The vnmasking of all popish monks, friers, and Iesuits. Or, A treatise of their genealogie, beginnings, proceedings, and present state. Together with some briefe obseruations of their treasons, murders, fornications, impostures, blasphemies, and sundry other abominable impieties. Written as a caueat or forewarning for Great Britaine to take heed in time of these romish locusts. By Lewis Owen.

To the Gentle Reader.

AS our Sauiour Christ (Courteous Reader) hath builded his Church, which he hath so dearly bought, and purchased, vpon himselfe, the only sure rocke, and foundation thereof, Than the which (as the Apostle saith) no other can be laid: So on the other side, hath Satan alwaies sought nothing more than to vndermine, shake, and (if it were possible) to ouerthrow the same. For he well peceiueth, that so long as this spirituall house, and glorious building, standeth firmely and surely grounded and founded vpon Christ, the euerlasting truth, the way and the life, contained in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles; which they not only haue deliuered to the Church by liuely voice: But as the faithfull Pen-men, Notaries, and Secretaries of the Holy Ghost, haue also registred, and committed to writing in the sacred Scriptures (for the continuall comfort and instruction thereof:) it remaineth vnremoueable and inuincible against hell gates, and all the stormes and tempests raised against it by him, and all his instruments. Wherefore he layeth all his battery, and bendeth all his forces against this foundation, labouring by falshood and lyes, whereof he is the father, to corrupt, depriue, alter, obscure and deface the Gospell of Christ, and the word of life; and there∣by to subuert and ouerturne, or at least, to weaken and shake the faith of the faithfull, resting wholly thereupon. This hath beene euer from the beginning his practise, and is at this day, and shall be vntil his kingdome be vtterly remoued and taken away. Wher∣fore he is fitly named by Christ A lyer, and a murderer from the beginning. For as by lyes he laboureth either to extinguish and abolish, either to discredit and peruert the truth of the Word; so doth he thereby intend and purpose the murdering and destructi∣on

of mankinde, both body and soule. For which cause our bles∣sed Sauiour Iesus Christ foreseeing the dangerous and malicious attempt of Satan, gaue vs warning aforehand, that we might not be found vnprouided, and so by securitie and carelesnesse lose the victory. Therefore as well Moses and the Prophets before the comming of Christ, inspired with his Spirit, as also at his com∣ming in the flesh, he himselfe, and his Apostles do giue vs a watch∣word, and often admonish vs, To auoid and take heed of false Prophets, false Apostles, and false Teachers; though they work signes, and miracles, and come in sheeps cloathing; that is, make neuer so great a shew to be the true Prophets of God in outward appearance: yea though they (following the foot-steps of their father Satan, Who transformeth himselfe, the sooner to deceiue, into an Angell of light) turne themselues into the A∣postles of Christ. Here-hence is it that the Apostle Saint Paul chargeth the Galathians, Not to beleeue an Angell comming from heauen; but rather to hold him accursed, if hee should teach vnto them any other doctrine, than that which at his mouth they had receiued. To the same purpose Saint Iohn willeth the faithfull not to beleeue euery spirit, but to trie the spirits whether they be of God, because many false Prophets are entred into the world. But albeit this warning against false Prophets, be in diuers places giuen vnto vs: yet then especially doeth our Sauiour Christ, and his Apostles, labour to stirre vp the godly to a more continuall and earnest watchfulnesse and wari∣nesse, when they tell of the state of the latter dayes wherein wee liue: by how much they foresaw these times should be more peril∣lous than any other, in which Satan perceiuing his time and king∣dome to be short, should rage most violently, and vse most tyran∣nie and strange practises, to driue them from the only foundation Christ. Take heed (saith our Sauiour, speaking of these later times) that no man deceiue you; for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceiue many, and there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets, and shall shew great signes and wonders, so that (if it were possible) they should deceiue the very Elect; behold I haue told you before. Saint Paul saith, That in the later times men should depart from the faith, and should giue heed vnto spirits of errours, and

doctrines of Deuils, &c. Peter also and Iude, Declare that there should be false Teachers, which should priuily bring in damnable heresies, euen denying the Lord that had bought them, and that many should follow their destruction, by whom the way of truth should be euill spoken of, and should turne the grace of God into wantonnesse, and deny God the on∣ly Lord, and our Lord Iesus Christ. But that is chiefly to be considered and marked, which the Apostle Saint Paul writeth, of Antichrist and his comming: for before the later day, he shew∣eth, That there should come an Apostasie, and departing from the faith, and that the man of sinne should be disclosed, euen the sonne of perdition, which is an aduersary, and exalteth himselfe against all that is called God, &c.

