the man because there lies the great difference betwixt the Protestants and the Papists and betwixt Protestants and Protestants It is the opinion of all that this man of sin is the Antichrist but what this Antichrist is is that which is much controverted Very many of the Protestants do hold that Antichrist is not one single person but a certain Politie or Kingdom wherein there is a succession of persons governing Brightman saith the Antichrist must be understood of a wicked Kingdom Calvin saith that the Antichrist is the head of the Apostasie Ergo no one single man but we deny his Antecedent for it will never be proved from History or Scripture that ever any one Government City or Polity was the Head of all the Churches that apostatized Neither doth the Scripture say any such thing of the Antichrist but the contrary as we shall shew hereafter We only give this as a true and full answer to his argument that there is not a word of Scripture in all the Bible to prove that the Antichrist is the head of the grand and general apostasie but for brevity sake wee 'll only give you Brightman's strange opinions of the Antichrist for him do the most Protestants follow I have briefly collected them thus 1 Antichrist saith he immediately after the ruine of the Roman Empire appeared in the Roman Throne and made that his seat 2 That Antichrist is a wicked Kingdome and no single person 3 That the time of his comming is past and not to come 4 That the Antichrist is to reign no where but in the City of Rome 5 That the Antichrist is the seventh head of the beast which reigns after the Emperours in Rome A man needs go no farther then his own arguments to fetch fire enough to turn into vapour and smoke each of these gross mistakes which have no Scripture for their bottom for the present this shall be all the confutation which is enough to that ingenuous Reader who peruseth him seriously that we shall give because we have work of more consequence to follow which will reach him fully The Protestants both Lutherans and Calvinists affirm that Paul speaks of the Antichrist in 2 Thes. 2. 4. which exalts himself above all that is called God and that he as god sits in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is god This say they is the Pope By the Temple of God they acknowledge as all men must that it is the Church of God Observe now how Bellarmine 〈◊〉 this with an argument ad hominem thus Arg. If the Pope of Româ—… sitting in the Church of Christ be Antichrist then the Calvinists the Lutherans as many as have forsaken the Church under the Pope are out of the true Church of Christ for the Church of Christ can be but only one as Christ is one But the Calvinists and the Lutherans do affirm the Pope to be Antichrist Ergo they have left the true Church If this text be meant of the Pope of Rome then do I not see how Bellarmines Argument can be answered This Argument of his is to this day not cleerly answered notwithstanding several answers I have read of Brightmans and B. Downams two learned Protestants This is an undeniable truth that the Antichrist shall arise in the midst of the purest Church in the world even when it remains pure therefore Dan. 7. 't is said He shall wear out the Saints and change their customes and lawes by which it appears it is the true Church in which he appears and that Church by their customes and lawes is a Nationall Church where should the two Witnesses be but in the true Church and where then should he arise that slayes them but in the true Church look not for Antichrist any where but in the midst of the true Church and at that time and not before when the Witnesses have finished their testimony in that place at that time look for the Antichrist But that time is not immediately after the overthrow of the Roman Pagan Emperours nâ—…r â—… the City of Rome as is evident from Revel 12. let not the Reader think I plead any thing for the Pope or the Church of Rome because I do confidently â—…ffirm that the Popedome is not the Antichrist nor Rome the seat of Antichrist as learned B. Downam would make it lib. 10. de Antichristo cap. 3 4. I do fully agree with him that Rome is mystical Babylon and the Popedome the whore of Babylon but all this makes not the Popedome the Antichrist nor mysticall Babylon the seat of the Antichrist which slayes the Witnesses as he would have it lib. 1. cap. 6. it makes the Popedome the beast with seven heads and ten horns Revel 13. 1. but not the beast of the earth Vers 12. nor the beast of the bottomless pit Revel 11. 7. which is the Antichrist Paul here describes We will not do the Church of Rome that honour to make it the Church where Antichrist usurps and tyrannizeth for that Church where Antichrist is revealed is the purest Church 't is the true Church that hath good lawes and customes else Antichrist would not think to change them we say and can prove it that the Church of Rome is an apostate degenerate Church full of all manner of abominations and filthinesse the mother of Harlots all this the Scripture saith of it and much more And we do affirm this of the Pope and Popedome that the Pope is that Star of the Roman Church fallen from heaven to earth i. e. as eminent an Apostate Church-man as ever can be in the World and by his hellish bottomlesse pitpolicie is got to be the beast of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns full of Blasphemie We will grant him the greatnesse of being that monstrous head of the Western Apostasie and this the Scripture saith of him but to affirm that the Pope or Popedome is the Antichrist that shall arise when the Witnesses have finished their testimony and shall slay the Witnesses or the little horn in Daniel rising after the ten horns or the man of sin sitting in the Temple of God then to be revealed when that which did let is removed all the learned men in the world shall never make me believe and therefore let not the Papists think their Champion hath wonne the day of the Protestants because he grounds an argument upon their mistakes no for we deny that the Pope is the Antichrist that slayes the Witnesses and yet we do affirm that the Popedome of Rome and those that have possessed that usurped charge make the beast with seven heads and ten horns which drove the Witnesses into sack-cloth and into the wildernesse they drove the woman the true Church into the wilderness into her place and what place is that but where the Witnesses finish their testimony and are slain by the Antichrist who reigns onely so long as the Witnesses lie dead which is but three
shall omit the sifting of them until we come to explain them The Doctrinal part may be summed up in this negative Proposition The day of Iudgment is not presently to come In the General we are led to take notice of Pauls modus procedendi his wise and orderly dealing with these affrighted Thessalonians where there is first the Subject matter and secondly the introduction to this matter The Introduction is Rhetorical the Subject matter in the form of it is Logical and may be reduced to this Syllogism You are shaken and troubled in mind because the day of Christ is at hand But the day of Christ is not at hand Ergo you need not be troubled or shaken in mind CHAP. III. IN his Rhetorical Introduction we have 1. His form of delivery 2. his terms of expression 1. His form of delivery is not mandatory but supplicatory he does not say mandamus but rogamus 2. His terms of expression he gives them are not harsh but mild and full of affection he does not say vos Thessalonicenses or vos amici but vos frates Ver. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we beseech you brethren Though Humane Authors as the Learned observe seldom use this word in a Petitionary way yet the holy Apostles use it often so in the Scriptures The word is like Solomons Chariot paved with love it comes from a word signifying love So that the word seems to carry all this honey in its loyns We lovingly beseech you Hee that by his Apostolicall Authoritie might have come with a rod of correction and sharp conviction becomes a Petitioner in love and meeknesse we lovingly beseech you brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brethren a significant word full of bowels and naturall affection as much as to say You that are uterini of the same womb with me that sucked one and the same milk with me Herein the wisdom of that Lamb-like Lion as I may call him Paul doth much appear Paul perceived how the design of the Seducers was to undermine his new planted Church at Thessalonica by disquieting their souls with terrifying Doctrines as that Doomes-day would be within a yeer and for proof hereof they quoted Paul Wonder not then if the new planted Church of Thessalonica which were all but tender Lambs were much tossed and perplexed in their mindes at the hearing of this strange Doctrine for if Felix that lion was made to tremble but at the hearing of that day well might these Lambs who daily expected to see it This tender Church was to be fed with milk and not with such strong to say truth poysoned meat They were begotten by Paul to the true faith but not to that heighth of evidentiall faith as not to be moved to hear that on a sudden they their wives and children should be brought to judgment These boisterous windes of false Doctrine raised by these incarnate Divels the false teachers and beating so impetuously upon the fluctuant passions of these new planted Christians raised so great a storm against that holy house and houshold that had it not been built upon the rock it had doubtlesse fallen and great had been the fall thereof To allay this storm it seems to me a harder task for Paul at land then for Christ at sea to effect Christ first rebuked the wind and then commanded the water to be still and they were so but contrariwise Paul begins first to allay the waves as the onely means to dispell the winde Paul like a wise Physician layes his finger on the right pulse he there began the cure where the enemy began the wound their passions had made them enraged distractions caused through sudden fear had made them as it were mad and therefore Paul comes in good season with his heavenly melodious charm to allay them We lovingly beseech you brethren Thus Paul like another Orpheus or rather like David with the well-tuned harp of Rhetorick perswades these brain-stung Thessalonians to take a cure He hath half done the cure upon the judgment that hath but allayed the timorous distempered affections of a seduced soul. Paul comes in the same method here to the Thessalonians that Christ came to his disciples in after his Resurrection the first word is peace it was a word in season from the Prince of peace to his poor disconsolate and disquieted servants He that would settle Truth must first make Peace The first word of Command is Peace which being made is commonly the