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 Charitâ—…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 vidâ—…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
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
colour of truth Grotius conceives the Holy Ghost points here at Caius Caligula the Successor of Tiberius in the Roman Empire who made a great apostasie from the good deeds of Augustus and Tiberius his Predecessors which they did to the Jewes and to their Religion what they did to please the Jewes this did undoe to displease and disprofit the Jews After this manner he makes him run parallel with the other part of the Prophesie but this is rather Iusus then allusio rather a sporting with then expounding of Scripture He shews us how foolish a Commentator mans fancy is of Scripture be the man never so learned and how easily a man may be deluded by the strength of his fantasie to beleeve a lye when t is so byased with its own parallels as to melt sacred Texts into its own mould and shape it to its own liking What is it but transitus à genere in genus to make historicall notions in humanity to beget the conclusions of Divinity like that high-strung Musician Aristoxenus who would out of the principles of Musick determine the nature of a humane soul and what usually is the end of such mens violent labors but only Praxitiles-like to make beguiled minds bow downe to the painted Strumpet of their fancies The reason why so many learned men have like drunken men reeled and rambled and stumbled and fel in their Treatises upon Prophetick Texts is because they â—…ipple themselves first with the brainsick wine of their own fancies drawing This hath been and to this day is I am confident the cause of those gross mistakes concerning the powring out of the vials making all the vials almost of Gods wrath to be poured out upon Rome and her adherents when if we look into Scripture soberly and into History with an unbyassed judgment we shall find not one vial as yet to be poured out I know this opinion is vineger and smoak to some but I presume not to sober men well read in these mysteries humane Histories at the best are but the worst Interpreters of the Scripture The body of the Scripture is like Solomons Temple which a wiser then Solomon hath builded for the Church of God every stone is fitted before it come hither for its fellow here window answers to window and pillar to pillar no noise of axe or hammer is heard throughout it The Scripture is like Ierusalem compact and at unitie in it self it is as Strabo saith of that City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well watered within it self so that we need not go any farther then the threshold of the Sanctuary we need not go over it to quench our thirsty desires of understanding it There is no Doctrinal truth for the feeding of the Church nor any Prophetick truth for the comforting of the Church but it is established 2 Cor. 13. 1. in the mouth of two or three witnesses the fault is only in our selves we are weak sighted and cannot perceive them nor distinguish them Let not the Reader think I cry down either the searching into or the applying of humane History to divine Texts but only the riotous fancies of those who in their writings set up Historie against Scripture and I had almost said reason it self I will willingly give as much worship to History in the Divinity School as the Schoolmen give to Images in the Church that is cultum respectivum but not so much worship as the Papists give to Images this day .i. cultum conjunctum My task therefore shal be to search after that testimony which the Scriptures give concerning the Apostasie and that testimony though but single will carry it against all others I shall only first mention the reason that they give that hold Paul means the ruine of the Roman Empire in this place why Paul did not speak plainly and openly of it To this the Greek and Latine Fathers answer viz. Chrysostom Oecumenius Ambrose Hierom Tertullian and several later Writers as Cajetan and Aretius c. ' Paul say they in prudence kept covert this truth ' lest hereby the Christians and the Christian Religion should ' suffer as enemies to the Empire of Rome Indeed I have read of Saint Basil and it is spoken in his commendation as a grave prudential act of his that considering the season and the predominancy of Hereticks pro temporis ratione Haereticorum principatu he did refrain from some sound expressions concerning the Deity of the Holy Ghost which others of a lower degree in the Church did boldly and frequently use Without all doubt there is a season for all things a time to speak and a time to be silent and a word spoken in due season how pleasant is it But all this shall never make me believe that Paul would for fear of Humane or Diabolical power or crueltie put Gods candle of Truth under a bushel he spake as the Spirit gave him utterance neither adding to nor detracting from any thing imparted to him by the Holy Ghost he delivered the whole mind of God to them Paul had none of that baseness in him which is so frequently found in the Ministers of this Age to baulk Truths for fear of persecution The least Truth of God is worth all the Churches in the world yea set me say it were the least Divine truth put in the scales against all the souls in the world it would out-weigh them Better all those souls should eternally miscarry then that truth should perish Though the pretended Saints of God in this age think a little of the world to be worth a great deal of Gods Truth yet those that are truly sanctified and enlightned think far otherwise Truth it is of the Essence of God for God is truth and he that will with-hold any thing of God for a carnal end will easily be drawn to let go all of God in the end and therefore this their reason I hold to be as unsound as their opinion who think Paul prophesied here of the destruction of the Roman Monarchy by peoples falling away from it Some and those not a few make the Apostafie and the Antichrist to be all one directly contrary to the light of the Text as also other prophetick Texts which run parallel with this As it is a sin to separate what God hath joyned together so 't is no lesse an error on the other hand to joyn in one that which God hath distinctly made two Cornelius à Lapide to whom the Christian world in this latter Age is beholding for his learned Labours saving his errors on the Bible saith on this prophetick Text that there are two great signes which fore goe the day of Judgment which the Apostle in this Prophesie holds out 1 This universall Apostasie and then the Antichrist himself which treads upon the heels of the apostasie and immediately follows it Oecumenius seems to point at the Idolatry of the Church of Rome for saith he the deceit of Idols shall cease and
pragmatick fellows made it a snare to tender consciences of the Kings party by pressing it upon them and oppressing those that refused it This was doubtlesse a grosse sinne but it cannot properly be laid to their charge as if they thereby intended to make a party for themselves against the King but to make all within their Garisons and Commands both Ministers and People true Subjects to the King to the Lawes and the Protestant Religion Whiles this was strictly observed in the Parliaments Quarters Iesuites and Popish Priests were not so frequent nor so bold as since they have beene amongst us 3. As to that of throwing down of Bishops a double scandal is taken if not given thereby 1. In their manner of proceeding without and against the King which in it self was absolute usurpation for though they did send to the King to passe it yet they resolved upon his denyal to proceed which was an absolute denyall of his Negative voyce in which implicitely they denyed him to be their Soveraign 2. In throwing down the ancient Government of the Church by Bishops which Government hath continued in the Church since the Apostles time unquestioned until within these hundred yeers and then the Orthodox onely questioned their Persons not their Office onely the Anabaptists cryed down the Office as Antichristian Now for the Parliament under pretence of Reformation of Religion to cast off that primitive Government universally received in the Churches without and against the consent of the King and solemnly ingage others in the same thing seems to be a most rash and incâ—…nsiderate act done out of blinde mislead zeale or an ungodly act done wilfully to bring to ruine the Protestant Church of England to rob the Church of its Maintenance and ruine the learned Clergie of the Nation Here we must answer leâ—…t both innocent persons and a good Cause suffer 1. The Parliament intended not by throwing down the English Hierarchie to throw down any Worship Discipline or Government according to the word of God for then their second Article would clash with the first in the Covenant so that their meaning is they will extirpate so much of Prelacy as shall be found contrary to the word of God and the Example of the best reformed Churches I suppose by Churches they meant the purest Primitive Churches for all these late Reformed Protestant Churches did before we thought of a Reformation yeild that we were better reformed then they We hold the Calvinists the best reformen Churches but saith learned Beza to the praise of the English Protestant Bishops Let the Church of England injoy this singular bounty of God which I wish may be hers for ever So far was he from thinking it a piece of Reformation to pull them down Calvin Bucer Luther Melancton Zâ—…nchy Chamier are all of them no enemies to Bishops though professed enemies to the Superstitious Idolatrous Practices of Bishops in that Age. Every solid Protestant is so far from thinking the Office of a Bishop to be Antichristian that he rather thinks it a high degree of Antichristianism to oppose that Office this is as we have shewed to deny the Father and the Son for he that denyeth an Apostle or the Successoâ—…s of an Apostle in the Office of the Ministry denyeth Christ and he that denyeth Christ denyeth God that sent him Charity therefore makes me hope that the sincere Protestants what ever other subtil Foxes designed intended no otherwise by that second Article in the Covenant then to reduce the Church of England to a Primitive Purity by removing Popish Prelates and all those humane Institutions depending on the English Hierarchy if through Error they were mis-led from the right means to this end the discovery of that Error may seasonably reduce them into a right way for wise men never think it a shame to repent It is most certain that the intent of the sincere Covenanters was to reâ—…ine not ruine the Ministry by pulling down the English Hierachy they struck not at the order of the Ministry but at the degree of Episcopacy they struck at the