Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
saint_n	worship_v	worthy_a	write_v	13	3	5.8867	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66360	Ho Antichristos 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 policies, but a collected pack, or multitude of hypocritical, heretical, blasphemous, and most scandalous wicked men that have fulfilled all the prophesies of the Scriptures ... and especially have united ... together by a solemn league and covenant to slay the two witnesses of God, Moses and Aaron ... that is, the supreme 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 independents, Anabaptists, and lay-preachers be not the false prophet ... and whether the prevalent faction of the long Parliament ... that killed the two witnesses of Jesus Christ, 1. Charles the First ... 2. William Laud ... be not the grosse and visible body of the same antichrist / by Gr. Williams.	Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672.	1660 (1660)	Wing W2662; ESTC R25201	504,825	313

the Monks say was first uttered by an Angel in the Cathedral Church of Canstantinople and about the year 605. Boniface the 8. usurpeth the Title of Universal Bishop and after that the Churches became Sanctuaries for malefactors holy-dayes were appointed Priests were forbidden to marry Latine-service was injoyned the Lyturgies were augmented the Pax was commanded to be kissed Images were adored the Saints were invocated and prayed unto which Mr Mede saith is the Doctrine of Daemons that makes the Apostasie which the Apostle speaks of 1 Tim. 4.1 2. Vestiments and other Church Utensils were consecrated Mr Mede in his Apostasie of the latter times the Emperours and other civil powers were shouldered out by the Pope and Church Indulgences were sold and abundance more of such absurdities were brought into the Church And when the godly Christians petitioned unto his Holiness the Pope The manifold Errors of the Church of Rome confirm'd by the Council of Tre●t for a reformation of these abuses did not the Council of Trent confirm them Did it not in their first meeting Sess 3. decree that the vulgar Translation that hath some errors and much rude Latine in it should be authentical in all places and Sess 4. That original sin is so taken away by Baptisme that concupiscence or lust in renatis the regenerate is no sin untill they give consent unto it and Ses 5. That there remains in us a freedome of mans will to good which being excited and stirred up by grace concurs with grace to do the good we do and Sess 7. That seven Sacraments were to be received Vide etiam Ti●●num exegesis de Antichristo pag. ●5 d●inceps And then at their second meeting in Bononia Sess 2. did they not establish the Doctrine of Transubstantiation And Sess 3. have they not made Penance and extream Unction two Gospel-sacraments or Sacramenta novae legis as they term them And 9 years after at their third meeting Sess 5. have they not impowered the Pope to mutilate the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist or Lords Supper and to take away the cup from the Laiety and Sess 6. have they not concluded the whole Masse to be a propitiatory Sacrifice both for the quick and the dead and Sess 8. Did they not give full power unto the Church to dispense with Gods Law in Levit. 18. concerning Marriages And at their last Sess Have they not confirmed the Doctrine of Purgatory invocation of Saints worshipping of images giving of Indulgences and preservation of Reliques And was there ever since Christ his time or could there be a greater and a more general extensive apostasie and departure from the truth and true faith than this where the Pope and his Faction have thus prevailed against the Protestants to put out the light of truth to corrupt the Gospel of Christ and to defile the service of God in this manner Respon To this great and bitter charge against the Church of Rome I answer That some men are so addicted to this Church that they see nothing to be evil in her but all truth and all to be imbraced without question and others are so transported with passion such hatred unto the Pope and such a prejudicate opinion of that Church that they think nothing good in her and nothing to be followed that she holdeth so that they are willingly ready to reject the Gospel as they do all Prayers and service the Papists use to God because they are approved by the Church of Rome it is an Argument sufficient to cast away all the service of God all good works and all the acts of Pie●y and Charity if they be but once perswaded they are Popery For my part The Authors resolution touching the Roman Church I do unfeignedly from my heart profess my self a true and right Protestant and an obedient Son of the Church of Ingland as it was reformed and the 39 Articles of our faith approved and confirmed in Q. Elizabeths time and so continued in King James and King Charles his time untill the Beast that ascendeth from the bottomeless pit I may mean the Devil endeavoured to remove our candlestick and to put out the light of Israel And for the Church of Rome I do perfectly and throughly hate and renounce all the errors and Superstitions of it and for her truths and good things that she holdeth and doth I do heartily love and embrace them and will therein joyn the right hand of fellowship and desire communion with them as a man that will not refuse a pearl because it was taken up from a dung-hill but for the aforesaid things and points that E.H. and others speak of and object against her I believe some of them may in some sence be justified some others not altogether so offensive as a groundless ha●red against Popery makes them seem to be to such as Martial speaks of Non anto te Sabide nec possum dicere quare I love thee not ô Sabidus but why I cannot tell thee only this I can tell that I do not love thee Hoc tantum possum dicere non amo te I love thee not but why