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. IV.

I Have but one word more to write concerning this Apostasie, and then I have done with it, and shall pass to the discription of the Antichrist, and that is, concerning the time of the Apo∣stasie; wherein (by the assisting power of the Holy Ghost) we doubt not but to make this Apostasie more manifestly distinct from the Antichrist, then as yet it hath been; there are five Texts give light into this Apostasie, as Revel. 11. 1, 2. Rom. 11. 25. Luke 21. 24. Deut. 32. Dan. 12. 6, 7, 9▪ very briefly of each. Of Revel. 11. 2. I shall do little more at this time then repeat the words.

Here Iohn is commanded to measure with a reed the Temple of God, the Altar and they that worship therein: But the Court which is without the Temple, leave out, and measure it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles, and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

This Text may well be put amongst those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Revelations, for it is exceeding hard to be understood. Iohn measures the Temple, and the Altar in the Temple, and they that worship in the Temple; that is, the Jewish Religion, and those obstinate unbelieving Jewes who professed that Religion▪ all these Iohn measures. Now what the meaning of this measuring is, I profess I do not know; this I have learnt from the Jewish Antiquaries, that the reed went as well to Mount Golgotha as to* 1.1 Mount Olivet, it was to ruine as well as to rear up; it was some∣times used to pull down, and sometimes used to build up; and

for which of these ends Iohn is commanded to use his reed like a rod I cannot tell; but if it be meant for ruine, as most proba∣ble it is, notwithstanding others contrary opinions, then it must be meant of the ruine of the Jewish Religion, that Temple which they bragged of, ▪ saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord; this Temple of the Lord must now be meted out to destruction, and the Altar, and those that worship therein must be measured with the rod of destruction, so that (accor∣ding to Christs words) not one stone should be left upon ano∣ther, and they should be led captive into all Nations: I know no∣thing prophesied of their dissipation by the Romans in all the Revelation, but this. Herein Iacobs Prophecie is fulfilled, Gen. 49▪ 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah, untill Shiloh come; i. e. there shall be a Church and State of the Jewes until Christ come, and then for their Rebellion against Christ, they should be both un-Churched and un-Stated; and that the de∣finite Particle [until] imports: what ever others say, my weak capacity knows not how to make sense of this Prophecie, or truth of their sense other wayes.

And the court which is without the Temple, leave out, and measure it not, i. e. (according to the former Exposition) do not ruine the Gospel Church of the Gentiles with the Iewes, for it is given to the Gentiles, and they shall tread under foot the holy Ci•…•…y forty and two months: that is, the Gentile Church which worship God through Christ according to the Gospel, they shal be exercised with affliction under the Gentile Apostasie. As the Church and State of the Jewes by Iohns measuring line were dissolved and ruined, and the Nation dissipated, so the true Believers under the Gospel, shall be persecuted and drove into the Wilderness by the Gentile Apostasie; that is, (say some learned Papists) by Antichrist; who shall be a Gentile: but I rather affirm it to be by the four Angels that were Gentiles; and the by Star fallen from heaven to earth, who is a Gentile; and by the Beast of the Sea with ten horns and seven heads, who is the Pope of Rome, a Gentile▪ to these Apostate Gentiles the Church was to be given, and they were to tread the holy City under foot forty and two months; not to measure it with a reed to the destruction of the Church, as the Jewes. By the holy City is meant the Church of God, (Revel. 21. 2.) in ▪its state of holy conformity to Christ her Head, maintaining his Truths in

uprightness and sinceritie: this holy City was to be trodden under foot by Apostate Gentiles for forty and two months; and this is more evidenced by ver. 3. which tells us that for the space of One thousand two hundred and sixty dayes (which is just forty two months) the two witnesses shall prophesie in sack∣cloth, poor clothing for such worthy persons, and high Officers as Monarchy and Ministry; this is but to shew the sad conditi∣on of the true Church under the Apostasie of the Gentiles; for if it fare thus with the Pastors, how ill must it needs go with the Sheep. There is one verse from Christs mouth that seems fully to comprehend all that Iohn hath said both of the Jewes dissipa∣tion, and the Gentile Gospel Churches affliction in the three verses of Revel. 11. and that is in Luke 21. 24. There shall be wrath upon this people (meaning the Jewes) and they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and they shall be led away captive into all Nations; here is Iohns measuring reed, like a rod indeed, pas∣sing over the Church and State of the Jewes to their ruine; and mark what follows, And Ierusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. This Prophe∣sie is given in Iohns phrase and method: by Ierusalem is meant the Church of God, worshipping him according to the Gospel rule: and by treading down, is signified the great devastation that by the Gentile Apostates shall be made upon the true Church: and until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled, signi•…•…ies the set time of the Apostate Gentiles raign and tyranny, which Revel. 11. 2. tells us, is forty and two months; never were Texts fitter matched for expression, matter, and method in the whole Bible then these.

