why theÌ„ some will say the Pope cannot be Antichrist for he doth both professe and preach Christ yea and would be Christs high Vicare here on earth but it is said before that Antichrist must so doe he shall turne himselfe into an angelâ— of light and must come in the name of Christ otherwise he could not deceiue But he shall deceiue many and the Pope abusing the name of Christ by that meanes setteth vp himselfe and gathereth offerings tythes and rents and bestoweth them to his own profit and not the honour of Christ but bringeth the consciences of the people vnder him through suspitious feare â—s though he had such authoritie giuen 〈◊〉 of Christ and euery sillable that hath but a sound as though it made for his purpose that he expoundeth falsely and therewith he so â—â—gleth and bewitchâ—â—h the eares of the people but especially of that simple ignorant sort that haue yeelded themselues to become slaues to his suggestions those I say he makeâ—h them beleeue what himselfe lifâ—eth for it is â—nough for theÌ„ to beleeue what the church beleeueth although they know not what the Church beleeueth nor the greatest part of them what the trâ—e catholike church meaneth He that beleeueth not to be saued through Christ the same denyeth christ but the Pope beleeueth not to be saued through christ for he teacheth to beleeue in holy workes for the remission of sinnes and theâ—eby to aâ—â—aine saluation as in the workes of penance inioyned in vowes in chastitie in pilgrimages in other mens praiers in Friers and Friers câ—â—es in Saints merits in the deeds of ceremonies and a thousand other such superstitious follies â—etteth he before vs to beleeue in and all of them destroying christ and most iniurious to his precious blood He that denyeth Iesus Christ â—aiâ—h the Apostle the same is Antâ—christ can any man deny him more directly then he that seeketh his saluation in his owne merits his owne deâ—â—ruings The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne iâ— the blood of â—eâ—us christ cleanseth vs why then out owne workes doe not cleanse vs for they are not christ But let our good workes bee examined after the iudgements of God and wee ought rather to feare punishment for the faults that be euen in our best deseruing then to looke for any reward The Prophet doth liken our righteousnes to a filthy clout such as would abhorre any mans eies to behold it and therefore saith the Prophet Dauid Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight what maner of merit may this be then which cannot abide the censure of Gods iudgement nor be deliuered from condemnation but by mercie onely CHAP. VIII The good workes prescribed to the Pope BVt let vs see what good workes these same should be which the Pope hath prescribed the papists doe so much talke of First they teach vnto the ignorant to heare Masses euery day deuoutly to prostrate themselues before dead Images to muÌ„ble vp a number of prayers vnto Saints to go on pilgrimage to build vp Chaunteris to cause Trentales of Masses and Dirges to be said for the dead to giue large summes to idle Priests Monkes and Friers to giue gold and siluer to make crosses chalyces cuppes and restiments to say ouer Ladies Psalter to pray vppon Bâ—ades to receiue Holy bread holy water holy palme holy ashes holy fire holy creame holy candle holy oyle with a number of other holy toyes and those are the good works allowed and commanded by the Pope these are expresly iniurious to the precious blood of Christ and therefore the workes of siâ—ne and the very insâ—itutions of Antichrist By the workes of the lawe shall no flesh be iustified in his sight whosoeuer shall keepe the Lawe yet faile in one point is guilty of all And who is or euer was able to keepe the law christ onely excepted but are all vnperfect and the most righteous man sinneth seuen times a day But to cleanse those sinnes the Pope hath deuised a purgatory still excluding christ making him of lesse authoritie then he doth attribute to himselfe for he will in no wise but that christ shall be an vnperfect sauiour for if the Pope will giue christ leaue to forgiue the sin yet he will in no wise giue him leaue to forgiue the paine but we must to purgatorie to be plunged there and if there bee not good store of money left to the priests and to pay well for their Dyrges Trentals and â—oule Masses but the Pope himselfe he hath full powre and authority to graunt pardons for all sins euen a pena and a culpa aswell for the offence as for the punishment and not onely of sinnes that are actually committed but likewise of sinnes before they are done as to the holy Frier that kild the king of France to a second againe that murthered the prince of Oranges to sundry others to whom he had in like manner giuen full pardon and free absolution aforehand to haue attempted the like against our late gracious Queene Elizabeth Thus we do see the Pope taketh vpon him a greater power to forgiue sinnes then christ for christ forgiueth no sinne but vpon vnfeigned repentance and yet the