to tell thee I cannot Yet this I can tell for truth I love thee not And for most of them I confess they are either enormous or superstitious or some way or other justly offensive to Gods people and do sufficiently prove that the Church of Rome hath apostatized and receded from many points of the true Doctrine of Christ that her self had formerly professed especially when S. Mr. Mede in his Apostasie of the later times Plato in cratilo Apuleius de deo Socratis Plutarchus de defect oracul Paul wrote unto her and as that learned and worthy Divine Mr. Mede hath fully shewed how that Church hath backslided in worshipping Mahuzzims invocating of Saints and adoring of their Images and relicks so I confess the same to be a foul and mighty error and a great abuse of Gods service in them and not much inferior or less fault than the Gentiles adoring of their Deastri or Daemones which was the deifying of their deceased Heroes such as Hercules Romulus Numa Pompilius and the like were as Plato Apuleius Plutarch and others testifie the Heathens did Though notwithstanding I am so far from blaming S. Basil S. Chrysostome Fortunatus S. Gregory S. Hilary James Bishop of Nisibis Eucherius Theodoret and others that Mr. Mede chargeth to have done too undiscreetly to say no more for so much commending the holy Martyrs and calling them walls and fortresses and as Gregory Nyssen termes them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Guardians and Protectors of those Cities and places where those Martyrs were interred Mr. Mede's crimination of the Fathers answered that I do exceedingly approve their discretion and commend their wisedome and piety herein because those times were times of Persecutions and Christianity sought by the enemy of mankinde and his Instruments to be expunged and rooted out of the

in the eares of the Lord from off the Earth And so all their Narratives of their extraordinary Victories and most fortunate successes in Ingland Ireland and Scotland do not prove them to be the Saints of God nor their doings acceptable in his sight but they do sufficiently prove that they have made Warre with the Saints and have overcome them and as the Prophet Daniel hath typically prophesied of the Beast The Parallel Dan. 7.25 2 Thes 2.3 have worn out the Saints of the most high and they may confirm the faith of those that believe them to be the Beast here spoken of and the great Antichrist that is prophefied of by the Apostle Yet to shew the weakness of flesh and blood and the blindness of frail man to understand and to judge of things the Holy Ghost saith v. 8. that the Victories and successes of the Beast do so far prevail with all that dwell upon the Earth that is all earthly and worldly minded men And as H. Grotius rightly saith morem ejus imitari that they are moved thereby to worship the Beast that is to admire him to adhere unto him and to assist him in all his projects and persecution of the Saints which is done as the spirit of God saith by all those whose names are not written in the Book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World that is by all carnall and worldly men that are not inlightned with the truth of Gods spirit But I would advise both them and all men else seriously to consider how fearfull is the condition of those Worshipers and assistants of the Beast when as God himself doth testifie they are not in the Catalogue of Gods Children but are bletted out of his Book as Reprobates to be tormented with the Beast in the Lake of fire burning with brimstone for evermore And therefore our good God gives a Caveat to all the Servants of Christ in the next verse saying if any man have an ear to hear that is a will and desire to hear let him hear that is so attentively and considerately that he might rightly understand what he heareth for that is not a matter of small moment and slightly to be passed over but they that have any regard of their eternall salvation or desire to avoid everlasting destruction ought carefully to examine who are meant by the Beast and then seriously to weigh in what sad and lamentable condition the Worshippers and adherents of this Beast do remain in Then for the comfort of the persecuted distressed and subjugated banished Captives and for a just reward and retaliation to the oppressing Conquerours Of the end and downfall of the Beast that is the body of the Antichrist the spirit of God addeth v. 10. He that leadeth into Captivity shall go into Captivity and he that killeth with the Sword must be killed with the Sword for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and you know the Proverb must is for the King truth it self hath spoken it that it must be so and he hath spoken it often therefore it shall undoubtedly be performed and the Beast shall not rule for ever Let my Reader judge if this Prophesie of the downfall of the Beast be not now fulfilled blessed be our good God for it nor the persecuted Saints be oppressed for ever but the Saints shall be delivered out of the hands of the Beast and the Beast shall be excluded out of his Dominion and shall receive his pay when God the just avenger of all wrongs and specially of all blood unjustly spilt shall render their due deserts unto all the members assistants and adherents of this outragious monstrous Beast in the time that they look not for it onely let the Saints with patience constantly expect it and with faith assuredly believe it even as the Holy Ghost hath said Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints i. e. patience quietly to suffer while they are under the rule and the rod of the Beast and faith undoubtedly to believe the dethroning and the downfall of the Beast which will be but the beginning of his sorrowes when as his greater punishment and destruction is still behind and I shall more fully declare it unto you hereafter Liber Tertius CHAP. I. Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth not Mahomet nor the Idolatrous Priests of the heathen Temple when S. John was banished into Patmos That the Preachers of the antichrist and not the Bishop of Rome and his Clergy but the assembly of Presbiters Independants and Lay Preachers are the Prophets of the first beast when the seed of this beast of the earth was first sown and when it became first apparant in these parts and that this beast of the earth is far worse then the first beast that arose out of the sea THen after that the Evangelist had exprest the forsaid particulars of the seven headed and ten horned beast 4. The vision of the second beast which is as the soul of the Antichrist he proceedeth verse 11. to tell us of another vision how he saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast coming out of the earth where the holy Ghost followeth the same method as he did with the Prophet Ezechiel Ezech. 8.6.13 15. to shew him greater abomination then he had formerly seen in as much as the most opposite place to heaven is the earth and is farthest from it and a far baser Element then the Sea so is this beast that rose out of the earth far more wicked more odious and more abominable in the fight of God and all good men then the other that arose out of Sea as the Sequel of what we read in this thirteenth Chapter will make it plain unto you But first we are to inquire who is to be understood by this beast Who is to be understood by this beast of the earth that can be worst then that beast that ascended from the bottomlesse pit and is the same with the great Antichrist And I find some Divines as Rupertus and others that think this beast of the earth and the other beast of the sea to be the same beast that first rose out of the sea Not the same with the beast that rose out of the sea and then was seen again to spring out of the earth But the description of this beast and his actions likewise do so far differ from the first beast that it cannot be the same especially considering the Evangelist saith plainly it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another beast therefore not the same with the former And yet as the soul and body that are not the same do notwithstanding constitute and make up one and the same man so doth this beast and the other former beast make up the same man of sin and the same great Antichrist this being as the form that as the matter this as the soul that as the body

Thomson and many others do unanimously affirm and is according to the Saying of St. John in Revel 17.18 meant by St. Peter where he saith The Church that is at Babylon elected together with you saluteth you 1 Pet. 5.3 and is so interpreted by many of the Ancient Fathers to signifie the City of Rome in that place as Papias apud Euseb l. 2.15 Tertul. adversus Judaeos S. Hieron in Esaiam c. 47. August de Civit. Dei l. 18. c. 22. Oros Synchron l. 2. c. 3. l. 7. c. 2. And divers others of our late Writers And their Reasons to reduce them as brief as I can to certain heads that induce them to believe the Popes and Papacy to be the Antichrist The reasons why the Pope is believed to to be the Antichrist are of two sorts 1. Their Blasphemies Heresies and Impieries against God 2. Their Tyranny Cruelty and Iniquity against man 1. The Popes Impiety against God is seen by their undermining 1. The Popes impiety against God crossing and corrupting all the Articles of our Creed and by a high transgressing of all the Ten Commandments of the Moral Law as Thomson very orderly and largely setteth down and more especially Thomson in his arreign p. 96. I. W. pag. 8.9 10. Deinc Mares de Antichristo p. 101. M. Mede in the apost of the last times their Blasphemies either by their own mouths and proper assertions or by their giving priviledge countenance and approof to the Blasphemies of their Minions and Flatterers which are plentifully set down by J.W. the Author of Roma ruina finalis in Anno 1666. And their Idolatry when Pope Marcellinus sacrificed to the Idols of the Painims and all of them in worshipping their breaden God in the Mass and their Mahuzzims or Deastri their Saints departed and their Relicks as Mr. Mede sheweth in his Learned Treatise of the Apostacy of the last times and his Apocalyptick Key 2. The Popes iniquity towards man Vid. Mares●um pag. 140. Their Injustice and Iniquity against man is evidenced by their Pride in their exalting and lifting up themselves above all that is called god that is above Kings and Princes as Gregory the 3. excommunicated the Emperor Leo Iconomachus Zachary the 1st deposed Childerick the lawful King of France to set up Pipin in his room Leo the 3. created Charles the Great to be the Emperor Anastasius durst presume to excommunicate the Emperor Anastatius Grandfather to Justinian about 490. Martin 1. performed the like censure against Constantius the Emperor about 650 but he was therefore brought by Theodorus Calliopa unto the Emperor in Chains and banished into Pontus where he died And Gregory the 7th formerly called Hildebrand about 1080. out-matched all the rest of his Predecessors in pride and boldness by compelling the Emperor Henry the 4th to come barefooted in an humble manner to him to give satisfaction unto his Holiness or else to be deprived of his Kingdom Alexander the 3. trode upon the neck of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and as he was setting his foot upon his neck he abused that place of Scripture which saith super Aspidem Basiliscum ambulabis by applying it to justifie this his Luciferian Pride and Tyranny Volater l. 22. Anthropolog in Alex. 3. Roger Hov●don annal pag. 2. sub Richard 1. And it is recorded that Alexander 6. poysoned Gemes the great Turks brother that was committed to his trust Hildebrand hired one to kill the Emp. John the 13. and committed incest with his two fifters The 31 Article of the Confession of the Synod of Gappe And Adrian