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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

and dissembling sanctity to be well thought of by all men Secondly Smoothnesse of Language and fair speeches to gain love and favour Thirdly Wit and Eloquence to perswade men to aid and assist him Fourthly Large promises and great gifts to win them unto him Fifthly Signs and wonders all pretended to be done from God to draw men to a good belief of all his actions and if all these cannot serve the turn to make men become his Adherents and Assistants then Sixthly Terrors and Tortures shall do the deed Whence it is demanded if this six-fold Art was not most exquisite in the Presbyterians and the prevalent Faction of the Long Parliament And the Question is Answered and proved that these six Arts as you call them are more exquisitly to be found in Antichrist the Pope of Rome then they are to be found in these you name or any others in the World besides First Antichrists faigned and dissembling sanctity appears in making above fourscore holy daies in a year besides Sabbath daies which are kept and observed with no less reverence and devotion than the Lords day and also his faigned dissembling holy water Crosses Crucifixes Agnus Dei beads baptising of Bels consecrating of Altars Garments the corporal body of Christ the Chalice the Linnen to cover the Altar the Eucharistical the Sensor Incense the Chests or Coffers wherein the Saints bones are kept Crosses Images Easter Tapers Fonts First-fruits salt Church-yards all these things are consecrated and these are but a part of Antichrists faigned dissembling sanctity Secondly His smoothness of language and fair speeches appears in that he calls himself Christs Vicar and Peters Successor a Father to the Church and the people are his Children and bears his name Papists from the name Pope he tells them that he is the servant of all Christs servants which if he were so indeed as they believe him to be this were sufficient to make him to be as well thought on by all men as he is by all his followers Thirdly His wit and Eloquence to perswade men to aid him appears in his insinuating himself into the affections of Emperors and Kings and Clergy c. calling them his most honourable and obedient Sons as Pope Julius to the Synod of Constantinople salntes them thus In that your charity my most honourable Sons doth yield due reverence to the Apostolical Chair therein ye get unto your selves much reverence for although it belong unto us especially to sit at the Helm which we have taken upon us to govern in that holy Church where the holy Apostle sate as Doctor yet we acknowledge our selves unworthy of so great honour Theodor. Book 5. and 9. I think he shewed his wit and eloquence here to get aid and assistance to set him a step higher and also in the benediction and priviledges which he grants to his obedient Sons Fourthly His large promises and great gifts appears in that he promises the pardon of sins and the Kingdom of Heaven and such promises are of great force with those that believe that he hath power to do it for to win men unto him for he not only pardons what is past but if they please him well he will pardon sins for a great while to come and establish Emperors and Kings in their Kingdoms and if they displease him he can soon turn them out whether they belong to Church or State and set up others in their stead therefore it is no wonder if his promises and gifts gain men unto him and seek all waies and means to please him Fifthly His signs and wonders pretended to be done from God appears in this that whatsoever is done to confirm an errour may be said to be a fraudulent sign or miracle as to confirm their ●ransubstantiation it hath been said the Priest hath so ●●nningly ordered the matter that after consecration the wafer being pricked with a bodkin a drop of bloud hath appeared but we will set down the famous miracles of Pope Sylvester one is that by sacred Baptism he cured Constantine of a leprosie but this is a Romish lying fable to encrease the Popes authority for he was not baptised by Sylvester but by Eusebius at Nio●medea as Socratis 1. book chap. 26. His second miracle that he raised up a great Bull that was killed by Zambres a Jewish Sorcerer his third that he bound a Dragon after a miraculous manner saith Mr. Brightman in his confutation of Bellermin these are some of Antichrists signs and wonders I have spoken of many of them before and therefore shall passe it over here for Antichrists Church of Rome is known to exceed all the world for signs and wonders Sixthly If all these will not serve his turn then terrours and torments must do it and that appears first by his thundring excommunications as Pope Hildebrand said in an Epistle to the Germans that Henry the fourth was striken with a Thunderbolt when he was excomunicated by Hildebrand that which once was said of Nebuchadnezzer may not be unfitly applyed to Antichrist the Pope for his power was once extended so