THE DANGER OF POPERY OR A SERMON PREACHED at a Visitation at Ashford in Kent vpon 2. Thess 2. 12. Wherein the marks of Antichristianisme and signes of truth are opened and applied and the Question of the sauing and damning of those that follow Antichrist is explaned by the Scriptures By ROBERT ABBOTT Preacher of the Word of God at Cranebrooke in Kent APOC. 14. 10. The same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God LONDON Printed by I. L. for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith and are to be sold at the Golden Lyon in Paules Church-yard 1625. TO THE REVEREND and Right VVorshipfull Doctor KINGS LEY Archdeacon of CANTERBVRY my louing friend ROBERT ABBOTT wisheth all increases of faithfulnesse in Gods Church heere and glory hereafter through Iesus CHRIST Right Worshipfull and Reuerend WHat you thankfully and louingly accepted when it was preached commeth you see in another forme crauing a second veiw Though what I intended could not all be spoken in the allotted time yet may it all be seene If you thinke it may be vsefull in this secure age for any of the Cleargy vnder you your countenancing of it may incourage others to reade it I doubt nothing of your loue either to mee or mine much lesse to the common good This poore Sermon will I hope be found to ayme at good because at God and against Antichrist It is true it might haue beene the worke of farre more able but not more willing Therefore as such a worke it is tendred vnto you from him who desires to continue to God a faithfull souldier against the Pope of Rome and to your worship A poore friend and fellow-helper in the worke of Christ Iesus ROBERT ABBOT The danger of Popery or a Sermon preached vpon 2. Thess 2. 12. That all they might be damned which beleeued not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse THE Wise-man who as Salomon saith hath his eyes in his head may easily perceiue that in these words there is a fearefull danger when they say that all they might bee damned and a full description of those which are in danger when they say they are such who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Concerning which it is impossible that either we should be profitable learners or speakers except we take a short veiw of the whole chapter without which we cannot aptly vnderstand this present text In the chapter therefore you may conceiue The chapter analysed with mee two points first a doctrine and secondly an vse The doctrine concernes Antichrist and commeth in thus There were seducers as it seemes in the Primitiue Church who would haue perswaded the Christians that the day of iudgement was at hand And hence afterwards grew that Atheisticall question in Peter where is the promise of his comming Now to 1. Pet. 3. 4. preuent the danger of them the Apostle giues an admonition forced vpon their hearts with a graue and powerfull charge that they would not Verse 1. be troubled with such a suggestion vpon what pretence soeuer For what he saith he giues a Verse 2. double reason the first drawne from the effect of that conceit it would deceiue them and the Verse 3. second from the proper reasons of that effect which are those things which must happen before Christs comming to iudgement and these are two The first is that Apostasie or leauing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10. 20. our standing and by faith we stand and the Apostle expounds it when he saith that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith The 2. Tim. 4. 1. second is the reuelation of Antichrist and so comes in the doctrine concerning him Which doctrine is first propounded and secondly amplified It is propounded both by setting downe what he shall be and what he shall doe In respect of his estate naturall he shall be a Man in respect of his estate sinfull and cursed he shall be a man of sinne the sonne of perdition Now for what he shall doe both by opposition and ambition the text saith that he shall oppose and exalt himselfe as you may see Secondly the Apostle doth amplifie this doctrine Verse 4. both by the corrupting causes of Antichrist and by his furtherances and meanes of aduancement as also by the persons who shall giue him intertainment As for the corrupting causes they are three first the persons to whō hee should haue binne knowne that is the Thessalonians who remembred not what Paul had taught them concerning him Secondly the person Vers 5. Vers 6 7. Aetas Antichristi nascentis sub Benifacio 3. exultantis sub Adriano 7. regnantis sub Hildebrando triumphantis in Leone 10. Crak defens con Spal cap. 4. pag. 21. v. 8. Vers 9. Vers 10. which hindered his Reuelation that is hee which with-helde to wit the Romane Emperor who did decline as the Roman Papacy crept vp Thirdly the person hindering his progresse that is the Lord who shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth and abolish him with the brightnes of his comming Now for the meanes of Antichrists aduancement the Apostle sets them downe to bee these too which wee find to bee true in our owne experience when wee looke vpon the aduancement of Popery to wit signes and lying wonders in forged miracles and deceaueablenes of vnrighteousnes in guilded lies Lastly touching the persons who shall giue Antichrist intertainment they are described by their