secluding Christ, ought to have one head; this is the pope, who is œcumenical bishop." So they attribute the offices and excellences of Christ to the pope. They say [that] he is the father of all Christians; which belongs to Christ (Isai. ix. 6:) that he is the teacher of the church, and the spouse of the church, the foundation of faith, the lord of lords, the chief corner-stone, universal judge and infallible, who is to judge all others, but to be judged of none. These all belong to Christ alone; and he that thus exalts himself, and arrogates these things to himself, must needs be Antichrist. Philip de Nicolai (De Antichristo) shows how the pope, taking all these titles to himself, proveth that he is Antichrist as also the Protestant divines generally prove him to be Antichrist by this character.

Some go further in this argument, and show how the pope takes on him to do more than God. It is frequent among their divines and canonists to say, Papam posse dispensare contra apostolum et contra Vetus Testamentum, "that the pope can dispense against the apostles and against the Old Testament," that the pope can make new symbols, that he can dispense with things forbidden of God. Bellarmine (De Pœnitent. lib. iv. cap. 13) saith, Indulgentia faciunt, ut pro iis pœnis quæ nobis per indulgentias condonantur, non teneamur præcepto illo, de faciendis dignis pænitentiæ fructibus: "[Indulgences effect] that, as to those penalties from which we are freed by indulgences, we are not bound to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance." Nay, he goes further: Si рара. erraret præcipiendo vitia vel prohibendo virtutes, teneretur ecclesia credere vitia esse bona et virtutes malas, nisi vellet contra conscientiam peccare: (De summo Pont., lib. iv. cap. 5:) "If the pope should err so as to command vices and forbid virtues, the church would be bound to believe vices to be good and virtues to be evil, unless she will sin against conscience."

Thus blasphemously do they speak of the supereminence of the pope above God himself. And as for all civil powers, he is absolutely free from them, and much above them all. Vide Text. Decret., dist. xcvi. cap. 7 Satis evidenter ostenditur a seculari potestate non solvi prorsùs nec ligari pontificem posse, quem constat a Constantino Deum appellatum, cùm nec Deum ab hominibus judicari manifestum sit: "Since the pope is God, therefore he cannot either be bound or loosed by men." These words are in the body of the canon-law set forth by the command of Gregory XIII. A.D. 1591: "From this it appears that the pope is above scripture, councils, princes, and all powers upon earth, upon the account of his divinity." It is common amongst them at least to equalize the pope's decrees to the holy scripture; and that the pope's decretals are to be accounted canonical; and that the pope's determinations are to be preferred above the scripture; with many such-like blasphemies. (See Decret. cum Glossá, dist. 19, et cap. vi. dist. 40, ad edit. Tug. anno 1510.) And, which is worst of all, they assert [that] the scriptures are inferior to the pope's decrees: Ut fidem non facere neque necessitatem credendi inducere queant, nisi papa per canonizationem quam vocant, iis authoritatem priùs impertiat: (Decret., lib. ii. tit. 23, De Præsumptionibus, cap. 1) "That the scriptures have no authority so as to procure belief of them, unless they can be first canonized by the pope." It is no

wonder though the pope uttereth such blasphemies, since he is the head of that idolatrous beast full of blasphemies. (Rev. xiii. 5, 6.)

Since they will have the pope to be such a supreme head to the church militant (as Christ quoad influxum interiorem, so he quoad influxum exteriorem doctrinæ et fidei : *—BELLARMINUS De Concil. Authoritate, lib. ii. cap. 15 :) since they will have him not only to be equal with Christ, but above him; he being able to redeem souls out of purgatory, which Christ never did, and is affirmed by them :-Johannes de Turrecremata and others that licensed "the Revelations of Bridget,"-they let go that passage in that book: Bonus Gregorius, oratione sud, etiam infidelem Cæsarem elevavit ad altiorem gradum; † by which it appears that the pope hath done that which Christ never did; and that the pope's charity is larger than Christ's, who "prayed not for the world," (John xvii. 9,) but the pope prays for the damned:-since, I say, they will have their pope with all these prodigious blasphemies; since they will have their Lord God the pope thus lifting up his head above Lucifer; let them have him, and believe his lies and impostures: since they reject the truth, whereby "they might be saved;" let them "believe his lies, that they may be damned:" (2 Thess. ii. 10-12 :)

