Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	aaron_n	antichrist_n	opposition_n	14	3	9.0128	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44854	Hē apostasīa, ho antichristos, or, A scriptural discourse of the apostasie and the Antichrist, by way of comment, upon the twelve first verses of 2 Thess. 2 under which are opened many of the dark prophecies of the Old Testament, which relate to the calling of the Jews, and the glorious things to be affected at the seventh trumpet through the world : together with a discourse of slaying the witnesses, and the immediate effects thereof : written for the consolation of the Catholike Church, especially the churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland / by E.H.	Hall, Edmund, 1619 or 20-1687.	1653 (1653)	Wing H325; ESTC R11943	203,833	222

in their sin untill they die Since they refused counsell and knowledge and the fear of God they shall have none of it I will refuse them saith the Lord they shall be given up to strong delusion to believe a lie Since they would not feed on Angels food at Christs Table they shall feed on the Devils excrements amongst the swinish herds of heretitcks destinated to damnation As Christ by his gracious wisdome did save an adulterous woman from the judgement of adulterous men by causing the shamefull sin of the condemned to flie upon the guilty consciences of the condemners So God in his glorious wisdome brings to damnation hypocrites by letting seducers baits catch those seduced souls that so greedily catch at them whereby they shamefully like those accusers of the woman go away and leave Christ his Ministers and his Ordinances In all this God is true though every one of them be liars That they should believe a lie so Beza renders it and the Syriack To a word that they should believe that lie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lie what lie Mr. Leigh answers Antichrist Since they would not imbrace Christ the truth they shall be given up to blindenesse and hardnesse to imbrace Antichrist the lie A lie is falshood appearing in the cloke of truth and so is Antichrist which these Apostates shall imbrace They rejected and revolted from Gods anointed ones which were the Cedars of God and chose to themselves the bramble and under this scratching thorn those goates shall sit till a fire come forth from the Lord and devour both it and them They heap to themselves ignorant and unlearned Teachers perverting the Word to their damnation such as Ierome speaks of The very name Antichrist imports a lie for he is one against the truth against Christ who is the way and the truth If love of the truth be meant Christ as Chrysostome Oecumenius Theodoretus and severall other learned Authors affirm then most probably the imbracing a lie is here meant the subjecting to and closing with Antichrist or as very probably truth is put for the anointed offices the two Witnesses which these Apostates reject and imbrace the Antichrist who in opposition to them is called a lie usurpation is a lie the great usurper is the Antichrist who supplants the Witnesses and therefore called in the abstract the lie He is called in 1 Iohn 2. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the liar who is the Antichrist who denies the Father and the Sonne that is the constituted offices in the Church Luke 10. 16. for he that denieth them denieth Christ and he that denieth Christ denieth God CHAP. VII THat they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse This Verse windes up Pauls prophecie of the Antichrist and his followers It hath two parts in it The first shewes us the last of Antichrist and his subjects viz. their finall damnation The last part is an exegefis of the two foregoing verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might be damned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word properly signifies to judge but in the worser sense it is often in the New Testament put for to condemn as Luke 19. 22. Out of thy mouth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I condemne thee and so generally Expositors understand it that their judging here shall be cum judicio damnationis with the judgement of damnation Here we have the dreadfull Catastrophe of Antichrist but especially his companions his men of name and something more me thinks I see as matter of comfort in the Text viz. the time when he shall be thus with his followers damned or cast into hell as Revel 19. 20. expresseth it Compare it with 2 Tim. 3. 8 9. and it informes us that they shall proceed no further then to oppose the Witnesses as Iannes and Iambres did Moses Aaron when they have resisted the truth i e. the Witnesses maintaining the truth in opposition to the lie Antichrist when they have corrupted their own and others mindes with heresies and blasphemises and when they have shewed themselves reprobates concerning the faith then they shall proceed no further they shall then receive the wages of their work damnation These that Paul prophesies of to Timothy are the same that here he prophesies of to the Thessalonians for they are all professors of Religion all in one livery practising the same devillish things and being alike corrupted and depraved We finde Antichrist and his followers in Revel 11. and Chap. 13. proceeding no farther then the slaying of the Witnesses and triumphantly insulting over them and their authority for three dayes and an halfe and then on a sudden unexpectedly a cloud is seen and a loud voice is heard the Witnesses rise the 7000 names of men are slain by a great Schisme Commotion or Earth-quake which finisheth the second wo and then followes presently the third wo or seventh trumpet and then the Dragon the beast and the false Prophet are cast into hell and Hallelujahs and praises throughout the Church are thundered and no more of Antichrist appears for ever So that I will say to the true Church as Christ in Matth. 