far that all Nations feared before him for whom he would he set up and whom he would he pulled down and Gentius King of Iliricum would not submit to this Tyrant until he was taken Prisoner to Rome with his Wife and Children did not Pope Alexander cause Henry the second to go barefoot with bleeding feet to Thomas Beckets Tomb at Canterbury for displeasing this Tyrant and did not Pope Innocent the third because King John would not submit to him at last so terrifie him that he made him kneell down to Pandolphus his Legat and kiss his foot and also to kiss Steven Langton Bishop of Canterbury his foot and Pope Innocent the second took th Dukedom of Sicily from the Emperor and made Roger King thereof and Pope Alexander made Fredrick the Emperor to fall flat upon the ground while the Pope trode upon his neck one might multiply examples of this nature to prove that what the Pope cannot do by other means to make men adhere unto him that he compels them by terrors and torments for to do it so that if these be infallible signs of the great Antichrist as Bishop Williams produceth them for that end but then it cannot be denyed that the Popes of Rome are the great Antichrist for they have exceeded all the Christian world in the exquisite practice of these six signs of the Antichrist which cannot so properly be applicable to the Long Parliament and Presbyterians c. nor to any one else in the world as to the Pope of Rome Page the 79. he saith the Apostle in calling Antichrist the Man of sin and not the Man of sins 2 Thes 2.3 gives us to understand and his meaning is that Antichrist should commit some singular and peculiar sin that should only and properly be the sin of the Antichrist and of none else and which he saith is not the sin against the Holy-Ghost nor

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

other Hereticks to work their feats so that soon after this councel had made that decree Heresies never came in to the Ghurch half so fast neither before nor since as at that time for the space of 30 years For Pope Liberus about the year 352 was an Arian and Pope Felix about 358 was also an Arian so that this falling away of the Bishops and councel was exceeding great and hath produced so many new inventions in Religion and so many ceremonies and that is another part of their falling from the examples of the Apostles Acts 15.28 Their care was to abolish ceremonies and lay no heavier burthen upon them but necessary things but the Pope and Prelates hath burthened the Church with unnecessary ceremonies and with above 150 Religious Orders that not one of them is of Divine institution to all which this Councel of Nice in that decree laid the foundation But this was not all that followed upon that new decree and bumane institution Bishops Authority cannot keep out Heresie for immediately followed a number of Heresies more which that decree made way for that every Bishop in his own Province might make what Lawes he pleased As first the Photiniuns about the year 323 Photinus was Bishop of Syrmium the Luciferians in 333 there was another sort of them called Homonymians the Jovinians in 335 the Aetians in 331. Aetius was a Deacon the same time the Eunomians whose Author was Bishop of Cyzicum the Audians in 338 and were after called Anthromorphets the Semarians the Author was Bishop of Cesaria in the year 330. the Meletians from Meletus a Theban Bishop a little before the Councel of Nice the Manichees of which came the Catharists and Macarii in 340 the Donatists from Donatus who because Cecilian was preferred to be Bishop of Carthage before him he turned Heretick so ambitious were they of honour and jurisdiction in 348 from him sprang the Parmetiaists and Montenses the Priscilliunists in 348. the Apollinarists in 350 the Antedico Marianits and the Heluidians 355 the Messalians in 341. whose Heresie was divided into several Sects as Martyrianies Inthuaste Euphemite Satanici the Metangismonits in 341. the Proclianits and Patricians in 387. the Collyridians and the Paterniani in 357. the Aerians in 340. the Abolenite 370. the Pilagians in 382. The Predestinati and Timotheans about the same time there was also the Enstathius who renewed the Heresie of Sabilecus and Paulus Somosatenus and the Ancyrogalatian the Patropassians the Nestorians and Eutichians Theodotians and many others here is 40 odd of which there was about 55 of these Heresies came rushing into the Church in Twenty years time after the Councel of Nice whereby the Church was almost as much distressed if not altogether as it was under the Heathen Persecutors The Judgement that befel the Church after the decree of Nice that however the Councel and others since may pretend that these new Officers and Offices invented by them of Pope and Lord Primate and Lord Metrapolitan and Lord Dioceasan c. together with their large Jurisdiction and Authority given them with preheminency of priority superiority was the way to keep out Heresie yet that God might let both them and us see how