The accomplishment of the prophecies; or The third booke in defence of the Catholicke faith contained in the booke of the high & mighty King Iames. I. by the grace of God King of Great Brittaine and Ireland. Against the allegations of R. Bellarmine; and F.N. Coëffeteau & other doctors of the Romish church: by Peter Du Moulin minister of the word of God in the church of Paris. Translated into English by I. Heath, fellow of New College in Oxford.

THE PROPHECIE CON∣tained in the 11. chapter of the Apocalyps. CHAP. 9. (Book 9)

1 Then was given me a reede like vnto a rod, and there stoode an Angell by, which said vnto me, Rise, and mete the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worshippe therein.

2 But the court that is without the tē∣ple cast out, and mete it not: for it is given vnto the Gentiles, & the holy city shall they tread vnder foot 42 moneths.

3 But I will giue her vnto my two wit∣nesses, and they shall prophecie a thousand 3

hundreth, and threescore daies clothed in sack-cloth.

4 These are two oliue trees, and two candlestickes standing before the God of the earth.

5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, & devoureth their enimies: for if any man will hurt them, thus must he be killed.

6 These haue power to shut heavē, that it may not raine in the daies of their prophe∣cying, and haue power over the waters to turne them into bloud, to smite the earth with all maner of plagus as often as they will.

7 And when they shall haue finished their testimony, the beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit, shall make warre a∣gainst them and shall overcome them, & kill them.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the streetes of the great cittie, which spirituallie is called Sodome, and Egypt, where our Lord also was crucified.

9 And they of the tribes, and people, and tongues, and nations, shall see their dead bodies three daies and an halfe, and shall not suffer their carkasses to bee buried in graues.

10 And they that dwell vpon the earth

shall reioice over them, and be glad, and shall send gifts one to an other: because that these two prophets vexed them that dwelt vpō the earth.

11 But after these 3 daies, & an halfe, the spirit of life comming from God, shall en∣ter into them, and they shall stand vpon their feete, and great feare shall come vpon them, which saw them.

12 After this they shall heare a great voice from heaven; saying, Come vp hither. And they shall ascende vp to heaven in a clowde, and their enimies shall see them.

13 And at the same howre there shall be a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the citty shal fall, and in the earthquake shal be slaine 7000 men in nūber, and they which remaine shalbe sore afraid, and giue the glo∣rie to God of heaven.

14 The second w•• is past, and beholde the third wo will come anon.

15 And the seaventh Angell blew the Trumpet, & there were great voices in hea∣ven, saying, The kingdomes of the world, are our Lords, and his Christs, & he shal reigne for evermore.

16 Then the 24 elders which sate be∣fore God on their seats, fell vpon their faces,

and worshipped God.

17 Saying, we giue thee thankes o Lo•••• God Almightie, which art, and which wa•• and which art to come, for thou hast recei∣ued thy great might, and hast begun th•• raigne.

18 And the Gentiles were angry, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should bee iudged, and that th•••• shouldst giue the reward vnto thy servants the Prophets, and to the Saints, and to them that feare thy name, to small and great, and shouldst destroy thē which destroy the earth.

19 Then the Temple of God was ope∣ned in heauen, and there was seene in his Tē∣ple the Arke of his covenant: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thundrings, and earthquakes, and much hayle.

The Explication.

1 It seemed vnto me in a vision, that God put a long reed into my hand like a measure. Afterward an Angel sent from God said vnto mee; with this measure, which is Faith, measure, & learne to know the greatnesse of the Church of God ex∣actly, the excellency of the sacrifice of Ie∣sus

Christ, and the state of the faithfull, which serue God in his Church.

2 But measure not that which is with∣out the Church, neither make any recko∣ning of it. For these are the nations, and people, which are out of the covenant of God, which shall tread vpon, and tyran∣nize ouer the Church of God, for the space of a thousand, two hundreth & sixty yeares.

3 But I will giue place in my house to some few faithfull pastours, which shal giue witnes to the truth, during the 1260 yeares, all which time the enimies of the Church shall beare sway, which faithfull Pastours shal preach the truth with humi∣litie, and strictnesse of life, and much affli∣ction.

4 These Pastors are like to oliue trees which bring tidings of peace, and yeeld that comfortable oyle, which is the word of God, that glads the soule, and like two candlesticks, that giue light in the church in the presence of God.

5 But if any one resist them, or perse∣cute them, the word shall bee like a fire, which shall consume their adversaries, & turne them into condemnation.

6 These faithfull witnesses shal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a drought to be vpon the earth, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the waters to be corrupted, and raise vp mortalitie, as often as they shall prea•••• the truth, and shall not be heard. For Go•• for their sakes shall visit men with divers plagues.

7 And when they shal haue continu∣ed preaching the ful time which God hath prescribed vnto them in his secret coūsell, then the beast which is the sonne of perdi∣tion, shall raise vp a great persecution a∣gainst them, and shall haue the vpper hand and make them to die.

8 And their martyrdomes shall bee seene through all places, and quarters of the Popish Church, which is called So∣dome by a mysticall tearme, because of the vice which raignes in the most emi∣nent place of that Church; and Egypt be∣cause of the bondage of Gods people, which are kept in captivitie vnder Pope∣rie. Where Christ also hath beene, and stil is persecuted in his members.

9 And the people and nations that are kept in error shall see their persecuti∣ons and their martyrdomes, for the space of halfe the time of the continuance of

Poperie, and shall cast their bodies out in∣••o the streets, and shall let them bee dryed vp vpon Gibbets, without ever being bu∣ried.

10 This persecution enduring, the e∣nimies of the Church shall reioice at the death of the faithful witnesses of the truth and be glad thereof, and send presents one to another, because they shall see them∣selues deliuered from the sollicitations & reprehensions of the faithfull ministers, which would not let them to be quiet.

11 But this time being once expired, they shall reviue in their successours, God raising vp others in their place hauing the same spirit, which shall stand vpright, that they may speake the more couragiously. Whereat the people that are their enimies shall be greatly astonisht.

12 After this, a voice shall come frō heauen, which shall say vnto these faith∣ful servants of God, come vp into heauen: And God shall take them vp into heauen, with evident testimonies of his fauour, as their very enimes shall acknowledge.

13 At this very houre, the people of the earth shal be smitten with a trembling feare. And God shall sende out a plague,

which shall kill the tenth part of the peo∣ple of the Church of Rome: and this sud∣daine feare shall swallow vp a great num∣ber of them; they which remain shal stand amazed, and giue the glory to God.

14 This woe shall bee the second af∣ter that of the Locusts, after which there is a third also to come.

* 1.115 For after this, comes the time wherein God will display his iudgments, for the seaventh and last time. So there were voices heard in heauen, saying, Now the kingdome of God is establisht, and of Iesus Christ his sonne ouer euery creature for to raigne euerlastingly.

16 Then the Patriarchs and Apostles representing the whole Church of the Saints, which stand before God, & raigne with him, fel downe vpon their faces, and worshipped him.

17 Saying, wee giue thee thankes, Lord God Almightie, and everlasting, be∣cause thou hast made knowne thy great might, and hast begunne to establish thy kingdome.

18 It is true that the nations & peo∣ple were incensed against thy church, but thou hast punnisht them in thy wrath, and

at length the time of the last iudgement is come, wherein thou wilt giue a reward vnto thy seruants, the ministers of the Gospell, and to all the faithful which feare thy name, both great and smal, and wilt destroy the destroyers of thy Church which is vpon earth.

19 Then was the entrance into Pa∣radice fully laid open, and God hereto∣fore figured by the Arcke, called the Lord, was manifested in heauen. But he let loose his choler vpon earth, with glory & great power.

The Proofe, and cleering.

The three first chapt. of this book, con∣taine nothing, but familiar instructions, with certaine representations of the ma∣iestie of God and Iesus Christ, without a∣ny predictiō. In the sixth chap. S. Iohn be∣gins to foretell of future euents, and to draw out his propheticall revelations, in which he follows the order of the time, beginning at the nativitie of Iesus Christ, & holding on till the approaching of the last iudgement, which is spoken of at the end of this 11. chapt.

All this time is first of all diuided into the opening of the 7. seales, which are as so many reuelations of the hidden counsel of God a little after into the 7. soundings of the trumpets, which signifie seauen se∣uerall executions of the iudgementes of God vpon the earth, which are also signi∣fied by the 7. viols of Gods wrath thrown vpon men.

How many years euery seale must last, & how many, euery trumpet, this is ano∣ther question; and which doth not apper∣taine directly to the See of Rome. Only wee are to note, that the two witnesses must be slaine by the beast vnder the sixt trumpet, and afterward be brought to life againe by the power of God, and at last be called from heauē, to come vp thither, & that after this the 7 trumpet must soūd, as it appeares by the 13. verse of the ninth chapter, & by the 15 verse of the 11 chap. Whence it is manifest that vnto vs (which liue now vnder the sixt trumpet) as wee will demonstrate, one part of these things is accomplisht: but that the whole is not yet accomplisht. Which is the cause of the obscurity of this prophecie, that troubled many mens heads, whilst they sought for

the fulfilling of thinges to come in ages past.

