If the Prophecies of the Holy Bible be true ( as they be most true ) then must the Religion of the Protestants needes be false .

THat some doe still continue to plead for their vnholy father of Rome , & do their best endevours to vnderprop & vphold the ruines of his decaying Babylon , ought not to seeme strange to any Christian man , who hath but a competent knowledge of things spiritual . For while there is a church militant , there shal also be a Church malignant , laboring to oppresse and keepe downe the other ; and so long as Antichrist standeth , he shall haue his admirers , yea and a a Apoc. 13. 15. adorers too , of the image of the beast . And toward the end of the world it is foretolde , that there shall be swarmes of b b Cap. 9. 3. locusts , who in likelyhood wil not so ill love the bottomles pit , from which they do ascend , but that their purpose wil be to returne thither againe , & drawe with them such store of company , as they may bee able to worke vpon . Neither may it seeme wonderfull , that among the devoted servants of the Pope , some of our nation being ●…ed over the seas , should play their parts and prizes , since it is their open profession to stand on his side , and fight vnder his banner : And something they must returne for their hungrie pensions & needy mainetenaunce which they receive from his Holinesse and the King Catholike ; besides the containing of their favourites heere in their former courses , by refreshing their wittes with novelties ; and the solacing of their owne discontentments , which doe the lesse gaule and gripe their vnquie●… hartes , while their heades are busied with inventing , and their handes with writing that , which whether it be true or false , tending to edification or destruction , they little care or consider .

2 But of the two , it is more to be marveiled at , that after so long and plentifull a flowing forth of the water of life , there should yet be anie of our countri-men and women remaining at home , who will tast of puddle water , yea bee as greedie to drinke thereof , as the maisters of the broken cisternes can bee ready to propose it vnto them . That come there forth any pamphlet , of what small worth soever , yet some or other will either for their ignorance admire it , or for their vnsetlednes entertaine it , or for their perversenes embrace it , as if it were some divine Oracle descended from aboue . But this is the instabilitie of their iudgment , who are once c c Gal. 3. 1. bewitched like the foolish Galathians , that although Christ hath beene so lively testified vnto them , as if hee had beene crucified before their eies , yet if newe teachers come one after another , they will earnestly attend , & listen vnto them . The world is not so altered , but that in their passage to d d Num. 11. 4. Canaan , some Israelites wil loath that Manna , which is c c Ps. 78. 25. the bread of Angels , & long to be againe in Aegypt . If there were never philosopher so absurde to invent any fond opinion , but there were some auditours as absurde to maintaine and follow the same , who can conceive but that vntill the destruction of that whore , the famous strumpet ( with the f f Apoc. 17. 2 cup of whose fornication many of the Kings , and much of the people of the earth have bin dronken ) shoulde stil have some inamored on her . As there ever will be deceivers , so there shall be some which will be deceived . Satan cannot give over his g g Iob. 2. 2. compassing the earth : his skoutes & messengers will entend his service . Some children of Idolaters to the worlds end , shall vnto the h h Exo. 20. 5. third and fourth generation participate of their parents curse , God with-drawing his grace from them , and not opening their eies : the peevish will decline , stumbling at some rocke of offence : weake women to shew themselves to be Eves daughters , will rather i i Gen. 3. 1. chuse to harken vnto the serpent then to God almighty : & young ones for want of iudgment and discretion , wil credulously listen to a Sirens Song . Thus it hath bin , and thus it wil be . Not withstanding , the Magistrate by his charge , & the Minister by his duty , & indeede every Christian in his place , is both for pieties and charities sake to endevour , to plucke as many as he can k k Iud. 23. out of the fire , as Saint Iude speaketh .

