sale and would not suffer the buyer to looke vpon it in the light but he must buy it in the darke keepe it in the darke weare it in the darke and neuer bring it to any place where it might be perfectly seene and examined Now who would not suspect him for a cousening companion that would offer such a thing and can there be a greater suspition of cosenage then for men to offer a kinde of religion that cannot abide the light of Gods word and would inforce men to receiue such a doctrine as they might not examine by the scriptures to see how it would stand with the doctrine of Christ who but cosening wretches would offer it but what ignorance in those men that would receiue it Beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God At what time Achab would not beleeue the answere which the Prophet Micheas made him there came forth a spirit and stoode before the Lord and said I will go out and be a false spirit in the mouths of all his Prophets Take heede you bee not deceiued by any of these spirits which shall seeke to abuse you by pretence of reuelation by visions by dreames by shew of holinesse such spirits are walking and daily conuersant amongst vs in Ireland Woe be to you Scribes and Pharises hypocrites saith Christ for you deuoure widowes houses vnder the colour of longe prayers but our hypocrites rob not widdowes onely but they spoile married wiues make hauocke of Esquires Knights and Lords they spoile all men women and children arming them with grudge with murmure with contempt sometimes setting them in open rebellion against their Prince And who are the inducers of these and many other mischiefes but your Iesuites your seminaries your vngodly massing Priests these are they that are the common disturbers of the Countries quiet that haue stirred vp and set on foote many rebellions these are they that haue blinded your vnderstanding abused your zeale and led you into ignorance vnder A counterfeit pretence of holinesse They will you to pray and they teach you to trust in your prayers they bid you to fast they say you shall merit by your fasting but be no longer deceiued look into the fruits of this prayer and this fasting that they haue so long taught and wherewith they haue almost infected the whole realme of Ireland but especially in the most remote places letting slip persons of greater worth whose eies I hope God wil open to see their owne faults in beholding other mens follies we will take but for our example the base barbarous Kearne the very drosse and scum of the Country yet what Iesuite what Seminarie what Priest or what other member of that rascall rabble that are more precise in their popish obseruations more abstinent in their prescribed fasting daies and that are more scrupulous in any point of Poperie then they bee and yet that very day houre or minute when they will nor touch any flesh butter cheese egs milk or such other like for defiling of themselues they will make no conscience to murther to kill to rob to rauish to spoile or to commit any other villany whatsoeuer You know this to be true be not then any longer enemies to your owne discretions let these Balamâ—tes no longer deceiue you with their lies with their visions with their wonders and myracles Christ hath prophesied that there shall many false Prophets aâ—iâ— shall shew signes and wonders and shall deceiue if it were possible the very elect Many will say vâ—to me n that day Loâ—d haâ—â— we not in thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out Diuels and by thy name done many good workes and then will I professe vnto them I neuer knew you depart from me you that worke â—â—iquitie And Paul hath long agoe foretold vs that which at this day we may behold with our eies In the later time same shall giue heede vnto spirits of errouâ— take heede therâ—fâ—re and when thou hearest tell of visions or myracles for by these delusions the poore people of Ireland â—re most deceiued bring them to the touchstone compare them with the word of God if thou findest they intend nothing but the aduancemet of the Gospell of Christ and the glorie of God thou maist receiue them as sent of God if otherwise they pretend the aduancement of creatures or of superstitious workes or working beware of them for without doubt they are either lies or delusions of the Diuel or some of his ministers practising to deceiue thee for open the Bible and in the very first lease it is written In the beginning God created heauen and earth and all that is contained therein immediately excluding all other Gods made or deuised by man onely to keepe man to the true God that first created him open the Booke still further forth at all aduentures and so peruse from line to line euen to the latter end of the whole booke and you shall meete with nothing but the praises of that God or with fearefull denunciations thundrings threatnings against those that follow strange Gods or giue his glory to creatures stocks blocks or stones Let vs take heede then and beware of these deceipts we haue tasted the word of God a long time we haue receiued the comfort of the gospell let vs not despite it or be wearie of it but let vs build our selues of that corner stone which the builders haue cast off let vs lay our counsels to the square of his