grant he claimed not the title of universal Bishop nor power of both swords and supream authority over general counsels until some centuries of years were past Even as the Antichrist of whom it is here foretold he had not then revealed himself by exercising open tyranny over the Church of Christ And that man of sin be revealed saith he 3. The Pope is a man though not an individual person without succession yet de jure alwayes but one at one and the same time and a continued series and succession of men in one and the same Chair driving forward one and the same design even in that sense wherein I proved in the Exposition that the Antichrist is here called a man in the singular number 4. The Pope is a man of sin first in his own person It is almost incredible what monsters of men for horrible crimes of murder adultery simony sorcery incest sodomy even Popish Historians do relate many of their own Popes to have been 2. In causing others to sin in so far as he not only perswadeth and forceth men to Idolatry and superstition under the name of commanded worship as Jeroboam did but also for money dispenseth in some cases with murder fornication incest and selleth pardons for any sin unto those who have sufficient money wherewith to buy them This is not denyed by themselves even as the Antichrist who is here called the man of sin Fifthly The Pope is the Son of perdition First one who is destinate to destruction himself as the Godless life and monstrous sins of many Popes have declared them to be whatever the Lord may do in mercy to some and those but very few particular Popes whose lives have not been so grosly vicious as the rest if so he have given them repentance for their abominable errours 2. One who destroyeth others both in their souls by damnable doctrines idolatries and superstitions and in their bodies in so far as his cruel persecutions upon men and women for conscience have for length of time multitudes of those who have suffered by him and the cruel manner of his persecuting by exquisite tortures bloody massacres surpassed far all other persecutions that ever were Even as the Antichrist who is here called in those same respects the son of perdition Secondly whatever is affirmed of the Antichrist v. 4. is verified in the Pope For first under pretence and colour of friendship he is an eminent opposite and adversary to Christ as in many other things so chiefly in his threefold office 1. In his Kingly office while he destroyeth his subjects dispenseth with his Laws maketh them of none effect by his traditions enacteth Laws of his own to bind the conscience of equal authority with yea and some of them point-blank opposite unto the laws of Christ as in his forbidding marriage to Church-men discharging the use of the Cup at the Lords Supper 2. In his Priestly office while he maketh himself an high Priest under the new Testament denyeth the fulness of Christs satisfaction and intercession alledging that they must be supplyed by the merits and intercession of the Virgin Mary Saints and Angels and teaching people to give them Religious worship for that end 3. In his prophetical office while he teacheth that the Scriptures are imperfect and as a false Prophet doth teach contrary to what was taught by Christ in the doctrine of merit purgatory indulgences work of supererogation c. so that he opposeth Christ in all his offices and this for a greater length of time with more universal success and more formidable force than ever any heretick did before him even as the Antichrist who is here said to oppose himself Secondly The Pope exalts himself above all Kings and Emperours while he teacheth he hath absolute power to dispose of Kingdoms and Empires to whom he will at least in order to the Churches good and actually hath dethroned Kings and other Magistrates absolving their Subjects from their oath of allegiance doth make the Emperour to hold his stirrup when he is to ride and will have him to count it a favour to have access to kiss his feet yea and sometimes hath trampled upon the Emperours neck being humbly prostrate before him to beg his favour and reconciliation with him all which are avowed and granted Even as the Antichrist of whom it is here said he exalteth himself above all that is called God or is worshipped See the Exposition Thirdly The Pope in managing his rule and government over the Church of God pretendeth to no less than divine authority even the same with God and Christ whose great Vice-gerent and Vicar-general on earth he giveth out himself to be Besides it is expresly affirmed by Popish writers that the Pope sitting in and teaching from his Chair cannot err and his determinations are of equal certainty with the doctrine of Christ himself Even as the Antichrist of whom it is here said that he shall carry himself as God Fourthly The Pope doth sit and exercise an absolute fixed and illimited power of Government over a society of men which once were Gods spiritual Temple and