Pope will not then suffer him to forgiue any more then the bare crime for if we will giue him no money the paine must not be remitted but in the scorching flames of purgatory if this be not directly the doctrine of Antichrist I referre me to their iudgements that are not too partiall nay that are not wilfully blinde CHAP. IX The fraits of the Popes doctrine and what it draweth after it BVt let vs see farther what this doctrine draweth after it If I may get to my selfe satisfactiâ—n by suffering in puâ—gatorie for my sinnes then I haue gotten more by my sins in suffering paine then I haâ—e done by christs death and so consequently paine was more effectuall and strong for me to obtaine heauen then was christs passion this is the Popes doctrine The reward of sinne is death and the paine that dependeth of euery sinne excluding Christ is eternall damnation then what shall purgatorie doe vnlesse for the vngodly that should first go to purgatorie and after to hell There is no remission of sinnes without blood saith S. Paul and christ speaking to the theefe on the crosse said This day thou shalt be with me in paradise not in purgatorie and Marie Magdalen had her sinnes freely forgiuen her by christ without going to purgatorie But to say the trueth there was at that time no such place at all nor any one word spoken of purgatâ—rie either in the Old or New Testaments and it was many yeares after christs death before the Pope could kindle it but after it once began to burne it grew so hot that it melted more treasure out of ignorant mens purses then the King of Spaines west Indies did then afford but the extreame
of perdition What I haue indeuored herein I hope will neither be thought to be vnnecessary nor deemed to bee altogether vnprofitable yet the rather to countenance both it and me I haue with all humblenesse presumed to offer them to your honour to you whom God hath indued with the spirit of his trueth being so much the rather incouraged with hope of a fauourable acceptance knowing your godly disposition to be so zealously inclined to the true worshipping of God If my lines be not answerable to your exquisite iudgement I doe then tender them to your honourable curtesie that was yet neuer knowne to despise any mans indeuour that was honestly intended but if they fall out as I haue ment them for the aduancement of Gods glorie why then they belong to your Honour as your owne proper right whom God hath aduanced for the setting forth of his glorie and hath giuen you both heauenly wisedome and worldly honour that you might continue as hitherto you haue done a principal instrument for the vpholding of the Gospell Pleaseth it your honour to accept of it as an office and seruice of good intent and although from a souldiers pen yet as the earnest peny of a faithfull heart that hath beene and is alwaies consecrated to do your Lordship all humble and dutiful seruice and so in the like dutiful maner will rest Your honors in all bumblenes to be commanded BARNABE RICHE To the curteous and well disposed reader especially of Ireland and to all other that haue discreti on first to reads and then to iudge IT may be there are some will thinke it strange that a man of my profession should deale in these causes Vnbefitting they will say for a souldier to meddle with all But if there be any such who doth not know it to be lawfull for any man that is a Christian and truly prosessing Christ of whatsoeuer calling otherwise he be may not indeuour himselfe for the glory of God or the aduancement of the Gospell I will rather pray for that man then take vpon me to answere him The matter that I haue vndertakē is to discouer the Pope to make him knowne and so to lay him open to the viewe of euery discreete reader that he might no longer deceiue that he that is not wilfully blinde may be made able to discerne betweene light and darkenesse to iudge of trueth falsehood to knowe the voyce of Christ calling to saluation and to shune the waies of Antichrist leading to destruction that this rablement of Iesuites Seminaryes and the rest of that viperous brood shold not be so easily able to seduce that haue already sobewitched infected that infortunate country of Ireland that ignorance is ioyned with obstynacy that blindnes is coupled with malice that wilfull opinion is holden for the testimony of a good conscience where he that is most peruerse is accounted for most Catholique to conclude where Christ is despised and Antichrist is aduanced To the end therefore that this man of sin this Antichrist I meane that hath beene so often spoken of and so long looked for might be discerned I have gathered together what notes the holy scriptures do testifiy of him what markes are there left vnto vs whereby we may knowe him what pathes he should tread out and what waies he should walke whose steppes I haue vndertaken and followed the tract directly to Rome I haue brought it to saynt Peters chayre as some would haue it called and there I haue left it Now according to the Irish custome when a