Hunnes so that in 132. years Rome was taken and ransackt five times and Odoaces that took it the fourth time reigned there fourteen years and if you look Socrates seventh Book ch 10. you shall see that this Alaricus that he speaks of his taking Rome the first time he ransackt and spoiled both Town and Country as he went at length he took the City of Rome and ransackt the City defaced and fired many Monuments and violently spoiled the Citizens executed many of the Emperor and if you look the 7th book of Evagrius Scholasticus chap. 7. you shall finde that Rome was taken by Gensericus being a Barbarian who set the City on fire carried away the spoil took away Eudoxia the Empress and her two daughters with him to Libia This was the very time of the beasts being wounded as it were unto death And about this time Heresie did more prevail than at any time before or since as above is shewed and that the Barbarians Goths Vandals and Hunnes who were Heathens had the upper hand how then should Atheism Heathenism and Idol-worship be fully destroyed in Rome and Christianity be victorious as he saith let the Christian Reader judge whether the Bishop be not mistaken or not though perhaps he will not own it for he is resolved before hand that no man shall convince him for he will be singular all other Authors are but Novices to him In the 10th page he saith That Bishop Mountague sets down Reasons which this Bishop complyes with why the Turks should rather be Antichrist than the Pope and his first Reason is the Turks apostacy from the Doctrin and Gospel of Christ I answer I dare not betray my Master Christ his truth and therefore must make bold to tell both the Bishops that their first Reason hath no reason in it for the Turk did never own Jesus Christ as he is truly Christ to be King Priest and Prophet to his Church the which â—hing the Turk did never own and therefore it cannot properly and truly be said that the Turk did fall and apostatize from the Doctrin and Gospel of Christ because he never did receive it nor own it as the Doctrin and Gospel of Christ as King Priest and Prophet but hath alwayes denyed it and been an Adversary unto it But the Pope and Church of Rome hath outwardly in words though they deny it in their Deeds as is proved beâ— fore yet in outward profession they own Christ as King Priest and Prophet but are apostatized from the doctrin and institutions oâ— Christ and therefore the Pope is the great Antichrist Page 14. He saith It is agreed of all sides not only by Bellarmin aâ—â— other Popish Writers but also the most learned Protestant Divineâ— That as Darnel grows among Wheat so Antichrist should arise out 〈◊〉 the truest and purest Church of Christ and if so and that he will haâ— the Pope to be Antichrist then the Church of Rome not only was 〈◊〉 must be confessed to be and continue stil the truest Church of Christ aâ— so Calvin and others are out of the true Church in separating from tâ— Church of Rome I answer That for the agreement of the Writers I shall nâ— say much but I find no Scripture that saith it neither doth 〈◊〉 prove it for as to Darnel growing among Wheat it no more relatâ— to Antichrist than to any other wicked mans being in the outward visible Church and suppose that Antiochus be a type of Antichrist as you say yet that proves nothing as to the place where he shall arise only it types out what he shall do when he is come But suppose I grant that Antichrist should aâ—ise out of the purest Church and so catch you in your own Snare it is easily proved that the Church of Rome was once the truest Gentil Church that was in the World and that when the Apostle writ his Epistle to the Romans as Rom. 1.8 I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your Faith is spoken of through the whole World which commendation is not given to any other Church in the World therefore by your own Argument Antichrist was to arise in the Church of Rome for it was the truest and purest Church but that it should so continue and be the truest Church at the time when Antichrist should appear is but yours and Bellarmin's c. fancy without Scripture or reason to ground upon For if the Church where Antichrist did arise had been the purest Church when he did arise Antichrist would then soon have been discovered and opposed and hissed at he could not have shrowded himself and his hypocritical waies but would have been discerned neither do you nor can you prove that the Church of Rome being once a true Church that it should so continue still and that we are Schismaticks for departing from it This is fine Prelatical Popish Doctrine without proof of Scripture but if you or Bellarmin or an Angel from Heaven saith the Apostle teach any other Doctrine than we have received in the Scripture let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 The seven Churches of Asia and many more besides them were true Churches but are not so now And so the Primitive Church of Rome the first hundred or two hundred years was a true Church but is not so now as is proved in the former part of this Book at large But besides these Reasons I will come a little nearer to you by Scripture proof that Antichrist should arise out of a Church which at that time of his rising should be a corrupted Apostatized Church 2 Thes 2.1 2 3 verses Consider whether the words of men or Scripture is fit to be believed I beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that ye be not shaken in mind nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter from us And I may adde nor by Bellarminâ—e nor Bishop Williams's Interpretations as if the day of Christ were at hand for that day shall not come except their come a falling away first and that man of sin which is Antichrist be revealed Here you see in this Text is plainly held forth that the Church where Antichrist should arise should be one that was a true Church but should fall away from the Truth and that Antichrist could not come untill first the Church where he should arise did fall away from the Truth and then Antichrist should be revealed that so in this apostatized Church he might the more covertly work his feats and not be discerned Now here is set before you Truth and Error chuse whether you will believe a poor man confirming what he writes by Scripture or believe Cardinal Bellarmin or a Bishops words without Scripture Page 15. he saith but I do not believe him That it is agreed of all sides and by all Interpreters old and new Papists and Protestants that the great Antichrist should come toward
of Popes who doth exercise both Civil and Ecclesiastical power and jurisdiction and so is the eighth and yet one of the seven because of his double authority the Angel speaking of these seven Heads that five were fallen before John writ and one is which was the government of the Heathen Emperors that was the fixth he doth not say and the seventh is not yet come for that might have implyed that the seventh should have been a Civil Head only as the other six were but he saith and the other or another is not yet come implying that he should be another of a divers nature differing from all the former Kings for they only were Civil Governors but this seventh should be of a mixt kinde he should be both a Civil and an Ecclesiastical Governor in respect of which Ecclesiastical Government he is said to be the eighth and one of the seven as the Ecclesiastical and Civil Governments are both included in one person therefore the Christian Emperors cannot be understood to be the seventh head because their Government is only Civil therefore cannot properly be said to be the eighth and one of the seven neither had they their seat at Rome the seven hilled City where the former six Governed from all these Prophecies that I have touched upon and opened in a slender manner yet as well as I can I think it will evidently appear to the impartial Reader that the succession of Popes is the Beast and great Antichrist and Man of sin and Son of perdition that exalts himself above all that is called God c. and is the great Antichrist that was to come into the world much more might be said but I hasten to another business The ANSWER