the 4th made the said Emperor to hold his stirrop while he got upon his Palfrey And Celestine the 3. was so insolent as to put the Crown upon the head of Henry the 6th and of the Empress with his foot and pushing it off again in like manner to say I have power to make and to unmake Emperors at my pleasure a Pride surpassing the pride of Lucifer Prince of pride and Diameter-wise opponent to the Humility of Christ And as the Pride of these Popes puffed up their hearts to swell above all earthly Powers so the Injustice and Cruelty of the Roman Bishops and that Hierarchy were no whit less towards their Inferiours as appeareth by the unjust and barbarous burning of John Hus and Hierom of Prague and the rest of those bloody Massacres that were acted in France by the Popes Procurements and Assassinats and in Belgia by the Duke de Alva that was the Popes prime Instrument of Cruelty against the Protestants And therefore according to the judgment of the said Writers the Synod of Gappe in France that was held in Anno 1064. in the 31 Article of their Confession saith Cum vero Episcopus Romanus erecta sibi in orbe Christiano Monarchia sibi arroget Principatum in omnes Ecclesias Pastores usque adeo inflatus ut deum ipsum se appellet Can. satis Dist 96. lib. 1. Sacrar Cerem cap. de Benedic ensis velit adorari Concil Lateran ult Sess 1 3 9 10. Ipse sibi tribuat omnem potestatem in Coelo in Terra Res Ecclesiasticas ad libitum componat condat Articulos Fidei Authoritatem Scripturae velit pendere à sua eamque ad libitum interpretetur animarum mercaturam exerceat liberet adstrictos votis juramentis novos Dei cultus instituat quod ad civilia attinet legitimam Magistratuum authoritatem conculcet dans adimens transferens Regna credimus asserimus eum esse verum illum germanum Antichristum filium perditionis praedictum in Dei verbo Zachar. 11.16 17. 1 Joh. 4.3 Apoc. 13.2 c. Meretricem Purpuratam Apoc. 17.1 insidentem septem monitbus in magna civitate Apoc. 17.9 obtinentem Regnum in Reges terrae Apoc. 17.18 expectamus donec Deus prout promisit jam coepit eum fractum victum spiritu oris sui tandem deleat fulgore adventus sui 2 Thes 2.8 And this Article Tilenus analizeth Tilenus exegis pag. 45. Aphor. 165. and prosecuteth the same at large to prove the Pope to be as they say the great Antichrist And I will not at this time examine the truth and validity either of this proposition or assumption though I might very well deny them both as well the one as the other But I confess that these things which the Synod chargeth the Popes withal being true are transcendent sinnes and questionless the great enormities of the Roman Hierarchy and Papacy especially of the Court of Rome confronting the Kingdome of Christ and corrupting the true service of God do infallibly evince that the Pope is an Antichrist and the Church of Rome blemished with much Antichristianisme for every one that oppugneth Christ and opposeth himself against his Kingdome his Word and his Doctrine can be none other than an Antichrist and so was Simon Magus Elimas Menander Ebion Cerinthus and other Heriticks that

is no sin in them which retain their Sanctity in the very acts of sinning for what is sinfull in other men is not so in them who may commit any crime against the Law of God and yet it cannot be imputed to them for sin because they know in their consciences what they do and a righteous man such as they all are in their own judgement is a law unto himself as the apostles testifieth and therefore their consciences excusing them as being the rule and the Law whereby they square all their actions they are capable of doing any thing and of committing any offence against their neighbours especially the Malignants without the breach of the Law either of Justice or of Charity the which priviledge is onely proper unto them and to none else because they onely and none else do hate the Assembly of the Malignants and they onely will not sit with vain persons but their field alone hath no tares their floor no chaff and their net incloseth no trash when as nothing but pure gold is built upon their foundation therefore Dr. Featley doth merrily bid them go to New Ingland Dr. Featlies merry speech of these hypocritical Saints or the Isle of providence or to Sir Thomas Moor's Vtopia where Plato's commoner Osorius his noble man Castilio's Courtier Vegetius his Souldier Tullies Orator Aristocles his Faelix the Jews Benchochab the Manachees paraclet the Gnossicks illuminat ones the Pelagians perfect ones the Montanists spiritual ones the Catharists pure ones and their own precise holy ones may all meet at Prince Arthurs round Table and every guest be like the Table totus teres atque rotundus 4. But for them thus to call light darknesse and darknesse light to justifie the wicked and to condemn the godly to make the Members of the Antichrist the servants of God and the true Saints of Christ ungodly Reprobates and so to thrust the deserved heirs of hell into heaven and the redeemed heirs of heaven into hell what is it else but as Solomon saith an abomination to the Lord and as the Holy Ghost saith here to blaspheme them that dwell in heaven and therefore shall receive without a speedy Repentance the woe that the Prophet denounceth and the Scripture every where threatneth against such wicked doings Prov. 17.15 Isa 5.20 Then it is said v. 7. that it was given to the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who are the Saints with whom the Beast warreth to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and this war is to be understood of a bloody war as it appeareth by the recompence that shall be rendred unto the Beast v. 10. He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword and Mr. Mede interpreteth the same of the war that the Church of Rome caused to be followed against the Albigenses and Waldenses Not the Waldenses which as I conceive is far from the