introduction to Obedience Behold here also the vehement desire of Paul and the exceeding earnestnesse of his spirit to repair the ruâ—…nes that this sudden Church-quake had caused in Thessâ—…lonica What must a King put off his Crown to his subjects Must he become petitioner that ought to be petitioned Indeed in reason and conscience it ought not But Paul voluntarily falls upon his face to set them fallen upon their feet Paul saw the dangerous consequences that would follow and therefore as Aretius observes Paul useth these supplicatory terms as a prudent Ambassador of Christ who knew the times and seasons the time when to imbrace and when to refrain from imbracing when to come with a rod and when to come in love Thus you have Paul's Exordium 2. The second thing observable in the doctrinal part is the Matter it self which though in its form it be Supplicatory yet in its quality it is Dehortatory In the Supplicatory dehortation may I beg leave to call it os the Apostle dehorts the Thessalonians from three things in which leaving their Affections he comes home to their Judgments by most plain conviction 1. He dehorts them from the matter of their present fear as if the day of Judgment were at hand 'T is no such matter saith Paul Wherein 2. He dehorts them from the intrinsecall causes of this fear viz. instability in the Truth through forgetfulnesse of it and groundlesse credulity in receiving every new fangle of false Teachers without searching the Scriptures so intangling themselves to their own trouble making themselves miserable before their time without any ground A sin against Philosophie 3. He dehorts them from the external causes of their trouble and those are Seducers be sure so long as their hearts were a Magazeen of powder these fire-brands would never cease until they had blowed them up by the sparks of false Doctrine cast in amongst them therefore the Apostle dehorts them from crediting such persons whom he describes by their subtile practices commonly putting on one of these three cloaks when they went a cheating 1. Either fained revelations 2 Or fained words 3. Or fained Epistles Of the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and of our gathering together to him for so we read the Text. The whole verse runs thus We beseech you brethren of or concerning the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ and our gathering together to him This verse is imperfect in its sense without the other therefore this of the next must be
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
perdition in regard of his nature and quality as also in regard of the time of his appearing he is the son this correlate tearm implies a father now we shall finde his father if we look but out of what wombe he came Revel 11. 7. he came out of the bottomles pit who hath the power or key of the bottomless pit but the Star faln from heaven Revel 9. 1. and that is generally by the learned'st Protestants concluded to be the Popedome who after it had opened the bottomlesse pit and let out all its locusts those monsters that poisened Nations and caused the Western Church so foully to apostatize for that 's the meaning of the 10 first verses of Revel 9. the last that appears is v. 11â—… a King whose name is in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon that is to say a destroyer This King most probably is the Antichrist the son of perdition and my grounds are for it because as I said before his originall is one and the same that Antichrists is his end is the same his titles are the same and the time of his appearing is at one and the same time a word on each 1 His originall is the same in Revel 11. 7. he is the beast of the bottomles pit 2 His titles are the same for here he is also call'd King and so Revel 11. 7. beast implies as Revel 17. 8. there the same beast which ariseth out of the bottomlesse pit is called the eighth that is King say the learned so that his titles are the same 3 His time of appearing is the same for here he appears the last viper of the Popedome of Romes hatching and so he appears in Revel 11. 7. after the witnesses have finished their testimony and in Revel 13. after the beast of the Sea hath tyrannized in his day and in Revel 17. he is called the eighth beast bearing up Rome when she is going to ruine and Daniel 7. calls him the little horn the last which riseth up after the ten It is supposed by some upon very good grounds that that King Apollyon Revel 9. 11. is brought in abruptly there or should be within a Parenthesis as not relating to the next following verse but set down in the end of the Vision of the Roman Apostasie to note that this King Apollyon is to appear in the latter end of the Apostasie being the Antichrist that slays the Witnesses therefore Apollyon the eighth King Revel 17. therefore King Apollyon he is to go to perdition at the great battel Revel 19. therefore Abaddon 4 His end is the same for in Revel 17. 8 11. there twice he is said to go to perdition and twice mention is made in Dan. 7. of the destruction of the little horn which is the same beast now if this King be the Antichrist then Pauls son of perdition hath the Pope for his father and hence peradventure he is called the son This son of perdition may well be called the son of the Pope if we look to the resemblance that is betwixt the father and the son The Pope the father pretends to exceeding much piety and godlinesse and so doth the Antichrist the son therefore the Antichrist is called the false prophet and Paul 2 Thess. 2. 9. calls him that person that comes with power and lying wonders and signes and all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse insomuch that if it were possible the very Elect would be deceived by him and his followers and then in his tyranny over the Saints he much resembles his father the Pope for the Popedome drove the true Church out of Rome which was once the purest Church and the famousest in the World and drove it into the Wildernesse and caused the Witnesses to sit in sackcloth that is in the poorest lowest vildest and most abject state The Popedome secluded the Emperours of Rome from their right of Dominion in Rome and hath made them sit in sackcloth mistake me not for by the Emperours of Rome I do not mean the Emperours of Germany no they are as excentrick and as unlawful in their constitution as the Pope himself who is Pope by the election of his own creatures there will be found in the world one day one that hath a lawfull title to the Empire by succession whose predecessours had their title founded upon a lawfull Conquest Now as the Pope the father together with the Eastern Apostasie drives the successors of the lawful Emperour of Rome into the wilderness which is the true Churches place observe that Revel 12. 14. so in that place the Antichrist slayes the witnesses that is the lawful anointed ones of God who finish their testimony to the truth against the grand apostasie and usurpation of Rome and after he hath slain them usurps their power and authority just like the Pope when he had drove the Emperour out of Rome seated himself in his throne and authority and trampled under feet the Ministery of Rome that neither Synods nor Censures of the Ministery were of any force except such as were of the Usurpers faction and cried him up for a Saint and a petty god Herein the Antichrist the son is also like the Pope his father Hence from the resemblance of their tyranny in Revel 13. 12. the beast of the earth which is the son of perdition Paul here mentions is said to exâ—…rcise the power of the first beast before him Or he may be called the son because as a son is born to be a support to his father in his old age so is this son of perdition destinated to bear up Rome in her old age when she is neer her grave going down to destruction Hence the Antichrist is seen to carry Rome Revel 17. 7. the woman with seven heads and ten horns when v. 1. her judgement is seen in a vision whence I conclude the Antichrist riseth long after the â—…ope and doth at that same time appear in the world when the Judgement of Rome is neer at hand this is the opinion of the most of the Fathers for Iohn in Revel 11. 7. sees not this bettomless pit beast until the Witnesses had finished their testimony nor doth he see the beast of the earth which is the same beast of the bottomlesse pit untill Revel 13. 10 11. the beast of the Sea which had led captivity was going into captivity and then appeares the beast of the earth and up comes his new Government and Tyranny Nor is the beast of the bottomlesse pit Revel 17. 8. which is the eighth Verse 11. seen carrying the woman with seven heads and ten horns until the judgement of the great Whore is seen Verse 1. so that there is great ground to believe that this son of perdition ariseth after the Apostasie and appears in the World about the time when the Apostasie shall be ended that is when God shall throw down those usurpers in the Churches and usurpers in those States which have bin the
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
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
Ἡ απωστασία ὠἀντιχÏιστος OR A Scriptural Discourse of the Apostasie and the Antichrist by way of Comment upon the twelve first Verses of 2 Thess. 2. Under which are opened many of the dark Prophecies of the Old TESTAMENT which relate to the calling of the IEWS and the glorious things to be effected at the seventh Trumpet through the World Together With a discourse of slaying the Witnesses and the immediate effects thereof Written For the consolation of the Catholike Church especially the Churches of England Scotland and Ireland By E. H. REVEL 16. 15. Behold I come as a Thief Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments clean He which testifieth these things saith I come quickly Printed Anno Dom. 1653. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND AND Profound Prophetick Text men of ENGLAND Most Reverend Fathers THe Author of this short-leg'd Treatise doth humbly submit and submissively present these his mean endeavours to you whether his presumption in writing it or presenting it be the greater he knows nâ—…t upon second thoughts he blâ—…sheth at both and for both craves pardon of you His designes in it are honest and may plead his excuse hereby he would publickly acquit himselfe of the two great sins of this age Vaine glory and Heresie for though it may plausibly passe in the world amongst ordinary capacities yet you are able to discerne such failings in it as may for ever keepe him humble And Hereticks seldome or never submit their opinions to the learned his main designe is to provoke you to this honourable imployment for since he as a single spie walking along these goodly Prophesies hath made such a comfortable discovery his hopes are that you as so many Joshuah's will enter in and by removing those obscurities and false glosses which as so many Sons of Anack stand in our way give us peaceably to possesse the length and the breadth of those rich and fruitfull Prophesies For his owne part he professeth he hath been in the midst of these mellifluous Texts but as a little Bee fallen into an Ocean of Hony which after much delightfull dabling and much adoe to get out by that little be hath brought away discovers the Ocean hee hath left behind So far hath the Author been from pressing any Texts to serve him that they have pressed him in their service he thought to have gon but one mile with them and they made him goe with them twaine These Texts found him as David found the Amelekites servant faint and sick and hungry and ready to die but by their Spirituall revivings they put strength and life into him to make discovery of those accursed Amalekites who have totally devoured Ziglag the Kings and the Churches inheritance This weake Tract beggs of you most reverend Fathers as that fainting Aegyptian did of David that you will not kill it nor deliver it into the hands of these Amalekires It lies at your mercy and without your mercy at the merciless cruelty of brutish and unnaturall men it is as Lot without doors in the midst of Sodom unlesse you prove its gardian Angells and pluck it within the doâ—…res of your protection It is without you a fatherlesse friendlesse harbâ—…urlesse stranger in a strange Common wealth it was brought forth in the Dogg dayes of the Church whiles the Author laboured under the 〈◊〉 Feavor of the States displeasure in a Prison and now t is abroad far worse then the Foxes or the foâ—…ls of the times it hath not where to put its â—…ead It hath trod like constant Ruth in the wearie steps of its beloved Mother the Church though as a Widow she sit alone and have changed her name to Marah And as that vertuous Daughter it hath sought amongst the Learned for a benevolent Kinsman but unlike to her it hath return'd from their imbraces as Abishag from the royall bed untouch't The subject of the Treatise is unquestionably excellent it is of the Apostasie and the Antichrist and of the finishing and finall conclusion of both at the seventh Trumpet Oh the glorious things that are to be done at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet the meditations whereof revive the soul as another Sacrament Augustine wished in a misselanious mood 1. Videre Christum in carne conversantem 2. cernere Romam in flore ac pristino imperii splendore triumphantem 3. Audire Paulum in Cathedrâ fulminantem Might I have my wish in this world it should be auscultare septimam tubam clangentem Then shall the witnesses be established the twelve Tribes converted and restored to be a Monarchy againe great Babilon shall fall and the Nations of the world shall bow to Christs Scepter the Dragon the Beast and the false-Prophet shall be cast into the lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone These great things are foretold both by the Prophets of the Old and New Testament The Author as an humble and diligent hand-maid having laid himselfe down at the royall feet of these bigg-bellied Prophecies from thence ariseth and hasts to you the skilfull and expert Midwives to assure you that they groane and travell in pain together longing to be delivered of what the Churches expectation waits for viz. the glorious kinde of manifestation of the Son of God at the seventh Trumpet He humbly craves pardon for his hasty comming in an unready dresse into your presence his hast from them to you is that you may make the greater hast to them a high esteeme both of you and them hath put him on beyond his naturall boldnesse to what he hath done in all he hath done or whatsoever he shall do or suffer he desires to expresse himself An obedient Son and Servant to the Church and State of ENGLAND H. The Authors Preface to the Reader IT may justly be thought a high presumption for so low a person to undertake in such a learned age so lofty a task had the Author only weighed his own weaknes the fear alone of falling under the weight of so great an Argument would have taught his humble thoughts to have pitcht upon a lower subject In it self the Subject is most comfortable necessary and profitable and to speak in Gregory Nazianzens words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most sutable to the present season Though we owe an equal respect to truth in general yet some particular Truths at some times call for our more necessary defence therefore Peter adviseth us to be established 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the present truth 'T is the part of a true Souldier and of a true Christian too to repair to that guard against which the enemy makes his nearest approaches 'T is needless to tell the Church how these Prophetick Texts have their beautiful faces beaten black and blue by the polluted fists of presumptuous Iâ—…iots they lye openly woundâ—…d and bleeding and miserably stript of their proper Vâ—…stments whiles learned Cowards like the merciless Levite pass them by The Author not only by the Rabins Lawes by reason of his
other Nations Christian Burial was prohibited to those persons be they never so great that should deny the Popes Supremacy the Liturgy of the Church augmented and put into tune to be sung the Paxe injoyned to be kissed the usurped Title of the Vicar of Christ given to Popes and the Roman Emperors Authority contemned by them they making their leige Masters to kiss their feet Images were brought into the Church and Emperors not permitted to pull them down Rebellion against Emperors was taught upon this account so that the Emperors for withstanding Images lost the Roman Throne Sacrifices and Prayers were enjoined to be made for the dead Kings of forrain Kingdomes were by the Popes Usurpation dethroned Bishopricks as it were by a Conquest subjected daily to the Sea of Rome Bastards Bribers Rebels beastly Fellows Atheists and Magicians for the most part possessed the Episcopal Chair of Rome which makes Bellarmine call these times Saeculum insoelix The Sun and the Air were miserably darkned by these hellish locusts these times were full of ignorance and prophaneness whereby the Church was miserably eclipsed and deformed through the prevailing Factions of the scandalous Roman Clergy usurping the Roman Throne as well as the Pontifick Seat yet was not the Roman Church utterly defaced or unchurched hereby for notwithstanding the prevailing Faction in Rome gave themselves to such abominable wickednesse and persisted in it so that one in his Learned History of the Roman Bishops saith They proceeded from usurping Nimrods to luxurious Sodomites and from luxurious Sodomites to Egyptian Magicians and from Egyptian Magicians to devouring Abaddons and from devouring Abaddons to incurable Babylonians yet it is most probable that in Rome it self there were to be found Godly Ministers and people that were none of the time servers as it is manifest there were in other Churches where the Popes and their Faction usurped a Power This is most certain that in Rome it self until the Pope and his Faction became incurable Babylonians men might with freeness profess and practise the principles of true religion The Apostles Creed the ten Commandments and the Lords Prayer the sum of a Christians Faith Worship and Obedience were alwaies in profession maintained in the Roman Church though violently opposed by the wicked practices of the Pontifick Professors So that there was no absolute necessity for other Churches to renounce the Church of Rome but only the Vices and Corruptions and Heresies of a prevailing Faction in the Church of Rome which both the Kings and the Clergy of England since William the Norman Successor to the Saxons have in every Age manifestly done and not only England but other Churches also for when they as we said came to be incurable Babylonians the Churches in Germany and France and England cryed out aloud of them Guicciardine Mâ—…ntuan Sanavarola and Machiavel all of them laid out to publick view the villany of the Papacy Machiavel was a discoverer of the hellish policie used by the Pope and his creatures not an allower or practitioner of that black Art he discovered And in Leo the Tenths time Budeus Mirandula Erasmus Stapulensis and others both learned and grave publickly derided and reproved the Roman Apostasie and corruption So far did Erasmus leave the Roman Church and cleave to the reformation beginning in Germany that a witty Popeling thus plays upon his name Si sit eras verbum mus nomen quid sit Erasmus Participium Signifying that he took part with the Chuch of Rome and part with the Protestants so called a little afterwards as a Participle doth part of a Verb and part of a Nown The German Churches gave no lesse then Centum gravamina to the Legate of Adrian 6. desiring a speedy redresse of them and the secular Estates both of the higher and lower sort of the Empire did beseech his Holynesse to remove those grievances or else they themselves would This Pope ingenuously confesseth that the Chair of Rome was very filthy in hac sede sancta saith he aliquot jam annis multa abominanda fuisse This stirring of the German States revived Luther who stomacking the Dominican pardon-seller Tercelius had wâ—…it against that sinfull trade in Leos time and now in Adrians time finding more friends then he expected he designes the abolishing of the Masse and the framing of a new Liturgie The Pope and his faction fearing to what this of Luthers might come writ to the Emperour and the German Princes to suppresse Luthers doctrines Thereupon a general councel was desired as the means of reconciliation which was at last granted and called to sit at Trent They had three severall meetings at Trent In the third Session of the first meeting they i. e. the Popes packt party decreed that the old Latine translation should only be used and authentick in Schools and Churches In the fourth Session they decreed that original sin was so taken away in Baptism that the concupiscence which remains after Baptism is not to be accounted a sin untill we consent thereto and farther they decreed as truth that the Mother of Christ was not conceived in original sin In the fifth Session they decreed that since the fall there remains a freedom in mans will to good which being excited concurrs with Gods grace In the seventh Session seven Sacraments were decreed after this the Pope removes the Councel to Bononia which discontents the Emperour which puts an end to the Councell for that time At the second meeting of the Bishops in the councell of Trent the King of France declared as the Queen of England before had done that neither he nor his Subjects were bound to obey a Convention of Bishops whose design was meerly thereby to advantage the private interest of the Pope to the generall disprofit of the Church At the second Session the doctrine of Transubstantiation was established At the third Session that pennance and extreme unction were new Testament Sacraments At this Session the Protestants would but were not permitted to bring in their confession of faith the Popes Legat withstanding them The warrs then breaking out in Germany the councel was dismissed Nine years after they met again the third time At the fifth Session whereof they decreed that it was in the power of the Pope to dispose of the Sacramentary elements as he saw expedient for the good of the people provided that the substance were kept Thus denying the cup in the Communion to the people At the sixth Session 't was concluded that the whole Mass was a propitiatory sacrifice for quick and dead and whoever should say otherwise should be accursed At the eight Session they pronounce him accursed who shall deny that the Church hath power to dispense with Gods Law Lev. 18. in giving liberty to incestuous matches against the word and forbidding lawful matches according to the word At their last Session they confirmed the doctrine of Purgatory Invocation of Saints bowing to images giving of indulgences and preserving
