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writings of fome of the Heathen philofophers, converted to Chriftianity, certain abfurd opinions, childish reasonings, and marks of credulity, are found, these things do not in the leaft derogate from the teftimony which by their converfion they bare to the facts in the Gofpel-hiftory. The imperfections of which we speak flowed from the prejudices of their education, or from the fervency of their zeal for the Chriftian caufe; neither of which could have any place in the matter of their converfion. For it is certain, that when the philofophers renounced Gentilism and embraced the Gospel, they acted in direct oppofition to every weight whereby men's judgments can be fwayed. If fo, nothing could determine these men but the fulleft, cleareft, and moft undoubted evidence both of sense and reason. The converfion of the world, therefore, viewed in its various parts, exhibits a very grand and ftriking proof of the truth of the facts recorded in the Gospel-history.

DIS

DISSERTATION

CONCERNING

THE

MAN OF

OF SIN.

IN

2 THESS. ii. 1-12.

a former differtation, the apoftafy of intelligent creatures from the kingdom of God was confidered, in the most general view of it. At prefent, we are to enquire after an apoftafy, which (though not fo general) is a moft fignal and remarkable one.

St. Paul planted the Chriftian church at Theffalonica. After he had left them, the Chriftians of that place fell into a mistake concerning the coming of the day of the Lord; imagining that the Apoftle thought it to be juft at hand. He fufpected the mistake to have arifen from fome perfons affirming that he had faid fo, mifinterpreting his former Epiftle, or forging an Epiftle under his name. To rectify that mistake, feems to have been his principal view in writing his 'Second Epistle to them in which he repeats what he had formerly taught them, concerning a grand apoftafy, which would, before that day, arife in the Chriftian church; and, therefore, that great day must be at fome confiderable distance.

That this day of Chrift cannot refer to his coming to the deftruc tion of Jerufalem and of the Jewish nation, will be plain and evident, if we examine into the rite and progrefs of this affair, as it now appears in these two epiftles. 1 Theff. iv. 13, &c. the Apostle had admonished the Chriftians at Theffalonica, not to lament over their deceafed friends as they had done, when they were Heathens. To prevent which, for the future, he puts them in mind of the Chriftian promife of a glorious refurrection to endless life and happiness. When that refurrection will be, he also informed them; viz. at the coming of the Lord Jefus Chrift. Then fuch of the Chriftians as fhall be found alive on this earth, fhall be transformed; the dead raifed; and the righteous admitted to complete and everlafting felicity. Having mentioned that coming of the Lord," or "of the "day of the Lord," he goes on with his difcourfe, I Theff. v. 1. &c. afluring them, that it would come fuddenly and furprisingly. And, as the particular time is unknown, men ought always to be prepared.-Now, if that day," and the day (or coming) of the Lord," i Theff. iv. 13. &c. and v. 1, &c. ought to be understood of the day of judgment, that remarkable day, when Jefus Chrift fhall defcend from heaven, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet

66

of

of God; when the dead fhall be raised, and the living transformed; I think it evident, that it ought to be fo understood in this place. For, of the fame day, and of the fame "coming of the Lord," St. Paul appears plainly to be fpeaking in both thefe Epiftles. And what may further confirm this is, that these phrafes "[that day, "the day, or the coming of the Lord,]" do, in other places of the New Teftament, generally fignify his coming to judge the world at the laft day. [See on 2 Theff. ii. 2.] As, therefore, this is the ufual fignification of thefe phrafes in other places of the New Teftament, and the most evident meaning of them in thefe two Epiftles to the Theffalonians, we have no occafion upon that account to look for "the man of fin," and "the grand apoftafy," before the "deftruction of Jerufalem;" as they are obliged to do, who understand this "coming of the Lord" to refer to his coming to the deftruction of that city and the Jewish nation.

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None of the feven following interpretations of this prophecy appear to me to be well-grounded.

I. Grotius would perfuade us, that Caius Caligula, the Roman emperor, was "the man of fin" here prophefied of.-Whereas, according to the beft chronologers, this Epiftle was written about twelve years after the death of that emperor. [See the hiftory prefixed to this Epiftle.] This, therefore, could not be a prophecy of the folly and wickednefs of Caligula*.

II. Dr. Hammond would have Simon Magus and the Gnoftics to be here intended.-But Simon Magus had already fhewed himself to be an enemy to Chriftianity at Samaria; and, therefore, was not yet to be revealed. And, as to his conflict with St. Peter at Rome, and many of the doctor's ftories about the Gnoftics, they feem to be built upon too fandy a foundation to deferve much regard. Mr. Baxter, Dr. Whitby, Mr. Le Clerc, Dr. Wall, and Mr. John Alphonfus Turretin, have abundantly confuted that interpre

tation.

Grotius's introducing Simon Magus, ver. 8, 9. feems to be as groundless. For the Apoftle does there evidently continue to speak of the fame perfon which he had begun with, ver. 3, 4And, if the whole prophecy could not agree, either to Caligula, or to Simon Magus and his deluded followers, Grotius ought not, in his interpretation, to have referred any part of it to either of them.

III. Others take the unbelieving Jews, who perfecuted the Chriftians, before the destruction of Jerufalem, and made many of them apoftatize to Judaifm, to be "the man of fin," &c +.

Anfwer.] Though the unbelieving Jews perfecuted the Chriftians, yet they were not united under one fingle head or leader. They were never able to exalt themfelves above all that is called a God, or

even

See this interpretation of Grotius more largely confuted in Dr. H. More's "Myftery of "Iniquity," p. 445, &c. And by John Alphonfus Turretin, in his. " Commen.ary on this "Epistle." Bafil. 1739.

