels tended to this, to bring the people of ENGLAND, Germany, and France, to the subjection of the Roman bishop, and to a conformity to the superstitions of the Roman Church. In the name, and at the commandment of pope Zacharias, he disauthorised Childericus king of France, thrust him into a Monastery, and anointed Pipinus, the son of Carolus Martellus to be king of France. So zealous was he to perform all the desires of the Roman bishops, by whom also his name was changed: for he was first named Vinofridus, but the bishops of Rome, who delited in his service, called him Boniface. After he had served the Roman bishops in slavish subjection 36. years, he was slain by Pagans, because he had anointed Pipinus king of France, and for hope they had to enrich themselves by his coffers, in the which, when they had opened them, they found nothing, except books, and relics of Saints, whereof they made no account. And his body was buried in the Monastery of Fulda.

Damascene, a superstitious Monk, the disciple of Cosinas, lived under the Emperors Leo and Constantine Copronymus: he was a long time in company of the Saracenes, and with the prince of Saracenes he went to the sepulcher of Mahomet, and like unto a timorous body, worshipped the bones of Mahomet, fearing to have been put to death, if he had not done such homage. He was a patron of worshipping of images, and was excommunicated in the General Council assembled by Constantine Copronymus. It is written by Ihonne patriarch of Jerusalem, in the history of Damascens life, that the prince of Saracenes was moved to indignation against him, by a deceitful letter, sent from the Emperor Leo Isaurus, in the which Damascene was charged as a man willing to have betrayed the town of Damascus into the hands of the Emperor Leo. Upon this occasion (saith John patriarch of Jerusalem) the prince of Saracenes cut off the hand of Damascene: and on the other part, Damascene, by humble kneeling before the image of the Virgin Marie, was miraculouslie cured, and restored again to the power of his hand. But this is like to the rest of Popish fables, and lies: For Damascene writeth many notable fables, for confirmation of adoration of images. And incase a miracle had been wrought in his own person, by prostrating himself before an image, Damaescene had no manner of way over-passed with silence the memorial thereof. But we have to do with adversaries, who are not ashamed of lies. Damascene was a diligent reader of the books of ancient Fathers, as appeareth by his four books, De Orthodoxa Fide: but not so diligent a reader of holy Scripture, which is the ground of manifold errors. His history of Iosophat, king of India, is known to be a Monkish fable.

Paulus Diaconus, of the kindred of the Lombardes, became a Deacon in Aquileia: he was carried captive into France, in the days of Charles the Great, who besieged Papia, banished Desiderius, and made an ende of the kingdom of the Lombardes. Afterwards he was accused of treason and conspiracy against Charles king of France. His malicious and hateful accusers were bent to have had his hands cut off, or his eyes put out: but K. Charles pitying him for his learning, was content that he should be banished to the I will of Diomedes. From thence he fled, and came to Beneuentum, where Arachis was dwelling, who had married Adelperga, the daughter of Desiderius. In his palace it is thought he writ his six books, De rebus gestis Longobardarum. After the death of Arachis he came to the Monastery called Cassinense, where he ended his life.

Beda, a man borne and brought up in ENGLAND, was called venerable, and was in great account in his time. Only he was miserably entangled with deceitful antichristian errors, universally overspread in his days, such as invocation of Saints, worshipping of Relics, opinion of Purgatory, and of support that might be had by saying of Masses. In writing, reading, and praying, he was a man of incessant pains. Nothing is found in him more commendable, than his patient suffering of the agonies immediately preceeding his dissolution, with a desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ.

