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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

120 and said Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen that he may take part with this Ministry and Apostleship and they gave forth their Lots and the Lot fell upon Matthias and he was numbred with the Eleven Apostles mind this beloved Christian Friends for thus it appears by these two places that by the Apostolical institutions Bishops ought first to be elected by the believing Churches to whom they are to officiate and to elect two or more and bring before other Bishops who have been elected in like manner and then after prayer and supplication to God their Lots to be given out Election and Lots would end all strife that God who knows the hearts of all men may make his choice which he in his wisdome knows is most fit for that office for the Lot is cast into the Lap but the whole disposing thereof is from the Lord Prov. 16.33 And also the Holy Ghost saith Prov. 18.18 The Lot causeth contention to cease and parteth between the mighty if this order were observed our contentions would cease if Bishops and other Church Officers were elected and chosen according to the Apostles institutions then every man would think himself bound in conscience to own and obey them which perhaps do now think otherwise because the Gospel order is not observed for since the falling away of the Bishops before the council of Nice and the falling away of the council of Nice from the Apostolical institutions and first primitive purity and their making and giving of new Orders and Officers in the Church with new Titles and Jurisdictions which was never of Christs institution nor never heard of nor known in the first primitive Church and which is the very falling away the Apostle speaks of 2 Thes 2 3. which was to make way for the great Antichrist whereby he was not only brought forth to the birth but hath been nursed up until he came to his full growth and so hath continued this 1300 years and hath been the occasion of all the slaughter blood and burnings vexation and martyrdome that hath befallen the Christian Churches to this da● by falling away from the Apostles institutions and setting up Bishops and others for Money and favour of Friends and those to whom they should officiate that ought to elect and chuse them to their offices and after been confirmed by the Supreme Magistrate they are rejected and cast off and Gods ways and institutions rejected and neglected and mens humane inventions and institutions is followed and practised and this hath been and is the cause of difference And thirdly they fall away from the Apostolical institution of electing members to sit in council for though it belong to the Supreme Magistrate to call a council or S●nod and to order the time and place for their meeting and sitting ye I have not found in all that I have read in my life that either this council of Nice or any other council or Synod since that the members that sate were elected and chosen according to the Gospel order and institution so that it seems the falling away of the Bishops by their pride and covetousnesse mallice and envy contention and strife which occasioned the calling of this councell together with the falling away of the councel by their acting and decreeing so contrary to the Apostles institutions as is said above and also the members sitting in Councel not being elected to sit according to the Apostles example in the like case and the practise of the first primitive Church who can deny but this was the greatest falling away that ever hath been since the Apostles days unto this day considering as we shall hear after the things that followed after and doth still continue occasioned by this their falling away And that the Members of this Councel nor of any other Councel or Synod since as farre as I can learne was not elected nor chosen according to the institutions and example of the Apostles and first Primitive Churches it will appear very plain from Acts 15. that the believing Church as is shewed above by the Apostles order had their votes in electing and chusing First Of Bishops Acts 1. Secondly Of Inferiour Church-officers Acts 6. Thirdly Of Members to sit in Councel as here Acts 15. The Apostle Paul and Barnabas who I dare say had as much Authority and more and more lawfully called to their Authority then any Pope and Prelate in the world Members of Synod ought to be elected yet durst not they when the difference fell out in the Church of Anteoch about which they had no small disputation go to the Councel about that question without a lawful call until they were lawfully elected and chosen by the believers the Church of Antioch as ver 3. They determined that is the Church determined to send Paul and Barnabas and certain other of the brethren to go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders Mark here the Elders sate in Councel with the Apostles about this question which was such another question as was disputed in the Councel of Nice but neither Paul nor Barnabas nor the other members of the Church would offer to go until they were elected and appointed by the Church to go and when they came to Jerusalem they were received of the Church and of the Apostles and Elders where you see the Apostles and Elders are not here called the Church as