meaning of the Holy Ghost Reason 1 1. Because the time of this Beast continuing in his prevalency being but three years and a half or some short space much about that time and not so many hundred years as Mr. Mede would have the Beasts 42 moneths to signifie unto us it can no wayes agree with the Wars of the Waldenses that as the Histories record extended it self to a far greater time then three years and a half Reason 2 Alexand 3. died 1181. These were for the most part French Rebels in Languedoc Province and other parts of France and the Earl of Tholous was a prime Leader of many of them against Lewis King of France in the time of our Henry the third 2. Because this war of the Beast is said to be with the Saints and those Waldenses and Albigenses being ever accounted for most obstinate hereticks and so condemned in the Council of Lateran under Alexander the third by 280 Bishops and very stiff-necked Rebels against their Kings it cannot be thought that such men are here meant under the Notion and Title of Saints And therefore I say that although Thuanus writeth that in the wars waged against them and the Lollards about ten hundred thousand men were slain yet I cannot yield these mad hereticks to be the Saints here meant nor the prosecutors nor procurers of this war to be the Beast that is here spoken of and as yet had not lifted up his head out of the sea nor can I allow that the Duke de Alva though a most cruel man that slaughtered in Belgia onely as Junius and Tilenus say 36000 men was a Champion of this Beast though I confesse him to be like Cosroe King of Persia a very great instrument of the Dragon to scourge these poor Christians for their sins because this Beast was scarce hatch'd when that Vice-roy acted his bloody part Who then are the Saints with whom the Beast warreth and whom God himself termeth Saints and therefore can be neither Hereticks nor Rebels because the true Saints will ever choose rather patiently to suffer then Rebelliously to resist their lawfull Governors The true and Loyal Protestants are the Saints that are here meant as King Lewis was to those Albigenses and I demand whom can they be if they be not the true Protestants that neither can be charged with any heresie against the faith nor taxed for any Disloyalty against the King as the Waldenses were both wayes adjudged guilty And therefore I believe this is plain enough for any blind man to understand who are meant by the Saints that should be warred against and overcome if he doth but confider who overcame and who were overcome in the last war that hath been made against the truest Protestants on earth for you see the Spirit of God tells you the Beast shall be the Conqueror and the Saints shall be conquered and so Daniel that typically prophesied of the Antichrist which is understood by this Beast saith that he should wear out the Saints of the most High and they should be given unto his hands And you see who are worn out And then having conquered the Saints it is further added in the said 7. v. that there was given unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan 7.25 Nations and tongues submit and honour the conquerors The Parallel Power or Authority over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations and truly I think none so blind but seeth all this most sutable every way to the long Parliament for after they had subdued the King have they not assumed to themselves and so attained greater power then any of all the Kings of England ever had when as not one of them could have so much as a small Subsidy nor power to press any Soldiers to Warre against forreign Enemies without the approbation of their Peers and People and King Charls could not have so much as one penny of money to build his Ships to protect his Merchants and to secure his Ports without murmuring without Suits

of that grand enemie of Jesus Christ Whence you may perceive that as the definition of the soul It is hard to find out this terren Camelion beast and the faculties thereof is far more difficult to be explicated then that of the body so it is a more intricate work to find out and to unkennel this beast amongst the thickets of the earth then it was to find the other that arose ex plane from the smooth and plain sea Jerem. 16.16 but as the Prophet Jeremy sheweth the Lord hath many bunters and by the help of these divine hunters I shall bring him out of his lurking holes take off his mask from his face and bring him forth to be apparently seen before your eyes if you please to view him and to take notice of him who other wise may bite you sore ere you be aware of him Lyranus 1. Some understand Mahomet Aureolus and Dominicus a Soto do by the first beast that rose out of the sea understand Synnochius or Siroe the son of Cosroe King of Persia that slew Anastatius and 70. other innocent Monks besides and by this beast that rose out of the earth they understand Mahomet the false Prophet that left his wicked Alcoran for his followers Bible and was indeed worse then Synnochius and did more mischief unto the Christians then he or any other single Tyrant or false Prophet did and he reigned as they say until the year of Christ 666. which is here said to be the number of the beast and the very letters of his name written in Greek the language in which Saint John wrote Zonaras annal l. 3. Montagu appello Caesar pag. 151. do make up as both Cedrenus and Zonaras say the number 666. to an hair thus 40. 1. 70. 40. 5. 300. 10. 