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. V.

THis Mysterie leads us to two Texts more, Rev. 10. 7. and 17. 5, 7. which lead us to the end of the Mysterie. For the next great Question will be, If the Jews must be converted when the fulnesse of the Gentiles is come in, and herein lyeth the mysterie, Then when shall this Mysterie be fulfilled? Rev. 10. 7. answereth it; But in the dayes of the voyce of the seventh Angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mysterie of God shall be finished: that is, the great mysterie, [that the Mysterie:] this answers to the particle 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, until.

But how shall this mysterie be finished?

Rev. 17. 5, 7. seems to answer this, together with Revel. 11. 7. In Rev. 17. you have (as 'tis generally acknowledged) Rome go∣ing to ruine; and in what dresse is she in now she is going to ruine? she is arrayed in purple, and scarlet colour, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthinesse of her fornication, (that is, Heresies, presented in the golden cup of profound Truths, and glorious new Light) and upon her forehead was a name written, Mysterie, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abo∣minations of the earth. This is spoken not of the bare City Rome, but of the Head and Politie of that City, which is the Popedome: when the Popedome came to be the Beast with seven Heads and ten horns, then came he to be the generall Head of the Apostasie; and now Rome comes to be neer her

ruine, upon her forehead this Mystery is written, this Mystery (which as Chrysostom saith) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, hath much of a Paradox in it, is legible on her forehead, i. e. the mystery hidden from the Ages past is now revealed openly to all the world; for that is the meaning of Mystery Babylon upon her forehead; and this is the last vision Iohn hath of the Polity or or Government of Rome: Romes Government and Magnificence seems to be greatest at last: I think (I hope I am not mistaken) she hath her last suit of Apparelon.

But to make this Text answer the question, How this myste∣ry is finished? We answer, 1. The mystery is finished, when to all the world it is revealed. When the head of the Gentile A∣postasie comes to ruine, then the mystery is finished, but in Rev. 17. 1. The judgment of the great whore; that is, the Polity of that City, which now is got to be the general head of the grand Apostasie, the ruine of this head is shewed to Iohn in this Chapter, and the mystery that formerly was a mystery, is now written upon her forehead, v. 5. i. e. published: then doth a thing cease to be a Mystery, when to all the world it is laid open.

But when shall this mystery be finished? Paul tells us it shall last but until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; that is, saith Luke 21. 24. until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled; that is (saith Iohn) the space of forty and two monthes, Rev. 11. 2. which is. (v. 3.) so long as the Witnesses remain in sack-cloth, which is, One thousand two hundred and sixty days: Now when these shall be at an end, Rev. 10. 7. tells us, viz. when the se∣venth Angel shall begin to sound, and until then we must not ex∣pect the mystery of God to be finished, i. e. the finishing of the Gentile Apostasie and Tyranny, and the raising up of the Wit∣nesses to the Throne.

That this Apostasie is for an appointed time, none doubt it; but many question, how long it shall be? Very many Learned men have endeavoured to limit it by setting out its farthest bounds, and they have gone the right way to work by endea∣vouring to demonstrate the yeer of its beginning; but mistaking their time, they have been (like very many women this last yeer) big bellyed of a false Conception, so deceiving themselves and others: Could the beginning of this grand Apostasie be sound out, it were the more easie to find out the end thereof:

but I think the head of N•…•…lus is easier to be found, then the day or year of the rise of this Apostasie. I know what others have said, and I partly know what may be said as to the rise of this Apostasie; but because its greatest prop is History, from whence only probability can be inferred, I shall omit that way of search, and go a surer way to work, and that is, to find out the end of this Apostasie, a thing glanced at in one of the fore∣cited Texts: now that we may not straggle from the fore-cited Text, Rev. 10. there we shall see in v. 5 6, 7. the Angel lifting up his hand, and swearing by him that lives for ever, that time should be no longer, that is, the time of this Apostasie (which is the great Mystery) should be no longer; bu•…•… when the seventh An∣gel shall begi•…•… to sound, the mystery of God (that is, the great mystery of this Apostasie, and of the Jewes and Gospel Gen∣tiles sore affictions) shall be finished▪ as he hath declared to his ser∣vants the Prophets: If to the Prophets the finishing of this my∣stery be declared, then to the Prophets let us go to seek for the declaring of this Mystery; no better, no surer way to find out the finishing of this mystery: and surely amongst the Prophets none greater then Moses. We might begin with Balaam's Pro∣phesie, cited by Meses, Numb. 24. 21, 22. 23, 24, 25. which gives us a general view of the finishing of this mystery, though the man had no more of grace when he prophesied, then his Ass had of reason, though he spake: Prophecie, though it bean extra∣ordinary gift, yet it is but a common grace, common both to Elect and Reprobate, to Iudas as well as to Peter, to Ananias as well as to Simeon.

