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The Signs which our Saviour bath given of the Deftruction not only of the Jewish Jerufalem, but of the Gentile Babylon, are as plain to them that will confider, as the Budding of the Fig-Tree is a Sign of Summer. And it would be no hard matter to draw hereupon a Parallel betwixt the State of the Jews which preceded that Day of their Judgment which came upon them unawares, and the State of the Chriftians which now is, even including all the feveral Denominations of them.

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Let this Hint for the prefent only fuffice: Are we very fure that the Jews of that Generation, were worse than the Chriftians of this? They crucified indeed the Lord of Life; but they did it Ignorantly, and out of a Zeal for their Law, and that the Romans might not come and take away Liberties and Properties: They were as zealous for their Temple, as we can be for our Church; they were as earnest for maintaining their Laws and Customs, as we can be for ours; they were as much afraid of Idolatry,and even but the leaft Appearance of it, as any of us can poffibly be now; never were they more free from that great Tranfgreffion,whereby they had forely provoked God to lay heavy Judgments npon them, and to fell them into Captivity; they would all rather die than commit thisSin; and never was there greater Courage and Contempt of Death in any People for the Sake of their Religion and their Conftitution. If they then perished and that too by their own Devices, let us take heed, unto whom thefe Things are written for an Example: and let us remember, in this our Day, before it be too late, the Words which were spoken by our Lord Jefus Chrift, faying, Except ye Repent, ye fhall All likewife Perifh, which were fulfilled in that Generation and may be fulfilled again in ours,

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except we bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance. It being greatly to be feared that the Ax is even already laid to the Root of the Tree, as it was beretofore to that of the Babylonian Empire in the Cafe of Nebucadnezzar, by the Signs which have appeared in Christendom for Some Years paft.

Since if Wars, Famines and Peftilences; if Commotions, Hurricanes and Earthquakes in divers Places; if a fiery Zelotick Spirit delighting to fet all in Flames; if Apoftates and Falfe Prophets gone out into the World to deceive many; if Wandring Stars, and Angels of the Churches not keeping their first Estate, or Principality; if a general Falling Away from the Maxims of Chrift, and the Original Conftitution of bis Kingdom on Earth; if Perfecutions for the Sake of Truth and a Good Confcience; if the Love and making of Lyes, arrived even to the utmost Perfection; if the Strong Delufions of Satan and his Inftruments at this Time, and particularly the Artifices of the Antichriftian Sect, lately rifen among us, who would alone be thought to Think Freely; laftly, if the abounding of Iniquity, the failing of Faith, the defpifing of Dominions, the fpeaking Evil of Dignities, the walking in the Way of Cain, the running greedily for Reward into any Error or Wickedness whatsoever, the bringing of all things (even the moft Sacred) to the Teft of Ridicule, and the fcoffing at the Promife of Chrift's Coming; be any Signs (as conjointly confider'd) of the near Approach of That Day, or of fome Grand Revolution in the World, fuch as hath not yet been, we cannot be mistaken, I think, in preparing against the worst, and in pursuing the Ways that make for our PEACE.

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HE following Treatife, especially that Part of it which concerneth The Antichrift, being founded on Principles entirely different from the Modern Opinions upon that Subject, must not be fent into the World without a short Preface, to engage, the Favour, and obviate the Prejudices of the generality of Readers; who will be apt to condemn at first fight any thing, that shall contradict the current Opinions, though never fo agreeable to the Traditions of the first and pureft Ages of the Church. This is evident from the general Contempt thrown upon the Ancient Fathers and Lights of the Church, particularly as to their Notions of Catholick Communion, Church Cenfures and the Holy Eucharift, concerning all which they delivered their Opinions as plain as Words could make them; yet they are now forced to give way to the inconfiftent Schemes of Giddy Innovators. That most contemptibly Dull Projector, the Author of The Rights of the Christian Church, has his Admirers, who fet him up in oppofition to the Old fashioned Doctrines of Fefus Chrift and his Apoftles, as they were understood by Ignatius, Juftin, Irenæus, Tertullian, Cyprian, and other Primitive Writers upon thofe Subjects.

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1. FAR be it from me that I should draw a Parallel betwixt thofe and the Cafe in hand, or fet thofe Controverfies on the fame foot with the Subject of this Difcourfe; either fide of this Queftion being at least Innocent, and having no relation to the Effentials of Chriftianity: Whereas the Defign of thofe is to destroy Root and Branch, the very Principles of Revealed Religion. But this I must fay, that I could never yet conceive what Service it could do to the Reformed Cause, to af fert the Pope, or Church of Rome, to be The Great Antichrift, in Oppofition to the conftant Doctrines of the Ancient Church; whereas I think as on the one hand, the acknowledging the Church of Rome to be a moft Corrupt Church, and by confequence in that Senfe Antichriftian, (as from my Heart I firmly believe it is) is fufficient to justifie aur Separation from her: So on the other band, the deferting the Traditions of the Ancient Church, without any Neceffity for fo doing, muft needs bave prejudiced many a Learned and Judieious Man who might thence be tempted to conclude, that the Reformers, in other Cafes as well as that, defpifed the Doctrines of Antiquity, and were for Setting up new Lights and new Interpretations of Scriptures, in Oppofition to thofe old ones, which the most primitive Ages had esteemed Orthodox

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II. St. PAUL writing to the Theffalonians, 2 Epift. Chap. 2. concerning this Man of Sin, or the Great Antichrift, gives them a Special Charge, v. 1s. Therefore, Brethren, ftand faft, and hold the Traditions, which ye have been taught either by our Word or

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Epiftle; meaning, no doubt, especially the Traditions about the Perfonal Antichrift. For that this was St. Paul's Meaning, I have two very good Reafons to believe. 1. I prefume it will puzzle a Learned Man to explain that Chapter of the Pope or Church of Rome fo confiftently as to fatisfie his own Mind. 2dly, Which is to me no contemptible Authority, that all the Writers upon that Subject, through every Age of the Church till the Times of the Reformation, (beginning with the Waldenfes and Albigenfes) understood it in the fame Senfe, applying it (if not, in the fame that I do, to a Perfon yet to come) to fome individual Perfon to whom thofe Characters should most properly belong, And how can we otherwife account for the concurrent Teftimonies of the Ancients about that matter, than by fuppofing that this was the Tradition of the Apostles, particularly of St. Paul, to which he refers, v. 5. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you, I told you these things. And that from him and the other Apostles this Tradition was conveyed down to after Ages; particularly confidering that the most early Writers Speak exprefly in this Senfe. Irenæus, who was the Difciple of Polycarp, and by confequence but one remove from the teaching of St. John, Hippolytus the Difciple of Irenæus, Cyprian, Origen, and Cyril of Jerufalem are no incompetent Witneffes of an Apoftolical Tradition, and are fo appealed to in other Cafes; and why in this particular Cafe we should be wiser than they, I confefs I am at a lofs to explain.

III. AND here I cannot but take notice of an Objection raised by the Judicious and Learned Mr. Mede, and fince reviv'd by Mr. Whifton

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