Albertus Gallus, a Bishop in some part of France, a learned and godly man, opponed himself mightily to Boniface, the footegroome of the Roman Antichrist, with whom concurred two Iearned men borne in Scotland, named Clemens presbyter, and Samson, and offered to prove both by word and writing, that Boniface was an author of lies, a troubler of the peace of Christians, and a corrupter and deceiver of the people. But pope zacharias excommunicated them before they were heard in a lawful Assemblie, and gave power to his foot-groome Boniface, to depose them, & procured at the hands of the king of France, that they should be casten into prison, and bound with bands, as schismatiques, false teachers, and sacrilegious men. Such reward men received, who were witnesses to the truth of God, and reprehended any corruption of the Roman Church. In like manner, Joannes Mailrosius, and Claudius Clemens, learned men of Scotland, sent by king Acha •… us, to Charles king of France, and the first professors of learning, in the Academie founded by Charles the Great in Parise: these two likewise were disliked of the Roman Church, because they could not assent to all y ^e superstitions of that Church in this age so miserably deformed.

CHAP. III. OF HERETIQUES.

M ANIE were counted Heretics in this age, because they worshipped God sincerely according to the rule of His own blessed word, and would not give consent to the fond errors of the Roman Church. But some were counted Heretics justly, and without all controversy, as namely, they who called Christ, in his human nature, the adoptive son of God. This wicked heresy repugneth unto the Celestial Oracle, which the three Apostles heard in the holy mountain, This is my well-beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. We are adopted in Christ, to be the sons of God. But Christ, even in his manly nature, is the son of GOD by the excellent prerogative of personal union with the divine nature. It is not certainly known, whether Elipandus bishop of Hispalis, or another named Felix, with whom some affirm, that Elipandus consulted about this damnable opinion, was the author of this damnable heresy.

CHAP. IIII. OF COUNCELS.

I N the year of our LORD 712. a Council was assembled at LONDON, where 'Boniface was present, and Brithuvaldus the chief Prelate of ENGLAND, and the kings of Saxons domining in ENGLAND were commanded under pain of cursing to be present at this Council. The purposes intraited in this Council were two, to wit, concerning the adoration of images, and prohibition of marriage to men in spiritual offices. About worshipping of images no disputation was heard, whether that form of service did agree with the written word of God, or not. This was counted a sufficient warrande for bringing images into places of Adoration, and for worshipping them (especially the image of the Virgin Marie) that Eguvinus, a superstitious Monk in England, of the Order of S. Bennet, who afterwards was made a Bishop. He affirmed, that the Virgin Marie appeared unto him in a dream, & declared, that it was her will that her image should be set up in Churches & worshipped. These dreams once confirmed by the oath of Eguvinus, and approved by Constantine bishop of Rome, and obtruded by Boniface the Popes Legate, they were embraced in ENGLAND, with little contradiction in such a corrupt time.

The other purpose entraited in this Council, was prohibition of marriage to men in spiritual offices. This doctrine of the Roman Church was not received without reluctance of the Clergy. Always, a ground was laid, whereupon followed a building of the doctrine of Devils.

ABout the same time, that is, about the year of our LORD 712. it is supposed, that the Emperor Philippicus gathared a Council at Constantinople, for undoing of the sixth General Council, in the which the error of the Monothelues was condemned, and that he did this according to a promise made to a monk named Ihonne, who fore-told him that he should be made Emperor, and craved this promise of him, that when he should be advanced to the Imperial dignity, he should undo the sixth General Council. But the writers of this History do not make particular mention of the Fathers who were present at this Council. The rest of the History is clear. that Philippicus razed the pictures of the Fathers who had been present at this Council, and were pictured in the Temple of Sophia: and that on the other part, Pope Constantine the first not only caused the same effigies to be pictured in the portch of the Church of Saint Peter at Rome, but also procured that y ^e Emperors name should be rased out of Charters, and that his effigie should not be engraven in any kind of coined metal. Also it is clear, that Philippicus removed Cyrus from his office, and placed in his room Ihonne, who fore-told him that he should be Emperor.

IN the year of our LORD 714. pope Gregorius the second assembled a Council, in the which two bishops of Britanie, to wit, Sedulius, and Fergustus, were present. It was ordained, that Masses should be cel •… brated publicly in Temples, which custom was not in use before. In the seconde Tome of Councils, this Synod is referred to Gregorius the third. A great number of the Canons of this Council do concern marriage, That no man should take in marriage a woman who was the relict of a presbyter or a deacon, or a nunne, or his spiritual sister, or his brothers wife, or his niece, or his mother in law, or daughter in law, or his near cosines, or a womā whom by theft or ravishing he hath led away. And that no man should consult with inchaunters and sorcerers. And that no man should violate the mandates of the Apostolic chair: no, not in a matter of an hair.