Discipline of the English Church therein more then at the Ministry for they pulled down Bishops as they were Superintendants over their brethren not as Ministers so that they took away their degree above their brethren but left them standing in their order as Ministers Bishops lost not their Order by the Covenant but their Degree for though they are in a distinct degree above the Presbyters which have ever been allowed them in the purest Churches since Christ time yet they never were a distinct order from the Presbyters neither the Scripture nor the Fathers make them so so that Aerius an ancient Writer in that saith truth a Bishop and a Presbyter are joined in the same Commission the Bishop imposeth hands so doth the Presbyter the Bishop administers the Sacraments and dispenseth the Ordinances so doth the Presbyter so that essentially there is no difference betwixt them what is is only gradual Now here lies the great question Whence they had this degree above their fellow Ministers in the Church If they had this from Apostolical Institution then without all doubt it was a grieveous sin in any Civil Power to pull it down and they that convenanted so to do did unadvisedly and foolishly But if this degree of Episcopacy be but an Ecclesiastical Institution though of great Antiquity the case is altered there cannot be an absolute necessity of its immutability Meer humane Institutions admit of alterations Hierom and Epiphanius say They were set up as a remedy against Schism and Heresie long after Presbytery But to come to the thing suppose this degree to be as probably it is an Apostolical Institution which continued unquestionable in the Church for many hundred years Yet here the question will still be Whether since the grand Apostasie that Paul prophesies of there hath not been an Apostasie from this Institution whether this Institution in the Apostasie did not contract much corruption This is granted by all the Protestant English Bishops especially by the late Lord Primate of England B. Laud in his Conference with Fisher Bishop Jewel and Bishop Downam hence these two latter conclude That the Hierarchy of Rome is so corrupted and apostatized from its Primitive Institution that it is become the Antichristian State nay more then that they call it the Antichrist That question then which concerns us is Whether the Hierarchy of England were so exactly conformable to the Primitive Institutution as that it needed no alteration These two things are granted 1. That the persons in that Hierarchy needed to be reformed for some of them were profâ—…ssed Papists and the most of them bitter enemies to a powerful and a painful Orthodox Ministry 2. That whatsoever is built upon an humane foundation may upon humane or divine considerations be taken down again if so then those Titles Offices and Dignities conferred meerly by men may be taken away but
Church whereof you are members let love to the generations yet unborn who are to be members of the Church provoke you to constancie That they when they shall blush to read of the shameful Apostasie of many eminent Professors may rejoyce and be incouraged by your patience pray â—…aith and constancy to maintain those truths you leave them sealed with your blâ—…ud with Christian courage in the greatest storms of persecution and give glory to God on your behalf in imitation of your singular vertues wherefore stand fast and in your deepest troubles lift up your head for your Redemption draweth nigh 't is but waiting a little while and then he that cometh will come and will not tarry when he 'l come over the mountains an unexpected way and will appear to you on thâ—…se Mountains like a pleasant Roe but he 'l come as a thief upon your enemies that is suddenly unexpectedly terribly bloudily with his sword drawn in his hand spoiling them in a moment when your enemies are folâ—…ed together as thorns and whiles they are drunken as drunkards they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry but on Mount Zion shall be deliverance That thou Christian Reader mayst be found on Mount Zion in this great and terrible day of the Lord which by all Scripture-signes is neer at hand that thou mayest be one of those that keep their garments clean and wait for the comming of our Lord that thou mayest not be found amongst the number of Christs enemies when he comes but mayest discâ—…rn the times and the seasons so as thereby before-warned to flie from the wrath to come I have with much labour and diligence presented with all the affection of a sincere Christian this ensuing Treatise to thy view if thou beest a gainer by it for thy souls good give glory to God the Authors designe is fully accomplished Farewel In the first page of the Preface for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of the APOSTASIE The First Part. CHAP. 1. THis Chapter is a part of the second Epistle of Paul which he wrote to the Thessalonians I call it the second Epistle in regard of its posteriority to the first in the order of place it is in all the Greek Copies the last or second Epistle yet Learned Doctor Estius and Grotius do conceive this second in the order of time to be the first as being written by Paul first their grounds for this I shall not meddle with it not lying within my circle at this time to enquire when and where Paul writ this Epistle yet I doubt not ere I leave this Subject but to make it manifest that this Epistle is Pauls second Epistle in time as well as place to the Thessalonians That Paul was the Author of this Epistle is on all hands granted the only thing then that we shall enquire after before we come to the Text is who this Paul was Here it will not be impertinent to give a word or two 1. Of his Birth 2. His Breeding 3. His Conversion 4. His Name 1. Paul was born at Tarsus the Metropolitan City of Cilicia Acts 21. 39. The son of a Pharisee an Hebrew of the Hebrews Philip. 3. 4. 5. A man that for Natural Birth-right-Priviledges could have boasted with the proudest Iew he was of the Tribe of Benjamin out of which Tribe God gave the twelve Tribes their first King after whose name he was called these two Sauls fulfilled the dark side of that Prophecy Gen. 49. 27. being monstrous Wolves against Christs Sheep and Shepherds 2. Pauls Breeding oâ—… Education was under Gamaliel Act. 22. 3. who was a man of great Authority and Learning amongst the Iewes he was a member of the great 〈◊〉 which sate at Ierusalem and had the sole power of judging of a Prophet he was a Doctor of the Law of great repute among all the people Act 5. 34. who by his eloquence and wisdom in one Dilemma put to silence the High-Priest and all the Doctors or rather I may say he made them like Subjects fall to his opinion This Learned Doctor was Pauls Tutor Now how to reconcile Act. 18. 3. with what I have writ or rather what the Holy Ghost discovers in the forementioned Texts of Pauls Education I do not know for it is generally concluded from this Text that Paul was a Tent-maker by Trade now that Paul should be a Pharifee and a Tent-maker was as absurd amongst the Iewes as it is amongst Orthodox Christians to say a man is a Minister and a also a Cobler or a Tinker unless Paul were as by his wild Zeal he should seem to be a Tub-Pharisee indeed the Jewish Church was at that time exceedingly degenerated from its primitive Purity and that very Sect declared so much for a Pharisee was but an hypocritical Sectarian Separatist And Drusius tels us that they â—…an Division to seven there was the Praise-seeking Pharisee and the Self-justiciaty and the Self-afflicting Pharisee that wounded his head and scratched his body with thorns the Slavishly-fearful Pharisee the virtuous Pharisee the covetous Pharisee and lastly the down-look'd devoted Pharisee who wore a thing like a Mortar on his head to hinder his looking upward But I find another distinction more grave but whether more Authentick I leave to the Jewish Antiquaries to determine there are two sorts of Pharisees namely Porashim and Parushim as the Hebrews term them that is Docentes and Separati Teaching Phariseâ—…s and Laik Pharisees now this distinction is brought by Antiquaries purposely to salve that Text Luke 18. 12. where the Pharisees boast that they paid Tythe of Mynt and Cummin Now if they paid Tythes saith the Disputant how were they Church-men To this it is answered The Teaching Pharisees paid not Tythes But received them but the Laick Pharisees paid it But this distinction is not satisfactory for if none but Laicks paid Tythes then we may as well conclude that all the Levites were Laicks because the Levits paid Tythes to the Priests I humbly conceive the answer â—…would be sound and true thus That it does not follow that of absolute necessity the Pharisees that paid Tythes must be Laicks for why might not they being Church-men pay Tythes to the Priests at the Temple as well as the Levites who receive Tythes pay the Tythe of their Tythes to the Priests Numb 18. 28 29. But the Priests were Levites and the Levites called Priests Ezek. 44. 15. Heb. 7. 5. But we need none of these distinctions or answers to solve this question about Paul for we do affirm from Act. 26. 4 5. that Paul before his Conversion was no Tent-maker for Paul declares before King Agrippa that all the Jewes knew that from his youth he had lived after the strictest Sect of Iudaism a Pharisee now no body believes that the strictest Sect of Pharisees were Trades men much less Tent-makers