And this doth not only shew me a waie to the cleering of this prophecie, but also giues me a reason why I should expounde this chapt. out of his order, and put it last. For whosoeuer shall read the Revelation diligently, shal finde that from the begin∣ning of the sixth chapter to the end of the eleauenth, S. Iohn doth follow a continu∣al course of prophetical history from time to time, vntill the day of iudgement. But that the 12. chapt. he doth begin the same historie againe after another fashion, be∣ginning at the birth of our Sauiour, and following the historie of the church euen to the end of the booke, which hee con∣cludes with the last iudgement, and with the heauenly glory, of the church of God. Wherefore we could not choose but ex∣pound this 12 chapt. and those which fol∣low, before the 11. chapt. that wee might follow the order of the time. Moreouer there being but one part of this chapt. ac∣complisht, reason bids that we should end with that which is not as yet come to passe; But as for that which is come to passe, the exposition which I giue of it,

seemes in my opinion, to be easie and na∣turall.

The meting of the holy Citie, which is the Church, seemes to be taken out of the 40. chap. of Ezekiel, where by a reed, or cane to measure, the holy Ghost giues E∣zechiel to vnderstand, that he would learn him an exact knowledge of his Church. In the 2. verse, in saying that the Court which is out of the Temple, is giuen to the Gen∣tiles, he doth glaunce at the mysticall rea∣son of the building of the Tabernacle, which had three parts. 1, The court where the people stood. 2. The holy place, into which the Levits and priests entred, where the candlesticke was, the shew bread, and the altar of perfumes. 3. The Sanctuarie where the Arke surnamed the Lord stood, whither none might enter but the high Priests: The way to goe into the ho∣ly place was through the Court, and into the Sanctuarie through the holy place. The Court represented the nations which are out of the Church. The holy place re∣presented the Church, where the word of God doth illighten and nourish vs, and where the benefit of Iesus Christ is a con∣tinuall perfume before God. The Sanctu∣arie

figured heauen, where our high Priest is gon in alone by his own power, to bring vs thither also. So the Court was a figure of the state of nature, the holy place of the state of grace, the Sanctuarie of the state of glory. And none euer entred into the second but through the first, nor into the last but through the second. Vpon good reason therefore is it that the Court here is assigned vnto the nations, which do not knowe God, seeing that it was out of the holy place, which was a figure of the church of God. And this is farther confir∣med by the renting of the vaile, (which did divide the holy place from the Court) at the death of our Sauior, whereby there was an open passage laid open, for the na∣tions that were strangers from his coue∣nant, to enter into the Church.

Now here by the nations, not only the heathen are to be vnderstood, but all peo∣ple that are enimies to the church of God. The terme of time, for which they must oppresse the church of God, is 42 months which make 3 yeares and a halfe, which amount to 1260 yeares, to take a day for a yeare: as wee haue shewed in the exposi∣tion of the fifth verse of the 13. chapter.

This is the time that is allotted to the Pa∣pall Empire to trample vpon the Church of God.

As for the two witnesses, I take it that they signifie nothing else but a fewe witnesses, but yet sufficient enough to beare witnesse of the truth: whether it bee that the holy scripture doth vse these words of two or three, insteed of saying, very few; as when Christ doth promise, that where there shall be two or three ga∣thered together in his name, he will be in the midst of them: and in the 32. of Deut. v. 30. two shall put ten thousand to flight, that is to say, a small number shall make a great multitude to turne their backs: and there is the like fashion of speech to bee found in the 17 of Esay, verse 6. Or whe∣ther it be that in the matter of witnesses, the number of two is put downe in Scrip∣ture, as sufficient, according as Christ saith that * 1.2 by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is confirmed. Or whether it be, that what number soeuer there bee of Pa∣stours, yet all their testimonies being ta∣ken from the two testaments, which are the true witnesses of the will of God, it is not without good reason, that their testi∣monie

is reduced to the number of two, to the ende that they should not looke within the authoritie of men, nor seek af∣ter customes for a third testimonie. For it is not likely that God should haue but 2 faithfull pastours to oppose themselues a∣gainst the Empire of the sonne of perditi∣on, which shall be so powerfull, and last for so many ages. Now, as S. Iohn said, that the oppression of the Church must conti∣nue 42 moneths, which are three yeares & a halfe, so likewise doth hee say that the faithfull witnesses shal preach 1260 daies which make vp also three yeares & a halfe that is to say, that the dominion of the son of perdition shall neuer be without being contradicted by some fewe faithfull ser∣uants of God, and that the gouernement of the one, and the reluctancy of the o∣ther, are of the same cōtinuance. We haue * 1.3 shewed how in this mysticall number a day is taken for a yeare, according to the stile of the Scripture, and that the Papall Monarchie must last 1260 yeares.

These two witnesses are compared to two oliue trees, and to two Candlesticks: in imitation of the vision that appeared to Zachary chapt. 4. who saw a Candle∣sticke

of golde betweene two oliue trees, of which it is said at the end of the Chap∣ter. These are the two oliue braunches that stande before the Lorde of the whole earth. Both because the oliue is a signe of peace, witnesse the doue, which carryed an oliue branch to Noah in his mouth in token of peace. As also, because the scripture doth attribute a property vnto oile of making glad. Psa. 104. Whence it is called the oile of gladnes, that is to say, that maketh glad, Psal. 45. ver. 8. Now the word is the gos∣pell of peace; Ephes. 6.15. and maketh glad the heart, Psal. 19.9. that we may reioice in the light thereof, Iohn 5.35.

But as this preaching is the sauour of life vnto such as beleeue, so is it the sauor of death vnto the rebellious, and doeth wound them mortally. Whence God also saith that this word kils, and that his pro∣phets, and faithfull Ministers smite the earth with wounds by their preaching. It is said in •• Hosea that hee did cut downe those of Ephraim by his prophets, & slaie them by the words of his mouth, and in Ieremie chapt. 5. v. 14. I will put my wordes into thy mouth like a fire, and this people shal be as wood, and it shall devour them. In this

sense it is, that these faithfull witnesses are said to shut heaven, and hinder the raine, and turne the water into bloud; For they are thought to do that, which God doeth do for their sakes. Notwithstanding there is a manifest allusion in this to the exam∣ple of Elias, King. 1.17. which shut the floodgates of heauen, and made it not to raine for the space of 3▪ whole yeares, and to the example of Moyses, which turned the waters of Egypt into bloud. These two appeared to Iesus Christ in the moū∣taine; and these also are they, that must re∣turne into the world (as Hilarius thinks) to fight with Antichrist.

After that the beast (which the Anci∣ent, and our aduersaries themselues con∣fesse to be Antichrist) shall haue slaine the two faithfull witnesses, S. Iohn saith that their bodies shal lie in the streetes of the great citty. He opposeth the great Cittie, to the holy Citty, which is the Church of God, of which he speakes in the seconde verse, to shew that the false church, which is at enmitie with God, shal be very great in respect of the church of God. For that by this word, city, we are not to vnderstād one only towne, it appeares by this, that

it is not only called Sodome, but Egypt also which is the name of a great Coūtry. For as in this chapt. by the holy citty wee doe not vnderstand one towne, but the whole Church, so neither by the city that is at enmity with the Church are wee to vnderstand one only town, but the whole body of the nations vnited against the Church of God.

Now it is not without cause, that the Popish church is called Sodome, seeing that in the places where Papistrie is esta∣blisht without Contradiction, and espe∣cially at Rome, whence al this great body of the Romish church doth depend, this vice is familiar, and hath euer beene so e∣ven from the time of the * 1.4 Apostle S. Paul. The Roman authors of this time, boast of it, and glory in it. Plutarch a Graecian borne, but one that liued at the court of Rome, a graue author and full of good in∣structions, in his booke of the education of children, saith that he dares not to con∣demne this kinde of loue, and thinks it to befit philosophy. And it is not without a mystery that this word Amor being writ∣ten backward makes Roma, because that there is the seat, and place of residence, of

this vnnaturall and preposterous loue, or if it fell out so by chance, it hits so happily that it may seeme to haue beene intended purposely. Nor is it without example, that a towne or countrie should be called by the name of Sodome, because of their conformity in manners. Esay in his * 1.5 first chapt. speaks thus to the princes and peo∣ple of Ierusalem; Heare the word of the Lord O yee princes of Sodome, harkē vn∣to the law of God O people of Gomorah.

In this Sodome and Egypt, the holie Ghost saith (in the 8. v.) that Iesus Christ was crucified, either because Iesus Christ was and is persecuted there in his mēbers; which is confirmed by the last verse of the 18. chap. where speaking of Rome (as our aduersaries confesse) it is said that in her was found the blouds of the Saints and of all that were slaine vpon the earth, not be∣cause all were slaine within the Citty, but by her perswasion, and counsell: or els be∣cause that Rome (as the King hath verie well noted to the purpose) did crucifie Ie∣sus Christ in his owne person, for as much as it was done by the Romanes, that were sent out of Rome into Iudaea. For if anie one stand stifly to maintaine that this cit∣tie

where Iesus Christ was crucified is Ie∣rusalem, I doubt how he cā make it good, since that Christ was not crucified in Ier••••salem, but out of the cittie on mount Cal∣varie.