Church and do yet bear that name and are so in effect if we speak of that small remnant which in all ages the Lord made to keep their garments clean from soul-ruining Antichristian errours or if we speak of the whole bulk and body of them not absolutely but as being compared with Turks Jews and Heathens in so far as they still retain some relicts of a Church as the written word Sacraments Ordination c. though miserably corrupted by false glosses a number of Superstitious Idolatrous and Antichristian additions In which respects the Church and See of Rome may be called the Temple and Church of God wherein the Pope doth sit and rule even as it is here foretold of Antichrist that he should sit in the Temple of God Fifthly The Pope attempts to shew that he is in nothing less to be esteemed of than God by taking and suffering to be ascribed unto himself 1. Divine titles as our Lord God the Pope universal Pastor chief High-Priest Head of the Catholick Church 2. Divine worship as Prostration to him Adoration of him upon opinion of some transcendent sanctity in him and that he hath fulness of power to forgive sins bestow Heaven and damn to Hell 3. Divine properties as that he cannot err is the Judge of all men and himself can be judged by no man hath power as Christs Vicar to dispence with all Law can forgive not only sins past but for a lease of years yet to come even as the Antichrist of whom it is here foretold he should shew himself that he is God Thirdly Whatever is affirmed of the Antichrist v. 6 7. is verified also in the Pope for first It was the Popes power the growth whereof in Rome and Christendome was hindred by the Roman Empire and which advanced by little and little towards its full height as the credit
their flocks to walk before them in the good example of an holy life otherwise they cannot choose but destroy more by their unministerial walking than they can build up and edifie by their most excellent and Orthodox Preaching So it is a singular mercy unto a people when God gives them such a Minister as even his very life and carriage doth Preach unto them for Pauls life was thus exemplary for piety before the Thessalonians and he doth speak of it as a mercy from God unto believers among them ye are witnesses saith he how holily we behaved our selves among you or to you that believe implying that his living so was much for their behoof and he saith how holily to shew his carriage was singularly and eminently holy and not according to the ordinary strain only 2. Then is the life of a Christian and especially of a Christian Minister such as it ought when he hath respect to all the Commandments as well to those of the first Table by living holily to God as of the second by living justly towards men for so did Paul how holily and justly we behaved our selves 3. It concerneth all men and chiefly Ministers to carry themselves unblameably and so as neither men have just reason to complain of them nor they be too querulous and much in complaining of their own lot measured out unto them by God or of every unkindness they may receive from the people of their charge There being no rank of people which hath the eyes of more upon them and whose escapes do more incapacitate them to do good in their station and whom the Lord doth more earnestly call to the exercise of patience without all seeming to repine than those of the Ministry for the word in the original rendred unblameable doth signifie without complaint and that both in an active and passive sense that is so that we do not much complain of others and that others have not reason to complain of us how unblameably we behaved our selves 4. No man may need to expect he can so walk as that none complain of him or be displeased with him It is sufficient for a good man in order to his peace that he do so behave himself as he give no occasion of complaint unto any and that those who are really gracious do approve of him But as for those who are yet in their unrenewed state a man may expect that the more Christianly he doth walk he shall be reproached the more and spoken evil of by such 1 Pet. 3. 16. for taking â—he words as they are here rendred among you that believe Paul doth thereby imply he was not free of blame from all but only from believers among them 5. That a man do live a truly pious and Christian life it is not sufficient that he discharge all the external duties of the first and second table with such exactness that the sharpest sighted of men cannot justly tax him but he must also make Conscience of inward and spiritual duties and that he do what he doth in single-hearted sincerity from such motives and for such ends as God approveth and whereof only God himself is witness otherwise the more that a man do in the external duty he is the more refined and self-deceiving hypocrite for Paul made conscience both of external and internal duties as it appeareth from his taking men to witness of the former and God to witness of the latter ye are witnesses and God also c. Ver. 11. As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father doth his children He doth here prove that his life was such among them as he presently spoke of and thereby shews somewhat further of that laudable and praise-worthy ministerial carriage which he had among them for the truth whereof he appealeth also to their own knowledge and conscience how that as a father whose office is to instruct his children being come to age Gen. 18. 