2. 1. I exhort first of all that prayers be made for Kings but certaine Brownists of these times will not pray for the King but revile him in their prayers Secondly the doctrine against a Women Preachers I suffer not a Woman to teach nor to usurpe authority but saith Isay b Women rule over you Thirdly the doctrine of obedience to c superiours but now Servants run away from their Masters without their consent and rise up against them in the publick cause doe these induce sound doctrine Fourthly the doctrine of justification by faith which Pelagians of old and the Papists now deny Fifthly sanctification Rom. 6. 1. which Gnostikes and Nicolaitans formerly now Familists and Antinomians deny Sixthly the doctrine of predestination without foresight Rom. 9. 1. which Papists and Arminians oppose Seventhly the doctrine of subjection to Kings though they be Heathens and Tyrants which d Gnostikes of old and now Anabaptists and Brownists oppose they can live without a King though Saint Paul saith Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule be subject but these men thinke they have no soules because they would have no King in Israel that they may do that which is right in their owne eyes Iudges 21. ult. The Christians of Rome paid tribute and custome to Nero and Trajan Tyrants but these rob the King of his due and yet they say pro Rege they say Kings of old were anoynted therefore the people was subject as to Gods ordinance but now it is not so To which I answer e with the Jew no King the sonne of a King was anoynted except in case of division about the right as Solomon when Adoniah would be King but the Kingdome came by succession as every mans inheritance descends from his fathers Againe they say The Kings of Jury made no such covenant as our Kings do I answer with the same Jew the contrary appears in the example of Ioash and Iehoiada who made a covenant betweene the King and the people and though Ioash were an Apostate and a Tyrant yet the Traitours and murderers of the King were cut off by his sonne that reigned after him the King and Kings sonne will never forget to punish Traytours as appeares in the example of David f on his death bed who forgot not Shimeie's curse Moreover they say a King is a humane creature and therefore may be removed by man I answer He is an ordinance humane that is taken out of Men not from Angells yet by Gods appointment he is supreame g 1 Pet. 2. 13. and all inferiours are appointed by him but the supreame powers as Kings and Emperors are h appointed of God Roman 13. 1. The Jewes had a Grand Councell of seventy one Elders Numb. 11. Gather to mee seventy men of the Elders and Moses who was King was above them all {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Talmud Sanhed Perek 1. The lesser Sanhedrin was of two hundred and thirty sometimes they go not forth to warre nor gather the Councell of the Tribes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but by the Grand Councell of seventy one They judge not the King at all {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} he goeth not forth of his Palace to mourne for the dead c. in Deut. 17. thou shalt set a King over thee the King then is supreame they ride not on his Horse nor sit on his Throne to rule yet the booke of the Law is with him when he goes to warre or sits in judgment There were three companies of Iudges in Jerusalem at the doore of the mount of the House in the Court and in a paved Chamber where the Grand Councell sate of seventy and the King from whence was no appeale Deut. 17. Talmud Sanhed Perek 11. Lastly the doctrine of indifferent things they cannot indure no Ceremonies but their owne inventions yet the primitive Christians though differing in Ceremonies of meats and dayes lived in mutuall charity Rom. 14. 1. 2. The use of this is already made by the blessed Apostle Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren marke them that cause divisions and i scandalls to make many stumble and fall contrary to the sound doctrine yee have received and avoyd them for they serve not the Lord Iesus as they pretend but their owne bellyes what care they if they can eate and drinke and fare deliciously every day if flockes or heards of poore mens be driven away and they undone for ever and by faire words they deceive the hearts of the simple not of the wise who see plainly their hypocrisie but like Absolom they steale away the hearts of the Kings well-minded Subjects by lyes But I would have you saith Saint Paul simple in evill and wise in that which is good to hold fast the poynts of sound doctrine forenamed and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly who is Satan but he that will not endure sound doctrine as is plaine by the coherence who is all for Warre and bloud but the God of peace shall subdue these Satans and bruise them to powder and that shortly this God of peace be with you that hold fast the doctrine yee have received and follow not such as heap to themselves teachers like waves of the Sea tossed with every wind of doctrine and they heap up k to themselves they have their peculiar teachers one of Paul another of Apollo of Cephas c. a great presumption in these men David had Ira the Jairite for his Priest and Kings and Nobles have theirs and now there must be a parity all the Vulgar sort must have their teachers according to their owne lusts and private humours having itching and restlesse eares weary of hearing the truth and therefore they turne to fables wherein they still itch after novelties This is the first cause of these perillous times The opinions of men I come now to their vices 4. Their selfwill in those wayes they are lovers of their l owne wills Gen. 49. 