In this great citty therefore, which is the false church, God saith by S. Iohn, that the faithfull witnesses shall be slaine, and their bodies cast out into the streets with¦out buriall; which was done vnto vs in their last massacres, and persecutions, af∣ter which the tyrants did reioice, as who had got the victory, and eased themselues of a great burden. There were Bonfires made at Rome, in token of ioy for the death of Lewis of Burbon prince of Con∣de. In the Popes chāber of presence there is the massacre of Paris to be seene pain∣ted, as a victorie of the church, that the prophecie of Iesus Christ might be fulfil∣led; Verily, verily, I say vnto you that yee shall weepe and lament,* 1.6 but the worlde shall reioice.

This being so, it appeares by this pro∣phecie that the church of God must be op¦prest, and stifled as it were for a time, and that her enimies shall reioyce hereat, as if it were their doing. And this Ecclypse of

••he sun of the Gospell must last for three daies, & a halfe, which once expired, God shall raise vp other witnesses of his truth, so like those that went before in power & zeale, that one may say they are the same, according to the stile of holy Scripture, which cals S. Iohn Baptist Elias, because that hee was cloathed with the vertue and spirit of Elias. Matt. 11. v. 14. And Iesus Christ himselfe was called Iohn Baptist, & Elias, of those which did take him to bee nothing but a Prophet. After this manner of speech, Ezechiel calleth Iesus Christ David. chap, 34. v. 23.

As for the time of three daies & a halfe, during which, the bodies of the faithfull witnesses shall be cast out through all the quarters of the Romish Church, it is ma∣nifest that S. Ioh. doth hereby shew vs how long the persecution of the Church vnder the Roman Hierarchie must continue. For to know how long this time shall endure, and to how much the three daies and an halfe come, wee are to note that 3 daies and an halfe make halfe a weeke, which giues vs to vnderstād that the holy Ghost here vnder the name of a weeke doth cō∣prehend the whole time of the beastes

raigne, and that he doth advertise vs that the persecution shall last halfe the time of this raigne. Since therefore he shal raigne 1260 yeares, as we haue shewed in the ex∣position of the 5. verse of the 13 Chapter, and this 11 chap. doth confirme it, it fol∣lowes that the Roman Hierarchie shall persecute the faithfull 630 yeares. Now I doe not find that the Church of Rome did begin to persecute, and to vse crueltie in generall against all that did withstand her doctrine, till Berengers time, whom Pope Nicolas the 2. compelled to recant by force, in the yeare 1059. And euer since the Popes haue persecuted such as haue maintained the same doctrine. If then you adde the 630 yeares to 1059 yeares, you shall finde that the persecution of the Church vnder the Pope, shall haue an end in the yeare 1689. This tearme once expi∣red, the truth that was opprest shall lift vp her head afresh, and the faithfull witnes∣ses shall be seene to stand vp againe, who shall astonish the Church of Rome for a short time. For the holy Ghost telleth vs vers. 12. that God shall take them vp into heauen with evident signes that hee hath gathered them vnto himselfe, and these••

signes shal be made manifest euen to their very enimies.

At this time the people shall be much moued, for this is signified by the earth∣quake. In this commotion, affrightment, & dissention of the people, the tenth part of the men of the Church of Rome shall be slaine, which number is exprest by the number of 7000, according to a fashion of speech vsuall in Scripture, which by 7000 men vnderstands a greater number then can be conceaued, as when Elias thought that he had beene the only faith∣full man that was left in Israel, God told him that he had 7000 left yet, which never bowed the knee to Baal, that is to say, a greater number then he could imagin. At the sight of which plagues many being stricken with amazement, shall turne vn∣to God and giue him the glory.

By all that which hath beene formerly said, it appeares that we at this time liue in the last half day of these three last daies and a halfe of persecution, which is the time also that goes next to the sound of the last trumpet, that is spoken of in the 15 verse, that is to say, the seaventh & last execution of Gods iudgementes, which

shall goe before the day of iudgement. * 1.7 But if you divide the time from the death of Christ vntil the yeare 1689, into six e∣quall parts (for every trumpet hath a cer∣taine space of time) you shall knowe how many yeares the seaventh trumpet must take vp. And if you compare the whole summe with that which wee haue said in the exposition of the 13 Chapt. vpon the 5 verse, you shal find great agreement be∣tweene them, and in probabilitie gather the time well▪ neere of the comming of our Saviour, the sonne of God, blessed for ever.

There remaines one difficultie to cleer concerning these two witnesses, which our adversaries say are Enoch and Elias, whome they would haue to returne into the world againe to withstand Antichrist, and to preach, one to the Gentiles, the o∣ther to the Iewes, for this is the taske that they haue laid vpon them by their magi∣stral authoritie without the word of God, and would pul them from the place of rest where they abide in happynesse, to thrust them into frayes, and of glorious and im∣mortall persons, make them weake and mortall. It would haue beene hard for me

to haue added any thing to that which his Maiestie of England hath learnedly and diligently noted vpon this question, were it not that Bellarmine and Coeffeteau go to snap at his discourse, and being not able to say any thing of themselues, take de∣light only in contradicting. This therfore deserues to be examined.

Of the Translation of Enoch and Elias. Of the place where they are. Who these two witnesses be. The booke of the King defen∣ded against false calumnies.

Moyses in the 5. chapt. of Genesis saith, that Enoch having lived 365 years (which is a yeare of yeares) was seene no more, for God tooke him away. This translation of E∣noch being done in the body, did exempt him from death, as the Apostle saith in the epistle to the Hebrewes, chap. 11. v. 5. Enoch was translated that hee should not see death, neither was he found, for God had translated him.

The like befell Elias in the 2. chapt. of the 2. booke of Kings, where he is rapt vp

to heauen in a whirlewinde.

This seemes to me to haue fallen out, by the secret counsell of the wisdome of God. For as the world is diuided into 3. ages, to wit, into the time before the law, into the time vnder the law, and into the time vnder the gospell, so it pleased God that in every one of these ages there should one man be taken vp to heauen in his body, Enoch before the law, Elias vn∣der the law, Iesus Christ vnder the Gos∣pel; to the end that the souls of the Saints that liued either before the law, or vnder the law, or vnder the gospell, and are now in heauen, should haue a man in that age of theirs that should be an image of the fu¦ture estate after the day of iudgement, and a pledge of the resurrection of the bodie. For euen as Moyses and Elias did appeare vnto Iesus Christ on the mountaine, for to signifie that the law and the gospell gaue testimony vnto him (as the King hath ex∣cellent well noted in his booke) so I am perswaded that these 3 were as so manie witnesses of the resurrection vnto the Saints that liued before the law, vnder the law, and vnder the gospell.

To these two seruants of God, Enoch

and Elias, the curious spirits of men haue assigned diuers habitations. There bee some that lodge them in the aire, which is a place that the holy Scripture hath ap∣pointed for the diuels, Eph. 2. v. 2. Others thinke to pleasure them more by making them to be in an earthly paradise, which (as they say) is sixteene cubits higher thē the highest hils, that so it may be one cu∣bit * 1.8 higher then the flowd. And it is cre∣dible that Enoch (which as then was there all alone) seeing the waters to come with in a cubit of his feet, thought himselfe not sufficiently secured. All these are fables that smell of the Iewish Cabalisticall tra∣ditions, which it hath pleased our aduer∣saries to follow in this point, and which Moyses hath cleerely confuted. For he de∣scribes the garden of Eden to be in Meso∣potamia, and makes the riuer Euphrates to passe thorough it, painting out the course that it runs, and naming the coūtries that it scoures, and the nature of the land is set downe by him, in that hee saith that it yeelds Gold and Bdeliū, and Onyx stone: which are most certaine proofes that hee speaks not of any fantasticall regiō. Now there are none but know that Mesopota∣mia

is a plaine even country and that the riuers do alwaies overflow the vallies and lowest places. Whence it followes that if the deluge did couer the highest hils, by a farre greater reason must it couer, and wast the champion of Mesopotamia.

All this overbusie curiosity of this peo∣ple, proceeds from their neglecting to read the word of God, which decides this question saying in expresse tearmes, that, Elias went vp by a whirlewind into heaven. He was therefore taken vp▪ into heaven, and there is no reason to place Enoch any where else, since that he was equally tran∣slated in body. But if the faithfull that are in heaven be with Iesus Christ, Iohn 17. v. 24. Philip. 1. v. 23. Why should these so ex¦cellent servants of God, haue an inferiour blessednesse allotted vnto them? this tran∣slation had beene no favour done vnto them, but a punnishment. But if the thiefe crucified with Iesus Christ entred into Paradise 40 daies before the ascension of our Lord, what should hinder but that Enoch and Elias might haue free accesse into the same place before his ascension? Iesus Christ I confesse saith in the 3 of S. Iohn, v. 13. No man ascendeth vp to heauen,

but he that hath descended from heaven, the sonne of man that is in heavē. But he speaks according to the Hebrew fashion, which by going vp into heauen, and descending downe thence, vnderstand, the bringing of the knowledge of heavenly thinges to men from on high: and so doth the Apo∣stle take it in the 10 to the Romans. ver. 6. as it appeares by the drift of the discourse. Iesus Christ therefore in this place meanes to tell Nicodemus only thus much, that none can bring vs the knowledge of hea∣venly things, but only the sonne of man that came downe from heauen. Nor may we thinke it strange that God gaue them a speciall priuiledge to be exempted from death, since that the scripture pronoun∣ceth as much not only of Enoch, but also of all those that shall liue vpon the earth at the comming of our Lord. For seeing that all the Saints doe already stand pos∣sest of heavenly glory, what haue these two committed, that they only should be shut out thence, and kept in a place of ex∣pectation apart, to be subiect to death stil? And besides I would knowe of M. Co••ffe∣tau▪ if hee would make a conscienee to in∣voke Enoch and Elias; if he do invoke thē,

he presupposeth that they doe already en∣ioy the presence of God, if he doe not, hee sinneth against the Church of Rome, which in their Letanies call vpon all the Prophets and Patriarchs in generall.

