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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90952	An answer to Grifith Williams Lord Bishop of Ossorie his book, intituled, The great antichrist revealed, never yet discovered, and proved to be neither pope, nor Turk, nor any single person, nor any one monarch or tyrant in any polity.	Pressick, George.; Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672. Great antichrist revealed, never yet discovered, and proved to be neither pope, nor Turk, nor any single person, nor any one monarch or tyrant in any polity.	1660 (1660)	Wing P3294A; ESTC R182040	110,354	119

dumb Image The terrible voise of the Image of the Beast and caused it to speak out plainly for as Christ said of himself Matth. 28.18 All power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth even so the Pope who calleth himself Christs Vicar assumes unto himself upon earth all power in heavenly and earthly things that both Emperors and Kings should stoop to him and hold their dignitie from him As Pope Adrian said in an Epistle to the Arch-bishop of Trevir From whence hath the Emperor his Empire but from us therefore he ruleth by us also behold the Empire is in our power to give it to whom we will for this cause are we set over Nations and Kingdoms by God to destroy and pluck up to build and to plant for by me Kings reign assuming that to himself which is due only to God And Pope Innocent Look what difference there is between the Sun and the Moon so great is the power of the Pope ruling over the day that is saith he over the Spiritualty above Emperors and Kings ruling over the night that is over the Laitie To me saith Pope Galasius Emperors and Kings be more inferior than Lead is to Gold I could multiply things of this nature but I do but hint at things and leave it to more able pens but these are most terrible voices of an Image for the Pope is as you have heard above both the first and the second Beast and therefore he is both the Beast and the Image of the Beast and whatsoever Adoration is given to either it is given to the Pope for he gathers all the water to his Mill and he being so powerful and so proud it is no marvel if he cause that so many as will not worship this Image that they should be killed And thus he makes the Image of the Beast to speak what he pleaseth and makes Emperors and Kings much more Peasants to swear fealty unto him And verse 16. And he maketh all both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive a mark in their right hand or in their forehead and that no man might buy or fell save he that had the mark or the name of the Beast or the number of his name Antichrist is not contented to have the Image of the Beast made and worshiped that is in an external form of Ecclesiastical Government like unto the form and government that had been among the heathen Romans and Egyptians for Idolatry and superstition in which indeed the Pope doth exceed them for he hath more feigned Idols Saint gods of he gods and she gods and breaden gods than ever the Heathens had nor is he content to have all these gods worshiped and adored with the same Adoration that is due to the true God nor to put a spirit into this Image to make it speak by his Clergie with such terrour as you heard above all this will not satisfie this insatiable Beast but he will have them marked as his hired servants or rather as his Vassals or Slaves as men use to mark their beasts and sheep that they may be known to be his and to whom they do belong this mark is all those waies and means whereby men shew their obedience to this Beast and it is said verse 8. That all shall worship him whose names are not written in the book of life let the followers of the Beast consider it in time for the Text tels them that they have no part nor portion in Jesus Christ while they follow Antichrist If it be the good pleasure of God I desire that their Understandings may be enlightened to see the danger before it be too late we heard above that those that would not worship the Image of the Beast should be killed now this may be some other punishment to refuse the Beasts mark as fines or imprisonment or confiscation of goods or the like besides their not being suffered to buy and sell the mark of the Beast in the forehead or right hand is a submission to practice and proofess and yield obedience unto the Decrees Canons Laws and Religion that is commanded for the forehead doth signifie the profession and the right hand the action so that in one of them every man must acknowledge the Pope to be Lord of his Faith and shew it forth either in profession or practice or else he must not buy nor sell that is they must not enjoy those priviledges nor be capable of such preferments a others are that profess and subscribe their canonical obedience The mark or his name or the number of his name what the mark is I have declared above and as for the name the Pope would have his Vassals to bear his name as children bear the name of their Parents and what is that Three marks of Antichrist the beasts name it is from his own name Pope to be called Papists or from his usurped title of universal Bishop to be called Catholicks for the name universal signifies Catholick so as children bear their Fathers name so they bear the Popes name to be called Catholicks but this title both the Pope and his followers do falsly assume to themselves for the Catholick or Universal Church doth comprehend all believers from the beginning to the end of the world which the Romish Church cannot do for there was Churches that is included in that name almost 4000 years before there was any Church at Rome but besides these there is another mark or number of his name which Expositors say is Latinos that is Professors of the latine Religion or latine Kingdom and to acknowledge the primocy of the latine Pope now