A true and plaine genealogy or pedigree of Antichrist, wherein is cleerely discouered that hee is lineally descend from the diuell

A TRVE AND PLAINE GENEALOGY OR PEDIGREE OF ANTICHRIST , WHEREIN IS CLEERLY DISCOVERED THAT HEE IS LINEALLY DESCENDED FROM THE DIVELL . WHo so thou art that dost desire to know , The stock whereof proud Antichrist did grow ▪ Whom IESVS CHRIST did long before fore-tell , Should in the Church against the Church rebell , Making her mourne with pittifull complaints , And being drunken with blood of her Saints , Should tyrannizing ouer her remayne , Vntill his pride be deeply dide in graine ; And then both he and 's Kingdome downe should fall Without redresse or any helpe at all : Whose comming should not be with claps of Thunders , But signes and miracles and lying wonders . My rusticke Muse declares his very name , His pedigree , and of what house he came . There was a braue heroicke Gentleman , As ancient as since the world began , Whose industry and policy was such , That all the world besides had not so much ; His Engines , Stratagems , and feats of Warre , Made his dominions to extend as farre As Alexanders , that 's sirnam'd the Great , Such was his prowesse by the Martiall feate , Conquering his trade , Apollyon his name , Of that grand worthy , this great worthy came , One deadly - Darkenesse was his eldest sonne ; And thus ( in truth ) this royall race begun ▪ And then that Darknesse did beget by chance , A son , an heire , and cald him Ignorance ; Of his true byrth ther 's no man need enquire , You see the sonne is fully like the Sire . This Ignorance liued a while , and then He begot Error and his bretheren , Error begot Freewill and Selfe-conceit , Freewill got Merit , that deceiuing bait , Merit begot Forgetfullnesse of Grace ; And then his sonne Trangression tooke his place : And that Transgression did beget Distrust , Who deeming God lesse mercifull then Iust : Maugre his justice to maintaine his action , Begot a sonne and call'd him Satisfaction . This Satisfaction , e're his father dide , Being excessiuely possest with pride , Reiected quite Christs bloody sacrifice , Which once for all he offered in such wise That he for all his peoples sinnes thereby , Did Gods pure justice fully satisfie . The cause why Satisfaction did this thing , Was , that thereby he might to credit bring His onely sonne , the sacrifice o' th Masse , As proud a Knaue as e're his father was : For if to him come any one or other , Desiring helpe for some deceased brother : Vpon condition of a golden fee , Hee 'l contradict the mighty Gods decree , And disanull his judgements past also , And bring to weale whom God hath plac'd in woe , For if you 'll trust him , this man doth excell , Hee 'l hunt the place where all the Furies dwell , And search the Lymboes : nay , hee 'l not be sory To search throughout the furious Purgatory , And euery nooke and secret corner there , Bee 't in the Fier , Water , Earth or Aire , ( For though that he hath fetched thousands thence , And did withall their deadly sinnes dispence , Has quite forgot , his wits are so decay'd , Whereof , wherein , and when that place was made , ) But hauing found him , then he will surpasse , And bring the man from where he neuer was , Vnto a place of myrth and melody : Where , if he were not , he can neuer be . The Priests annoynting his successor was , And Superstition thereon came to passe . This Superstition was a royall thing , For he begot Hypocrisie the King . Hypocrisie got Gaine by offering , And of that Gaine did Purgatory spring , Then Purgatory passing reasons bounder , Was certainely , Anniuersaries founder : He by a stranger without Matrimony , Did then beget the Churches Patrimony , Then Mammon , of Iniquity his sonne , Begot a Child , as his Father had done : A worthy sparke , Abundance was his name , And of Abundance , Ease , ( a gallant ) came . Ease begot Cruelty , and he Dominion ; Dominion , Pompe ; and Pompe , Ambition : And of this man old Simony did grow , A bribing Knaue , how cleere soeuer he show , This man of issue was not without hope , For why ? he liu'd to see his sonne the Pope ; Who in this world doth beare a great renowne , And on his head doth weare a triple Crowne , Whose charity if it were to his power , He could clense Purgatory in an hower ; And send the soules that in that place do dwell , Straight vp to Heaven from that smoky Cell . He thinkes perhaps his power hereon is grounded The former place his predecessors founded : And for the latter none can him withstand , He beares the Keyes of heauen in his hand . But here 's a griefe that to a mischiefe grew , Because his Holinesse let in so few , Or else iust none , which is a grieuous thing , His Keyes haue lost theyr vse of opening . And as the Keyes o th' Pharisees his brothers Shut heauens gate against themselues and others . So he by his doth now nought else but shut That gate gainst all that in him credit put ; And yet he vaunts himselfe to be Christs Vicar , I wonder much his wit should be no quicker , For Vicars haue not ( that were too too bad ) A greater power then e're theyr Parsons had : Now Christ his Parson , openly did show His Kingdome was not of this world below . But Pope his Vicar commands all estates , Kings , Emperors , and greatest Potentates , And turnes his power to furious tyranny , Against that Christ and all his company : And by his rage they now abide affliction , He 's Antichrist without all contradiction . Thus TRVETH ( A GEM ) hath here disco●ered 〈◊〉 Which many a man hath long time wondered at ▪ If thou aright these Roman letters frame : Inquire no more , thou hast the Authors name .