Generation-work, or, A brief and seasonable word offered to the view and consideration of the saints and people of God in this generation, relating to the work of the present age, or generation we live in wherein is shewed, I. What generation-work is, and how it differs from other works, II. That saints in the several generations they have lived in, have had the proper and peculiar works of their generations, III. That it is a thing of very great concernment for a saint to attend to and be industrious in, the work of his generation, IV. Wherein doth the work of the present generation lye, V. How each one in particular may find out that part or parcel of it, that is properly his work in his generation, VI. How generation-work may be so carried on, as that God may be served in the generation / by John Tillinghast ...

THESIS XXII.

Two clear Characters we have laid down by the Apo∣stle Paul, 2 Thes. 2. of the time in which the man of sin was to be midwifed into the world.

First, In the time of the Churches first most eminent Apostacy from Primitive purity. This we have, vers. 3. That day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the Son of perditi∣on; as if he had said, the revelation of the man of sin, i.e the bringing him forth into the world, is then to be expected, when you shall see some eminent falling away; for he thrusts himself forth into the world, in, or with this falling away. Now this defection though it began and was in part more early, because the mystery of iniquity did work and en∣deavor to thrust it self in, even from the Apostles daies, as ver. 7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work; yet did it not become eminent, so as that corruption began to have the Major Vote in Councils, and to be confirmed by their Decrees, till in and near about this year. What Canons that never passed Councils before the second Council of Carthage, and other Council sin and about this year did produce, I shall shew presently.

Secondly, The rise of the Antichristian Beast is there to be placed, where the ancient Roman Empire (which is that the Apostle tells us did then with-hold and let) began to fall to decay, and to be taken away, Vers. 6, 7, 8. And now yee know what with-holdeth, that he might be re∣vealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth al∣ready work; onely he who now letteth will let untill he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked be revealed— But this was A.D. 396 for the Emperor Theodosius dying A.D. 395. as saith Helvicus in Thea∣tro Historico, Alsted. in Chronologia Monarch. Rom. the Empire was thereupon divided betwixt Arcadius and Honorius, his two Sons; so that the year 396. was the very first yeer of the division of the Roman Empire. Now division being the beginning of ruin, we may say there be∣gan the ruin of the Roman Empire, where it began so to be divided as never to be united more. Hence Dan. Pareus

calls this the consummate Division, which did so distract the Empire now broken into two, as that it never after∣wards became united under one Emperor again. Par. in Medulla Historiae profanae.

About this very time also, by the general consent of Hi∣storians, did the Goths and Vandals invade the Empire, in such sort, as that, A.D. 410. Alaricus King of the Goths takes Rome it self. Alsted. in Chronologia Regno∣rum Veterum, Helvicus in Theat. Hist. Ross in his Chronology at the end of his Worlds History. And so mightily was the Roman Empire weakned by the former division, and this invasion falling out together, that Rome never recovered its former strength and beauty since.