here are three sufficient witnesses to prove the Pope to be the Beast here spoken of that no man must buy nor sell that hath not the Beasts mark or his name or the number of his name and here are three names derived from the Popes name his title and his latine service which all are applyed to his followers and cannot so fitly be applyed to any one in the world besides and the Scripture tells us that in the mouths of two or three Witnesses every word shall be established therefore I see not how it can be evaded but it must be granted upon this evidence that the Pope is the Beast here spoken of and so consequently the great Antichrist and man of sin and that no man shall buy nor sell preach nor pray nor enjoy the priviledges that other men enjoy if either the Pope or his instruments can hinder them except they have the mark of the Beast or his name or the number of his name for it is ordained in a Decree that no man ought to speak to those with whom the Pope is at enmity Gratian said that soveraign obedience was due unto the Pope and that it was not lawful for any man to commune with him with whom the Pope was at enmity for some deeds of his neither can he be in the Church

An Answer to GRIFITH WILLIAMS LORD BISHOP of OSSORIE His Book Intituled The great Antichrist revealed before this time never discovered And Proved to be neither Pope nor Turk nor any Single Person nor the succession of any one Monarch or Tyrant in any Polity But A Collected pack or multitude of Hypocritical Heretical Blasphemous and most Scandalous Wicked Men that have fulfilled all the Prophesies of the Scriptures which have fore-spoken of the coming of the great Antichrist and especially have united and combined themselves together by A Solemne League and Covenant to slay the two witnesses of God Moses and Aaron as Christ interpreteth them they have Moses and the Prophets Luke 16.29 that is the ●●●reme Magistrate of the Commonwealth and the chief Pastors and Governours of the Church of Christ And the Christian World is requested to Judge WHether the Assembly of Presbyterians consulting at Westminster together with the Independants Anabaptists and Lay-preachers be not the false Prophet and the mysticall soul of that great Antichrist And whether the prevalent faction of the Long parliament termed of late the Rump-parliament and their Adherents that killed the two witnesses of Jesus Christ Charles th● the First King of great Brittain and in him civilly all his Magestrates And William Laud Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and civilly all the suppressed Bishops and silenced Preachers of these three Kingdomes be not the grosse and visible body of Antichrist Answered by George Pressick of Dublin BUt before I come to answer his Arguments whereby he endeavours to prove what is above written in his Title Page I shall if the Lord will be pleased to inable me from several Texts of Scripture that points out Antichrist and without Wire-drawing of any Text shew you how we may know Antichrist who he is and were he is and when as near as can be gathered from the circumstances of time place and passages concerning him when he first appeared But before I proceed to that I must crave the Readers patience to take notice of some passages in his Title Page and in his Epistle as to his Title Page I answer First That if the Bishop could prove what he asserts viz. that Antichrist was never before this time discovered and if he had the art to perswade men to believe him in so doing he should do the Pope of Rome who will appeare to be Antichrist more service then all his Cardinals and Roman Clergy could ever do for him this Thousand years for so long he hath been suspected to be the Antichrist for I doubt not but I shall make it appear that he had his birth at the least fifteen hundred years agone Secondly Whereas he saith that the Assembly of Presbyterians at Westminster together with Independants Anabaptists and Lay-preachers and the Long parliament that they have fulfilled all the Prophesies of Scripture which have fore-spoken of the coming of Antichrist I answer That what he saith of these persons is as true and no truer then the next following words that he speaks of the above-named persons viz. That they United and Combined themselves together by A Solemn League and Covenant to slay the two Witnesses and Christ for I think that he will never be able to make that appear that there is any such Clause or Article in the Covenant as to bind them that took it to slay the two Witnesses of Jesus Christ or that that was the end and aim for which it was taken when it was taken but as to other things I am so far from excusing them that I do confesse that many of the Parliament and Anabaptists and Lay-preachers were both Hypocritical and Heretical and it is well known to most part of the Bishops in Ireland and to some in England that I did Write and Print three Books against Anabaptists and Lay-preachers even when they were in their greatest prosperitie that no Bishop that I knew but one did appear in publick against them for I was alwaies perswaded that the chief Ring-leaders of them were of an Antichristian brood either Jesuits or Friars and I wish the Church be free of them now In his Epistle to the Reader he saith That he hath long studied and long prayed to know the meaning of the Holy Ghost in those Scriptures that fore-told of the coming of Antichrist and that he might have the true understanding of them who Antichrist should be where he should rise what feats he should do how long he should continue by what means he should be subdued and destroyed he saith he now believes God hath granted his request and that he hath rightly explained these Scriptures I answer with the Apostle Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected alwaies in a good thing So if his zeal and study had been