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A90952 An answer to Grifith Williams Lord Bishop of Ossorie his book, intituled, The great antichrist revealed, never yet discovered, and proved to be neither pope, nor Turk, nor any single person, nor any one monarch or tyrant in any polity. Pressick, George.; Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672. Great antichrist revealed, never yet discovered, and proved to be neither pope, nor Turk, nor any single person, nor any one monarch or tyrant in any polity. 1660 (1660) Wing P3294A; ESTC R182040 110,354 119

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thousand is there that work not at all but are busie bodies going a begging from house to house and do not walk according to the gospel rule nor example of the Apostles Alexander Rosse saith there was from the year 1211. to 1384. that is 169 years erected in Christendome 1500 Monasteries of the order of St Frances and page 304. he saith in the time of Sabellicus about the year 1494. there was reckoned 4143 Monasteries of Dominicans besides divers Cloisters of them in Arminia and Aethiopia and 150 Covents of Dominican Nuns what may be thought there was then of all the rest of their Orders that live in idlenesse contrary to Pauls command ver 10. that if any would not work neither should they eat and ver 14. if any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man set a mark or brand upon him and have no company with him much more must we not submit to his Traditions but these devourers of the fruits of the earth and the labours of the poor observe the Popes Rules and Commands but not the Rules and Commands of Jesus Christ nor his Apostles and upon this account they are all against and therefore so many little Antichrists under their great Lord and Master the Pope who is the great Antichrist and man of sin and sonne of perdition for he I mean the succession of Popes have confirmed all these inferiour Antichrists in their several Orders and appointed them their work who will pay their wages they will know in time 2 Thes 2.2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as that the day of Christ is at hand These words doe sound as if some false Teachers or Seducers did counterfeit letters and send from one to another in the Apostles name pretending as they had been his which did disquiet the peace of the Church for it seems by the Text as if the effect of these letters and teaching should be that the day of Christ was near at hand as Hemeneus and Philetus disturbed the peace of the Church of Ephesus teaching that the resurrection was past 2 Tim. 2.18 So here it should seem in this Church of Thessalonica was some counterfeit false Teachers that did counterfeit letters as from the Apostles as that the day of Christ was at hand against which the Apostle doth exhort them not to be shaken in mind nor troubled neither by spirit or false revelations nor by word of false teachers nor by letters from any counterfeits pretending as from us as if the day of Christ is at hand let no man saith he deceive you by these or any means for the day of Christ shall not come except there come a departing or falling away first and that man of sin be revealed even the son of perdidition what the meaning of these words is the day of the Lord being at hand I will not undertake to determine whether by it be meant the day of Judgement or the day of the Jews conversion which must be before the general Judgement and Christs revealing himself to his people in the unvailing of the misteries of the Gospel wherein as the Prophet saith Dan. 7.27 The Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the kingdome under the whole Heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most high And Isa 6.12 The Nation and Kingdome that will not serve the Lord shall perish and shall be utterly wasted which of these two is meant I will not possitively determine but I rather think the latter is meant but our main businesse now is in the next verse that That day shall not come except there come a departing or falling away first and that man of sin which is the great Antichrist be revealed by his falling away which must make way for Antichrists appearance I do conceive is meant both the Apostacy of many in the Church to Heresie and the Apostacy of the Church from the right manner of Government and Discipline which was instituted by Jesus Christ and his Apostles The Apostacy to prepare the way for Antichrist was double I take this Apostacy here to be meant of both these forthe first the greatest Heresie and that did the most hurt was the Arian Heresie which began about the year 290 and over spread a great part of the Christian world there was other Heresies at that time but this was the most destructive to the Christian Faith about the year 300 when the Churches began to have some rest from persecution and so from that time forward Bishops had some care of preaching but Mr. Brightman saith the doctrine was much defiled in many heads of it and Reliques began to be of great account in the Church and all kind of superstition increased and pride in Bishops Church dignities were increased and all