comprehended That ye be not troubled as that the day of Christ is at hand Of the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ The general opinion of Authors is that this is meant of the coming of Christ to Judgment as is manifest by the scope of the Text. But herein those Learned men divers of them do in my opinion too much imprison the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that they allow it no other sense in the Scripture but Christs visible appearance in the flesh it is granted that the word in this Text may be translated concerning the 〈◊〉 appearing of Christ But that it should be alwaies so interpreted excluding any other coming of Christ I shall never yeild unto though very Learned men affirm it Some Learned men observe a threefold coming some a four fold coming of Christ. There is as a Learned Author observes a threefold coming of Christ mentioned in Scripture The one when he came in the flesh when he himself became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh the other when he enters into a heart of stone and makes it flesh this is by the influence of his grace the third is when he shall come to raise up and judge all flesh and to these I may lawfully adde a fourth coming of Christ mentioned in Scripture Prophecies and that is when he shal come to call the Iâ—…wes to raise the witnesses and to ruine Anti-christ though this truly falls under that of the coming of Christ by the especial almighty influence of his Spirit yet I mention it because I believe in Scripture this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used to set forth this special coming of Christ. But more of this in its due place And of our gathering together unto him So the Vulgar Latine Translation reads it The addition of this clause determines the controversie against those that say the Apostle meanes not here the day of Judgment for to 1 Thess 4. 15 16 17. the Apostle alludes where he had delivered the comfortable Doctrine of the Resurrection of all the Saints and of their glorious gathering together and their being caught up with Christ at the day of Judgment Out of this chapter most probably the Seducers took their Text and therefore Paul both repeats his own words and their false glosses upon them in this Text I treat on and the second verse as we shall shew in order as we open the ensuing words The Seducers it seems repeated Pauls words they said thus saith Paul now in comes Paul as the fittest and best interpreter of his own words openly professing and acknowledging that he had delivered such a doctrine as that of Christs coming and the Saints being gathered unto him but flatly denies that ever he writ or spake any thing of the suddenness of that great day as if it were neer at hand as men account neerness viz. within a yeer or an age and further he denies that ever he preacht or writ it for to distract or trouble the Church or drive them from the truth but to comfort and settle them this you may find in the Texts being compared together Thus Paul in the Text having repeated the matter of their fear proceeds now to the causes of this their trouble which in the general are two extrinsecal and intrinsecal one cause of this their trouble and fear was from within themselves the other was from without them and that was false doctrine brought in by false Teachers The inward causes which Aretius calls the effects of error are expressed in three words shaking of mind trouble and being deceived Ver. 2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled I should be tedious should I be never so brief in relating all the several senses of several Authors upon these words therefore I 'l contract them for brevity sake Many of them vary in their reading as they vary in their sense Tremelius reads it thus That ye be not soon troubled in your minds Beza reads it thus That ye be not or lest ye be soon removed from mind omitting the emphatical Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Translation The old Latine Version reads it That ye be not moved from your sense That ye be not soon shaken in mind so readeth our English Translation The variance of interpretors lyes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for as for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Learned do all agree that it properly signifies to toss or shake this way and that way this is the usual signification of it in Scripture as Matth. 11. 7. What went ye out for to see a reed à ventis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shaken of the wind and why is Iohn called a reed shaken of the wind but because he began to doubt whether Jesus were the Christ and therefore for the more certainty sends one of his Disciples to know from his own mouth whether he were the Christ or whether he must look for another A strange distemper in Iohns faith that he that had heard the voice from heaven at his Baptism and had certain knowledg of his miracles should now begin to doubt and think to have it resolved by a word from his mouth In this sense the Septuagint use the word and few use it in any other sense then to signifie a violent concussion or a disordered distracting fear which violently assaulting the soul makes it drive from its station like a ship in a storm whose Anchor hath no other fastning then the mud of the Sea which is not able in a storme to keep the Ship from driving and such are seduced Christians their hope is like a fleeting Anchor which whiles they hope for heaven are driven by the winds and tempests of Seducers from the fairer Haven of Truth yet still drag this groundless Anchor of hope after them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a word From the mind Some Learned men understand it simply of the rational facultie of the soul called the mind to note that commonly they that are seduced by such impostors are usually drawn into mad and unreasonable practices and opinions as Beza observes bringing for an instance the madness and unreasonableness of the Eastern people seduced to Mahometism and of the Western Christians under the Papacy together with the ragings of Anabaptists Libertines Davidists and others which do evidently declare to the world that these Apostates have lost their common reason therefore Paul adviseth these Thessalonians that these Seducers rob them not of their reason that they do not remove them à mente from their mind the Latine word mens which here the Translators use comes as the Learned observe from a Greek word which signifies the Moon to note the various dispositions of the mind Pauls Doctrine was the Sun and the Thessalonick Church was the Moon which by those heavenly rayes was inlightned now in came these Seducers as the gross body of the earth betwixt the Sun and the
Moon and caused a great Eclipse in the minds of the Thessalonians They that Paul left confirmed in the Truth are now shaken off from the Truth This Moon that was as white as snow in the truth is now turning into blood and darkned through the deceits of these impostors Hoodwink a Church with error or mis-belief and in that mopish fit it is apt to be led any way by Seducers The Scholiasts interpretation on this Text is notable That ye be not shaken in mind i. e. to be troubled or terrified out of ignorance of mind and servility ofâ—…t in prostituting it to the lusts of Seducers There is no way to lead a Religious mind but by darkning it and terrifying it Other Learned Interpreters by mind here understand the faith conceiving mind to be put by a Metonimy of the Subject for the faith it being the seat of faith and in this sense they understand it who read the words à vestro sensu that is say they from the truth I Paul taught you concerning the day of Judgment and the great Apostasie of the Gospel Church before that day which you by faith embraced Others conceive that Paul speaks here of the Regenerate mind whereby they did apprehend the truths of the Gospel as if he should say after once you have been brought to know aright and imbrace the saving Doctrine of faith suffer not your selves to be removed from this saving knowledg Grotius expounds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sentence or Doctrine delivered Since these various and Learned opinions do circle the Truth I will not give the precedency to any but as Augustin in such a like case said so shall I and I suppose it best becomes me to say Why may not all these interpretations be taken in since there is so much probability of truth in all and so little clashing betwixt any Nor be troubled The Greek word comes from a word say the Criticks which signifies the clamour or noise of those that make a tumult To this Zanchie agrees Therefore Nor be troubled he thus expounds Be not ye terrified with the clamor and noise of those Incendiaries those false Alarmers of the Church which as Aretius observes from the word with their mouthing terrible words of deceit and lyes went about to raise a storm in a quiet Haven to the intent to shipwrack the Church An Army sometimes is more easily overthrown by a false Alarm in the night then by a pitched Battel in the day this was the way that these Seducers went first they went to make it night in their understandings by leading them from the truth and then they intended to give them a false Alarme to distract them fear them and disorder them As Gideon by his Rams horns sounding his Pitchers chinking and his new and sudden light appearing ruined that strong and mighty Army so did these Seducers intend by the chinking of their Pitchers producing of their new and unexpected light and crying the word of the Lord and the word of Paul intend to rent and ruine the Church of Thessalonica Now Paul that he might prevent the mischief indeavours to remove the cause which lay more in the weak minds and timorous hearts of the Thessalonians then in any thing else for had they held fast to Pauls Truth which it seems by ver 5. they had forgot and not been terrified these Seducers had been utterly disappointed of their ends for they came into this Church but as Pick-pockets into a Fair making an uproar on purpose thereby with more ease to beguile the people therefore the Apostle saith to this effect O ye Thessalonians Non solum non moveamini quoad intellectum sed neque terreamini quoad affectum Gorhanus Having thus discovered the inward causes of this Church-commotion he proceeds to discover by way of dehortation from the extrinsick causes of this Church-quake CHAP. IV. NEither by Spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us Christ when he plucked up the pale of his only quondam Royal Park the Jewish Church He chose the Gentiles for his Forrest and Paul that had been the Divels Huntsman heretofore is now made Christs Ranger of this Forrest he with his commission from Christ goes â—…like another Orpheus with an harp from Apollo and makes such melodious Musick upon that heavenly harp the Gospel that by the Almighty power of him that sent him he made multitudes of people like woods to follow him he made the trees of the Forrest to bud and bring forth fruit to God He tamed the wild Beasts and turned stones to living creatures which became the sons and daughters of Abraham In this Forrest there were many night-walkers who did hunt with vnlawful nets and went about to destroy Christs Spiritual Game they had many baits and snares about every Burrough especially this at Thessalonica Now that Paul might spoil their unlawful Game he breaks their nets and spoiles their baits which he does by discovering them for these Seducers like cunning Fishers had mudded and troubled the waters that so their nets might not be discovered they raised a storm in that Church and then like Syrens sang their deceitful tunes in that storm Neither by Spirit Some conceive that Paul useth the word Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mimically in an holy scoffe at those Spirit-mongers who came with their empty vain dreams and opinions pretending them to be revelations of the Spirit therefore saith Iohn Believe not every Spirit 1 Ioh. 4. 1. i. e. every fellow that pretends to have the Spirit Primasius conceives by Spirit is meant the strange signes that Seducers shall shew pretending them to be done by the Spirit such Juglers there were doubtless in those dayes as well as those we live in Spirit say others by a Metonimy is here put for the revelation of the Spirit because the Spirit is the Efficient cause of revelation these false Teachers came and fained revelations as Zanchie hath it and then fathered it on the Spirit as Oecumenius hath it although those false Prophets themselves were the Authors of it Some conceive that by Spirit here is meant Prophesie and not unlike for the Spirit of Prophesie was then one special gift of the Holy Ghost and that which Christians were to give much heed unto and to try them by the Rule i. e. of the old Testament Prophesies as wel as by the new delivered by the Apostles Now this being the likeliest way to deceive the people in came these Seducers at this golden gate Hence Theophylact expounds it Prophecie because as he conceives certain men did counterfeit a Prophecie as that the day of Judgment was at hand If I should quote Beza Aretius Piscator and many more Commentators it would but inform us that they vary only in expression scarce any thing in sense Therefore I leave the Reader to follow whom he pleaseth Nor by word Here must be added As from us and probably as from