200. μ. α. ο μ. ε τ. ι ς. which is in all 666. as I shewed you before and he pretended to work great miracles as the holy Ghost saith this beast seemed to do Cornel. à lapide in H. loc The 10 miracles of Mahomet Sicut sydus radium profert Virgo filium pariforma neque Sydus raaio neque mater film Sir corrupta which is most true of the blessed Virgin and most false of that impostors mother and of those miracles of Mahomet the Sarazens that professe his religion do as Cornelins a Lapide saith set down these ten 1. That his mother which was a Jew brought him forth after his father Abdalla died for he was a posthumus as the Sun shineth through a glasse without pain as the blessed Virgin did our Saviour Christ without the loss of her Virginity 2. That at his birth assoon as ever he was born all the idols of the Gentiles fell like Dagon unto the ground as the Sybills prophesied they shoud do at the birth of Christ 3. That Lucifer was then likewise thrown down to be drowned into the depth of the Ocean 4. That all the winds and the clouds did strive about his education and his bringing up for his mother left a Widow was but a very poor woman and died when he was but two years old 5. That an Asse like Baalams Asse with humane voice stiled him sigillum Prophetarum the Seal that confirmed and should ratifie all the prophefies of the prophets 6. That a dark cloud though the Heavens should be never so clear did alwaies hover and hang over his head 7. That the Moon seeming to the beholders to be divided into two parts he compacted and joyned them together 8. That an Angel did usually talk and confer with him 9. That a figtree called out by him bowed himself most lowly unto him 10. That an Ox and a Lamb spake unto him as to the greatest of all the Messengers of God These are the ten lying wonders that are suggested by his followers to be the miracles of Mahomet But notwithstanding the multsplicity of these forged and feigned miracles of this great Impostor Suarez and Perorius do sufficiently prove that Mahomet could neither be this beast nor the Antichrist And the Histories do shew that he began his reign Or in 631. 2● Sir Walter Raleigh saith p. 24. in Anno. 620. and died in the year 630. as Cedrenns saith or in Anne 637. as Palmerius saith having reigned as all Writers do agree just ten years and so he continued not to the year 666. as Lyra and Soto do affirm Others with whom our Learned Paraphraster upon the New Testament Dr. Hammond following the acute Grotius understanding the heathen idolatrous worship of the Romans to be signified by the first beast 2. others do understand this beast to be the idolatrous Priests of the heathen temples Philostrat l. 5. c. 5. do conceive this second beast to signifie the Priests and Prophets of the idol Temples that gave the answers of those deceitful Oracles who were Sorcerers and Magicians as was Simon Magus that grand Magician and proto-impostor and Apollonius Tianaeus that pretended to do very many and very great wonders and did call down in appearance fire from Heaven as Philostratus writeth and as the holy Ghost saith this beast should do And that which made these learned men as I conceive to make Caius Caligula to be that man of sin which the Apostle speaks of 2. Thes 2. and Simon Magus to be understood verse 8. that should then be revealed when Caligula should be taken away And to interpret the first beast here spoken of chap. 13. to signifie the idolatrie of the Romish people and this second beast to signifie Apollon Tyanaeus and the like Magicians and followers of their idolatrie was because they saw how sondly and without any probability or shew of any solid ground the most of our Presbyterians do expound both places of the Pope of Rome to make him to be the great and egregious Antichrist Therefore they found such an interpretation as is far more likely and more agreeable to the Texts then is the interpretation of the Presbyterians But we may not confute one error with another error Alios ita lego ut quantalibet sanctitate doctrinaque prepolleant non idea ver● putem sed quia mihi vel per illos autores canonicos vel probabili ratione quod à vero non abhorreat persuadere potuerunt Ang. ad Hierom. ep 16. That St. John was not banished by Claudius Caesar and bring in one falshood to thrust out another falshood which is but to change one evil for another and by shunning the fire to fall into the water And therefore though I very much reverence Grotius and do much love and honor our worthie Doctor for his learning and great pains in Gods Vineyard yet I cannot assent unto him in many of his Expositions upon this book of the Revelation nor especially that St. John was banished to Patmos by Claudius Caesar as he would faign prove out of Epiphanius when as the most Orthodox and the best Authors that I have read both old

Bellarmine well observeth out of Ar●thas this beast is said to do his wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sight of menj that is so appearing to men whose sight and judgement are thereby deceived for that they do nothing of what they pretend and seemed to do but the things that they do are no such things indeed in the sight of God 4. 4. Difference Whereas true miracles do exceed all naturall causes tam occultas quam manifestas as well the hidden secrets of nature as those causes that are knowen to us and are done onely by the hand and Power of God and therefore they are wonders and not onely in the fight of men but also in the sight of Angells and Devills the wonders of the Antichrist and his adherents the Presbyterians and Lay-Preachers have all of them their naturall causes though they be hidden from the sight and understanding of the people as the victories of the beast and his successes are obtained meerely by his subtle tricks his cunning carriage of the war and the desperate valour of his soldiers God giveth them leave so to prevaile over the pufillanimity and security of his children that offendeth him and they are not obtained by the immediate hand of Gods active Power The Presbyterians gaining so many Proselites to what it is ascribed and a miraclous effecting Providence from heaven as the beast pretendeth and so desperately blasphemeth God in making him the author of all his bloody cruelties and the shedding of all the innocent blood that was