Since then that their abode is in heauē with Iesus Christ, let vs see what reason these men haue to pull them out thence, for to make them come downe vpon the earth againe, and condemne them to die.

As concerning Enoch our adversaries produce no place out of the Canonicall Scriptures, only they allege Ecclesiasticus in the 44 chapt. v. 16. a passage that runs thus according to the Greek which is the Originall.* 1.9 Enoch pleased the Lord God, therefore was hee translated for an example of repentance to the generations. Is there e∣ver a word in all this either of the transla∣tion of Enoch into an earthly paradise, or of his returning hither to fight with An∣tichrist? Therefore Bellarmine thought it better to alleage the common translation cleane contrary to the Text, which hath translated it falsly, after this manner. b 1.10 E∣noch pleased God, and was translated into Paradice to giue repentance to the Gentiles. The word Paradice, and the word Gentils

are falsly thrust in; & yet when all is done we must bee faine to suppose that this Pa∣radise is earthly. Let the reader iudge whe¦ther this opinion be not built vpon good grounds, which hath nothing brought to maintaine it, but only a false passage, and that out of an Apocryphall booke too. These people therefore doe much wrong to Enoch in keeping him 5000 yeares frō the presence of God, and stripping him of his immortalitie, to send him downe hi∣ther for to be slaine by Antichrist, as if God had not other men enough in that age to employ. Nor may we omit, that the men which liued before the floud, were giants, and that our stature is dwarfish in respect of theirs: if Enoch therefore should come into the world in his old stature, he would be thought a kind of monster, and men would bee frighted with the bignesse of his personage.

The fable of Enoch being once confu∣ted, that of Elias vanisheth with the same breath; for these squires must of necessitie seeke elsewhere for their two witnesses if one of them faile: neuerthelesse let vs see that which they produce for Elias.

They finde these wordes at the end of

* 1.11 Malachie. Behold I go hence to send Eliah the prophet before the comming of the great and fearefull day of the Lord. And hee shall turne the harts of the fathers to the childrē, & the harts of the children to their fathers, least I come & smite the earth with cursing. To this the King answeres that there is no better interpreter of Malachies wordes then Iesus Christ himselfe, who doth as∣sure vs that this Elias promised by Mala∣chie is Iohn Baptist. If (saith he) yee will re∣ceiue my saying, this is that Elias which was to come, Mat. 11.14. And yet more plain∣ly in the 17. chapt. he hauing said that E∣lias was already come, and that they did not know him; S. Matthew addes that his disciples vnderstood him to speak of Iohn Baptist. Iesus Christ indeed had saide be∣fore that Elias must come, speaking in this (as the King hath well noted) according to the common opinion, but to the ende that this might not be vnderstood of any other but Iohn Baptist, he annexeth im∣mediatly, But I say vnto you that Elias is already come, & they haue not knowne him. Good cause therefore had his Maiestie to accuse Bellarmine of falshood, for allea∣ging these words of Christ, Elias shal come

without alleaging the words that follow, But I say vnto you that Elias is already come.

Now here the point of the question is, whether Malachie and the Apostles ob∣iecting to Christ that Elias must come, do speake of an Elias that must goe before the first, or second comming of our Savi∣our. As for Malachie hee begins this dis∣course from the beginning of the 3 chapt. in these words. Behold I goe hence to send my messenger, and hee shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom yee seeke shall speedily come to his Temple. Wordes that cannot agree to the second com∣ming of Christ, when hee shall neede no preparing of his way, & the earth shall thē be his temple no more. This appeares also out of the 7. chapt. where Malachie saith that this Elias shal turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the childrē, which are the very words of the * 1.12 Angell vnto Zachary declaring the office of his sonne. To the same purpose also serue these words, For feare least I come and smite the earth. For how can it be said that these two witnes∣ses shall come for to hinder the comming of Christ to iudgement, and to keepe him

from smiting the earth? Seeing that his comming is inevitable, and that the faith∣full shall long for it? & pray that the king∣dome of God may come, saying with S. Iohn Apoc. 22.20. Even so, come Lorde Ie∣sus.

As for the 17. chapt. of S. Matthew, it is manifest that the second cōming of Christ is not meant in that place, but onlie the first. For the Apostles either ravisht with the glory of his transfiguration, or rather perswaded by the many powerfull mira∣cles of Iesus Christ, to beleeue that hee was the Messias, neverthelesse found thē∣selues vnable to solue the obiectiō of the Scribes, which did proue that Christ was not the Messias by this argument, because that Elias was not yet come. Doubtlesse these Scribes did not contest about the day of iudgement, but about the manife∣station of the promised Messias, which (as they thought) was not yet come.

To this they oppose the words of Ma∣lachie, which calleth this day a great and fearefull day▪ which seemes ill befitting the gentlenesse, and humilitie of Christs first comming. His Maiesties answer is that the day of the Lords passion was full of hor∣ror

and astonishment. The sun was dark∣ned, the vaile of the Temple was rent, the earth trembled, the stones were cloven, the monuments were opened, the dead were raised. Or wee may say that the first comming of the Messias although it were in humilitie, was yet for all that very fear∣full. For hee was sent to bee a stumbling blocke vnto many, and drew a totall de∣struction vpon the Iewes. God a little af∣ter (according to the prediction of Mala∣chie) hauing smitten their land as accur∣sed. Besides we find that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. iom hun∣nora in Hebrew may signifie an wonder∣full and honourable day as well as a terri∣ble day. Aretas in the 30. chap. of his cō∣mentarie vpon the Apocalyps, turnes it, dies Domini magnus & manifestus, and the translation of the Septuagint renders it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, diem Domi∣ni magnam & illustrem.

The passage that is alleaged out of the 48 of Ecclesiasticus. vers. 10. is of no force, for the booke is Apocryphall, & the tran∣slator thereof craues pardon in the Pro∣logue if hee hath chanced in some places not to expresse his Authors meaning so significantly. And yet the place is falsly al∣leaged

too. Behold the true here; Elias was appointed to reproue in due season,* 1.13 & to pa∣cifie the wrath of the Lords iudgement be∣fore it kindled, and to turne the hearts of the fathers vnto the children, and to set vp the tribes of Iacob. Where is there in al this the least word of comming backe into the world, of being slaine, or of fighting with Antichrist? To be short, although all that they faine of the returning of Elias were true, yet this makes nothing for the two witnesses, till they haue proued as much of Enoch, of whome they haue nothing at all to say.

In one thing they cannot choose but be much cumbred, to wit, in this, when they say that these two witnesses shall bee sent to fight with Antichrist for the space of three yeares and an halfe, at the ende of which, Antichrist shall slay them. By this reckoning Antichrist must be in the world before them, and stay in the world after them, yea & be in the heigth of his strēgth after he hath slaine them, seeing that there by he shall become victorious. And by a consequent he must be in the world aboue three yeares and a halfe; what becomes then of their assertion, wherein they af∣firme

that Antichrist shall continue but 3 yeares and a halfe? Surely it must needes be that these two witnesses and Antichrist must come into the world in the same day and die in the same day.

