1 render it; yet LXXII render it by (ὀργὴ) Wrath or Anger, as they have also in Chap. 3. v. 26. Chap. 14. v. 1. Chap. 39. v. 24. and Habb. 3. v. 1. so calling it the Voice of his Anger; and he says it was so terrible to him, (though we may suppose him to be too good and too wife a Man to be frighted at Trifles) that his Heart trembled at it, and was moved out of its place. Lastly, Fires in divers Places, which shall devour Towns and Cities, and all the other Instruments of Vengeance, which God has referved in his secret Treasures against the time of Trouble, against the Day of War, and Battle, and Destruction of the Ungodly. By all these various Tokens of his Indignation, is our Good God at this Day alarming and awakening the impenitent World, and warning them to flee from the Wrath to come; which is now ready to be poured out to the full in the Heighth of the Antichristian Kingdom, when that Man of Sin shall be revealed, who is the Perfection of the Apoftacy, the Top-Fruit of the Mystery of Iniquity, whose coming will be after the Energy of the Devil, with all Power, and Signs, and lying Wonders, and with all deceivableness of Unrighteousness, in (or among) them that perish; or (as the Word ἀπολλυμένοις rather fignifies) that are already loft or reprobate, i. e. whose Measure of Iniquity is full, because they would not receive the Love of the Truth that they might be saved, 2 Theff. 2.10. I shall conclude this with these remarkable Words of Hippolitus, pag. 10. (Edit, Η 4 Par. Par. per Morellium, 1561.) De consum. Mundi & de Antichrifto, &c. 'These Things have we told you before, that ye may know 'the Trouble and Affliction that shall come in the last Days, and the Envy, Hatred and Strife, that shall be at that time rife among Mankind; the neglect of the Clergy towards their Flocks, and the Contempt of the People to their Paftors: The Children shall lay Hands on their Parents; the Wife shall deliver up the Husband to Death, and the Hufband the Wife. Masters shall be cruel to their Servants, and Servants shall be disobedient to their Masters: None shall reverence the grey Heirs of the Ancient, or pity the Beauty of Youth; Churches shall be as Common Houses, and in many places shall be destroyed: The Scriptures shall be despifed, and Prophane Songs shall be sung up and down: Out of those who call themselves Christians, shall arise false Prophets and false Apostles, Deceivers, Corrupters, Evil-Doers, Lyers, Adulterers, Unclean, Greedy, Covetous, FalseSwearers, Slanderers. The Shepherds shall be as Wolves; the Priests shall embrace a Lie: Those who have dedicated themselves to God (Μοναχὸι τοκ meritò suspecta) shall covet the Things of this World. The Rich shall be unmerciful to the Poor; Great Men shall caft off all Compassion; Magistrates shall be unjuft, and for Bribes shall pervert the Truth. The Elements also shall be con C founded, Founded, and become irregular in their Motions: There shall be Earthquakes in livers Places, and Pestilences in every City; Thunders, Winds, terrible Lighthings that shall burn up Houses and Fields: Tempestuous Winds which shall to unspeakable Mischief both by Land and Sea. The Earth shall be barren; the Sea shall roar; and there shall be great Trouble for the Destruction of fo many Men: There shall be Signs in the Sun, and in the Moon, and the Stars shall be irregular in their Courses: There shall be Distress of Nations; the Air shall lose its Temperature; grievous Hail; insupportable Winters; unusual forts of Ice; intollerable Heats; sudden Lightnings; unexpected Fires; and, in a Word, unspeakable Afflictions over all the Earth. All which, accordg to this Blessed Author, are to precede te coming of Antichrist, in whose time hey shall be compleatly fulfilled. On this subject of Famine, how alarming is the prospect throughout Europe from the uncommon a all inclemency of the Weather of this 2 Year 1789? PART ! i 1 PART IV. Of ANTICHRIST. Zech. 11. 16. Lo, I will raise up a Shepherd in the Land, which shall not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young Ones, nor heal that that is broken, nor feed that which standeth still: But he shall eat the Flesh of the Fat, and tear their Claws in pieces. V. 17. Wo to the Idol-Shepherd that leaveth the Flock: The Sword shall be upon his Arm and upon bis right Eye: His Arm shall be clean dried up, and his right Eye shall be utterly darkned. A LL the afore-mentioned Evils, of which I have been treating, shall be ultimately and compleatly accomplished in the Reign of Antichrift; the different Notions and Doctrines concerning whom, I shall endeavour to fet in their true Light. The Terms of Antichrist, and Antichriftianism, have been so liberally bestowed upon each other, by the differing Parties of Christendom, each of them cafting it upon their Adversaries, and difclaiming it themselves, that he who attempts to fix it, if he act counter to the commonly received Schemes, and does not set himself to vindicate one of the contending tending Parties, and make all the rest Members of Antichrist, will certainly be looked upon as a Traytor to that Church in the Communion of which he lives, and a Man of Latitude and Comprehenfion towards all the rest. Notwithstanding all which Discouragements, I shall endeavour (in the Fear of God) to speak my Thoughts freely and impartially upon so momentous a Subject. §1. THE Word Antichrift expresses a Prin- The Word ciple, Spirit or Person, standing in Op-Antichrift position to our Blessed Saviour, the Lord confidered. Jesus Chrift; which Term being originally Scriptural, is certainly intended to express the most perfect Opposition, according to the Analogy of Nature, and the plain import of the Word. The Passages of the prophetical Scriptures relating hereto, were by most of the Ancient Fathers (as I shall show at large) interpreted of one particular Person, who should emphatically and especially deferve that Title, which in a more lax and open Sense should be applied to many others. This Sense of the Primitive Church was generally retained without publick Oppofition, till the Times of the Reformation; upon the dawn of which, many of those who had long groaned under the Tyranny and Idolatries of the Church of Rome, and confidered how opposite she was, both in her Principles and Practices, to the true Spirit of Jesus Christ; and withal, how agreeable fome of the great Antichriftian Characters were to the Pope, as Visible A |