24. When ye see these things begin to come to passe know that the time of Antichrists damnation is nigh at hand even at the door Who believed not the truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Holy Ghost seems to point at some peculiar eminent truth which these hypocrites and Apostates did reject and would not believe for 't is not to be imagined that they rejected all truth and turned Infidels and Heathens for then they must necessarily cast off the profession of Christianity which they that follow Antichrist do not do and therefore I conceive it is some eminent truth which God permits to be opposed purposely to trie the knowledge faith love sincerity Christianity and courage of his people and to discover the rottennesse hypocrisie and back-sliding of formal professours this God usually doth in every age some eminent truths or other he permits to be opposed and calls out eminent professours to witnesse unto blood on their behalfe There 's never an Article in the Creed but at one time or other hath been thus victoriously in blood defended all being delivered to us sealed with our holy Ancestors blood Thereby teaching us our duty in a time when truth 's opposed God permits certain truths in severall ages to be opposed in Queen Maries dayes the doctrine of the Sacraments was opposed and the true way of externall worship and then God first sealed his truths with his Martyrs blood and then delivered them to us their posterity Now in the time of Antichrists appearing the great truth which shall be called in question to the trial of the Saints and the discovery of hypocrites and formall professors who shall reject this is the two great Offices originally Christs derivatively those whom he

anoints or designes thereunto viz. to the Kingly Office and to the Sacerdotall or Ministeriall Office Blessed is that Nation that enjoyes them both together These two Offices Antichrist shall as we have already shewed oppose and depose and this makes him formally Antichrist Now to this Antichrists followers even against their former protestations and open professions shall consent and in the ruining of the Offices shall concurre and thus they shall rebell against the truth and become the followers of Antichrist This onely is signified Revel 13. by giving the mark to the beast and receiving the mark of the beast that is engaging against the anointed Offices to be a subject to the government of Antichrist in direct opposition to it Truth is here put in opposition to lie in the foregoing verse which is there to be understood of the Antichrist they could put confidence and trust in the lie the Antichrist the usurper but in the truth the Ordinances established by God they could repose no trust but rejected them therefore Iude the 11. these followers of Antichrist are said to perish in the gain-saying of Core who rejected the two great anointed Offices of Magistracie and Ministery Moses and Aaron and in 2 Tim. 3. 8. There the truth that these Rebels resist is specified 't is that of Magistracy and Ministery such a resistance as Iannes and Iambres made against Moses and Aaron in vilifying them their commission and authority CHAP. VIII BUt had pleasure or delighted in the iniquity This is a Rhetoricall Antithesis to the words immediately preceding them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but is an adversative particle and put here oppositively as much as to say they distrusted and fled from the truth but they would throw themselves into the armes of unrighteousnes they rebelled against Gods instituted Ordinances but willingly with all their heart submitted to an usurper the injustice that is saith Goranus the Antichrist who before is called the man of the sin and the lawlesse one and here in the abstract unrighteousnesse Because both his rising reigning and manner of being is unrighteous He works unrighteousnesse and receives the wages of unrighteousnesse with these his followers who are all justly damned for the same 'T is the highest aggravation of sin and provocative of wrath to take delight in sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the learned distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this comprehending the sins against God in the first Table that comprehending all sins against our neighbour in the second Table of the law of God so that taking pleasure in iniquity may be interpreted delighting in rebellion murther supplanting robbery treason slandering oppression adultery false witnesse-bearing and covetousnesse These are sins of the second Table sometimes as here in the Text we finde the word opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so 1 Cor. 13. 