spilt which can no wayes stand either with the goodness or justice of God and the Presbyterians winning of so many simple men to follow after them and to become their disciples to believe their erronius heresies and damnable positions it is to be ascribed to their sedulity vehemency and good oratory wherewith Aeschines Demosthenes and Cicero perswaded their Auditors to follow them and not to the powerfull working of Gods Holy Spirit who though for their sins he permitteth the simple people to believe strong delusions and to be misled into most damnable conclusions by this beast yet he never worketh and leadeth them into the same And therefore what Vulteius Remensis saith of some Franciscan Monkes that played many jugling tricks in Orleance Anno 1534. the same may be rightly applyed to these Presbyterians Cum clamat larvas furiosa caterua leonum Infestare suam nocte dieque domum Res vera est falsi larvati denique fratres Quos vestis sanctos prodigiosa facit Sunt lemures larvae furiae vulpesque lupique Qui infestant vitiis seque suamque domum Which I may very well thus translate When Presbyters do cry that scisme and heresie Do spoile the Church of Christ The thing is true for so these Saints in shew Are furious Fiends the limbs of Antichrist That with their Lies and Heresies given in a golden Cup Have poysoned all the whole Flock of Christ And so themselves are the Mischief that have spoyled all things both in the Church and Common-wealth But though all the wonders and workings of this false Prophet be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying wonders and no truth in them yet hereby he deceiveth the people and especially when as the Holy Ghost sayth He maketh fire to come down from heaven on the earth Touching which fire What is here meant by the fire that the beast maketh to come down from heaven 1 Reg. 18.38 we must not understand it to be such a fire as Elias brought down to consume the two fifty men that the King sent to fetch him nor such a fire as by his prayers came down to consume the Sacrifice upon Mount Carmel because those fires were true fires and truly miraculously brought down by the Prophet when as the sire that this false Prophet pretendeth to bring down is no such thing neither must we take it for such a fire as Philostratus sayth Apollonius Tyanaeus fetched down from Heaven in the fight of many people because this was some elfe-fire that he procured to appear as the flash of a Meteor by the help and procurement of the Devil when as this false Prophet pretendeth not to bring down any such a fire neither yet can I yeild it should be taken as Mr. Mr. Medes Expofition rejected Mede and others of our late Writers do expound it for the lightnings and thunders of the Popes Buls and Excommunication against those that submit not themselves to him and to his Decrees because as I shewed to you before the Pope and his Cardinals cannot be understood by this false Prophet But I take it as a proverbial Hyperbole for the application of that which was sayd before That this Beast doth great wonders so that he maketh fire to come down from Heaven The parallel The fire that Christ came to send on earth the Beast pretendeth to bring from heaven because the Jews do commonly attribute so much to the miraculous fire of Elias that they use for all wonderful works proverbially to say He bringeth down fire from heaven sayth Graserus Or else it must be taken as I rather conceive in that sense as our Saviour takes it when he sayth I came to send fire upon the earth because this Prophet would fain seem to imitate Christ and to do all the things that he should do and can do as Christ did and therefore he pretendeth to bring the same fire that Christ brought down and that is the fire of zeal and a most ardent affection to Christ and to the truth of his Religion and this fire the Presbyterians and the Independant and Lay-preachers pretend to bring down from heaven to the earth above all other men whatsoever but in very deed this fire of their is but an ignis fatuus a deceitful fire and their seeming zeal as well as all the rest of their doings is but as the Apostle saith a lying-wonder for the true fire that these men do bring is of another kinde from another place and to another end and that is the fire of hatred and persecution which they bring from Hell Not the fire of persecution and not from Heaven and they bring it into the Church and upon the true Members of Christ and not on the earth but this their fire is not to be understood in this place Reason 1 1. Because the Holy Ghost sayth The Beast bringeth the fire upon the earth that is the earthly minded men whom only he perswadeth to worship the Beast and to adhere unto him as being deceived by his false wonders and this he doth by the fiery zeal of Gods worship which he pretends to bring unto them and the persecution of the Beast is against the Saints and not against these earthly men that by the sight of this fire are perswaded to serve and assist the beast and to afflict the Saints Reason 2 2. Because it is immediatly sayd that hereby he deceiveth them that dwell