to part of Bishop Williams his Book called The great Antichrist revealed before this time never discovered By GEORGE PRESSICK IN the 6 first pages of his Book he endeavours to possess the Reader that the persecution in these late daies of the Long Parliament c. did exceed in cruelty the persecutions in King Henry the eighth and Queen Maries daies I answer and do confess that in reference to his Majesty both King Charles the first and King Charles the scond it did exceed the former for King Henry and Queen Mary were not persecuted but they were the chief causers of the persecutions but what he saith to the persecution of any others I think moderate men that are not oversway'd with prejudicate opinions they will say that the persecutions that was in these late daies was much inferiour to that in King Henry the eighth and Queen Mary's daies when the Bishop of Canterburie Bishop Ridley Bishop Hooper Bishop Latimer and Bishop Farrar of Saint Davids all five Bishops were burned to ashes also long time after their death the bones of Martin Bucer and Paulus Phagius were taken out of their Graves and burnt and the body of Peter Martyrs Wife taken out of her grave and baryed in a dunghil by Cardinal Poules order the year One thousand five hundred fifty seven bloudy Bonner himself in three years condemned three hundred Christians to the fire what was there then in all parts of the Kingdom it would amount to some thousands did ever any man before you except he were a Papist say as you affirm in your fourth page that these Bishops and other Martyrs in King Henry and Queen Mary's daies were used after a far better manner and were more justly proceeded against and more fairly handled and less cruelly dealt with than others were by the Long Parliament c. these it is true plundered and cast out of part of their estates but the others suffered flames of fire and their whole estates confiscate c. mistake me not I come not in the least to excuse them for it is granted they were too cruel but my aim is if you will not be made sensible of your own mistakes yet to endeavour to make others sensible of it because I would not have all nor any thing that you have written in excuse of the Pope the great enemy of God and of his Church to be believed for if you had not excused the Pope I had held my peace and should not have troubled my self nor others In the seventh and eight pages he saith that the prevalent faction of the Long Parliament did move him to settle his thoughts to search the Scriptures that foretold of the coming of the great Antichrist and to pray most earnestly night and day for the help of Gods grace and Spirit to guide him in the true understanding thereof and by reading the best Authors to help him in the same I answer I will not say much of what force his prayers might be but the Tree is known by the fruit and when men obtain the thing prayed for or somthing equivolent to it they have ground of comfort that their prayers are heard but as I said in the beginning som men are like Iohanan c. 42. of Ier. that resolv beforehand that thus and thus they will do and then they go and pray though they intend not to alter their Resolution for though he prayed to understand the meaning of such Texts by reaping the best Authors yet in his 24th page he says Mr. Mead Doctor Hamond the Magdeburgenses Calvin Beza and in another place the Author of the Revelation unrevealed and saith he found many good and probable arguments produced by them and Luther Iuneus Chytreus Tilenus Mouresius Powel Whitaker Tomson Brightman Downham and many others whom he saith do unanimously affirm Rev. 17.5 that Text mysterie that great Babilon the mother of Whoredom and Abomination of the earth is the same with 1 Pet. 5.13 the Church that is at Babylon and is interpreted-by the Ancient Fathers to signifie Rome as Papius Eusebius Tertullius Adversus Iudeus S. Hierom Augustin and divers others of late Writers Here you see the names of above twenty Authors and saith them and divers others besides that he hath read and finds many probable arguments from them all and prays that by reading of Authors he may be helped in his work yet observe the fruit of his Prayer for he saith he must crave leave to dissent from them and all others as he saith in the 43d page of the second part of his book and that you may know what his Opinion is and wherein he dissents from all men I will set down his own words in that place When saith he by the Wars of Alaricus The Bishops dissent from all other Authors and in what in the year 410. and of Attalas in 451 and Gensericus in 455. Heathenism and Idol-worship was fully destroyed in Rome and Christianity became victorious I desire the Reader to consider what truth can there be in what he here saith that Heathenism and Idol-worship was fully destroyed in Rome and Christianitie was victorious at this time when Rome was in the hands of bar barous Heathen Idolaters as the Goths Vandals and
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 â—â—â—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 thâ— 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
alive He did rejoyce that the word of God was Preached because it is the power of God unto falvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 And where vision faileth the people perish Pro. 29.18 Therefore saith the Apostle Phil. 1.15 c. Some indeed saith he preach Christ even of envy and strife I take not upon me to determine who these are and some also preach Christ of good will the one preach Christ of contention not sincerity the other of love however notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and I therein rejoyce ye and will rejoyce Here you see the temper of St. Paul that he rejoyced at the preaching of Christ upon any terms whatsoever whether of good will or ill will so that Christ was preached for the reasons above but what spirit of malignity hath possessed this age I know not for even those whom charity might judge would preach Christ of good will yet are restrained and whether this do not occasionally though perhaps not intentionally help to uphold the Beast of the bottomlesse pit in his seducing way of errour and heresie and as much as in them lieth who are the Authors thereof hinder the work of God in consuming Antichrist by the spirit of Gods mouth in the Ministry of his word I leave to wise men to Judge Then as to these Witnesses it is said ver 8. Their Corps shall lye in the streets of the great City which spiritually is called Sodome and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified As to the witnesses of the Scriptures Dioclesian and Maximinian they burnt the Scriptures and would not suffer the Carkass of it to remain but buried it in ashes but this Beast of the bottomless pit the Pope after he had by the Councel of Trent taken away the life and spirit of the Scriptures by which it should have acted and brought it into subjection to his will he was content the Carkass of the Scriptures should remain unburied for now it was but as a dead Carkass without life and authority when all the interpretation of it is challenged as a prerogative belonging to the Apostolical See of Rome which is the great City spiritually called Sodome and Egypt and as to other witnesses whose mouths the Beast doth stop and shut up in prison they are killed and dead as to the execution of their ministerial office and yet their Carkasses are above ground unburied by this great City is not only meant the Mother City of Rome but all the whole Empire or Jurisdiction how farre soever extended whereof Rome is the Mother City and the dead Carkasses of all that have been murthered in all these Countries and Provinces by Antichrists Tyranny or by his Agents these Locusts or Frogs and that have been scattered as dung upon the earth may here be meant unto whom they have not allowed the honour of burial as hath been known in Germany and of late in Ireland and other places that as the Psalmist saith Psal 79.2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the souls of the Heavens and the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the Earth Rome is here in this