guided to a right object it had been well But the Prophet Jeremiah tells us that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked therefore it is dangerous least it mistake out of an over-valluing opinion of some worth in ones self or the prevalence of their prayers especially when a man hath conceived a prejudicate opinion either of persons or things and I think it will appear upon trial that he hath missed the mark in finding out who the Antichrist should be c. as we shall see hereafter and his faith whereby he said he believed that God had granted him rightly to explain these Scriptures I think he might do well once more to examine whether that faith were not a fiction except that part of his prayer where he prayed that if his endeavours in explaining these Scriptures might not be for Gods glory that it might be like the untimely birth of a Woman that perisheth before it see the Sun And so I hope it will perish and never gain credit with any man of understanding that needs it But some men are like Balaam they mind not what answer God returns to their prayers but first resolves with themselves to go on in such or such a designe and then all after go to God by prayer as though they would seek direction from him when they have resolved before hand thus and thus they will do like Johanan the son of Kareah and the rest of the Captains and people of Israel when they intreated the Prophet Jeremiah to pray to the Lord for them that the Lord would shew them the way wherein they should walk Jer. 42. and promised the Prophet they would do whatsoever the Lord should send unto them by the Prophet for to do and yet they were resolved before hand that what answer soever they received from the Lord into Egypt they would go and therefore the Prophet tells them ver 20. Surely ye dissembled in your hearts when you sent me unto the Lord your God saying pray for us unto the Lord our God and declare unto us even according unto all that the Lord our God shall say and we will doe it and I have this day declared it

wantonnesse they are drowned in Whordome and Fornication and Sodomy and all Beastlinesse witnesse their Stews of both kinds c. They have hair as the hair of Women And their teath were as the teeth of Lyons that is to snatch and catch all they can come by they Croke like Frogs every where and give not over Croking until they have their prey they have such teeth that they devour all the fat morsels they got Church livings into their hands they first made impropreations they incroached upon temporal mens Lands if you look upon Abbies Priories and Nunneries also the Jesuits increased so fast that 75 years after their order began they raised as Ribadneira saith A yearly revenue out of their Colledges of twenty hundred thousand Crowns yearly you may easily judge by this what Teeth they had Ver. 9. And they had Habergions like Habergions of Iron that is they are so strongly armed with the defence and countenance of the Pope who is set over them and which the 11 ver calls the King of the bottomlesse pit they are so strongly armed by his defence and priviledges granted to them as if they were covered over with Capapee that no secular power dare quitch them Pope Gregory the 9th Canonized Frier Dominick for a Saint and granted him priviledge that his order should not be subject to any ordinary but the Pope that they might preach in any mans pulpit without asking leave of the Bishop and to make Noblemen and Ladies confesse to them and not to their Curates to administer the Sacrament when they pleased See here the armor of the Locusts to be exempt from all ecclesiastical censors the Franciseans likewise had many priviledges which is ascribed to him as that should bear Christ in his armes that he had the mark of Christs five wounds upon him and that his mantion in Heaven is next unto Christs who dare then disturb them on earth that have such power and place in heaven they have priviledge to make masters of Divinity among themselves Pope Paul the 3d. granted to the Jesuits for the advancement of their order to admit as many into their society as their general shall please he also gave them power to preach administer the Sacrament hear confessions and to absolve in any place where they please their general may excommunicate and imprison delinquents and is not this better to them then any armour of proof who dare oppose them that are thus priviledged they are exempted from all secular power from all Taxes and Tythes they have power to exercise all Episcopal functions to ordain anoint exercise confirm consecrate dispense all these priviledges was given by Pope Paul the 3d. Pope Julius that succeeded priviledged them to erect universities where they pleased to confer degrees to dispense with fasting and prohibited meats Pope Pius 5th granted them leave to read in any university where they come without asking leave and that none must hinder them but all are bound to hear them See for this Alix Ross His view of all Religions p. 304. and 340. Thus you see with what armour of proof these Locusts and Frogs are armed withal that when the University of Paris brought a blasphemous book to the pope written by the Domicans which they called the everlasting Gospel the pope disalowed of their book yet would he not have it publickly condemned least the dignity of the Monks should thereby be impeached Magdeburg Centur. 