of reliques and with an excommunication of all hereticks in generall they dissolved the counsell By excommunication of all hereticks they meant all those that should withstand any of their cannons which they had decreed Here the Church of Rome and the Protestants parted and if it be seriously viewed on both sides by a clear and impartial eye 't is manifest that the Church if you 'l call a faction so of Rome left us Pope Adrian 6. acknowledged that the Church and chair of Rome was at that time in many things abominable The German English and French Churches desired that those abominations might be purged out for this end a generall councell was desired and under pretence of granting it a party of men were packed to oppose this end and carry on a contrary designe to the ruine of those who desired a reformation and in stead of removing those grievances established them Which now of these two parties is in the right They that kept their faces Zion ward in the reformation of a Church generally acknowledged to be corrupted or they that hardened their necks in a resolved obstinacie to persist in that corruption and added much more abominable corruption to it and established it by a law and made those that departed from their abominations to become a prey to them This is the true case betwixt us and Rome The faction of Rome pretended with us whose hearts were set upon a reformation to reform but in stead thereof established those very grievances the Church complained of hereby 't is manifest that they starting aside like a deceitfull bow left us in the high way of a reformation If we have left them 't is because they have left the truth whiles error was in a private faction in Rome though 't were damnable yet we left not that Church but when that private faction so prevail'd as to establish damnable heresie by a Law and excommunicated all that would not drink of the same poisonous Cup with them then 't was high time to leave their Communion notwithstanding they usurp the name of the Catholick Church The Church of England left not the Church of Rome because governed by Bishops but because those Bishops were become Starrs fallen from heaven to earth apostatized toto coelo from their primitive institution The See of Rome is become the beast of the Sea with seven heads and ten hornes and upon it's heads the names of blasphemy The inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of Romes fornication therefore we come out from Rome and herein we have obeyed the voice of our Lord Iesus Revel 18. 4. We never held Bishops quatenus Bishops Antichristian though many Schismaticks and ignorant zelots have builded high upon that stramenous foundation which since the Iesuites by their Gunpowder plots have neatly fired about their ears It is true indeed the German French and British reformers that left Rome or rather were left of Rome could never attain to that reformation was requisite and they desired and the reason thereof is generally known For Rome with her Allies was alwaies so potent against them that it is rather to be admired they have a being then to be complained of that they have attained to no better a being The Churches beyond the Seas both in Germany and France by reason of their innumerable number of potent enemies were constrained to do what they might not what they would happy they that they may eat the Manna of true Doctrine though under the tents of an incompleat and insollid government Those Churches are like the wounded man betwixt Jericho and Jerusalem they have met with a friend that hath powred oyl into their wounds and brought them to an Inn but that Inn of government is not I think their proper home however happy they they are got safe out of the bloudy hands of Romish theeves unto that Inne God send them from thence safe home Let 's be thankful for pure Doctrine that the Ark but le ts not rest till we have lodg'd it within the Temple of right Government I have oft thought that the white linnen of the Saints signifies the right Government of the Church which is the Churches upper garment if so then let them wait with patience for this white linnen they shall not wear untill the Witnesses are risen the Witnesses are yet in sack-cloth or actually slain when they are restored this white Vesture of Church-Government shall be restored to the Church in splendor Let us not censure but pity and pray for those Churches that have not on this white garment confident I am that it is not for want of will but power that all this while many reformed Churches have it not on I cannot forget Bergermannus's words in the Assembly of Dort as I have them from a good hand to the Bishop of Landaff who when he had declared to him how the cause of the German divisions was for want of right Discipline he makes this affectionate replie in the midst of that Assembly Domine nos non sumus adeo fâ—…lices The Churches that protested against the Babylonish abominations established by the Popish faction at the councel of Trent have ever since born the name and title of the Reformed churches not that all or any of them are perfectly reformed for many of them are corrupt in severall doctrinal points and the most of them deficient as to the pattern of primitive government or as the sacred Rule requires Amongst these reformed churches England hath alwayes been esteemed the purest as being most conformable to primitive purity and the word both in Doctrine and Discipline This appears even from the pens of the Heads of other Reformed churches such as Calvin Camerarius Melancton Bucer Beza Zanchie Molinens Causabon Fergevil Saravia and others who many of them confesse in plain words and all by consequence conclude That the church of England of any church in the world comes the nearest to the Apostolick rule Yet for all this what by reason of the Popish pollutions on one hand and schismatical Separatists on the other hand the church of England could never put on that white garment of pure Discipline she so much endeavoured for though the Temple of Doctrine was purged and the walls of Discipline raised to a comely height under which the church flourished in Queen Elizabeth's and King James his dayes yet the Romish foxes in sheeps clothing crept up the wall of Discipline in King Charles his time and laid the church open as it is this day to the bloudy cruelty of the Babylonians The popish Prelats or rather the Spanish Faction then and ever since prevailing informing them knew the way to popish Doctrine was first to bring in popish Discipline which produced a double effect tending to their end For hereby cities and counties non ignota loquor were filled with superstition and profanenesse having liberty from the Prelates to profane the Lords day and we all know how great
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
exceedingly prone to be Heretical This therefore I say and intend to follow it That it is a safe way to interpret Scripture by Scripture and to make the Interpretation conformable to the rules of Interpreters with this resolution I return again to the Text where we shall indeavour to clear those premised Scruples concerning the Apostasie and the Antichrist CHAP. III 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostasie 'T is concluded on all hands that it is a general Apostasie both of the Easterne and Western Churches By the Eastern Churches I mean the Greek and Asian Churches which must necessarily be included in this Apostasie for it was prophesied amongst them over and over and therefore of them as well as other Churches if so then the Apostasie must not cannot be until after Constantine for not till after his Reign began the general Apostasie of the Eastern and Western Churches It is not denyed but that there were great Hereticks in the Church before as 1 Cor. 15. those that denyed the Resurrection and the Nicolaitan Doctrine Apoc. 2. of which read Clem. Alex. Strom. 3. Act. 6. And Eusebius tels us lib. 3. cap. 27. of the Ebionites and Martionites lib. 4. cap. 14. But these and many others though they spotted the Church and infested it yet they drew noâ—… the Church into a general Apostasie which Paul and Iohn foretel Two Texts Rev. 7. 1. and Rev. 13. 1 seem to point out the heads of this Apostasie the Texts seem to run parallel with each other The opening of the sixth Seal Rev. 6. 12. to 17. is that which immediately precedes Revel 7. 1. Now the sixth Seals opening say the soundest and best that ever writ is the overthrow of the Heathen Empire by Constantine The Pagan Emperors were the grand enemies before the Apostasie for I take Iohns Prophesies to be put under four periods of time the first under the Roman Heathen Emperors until Constantine the next under the grand Apostasie under the four Angels and the Beast of the Sea the third under the Antichrist and the fourth under the general restauration of Jewes and Gentiles under the Government of Jesus Christ by the Witnesses to each of which the Holy Ghost prefixeth a time a certain time The third viz. that of the Apostasie may be included in the second Two of these periods fall within my compass at this time to discourse of viz. that of the Apostasie and that of the Antichrist now this Apostasie being acknowledged by all or the most Protestants to be 1. An Apostasie of Gospel Churches from the faith 2. and this Apostasie to be a general Apostasie these two things must follow 1. That one person cannot well be the head or ringleader of this general Apostasie I know what may be said against this yet the utmost of it maketh not my consequence invalid 2. It will follow That the Ring-leaderâ—… of this Apostasie must be men that profess Christianity as well as those that they lead into Apostasie for as for the Turks prophesied of Rev. 9. 