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. VI.

THat these Blessings and cursings are a Prophecie, Deut. 30. 1 puts it out of doubt, And it shall come to pass when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse; Benedictio & maledictio haec (as Tremelius reads it) that is, the eminent blessings they injoyed under Kings, and the eminent curses that fell upon them under the Babylonish Tyranny, but the dread∣fullest of all under the Roman Monarchy; yet when under this heavy curse Israel shall bethink themselves, and return to the Gospel, The Lord will turn their captivity, and have compassion upon them, and will return, and gather them from all the Na∣tions whether the Lord hath seattered them, ver 3. 4. And the Lord will bring them into the Land which their fathers possessed, and they shall possess it. This is a promise of the restoring of the Tribes to their own Land after they have been captivated by the Roman Monarchy, and driven into all Nations and parts of the world.

I might draw an Argument from Deut. 29. 29. to prove this, If these revealed things belong to the Jewes, and to their children for ever; if the revealed curses under the Ba∣bylonish and Roman Monarchy belongs to the Jewes and to their children, then the revealed blessings belong to them, and to their children for ever; for surely Gods bowels under the Gospel are not more shut up, then under the Law, but when the set time under the Law for their cap∣tivities accomplishment was fulfilled, then God restored them from under the Babylonish yoak; and is his arm short∣ned, that he cannot, or his bowels shut up that he will not redeem his captives from under the Romish iron yoak? God forbid any Christian should be so sinfully, and ob∣stinately uncharitable as to think so. This Prophecie of Moses cleares it to us, that the Jewes shall be both con∣verted to the Gospel, and restored to their ancient possessi∣ons: observe what Gospel promises are made to them, ver. 6 God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed to loveth Lord; and ver. 7. there is a curse upon the Ro∣man Monarchy which persecuted, hated and afflicted the Jews,

and to this day hates them; All the curses that are now on the Jewes shal fal on the Romish Monarchy: This curse hath in its eye principally the Roman Monarchy; for the promise is this to Israel, ver. 8. They shall return, and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his Commandments: Now the nature of these Commandments evidenceth to us, that this promise is a promise made under the Gospel; and if so, then the curse must needs be upon the Roman Monarchy; for since the Gospel none have been their enemies comparable to the Roman Monarchy: Who laid waste their Kingdome, destroyed their City, Temple, Ma∣gistracy, Government, and sold the people into Egypt, and all other parts of the world for slaves, but the Romane Monarchy? The nature of these commands, for which God* 1.1 will circumcise the heart of his people to obey them, they are expressed in ver. 11, 12, 13, 14. which verses two of the greatest Prophets that ever were in the world, expound; Christ and Paul: Christ in Luke 17. 21. and Paul in Rom. 10. 6.

Saith Moses, The Commandments which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off, it is not in hea∣ven that thou shouldest say, who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us? neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, that we may hear it, and do it? This (saith Saint Paul Rom. 10. 6.) is a de∣scription of the righteousness of faith: and what's that? from Moses his words Paul tells us, 'tis the imbracing of the truth of Christs descension from heaven, in his Incarnation and Suffer∣ings, and of his Resurrection and Ascension; this is Moses com∣mandment, and this Paul in ver. 9. plainly tells us, 'tis the commandment of faith which he and the other Apostles taught, That if thou shalt confess with thy * 1.2 mouth the Lord Iesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved; so that Moses commandment to the Jews, was Pauls Doctrine to the Romans, therein discovering the Jewes error in point of Righteousness from Moses's words in which they believed.

And hither doth Christ send the Pharisees to learn when the Kingdom of God should come, Luke 17. 20, 21. The King∣dom of God cometh not with outward shew, neither shall they say, Lo here, or lo there; for behold, the Kingdom of God is with∣in you, i. e. as Moses saith, in thy mouth, and in thy heart. Christ

is a Spiritual King, and the soul of man is his Kingdom: now that soul that subjects it self to Christ by believing, becomes a little Kingdom wherein Christ raigns: then is Christs King∣dome come, when the soul believes: so that Christ seems to tell the Pharisees, that when the Jewes believed, the Kingdom should be restored.

From all which (for I am too tedious) it appears mani∣festly, that Moses's command, (for to obey which, God will circumcise their heart, and upon obedience will restore them to their own fathers possessions, and bring their curse (which now lies upon them) upon their enemies) is a Gospel command, and was delivered in a Prophetick precept for the Jewes to listen unto and obey, when God intends to restore them, and ruine the Roman Monarchy: for since the Doctrine of the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ hath been preached to the would, the Roman Monarchy hath been the grand enemy of the Jewes.

That we may make it more evident, that this Prophecie of Moses's extends to the state of the Jewes and Gentiles under the Gospel, we will look into Moses his Song, which (cap. 31. 29.) tells us, is a Song concerning the evill that wil befal the Jewes in the later dayes; which song (v. 21.) is to be a Pro∣phetick testimony against the Jewes when all the foretold evils shall come upon them.

In Deut. 32. Moses reckons up in his Song the great bles∣sings that God bestowed upon Israel, and the ignoble and injurious returns they made to God; they kicked the heel a∣gainst God, cast him off, followed their own lusts, and obstinately persisted in their hardnesse, and unbelief, so that God was provoked to jealousie by their high con∣tempt, and paid them in their own coyne: As the great King of Babylon dealt with his proud Queen Vasti, so God dealt with those insolent Jewes, he kicked them out of the Royal Bed the Church, and took in poor bond∣slaves, captived Gentiles. This of the Jewes rejection, and the Gentiles taking in to be a Church, is clearely held out in ver. 21 which Paul expounds Rom. 10. 19, 20. Saith Paul, Did not Israel know? that is, had they no know∣ledge of Christ when they heard the sound of him went into all the * 1.3 earth?

Paul answers in Moses his words, a 1.4 I will provoke you to jea∣lousie by them that are no people, and by a foolish Nation will I anger you: and then he answers it in Isaiahs words, Isai. 65. 1, 2. I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest to them that asked not after me; this Isaiah saith of the Gentile Church; But to Israel he saith, All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying peo∣ple; so that for their obstinacy, hardness and unbelief God cast them out, and took in the Gentiles. I am confident none can deny, but that by these Texts, as Paul expounds them, the rejection of the Jewes from being a Church, is sig∣nified, and the taking in of the Gentiles to be a Church; which could be in no age of the world but under the Go∣spel; so that Moses his Prophecie extends to the rejection of the Jewes under the Gospel: and now follows the sad effects of their rejecting of the Gospel, Deut. 32. ver. 22. to ver. 26. Famine, and pestilence, and bitter destruction, the teeth of beasts, poison of Serpents, the sword without, and terrors within, and scattering of them into corners; The same which Christ prophesied Mat. 24. and Luke 21. Indeed this song of Mo∣ses is, as it were, another Mount Tabor, wherein we find Christ, and Moses, and Paul, and Iohn communing toge∣ther of the same thing, I mean of the Jewes rejection, and the Gentiles reception; of the Jewes restauration after their affli∣ction under the Roman Monarchy, and of the Roman Mo∣narchies ruine in their restauration.

I confess I could heartily wish my self well out of this sa∣cred thicker, wherein I find not so much as the track of a∣ny late Authors, to lead me this way through it, and confident I am, I shall be scratched with the briars of Censure for my labour; yet this I can say to my own encouragement, that I have Christ, and his beloved Disciple Iohn, and his A∣postle Paul, to lead me through this old, but unbeaten way.

I will therefore do no more, or very little more then shew the method, and give the parallel Texts.

1. In Deut. 23. from ver. 22. to ver. 31. there is the Jewes captivity after they were provoked to anger by a foolish Nati∣on, that is (saith Hierom) by the Gentiles, who until then, did follow their vain and foolish minds, in worshipping of I∣dols:

Such, in the esteem of the Jewes, were as bruits and dogs: these foolish Gentiles should provoke them to anget by beleeving in the Gospel, and Gods judgments shall follow on the Jewes. So that these must be their afflictions under the Gospel; and per consequentem, the very afflictions that to this day they lie under. Parallel with this of Moses is that of Matth. 24. from ver. 15. to ver. 21. and that of Luke 21. 23, 24. Saith Luke, These are the daies of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. And what are those things written, but even those of Moses, which even word for word as it were, answer to Luke's expressions of •…•…engeance, distresse, wrath, falling by the edg of the sword, leading away captive in∣to all Nations, and the treading down of Ierusalem untill the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled; i. e. until the time of the Gen∣tiles tyranny be fulfilled.

