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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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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
filth so do these delight in the filthy stinking abominations of their own inventions doctrine of merrit and justification by the dung of their own righteousnesse for so the holy Apostle Paul judged his righteousness as losse and dung Phil. 3.8 but these Frogs for so they are rightly termed in this respect they will be saved by their own dungie works of righteousness which they have done 〈◊〉 they will not be beholding to Christ for his righteousnesse for which cause they are called ver 14. The spirits of Divels for who else but Devils will reject Christ and his Righteousness to be justified and saved by their own righteousness they are also said To go unto the Kings of the Earth to gather them to battel and what Kings Court is there where these Frogs are not Crocking yea in Parliaments Councels and Synods and all Assemblies to bring about their mischievous designes and if they cannot prevail then to stir up Kings and Princes to Wars yea and Subjects to to fight and devour one another witnesse the late Horrid Rebellion in Ireland where a hundred fifty four thousand of Men Women and Children were murthered as it 's recorded besides what was killed in battel and the Irish Rebels were stirred up thereunto by these Frogs and spirits of the Devil many more the like passages might be shewed but I would not be tedious Thus the holy Ghost hath given such a character of them to know these Frogs by that any man that is not wilfully blind in judgement cannot deny but these I have named are they And they are said to come out of the mouth of the Beast c. because the Popes breath doth authorize them as I said above the Jesuits at their mission do engage to go at the Popes command where he will send them without asking a reason and they are called spirits perhaps because they shall approve themselves to be no lesse industrious in dispatch of their business then spirits or because they are like to that breath that cometh out of the mouth which hath great affinity with those from whom it is breathed for cooling and giving life for these three golyasses are joyned in great league and friendship with their Lord the Pope they draw life and heat from him and they mutually return the like to him again by their industry for him but these things cannot be applyed to the Long-parliament nor Presbyterians c. They are said to be the spirits of Divels working miracles because of the divilesh and prodigious works that they are employed in by the Devil who hath given to the Pope his power and his throne and great authority for the Pope is the Devils instrument to work by and he is Lord and King over these Locusts and Frogs to command them upon his service And as to their miracles I have spoken something before and therefore will not relate it here again only this I will say that suppose these miracles they tell us of were true as they are not probable they should be yet we read that Pharaohs magicians by permission and by the help and assistance of the Devil did work as great miracles as they and the Divel both hath done and will do the like among them for their delusion Popish miracles though true yet they are delusions in effect saying Come let us go after other Gods and to advance his own kingdome and to hearten and incourage both the Actors and beholders in their Superstitious Idolatrous worship and upon this account I wonder not if the Divel suffer himself to be cast out by their conjuration and exercisme or rather willingly go forth of the possessed at such a time for by such means he hath drawen away many hundred thousands from the right way of truth and this doth fulfil what was prophesied what Antichrist and his Instruments should do 2 Thes 9.11 that his coming should be by the working of Satan with power and signs and lying wonders and in all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish that because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusians to believe lies c. and such delusions as these God hath given us warning of Deut. 13.1 2 3. That if there arise among you a Prophet or Dreamer of Dreams and shews thee a sign or a wonder and that sign or wonder whereof he spake unto thee come to passe saying let us go after other Gods thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet for the Lord thy God doth it to prove you whether ye love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul Mark ye God doth not suffer such signs and wonders to be wrought to try us whether we will hold fast the truth or turn aside to such delusions for though the thing prove true yet it is but a delusion because it is beyond what is written for our instruction for miracles are now ceased in these dayes and therefore to the Law and Testimony Isa 8.20 If they speak not according to this word it is because the light is not in them so that what the Prelate Priest or Fryer Jesuite or other doth in that respect though the thing prove true yet the effect is as if he should say Come let us go after other Gods as in the Text above and is a meer delusion For such Conjuration and Exercisme is no institution of Jesus Christ nor his Apostles no not the Masse it selfe nor their Frenzy carriage and