19. he made application of the doctrine delivered by him unto every one of them in particular by exhorting some to duty duty to wit seriously and with much intreaty as the word doth signifie by comforting others under their outward crosses or inward sad exercises and in order hereto by peaking lovingly and affectionately unto them as the word doth signifie and by charging or obtesting others and that with most severe commination of terrible judgements as the word doth usually imply Doct. 1. The most exact touchstone whereby to try the real soundness of any mans holiness is to judge him by what he is in the duties of his particular station If so he not only discharge the common duties which are incumbent to every Christian of whatsoever calling but also make conscience of those particular duties unto which he is in a peculiar manner obliged as a man set in such a station whether as a Magistrate or Minister or Master or servant c. for Paul doth mention his diligence in the several duties of his particular calling as a Minister for an evidence that his life was holy just and unblameable while he saith immediately after the former purpose as you know how we exhorted c. 2. As a Christian and especially a Minister may sometimes speak to the commendation of his own carriage and thereby do God good service 2 Cor. 6. 3 4 c. So Christian prudence should teach him to single out those things especially for the matter of his own commendation for which he knoweth he is already approved and commended unto peoples own consciences for Paul doth commend his own Ministerial carriage from such things most as appeareth by his reiterated appeals to their own consciences for bearing witness to the truth of what he saith and here he appealeth again As you know saith he 3. As the chief piece of a Ministers work is to make pertinent application of general truths unto the particular cases of the Lords people So because the case of all is not one and the same but diverse therefore he must chiefly in the applicatory part of his work cut and divide the word aright 2 Tim. 2. 15. not by speaking unto all the same things and alike but assigning unto every man his own convenient portion by exhorting the more tractable comforting the afflicted and by obtesting and charging under all highest pain such as are more refractory and obstinate for so doth Paul ye know saith he how we exhorted and comforted and charged 4. It is not sufficient exoneration of a Minister that he Preach in publick and there make as particular application of general truths as in prudence he may But because there are some things which it is not expedient to mention in publick Eph. 5. 12. and some who cannot be so well gained by taxing their sin in publick and others who shuffle by themselves the closest application that a Minister in prudence can make in the publick therefore he is also obliged to make application
shall return unto righteousness and the cause which is accounted righteous with God shall have the upper hand for his scope is to prove that there shall be a day of Gods righteous judgement because it is a righteous thing with God that it should be so even to recompence trouble c. 2. It is the ordinary lot of the Lords people and a thing which the Lord would have them undoubtedly to expect to meet with an unjust measure and unrighteous sentence from the judgement-seats of men who do usually either through blindness of judgement Act. 3. 17. or perverseness of will Zech. 7. 9. with 11. condemn the innocent and absolve the guilty for while he saith that the rendering unto every man his due is a righteous thing with God he secretly implyeth that the doing so much is not often judged righteous by men 3. The Lord alloweth his persecuted people to comfort themselves under their saddest sufferings from the faith of this that the Lord shall either now or afterwards one time or other reckon in wrath and strictest justice with their obstinate and Godless persecutors And therefore the Lords people may and should comfort themselves and rejoice in the approaching ruine of their enemies though not as it is their misery Job 31. 29. yet as the necessary result of their ruine is Gods glory Psal. 59. 13. and as it shall be made thereby evident that God hath owned the righteous quarrel for which the Godly suffer Psal. 58. 