2. In Deut. 32. 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. you have the myste∣rie of the Jews conversion, and the Gentile Roman Apostasie described: in ver. 34. it is said to be hidden and sealed amongst* 1.5 Gods treasures; noting the greatnesse of this Mysterie. Now in that Moses saith, Is not this laid up in secret? it hath re∣lation either to the restoration of Iudah, which is implyed in ver. 29. Oh that they were wise, and understood this! i. e. the cause of their punishment: that they would consider their latter end; the mercies laid up for penitent beleeving Jewes in the later dayes; for (ver. 30) for the Jewes sins God forsook them; and the Ro∣mans made a prey of them: but if they would return in their later end to their Rock, which they had set lightly by and for∣sook, Deut. 29. 15, 18. then God (ver. 31.) would be a stron∣ger Rock to them in the sight of all the world, then to the boasting Romans, who are Apostates now, and a corrupt vine: and so it relates as well to the Roman Apostasie from the Go∣spel, which is expressed in ver. 32, 33. Their Vine is worse then the Vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah, their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter their wine is the poyson of Dragons, and the cruel venome of Asp•…•…. Of these words I shall g•…•…ve no other exposition then what I fetch from Scrip∣ture. Observing this first, before wee proceed, that Vine cannot in this place relate to the Jewes (as some would have it) but to those their enemies, that shall then oppresse them: for (if you please to observe it) their Rock] in ver. 31. and

their Vine] ver. 32. relate to each other, and both stand in opposition to [our Rock] ver. 31. But it is concluded on all hands, that [Our] there implyes the whole Nation of the Jewes, who had God for their Rock, and by their profession owned him so to be. 'Tis granted by our opposites, that ver. 37, 38. are, or at least wise may be meant of the Gentiles their enemies: if so, it will easily follow, that ver. 32, 33. must al∣so be meant of the Gentiles; for there is no disjunctive to be found betwixt them; so that their Vine must either mean the Turkish or the Roman Politie: but I rather incline here to the Romish Tyrannie, which was most inhumane.

Vine signifies both the Head of a Church, and the Church it self: both these you have in one expression, Psalm 80. 8. this Vine signifies the Church of God, brought out of Egypt into Canaan, before whom the Heathens fell: and this also sig∣nifies CHRIST, who was brought out of Egypt after the death of Herod; he being Head of the Church, who hath over∣come the world, and subdued all the powers therein to be subservient to his glory and his Churches good. Now there is Gods Vine, and the Divels Vine; there is the Vine that Gods own right hand hath planted, and there is the Vine of Sodom which is of the Divels planting, which grows in the fields of Gomorrah; both these Vines have grapes, and clusters, and yeild wine: there is in Gods clusters red wine, wine which maketh glad the hearts of the sons of God: but there is in the Divels Vine bitter clusters, and poisonous wine, the wine of Dragons▪ and no wonder here Moses his Vine yeilds the wine of Dragons, for Revel. 13. 2. the vine is of the Dragons planting; Hee gave him his Power, and Seat, and great Authority. Here wee take Vine for the Head of the Church, i. e. of the Apostate Church of Rome; and so the Pope is this Vine of the Divels planting, as the next significant word expresseth; for Moses by Vine of Sodom hints to us the place where this Vine shall be set, and that is Rome; for Rome is called Sodom (say the Learned) from Re∣vel. 11. 8. where (when the Witnesses are slain) 'tis said, they lay in the street of the great Citie which spiritually is called So∣dom: i. e. in one of the Kingdomes (not all the Kingdomes) subject to Rome, which is this Sodom. So that by Vine of Sodom is meant the head of the Church of Rome. 'Tis questioned whe∣ther Sodom relate to the Street or Citie? If to the Street, then

how comes the place where the Witnesses are slain to be a So∣dom? 'Tis answered, Antichrist and his followers make it a Sodom; and from such accidents it is usuall in Scripture to change the names; as 2 King. 23. 13. There Mount Olivet, whose proper name is Har Hammishcha, Mount of Unction, is by reason of the Idols Chemosh and Molech set on that hill, called Har Hammashchith, the Mount of corruption.

3. Or, Vine of Sodom] as it signifies a Church, so it may sig∣nifie the great apostasie and generall defection that that Church hath made. The Vine, and Grapes, and Clusters, and Wine and all are mortall and deadly poyson. The wild Vine (2 King. 4.) is rank poyson; and such is the Church of Rome this day; it is become the degenerate plant of a strange Vine. Moses sets the Roman Church forth (as Iohn) under the representation of a Vine, as in Revel. 14. which Vine the Angels pray the Lord Christ to cutdown; which ver. 18, 19. he doth with great furie: and in Revel. 17. where 'tis Romes great Vintage time, then when she is neer her ruine, there she comes with a golden cup, which she holds out to all: and what is in it but the juice of her own grapes, full of the filthinesse of her fornication? This Revel. 18. 3. is that wine of fornication which shee hath made the Kings of the earth drunk with.