13. Chap. 8. So that you see whosoever durst dart against these Locusts it was all one as if they cast a dart against an Iron Brigandine or Habbergion of Iron And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots when many horses run unto battel you heard above how these Locusts are armed that they are without all fear even as chariot and horses running into battle they stand in awe of none but keeps others in awe to them for if they be moved that any dare to speak against their Religion and Authority what a fluttering doe they keep with terrible noise and threatnings to uphold their Kingdome as once Frier Dominick c. did against the Albigenses for if these Locusts do but flutter and stir up themselves they are a Terror to all Kingdomes to keep them in awe to the pope their King and Governour for when they consider that there are so many Thousand of these Vermin within the bowels of their kingdome ready at the popes command that by the clapping of their wings in Churches Pulpits and all Assemblies how soon can they set all on an uproar as if they were runing into battel to maintain the pope and themselves in their gainful Trade of Idolatry and Superstition c. And ver 10. They had Tayles like Scorpions and stings in their Tayls the Tayle is every thing that is the worse in its kind so that by Tayle in this place we may understand the begging Friers for they are the worse of that kind of Vermin as Isa 9.15 The ancient and honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lies he is the Tayle for the leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed See how fitly they are compared to the Tayle for their Venemous Doctrine is their sting wherewith they have slung many hundred thousands to death so faith the Prophet They that are led by them are destroyed and they had power given them to hurt men five moneths that is all the time of Antichrists raign until he and they be destroyed together Ver. 11. And they have a King set over them which is the Angle of the bottomlesse pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon that is destroying and so he is called in 2 Thes 2.3 The Son of perdition which shewes that this King of the Locusts and that Antichrist 2 Thes 2. is all one and to shew you that the Pope is this King over these Friars the Locusts Pope Boneface the 3d. received the Key about the year 607. and opened the bottomless pit for these Locusts to come out and Boneface the 4th 2 or 3 years after made them of his Clregy it was after decreed in the Councel of Lateran by Pope Innocent that no man without the Popes approbation should devise any new Religion and that whosoever would convert to any Religion he should join to one that was before allowed of and this decree was again renewed by Gregory the Tenth at the Councel of Lyons Now what else is this but for the Pope to make himself King over these Locusts to bind them with Lawes in those things which before was free and this is his Kingly power over them so that no man can now as they are described justly make doubt either who is the Angel of the bottomless pit or who are his hellish Army I think it is plainly made out by undeniable reasons and arguments that the Pope and the succession of popes is the Angel of

out of the bottomless pit● shall make war against Jesus Christs two witnesses and shall overcome them and kill them You have heard it proved who this King of the bottomless pit is who are the Locusts and Frogs who are his followers there he is called the King of the Locusts that comes out of the pit and Chap. 16.13 he is called the Dragon the Beast and the False prophet and here he is brought in under the name of the Beast comming out of the bottomless pit but this was not his first comming out for he was come out long before in his predecessors though in a more obscure and hidden manner and was not so easily discerned for about the year 352 358 Pope Liberius and Pope Felix were both fallen from the true faith and were Arians Boniface the third about the year 607 received the Key to open the pit Pope Honorius about the year 626 he was a Monothalite and in 684 Pope Benedict got to be called the Vicar of Christ but now this Antechrist an adversary walkes no longer covertly but comes out of the bottomless pit upon the open stage of the world to make warre that is openly to oppose Jesus Christ and his two witnesses that is all the faithfull pastors and professors of Gods truth in Religion that have in all ages opposed popery and other heresies and against all these the Pope he makes warre and fights as pope Honorius 2d about the year 1132. against Armulphus who was a witness to the truth in those daies as you may see in the beginning of this book and the year 1150 Gerhardus and Dulcimus Naverenses and 32 more with them were Martyrs for preaching against the pope as saith Iliricus and Robert Guisburne and how he warred against the Waldencians who began the year 1160 and about the year 1207. one hundred thousand of Albegenses were murthered by pope Innocent the 3d. About the year 792. Albinus an Englishman writ a book against Images and in the 8 Centry Iconoclaste did the same 9 Centry Claudius Bishop of Taurinum Godescalus and Photius in the 10 Cent Johanes Scotus and Bertramus a presbyter in the 11 Cent. Berengerius and Marcellus of Padua Peter de Bruce The Witnesses that were slain with hundreds more that the popes made warre against for their winessing for Christ against him and his Locust And pope Constantine about the year 712 caused Philippecus the Emperour to lose both his eyes and his Empire for opposing Images pope Gregory 2d excommunicated Leo the Emperour for opposing Images in 731 and in 757 pope Paul excommunicated the Emperour of Constantinople for opposing Images And whence could such fighters against the witnesses of Gods truth and such hereticall Idolatrous Image-worshippers come but from the divel out of the bottomless pit from whence this beast came the holy Scriptures also of the Old and New Testament are a witness for Christ and you shall see what war the popes have made against the Scripture and stobbed it to the very heart When that cursed Councel of Trent sate in the year 1546. in the third session April 8. there the fountain of the Greek and Hebrew copies of the Bible was refused and a corrupt Latine translation was established