10 11. and as their rest from trouble shall necessarily go along with the ruine of their enemies For in order to their comfort under persecution he doth mind them of that recompence of trouble which was to come upon their godless persecutors Seeing it is a righteous thing saith he to recompence trouble unto them who trouble you 4. Though some who for the present are most godless persecutors may afterwards turn to God and obtain mercy 1 Tim. 1. 13. in which caâ—e the stroke of divine justice due to such hath lighted upon Christ the surety Isa. 53. 5. Yet as the most part of cruel persecutors do persist impenitent so the heaviest dint of divine vengeance shall undoubtedly fall on such in the day of Gods most righteous judgement for while he mentioneth only persecutors here as those upon whom God is bound in righteousness to execute judgement he implyeth that many of such shall dye without mercy and shall be most severely judged at the last day to recompence trouble unto them that trouble you saith he 5. The righteous judgement of God may be seen not only in his causing wrath and vengeance to follow where sin hath gone before but also and mainly in the nature and kind of those judgements which he doth inflict in so far that in some respects they answer and are suitable unto the sin for which they are inflicted so that wicked men may in their sin foresee their stroke and in their stroke may read the sin for which they are stricken Jude 1. 7. For he doth make it a righteous thing with God not only to inflict judgement for sin upon the wicked but also such judgements as are most suitable to their sin even to recompence trouble unto them that trouble you saith he 6. This present time is a time of trouble and not of rest unto the people of God Their trouble is now what from men Mat. 10. 22. what from devils Eph. 6. 12. what from a body of sin within them Rom. 7. 24. what from their own consciences which sometimes with ground Psal. 32. 3. and sometime without ground Psal. 88. 3. do vex and trouble them and what from God himself Job 6. 4. who doth not see a constant rest here to be sitting for them Psal. 55. 19. But their rest in all these respects shall be afterwards For while he saith It is a righteous thing with God to give the Godly who are troubled rest in the day of his righteous judgement he doth tacitly imply that they have not rest here 7. The wisdom of God hath so contrived the way of the elects salvation as not only mercy in God but also his provoked justice is satisfied with it yea and ingaged for it So far will justice be from standing in opposition to it For he saith It is a righteous thing with God to recompence rest unto you who are troubled 8. It addeth much to the excellency of that rest which remaineth unto the people of God that it shall not be enjoyed by one alone or some few only but all the Saints from the most eminent unto the meanest shall be compartners in it in so far as though the glory of all shall be derived immediately from God 1 Cor. 15 28. yet the presence of all the glorified Saints shall make their glory the more desirable and the joynt concurrence of them all in one and the same song of praise to God and the Lamb Rev. 7. 9 10. shall doubtless by reason of the concord and harmony flowing from it make their song the sweeter for he commendeth this excellent rest from this that the Apostles Prophets and such eminent Saints as they should share with them and they with those in that rest and to you who are troubled rest with us saith he Ver. 7. When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels 8. In flaming fire The Apostle doth here enter a second ground of consolation or rather enlarge and clear the former while he condescendeth upon the day wherein the forementioned retribution shall be made to wit the day appointed for the last judgement and thence doth take occasion for the greater comfort of the persecuted Godly and terrour of their Godless persecutors to describe that day first from the glorious manner of Christs coming to judgement on it set forth in three expressions first he shall be revealed from Heaven his glorious humane nature for the time contained and hid from us in the Heaven Act. 3. 21. shall then appear to our eyes and senses Rev. 1. 7. and not only appear but also locally descend unto the aire 1 Thes. 4. 16. from the highest Heavens to which he once ascended Eph. 4. 10. Secondly He shall come accompanied with a glorious train and reâ—inue of a thousand times ten thousands Jude v. 14. of the blessed Angels here called mighty to shew that they shall be fitted for their work wherein they will be then employed and more particularly to gather the elect Matth. 24. 31. and to execute his terrible sentence against the reprobate Matth. 13. 41. This is contained v. 7. Thirdly he shall come in flaming fire by which the Heavens and earth which now are shall be dissolved and burnt up 2 Pet. 3. 10 12. and damned reprobates shall be tormented Heb. 10. 27. Doct. 1. Though the souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness Heb. 12. 23. yet their happiness is not then compleat nor before the end of time in