3 Yet this being graunted , that such leaders and such followers there be and will be , it may neverthelesse be much marveiled at , that the wisedome of Poperie is so blinded , and the ability of English fugitives is growne to so low an ebbe in the Seminaries , that to make good their party they haue no better means to vse , but such base ones , as in this booke or libel are presented to the world . Especiallie since this treatise is pretended to come from a Doctor of Divinitie , and one taking degree in one of those Vniversities , which by themselves bee l l See Reason 15. and Bristow Motive 31. reported to bee so famous , as that almost he who may but smell the smoake of them , or breath but a while on the ayre there , shal be inspired with knowledge , & have more learning Metaphysically infused into him , than among vs is to bee attained to in many yeares . And can a man of the highest degree in schoole there , for the maintenance of his cause , bring no better then such worne & broken stuffe , as heere is congested and heaped togither ? Yet worship betide him , who not long before the birth of this tract , put out the m m Certaine Articles , or forcible Reasons . 1600. Pamphlet , that , the Protestants haue no faith nor religion : that the learned Protestantes are Insidels : that the Protestants are bound in conscience to avoide all good workes : that the Protestants teach , that God is worse than the Devill , and such other worthy conclusions , to which n n D. Barlow . D. Buckley . two learned men haue made reply . For although he had but little honestie , in propounding such prodigious and portentuous monsters , yet he had more wit ; since that caried some ●…umble with it , albeit in such fort , as that those who respected it , were more afraide then hurt . That which comming vnawares , seemed to the improvident at the first to be some clap of thunder , was at the last discerned not to be so much as the striking vp of a drumme : It was no otherwise but a fewe stones shaken togither in an empty barrell . Yet the wile of the man is to be commended , that he could set som good words on it , as the Montibank●… doth vse , who after open protestation that he hath somthing to sel of admirable vertue , of incomparable value , of inestimable benefite , which the Graunde Seigneour of the Turks , the Great Duke of Muscovy , the Emperor of Germany wil accept of , and desire , yea earnestly call for , which to have at their neede , Lords and Ladies will thinke themselves most happie : doth at the length & after all this flourish , produce some lippe-salve , or other such toy , as mooveth laughter in some , and serious indignation in other , who have not beene acquainted with the Mountibankes custome .

4 But this gallant with whom I haue to deale , and who speaketh as hereafter you shall heare , imagining that all the men in England are as blind as he would have them to be , hath sent vs a fresh garment made of other mens olde clothes , which the most of vnderstanding have seene and knowne , to bee both worne bare and torne like the Ruines of Time . And hee hath little altered the verie fashion of it , saving peradventure to sette the right sleeve where the left formerly was , and something now before , which erst stood behinde . Indeed some peeces he hath shrunk , & drawne them in narrower , to make them seeme the thicker : & some other few ( for in sooth they are but few ) he hath enlarged with a skirt or hem of new cloath : and yet willing to buy as little stuffe as possibly he might , in some places he hath sewed two or three ragges togither , so to make a pretty peece . The truth is , that now almost o o An. 1574. thirty yeeres since , a country-man of ours , whom D. Fulke not vnfitly called Bl●…ring Bristow , did with much bouldnesse and little learning put forth a booke , which he called his Motives vnto the Catholike saith . Which as then for satisfying of the simple , & repressing of the craking insolency of the adversary , it was answered by a worthy man p p D. Fulkes Retentives . who now resleth with the Lord ; yet since that time , ( howsoever by some Romanists , Banke-rupts of better matter , it hath ever now & then slightly beene talked of ) almost generally it hath lien contemned of all , scant worthy the naming or serious recounting . Yet of late because Master Parsons was busie about State-causes , or the supporting of his weake and languishing Arch-priest , and they have not manie other which may keep the mint going , in the yeare 1599. some body thought good to revise their olde t●…inkets , and for lacke of richer stuffe , out were put these Motives againe , printed at Antwerpe , as in the first Page is prefixed . And albeit this were a Crambê , whereof most stomakes , which received it , had surfeted before ; yet this honest friend D. Hill , thought he would not leave it so , but the verie next yeare q q 1600. after , and from the same forged place , & printed with the same letters , for any difference that may bee seene betweene them , sendeth this script vnto vs , as if it were some new excellent booke , wheras indeede much of the forme & manner , and almost all the matter , for the ground thereof , is taken out of Bristow .