GREGORIVS the third, after he had received a mandate from the Emperor Leo, concerning abolishing of images, he assembled a great Council at Rome, of 903. bishops: in the which the Emperor Leo was excommunicated, and deprived of his Imperial dignity. Here mark the tyranny and fierceness of the Antichrist, who gave such authority to a Roman preacher, to dismount the Monarchs of the world from their royal thrones? Yet Gregorius the third attempted such high matters, because the Em. Leo had disallowed the worshipping of images. Likewise, by his instigation the whole countr •… y of Italy refused to pay tribute to the Em. Now is the banner of the Antichrist displayed against the Emp. and this is a fore-running token of the hateful inimirie which is to ensue betwixt the popes and the Emperors which (God willing) shall be declared in i •… s own time. Likewise, Anastatius patriarch of Constantinople, was condemned and excommunicated in this Council. To favor the Emperor, and to dislike the worshipping of Images, were two irremissable sins, and meriting the great Anathems of the bishop of Rome.

IN the year of our LORD 742 and in time of the reign of Charles the Great, and under the popedom of Zacharias y ^e first, Boniface Archbishop of Mainz assembled a Council of the bishops pre •… byters, and Clergy of France for reformation of abuses in that country: or rather as the truth is, to bring the country of France (as he had already brought many parts of Germany) to a conformity with the superstitious rites of the Roman Church. It is to be marked, that this National Council was assembled by the mandate of king Charles, howsoever Boniface ordered the affairs of the Council.

It was ordained, That Synods should be kept yeerelie, and that Clergy men should not put on armor, and go to war-fare, except one or two bishops, with their presbyters and chaplens, to prescribe penance to them who should happen to confess their sins: And that hunting and halking, and such idle pastimes should not be used by the Clergy.

That every presbyter shall be ready to give account of his ministry to his own bishop in time of Lent, especially concerning his ministration of Baptism, the sum of his Catholic Faith, the form of his Prayers, and the order of his saying of Masses.

That none uncouth bishop or presbyter be admitted without the trial and allowance of a Synod.

That presbyters and deacons be not clothed as seculare men, with short cloaks: but with the habit of men who are in spiritual offices: And that no woman cohabite in the house with them.

That every bishop have a care within his own bounds to abolish all Heathnicke superstitions.

IN the year of our LORD 755. and in the thirteenth year of the Empire of Constantine Copronymus, a General Council of three hundredth and thirty and eight bishops was assembled at Constantinople, by the commandment of the Emperor. In this Council the worshipping of images was damned, and the placing of them in Oratories and Temples, where the divine Majesty is worshipped, was forbidden, as a custom borrowed from Pagans, who had no hope of the resurrection, and therefore solaced themselves with pictured similitudes of their friends, as if they had been bodily present with them. Yea, for three principal causes they damned the worshipping of images: First, because the worshipping of them is repugnant unto holy Scripture: Secondly, because the divine and human nature being inseparably united in CHRIST, and the divine nature cannot be presented by an image: therefore it is not meet to represent His manlie nature by an image, lest we should seem to separare the two natures in CHRIST. And thirdlie, because the writings of ancient Fathers do utterly condemn the worshipping of Images, such as Epiphanius, Eusebius, Gregorius Theologus, Athanasius, Amphilochius, Chrysostomus, and Theodorus bishop of Ancyra. It were a prolixt thing to make a rehearsal of the sentences of all the forenamed Fathers: therefore, for brevities cause, I will here on •… lie make choice of one place, which is this: Eusebius Pamphili, writing to Constantia the Empresse, who was desirous that the image of CHRIST should be sent unto her, he returneth unto her this answer: Because ye have written unto me to send vuto you the image of CHRIST, I would gladly understand what