15 16 17 they were rather the punishers of the apostate Churches then the Ring-leaders of the Churches in 〈◊〉 East into Apostasie this all men that know any thing in Church-Historie know espcially they that read wisely the Revelations for as the four Angels Revel 7. 1. had by their Apostasie which is gradually set forth Revel 8. destroyed a third part of the trees and a third part of the Sea of the creatures therein and the Ships thereupon and the third part of the Rivers and a third part of the Sun and of the Moon and of the Stars which are said to be smitten all these expressions setting forth the gradations of the Apostasie both in corrupting of the Doctrine of Religion and also the Falling away of all sorts and degrees of Professors unto those corrupt Doctrines and all this effected by the four Angels Revel 7. 1. standing on the four corners of the earth for no other end but this then to hold the four winds of the earth that they should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on any tree even so the four Angels that were bound in the great River Euphrates Revel 9. 14 15. are now loosed to slay the third part of men that is to subdue and punish and inslave and utterly ruine those Apostates The Turks were raised up as a scourge to the apostate Christian world hundreds of years after the Apostasie began and therefore their Mahomet cannot properly be said to be the head of the Apostasie he being no professor of Christianity The great question then will be Who are those four Angels who are accounted the heads of the Apostasie If I knew how I would here baulk this question for the avoiding of Novelty and contention but if I am mistaken it is but a weak mans opinion and so amongst many others it may harmelesly pass By these four Angels I conceive are meant the four Patriarchies of Rome Constantinople Alexandria and Ierusalem these were designed for the four quarters of the Christian earth indeed they were designed for the propagating of the Gospel but we very wel know that at last those very Patriarchs by turning from the truth corrupted the Church and turned the whole world after Arianism as one of the Fathers complains Nothing in History runs parallel with this Text like this of the Patriarchs who being eminent Professors made an eminent Apostasie from the Truth and led infinite numbers of people after them every Author even the Romish Historians that have writ latest give us plentiful examples of this Apostasie Object But where is your Scripture to prove these four Angels the four Patriarchs you make fair promises of holding forth nothing as credible but what you bring Scripture for Answ. I confess it is a hard task to prove this positively by any Text only in a word as near as I can thus From their denomination as they are called Angels the Holy Ghost calls the Bishops of the several Churches where this Defection afterward was made Angels Revel 2. To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus and to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna and to the Angel of the Church in Pergamus that is to the Bishop of Ephesus Smyrna and Pergamus So that we see the Holy Ghost stiles the heads of the Church who have the Pastoral charge of it Angels upon this account therefore are these four heads of the Church called Angels because they were the designed heads of the Church in their several Divisions and therefore on the four corners of the earth because they divided the Christian world amongst them The grand Apostasie began in the heads of the several Churches they grew proud and covetous and idle and whiles they thus slept the enemy sowed the tares of Heresie in their hearts Profaneness in a Church-man is the high Road to Heresie and Apostasie Such was their prophaneness saith Nazianzen that those that took upon them Pastoral
relation to God for though the Roman Throne were whiles the Pagan Emperors sate in it the Divels yet now a Christian Emperour possessing the Throne it is justly called Gods Throne for Gods Vice-gerent sate in it In this sense the two Witnesses ascend up to heaven Rev. 11. 12. that is to that Supremacie from which Antichrist had thrown them No wonder that the throne is called heaven when those that sit in that throne are called Sun Moon and Stars Gen. 37. 10. it signifies in this place the whole royal Family as Iacob expounds it The like phrase of Scripture to the same sense we finde in Isa. 14. 12. where you see the Church insulting over Babylon when she comes to ruine amongst others this is one expression How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer Here Lucifer is put foâ—… the Prince the brightest Star in their Orizon and heaven is put for his Imperial seat from whence he is fallen and such a phrase sets forth the fall of the Kingdom of Iudah under the Conquest of the King of Babylon Lam. 2. 1. How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel The beautie of Israel was their Monarch in the Throne but this beauty was cast from heaven to earth Either he means the good King Iosiah who was violently snatcht from the Throne by death in the war or the carrying away of the Royal Family from the Throne to Babylon To our purpose is that Luke 10. 18. where Satan falls like lightning from heaven i. e. from his throne where he rules and where is that but in the hearts of men 'T is usuall to call a Throne Heaven Very many Scriptures more there are of the like signification and expression as Isa. 34. 4. Ioel 2. 10. and 3. 16. Hag. 2. 6. which by their expressions make it probable to us that Rev. 6. 12 13 14. and Rev. 12. 8 9. do both set forth the overthrow of the Pagan Empire by Constantine the Christian Emperor And thus you see the first period of the Churches afflictions in Iohns Vision to be finished The second follows which is that of the Apostasie After Satan was cast down from persecuting Christians by the Pagan Emperors he was not then bound observe that but Rev. 12. 14 15 16 17. drives the Woman into the wildernesse by the Woman is meant the Church where she hath a place provided for her ver 6. which is called her place ver 14. that is a place peculiar to her where she shall be visible This runs paralel with Rev. 7. 2 4 5. where Gods providence is set forth by sealing up his Elect in this time of apostasie which is but for a certain season The Church shall fly upon the two wings of the Eagle i. e. Magistracy and Ministry who shall be in sackcloth into the wildernesse and there be fed 1260 dayes ver 6. 14. God shall be a pavilion to them he will feed them and protect them they shall be under his seal But observe how the apostasie goes on in this 12th Chapter ver 12. there is a woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea and in Rev. 8. under the four Trumpets which was the eminent time of the four angels doing mischief you have the effects of this woe both upon the earth and sea i. e. Church and State The cause of this woe we have it expressed in Rev. 12. 15. The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a floud after the Woman that he might cause her to be carried away of the floud The streams of this floud were the Arian and Eutichian Heresies with the rest of those wicked opinions then raised These streams were like the fountain the Divels mouth was the fountain and the mouths of the inhabitants of the earth were the sea to swallow up those streams therefore wo to the Inhabitants of the earth earthly professors that professed themselves Christians but lived in and loved the world more then their own souls or Gods glory such as the most of our Professors are these drank down Heresies as the pure water of Orthodoxal Truths Now all this while the Bishop of Rome was but as one of the four Angels of the Church and he though leading into apostasie exceeding fast yet in that way of Heresie the least hurtfull nay he was so far from being hurtfull that he was a succourer for some yeers of the orthodox Christians who opposed Arianism yet in regard of the aspiring insolent pride and covetousnesse in the Patriarchal Chair of Rome it might well be denominated one of the four hurtful Angels for as we shewed already soon was this Star in heaven fallen to the earth the Chair of Rome was apostatized from its primitive puritie as much as a Starâ—… is removed when it fâ—…lls from heaven to earth The Dragon Rev. 12. 17. when he saw that by the floud of Heresie he could not touch the Church because that under the wings of the Eagle that is of the Roman Magistracy and Ministry she was protected the Divel faceth about like a valiant and cunning Warriour and falls upon his strongest enemies that stood out against him which are called the remnant of the womans seed which keep the commandments of God The Angel of the Western Church had under his jurisdiction many faithful orthodox Divines which maintained Truth against these now the Divel wageth war a spirituall war against their souls So many and various are the deceits and wiles and strategems of the Divel that no Mathematician can draw lines so fast as the Divel can devise wicked wayes and subtil snares to entrap the Church of Christ in This war seems to be especially made against those of the Roman Church where the remnant of the faithfull Oxthodox Christians lay which fled from the Arian persecution And what 's the Divels Stratagem now Observe in the next verse Rev. 13. 1. there you have the ground he chooseth to stand upon And he stood upon the sand of the sea Some read but amisse and I stood conceiving that Iohn stood there No it was the Divel He stood Sea and Earth often signifie in the Revelation say learned men Church and State Here the Divel stood upon the Sea sand probably 't is meant Church government and Governours for as the sea is tyed with a rope of sand that so far it shall passe and no further so Governours and Government in a Church do curb the insolent surges of the peoples raging passions and vain fantasies that they break not in upon the Church to its overthrow By this Stratagem the Divel carryes all before him forâ—… soon doth he make the Governors and Government of the Church of Rome his own and the next thing that Iohn sees is a Beast arising out of the sea this is the Popedome of Rome The head of the Church of Rome was called one of