condicion they are saith the text in a perishing estate by the causes of it namely their owne sin they receiued not the loue of the truth gods iudgment who therefore sent them strong delusion and lastly they are descibed by the Issue of all that is damnation in this verse which is propounded Vers 1 2. vnto you So that this followes vppon those miserable Antichristians to be damned Antichrist is reuealed God fights against him The Summe of the chapter concerning Antichrist men willingly slight the truth the Diuell fights for him men beleeue lies and follow him and God damnes them This is the Summe Let not the following vse bee hungred after till the proper place of it For the present thinke with your selues that euery man is apt to harken after others danger and therefore if we heare Tunc tua res agitur of robbery or murther ye inquire who it was Seing then that in these works ye hear of danger of killing of bodies and soules and robbing them of god and happinesse diligently attend to two things 1. The persons in danger they who beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnesse 2. The danger of the persons that all they might be damned The order of the Apostle is I know by this meanes inuerted yet this I take to be the most proper naturall way of handling first to know a thing before we know the adiunct of it first to know a man before wee can know his danger Touching
the person if you aske me who are these miserable Antichristians I answere from The persons in danger the text Doct. They are such as beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnesse They are described here by Infidelity in respect of the word of God and by euil beleife in respect of the word of Antichrist Which descriptiō that you may conceiue consider the foure tearms of it First what is meant by the truth secondly what by not beleeuing the truth thirdly what is meant by vnrighteousnesse fourthly what by taking pleasure in vnrighteousnesse By truth you must vnderstand the doctrine of the Gospel contained in the Scriptures Thus Christ expounds Ioh. 17. 17. it sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth which word is so called in three respects First in respect of the vndeceiueable nature of it All other doctrines are either false or may be vaine or fruitlesse They are false if they oppose the religion of the Scriptures They may be vaine whether they be naturall or ciuill if they doe possesse vs and captiuate or peruert our vnderstanding for these haue their places if they doe prepare vs for higher Modò praeparent ac non detineant ingenium imployments and doe not imprison vs from God and his more sauing truth Secondly the word is truth in respect of the imployment which God hath giuen it in the Church to be a rule and square of all sauing truth As Moses must build according to the patterne so must we lay the ground of all sauing Heb. 8. 5. and wholesome truth according to the Scriptures Therefore when Christ meant to destroy by degrees and to deface the deformities of Antichrist he giues Iohn as a tipe of the Ministery of the Gospel Apoc. 10. 8 9. the little booke to eate which is the word of God Hee gaue him not the great Popish volumes of decretals which together with the spirit of prophesie in the Popes owne breasts doe make vp the word of Antichrist but the little volume of the holy Scripture which maketh vp most fully the word of the Lambe Lastly it is called truth in regard of the worke of it because it doth confound errour and worke sinceritie in iudgement heart tongue affections and the whole conuersation of those who without preiudice doe cleaue vnto it For though some thorough the iust iudgement of God are giuen ouer to the blindnesse of their minds and rebellion of their wills and so doe not submit vnto the word as those who resisted the holy Ghost yet so many as are ordained Acts. 7. 5◠Acts. 28. 23. 24. Act. 2. 47. vnto life and shall be saued are by this meanes at some times or other reclaimed from their false courses and added to the Church Thus you see what is meant by the truth now if you aske mee what is meant by not beleeuing the truth I answere the not receiuing of it into our heads and hearts For that which he called before ◠Thes 2. 10. the not receiuing the loue of the truth that they might be saued heere he calleth not beleeuing the truth Besides the power of beleeuing is called a Ioh. 1. 12. receiuing by Iohn when he saith that as many as receiued him to them he gaue a right to be the sons of God euen to them that beleeue in his name The contrary to this not beleeuing is expressed by three significant phrases namely sealing grafting hiding Esay saith Seale vp the Law among my Disciples Esa 8. 15. The fowles pecke the wheate in the stony ground but that which is sealed vp is not easily come by to be stolne away Iames saith receiue with meekenesse Iam 1. 21. the word which is graffed in you As the graft is receiued of the stocke into one body so the word must bee incorporated into vs and not to bee separated from vs but to our ruine The Psalmist Psal 119. 11. saith that I haue hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sinne against thee As blessed Mary kept Luk. 2. 19. 