truth let vs measure them with the plummet of his righteousnes What eie would not behold the brightnes of that sun what eare would refuse to heare GOD speake Despise not then the wisedome of the spirit refuse not his helpe but seeke the same that we may be strengthened let vs comfort our selues in the testimonies of our adoption let vs not quench the light he hath kindled in our hearts let vs not slenderly account of his mercie nor abuse the time of our saluation God giue vs his holy spirit that wee may discerne the trueth from falshood and know the blessed and gratious will of God that we may feele our darke and clowdie vnderstanding which shineth not but as it pleaseth him to inlighten that we may walke in his waies and serue him in reuerence and feare all the daies of our life FINIS Iohn 1. Ionn 3 Mat. 11. Matâ—h 2â— Math. 2â— Rom. 3 â—am 2 S. Iohn 4. 〈◊〉 Tim â— Math. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Tim. 2. Mat. 4. Math. 14 Mark 13. â— Thes 2. 2 Pâ—â— 2. Rom 3. Phil. 2. Matth. 11. â— Thess 5
heat is now well allayed and as men begin to wax wise so the scorching fire doth daily more and more abate Thus you may see the Pope and his sects are content to giue Christ his name but they rob him of the effect and take the signification of his name to themselues and they make of him but an Hypocrite as they themselues be as though he forgaue vs our sinnes but not the paine due to our sinnes and then who shall be saued for the paine due to euery sinne is eternall damnation These therefore as the Apostle saith are right Antichrists and deny both the father and the sonne for they deny the witnes that the father bare vnto his son and depriue the sonne of the power and glorie that his father hath giuen him CHAP. X. The second marke whereby to know Antichrist A Second marke giueÌ„ vs in the Scriptures wherby to know Antichrist is likewise left vs by S. Iohn as followeth Hereby know ye the spâ—rit of God enerâ— spirit that confesseth that Iesus is come in the flesh is of God and euery spirit that confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the slesh is not of God and the same is that spirit of Antichrist of whoÌ„ you haue heard that he should come Whatsoeuer opinion any member of Antichrist holdeth the ground of all his doctrine is to destroy this article of our faith That Christ is come in the flesh for though the most part of all heretikes confesse that Christ is come in the flesh in their maner yet they deny that he is come as the scriptures testifie the Apostles preach him to become for the whole studie of the diuell and all his members is to destroy the hope and trust that we should haue in Christs flesh and of those things that he suffered for vs in his flesh and of the Testament and promises of mercie which are made vs in his flesh for the scriptures testifie that Christ hath taken away the sinnes of the world in his flesh and that the same houre that he yeelded vp his spirit into the hands of his father he had fully purged and made full satisfaction for all the sinnes of the world But that Christ hath done this seruice in the flesh all the members of Antichrist doe deny and hereby saith the Apostle thou shalt know them All doctrine that buildeth thee vpon Christ to put thy trust and confidence in his blood is of God true doctrine and all doctrine that withdraweth thy hope and trust from Christ is of the diuell and the doctrine of Antichrist Let vs now examine the Pope by this rule and wee shall finde that all that he doth is the destruction of this article he wresteth all the scriptures and setteth them cleane against the haiâ—e to destroy this article he ministreth the very sacraments to the destruction of this article and all his other ceremonies as his absolution penance purgatorie dispensations pardons vowes with all his other disguisings is to that purpose The Pope preacheth that Christ is come to doe away sinnes yet not in the flesh but in water salt oyle candles ashes Friers coates and Munkes cowles and in the vowes of them that forsweare matrimonie to keepe harlots and sweare beggerie to possesse as much riches wealth ease and pleasure as this world may afford them and haue vowed obedience to disobey by authoritie all lawes both of God and man and these hypocriticall and false sacrifices teacheth he vs to trust vnto for the forgiuenesse of sinnes and not in Christs flesh CHAP. XI The third marke whereby to know Antichrist S Paule againe in his second epistle to the Thessalonians giueth this third marke whereby to know Antichrist where he saith that Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himselfe that he is God By this it may euidently appeare that Antichrist shall come in the name of Christ and shall be a counterfeit christian for otherwise he should haue beene an open and expresse enemy vnto Christ A Turke a â—ewe an infidell oâ— heathen whose temples are the temples of Idols and therefore not to be called the Temple of God and so S. Augustine doth vnderstand the Apostles words for saith he The Temple of an Idoll or a diuell the Apostle would neuer call the Temple of God But Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of God hee shall not defy the name of Christ but he shall call himselfe Christs vâ—car the most