dangerous it is to leave his divine institutions and imbrace or devise novelties in any part of his Worship or Service though upon never so faire pretences how suddenly after did all these Heresies arise in the Church to let them see both their sinfulnesse and foolishnesse in forsaking the institutions and rules laid down in the Scriptures for us to walk by the forsaking whereof with what it produced which continues to this day may convince us both of the sin and shew us the punishment and it is not to be past over without taking notice of that the City of Nice where first this wicked decree was made it was the very first City that was given up into the hand of the Oramen Family which now we call Turks as a punishment upon the very place as we have ground to think This Nicen Councel Mr. Brightman saith did sit under the blowing of the second Trumpet the effect of which is that a great mountain burning with Fire was cast into the Sea and the third part of the Sea became blood c. by the Sea he understands the Doctrine of the Gospel in it's purity and by a third part becoming blood is meant the mingling of Prince-hood and Lord Primacy with the Doctrine of the Gospel and institutions of Christ and his Apostles which was done by this Councel as you have heard above that through the pride of Bishops striving for dignities they were embroiled in bloody wars and Persecutions Mingling Doctrines of men with the Gospel as then it came to passe and by Mountaines is meant in Scripture Princes and Peers and Great Men as Isa 2.12.14 The day of the Lord of host is upon all that are proud and haughty and upon all the high Mountains and upon the Halls that are lifted up and which may well be applyed to the pride of Popes and Prelates and by the 3d part of the creatures in the Sea dying if by the Sea we understand with Brightman the Doctrine of the Gospel then by the 3d part dying in the Sea we may understand the destruction of the multitude that have received the doctrine of that humane decree of Nice and mingled it with the pure doctrine of the Gospel and the doctrines of the Popes and Prelates and all the rabble of Monks and Fryers c. that mingle their inventions of doctrine and discipline ceremonies and the like with the institutions of the Gospel of which a third part died So insatiable they were of honour and to have preheminency that in the next age following that three most holy Popes who no doubt could not erre which was Zozimus Boniface and Celestine yet were all three convicted of Forgery for falcefying the Act of the Nicen Councel to exable their Principality though the Councel of Nice had given them more before then Christ had left them but what authority the Councel had given them they laboured to improve and did until they accomplisht their desire to have a universal power over all Churches and this made them the great Antichrist and man of sin other wise he could not have been Antichrist for it was foretold of him that he should exalt himself above all that was called Gods that is above all Magistrates and Officers who are called God Psal 82.6 I said ye are Gods c. Therefore the Councel of Carthage writ to Celestine and admonished him not to commit such a sin as to bring in the Smoke and and Swelling pride of the world of Antichrist they might have said into the Church of Christ and thus in time their impudence grew up to its height you may see from hence how dangerous it is to bring innovations into the Church of Christ to mingle mens institutions with Gods institutions to

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

unto you but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you the reason was because Gods answer did not sute with their former Resolutions therefore they told the Prophet he spake falsly the Lord had not sent unto him to say unto them go not into Egypt and thus it was with many men as to the answer of their prayers when they are intended before that such a thing they will do and then they go to prayer to seek direction from God and it may be for once God answers by some notion in prayer contrary to their intended purpose as he did Balaam the first time but they will not take this for an answer because it suits not with their mind but have a hankering the other way and will yet go again as Balaam did and seek for divinations and trie conclusions again and again as Balaam did and then oftentimes they are encouraged to go on in their own way to their own hurt and thus it fares oftentimes with men and women seeking of Wives or Husbands First They resolve what they will doe and then they will pray to God for direction and ask friends advise when they are resolved for what they will doe let God and Friends advise and do what they will I know some hath smarted for so doing this is a point ought well to be regarded by all men in every weighty undertaking Again he saith in his Epistle to the Reader That if the Presbyterian can give him satisfaction that he is mistaken he will willingly recant