Text spiritually called Sodome and Egypt Sodome for besides their pride fulness of bread and abundance of idleness Rome compared to Sodom Egypt which were the sins of Sodome Neither did he strengthen the hand of the poor and needy Ezek. 16.49 Rome is compared to Sodome For man with man wrought filthinesse as Rom. 1.27 and that by this Antichristian Beast his Toleration and Approbation and Pope Sixtus the 4th built up in Rome a Stews of both kinds about the year 1484. whereby he got no small Revenue for to the Cardinals that was before he created 32 Cardinals more and gave them and all other liberty for 3 moneths in the year to use Sodomy that was June July and August and Pope Paul had in his time no less then 45 thousand Whores in his Register that paid him yearly Revenue for liberty to commit Whoredome as is shewed before therefore may the present City of Rome by the holy Ghost well be compared to Sodome for filthinesse and all manner of abominations both spiritual and natural and I think I should not say amiss if I said unnatural as to Sodomie and incesse c they exceed in uncleanness by reason that the Pope and his Locusts and Frogs makes them believe that either for a little money to say Masses for them or for some small penance performed by themselves they can pardon them therefore Mantuan did sing notably to this purpose Shame get thee to the Country Town If that they do not use The same corrupted filthinesse Rome now is all a Stews Another took his farwel thus Rome farewel now I have thee seen Though vile thou art to see I 'le come again when Bawd I mean Knave Brothel Beast to be But that you may better know that Rome is another Sodome hearken what one answered when he was demanded what Rome was saying thus Say what is Rome Amor Love If buckward you it Spell Some love the Male kind say no more I know thy meaning well These abominable lusts O Rome saith Mr. Brightman Have made thy Stews seem honest the which thy most holy father the Pope doth nourish in his bosome and that forsooth as he pretends to avoid a greater incontinency the Apostle speaks of some that say let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just for while he pretendeth that he would avoid a greater evil he falleth into one of the greatest evils raigning in the world being given up to a reprobate sence as may appear to all men that are not wilfully blinded with his delutions and as Rome is a spiritual Sodome so she is a shop of all monstrous Idolatry as hath been declared before The second name is Egypt not any City but a whole Countrey or Province and therefore in a spiritual or allegorical sense as is said in the Text doth comprehend all Cities Kingdoms or Provinces so far as Antichrist the Pope of Rome hath any power or jurisdiction exercised by himself or his agents who are here compared to Egypt for their Superstition and Idolatry which is spiritual Whoredome that the Pope of Rome stands guilty of as well as carnal Whoredome and Sodomy as you have heard already And even as Pharaoh held the three Children of Israel in bondage and would not let them go to serve the Lord and when they did break off from him and were going he pursued them thinking to destroy them though it proved to his own destruction even so shall it be now and hath been that when any hath been touched in Conscience of the errour of their way and have begun to fall off from their Canonical obedience to the Pope and his Popish wayes how have they been pursued with all the malice and hard dealing that Men or Devils can invent who are
saith holy Paul to Timothy If thou put the Brethren in the remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ nourished up in the words of Faith and of good Doctrine whereunto thou hast attained But the Apostle doth not say as you do that if thou bring in a Form of Godlinesse or a Set-form of God's worship thou shalt be a good man or a good Minister of Jesus Christ that was far from the Apostles meaning he rather meant If thou put the Brethren in remembrance to shun a Form of Godlinesse and turn from them and all other wiles and deceits of Antichrist then thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ Page 23. he saith That as Christ and the whole multitude of Believers his Members make up one Christ so likewise the Congregation of the wicked the whole body of the Devil which are all the company of wicked Reprobates and ungodly men are as it were the Spouse of their Head and Husband the Devil and the Soul and Body of the Beast and Antichrist and page 26. he doth confidently avouch That the great Antichrist is a great pack or company collected and combined together by a Solemn League and Covenant to do such and such feats and facts c. I answer First That if all the whole Company and body of wicked Reprobates and ungodly men are the Spouse of the Devil their Head and Husband and so the Beast and Antichrist then he may if he please see his own mistake in applying it to a particular company of wicked ungodly men the long Parliament and Presbyterians c. for they were neither all nor the hundred thousand part of all the wicked Reprobates and ungodly men that were in the world which are as he saith the Spouse of the Devil and makes up the body of Antichrist whose seat and residence is not in any particular City in the world but he saith page 60. to be understood for the great and spacious confused City of the world and indeed he makes a confused businesse of it for if it be so then this pack or company of wicked Reprobates that is the Spouse of the Devil and the Antichrist The Bishop contradicts himself must contain all the wicked Reprobates of his spacious confused City of the whole world and therefore is improperly applyed to the long Parliament c. and what he saith in the 60th page is a flat and absolute contradiction to what he saith in the 26th page 2ly If the long Parliament and Assembly of Divines at Westminster c. had been all the body of Reprobates and ungodly men in the confused City of the world that there had been no more to be found in the world but they then sure he might have found many purer Churches in the world for Antichrist to have risen up in than the Church of England was which by his computation contains the whole company of Reprobates and wicked men for before this their Apostacy there was many wicked Reprobates in it Thus all men that reads may see what pure non-sence here is brought to prove the long Parliament and Presbyterians c. to be the great Antichrist and to excuse the Pope who is the Antichrist for his own Arguments makes directly against himself as to the businesse for which he intended them and yet he thinks no man can shew him his mistake 3ly Whereas you avouch That Antichrist is a company of men combin'd together in a Solemn League and Covenant to do such and such feats and facts of which feats and facts you say page 24. that this conglutinate Pack have one mind or will one course or end and one main scope and desire to destroy the Truth to overthrow the Church of Christ the right service of God and all Piety from the Earth as you say the Holy Ghost saith these wicked Senators have which are thus combin'd in a Solemn League c. I answer and first advise you herafter to take heed of fathering Lyes upon the Holy Ghost for I dare avouch you never read where ever the Holy Ghost said any such thing of any people at Westminster in a Solemn League and Covenant and you know how dangerous a thing it is to sin against the Holy Ghost and your base assertion in things of such concernment is not sufficient without Scripture-proof and where can you or any else that will take your part as you have too many shew us one text of Scripture that saith Antichrist shal be such a Pack c. and then cunningly propound the question Whether the Assembly at Westminster were not such a Combination and fulfilled all the Prophecies that prophecyed of Antichrist I take not upon me to defend the Covenant but demand of you or any else how it can be proved that those that took it were thereby conglutinate to have all one mind one will one course or end to destroy the Truth and overthrow the Church of Christ c. as you have affirmed And suppose it were so that an accursed Assembly combined together to do mischief were the great Antichrist for as you say truly page 25. A multitude of men in such a Case can do more mischief than one single Person yet so as one single Person may be the Head By right applying the Bishops words the Pope and Council of Trent is the great Antichrist c. Then where in all the world will such a cursed wicked pack of men be found as the Pope taking him for the Head as you say and the last Council of Trent for the Body to destroy the Truth as the Pope and that Council did who in the third Session of that Council April 8. 