To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
1. IF we reuiew the former discourse, we may find, that equiuocation, which Bellarmine sought (as a knot in a bulrush) in our writers obiections, to be directly contained in their Churches de∣niall of what was obiected. Whilest they deny that they exalt the Churches authority aboue scriptures, or
mans word aboue Gods; this deniall may haue a double sence. They may deny a plaine and open profession, or challenge of greater authority in their Church then in Scriptures: Or they may denie, that in effect and substance they ouerthrow all au∣thority of Scripture, saue onely so farre as it makes for their purpose.
2. That the Pope should openly professe himselfe competi∣tor with God, or, in expresse tearmes, challenge greater authori∣ty then Scriptures haue: was neuer obiected by any of our wri∣ters. For all of vs know, the man of sinne must be no open, or outward enemy to the Church, but Iudas like, a disciple by pro∣fession: his doctrine, indeed, must bee a doctrine of diuels, yet counterfeiting the voice of Angels; as he himselfe, though by internall disposition of minde a slaue to all manner of filthinesse, and impurity, must bee enstiled sanctissimus Dominus, the most holy Lord. If the poison of his iniquity were not wrapt vp in the titles of diuine mysteries, it would forth-with be disliked by many silly superstitious soules, which daily suck their bane from it, be∣cause perswaded that the scriptures, which they neuer haue exa∣mined, whose true sence they neuer tasted, but from some re∣liques of heathenish zeale, idolatrously worship in grosse, do ful∣ly warrant it. When our Writers therefore obiect, that the Pa∣pists exalt the Popes lawes aboue Gods; (had not these holy Ca∣tholicks an especiall grace to grow deafe, as often as wee charge their mother with such notorious and knowne whoredomes, as they see might euidently be proued vnto the world, if they should stand to contest with vs) their meaning is plaine; that the Pope, in deed, and issue, makes the Scriptures, which in shew he seemes to reuerence, of no authority, but onely with reference to his owne. That he, and his followers should in words much mag∣nifie Gods word, written or vnwritten, we do not maruell; be∣cause the higher esteeme men make of it, the higher still hee may exalt his throne, being absolutely enabled, by this deuise, to make all that belongs to God, his Word, his Lawes, his Sacraments, the pretious Body and Bloud of his Sonne, blessed for euer, meere foot-stooles to his ambition. For, if the authority of Scriptures, or such traditions as he pretends, be established as diuine, and he admitted, sole, absolute, infallible Iudge of their meaning; it
would argue either Antichristian blindnesse not to see, or impu∣dency of no meaner stocke, not to acknowledge that the Pope by this meane might appropriate vnto himselfe the honour due vnto God, and play vpon his Creator in such sort, as if a corrupt Law∣yer hauing euidences committed to his trust, should by vertue of them take vp rents, and let leases to the Landlords dammage, and Tennants ouerthrow. And (what is most villanous) vnto what∣soeuer prerogatiues, though most preiudiciall to the diuine ma∣iesty; his Parasiticall Canonists shall blasphemously entitle this most holy Father the sonne of God, and his faithfullest seruants, (Apostles or Prophets) must be brought forth to abette the for∣gery, as if euidence giuen in Court by infamous Knights of the Post, should in the finall day of hearing bee produced, vnder the hands and seales of free Barons, or other chiefe Peeres of the Land: for, as was intimated before, whatsoeuer the Pope though in his owne cause, shal say, it must by this doctrine, be supposed, that Christ doth say the same. Yea, if it should please his Holines to auouch ex Cathedra, that these words, Thou art a Priest for e∣uer after the order of Melchisedech, are truely and literally meant of himselfe as Christs Vicar, or of perpetuall succession in Peters chaire: the euidence must be taken as vpon the Almighties oath; who in that place hath sworne as much as these words import; but what that is the Pope must iudge. That then he permits Christ the title of his soueraigne Lord, and vrges others to subscribe vn∣to his lawes as most diuine, is iust, as if some Polititian should so∣licite the whole body of a kingdome, solemnely to acknowledge one, otherwise lawfull heire vnto the Crowne, for their Monarch most omnipotent and absolute, (whose will once signified must bee a law for euer inuiolable, to all his subiects) not with intent that hee should in person retaine such perpetuall soueraignety o∣uer them, but that hee might haue absolute power to dispose of his kingdome, as he pleased vnto the worlds end; or to nominate others, as absolute in his place, whilest he spent his dayes as a so∣iourner in a forraine land. Finally, not the most treacherous and detestable plot, the most wicked Pope that hath beene, is or shall be, could desire to effect, but may by this deuice be countenan∣ced, with as great and sacred authority, as were the best actions
our Sauiour euer vndertooke which (as may better appeare from what shall be said in the next Section) is to make euery Popes authority as much greater then our Sauiours, as their liues and actions are worse then his was.