for authentical their unwritten traditions was placed in equal dignity with the holy Scriptures there was the power of an interpreting Scripture by Scripture taken away from Scripture and it was brought into Thraldome to the will and pleasure of men to make it like a nose of wax turning it what way they please by their glosses that they put upon it especially the Pope the holy books of Scripture was never so murth●red and dispitefully disgraced and that openly and by publick authority not from the foundation of the world or since any Scripture was written by any that did pretend outwardly to professe Christianity would ever or did ever any in the world attempt to act thus against Jesus Christ but the Pope who is the great Antichrist and Beast that came out of the bottomlesse pit thus to make war against the holy Scriptures that bears witness of Jesus Christ and also against other witnesses and kil'd them as many thousands have been by fire and sword and other Torters all which is so manifestly known that all the Devils in the bottomless pit and the Councel of Trent to help them cannot excuse and clear the Pope but that he is the Beast and great Antichrist and man of sin This Beast the Pope to prove himself to be the Beast that no man might doubt of it stirred up a War the same year that the Councel of Trent thus took away the life and power of the Scriptures against the Protestants in Germany and the year following the 22 of April 1547 the forces of the Protestants were put to the flight and John Frederick of Saxony himself and Ernestus Brunswick the Lantgraves son and not long after the Lantgrave himself were taken Captives and many other Nobles and divers Cities were grievously afflicted The Pope a murtherer of the witnesses of Jesus Theador Peza bewailed the misery of these times thus Whatsoever had been built up in so many years and with so great labours seemed to be overthrown as in a moment and they only were counted happy by the most whom timely death had delivered from these troubles Thus you see how the witnesses of Jesus Christ were killed and by whom namely by the procurement of the Pope who is here called the Beast that cometh out of the bottomless pit but he hath many assistants that perhaps do not think themselves such nor do not make the end and aim of their proceedings purposely as an assistance to the Beast yet occasionally it proves to be so for as in 2 Thes 2.8 If this Beast the great Antichrist must be consumed and wast away with the spirit of Gods mouth that is by the Ministry of Gods Word and if he must be abolished with the brightness of Gods coming that is in the purity of Gods Ordinances without the mixture of Romish or any other humane institutions as a means wherby the beasts humane institutions and ceremonies must be consumed and abolished Whether silencing of Ministers do not occasonally uphold Antichrist in his throne Then whether is not the silencing of ●odly Ministers very near of kin to the killing of the two witnesses and so occasionally if not intentionally assistant to the Beast of the bottomlesse pit for if Antichrist must be consumed by the spirit of God in the Ministry of his word then it behoves that all the faithful Preachers that preach against Antichrist be incouraged and not restrained from their office and ministry under pretence of outward conformity as touch not taste not handle not which all must perish in the useing after the commandements of men Collos 2.21 for the holy Apostle which I think knew as much of the mind of God as any Pope or Prelate now

but upon this account the Holy-Ghost did foresee the Pope would cast off the Ordinances and institutions of Jesus Christ and would devise and institute new Ordinances Offices and Officers in the Church as I have named before a hundred and fifty new religious orders and not one of them of divine institution which are as so many names of blasphemy whereby Christs Institutions his Laws his Truths his Ordinances are rejected and blasphemed by their Idolatry and Superstition besides the blasphemies named before of the Embassador of Cicily who cryed to the Pope thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us and grant us thy peace and the Bishop of Modrusium in the Councel of Lateran calling the Pope the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah The Popes blasphemous names and their Saviour and the Bishop of Bepontum who called this Beast the light of the World all which blasphemous titles the Pope applyed to himself and many more the like so that he is full of these and such like names of blasphemy and as for his scarlet colour by it may be meant his abominable wickedness in sheding the bloud of the two Witnesses and other of the saints and servants of God of which monstrous murthers both the Whore and the Beast are guilty and also his Cardinals and Prelats they are said to be drunk with the bloud of the Saints Martyrs of Jesus Christ as if they had died their Robes in the bloud of Martyrs for they have all their scarlet Robes as badges of the scarlet coloured Beast that they may be known to whom they do belong each one resembling the children of Kings Judg. 8.18 nay Cardinals peark up above Kings Lord Metropolitans above Earls and Lord Diocesans above Barons and every one in their order above those that are in civil honour Bellermin in his third Book of the Pope Chap. 13. doth confess that by the Whore in this place is meant Rome but he would have it understood of heathenish Rome the first 300 years from Christ and not of Rome as Christians but that cannot be for then Antichrist came while heathenish Rome stood and in so saying they contradict themselves for they say that Antichrist shall not come till three years and an half before the last Judgment but this is most false For first how should Antichrist do all that is to be done by him in three