Let no man deceive you by any means The Apostle proceeds from intreating to commanding and that negatively that it might be the more obligatory at all times to their consciences Let no man deceive you by any means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noble Leigh that famous Critick observes signifies such a deceit which a false theef useth to a traveller offering himself a guide to direct him a better way to his journeys end and so leading him to some dismal place that he may rob him By any means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a word it is thus By any version and so the meaning most probably is this Let no one deceive you by any misinterpretation or subtil kinde of false glosses upon any Sermon I preached or Epistle that I writ to you or any other of the Churches and so this negative precept is brought in as a vehement reiteration of his dehortatory Petition which mightily confirms his Doctrine that the general day of Judgment is not at hand This doctrine he confirms in the ten next Verses Thus I have done with the Doctrinal part The Second Part. Of the general Apostasie from the true Profession of Christianitie and of the Anti-christ Ver. 3. FOr that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God shewing himself that he is God 5. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things 6. And now ye know what with-holdeth that he might be revealed in his time 7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work only he who now leteth will let untill he be taken out of the way 8. And then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming 9. Even he whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders 10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness CHAP. I. THis portion of Scripture stands amongst Pauls Epistles like the Tower of Ophel upon the wall of Ierusalem clouded and shadowed with sacred Mysteries it may wel be put amongst his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard places of Scripture to be understood which not only the unlearned but some Learned have wrested for ought I know to their own and others destruction Here we may truly take up the Rabins saying meeting with a hard place of Scripture Opusâ—…st hiâ—… quadringentis Camelis onust is commentariis rationem reddere We had need of four hundred Camels loads of Commentaries to give us light into this Prophesie The Prophesie in general is of the great Apostasie in the Gentile Gospel Church and of the Anti-christ Now such and so numerous are the various opinions of Learned men about Anti-christ that it gives occasion to many men who regard not the times or the seasons scoffingly to give out that Anti-christ is some ignis fatuus that is now in this Kingdom now in that anon no where and presently again every where some make him a Divel some a State some a particular man a King a General Others give out that Anti-christ is like the Philosophers Stone much talked on but never seen yet or known But all these Scoffers do not one jot diminish the truth of the sacred Word concerning Anti-christ for as for example there are many Ignoramuses this day in States affairs amongst whom my self is one that do not distinctly know who are the Custodes Libertatis Angliae some say the General Councel of the Army some say the House of Commons as now modelled others the Councel of State others the Keepers of the Great Seal and others the Judges of the Land now because we through our ignorance do not know them will it therefore follow that there are no Custodes Libertatis Angliae this would prove in the end but a bad conclusion for my part I draw no such conclusions but my prayer to God and my hope is that he will speedily dispel all fogs and mists of ignorance from deceived people that at last they may eminently and clearly perceive who are the Veri Custodes Libertatis Angliae But to our purpose That there have been and are many Anti-christs and that there is to be eminently the Anti-christ in the world before the day of Judgment none can deny that do confess the truth of the Scriptures In 1 Ioh. 2. 18. 22 there you have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the petty Antichrists and twice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antichrist eminently Antichrist Of this Antichrist there are various opinions which arise many of them from the very word as say some Antichrist must be one that pretends to be for Christ but is the great enemy to Christ and his Saints and this they draw from the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Grammers tel us signifies both for and against in opposition it is put for for and so both Humane Authors and the Scripture frequently inform us as Ioh. 1. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Grace for Grace But Criticks who give this gloss do affirm that both in opposition and composition it signifies for and against but I suppose it seldom signifies for in composition but against and so generally Authors understand the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for one that opposeth Christ So saith Hillary it is the property of the name of Antichrist to be contrary to Christ Nominis Antichristi propriet as est esse Christo contrarium and so say other Authors But if we wil have the full signification of this compound word we must look as well to the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to annoint and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies against the Annointed who the Annointed are Rev. 11. 4 5 6. compared with Zach. 4. 3 11 14. tel us In the Church under the Ceremonial Law the King and the Priests only were annointed indeed Prophets were annointed sometimes but that was extraordinary not by Ceremonial constitution but immediate command These two Sacred functions are not destroyed but refined under the Gospel so that probably the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is he that slaies the Witnesses for his proper name is the Opposer of the Lords Annointed the enemy that makes war with and overcomes the sons of Oyl the Witnesses the two Olive trees This is that Antichrist which Paul in this place
so far from being ignorant of the Jews rejection and their own reception that they insulted and boasted thereupon therefore that cannot be the mystery that Paul importunes them of all mysteries not to be ignorant of it But the mysterie as learned Cajetan observes lyeth principally in these words Untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in That the Jews were a people cast off for their unbelief is a thing known to all the Churches in the world but to know that the twelve Tribes shall after this sad captivity be brought to Christ and their own Land again and to know how long this their rejection and dissipation shall continue untill they be brought into favour again and restored to be a Church this is a mystery to all the Churches in the world this day And blessed is he that readeth and understandeth this mystery This mysterie of all mysteries the holy Ghost would have this Church to take notice of therefore 't is ushered in with this double guard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this the mysterie the chiefest of mysteries amongst prophetick Texts Well it may be termed so if we search into it there lyeth a mystery in every word of that sentence wherein this mysterie lieth 1. In the Adverb of time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gnad in Hebrew It defines that space of time à parte post wherein the Jews shall continue in their unbeleeving or unrestored or unchurched condition and this is a mysterie so great that to this day none can though never so learned peremptorily define Then there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this mysterie if I am not grosly mistaken in my parallels hath been and is as much mistaken as any Text in the Bible amongst the Leared for 't is generally conceived that this fulnesse of the Gentiles coming in is meant the fulnesse of their coming in to the Gospel as much as to say when the Gentiles are fully brought in to God then the Jewes shall be converted but this hath been confuted as an opinion directly contrary to Paul's own sense in ver 12. of the same chapter for the greatest work of grace is to be exercised among the Gentiles when the Jews shall be restored for if the diminishing of them be the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulnesse Now if the great work of grace amongst the Gentiles must be accomplished before the Jews shall be converted how will those words be true and those many Prophecies of the innumerable number of Gentiles that shall flock in to the Gospel with the Jews 'T is expressed in that prophecie that ten Gentiles shall in the day of the Jews conversion come in to God for one Jew Zach. 8. 23. In those dayes ten men shall take hold out of all Languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of a Iew saying We will go with you for we have heard that God is with you And in that day Isa. 19. 23 24 25. the Lord of hosts shall blesse saying Blessed be Egypt my people and Assyria the work of my hands and Israel mine inheritance Those three verses with the precedent matter run parallel with Zach. 14. 8 9 10 16 17 20 21. We might multiply Texts to prove that when the Jews shall be converted there shall be a glorious coming in of the Gentiles unto Jesus Christ with them But as for this opinion which passeth so currant amongst the Learned without the least controll of any onely the variation of some who say By the fulnesse of the Gentiles is meant the preaching of the Gospel to all the world I professe for my part I know no ground they have so to interpret it they have not one parallel Scripture that I know in all the Bible for it Therefore I humbly take the boldnesse to put that glosse upon it that other Texts put upon it viz Luke 21. 