the four Angels then a Star fallen from heaven to earth and now in this place you have the Head of the same Roman Church called a Beast that doth rise out of the Sea having seven heads and ten horns Now is the Apostasie come to the height He is a Beast It alludes to Daniel's four beasts to note that he usurpeth the throne of a Monarch he is got to that independent Greatnesse to be an uncontrolled Potentate therefore a beast Then he is a beast of the Sea his rise is from the Clergy from the Chair of the Church he claims his right to the Throne of universal uncontrollable Monarchie therefore Revel 9. 1. he is called a Star fallen from heaven to earth from God to the world And then his seven heads and ten hornâ—… tell us plainly that this evill Angel fallen Star and Beast of the sea is that Head or Polity over the Church in Rome for the City with seven heads and ten horns which through the bloudy cruelty and persecution of this Apostate Government and the supporters of it becomes drunk with the bloud of the Saints is by both Protestants and Papists confessed to be the City of Rome Rev. 17. Thus have I gone over a large and an uncommon circuit in this survey of the Apostasie and the heads thereof being willing to say as much as I find the Scripture to say of it and no more CHAP. IV. I Have but one word more to write concerning this Apostasie and then I have done with it and shall pass to the discription of the Antichrist and that is concerning the time of the Apostasie wherein by the assisting power of the Holy Ghost we doubt not but to make this Apostasie more manifestly distinct from the Antichrist then as yet it hath been there are five Texts give light into this Apostasie as Revel 11. 1 2. Rom. 11. 25. Luke 21. 24. Deut. 32. Dan. 12. 6 7 9 very briefly of each Of Revel 11. 2. I shall do little more at this time then repeat the words Here Iohn is commanded to measure with a reed the Temple of God the Altar and they that worship therein But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months This Text may well be put amongst those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Revelations for it is exceeding hard to be understood Iohn measures the Temple and the Altar in the Temple and they that worship in the Temple that is the Jewish Religion and those obstinate unbelieving Jewes who professed that Religion all these Iohn measures Now what the meaning of this measuring is I profess I do not know this I have learnt from the Jewish Antiquaries that the reed went as well to Mount Golgotha as to Mount Olivet it was to ruine as well as to rear up it was sometimes used to pull down and sometimes used to build up and for which of these ends Iohn is commanded to use his reed like a rod I cannot tell but if it be meant for ruine as most probable it is notwithstanding others contrary opinions then it must be meant of the ruine of the Jewish Religion that Temple which they bragged of saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord this Temple of the Lord must now be meted out to destruction and the Altar and those that worship therein must be measured with the rod of destruction so that according to Christs words not one stone should be left upon another and they should be led captive into all Nations I know nothing prophesied of their dissipation by the Romans in all the Revelation but this Herein Iacobs Prophecie is fulfilled Gen. 49 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah untill Shiloh come i. e. there shall be a Church and State of the Jewes until Christ come and then for their Rebellion against Christ they should be both un-Churched and un-Stated and that the definite Particle until imports what ever others say my weak capacity knows not how to make sense of this Prophecie or truth of their sense other wayes And the court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not i. e. according to the former Exposition do not ruine the Gospel Church of the Gentiles with the Iewes for it is given to the Gentiles and they shall tread under foot the holy Ciâ—…y forty and two months that is the Gentile Church which worship God through Christ according to the Gospel they shal be exercised with affliction under the Gentile Apostasie As the Church and State of the Jewes by Iohns measuring line were dissolved and ruined and the Nation dissipated so the true Believers under the Gospel shall be persecuted and drove into the Wilderness by the Gentile Apostasie that is say some learned Papists by Antichrist who shall be a Gentile but I rather affirm it to be by the four Angels that were Gentiles and the by Star fallen from heaven to earth who is a Gentile and by the Beast of the Sea with ten horns and seven heads who is the Pope of Rome a Gentile to these Apostate Gentiles the Church was to be given and they were to tread the holy City under foot forty and two months not to measure it with a reed to the destruction of the Church as the Jewes By the holy City is meant the Church of God Revel 21. 2. in its state of holy conformity to Christ her Head maintaining his Truths in uprightness and sinceritie this holy City was to be trodden under foot by Apostate Gentiles for forty and two months and this is more evidenced by ver 3. which tells us that for the space of One thousand two hundred and sixty dayes which is just forty two months the two witnesses shall prophesie in sackcloth poor clothing for such worthy persons and high Officers as Monarchy and Ministry this is but to shew the sad condition of the true Church under the Apostasie of the Gentiles for if it fare thus with the Pastors how ill must it needs go with the Sheep There is one verse from Christs mouth that seems fully to comprehend all that Iohn hath said both of the Jewes dissipation and the Gentile Gospel Churches affliction in the three verses of Revel 11. and that is in Luke 21. 24. There shall be wrath upon this people meaning the Jewes and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and they shall be led away captive into all Nations here is Iohns measuring reed like a rod indeed passing over the Church and State of the Jewes to their ruine and mark what follows And Ierusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled This Prophesie is given in Iohns phrase and method by Ierusalem is meant the Church of God worshipping him according to the Gospel rule and by treading down is signified the
cause of the Apostasie when God shall ruine all those irregular Orders as I may justly call them in the European Churches and aâ—…l those tyrannicall and false Governments which are got into those States which professe Christianity and shall raise up his Witnesses which shall promote the truth of the Gospel both for doctrine and worship about this time shall the Antichrist appear i. e. immediately before this time But we leave this sense We come neerer to the literal and general sense and as 't is conceived to that which the Holy Ghost alludes unto The Antichrist is called the son of perdition by way of allusion to Iudas who is called the son of perdition Iohn 17. 12. which gives us this notion that as there arose a son of perdition to betray Christ the lawful Monarch of the Iews and hereby brought a dreadful curse upon the Church and State of the Iews so as that the Gospel departed from them and went to the Geneiles so there shall about that time when God will cause the Gospel to go forth to the Iews another son of perdition arise which shall betray to death the only true Christian Monarch in the World that so the Romish Gentiles Epha may be full and God may bring upon them the judgements written and restore again in their ruine the twelve Tribes to their ancient possessions This son of the perdition is he that slayes the Witnesses Therefore saith Ambrose Catharinus he is like Iudas Eximio námque moâ—…o talis erit qui tantum audebit he is exactly like Iudas in his sin in his eminent profession of religion and his prodigious ends malicious covetous sacrilegious treacherous attempts and hypocritical politick practises in the accomplishing of those ends To conclude let the words explain themselves The man of the sin is the son of the perdition i. e. he that commits the sin of sins in the Gentile Church is the son of the perdition that is actively of the slaying of the Witnesses So that the person gives us the knowledge of the sin the sin gives us eminently to know the person and this shall be the making naked manifesting or laying open to all the world the man of the sinne the son of the perdition CHAP. III. WHo opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God sus in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God This verse gives us a description of those actions which give the esse formale to the Antichrist for 't is not the person but the sinne makes the Antichrist formally so to be This text is Antichrist's looking-glasse wherein he may see himself face to face His prodigious sin is the slaying of the Witnesses and this is the sin which the text sets forth In the words there are three generall parts 1 Antichrist's acts 2 The object of these actions 3 The end of his acts 1 His acts are set forth under two names or titles given to him 1 He opposeth 2 He exalteth himself 2 The objects of these actions are 1 All that is called god 2 Or that is worshipped 3 In the end of his actions we have 1 The ambitious aimes of the Antichrist laid open 't is to make himself supream So that he as God there 's his Supremacy 2 We have the place where Antichrist makes himselfe King and Supream and that is in the Temple of God in the true Church of God Sits in the Temple of God 3 We have also his kinde of title to all this greatness described shewing himself that he is God 't is a self-created title that he hath to his Supremacy he shewes himselfe he displayes his own colours the meaning is he is an Usurper he hath no title but what he gives himself Who opposeth and exalteth himselfe so our Translation renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza translates it sese opponens the Vulgar qui adversatur the Syriack qui adversarius the particle â—… is restrictive in this place and therefore the expression is to be considered absolutely that person opposing or the adverse person The word comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is contra jaceo it alludes to souldiers lying in siege against a Castle who lie close in their trenches against it so doth the Antichrist lay a siege against the Witnesses watching for an opportunity to surprize them and bereave them of their power and glory The word answers saith Grotius Zanchie and Beza to the word Satan in Hebrew which signifies an adversary as they prove This turns us to a text which gives us a view of the Antichrist Zach. 3 3 4 and the Witnesses in filthy garments and the Lord rebuking Antichrist who is there twice called the adversary in the rebuking of whom there is a fair Miter put upon Ioshua the high Priests head that is the Witnesses are called up to the Throne but this text will require much time to clear and therefore at this time I passe it by We will take it as 't is byassed the other way by Commentators and so the expression as that next before it alludes to Iudas saith Chist Have not I chosen twelve and one of you is a Devil and why a Devil but because he proved a traitor to his own Master and an hypocriticall cunning traitor against him so doth Antichrist against his Liege Sovereign To conclude he is most probably called the adversary because he is the opposer of the Lords anointed ones hence the learned call him the Antichrist because Christo ex diametro oppositus And exalteth himselfe these two expressions turn us to two texts which two texts describe the Antichrist say the most of the most learned Commentators in Dan. 11. 