Nicholas Belerrian a Minister in Shrop-shire John Adams a Taylor and John Lacels a Gentleman belonging to King Henry the Eighth these beholding the Invincible Constancy and patience of Mistriss Askew were thereby much incouraged in their Sufferings About the same time Sir John Blage of the Kings Privy Chamber was falsly accused to have spoken against the Mass upon which he was condemned to be burnt in Smithfield whereupon the Earl of Bedford begged his pardon of the King who Commanded it to be drawn immediately After his release Sir George coming to the King Ah my Pig said he for so he usually called him Yea said Blage if your Majesty had not been better to me than your Bishops were your Pig had been roasted before this time Presently after Gardiner Bishop of Winchester and his Confederates set forth a Cruel Proclamation in the Kings Name for abolishing the Scriptures and all other English Books that discovered the truth to the people and having obtained this they very much rejoyced therein hoping that they had now for ever suppressed the Gospel so that it should never rise again and to strike the greater terror into mens minds they made a diligent search after the Professors of the Truth of whom they took the Names of some drove away others and hereby doubted not but to attain their ends But it pleased God that in the midst of these subtil Contrivances for the destruction of his Gospel and Servants to take away King Henry the Eighth within four Months after the Proclamation and thereby all their hopes and projects were utterly disappointed King Henry the Eighth being dead his only Son Prince Edward our English Josiah ascended the Throne under whom the Protestant Religion was established and Popery and Superstition abolished for he caused all Images to be demolished and as Idolatrous to be taken out of all Churches within his Dominions the Learned men of his time he encouraged and commanded them to open and expound the Scriptures he abolished the Mass and ordered the Service to be read in the English Tongue and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be administred in both kinds to the People But it pleased God in a short time to take him to himself for in the Seventh Year of his Reign and the seventeenth Year of his age he was taken with a lingring sickness during which time a Marriage was concluded between the Lord Guilford Dudley eldest Son to the Duke of Northumbereand and the Lady Jane the Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk whose mother being then alive was Daughter to Marry King Henry the Eighth's second Sister The Marriage being finisht and the King every day more sick than other so that he seemed past Recovery the Duke of Northumberland being ambitious to advance his Family perswaded the King that the Church and the True Religion would be in great danger if he did not chuse a pious Successor and that it was the part of a good Prince to set aside all other respects when the Glory of God and the good of his Subjects were concerned The King partly for his great desire to have the Protestant Religion confirmed and partly for the intire love which he bore to his Cousin the Lady Jane signed Letters Patents under the Broad Seal to appoint the Lady Jane to succeed him in the Kingdom although her Title were excluded by the Lady Mary who was alwaies a zealous Papist and the Lady Elizabeth This was afterwards confirmed by the Nobility and Chief Lawyers of the Kingdom and was subscribed to by all the Kings Council the Lord Maior and Aldermen of Lndon who upon the Death of King Edward which happened in a short time after proclaimed the Lady Jane Queen in London and Westminster The Lady Mary being in Hartford-shire and hearing of it presently sent to the Lords of the Council commanding and requiring them to Proclaim her Queen which if they refused to do she threatned to recover her Right by force of Arms. The Lords returned answer That the Lady Jane was invested and possessed of the Crown by just Right and Title both by the Ancient Laws of the Land and by Letters Patents signed and sealed by the late King before his death and therefore they declared they would adhere to her and to none other requesting the Lady Mary that she would not upon any pretence endeavour to disturb the peace of the Kingdom promising her that if she would carry her self as a dutifull Subject they would be ready to do her any service The Lady Mary having received this answer withdrew further from the City and the Council being sensible of her stout and unquiet disposition they raised an Army which was commanded by the Duke of Northumberland The Lady Mary went into Suffolk and Norfolk gathering such aid of the Commons as she could and kept her self in Framingham Castle to whom the Suffolk men first resorted who being alwayes forward in