24. Revel 11. 1. Untill the fulnesse of the gentile Apostasie be come in This is the Mysterie which Paul calls that the Mysterie Mysteries are so called because saith one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is meet they be shut up within as those sacred things within the Ark or as others say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from sealing up of the mouth Indeed a mysterie in Scripture lies as the tongue sealed up within the sacred lips of hard expressions which he that can unseal shall hear that mysterie like a tongue declaring Gods minde therein Such is the Text I am about which I humbly conceive hath been sealed up betwixt those two sacred Texts that I have endeavoured to open and that in Dan. 12. 6 7 9. which we shall open in the close of all Now since the mysterie lyes in these words Untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come in that we may not leave the Reader in the dark we will see to what it leads us in other Texts CHAP. V. THis Mysterie leads us to two Texts more Rev. 10. 7. and 17. 5 7. which lead us to the end of the Mysterie For the next great Question will be If the Jews must be converted when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in and herein lyeth the mysterie Then when shall this Mysterie be fulfilled Rev. 10. 7. answereth it But in the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angel when he shall begin to sound the mysterie of God shall be finished that is the great mysterie that the Mysterie this answers to the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 until But how shall this mysterie be finished Rev. 17. 5 7. seems to answer this together with Revel 11. 7. In Rev. 17. you have as 't is generally acknowledged Rome going to ruine and in what dresse is she in now she is going to ruine she is arrayed in purple and scarlet colour and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication that is Heresies presented in the golden cup of profound Truths and glorious new Light and upon her forehead was a name written Mysterie Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth This is spoken not of the bare City Rome but of the Head and Politie of that City which is the Popedome when the Popedome came to be the Beast with seven Heads and ten horns then came he to be the generall Head of the Apostasie and now Rome comes to be neer her ruine upon her forehead this Mystery is written this Mystery which as Chrysostom saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath much of a Paradox in it is legible on her forehead i. e. the mystery hidden from the Ages past is now revealed openly to all the world for that is the meaning of Mystery Babylon upon her forehead and this is the last vision Iohn hath of the Polity or or Government of Rome Romes Government and
of God as the Apostate expounds it in other places the Church of God and sâ—… the most judicious of the Papists expound it and generally all the Protestants so expound it fetching their warrant not onely from the Fathers but from the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because this is Gods habitation he dwels there so that the Antichrists seat cannot be Rome that apostate Church but that Church where God in an especiall manner dwels in the purity of his Gospel-Ordinances 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sits as God here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very Emphaticall implying thus much that he is but an usurper he is not really nor rightfully the supream head he is but a would-be-King and an insolent usurper of what he possesseth he sits as God God is here to be expounded as before he opposeth and exalteth himselfe above every god that is Magistrate and here he sits as God that is as supream Head Governour or Monarch in the room of them he threw down and all this in the midst of the Church the truest and purest Church Augustine hath a prophetick glosse upon this text he conceives by sitting in the Temple of God is meant his domineering and insulting in a Church-way as if he and his followers were the only true Church the only Saints and all others but in the dark foolish professours and far short of him and his followers in point of Saint-ship Some Books for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the people of God so that he as God sits upon the people of God for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a word is in populum this reading doth neither contradict the precedent nor the following sense but rather confirms it shewing that the Antichrist shall sit as Monarch over and against the people of God therefore Dan. 7. 25. he is said to weare out the Saints of the most High and to change their times and lawes and they are said to be given into his hands i. e. to be delivered up to his Tyranny for three years and the half of three in which time he shews himself as if he were the sole Monarch of those Kingdomes which the true Professours of the Gospel do possesse Shewing himself that he is God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar renders it ostendens so our Translators render it in English Erasmus reads it ostâ—…ntans boasting or bragging Beza reads prae se ferens pretending I may so translate it The Greek word answering to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Morâ—…h which in English is making himself to appear that he is God that is that he is in the power and authority of them whom he did subdue which are called gods the supream Governours he sets himself out to be the Supream 't is a selâ—…created title and power that he hath none in lawfull authority gave him any such great authority but he takes it to himselfe so in Dan. 11. 36 he exalts himself and magnifies himself 't is the Kingdome that he seeks for himself self-promotion is his end that he may be mighty in the eyes of the world he makes himselfe god i. e Monarch Some read tanquam sit deus as if he were god that is demonstrating to the world by his imperious acts that he is no lesse then an absolute Monarch he is no whit inferiour to a King in power therefore he is as a King and this he makes the World to know by his actions therefore saith 〈◊〉 Paul doth not say saying but endeavouring to make it appâ—…ar that he is supream his actions shall tell the World what he is nâ—…t his words for his words are smoother then oil therein he is like the Pope the first beast before him Revel 13. 12. CHAP. IV. REmember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you thâ—…se things The most of Expositors passe by this Verse as being plaine and easie to be understood and so it is therefore it should be observed There is nothing difficult in the Copies or the Translators of them Zaâ—…chie saith no more of it then this which is just nothing Hic verâ—…us nihil habet obscuritatis In the like manner do the rest ride pâ—…st over it This Text is like a two-edged sword in the hand of Paul that spirituall hampion whereby he divides asunder betwixt the seducers and the seduced A man would take this Text primâ—… intuitâ—… to be very abruptly brought in that in the very middle of a prophecâ—…e of such mighty importance he should bring in such a parenthâ—…sis seâ—…ms harsh but ô the wisdome and prudence of this mighty man or rather of the mighty Spirit of God in this Apostle There is that vis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or kinde of formative vertue here in Pauls words whereby each faculty of the soul that by Hereticks had been alarumed and routed is rallied again and put into a stronger posture thenever to withstand the enemy This Text confirmes the truth of his Doctrine confutes their sluggish ignoble demeanure in not searching the Scriptures like the Bereans their neighbours and re-establisheth them in the truth by putting them in minde how that it was nothing but that which he had taught them and they had received for truth before Hereby Paul confounds the Hereticks and Seducers Thus comes Paul as the Sun which at once dispelleth darknesse and administers heat light and refreshment Remember ye not Interrogatio haec quandam reprehensionis speciem prae se fert saith loyall Bradshaw the Divine upon this Text. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things All errours and heresies in a person or a constituted Church such as that of Thâ—…ssalonica arise either from wilfull wickednesse or ignorance and that ignorance ariseth either through carelesse negligence or forgetfulnesse either from neglect of learning and understanding truth or through forgetfulnesse of those tâ—…uths they had been taught this was the Thâ—…ssalonians fault the Devil had picked the jewel of truth out of the Cabinet of their memory that now any shining stone was imbraced as precious never regarding whether it were true or false At this great losse comes Paul with the lost Jewell and restores it to its former Cabinet he returns it again cum paterna exprobratione lâ—…niter eos castâ—…gans Remember ye not Old truths forgot presage much 〈◊〉 to ensue upon the peccant Churches or persons 't is like slipping Anchor in a dangerous sea this Church rode safe at Anchor against all the windes and storms of heretical doctrines whiles they kept in memory Pauls truths but having cut that golden Cable on a sudden that Church was dangerously driven amongst the Rocks and now in this storme comes Paul like another Saviour walking upon this troubled Sea châ—…ding these windes and bidding them be still he brings them once again unto an Anchor by remembring them of what truths they had forgot happy Thessalonica
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 wâ—…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 Iâ—…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