Qui Satanam non odit amet tua dogmata, pupa.‡

THE FIFTH CHARACTER BY WHICH ANTICHRIST IS KNOWN IS THE TAKING OUT OF THE WAY THAT WHICH HINDERED.

5. Antichrist is set forth by the removens prohibens, by the "taking that which hindered out of the way; "the Tо xαTEXOV, (verse 6,) and κατέχων εκ μέσου γενηται. (Verse 7.)-There was something that hindered the revelation of the Man of Sin, which was to be removed. The Man of Sin could not be brought forth into the world, till the Roman empire was taken out of the way then that Wicked one, the pope, did rise up to that height; then Antichrist did appear in his colours. There is a great consent among the ancients as to this thing; and Jerome was so clear and confident in this thing, that as soon as he heard of the taking of Rome by Alaric, he presently expected the coming of Antichrist. See TERTULLIAN, De Resur., lib. iv. cap. 24; AMBROSE, in Comment. in Ezek.; CHRYSOSTOM, Comment. in loc.; AUGUSTINE, De Civ. Dei, lib. xx. cap. 19. Among the ancients they were so confident of this thing, that the church did pray in her Liturgy, that the Roman empire might stand long, that so Antichrist's coming might be long: (TERTULLIANI Apolog., cap. 32, 39 :) so that the Roman empire, or emperor who was then in possession of that power imperial, kept out that Papal power which grew out of its ruins. KaTeX is the same as possidere [“to possess ”]: Οἱ αγοραζοντες, ὡς μη κατεχοντες· “They that buy, as though they possessed not." (1 Cor. vii. 30.) "The Roman empire, being broken into ten kingdoms, brought-in Antichrist: so Tertullian. (De Resurrec., lib. iv. cap. 24.) "Paul did not express the Roman empire by name, lest he should bring a persecution upon the church.”

As Christ is head in reference to the inward influx, so the pope is head with regard to doctrine and faith.-EDIT. + "Good Gregory, by his prayers, raised even the "Let him who abhors not the devil,

unbelieving Cæsar to a higher degree."-EDIT. love thy dogmas, O pope."-EDIT.

(HIERONYMUS ad Algasiam, quæst. 11.) Peter Moulin (in Vale.) shows in several instances how the Roman emperors did keep the bishop of Rome from growing to that height as he did upon their being removed out of the way.

Others take it to be meant of the Roman emperor himself, and not of the Roman empire at all: for the Roman is not taken out of the way, but stands on two legs; namely, the empire of Turks, and the empire of Germany. It was the emperor himself, who was Constantine the Great, who removed to Constantinople; then the To xaTeXov ["that which hindered"] was taken away. The grandeur of the emperor and of Antichrist could not stand together. As soon as the emperor departed from Rome, Antichrist began to be revealed. For when all the bishops in the Christian world did meet at the council of Nice, the bishop of Rome, though requested by a letter, came not he pretended old age and the weakness of his body; but Bellarmine telleth us [that] the true reason was, it was not meet the head should follow the members, but rather that the members should follow the head; and if the emperor were present, it is likely he would sit above the pope; which was not meet, he being the spiritual head; therefore he did absent himself. (COTTON on 1 John ii. 18.) Though they differ as to the emperor and empire, to be that which hindered; yet they agree as to the pope, that he rose to his height upon the removal of the one or the other out of the way.

THE SIXTH CHARACTER IS THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY WHICH DOTH ATTEND HIS RISE AND REIGN.