promoting the Gospel promised her their aid and assistance provided she would make no alteration of the Protestant Religion as it was established by her Brother King Edward To this she readily agreed and confirmed it with such Vows and Ptotestations that none could suspect her whereupon they joined with her and thus by the help of the Protestants she vanquished the Duke of Northumberland and his Army and was settled in the Kingdom but she soon forgot her promises for these very Suffolk men observing that Popery would be re-established they Petitioned to her to perform her word to them at which she was extreamly displeased and told them Forasmuch as you who are Members desire to rule your Head you shall one day find that Members must obey not se k to rule Yea one of the chief of these men Mr. Dob by name she caused for the Terror of others to be set in the Pillory several times and divers others that presented Supplications to her not to set up Popery she caused to be sent to prison Queen Mary being settled in the Kingdom the Lady Jane her Father the Duke of Northumberland and her Husband the Lord Guilford Dudley were soon after Beheaded and the Queen soon discovered her disaffection to the Protestant Religion by displacing all the Orthodox Bishops as Poinet Ridley Scorie Hooper Coverdale and by releasing out of the Tower Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester whom she made Lord Chancellor of England and Bonner who was made Bishop of London Then the Queen publisht a Proclamation that she was resolved to observe and maintain the Catholick Religion wherein she was bred up requiring all her Subjects quietly to embrace the same A while after this Bonner and Gardiner begun a cruel and bloody persecution upon the Protestants and made them fall in heaps For Mr. Hooper Mr. Rogers Mr. Taylor Mr. Bradford Mr. Saunders all famous men were condemned and burned for Heresie In the year 1555. Thomas Tomkins whose hand B. Bonner burnt in prison to try his constancy was afterward burnt in Smithfield
and profess the Christian Religion and have no Communion with Rome than there are Papists 4. It is the prerogative of Jesus Christ alone to be Head of his Church for as there is one Faith and one Lord Jesus Christ so there is but one body which is his Church united to him as her head Eph. 4.3 4. Psalm 2.6 Quest What are some of those Errors brought in by the Pope and his Clergy which occasioned the Protestants departure from their Communion Answ There were several Errors and Extravagancies Introduced both in Doctrine and Discipline one of their Doctrines was that of Purgatory which they affirm is a place next door to Hell where the Torments are as extream as those of Hell it self but not eternal in this place they say the Souls of the Faithful are purged some for a hundred some for five hundred or a Thousand years till they are delivered by the Prayers Masses Popes Pardons but especially by the Money of their Friends or Relations Quest What say the Protestants to this Answ They say it is Blasphemy to believe that Men are purged from sins in this place since the bloud of Christ is the only purgatory for our Sins Besides there is no ground in Scripture for any such belief St. Luke 16.23 In Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torment c. St. Matt. 28.12 They shall sit down with Abraham c. in the Kingdom of Heaven but the other shall be cast into utter Darkness where shall be Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth Mark 26.16 He that believeth shall be Saved and he that believeth not shall be Damned Quest What other Errors do they maintain Answ The Doctrine of Transubstantiation for they say that in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Jesus Christ is corporally present and that there is a change of the Substance of the bread and wine into the natural body and blood of Christ Quest What answer the Protestants Answ That this Doctrine is contrary to many plain Testimonies of Scripture it overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament and hath given occasion to very gross Idolatry and great Superstition and besides it contains a multitude of absurdities and contradictions For 1. Then must our blessed Saviour hold himself in his own hands yea devour and eat up himself and yet still sit whole and entire at the Table with his Disciples 2. The body of Jesus Christ must be in a Thousand places at the same time 3. His whole body must be in the mouth of every Communicant at once 4. His whole body must be less in quantity than the least Limb of his body 5. His body must at the same time be broken and unbroken and must at the same time ascend and descend and lastly must be subject to putrefaction and many other Absurdities And therefore those words This is my Body are to be understood that this