Churches state under the Arrian persecution under the Papacie and under the Antichrist and his new government Revel 33. 12. 18. In Cap. 14. we have a vision of the comfortable and successefull presence of Christ in his Church that Church where the witnesses rise it is they that are redeemed from the Beast of the Earth which sing the new song upon the harp to God verse 1 2 3 and verse 6. now the witnesses are risen great preparation is made for the promulgation of the Gospell the Ministery flie swiftly through the world to call both Jewes and Gentiles from the foure corners of the Earth to bring them to the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. And verse 8. you have the courage faith and zeal of the ministery raised to such a height that they confidently preach the certain and speedy downfall of Babilon because of her filthy blasphemous Idolatry wherewith she hath made all Nations i. e. Christian Nations drunke And in verse 9 10. compared with Revel 13. 15 16. the Ministers of that Church which verse 1. bears the name of Christ in his forehead which ver 4. is a Virgin Church which followes the lambe The Holy Ghost sets this Church out under the notion of peculiar selected persons to note that it shall not be the generallity of professors of the Orthodoxe faith that shall thus carry on Gods worke against the three grand enemies of the truth but some particular faithfull ones in those dominions where the witnesses were slaine in that Church after the witnesses are risen do the Ministers verse 9 10 11. boldly denounce damnation and the eternall vengeance of God against those that adhere to the Antichrist Now this must be in the intervall of time betwixt the passing of the second and the coming of the third woe for it cannot be after the third woe because at the third woe Revel 19. and Revel 16. all the enemies are destroyed and it is not to be thought that they will worship the Beast or receive his mark after that he is caught alive and cast into Hell And then this bold preaching it is not before the second woe be past viz. that the witnesses are risen and the power that upheld the Antichrist be overthrowne and slaine which is to be at the passing of the second woe Rev. 11. 11. 14. exempla probant for I take this bold preaching to be one eminent effect of the rising of the Witnesses and if this be one effect of the spirit of life from God entring into them you may safely swear upon the Sacred Bible they lie now dead they have no spirit in them against the Antichrist the feculent matter of predominent fear hath so stupified them that they are speechlesse like Pliny's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are mouthless men I only mean in not pleading for the great truth against the great lie in not vindicating the great truth opposed by declaring openly against the great lie that doth prevaile against it it is an infamous and irreligious piece of cowardise to quit a persecuted truth that cryes aloud come help me and strenuously to defend a truth which persecutors shake hands with is this thank worthy No t is to use a Heathens words not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t is not only an ungodly but an unmanly act Here 's then one effect of the Witnesses rising that they dare boldly speake against the Antichrist and his government and those that are the followers of him whereas before they durst not open their mouths therefore I conceive this intervenes betwixt the second and third woe and now by way of prevention of other objections from what we have seen in Rev. 14. we observe 1. That the great preparations for an Universall Reformation and Gospel Promulgation proceed principally from that Church where the Witnesses rise Zech. â—…0 11. God will first passe through the narrow Sea So we may translate the Septuagint 2. That after the witnesses are risen though the Church shall prosper and prevail yet untill the third woe come the Church must not look to sit downe in peace without molestation the patience of the Saints and their integrity will be still tryed even to the death as the two next verses seeme to tell us Rev. 14. 1â—… 13. for though at the passing of the second woe the chief of the Antichrists followers who supported his usurpation in the tenth part of the City be slaine yet the Antichrist himself is not slaine nor all his adherents for the first viall falls upon the remainder of Antichrists adherents Rev. 16. 2. and he himselfe is plotting Rev. 16. 13. with the Dragon and the Beast againe to overthrow the Church and the risen Witnesses this vision of the plotting of the Dragon the Beast and the false Prophet is another of those things which are to be placed in this intervall of time betwixt the second and the third woe I meane the passing of the second and the comming of the third for though Rev. 16. 13 14 15 16. be placed as if it were an effect of the 6. viall yet he that seriously views it will see it a distinct vision of it selfe giving us the immediate foregoing symtomes of Christs unexpected comming to pour out the vialls At this battell Christ comes like a thief i. e. suddainly terribly unexpectedly in the midnight of supine security but how will he come Rev. 19. 11. he comes on his white Horse signifying victory and triumph taking vengeance on his enemies therefore his garment ver 13. is dipt in bloud and ver 17. he comes in the greatnesse of his might bidding such defiance to his enemies that he sends a messenger before he fights his battell to invite the fowls of the aire to feast upon the slaine enemies which he intends to give them to supper 't is safe being on such a Generalls side and what flesh is it that he gives them ver 18. 't is the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captains and the flesh of mighty men but the Beast and the false Prophet ver 10. he by the sword of his mouth i. e. by his mandatory power casteth them alive into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone they die not the common death of all men dreadfull and irrecoverable ruine is their undoubted portion for the sword of the Lord shall effect it Rev. 19. 21. Now what is all this but the immediate effects of the 7. Trumpet and what are the effects of the 7. Trumpet but the sending forth the Angels out of the Temple to pour out the seven last plagues of God upon the earth If this great battell should be any thing distinct after the vialls then the vialls cannot be the seven last plagues Rev. 15. 1. nor is all done Rev. 16. 17. when the last viall is poured out because this great battell which is greater then the greatest plague is still to come and this would lead us to the third Epecha or distance
the end of the Chapter Rev. 14. 14. to the end of the Chapter Rev. 15 16 17. all for the most part a preparatory vision of the seventh Trumpet The 15. Chapter tells us who shall execute the wrath of the seventh Trumpet and whence they come The 16. Chapter sheweth the manner and matter of the seventh Trumpet The 17. Chapter sheweth the two grand Enemies of the Church on whom the wrath and woe of the seventh Trumpet falls These are the great Whore ver 1. and the Beast of the bottomless pit ver 8. that carries her ver 7. From hence t is clear that the Beast of the bottomless pit and the Pope are distinct persons for if by Whore of Babilon be meant the Pope as the most learned Protestants truly affirm then the Beast of the bottomless pit which beareth the Pope cannot be Pope himself My inference hence is this Ergo The Pope is not the Antichrist for he that slayes the Witnesses is the Antichrist but the Beast of the bottomless pit slayes the Witnesses Ergo the Pope is not the Antichrist being distinct from the Beast of the bottomless pit I do not disprove that the Pope is not an Antichrist but not the Antichrist whose reign over the slain Witnesses is to continue but three dayes and the half of three dayes at the utmost as there are many Witnesses and have been in all ages yet they are quite distinct from the two Witnesses so there have been and are many Antichrists which notwithstanding are distinct from that Antichrist the Fathers and the after Churches have from Iohn to Paul desciphered In the end of the Chapter we have a vision of the Instruments of inflicting the wrath of the seventh Trumpet which are called ten horns who v. 17. gave 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Kingdome t is not Kingdomes but Kingdome by which it appears that it is that Poliarchy or supream authority in those dominions under one supream head where Antichrist slew the Witnesses that shall destroy Rome that government or that policy which through their oversight put all their power into the Antichrists hands these when the Witnesses rise shall also arise indeed their rising from under the Antichrists Tyranny is a great part of the Witnesses rising though these are profound Texts I touch upon yet my doubts are not greater then my hopes of great things and glorious for the Church of England Ireland and Scotland's good from them and that speedily In Revelations 18. is the Vision of the effect of the seventh Trumpet upon the great Babilon that is Rome say many Papists and all the Protestants And ver 9. The great lamentation of the Kings of the Earth for her ruin these Kings which committed Fornication with her i. e. were of the same Popish Idolatrous Religion with Rome the Romish Catholique Princes Observe here not the Popish Kings of Europe eat the Whores flesh and burn her with fire for they weep and wail for her I am very prone to believe that the ten horns which destroy Antichrist are those Peers or Princes who in those dominions where the Witnesses are slain arise from under the Tyranny of Antichrist after the great Commotion Revelations 11. 12 13. and Revelations 17. 16. shall destroy Rome for I beseech thee Reader observe the ten horns that Antichrist gets on his head Revelations 17. 12. they are not ten Kingdomes nor no where so called but ten Kings i. e. a certain company assuming Kingly power would that were all but have no Kingdome but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast who set them up in the slaying of the Witnesses These usurpers are overcome in a battell with the Lamb ver 14. and after that ver 16. that lawfull power which Antichrist threw down yet pretended to set up purify and establish therefore called the ten hones on the Beast shall arise and destroy the Whore 'T is clear that both the ten horns here mentioned are those that are within the power and dominon of the Antichrist he getting power from the ten horns ver 17. to invest those other ten horns ver 12. of his faction with power to make war with the Lamb sure I am this is a clearer exposition of these Texts then that which makes the ten horns ten Kings of Europe who being Papists shall turn they say from the Pope and destroy him I wish it may be so but I can find no ground for it in Scripture In the next Chapter the quite contrary is most true In chap. 19. and chap. 20. we have the white side of this Trumpet the rejoicing of the Church for Gods glorious deliverance of it and after the finall overthrow of the three grand enemies which is parallel with Rev. 14 4. 