To these let us add but one or two parallel Texts more, and so we have done with the grand Apostasie; in Rom. 11. 25. this Text directly with the rest, 1. Points us out the Jewes misery by the expression of blindness or hardness, which is the blackest side of misery. 2. It points out the Gentile Apostasie, and some thing more, for•…•…it seems to lay the greatest part of it upon the Church of Rome: And 3. It gives us to know the length of the Affliction both to the Jewes and Gentiles; for this I observe, that the Jewes destruction, and the Gentiles Churches persecu∣tion by the Apostasie, were not many yeers distant in the Hi∣stories, and therefore it is that we find them joyned together in the Prophesies; now as their afflictions began neare one time,

so they shall terminate neer about one time, •…•…s the Temple, the Altar, and those that worship thereat, i. e. the Jewes were un∣churched neer about that time when the Court without and the holy City, that is, the Gospel Church of the Gentiles began to be trodden under foot by the four Angels Apostasie, which were Gentiles; so the rechurching of the Jewes, and the retur∣ning of the Gentile Church out of its Apostasie by the raising of the slaine Witnesses and slaying of Antichrist, shall be neer about one time, and this Text doth make it cleer. This Text, in my opinion, is the comfortablest Text to the Jewes in all the Bible; it prophesies plainly, that the Jewes shall be converted and restored when the fulness of the Gentiles is come in, that is (saith Luke) until the times of the Gentiles be▪ fulfilled, which time (saith Iohn, Revel. 11. 2.) is to be fulfilled in forty and two months, which forty and two months, makes One thousand two hundred and sixty dayes (the time of the Witnesses prophesying in sack-cloth) which being expired, the Witnesses about the end of this time being slaine, shall rise again, and put off their dirty sack-cloth, and be cloathed in white, and then the Sealed Jewes and the innumerable number of the Gentiles shall be joined in one faith to worship the Lamb, Rev. 7.

This Text of Pauls, gives us light to the discovery of the time when this Gentile Apostasie shall have an end.

Paul in this Rom. 11. dehorts the Roman Church from insult∣ing over the rejected Jewes, foreseeing, doubtless, the pride that that Church would grow unto. Now to curb this pride of that Gentile-Church▪

1. He shewes the Church of Rome, how that all of them are not gone into that Spiritual Captivity; no, he himself being a Jew, could testifie the contrary, and the twelve Apostles, who were Jewes could testifie as much, and the seventie Disciples could testifie as much, who are to the Gentiles under the bondage of sin (as the twelve heads of the Tribes, and the se∣venty Elders to Israel in the wilderness) their Rulers and In∣structors.

2. The Gentiles had no cause to insult, because the casting of them off, was the receiving of the Gentiles into favour: Had the Jewes, the invited Guests, come into the supper, for ought I know, the Gentiles had remained by the hedges and high-wayes still, or else had only licked up the crumbs that had

fallen from Christs Spiritual table, as dogs at a Feast; and therefore the Romish Church hath no cause to insult over the Jewes, but rather with a holy fear to adore the infinite freeness of Gods grace, that should reject the Tents of Sem, to dwel in the Tents of Iapheth; that the first fruits should be thrown a∣way, and the Tares and cockle received into Gods garner, ver. 8, 16.

3. The Romish Gentiles have no cause to insult, for they were by nature but the wild Olive, till upon free grace they were transplanted into the Jewes stock, the Church; and through pride, infidelity and disobedience, they may as soon be cut off, and the Jewes again grafted in, as the Jewes for the self-same sins were cut off when they were taken in; this Paul seems to tell the Romish Churches from the Spirit of Prophecie within him, ver. 22. He tels the Church of Rome that she shall be cut off if she walk not answerable to such rich grace received. O what may the Church of Rome from this Text expect for her shameful Apostasie! And Paul in the next verse by the same spirit (v. 23.) tels the Jews, that they shall be grafted in again, that is, gather∣ed to be a glorious Church again, if they will believe the Gospel.

4. The Romish Gentile Church hath no cause to insult over the unbelieving Jewes, because they for their Pride, Tyranny, and disobedience shall be rejected, and fall into the same con∣demnation, when at that time the Jewes shall be restored; and this is implyed and expressed in ver. 25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery (lest ye should* 1.2 be wise in your own conceits) that blindness in part is hapned to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. This verse is the concluding Argument against the insulting pride of the Gen∣tile Church over the poor rejected Jewes, and every word in it, is of great importance, from the causal Particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to the last word in it. [For I would not, brethren] that is, you of the Church of Rome: That ye should be ignorant of this mystery, that is, he would by all means have them acquainted with it; of all Churches, he would have the Church of Rome to under∣stand this mystery; and why that Church acquainted with it more then any other? The Apostle gives the reason, Lest they should be wise in their own conceits: Lest they should be proud in their own conceits (saith a Learned Jesuit) supposing

that Paul useth a Metalepsis here, putting one word for ano∣ther. Great priviledges puffe, not only persons, but Churches, up above what is meet. Paul then by the eye of prophecie saw what we and all the world see in the Church of Rome now; viz. excessive pride, apostasie and insultation. Now, to pull down this pride, he would have them acquainted with this Mysterie.

Now the question is, Where lies the mysterie?