some do vainly think that the Apostles and Elders are the Church they indeed are members of the Church but not the Church it self for here the Church is spoken of distinctly from the Apostles and Elders they were received of the Church that is of the Congregation or body of believers and of the Apostles and Elders and thus our Nineteenth Article of the Church of England discribes the visible Church of Christ to be a Congregation of faithful men c. But I have discoursed more largely of this in the former part of this book and therefore will say no more here And it cannot be doubted but these brethren of the Church of Antioch though Laymen that were elected by the Church of Antioch to go with Paul and Barnabas to the councel at Jerusalem but they were permitted to sit in councel with the Apostles and Elders that as well as to acquaint the councel with the state of the Church that had elected and sent them so also that their vote and conscience might go along in the determination and according to this Arelatenses disputing against Lodovicus and Paenormetan in the Council of Basill saith that the dignity of Fathers is not to be respected in the Council but onely reason nor any thing more to be looked after then Truth neither saith he will I prefer a lye of a Bishop though he be never so great before the Truth of a poor Priest neither ought a Bishop to disdaine if a man be unlearned for wisdome dwelleth oftner under

and other Herefies are gone but the effects of this falling away continues still O ye Christian Princes An admonition to Christian Princes into whose hands God hath put the Sword of Justice you see by what is said above that there is an absolute necessity of a Reformation according to the word of God and you bear not the Sword for nought O therefore set upon this good work of Reformation happy and blessed will he be both by God and Men that first begins an effectual Reformation God expects your endeavours in it for he works by means and you are the persons prophesied of that must do it Rev. 17.16 and who knows how near this prophesie is to be fulfilled For her Plagues shall come suddenly Rev. 18.8 and the holy Ghost shewes the reason why it shall so come to passe For strong is the Lord that judgeth her therefore whatsoever your hands finde to do do it with all your might for cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently Try all things by the word of God so as nothing may be done against the word as it is in our 34 Article of the Church of England For it is not lawfull saith the 20 Article to ordain any thing that is contrary to the word of God written nor it hath neither strength nor authority saith the 21 Article unlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture and the good Lord direct you according to that rule for then you will have the prayers and assistance of many Thousands whose hearts now are made sad because of these abominations But yet a word or two more to shew how great this Apostacy and falling away of the Bishops was before the councel of Nice Alexander Bishop of Alexandria wrote in an Epistle to his brethren and fellow Ministers through the Churches after this manner But in as much as Eusebius now Bishop of Nicomedea supposeth the whole state of the Church to be under his Jurisdiction by which you may see what contention and strife there was amongst them for superiority and preheminence and for that he is become the Patron and Ringleader of Apostacies I think it necessary c. The first Book of Socrates Chap. 3. And this was a little before the councel of Nice which falling away of the Bishops appears further by the Testimony of Constantine the Emperour for besides his Epistles I have already spoken of which shews that the Bishops contentions was the cause of calling the councel of Nice and the next day after the councel met the Emperour in the councel made an Oration and exhorted them to concord and agreement and to remove from their minds all private malice and grildge which they had one towards another for divers of them had accused one another and the day before had put up Libels to the Emperour against one another See Socrates first book Chap. 5. See also Chap. 22. At another councel at Tyrus where thus he writes Verily I know not what matters Assembly through Tumult and Troublesome stirre hath decreed Methinks the truth it selfe you have in a manner subverted The Apostacy of the Bishop a very great Apostacy by means of your Hurleburly and kindled heat of contention for you prosecute your private spite and hatred one towards another and seem to neglect the service of God and furtherance of truth and after he chargeth them that seeme to maintaine the holy Misteries of Christs Church that they do practise nothing else but that which breedeth discord and discention to be short that which tendeth to the utter overthrow and destruction of mankind by all which it doth manifestly appear that this Apostacy and falling of the Bishops and the councel was a very exceeding great falling away from the Apostles institutions and example and most like of any to be that very falling away that the Apostle spake of 2 Thes 2.3 With the which the great Antichrist and man of sin should be ushered in So that it is manifest all the evil and misery that hath befallen the Christian Churches ever since by the prevalency of the