years and a half Secondly Rome is not the Whore at any time but when the Beast hath his residence there for she is to sit on him and Antichrist could not be there while Rome was heathenish for then Antichrist had been come and gone long before but this is the Beast and Antichrist that now fits Pope in Rome I think it is sufficiently proved that this Beast is the Pope the great Antichrist whose seat and throne is the seven hilled City of Rome which is so clearly described and set out by several marks and characters in the Scriptures that he neither hath been nor never will be found in the world if not in Rome for these things cannot properly be applyed so universally to any c●ner place in the world as to Rome nor to any other person so as to the Pope who by the true applications of all these prophecies is the great Antichrist and man of sin and Rome is not the Whore of Babylon at any other time before until Antichrist the Pope had his residence there It is he that teacheth the Doctrine of Divels forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from meats usurping authority over the consciences of men which is the greatest tyranny in the world laying impurity upon those things he sorbiddeth as marriage and meats which God allows of both and annexing an operative holiness and power both satisfactory and meritorious to the observation of the things he enjoineth though it be contrary to what the Law of God alloweth and this very thing if there were nothing else proves the Pope to be the great Antichrist for herein he is honoured and obeyed before Christ and above Christ The Popes trial proving him to be Antichrist for Christ's precepts and his word is rejected and the Popes words and orders his canons and institutions is observed and obeyed let the Bishop of Osserie and the Pope and all his Conclave deny it if they can that this very one thing makes him to be the great Antichrist and this thing cannot properly be applyed to any one else in the world besides him It is this Antichrist that took his beginning from the falling away of the Bishops by their pride and contention before the Councel of Nice and the fall of the Bishops in the Councel of Nice falling from the primitive institutions to human institutions this is he that came to his Throne upon the removal of the Heathen persecuting Emperors which hindred his revealing as 2 Thess 2.7 8. this is the great Antichrist who had his first birth and bringing forth about the year 328 in the Councel of Nice this is he that exalteth himself above all that is called God c. this is the Antichrist that intrudes his unwritten traditions upon the Churches of Christ with more vehemency than Canonical Scripture this is he that falcified the decrees of the Nicen Councel to establish his own principality over all other Churches this is the Antichrist that assumes to himself a divine power and is honoured with divine honour which he received from the Embassador of Cisily the Bishops of Modrusium and Bepontum c. this is he that hath a hundred and fifty religious orders in his Church and not one of them of Divine institution which also shews that he is before and above Christ for number of Officers and Offices in the Church and therefore he is the great Antichrist Let Papists if they can find these marks in any other besides the Pope this is he whose Religion is composed of above forty several Heresies this Popish Antichrist is the Star that fell from Heaven to Earth Revel 9.1 unto whom was given the Keys of the Bottomless-pit c. This is he that challengeth an universal power as head over all Churches as Christs Vicar this is he out of whose mouth came three unclean spirits like frogs which are the spirits of Devils working miracles he it is who is the Patron of all the legends of Lies and fained Miracles this Pope and Antichrist it is to whom the Dragon gave his Power his Throne and great Authority this is he who is the King of the bottomless Pit who hath the Locusts and Frogs at his command as his subjects this is he that made war with the Saints and killed the Witnesses of Jesus Christ and took away the life and authority of the Scriptures in the Councel of Trent This is he that for money hath tolerated forty five thousand Whores at once for himself and his Clergy at Rome and allows of Sodomy c. This is he who hath

Antichrist that changes Laws yea even the Law and Word of God utterly abolish the second commandement and making another Commandement into two assuming to himself an universal authority over all Churches as head thereof as if the whole state of the Church did hang so upon the Pope that if there were no Pope there were no Church or that if the Pope were not the Pope the Church were not the Church Page 27. He demands if they be rightly applyed Whether all Notes Acts Arguments and Testimonies of Scripture that are set down as marks of Antichrist are not all to be found in the long Parliament and Presbyterians c. And it is answered That they are not for the long Parliament and Presbyterians c. did never forbid Marriage nor 2ly they never commanded abstinence from Meat 3ly they did not exalt themselves above all that are called Gods as the Pope doth though they exalted themselves here yet not above other Emperors and Kings 4ly they did not delude with lying Miracles Signes and Wonders 5ly the key of the bottomlesse pit was not given to them to let out the Locusts 6ly they did not deny Jesus to be Christ in his three Offices of King Priest and Prophet 7ly they had not their seat and residing in the City built upon seven Hills or Mountains which reigneth over the Kings of the earth 8ly they could not properly be said to be the Beast that was and is not and yet is 9ly they were not the seventh head which John spake of saying five are fallen one is and the other is not yet come 10ly they are not the Beast that had