51. the sayings of Iesus Christ in her heart so Dauid kept the promises of God by faith When the truth is not thus sealed vp and hid in our hearts by being taken into our nature that we may liue and die with it but the smoake of the bottomlesse pit is suffered Apo. 9 2. to darken our soules then are wee said not to beleeue the truth But what now is meant by vnrighteousnesse in this place Nothing but falshood For as sinne in generall is taken for false doctrine as when Christ Ioh. 8. 46. saith which of you can rebuke mee of sinne as we see by the opposition there but if I say the truth why doe ye not beleeue mee so vnrighteousnesse in particular in this place as we see by the opposition here not beleeuing the truth but hauing pleasure in vnrighteousnesse And falshood may be called vnrighteousnes both because it carryeth vs from the rule of righteousnesse which should informe our Quod efficit tale illud ipsū est magis tale vnderstanding and reforme our hearts and whole conuersation that we might haue an accepted righteousnesse as also because it is a fearefull cause of vnrighteousnesse The Romanes abusing the law of Nature and turning the truth of God into a lye Ro. 1. 24 25. were giuen vp in their hearts vnto lusts vncleannesse and other Gentiles as well as they hauing their cogitations darkened and hearts hardened for Eph. 4. 18 19 want of sauing truth gaue themselues vnto wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse Thus you vnderstand vnrighteousnesse one thing more will cleere all and that is what may be meant by taking pleasure in it I answere the giuing of our hearts to the pleasing enticements of Antichrist as effeminate persons giue themselues to the pleasing enticements of harlots For there are three sorts of the followers of Antichrist Some that are simply seduced such are they who are said to dwell on the earth that is in the visible state and condition of the Church who were Apoc. 13. 14. deceiued by the signes and great wonders of the beast Some that are by feare and torture compelled such are those small and great rich and poore Apoc. 13. 16 17. bond and free whom he made to receiue his marke or else they should neither buy nor sell Some also there are that are carnally minded who liue in pleasure with the whoore of Babel such as are said to commit fornication with her and to be drunke with Apoc. 17. 2. the wine of her fornications and to waxe rich with the aboundance of her pleasures Of these doth the Apoc 18. 3. holy Apostle speake in this place Thus haue I as God hath inabled mee opened vnto you the words of the Apostle by which you may perceiue that the text driues at the description Who are Antichristians of Antichristians and
The like wee may say of the Adoration of the Hoste especially because we know not the Priests intention and of many other Articles of their Trent Faith whereof if wee cannot be assured how can they giue vs comfort either in life or death Thus you see in some measure how you may be assured that our religion is the truth If now you will aske me how then it could possible bee that the world could so much be deceaued by Rome I answere because the smoake of the bottomles Apoc. 9. 2. pit had darkned the Sun and ayre and the Lambs hornes were vpon the head of Antichrist that Apoc. 13. 11. foule beast Looke therefore as if a Traytor carry the colours of a Prince in warre all the common souldiers doe flock vnto him guard him fight vnder his Banner till the Traitor be knowne and the Treason be discouered So the Popes of Rome retaining the common principles of faith Communia fidei principia Cypr. and manners and professing themselues to bee Colour-bearers to Iesus Christ without which they could not so easily haue insinuated themselues into the hearts of the World their Profession giuing good occasion of enquiring after them and cleauing to them most of the Westerne Professio opportunum fuit inquirendi exordium Christians whom hee had wrought by power and policie flocked vnto him but when his pretences were discouered and they would no longer take his part against Christ then hee makes a faction and head against vs in the Councell of Trent and excommunicateth vs like the Iewes that cast out their brethren and said Let the Lord be glorified as if it were our fault that Esa 66. 5. Columba Noae pag 28 29 30. we would not drinke his poyson and not his who was so vncharitable and trecherous as to offer it vnto vs who did flye vnto him for shelter Yet let not this his furious and Antichristian course dismay vs but let vs in despight of all his power and policie beleeue the truth of the Lambe and stoppe our eares against the vnrighteousnesse of the Beast or else let vs hearken to what doth follow to be handled That they might all be damned Heere is the danger of these Antichristians The danger of Antichristians Such as haue poysoned heads reiecting the word of truth and poysoned harts taking pleasure in falshood which is manifested two wayes first by an eager pursuite of the thinges of Antichrist without examination as if they should say we will be thus because we will be thus doating vpon a spirit of infallibilitie secondly by a cruell quelling killing and sacrificing the opposers with fire and sword superstition being naturally cruell of such I say that the Apostle saith Doct. They shall be damned But you will say that the text saith they shall onely bee iudged The Popish Râ—emists say so indeede They would haue the punishment of the followers of Antichrist be as smal as they can Whether Antichristians shall only be iudged I cannot blame them for it is naturall to euery creature to seek to preserue it selfe but it will not serue their turne heere for first the greatnesse of the sin which is the contempt of the Gospel calleth for infinite more than iudging For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and euery Heb. 2. 