Pope the great Antichrist came in by the falling away of the Bishops What evil the Decree of Nice producued and by the falling away of the Councell for that decree of Lord Primats Metrapolytans and Lord Diocesans c. and giving them such large Jurisdiction and Authority over others their equals though they might pretend that these should sit as in so many watch towers to oversee the rest and to keep out Heresie and Schisme but how fair a pretence soever they or any else can devise to excuse their doings it may teach us how dangerous a thing it is to step aside out of Gods way for their decree being a humane instituion and a falling away from the institutions of the Apostles as you heard above the event that it produced was not only the bringing in of Antichrist but a multitude of Heresies more and the increasing of those Heresies that then was I think you may easily read the sin in the punishment as you shall hear anone for Eusebius Bishop of Necomedia and Theognis Bishop of Nice and Marris Bishop of Calcedone c. all Arian Bishops they also were enabled and authorized by this decree of this councel with such power and jurisdiction in their Provinces over inferiour Bishops c. that they compelled the other Bishops to side with them or else they cast them out that in short time this Heresie overspread a great part of the Christian World for they called Synods and councels in their own jurisdictions and condemned and excommunicated the Orthodox Bishops and Pastors the other party again condemned and excommunicated them so that these councels and Synods cursed and excommunicated one another as I have shewed in the former part of this book of above Twenty councels that cursed and excommunicated one the other And Athanasius who was a great stickler in the Nicen councel in making that decree he felt the effect of what it produced for he was five or six times banished into Exile and forced by Hereticks to fly for to save his life and thus persecution began again for many tumults and bickrings there was and great slaughter made and cruel Tortors and Torments devised and executed upon such as would not be of their side so that the persecutions is said by some to be as cruel as the former only it had changed the name for the former persecutions was by Heathens and this was by pretended Christians thus it appears in part what misery that decree and falling away from the Gospell institutions did bring forth for it furnished the Pope with authority to make him the Antichrist he took occasion from these broyls and discentions to hear and determine causes of both sides whereby he ever after clamed a Supremacy over all other Churches and at last attained it that decree also furnished and inabled Arians Masidonians Novisians and

thousand is there that work not at all but are busie bodies going a begging from house to house and do not walk according to the gospel rule nor example of the Apostles Alexander Rosse saith there was from the year 1211. to 1384. that is 169 years erected in Christendome 1500 Monasteries of the order of St Frances and page 304. he saith in the time of Sabellicus about the year 1494. there was reckoned 4143 Monasteries of Dominicans besides divers Cloisters of them in Arminia and Aethiopia and 150 Covents of Dominican Nuns what may be thought there was then of all the rest of their Orders that live in idlenesse contrary to Pauls command ver 10. that if any would not work neither should they eat and ver 14. if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man set a mark or brand upon him and have no company with him much more must we not submit to his Traditions but these devourers of the fruits of the earth and the labours of the poor observe the Popes Rules and Commands but not the Rules and Commands of Jesus Christ nor his Apostles and upon this account they are all against and therefore so many little Antichrists under their great Lord and Master the Pope who is the great Antichrist and man of sin and sonne of perdition for he I mean the succession of Popes have confirmed all these inferiour Antichrists in their several Orders and appointed them their work who will pay their wages they will know in time 2 Thes 2.2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as that the day of Christ is at hand These words doe sound as if some false Teachers or Seducers did counterfeit letters and send from one to another in the Apostles name pretending as they had been his which did disquiet the peace of the Church for it seems by the Text as if the effect of these letters and teaching should be that the day of Christ was near at hand as Hemeneus and Philetus disturbed the peace of the Church of Ephesus teaching that the resurrection was past 2 Tim. 2.18 So here it should seem in this Church of Thessalonica was some counterfeit false Teachers that did counterfeit letters as from the Apostles as that the day of Christ was at hand against which the Apostle doth exhort them not to be shaken in mind nor troubled neither by spirit or false revelations nor by word of false teachers nor by letters from any counterfeits pretending as from us as if the day of Christ is at hand let no man saith he deceive you by these or any means for the day of Christ shall not come except there come a departing or falling away first and that man of sin be revealed even the