The fathers are of divers opinions con∣cerning this, and resolue vpon nothing certainely.* 1.14 S. Austin in his 8. homily vp∣on the Apocalyps, I will giue vnto my two witnesses, that is, vnto the two Testaments: and a little after. The two Candlesticks are the Church, but according to the number of the testaments. Primasius saith the same in his 3. book, & Beda vpon the Apocalyps. Lactantius in the 17. chap. of his 7. booke (after many fancies with which that book is stuft) saith, that towards the last times there shall come a great Prophet, which must be slain by a king that came out of Sy∣ria, & was begotten by the Divell. For a 1.15 Bel∣larmine belyes Lactantius when hee ma∣keth him to say that Elias shall come a∣gaine. Hilarie in the 20 Canon of his cō∣mentarie vpon S. Matthew, recites divers opinions of his time, in these words. b 1.16 Ie∣sus

appeared in the forme of his glory vpon the mount, Moyses and Elias accompanying him. And these are the two prophets (as wee conceaue) which must come before his com∣ming, and which the Apocalyps of S. Iohn telleth vs, must be slaine by Antichrist, al∣beit there haue beene divers opinions of ma∣ny, touching Enoch, or Ieremie, one of which must die as Elias. Irenie in his 5 booke saith that Elias and Enoch were translated into Paradise, & ibi manere vs{que} ad consumma∣tionem conspicantes incorruptionem: and that they remaine there till the ende of the world, beholding incorruption. If they re∣maine in Paradise still vntill the ende or consummation of the world,* 1.17 they shall not come down hither vpon earth to fight with Antichrist before the consummation thereof. This is his Maiesties observation of England, and is most fit to the purpose. Tertullian in the 1. Chap. of his booke a∣gainst the Iewes, saith that, Enoch an vp∣right man, was translated by God, although he were not circumcised, neither yet did ob∣serue the sabbaoth, who hath not to this day tasted of death, to the end that hee which did aspire to eternitie, might shew vnto vs that we might please God without the burden of

Moyses law. A passage which Bellarmine clips in the 6. chap. of his 3 booke de Pon∣tifice, where hee seemes not to vnderstand the place well: for Tertullian calls Enoch aeternitatis candidatum, that is to say, one that did aspire to eternitie, not because he aspires vnto it now, but because hee aspi∣red vnto it, whilst hee lived here vpon the earth. For the intent of Tertullian is to make it appeare vnto the Iewes, that a mā may attaine vnto eternall life without the Ceremonies of the law, by the example of Enoch which without ever keeping of these, did not desist to aspire to immortali¦ty; And wheras he saith that he is not as yet dead, this doth not enforce that hee must die, no more then if I should say that the divel hath not as yet destroied the church or that there could no lie as yet bee found in the Gospell, doth inferre that either of these two things must come to passe. * 1.18 S. Hierome to Pammachius against the er∣rors of Iohn of Ierusalem, Enoch was tran∣slated in the flesh, Elias was rapt vp to hea∣ven in the flesh: being not as yet dead, they are already made inhabitants of Paradise. They haue the same members with which they were taken vp and translated. That

which we imitate by fasting, they enioy by their coniunction with God. Note that they are in heaven, and ioyned with God, con∣trary to our adversaries tenent. As also that they are already in Paradise, that is to say, that the condition of others is such that they cannot be there in body till af∣ter the day of iudgement, to the end that none might imagine that hee speaks of an earthly Paradise. Aretas in the 29. chapt. of his commentarie vpon the Apocalyps, vpon these words of the Angel to S. Iohn, a 1.19 Thou must prophecie againe, b 1.20 saith, that many were of opinion that S. Iohn liveth vntil the end of the world, and that he shal come in the time of Antichrist with Enoch and Elias. Hippolytus Martyr saith the same in his book de consummatione seculi; To be briefe, there is nothing more di∣vers, then they are in their opinions.

Our aduersaries themselues disagree a∣bout this. Arias Montanus speakes after this manner vpon the 4 of Malachie:* 1.21 The ancient Scribes by this great and fearefull day did wisely vnderstand, not the day of the last iudgement, but the time of the comming of the Messias: which interpretatiō of theirs was approved off, and confirmed by Christ in

the 17. of Matthew. Bellarmin in the 6. chapt. of his 3. book de Pontifice, wonders what Iansenius bishop of Gaunt dreamt off, when he said that the comming of E∣lias againe into the worlde could not bee gathered out of the 48. chapt. and 10. ver. of Ecclesiasticus. The Iesuit b 1.22 Maldonate in his commentarie vpon the 17. of Saint Matthew saith, that it is so cleere a case that Moyses and Elias must come, that no man can deny it not only without being rash, but also without being impudent. In the iudgement of this Iesuit, Bellarmin is im∣pudent, seeing that he denies that Moyses shall come, & would haue it to be Enoch. The Iesuit Pererius in the 7. booke of his commentarie vpon Genesis, in the dispu∣tation c 1.23 touching Enoch doth refute their proofe of this taken out of the 16 verse of the 44 of Ecclesiasticus, and expounds the place as we do.

The cause of this error (which the King with good reason calleth an idle dreame, and an old wiues tale) came from the cor∣rupt Greeke translatiō of the Septuagint, which puts a word into that place of Ma∣lachie, which is not in the Hebrew, for whereas in the Hebrew it is only, Beholde

I go hence to send you Elias, the Greek trā∣slation turnes it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. A translation which Chryso∣stome followed in his 58 Homilie vpon S. Matthew, and which made him to be of the opinion that Elias should come back againe into the world.

This matter might haue beene ended, were it not that hereby his Maiestie takes an occasion to complaine of the wrongs that the Church of Rome hath done vnto the old and new Testament, which may probably be thought to be meant by these two witnesses, seeing that these are they which beare witnesse of Iesus Christ. The Kings complaints are. 1. That the Church of Rome doth revile the holy Scripture. 2. That she doth prefer her cor∣rupted translation before the Originals of the Greeke, and Hebrew. 3. That she doth make Apocryphall books to bee of equall authoritie with the Cononical. 4. That she doth apply the psalter of David to the vir∣gin Mary, by putting out Gods name, & placing hers insteed thereof. 5. That shee doth deny the people to read the Bible, and will not suffer it to be translated into their vulgar tongue, and yet for all that,

will suffer them to haue fabulous, and ri∣diculous legends.* 1.24

1 In the first place the King doth challenge them for calling the Scripture a nose of wax, a dead letter, a leaden, or Les∣bian rule. Coeffeteau aunsweres, that such blasphemies are not found in the writings of the Doctours that they approue off; Bel∣larmine on the contrary doth confesse it, but saith that nothing else is meant by this, but only that Hereticks do make the scripture a nose of wax, a Lesbian rule, &c which is refuted by the learned Bishop of Elie, in his answer to the Cardinals Apo∣logie, where he cites Eckius, Luthers An∣tagonist, in his booke de fide & iustificatio∣ne, cap. 73. a 1.25 Tradition is more powerfull thē the Scripture, and in the same book.b 1.26 Tra∣dition is a most certaine rule of the truth, by which wee ought to examine the Scriptures. The ende that moued the Evangelists to write, was not because they would haue their writings to rule over religion and faith, but rather that they should bee subiect vnto it. Coster saith the same in his Enchiridion of Controuersies. And in the 71. chap. c 1.27 The Scriptures are as a nose of wax, that suffers it selfe to be turned this way, and that way,

he saith that they are; and not that they are made to be. He alleageth Hosius also, which maintaines against Brentius, that his words which said that the Scriptures with∣out the authoritie of the Church are no more to be esteemed then Esops Fables (p••tuisse pio sensu••ici) might bee spoken in a godly sense. And a 1.28 Turrianus who in the p. 250. saith, that if Christ had left no other rule of our faith then the Scripture, we should haue had nothing else but a Delphian sword, that is to say, a two edged sword that cuts vpon both sides. And behold here some of Bel∣larmines owne words (which are little bet¦ter) in his 4. chap. and b 1.29 4. booke, Of the word not written; Although the Scripture say that the bookes of the Apostles, and Pro∣phets are divine, yet I shall never beleeue it assuredly, if I doe not first beleeue that the Scripture which saith this, is divine. For we read as well in the Alcoran that the Alcorā was sent from heaven. This Cardinal would haue the testimony that the Scripture giues of it selfe to bee no more credited then that which the Alcoran giues of it selfe, and in the 10. chap. he saith c 1.30 that the

Scriptures are not absolutly necessary, and in the seauenth chapt. he is bold to affirm, * 1.31 that there be some trad••tions which are greater then some of the Scriptures, as con∣cerning the obligation, that is to say, that a man is bound more to beleeue them then the Scripture. In the 12. Chapt. b 1.32 The pro∣per and principall end of the Scripture, was not that it should be a rule of faith, but that it should be a profitable admonition to make men entertaine the doctrine of preaching, And a little after.c 1.33 I say that although the scripture were not made properly to be a rule of faith, yet it is a rule of faith, though not a totall rule, but a partiall.