deportment at M●sse the Jestures Vestments c. The Priest begins with a Psalme then he combs his head and washeth his hands then he sprinkles holy water then they sing again while the Priest is approaching towards the Altar between a Priest and a Deacon if there be so many before whom march two Taper bearers and before them is carried the Censor and Incense in going up to the Altar the Priest bows himself then at the Altar the Priest opens the book and kisseth it A discription of a Popish Masse during the time of Messe he bows himself eight times after Confession and Absolution he blesseth the incense and puts it in the censor then kisseth the Altar and remove●h to the right side of the Altar the Kyriele●son is said nine times in one Masse then the Angelical Hymne is Sung then the Priest turning to the people he salutes them with these words The Lord be with you the Quire answers And with thy spirit seven times in the Mass the Priests salutes the people but turns to them but five times then the collects or prayers are read and the Epistle then the Priest removes to the left side of the Altar and the Gospel is read by the Deacon in a high place with his face towards the North the Cross the Cenfor and two Lights is carried before the Gospel at the reading of it the people stand up and crosse themselves after that
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
wantonnesse they are drowned in Whordome and Fornication and Sodomy and all Beastlinesse witnesse their Stews of both kinds c. They have hair as the hair of Women And their teath were as the teeth of Lyons that is to snatch and catch all they can come by they Croke like Frogs every where and give not over Croking until they have their prey they have such teeth that they devour all the fat morsels they got Church livings into their hands they first made impropreations they incroached upon temporal mens Lands if you look upon Abbies Priories and Nunneries also the Jesuits increased so fast that 75 years after their order began they raised as Ribadneira saith A yearly revenue out of their Colledges of twenty hundred thousand Crowns yearly you may easily judge by this what Teeth they had Ver. 9. And they had Habergions like Habergions of Iron that is they are so strongly armed with the defence and countenance of the Pope who is set over them and which the 11 ver calls the King of the bottomlesse pit they are so strongly armed by his defence and priviledges granted to them as if they were covered over with Capapee that no secular power dare quitch them Pope Gregory the 9th Canonized Frier Dominick for a Saint and granted him priviledge that his order should not be subject to any ordinary but the Pope that they might preach in any mans pulpit without asking leave of the Bishop and to make Noblemen and Ladies confesse to them and not to their Curates to administer the Sacrament when they pleased See here the armor of the Locusts to be exempt from all ecclesiastical censors the Franciseans likewise had many priviledges which is ascribed to him as that should bear Christ in his armes that he had the mark of Christs five wounds upon him and that his mantion in Heaven is next unto Christs who dare then disturb them on earth that have such power and place in heaven they have priviledge to make masters of Divinity among themselves Pope Paul the 3d. granted to the Jesuits for the advancement of their order to admit as many into their society as their general shall please he also gave them power to preach administer the Sacrament hear confessions and to absolve in any place where they please their general may excommunicate and imprison delinquents and is not this better to them then any armour of proof who dare oppose them that are thus priviledged they are exempted from all secular power from all Taxes and Tythes they have power to exercise all Episcopal functions to ordain anoint exercise confirm consecrate dispense all these priviledges was given by Pope Paul the 3d. Pope Julius that succeeded priviledged them to erect universities where they pleased to confer degrees to dispense with fasting and prohibited meats Pope Pius 5th granted them leave to read in any university where they come without asking leave and that none must hinder them but all are bound to hear them See for this Alix Ross His view of all Religions p. 304. and 340. Thus you see with what armour of proof these Locusts and Frogs are armed withal that when the University of Paris brought a blasphemous book to the pope written by the Domicans which they called the everlasting Gospel the pope disalowed of their book yet would he not have it publickly condemned least the dignity of the Monks should thereby be impeached Magdeburg Centur. 