doth signify and represent my body and upon the same account Christ is called a Rock a Door a Vine and yet none can be so sensless to think that Jesus Christ was turned into any of these Quest VVhat other Errors are they charged with Ans That the Scripture ought not to be set forth in the Common Tongue but that it is dangerous for the people to read the Bible lest they fall into Heresie Qu. What do the Protestants answer to this Answ That the true Reason of this is because if they suffer the People to read the Scripture it would make them abhor the Popish Religion as being absolutely contrary thereunto For the Scriptures exhort all to be diligent Readers thereof and our Saviour saith vvhat say the Prophets and Apostles concerning this Search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Seek ye the Book of the Lord and read Isa 34.16 They were more noble in that they searched the Scriptures dayly Acts 17.11 They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Luke 16.29 Let the word of God dwell richly in you Col. 3.16 Take the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God Eph. 6.17 From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 Except you utter Words easy to be understood how shall it be known what is spoken 1 Cor. 14.9 16. Qu. What other erroneous Doctrines do the Papists hold Answ The praying to Angels to the Virgin Mary and the Apostles and Saints departed Quest VVhat say the Protestants to it Answ They say That the Papists by praying in that manner do give to the Angels and Saints departed the highest religious Worship and Adoration that is possible and so are guilty of fearful Idolatry and that we ought to go to God in the mediation of Christ alone neither have we any ground to believe that the Saints in Heaven know our particular Persons wants necessities or desires and the Scripture seems contrary to all this Call upon me in the day of trouble Psal 50.15 Say Our Father which art in Heaven Luke 11.2 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only Mat. 4.10 Let no man beguile you into a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels Col. 2.18 There is one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 Through him we have access unto the Father Eph. 2.18 Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 VVhatsoever you shall ask in my name I will do it John 14 3. Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel know us not Is 63.13 Thou sendest man away his Sons come to Honour and he knows it not they are brought low but he perceives it not Job 14.21 St. John fell down to worship before the Feet of the Angel then saith he see thou do it not for I am thy Fellow Servant worship God Rev. 22.8 9. Cornelius fell down at St. Peter 's feet and worshipped him and Peter said stand up I my self am also a man Act. 10.25 Quest Do not the Papists affirm that we ought to pray for the dead Answ Yes but the Protestants answer They that dye in the Lord need not our prayers and they that dye in their sins can have no benefit by them and that the reason why the Popish Priests uphold this Error is because they get so much money by it Lastly we have no Command from God no promise to be heard no Example in Scripture for praying for the dead or praying to Saints Read 2 Sam. 12.21 Now the Child is dead why should I fast and pray Blessed are they that dye in the Lord Rev. 14.13 Qu. Do the Papists hold that all that dye without Baptism are undoubtedly damned and shut out of Heaven Answ Yes But Protestants say that is false for then 1. The Penitent Thief could not be saved contrary to that of St. Luke 23.43 2. A multitude of Infants must be damned for the neglect of their Parents which is a cruel and uncharitable censure contrary to Gen. 17.7 1 Cor. 7.14 Rom. 4.11 Mat. 19.14 Quest Is water the only visible
and Princes have been forced to kneel and kiss their Toes nay they asserted that all Kings were Slaves and in subjection to them and that all must be judged by the Pope but he by no man Psalm 88. LOrd sit not still as deaf unto our Cries For lo Our Enemies in Tumults rise Even those who thy Omnipotence deny And hate thy Name advance their Priests on High Dark Councils take and secretly contrive Our slaughter whom thy mercy keeps alive Come say they let us with incessant strokes Hew down this Nation like a Grove of Oaks Till they no longer be and Israel dye Both in his Race and Ruin'd Memory They all in one Confederacy have made A solemn League supply d with forreign Aid Hence Idumeans who in Gomades stray And Shaggy Ishmaelites that live by prey Th' incestuous race that bred are on the Lake Of salt Asphaltes savage Thieves who take Their Name from servile Hagar they who dwell In Geba Ammonites who peace expel Oh! say they let 's these Israelites destroy And all the Cities of their God enjoy