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. IX.

ANd then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord will con∣sume* 1.1 with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the bright∣ness of his coming.

There is no material difference that I can perceive either be∣twixt the Greek Copies, or the Translators of them.

In the words we have two general parts, 1 The reign of the Antichrist. 2 The ruine of the Antichrist.

1 In his reign there are these three things considerable. 1 The time of his reign. 2 The title given to the person reigning. 3 The Apostles manner of expressing his reign.

2 In his ruine we have three things considerable. 1 The person who ruines him. 2 The manner of his ruine. 3 The time of his ruine.* 1.2

1 Here is the time of Antichrists reign expressed emphatical∣ly

in these two little words [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] And then] this copulative Conjunction [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] and the Adverb [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] betokening the present tense tell us thus much, that even at that present time when the two Witnesses are removed out of the way; or as other texts have it, slain, then the Antichrist shall appear in the World; look not for the Antichrist until the Witnesses be slain, that very act makes him Antichrist: therefore he is said, Revel. 11. 7. then at that pre∣sent time to arise out of the bottomless pit when he slayes the Witnesses; he was doubtlesse in being as a man, as one single per∣son, before that time; but he was not the Antichrist before he actually made war with, and overcame the Witnesses: the foun∣dation of the Antichrists Kingdome is laid upon the slain bodies of the Witnesses, which so soon as they rise must needs tumble down again; their night is his noon. When they are at the very lowest, then is he at the very highest. Be confident of this, that the Antichrist is one single person, destinated eminently to this one single act of slaying the Witnesses; from which act he takes the name of Antichrist; and therefore before that time he is not to be expected to be revealed in and to the world.

2 Here is another of Antichrists titles [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] the Syriack translate it [iniquus ille] and our best English reads that wicked, so the same words is translated, Act. 2. 23. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, by wicked hands, by illegall hands in the Greek: another reads it [the man of sin] Beza reads it most properly, [exlex ille] and other learned men acknowlege that it should be so read, though they render it otherwise, conceiving that Antichrist is so called* 1.3 Antonomasticè, by putting one name for another, as law∣lesse, for impious. We finde the word to signifie the same that Peshang in Isa. 53, 12. signifies, for the same word in Luke 22. 37. is this in the Text, [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] and he was numbered amongst the lawlesse persons; or it may be translated out-lawed persons, persons so notoriously sinfull and abomina∣ble in their wickednesse, that the law hath cast them out, con∣demned them, and sentenced them; such a one is Antichrist, he is so notorious a transgressour against all law, both Gods and mans, that they both condemn him: and hence, Daniel 7. 25. he is said to change the lawes and the customes of the Saints; he changeth them by breaking them, & setting up his new image against them, Revel. 13. 14, 15, 16. which new image is (Dan. 11. 38.) his god Mauzim, or god of forces; his sword-power.

He is, (saith Estius) called [the lawlesse one] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, quia jus omne divinum at{que} humanum conciliat: in some sense it may well be applied to him that slayes the Witnesses; because neither Gods lawes nor mans lawes are valued a jot by him, but all must passe* 1.4 for law and divinity that he saith or doth.

Indeed many learned men take notice of the Emphasis in the article [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] thence not onely observing (as the most do) that he is one single person, but that person singularly wicked [ille iniquus] quia singularitèr iniquus, saith Aquinas.

3 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, shall be revealed: here you have the rearm, or the Apostles manner of expressing Antichrists reigne; he shall be revealed, that is, (saith Zanchie) he shall be so discovered that he may be plainly seen and known in his wicked reigne to be the An∣tichrist; and so Tirinus understands [revelabitur] i. e. in lucem pro∣dibit iniquus ille Antichristus, quem post tres cum dimidio annos Dominus Iesus interficiet.

The word is very significant, and addes this to our discovery of Antichrist when he comes: 1 That when the Witnesses are slain the prodigiousnesse of the act shall make the person that slayes them eminently noted and observed in the World: I mean that person who in their ruine exalts himself, and rules, and ty∣rannizeth by his Sword-power. Therefore it is said, Revel. 13. 16. he causeth all, both small and great to submit to his new govern∣ment; so that small and great shall know, and feelingly know the person when he reignes; they shall know him by his new go∣vernment, which much like that of Caesars, vers. 12. and by his successes and prosperous attempts against his enemies; and by his manner of enforcing men to subscribe to his new government; but though the World know him thus, yet they shall not by this know him to be the Antichrist. For as when Christ came in the flesh, the Elders, and Scribes and Pharisees, and Herod, and Pontius Pilate saw him, and heard of his miracles, yet did not know him, nor believe in him as the Son of God; because it was hidden from these wise and learned men: they had eyes to see him, and the miracles that he did; and eares to hear him, and the graci∣ous words that he uttered; but they did not see nor hear so as they ought; viz. to believe in him as the Messias: what! said they, is not this the Carpenter? and the son of a Carpenter? even so shall Antichrist of the apostate Gentiles be seen, and felt, and heard, but not understood to be the Antichrist; they shall

not know him when he comes; for he shall deceive them, (Revel. 13. 14.) that dwell on the earth; yea, saith Christ, If it were pos∣sible, the very elect; but 'tis impossible, for God shall reveal this lawlesse one to them to be the Antichrist. The word imports the revelation of a mystery, which is revealed onely to some pe∣culiar choice familiar friends, but remains a mystery to the vulgar world notwithstanding: this secret is revealed onely to such as fear the Lord: Antichrist shall not be known to be the Antichrist, though the prodigious acts of Antichrist shall be known to the generality of men in the world: I mean, that part of the world, where Antichrist usurpes a dominion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Verse 8.
• * 1.2

  This opinion may seem to oppose the ge∣neral opinion of the Protestants; such as Beza, Bishop Iewell, Downam, Whitaker, Willet. Brightman, and several others, who conclude the Pope is Antichrist. For my part, I grant as much from Scripture against the Pope as they, as that he is the Head of the Western Apostasie, sitting in pomp in Rome, making peoples and Nations drunk with spiritual filthiness, and that State that hath drove the Witnesses into Sackcloth, that the Popedom is the State with the se∣ven heads and ten horns; but all this makes him not in the least the Antichrist that denies the Father and the Son, 1 Iohn 2. 21. nor the beast of the earth, Revel. 13. 12, 13. nor he that slayes the Witnesses, Revel. 11. 7. nor he that lifts himself up in the ruine of three Kings, Dan. 7. nor he that is the son of perdition, 2 Thess. 2. Who is not to be revealed until he have removed the two Witnesses out of the way. This is the Antichrist the Fathers both Greek and Latine make mention of.
• * 1.3

  Cornel us à Lapide.
• * 1.4

  Exlex est, quia nullis legibu•…•… subiicitur: o∣mnes aut•…•…m le∣ges contemnet & conculcabit. Zanchius. Antichristus manifeste reve∣labitur fontem esse totius ini∣quitatis, qui nec modò in mem∣bris suis, nec tunc in s•…•…ipso timendus. Anselmus. Retegetur au∣tem sic, ut aper∣tè conspiciatur in impio suo re∣gno, & domi∣natu: & cog∣nescatur esse 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 iste & Anti b•…•…stus. Zanchius. Aper•…•…e domina∣bitur. P•…•…ator.