13. Chap. 8. So that you see whosoever durst dart against these Locusts it was all one as if they cast a dart against an Iron Brigandine or Habbergion of Iron And the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots when many horses run unto battel you heard above how these Locusts are armed that they are without all fear even as chariot and horses running into battle they stand in awe of none but keeps others in awe to them for if they be moved that any dare to speak against their Religion and Authority what a fluttering doe they keep with terrible noise and threatnings to uphold their Kingdome as once Frier Dominick c. did against the Albigenses for if these Locusts do but flutter and stir up themselves they are a Terror to all Kingdomes to keep them in awe to the pope their King and Governour for when they consider that there are so many Thousand of these Vermin within the bowels of their kingdome ready at the popes command that by the clapping of their wings in Churches Pulpits and all Assemblies how soon can they set all on an uproar as if they were runing into battel to maintain the pope and themselves in their gainful Trade of Idolatry and Superstition c. And ver 10. They had Tayles like Scorpions and stings in their Tayls the Tayle is every thing that is the worse in its kind so that by Tayle in this place we may understand the begging Friers for they are the worse of that kind of Vermin as Isa 9.15 The ancient and honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lies he is the Tayle for the leaders of this people cause them to erre and they that are led of them are destroyed See how fitly they are compared to the Tayle for their Venemous Doctrine is their sting wherewith they have slung many hundred thousands to death so faith the Prophet They that are led by them are destroyed and they had power given them to hurt men five moneths that is all the time of Antichrists raign until he and they be destroyed together Ver. 11. And they have a King set over them which is the Angle of the bottomlesse pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon that is destroying and so he is called in 2 Thes 2.3 The Son of perdition which shewes that this King of the Locusts and that Antichrist 2 Thes 2. is all one and to shew you that the Pope is this King over these Friars the Locusts Pope Boneface the 3d. received the Key about the year 607. and opened the bottomless pit for these Locusts to come out and Boneface the 4th 2 or 3 years after made them of his Clregy it was after decreed in the Councel of Lateran by Pope Innocent that no man without the Popes approbation should devise any new Religion and that whosoever would convert to any Religion he should join to one that was before allowed of and this decree was again renewed by Gregory the Tenth at the Councel of Lyons Now what else is this but for the Pope to make himself King over these Locusts to bind them with Lawes in those things which before was free and this is his Kingly power over them so that no man can now as they are described justly make doubt either who is the Angel of the bottomless pit or who are his hellish Army I think it is plainly made out by undeniable reasons and arguments that the Pope and the succession of popes is the Angel of
and after he hath done all he may go to Hell for his pains being all that he did was but an outward form a husk or Hell of godlinesse denying the power thereof and both the Pope and his instruments with all the means they can use labour to hinder the power of godlinesse in others and bind men to outward conformity of humane inventions and not divine institutions there is no favour of Heaven nor Heavenly things amongst them but all manner of abominations Covetousnesse Hypocrisie Ambition Pride Tyranny Murthers Treasons witnesse The Gunpowder-plot poysonings Sorcery Inchantments Necromancy Witchcraft Conjuration Delutions Idolatries Superstitions Adulteries Fornications Sodomy Incest Exercismes Perjuries Crouching Crossing Washings Pilgrimages Numbring prayers upon Beads with false Spittle Oyle Holy Water Crisme Crucifixes Agnus Dei Crosses Reliques Images Altars Penance Intercession to Saints c. with a number more the like and which even the best of them their Popes Prelates Cardinals c. have been exercised in all these things and these are their Devotions which consists in outward bodily exercise which an Hypocrite or reprobate may do yea and hath done much more all which shewes that they are carnal earthly sensual and divilish For though he have two Horns like the Lamb he pretends fair in outward shew but he spake like the Dragon for verse Second The Dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority his Throne is the Seven hilled City of Rome his power and authority by which the Pope doth act the Holy Ghost saith plainly It is not from God but from the Devil the Dragon for from whom else can these works named above The Pope hath his power throne from the dragon and the like proceed but from the Devil he speaks like the Dragon in deed in all his words and doctrines and his works declare from whence and from whom they come all his false Doctrines and lying Miracles and unwritten Traditions and service in an unknown Tongue and prayers in a Language not Understood by them that pray and the like you see here from whence the authority came that sets up that kind of Worship and Service Chrysostome in his 48 Hom. what is it saith he that Antichrist shall not attempt he will pretend the works and offices of Christ to serve himself of Christ and to fight against Christ under fair pretences to introduce his pernitious traditions upon Christians for their practise And he did all the first Beast could do before him and he caused c. in which Text is shewed that this second Beast the Pope by his Ecclesiastical Authority and Jurisdiction he could doe all that the first Beast could do by his civil Authority but we must take notice that he hath his power from the Dragon as well as the first Beast both their