So that by the wine of Dragons, and the venome of Asps, is meant the Blasphemies, Idolatries, Heresies and Abominations of that degenerate Vine the Church of Rome: for of the Ro∣man Monarchy neer its ruine Moses prophesies, as wee shall make out: and now it onely stands upheld by the Papal po∣litie, which every sober, judicious Christian knows, is the most idolatrous, blasphemous, heretical, venemous Government and Power against the true Church, both in its Head and Mem∣bers: And of this doth Moses prophesie the destruction, when the Jews shall be converted to the Lord Jesus, and united into one body with the true Church of Gentile gospellers.

Thus have you Moses in this prophetick Song of his setting forth

• 1. The Jews rejection of the Gospel, and their captivity un∣der the Romans as a punishment for their Apostasie.
• 2. The mystery of the Jews conversion to the Gospel in the lat∣ter end, and of the Roman Churches Apostasie from the Gospel.
• 3. Now follows in the third place the signes of the grand Apostasies finishing, and the Jews conversion; for the ending

• of one i•…•… the beginning of the other; the ending of the Apo∣stasie is at the beginning of the Jews Conversion, ver. 36, 37, 38. Ver. 37 and 38 I take to be blasphemy of the Antichrist (as in Dan. 7. 25.) [And he shal say:] I cannot see how this can be meant of God, (as sóme would) but Antichrists boasts, Where are your Gods? i. e. your Magistrates: What's become of your Cause, your Covenant, your fasting and praying? where is that God in whom ye trusted? At this blasphemy of Anti∣christ, in the next verse, ver. 39. God riseth up as one jealous of his honour, and saith in answer to Antichrists boasting, Behold now, I, even I am he, &c.
• 4. There's the coming of Christ to ruine Antichrist, fi∣nish this Apostasie, and convert the Jews: ver. 39, 40, 41, 42.
• 5. An Hallelujah throughout the Gentile Churches, with and for the Jews conversion, ver. 43. the reign of Antichrist, and the finishing the Apostasie; parallel with Rev. 19. and Rom. 15. 10. where Paul tels us plainly, that there is a day to come when the Iews and Gentiles shall rejoyce together; which is not yet come.

In ver. 36, 37, 38. there are two signes of the Jews conversion; the Gentile Churches resurrection, and the ruine of Antichrist and the Apostasie, which is called. Rev. 19. 4, 20. the casting of the beast and the false Prophet into the lake, and the chaining of the Dragon; for these are all together: the ruine of these later is the establishing of the two former.

The reason why the Prophets oft-times joyne the true Gen∣tile gospellers and the Jewes together, in their prophecies which respect these times, are (as I conceive) for these reasons: 1. Be∣cause they come out of tribulation together. 2. Because they shall be united in one Faith together: There shall be no distinction in Religion betwixt Jew and Gentile; and therefore for the most part, the prophecies that look to the soun∣ding of the seventh Trumpet, joyn both Jew and Gentile toge∣ther; as in this of Moses, and Isa. 27. 13 Mat. 24. Luk. 21. Mar. 13.

In ver. 36. there is one signe of the seventh Trumpet's being ready to sound; and that is, the Jews and gospel Churches low condition, When their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left: when the true Churches (for they are Gods servants) power is gone, when their Armies are overthrown in the field, and when all the true Churches Garisons are won, that there is none shut up against a day of need, nor any left; i. e. uncon∣quered;

this is the time, even the set time for God to come to ruine his enemies, and restore his Church: then will God judg for his people righteous judgment; for (Dan. 7. 26.) The Iudgment shall sit, and repent himself for his peoples long and sore affliction. Yet how may we take up Isaiahs lamentation this day, Who hath beleeved this report? or to whom is this Arm of the Lord revealed? The unbelief, the timorousnesse, the profanenesse, and the most abominable Apostasie and Antichri∣stian complyance of Christians at this day, in this Kingdom, un∣der these dispensations, makes me beleeve that God hath yet some more dreadfull stroke against all sorts of Professors; so that few Nobles, and few Ministers, and few of the Professors shall live to see these glorious Gospel days that are approaching.

Where can we find a soul that lives this day upon this Pro∣phetick promise, so much as to raise his hopes, but even sinks by despondencie under the sad dispensations of God upon his Church, or else feeds his hopes with the husks of humane helpes, as if Armies or Navies could bring a∣bout these things, as if Christ stood in need of Belial in the accomplishing of his glorious Prophetick promises: but the Scripture must be fulfilled, Luke 18. When the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth? Scarce such a strong faith as to believe the Resurrection of the Church, in such a state as now it is.