6. By the notion of a mystery, (2 Thess. ii. 7,) as it stands in opposition to "the mystery of godliness."-The apostle following the Hebrew way of expression: To μUOTηpio Tns avoμias, id est, doctrina improba vel mysterium improbum, "a wicked doctrine or mystery." For the whole religion of Popery as to faith and worship is so contrived by them as may most conduce to the sustaining and advancement of the pope's power; and the gain and profit of the clergy. There we find that to be written in the forehead of the whore, (Rev. xvii. 5,) Muστηρion, as a principal part of her name. Such is the hellish contrivance of the whole body of the religion of the Papacy, (in which Satan never showed himself so notorious an impostor and angel of darkness, though under the appearance of an angel of light,) that it gained upon the whole world exceedingly by the pope, Satan's vicar, set forth by the lamb with two horns; (Rev. xiii. 11;) who hath prevailed with all sorts of men to receive the mark of the beast, and bow to his image. (Verses 12-14.) The religion of Antichrist is carried on in a subtle, cunning way; else it could not be called a "mystery," and a "mystery of iniquity" under the pretence of godliness. The great factors in this mystery are said to be seducers, that "speak lies in hypocrisy;" (1 Tim. iv. 1, 2 ;) "who have” μορφωσιν, 66 a form of piety," which is the mantle to cover the blackest abominations. (2 Tim. iii. 1, 5.) And Peter, speaking of such mystical villanies, tells us how "privily they should bring in damnable heresies" under the colour of truth. (2 Peter ii. 1-3.) The religion of Popery, which is merely to advance the honour and grandeur, profit and interest, of the pope and his hierarchy, under a pretence of setting up

the name and honour of Christ, has, by their mystical art and cunning, fair, plausible deportment, undermined and overthrown the religion of Christ up and down the world. Chamier, (lib. xvi. cap. 8,) treating about Antichrist, and showing how, by their cunning, heresies are made subservient to him, saith thus: Hæc verò si aliqua est Antichristi nota, dicam audacter, aut nullum esse Antichristum, aut episcopum Romanum eum esse: "This is a special note of Antichrist: I will speak boldly, that either there is no Antichrist, or the bishop of Rome is he."

THE SEVENTH CHARACTER IS THE STUPENDOUS MANNER OF HIS COMING.

7. By the manner of his coming. (2 Thess. ii. 9, 10.)-His "coming;" that is, after he is revealed, and that which hindered is taken out of the way; his " coming," together with the influences that it had on the world and such as perish. He cometh,

(1.) Κατ' ενέργειαν του Σατανα· that is, Satan will put forth his "utmost skill," in working miracles by Antichrist.

(2.) Εν παση δυνάμει, και σημείοις· that is, his " power” to work after a wonderful manner, which God is pleased sometimes to grant even to the worst of men. He shall work "signs" or "miracles; for

"signs" are taken so here.

وو

(3.) Omnis potentia ["all power"]-it is to be taken for varia potentia, or "a power to work variously."

(4.) Kas Tepaσ Veudous a Hebraism; according to the letter, prodigiis Και mendacii, “lying wonders," or "wonderful lies."

(5.) Και εν παση απατη της αδικιας (εν pro μετα vel δια· *) “ with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.' "There is a double Hebraism," saith Piscator: unus in significatione synecdochica vocabuli injustitiæ pro falsitate seu mendacio; alter in usu nominis ejusdem, quod cùm substantivum sit, hic vim habet epitheti: † "under the name of unrighteousness' is covered all manner of falsehood and lies; by which they do deceive many, and would deceive the very elect, if they could. (Matt. xxiv. 24.) Then,

6

(6.) Ενέργειαν πλανης (2 Thess. ii. 11)—for πλανην ενέργειας, id est, EVEрyouσav, [by a] Hebraic hypallage-we render, "strong delusion; or, "the delusion of Antichrist working strongly," specially coming under a judicial tradition from God. This advent or coming of Antichrist here mentioned is not to be referred to his first revelation only, but to his full revelation, when his kingdom and government shall be set up in its splendour and power.