But to omit their monstrous and manifold errours drawn from the sinckes and puddles of all former Heretickes, wherewith this confused and huge Babel of this Romish Antichristian kingdom hath beene builded vp: the meanes, and instruments whereby the same hath bin brought to passe, are the hypocriticall swarmes of Popish Monks, Friers, Iesuits, and such other irreligious Or∣ders: But especially the same is to be seene at this day in the new, and lately inuented sects of the Iesuits, Capuchins, and the rest of the Mendicant Friers; which the Romish Antichrist hath set forth as the last proppe and stay of his tottering and ruinous king∣dome: for he perceiuing that (as Saint Paul hath foreshewed) Christ hath begun to consume it, with the breath of his mouth, and abolish it with the brightnesse of his comming, that is, the preaching of the Gospell: And seeing moreouer the world to grow to a disliking & contempt of the ignorance, sluggishnesse, & lewd∣nesse of the other Orders of Monks and Friers, taken from men, as Benet, Dominick, Francis, and such like; hath sent abroad into Christendom this new Sect hypocritically adorned with the name of Iesus; and furnished with more shew of learning, holi∣nesse and godlinesse, than their other Popish fraternities: to the intent that Iesus Christ may be the sooner betrayed, while these holy Iesuits giue him a Iudas salutation and kisse. Because hee is in good hope that they are the men, by whom he shall recouer againe, that so large a circuit of ground, which he hath lost in France, England, Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Denmarke,

Swethland and other Countries of Christendome. Furthermore, he vseth this speciall policy, to cause them by all meanes, priuily to allure and entice the youths of the Vniuersities and Countries where the Gospell is preached, to depart from the places where they are, vnto his Colleges, Seminaries and Cloisters, to the end that being there for a time nuzled, and trained vp vntill they bee hardened in hypocrisie, obstinacie, and malice against the truth; and poisoned with the pestilent errours of the Romish Synagogue: they may be sent out as new false Apostles into their owne coun∣tries, or else thither, where it is thought they may doe most harme. Wherein they follow their forefathers the Scribes and Pharisees, the like hypocrites, who (as Christ saith) compassed both sea and land, to make one Proselyte, or of their profession: and when he is made, they make him two-fold more the childe of hell, than they themselues.

Now to the intent, my Country-men, who as yet are not throughly acquainted with these Monks, Friers and Iesuits, or with their profession, doctrine and purposes (and therefore are in danger the sooner to be deceiued by them) may be the better ad∣monished, yea armed and prouided against them: I haue compi∣led this ensuing discourse, or Treatise of their Genealogie, Pro∣ceedings and present estate; my purpose being at this time, in some sort, to vnmaske these monsters, wherein I doe vse such mo∣destie as the subiect can beare, to reproue their errours; the which, the loue of the truth and vertue enforceth me; and not to cauill or to slander any one of them, which I detest and abhorre. More∣ouer, I doe craue of the Readers, that they bring with them to the reading hereof, a loue and zeale of the truth, ioyned with godlinesse, and desire of their owne saluation. Farewell.

Thine in the Lord, LEWIS OWEN.

Notes

• Matt. 7.24,25.
• Iohn 8.44.
• Iohn 8.44.
• Deut. 13.
• Mat. 7.15.
• 2 Cor. 11.14,15
• 1 Ioh. 4.1.
• Apo. 12.12.
• Mat. 24.4,5,11,23,24,25,26. Mark. 13.21. Luk. 17.23.
• 1 Tim. 4.1,2,3.
• 2 Tit. 3.1,2,3,4,5. 1 Pet. 2.1,2,3. Iud. 4.18.
• 1 Thes. 2.3,4,8,9,10,11.