5 Yet of his olde Rectour Mr. Parsons , hee borroweth some fewe Memorandums , and heere and there a touch from Campian , and a finger he hath in Staphilus translated by Stapleton , on al which he bestoweth ever now and then a little viperous aspersion of his own ; if among so much taken vpon trust , we may iudge that to be his owne , which perhaps might bee found to belong to some other , if we had vse of all their bookes & dictates which they retaine among them . Had it not bin better for one of that learning which this title doth entend , to have translated a peece of Bellarmine , or Gregory de Ualencia out of Latine into English ? If the worke had bin but meane , yet this had bin gained by the bargaine , that every English Papist & Protestant almost , had not bin acquainted with the matter before hand . But to take an olde English booke , and to make a new English booke of it , is but to take an olde garment , and to turne it and newe dresse it , where when all is done , because it is not onely turned but rotten stuffe also , it deserveth no better then to be turned out of dore , that it may finde no place in the conscience of any Christian man or woman . Where by the way it may be observed , that reasons for Popery grow fewer & fewer ; for Mr. Bristow being of likely hood desirous to have made them vp fiftie , did stretch his witte so farre , as that , tales quales , he brought th●… to eight and forty . But D. Hill hath reduced his number to five & twenty : And though he would have his friends beleeve , r r In his second letter that he can adde many more , yet the Reader shall finde that in these he hath involved almost all the remainder of Mr. Bristowes matter , as in the processe hereof shall be declared . And if heereafter he bring more , by Gods assistance he shal have them examined . In the meane while I will be dealing with these , whom after the French fashion he vttereth by the Quartron ; and calling them A Quartron of Reasons , doth intimate vnto vs , that being wayed in the ballance of the Sanctuary they are as much worth as a quarterne of raysings . Let vs see now what proofe is made of his first stout proposition .

BEfore the comming of the Messiat , there was not any People , or Nation which did serve the true and living God , but only the Iewes , al other whatsoever being overwhelmed in a Sea of blindnes , & wors●…ipping false Gods , which indeede were Devills , and therevpon the Maister Devill Lucifer was tearmed Princeps huius mund , that is , Prince Ioan. 12. of this world , for that he was 〈◊〉 and worshipped in all Landes & Kingdomes , Iewry , and that in part onely , excepted : which miserable state and condition God of his infinite mercy greatly pittying , promised in time to send a Saviour , which should redeeme all Nations & People , free them from that pittifull servitude and blindnesse , and bring them to the knowledge of true and right Religion , by suffering death , and consequently by planting a Church , to the which all Nations should repaire . Thus he did fore-tell by diver se & sundry Prophets , as by Esay , who saide the Church should be as a mountaine , to the which All nations should slowe . And manie people shall goe and say ; Come and let vs ascend to the Cap. 2. mountaine of our Lord : and after , Idols shall vtterly bee bruised , and to be briefe , all this Chapter , yea all the rest in a manner fore-shew the same matter , declaring most plainely the conversion of all Nations to the Church of the Messias , and ●…w Kinges and Queenes should come , Cap. 49. & 60. Dan 2 & 7. Psal 47. Mich. 4. Luc. 1. Psal. 71. and 〈◊〉 homage vnto it , and that it should ever continue without interruption : and that it should be most ample and large , the Prophet David most manifestly fore-telleth , saying , that it should extend from Sea to Sea , and from the river to the endes of the world , and how the Aethiopians should fall downe Before the Messias , with the Kinges of Tharsis , Arabia and Saba , and to be short , all Kings & People should acknowledge this Church , as innumerable Prophecies of the olde Testament doe plainely foreshew . Heerevpon it was that good men thirsted and longed so greatly for the comming of the Messias , knowing that by him all people which sate in darkenes , and in the shadow of death , should be lightened , delivered , and set in the right way to Heaven . And so our Saviour b●…selfe being now in the way to Ierusalem to suffer , saide , Now the Prince of this world shall be cast out : and , If I shall bee exalted from the Ioh. 12. earth , I will draw all to my selfe , meaning by his Passion to draw all people from Heathenish Idolatrie to serve him .