1546. rejected the Hebrew and Greek Copies of the Scriptures and established a corrupt Latin Translation to be Authentick These Sir are your own words in your 32. page if you had apply'd them right but you bring it in upon another account where also their unwritten Traditions were set in equal dignity with the Scriptures where they took away the power and authority of the Scriptures making them subject to the Popes will and pleasure to put what sence or interpretation upon the Scriptures he pleaseth and none else to be received but what he will allow of so that the Scriptures were never in this world by any so much disgraced and undervalued Here indeed was a pack of vile wicked persons combined together against the Lord and his anointed Jesus Christ and who had all one mind and one will and desire and end to destroy the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures which is the ground and pillar of Truth the like wickednesse against the truth and right worship and service of Jesus Christ was never known nor never acted by the long Parliament nor assembly of Divines nor no Assembly under Heavens that owned a God and Saviour never since Christ himself was upon earth in person If you apply it right this is the great
the great City of the World and so in a literal sense true and what need we use tropes and figures when the sense is true in the letter But observe I pray you how often he contradicts himself to maintain an Error for first he saith Observe how many Contradictions is here together That by Babylon is meant Rome then he saith It cannot be so without a trope or figure and saith It is true in the Letter as to the great City of the World but I say no it is not true in that sense neither without a trope or figure for there is no Text in all the Scripture that calls the universal World the great City of the World as he doth â—o find out a Babylon that the Scriptures do not speak of and reject that Babylon the Scriptures do so often speak of and he must go to tropes and figures for this Babylon too but if his eyes were open he might here see his own fâ—lly in another thing which is this for where will he find a Text of Scripture as it is in the letter that saith the long Parliament and Presbyterians c. is the great Antichrist which he brings so many senslesse Arguments to prove and labors altogether to prove it by tropes and figures in a mustical 〈…〉 it about which never no man thought of but himself that he might appear to be some body And if he will allow of tropes and figures and a mystical and spiritual understanding Scriptures to prove a false and a seigned Antichrist why doth he not allow the same Arguments and means to find out the real and undoubted of Antichrist in the judgment of many reverend and worthy Diviner all whose Judgments this man rejects because he will be singular But besides If Babylon be the great City of the World then where must they flie that go out of Babylon you shall see the absurdity that will follow by takeing Babylon to be the universal World or as he calls it the great City of the World Rev. 16.4 And I heard another voice from Heaven saying go out of her my people lest ye be partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues but where must they go they cannot go out of the World therefore it is not to be understood of the great City of the World but this Babylon from which they are bid to go Two Verses above he speaks of the fall of this Babylon And so Jerem. 51.6 Fly out of the midst of Babylon and deliver every man his Soul be not cut off in her iniquity And Chap. 52. and 8. But if by Babylon be meant Bishop William's great City of the World then the People of God hath no place to flee unto but must there abide and partake of her plagues and then whereunto serves that Admonition or rather a command to flie out of Babylon And thus you see he is one time here another while there saying and gain saying and contradicting himself that his whole Book is a Babel of confusion But this is not all he doth not stay here for in the 65. Page he saith There are heaps of Expositors of this Point that understands Babylon literally to be Rome but he understands it not so Grammatically as they do but altogether mystically for the great City of this World so that one while he is for a mystical sense and another time he will have a literal sense so that he will be any thing so he could perswade the World that the long Parliament c. were Antichrist that he might excuse the Pope And he saith further in the same Page That we ought to accept and follow a late and newly delivered Truth and recede from the old and antient Error though never so generally imbraced by former Authors because Truth whensoever or by whomsoever discovered is to be received and preferred before Error how antient or how generally soever it hath been delivered To which I do willingly subscribe if it be a Truth that is delivered and confirmed by evident Texts of Scripture it ought to be received For I have read twenty years ago that a Lay man bringing Scripture to prove his assertion was to be preferred before a 〈…〉 who le Council that decreed things which could not be made good by Scripture but by wresting and abusing the Texts But the Doctrine this Bishop teacheth is not onely new but it wants both Scripture and Reason to confirm it and therefore not to be received though he be a Bishop that teach it Page 71. He tells us of the Prophet Daniel's Description of the four Beasts which typified the four great Monarchies of the World the Assyrian the Persian the Grecian and the Roman and the little horn that sprang up among the other ten horns and he saith that Antiochus Epiphanes was the little horn that sprang up among the ten horns and in the next words he saith He was not another Horn besides the ten but the last of the ten Horns I answer That we have no reason to believ one word that this Bishop writes for still all along he either contradicts the Scriptures or himself one or both For Dan. 7.7 8. speaking of the beast that had ten horns considered the horns behold the incom up among them that is among the ten horns another little horn And in the 20. ver Daniel desired to know the truth of the fourth Beast Another Contradiction and of the ten horns that were in his head and of the other which came up which other was the little horn And ver 24. The ten horns out of this Kingdom are ten Kings that shall arise and another shall arise after them he shall be unlike the first This other is the little horn for all these three Texts speaks of the little horn distinctly from the ten horns and that before it three of the ten Kings shall fall Here are three witnesses of Scripture speaking of a little horn distinct from the ten horns And the Scripture saith In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established but Bishop Williams in effect saith no it shall not be so established for he hath found out another interpretation For he saith The little horn was not another besides the ten but the last of the ten horns so that it appears the Bishop sticks not to contradict God in his Word and the Angel expounding the meaning of the little horn to Daniel and all men let them be never so Orthodox he will contradict and forsake all their sayings to have his own whimsie to find out a new Antichrist and to excuse the Pope and this is it which he calls his late and new delivered Truth Page 65. And he further saith That Antiochus Epiphanes is as the little born and that he was very little indeed at first and was to come to his Kingdom by the destruction of other Kings which he saith are three Kings that fell before
