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Apoftacy.

131 That Religion is an Apaftacy, because there is The Pa-. in it Idolatry, prophaning of holy things, an in- pifm is an troduction of new Gods, and the abomination of Images fet up in the Sanctuary. Its head is the man of fin and the fon of perdition, because his throne is the throne of pride, of covetousness, of ambition, of Simony. There we find the Politiques of the World, and of the fpirit of darknefs; cheating, deceit, violence, blood, fornication, fodomy, brutifhnefs, magick, and all manner of imaginable wickedness. This head of the Papifm fits in the Temple of God; i. e. in the Christian Church, where Jefus Chrift dwelt, who is the foundation. He fits there as a God; for he makes his feet be kifs'd by men, yea, even by the highest powers of the Earth. He is called God, the Lievtenant of God, the Vicar of Jefus Chrift, and a Vice-God. In the quality of a God, and as one clothed with his power, changes the times and the Law. He difpenfes with Dan. 7, things against the Law of God, against the Cahons of the Church, against the Apostle, against the Old and New Teftament. He lifts up himfelf above all that is called God; for he exalts himfelf above all the Kings of the Earth, that are the Gods of this lower World. He exalts himfelf alfo above the true God, in making fuch laws as make void the Laws of God; for inftance, in commanding to worship Images, which God hath forbidden us to worthip. He exalts himfelf above the Saints, which are his Demy-Gods. For in the quality of a Judge, and confequently of a Superiour, he Canonifes them, he places them in the Heavens, he caufes them to be honoured with Temples and Altars, or he refufeth it to them.

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His Religion is a mystery of iniquity; for all that pifm is a Mystery of is in it is unrighteous, unjuft, wicked. 'Tis Iniquity. ufurpations, violences and Idolatries. It ravishes

away from men their juft rights, and from God that worship that belongs to him alone; to appropriate it to a Tyrant, or give it to fubjects that do not deferve it. "Tisa Mystery, for it hath all the appearance of a Myftical Religion. It hath ceremonies in abundance, a pompous worship, a mighty out-fide; but 'tis aMystery of iniquity. This mystery was establisht by the efficacy of Satan, with allpower, figns and lying wonders. For one can't reckon up either the Diabolical illufions, or the Cheats of the Priests, or the lying Miracles by which this falfe worship, and this falfe Religion, was eftablifht in the World.

The explication and application of that place of St. Paul to the Empire of the Papifm, have been already made fo exactly, that we fhall not do it over again, except only that Article, in which 2 Theff. 2. the Apostle faith, Ye know what with-holdeth,

6, 7.

that he might be revealed in his time, &c. He who now letterh, will let, till he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wickedone berevealed. All the world did formerly believe, and fo it doth ftill, that by him who Held and poffeffed, or did let, in St. Pauls time, we must understand the Roman Empire. And it hath been generally apprehended, that the Apoftle intended to fay, that the Antichriftian Empire would not appear in the world before the Roman Empire was abolifht and destroyed. Tho we fhould stick to this, without any other explication, our caufe would be much better than that of the Church of Rome. For to demonftrate that the Romish Antichrift is not yet come, the is obliged to prove, that the Roman

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Empire doth yet fubfift. She finds it in the Em- Germany is pire of Germany. But nothing is more vain than pire, nor this, nor more eafy to be confuted. The Go- the Roman vernment of Germany is neither an Empire, nor a Roman Empire. 'Tis not an Empire. There is nothing Delpotical in it, nor any thing that favours of an Emperour. 'Tis rather a Republique, or an heap of many different Monarchical, Ariftocratical and Democratical States. 'Tis not the Roman Empire, no more than the Kingdom of France, or that of Spain. For 'tis one of the difmembred pieces of the ancient Roman Empire, as well as the other Kingdoms of Europe. It retains the name of the Roman Empire, its head is called the King of the Romans. What of all this? Is it neceffary only to retain names and vain titles, to be in poffeffion of the thing, and to exercise the rights belonging to it? The fews retain the name of the people of God, of the chofen people, of the Lords inheritance, by way of exclufion of all the nations of the Earth; but doth it follow, that they are what they once were, and what to this day they call themselves?