son of perdidition what the meaning of these words is the day of the Lord being at hand I will not undertake to determine whether by it be meant the day of Judgement or the day of the Jews conversion which must be before the general Judgement and Christs revealing himself to his people in the unvailing of the misteries of the Gospel wherein as the Prophet saith Dan. 7.27 The Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high And Isa 6.12 The Nation and Kingdome that will not serve the Lord shall perish and shall be utterly wasted which of these two is meant I will not possitively determine but I rather think the latter is meant but our main businesse now is in the next verse that That day shall not come except there come a departing or falling away first and that man of sin which is the great Antichrist be revealed by his falling away which must make way for Antichrists appearance I do conceive is meant both the Apostacy of many in the Church to Heresie and the Apostacy of the Church from the right manner of Government and Discipline which was instituted by Jesus Christ and his Apostles The Apostacy to prepare the way for Antichrist was double I take this Apostacy here to be meant of both these forthe first the greatest Heresie and that did the most hurt was the Arian Heresie which began about the year 290 and over spread a great part of the Christian world there was other Heresies at that time but this was the most destructive to the Christian Faith about the year 300 when the Churches began to have some rest from persecution and so from that time forward Bishops had some care of preaching but Mr. Brightman saith the doctrine was much defiled in many heads of it and Reliques began to be of great account in the Church and all kind of superstition increased and pride in Bishops Church dignities were increased and all things sought for that might make for outward pomp and glory in the world more then truth was sought for and Bishops began to be at variance one with another as appears by Constantines Epistle to Miltiades Bishop of Rome about the year 310 thus he writing Constantine the Emperour unto Miltiades Bishop of Rome and Marcus sendeth greeting in so much as many such Epistles are brought unto me from Alininus Livel of Africk in which it is said that Cicelianus Bishop of Carthage is reprehended in many things and this seemeth unto me very grievous c. That among Bishops there should be such disagreeing and variance it seemed good unto me that Cecilianus himself together with the Ten Bishops that seem to reprehend him and Ten other Bishops whom he thought expedient in the behalf of this Cause do saile into Rome that there in the presence of you all together c. By this it appears here was an Apostacy from the primitve purity even among the Bishops as well as by Hereticks and this dicension and difference increased daily more and more Bishops striving for preheminence and augmentation of their Revenues The beginning of the conception of Antichrist for honours and dignity power and command that the institutions of Christ and his Apostles their example and practise in Government and Discipline was laide aside and forgotten and new inventions brought into the Church and new Titles Jurisdiction and power granted to the Bishops by the Councel of Nice which was unknown and unheard of before in the primitive Church which Apostacy from the Apostolical Goverment and diception if I mistake not was a greater advantage to Antichrist and made more way for his appearance then all the Heresies did for this pride and contention and striving for preheminence and jurisdiction increased still until the calling together of the Councel of Nice at which very time Antichrist had his Birth and first bringing forth into the world for there he received his first authority of preheminence above other Bishops and Churches he was conceived long before and was growing in the womb of the Church for the

Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2.7 That the mystery of iniquity did even then begin to work onely he which now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way I shall shew you what it was that did let and hinder his appearance and then return to our main businesse again Now that which did lett and hinder Antichrists appearance until it was taken out of the way was the Roman Heathen persecuting Emperours that did hinder for Antichrist could not settle himself where he was to have his Throne until they were removed and a Christian Emperour came in place under whom he might have shelter in his minority until he grew up to some strength which Christian Emperour was Constantine the great who besides his defending of Christians from persecution he left Rome holy to the Pope to raign and rule in and himself went to Bezantum which now is called Constantible and settled himself there We read in Revel 6. what fell out in the Churches upon the opening of the six seals I must give you a hint concerning them before I come to the businesse I intend Vpon the opening of the first seal St. John beheld a White Horse and he that sate on him had a Bow and a Crown was given unto him and he went out conquering and to conquer or that he might overcome by this Vision some think is meant the Ministry of the word of God preached by the true Worshippers in the primitive Church next after the Apostles and their Successors Psalm 45.3 4. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O thou most mighty with thy Glory and Majesty ride on prosperously because of truth and meeknesse and righteousnesse for Christ did conquer wonderfully while his Ordinances was kept pure without mixture of humane inventions and institutions and superstitious observations which it may be is the cause why the Ministry doth so little good and doth not work so effectually upon the Hearers as it did in former times And upon the opening of the second seal there appeared a Red Horse and he that sate thereon had power given him to take peace from the Earth and that they should kill one another by which is meant the cruel persecutions blood and war that followed the preaching of the Gospel which is to be understood of the Ten persecutions and I think also what hath happened in every Kingdome since where the Gospel hath prevailed Antichrist and his instruments hath raised war and persecution and sowed sedition and endeavoured to corrupt the Ordinances and to kill men in their souls if they cannot kill their bodies And upon the opening of the third seale there appeared a Black Horse and he that sate upon him had ballance in his hand by which is signified samine and scarcity of Food which for the most part doth follow wars for the contempt of the Gospel brings wars and wars brings famine and it is recorded that about the year 316 there was a grievous Famine c. Vpon the opening of the fourth seal there appeared a Pale Horse and his name that sat on him was death which signifies the Pestilence and other Contagious diseases whereby men are suddenly taken away by death And upon the opening of the fifth seal John in a Vision saw under the Altar the souls of them that were kiled for the word of God and for the testimony which they held erying How long Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth but we must not imagine that these Marryrs have any real desire of revenge for Saints in Heaven are not affected with any such passion but it is rather to be understood that as Abels blood crved for Vengeance Gen. 4.10 So the●e Martyrs blood cries for Revenge But Mr. Brightman rather thinks this revenge to signifie their earnest desire of delivering the innocent party from their persecuters which the blood of these soules cries for and the answer that they receive is that they must rest for a little season until their brethren and fellow servants which should be killed as they were meaning under Antichrist were fulfilled for Antichrist was not far of And when he opened the sixth seal there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black as sack cloth and the Moon became blood and the Stars of Heaven fell to the Earth c. by Earthquake in Scripture is oftentimes signified ●omotions troubles uproars in Commonwealths and alteration of State and Kingdoms as when the Psalmist speaks of the Children of Israel coming out of Egypt Psal 68.8 The Farth was moved the Heavens also dropped at thy presence O God and the Sun became black c. shews that the persecution signified thereby should be very cruel So the Prophet speaking of the destruction of Babylon Isaiah 13.10 The Starrs of Heaven and the Constellations thereof shall not give their light the Sun shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine And Ezek. 32.7.8 I will cover the Heavens and make the Stars to be dark I will hide the Sun in a Cloud and the Moon shall not make her light to shine all the lights that shine in the Heavens will I make dark upon thee and will bring darknesse upon thy Land saith the Lord God Aretas reports out of the works of Andreas that many said this Earthquake was taken for the persecution until the coming of Antichrist and that thus the Scriptures are wont to speak of any notable change by the name of an Earthquake and he said truly only he mistook the time af Antichrist coming For Mr. Brightman saith by this Earthquake is to be understood that persecution which was more cruel then any that was before it which fell out in the raign of Diocleasian and Maximinian the last two persecuting Emperours about the year 300. and by the stars falling in this book of the Revelation is ment the Ministers and Pastors of the Church who are called stars for the shining light of the Gospel which they Minister while they preserve the doctrine of the Gospel pure from Heresie and the discipline from mingling it with the inventions of men are compared to stars and by the stars falling from Heaven is meant their falling from the sincerity of their profession to Heresie Superstition or Idolatry either in Doctrine in Discipline or Practise and many did fall about this time through the rage of these two parsecutors who endeavoured to rout out Christianity and the Scriptures by the Roots and published their Proclamations that the Books of Scriptures should be burned in the Market place we saw saith Eusebius with these very eyes the holy and divine Scriptures perish in the very Fire where they were thrown The Scriptures for it's glorious light may well be compared to the Sun and here you see how this Sun the Scriptures was darkned in this Earthquake and consumed with fire in this persecution a City in Phrygia wholy inhabited with Christians the

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