See Mr. La Roche's New Memoirs of Literature for September, 1726,

even the imperial dignity. And I do not know that they ever attempted univerfal monarchy. Neither had they, after this, any one perfon among them, who anfwered the character here defcribed; viz. " of one, who as a God, fitting in the temple of God, fhewing himself to be a God." Nor does St. Paul, by any means, appear to be the person who obftructed," ver. 6, 7. For the unbelieving Jews perfecuted the Chriftians after his converfion, as well as before it. Nor could he prevent the apoftafy of the Jewish Chriftians; though he earnestly defired and attempted it. But his principal labours were among the Gentiles.

Befides; according to the prophecy of St. Paul, the apoftafy was (in a great degree at leaft) to precede the revelation of the man of fin. Whereas the perfecuting, antichriftian fpirit of unbelieving Jews was revealed, or manifefted, before the apoftafy of the Jewish Chriftians.And, finally; it is a grand objection with me, against that interpretation, that, by the man of fin's appearing, and being revealed, is understood his perifhing, or destruction. In as much as St. Paul has clearly diftinguifhed his coming, and the continuance of his power, from the punishment and perdition which will at last be inflicted on him by the Lord.

IV. Others, again, would have the unbelieving Jews who revolted from the Romans, together with the Jewish converts who apoftatized from the Chriftian to the Jewish religion, to be the very perfons here prophefied of.-Whereas the Apoftle is here fpeaking of one fort of apoftafy only; that is, an apoftafy from the true reli gion. So the word aroracia is ufed in other texts of fcripture. And what may lead us to understand it fo in this place is, that the Apoftle is treating about matters of religion, and intimates that this apoftafy would be carried on, and fupported, by fham miracles, and all the deceit of unrighteoufnefs; and that it would prevail only among vicious perfons, fuch as relifhed not truth and goodness, but loved a lie, and took pleasure in unrighteousness.-The unbelieving Jews could not apoftatize from the Chriftian religion, because they had never embraced it. And the Jewish Chriftians, who did apoftatize, had no eminent head, or leader, that deferved the name of "the "man of fin," &c.-Dr. Whitby, who is the moft confiderable advocate for this interpretation, plays between the two, and brings in the unbelieving Jews revolting from the Romans, or the Jewish Chriftians apoftatizing from Chriftianity, just as may best help out his hypothefis. But the prophecy itself is uniform, and describes one fort of an apoftafy quite throughout.

The above-mentioned Turretin very justly objects various things against Dr. Whitby's hypothefis. (1.) That by the man of fin" must be understood one man, or a feties of men of the fame rank and order; and not a whole nation. (2.) When it is faid, "that "wicked one was to be revealed," it did not well fuit that nation, which had now exifted a long time, which had for fome ages manifefted great wickedness, and daily manifefted it. (3.) Though the Scribes and Pharifees did arrogate to themfelves a divine authority,

and

and therefore might, in fome fenfe, be faid "to fit in the temple of "God;" yet the Apoftle could not foretell that, as a future event. They did fo already; and, for fome time, had done fo. Indeed, Dr. Whitby alledges, that the Apoftle does not here foretell what would be, but fpeaks of what was already, as to that particular, the man of fin's fitting in the temple of God.-But the series of the prophecy will not bear that interpretation; for, though he fometimes fpeaks in the prefent, he is all along to be understood in the future, tenfe: as we find the apoftles and prophets often ufing the prefent for the future tenfe, in their predictions.

V. As Mahomet did never profess the Chriftian religion, he could not be called an apoftate. However, as he caufed many Chriftans to apoftatize, and built his religion partly upon the ruin and corruption of Chriftianity, fome have thought that he might, in fome fense, be faid "to fit in the temple of God." He was likewife "a man of fin," or a very wicked man. And, though he pretended to be a prophet, yet he fhewed himfelf to be in reality no prophet, but a temporal potentate. And, finally, he arofe after the downfall of the Roman empire; which I take to have been that which letted, or obftructed, the appearance of the man of fin.All these things may be faid in favour of that interpretation which reprefents this as a prophecy of Mahomet-But then, on the other hand, 1. Suppofe St. John and St. Paul prophefied of the fame event (as, I think, they did), it is evident that Rome must be the feat of the grand impoftor; that is, the city which ftood upon seven hills. To this it is objected, "Conftantinople ftands upon feven hills; and therefore Mahomet might be intended; for his fucceffor, the Grand Turk, refides at Conftantinople." To which it may be eafily and juftly answered, that, fuppofe Conftantinople does ftand upon feven hills, it is notorious that ancient Rome did fo likewife. And Conftantinople is not the city which, in St. John's time, "reigned over the kings of the earth." Whereas thefe two marks were both united in St. John's prophetic defcription of fpiritual Babylon, the feat of that tyrannical power; where idolatry, perfecution, and various forts of wickednefs, fhould abound. Rev. xvii. 9. 18. 2. It is a fufficient argument against applying this prophecy to Mahomet, that "the man of fin" was "to come after the working of Satan, with all power, and figns, and lying wonders;? that is, with open and great pretenfions to miracles. Whereas, though feveral miracles are afcribed to him, by the fabulous and legendary writers among the Mahometans, yet their learned men renounce them all. Nor does Mahomet himfelf, in his Koran, lay any claim to miracles*.

VI. Though heathen Rome oppofed Chriftianity very much, and the emperors exalted themfelves above all the kings and potentates upon earth; yet this their exaltation was not a thing then to be re

vealed;

*See Dr. Prideaux's "Life of Mahomet, p. 31;" and Mr. Sale's "Tranflation of AL "Koran," p. 203, 236, 473.

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