20. the Church hath a large respite of rest from all its both secret and open enemies from Gog and Magog and the Witnesses are firmly seated in the Throne and the 12. Tribes restored to their own land Thus have I as I could endeavoured to remove all Objections to clear those Doubts and Obscurities which I find obnoxious to the mind in finding out truth or embracing that which from the written Word is laid before it There are two other Questions arise from this Discourse the one is 1. Whether the Antichrist in person shall be at the great battell at Armagedon and whether Turks and Papists shall joyn together to resist the Jews Restoration and the true Christian Reformation the Antichrist being a chief leader in this battell against them 2. Whether Rev. 21. and 22. be meant of the state of the reformed Church under the seventh Trumpet or it be a resemblance of that state of bliss which the Saints are made partakers of in the life to come To this last much may be said against what is confidently by some asserted but I wave it lest I be accounted both bold and tedious both which I disaffect in others and hate in my self Whether this Reverend Person whose Paper hath drawn all this from me will take it well or ill I know not but with humble thanks I do acknowledge his favour as the first that ever I received of this kind in shewing and correcting of my Errours for which I shall ever subscribe my self his Disciple humbly submitting whatsoever I have writ to his and such like learned prophetick Text-mens Censures FINIS 2 Pet. 1. 12. 2 Sam. 4. 7 8. As the bead of the gâ—…and Apostasie arose out of the purest Church Rome so the Antichrist ariseth out of the purest Churches at that time when they goe about to shake off the Apostasie for it is at that time when the Witnesses have finished their testimonie 1. Tim. 4. 12 Greg. Mor. 4. cap. 40. Hormisd Excommunic of Anastasius the Emperor Aâ—…n 510. Herein the Antichrist the son resembles the Pope his Father 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3 In fascicul rerum expetendarum Fruâ—…tur sanè i stâ Dei singulari beneficentiâ quae utiuam illi
that had such a Pilot in such a stresse This Text is the sheat-Anchor which staid the driving ship of the Church of Thessalonica they had heard Paul in person preach of the grand Apostasie and the comming of Antichrist and of thâ—… great let untill the time of Antichrists appearing and how all these must be fulfilled before the day of Judgement but they had forgot all this untill Paul had remembred them 't is certainly an excellent piece of divine policie in a time when a Church hath â—…lipt the anchor of old truths and is tossed to and fro with heresies to minde them of old truths for all errour in the Church as we said is either caused through forgetfulnesse or wilfulnesse as for wilfull Apostates they are past cure without infinite mercy and an extraordinary divine arme stretched out they are miserably ship-wracked to eternity but as for forgetful apostates what better remedie can be brought for their recovery then bringing to their remembrance ancient truths from which they have swerved What makes so many eminent professours in these our dayes turn Apostates but onely forgetfulnesse their fear and care of their persons families and estates hath made them forget their Baptismall Sacramentall Nationall Personall Engagements This sin of forgetfulnesse caused some who went to prison triumphing like Martyrs to return from prison sneaking like Malefactors they forgot Solomons words Prov. 4. 6. and a greater then Solomons in Matth 16. 25 26. and 19. 28. and Revel 21. 7 8. and 2. 7 17 26. and 3. 5 11 12. In truth such was their forgetfulnesse through fear that they forgot their own Epistles Poor souls I pity them and pray that either they may remember themselves or others may quite forget them let their shamefull acts never be published in Gath. Mark 8. 18. Do ye not remember The Apostle proves the truth of his Doctrine both from an ocular and auricular demonstration they had seen him in person mainteining it with their ears received it formerlâ—…â—…or a truth so that the Apostle drove them to this Dilemma either to be quiet and establish themselves in the truth by rejecting those seducers and their doctrines or to proclaim to the World that they were Apostates in forsaking the Light and the Truth which they once imbraced CHAP. V. ANd now ye know what with-holdeth that he might be revealed in his time This Text is neither plain to be read nor easie to be understood Some of the Fathers have onely this dark Comment upon it that they understand it not Hereupon some as darkly say of this Text that Pauls intention was not to be understood by any but the Thessalonians Venerable Beda and Dr. Estius ingeniously confesse they understand it not and several others though not in words in their works professe as much I pray God I be not one of them I am the likeliest of all men If I am 't is not for want of search For Hagar I think did not search more for a Fountain then I have done for a Stream naturally flowing from this profound Well yet am still exceeding thirsty The Text it selfe is an inference drawn from a double reason in the premisses The inference is that now they knew what hindered the appearing of Antichrist and the grounds of his inference are from v. 3 4 5. 1 There shall be a generall Apostasie v. 3. before the man of sin be revealed 2 That man of sin before he comes to be formally the man of sin must v. 4 stay the Witnesses and this was no strange or new doctrine for v. 5. he had preached it to them before so that from this double Demonstration he in this Text concludes with a confutation of their former preposterous conclusions for the forme of the Apostles speech is Elenchicall they concluded that the day of Judgement was at hand No such matter saith Paul for the generall Apostasie must continue a certain space first and then must come the man of sin in the end of that and he must slay the Witnesses and this you may remember I taught you therefore now certainly you cannot but know what lets the Antichrists appearing since you have been double taught it viz. that of the generall Apostasie which God by his revealed decree hath ordered first to be and then the slaying of the Witnesses the overcomming and suppressing of that Magistracy and Ministery which upheld Gods holy Ordinances in their purity for the Apostasie did but drive the Witnesses into the wildernesse where the Antichrist in the end of the Apostasie findes them and slayes them He opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God i. e. Magistracie or that for Religions sake is reverenced for so much the Greek word imports that is the Ministery which for their works sake are to be had in double honour The Apostle draws an argument à 〈◊〉 impedimenti that the great let must be the two Witnesses for they are the mountain which stand in the Antichrists way all his war is with them and all his Tyranny is over them and their Subjects I cannot finde in all the Scrâ—…pture what should be the great let but the two Witnesses 't is they that have fire in their mouths to devour their enemies they have power to shut heaven and power over waters to turn them to blood these all are but expressions of their prevalencie with God against their enemies those Antichristian enemies which persecute them into the Wildernesse and hence it is that Antichrist Revel 11. 7. makes war with them by which 't is clear 't is a Nationall Church under a lawfull Magistracy and Ministery which are in a capacity of levying war against the Antichrist that by the way chiefly observing this that they are the Antichrists let And v. 10. They that dwell on the earth i. e. Antichrists followers they rejoyce and make merry and send gifts one to another and what 's the matter because those two Prophets tormented them that dwell on the earth that is those Antichristian factions they i. e. the Witnesses kept down Antichrist with his followers therefore these rejoyce for their slaying I very well know the diversity of opinions on this Text Some and those of the Eastern Churches conceive the great let is the Spirit of God whose powerfull influence in the Gospel kept Antichrist under This in some sense is true yet not in opposition but confirmation of that opinion of the Witnesses being the great let for what Mediators doth the Spirit make use of betwixt his Majesty and men but only the Witnesses Moses and Aaron were thus his Mediators Others say the great let is the decree of God this in some sense though not in theirs is true for there are no events but what fall under Gods decree but we speak and so doth the Apostle of the second not of the first causes Others say the doctrine of the Gospel was that great let which kept Antichrist from appearing This opinion
Christ like the lightening i. e suddenly terribly when is that v. 28. when the ravenous birds of prey the Romish Eagles are feasting and rejoycing at the dead carcases of the Witnesses then followes v. 29. the vials pouring out on the apostasie and the Antichrist and then appears the signe of the Son of man in heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourn what all the Tribes yes all for v. 31. the Angels with sound of Trumpet Isa. 27. 13. that is at Iohns seventh Trumpets sounding shall call all the Tribes from the four ends of the earth Oh blessed day the Lord hasten it but is this at the day of Judgement no but at the time of Antichrists ruine for the Generation of the Jews shall not perish untill all this be fulfilled now after this Christ treats of the day of Judgement in that Chapter CHAP. IV. And lying wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syriack renders it and with false prodigies Beza reads lying prodigies I dare not alter any thing and therefore may not finde fault They say the expression is an Hebraisme equipollent to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which they translate for the Text. It is observable that all the New Testament-prophecies are full of Hebraismes sure the Holy Ghost hath some holy designe in it either to informe the Hebrews that the same Spirit that inspired the Old Testament-Prophets inspired also the New and that the onely way to understand either is to believe both and compare them one with another thus I understand that of seeing eye to eye as Esay hath it Or else it is to humble us Gentiles in the remembrance of our stock We are by nature wilde Olives and all the light we have received for salvation it hath come from the Hebrews To them were committed the Oracles of the Gospel and they viz. the twelve Apostles and Paul all Hebrews did dispense those Oracles to the world which are to this day and will be the standing rule to all the Churches to the end of the world Hereby all boasting is excluded from the Gentiles Or rather to point us to the Old Testament there to search for a parallel Comment on a prophetick Text in the New Testament It may be all these designes are included in the phrase and manner of expression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is a degree beyond signes that Antichrist goes for signes are but things acted within the Sphere of nature but wonders beyond and above the reach of nature Hence some conceive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to terrifie for wonders being things done beyond the course of common causes amaze and terrifie the beholders so that they stand at a gaze filled with admiration and wonder which is nothing else but the surplus of expectation Antichrists slaying of the Witnesses changing the times and lawes of that State where he slayes them Dan. 7. 