and be sorry for his error but withal he saith he assures himself that the Beast with all his power and the false Prophet with all his skill shall not be able to do it that is to give him satisfaction that he is mistaken I answer that in these very expressions of his is proved the truth of what I have writ above that many men first resolve what they will doe and then they will by prayer seek direction from God and from friends so here the Bishop promises that if the Presbyterian can give him satisfaction that he is mistaken he will recant but he is resolved and assured before hand that they shall not give him satisfaction with all their power and skill And it cannot be expected that the beast or false prophet will ever shew the Bishop his mistake for in so doing Antechrist the Pope who is the beast or false prophet should act against himself to the ruine of his own kingdom nay the beast will rather stroke his head and hug him as we use to say as the Divel hug'd the Witch for the good service he hath done him in taking so much pains to excuse him that we should not think him to be the Antichrist and when he dies he will cannonize him with Thomas Becket for another English or Welsh Saint But to deal engeniously and truly with you though I confess I have heard some of every sort preach yet was I never united and joyned in Church-fellowship neither with Presbyterian Independent Anabaptist or Lay-preacher as yet and therefore being I am none of them I will endeavour in the strength and by the assistance I hope of the Spirit of God to shew you your mistake and if you be so wedded to your own opinion that you will not be satisfied yet it may perhaps satisfie some others and then my labour will not be lost therefore I am resolved to put it to the triall yet it cannot be expected that I should answer every particular whimsey and cavill that is in his book for there is much Greek and Latine in it and I was never so great a Scholler as to understand either Greek or Latine and therefore I must intreat the Christian Reader to bear with my weakness if I doe miscall some words or not spell them right and endeavour to pick out the sense Neither will I answer all nor half of what he hath writ in English but so much as I think may give satisfaction to the impartial Reader to judge whether the Bishop or I be most mistaken And as I said above we will in the first place see what the Scriptures say as to this business to shew who is Antichrist c. It is said in the 1 John 2.18 as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come Marks to know Antichrist by even now there are many Antichrists that is all that walk contrary to Christs instituted Ordinances or his Commandements and Precepts in their practice and conversations these act against Christ and so are Antichrists But these are not the Antichrists here spoken of that should come though he speaks of many inferiour Antichrists that was then but it may be demanded where or from whom did they hear of the great Antichrist that was to come and what other answer can be given but that they heard of him in the Scriptures the word of truth where he is spoken of under other names which is given him as so many marks and characters to know him by and if you can finde any man that fits in such a Throne where one succeeds another in the same Throne and government acting the same things we may undoubtedly conclude that this is he as what is said Revel 17. of his seat upon seven hills or mountains interpreted by the Angels of the Ten Kings that should give their power and authority to the Beast c. of him that reigns in the great City that raigns over Kings of the earth and that exalts himself above all Magistrates which are called Gods as 2 Thes 2. and that is called the man or that man of sin the Mitre of iniquity he whose coming is after the working of Satan and with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse and teacheth the Doctrine of Divels with many other like Characters to know him by c. I will begin with this last Text I named 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3. Now the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Divels speaking lies in Hypocrisie having their Conscience seared as with a hot Iron forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstaine from Meat c. Some shall depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits by seducing spirits I understand the Ministers of the Gospel that fell from the truth to Errour and Heresie and Mr. Brightman saith That about the time of Constantine the great there was many Pastors of the Church that fell from the truth at which very time Antichrist had his birth or first appearance as shall appear by and by for this Text and 2 Thes doth so discribe him that he that runs may read that this is he First He is said to be a seducing spirit and teaches the Doctrine of Divels forbidding Marriage that he shall work with all deceivablenesse of unrighteteousnesse in them that perish c And thus