We therfore may juftly fay, the Roman Empire is deftroyed, and was abolifht when the Goths, the Vandals and the Huns rent it in pieces, and divided it into fo many parts, took away the rule from the City of Rome, and made it the chief City only of a part of that ancient Empire. And indeed, 'tis then, that the Antichriftian "Empire was born, or at leaft began to be Revealed, that is to fay, to become fenfible; and this was in the fifth Age,

But this doth not agree with the other Prophecies; for according to St. John and Daniel, the fourth Monarchy, which is that of the R

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mans, must continue till the Kingdom be given to the Saints, and all the Nations of the World be reduced to the obedience of fefus Chrift.

This is in the feventh of Daniel. There he man Em makes four Beafts, i. e. four Monarchies or four ding to the Empires. These four Beafts are four Kings, that Prophecy fhall arife out of the Earth. But the Saints of the and Da-most high fhall take the Kingdom, and poffefs the niel is not Kingdom for ever, even for over and ever.

of St. John

yet ended.

. 17, 18.

V. 23.

7.24.

V. 25.

V. 26.

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places nothing at all between the end of the fourth Beaft or the fourth Empire, and the Kingdom given to the Saints. Now if the fourth Monarchy did ceafe in the fifth Century, then the fifth Monarchy, which is the Kingdom of 7. Chrift, being not begun, there would be the fpace of 12. or 13. hundred Years between the fourth Monarchy and the reign of 7. Chrift upon the Earth. One can't conceive why the H. Spirit fhould leave fo wide a gap of time in the Prophecy.

This is yet more evident by what follows. The Angell,that explains the vifion to Daniel, faith to him, The fourth Beaft fhall be the fourth King. dom upon Earth, which (hall be diverfe from all Kingdoms, and shall devour the whole Earth, and fball tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this Kingdom are ten Kings that fhall arife; and anoiber (hall arife after them, and he fhall be diverse from the first, and he fhall fubdue three Kings. And he fhall (peak great words against the moft High, and (ball wear out the faints of the most High, and think to change times aud law ; and they (hall be given into his hand, untill a time, and times, and the dividing of time. the judgment fhall fit, and they fball take away dominion, to confume and to deftroy it unto the end. And

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the Kingdom, and dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the moft High, &c. He had faid before, on occafion of the fourth Beaft. I and his little Horn I beheld them, because of the voice of the great words, which the horn fpake; I beheld even till the beast was flain, and his body deftroyed, and given to the burning flame.

'Tis clear, that the ten Horns, or theten Kingdoms, together with the little Horn, that fubdues three Kings, are a continuation of the fourth Beast, and make but one Monarchy together with it, which Monarchy must endure till the Kingdom be given to the people of God.

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The fame thing plainly appears in the dream Chap. 2. of Nebuchadnezzar, and the explication which Daniel gives of it. Nebuchadnezzar faw in a dream a great Statue, whofe head was of Gold, his fhoulders and his arms of Silver, his belly of Brafs, his legs of Iron, and his feet divided into ten Toes were partly of Earth and partly of Iron. A Stone cut out of the mountain without hands, breaks this ftatue in pieces, mingles the Gold, the Silver, the Iron and the Brafs, and reduces them all to duft. Daniel explaining this dream, declares, that the head fignifies the Monarchy of the Affyrians, of which Babylon was then the capital city fince the ruin of Nineveh and Nebuchadnezzar the head. That the fhoulders of Silver fignify a fecond Monarchy; andthe belly of Brass a third. And the fourth Kingdom fhall be like v.40, Iron, for as much as Iron breaketh in pieces and fubdueth all things. All the World is agreed, that this is the Roman Monarchy. After which follows, not the deftruction, but the divifion of that Empire among ten Kings. And wheras thon faweft K 4

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