He shall come "with all the power of Satan." Satan is most famous for two things; he is mendax et homicida ["a liar and a murderer"]; (John viii. 44;) for he is an adversary to divine authority and man's salvation. And both these are eminently seen in the pope : for he hath brought-in false doctrines, false worship, and a false religion, into the church and by this means he is the great murderer of souls; for they are damned that follow his delusions, as appears in the text. (2 Thess. "In' for 'with' or 'by.'"-EDIT. "One, in the synecdochical signification of the word 'unrighteousness,' for falsehood and lying: the other, in the use of the same noun; which, though a substantive, has here the force of an epithet."-EDIT.

ii. 12.) Satan shows himself a liar when he puts men on a false, idolatrous worship, instead of a true. So all idolaters are liars: They changed the truth of God into a lie," &c.: (Rom. i. 25 :) and therefore idols are called "lies." (Amos ii. 4.) So idolaters are said to "make lies their refuge, and under falsehood to hide themselves." (Isai. xxviii. 15.) But Satan never did impose such a lie on the world as in the idolatrous worship of Rome. There "idolaters and liars" are put together, Rev. xxi. 8; and, in verse 27, he that "worketh abomination, and a lie," they are put together; and, in Rev. xxii. 15, "idolaters and makers of lies" are put together again.

Cum omni potentia: some take it of the power of both swords,ecclesiastical and secular,—which the pope claims; but it rather respecteth that faculty and power which the pope, the two-horned beast, doth pretend to, and whereby he doth work wonders. (Rev. xiii. 12—15.) The " signs and wonders" here spoken of, are the ways and means and weapons which Satan useth by Antichrist to deceive persons to their destruction. This was the way which Satan took by Jannes and Jambres, to deceive Pharaoh and the Egyptians: these were a kind of types of seducers which were to come in these last times. (2 Tim. iii. 8.)

That this may appear to be a character of Antichrist, the Papists themselves do grant that Antichrist is to be confirmed with signs and wonders. (SUAREZ, Apol. lib. i. cap. 17, num. 12; BELLARM. De Pont. Rom. lib. iii. cap. 15; SANDERS De Antichristo, dem. 19-22.) If, then, the pope's coming be by signs and lying wonders, then he will come under that mark of Antichrist by their own confessions.

That miracles have been at the first promulgation of the scripture, is most true, for the confirmation of the divine authority of it, and increasing a belief of the doctrine of Christ: but after that the gospel is promulgated, there is no further use of miracles and therefore, when the scripture doth speak of miracles and miracle-mongers, (as here, and Mark xiii. 22; Rev. xiii. 13; Matt. vii. 22,) it is to be understood of false Christs and false prophets, who shall come in the name of Christ, and shall pretend to marvellous things in his name, and shall deceive many and this is here brought in as a special mark of Antichrist.

That this mark is fulfilled in the Papacy, doth appear from themselves ;. who boast very much of their miracles, and the advancement of their religion and the confirmation of it by miracles. The legends of their saints are full of miracles of St. Dominic, St. Francis, St. Benedict, and the images of the Virgin Mary, and other saints in their calendar. Such miracles are called " lying miracles,"

(1.) Because they are for the confirmation of false doctrines,—of transubstantiation, purgatory, invocation of saints, adoration of images and relics, &c., prayers for the dead, and the pope's supremacy, &c.

(2.) Because many of them are things merely feigned to be done, which were never done or if they were done, they have been brought about by the mere artifice of Satan; who is able to do things beyond the reach of men, by which he deceives such as will be deceived.

(3.) From the end of these miracles; which is, to deceive men. In Mark xiii. 22, and here in the text, they are framed by seducers for seduction, and such as will not receive the truth with that love of it: