CAP. 2. touchingAntichriit. 635 fo as they may make manifeft the truth of' them. Yet leaft this place, where the point is handled of purpofe , fhould complaine, that it is left naked and empty ; it (hall not be amiffe ; to adde one or two reafons more to the former , as an overplus. And thefe we take out of the 2. Thcff. 2.2. and firft outof the third verfe ; Where it is Paid, unlefe the e 4pofajy comefirft, and that man of finnebe re- vealed, that Son of perdition, &c. In whichwords the Apoftleaf- firmeth,both that eachof these two things fhall go before the com- ing of' ChriI, as alfo, that the Apoftafy (hall go before the revealing of Antichrift. For, that is the caufe of this , that procureth this mifchief, as he teacherh after, l that Antichri}tj all therefore come, becaufe men Would not receive the love of thetruth that they might be faved ; verf. ro. a I. And the revealing of Antichrift fhonld not be delayed after the Apoflafc, but it cometh forthwith after it; as the Apoftle faith, unleffe the apa.£Itafie comefirs, andthe man offink, re- vealed, &c. For after that that whichhindereth fhould be taken a- way , which as we have Chewed , came to pafhe lhortly after, this pelt ilent Antichrift fhould comeabroad into the world immediatly. But this apoltafie began privily and clofely at firft,even in the time of the Apoftle, which therefore cannot be a revolt from the Romane Empire , but a negleft and contempt of the truth that was once re- ceived as the fame Apoftle doth interpret it in that place, and it is that which hathprevailed for thefemany ageslaft pall, and is to be feen openly at this day in that worfhippingof reliques and ofImages, and in the invocationof Saints pra lifed by the Church of' Rome, as we have faid a little before. For the Lord is forfaken by fuch kindeof Idolatry, and whenwe chufe firange Gods, wedepart from him,as it is Jeremy Chap. i 6. i t.Where the Prophet is commanded to fp-ak to the people and to fay unto them thus,6ecaufe yourforefathers have forfaken mefaith the Lord, and have followedftrange Gods to wer- fbip them,and to bow downunto them , but they haveforraken me, and have not kept my Lam. And after this manner do all the reft of the Prophets fpeake. It mull needsbe therefore that Antishrift is come long lince, the figne and caufewhereof,that is fo neer joyned unto it,hath kept Rex in the world for thefe many ages. Secondly , that impediment is longa- go takenaway , which was the onely thing which hindred in the timeof theApoftle , fo that that man.of finne couldnot be revealed, verf.7. Which was not the Romane Empire,but the fixt Headofthat Empire, which had thenthe Government of the world, which Iohn liveth
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