5. like Simeon and Levi they are brethren in evill instruments of cruelty are in their habitations or their m Swords are instruments of cruelty to shed bloud under the cloake of Religion as Sectaries do Into their secret councell my soule come thou not if my body be forced and my goods yet in n their association my heart be thou not united for in their wrath they killed a man one man of ten thousand the Prince of the Land and however this ONE be yet alive by miracle yet many noble Lords Gentlemen have perished bin taken neither have these men rested here but in their rage have digged down not a Wall but Walls of Cities and fortified Townes and not onely o houghed Oxen but slaine them and driven away Sheepe and Oxen robbing and spoyling and all this in their p selfwill these two brethren were disswaded by the other ten but they
THE GREAT ANTICHRIST 2 TIM. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. Know this that in the last dayes shall come perillous times c. By J. V. Prisoner Printed in the Yeare of our Lord 1643. THE GREAT ANTICHRIST 2 TIM. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. 1. Know this that in the last dayes shall come perillous times 2. For men shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankfull unholy 3. Without naturall affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good 4. Trayterous heady high minded lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God 5. Having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turne away IN the last dayes the Scripture foretells the coming continuance of The Antichrist a the great Antichrist the man of sin whose members were many petite Antichrists that is the forerunning hereticks for in them the b mystery of iniquity wrought in Saint Pauls time who said Ye know what withholdeth that he should be revaeled in his time that is the Roman c Ethnick Empire which when it was removed then came in that Antichrist The Persians succeeded the Chaldeans the Grecians subdued the Persians the Romans followed the Grecians and after the Roman Monarchy ceased in Augustulus the Hesperian Caesar d the Starre Absynthites that fell from Heaven about the yeare 666. e Constans the Emperour gave the government of the City of Rome to the Pope Then was Antichrist the bestia bicornis the beast with two hornes his f Ecclesiasticall and Temporall power whereas before he had onely the Spirituall power to bee Universalis Papa supreame over all so then Antichrist hath continued above a thousand yeares by consent of the foresaid writers Yet Andreas and Arethas upon the g Apocalyps with other Fathers seeme to hold that Antichrist shall continue but three yeares and a halfe which is true in a sense for his three last yeares shall be most grievous to the persecuted Saints such h tribulation as never was in mockings scourging bonds imprisonments warre bloodshed and he shall not suffer their bodies to be buryed These are the perillous times spoken of in this Text therefore have I made so large a preface to it wherein observe first a precept to get knowledge know this secondly the subject this in generall but in particular it is a prophecy of the perills of the last times thirdly the adjunct in the last dayes fourthly the causes 1. Opinions 2ly Vices of men here particularized 1. For the first observe in generall Knowledge is a precious thing i The preacher was wise and still taught the people Knowledge all men naturally desire to know knowledge of the Ancients is commended in Scripture David cites a Proverbe of the Ancients k As saith the Proverb of the Ancient l of the first that made it Wickednesse shall go forth from the wicked His sinne goeth forth from him m willingly and his punishment goes after it his ruine comes from himselfe S. Paul thrice cites the Poets which were n Prophets among the Heathen First against Idolatry Acts 17. o Wee are his off-spring therefore the Godhead is not like the worke of mans hand that hath neither reason sense or life Secondly against Atheisme denying the immortality of the Soule 1 Cor. 15. Let us eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye be not deceived evill communication corrupts good manners Thirdly against Lying and Epicurisme Titus 1. p the Cretians are alwayes lyers evill beasts slow bellyes Three mayne articles are confirmed by humane learning but there are in those dayes ignorant sectaries that oppose all learning pretending inspiration by the Holy Ghost as the Gnostikes of old yet it was the commendation of Timothy that of a child he knew the q holy letters But why should I trouble your eares with invectives against r these I leave them to meditate on three Proverbs s A wise man contending with a foole whether he rage or laugh he hath no rest A foole is wiser in his owne conceit then seven men that can render a reason Bray a foole in a morter and his foolishnesse will not depart from him 