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.

AND for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should* 1.1 believe a lie.

In the former verse (as Aquinas observes) there is onely the sinne set down. In this verse there is both their sinne and punish∣ment; their being deluded is both their sinne and their punish∣ment.

In the following verse there is onely their punishment set down, which is damnation; the end of all their Apostasie, a just reward for such iniquity.

In the words there are these particulars: 1 The Judgement denounced [delusion.] 2 The Author inflicting it [God.] 3 The persons on whom it is inflicted [them▪] those that received not the love of the truth to be saved by it. 4 The specification of it by its effects [that they should believe a lie.]

In the Judgement or punishment denounced we must observe the Apostles manner of delivery, which is potent in the Causall Conjunction Copulative, for I cannot call [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] any thing else; and in the adjunct, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪

And for this cause, i. e. for rejecting the love of the truth, and not making it the meanes of their salvation; for this cause 'tis.

So that [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] imports two things. 1 A false professours damnation is from himself, not from God. He is the cause of it, for 1 He loves not what he professeth; and would you have a man for ever tied to what he loves not? Religion is an hypocrites purgatory, through which he wades with much regret of soul in hope at last to reap some profit. He loves the truths of Christ no more then a Merchant loves the Sea; he longs to be over it at his goald; he intends not to dwell at Sea in any wise▪ As a true Chri∣stian loves this present world, so a false Christian loves Religion; he cares not how soon he is rid out, so he may obtein his desired ends. So that as a true Christian counts it his hell, and will in no* 1.2 wise be tied for ever to the world; so an hypocriticall professor counts it his hel, & wil in no wise be tied for ever to the everlasting Gospel. If a man would commune with an hypocrites heart, it would tell him that he looked not at communion with Christ, nor expected any robes of righteousnesse from him, he neither loves Christ nor his truth, nor intends a Spirituall Crown, but earthly advantages by his profession. He loves not the Gospel after such a manner as to glorifie God, and be saved by it: and is not such a man the cause of his own damnation? God will save no man against his will. He will have all his servants Volunteers; he ties none by fatall necessity or absolute determination to obe∣dience▪ but all by free choice; hence our state in the first Adam was mutable, because God would be served by a voluntary choice. Since our restauration God gives us a will to choose him, and sta∣bility in that will to continue with him. And this is the Magna Charta of a Christian, that God will give him a will, that he shall never depart from him. But these followers of Antichrist, they are unwilling to receive truth unto sanctification, onely to outward washing, for some carnall end they will receive truth, but no fur∣ther; and therefore as Nazianzen well observes) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 'tis not their cannots, but their will nots that will damn them; they would not receive the truth to be saved by it.

2 It imports thus much that a formall hypocriticall professour will easily become an heretick and an apostate, in time of tempta∣tion he will fall away. For this cause God shall send them strong de∣lusions. For this cause Ierusalems house is left (unto this day) unto

her desolate; for this cause they had eyes to see, and saw not; and ears to hear, and heard not; and hearts to understand, and un∣derstood not. For this cause we have this day so many apostates and hereticks, and fearfull and unbelieving persons even at the mouth of hell. They were formerly eminent professours, but their eminencie was onely in externals, in formalities; there was no inward heart-imbracing of the truth with an inward purpose and resolution to be saved by it; and hence it is, they are so soon de∣parted to another Gospel, or rather bewitched to imbrace the do∣ctrines of Devils; strong delusions.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the efficacie of delusion, so reads the Syriack; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies errour, and such grosse errour (say the learned) as leads a man from the way of nature, even to sin against the light of nature, against convictions of naturall conscience. But as if this were not high enough, the Apostle underlayes it with this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to raise it above superlative; to note, that Anti∣christs followers who are described to be eminent professours, shall be given up to the excesse of errours, even against the light of na∣ture; Covenant-breaking, Treachery, Apostasie, lying with a pur∣pose to deceive, adultery and murther are all sins against the light of nature, and these grosse sins shall professours be grosly guilty of in that time when Antichrist shall be revealed.

There is yet something more in the phrase; for the efficacie of delusion lies chiefly in this, that all these prodigious sins should be committed by Christians, and Christians bearing the name and ti∣tle of Saints, and they so far from shame and reluctancie in the committing of them, that they vaunt, insult, rejoyce, boast and triumph▪ openly in the committing of them, as if they had done God and the Church some speciall service: here lies the efficacie of delusion, that ever professours should be thus given up to a reprobate minde to commit such abominable sins against the light of nature with delight and greediness. This is the grand Character of Antichrists followers.

But it is said, that God sends these strong delusions: if so, then is not God the Author of their sin and damnation?

To this the generall answer is, that God sends not this delusion effective, but permissivè; he is not the efficient of it, but the per∣mitter of it. He permits it by letting loose the rains to Satan, and to Antichrist, and his Instruments. God doth not positively send them delusions. There cannot greater blasphemy be thought

of then to affirm God to be the Author of evill. God sends not any thing for that end to make men believe a lie, neither doth he permit it for any▪ such end, though in the consequents by accident it effects the same. The Judge fore-warnes his servant of theft, and then tries him by laying money in his way; he steals it; the Judge in punishing him is not the cause of his sin, but the Author of his punishment. God permits no∣thing* 1.3 unwillingly: permission stands not in opposition to the will; for permitting a thing is in some sort willing a thing: and besides, it cannot be supposed that God is an idle Spectator of events; for he is the Governour of all things, and directs all things according to the counsell of his will, and therefore by permitting of th•…•…se delusions to beguile souls to their damnation, he wills them.