25. pitching his tents in the Holy Mountain Dan. 11. ult dividing Mount Olivet Zach. 14. stripping the Church of all her strength and power which she made against him Deut. 32. 36. setting up his new strange government in the stead of the government of the slain Witnesses Revel 13. 12 13 14. these are such great things beyond the expectation of the people that are not acquainted with the signes and marks of Antichrists appearing that they wonder at his successes and are cheated by the Antichrist by the great signes v. 13. especially that of Religion and Saintship for Antichrist shall do all these unexpected things under the cloke of Religion as Solomon appeared in the sight of all the men of Israel to be that King whom God had made choice of to build him an house and that that house God chose beyond all others to be his house by the comming down of fire from heaven in the sight of Israel at which sight they being filled with holy wonder bowed down their heads and worshipped believing even so Antichrist shall by his cunning designes which he cloaks with externall formes of high devotion make the people believe that he is the man designed to pull down Antichrist and to lay the top-stone of Church-Reformation and make the times glorious times you may know Antichrist by the Livery that he gives to his black Guard in 2 Tim. 3. 2 3 4 we finde 18 of his company all in one Livery v. 5. having a form of godliness self-lovers or selfish men in the cloak of the form of godliness covetous men in the form of godliness boasters in the form of godliness proud persons in the form of godliness blasphemers in the form of godliness disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitors headie high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God all these the Apostle tells us in the last dayes meaning the dayes of Antichrists appearing shall be cloaked in a forme of godlinesse All these Devils in these dayes arise and walk in Samuels mantle So that I may use St. Iohns words to the dispersed despised and distressed Churches in this age 1 Iohn 2. 18. Little childeren it is the last time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time they went out from us but they were not of us These are the followers of Antichrist these are the chiefs of men to be destroyed when the Witnesses rise which day God of his abundant mercy hasten I believe 't is neer at hand Antichrist and his followers by their prodigious acts under the cloak of Religion may make the World wonder but they do no no wonders for the Holy Ghost tells us they are lying wonders wonders that onely cheat the men of the earth or earthly-minded men to a subjection to bow down to their image and receive the mark of the beast Antichrists miracles are lies respectu omnium causarum saith Cornelius à Lapide in respect of the materiall efficient formall and finall cause The end of his miracles is to cheat the people into a compliance with his false wayes whereas the end of true miracles was to confirme the truth The originall of these miracles is the Devil Antichrist is helped by Sorcerers and Witches that pretend Revelations and come with all manner of cunning to cheat and deceive soules The matter of them are meer deceits for dive into the bottome of them and you shall finde the fire he pretends came from heaven is fire of his own making to delude the people Ant. Scaynus conceives his lying wonders are such as Iannes and Iambres wrought before Pharaoh which were meer delusions and no true miracles yet served the turn to harden Pharaohs heart against the true Church and to divert the people from believing and obeying the truth to their
utter ruine and thither tendeth the miracles of Antichrist Some learned men say Antichrist shall be a great Magician or Sorcerer to this I could adde a very strange story which I received from a person of honour but to avoid all occasions of offence I forbear it The miracles of Antichrist are also formally lies for they are performed meerly by cunning He may pretend that miraculous providence from heaven doth all Herein he most desperately blasphemes for he makes God the Author of his sins by entitling God to all those prodigious villainies that he himselfe and by his cunning Instruments perpetrates I 'le conclude this verse with that of Goranus Antichrist saith he that he may deceive the people makes use of the choicest and wisest language talkes like a Saint dissembles much vertue in his conversation makes use of Scripture-testimonies pretends to work miracles makes large promises of promotion to those that adhere unto him and others he frights into a compliance by the threats of persecution I hope I shall be pardoned for not mentioning the opinion of Methodius in his Revelations about Antichrist nor of Hyppolitus nor Ephrem in their Tracts of the end of the World where they make as if he should counterfeit Christs miracles as to give sight to the blinde restore the lame to their limbes cast out Devils turn the Sun to darknesse seemingly also make mountains to move himselfe to flie in the air and such like miracles which are onely fancies of their braines there being not a word in Scripture whereon to ground any such opinion And with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemes by the most of Translators rather to be interpreted and expounded then translated for as 't is observed the word is compounded of the primative α and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a path or high-way and therefore I chuse to follow him who translates it out-path in every out-path of unrighteousnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is either opposed to truth as 1 Cor. 13. 6. and so 't is put for deceit or falshood or else as Alstedius saith it signifies that oppression and Tyranny which one man exerciseth over another In both these senses it may well be understood of the Antichrist For he is not onely a cheater and a false perjured person but also a monstrous oppressor and a bloodie persecutor of the innocent lambes of Christs flock He is a Tyrant who walkes in all the by-paths of iniquity His crooked feet can keep no straight paths he must have by-wayes to bad ends Cornelius à Lapide shews us six of his by-paths wherein he walkes 1 With much civility and courtesie to all thereby to ingratiate himselfe into their favours 2 By a feigned holiness and so as Goranus whose words we have quoted he proceeds to discover his severall wayes Thus you have the seducer viz. the Antichrist his manner of seducing in generall and in speciall and now we come to the parties seduced CHAP. V. IN them that perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observe the Apostles correlate termes in this discourse in v. 3. the Antichrist the seducer is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they that are seduced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the blinde lead the blinde and both fall into the ditch so the grand seducer leads the seduced until they both tumble down into hell You may read their dreadful ends in their names perditition is their name and destruction is their end be their profession what it will The son of perdition when he comes will draw the subjects of perdition after him to damnation this is the generall Character of Antichrists subjects they are lost men ruined men they shal be slain Revel 11. 13. Here we have the full length of Antichrists chain as Zanchie observes to the comfort of the Saints for though Antichrist arise in the midst of the Church and appear with his armed forces to terrifie some and with his cheats and deceits and miracles to draw away others yet he shall not be able to deceive the meanest Saint of God This is exceeding great comfort to the Saints and glory to Christ who rules hereby in the midst of his enemies A true Saint is never more visible then when the true visible Church is most obscured and darkened with Hereticks and Seducers Then was Athanasius in the full when the visible Chruch was in the wane Chrysostome comforts his hearers from this Text after he had preached to them of the cunning fraud subtilty and malice of the Antichrist Fear you not saith he my beloved but hearken unto him who hath said that he shall prevail onely over them that perish if it were possible he shall cheat the elect but it is impossible he may make them stumble but never totally fall No in that pit his own feet shall be for ever captivated with the multitude of Apostate professours his zealous followers The elect shall be kept in all their wayes that they never dash their foot against that stone They may be afflicted even unto death both shamefull and cruell by Antichrists tyranny but they shall never perish by Antichrists temptation He may tyrannize over the true Saints but he shall never make them his subjects nor followers they though conquered yet are conquerours over the image and mark of the beast Ergo adhaerebunt Antichristo sâ—…li 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Zanchie Onely those that are designed of God unto destruction shall be the subjects and followers of Antichrist Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Here we have a general Character of those Reprobates who are the followers of Antichrist They are formall Christians having no love at all of the truth which they professe The Apostle intends it saith Aquinas as a demonstration of their deception and the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems very much to confirm it They would mock God with a mock Religion and God returns their mocks upon them again by suffering others to mock them with a mock Religion turning Solomons proverb into a prophecie and fulfilling it The back-slider in heart shall be filled with his own wayes he shall have enough on 't An hypocrite puts on Iacobs smooth skin of profession to cover the Esau's hands and face of his villainie as Iacob put on Esau's counterfeit skin meerly to deceive He intended to wear it no longer then untill he hath thereby accomplished his designe He loves Religion no more then Iudas loved charity Though he carried the bag of charity and the tongue of charity yet he was a hard-hearted thief that robbed the Church by converting the Church-stock to his own private use Such are Antichrists followers who receive Religion in the form and externall shew of it but not in the love and power of it they receive it into their armes but not into their hearts they imbrace Religion as Amnon