6. there the Apostle using a method much cried down by the hypocrites and apostates of these times viz. that of discovering true grace by signes having discoursed of the excellency of love gives the signes of true love which these hypocrites who are the followers of Antichrist of whom w●…treat have not and observe how this signe of true love meets with them rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth this is true charity and love But now the followers of Antichrist who are high-flowen professors and prate much of love and charity and tendernesse and bowels and cry out against bitternesse and rigid spirits do notwithstanding walk the Antipodes to this Text. If we compare this in the Corinthians with this we are now upon in the Thessalonians in the one you have the true reall Saint rejoycing not in iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is the same word he rejoyceth not in iniquity but now the hypocrites who are the followers of Antichrist you finde them here in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking pleasure in iniquity and what 's the reason it hath been given already in v. 10. because they loved not the truth they did professe And this is also the reason why they imbrace a lie because they want true love for true love rejoyceth in the truth but hypocrisie rejoyceth in a lie So that as the word is opposed to the truth it gives us to understand thus much that Antichrists followers are a company of hereticks that oppose both first and second Table-truths they kisse truth as Ioab did his brother General onely with an intent to stab it and destroy it as Christ I●…h 7. 18. is truth and no unrighteousnesse is in him and as all his followers love truth and hate all unrighteousnesse so in Antichrist there is all unrighteousnesse to be found and no truth and all his followers are such as reject truth and love unrighteousnesse This is not onely the comparison that many of the Ancients make but the Scripture it selfe makes it as we have seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of large extent But here I humbly conceive 't is restrained to the thing in hand and that is as we said before to the Antichrist who is in the same prophecie called the man of the sin and the son of the perdition and the exalter and opposer of the Ordinances of God Magistracy and Ministery and so the opposer of the truth and then the lawlesse one in opposition to truth established by law Gods law and mans law and natures law These are titles setting forth the effects of his power against those that oppose him after this followes from v 9. to v. 12. the manner of exercising of his power over his followers those that subject unto him His power is in signes and lying wonders and all manner of unrighteousnesse the effects of this his power is the seduction of those that follow him from which the Holy Ghost gives him two other titles or rather marks of infamy the lie and the unrighteousnesse the grand usurper and the great transgressour of the second Table the changer i. e. the breaker of the Saints laws and times In the exposition of words we must look to the scope of the matter or prophecie in hand and what in that place the word or phrase imports not what it may signifie in another place upon a different subject In this place not I but others take it to be meant of the Antichrist whose followers as they are said to reject the truth i e. the truth which Antichrist opposed and threw down viz. the Ordinances of God the mediate pillars of truth the two Witnesses so they are said to sit down with great content and propension of minde under the government of the Antichrist They are not forced to it as someare but they are Volunteers they cry him up applaud him approve of him with full consent and delight in him and so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports it is not amisse translated Take pleasure in the unrighteousnesse The followers of the Amtichrist they love him with the

then the Man of sin shall be revealed He makes them distinct This truth of the Scripture had need to be more then ordinarily insisted upon not in regard of its obscurity for I know not any truth cleerer in Scripture then this but in regard of its opposition and that by many learned and pious Protestants We do affirm that the general apostasie and the manifestation of the Man of sin that Antichrist are two distinct things and this we prove from their opinions that affirm the contrary for they themselves affirm these particular points 1. That this apostasie is a falling away from Christ from the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of Christ. 2. That they are Professors of the Gospel that make this apostasie for it must be a forsaking of that they did once professe how else can it be said an Apostasie 3. They say this Apostasie must be an universall and general Apostasie of all the world that is of every Church in the world for otherwise they say the Apostle would have limited his speech and not spoken indefinitely as he doth now put this with their opinion of Antichrist together If the Apostasie be universal thoughou●… every Church and this Apostasie and Antichrist are all one then Antichrist must be an Ubiquitary he must be in Europe Asia and Affrica at once for the Europan Churches Affrican Churches and Asian Churches are all apostatized from the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Primitive times All Protestants grant it so that by making Antichrist one with the Apostasie we shall grant that are Protestants more to the body of Antichrist then we will allow the Papists to grant to the body of Christ for we make it to be every where at one and the same time It is granted from S. Iohn's words that the spirit of antichrist was long since in the world and S. Paul here saith the Mystery of iniquity did work then but he tels us that Antichrist was not then but after that to be revealed It cannot be denyed but that the spirit of antichrist went forth with the apostasie and therefore S Iohn 1 Ioh. 2. 18. minding the Churches of the prophesie of antichrist to come in the last times tels them that there were many Antichrists already abroad i. e. that had apostatizing proud aspiring malicious trayterous thoughts and endeavours to supplant the Gospel Ordinances and Gospel Officers but he cleerly distinguisheth the antichristian spirit from the Antichrist in the self same verse and in the 22d and so doth Paul twice in this 2 Thess. 2. distinguish betwixt the Apostasie and the Antichrist In ver 3. he calls it the falling away first and then the Man of sins manifestation which will not be untill the end of the apostasie and ver 7 8. there the apostasie is called the mysterie of iniquitie which then began and but began 'T is a Text parallel with that fore-cited 1 I●…h 2. 18. Now there are many Antichrists The mystery of iniquity began to work in S. Pauls time but not to that height as to carry all before it no there were lets there were the Sons of Oil which did curb it and would untill they were slain and then Mark ●…hen the Adverb of time clearly distinguisheth betwixt the Apostasie and the Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there a discretive particle and also points us to the set time of the Antichrists appearing But more of this in its due place But it may be said that though they are distinct yet they are as the body and the soul so united as that they appear together and va●…ish 〈◊〉 though they may be distinguished yet they cannot be divided asunder There is some head and Ring-leader in this 〈◊〉 saith Ia●…kson on this Text and that must needs be the 〈◊〉 who shall be discovered and a little after he saith that this apostasie is to be a generall and universal departure of the whole Christian world then it must follow that the Antichrist must be the head of all the Churches in the world if so then the Pope cannot be the Antichrist though he bid as fair as he can for it for he is not head of the Eastern apostates and therefore we so frequently hear learned and reverend Divines pray for the ruine of the Eastern antichrist and the Western antichrist the Turkish antichrist and the Popish antichrist by which expressions of theirs they make it evident to me that they beleeve neither the Pope nor the Turk to be the Antichrist which Iohn or Paul single out with the Greek article ●… Possibly they may mean by the Western antichrist the chiefest cause and support of the Western apostasie which Rev. 13. is called the Beast with seven heads and ten horns and without all doubt that is the Popedome the head of which being apostatized from a spiritual Pastor to a proud Usurper in Temporall affairs is called the Star which fell from heaven to earth Ministers are called Starrs therefore by Star his Office Revel 9. 1. is set forth by falling from heaven to earth is meant his eminent and shameful apostasie Hence he is called Rev. 13. 1. the beast arising out of the sea Sea being put in opposition to Earth to note that he ariseth not out of the Civil but Ecclesiastick State he is a Church-man not a Lay-man And then he is crowned and horned to note his greatnesse in Temporal affairs he is one of the Roman Emperors in power But all this doth not make him the Man of sin nor the Antichrist here spoken of nor such an antichrist as some describe him How many learned Scholars both Protestants and Papists set up a Jack-a-lent of their fancies framing and then hoot at it for Antichrist Peradventure many will take me for one of these Fantasticks The safest way is to say so much of Antichrist as the Scriptures say and no more where the Scriptures distinguish concerning the Antichrist and the Apostasie let us distinguish where they are silent let us be silent Most men say the self same that I do highly extolling Scripture and truly acknowledging what the Mythologists sabulously report of their Goddesse Pandora that 't is Gods treasure on earth filled with all manner of heavenly riches and yet mean while either through ignorance or wilful wickednesse there are many too many of these in this age that open Scripture as Epimetheus opened Pandora's Box not as the alabaster box of Spikenard which sent forth an odoriferous smel but on purpose to infect the minds of people with false Opinions Heresies Rebellion and Blasphemies I confess the best Interpreters may take up that saying of themselves What man is there that liveth and sinneth not What Interpreter is he that writeth and erreth not Those of the highest form have confessed of themselves so much Errare possum saith one Haeretious esse non possum This was a confident high speech for no man knows his own nature thus much they know that it is

did his beautifull sister not to be tied in Nuptiall bonds of unity and love but to satisfie his lust and after that disgracefully to shut her out of doors They love Religion in the truth no more then Absalom loved Justice onely in pretence to some greater end to depose the King and get the Crown Now as they think to cheat men by their pretences and hypocriticall delusions so God in Justice leaves them in the hardnesse of their heart and blindness of their minde to be cheated by the Devil and Antichrist to their own damnation Whiles they cheat men under the cloak of religion of their honours and estates the Devil that whiles cheats them of their souls It may be truly said of every formall hypocriticall professor Perditio tua ex te Thy destruction is of thy self But I crave pardon for my sawcinesse in going here before my betters let us see what the learned say They received not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some learned men conceive that this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or an extenuation a diminutive expression the full meaning being this they