the wound of a Sword and did live 11ly nor the Beast with seven Heads and ten Horns 12ly they did not shed the bloud of all the Saints and Martyrs as Revel 18.24 though I must needs say they shed too much but all these and many more are applycable to the Pope and cannot properly be applyed unto them That which the Apostle in the 2 Thes 2 calls a falling away or apostacy he perverts the Text and calls it a Rebellion and because he would excuse the Pope from being Antichrist where the Apostle speaks of an Apostacy before Antichrist should be revealed in his 34th page he saith We find no rebellion in the Church of Rome against their Governors but saith he the Leaders of the Church de●ive the Church and so her Apostacy is the more excusable and less abominable to God Observe here how he contradicts the truth and himself both for page 31. he speaks of the Heresies that was in the Church of Rome and he names the Nicolaitans the Ebionites Cerinthians Montanists Valentinians Arians Nestorians Eutyehians Pelagians Manicheans and Donatists and many others whom he saith rebelled against their Governors and here he saith there was no rebellion in the Church of Rome and I have in the former part of this book shewed that there was twenty times two Popes at once one rebelling against another and many times the pople rebelled and deposed one Pope and set up another Thus you see he shames not to write any thing so he might defend and excuse the Pope not to be Antichrist Besides take notice he saith The Leaders of the Church deceive the Church therefore their Apostacy is the more excusable I beseech you whether is the greater Apostacy of the Leaders of the people that should know the truth and teach others for them to apostatize and draw multitudes after them and for most part sin against the light of their own Consciences or for ignorant common people to apostatize and sin through ignorance is not the apostacy of the Governors of the Church the greater and doth the more mischief and leads the more astray and yet this Bishop saith the apostacy of the Governors of the Church is more excusable and lesse abominable in the sight of God It seems he thinks that God seeth as he seeth I will not say that this What less than Blasphemy and some other things we have spoken of are blasphemy against God and his Truth but I refer it to wise men to judge There is little more of account to take notice of until the 58th page where in a sort he contradicts himself in what was said last viz. that Governors apostacy are more excusable than others and here he tels us That the Church of Rome compelleth all men to submit unto her more with the Sword of the Magistrate than with Aarons Rod witnesse their cruelties to the poor Indians their massacres in France their inquisition in Spain and their unmerciful persecution in England in King Henry the 8th and Queen Marys dayes and the Gunpowder-treason and then he tels of the cruelty of the Arians against the Orthodox was more than barbarous they infected and afflicted the Church most grievously being armed with several weapons and he tels us that Novatus exceeded all the rest for he would neither give his Father bread when he was ready to starve nor bury his corps when he was dead he spurned his own Wife out of doors being with child and killed the child in her belly these are the Bishops own words but he saith above that 〈◊〉 prove it for as to 〈◊〉 growing 〈…〉 Apostacies are more excusable because they were guides of the Church Page 59. he saith The most learned of the Jesuits do confesse the Assirian Babylon to be the type and figure of the Italian Rome and is so understood by the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.13 The Church that is 〈◊〉 Babylon salute you I Answer If in this Text as is granted by Babylon Italian Rome is understood then we must in all those places in the Revelation where Babylon is spoken of understand Rome which if it be granted as the Bishop doth grant it here and saith that the most learned of the Jesuits do grant it then must Babylon which is Rome be the Seat and Throne of Antichrist which Rev. 1● 5 is called mistery great Babylon the mother of whoredom and abomination of the earth And Chap. 18.2 It is fallen it is fallen Babylon that great City the habitation of Devils and the hold of all foul spirits and a Cage of every unclean and hateful Bird for all Nations have drunk of the Wine of the wrath of her Fornication c. this notes out her utter ruine and destruction And this is Rome as Rev. 16.19 And that great Babylon came in remembrance before God to give unto her the Cup of the fierceness of his wrath Yet neverthelesse he hath said above that by Babylon is meant Rome so self willed and self-conceited is our Bishop that he flies off again page 61. and saith that what is said Rev. 17.18 cannot be understood of Rome without trope or figure for that it is said that in Babylon was found the blood of the Prophets and Saints and all that were slain upon Earth which cannot saith he be referred to any one City in the World but only