The famous Doctor Charron surpasseth them all. Behold how hee doth extoll the Scripture in his 3 Truth, a booke which France hath receaued with wonderful ap∣plause. In the second chapter, hauing said that the Church and the Scripture are iudges together, he addeth, But the church is primarily and principally, and with great preheminence. And a little after, The Scrip∣ture is not, nor cannot be the last rule, & so∣veraigne iudge of doctrine. In the 2. page of the 3. chap. Faith that is necessary to salva∣tion comes from the Church speaking, & not

from the reading of the Scripture, without knowing of which after a sort, yea and with∣out beleeuing or obaying it expresly, a thou∣sand millions are saved—To be short, a man may be a Christian, and a good Christian, & bee saved, without the Scripture, but not without the Church. And a little after, How can one get out of contention by the scripture seeing that wee come into it by the Scrip∣ture? This is an open field for all quarrels; & as we vse to say, a sword for all hands; yea by this many come to be Atheists—it is like a forrest where all claime right to graze, yea even Atheists themselues. And in the same chapter, The scripture hath no auctoritie, waight, power over vs, but only as much as the church doth appoint, and assigne vnto it. Now every one knowes that by the scrip∣ture wee doe not vnderstand the paper or inke, but the worde of God contained therein, and none can deny but that the church is subiect to the word of God. But by these Doctours reckoning the word of God should be subiect to the church, and men should giue waight and authority to the word of God. In the 4. chapt. he saith vnto such as exact proofes out of Scrip∣ture for every point of faith, that this is a

wrongfull and vniust demand: for it is to re∣quire an impossible thing; because the Scrip∣ture doth not speake of all things: & in the same place, It is most false that Gods intent was to informe the world of his will, to plant the faith, and make Christians by the Scrip∣ture. What was therefore the end of those holy Scribes? It was (saith he in the same place) to write certaine particulars accor∣ding as they saw occasion (de re natâ) A lit∣tle after he saith, that to aske for scripture is to play the ill debtor, & the part of an vn∣honest man, which will not pay his mony ex∣cept he may first see his bond. Thou dost be∣leeue because thou dost read, thou art there∣fore no Christian, for a Christian beleeues be¦fore he read, & without reading.—A Chri∣stian beleeues at first without expecting a reason, with his eies close shut, & afterward hee seeth reason.—He that beleeveth be∣cause he hath read the bible▪ ••his faith & be∣liefe is in a manner not Christian like: wee must call it by some other name, a humane, purchased, studyed faith, but not a Christian faith, neither is hee that shall professe it a Christiā. In briefe, vnder the shew of a re∣spect towards the church (by which wee must alwaies vnderstande the Romane

church) these people doe persecute these two faithfull witnesses, and doe plant A∣theisme vnder hand, whereof this Doctor Charron in particular is not a little con∣scious: as it appeares by many places in his booke of Wisdome. The Kings com∣plaint therefore is iust, and had hee but held his peace, the matter would haue pro¦claimed it selfe.

But aboue all the Cardinall of Perons booke seemes intolerable to his Maiesty, concerning the Insufficiencie of the Scrip∣ture; Coeffeteau answeres that this is an Imposture of the Minister Tilenus, which caused it to be printed at Rochel with this title. In all this Coeffeteau is ill informed. For Monsieur Titenus is not Minister to this day. Secondly although he did put this title before the booke, yet can he not in this respect be accused of imposture, be¦cause the booke being without a title, & being that there must one of necessity be put before it, he could not haue chosen a∣ny more fit to the purpose then out of the first line of the booke, which is this, The scripture is not sufficient without traditi∣ons. And that his Maiestie might know in what this insufficiency consisteth, the first

point is that there is no mention made of the immortality of the soule in the books of Moyses. Which yet is mentioned there very * 1.34 often. And although there were no∣thing said of it, yet these holy bookes be∣ing the religion of Gods people, they doe necessarily carry the immortality of the soule imprinted on their foreheads, & pre¦suppose it by the title, because that with∣out this, religion is nothing but folly, and an vnwieldy yoke.

The seconde thing that his Maiestie findes faulte with,* 1.35 is that the Church of Rome doth preferre the vulgar Latin trā∣slation (which is corrupted in a thousand and a thousand places) before the Origi∣nall text of the Greeke and Hebrew. And he saith this because the Coūcell of Trent in the 4 Session hath decreed * 1.36 that the old and vulgar edition be held for authenticall, & that none presume to reiect it vnder what pretext soever. Whence it followes that in all places where it is contrary to the Ori∣ginall Greek and Hebrew, a man must be∣ware how he reiect it, and that he must ra∣ther thinke that the Originall is false then the Copie. And indeed Bellarmin in the 7. chapt. of his 2. booke de verbo Dei speaks

thus of the Hebrew Bible, and of the New Testament in Greeke, In this, my opinion is that we are to hold that of the Greeke which I haue said already of the Hebrew bibles, to wit, that the Greeke Copies are not generally corrupted, and yet that their fountaines are not altogither pure. But if the Originals of the word of God be marr'd, what suretie then is there in religion? and if the springs bee troubled how can the streames runne cleere? Now amongst other corruptions of the Romish translatiō his Maiestie doth produce two. The first is in the 15 of S. Luke verse 8. where in steede of to sweepe the house, the vulgar translatiō hath turnd it, to overturn the house. The other is in the 21. chapt. of S. Iohn, ver. 22.23. where in steed of, If I will that he stay, the vulgar translation turnes it, I will that he stay so, vpon which corruption some haue groū∣ded that idle conceipt of theirs, that Saint Iohn is not dead to this day. Coeffeteau saith these places haue beene corrected in the last bibles, meaning the Bibles newly printed by the authority of Clemēt the 8. But Bellarmin * 1.37 contradicts him, and saith that the first place only is corrected & not the second. But the Bibles of Sixtus V.

printed but a little before haue nothing corrected in them: and before Sixtus, the Councell of Trent did approue of the vul∣gar translation in all things; seeing that it hath pronounced it to bee authenticall cleane through out, and hath forbidden any part thereof to bee refused: But the Pope doth correct the Councels, and the Popes his predecessours, and after this Pope Clement, there will some Boniface come, which shall vndoe that which Cle∣ment did.

As for the impurity of the vulgar tran∣slation, it would be easier for a man to al∣ter it cleane, and make a new one of it, thē to purge it. In the greatest part of the Psalmes and of the prophets, there is no more reason then there is rime: To bee short, it is cleane a diuers thing from the Original. The 13. Psalme which is the 14. in the Hebrew, at the 9. verse, where there are 10. lines added, which are not in the Hebrew. In the second psalme insteed of kisse the sonne, the Latin translation hath it, Apprehend discipline. In the 132. psal. v. 5. in steed of I will blesse her vitailes, this translation renders it, I will blesse her wid∣dowes. In the 9. chap. of Esdras, v. 8. insteed

of paxillus, this translation hath pax illius, that is to say, his peace, for a naile. And in the verse following, where it is in the He∣brew for to giue vs a hedge in Iuda, this trā∣slatiō hath it,* 1.38 to giue vs hope in Iuda. In the 19. chapt. of the 1. of Samuel, verse 24. in∣steed of He fell downe naked, this translati∣on turnes it, He sung all naked; In the 16. of the Prov. ver. 11. the Hebrew saith, the waights of the bagge, the translation, the waights of the time. These are ridiculous faultes, but they which follow are malici∣ous. As the translating it in the 3. of Gene∣sis, and 15. verse, shee (to wit the woman) shall bruise the serpents head; whereas it is, The seed of the woman shall bruise the heade of the serpent. Whence in the Virgins psal∣ter this commendation, of having bruised the head of the Serpent is attributed vnto her. As also the translating it in the 99. psalm. Fall downe to his footstoole, whereas it is in the Hebrew, Fall downe towardes, or before his footstoole. A corruption that was in the time of S. Augustine, who did not know that they would in ages following ground the worship of creatures vpō this place. As also for omitting these wordes in the 11. chapt. and 6. verse of the Epistle

to the Romans, If it bee of workes it is no more grace, or else were worke no worke. I wonder much also howe it comes to passe that in the 11 of S. Luke the vulgar tran∣slatiō cuts off the fourth part of the Lords praier, omitting these words, which art in heaven, as also, Thy will bee done in earth as it is in heaven, as also these words, But de∣liver vs from evill. The vulgar translation (that it might bring in a diffidence & vn∣certainety of saluation) renders the first verse of the 9. of Ecclesiasticus after this manner. A man knows not whether he haue deserved loue or hatred, but all things are kept in vncertainety, for the time to come. Whereas the Hebrew hath only, No man knoweth either loue or hatred of all that is before them. We might note many more such like places, whence it appeares that his Maiesties complaint is most iust.

The King complaines also that these two witnesses are wrong'd in this,* 1.39 that mens writings called Apocryphall, are made of equal worth with thē. Which we haue proued to be against the authoritie of Iesus Christ, and the Apostles, and all the ancient church, and haue shewed that Coeffeteau doth alleadge a falsified Coun∣cell

of Nice, & abuse a place of S. Austin. See the 5. Article of my 2. book vpon this. And note besides that not only the Apo∣cryphall bookes are set in the same ranck with the Canonical, but also that the Ro∣man Decree in the 19. Distinction in the Canon In Canonicis, saith that the Popes Decretal Epistles are to be reckoned amōgst the Canonicall Scriptures. So behold with what good companiōs these two witnes∣ses are matcht.