things sought for that might make for outward pomp and glory in the world more then truth was sought for and Bishops began to be at variance one with another as appears by Constantines Epistle to Miltiades Bishop of Rome about the year 310 thus he writing Constantine the Emperour unto Miltiades Bishop of Rome and Marcus sendeth greeting in so much as many such Epistles are brought unto me from Alininus Livel of Africk in which it is said that Cicelianus Bishop of Carthage is reprehended in many things and this seemeth unto me very grievous c. That among Bishops there should be such disagreeing and variance it seemed good unto me that Cecilianus himself together with the Ten Bishops that seem to reprehend him and Ten other Bishops whom he thought expedient in the behalf of this Cause do saile into Rome that there in the presence of you all together c. By this it appears here was an Apostacy from the primitve purity even among the Bishops as well as by Hereticks and this dicension and difference increased daily more and more Bishops striving for preheminence and augmentation of their Revenues The beginning of the conception of Antichrist for honours and dignity power and command that the institutions of Christ and his Apostles their example and practise in Government and Discipline was laide aside and forgotten and new inventions brought into the Church and new Titles Jurisdiction and power granted to the Bishops by the Councel of Nice which was unknown and unheard of before in the primitive Church which Apostacy from the Apostolical Goverment and diception if I mistake not was a greater advantage to Antichrist and made more way for his appearance then all the Heresies did for this pride and contention and striving for preheminence and jurisdiction increased still until the calling together of the Councel of Nice at which very time Antichrist had his Birth and first bringing forth into the world for there he received his first authority of preheminence above other Bishops and Churches he was conceived long before and was growing in the womb of the Church for the
that born and saith that Antiochus is the most lively type of Antichrist that is in all the Scriptures which he applies to the Parliament coming to this Kingdom I Answer first That if this Argument of his were of force we might easily prove the Pope to be Antichrist the Bishop himself confesseth Page 72. That many of the Popes came to their dignity by the destruction and ejection of other Popes The Bishops arguments prove the pope Antichrist Yea I have shewed that twenty times there were two Popes at once until one was overcome but the Popes got not their dignity only by the destruction of other Popes but by the destruction of Emperors and Kings Pope Gregory the 7th called Hildebrand because the Emperor Henry the 4th opposed him the Pope in his Emperial dignity which he claimed over Emperors and Kings sought his destruction and after twice excommunicating him and making him take a long Journey in frost and snow barefoot and stand three dayes and nights barefoot at the Popes gates to beg pardon while the Pope was playing with his Dallilah Pope Constantine deposed the Emperor Philipicus and caused his eyes to be put out Pope Zechary caused the Emperor to kisse his foot Pope Adrian deposed Deserius the Lombard King and took his kingdom to the patrimony of Peter was not Childrick King of France deposed by the Pope and Pipin his Servant set up in his place and Phocas murdered the Emperor his Master and made himself Emperor What murthers and deposing of Emperors and Kings did the Popes exercise untill they got the Temporal Imperial dignity into their hands as well as the Ecclesiastical by bloud and murther Histories are full to this purpose so that if this were a sufficient argument to discover who is the Antichrist it were an easie matter to prove the Pope to be the Antichrist 2ly I must tell you that many godly and able Divines takes Antiochus to be rather a type of the kingdom of the Turks than of Antichrist and Mr. Brightman saith upon the 11th of Daniel that many men are in doubt whether the things there spoken of belong to Antiochus or to some other King and saith that Calvin doth avouch that it can by no means be referred to Anticchus for how should he do what he list against God when the ships of Shittim limited him verse 30. we will not deny but as you say he was for a time one of the cruellest enemies to the Jewes that ever the Church had and a Blasphemer of God but that doth not prove him neither to be the fourth Beast to whom the ten horns belong nor the little horn that sprang up amongst them What is meant by the little Horn. for the fourth Beast is the fourth Monarchy which is the Roman Monarchy which Anti●chus had nothing to do with and the ten hornes in the seventh of Daniel and those ten hornes in Revelations 17. signifie 〈◊〉 and the same thing which is the Roman Monarchy onely 〈…〉 Daniel mentions another little horn that sprang up among the ten and which should be diverse from the first and therefore I think it may rather be referred to Antichrist the Pope who is diverse from all that were before him because