2. 3. transgression and disobedience receiued a iust recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation Secondly the greatnes of the iudgement going before shewes that this can be no lesse then damnation for what else can 2 Thess â— 11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 follow strong delusions which infatuate a man are sent in wrath Thirdly as the word it self doth signifie to iudge so to punish condemne Paul saith what haue I to doe to iudge them that are without i. punish by excoÌ„munication or otherwise 1 Cor. 5. 12. Againe whooremongers adulterers God will iudg that is punish So Christ saith though he Heb. 1â— 4. iudge them not who contemne his Gospell yet his word shall iudge that is condemne them Ioh. 12. 47. 48. Pilate saith to the Iewes iudge him according to your owne law that is condemne him So In the new translation also in many other places as well as in this text that according to the iudgment of our English Church which is not to bee slighted From hence then for the clearing of the text Whether all Papists shall be damned will arise this duestion whether all Papists shal be damned I answere God forbid we should delight to imbrue our heads or hands in the blood In my Sermon called the tryall of true religion of any The cruelty of their false religion the mercy of ours is well enough known as I haue shewed else-where Therefore we say three things In my Sermon called the tryall of true religion First that there are common principles in the Church of Rome which being known and accompanied with harts willing to be informed in the truth purposes and indeauours to know and doe a right holy obedience to what is knowne by those principles so far as they are come may bring men to saluation For who doubts but that the Beleife the ten Commaundements the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments doe comprehend all sauing fundamentall points of Faith and practice These therefore being in the Church of Rome though with much corruption vpon the former limitations may affoard grounds of saluation to them to whom God giues power with an honest hart to receiue them Secondly we say that in the midst of Popery God hath reserued a remnant according to the election of grace which is called the Temple of God and Gods people who by these meanes haue attained 2. Thess 2. 4. Apoc. 18. 4. to saluation Thirdly we say that such haue not bin members of the Popish Apostacy wherein euery liuing thing died though in the Romane Church for hauing knowledge of the Apoc. 16. 3. common principles and being ignorant or at the least not so fully stated in the pernicious errours of the Popish corruptions though they haue bin in that Church yet they haue not beene of it as many of our forefathers from age to age When therefore the holy Ghost saith that they shall be damned we must by the helpe of the same holy Ghost in his word distinguish of Persons of doctrines and of times As for Persons in the Church of Rome they are of two sorts First such as haue the name of 1 Persons the beast and the number of his name that is such as are in outward communion with him Apoc. 13. 17. who though they are deceiued yet they may haue docible hearts and mindes willing to learne when our prouident God doth offer opportunitie Secondly such as worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his markes that is such as are in inward fellowship and mysterie with him Apoc.
telleth vs that they are such as receiue not with high estimation and reuerence the word of the Lambe but make a religion and take delight in the word of the beast Vse 1 Now of this description we may make a double vse First for instruction and secondly for exhortation First it teacheth vs that they are most properly Antichristians who take delight in the whooredomes and idolatrie of the Church of Rome and of this they carry a double brande First their slighting of the word of God in the Scriptures as most of vs know For as the Pope doth vnyoke himselfe from it by the spirit of Prophesie as he is that Caiphas by the spirit of interpretation as he is the Church by the spirit of infallibilitie as he is Christs Vicar by pretended tradition as hee is the Churches Treasurer and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Thess 2. 