Brightman - BS2823 B85 1644

140 Againt ßellarmine CAP, 15. vifionsoffoules, requiringMales to bePaidfor them,cures granted be- caufeof the Worfhip that had been given to Imager, as al fo becaufe of voWes that Were made to Saints,Were in u,'e in the Church before that time, Wherein the iIdverfariesfay that A_ntichrifl d<d appeare ; I anfwer that that whichyou affirme is partly fall, partly ofno-mo- ment toprove that your miracles are not lying miracles. It is falfe that you fay, that that vifon of q foulr appearing to S. Germane the Bifhop of (apua, about the yeare ofour Lord 500. U'as before the time ofAntichrifl. For the Revelation teacheth us, that .4ntichri¡I Was born, vvhen the Heathen Emperours vvere taken avvay, which hap- ned about the yeare of our Lord 300. It is altogether weak and poore ftuffe that you bring touching the like miracles to thefe which you fay were done before Antichrift, fuch as that that Eufebius re- portethbook 7. Hiffor. Chap. 14. touching thebrazen Image Which the Woman that Was healedof a bloody ifue ereted to our Saviour. Which Theodoret alfo fpeaketh of Book 8.to the Grecians. For both before Antichrifl and after his comming, wonders were to be wrought; For noW (faith 'Paul) doth the mjfiery of iniquity vvork, z Theft, z. 7. Now the myftery of iniquity wrought as well by mi- racles, as by fiiperffitions, and falle dottrine, at it is clear out of that miracle which Marcus the Hereticke wrought, Who made ovine in thepot to appeare likeblood, of which Irenaus fpeakes book t Chap. 9. So the Montanifls alto had their miracles, as Tertullianwitneffeth inhis bookof the Soule. Now the difference between thegreat An- tichrifl and thefe petty demy ones, is onely according to more or leffe. For thefe forerunners of his, wrought miracles with a more contra&ed and limittedpower,but the great Antichrifl fhould come by the efficacie of Satan, with all power, having larger bounds, and more roome to do his feats in. So that he fhould exceed all others in the greatneffe, multitude, and impudencie of his Heights, and in all kinde ofmifchiefe. Your defence therefore of the Pope, which you fetch from miracles is very miferable; as which ifany thing elfe do plainly thew him to be the greatef} Antichrifl that the Scrip- tures fpeak of; and I thinke it was not without the fngular provi- denceofGod, that ye placing the chiefe marke of your Church in Miracles, fhould know at length by experience, that the overthrow ofyour caufe should come from thence, whence you hoped to have the greaten releefe and refuge for it.' CHA p.

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