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the church of Rome? Hence their meagre days, and their long Lent. It is as much the law of all Monks, fays Dr. Newton, to abftain from meats as from marriage. Some never eat any ⚫ flesh; others, only of certain kinds, and on cer

tain days. Frequent fafts are the rule, the boaft ⚫ of their order; and their carnal humility is their

fpiritual pride.'-Thus, as the church of Rome has much of Gentilism, in worshipping angels and fpirits departed*; fo alfo of Judaism, in making a diftinction of meats: and, in both thefe, as in every other inftance, fhe proves herself to be the great apoftate foretold in the apoftolic writings.

I would only observe, that this paffage agrees remarkably in one thing with the former. There the man of fin is faid to come with lying wonders. Here it is written, that fome fhall apoftatize from the faith. Through the hypocrify of liars, having their confcience feared with a hot iron: as our version runs, one would understand it of devils speaking lies, and having their confcience feared. But the reading

we have given, is most agreeable to the original; and exhibits an awful, but a just character of the feducers, viz. that they have their confcience feared with a hot iron. In the Roman church, there are the deceivers, and the deceived. But the former are twofold more the children of the devil than the latter.

* It has been wittily observed, that in all the feripture, we read of no prayer made to departed faints, but one; and that was not heard, Luke xvi. 24,-31. Poor encouragement, one would think, to their worshippers.

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viz. when he who letteth is taken out of the then fhall that wicked one be revealed. The Theffalonians knew who was the let or impediment here intended, ver. 6. Ye know what with-holdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. It did not feem good to, nor was it neceffary that, the apoftle fhould exprefly name who or what that let was. But as the Theffalonians had it from the apoftle's own mouth when he was with them, ver. 5. it is reasonable to believe, that they would communicate it to other Christians, and particularly to their own pofterity. And, from the concurrent teftimony of the Fathers, it appears that it was the Roman empire. Tertullian, who lived about the end of the fecond century, expounding these words, Only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way, fays, Who can this be but the Roman ftate? The divifion of which, into ten kingdoms, will bring on Antichrift; and then the wicked one fhall be revealed.' And he affigns it as the reason why the Chriftians prayed for the prolonging (pro morâ finis) of the Roman empire, because they knew that the greatest calamity hanging over the world, was retarded by it's continuance. To the fame purpose Origen, in the third century, Lactantius, Cyril, Jerome, Auftine, Chryfoftom, and Ambrofe in the fourth*. And taking the let for the Roman empire, fuggefts a folid reason why the apostle did not exprefly name it: as that had been the high way to provoke the civil powers

Turret. de Seceffione, ab Eccl. Rom. Difput. vii. Sect. 12. Dr. Newton on the Prophecies, Vol. II. p. 413-418. Pistet. Theol. Chret. Vol. 1I. p. 381."

against the church, and to make their little finger heavier than otherwise their loins would have been.

It deferves to be remarked, that even in the opinion of a bishop of Rome, Gregory the great, who fat in the chair at the end of the fixth century, whofoever affected the title of universal bishop, hè was the antichrift, or the forerunner of antichrift. I speak it confidently, fays he, that whofoever 'calleth himself the universal bishop, or defireth fo to be called, in the pride of his heart he doth 'forerun antichrift.' When John, then bishop of Conftantinople, firft ufurped this title, Gregory made answer, By this pride of his, what thing elfe is fignified, but that the time of antichrift is now at hand?" Again, he fays, on the fame occafion, The king of pride approacheth; and, ⚫ which is wicked to be spoken, an army of priests is prepared +.'

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It cannot be denied, indeed, that the title of univerfal bishop, or patriarch, was given to the bishop of Rome in the year 451, in the council of Chalcedon and that it was alfo given to the patriarchs of Constantinople and Alexandria, in thẹ years 449, 518, 519, 533, 534, 536. But Gregory understood this title in another sense, than it had before his time. He understood it in that fense wherein they gave it to the Pope afterwards, víz. That he is the fole bishop, and universal head of all the members of Chrift, both paftors and fimple believers, who prefers himself to them all, who carries himself as their general fuperintendant, Dr. Newton, ubi fupra.

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and who keeps them under the yoke of his domi

nion.

Taking the name in this fenfe, Gregory says, it is a name of vanity, a temptation of diabolical ufurpation; a name of blafphemy, a name invented by the first apoftate, the devil: and he infifts on the comparison which he makes of the univerfal bishop, with the devil, and with antichrift. Leo IX. though a Pope himself, in the eleventh century, disapproved of the title of univerfal patriarch, and fays, That he is not the husband's < friend, who wants to be loved in the husband's place: That, on the contrary, he is the bride፡ man, and pimp of Antichrift, who exalteth him• felf above all that is called God *.'

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As early as the year 1120, a Treatife was publifhed concerning Antichrift, wherein the faithful were admonished, That the great Antichrift was long ago come, and by the permiffion of God advanced in years. And the author having de⚫ fcribed the corrupt ftate of the church at that time, fays, this state of men (not a fingle man) is Antichrift, the whore of Babylon, the fourth beaft ' of Daniel, that man of fin and fon of perdition, 'who is exalted above every God, so that he fitteth • in the temple of God, that is, the church, fhow

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ing himself that he is God; who is now come, with all kind of feduction and lies in them that perish +.'

It claims our attention on this branch of the argument, that the coming of the wicked one was

*Picteti. La Theol. Chret. Vol. II. p. 384.
Dr. Newton on Proph. Vol. II. p. 420.

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to be with all power, and figns, and lying wonders, 2 Theff. ii. 9.; and who does not know that wonders or miracles are the boaft of the Romish church? The Popish legends, ftuffed with lying wonders, furnish out a moft affecting comment on this text. Bellarmine, who ftrained every nerve in support of Popery, reckons the glory of miracles a note of the Catholic church. But our apoftle affigns them as a distinguishing character of the man of fin. The oftentation of miracles is peculiar to the church of Rome. The Jews are deftitute of miracles, the Mahometans disclaim them, and profess to propagate their religion, not by virtue of miracles, but by fire and fword; which by the way is one good reason why, not Mahomet, but the Pope is to be understood by the man of fin.

The reformed churches content with the miracles wrought by Christ and the apostles, seek no other. But the Papifts glory in miracles. Hence none is held as a faint among them, who is not faid to have been famous for miracles. No reliques, no remarkable fepulchres to which pilgrimages are wont to be made, which are not celebrated for the fame of miracles. There was printed at London, about four and twenty years ago, a book, intitled, The miraculous powers of the Church of Chrift afferted, through each fucceffive century from the apostles, down to the prefent time. Whence the Author infers, that the Catholic church is the true church of Chrift. But, unhappily for the church of Rome, it turns out, that she glories in her shame; for what the pretends as a mark of the spouse,

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