It was a great wrong to their subjects. Kingdoms, we know, follow their kings ; and if Jeroboam make Israel to sin, all Israel will quickly sin. Diseases come from the head ; if the head be naught,* there will be a disease in the body ere long. A greater stone being tumbled down from a hill, it carries lesser stones along with it : so great kings, when they fall them- selves, they draw their kingdoms after them (/i ). Therefore the phrase of the Scripture is, ' God put into their hearts to give,' not only themselves, but their kingdoms, to the beast. For commonly the idol of the people is their king, and, being led by sense and not by faith, they fear him more than they fear God ; and their own restraint more than they fear hell ; and so they come to this damned religion by depending upon him. Therefore it is a wrong to the people, knowing they are so slavish by nature and want- ing faith, are fearing, terror-led by the present command of their king. Thus it was a wrong in these kings every way.
But the pope, the beast, what was to blame in him ? He did but take that which was oflfered him. ' They gave their kingdoms to the beast.'
I answer. Indeed, he took that which was offered him, but he abused
these kings, he abused the Christian world. He had no title to these
kingdoms, but was a fraudulent possessor of them, because he came to them
by a slight. t He raised himself to the popedom by the ruins of the
* That is, 'naughty,' = diseased. — G. f That is, 'sleight, = craft. — Q.
528 THE beast's dominion
empire ; for, upon the divisions of the empire, the emperor having enemies in the east, ho was fain to rest in Constantinople, and thereupon Komo being much neglected, at last was overrun by the Goths and Vandals ; and the pope, taking occasion of the absence of the emperor, set up him- self, thus raising himself by the ruins of the empire ; and then, he being established, set up Pepin, father of Charles the Great, and put down Childerick ; who, being a weak prince, he deposed, and set the other up, that ho might gratify him so. So he collogued* with princes. f
And then again, ho wonj respect and authority from tho horns by dia- bolical and vile courses. For, first, he abused their understandings, keeping them from the Scriptures, and then he abused their affections, and drew them this way and that way with toys.§ They gave him great matters, and he gave them indulgences and pardons, and consecrated grains, (i) and such like things.
Then af^ain, he would oft force them to yield by excommunications, and many false titles of Peter's successor and Peter's chair ; so, by the terror and dread of excommunication he awed them.
Again, he wrought by subtilty, joining with one prince against another, setting one against another ; and, if he joined with any party, he had such a slight that he would be sure to make him a slave to the papacy, one way or other, or else he would excommunicate him ; and then, before they should be absolved, they must either pay a great sum of money, or else they must go such a voyage, or set such men or such on such an enterprise.
And then again, he gave dispensations to sell souls ; and so men might do what they would, they should have pardon, otherwise they should have excommunication.
And then again, he had preferments for the sons of the horns ; cardinals' places for their second sons, that they should be great princes ; he had high places for them.
Then again, he laid his foundation on false grounds. He would be uni- versal bishop ; and the church could not err ; and all of them must fetch and determine of their matters from him ; and appeal must be made to none but to him ; and in certain cases none could satisfy the conscience but him. So that he greatly raised his authority by these false and cozen- ing means ; and all that yielded to him were a deluded company of people, that were deluded by the false and subtile courses he took. And therefore, although they gave their kingdoms to him, yet he possessed them by a fraudulent title ; the means he used were diabolical.
' They gave their kingdoms to the beast, till the word of God should be fulfilled.'
Well ! we see here the judgment of God upon the Christian world. It was not only a judgment upon these kings, as they were kings, but God punished the people's sin in the slavery of these kings to the beast.
See here the judgment of God upon kings and princes for not esteeming, as they should do, the glorious gospel of Christ ; for they, both princes and people, had it, but they esteemed it not, but delighted in untruths; there- fore God gave them up to believe lies.
We are not, therefore, over much to pity our ancestors. Though they deserve pity, yet we excuse them overmuch this way ; for certainly God is just in his judgment, who, seeing them delight in lies more than in his