3 Suppose some Diuell should possesse the Popes place in simi∣litude of a man, (as some Papists thinke the great Antichrist, who shall challenge as great authority as the Pope doth, shall be a Diuell incarnate, or the sonne of a Diuell,) might he not hold his dignity by the same plea the Iesuites make for their Lord and Master? Could hee not be content to pretend Christs name, or succession from Saint Peter, (as Simon Magus might hee haue obtained what hee desired, would haue done) for his owne ad∣uantage? Could hee not vrge the authority of Gods word to confirme his owne ouer it, and all that is called Gods? If in such a case it might not be permitted men to examine his allega∣tions out of Scriptures, how could the diuell himselfe bee con∣uinced by Scriptures, or deposed from his supremacy, thence pretended? And can wee doubt, whether hee which makes no other plea, then the Diuell were hee in place might, is not that Filius Diaboli, The great Antichrist? Were we not taught that the sonnes of this world are wise onely in their owne generation, wee might iustly wonder that any men indued with naturall wit, could be so blind, as at the first sight not to descrie the politique sophismes vsed by the Romanist to cosen Christ of his kingdom. As their whole Religion is but the image of the old Romane po∣licy; so their maine plot of Templum Domini, Templum Domini, the Church, the Church, as if all were rebels against Christ, that will not sweare absolute fealty to the Church Romish, may bee most fully paralelled by the like practise of such cunning States∣men, as hauing alwaies one eye to the aduancement of their own priuate fortunes, liue vnder an absolute Monarch, of himselfe royally minded, but not much intermedling in the affairs of grea∣test moment. Oportunity of high place vnder a king, vpon what occasion soeuer thus sequestred, that poore mens complaints cannot possesse his eares, tempts polititians to effect their owne purposes, vnder pretence of his right, to condemne all of trea∣son or disloyalty, that will not obey their designes directed in
their Soueraignes name, though most abhorrent from the dispo∣sition of his royall heart, were hee acquainted with such lamen∣table grieuances of his poore Subiects, as are the vsuall conse∣quents of Princes gracious fauours vpon great ones. The more absolute such a Princes lawfull authority, the greater his natiue subiects loue vnto him is, the more both, may both bee abused by such vnthankefull officers. As it is the soueraigne conceit all men haue of Christs kingdome, which keepes the silly in such seruility vnto the Pope, his pretended agent.
4 This is the onely difference in these two cases otherwise most like. An earthly Prince may liue and die deluded of his Ma∣chiauillian states-men, ouer whom hee hath no power, after he himselfe is once subiect. But Christ liues and raignes a King for euer; and though his throne bee in the highest heauens, beholds the things are done on earth; hee sees, and yet suffereth his pre∣tended officers to retaine such as loue darkenes more then light, in grossest ignorance and blind subiection to the Prince of darke∣nesse, and his associate, the Prince of darkenesse; hee sees and yet suffers them detain all such as delight in lies more then in truth, from acquaintance with his holy spirit; Hee sees, and yet suffers their foulest villanies to be countenanced by his sacred lawes; hee sees, and yet suffers his holy name to be abused, to the establishing of Antichristian heresies; hee sees and yet suffers his glory made a stale for maintenance of their secular pompe. Hee is the keeper of Israel, and cannot so slumber, as any abuse should escape his notice; his indignation shall not sleepe for euer, but in due time he will rouse himselfe as a Lion awaked, to take vengeance vpon all the workers of iniquity, on them aboue others, who haue thus vsurped his throne on earth, taking that iudgement during the time of his supposed absence wholly into their handes, which belongs onely vnto him: Euen so come Lord Iesu, holy and true, and with the breath of thy mouth destroy him that hath destroyed trueth and sincerity from amongst the sonnes of men.
Antichrist must not be a professed or o∣pen enemie but a secret vnderminer of true Religion.
The Pope and his followers haue good reason to mag∣nifie Christs authority in words or out∣ward shew for their owne gaine and glo∣ry could not otherwise be so great.
Cap. 10. 11.
The same plea the Iesuites make for the Popes abso∣lute infailibili∣ty, the Diuell himself might vse with as great probabi∣lity, were he formally ele∣cted in his place.