power is from him and are both as one in the largenesse and extent of their power for their power is both included in this second beast as you have heard in regard of his double power and Jurisdiction which he exerciseth whereby he was able to doe all that the first Beast did before him even in the sight and open view of the whole Empire And he caused the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the Beast whose deadly wound was healed that is Papists worldlings and Counterfeite Christians to worship the first Beast to receive and set up Superstitious and Idolatrous worship such as the Heathen Emperours had only it changed the name for the Popish Superstition and Idolatry is as great as ever the Heathen was and by compelling them to worship the first Beast and not to worship himself is his pretending to Antiquity that he might have the more esteem in the world as if he should say he challenged no new thing to himself but that which his predecessor had left him by inheritance so that though this worship come under the name of Christ yet it is as abominably wicked as was the Heathens for they condemned the true Worship of God and set up false Worship and so do the Popes and labour by cruel Laws and Decrees to force men to their Idolatry and false Worship and humane Inventions To Worship the Beast whose deadly wound was healed in these words the Holy Ghost speaks of a second Condition of the Beast whereby his first dignity had been somewhat diminished by having one of his heads wounded the seven Heads here are the seven Hills of the City of Rome they are also seven Kings Rev. 17.9 or seven Kingly Governments The beast received his deaths wound in 415. whereof five were fallen when John writ on his faith he and another is not yet come and when he cometh he must continue but a short space that is until he should have his deadly wound but the deadly wound should be healed the sixth head which then was when John writ was the Heathen Roman Emperours the seventh head was the Government by Popes which began in Constantines time after the Heathen Emperours was removed the short space that he continued after he came before he received his wound First by Alaricus about the year 415. wherein he took Rome and wasted it which Hierome speaking of saith That the most glorious light of all the world was put out yea the Head of the Roman Empire was out off or as it is in the Text The head was wounded as it were to Death The whole world saith Hierome was undone in the destruction of one City and in another place he saith That City which vanquished the whole world was vanquished I said before that Antichrists Kingdome began at the Councel of Nice about the year 328. so 〈◊〉 the time of his continuance before he received this wound was about 87 years which was but a short space in comparison of the time that he hath raigned since his wound was healed but Rome was taken again after this by Adulphus who gave it such a deadly blow that he began to advise with himself about changing the name thereof and to call it Gothia Rome was taken the third time by Gensericus the vandal and the foutth time by Odoaces Rugianus who reigned there 14 years but Theodorecus King of the Gothes killed him and Totilas followed after him in a certain order of succession and he destroyed it and brake it down the fifth time and brought it to such desolation that it is said there was neither man nor woman found in it for 40 days who would not have thought but that the seven hilled City had been utterly perished who would not have thought but that the Popes dignity that is the seventh head but that it had seen his last and utter decay for it was now at that time wounded as it were unto death whereupon it was that the Bishops of Constantinople and Ravina supposing that the authority of Rome had been quite overthrown they strove to appropriate the dignity to their Churches as if they had been the
and dissembling sanctity to be well thought of by all men Secondly Smoothnesse of Language and fair speeches to gain love and favour Thirdly Wit and Eloquence to perswade men to aid and assist him Fourthly Large promises and great gifts to win them unto him Fifthly Signs and wonders all pretended to be done from God to draw men to a good belief of all his actions and if all these cannot serve the turn to make men become his Adherents and Assistants then Sixthly Terrors and Tortures shall do the deed Whence it is demanded if this six-fold Art was not most exquisite in the Presbyterians and the prevalent Faction of the Long Parliament And the Question is Answered and proved that these six Arts as you call them are more exquisitly to be found in Antichrist the Pope of Rome then they are to be found in these you name or any others in the World besides First Antichrists faigned and dissembling sanctity appears in making above fourscore holy daies in a year besides Sabbath daies which are kept and observed with no less reverence and devotion than the Lords day and also his faigned dissembling holy water Crosses Crucifixes Agnus Dei beads baptising of Bels consecrating of Altars Garments the corporal body of Christ the Chalice the Linnen to cover the Altar the Eucharistical the Sensor Incense the Chests or Coffers wherein the Saints bones are kept Crosses Images Easter Tapers Fonts First-fruits salt Church-yards all these things are