a Papist if they be Papists that live in Cloisters and Mo●●steris secluded as he saith from the world who did preach the true Faith and right Service of God and published our ●●●istian Religion in which word our Christian Religion includes himself for one of that Religion preached by the Cloisterers c. for the space of one thousand two hundred and fixty years free from any bloudy persecution for the profession of their faith which no Church in Europe was but the popish Church therefore seeing it is thus that we have now found him out what he is we need no longer wonder why he misapplyeth Scripture and forsaketh the opinion of all other Writers to find out a new Antichrist and to stickle so hard to excuse and defend the Pope And that it may clearly appear that he takes the Papist Church of Cloisterers c. to be the true Church and their Doctrine to be the Orthodox Doctrine and their Faith and Service of God to be the true Faith and right Service of God as in his 27. page so in the 7. page speaking of one of the Witnesses which he saith is these Orthodox Bishops and of the Witnesses prophecying in sackcloath 1260 years by his own interpretation he saith their prophecying in sackcloath doth signifie their conforming themselves unto the Doctrine that they preached not their mourning for the polution of the true Church which saith he during that time of 1260 years of their Prophecy was not poluted as Mr. Mead and others do suppose a strange interpretation differing from all men that ever I read or heard of that the true Church of Christ should be without any bloudy persecution and without any polution The Church saith the Bishop without trouble 1260 years for the space of 1260 years and yet the Witnesses of Christ to be all that time clothed in Sackcloath which is a mourning weed and did alwaies signifie that those that wore it were in a sad and low condition a deformed and mournful estate stripped of all their glory as those are that go in black mourn at Funerals whereas if the Bishop's interpretation of the glory and beauty of the Church had been true that it had been without trouble and without polution the Witnesses should rather have put on their glorious and beautiful garments and have rejoiced in the prosperity and glory and purity of the Church which he saith was without polution but the word of God tels us another story of the cause of the Witnesses wearing Sackcloath Revel 17.7 8 that the Beast that cometh out of the bottomless pit should make war against them and overcome them and kill them and their corps should lie in the street without burial c. and was this a time in which the Church was not poluted 〈◊〉 the Witnesses and faithful Worshippers persecuted wh● they must be slain and their bodies lie without burial I leave it to the godly-wise to judge how the Bishops interpretation can be true that is so contrary to the Scriptures And whereas he saith the true Church of God had rest and was freed from any bloudy persecution for the profession of the true Faith and right Service of God for 1260 years beginning the year 382 the quite contrary will appear to be most true for as ancient Histories do relate the Apostolical Protestant Religion Of the first planting the Gospel in England was settled in England in the later end of the reign of Tyberius the Emperor under whom Christ suffered Gildas saith that Joseph of Aramathea was sent by Phillip the Apostle into Brittain who here laid the foundatiou of Christian Religion Origin in his fourth homily on Ezechiel saith that the true Faith of Christ was in Brittain before Elutherius was Bishop of Rome which was about the year 180 after Christ Nicephorus in his second Book Chap. 40. saith that Simon Zelotes did also preach the Gospel in Britain by all which it doth appear that England received the Christian Faith long before Austin was sent hither by Gregory the great for he indeed sent him hither to settle Popery 600 years after Christ but not to settle the Gospel of Christ for that was settled before as doth appear in the beginning of this Book At a treaty between the Nobility of England and Hingist King of the Saxons about the year 460. where neither party was to have any weapons Hingist secretly ordered the matter his men had every one a long knife in his hose that upon the watchword given every man should kill him he talked with so that there was murthered that day upon the place of English Nobility some stories say 460 by the Saxons the King was taken prisoner for whose ransom London York Lincolne Winchester with other strong holds being granted the Saxons made havok of the English Nation destroyed the Citizens pulled down Churches killed the Pastors of the Churches burned the Books of holy Scriptures and all this and more to be done by Heathens upon Christians it seems is no bloudy persecution in Do●●or William's account the Church had free liberty c. saith he This persecution continued in Brittain for in the 〈◊〉 568 Ministers were driven out so that the Arch-Bishop London and York were both forced to fly into Wales but fore this there was eleven thousand Christian Virgins murthered there was about this time above two thousand Monks at the Abby of Bangor in Wales who were driven out of Brittain who all lived by the sweat of their brows and labour of their hands these men differed nothing from other ordinary men but only in strictness of life and were such as now are called Puritans or Round-heads for Augustine saith ●imative ●onks were such as now are called Puritans c. there was such as were called Monks that were but lay-men only led a more severe and strict kind of life than others in his Book De moribus Ecclesioe Chap. 13. also Hierom ad Heliodorum one thing saith he appertains to Monks another thing to them of the Clergy and in the 4. Canon of the Councel of Calcedon it is provided that Monks should not meddle with matters of the Church Sozomen saith in his 3. Book Chap. 16. speaking of Monks of that time which lived in Cities and had several Mansions and differed nothing from other men but that they were of a stricter life which since by their enemies have been called by other names as names of infamy as some in our time are called Puritans which if saith he taken in the right sense if they deserve it tends to their comfort and prayers Athanasius a man to be credited of all in his epistle de Dracontium saith that he knew both Monks and Bishops married men and had Children and such were the Protestant Monks of Bangor this is shewed more fully in the beginning of this Book About the year 833 the Danes invaded England spoiled Churches murthered Ministers with men women and children after a