O! let them like a Wheel be worried round Like chaff which whirlwinds ravisht from the Ground As Woods grown dry with Age imbrac'd with Fire Whose Flames above the singed Hills aspire So in the Tempest of thy wrath pursue And with thy Storms thy troubling Foes subdue O fill their Hearts with Grief their Looks with shame Till they invoke thy late blaphemed Name Confound them with eternal Infamy That they through anguish of their Souls may dye That Men Jehovah's wonders may rehearse The Great Commander of the Universe Mens Brains fryed eaten Children torn in Peices Infants thrown to the dogs swine Woemen Carried on Piks Rosted alive Some tyed and slain Hang'd by the Privitie Burnt in a barn A Brief and True Account of the Cruelties and Persecutions Committed by the Papists upon the Waldenses and Albingenses and other Protestants in Piedmont Savoy and the Valtoline from the Year 1160 To the Year 1656. VVHen by the just Judgment of the Almighty All the World wondred after the Beast and the Kings and Princes of Christendom established the Authority of the Pope and Church of Rome appointing to slaughter and destruction such as denied the horrid Blasphemies and Errors maintained by them It occasioned many good Christians to detest their Superstitions as unknown to the Apostles and the Primitive Church And the first we read of was one Berengarius who boldly and faithfully published the True Religion contained in the Scripture and discovered the falseness of the Romish He lived about the time of William the Conqueror his coming into England about which time his Followers being taken notice of as dissenting from many of the Common received Opinions of those times they were branded with the odious Name of Hereticks About Twenty years after this one Peter Bruis was a famous Preacher among them who taught them publickly a long time at Tholouse in Savoy In a short time after they were grown to so great a multitude that the Popes of Rome were resolved if possible by any means to extirpate and destroy them To which end they at first incited several of the most learned of their Party to write against them and warned divers Princes to have a care of them and to banish them out of their Territories The first then that flung away the Spiritual Keys and began valiantly to brandish the bloody Sword of Persecution against them was Pope Alexander the third who began therewith to hack hew and murder the poor Waldenses so named from Peter Waldo or Waldo of Lyons in France who appeared very couragious in opposing the many Corruptions of the Romish Church as Holy Oyl Consecrated Images Popes Indulgences Candles Merits Auricular Confession the Supremacy of the Pope false Miracles Purgatory Praying for the Dead Prayers to Saints extream Unction and many other Fopperies of the Popish Communion This Persecution of Waldo and his Followers who were encreased to a very great number began in France in the Year 1060. Waldo being compell'd to fly into the Mountains of France among the Savage Inhabitants to whom he taught his Doctrine others fled into Picardy from whence they were called Picards several into Flanders and Alsatia and thereby for the safety of their Lives they spread their Doctrine into all places King Philip of France being incited by the Ecclesiasticks raised Arms against them and destroyed Three Hundred Gentlemens Houses and likewise several Walled Towns And those that fled into Flanders escaped little better for they were persued and many of them for their Religion put to Death And the Bishops of Mayence and Strasburgh raised great persecutions against those which fled thither there being Five and Thirty Citizens of Mayence burned in one Fire and Eighteen in another who suffered Death with very great constancy and at Strasburgh at the instance of the Bishop Fourscore were likewise burnt for professing the same Truth and yet by the exhortations constancy and patience of these Martyrs there were such multitudes who entertained their Doctrines that in a few Years after in the County of Passau and in Bohemia there were above Fourscore thousand persons that made profession of the same Faith Some of them likewise fled into England for shelter but were more barbarously and cruelly put to death at Oxford by the Papists there than ever any Christians were before that time for matters of Religion and Three years after Pope Alexander the Third made a Decree in the Council of Tours in France that these Gospellers and all their Favourers should be Excommunicated and that none of them should buy or sell according as it was foretold in Revel 13.17 At Colen in Germany Four Men and Two young Women were discovered hid in a Barn and the Papists not being able to diswade them from the Truth The Men were all tyed to the Stake to be burnt but the Romanists pretending to pity