tions of God, &c. but by the gofpel, and that by this means all nations will, in due time, acquire them.

that

That there was to be a great corruption of christianity was exprefly foretold not only in the book of Revelation, in which the rife, progrefs, and utter deftruction of fome great antichriftian power are moft certainly defcribed, but alfo in other writings of the apoftles, and especially thofe of Paul, as 2 Theff. ii. 1, &c. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and by our gathering together unto him, be not foon fhaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by Spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Chrift is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away firft, and that man of fin be revealed, the fon of perdition: who oppofeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; fo that he, as God, fitteth in the temple of God, fhewing himself that he is God.

ye

The

The coming of this antichristian power, he farther fays, v. 9. is after the working of Satan, with all power, and figns, and lying wonders, and with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness, in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be faved. And for this cause God shall fend them ftrong delufions, that they should believe a lie.

This apoftle reprefents this corruption as having begun even in his time, though that monstrous antichriftian power could not receive its full eftablishment till fome other power, which was then in the way (by which he probably meant the Roman empire) fhould be removed. But whenever it should be established, he expreflly foretells its utter deftruction, v. 6, &c. And now ye know what with-holdeth, that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth, will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord fhall confume with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

The

The particulars of this great corruption of christianity are more diftinctly expreffed by the apostle Paul, in his first epistle to Timothy, iv. 1. Now the Spirit Speaketh exprefly, that, in the latter times, fome shall depart from the faith, giving heed to feducing Spirits, and doctrines of dæmons; speaking lies in bypocrify, having their confcience feared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving, of them who believe and know the truth.

It is impoffible not to perceive in these prophecies, especially if they be compared with others in the book of Daniel, and of the Revelation, the plain characters of the church of Rome, allowing for the obfcurity of many of the phrases by which the Papal ufurpations on the rights of God and man are here expreffed. Thefe prophecies have been fully accomplished, the Popish corruptions and ufurpations having proceeded almost without interruption, for more than fourteen hundred years.

That

That fo fimple a religion as the christian fhould have been fubject to fuch dreadful corruption, must have appeared improbable, at the time of its first promulgation; the like not having happened to the Jewish religion, or, indeed, to any other religion under heaven. And yet when the corruption was eftablifhed, and had been fupported by all the temporal powers under heaven, for the fpace of many centuries, and was intimately incorporated with the civil conftitutions of thofe flates, its general reftoration to its primitive purity must have appeared much more improbable; and yet fuch progress has been already made in this great work, that there can be no doubt but that, in due time, the whole prophecy will be completed, and chriftianity be once more what it originally was.