Some learned and holy men affirm, that the mysterie lies in the rejection of the Jews, and the taking in of the Gentiles to the Gospel: But this cannot be it; for though the coming of Christ had been to the world a mysterie, yet this mysterie was revealed to the world, especially to the Roman Church by Pauls preaching. This therefore, though it be in it self a mysterie, and the deepest of mysteries, yet it is not the mysterie that Paul here would not have them ignorant of; for they were so far from being ignorant of the Jews rejection, and their own re∣ception, that they insulted and boasted thereupon: therefore that cannot be the mystery that Paul importunes them of all mysteries not to be ignorant of it.

But the mysterie (as learned Cajetan observes) lyeth princi∣pally* 1.3 in these words, [Untill the fulnesse of the Gentiles shall come in▪] That the Jews were a people cast off for their unbelief, is a thing known to all the Churches in the world: but to know that the twelve Tribes shall after this sad captivity be brought to Christ, and their own Land again, and to know how long this their rejection and dissipation shall continue, untill they be brought into favour again, and restored to be a Church, this is a mystery to all the Churches in the world this day. And blessed is he that readeth and understandeth this mystery.

This mysterie of all mysteries the holy Ghost would have this Church to take notice of; therefore 'tis ushered in with this double guard, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, this the mysterie,] the chie∣fest of mysteries amongst prophetick Texts: Well it may be termed so, if we search into it; there lyeth a mystery in every word of that sentence wherein this mysterie lieth. 1. In the Ad∣verb of time, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,] which is the same as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 gnad in Hebrew: It defines that space of time (à parte post) wherein the Jews shall continue in their unbeleeving, or unre∣stored, or unchurched condition; and this is a mysterie so great,

that to this day none can (though never so learned) perempto∣rily define. Then there is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉:] this myste∣rie (if I am not grosly mistaken in my parallels) hath been, and is as much mistaken as any Text in the Bible amongst the Lear∣ed; for 'tis generally conceived, that this fulnesse of the Gen∣tiles coming in, is meant the fulnesse of their coming in to the Gospel; as much as to say, when the Gentiles are fully brought in to God, then the Jewes shall be converted; but this hath been confuted as an opinion directly contrary to Paul's own sense in ver. 12. of the same chapter; for the greatest work of grace is to be exercised among the Gentiles when the Jews shall be restored: for if the diminishing of them be the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fulnesse? Now if the great work of grace amongst the Gentiles must be accomplished be∣fore the Jews shall be converted, how will those words be true? and those many Prophecies of the innumerable number of Gentiles that shall flock in to the Gospel with the Jews? 'Tis expressed in that prophecie, that ten Gentiles shall in the day of the Jews conversion, come in to God for one Jew: Zach. 8. 23. In those dayes ten men shall take hold (out of all Languages of the Nations) even shall take hold of the skirt of a Iew, saying, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. And in that day (Isa. 19. 23, 24, 25.) the Lord of hosts shall blesse, say∣ing, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance. Those three verses with the precedent matter, run parallel with Zach. 14. 8, 9, 10,—16, 17,—20, 21. We might multiply Texts to prove, that when the Jews shall be converted, there shall be a glorious coming in of the Gentiles unto Jesus Christ with them.

But as for this opinion which passeth so currant amongst the Learned, without the least controll of any, onely the va∣riation of some, who say, By the fulnesse of the Gentiles is meant the preaching of the Gospel to all the world. I professe (for my part) I know no ground they have so to interpret it; they have not one parallel Scripture, that I know, in all the Bi∣ble for it. Therefore I humbly take the boldnesse to put that* 1.4 glosse upon it that other Texts put upon it; viz Luke 21. 24. Re∣vel. 11. 1. Untill the fulnesse of the gentile Apostasie be come in. This is the Mysterie which Paul calls [that the Mysterie.] My∣steries are so called, because (saith one) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,

because it is meet they be shut up within, as those sacred things within the Ark: or as * 1.5 others say, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from sealing up of the mouth: Indeed, a mysterie in Scripture lies as the tongue sealed up within the sacred lips of hard expressions; which he that can unseal, shall hear that mysterie (like a tongue) declaring Gods minde therein. Such is the Text I am about, which I humbly conceive, hath been sealed up betwixt those two sacred Texts that I have endeavoured to open, and that in Dan. 12. 6, 7, 9. which we shall open in the close of all.

Now since the mysterie lyes in these words, [Untill the ful∣nesse of the Gentiles be come in,] that we may not leave the Rea∣der in the dark, we will see to what it leads us in other Texts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Amos. 7. 7, 8.
• * 1.2

  Ne sitis sapien∣tes, id est, su∣perbi: sapien∣tia enim parit superbiam. Lo∣quitur Apostolus Gentibus fideli∣bus, nè de suâ fide, sapientiâ et prudentiâ su∣perbiant & in∣solescant contra Iudaeos, in suâ incredulitate et caecitate manen∣tes. à Lap. in loc.
• * 1.3

  Hoc est mysteri∣um [donec ple∣nitudo Gentium intret] comple∣to hoc tempore.
• * 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 est res arcana, quā homines nisi Deo dante scire nequeant, Gro∣tius.
• * 1.5

  Contzenus.