Health is cōmitted and the tract being followed into any part or quarter off the Country the Lord of that place is either to put it off againe from out of his precinct or else to stand charged with the fact and is compelled to make a full restitution thē according to this custome the tract of Antichrist being brought to Rome they must either put it off againe from out the territories and make good proofe into what iurisdiction they haue brought it or else that holy seate which they say in times past hath been Saint Peters chaire is now become the seate of Antichrist and the Pope is to answere for as much as the word of God doth expresly charge him with that is to say of Treason of murther and of theft First of Treason against the most Highest whose lawes couenants seales and sacraments he hath not only clipped counterfeited chopped and changed but he hath also set vp other Gods of his owne making which he causeth to be worshipped honoured and adored For a murtherer who hath euer heard of a more cruell and mercilesse butcher aswell against the Saints and seruants of God whom he persecuteth with sword with fire and with all maner of tortures wherewith hee tormenteth them to a temporall death but likewise sendeth infinite thousands of the miserable soules that doe assie and trust in him with his Indulgences Bulles and pardons to eternall death danation Now for felony what more notable theft then to rob God of that glory that is proper to himselfe and yet not contented with that but he hathrobbed vs of the holy scriptures left vnto vs by the holy Ghost to be our comfort sauing health wherin we are to search the very mysterie of our saluatiō Our sauiour sent the Scribs and Pharises to search the scriptures though they were but hypocrites and sought dayly to erucify Christ but the Pope forbiddeth Christian men once to looke on them though they be baptized and haue receiued Christ Are the scriptures medicynable to the bad and vehemous to the good and more perylous to him that will belieue in Christ then to him that will crucify Christ They vaunted of their father Abraham and their sitting in Moses chayre as the papist doth now of his holy father the Pope and his sitting in Peters chayre yet Christ pronounced woe against them for shutting vp the key of knowledge which was by giuing a false sense by wrong interpreting the scriptures but it is not found that they prohibited or forbad any man to read thē as the Pope his shauelings are accustomed What I haue iudeuoured herein I haue done it in compassion for if there be any commiseration to be had of those that walke in darkenesse and sit in the shadowe of death the poore people of Ireland are to be pittied and not onely they alone but as many other what or whersoeuer that are thus seduced and blinded by the ministers of the Prince of darkenesse If thou with like fauour and curtesie will vouchsafe to peruse it as I haue honestly ment it censure it then spare not thus reposing my selfe on thy charitable disposition I rest A short suruey of Ireland CHAP. I. A description of the Countrey with the maners customes and dispositions of the people IT could not be impertinent in this my suruey of Ireland to make my first entry with the discription of the countrey the
Saint Sauiour Scopeteines Frisonaries brethren â—f S. George de Alga Charterhouse Monkes Curthugian Fryers Carmelites Premonstratences Croched Fryers White Fryers Black Fryers Gray Fryers Dominick Fryers Frauncis Fryers Minorites Minimes Obseruants the order of Trinitte Bouhomes now lately viperous broode of Iesuites Then were their women lectaries as Penitenciers Brigidians Magdaline sisters with other Nunnes of diuerse sortes Yet I might speake of graue-keepers called knights of the Sepulcher knights of S. Iohns knights of S. Mary Temple knights Iesus knights and such a rabblement of sundry other sects by me ouer slipped of which if I should vndertake to set downe their obseruations their dissimulations their abominations together with their hypocrisie and filthy liuing I might write for euery letter a line for euery line a leafe and for euery leafe a whole quire of paper and it would yet be too little to discipher out their abominable practises These sects haue beene all of them instituted ratified confirmed and allowed by Antichrist the Pope yet not founded all by one Pope but by sundry Popes according to the words of the Apostle There shall bee false teachers which shall bring in damnable sects the Apostle speaketh in the plurall number and wee see it is fulfilled and these sects as they were infinite so they were as diuerse in their opinions yet all of them of one assent in this they all denyed Christ and they all preached the Pope they deny that Christ is sufficient for their saluation but they must atteine it by working by fasting by going on pilgrimage with a number of other ceremonies too foolish to be set downe Here againe are the words of the Apostle verified They shall deny the Lord that bought them and follow their damnable waies by