To this we answer, that God doth will these things; but nei∣ther* 1.4 as a means, nor as an end tending to evill; he wills them as actions simply considered, which are not evil, but are made so by accident, through the defects of evill men. Or thus, God wills* 1.5 them as punishments to the wicked, and so they are good, as being destinated to a good end. He sends seducers amongst hypocriti∣call professors, as a King sends fire-ships which he takes from his enemies; and guiding their sterns, sends them into the midst of his enemies Navie, whereby he fires and destroyes his enemies. God may be justly said to will these things, as punishments; but not as sins. One and the same thing may be both a sin, and a punishment of sin, as Augustine instanceth in many particulars;* 1.6 a sin both in the seducer and the seduced, and a punishment, as by the wise providence of God ordered to both their destructions.

As a Judge makes one thief to intrap and destroy another, so God destroyes one sin by another. Peccata praecedentia punit pec∣catis sequentibus. God here makes their after-sins to punish their former: since they would not imbrace truth to their salvation, they shall imbrace errours and lies to their damnation; God, as the supream Author of his own righteous vengeance, can take up what weapons he will against his enemies. Now what fitter In∣strument can you finde to punish Apostates in heart with, then to fill them with their own wayes: a false tongue is most fit for an itching ear. These blinde hypocrites God lets them take hands, and lead each other in their new-found paths of delight, untill they both irrecoverably fall into the ditch. These followers of Antichrist despise truth tendered by Gods messengers, and God

thereupon justly with-drawes his grace tendered to them; and so* 1.7 they are as wandering sheep in a wildernesse, a prey to those beasts of prey, to that roaring lion who daily goeth about seeking for such souls to devour them. God infuseth no evill qualities either into seducers or the seduced, but onely leaves them (who first left him) to the evill of their own hearts. They heap to themselves Teachers after their own hearts; a false heart will choose a false Teacher; and God lets them both alone: Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone: this is all the sending which God is said to send. Seducers shall one day know that God never sent them: They ran, and I have not sent them. God will one day say to both the seducers and seduced, Who required these things at your hands? when men make gods with their hands, God leaves them to worship those gods. They would not receive the truth; well, saith God, they shall not receive the truth, but shall be hardened in their sin, untill they die. Since they refused coun∣sell and knowledge and the fear of God; they shall have none of it; I will refuse them, saith the Lord; they shall be given up to strong delusion to believe a lie. Since they would not feed on Angels food at Christs Table, they shall feed on the Devils excre∣ments amongst the swinish herds of heretitcks destinated to dam∣nation. As Christ by his gracious wisdome did save an adulterous woman from the judgement of adulterous men, by causing the shamefull sin of the condemned to flie upon the guilty conscien∣ces of the condemners: So God in his glorious wisdome brings to damnation hypocrites, by letting seducers baits catch those seduced souls, that so greedily catch at them; whereby they shamefully (like those accusers of the woman) go away and leave Christ, his Ministers and his Ordinances. In all this God is true, though every one of them be liars.

[That they should believe a lie] so Beza renders it and the Syriack. To a word [that they should believe that lie] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the lie;* 1.8 what lie? Mr. Leigh answers, Antichrist. Since they would not imbrace Christ, the truth, they shall be given up to blindenesse and hardnesse to imbrace Antichrist, the lie. A lie is falshood ap∣pearing in the cloke of truth, and so is Antichrist, which these A∣postates shall imbrace. They rejected and revolted from Gods anointed ones, which were the Cedars of God, and chose to them∣selves the bramble, and under this scratching thorn those goates shall sit till a fire come forth from the Lord, and devour both it and them. They heap to themselves ignorant and unlearned

Teachers, perverting the Word to their damnation, such as Ie∣rome* 1.9 speaks of.

The very name Antichrist imports a lie; for he is one against the truth, against Christ, who is the way and the truth. If [love of the truth] be meant Christ, as Chrysostome, Oecumenius, Theodore∣tus and severall other learned Authors affirm, then most proba∣bly the imbracing a lie is here meant, the subjecting to and closing with Antichrist, or (as very probably) truth is put for the anoint∣ed offices, the two Witnesses, which these Apostates reject, and imbrace the Antichrist, who in opposition to them is called a lie; usurpation is a lie, the great usurper is the Antichrist, who sup∣plants the Witnesses, and therefore called in the abstract the lie.

He is called in 1 Iohn 2. 22. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the liar, who is the Anti∣christ,* 1.10 who denies the Father and the Sonne, that is, the constitu∣ted offices in the Church, Luke 10. 16. for he that denieth them, denieth Christ; and he that denieth Christ, denieth God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Verse 11.
• * 1.2

  U•…•… volunt Deo, ut fruantur mundo. Aug. de Civit Dei, lib. 15. c. 7.
• * 1.3

  Object.
• * 1.4

  Answ.
• * 1.5

  Vide Bazil. Tom. 1. Homil.
• * 1.6

  Aug. contra Ju∣lianum, l. 5. c 3.
• * 1.7

  Deus mi•…•…tet, quia Deus▪ dia∣colum ista face∣re per•…•…et. Aug. de Civit. l. 20. c. 19.
• * 1.8

  Opponit Aposto∣lus veritatem Christi non mendacio, sed iniquitati Anti∣christi. Cornell. à Lapide. Ità Scholi•…•….
• * 1.9

  Docent Scriptu∣ras quas non in∣telligunt, p•…•…iùs imperitorum magistri, quàm 〈◊〉〈◊〉 i∣p•…•…. Hieron. Epist.
• * 1.10

  Us•…•…patio est usu capio•…•… in∣terruptio in j•…•…. Civil.