35. Revel 11. 7. In Revel 11. 7. he makes war with the Witnesses overcomes them here in opposing them he makes war with them in overcoming them he exalts himself above them and in Dan. 11 35. you have Pauls words He shall exalt himself above every god i e saith Brightman above every Magistrate in Rom. 13. 2. he resisteth God that rebels against Magistracie Oh this is Antichrist 1 Ioh. 2. 19. 22. Thus you have the Antichrist's actions described he opposeth and exalteth that is he maketh war and overcometh Now you have in the next place the objects of his actions or the parties whom he doth oppose and exalt himself above Above every one that is called God Some Greek copies have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omnem above every man that is called god other copies read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supra omne above every thing that is called god the Syriack Interpreter reads supra omnem Beza saith utrovis modo legas you may read it either way Grotius reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here the Papists and the Protestants fall foul upon each other the Protestants say this is meant of the Popes usurpation in his
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
this let we have in the former Verse touched already shewing the various opinions of the learned upon it Some say this let was divine grace which kept back the darknesse of Antichrist from overshadowing the world Calvin saith 't is the doctrine of the Gospel otheres say Gods decree Others the Pagan Idolatry seated in the Roman Throne Others say the Roman Empire the Papists say 't is Romanum Imperium the Protestants affirm the let is Romani Imperatores some affirming the Pagans to be it others the Christian Emperours and others both Aretius and many others affirm the let to be the prevailing progresse of the Gospel for the Gospel must be first preached to all the world and then Matth. 24. Beda Augustine Anselme Estius and Fabritius Paulutius do turn the sense of the words quite another way Thus they translate the words He who holdeth let him hold untill the mystery of iniquity do go out from the midst of the Church they conceive the Apostle here exhorts the faithfull that they would persevere in the faith which they did professe until the mystery of iniquity were removed This interpretation saith learned Beza is not onely absurd but altogether disagreeing with the Greek Copie But as the text may be translated neerer to the Copy as I have endevoured leaving out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the most adde to the copie to supply the sense so there is an interpretation neerer the minde of the holy Ghost then is commonly given I humbly take the boldnesse to translate the Text thus For the mystery of the illegality now worketh only untill that that letteth be done out of the way In a word the meaning is that the grand Apostasie onely shall go on to eat out the Saints of God and the true Church of Christ occultly and in a mystery untill the Antichrist arise and slay the Witnesses and then it shall break out into open view hence it is Cornelius à Lapide compares the Apostasie to a coal amongst wood which works it selfe more and more into it untill it have set it of a bright flame which flame he compares to the time of the appearing of the Antichrist so that the meaning of that clause untill that that with-holdeth be removed is to be understood either of the vvith-holding of the Antichrist from appearing and so it is meant of the Magistracy and Ministery of that Kingdom vvhich keep Antichrist from getting up either into the Civil or Ecclesiastick power Or thus untill that that reigns or possesseth the Throne be removed for Zanchie saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to hold to detein to possesse to rule c. and then the meaning is untill the Witnesses which keep possession of the Throne be removed out of the way it is meant the Throne of that Kingdom where the Antichrist is to arise for vers 4. 't is the Antichrists work to oppose and exalt himselfe above them above all that is called God i. e. the Magistracy or for Religions sake is reverenced that 's the Ministery and v. 8. the Antichrist is at that very time revealed when the two Witnesses are removed So that the whole Text imports thus much that the Apostasie shall by little and little grow and spread in the Churches throughout the world from Pauls time to the time of the revealing of the Antichrist which Antichrist shall be known by slaying those two Witnesses which stood in his way of preferment and exaltation and did keep him from tyrannizing Herein I do not abound in the Scriptures sense the same truth being made plain in the parallels already laid before the Reader in the fore-going page Observe this by the way if the slaying of the two Witnesses be that grand prodigious act which makes Antichrist formally the Antichrist distinct from all other persons then the mark which he causeth all who expect his protection to give with their right hand must of necessity be such a subscription as gives an assent to and approbation of that prodigious act and therefore the great God awaken all those that have this mark upon them that they may speedily repent for otherwise they shall assuredly drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Revel 14 10. and on the other side Let them rejoyce and be strong in the Lord who suffer this day grievous persecution because they dare not receive the mark of the beast they shall stand on mount Sion with the Lamb Revel 14. 1. and sing the song of Moses and the Lambe Revel 15. 3. they shall ride upon triumphant horses in triumphant apparel with their Triumphant Generall whose eyes are as a flame of fire on whose head are many crowns whose vestments are dipt in blood whose Word is a sharp sword smiting the Nations and treading them as in a Wine-presse who weares on his victorious thigh a Name written The KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS This is your beloved and this is your friend ô ye daughters of Ierusalem and therefore be of good comfort and courage this day for your Lord who commeth will come and will not tarry CHAP. IX 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 There is no material difference that I can perceive either betwixt the Greek Copies or the Translators of them In the words we have two general parts 1 The reign of the Antichrist 2 The ruine of the Antichrist 1 In his reign there are these three things considerable 1 The time of his reign 2 The title given to the person reigning 3 The Apostles manner of expressing his reign 2 In his ruine we have three things considerable 1 The person who ruines him 2 The manner of his ruine 3 The time of his ruine 1 Here is the time of Antichrists reign expressed emphatically in these two little words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And then this copulative Conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betokening the present tense tell us thus much that even at that present time when the two Witnesses are removed out of the way or as other texts have it slain then the Antichrist shall appear in the World look not for the Antichrist until the Witnesses be slain that very act makes him Antichrist therefore he is said Revel 11. 7. then at that present time to arise out of the bottomless pit when he slayes the Witnesses he was doubtlesse in being as a man as one single person before that time but he was not the Antichrist before he actually made war with and overcame the Witnesses the foundation of the Antichrists Kingdome is laid upon
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
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
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
his Humane Nature he became actually quod ad nos triumphant he was drove into Egypt he was carried into the Wildernesse where he was extraordinarily afflicted forty dayes and then he was assaulted by the old Dragon the Divel and after that forsaken of all betrayed by a bosome-friend and murdered by hypocrital Professors but plain Apostates who reproached him more then the Heathens that knew not God even so must the Gospel Church in the representative body viz. in her lawful Magistracie and Ministry be drove into the Wildernesse bitten by Hereticks Rebels and Apostates and at last slaine by hypocritical Professors as Revel 11. informs us together with this prophesie of Paul's Thus Paul in the generall gives the Churches of Christ to know that their passage from earth to heaven in all ages shal be rough and craggie through many afflictions we must enter into the kingdome of heaven We may say of the Church as Christ said of himself Ought not the Son of man to suffer these things and to ascend into glorie He first debased his head to drink of the torrent of afflictions here before he lifted up his head unto glory So ought not the Eastern Churches defection Mahumetan idolatry and Popish blasphemie and Apostasie to drive the Church into the wildernesse and ought not the Antichrist to slay the Witnesses before there be a glorious resurrection of the Church yes doubtlesse there is a necessitie for it for the holy Ghost hath foretold it and she must be conformable to her head who was made perfect by sufferings Psal. 110. He shall drink of the brook in the way 'T is not his way but the way and the brook to note that that way and that brook is the general road wherein the Church must follow Christ that brook they must wade thorow The way and the brook remain still though the deadly poison of the brook be totally taken away and the fatal precipiâ—…es in that way be levelled by Christ he hath sanctified the way in going before us in it There is the wrath of men and divels in this way still but there 's not one dram of the wrath of God in this way nor in this brook The deadly poison Christ drank which killed him since which it hath no power on us But to the work intended Explication 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Agustin translates it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refuga a lawlesse runagate person whether his translation misled him in the interpretation or his mistake in his interpretation a common error caused him to translate it to his purpose I cannot tell but both Theodoretus Irenaeus and Augustine conceive that it