A treatise, touching Antichrist VVherein, the place, the time, the forme, the workmen, the vpholders, the proceeding, and lastly, the ruine and ouerthrow of the kingdome of Antichrist, is plainly laid open out of the word of God: where also manie darke, and hard places both of Daniell and the Reuelation are made manifest. By Lambert Danæus.

VVho be those three Spirits, where-of mention is made in the Reuelation, and are said to be the chiefe ministers of the Antichristian kingdome.

The 35. Chapter.

BY the former exposition, it is easie to be knowne (I meane so farre-forth as concerneth this place of the Apocalypse) what those thrée Spirits do signifie, which are sent by the false Prophet vnto all the Kings of the earth, to plant and establish his kingdome. And they are said to be like vnto Frogs, but the place it-selfe is in the 16. Chapter, verse 13.14. which are these.

[verse 13] And I sawe three vncleane spirits like Frogs come out of the mouth of that Dragon, and out of the mouth of that Beast, and out of the mouth of that false Prophet.

[verse 14] For they are the Spirits of Deuils, working my∣racles, to goe vnto the Kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them to the battell of that great day of God Allmightie.

Some in expounding this place, do thinke that this num∣ber of the three is put downe (as set & limited) for that which is vncertaine & infinit, as it is spoken in Salomon, A three-fold coard is not easily broken. Therefore in their opinion these three spirits are euery spirit stirred vp & sent abroad by Satan for the maintenance of this kingdome of lies, such as infinite numbers of mē, & claw-backs of Antich. haue bin, both liuing as yet, & dead long since, such as was Eckius, & others, who defended the same with tooth & naile, and promoted it to the vtmost of their power. But others séeme to come néerer to the true meaning of y^e place, for they take regard of y^e nūber of 3. as indéed it is to be obserued: but yet they do not fitly ynough restraine the same only to Diuines, or Sorbonists to Monks,

and professours of the Decretalls. For my part therefore ha∣uing aduisedly weighed and considered of all things, I take these three Spirits, to distinguish three chiefe and principall degrees and conditions of men, by whom, as it were by Le∣gates and choise instruments and especiall Patrones, both Poperie it selfe and the whole kingdome of Antichrist was at first framed, erected, and enlarged, and whereby euen to this day it is cherished and maintained. For whereas Christ had for the publishing of his kingdome these three especiall degrees and orders of Ministers, to wit, Apostles, Doctors, or Euangelistes and Bishops: So Antichrist hath on the o∣ther side his Cardinalls, Schoole-men and Bishops.

The Cardinals of Antichrist wil néedes seeme to resemble and be answerable vnto the Apostles of Christ, whose power is to stretch to euery corner, and not to be limited within the precincts of any one Countrie. And as touching Doctors and the first Euangelistes, which at the beginning of preach∣ing the Gospell, were inseperable companions of the Apo∣stles: they are matched (a Gods name) with the Schoole-men (as they are called) that is, the whole rabble of Sophisters, and orbet of Doctors, either such as professed and liued a se∣culare life, or a regulare, as themselues terme it, that is, a Monkish or Cloyster-life. Lastly, concerning Christian Bis∣hops; the Bishops of the Popes orders, and of the Deuills making are in stead of them.

And vndoubtedly all those orders and degrees, are the ve∣rie pillers of Poperie, who are sent by the Pope, or that false Prophet, in diuers manners and vpon seuerall occasions vn∣to the Kings of the earth, either as Messengers, or as simple Legates, or Legates a latere, according to the qualities of the busines that this kingdome had to dispatch, and all of them assemble themselues to warre against the godlie and Saincts in Geddon-harma, that is, in that place where olde Rome once stoode: which place assuredly is the very shoppe wherein all treasons and practises agaynst God and his annoynted, are forged.

