The Signs which our Saviour hath given of the Destruction not only of the Jewish Jerufalem, but of the Gentile Babylon, are as plain to them that will confider, as the Budding of the Fig-Tree is a Sign of Summer. And it would be no bard matter to draw hereupon a Parallel betwixt the State of the Jews which preceded that Day of their Judgment which came upon them unawares, and the State of the Christians which now is, even including all the several Denominations of them. Let this Hint for the present only suffice: Are we very sure that the Jews of that Generation, were worse than the Christians of this? They cru-R cified indeed the Lord of Life; but they did it Igno rantly, and out of a Zeal for their Law, and that the Romans might not come and take away their Liberties and Properties : They were as zealous for their Temple, as we can be for our Church; they L'avit .. were as earnest for maintaining their Laws and Customs, as we can be for ours; they were as much afraid of Idolatry, and even but the least Appearance of it, as any of us can possibly be now; never were they more free from that great Transgression, whereby they had forely provoked God to lay heavy Fudgments npon them, and to fell them into Captivity; they would all rather die than commit this Sin; and never was there greater Courage and Contempt of Death in any People for the Sake of their Religion and their Constitution. If they then perished and that too by their own Devices, let us take heed, unto whom these Things are written for an Example: and let us remember, in this our Day, before it be too late, the Words which were spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ, saying, Except ye Repent, ye shall All likewifePerish, which were fulfilled in that Generation and may be fulfilled again in ours, : except we bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance. It being greatly to be feared that the Ax is even already laid to the Root of the Tree, as it was beretofore to that of the Babylonian Empire in the Cafe of Nebucadnezzar, by the Signs which have appeared in Christendom for Some Years past. Since if Wars, Famines and Pestilences; if Commotions, Hurricanes and Earthquakes in divers Places; if a fiery Zelotick Spirit delighting to fet all in Flames; if Apostates and False Prophets gone out into the World to deceive many; if Wandring Stars, and Angels of the Churches not keeping their first Estate, or Principality; if a general Falling Away from the Maxims of Christ, and the Original Conftitution of his Kingdom on Earth; if Perfecutions for the Sake of Truth and a Good Confcience; if the Love and making of Lyes, arrived even to the utmost Perfection; if the Strong Delusions of Satan and his Instruments at this Time, and particularly the Artifices of the Antichristian Sect, lately risen among us, who would alone be thought to Think Freely; lastly, if the abounding of Iniquity, the failing of Faith, the despising of Dominions, the speaking Evil of Dignities, the walking in the Way of Cain, the running greedily for Reward into any Error or Wickedness whatsoever, the bringing of all things (even the most Sacred) to the Test of Ridicule, and the scoffing at the Promise of Christ's Coming; be any Signs (as conjointly confider'd) of the near Approach of That Day, or of some Grand Revolution in the World, such as hath not yet been, we cannot be mistaken, I think, in preparing against the worst, and in pursuing the Ways that make for our THE PEACE. T HE following Treatise, especially that Part of it which concerneth The Antichrist, being founded on Principles entirely different from the Modern Opinions upon that Subject, must not be sent into the World without a short Preface, to engage the Favour, and obviate the Prejudices of the generality of Readers; who will be apt to condemn at first sight any thing, that shall contradict the current Opinions, though never so agreeable to the Traditions of the first and purest Ages of the Church. This is evident from the general Contempt thrown upon the Ancient Fathers and Lights of the Church, particularly as to their Notions of Catholick Communion, Church Censures and the Holy Eucharift, concerning all which they delivered their Opinions as plain as Words could make them; yet they are now forced to give way to the inconsistent Schemes of Giddy Innovators. That most contemptibly Dull Projector, the Author of The Rights of the Christian Church, has bis Admirers, who set him up in oppofition to the Old fashioned Doctrines of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, as they were understood by Ignatius, Justin, Irenæus, Tertullian, Cyprian, and other Primitive Writers upon those Subjects. : : I. FAR be it from me that I should draw a Parallel betwixt those and the Case in hand, or Set those Controverfies on the fame foot with the Subject of this Discourse; either fide of this Question being at least Innocent, and having no relation to the Effentials of Christianity: Whereas the Design of those is to destroy Root and Branch, the very Principles of Revealed Religion. But this I must say, that I could never yet conceive what Service it could do to the Reformed Cause, to afSert the Pope, or Church of Rome, to be The Great Antichrist, in Opposition to the constant Doctrines of the Ancient Church; whereas I think as on the one hand, the acknowledging the Church of Rome to be a most Corrupt Church, and by consequence in that Sense Antichriftian, (as from my Heart I firmly believe it is) is sufficient to justifie our Separation from her: So on the other band, the deserting the Traditions of the Ancient Church, without any Neceffity for so doing, must needs have prejudiced many a Learned and Fudicious Man; who might thence be tempted to conclude, that the Reformers, in other Cafes as well as that, despised the Doctrines of Antiquity, and were for setting up new Lights and new Interprezations of Scriptures, in Opposition to those old ones, which the most primitive Ages had efteemed Orthodox II. St. PAUL writing to the Thessalonians, 2 Epift. Chap. 2. concerning this Man of Sin, or the Great Antichrist, gives them a special Charge, V. 15. Therefore, Brethren, stand faft, and hold the Traditions, which ye have been taught either by our Word or Epistle Epistle; meaning, no doubt, especially the Traditions about the Perfonal Antichrist. For that this was St. Paul's Meaning, I have two very good Reasons to believe. 1. I prefume it will puzzle a Learned Man to explain that Chapter of the Pope or Church of Rome so confiftently as to Satisfie his own Mind. 2dly, Which is to me no contemptible Authority, that all the Writers upon that Subject, through every Age of the Church till the Times of the Reformation, (beginning with the Waldenses and Albigenses) understood it in the Same Sense, applying it (if not, in the same that I do, to a Person yet to come) to some individual Person to whom these Characters should most properly belong. And how can we otherwise account for the concurrent Testimonies of the Ancients about that matter, than by supposing that this was the Tradition of the Apostles, particularly of St. Paul, to which he refers, v. 5. Remember ye nor that when I was yet with you, I told you these things. And that from him and the other Apostles this Tradition was conveyed down to after Ages; particularly confidering that the most early Writers speak exprefly in this Sense. Irenæus, who was the Disciple of Polycarp, and by confequence but one remove from the teaching of St. John, Hippolytus the Disciple of Irenæus, Cyprian, Origen, and Cyril of Jerufalem are no incompetent Witnesses of an Apoftolical Tradition, and are so appealed to in other Cases; and why in this particular Cafe we should be wiser than they, I confess I am at a loss to explain. III. AND here I cannot but take notice of an Objection raised by the Judicious and Learned Mr. Mede, and since reviv'd by Mr. Whiston |