6 I will not dispute with you , whether the maister Devil ( whom the Iewes termed s s Luc. 11. 15. Beelzebub ) bee called Lucifer or no , and whence that opinion had both his beginning and progresse : neither will I handle any other thing of like nature , which properly belongeth not to that which is in difference betweene you and mee : But I will condescend vnto you , that some Iob , or Iethro or some fewe such excepted , the Church for the ordinarie compasse of it , was after the entrance into Canaan , within the boundes of Israel , that is , the twelve Tribes at the first , and afterward in Iewry , accounting that to comprehend the men of Iuda and Beniamin , with the Levites . And on these tearmes it stood till the comming of our most blessed Saviour , concerning whose appearance Esay did foretell , that to s s Cap. 2. 2. the mountaine of the house of the Lord &c. all nations should flowe , And many people should goe and say , Come and let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lorde . But that which you cite of Idols , t t Vers. 18. And the Idols will he vtterly destroy , howsoever it may be applied vnto Christ , yet if you looke againe , it may well be disputed to belong in that Chapter to another time and matter ; and then you in referring the whole , to the revealing of the Messias , may very well be deceived . I will not stand with you , but that Esay and Daniel , and David and the other sacred writers , do give ample testimony of a copious confluence every way to the Church . As also it must be yeelded that men longed for the comming of the fore-appointed Saviour , since hee it was alone who should bring ioy vnto mankind . Only by the way I do tell you , that in delivering the words of Esay , you are bould with the text , when you put it , Our Lord , whereas no such word , as Our , is there to be found . But that is your custome to hale in that word throughout the whole newe Testament , it neither being in the Greeke nor in the vulgar Latine . Onely the 〈◊〉 Rhemists doe enioyne In 1. Tim. 6. 20. it to their obedient children , that they must not say , The Lord , but Our Lord , as we say , Our Lady , for his mother , not the Lady , & this they make to be a marke of difference betweene themselves so speaking , and vs saying after the Scripture , The Lord . And accordingly our English people doe practise it , if they savour of Popery●… so much that in all my life I have scant heard any in common speech alwaies saying , Our Lord , but that party hath more or lesse beene tainted that way .

7 Furthermore when you name Heathenish Idolatrie , doe you give it that Epitheton , as meaning that Christ would put an end to the horrible superstitions of the Ethnicks , but that there should stil be Idolatry in your Synagogue , which by no meanes you wil forgoe ? Or is it rather your minde , that all Idolatrie is heathenish , and that there can bee none in the daies of the newe Testament ? Indeede so Mr. Bristow your good maister , woulde make vs beleeve , saying , x x Motiv . 32. So must wee everie where vnderstand Idols in the olde Testament , that they were figures of Heresyes in this time of the newe Testament , no other Idols being now but Heresies . Ponitur Idolum quan●… do novum dogma constituitur &c. An Idoll is sell vp , when a newe Position ( or Heresy ) is erected , saith Saint Hierome , the most learned & expert In Ier. 32. interpreter of the Scriptures . Saint Paule also himselfe giving his voice thervnto , where by Baal , the Idoll that God did speake of to Elias , Rom. 11. be teacheth vs to vnderstand the erroneous wicked doctrin against Christ , 3. Reg 19. of his incredulous Countrie-men the Iewes of his time . This is good Logicke Mr. Bristow , and for the sweetnes of the conclusion , fit to be studied in your Popish Vniversities . An Idoll is set vp when a new doctrine is erected , ( which is a figurative vnderstanding ) & Baal may in some application signisie an erroneous doctrine , Ergo there bee now no other Idols but Heresies , neither have bin vnder the Gospell . By this reckoning you doe well in your Catechismes to leave out the second commandement , as not at al belonging to the newe Testament . But why did Saint Iohn , after Christs death and ascension too , bidde , y y 1. Ioh 5. 21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Babes keepe your selves from Idolls . And is it not saide else where speaking of times , after the opening of the z z Apoc. 8. 1. seventh seale , and when the sixt a a Cap 9. 13. Angell had sounded his trumpet , that is to say , towards the end of the world , that men b b Cap 9. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . repented not of the deedes of their handes , that they should not worship Devils , and Idols of gold and silver , and brasse & stone , and of wood , which neither can see , neither heare , neither goe , which being taken with al the circumstances , is a most manifest conviction , that in the later daies there should be materiall Idols . To which may be added the Idols destroied by Constantine , three hundred yeares after Christ , & the intolerable Idolatry which in this last age hath beene discovered to be committed , in the East Indies , America and many parts of Africa , by diverse Ethnicks and Infidels , which did & do inhabit there . Therefore you cannot so run away & escape , but that even now also Idolaters you may be . This I note to shew how your Popery doth hang vpon gimols .