Now, this sentence and interpretation of mine, is ratified by the circumstance of the time, and by obseruation of the Si∣militude which Iohn hath vsed, and (which is especially to be obserued in these Prophecies) by the very euent or issue of things, which is an omnisufficient witnesse and expositour of this Prophecie. So then, these Spirits are sayd both to bee thrée, and also to be distinct and diuers the one from the other, although they be all set forward by one and the selfe-same au∣thor Sathan, or rather his sonne, that detestable false prophet, that is the Pope. And as for those Cardinalls, Sophisters, and Popish Prelates: who can more iustly be sayd to be their Sire than Sathan himselfe? and what is their doctrine, their life, and practise but only deuillish?

Further, these three are sayd to be vncleane Spirits. For being that they are stirred vp by the Deuill, who is an vn∣cleane Spirit: it cannot be chosen but that they must bee like their father, and practise of his workes.

Lastly, touching the time wherein these things began: that also strengtheneth and vp-houldeth my censure. For Iohn sheweth that these began to bee sent after such time as a way was laied open, for the Kings of the East, and the riuer Eu∣phrates, which before time was as it were a sacred bound-marke of the Romane Empyre in the East, and seuered the same from forraigne Nations, when Euphrates. I say, began to bee as it were dried vp, and to giue passage to the Easterne people, which brought vnder foote the Constantinopolitane Emperours. This people and Nation were the Turkes, and Tartarians, who being the first that euer passed ouer Eu∣phrates, brake vp, and as it were dispaled the auncient limites of the Romane Empire, and so made in-roades and inuasions (as I haue sayd) into the Romane Monarchie. And this hap∣pened about the yeare of our Lord 105. After which time especially, the Schoole-men and Popish Monkes (for there were other Monkes long before that, both more holie and bet∣ter to bee borne with, then those that now are of the Popish profession) began to haue Dennes and Cloysters, as it were

Castles and Block-houses of Poperie in euery place to bee founded, built, and dispersed, namely, after the yeare of our Lord 1200. as appeareth by histories. But as for Cardinals: the order of them began long since the other, who neuerthe∣lesse crept vp since the power of the Turke began to bee so great, and haue obtained such credite at the handes of Kings, that they can at a becke turne and winde them to what pur∣pose they list. For although Gregorie the first (who liued before such time as the Turkes made inuasion vpon the Ro∣mane Empyre) in his Epistles 15.77. and 79. make mention of Cardinalls. Yet that maiestie and power that now is al∣lotted to a Cardinalship, is but an inuention of this later time and age: the which some ascribe vnto Gregorie the 11. who reduced the Court of Rome, from being seated at Ave∣nion, vnto Rome: but some other who do most fauour Car∣dinalls, do attribute it vnto former Bishoppes. Lastly, tou∣ching the name of a Bishopricke: that assuredly is most aun∣cient, in as much as it is often spoken of in the holie Scrip∣ture, as 1. Tim. 3.1.2. &c. But such as it is now in the state of Poperie, it is fresh and newe, as being brought vp long after the time of the Apostles, or of such as liued neere after them, yea, after the daies of Bernard Clarevallensis: in so much as the Audaeani, who liued in the daies of Constantine the great, by occasion chiefly of the vnwonted insolencie of Bishoppes, and such as was neuer heard of before, shronke backe from the societie of the Church. And assuredly the Bi∣shoplie Iurisdiction that now is in the Church of Rome, is not Euangelicall, but flatly Sathanicall & Deuillish, which hath turned all things to ambition, couetousnesse and pride: whereof I will speake the lesse in this place, because both Maister Caluin, lib. 4. of Christian Institution Cap. 7. And Charles Molinaeus in his booke Contra paruas datas, doe seeme to me to haue very sufficiently handled this poynt.

To conclude, the similitude which Iohn vseth in calling them Frogges, yeeldeth sufficient strength vnto this mine interpretation: for as Frogges are vncleane creatures, liuing

in myre, full of noyse, tedious and importunate in their con∣tinuall croaking: so also are these three orders of a very slut∣tish kinde of life, and alwaies most clamorous, in vexing the vertuous and Saincts of Gods: which to bee true, the very thing it selfe, and their importunate out-cries and inuectiues in euery place of the world against the assemblies of the faith∣full, do plainly declare.