of his double government and he sprang up among the ten hornes that is in the Roman Monarchies the which Antiochus did not and it is true in the Pope which you apply to Antiochus page 71. that he was at first but a very little Horn and had no right to the Kingdom and Jurisdiction and Authority that now he exerciseth for both his Civil and Eoclesiastical power is usurped but he grew up to such dignity that as Daniel saith verse 20. His looks were more stout then his Fellows for what Emperor or King was there in Europe but a few years since that he did not look over with such stoutnesse that he had them all at his beek none durst oppose him for he had a mouth that spake great things for he calls himself Universal Bishop and Christ's Vicar and Peter's Successor And speaks great words against the most High and wear out the Saints speaking presumptuously of his Apostolical Authority and power to forgive sins which is against the most High for none can forgive sins but God only I could inlarge my self much in these things but I strive for brevity Moreover this little Horn is to continue till the antient of dayes sit verse 9 11. I beheld because of the voice of the presumptuous words which the Horn spake and I beheld till the Beast was slain Here the Horn is called the Beast as Antichrist is in the Revelations by the antient of daies sitting I conceive is not meant the day of the last Judgment but the determined time appointed that God will judge Antichrist the Pope of Rome at the pouring forth of the fifth Vial upon the Throne of the Beast and that will when God shall put it into the heart of the ten Horns that is ten Kings belonging to that Monarchy or that did belong unto it which hitherto hath given their Kingdoms to the Beast that is their aid and assistance to maintain uphold the Pope in his Kingdom until the Word of God be fulfilled as Rev. 17.13 17. for v. 16. the ten horns are they that shall hate the whore c. for God is strong that judgeth her and so may well be made for the conversion of the Jewes for when the antient of daies shall fit and Judgment shall be given Dan. 7.22 in the Saints behalf and the time come saith the Text that the Saints possessed the Kingdom as verse 26 and 27. Judgment shall sit and they shall take away his Dominion that is Antichrist's the little horn to consume and destroy it unto the end that is it shall never recover again and the Kingdome and Dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdom under the whole Heavens shall be given to the Saints of the most High his Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him that Nation and Kingdom that will not serve the Lord shall perish yea those Nations shall be utterly wasted Isa 60.12 Take courage all ye that truly fear God for such a time is not far of it bastens greatly though to the outward appearance it seems contrary I believe every tittle of Gods word shall be fulfilled for as soon as that blasphemous Horn is cut off there will be a gathering of the Saints for these things belong to the little Horn which is Antichrist and not Antiochus for the effects of the little Horns working you see by Dan. 7. and Rev. 17. must continue untill Antichrist be destroyed I refer the consideration of this to the godly wise whether Antichrist or Antiochus be meant by the little Horn. Page 77. he saith That the tricks and fallacies of the Antichrist to get Proselites and Followers after him to effect his wickednesses are six-fold First A feigned
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 ●●●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 th● 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
Apostle tells us 2 Thes 2.7 That the mystery of iniquity did even then begin to work onely he which now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way I shall shew you what it was that did let and hinder his appearance and then return to our main businesse again Now that which did lett and hinder Antichrists appearance until it was taken out of the way was the Roman Heathen persecuting Emperours that did hinder for Antichrist could not settle himself where he was to have his Throne until they were removed and a Christian Emperour came in place under whom he might have shelter in his minority until he grew up to some strength which Christian Emperour was Constantine the great who besides his defending of Christians from persecution he left Rome holy to the Pope to raign and rule in and himself went to Bezantum which now is called Constantible and settled himself there We read in Revel 6. what fell out in the Churches upon the opening of the six seals I must give you a hint concerning them before I come to the businesse I intend Vpon the opening of the first seal St. John beheld a White Horse and he that sate on him had a Bow and a Crown was given unto him and he went out conquering and to conquer or that he might overcome by this Vision some think is meant the Ministry of the word of God preached by the true Worshippers in the primitive Church next after the Apostles and their Successors Psalm 45.3 4. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O thou most mighty with thy Glory and Majesty ride on prosperously because of truth and meeknesse and righteousnesse for Christ did conquer wonderfully while his Ordinances was kept pure without mixture of humane inventions and institutions and superstitious observations which it may be is the cause why the Ministry doth so little good and doth not work so effectually upon the Hearers as it did in former times And upon the opening of the second seal there appeared a Red Horse and he that sate thereon had power given him to take peace from the Earth and that they should kill one another by which is meant the cruel persecutions blood and war that followed the preaching of the Gospel which is to be understood of the Ten persecutions and I think also what hath happened in every Kingdome since where the Gospel hath prevailed Antichrist and his instruments hath raised war and persecution and sowed sedition and endeavoured to corrupt the Ordinances and to kill men in their souls if they cannot kill their bodies And upon the opening of the third seale there appeared a Black Horse and he that sate upon him had ballance in his hand by which is signified samine and scarcity of Food which for the most part doth follow wars for the contempt of the Gospel brings wars and wars brings famine and it is recorded that about the year 316 there was a grievous Famine c. Vpon the opening of the fourth seal there appeared a Pale Horse and his name that sat on him was death which signifies the Pestilence and other Contagious diseases whereby men are suddenly taken away by death And upon the opening of the fifth seal John in a Vision saw under the Altar the souls of them that were kiled for the word of God and for the testimony which they held erying How long Lord holy and true dost thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth but we must not imagine that these Marryrs have any real desire of revenge for Saints in Heaven are not affected with any such passion but it is rather to be understood that as Abels blood crved for Vengeance Gen. 4.10 So the●e Martyrs blood cries for Revenge But Mr. Brightman rather thinks this revenge to signifie their earnest desire of delivering the innocent party from their persecuters which the blood of these soules cries for and the answer that they receive is that they must rest for a little season until their brethren and fellow servants which should be killed as they were meaning under Antichrist were fulfilled for Antichrist was not far of And when he opened the sixth seal there was a great Earthquake and the Sun became black as sack cloth and the Moon became blood and the Stars of Heaven fell to the Earth c. by Earthquake in Scripture is oftentimes signified ●omotions troubles uproars in Commonwealths and alteration of State and Kingdoms as when the Psalmist speaks of the Children of Israel coming out of Egypt Psal 68.8 The Farth was moved the Heavens also dropped at thy presence O God and the Sun became black c. shews that the persecution signified thereby should be very cruel So the Prophet speaking of the destruction of Babylon Isaiah 13.10 The Starrs of Heaven and the Constellations thereof shall not give their light the Sun shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine And Ezek. 32.7.8 I will cover the Heavens and make the Stars to be dark I will hide the Sun in a Cloud and the Moon shall not make her light to shine all the lights that shine in the Heavens will I make dark upon thee and will bring darknesse upon thy Land saith the Lord God Aretas reports out of the works of Andreas that many said this Earthquake was taken for the persecution until the coming of Antichrist and that thus the Scriptures are wont to speak of any notable change by the name of an Earthquake and he said truly only he mistook the time af Antichrist coming For Mr. Brightman saith by this Earthquake is to be understood that persecution which was more cruel then any that was before it which fell out in the raign of Diocleasian and Maximinian the last two persecuting Emperours about the year 300. and by the stars falling in this book of the Revelation is ment the Ministers and Pastors of the Church who are called stars for the shining light of the Gospel which they Minister while they preserve the doctrine of the Gospel pure from Heresie and the discipline from mingling it with the inventions of men are compared to stars and by the stars falling from Heaven is meant their falling from the sincerity of their profession to Heresie Superstition or Idolatry either in Doctrine in Discipline or Practise and many did fall about this time through the rage of these two parsecutors who endeavoured to rout out Christianity and the Scriptures by the Roots and published their Proclamations that the Books of Scriptures should be burned in the Market place we saw saith Eusebius with these very eyes the holy and divine Scriptures perish in the very Fire where they were thrown The Scriptures for it's glorious light may well be compared to the Sun and here you see how this Sun the Scriptures was darkned in this Earthquake and consumed with fire in this persecution a City in Phrygia wholy inhabited with Christians the