the young Women perswaded them to recant but they perceiving their design got out of the hands of those that held them and voluntarily leapt into the Fire where they were burned with them about this time a Proclamation was published in Aragon whereby it was made Treason to relieve these poor Christians or to suffer them to live in that Country and liberty was given to all people to abuse them at pleasure without being punished for the same But these people still encreasing the Pope was resolved to suppress them by all means possible and therefore about the Year 1201. He set up the Bloody Inquisition which with its Racks Tortures Fire and all manner of Cruelty hath destroyed an innumerable company of Good and Holy Men. And in the same Year a noble Knight called Eunandus and one of the Waldenses was burnt at Paris and the persecution still continuing the people of Daulphine flying from their barbarous Enemies sheltred themselves in the Caves upon the Mountains but their cruel Adversaries having notice thereof persued
The Protestant School-Master CONTAINING Plain and Easie Directions for spelling and Reading English with all necessary Rules for the True Reading of the English Tongue TOGETHER WITH A Brief and True Account of the Bloody Persecutions Massacres Plots Treasons and most inhumane Tortures committed by the Papists upon Protestants for near six hundred years past to this very time in all Countries where they have usurped Authority to exercise their Cruelties That is The Persecutions of the Protestants in Piedmont Bohemia Germany Poland Lithuania France Italy Spain Portugal The Low Countries Scotland Ireland and England With a Description of the Variety of their Tortures curiously Engraven upon Copper Plates And several other useful Particulars By Edw. Clark B. D. LONDON Printed by T. B. And are to be sold by John How at the Rose and Crown in Sweetings Alley near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1680. The Protestant School-Master CONTAINING Plain and Easie Directions for spelling and Reading English with all necessary Rules for the True Reading of the English Tongue TOGETHER WITH A Brief and True Account of the Bloody Persecutions Massacres Plots Treasons and most inhumane Tortures committed by the Papists upon Protestants for near 600 Years past to this very time in all Countries where they have usurped Authority to exercise their Cruelties That is The Persecutions of the Protestants in Piedmont Bohemia Germany Poland Lithuania France Italy Spain Portugal The Low Countries Scotland Ireland and England With a Description of the Variety of their Tortures curiously Engraven upon Copper Plates And several other useful Particulars By Edw. Clark B. D. LONDON Printed by T. B. And are to be sold by Enoch Prossor at the Rose and Crown in Sweetings Alley near the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1680. TO THE Protestant Nobility Gentry and Commonalty of ENGLAND SINCE we may Daily observe That the Romish Foxes both Jesuits Priests and Layity do lay out the utmost of their strength and Policy to introduce their cursed Principles and Practices into this Kingdom it concerns every Man to be upon his Guard and to endeavour as much as possible to secure and forewarn all Protestants of the danger of the return of that medly of Non-sence Blasphemy and Slavery And young Persons especially ought to be truly informed thereof since the design of these Sons of Belial is to debauch the Youth of this Nation and therefore upon all occasions you shall hear them vilifying all Religion and abusing the Holy Scriptures there being none fitter to be Roman Catholicks as they non-sensically call themselves than Atheists because they find little or no difference between the Popish Religion if it deserves that Name and none at all since Treasons Rebellions Murders Rapes Burnings and all manner of the most Horrid Cruelties Hell it self can invent are so far from being Crimes or Sins that they are many times counted meritorious and a Man shall deserve Heaven for committing them according to the Doctrine of that Church there being no sin unpardonable but that which they falsly call Heresie or the true Worship of God according to the Scriptures and for this it is that they would have murdered our Gracious Sovereign turned our Land into Blood Slaughter and Confusion For this they would have overthrown our Religion enslaved our Consciences or else have burnt our Bodies to Ashes as they did our Ancestors It is difficult to give a draught of this bloody Beast of Rome it would be a horrid sight to draw him in his full proportion yet take a short view of him so as to tremble at the thoughts of what others have suffered and what he yet hopes to inflict upon us if Divine Providence prevent him not though no doubt but the Almighty will save