on the earth that is as I sayd the earthly and worldly minded men for the true Saints he deceiveth not but he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth and they worship the beast and assist him and adhere unto him as being seduced and beguiled through the faigned and dissembled zeal of the false Prophet and the Sight of persecution from them that profess themselves Divines could no more deceive the Beholders and cause them to worship the beast then the persecutions of the Heathens deceived the people How the dissembling zeal of hypocrisie deceives many men that saw the Primitive Martyrs suffering for the faith of Christ when as that sight converted many of the Pagans to become Christians as Sozomen writeth and could do no more then terrifie the fearful from christianity but never deceive any to think well of the Persecutors or ill of the pe secuted but the dissembling zeal of hypocrits hath deceived many good men and therefore much sooner could the fiery zeal of this false Prophet deceive the carnal and earthly men and make them believe such zealous Professors to be none other then heavenly Saints Nor the fire of false prestigies But Janius in Annotat in loc And as this fire cannot be taken for the fiery persecution of the Saints so no more can it signifie those falsa praestigia the lying wonders and the jugling tricks of the Romish Priests and Friars which Junius sayth they used to justifie their Doctrine of Purgatory Indulgences Transubstantiation and other like Popish Trumperies whereof you may finde store in their Legends in Vin ceutius his Speculum historiale and some in Stapleton's moral Promptuary and in divers others because these fiery Meteors or rather sulphurious fire and faigned wonders from the Souls in Purgatory and those lying fables of their Images sweating blood and their wonderful Narratives of their Saints Reliques and the Revelations of S. Bridget and the like holy Matrons do bear no Analogy or correspondency with fire from heaven when as all such Prestigia's or prodigies either of the Magiciaus or of the idolatrous Priests of the Gentiles and so the faigned miracles of the Roman Clergy are well known not only by the learned but even by all rational men to be all framed and forged upon the Devils Anvil and do spring from Hell and not from Heaven as all the honest Papists do confess Teneda in his miracles unmesked pa. 13. but the fiery zeal which the Presbyterian beast pretends to have to Christ to his Religion to the propagation of his Gospel and to the pure worshiping of God above all other Saints of God may without any absurdity and without incongruity be sayd A fiery zeal to Christ and his sarvice and may be thought to be fire from Heaven because such a zeal if they truly had it as they pretend could spring from no place else and from no other Fountain then from the Spirit of God and this fire of such a zeal the false Prophet pretendeth to make it to come down from Heaven on the earth that is on the earthly carual and worldly men to make them their Pros●lites and so to come to eternal happiness and by their perswasion and the opinion that the people have of thiis fire and this their zeal they are the sooner and the more easily deceived to become followers of their pernitious wayes and to be the Assistants of the first beast Out of all which that I have shewed of their blasphemy against God and their tyranny over the Consciences of men which is every way far worse then tyrannizing over their bodies it is apparent 1. That although the Tenets of the Church of Rome touching Purgatory 1. The doctrine of the Presbyterians more derogatory to the truth justice goodness of God then the doctrine of the Romish Church praying to Saints and adoration of Images and the like stuff be very frivolous and fantastical yet none of all the Doctrines of the Romish Church is so scandalous and so derogatory from the justice truth goodness and mercy of God as are the Doctrines which these Presbyterians Independants and Lay-preachers do preach and publish in Print concerning Original sin the cause of evil Free-will and the absolute irrespective Decree of God touching Election and Reprobation and other the like points depending hereupon without any just distinction or expression of the fore-sight and knowledge of God which is so fully and so excellently set down by Doctor Stern in his learned Discourse De medela animi and by divers others 2. 2. The discipline and government of the Presbyterians moro tyrannical over the consciences of men then the discipline and government of the Court of Rome Matth. 11.28 nor yet the Court of Rome hath ever exercised such an absolute power and domineering Authority over the consciences of Christians as this false Prophet useth to do for neither of the foresaid Courts did ever Excommunicate any member of the Church but either for apparent contumacy and a wilfull contempt of the Power and Authority of the Church or upon the proofe of two or three witnesses at the least of such crimes as were most scandalous unto the people of God and yet every petty Priest of our Presbyterians either upon his own malicious discontent or some other private dislike to his neighbor will debar him from the Blessed Sacrament and exclude him from the Body and Blood of Christ and so cut him off as a rotten member from his Saviour that doth so lovingly invite him to come unto him and deliver him unto Satan as a lively limbe to be tormented for ever And what is this discriminating of the sheep from the goates this admitting of whom we like to be of our Church and refusing whom we hate or do distast to any society or fellowship with the faithfull is it any other thing then to fit in the Temple of God as God oftentantes se esse deos and every one of them shewing himselfe that he is God when he takes upon him to do the proper work of God to distinguish the reprobate from the Elect the vile from the precious and those that have not on their wedding garments from them that had them on which the true inviters of Christ his guests durst not presume to do untill the Master of the Feast came himselfe to see his guests and to turne him out that had not on his wedding garment how then dares every Presbyter do the same Is not this to have a Pope in every Parish and whether is it better to have one Pope or a thousand Popes and every one of them more tyrannizing over their Flock then the Pope of Rome And therefore if these Presbyterians Independants and Lay-Preachers that gather Churches unto themselves out of the Church of Christ and exclude many true members of Christ from the Communion of Christ be not the false Prophet that hath two bornes like the Lambe but do