2. I proceed to the subject which is a prophecy of perillous times This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares animus meminisse horret My heart trembleth at this and is removed out of his place but you must know it and therfore I must speake it these are the perillous times or t difficult all men are in such straits that they know not how to deliver themselves as Israel betweene the red Sea and the AEgyptians secondly hard times wherein men want food to eate and rayment to put on all men cry out O tempora O mores oh hard times and evill conditions of men Wee have heard of Germany and Ireland and would not believe now wee see and feele thirdly cruell times the Son dishonours his Father the Father riseth up against his Sonne to put him to death Brother robbs and kills his Brother This Civill Warre in the judgment of the u Heathen is the punishment of rapine and fratricidy fourthly inexorable x times they are for Warre when wee petition for Peace woe to me that I dwell with them that hate peace and breath out slaughters whose teeth are as speares and arrowes and their tongue a sharpe sword Lord deliver me from those foure generations of the last times Prov. 30. 11. There is a generation that curseth his Father and doth not blesse his Mother do not the Martialists of these times thinke it zeale to kill Father and Mother in this cause There is a generation pure in their owne eyes and not purged from their filthinesse Who are these but the impure Hypocrites in my Text There is a generation How lofty are their eyes and their eye-lids are lifted up are not these the proud Pharisees There is a generation their teeth are as swords that cry out Warre Warre and no Peace that devoure the poore and needy by rapine and imprisonment against reason and common rights I come now to the causes of these evill times which are two First the Opinions Secondly the Vices of men here mentioned not reduced to the head of prophanesse but Hypocrisy The Hypocrites reigne and the people are insnared Iob. 34. Antichrist is the great Hypocrite Heretickes and Sectaries of these times are limbes of Antichrist and make up y Babel the Great which is the confusion of all sects First for their opinions it is said in my Text They are lovers of themselves of their owne wills and z opinions for the time shall come saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 4. 3. that men will not endure sound doctrine enquire out of these two Epistles and the Epistle to the Romans and wee shall find what sound doctrine is First the doctrine of prayer for Kings 1 Tim.
They are like the troubled Sea that cannot rest Raging waves of the Sea foming out their owne shame whose waters rage continually and cast up mire and dirt into the Royall face both by word and writing Woe to these Sectaries of Cain who loved bloud and slew his brother and was called l the first Disciple of the Devill Abel was a Shepheard and a man of peace and he slew him m because his works were righteous These covetous hypocrites run greedily after the error of Balaam who would have cursed defied Israel for reward they shal perish in the gainsaying of Core who rose up and rebelled against Moses the n King and against Aharon who was the Priest of the Lord so these endure neither God the King or any Ministers but of the lowest of the people To conclude with o Isay There is no peace saith my God with the wicked these wicked will have no peace for then all is lost which they have spent in warre their restlesse disposition appeares in all the ensuing particulars they are Covenant-breakers False-accusers Traytors heady high minded c. of each a word and so an end Seventhly they are Covenant-breakers they have made a covenant with the King and taken the oath of Allegiance but this oath they regard not they have their Pope to dispense with it p Achitophel made a Covenant with David but broke his Covenant and therefore is accursed in Psal. 55. 21. He hath prophaned his Covenant Zedechias rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar the King who was a Tyrant also as they say when he had made him sweare by God and hardned his neck so that the wrath of God came upon them and there was no healing 2 Chron. 36. 12. King Solomon chargeth all Subjects to obey the Kings commandement and that in respect of the oath of God Eccles. 8. 2 3. but these urge the Kings oath legibus quas vulgus elegerit but themselvs keep no oath Besides these men make Covenants with the Subjects of the King and the same day like q Jesuits break the same their Jesuiticall faction like Antichristians dispenseth with the oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance and their subscription was forced and therefore they revolt Deus bone is there any Religion in these no Heathen story is able to parallell their sophistication In 2 Sam. 23. 1. there was a Famine three yeares for Saul and his bloudy house because he slew the Gibeonites the reason was because of the oath of the Rulers though r taken out of errour to avoyd s the scandall of the Nations and the seeming not reall prophanation of the name of God but these Hypocrites are Truce-breakers and hold it lawfull so to doe Eighthly they are without naturall affection witnesse their zeale in killing and spoyling of Fathers Sons Brethren Sisters Kindred c. but of this before Ninthly they are false-accusers in Greeke t Devills in Syrian Hypocriticall mockers at feasts that like the Devill their father tell lyes for morsells Psal. 35. 