Idolatry nor Infidelity nor blasphemy but the highest degree of man-slaughter or the unjust murthering of an innocent Person Page 80. and page 82. he saith it is worse than Adams sin and page 87. he further saith this sin is a judicial condemning of an innocent Person or Persons their superiors as Christ was unto death and that by a representative of a whole Kingdom I Answer first to the latter part how or by what Scripture or what authority can be produced for proof of what he saith page 80. and 82. and 87 for his bare word is not sufficient ground for any man to pin their faith upon without either Scripture or reason to confirm it but such fancies or fictions as these you may remember that in his 65. page he calls them new delivered truths and therefore saith we should recide from former errors or opinions though never so generally embraced by former Authors for he is the only man for to find out a new Antichrist and to clear the old Antichrist from that stain and polution if any man will believe him But secondly how can any man of any indifferent knowledge believe any thing that he writes who doth so often as you have heard contradict himself and the Scriptures also and so again here in this place where he saith the Apostle gives us to understand in that 2 Thes 2. that Antichrist shall commit one singular peculiar sin that should only and properly be the sin of Antichrist and none else whereas neither that text nor any other in the whole Scriptures doth speak of any singular or peculiar sin that makes him to be Antichrist but the Scriptures speak of many sins in many several places that should declare him to be the great Antichrist as is shewed in many places of this Book and even in this Text from whence he would gather his assertion His contradicrion of Scripture the Text speaks the absolute contrary as first that Antichrist shall exalt himself above all that is called God Secondly that he should sit in the Temple of God Thirdly that he should shew himself that he is God that is the highest God on earth above all other Gods either in Church or State Fourthly that his coming should be after the working of Satan with power and that is shewed above how he claims and exerciseth a power above all c. Fifthly that he should come with sigus Sixthly with lying Seventhly with working wonders with deceit and unrighteousness Eightly that he should forsake the truth and not receive it in love besides several sins spoken of 1 Tim. 4. and 1 John 2. and all along in the Revelations and elsewhere of many sins that Antichrist should be known by and this man rejects all and will have him known by one singular peculiar sin which no Text in all the Scripture nor no Author that ever did write did particularly point him out by for if that had been the peculiar sin to know him by then should they have been Antichrist that crucified Christ the Apostle would not after have writ of another Antichrist and which the same sin should make him Antichrist which never can the like be committed with such a height of rebellion against God and with such a rage reaching up to Heaven by any other rebellion or murther neither by Parliament nor Phocas or any else And as our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was put to death by a Roman Power and Authority I think we may upon better grounds than you bring argue that it may imply thus much that Antichrist should have his rise seat and residence in that very place from whence the power and authority came that crucified our Lord Jesus Christ and though there be no Text of Scripture to prove this except perhaps it might be proved by consequence comparing Scripture with Scripture yet I will not be curious to search into it but leave it to the judgment of others however if I mistake not it it seems to carry more force in it than all the new fangle stories you tell us of Page 95. he draws a conclusion from the writings of Tremellius and Beza that Antichrist shall exalt himself above the Bishops and indeed in this I grant that he saith very true for the Pope of Rome hath so exalted himself by his universal Priest-hood as head of the Church and Christs Vicar and Peters Successor that he claims an authority over all the Bishops in the World and doth exercise that authority in many Kingdoms more than any one doth besides and therefore by the Bishops own argument the Pope of Rome is the great Antichrist and man of sin c. for the Pope saith it standeth upon necessity to salvation that every humane creature be subject unto him and therefore requisite and necessary for men that will be saved to know the dignity of his See and excellency of his Dominion for his Priest-hood was prefigured in Aaron and other Bishops under him was prefigured by the Sons of Aaron to be under him thus he exalts himself above the Bishops as is said before Page 99. he saith that the denying Jesus to be the Christ is the proper note and undeniable mark of the great Antichrist who is the head of all other inferiour Antichrists as 1 John 2.22 Who is a lyer but he that denyeth that Jesus is Christ the same is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Son I answer I shall not trouble the Reader to relate what the Bishop saith from this Text to the purpose he aims at but I shall as I have done by other Texts and Arguments shew you how undeniable this Text rightly applyed doth prove the Pope to be Antichrist first he is said in this Text to be a lyar and so in the Text before named 2 Thes 2.9 that is a crafty deceiver of the People by granting pardons and indulgences and many other priviledges which are so well known I need not repeat them and which are all as so many lies for there is no truth in them nor no Scripture to prove that he hath any such power or authority but that by his lies he causeth the People to believe him and he is a lyar also in professing outwardly in words what he denieth in his practice as might be made appear in many several things and as appears in the former part of this Book he is a lyar that denies Jefus to be Christ Jesus signifies a Saviour thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sine and Christ fignifies anointed that is to be King Priest and Prophet to his Church a King to rule and govern his Church to appoint Laws and Officers and Ordinances in the Church a Priest to offer Sacrifice for the sins of the People and that he did especially when he offered himself Heb. 9.13 If the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh
by the Councel of Trent and made it subject to his will and interpretation and set up his own humane institutions and the institutions of Christ and his Apostles was and is rejected so as Christ hath not the exercise of his offices among them neither of King Priest nor Prophet as before is shewed which I leave to the judgment of the Christian Reader Page 30. he saith that time times and half a time are interpreted by many of the learned to be three years and a half or as some think three years and half three that is four years and a half but he conceives it should be taken for some short time but for a certain truth it shall either be at that time directly or much about that time though not exactly to a day yet it may be to a minute which he takes to be the time that Antichrist shall reign and rage against the two Witnesses I answer how can this he here saith be true and yet the Long Parliament c. be the Antichrist for they reigned above twice three years and a half or twice four years a half and therefore according to his own computation the Long Parliament c. cannot be the Antichrist and as the Bishop and Bellermin agrees in the reign of Antichrist to be but three years and a half so Bellermin saith that this three years and a half is to be a little before the end of the world therefore if the long Parliament had been Antichrist and their opinion true of the end of the world a little after then should the Jews have been converted er'e this time for they must the Scriptures say be converted and gathered to their own Land and