8. the power of dispensation as he is that lawlesse person so his followers from him doe disgrace and discountenance the Scriptures that they may walke in darknesse without controule Are we not daily acquainted Pseudo-scriptu a late Popish booke so called with their pleading against the Scriptures with their deriding of vs for our coÌ„stant appeales vnto it Hence is it that they fill theÌ„selues with much durt to cast in our faces for the Scriptures sake Ob. First they tel vs that all heretikes run vnto the Scriptures As the Scribes and Pharises other Iewes against Christ So Ebion Corinthus Menander Arius heretikes of all times Sol. Why heretikes appeale to the Scriptures We answer that it is true that heretikes do take this course that for three causes First because their consciences haue tolde them that there hath beene some diuine thing in them aboue all writings whatsoeuer and therefore they thought that if they could shelter their conceits vnder the wings of the Scripture they were safe Secondly because they see that all the members of the Church whom the deuill doth seeke principally to annoy doe loue and make them their teacher comforter and counseller which they will Psal 119. more willingly heare then all the world Heretickes therefore being willing to propagate their errours will corrupt such friends as are most deare to the parties whom they would haue to imbrace them Thirdly because they haue beene thus farre acquainted with the doctrine of the Church that they know it maketh the Scriptures a spirituall iudge pronouncing vnder God as from liuing oracles what is necessary to be held and practised in all fundamentall matters of faith and obedience For these reasons I say haue heretickes runne vnto the Scriptures yet for all that as Christ obiected Scripture in truth against the Scribes Pharises and deuill who obiected it against him in hypocrisie euen so must we What though mine enemie say that he hath part in mine inheritance and that this and this peece of land is his shall I therefore begger my selfe and resigne it ouer vnto his spoile shall I not rather search out my euidences and cleere the truth of my right and the falshood of his claime by those meanes which the kingdome where I dwell will afford what though a Bastard say that he hath right of inheritance to my land shall I therefore renounce all my owne birth-right So though all the enemies of faith and bastards in the Church shall claime a right in our inheritance and portion of the Scriptures shall we therefore forsake all our liuelyhood comfort in them shall wee not rather labour by the benefit of those gifts which God hath giuen not to the Pope and his adherents but to the true Church of God to wit the gift of interpretation tongues wisedome knowledge prayer and the like to cleere the impostures of falshood and the glory of truth Ob. Yea but meane while you will say that the fancies and errors of wicked persons are not sufficiently condemned in the Scriptures Sol. Bee not too rash Is not diuelish temptation sufficiently condemned in the Scriptures because the Diuell doth tempt Christ from the Scriptures abused vniust or vncharitable Suites are sufficiently condemned by Law though wrangling persons will still pretend law to maintain them so are all Heresies sufficiently condeÌ„ned in Scriptures though Heretickes seeke to maintaine them by Scriptures abused Ob. You will say how then is it that they are not conuinced by them Sol. I answere two things first the Scripture is sufficient to conuince without which it cannot make perfect else Christ would 2. Tim. 3. 17. Math. 12. 3. Math. 22. Math 4. not haue vsed it to that end neither would the Pharisies nor Sadduces nor the Diuel be put to silence by that meanes Secondly many thousands haue binne conuinced by it to the rectifying of their iudgments And if some are obstinate shall wee say that it is not in the Scriptures power to conuince Noe rather t is Gods iustice Act. 7. 51. to punish their obstinacy and to giue them ouer to perishing as those that resist the truth Ob. You will say how can the Scripture conuince them when it is not their Iudge Sol. I answeare It is their Law to rule guide their actions therefore it is their Iudge for Iudges are but ministers of the law It is the law which doth iudge of claymes titles inheritances trespasses and the like and the Iudges doe not make the iudgement of the Law but pronounce it And so the Ministery of Gods Church and people doth but pronounce the iudgment of the Scripture And if sometimes it doth pronounce amisse as it may do though it take neuer so good heed to the word of God in those things which are not necessarily beleiued vnto saluation it is not because the scripture doth not exactly iudge but because wee know in part and are not perfectly 1. Cor. 13 12. inlightned and so may misse of the right meaning in some things as the best Iudges in some cases may misse the right meaning of the law Thus haue I shewed you in some few particulars Papists belieue lies how the Papists sleight the truth and yet in vaine to pull vpon themselues the first badge of Antichristians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second is their delighting in that Lie of Antichrist which is heere called Vnrighteousnes Antichrist is that great Theife who commeth Ioh. 10. not in by the doore into the folde looke therefore as a theife puts out the candle that so beeing deceiued he may deceiue others so doth Antichrist put out the light of the scriptures so much as he can that his wretched lies seducements may the more easily be settled vpon himselfe with his followers All false religions are lies but there is no religion in the world that I know which makes lying a part of their religion Pâ—ae fraudes pia mendacia but that of Rome They haue their Aequiuocation their godly deceites and lyes such as are made and told for the