15. In my affliction they rejoyced the abjects viler then the earth they rent me with their teeth and ceased not they print preach speake lyes against the Lords anoynted as David was every day t Lord deliver him from lying lipps and from a deceitfull tongue Tenthly Incontinent what shall I say of their incontinency both in the concupiscible and irascible no penalty is now inflicted and it is a shame to speake of the things done of them in secret Eleventhly these Hypocrites are fierce Let Jehu speak for them all Come see my zeale saith he to Jonadab he killed the King and Queene and seventy sonnes of the royall Progeny all his kindred and Priests u and destroyed Baal out of Israel he would have no peace What peace as long as the whordomes of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many his Zeale was all for truth as he said so the Sectaryes and others are all for truth and no peace while Jezebel lives their driving is like the driving of Jehu the sonne of Nimshi x for they drive furiously or madly but when by warre and bloud they have obtained peace y I wish they set not up a worse Idoll then they have put downe as Iehu their father did Baal was Mars the planet Ralbag or Iupiter Belus which Iehu destroyed and set up the z Calves a farre worse Idoll and made the common people Priests so I wish that these set not up as they begin the meanest of the people and drive out the sonnes of Levi as Iehu did Twelfthly they are haters of good that is moderate men who are not carryed with their turbulent zeale by which many a good Ionadab is deceived and their hatred is irreconciliable to eradication of their familyes expulsion of their wives and children and banishment from Countrey and friends because they cannot endure to see them or heare of them and this to a politicall creature is worse then death in Ioel 2. what have you to doe with mee O Tyre and Sydon who have taken my silver and gold and brought them to your palaces and the children of Judah yee have sold to the Grecians to remove them farre from their border and doe not these haters of good men send their brethren farre away from their houses lands and friends that they may seize on their inheritance But thus saith the Lord to you Cains behold I will raise them from the place whither you have sent them and returne your recompence on your owne heads and I will sell your sonnes and your daughters to the sonnes of Judah and they shall send them to the Sabeans to a nation afar off for Jehovah hath spoken it Thirteenth they are a Traytours fathers betraying children and children betraying b fathers to the death the off-spring of the Wolfe and Tiger and the wild beasts their kindred breaking the bonds of society betweene man and man and delivering men up to Magistrates and Rulers for a word and that in secret our Saviour prophesyed of these Traytors Luk. 21. 16. Your fathers and brethren and kinsmen and friends shall betray you to death do we not see this in these days of Civill warre a father will not spare his child a child will kill his father in battaile and if he cannot so kill him he will betray him to death by discovering his secrets or by false accusation under pretence of justice But the greatest Traytours are such as fight against the King and they pretend all this is for the King c though his owne person have beene in imminent danger more then once these are they that call darknesse light and light darknesse evill good and good evill the use of this is made by Isay the Prophet say not a confederacy to whom this people shall say a confederacy neither feare their feare but feare d God and meddle not with Traytors that curse
their God and their King and looke upward for as it followes they are proud and heady and their councells shall be carryed headlong Fourteenth these Hypocrites are hasty in all their consultations without deliberation they pretended Reformation must be done in a day not considering the divers gradations of a Reformation Josiahs wonderfull Reformation was of the continuance of three hundred yeares the reignes of Asa Iosaphat Iehoiada Iotham Hezekiah Manasseth Iosiah and then also was * but fainedly and not with the whole heart and for punishment of Delinquents they are too hasty have they never read of e David what he said of the sonnes of Zerviah Ye are too hard for mee he would but could not punish these two great Delinquents except he had involved his whole Kingdome in a Civill warre as is now done lastly they are too hasty in their hostility have they not read that Israel f lost forty thousand in two dayes in a Civill warre through too much hastinesse and precipitancy not consulting with the Lord and surely in this respect these men have cause rather of mourning then rejoycing Fifteenth these are lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God whence come these warres and fightings do they not from their lusts and pleasures that warre in their members their pride ambition popularity avarice for hereby their portion who were beggarly is made fat g and their meate pleasant they live by warre therefore they burne incense to their