4. The universal spreading of the gospel. 7. The fulness of the gentiles. 8. Noxious qualities of animals, perhaps vegetables too, ceasing. 9. Univerfal benevolence and harmony. 10. The glory of the Redeemer more abundantly display'd. Each of thefe will afford ample matter for a single difcourfe; and therefore I begin with the first of these, to wit, the destruction of Antichrift, and here it may be proper to confider, First, Who we understand by the term Antichrist? Thirdly, make fome improvement. And first, who are we to understand by Antichrift? In a large and general fenfe every person, perfons, or thing, which oppofe Chrift, may be termed Antichrift, whether in principle or practice. Hence all the Jews, as fuch, are the oppofers of Chrift, in that they reject his government, will not have this man to reign over them, and thereby judge themselves unworthy of everlafting life. The Turks, as fuch, are Antichrifts; for though they acknowledge Chrift to have been a prophet, yet they fet up a vile, wicked impoftor above him; and the dogmas of a lewd tyrant are preferr'd to the pure commands of a meek and lowly Jefus.-All Arians and Socinians, as fuch, are Antichrifts, in that they they take the crown from the head of Jefus and fet it upon their own, rejecting his divinity, and his atonement, they therefore deny the Lord who bought them, vamping up, and dignifying a phantom which they prepofterously call reason, and putting it in the place of their Saviour, and his great redemption, as well as his glorious revelation, destroying at once, both the doctrine of the gospel, and alfo the experience and practice of the fame; and thus affecting to be wifer than what is written they become fools, and worship and ferve the creature more than the Creator. All carnal gospellers, who profefs to know God, but in works deny him, may be faid to be Antichrifts; are his real oppofers, and by whom the way of truth is often blafphemed. In fhort, whatever, or whoever, in earth or hell oppose the and purity of the doctrine of Chrift, may be faid to be Antichrifts. 2. But what is moft generally understood by that term, and what the fcriptures in very clear terms mark out, as well as hiftory, for Antichrifts are, the doctrine, hierarchy and difcipline of the church of Rome. The Pope and Cardinals, together with the whole herd of fecular and regular priefts and begging friars, joined with their whole train of legends for doctrines, may be faid to be the great Antichrift; and their fuperftitious discipline accompanied with all its horrid cruelties, may be call'd the whore of Babylon, who fitteth on her scarlet coloured beast, who is drunk with the blood of the Saints, and whofe vindictive laws have been, that none should buy or fell fell except fuch as had the mark of the beaft. Thus here is that second beast, * spoken of, that had two horns like a lamb, pretending the name and doctrines of Chrift; deceiving them who dwell upon the earth with false miracles, as the jugglers in Egypt did in the time of Mofes +. 3. THE whole frame and ftructure of the doctrine of that fallen church is quite repugnant to the doctrines of Christ. To pass by a train of useless habits, calculated only for pride and oftentation, and a number of trite and heathenifh ceremonies, I fay paffing by these fopperies, we may fasten upon some of the larger limbs of this man of fin, the chief of which I take to be, First, Infallibility, tho' they are not quite agreed where this deity is lodged, whether in the pope, alone, or in pope and cardinals, or councils; no matter where, but they are fure it is with them fome where, in confequence of which poor fallible, not to fay very wicked and finful, men have ufurped a prerogative which belongs to God alone, and by iffuing out their infallible dictates, the word of God, as well as common fenfe, have been basely set aside. 2. TRANSUBSTANTIATION is another branch of the fame corrupt tree; and hath deceived many: a doctrine contrary to common sense, that a poor finful worm, in muttering a few words over a piece of bread, should ever have the audacity to think that he *Rev. xiii. + Exod. ix.--- Tim. iii. 8. 2 has has put fome mighty virtue into it; nay, that he has transformed it into the very body of Chrift *, yea that a poor creature should have the presumption to fancy that he has made his maker; a strange idolatry indeed! 3. THE doctrine of merit, surely militates against him whose only merit can avail in the fight of God. Yet it is pretended that a man may not only merit what is needful for himself, but that he may have fomething to spare for a poor neighbour who may happen to come short, called by them works of fupererogation, or more than are required. 4. PRAYING to the dead, and for the dead is idolatry and fuperftition, for which a jealous God may justly afk, who hath required this at your hands? feeing there is but one Mediator between God and man, the man Chrift Jefus †. 5. PURGATORY is another invention which hath brought the priests millions of money, but it is to be feared has fent thoufands, if not millions, into endless perdition. For let an elevated villain spend a life of cruelty, oppreffion, plunder and rapine, and perhaps his confcience has at last alarmed him of his danger, he is then appointed for purgatory, and having by extortion and a variety of oppreffive ways accumulated much curfed wealth together, he builds a church, founds an hofpital, * I wish the Church of England had not too nearly imitated them herein. Tim. ii. 5. hofpital, and leaves a pretty large fum to have his foul fung out of purgatory, and thus goes to the grave, if not to hell, with a lye in his right hand. 6. PRIESTLY absolution * is another daring attack upon the prerogative of that God, who alone pardoneth iniquity, tranfgreffion and fin, and who will not give this part of his glory to any other. Nor do we find either prophet, prieft, or apostle pretending to any thing of the kind. But all these things being fo well known I do but just mention them; nor do I attempt any confutation of them, that has been done by men of more time and better abilities, times without number, and to very good purpose. 4. THE difcipline of the church of Rome directs us where to find the whore of babylon, and what her character is. FORBIDDING to marry is one effential branch of popish discipline, and which has been fraught with a variety of lamentable confequences, both among the fecular priests, and also among their various orders, both male and female. thy writers, there have not only been the most filthy fcenes of impurity committed, in many of the convents, among thofe holy fraternities, but innume-rable multitudes of new-born infants made away to prevent the being troubled with them, and to hide their fhame. Much of that villany was discovered If we many credit very wor * Here again our national church has unhappily joined the mother of harlots. See the abfolution of the fick. |