a half, that must conclude 45. days before the end of the World; and that 'tis that of Rome, which hath endured fo long already. The confequence is plain, because all do acknowledge, the World muft not, and cannot according to the decrees of God, endure yet twelve or thirteen hundred years, to make room for the reign of Antichrift; and a thousand years more at the end of that, to make room for the Kingdom of Jefus Chrift, the truth and certainty of which we fhall prove. So that if the reign of Antichrift muft endure 1260. years, it is neceflary that it fubfift at this present time, and that it hath begun a long time fince. This is, I fay, a demonftration, which I have in readiness for these Gentlemen, when I fhall have proved the only thing in this argument, that can be called in queftion, viz. that the 1260. days of Antichrift cannot be understood of fo many natural days. I would prove this truth presently, were it not that it regards the time of the duration of the Antichriftian Empire, of which we fhall have occafion afterwards to fpeak. Wherefore now we fhall continue to give you the explication of the Prophecies, that contain the Character of this Antichriftian Empire.

CHAP

CHAP. XVIII.

More proofs, that the Characters of the Antichriftian Empire do agree to the Papism. A Proof drawn from the fourth Chapter of the first Epistle of St, Paul to Timothy. The tranflation of that paffage amended.

Ome perfons reading our fecond juft Prejudice against popery, have admired, that to make up the character of Antichrift, we have not among other places of Scripture inferted that Text of St. Paul, in his firft Epiftle to Timothy, in thebeginning of the fourth Chapter. Now the Spirit Speaketh exprefly, that in the later times fome shall depart from the faith, giving heed to feducing spi Tits and doctrines of Devils, Speaking lies in hypocrify, having their confciences feared with an hot iron. Forbidding to marry, and abstaining from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them that believe.

ces against

'Tis certain, this is one of the clearest Oracles The reafon of the New Teftament, and one of the most livewhy this Text was ly pictures the Holy Spirit gives us of the Anti- not made cufe of in christian Apoftacy. But I could not make ufe of the book it, in drawing my prejudices against the Roman of Prejudi Church; because prejudices mult be drawn from Popery. things either exceeding notorious, or confeffed and granted. My prejudice was not this: No Religion that hath Antichrift for its head, canbé the true Religion. Now the Roman Religion hath Antichrift for its head, &c. If I had formed it thus, I had been obliged to bring all the proofs that are to be met with in the H. Scripture, to N

main's

maintain, that the Roman Religion is the Antichristian Empire; and then I must not have omitted this. But I argued otherwife in that prejudice; and faid, I judge not, but I prejudge. I do not pronounce, that the Pope and his religion are Antichrift. But I fay, it is very strange and furprizing, that all thofe places of Scripture, where, by the confent of Interpreters of all ages and of all parties, Antichrift is fpoken of, may be fo easily and fo juftly applied to the Pope and his religion. Though at the bottom popery should not be pure Antichriftianifm, yet there is no likelyhood, that God would defcribe Antichrift and his reign in fuch equivocal terms, that all that that is confeffed to be fpoken concerning Antichrift, may be adopted to him that should be the Vicar of Jefus Chrift, and to a Society that fhould be his faithful Spoufe. 'Tis plain, that to reason thus, I was to look for no other Texts, but those that are not contefted; fuch as are the fecond Chapt. of the fecond Epiftle to the Theffalonians, the feventh of Daniel, the 11,13,17, and 18th of the Revelation, whereas the Romish Doctors do difpute about all, in the words of St. Paul in the fourth Chapter of his firft Epiftle to Timothy. They difpute about the particular fenfe and the general scope ofit. They turn this Oracle off on the Encratites, Manichees, &c.

Now, that I am not a drawing prejudices, but do difpute, I muft prove; and though the proofs are contefted, yet we must not abandon them in a controverfy. We muft only make them fo evident, that they may be clear to all reasonable men. And this is that, which we are about to do in purfuing the Hiftory of the Characters of the Antichriftian Apoftacy, by this paffage of St. Paul,

accor

according to that sense of it, which the learned
Jofeph Mede gives us; who hath given us abun-
dance of light into the Prophecies, but into none
of them more, or more happily than into this.

,

? Chapters

bles is not

First of all we must rectify the translation of The divi. this paffage, and in the beginning give notice, fion of that the divifions of our Chapters, being not and Verfes altogether authentick and being often times in our Bimade with little judgment, no regard must be authengiven to this, that the 4th. Ch. of the 1ft. Epistle tique. of Timothy begins with thefe words, Now the Spirit faith exprefly that in the later times, &c.. For in truth the fenfe begins at the last verse of the foregoing Chap. and we fhould read thus, Without controverfy great is the mystery of Godliness, God manifeft in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, feen of Angells, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the World, and received up into Glory. But the Spirit faith exprefly, that in the later times Some fhall depart from the faith, giving heed to feducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devills. This obfervation alone is enough to perfwade all thofe that fincerely feek after the truth that the Apoftacy, which the Apoftle fpeaks of, is the Apoftacy of Antichrift. For he makes fo clear an oppofition of this apoftacy to the Mystery of Godliness, that 'tis impoffible not to difcern, that he oppofes Mystery to myftery, religion to religion; the mystery of Godliness to the mystery of iniquity, of which he himself hath spoken to us in his 2d. Ep. to the Theffalonians. ` And as by the mystery of iniquity, all the world acknowledges, that he means the religion of Antichrift; fo all the world ought to acknowledg, that in this place the Apoftacy of the later times oppofed to the Mystery of Godliness, is the Antichriftian N 2

Our com.

lation doth

Empire and Religion. And that the reason why the Apostle hath not here repeated the term of the mystery of iniquity, is because he did believe, that it would be eafily understood. It seems natural, that after he had faid the mystery of Godliness is great, he should fay, but the mystery of iniquity Thall publickly appear, which fhall be an Apoftaty

from the faith. He would without doubt have thus expreft himself, were it not, that having fpoken elsewhere of the Mystery of iniquity, any one might easily perceive that in this later place he makes an evident allufion to it, and that fo it might easily be seen in the Apoftacy, which he defcribes.

Our verfion renders the Text of St. Paul thus; mon rrans- Now the Spirit faith exprefly, that in the later not well times fome shall depart from the faith, giving reprefent heed to feducing Spirits, and Doctrines of Devils,

St. Paul's

fenfe.

fpeaking lies in hypocrify, having their confcience
feared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry; com-
manding to abstain from meats, which God hath
created for them that believe. Looking on the
Text in this form, the firft fenfe that offers it
felf to our fight is, that thefe Doctrines of De-
vills are thofe which he adds in the following
words viz. Forbidding of marriage, and abftinence
from meat.
Now I confefs, that ever fince I
understood how to read and understand, I have
always fufpected this, and I did not understand
how and why the Apoftle St. Paul fhould cha
racterife thofe opinions that feem fo little cri-
minal, as the forbidding of Mariage to certain
perfons, and abftaining from certain meats at
certain times, by fuch black names as the Apoftacy
from the faith, and the Doctrines of Devills. I
did conceive
that the law of Celibacy in the

Briefts