and

pray for our enemies, and them that hate and persecute us unjustly," but also in the confident expectation that, upon the dissolution of the empire, the most dreadful calamities would befall the church, and more terrible than all the persecutions they had endured under the cruelty of the pagan emperors.

*

Dr Whitby, who has a singular opinion of his own to maintain upon this subject, yet still allows that such an opinion of the τὸ κατέχον, or present impediment in the way of the man of sin, was generally current amongst the fathers and as the knowledge of that circumstance was rather matter of curiosity than use; it might have been (by the apostle) trusted to tradition, for the conveyance of it to future times. The certain truth, however, of that tradition has been well established by history and facts, Machiavel himself,† (in his history

That, together with much of the truth, the fathers held many erroneous notions of antichrist, is easily accounted for, as the prophecy was then future.

Bishop Newton on the Prophecies, vol. ii. p. 403 Hist

of Florence, B. i. p. 6.

of Florence,) giving evidence sufficient for the conviction of popery, without perceiving the drift of his own testimony. He has shewn the origin of the greatness and arrogance of the bishop of Rome, the gradual increase of his power, and the means by which he became a temporal potentate, and put on his tripple

crown.

"Then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming." "_" He who now letteth, and will let, until he be taken out of the way," as the apostle had before said, was accordingly

removed, and elbow room made for his Holiness; by the dissolution of the Roman government, and the exile of the last of the Roman emperors, called in derision Augustulus, which happened in the year 475. The epithet here applied to the man of sin, è avoμos, ex lex ille, that lawless one,* is a pointed allusion to a

The force of this epithet is lost in our translation, by rene dering it" that wicked one," whereas it was designed to intimate the particular description of his wickedness; on account of

M M

very distinguishing part of his character, in dispensing with all laws, human and divine; absolving from the most solemn oaths; dissolv ing the allegiance of subjects to their natural sovereigns; laying whole kingdoms under an interdict,* and changing even the laws of God, and the two sacred institutions of Jesus Christ:† nay, and even compelling the realms

which, he eminently deserves the title of i arxius" the Adversary,” and i av'tíxgisos—“the Antichrist.”

* The papal interdict, which shut up the churches, and put a total stop to all the offices of religion, except baptism and burying the dead, had, in the days of superstition, the most terrifying effects. This was an impious mimicry of the majesty of the Supreme Ruler of the universe, in with-holding from offending nations the genial influences of the heaven above, and the fertility of the earth beneath :-"thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron." (Deut. xxviii. 22.)

t. In sect. ix. p. 252, I have remarked the sacrilegious impiety of the church of Rome in omitting the second commandment, and dividing into two the tenth, for the countenancing of idolatry. They have taken the same liberty with the sacrament of the Lord's supper, by omitting one half of it, in with-holding the use of the cup from the laity, upon the pretence that the bread, (being transubstantiated into the real body of Christ,) contains the whole body, and consequently the blood in it, without need of the wine. The other sacrament of baptism is

of the dead to yield implicit obedience to his dread commands.*

St Paul seems to have copied Daniel very closely in his description of the man of sin, and his doctrines and practices." He shall think to change times and laws, and they shall be given into his hand, until a time, and times, and the dividing of time."† (Daniel vii. 25.)

also corrupted with exorcism, and the mixture of oil and salt with the water, and the use of many crossings, and superstitious and idolatrous ceremonies, more allied to sorcery than to christianity. It is not without reason, that in the prophecies they are so often and loudly charged with enchantments and sorcery, for the wicked abominations with which they have "changed the truth of God into a lie," and the pure ordinances of Jesus Christ into idolatry and heathenism.

The doctrine of purgatory was coined without any foundation in scripture, to give this power to the pope, of opening or shutting the gates of the infernal prison at his pleasure; and on this sandy foundation the treasury of his Holiness is built, arising from masses for the souls of the dead, indulgences, and pardons, &c, See sect. xi,

A time, (as all interpreters render this prophetical nota. tion,) signifies a year; and times, two years; and half a time, balf a year, that is, three years and a half, which is to be computed according to the nature and genius of the prophetic language. And as the ancient jewish year consisted of 12

"The King* shall do according unto his will, and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation-(upon Israel)-, be accomplished. For that which is deter mined shall be done."

months, and each month of 30 days, this is 1260 days, or 40 and 2 months, as it is reckoned in Rev, xi. 2, 3: xii. 6, 14.— A day, in the stile of the prophets, is a year, (Ezek. iv. 6,) therefore 42 months, or 1260 days, are so many years. The saying," they shall be given into his hand," seems to imply that the commencement of this fixed period for the reign of Antichrist, is to be dated from the full establishment of the papal power and supremacy.-Bishop Newton, vol. i. p, 489.

*King. This does not imply that he should be strictly a king, but a potentate wielding a temporal power, as Virgil describes the high priest of Apollo, "rex idem atque sacerdos,— both priest and king." The popes have closely followed the customs of their pagan predecessors in every thing; most or all of their superstitious rites being nearly the very same as those the heathens used in their worship of the gods. He may well be called a king, at least in the stile of prophecy, who wears not only one, but three crowns upon his cap. Isaiah (xxx. 33,) calls him a king, and Daniel, (vii. 24: viii. 23: xi. 36,) where he also remarks the peculiarities of this dread sovereign of gods and men, wherein he should be diverse from all other kings, and ab solutely without a parallel.