Hē apostasīa, ho antichristos, or, A scriptural discourse of the apostasie and the Antichrist, by way of comment, upon the twelve first verses of 2 Thess. 2 under which are opened many of the dark prophecies of the Old Testament, which relate to the calling of the Jews, and the glorious things to be affected at the seventh trumpet through the world : together with a discourse of slaying the witnesses, and the immediate effects thereof : written for the consolation of the Catholike Church, especially the churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland / by E.H.

CHAP. III

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Apostasie] 'Tis concluded on all hands, that it is a general Apostasie both of the Easterne and Western Churches: By the Eastern Churches, I mean the Greek and Asian, Churches which must necessarily be included in this Apostasie, for it was prophesied amongst them over and over; and therefore of them as well as other Churches: if so, then the Apostasie must not, cannot be until after Constantine, for not till after his Reign began the general Apostasie of the Eastern, and Western Churches. It is not denyed but that there were great Hereticks in the Church before, as 1 Cor. 15. those that denyed the Resurrection: and the Nicolaitan Doctrine, Apoc. 2. of which read Clem. Alex. Strom. 3. Act. 6. And Eusebius tels us lib. 3. cap. 27. of the Ebionites; and Martionites lib. 4. cap. 14. But these and many others, though they spotted the Church and in∣fested it, yet they drew no•…•… the Church into a general Apostasie, which Paul and Iohn foretel. Two Texts (Rev. 7. 1. and Rev. 13. 1) seem to point out the heads of this Apostasie; the Texts seem to run parallel with each other: The opening of the sixth Seal, Rev. 6. 12. to 17. is that which immediately precedes Revel. 7. 1. Now

the sixth Seals opening, say the soundest and best that ever writ, is the overthrow of the Heathen Empire by Constantine. The Pagan Emperors were the grand enemies before the Apostasie; for I take Iohns Prophesies to be put under four periods of time: the first under the Roman Heathen Emperors until Constantine: the next under the grand Apostasie under the four Angels, and the Beast of the Sea; the third under the Antichrist; and the fourth under the general restauration of Jewes and Gentiles un∣der the Government of Jesus Christ by the Witnesses; to each of which the Holy Ghost prefixeth a time, a certain time: The third, viz. that of the Apostasie, may be included in the se∣cond.

Two of these periods fall within my compass at this time to discourse of, viz. that of the Apostasie, and that of the Anti∣christ; now this Apostasie being acknowledged by all, or the most Protestants, to be, 1. An Apostasie of Gospel Churches from the faith: 2. and this Apostasie to be a general Apostasie▪ these two things must follow, 1. That one person cannot well be the head or ringleader of this general Apostasie. I know what may be said against this▪ yet the utmost of it maketh not my consequence invalid▪ 2. It will follow, That the Ring-leader•…•… of this Apo∣stasie must be men that profess Christianity, as well as those that they lead into Apostasie: for as for the Turks (prophesied of Rev. 9. 15, 16, 17) they were rather the punishers of the apostate Churches, then the Ring-leaders of the Churches in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 East in∣to Apostasie; this all men (that know any thing in Church-Historie)▪ know, espcially they that read wisely the Revelations; for as the four Angels (Revel. 7. 1.) had by their Apostasie (which is gradually set forth Revel. 8.) destroyed a third part of the trees, and a third part of the Sea, of the creatures therein, and the Ships thereupon; and the third part of the Rivers, and a third part of the Sun, and of the Moon▪ and of the Stars, which are said to be smitten: all these expressions setting forth the gradations of the Apostasie, both in corrupting of the Do∣ctrine of Religion, and also the Falling away of all sorts and degrees of Professors unto those corrupt Doctrines; and all this effected by the four Angels (Revel. 7. 1.) standing on the four corners of the earth, for no other end but this, then to hold the four winds of the earth, that they should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree; even so the four Angels that were

bound in the great River Euphrates (Revel. 9. 14, 15.) are now loosed to slay the third part of men; that is, to subdue and pu∣nish, and inslave, and utterly ruine those Apostates. The Turks were raised up as a scourge to the apostate Christian world, hundreds of years after the Apostasie began, and therefore their Mahomet cannot properly be said to be the head of the Apostasie, he being no professor of Christianity.

The great question then will be, Who are those four Angels who are accounted the heads of the Apostasie? If I knew how, I would here baulk this question, for the avoiding of Novelty and contention; but if I am mistaken, it is but a weak mans o∣pinion, and so (amongst many others) it may harmelesly pass.

By these four Angels, I conceive, are meant the four Patriar∣chies of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria and Ierusalem; these were designed for the four quarters of the Christian earth: in∣deed they were designed for the propagating of the Gospel; but we very wel know, that at last those very Patriarchs by turning from the truth, corrupted the Church, and turned the whole world after Arianism, as one of the Fathers complains: No∣thing in History runs parallel with this Text like this of the Patriarchs, who being eminent Professors, made an eminent Apo∣stasie from the Truth; and led infinite numbers of people after them; every Author, even the Romish Historians that have writ latest▪ give us plentiful examples of this Apostasie.

Object But where is your Scripture to prove these four An∣gels the four Patriarchs? you make fair promises of holding forth nothing as credible, but what you bring Scripture for.

Answ. I confess, it is a hard task to prove this positively by any Text; only in a word, as near as I can, thus, From their de∣nomination, as they are called Angels, the Holy Ghost calls the Bishops of the several Churches (where this Defection after∣ward was made.) Angels: Revel. 2. To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, and to the Angel of the Church of Smyrna, and to the Angel of the Church in Pergamus; that is, to the Bishop of Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamus: So that we see the Holy Ghost stiles the heads of the Church, who have the Pastoral charge of it, Angels; upon this account therefore are these four heads of the Church called Angels, because they were the designed

heads of the Church in their several Divisions; and therefore on the four corners of the earth, because they divided the Christi∣an world amongst them. The grand Apostasie began in the heads of the several Churches; they grew proud▪ and covetous, and idle, and whiles they thus slept, the enemy sowed the tares of Heresie in their hearts▪ Profaneness in a Church-man is the high Road to Heresie and Apostasie. Such was their prophane∣ness (saith Nazianzen) that those that took upon them Pasto∣ral charges, brought no other Ornament then that of long hair with them; which gross absurdity (for he calls it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) they most delighted in, and cared for: he calls them Dogs, yea, worse then Dogs, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. They neither remained Dogs, nor became Pastors, except to devour others labours. I will forbeare here to insert History, partly for brevity sake, and principally because the Historie in the fourth and fifth Century is so easie to be read and under∣stood of every one that can but read English, especially of those that can but understand the Latine and Greek tongue, and have leisure to read the Councels in those Centuries: So now my in∣tended inference from all, is this, That the Bishop, Head, or Pastor of the Church of Rome, is one of the Ring leaders, or general Heads of this Apostasie. Now Jesus Christ foreseeing the height of Apostasie that the Roman Church would rise unto (if I may pass with my expression) my meaning is, to what a height of wickedness in this grand Apostasie the Church of Rome in her Ecclesiastick Head or Polity would rise, sets it forth in seve∣ral and various expressions to Iohn: as first, you have him but as one of the four Angels standing on the Western corner of the earth, the Patriarch of Rome, and no more, though much more then ever Christ by his approving providence (I mean, by his revealed will in his Word) allowed him; though how large a power the Councels in Christian prudence may grant unto a sin∣gle Church-man, and how far that grant doth oblige the Church in obedience to that single person, I will not dispute. These Patriarchs, as Prideaux well observes, were entering into intolerable▪ and inexcusable Apostasie. Next you have the Politie or Head of the Roman Church, set forth as a Star not falling, or ready to fall, but fallen at that present from Heaven to Earth. During the time of the heat of the Arian and Euti∣chian

Heresies, whiles the Eastern Angels kept the wind of sound Doctrine from blowing on Christs Garden the Church, the Western Angel, the Bishop of Rome, was tolerable, ye•…•…, commendable; for Rome was a shelter to the Orthodox Christi∣ans at that time; but soon after you find the Angel now as a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that fals from Heaven to Earth: The Pastors of the Church (〈◊〉〈◊〉 we have shewed already) are called Stars: Christ (Rev. 1. 16.) held seven Stars in his hand, which ver. 20. tells us, are the seven Angels (or Embassadors of Christ) of the seven Churches; so that the Star there is the chief Pastor of the Church of Rome, which apostatiseth as far from Christs Rule and Ordinance as Heaven is from Earth. How great an Apostasie is that in a Mi∣nister, to usurp a power above an Emperor, to usurp a power o∣ver all Churches; to take the Title of the Prince of Princes, and to make it his whole design to Inthrone himself in all Civil and Ecclesiastick Power, besides the Apostasie from the purity of Doctrine and Discipline?

The third sight Iohn hath of him, is in Revel. 13. 1. there Iohn hath a sight of this great apostate Bishop in his full growth, he is now a Beast risen out of the sea, having seven heads, and ten horns, and upon his horns ten Crowns, and upon his heads the names of Blasphemy; the Context of this Text, and of that Revel. 7. 1. of the four Angels, give much light into each other: in Revel. 6. 12, 13, 14. When the sixth Seal was opened, there was an earth-quake, the Sun became black, and the Moon became as blood, and the Stars fell, and heaven departed as a scrole, and every mountain was moved; it is parallel with Rev. 12. 7, 8, 9. which both signifie one and the same thing, viz. the overthrow of the Heathen per∣secuting Emperours. The first is parallel in the phrase with Isai. 34. 4. which expresseth the great fall of the Idumaeans, and no∣thing of the general day of Judgment.

This kind of expression is usual, when God will set forth the overthrow of the heads of Government, as in Isa. 13. 10. that is a prophesie of the ruine of the Babylonish heads of Govern∣ment by the M•…•…des and Persians, as ver. 17, 18, 19, 20. expound it: yet there God •…•…aith, The Sun shall be darkned▪ and the Moon shall not cause her light to shine; and ver. 13. He will shake the hea∣ven•…•…, i. •…•…. the Thrones of Kings; and so Revel. 6. 12, 13, 14. signifies the fall of the Pagan Emperors, the heads of the Romish Throne and Government, which were thrown down by Constantine the

Christian Emperor: the self same thing is set forth in Revel. 12. where you have the Church in her Primitive purity, ver. 1, 2. groaning to be delivered from under the bloudy Tyranny of the red Dragon, ver. 3. that is, the bloudy state of Pagan Empe∣rors; it is parallel with cap. 6. v. 10. where under that Tyranny the Church cries, How long, O Lord, holy and true! dost thou no•…•… judge and avenge our death on those that dwell upon the earth? Next, you have in cap. 12. 5. the Lord delivering the Church from under the Pagan Emperors, by raising up of a Christian Monarch▪ Constantine▪ who is the man-child brought forth in the Church, to rule the Nations with a rod of iron; that is, to subdue them by Conquest▪ (as he did) and be their Emperial head upon that lawful Title: as for those that say, this is meant of the birth of Christ, his Incarnation, Death and Resurrection, they do not only mistake the phrase of the Text, but the whole Prophesie; for in Revel▪ 1. 1. The Revelation is not of knowne things that were past (for thats not properly Revelation, but of things which must shortly come to pass; but the Incarnation of Christ was not to come to pass, it being past. As for that expres∣sion, He was caught up unto God and to his Throne, it is that which stands in direct opposition to that afterwards, ver. 8. of the Divels being cast out of heaven; so that he that will inforce that sense upon ver. 5. as that it is meant Christs Throne in hea∣ven, to which he ascended after his Resurrection, must be en∣forced to grant, that until Christs Ascension the Divel was in Heaven, which is Blasphemy; and therefore we must under∣stand the war betwixt Michael and his Angels, and the Dra∣gon and his Angels, as meant of the Christians war against the Pagans and Idolatrous heathens; and therefore the casting of Satan and his Angels out of Heaven, is meant the casting them out of the Imperial Throne, from their Lordly power and Do∣minion, and the seating of Constantine, that holy Christian Em∣peror in the Throne: 1. He was caught up unto God; that is, he was converted unto God; and 2. He was placed in his Throne, whether [His] hath relation to the Emperor or to God, is questionable, but it holds good in either sense, for it was Constantines Throne by Conquest; but it is most probable that [His] hath relation to God; for though the Roman Throne were, whiles the Pagan Emperors sate in it, the Divels; yet now a Christian Emperour possessing the Throne, it is

justly called Gods Throne, for Gods Vice-gerent sate in it. In this sense the two Witnesses ascend up to heaven, Rev. 11. 12. that is, to that Supremacie from which Antichrist had thrown them. No wonder that the throne is called heaven, when those that sit in that throne are called Sun, Moon and Stars. Gen. 37. 10. it sig∣nifies in this place the whole royal Family, as Iacob expounds it.

The like phrase of Scripture to the same sense we finde in Isa. 14. 12. where you see the Church insulting over Babylon when she comes to ruine: amongst others, this is one expression, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer? Here Lucifer is put fo•…•… the Prince, the brightest Star in their Orizon; and heaven is put for his Imperial seat from whence he is fallen: and such a phrase sets forth the fall of the Kingdom of Iudah under the Conquest of the King of Babylon, Lam. 2. 1. How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel? The beautie of Israel was their Monarch in the Throne; but this beauty was cast from heaven to earth: Either he means the good King Iosiah, who was violently snatcht from the Throne by death in the war; or the carrying away of the Royal Family from the Throne to Babylon. To our purpose is that, Luke 10. 18. where Satan falls like lightning from heaven; i. e. from his throne where he rules; and where is that, but in the hearts of men? 'Tis usuall to call a Throne Heaven.

Very many Scriptures more there are of the like signification and expression; as Isa. 34. 4. Ioel 2. 10. and 3. 16. Hag. 2. 6. which by their expressions make it probable to us, that Rev. 6. 12, 13, 14. and Rev. 12. 8 9. do both set forth the overthrow of the Pagan Empire by Constantine the Christian Emperor. And thus you see the first period of the Churches afflictions in Iohns Vision to be finished. The second follows, which is that of the Apostasie.

After Satan was cast down from persecuting Christians by the Pagan Emperors, he was not then bound, observe that; but (Rev. 12. 14, 15, 16, 17.) drives the Woman into the wildernesse: (by the Woman is meant the Church) where she hath a place pro∣vided for her, ver 6. which is called her place, ver. 14. that is, a place peculiar to her, where she shall be visible: This runs pa∣ralel with Rev. 7. 2, 4▪ 5. where Gods providence is set forth by sealing up his Elect in this time of apostasie, which is but for

a certain season. The Church shall fly upon the two wings of the Eagle, i. e. Magistracy and Ministry (who shall be in sack∣cloth) into the wildernesse, and there be fed 1260 dayes, ver. 6. & 14. God shall be a pavilion to them, he will feed them and protect them, they shall be under his seal. But observe how the apostasie goes on in this 12^th Chapter, ver. 12. there is a woe to the inhabitants of the earth, and of the sea: and in Rev. 8. under the four Trumpets, (which was the eminent time of the four angels doing mischief) you have the effects of this woe both upon the earth and sea; i. e. Church and State. The cause of this woe we have it expressed in Rev. 12. 15. The Serpent cast out of his mouth water as a floud after the Woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the floud. The streams of this floud were the Arian and Eutichian Heresies, with the rest of those wicked opinions then raised: These streams were like the fountain; the Divels mouth was the fountain, and the mouths of the inhabitants of the earth were the sea to swallow up those streams; therefore wo to the Inhabitants of the earth, earthly professors, that professed themselves Christians, but lived in, and loved the world more then their own souls, or Gods glory, (such as the most of our Professors are) these drank down Heresies as the pure water of Orthodoxal Truths. Now all this while the Bishop of Rome was but as one of the four Angels of the Church, and he (though leading into apostasie exceeding fast, yet) in that way of Heresie the least hurtfull; nay, he was so far from being hurtfull, that he was a succourer, for some yeers, of the orthodox Christians who opposed Arianism: yet in regard of the aspiring, insolent pride and covetousnesse in the Patriarchal Chair of Rome, it might well be denominated one of the four hurtful Angels: for (as we shewed already) soon was this Star in heaven fallen to the earth, the Chair of Rome was apostatized from its primitive puritie, as much as a Star•…•… is removed when it f•…•…lls from heaven to earth. The Dra∣gon (Rev. 12. 17.) when he saw that by the floud of Heresie he could not touch the Church, because that under the wings of the Eagle, that is, of the Roman Magistracy and Ministry, she was protected; the Divel faceth about like a valiant and cun∣ning Warriour, and falls upon his strongest enemies that stood out against him, which are called the remnant of the womans seed, which keep the commandments of God. The Angel of the

Western Church had under his jurisdiction many faithful, or∣thodox Divines, which maintained Truth: against these now the Divel wageth war, a spirituall war against their souls. So many and various are the deceits, and wiles, and strategems of the Divel▪ that no Mathematician can draw lines so fast, as the Divel can devise wicked wayes and subtil snares to entrap the Church of Christ in.

This war seems to be especially made against those of the Roman Church, where the remnant of the faithfull Oxthodox Christians lay, which fled from the Arian persecution. And whats the Divels Stratagem now? Observe in the next verse, Rev. 13. 1. there you have the ground he chooseth to stand up∣on, [And he stood upon the sand of the sea.] Some read (but a∣misse) [and I stood] conceiving that Iohn stood there: No, it was the Divel, [He stood.] Sea and Earth often signifie in the Revelation (say learned men) Church and State. Here the Di∣vel stood upon the Sea sand; probably 'tis meant Church go∣vernment and Governours; for as the sea is tyed with a rope of sand, that so far it shall passe, and no further; so Governours and Government in a Church do curb the insolent surges of the peoples raging passions and vain fantasies, that they break not in upon the Church to its overthrow. By this Stratagem the Divel carryes all before him; for•…•… soon doth he make the Go∣vernors and Government of the Church of Rome his own: and the next thing that Iohn sees, is a Beast arising out of the sea; this is the Popedome of Rome: The head of the Church of Rome was called one of the four Angels, then a Star fallen from heaven to earth; and now in this place you have the Head of the same Roman Church called a Beast that doth rise out of the Sea, having seven heads and ten horns. Now is the Apostasie come to the height.

He is a Beast: It alludes to Daniel's four beasts; to note, that he usurpeth the throne of a Monarch; he is got to that independent Greatnesse, to be an uncontrolled Potentate, there∣fore a beast: Then he is a beast of the Sea; his rise is from the Clergy: from the Chair of the Church he claims his right to the Throne of universal, uncontrollable Monarchie; there∣fore Revel. 9. 1. he is called a Star fallen from heaven to earth, from God to the world. And then his seven heads and ten horn•…•… tell us plainly, that this evill Angel, fallen Star, and Beast

of the sea, is that Head or Polity over the Church in Rome; for the City with seven heads, and ten horns (which, through the bloudy cruelty and persecution of this Apostate Govern∣ment, and the supporters of it, becomes drunk with the bloud of the Saints) is by both Protestants and Papists confessed to be the City of Rome, Rev. 17.

Thus have I gone over a large and an uncommon circuit in this survey of the Apostasie, and the heads thereof, being wil∣ling to say as much as I find the Scripture to say of it, and no more.

Notes

• Hi•…•…ronymus.
• In Apocalypsi Angeli dicun∣tur, qui Asiati∣cis Ecclesiis prae∣erant. Bezain 1 Cor. 11. 10.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Nazi∣anz. Orat. 28.