there must be the Battels of Gog and Magog and many things to be done which will require a longer time than they allow for them by their interpretation for how is it possible that Antichrist should do all the feats that is to be done by him all the world over or if it were him Europe and Asia he must course over many hundred thousand miles every day to effect it in three years and a half which is unreasonable to imagine but the Bishop and Bellermin doth both agree that by the little horn in the seventh of Daniel is meant Antichrist and becausent is said verse 9. I beheld till the Thrones were placed and the Ancient of daies sute c. the Angel expounding the vision shews that this little horn Antichrist should subdue three Kings and they shall be given into his hand until a time times and the dividing of times which they take for three years and a half The Bishop and Bellermins mistake concerning the little horn but the Judgment shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end now here is their mistake because it is said the Judgment shall sit and they shall destroy his Dominion unto the end therefore they conclude that in a very short time after Antichrists three years and a half reign that he shall be destroyed and the world shall have an end not considering what is said in the 13 and 14 verses that one like the Son of man came to the Ancient of daies in the clouds of Heaven and dominion and honour and Kingdom was given him and all Nations and Languages should serve him that is him that shall destroy the Pope the Antichrist who is the little horn for this Judgment as I have said before is not meant of the last and general Judgment but of the judgment and destruction of Antichrist and Jesus Christ shall be universal King whom all Nations shall serve but shall there be any distinction of People Nations and Languages after the last Judgment but this is made more plain for verse 22. it is said the ancient of daies came and Judgment was given to the Saints of the most high and the time approached that the Saints possessed the Kingdom mark ye upon the judgment and destruction of Antichrist the time approached that the Saints possessed the Kingdom and verse 27. and the Kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all powers shall serve and obey him that is Christs Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom but this Kingdom of the Saints after the destruction of Antichrist is an earthly Kingdom under the Heavens verse 27. that the Saints must have before the last Judgment saith Mr. Brightman Where first we may observe that the jurisdiction of this Kingdom must be of things under Heaven for the time appreached that the Saints possessed the Kingdom and secondly that it shall be a Kingdom of holy and high Saints and that all powers shall serve this Kingdom as Isa 60. for there will be an universal flowing in of the Jews to the faith of Christ under the pouring forth of the fifth Viol Antichrist is to be destroyed and Rome which is his Throne for the fifth Viol is poured out upon the Throne of the Beast and many do think that the Jews will not be converted until after Rome is destroyed Mr. Brightman saith that Rome and the Idolatry of the Church of Rome is a main impediment and hinderance to their conversion and after once it is destroyed they shall embrace the true Faith for it is not possible saith he that the people that crucifyed the Lord should acknowledge him to be their Lord as long as Rome flourisheth yea or hath any being in the world as which was the place that gave them power and authority to crucifie him and the sixth Viol is to be poured out upon the great River Euphrates and the waters thereof will be dried up that the way of the Kings that come from the East may be prepared Euphrates slideth through Mesapotomia on the east side of Judea the event of this Viol is the removing of what impediments may hinder the passage into that Country and drying up the waters as the Red Sea was dried up before the Jews in old time and it is conceived most of these people are in those eastern Countries the reason why they are called Kings of the East is as Rev. 1.6 Christ doth make all true believers Kings and Priests unto God his Father and Mr. Brightman saith as soon as Rome is destroyed there shall be a rumor among all the true Churches of the Gentiles of the gathering of the People of the Jews unto their own Land the Christian faith shall flourish exceedingly among them Rom. 11.25 26. the Apostle saith I would not brethren that ye should be ignorant of this mystery that blindness in part is hapned to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written the deliverer shall come out of Sion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob for this is my Covenant unto them when
Antichrists Doctrine is described to be a dying Doctrine a falling from the faith a Hypocriticall and Divilish Doctrine carried on with deceite and fraud The Popes â—ivellish doâ—rine of forâ—idding Marâ—â—age all which doth â—minently appear in the Pope of Rome for who is there in all the world besides the Pope and his Clergy that teacheth this Divilish Dâ—ctrine to forbid Marriage to those whose age and temper may require a help meet for them but the Pope who is that Man of sin and Antichrist of Rome which the Apostle here charges to be the Doctor that teacheth this Divilish Doctrine of forbidding Marriage which is a holy Ordinance of God instituted in Paradise and allowed in all Nations and to all persons whose age and temper doth require it as 1 Cor. 7.2 to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife c. and it was so until this Imposter and seducing spirit the Pope prohibited it unto the Clergy and this is one way of his exalting himself not only above earthly Gods as Magistrates but above the God of Heaven for what God allows this Antichrist the Pope disallows and that for bad and wicked ends As first To bring a Revenue into his Treasury by allowing Brothel Houses or Stewes which paies him yearly no small Rent for in Pope Paul the first his time which was 976 years since that Pope had upon Record in his Register the number of five and forty thousand Whores in the stewes that paid him Rent for liberty to play the Whore as Mr. Beard saith in his book of the Delusions of Antichrist and there his Clergy c. to whom he denies Marriage have liberty to go for their recreation and because the Pope allows them it is not accounted any sin And Secondly by this means he hath all the Clergy at his beck to send when he will and where he will to act their Father the Devils part by their Hypocritical lies to seduce the Nations and Kingdomes of this world for they would not be so willing to rainge abroad in such swarmes in every Kingdome if as other men they had wives and children to provide for at home Peter Marter Chap. 16. saith How are the stews punished at Rome Whores in Rome attended like Ladies by Cardinals instead of punishment they dwell in the fairest houses they are carried with honour through the City as if they were Ladies they are mounted on ambling palfries they are arraid with Chains of Gold attended with persons disguised and sometimes with Cardinals and especially in the night season in the Citie of Rome the Stews or Courtezans pass through the streets or ride on Mules like honest Matrons or Ladies in the midst of the day Noblemen Cardinals and Priests attend upon them we never saw such corruption but only in this City this infoâ—mâ—tion was presented unto Pope Paul the Third saith Bishop Jewel against Harding also Luit Prandus in his sixth book Chap. 6 saith the Popes Palace at Lateran sometime the harbour of holy Saints is now become a stew of Whores Amphilocheus that wrought the life of Thomas Becket reports a woman called Emphrosyna that dwelt 36 years in a Monkes apparel among the Monks likewise Marina a woman lived many years in an Abby as a Monk in Monks apparel and this is the cause of the Popes divilish doctrine in forbidding marriage and herein lies another part of his deceit and hypocrisie in making them believe that he can pardon them and perswades them that it is lesse sin for