The fourth Cōplaint that his Maiestie makes,* 1.40 is of the horrible corruption, al∣lowed off, and published in the church of Rome, in that they suffer a psalter, com∣monly called the psalter of S. Bonavēture made in honor of the Virgin Mary, where the psalmes of David are applyed to the Virgin, and her name put in the place of Gods name. And this worthy psalter hath beene translated into French, and printed at Paris in the year 1601. with the appro∣bation of the faculty of the Diuines of Pa¦ris. In reading thereof you would say, See here the Psalmes of David, but only that the name of God is not called vpon in them. And it seemes that David doth in∣voke the Virgin Marie. The 131. psalme

begins thus. Memento Domina David, & omnium invocantium nomen tuum. Re∣member David, ô Lady, and all those which call vpon thy name. With the like grace, the Reuerende father Solier a Iesuite of Sainctes, hath lately set forth 3. sermons in praise of the Beatified Ignatius, in the first of which, page 33. he saith that Adā sung these psalmes to comfort himselfe in his banishment. It may be also that Elias did read them at the Canonical houres of our Lady. Bellarmine in his Apologie against the King excuseth the matter, saying that Bonaventure did not change Davids Psal∣ter, but only made another of it in imitation of Davids Psalmes, being moved therevn∣to by a goldly affection that hee bore to the holy Virgin. But that which is an impietie against God, can be no pietie toward the Holy Virgin. Shee doth not thinke her selfe honoured by the dishonour of God. For this prophane psalter is made as if one should apply the Lords praier to the Vir∣gin Mary, in saying, Our mother which art in heaven, hallowed bee thy name, &c. Hee that should speak after this manner to the Virgin Mary, mought he excuse himselfe in saying that hee did not corrupt the

Lords prayer, but made another in imita∣tion thereof, being moved therevnto by a godly affection that he bore to the holy Virgin? This Psalter is little better. The 109. Psalme begins thus. Dixit Dominus Dominae nostrae, sede mater mea à dextris meis. The Lord said vnto our Lady, sit down mother at my right hand. The Psalm a 1.41 129 De profundis clamavi ad te Domina: Do∣mina exaudi vocemmeam. Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto thee ô Lady, ô La∣dy heare my voice. The b 1.42 90 Psalme, which in our Psalters begins with, who so dwel∣leth in &c. is thus applyed to the Virgin Mary. Hee that committeth himselfe to the protection of the mother of God, shall rest se∣cure vnder her shaddow, and safeguard. His enimies though they come against him shall not hurt him, and the arrow that flyeth through the aire shall not strike him. and in the c 1.43 93 Psalme, hee makes as though hee durst not presume to speake to God, but it is to wrong him. The Lord is a God of ven∣geance, but thou ô mercifull mother art en∣clined to pitie and compassion; you would say that she were set to pacifie Gods an∣ger, and to make him change his will. It was a hard matter therefore to get accesse

to God, before the birth of the Virgin, or before she was crownd queene of heaven; To conclude, all this whole Psalter is such and yet Bellarmine dares say that it was made with a holy and godly affection, & the facultie of the Divines of Paris, did not sticke to approue of it. And yet afterward they are bold to say that the worship of Latria appertaineth to God only, as if the Psalmes of David were no divine service.

* 1.44 On the complaint which his Maiestie makes in the 5 place of the suppressing of the Scripture, for feare least the people should come to see it, these Doctours say, that the reading of the Scripture is not absolutely denied vnto lay men, but that they are forbid to read it without hauing a speciall permission; (that is to say) that the Pope by a speciall priuiledge wil giue a man leaue to obay God, for God would haue the people to read the Scripture. Kings are Laymen, and yet for all that in the 17. of Deuter. they are commanded to read in the booke of the lawe all the daies of their life. And when the Apostle wrote to the people of the church of Corinth, of Rome, of Ephesus, did he not meane, that they to whome hee wrote should read his

Epistles? And when in the beginning of the Apocalyps it is said, Blessed is hee that readeth, & they that heare the wordes of this Prophecy, why should wee not, following the counsell of S. Iohn, apply our selues to the reading hereof, seeing that it is the next way to make vs happy? And yet this is one of the obscurest bookes in all the Scripture: how much more then are wee exhorted by this to read the books of the Gospell, so full of perspicuity and instruc∣tion? In the 17 of the Acts. ver. 11. they of Beroe are commended because that after they had heard S. Paule preach, they did dayly vse to examine his doctrine by the Scripture, to knowe whether it were so or no, and yet it is probable that the Apostle S. Paule did, at the least speake with as much certainety, as Curates and Bishops doe now adaies. Why then may not they which heare them (after their sermons en∣ded) compare that which they heard with the Scripture▪ to see whether it bee truely alleaged or no? A strange case! These Do∣ctors both in their sermons, and in their writings pretend Scripture commonly, but will not haue the people to see whe∣ther they deale truely or no. As if they

should say, S. Paul, or S. Iohn saith so, but doe not goe thither to see it. They send you to the holy Scripture, but stop you in the way; yea and in their ful sermons they alleage the Scripture in barbarous Latin, and interpret it according to such allega∣tions, as if French were worth nothing except it were set in the taile of Latin. Ie∣sus Christ many a time in the Scripture askes of those that stand about him.* 1.45 haue yee not read, and, How readest thou? should Iesus Christ now adaies speak in the same manner to the people of the Church of Rome, they would answer him, wee haue not read, for the Popes Holynesse will not permit it, except it bee vnto some fewe which vnderstand Latin, and which haue speciall leaue from their Ordinarie. Cer∣tainely I dare maintaine that for a man to take vpon him to permit any one by his speciall favour & priviledge, to obay God or to be instructed in his word, is far worse thē if he should forbid him to serue God. For hee which doth forbid a man to serue God, doth onely oppose himselfe against God: but he which giues any one a privi∣ledge to serue God, makes God to bee his inferiour, and his subiect, seeing that hee

cannot be served but by the permission of the Pope, and it will come to this passe at last, that God must doe him reverence, if he himselfe looke to be served. Herevn∣to adde that women, & the common sort of people which do not vnderstand Latin care not to sue for a permission to read it in Latin, which yet is the only tongue that is allowed of in the Church of Rome. But if you turne over all the histories of the Church, you shall never finde that any went about to hinder the reading of the Scripture, but certain monsters & tyrants, as Antiochus Epiphanes, & such like per∣secutours of the Church, whose example the Pope hath followed. For that there are some vulgar translations seen now adaies in France and Italie, this hath beene but of late, and without approbation: & our aduersaries are beholding to vs for it. For it is not yet a hundreth yeares since that you should assoone haue found an Alco∣ran, as a French or Italian Bible, amongst the people of the Romish church. And yet to this day at Rome, or in Spaine, to finde a Spanish, or Italian Bible with one of the people, is a burning matter, and a case of the Inquisition.

Yet iudge what tyranny this is. For the books of the old and new Testament, are our contract of marriage with our bride∣grome Iesus Christ, and the testament of our heauenly father. The clauses of the Legacies and donations contained there∣in, do appertaine to the people as well as to the Priests: why then should anie one keep their fathers testament from the peo¦ple? Why may not the Spowse be suffered to see her contract of marriage? Must I in this businesse rely vpon the trust of men that liue by my ignorance, and make their gaine by concealing the truth from mee? Why do they suffer me to read fables and prophane histories, and will not suffer me to read the will, and the ordinances of my father? Why do they make me to suspect the Holy scriptures as if they were dange∣rous bookes, and a knife to cut my throat with? Suffer vs at least to haue a good opi∣nion of God, and she shall be bound vnto you for it. If you say, But many abuse thē; I answere that preaching is abused too, & so is the goodnesse of God, and yet for al this we are not to abstaine from them, or suspect them the more: And besides that there is more danger in a voluntary igno∣rance,

then in a desire to profit. And it shal neuer bee found that the people did hatch heresies by the reading of the holy Scrip∣ture, but all the Arch Heretickes haue bin men that haue had the charge of teaching which should therefore rather of the two be bar'd the holy Scripture. They say that it is for none but men of knowledge to read them; whereas I ever thought that a man did read them to get knowledge; but these men wil haue knowledge to be got∣ten before the reading of them: which is a most wicked assertion, to make a knowe∣ledge in religion that may be without the scripture, & before the scripture. And yet if it were so, what shoulde become of a great company of the Priests, which are more ignorant then the most part of the people, to whō notwithstanding the rea∣ding of the Scripture is permitted?

But if any be desirous to know the be∣liefe of the Ancient Church concerning this, and whether the people did read the holy scripture then or no, beholde here some of their testimonies. Chrysostome in his 3. Homilie of Lazarus speakes thus to his auditours, I do exhort you alwaies, and will never cease to exhort you that you bee

not only attentiue here to that which is spo∣ken, but when you be at home also, that you would set your selus carefully to the reading of the holy Scripture. A thing which I haue not forborne to inculcat vnto thē, that haue spoken with me, in particular. For it is not fit that any should say vnto me, these words are but little gracious, and there be many other things to busie a man, I am tyed to attend at the Court, I mānage publike affaires, I haue my occupation, I haue a wife, I see to the bringing vp of my children, I looke to my fa∣mily, I am mingled with the world, & there∣fore it is not for mee to read the Scriptures, but for those which haue bid Adieu to the world, whose dwelling place is vpon the tops of hils, there leading a more strict kinde of life. What saist thou ô Man? must thou not turne over the scriptures because thou art distracted with many businesses? But it lyes thee vpon rather to reade them then they which are more free: For they haue not so much neede of the assistance of the scripture as thou which art tost amidst the vvaues of businesses, &c. Till at last he sayth, that it is impossible, yea I say impossible that any should attaine to salvation, if hee imploy not himselfe daily in this spiritual reading. And

a little after. The graces of the spirit hath so ordered and fitted the scriptures, that pub¦licans, fisher men, makers of tents, the Pa∣stours and Apostles, the simple and ignorāt sort of people may bee saved by these bookes, that none of them hereafter may haue anie cause to complaine of the difficulty. To the ende that the thinges which are saide there might be easie to vnderstand, and that the Artizan, the groom, & the widdow woman, and he that is most vnlearned of all mē, may carry away some profit by the hearing of this read. To be brief the whole homily is spēt about nothing else. Hierome in an Epistle to Laeta concerning the instruction of her daughter Paula.a 1.46 In steed of pretious stones and silke, let her loue the bookes of God, in which let her not loue the gold, nor the pain∣ting vpon the covers, but the scripture lear∣nedly corrected, and distinguisht. Let her first learne the psalmes, let her solace her selfe with these songs. Let her learne how to liue well in the Proverbs of Salomon. Let her learne how to despise worldly things by Ecclesiastes. Let her follow the examples of vertue and patience in Iob. From hence let her passe over to the Evāgelists, & neuer lay them out of her hands. Let her learne the

Prophets by heart. Let her beware of al A∣pocryphall bookes. Then therefore the rea∣ding of the scripture was permitted, yea and commanded, even to young maides.

