worship of the true God by prophanation of that Temple, specially by abrogating the daily sacri∣fice, which was a figure of the only sacrifice and continual oblation of Christes holy body and bloud in the Church, as the abolishing of that, vvas a figure of the abolishing of this, vvhich shal be done principally & most vniuersally by Antichrist him self (as novv in part by his forerunners) through out al Nations and Churches of the vvorld (though then also Masse may be had in secret, as it is novv in nations vvhere the secular force of some Princes prohibiteth it to be said openly.) For although he may haue his principal seate and honour in the Temple and citie of Hierusalem, yet he shal rule ouer the vvhole vvorld, and specially prohibite that principal vvorship instituted by Christ in his Sacraments, as being the proper Aduersarie of Christes person, name, lavv, and Church, the prophanation and desolation of vvhich Church by taking avvay the sacrifice of the altar, is the proper abomination of desolation, and the vvorke of Antichrist onely.
S. Augustine therfore li. 20 de ciuit. c. 19. and S. Hierom q. 11 ad Algasiam. do thinke, that this sitting of Antichrist in the temple, doth signifie his sitting in the Church of Christ, rather then in Salomons temple. Not as though he should be a cheefe member of the Church of Christ, or a special part of his body mystical, and be Antichrist and yet vvithal continuing vvithin the Church of Christ, as the Heretikes feine, to make the Pope Antichrist (vvhereby they plainely confesse and agnise that the Pope is a member of the Church, &c. in ipso sinu Ecclesiae, and in the very bosome of the Church, say they;) for that is ridiculous, that al Heretikes vvhom S. Iohn calleth Anti∣christes as his precursors, should go out of the Church, and the great Antichrist him self should be of the Church, & in the Church, & cōtinevv in the same, and yet to them that make the vvhole Church to reuolt from God, this is no absurditie. But the truth is, that this Antichristian reuolt here spoken of, is from the Catholike Church: and Antichrist, if he euer vvere of or in the Church, shal be an Apostata and a renegate out of the Church, and shal vsurpe vpon it by tyrannie, and by chalenging vvorship, religion, & gouernement thereof, so that him self shal be adored in al the Churches of the vvorld vvhich he list to leaue standing for his honour. And this is to sitte in the temple o•• against the Temple of God, as some interprete. If any Pope did euer this, or shal do, then let the Aduersaries call him Antichrist.
And let the good Reader obserue, that there be tvvo special causes vvhy this great man of sinne is called Antichrist. The one is, for impugning Christes kingdom in earth, that is to say, his spi∣ritual regiment vvhich he constituted and appointed in his Church, and the forme of gouernement ordained therein, applying al to him self by singular tyrannie and vsurpation, in vvhich kinde S. Athanasius (ep. at Solit. vit. degentes.) is bold to call the Emperour Constantius being an Arian Heretike, Antichrist, for making him self Principem Episcoporum, Prince ouer the Bishops and Presi∣dent of Ecclesiastical iudgements &c. The other cause is, for impugning Christes Priesthod, vvhich is only or most properly exercised in earth by the sacrifice of the holy Masse, instituted for the com∣memoration of his death, & for the external exhibition of godly honour to the B. Trinitie, vvhich kinde of external vvorship by sacrifice no lavvful people of God euer lacked. And by these tvvo things you may easily perceiue, that the Heretikes of these daies do more properly and neerely prepare the vvay to Antichrist and to extreme desolation, then euer any before, their special he∣resie being against the spiritual Primacie of Popes and Bishops, and against the sacrifice of the altar, in vvhich tvvo the soueraintie of Christ in earth consisteth.
6. What letteth.] S. Augustine (li. 20 c. 19 de ciuit del.) professeth plainely that he vnderstan∣deth not these vvordes, not that that folovveth of the mysterie of iniquitie, and least of al that vvhich the Apostle addeth, Only that he vvhich holdeth novv, do hold &c. Vvhich may humble vs al and stay the confident rashnes of this time, namely of Heretikes, that boldly feine hereof vvhat∣soeuer is agreable to their heresie and phantasie. The Apostle had told the Thessalonians before by vvord of mouth a secret point vvhich he vvould not vtter in vvritting, and therfore referreth them to his former talke. The mysterie of iniquitie is cōmonly referred to Heretikes, vvho vvorke to the same, and do that that Antichrist shal do, but yet not openly, but in couert and vnder the cloke of Christes name, the Scriptures, the vvord of the Lord, shevv of holines, &c. Vvhereas Antichrist him self shal openly attempt and atchieue the foresaid desolation, and Satan novv ser∣uing his turne by Heretikes vnderhand, shal tovvard the last end vtter, reueale, & bring him forth openly▪ and that is here, to be reuealed, that is, to appeare in his ovvne person.
These other vvordes, Only that he vvhich novv holdeth, hold: Some expound of the Em∣perour, during vvhose continuance in his state, God shal not permit Antichrist to come, meaning that the very Empire shal be vvholy desolate, destroied, and taken avvay before or by his com∣ming: vvhich is more then a defection from the same, vvhereof vvas spoken before: for there shal be a reuolt from the Church also, but it shal not be vtterly destroied. Others say, that it is an admonition to al faithful, to hold fast their faith and not to be beguiled by such as vnder the name of Christ or Scriptures seeke to deceiue them, til they that novv pretend religion and the Gospel, end in a plaine breach, reuolt, and open apostasie by the appearance of Antichrist, vvhom al Here∣tikes serue in mysterie, that is, couertly and in the Diuels meaning, though the vvorld seeth it not, nor them selues at the beginning thought it, as novv euery day more & more al men perceiue they tend to plaine Atheisme and Antichristianisme.