catholike father the seruant of Gods seruants by these meanes he shall be exalted in the eie of the world he shall win the hearts of the people he shall sit in the consciences of men he shall make Kings and Princes to become his subiects he shall deceiue the learned and wise he shall cast himselfe into a colour of holinesse he shall fast he shall pray he shall giue almes hee shall walke as if hee were a disciple of Christ he shall go before and the world shall follow him they shall run to him out of all parts of the earth they shall fall downe before him they shall say vnto him thou art the comfort of the Church thou art the light of the world thou art most holy all law and all knowledge is hid in thy breast we beseech thy holines shew vs thy way expound thou the scriptures vnto vs teach vs how wee may bee saued thou hast the key of knowledge thy word is the word of truth thou canst not erre Thus shall Antichrist deceiue the world thus shall he dwell in the consciences of the people thus shall he sit in the temple of God but the Apostle saith further that he shall shew him selfe that he is God The Apostle doth not say that he shall call him selfe God for that were too broad and euery man would then beware of him and would say this is but a mortall man borne as other men be of father and mother and they likewise both mortall and againe he shall die and returne to the earth from wheÌ„ce he came but God had no beginning neither shall haue ending Antichrist him selfe knoweth all this and therefore will not deaâ—e so openly to call himselfe God but yet will shew himselfe a GOD and will be contented that other men should so repute him as Pope Nicolas saith It is well knowne that the Pope of the godly Prince Constantine was called God Againe in the Extrauagantes in the same Canon Lawe it is written Dominus Deus noster Papa Our Lord God the Pope And Christofer Marcellus in the counsaile of Laterane said to the Pope Thou art another God vpon earth CHAP. XII How the Pope doth shew himselfe that he is a God BVt he shall shew himselfe that he is a God saith the Apostle he shall receiue all reuerence as if he were God The Pope hath done this you see he hath compared his lawes with the lawes of God hee hath said that his word is the word of God and whatsoeuer he saith it must
Saint Sauiour Scopeteines Frisonaries brethren â—f S. George de Alga Charterhouse Monkes Curthugian Fryers Carmelites Premonstratences Croched Fryers White Fryers Black Fryers Gray Fryers Dominick Fryers Frauncis Fryers Minorites Minimes Obseruants the order of Trinitte Bouhomes now lately viperous broode of Iesuites Then were their women lectaries as Penitenciers Brigidians Magdaline sisters with other Nunnes of diuerse sortes Yet I might speake of graue-keepers called knights of the Sepulcher knights of S. Iohns knights of S. Mary Temple knights Iesus knights and such a rabblement of sundry other sects by me ouer slipped of which if I should vndertake to set downe their obseruations their dissimulations their abominations together with their hypocrisie and filthy liuing I might write for euery letter a line for euery line a leafe and for euery leafe a whole quire of paper and it would yet be too little to discipher out their abominable practises These sects haue beene all of them instituted ratified confirmed and allowed by Antichrist the Pope yet not founded all by one Pope but by sundry Popes according to the words of the Apostle There shall bee false teachers which shall bring in damnable sects the Apostle speaketh in the plurall number and wee see it is fulfilled and these sects as they were infinite so they were as diuerse in their opinions yet all of them of one assent in this they all denyed Christ and they all preached the Pope they deny that Christ is sufficient for their saluation but they must atteine it by working by fasting by going on pilgrimage with a number of other ceremonies too foolish to be set downe Here againe are the words of the Apostle verified They shall deny the Lord that bought them and follow their damnable waies by whom the way of trueth shall be euill spoken of Now what trueth in Christ doth not the Pope and his shauelings rebuke and in setting vp their workes and following their owne waies deny altogether the truth of Christs waies And with faigned words they shall make marchandice of you can any thing be more directly spoken and to proue that they come with faigned words where find we in any place throughout the whole scriptures that maketh mention of purgatory of shrift of the sacraments of confirmation of penance of pardons and such other trash all of their owne faining and by this meanes doe they make marchandice of our soules These lights and many others whereby to discerne Antichrist are left vnto vs in the holy scriptures where the Beast seeing himselfe to be sought for he roareth and therefore to hide himselfe the more closely he persecuteth the word of God and seeketh with all wilynes to driue the people from it and with false and sophisticall reasons would make vs afraid of it he curseth and excommunicateth those that would reade it perswading them they are damned if they doe but looke on it but let not this dismay vs to seeke our soules health for there we shall finde the sweete promises of God to the great comfort of pooâ—e distressed sinners Whatsoeuer is written is written for our learning saith saint Paul but the Pope would perswade they are written to deceiue vs and hee is contented to sanctifie vs with holy oyle holy bread holy salt holy candles holy water holy blessings holy ceremonies and what other holynes a man himselfe would wish for sauing the holinesse of Gods word for that he will in no wise have vs to deale with all this is the doctrine of Antichrist and these be the markes whereby to know him CHAP. XVII Speciall notes whereby to â—onfirme the Pope to be Antichrist THe scriptures haue hitherto furnished vs with sufficient notes whereby to know Antichrist and there are diuerse testimonies yet to bee gathered and all of them confirming the Pope to bee that man of sinne that hath set himselfe against Christ but let vs here examine some fewe examples Christ was humble and meeke and the Apostle saith He humbled himselfe and became obedient euen vnto the death euen the death of the crosse and our sauiour himselfe commanding his disciples to follow his example saith Learne of me that am meeke and lowly in heart ye shall finde rest vnto your soules but is this humilitie to be found in the Pope behold his estate his doctrine his disciples his life you shall see nothing but pompe and glorie he ruleth ouer nations and kingdomes he maketh euery knee to bowe downe vnto him hee maketh Emperours and Kings to bring him water to carry his traine to leade his horse to hold his stirrop to kisse his â—eete he will needes rule ouer all the world and saith I am Lord of lords and King of kings the whole world is my dyocesse If Christ when the diuell profered him the kingdomes of the world and the glorie thereof refused them as things impossible to stand with his kingdome of whom is the Pope that hath receiued them the diuel said to Christ Fall downe and worship me and I wil giue thee all the Pope saith to the Emperour fall downe and kisse my feete and I will giue thee thine Empire he saith to kings in like maner sweare to defend me and my prescriptions and I will vphold thy crowne will giue thee this or that kingdome And as Christ commanded his to be lowly so hee commanded them to all obedience but the Pope will none of that but as he setteth himselfe at liberty and will be tyed to no lawe neither of God nor man so hee that will obey neither father mother neither Lord nor master neither King nor Prince let him but take the marke of the Beast let him but shaue himselfe a Monke a Fryer a Priest or some any one of those sects formerly rehearsed and the matter is dispatched he is exempted from all seruice and obedience due vnto man and the more disobedient he sheweth himselfe vnto the ordinances of God the more apt and meete he is for the seruice of the Pope neither is the professing vowing and swearing obedience vnto their ordinances any other thing then the denying defying and foreswearing obedience to the ordinances of God Doth not the Popes doctrine flatly teach disobedience rebellion and insurrection commanding the people to armes and to send his traditionâ— with sword and fire and neither to obey father mother master Lord King nor Emperour but to inuade whatsoeuer land or nation that will not obey his godhead how bestirreth he himselfe at this day that seeing his excommunications and cursings are so little regarded that men doe eate their meate with neuer the lesse stomacks hee now falles to blowing vp the coles of rebellion of sedition of treason he raiseth subiects against their Princes and setteth Princes vpon their subiects and thus vnder the tytle of Seruus seruorum hee sheweth himselfe to bee Tirannus tirannorum This is the Popes doctrine this is his humilitie this is his obedience and this is all his pietie that is so cloked
vphold their pride and ambition The fruit of their wilfull obedience is to exempt themselues both from the lawes of God and man in so much that if any Prince begin to punish their disobedience they curse him immediately to the bottomlesse pit of hell and will proclame him no rightfull King setting both his owne subiects and other nations against him CHAP. XXIII The Popes practises whereby to deceiue the simple THey teach vs to fly from Christ and worship Saints who as the Papists themselues suppose are most cruell and mercilesse tyrants wreakefull and vengible if their euins be not fasted their Images visited saluted and worshipped with a pater noster with a candle with incense or other offerings in that place which they themselues haue chosen to heare sutors with their supplications and petitions They fray and terrifie vs with their painfull purgatorie the scorching heate whereof is such that it hath not onely consumed infinit treasure both of gold and siluer out of ignorant mens purses but it hath likewise melted Castles buildings Lands and tenements innumerable to the profit of Monkes Friers Canons Priests reguler and seculer and many men haue robbed their heirss to giue perpetuities to these hypocrites to buy perpetuall prayre but rather we may say to buy perpetuall paine for they neuer appoint any time of deliuerance fearing that the Lands should returne back againe to the right heires There be some that