pertinaciously refused 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of the truth Some by love of the truth understand Christ who is both truth and love Charit●…tem exhibuit veritatem ostendit saith Goran So that the meaning is they received not Christ that is truth for he that receives not truth in the love of it receives not Christ. Some others conceive 't is meant of the deficiencie of charity in Antichrists followers they have knowledge and gifts and faith but no charity which profiteth nothing 1 Cor. 13. Probably truth is here put for the whole doctrine of the Gospel in opposition to all other false Religions so that the Character of Antichrists followers is this They are professors of the Gospel of true Religion but they are hypocriticall professors and temporary professors for 1 They receive not the truth into their hearts they love not what they professe 2 Neither do they professe Religion with a designe to be saved by it Religion is not a Iacobs ladder for them to climb to heaven by but a blinde zeal under which without suspition they carry on their hellish designes all the heaven they look at is the wealth and greatnesse and pleasure of the world They receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved by it but the outward profession of the truth that they may be preferred by it Hence observe that the Antichrist is so far from an open deniall of Christ that he is a great professour of Christ who prefers all his followers upon the account of religious men and Saints men that professe religion but what saith the Text 't is in hypocrisie 'T is true they fast and pray but 't is not out of love to that solemn duty that they may be saved by it but that they may thereby advantage their carnall Interests as a reverend Divine said wittily once eying some mens designes They have saith he humbled themselves into the Throne and fasted and prayed that which they accounted Achans wedge and the Babylonish garment into their possession fasted fine cloathes upon their backs and self-denyingly wound themselves into all the great and profitable offices This is all the heaven that Antichrists followers aime at by all their eminent professions they receive not the truth to the mortifying of their lusts but for the palliating of their lusts 'T is a good place not grace a Kingdome here not a Kingdome hereafter that their profession chiefly pursues and closely hunts after Shall I say any more I will not I need not Reader I leave thee wisely to Comment upon this too-too easie Text in this present age vid●…as fugias But the Holy Ghost as I humbly conceive by the restrictive articles and the Scope of the prophecie intends some eminent truth at this time opposed by Antichrist upon the rejecting of which truth they become Antichrists subjects as Antichrist by opposing it becomes formally Antichrist but of this we shall touch in the last verse CHAP. VI. AND for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie In the former verse as Aquinas observes there is onely the sinne set down In this verse there is both their sinne and punishment their being deluded is both their sinne and their punishment In the following verse there is onely their punishment set down which is damnation the end of all their Apostasie a just reward for such iniquity In the words there are these particulars 1 The Judgement denounced delusion 2 The Author inflicting it God 3 The persons on whom it is inflicted them those that received not the love of the truth to be saved by it 4 The specification of it by its effects that they should believe a lie In the Judgement or punishment denounced we must observe the Apostles manner of delivery which is potent in the Causall Conjunction Copulative for I cannot call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing else and in the adjunct 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And for this cause i. e. for rejecting the love of the truth and not making it the meanes of their salvation for this cause ' t is So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports two things 1 A false professours damnation is from himself not from God He is the cause of it for 1 He loves not what he professeth and would you have a man for ever tied to what he loves not Religion is an hypocrites purgatory through which he wades with much regret of soul in hope at last to reap some profit He loves the truths of Christ no more then a Merchant loves the Sea he longs to be over it at his goald he intends not to dwell at Sea in any wise As a true Christian loves this present world so a false Christian loves Religion he cares not how soon he is rid out so he may obtein his desired ends So that as a true Christian counts it his hell and will in no wise be tied for ever to the world so an hypocriticall professor counts it his hel wil in no wise be tied for ever to the everlasting Gospel If a man would commune with an hypocrites heart it would tell him that he looked not at communion with Christ nor expected any robes of righteousnesse from him he neither loves Christ nor his truth nor intends a Spirituall Crown but earthly advantages by his profession He loves not the Gospel after such a manner as to glorifie God and be saved by it and is not such a man the cause of his own damnation God will save no man against his will He will have all his servants Volunteers he ties none by fatall necessity or absolute determination to obedience but all by free choice hence our state in the first Adam was mutable because God would be served by a voluntary choice Since our restauration God gives us a will to