whom the way of trueth shall be euill spoken of Now what trueth in Christ doth not the Pope and his shauelings rebuke and in setting vp their workes and following their owne waies deny altogether the truth of Christs waies And with faigned words they shall make marchandice of you can any thing be more directly spoken and to proue that they come with faigned words where find we in any place throughout the whole scriptures that maketh mention of purgatory of shrift of the sacraments of confirmation of penance of pardons and such other trash all of their owne faining and by this meanes doe they make marchandice of our soules These lights and many others whereby to discerne Antichrist are left vnto vs in the holy scriptures where the Beast seeing himselfe to be sought for he roareth and therefore to hide himselfe the more closely he persecuteth the word of God and seeketh with all wilynes to driue the people from it and with false and sophisticall reasons would make vs afraid of it he curseth and excommunicateth those that would reade it perswading them they are damned if they doe but looke on it but let not this dismay vs to seeke our soules health for there we shall finde the sweete promises of God to the great comfort of pooâ—e distressed sinners Whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning saith saint Paul but the Pope would perswade they are written to deceiue vs and hee is contented to sanctifie vs with holy oyle holy bread holy salt holy candles holy water holy blessings holy ceremonies and what other holynes a man himselfe would wish for sauing the holinesse of Gods word for that he will in no wise have vs to deale with all this is the doctrine of Antichrist and these be the markes whereby to know him CHAP. XVII Speciall notes whereby to â—onfirme the Pope to be Antichrist THe scriptures haue hitherto furnished vs with sufficient notes whereby to know Antichrist and there are diuerse testimonies yet to bee gathered and all of them confirming the Pope to bee that man of sinne that hath set himselfe against Christ but let vs here examine some fewe examples Christ was humble and meeke and the Apostle saith He humbled himselfe and became obedient euen vnto the death euen the death of the crosse and our sauiour himselfe commanding his disciples to follow his example saith Learne of me that am meeke and lowly in heart ye shall finde rest vnto your soules but is this humilitie to be found in the Pope behold his estate his doctrine his disciples his life you shall see nothing but pompe and glorie he ruleth ouer nations and kingdomes he maketh euery knee to bowe downe vnto him hee maketh Emperours and Kings to bring him water to carry his traine to leade his horse to hold his stirrop to kisse his â—eete he will needes rule ouer all the world and saith I am Lord of lords and King of kings the whole world is my dyocesse If Christ when the diuell profered him the kingdomes of the world and the glorie thereof refused them as things impossible to stand with his kingdome of whom is the Pope that hath receiued them the diuel said to Christ Fall downe and worship me and I wil giue thee all the Pope saith to the Emperour fall downe and kisse my feete and I will giue thee thine Empire he saith to kings in like maner sweare to defend me and my prescriptions and I will vphold thy crowne will giue thee this or that kingdome And as Christ commanded his to be lowly so hee commanded them to all obedience but the Pope will none of that but as he setteth himselfe at liberty and will be tyed to no lawe neither of God nor man so hee that will obey neither father mother neither Lord nor master neither King nor Prince let him but take the marke of the Beast let him but shaue himselfe a Monke a Fryer a Priest or some any one of those sects formerly rehearsed and the matter is dispatched he is exempted from all seruice and obedience due vnto man and the more disobedient he sheweth himselfe vnto the ordinances of God the more apt and meete he is for the seruice of the Pope neither is the professing vowing and swearing obedience vnto their ordinances any other thing then the denying defying and foreswearing obedience to the ordinances of God Doth not the Popes doctrine flatly teach disobedience rebellion and insurrection commanding the people to armes and to send his traditionâ— with sword and fire and neither to obey father mother master Lord King nor Emperour but to inuade whatsoeuer land or nation that will not obey his godhead how bestirreth he himselfe at this day that seeing his excommunications and cursings are so little regarded that men doe eate their meate with neuer the lesse stomacks hee now falles to blowing vp the coles of rebellion of sedition of treason he raiseth subiects against their Princes and setteth Princes vpon their subiects and thus vnder the tytle of Seruus seruorum hee sheweth himselfe to bee Tirannus tirannorum This is the Popes doctrine this is his humilitie this is his obedience and this is all his pietie that is so cloked