haue giuen them large perpetuities to bee prayed for of whom they haue made saints receiuing offerings in their names and teaching other men to pray vnto them that haue giuen great reuenues to be prayed for them selues yet the Pope for monie can emptie Purgatorie when he will but if a man should aske them by what authoritie the Pope giueth such pardon they answere that it is out of the merits of Christs passion and so at the last they are driuen to confesse against themselues that Christ hath not onely deserued for vs the forgiuenes of the crime but also of the paine and then if Christ hath deserued all for vs who giueth the Pope authoritie to reserue a part of his deseruing from me and to sell me Christs merits for money His holynes sends them to heauen with Scala Celi that is with a ladder to scale the walles of heauen for by the doore Christ they will not suffer you to enter but they haue stopt vp that way because they would haue you to buy their scaling ladders They refuse the precious blood of Christ making themselues aprons of Pope holy workes as Adam did of fig leaues to hide his sinne an vniust righteousnes that will iustifie it selfe before him where the Angels doe finde no other buckler then grace And what are our workes but a deformitie filthinesse in the sight of God our sinnes are great for they are against a great God they are infinite because they are committed against him that is infinite and therefore we may not thinke to couer them with merit nor to repaire them with satisfaction for our owne CHAP. XXIIII VVhat our dâ—sernings are and what we are able to merit BVt let vs looke into our deseruing or did wee but keepe a reckoning of our life how small a part thereof doe we bestow vpon God how few of our steps we doe treade in his trace how few are the thoughts that we direct to his seâ—uice Our reason that should further vs vnto all goodnes it is in nothing more vnreasonable then in the knowledge of things belonging vnto God and the bâ—st vse we make of it it seâ—ueth to couer our naughtines and wherein consisteth our vertue but in concealing our vices so that those that haue most wit haue commonly least honesty Thy sences to what other vse dost thou put them then to the marring of the sences thy tongue how much more ready is it to speake euill then to speake good if we doe any good it is but to the end it might bee seene whereby to attaine a little popular praise for in secret we will doe nothing at all if we forbeare to do euill it is but feare lest the world should know it and were that feare away we would sticke at nothing But let vs come to our best perfections and looke into our prayers and what are they but continuall offences when in the middest of our greatest vehemencie our minds are by and by carried away with one vanitie or other so that when we haue prayed we had then neede to pray againe that God would forgiue vs the imperfections of our praiers Is this our righteousnes wherin we haue such trust an vnrighteous righteousnes which will not acknowledge his good to come from God his euill to come from himselfe The Pharisie abased the most highest by lifting vp his owne merit and worthinesse spoyling God of his dignitie by aduancing himsslfe and Christ rebuked nothing so much amongst the Scribes and Pharises as their fasting their praying their washing and their cleansing wherein consisted the hope of their holines for in open sinne their is hope of repentance but in holy hypocrisie there is none at all and as there is no way better for vs to loue God then by hateing our selues so there is no righteousnes in vs to bee accounted greater then by confessing our vnrighteousnes for we then exalt God when we cast downe our selues when we bowe our necks vnder his yoke treading our selues vnder our owne feete by casting our presumption and arrogancie at his feete euen then may wee best trust in God when wee most distrust our sâ—lues and although betweene man and man iâ— wee confesse a debt wee must pay it or acknowledge a wrong we must make amends yet God requireth no other satisfaction then a true and soâ—rowfull confâ—ssion then couering our sinnes with mercie when wee discouer them most truâ—ly CHAP. XXV A friendly admonition to the Irish to beware of thâ—se Ministers of Antichrist that haue so blinded their vnderstanding and abused their Zeale LEt vs then be no longer deceiued but follow the counsell of S. Paul Try all things and keep that is good God hath giuen you the spirit of discretion be wise therefore and make triall to know what is good learne of those of Berea who hearing Paul preach made daily search of the scriptures whether those things were so which hee had taught them and finding them to bee true many of them beleeued do you in like case make triall and receiue nothing without good proofe and testimony and when you shall finde that they are not contrary to the holsome doctrine of the word of God Then keepe that which is good settle your selues then and be not caried away with euery blast of doctrine Beleeue not these Iesuites and Seminaries that doe so bestirre themselues amongst you in Ireland to perswade a religion that cannot abide the light of the Scriptures would not any man that were wise suspect him that would set a Iewel to