is to be understood of the Antichrist yet not properly but by a figure they say by a Metonymie Anti-christ is called the Apostacie because he is the cause of an universall Apostasie such a strange kinde of mistake is that which makes the Popedome the Man of Sin But observe what inconsiderate things follow this opinion for if by the Apostasie be meant Antichrist then the Apostasie is to be but three yeers and a half and at the end of three yeers and a half or within few dayes after the day of Judgment comes by these mens own confessions if we take but a larger view of their opinions concerning Antichrist and so the Prophesies of the witnesses in sack-cloth and the Church in the Wildernesse and the witnesses slaying and the day of Judgment must be all included within the compass of three years and a half for they say Antichrist must raign but three years and a half and then comes the day of Judgment when he and all his followers shall be destroyed now such necessary consequences do both contradict their own writings and many of the Fathers who complaineâ—… of the Apostasie in their daies but my intent is not to confute opinions for that were endless on this Subject Tertullian reads abscessio a departing away this is neer to the Copy The Syriack reads rebellio a rebellion and so say the most Interpreters the word signifies Mariana shoots three arrows at this Mark he saith that by the Apostasie here is meant 1. Either the Rebellion against Nero the Roman Emperor or 2. The Rebellion of the Iewes against Florus or 3. It is meant of the ruine of the Roman Monarchy Hugo the better Archer of the two at this mark saith it may be understood either of the civil Empire or of the Ecclesiastick Empire of Rome or of Antichrist or of the Apostasie from the faith Lyra a Learned Christian Jew conceives that Paul speaks occultly of the Ruine of the Roman Empire or of the Spiritual Government of the Church or of the departure from the faith Montanus Fab. Paulutius Estius Hugo Cardin Salmeron Pererius Primasius Anselm Piscator Calvin and very many others do say that by the Apostasie is meant the general Apostasie from the faith Calvin wonders that ever Learned men should have such an erroneous judgment as to think it is meant of the Apostasie from the Roman Emperor Aquinas treating on this Subject and viewing the opinions of the Fathers especially Augustin who from the Image Dan. 2. typifying four Kingdomes or Monarchies the last of which being the Roman Monarchie at the end of which Antichrist would come and ruine it and then Christ would come to Judgment and ruine him and this Augustin makes the signum conveniens because the Roman Monarchy was standing firme and under its power the Gospel should in probability be preached to all the world And then the end saith Christ cometh But saith Aquinas how can this be true of the Roman Empire when the Nations have long since revolted from it and yet neither Antichrist is come nor Christ to Judgment seeking therefore for a more convenient sign he makes use of Pope Leo his Sermon upon the Apostles who affirmeth that Rome is changed from a Temporal to a Spiritual Kingdom and so the departure from the Roman Empire is to be understood of the Apostasie from the Spiritual that is from the Roman Catholick faith and he makes this the signum conveniens of Antichrists coming viz. the general Apostasie by an Argument taken from the rule of contraries for as Christ came when the Roman Empire ruled over all so Antichrist shall come when there is a general defection from it viz. the faith of Christ professed in the Roman Church which he calls the Spiritual Empire In the application of this Text we finde the Papists and Protestants clashing against each other the Papists say this Apostasie is that of the Protestants from the Roman Church and the Protestants say that this Apostasie is that of the Roman Church from the purity of Doctrine and Discipline which was once to be found in the Roman Church and herein the Protestants utterly overthrow the Papists proving the Apostasie of the Roman Church so clearly that there is none can stand against them or gain-say them with any
then the Man of sin shall be revealed He makes them distinct This truth of the Scripture had need to be more then ordinarily insisted upon not in regard of its obscurity for I know not any truth cleerer in Scripture then this but in regard of its opposition and that by many learned and pious Protestants We do affirm that the general apostasie and the manifestation of the Man of sin that Antichrist are two distinct things and this we prove from their opinions that affirm the contrary for they themselves affirm these particular points 1. That this apostasie is a falling away from Christ from the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of Christ. 2. That they are Professors of the Gospel that make this apostasie for it must be a forsaking of that they did once professe how else can it be said an Apostasie 3. They say this Apostasie must be an universall and general Apostasie of all the world that is of every Church in the world for otherwise they say the Apostle would have limited his speech and not spoken indefinitely as he doth now put this with their opinion of Antichrist together If the Apostasie be universal thoughouâ—… every Church and this Apostasie and Antichrist are all one then Antichrist must be an Ubiquitary he must be in Europe Asia and Affrica at once for the Europan Churches Affrican Churches and Asian Churches are all apostatized from the Doctrine and the Discipline of the Primitive times All Protestants grant it so that by making Antichrist one with the Apostasie we shall grant that are Protestants more to the body of Antichrist then we will allow the Papists to grant to the body of Christ for we make it to be every where at one and the same time It is granted from S. Iohn's words that the spirit of antichrist was long since in the world and S. Paul here saith the Mystery of iniquity did work then but he tels us that Antichrist was not then but after that to be revealed It cannot be denyed but that the spirit of antichrist went forth with the apostasie and therefore S Iohn 1 Ioh. 2. 18. minding the Churches of the prophesie of antichrist to come in the last times tels them that there were many Antichrists already abroad i. e. that had apostatizing proud aspiring malicious trayterous thoughts and endeavours to supplant the Gospel Ordinances and Gospel Officers but he cleerly distinguisheth the antichristian spirit from the Antichrist in the self same verse and in the 22d and so doth Paul twice in this 2 Thess. 2. distinguish betwixt the Apostasie and the Antichrist In ver 3. he calls it the falling away first and then the Man of sins manifestation which will not be untill the end of the apostasie and ver 7 8. there the apostasie is called the mysterie of iniquitie which then began and but began 'T is a Text parallel with that fore-cited 1 Iâ—…h 2. 18. Now there are many Antichrists The mystery of iniquity began to work in S. Pauls time but not to that height as to carry all before it no there were lets there were the Sons of Oil which did curb it and would untill they were slain and then Mark â—…hen the Adverb of time clearly distinguisheth betwixt the Apostasie and the Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is there a discretive particle and also points us to the set time of the Antichrists appearing But more of this in its due place But it may be said that though they are distinct yet they are as the body and the soul so united as that they appear together and vaâ—…ish 〈◊〉 though they may be distinguished yet they cannot be divided asunder There is some head and Ring-leader in this 〈◊〉 saith Iaâ—…kson on this Text and that must needs be the 〈◊〉 who shall be discovered and a little after he saith that this apostasie is to be a generall and universal departure of the whole Christian world then it must follow that the Antichrist must be the head of all the Churches in the world if so then the Pope cannot be the Antichrist though he bid as fair as he can for it for he is not head of the Eastern apostates and therefore we so frequently hear learned and reverend Divines pray for the ruine of the Eastern antichrist and the Western antichrist the Turkish antichrist and the Popish antichrist by which expressions of theirs they make it evident to me that they beleeve neither the Pope nor the Turk to be the Antichrist which Iohn or Paul single out with the Greek article â—… Possibly they may mean by the Western antichrist the chiefest cause and support of the Western apostasie which Rev. 13. is called the Beast with seven heads and ten horns and without all doubt that is the Popedome the head of which being apostatized from a spiritual Pastor to a proud Usurper in Temporall affairs is called the Star which fell from heaven to earth Ministers are called Starrs therefore by Star his Office Revel 9. 1. is set forth by falling from heaven to earth is meant his eminent and shameful apostasie Hence he is called Rev. 13. 1. the beast arising out of the sea Sea being put in opposition to Earth to note that he ariseth not out of the Civil but Ecclesiastick State he is a Church-man not a Lay-man And then he is crowned and horned to note his greatnesse in Temporal affairs he is one of the Roman Emperors in power But all this doth not make him the Man of sin nor the Antichrist here spoken of nor such an antichrist as some describe him How many learned Scholars both Protestants and Papists set up a Jack-a-lent of their fancies framing and then hoot at it for Antichrist Peradventure many will take me for one of these Fantasticks The safest way is to say so much of Antichrist as the Scriptures say and no more where the Scriptures distinguish concerning the Antichrist and the Apostasie let us distinguish where they are silent let us be silent Most men say the self same that I do highly extolling Scripture and truly acknowledging what the Mythologists sabulously report of their Goddesse Pandora that 't is Gods treasure on earth filled with all manner of heavenly riches and yet mean while either through ignorance or wilful wickednesse there are many too many of these in this age that open Scripture as Epimetheus opened Pandora's Box not as the alabaster box of Spikenard which sent forth an odoriferous smel but on purpose to infect the minds of people with false Opinions Heresies Rebellion and Blasphemies I confess the best Interpreters may take up that saying of themselves What man is there that liveth and sinneth not What Interpreter is he that writeth and erreth not Those of the highest form have confessed of themselves so much Errare possum saith one Haeretious esse non possum This was a confident high speech for no man knows his own nature thus much they know that it is