This Balaam looking on the Kenites habitation, prophesies thus, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock, nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted until Ashur carry thee away captive: These Kenites were not those Gen. 15. 18, 19. for they were an Antiquated Nation, whose possessions were promised to Abraham; but they were those descended from Moses's father in law, Iudges 4. 11. These Kenites were friends to the Iewes, when all the world were their enemies besides, 1 Sam. 15. 6. for which Saul shewed them kindness in an evil day: These Kenites dwelt alwayes near to the Hebrewes, and became 〈◊〉〈◊〉, wor∣shipping the same God that Israel did; therefore, saith Balaam, Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou putest thy nest in a rock: The Rock of Ages was the Kenites nest, and therefore strong

was their dwelling place: Nevertheless the Kenites shall be wa∣sted until Ashur shall carry thee away captive; that is, in the carrying away of Iudah into Babylon (for neer to that Tribe they then dwelt) they should by the King of Babylon be carri∣ed away captive with them. The Kenites doubtless, (as wel as Iudah) wandered from their nest the rock of Ages, and the East∣ern birds of prey made a prey of them.

This is Balaams vision of the Babylonish Tyranny in the Iew∣ish captivity, when the Kenites were carryed away: now fol∣lows his vision of the Romish Tyranny and success which is usher∣ed in with an Alas, Who shall live when God doth this! Parallel with which is Ioel 2. 11. if we look neer that Text, and strictly compare it with its precedent and consequent matter, the peo∣ple, ver. 2. are the Romans, and the Army is the Roman Army, ver. 11. which is very terribl•…•…▪ who can abide it? Belike he saw the Roman Monarchy, as Daniel saw it, Dan. 7 7. Dreadful and terrible. And Ships shal come from the coast of Shittim, and shal affict Ashur, and shall afflict Eber; that is, shall overcome the Assyrians, and those Eastern Potentates: And shall afflict Eb∣e•…•…, that is, the Hebrews, the Jewes. Now this cannot be meant of the Persian Monarchy, for Cyrus was the restorer of the Iewes to their own Country; neither can it be meant of the Gre∣cian Monarchy, for Alexander was loving to the Iewes above all other Nations; nor of the short (though sharp) scourges of Antiochus, for he destroyed not Ashur. But it is meant of the Romans, who destroyed Ierusalem, slew infinite numbers of Jewes, and captivated the rest, and subdued the Eastern Assy∣rian Kings: But what is the issue? and he also shall perish for ever; i. e. the Romish Monarchy (which now stands upon its last legs) shall be ruined, in the ruine whereof, the grand head of this Apostasie must fall, which is the Popedome, being the head of Rome, for this Prophecie is yet to be fulfilled upon Rome, Ioel 2. 20. The Northern Army shall be destroyed, and the front or van of the Army shall be driven to the desolate places of the East, and the rear or hinder part toward the utmost sea; he shall be utterly routed and perish with infamy.

But to come to Moses, that Prophet to whose Prophecie I be∣lieve Rev. 10. 5, 6, 7. points directly; for in this Text Iohn sees an Angel lifting up his hand to heaven, and swearing by him that lives for ever; and in Deut. 32. 40. there is he (the Lord Christ)

lifting up his hand to heaven, and saying, I live for ever: But that we may make good our assertion by evident demonstrati∣on, we must go back as far as Deut. 28. where Moses begins his farewel Sermon to Israel, and continues it to the end of cap. 32. A method that holy Paul, that other Moses, followes in Act. 20. 25.—30. when he knew his time was come that he should see the Macedonian Church no more, after he had laid the foundation of the Church, and builded them upon that foun∣dation, he strives to establish them, precautioning them of the danger that would come upon them when he was departed; even so doth Moses here as it were on Mount Pisgah foresee the future sins of the twelve Tribes, and the peculiar punishments in∣flicted on them for those sins: Now because we'l go no higher then needs must, in Deut. 28. 48. Moses shewes them their cap∣tivity under the Roman Empire: God shall put a yoak of iron upon their neck until he have destroyed them, i. e. the yoak of the fourth beast in Dan. 2. which is made of iron; that is, the Roman Monar∣chy: and this is made more clear to be the Roman Monarchy in the next verse, The Lord shal send a Nation against thee from far, from the ends of the earth, as the Eagle flieth; that is, the Roman Eagle shal come from the Western part of the world against them; they shal (ver. 52.) besiege the Cities of Iudah, and take them, and distress the people with sore famine. Christ in his Prophecie (Mat. 24. Luke 21. Mark 13) points to this Prophecie, when he saith, Famines, and pestilences, and wars, and rumours of wars, and distress of Nations, and their scattering among many Nations shall come upon them; This is so clear by the comparing of Moses and Christs prophecies, that there needs no more be said of it: So eminent shall be the plagues upon the Land of Iudah, that (Deut. 29. 22, 23, 24.) all Nations in the world shall ask, Why the Lord hath made it a barren wilderness, bringing forth nothing for the good of man, but even like Sodom and Gomorrah? Now this is the very question this day; in our ears this Scripture is fulfilled, and the answer this day is like that in the Text, Be∣cause they forlook Jesus Christ the God of their Fathers, and clave to the Temple, Ark, and Altar, which in comparison of Christ were but stocks and stones, and in opposition to Christ were abominable, filthy and detestable idols.