and deliver us out of his Hands His Eyes are Flames that have consumed the Bodies of many Thousand Martyrs His Mouth is like Hell gaping for his Prey Blood gushes out of his Jaws like Rivers his bloody Tuskes are the Racks and tormenting Engines wherewith he grinds the Bones of Gods Saints His Tail is Armed with the stings of Scorpions wherewith he lashes Kings and Kingdoms from his Throat he belches forth Curses and Excommunications and denounces Judgments and Death upon all that oppose him It is this Monster of Persecution and Cruelty that the Slaves of Rome endeavour to advance in all places where they have Power and Authority and by this you may Judge of their Principles and Religion by these evil Fruits you may Judge of the Tree and what Spirit they are of their hopes are very great and their confidence mighty but we trust Heaven will blast their designs and overthrow their Machinations and yet save his People So that we may have cause to bless the Lord of Heaven and Earth and to praise him in the Congregation Let us therefore have no disagreement among Protestants but let us as one Man by all justifiable and lawful methods in our several Places and Stations oppose this armed Beast of Persecution And let us instruct our Youth both in their Principles and Practices that so they may avoid and fly from them as from that which will certainly ruine Soul Body and Estate for ever This is the design of this little Book which will give a brief Account of the Mischiefs and Villanies committed by that Man of sin upon the Servants of God ever since he appeared in the World the like of which were never acted by Heathens Turks or Infidels and since they make so ill use of Pictures upon many accounts I have endeavoured to draw in Picture some short strokes of the variety of their Tortures practised upon Protestants a Volume not being able to contain the whole of their Horrid Massacres and Inhumane torments Here are likewise Rules for teaching young people to read English so that this may serve instead of any other Book of this kind and youth may at the same time reap both profit and Delight and thereby learn in time to read their Bible that Great Enemy to the Popish Church and which they formerly have and would again burn as well as our Bodies if it were in their power Therefore let us Conclude in the words of the Royal Psalmist Psalm 5. Destroy thou the wicked and mischievous Persecutors O God let them fall by their own Councils Cast them out in the multitude of their Transgressions for they have rebelled against thee but let all those who put their Trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for Joy because thou defendest them let them also that love thy Name be Joyful in thee For thou O Lord wilt bless the Righteous with favour wilt thou compass him as with a Shield Amen So Prays he who is an hearty Well-wisher to the Protestant Religion Edw. Clark The Alphabet of several sorts of Letters Roman small Letters a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s s t u v w x y z Italick small Letters a b c
substantial sign to be used in Baptism Answer Read that of Saint Mat. 3.11 I Baptize you with vvater and Acts 10.47 Can any forbid water that these should not be baptized But the Papists use Salt Oyle Spittle and many other Superstitions and Additions which they have made to the Institution of Jesus Christ in Baptisme King James of Famous Memory in his Apology hath these Words The Queen my Mother at my Baptism although I was Baptised by a Popish Arch-bishop sent him word to forbear to use the Spittle in my Baptism which was obeyed it being indeed a Filthy and Apish Trick Her own words were That she would not have a Pocky Priest to spit in her Childs Mouth Quest What do the Papists mean by the Mass which they so often talk of Answ It is the same which the Protestants call the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the Papists call it the Mass thereby intimating that the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is made a Sacrifice and offered up to God which as it is used by them is both Vain and Idolatrous 1. Because by the Death of our Blessed Saviour who was Sacrificed for our Sins Divine Justice is sufficiently satisfied and the Sinner who returns and Repents is fully secured as to his everlasting State Heb. 10.12 This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for Sins for ever sate down at the Right-hand of God 2. The Papists Worship their Mass not only as God but trust in it for Salvation instead of Christ our Saviour Neither doth it excuse them to say that they worship not the Bread or a breaden God but Jesus Christ whom they suppose to be present for this Argument cannot free them from Idolatry no more than it will the Heathen Idolaters who though they worshipped the Sun yet supposed it