The other signe of the approaching of Antichrists ruine and the finishing of the mystery, is the blasphemy of Anti∣christ, in ver. 37, 38. where the Antichrist mocks at the Ma∣gistracy and the Ministry, and the fasting and prayers, and the religious ingagements of the Church; parallel with Dan. 7. 8. where the Antichrist speaks great words, but we shall leave them till we come to touch of the Antichrist.

The fourth special thing observable in this Prophetick Song of Moses, is the coming of Christ the Lord, to ruine Anti∣christ, finish the grand Apostasie and the heads thereof, and convert the twelve Tribes to the Gospel, from ver. 29. to v. 43.

When Antichrist had bereaft the true Church of all its out∣ward visible strength, so that their Field power, and Fort power was taken away, and none was left to own the Churches cause, but they were all subdued by Antichrists prevailing Armies, ver. 36. then in ver. 37, 38. doth Antichrist boast and insult in a

blasphemous way over the heads of the Church and their cause; and now (ver. 39.) doth Christ appear to be the mighty Prince of all the earth, who declares himself, as Rev. 19. 16. The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, fulfilling the Prophetick promi∣ses in restoring the Church out of its low condition, and bring∣ing its enemies down to hell; therefore Dan. 12. 1, 2. (a parallel Text with Moses) sets forth this day of wounding and healing, (i. e. of wounding the enemy and healing the Church) as a little day of Judgment, by Christ coming to deliver the poor Jewes, and to bring trouble upon their enemies. 'Tis resembled to the Resurrection; so Ezek. 37. the Holy Ghost sets forth the Jewes restauration after the Roman captivity, under the resemblance of raising bones that have long lyen in the grave, taking flesh upon them, and living, and becoming mighty and terrible: and no wonder the Prophet compares the Jewes conversion to the Gospel, and their restauration, to the Resurrection; for Paul (Rom. 11. 19) saith, What shall the receiving of them be▪ but life from the dead? and therefore in Rev. 20. 4 (which is a continua∣tion of the parallal Text Revel. 19. 16.) this day is called the living and raigning of those that were beheaded, i. e. the Witnes∣ses, who Revel. 11. 11. are said to have a Spirit of life enter into them, and to stand upon their feet, as a man rising out of his grave; thence it is that this is called (Revel. 20. 5.) the time of the first Resurrection, which he is blessed that hath a part in it; that is, which is undefiled, keeps himself a Virgin, and follows the Lamb wheresoever he goeth, Revel. 14. 4. Keeps his mouth from guile, and his person innocent, ver. 5. That worships not the Beast, nor his Image, nor receives his mark in his forehead nor his hand, v. 9. But watcheth, and keepeth his garments clean, Revel. 16. 15. These, whether they live, they shall live unto the Lord, or whe∣ther they dye, they shall dye unto the Lord; whether they live or dye, they shall be the Lords, for on such the second death hath no power.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Quis s•…•…and is coelos & Mes∣chicho dedux∣it? quis descen∣dit in abyssam inferorum & •…•…∣duxit Mischi∣cho exmertuis? Syriac. Lectio in Rom. 10. 6. Nè dixeris, i. e. ne incredibil is tibi videatur Incarnatio, & Resurrectio Christi, Chry∣sost. Pererius, To∣letus, Caj∣tanus, & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 docti, dicunt Mosem ad lit∣teram lequi de Christo et Chri∣sti justitiā in Evangelio.
• * 1.2

  Oris f•…•…it mentionem quia os nominatur à Mose; alioqui 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 omnes partes corporis intelli∣git. Grotias.
• * 1.3

  In omnem ter∣ram, scilices Ro∣manis Subje∣ctam, exivit praedicati•…•… E∣vangelii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 E∣vangelii (ut Ambrosius di∣cit) ad omnes ge•…•…tes olim per∣venerit, licet non praedicatio nec fundatio Eccle∣siarum. Omnino audivit Israel Evange∣lium, omnino cognovit; sed suâ pertinaciâ & obstinatione non vult illi credere, nec obedire. Chrys. Sensus.
• a 1.4

  Ad salutem per Evangeli∣um homines vi∣les vocabo, quos nè gentis qui∣dem appellatione dignamini, •…•… Iudaei; undè vos verecundati ad imitationem eo∣rum provocemi∣ni, si sa•…•…i & sapientes s•…•…is; sin minus, ad ae∣mulationem & indignationem concitemini, uti reipsâ futurum praevideo et prae∣dico. Hieron, ad Fab. Tra. 42 de mansi∣onibus Hebr.
• * 1.5

  Absconditum et figillatum. Montanus.