S. Austin in the 9. chapt. of his booke de Doctrinâ Christianâ, speaking of the Canonicall bookes, b 1.47 In all these bookes, they which feare God, and are of a zealous disposition, do seeke after the will of God. In which worke and travel, the first taske that they haue to do, is to know these bookes: and although they cannot vnderstand them pre∣sently, yet in reading them over, either to learne them by heart, or at the least not to haue thē altogither vnknown vnto thē. The third booke begins with this. Homo timēs deum voluntatem eius in sanctis scripturis inquirit. A man fearing God seekes diligent¦ly for his will in the holy Scriptures.

In a word, all this forbidding of the scripture to be read without a special per∣mission, and the denying it to bee transla∣ted into any vulgar tongue, for feare least the people shoulde put their noses into it, is a thing neuer heard off in al ages, a new kinde of tyranny, & a manifest betraying of a bad cause. He that is loath to haue the law seen, acknowledgeth that it doth not

fauor him in his suite.

The other complaintes of the King, as of the abuse of fabulous legends, of the traffick, which hath changed the spiritual keyes into keies of gold, & the fishermans boate into a merchants ship, these haue been proved in the 6. Article of my second booke, and in the exposition of the 18. chapter of the Apocalyps.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Apoc. 9. v. 12 One woe is past, and be∣hold yet two woes to come after this.
• * 1.2

  Deut. 17. v. 6. & 19. v. 15. Mat. 18. v. 16.
• * 1.3

  In the ex∣position of the 5. verse of the 13. Chap.
• * 1.4

  Rom. 1.27.
• * 1.5

  v. 10.
• * 1.6

  Ioh. 26. v. 20
• * 1.7

  Note that the 33 years in which Christ was in the world are to be ta∣ken away, and doe not fall vpon the trumpets.
• * 1.8

  Gen 7.20. Fifteene cu∣bits vpward did the wa∣ters prevaile when the mountaines were cove∣red.
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• b 1.10

  Enoch pla¦cuit deo & translatus est in paradi∣sum vt det gentibus poe∣titentiam.
• * 1.11

  Malach. 4. v. 5.6.
• * 1.12

  Luk. 1.17.
• * 1.13

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.14

  Tom. 9. Dabo duo∣bus testibus meis, 1. testa∣mentis. Duo candelabra ecclesia est, sed pro nume¦ro testamen∣torum.
• a 1.15

  Bellarmine in the thirde booke of his Apologie a∣gainst the King chap. 1. where he names many fathers with¦out alleag∣ing their words.
• b 1.16

  Apparui•• cum gloriae suae habitu, Moyse & E∣lia in mont•• comitantibus & h••s quid•• eosdem pro∣phetas duos praevenientes adventum eius intelligimus, quos Apocal. Io∣hannis ab Antichristo perimend••s esse dicit, licet variae vel de Enoch vel d•• Eliâ plurimorum extiterint opiniones.
• * 1.17

  Enoch iustis∣s••mum, non circumcisum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sabbati∣zantem de hoc mund•• transtulit, qui nedum mortem 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vt ae∣ternitatis cā¦didatus iam 〈◊〉〈◊〉 osten∣deres nos quo{que} sine le∣gis onere Moys••s, Deo placereposse.
• * 1.18

  Enoch 〈◊〉〈◊〉. status est in car•••• Et E∣lias Carneus raptus est in coelū, necdū mortui, & Paradistiam coloni, habēt membracum quibus rapti sunt at{que} trā∣slati Quod nos imita∣mur i••iuni••, illi posside•••• consortio.
• a 1.19

  Apoc. 10. v. 11.
• b 1.20

  Opinantur multi beatū hunc. virum vs{que} ad seculi consumma∣tionē vivere, ae venturū esse circa tē∣p••ra Anti∣christi, cum Enoch & Eliâ.
• * 1.21

  Ac diem hunc magnū & terribilē non iudicii extre••i sed Messiae ad∣venientis tē∣pusantiqui Scribae sopiē tèr interpre∣tabantur, id{que} a Christ•• probatum & confirmatum est. Mat. 17▪
• b 1.22

  Tam aper∣tam rem esse Moysen & Eliam vetu∣ros esse, vt nemo id non solùm sine temeritate, sed nec sine impudentia negare possit.
• c 1.23

  Qu. 1. num 137.
• * 1.24

  1 Point, that the church doth revile the scripture
• a 1.25

  Eckius, ef∣ficacior quā scriptura est traditio.
• b 1.26

  Traditio certissima est veritatis re∣gula ad quā Scripturam expendere oporteat, E∣vangelistarū non f uit hoc in scribendo consitium, vt sua illa scripta prae∣essent nost••ae religioni & fidei sed sub∣ssent potius
• c 1.27

  Sunt enim scripturae velut cereus quidā nosus qui sicut hor∣sum illorsū{que} trahise per∣mittit &c.
• a 1.28

  Turrianus Si Scripturā s••lam fidei regulā Chri∣stus reliquis∣set in Eccle∣s••a quid ali∣ud quàm gla¦dium Delphi cum habere∣mus?
• b 1.29

  § Quarto ••ecesse. Etsi Scriptura di cat libros Prophetarū & Apostolo∣rum esse di∣vinos, tamen non ce••tò id ••redam, nisi prius credi∣der•• Scrip∣turam quae hoc dicit esse diuinam. Nā in Alcorano Mahumetis passim legim ipsum Alco∣ranum de coelo à Deo dimissum.
• c 1.30

  § Ad••lla. Supra diximus Scripturas non fuisse absolu∣tè necessarias.
• * 1.31

  § Sed omissi•• Quaedā sunt traditiones maiores quo∣ad obligatio∣nem quàm quaedā Scrip∣turae.
• b 1.32

  § Respondeo Scripturae fi∣nem propriū & praecipuū non fuisse vt esset regula fidei, sed vt esset commo∣nitorium quoddam v∣tile.
• c 1.33

  Dico secun∣do Scripturā etsi non est sact•• praeci∣puè vt sit re∣gula fidei▪ esse tamen regulam fidei non totalem sed partialem
• * 1.34

  Gen. 5.2•• Gen. 49.18. Exod. 3.15 Num. 23.10
• * 1.35

  II. Point. Of their prefer∣ring the cor∣rupt transla∣tion before the original.
• * 1.36

  Vt vetus & vulgata editio pr•• au¦thentica ha∣beatur, & quòd ••am ne m•• reiicere quovis pr••∣textu audeat vel presumat
• * 1.37

  Locus po∣sterior non est mutatu••, quo••i••m ha∣b••tur in om∣nibus Latinis codici••us.
• * 1.38

  Spe•• for se∣pem, cecinit ••udus for ce∣cidit, lapides saeculi, for sacculi, ipsa mulier, for ipsum semen
• * 1.39

  III. Point. Of their e∣qualling the Apocryphall books with the Canoni∣call.
• * 1.40

  IV Point, Davids Psalter cor∣rupted.
• a 1.41

  Which is the 110. in the Hebrew.
• b 1.42

  The 91. in the Hebrew.
• c 1.43

  The 94. in the Hebrew.
• * 1.44

  V. Point. the suppressing of the holy scrip¦ture.
• * 1.45

  Matt. 19.4. Luk. 10.26.
• a 1.46

  Pro gē••is & serico di∣vin••s codices 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in qui∣bus non auri & pellis Ba∣bylonicae ver∣miculata pi∣ctura, sed ad fidem place∣••t emendata & erudita distinctio. Di scat primò psalterium, bis se cāticis ••v••cet—Ad Evangelia transeat, nū∣quam ea po∣situra de ma∣nibus, man∣det memoriae Prophetas, caveat om∣nia Apocry∣pha.
• b 1.47

  In his om∣nibus libri•• timentes De∣um, & pieta∣te mans eti qu••runt vo∣luntatē Dei. Cuius operi•• & laboris prima obser∣vatio est (vt diximus) n••s se ist••s libros etsi nondum intellectum, adlegendo ta¦mē m•• vel man∣dare memo∣riae vel om∣ninò incog∣nitos non ha∣bere.