to be God and so they did Jupiter whom they worshipped And therefore if Papists be not Idolaters there never were any such in the world Qu. Are these all the Points wherein the Papists and Protestants differ Ans No for a Volume would hardly contain the Fopperies of that Apostate Church as denying the Cup in the Lords Supper to the people Pardons Indulgences Pilgrimages and Jubilees their seven Sacraments instead of two appointed by our Saviour forbidding Priests to marry Justification by Works Merit Equivocation and abundance more which if truly understood would make every Protestant abhor both their Church and Doctrine Qu. But is the Apostacy of the Church of Rome such as there is no safe union with her or being saved in that Religion Ans If Rome be that spiritual Babylon mentioned Rev. 18.4 as it is there very plain and evident then are we absolutely commanded to come out of her lest being partakers of her sins we be partakers of her plagues Qu. But though the Roman Church in her Doctrine be directly contrary to Scripture yet how can all this demonstrate that the Pope is the Antichrist so expresly foretold in 2 Thes 3.4 Ans To resolve this question let us consider 1. That the Holy Ghost in Scripture hath been very exact in pointing out Antichrist by such notorious marks and characters as after-Ages might easily know him if they do not wilfully shut their eyes 2. Unless we deny our Senses as Papists do in many things we cannot be ignorant that the Popish Church clearly answers all those marks which are given of him in Scripture even him whose coming shall be after the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath appointed to be used with thanksgiving who sitteth in the Temple of God and exalteth himself above all that is called God who bewitcheth the Kings of the Earth with his Inchantments and is drunk with the blood of the Martyrs of Christ Jesus yea whose Traffick and Merchandize is not only silver and gold but the Souls of men Rev. 18.13.3 This Mystery began to work in the time of the Apostles and he who for a time did withhold his coming that is the Heathen Emperours of Rome hath been long since taken out of the way And 4. It is undeniable that this Adversary can be no single person or of a short continuance but is a Politick Body or Kingdome united in one Supreme Head and with a succession for many Ages 5. It is apparent that these express characters of Antichrist can be applied to no other Enemy of Jesus Christ or his Church under the New Testament either Pagan or Mahometan Qu. But it is said of Antichrist that the Lord will consume him by the breath of his mouth and how can this be applied to the Pope or Church of Rome Ans 1. We know that the Fall of Antichrist must be by degrees as his Rise was and not all at once 2. How have these last Ages of the World been cleared from Antichristian darkness in England Scotland Ireland France Germany Sweden Denmark the Low-Countries c. Qu. But do we not see Popery prevail now in a more than ordinary way in several Countries where the Gospel has been clearly preached Ans This is not so strange if we consider 1. That where the truth is not received in love God doth many times give up men to strong delusions to believe lies 2. Observe that such as imbrace Popery do not do it from Principles of Reason or Conscience but it is the visible effect of a Licentious Age and from an unusual growth of Atheisme and Ignorance for it is not to be admired if those who never really had any Religion Espouse any Religion that may serve their Interest or Lust 3. There is no such great slavery exercised over the body under Turkish bondage as there is over the Reasons and Consciences of men under the Popish Yoak so that they have no way to be convinced of their Errors since they must not see with their own eyes the most clear discoveries of truth that can be made to them either in the Scriptures or any other Books Lastly though Popery seem to encrease yet it 's clear that they get but little advantage thereby and it seems only to make way for its utter ruine and destruction So that if the Pope be not Antichrist yet we may challenge Antichrist to do worse and wickeder things than he Qu. Certainly there can be but little encouragement for men to turn Papists if they rightly understand what Popery is Ans No question but there is great blindness upon their minds since the whole frame of it is but the driving on of a Politick Interest They shut up the Scripture to keep the people in the dark their Religion not being able to endure the light they set up an Infallibility to hold them under a blind obedience they pick their pockets by their Doctrines of Merit and Purgatory yea notwithstanding their high pretences to Charity it is such a Religion that no man can be damn'd except he be poor neither can any rich