a Clergy man to have a Whore which the Law of God forbids then to have a Wife which the law of God allows and all because they could not be so fit to send for his purpose abroad Now Bishop Williams did ever the Presbyterians or Independants or Long-parliament fulfil this Prophesie in teaching this Doctrine of Divels to forbid marriage which is one mark or Character of the great Antichrist and not the least mark and let the Readers Judge by this mark whether they or the Pope be most like Antichrist now this doctrine of Divils forbidding of Marriage and which is the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome only and no other Church that I have read of and which occasious so much uncleanness and ungodliness and that with toleration and allowance who can doubt that the Popes who are the Authors of this diviâ—ish doctrine successively one after another but he is the great Antichrist that was prophesied that he should come into the world and that man of sin and son of perdition and who exalts himself above God in this particular doctrine in forbidding of Marriage to those whom Gods allows to marry Forbidding marriage the doctrine of devils and which doctrine the holy Ghost in the word of truth tells us is the doctrine of Divels that is of Popes succeeding one another and teaching that doctrine and that they that teach it are apostatized and fallen from the true faith and are hypocritical liars and seducers of Millions of souls and all to establish himself in his cursed Throne those that think the Pope not to be Antichrist I desire them to rouse up their spirits and rub the scales from their eyes and observe how lively here and else where as shall be shewed how the Apostle hath drawn Antichristes Picture in every point and limb so just like the Pope that all men that reads may say this is he That marriage instituted of God in innocency honoured by Christs presence at Canaan in Galile the seed plot of the Church the allowed remedy against incontinency and lust and which the the Apostle commands as honourable in all men Heb. 13.4 and yet forbidden by the Pope the Scarlot Strumpit of Rome to all the whole Clergy Wherein besides the divilishness of the Doctrine denying men subject to sinful lust the lawful remedy which God allows them and so cast men upon a necessity of sinning they teach this Hypocritical lie with a seared Conscience for with what Conscience saith Mr. Anderson can they make marriage a Sacrament in Lay-men and sacriledge in the Clergy with what Conscience permit Stews and forbid marriage with what Conscience confess fornication to be a sinne against the Law of God and Priests marriage onely against the Law of the Church and yet make Priests marriage a fouler sin then for a Priest to commit fornication or incesse is not this to make the transgression of the Popes laws a greater sin then the transgression of Gods laws with what Conscience to forbid lawful marriage to some and yet by dispensation to allow unlawful marriage in others who but Antichrist doth such things therefore the Pope that doth them must be the great Antichrist and man of sin for the Long-parliament nor Presbyterians nor Independents c. never did those things to forbid marriage and the like which the Apostle layes down as a Character or mark to know Antichrist by and we have reason to believe the
Scriptures before Bishop Williams A second Mark or Character the Apostle layes down to know Antichrist by is that as he forbids marriage So secondly He commands abstinence from meats which God hath created to be received with thanks-giving c. which words declare thus much unto us that neither Marriage nor Meats nor any other Creature nor Ordinance of God is to be refused upon any tye of Conscience provided they be received with thanks-giving of them that believe and know the truth with such other requisite conditions as becometh Christians in 1 Cor. 10 25. the holy Apostle bids us Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no question for Conscience sake c. and Titus 1.15 To the pure all things are pure so that to forbear the use out of a tye of Conscience or a Superstious Opinion as being unlawful at such or such a time it is against Christian libert either to charge the use of them with sin or to place holiness in abstaining from the use of them It is the Doctrine you see the Apostle tells of that Antichrist should teach and this is the Pope of Rome's doctrine for he saith it is a sinne deserving death to eat of meats prohibited by the Church they teach that fasting consists only in abstinance from meats and not from drink I have seen them that upon one of their Superstitious fasting dayes they would eat no meat but they would eat plentifully of Fruit Raisons of the Sun and Figs and the like and drink largely of Wine Ale and Beer and such kind of Fasting with them is esteemed satisfactory for sin and meritorious of eternal Life and this is another Hypocritical mark or Charracter of Antichrist for such Hypocritical lyes as these passeth currant among them for sound doctrine from their holy Father the Pope so seared is his Conscience as with a hot Iron for with what Conscience doth the Pope allow an ordinary Priest to absolve for Murther Adultery Fornication or perjury but the great and hainous sinne of eating flesh upon a Friday or Ember-days is left to the censure of a plenepotentiary as being beyond the power of an ordinary Priest to grant absolution for as being a greater sin because it is against the Law of the Church then Murther or Adultery c. is which are sins against the Law of God or with what Conscience can the Pope make the tasting of the coursest flesh A Popish Lent Fast a breach of Lent-fast and surfeiting upon the delicatest Fish to be no breach of Lent-fast and with what conscience can he forbid the use of such and such meats for the taming of the flesh when he allows the use of those things which are more nourishing of the flesh and more provoking to fleshly lusts as strong Wines and such like with what conscience can he enjoyne fasting for penance and then presently release that penance for a penny the Glosse upon the Canon saith That he who gives a penny to redeem his penance fast though he give mony for a spirituall thing yet he doth not commit Simony because the contract is made with God that is the excuse though the contract be made with the Priest and the Money come to the Priests pocket well did the holy Ghost say that Antichrist should teach lies with a seared Conscience for if the Pope and Cardinals Prelates and Priests c. if all their consciences were not seared they would not use such pretences to varnish over their Hypocritical lies and errours to damn so many thousand souls and thus you see what marks and characters the holy Ghost hath laid down to know the great Antichrist and man of sin by which things the Parliament nor Presbyterians c. were never guilty of The next Text I shall handle that shews us who this great Antichrist is we have in the 2 Thes 2. to the 12. verse where first the Apostle earnestly beseecheth the Thessalonians Church not to be shaken in mind nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us saith he as if the day of Christ were at hand here we have in this verse such a plain demonstration of Antichrist in his cheating deluding cousoning practises as we can scarce find the like What is meant by spirit word and letter for by spirit word and letter I conceive the Apostle means all false ways that Antichrist shall make use of to deceive as false Teachers signs lying Miracles Inthusiasts such as pretend to have the spirit to work miracles as your Priests that pretend to cast out Divels 2 Cor. 11.13 which transform themselves as the Apostles of Christ as all the Popes houlings which pretend to imitate the Apostles of which I have hinted in the former part of this book there is no lesse then 150 several Orders or Degrees of them and all pretending to holinesse both in Doctrine and Discipline and yet not one of them of Divine institution but are all popish and Antichristian humane inventions and institutions of men and this is one main argument that the Pope is the great