net f and sacrifice to their dragge They cry nothing but warre and bloud digge they cannot and to begge they are ashamed therfore they resolve to kill steale rob rifle or doe any villany to satisfie their lusts which they love more then God Sixteenth They have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof they have a h portraiture picture or delineation of godlinesse but no life at all therein Consider the particulars they i give almes but it is to be seene of men they make long prayers but to be heard of men they fast but k disgrace their faces appearing as sad when they are not what is this but a picture of godlinesse without life it was never knowne from the beginning of the world that a dead beast was offered in sacrifice to God but the Hypocrites present dead sacrifices to God Againe in their Sabbaths is a shew of godlinesse but no life for they say l When will the Sabbaths be gone and like the Pharisees their viperous progenitors abuse the letter of the Sabbath against doing good they sit m in Moses chaire to teach and to judge others according to the Law but doe the contrary and breake all Lawes they make long prayers to devoure Widowes houses they enlarge their phylacteryes of the hand and head there 's the letter but no power their heads are full of mischievous devices and their hands are full of bloud They n are ever hearing and learning there 's the shadow but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth there 's no power except it be over silly women as the Apostle here saith These Hypocrites o intrude into houses and lead captive filly women laden with sinnes and led about with divers lusts This time is a plaine interpretation of this Prophesie Another power they have got likewise by the shew of godlinesse it is against the King like Janis and Jambres the two Sorcerers of Egypt that resisted Moses who was p King in Jesurun These sorcerers were Hypocrites for their miracles were but glisterings and delusions of the eyes The use of all this is First our Saviour saith q Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie Hereby wee are most like the Devill who transformes himselfe into an Angell of light and hereby wee become limbes of Antichrist the first borne of the Devill who is the great Hypocrite r That hath two hornes like a Lamb but speakes like a Dragon The second use s From such Hypocrites turne away so saith Saint Paul avoid their society for they are selfopinionated selfwilled greedy of money proud unnaturall truce-breakers fals-accusers traytours heady fierce unthankfull t popular unquiet haters of all moderate men lovers of lusts and pleasures and deceiving the world by a forme of godlinesse so that they believe Rebellion to be Zeale and Treason to be Religion Depart from me yee Hypocrites yee bloudthirsly men The Lord give us grace to depart from them here lest wee have u our part with these Hypocrites hereafter in the lowest Dungeon of Gehenna from which good Lord deliver us by Jesus Christ to whom with the Father and holy Spirit be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS a {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Ioh. 2. 18. b {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Thess. 2. 7. c {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Chrysost. in 2 Thess. 2. 7. d Revel. 8. Nauclerus e Magdeburg Centurists Baronius Annal. circa 666. An. f Revel. 13. g Cap. 11. 7. h Dan. 12. 1 2. Revel. 11. 7 8. i Eccles. 12. k 1 Sam. 24. 13. l {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} David Kimch. m Kimchi in locum R. Solomon R. David ibid. n Syrian in Acts 17. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Arab. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} o {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} wise men p {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Epiphan. q Arab. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} r the holy bookes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Tim. 3. 15. s {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Pet. 2. t {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Syr. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Arab. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} grievous times u Scelus fraternae â—â—ecis Remi in via Remoria Romae Horat. Suis ipsa Roma viribus ruit x Te saepe vocantiduram difficilis mane Horat. id est inexorabilis y Revel. 17. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} est confusio à {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Genes 11. 9. z Syr. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Arab. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a 1 Tim. 2. 12. b Isay 3. 12. c 1 Tim. 6. 1. Rom 1. d Epiphan. e R. David Kimchi f 1 King 2. 8. Kimchi Rasi Ralbag g {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Pet. 2. 13. h Syr. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Arab. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is Divisions to separate from the Church of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to breake off Chrys. Theod. k 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. Sic Arab. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Syr. Chrys. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ralbag in 2 Sam. 20. 23. l