consecrated and these are but a part of Antichrists faigned dissembling sanctity Secondly His smoothness of language and fair speeches appears in that he calls himself Christs Vicar and Peters Successor a Father to the Church and the people are his Children and bears his name Papists from the name Pope he tells them that he is the servant of all Christs servants which if he were so indeed as they believe him to be this were sufficient to make him to be as well thought on by all men as he is by all his followers Thirdly His wit and Eloquence to perswade men to aid him appears in his insinuating himself into the affections of Emperors and Kings and Clergy c. calling them his most honourable and obedient Sons as Pope Julius to the Synod of Constantinople salntes them thus In that your charity my most honourable Sons doth yield due reverence to the Apostolical Chair therein ye get unto your selves much reverence for although it belong unto us especially to sit at the Helm which we have taken upon us to govern in that holy Church where the holy Apostle sate as Doctor yet we acknowledge our selves unworthy of so great honour Theodor. Book 5. and 9. I think he shewed his wit and eloquence here to get aid and assistance to set him a step higher and also in the benediction and priviledges which he grants to his obedient Sons Fourthly His large promises and great gifts appears in that he promises the pardon of sins and the Kingdom of Heaven and such promises are of great force with those that believe that he hath power to do it for to win men unto him for he not only pardons what is past but if they please him well he will pardon sins for a great while to come and establish Emperors and Kings in their Kingdoms and if they displease him he can soon turn them out whether they belong to Church or State and set up others in their stead therefore it is no wonder if his promises and gifts gain men unto him and seek all waies and means to please him Fifthly His signs and wonders pretended to be done from God appears in this that whatsoever is done to confirm an errour may be said to be a fraudulent sign or miracle as to confirm their ●ransubstantiation it hath been said the Priest hath so ●●nningly ordered the matter that after consecration the wafer being pricked with a bodkin a drop of bloud hath appeared but we will set down the famous miracles of Pope Sylvester one is that by sacred Baptism he cured Constantine of a leprosie but this is a Romish lying fable to encrease the Popes authority for he was not baptised by Sylvester but by Eusebius at Nio●medea as Socratis 1. book chap. 26. His second miracle that he raised up a great Bull that was killed by Zambres a Jewish Sorcerer his third that he bound a Dragon after a miraculous manner saith Mr. Brightman in his confutation of Bellermin these are some of Antichrists signs and wonders I have spoken of many of them before and therefore shall passe it over here for Antichrists Church of Rome is known to exceed all the world for signs and wonders Sixthly If all these will not serve his turn then terrours and torments must do it and that appears first by his thundring excommunications as Pope Hildebrand said in an Epistle to the Germans that Henry the fourth was striken with a Thunderbolt when he was excomunicated by Hildebrand that which once was said of Nebuchadnezzer may not be unfitly applyed to Antichrist the Pope for his power was once extended so far that all Nations feared before him for whom he would he set up and whom he would he pulled down and Gentius King of Iliricum would not submit to this Tyrant until he was taken Prisoner to Rome with his Wife and Children did not Pope Alexander cause Henry the second to go barefoot with bleeding feet to Thomas Beckets Tomb at Canterbury for displeasing this Tyrant and did not Pope Innocent the third because King John would not submit to him at last so terrifie him that he made him kneell down to Pandolphus his Legat and kiss his foot and also to kiss Steven Langton Bishop of Canterbury his foot and Pope Innocent the second took th Dukedom of Sicily from the Emperor and made Roger King thereof and Pope Alexander made Fredrick the Emperor to fall flat upon the ground while the Pope trode upon his neck one might multiply examples of this nature to prove that what the Pope cannot do by other means to make men adhere unto him that he compels them by terrors and torments for to do it so that if these be infallible signs of the great Antichrist as Bishop Williams produceth them for that end but then it cannot be denyed that the Popes of Rome are the great Antichrist for they have exceeded all the Christian world in the exquisite practice of these six signs of the Antichrist which cannot so properly be applicable to the Long Parliament and Presbyterians c. nor to any one else in the world as to the Pope of Rome Page the 79. he saith the Apostle in calling Antichrist the Man of sin and not the Man of sins 2 Thes 2.3 gives us to understand and his meaning is that Antichrist should commit some singular and peculiar sin that should only and properly be the sin of the Antichrist and of none else and which he saith is not the sin against the Holy-Ghost nor
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 ●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 f●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