Antichrist that he sets up so many Orderers Officers and Offices in the Church of Christ against Christ in as much that Christ did never institute nor ordain them and to bind mens consciences to submit to them and other of his humane institution and that under such penalties as is shewed above that he makes the breach of his own Laws which he calls the Laws of the Church a greater crime then the breach of the Law of God who then can deny the Pope that thus acts to be the great Antichrist and all these several Orders to be the limbs and members of Antichrist and Seducers who in their several places make it their whole business to keep people in obedience to this Antichrist their great Lord and Master by their lies and lying doctrines and lying wonders exalting and extolling the reliques of Saints and Martyrs and the instituters of their Orders the holinesse and sanctity of their habits and the like which things are more preached and praised and cryed up among them then Christ Jesus is preached or cried up And to gain credit to their delusions they report what miraculous things have been done by the vertue of St. Austins Lethern Girdle for curing diseases and easing of pains c. Satans delusion to deceive And indeed it is possible that God may suffer Satan by weak means to do some such cures which the Devil may by permission be the Author and cause of the disease himself and by his withdrawing his operation and working the disease or paine may cease and all this to make good what the Apostle in this Chapter foretold should come to passe that because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions to believe lies that all they may be damned which believe not the truth but have pleasure in
the end of the World and at the last period of the last times as the Scripture he saith doth evidently testifie I answer that these Scriptures he means to prove it by is yet unwritten for I am sure he never read them for though he quote 1 Tim. 4.1 that Text makes directly against him and nothing for him For saith the Apostle Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits What is meant by latter times and Doctrines of Devils and those devilish Doctrines are said verse 3 to be the forbidding of Marriage and commanding to abstain from meats c. I am glad the Bishop doth confess this Text to be meant of Antichrist But because the Apostle speaks of the latter times must it therefore needs be understood as he saith of the last period of the last times or as he saith in the 30. pape of his 2d Book That Antichrist shall reign but three years and a half or much about that time and very shortly after must be the last Judgment But let us see what other Scriptures say that we may expound Scripture by Scripture Gen. 49. Jacob called his Sons together that he might shew them what should befall them in the last daies surely this is not meant three years and a half before the end of the World as he calls it the last period of the last times c. Verse 19. Gad a troop shall overcome him but he shall overcome at the last So Daniel 4.8 and 1 Peter 1.20 and so Matth. 26.60 By the last times in these Texts is understood the fulnesse of the time appointed and determined of God for the affecting and bringing to passe what God hath intended to have done and the time he hath appointed and so that Text before 1 Tim. 4.1 in the latter daies that is the daies before determin'd and appointed that Antichrist should forbid marriage and meats and it is now 980. years since marriage was forbidden in the Council of Constance â—nd Antichrist doth reign still this is a long three years and an half that is stretched out to more then three times three hundred years since Antichrist preached that Dectrine and yet the Bishop either cannot or will not see his mistake Page 16. he saith He cannot sufficiently wonder at Mâ— Meade Marefius Tilenus the Synod of Gappe and other Divines aforesaid that they should imagin that God would be so regardlesse so unmindful and so severe though in Justice he might as to suffer the great Antichrist to reign and rage against his Saints so many hundred years as they prescribe that makes the Pope Antichrist I answer Who can sufficiently wonder that a man of such a place and dignity as a Bishop should be so far mistaken himself as in writing lesse than half one Leaf so grosly to contradict himself The Bishop contradicts himself c. For even now he said that it was agreed upon by all Papista and Protestants old and new that Antichrist should come towards the end of the World and now he confesseth that Mr. Mead Maresius and Tilenus and others afore-named which was above twenty are of contrary opinion and the Synod of Gappe to boot who can to use his own words sufficiently wonder at this so great a Doctor a finder out of a new Antichrist which the world never dreamed of but besides his slighting the Judgment of so many Authors before-named by himself together with the Magdeâ—urgerses and Synod of Gappe who can sufficiently wonder that he should charge God to be regardlesse and unmindful of his Saints to suffer Antichrist so many hundred years to tyrannize over them as if Gods Actions were to be measured by his Reason he hath forgotten that God suffered all Nations except the Jewes and some few Proselites to walk in their own waies almost four thousand years For with him a thousand years is but as one day c. And as is said above the Beast that is the seventh Head When he cometh he must continue a short space Rev. 17.10 and yet this short space was 87. years before he received his wound and then was 132. years after before the wound was fully healed which was but a short space in comparison of the time that Antichrist hath reigned was ever the Church of God without enemies since the Creation that you should count it a greater wonder now then it was in former Ages but I let this passe Page 17. he tells us That the Apostle shewes but he neither doth nor can tell us where the Apostle shewed it nor to whom that God would raise up Reformers to root out Errors out of the Church and to prescribe a Form of Godliness these are his very words A Form of Godlinesse and then followâ— or a Set-form of God's Worship whereby the Church should be guided in the true Faith and these Reformers he saith are stiled I Answer I do not read of a Form of Godlinesse in any place of Scripture but in 2 Tim. 3.5 in which Text the holy Apostle doth admonish us to turn from such as have no more than a Form of Godliness And in the four foregoing Verses what manner of persons they would be that would set up a Form of Godlinesse That perillous times should come A Form of Godliness for the Government of the Church of Christ that men should be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud cursed speakers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of them that are good traytors heady high minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God having a Form of Godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turn away or because they are such therefore turn away from such Is such a brood as this Sir your Reformers to root out Heresie as you say and to settle a Form of Godlinesse whereby the Church of Christ should be guided a woful condition is that Church in who have such Reformers and such Guides The Apostle branches them into eighteen several ranks or qualities of which I dare say there was never a one of them that ever was a good Refomer of the Church of Christ but rather Deformers And as for that Text you bring which you say calls such Reformers good men as they were indeed say you But I know not who will believe it for under favour I must tell you it is falsly applyed for the Apostle there is foretelling what Antichrist should do when he came into the World viz. That he should depart from the true Faith and be a seducing spirit that he should be a lyer an hypocrite that his conscience should be seared or benumbed in the practice of wickednesse that he should teach the Doctrine of Devils as the forbiding of marriage and commanding to abstain from meats which may be received with thanksgiving of them that believe and know the Truth And