of restoring fight to a man, that had not feen for The laft Character of the Religion of Antichrift here exprefs'd, is the Doctrine of Devils, or of Damons, giving up themselves to deceiving spirits, and to Doctrines of Damons, Devils, or are. The common opinion is, that by the Doctrines The Doof Devils, or of Damons, we are to understand arines of thofe Doctrines, of which the Devil is the Author of Demons and inventor, and that bear upon them a Diabo- what they lical Character. Jofeph Mede hath made a new conjecture upon it, and which I believe we owe to him. He understands by Damons, not wicked Spirits, that are reprefented as dwelling in Hell; but thofe fpirits, which the Heathens worshipt as Mediatours between God and men, whom in truth in their Theology they called Demons. For then the word was not taken in an ill fenfe, and Damons were properly in the Heathen Religion, fecondary Gods, fubject to the great Gods. By the Popery hath cer Authors. the Doctrine of Damons he understands a Doctrine of which Damons are the object, not the authors. And according to him, the sense is, that men in the Antichriftian Religion would renew the Divinity and the worship of these mediatory Spirits called Damons; that Paganism fhall be introduced into the Religion of fefus Chrift; that therein fhall be establifht a fecond order of Divinities, befides the three adorable perfons of the Trinity; that dead men fhall be invocated in this new Paganifm, in the fame manner as was practifed under the old; that their Reliques fhall be honour'd; Statues fhall be erected to them; Images fhall be confecrated for them which fhall be worshipp'd; that Temples fhall be built for them, and facrifices be offer'd to their honour; that apotheofes, or canonizations fhall be renew'd; that Miracles fhall be feign'd to be done by these Images and thefe Demy-Gods; that Trees fhall a new be fet up with Trophies, which are the Croffes, before which men fhall proftrate themfelves; that it fhall be pretended, that God comes to dwell here below in a piece of confecrated bread, juft as in the ancient Paganifm it was pretended, that the Gods by vertue of the confecration came to dwell in their Images. Which interpretation foever we follow, 'tis tainly De- certain, that Antichriftianifm is found here. It is vils for its compofed of Doctrines that are truely Diabolical, and that have Devils for their Authors. 'Tis a Doctrine of Devils, that hath establisht that Tyrant in the Church, who hath exercised fo much fury there, who pretends to be King of Kings, and Lord of the Lords of the Earth; who exalts himself above all that is called God; who faith he can't be judged by any one; but though he Thould fhould lead men to Hell by troops, he must be fuffer'd to do it, and be left to God to be judged. "Tis a Doctrine that hath the Devil for its Au thor, which fets up other objects of worship befides God, that gives Iefus Chrift companions, and believers other Saviours. It was no other than the Devil, that could infpire Chriftians with the thoughts of adoring Images, and bringing in afresh that Paganism, that was once buried. 'Twas the Devil, the father of lies, that form'd that monster of Transfubftantiation, that hath contrived that prophane facrifice of the Mafs; and who of a Sacrament hath made a wretched Idol of it; and fo to keep to the common opinion, the true Religion will not lofe any thing by it. we muft However, I confess I have refolved on fofeph By Do Brines of Mede's fenfe. It hath not been without weigh- Demons ing things; and I did a long time believe, that understand this interpretation was much more ingenious than Doctrines, folid. But after I had well thought on it, I Demijudg'd the quite contrary; and that for thefe Gods for reafons. I. First, This expreffion, Doctrine of Demons, doth not more naturally fignify, that the Doctrine fpoken of hath Demons for its Authors, than it doth that it hath them for its Object. For it is certain, that in all languages thefe forts ofpropofitions are æquivocal. We fay, the love of God, to fignify the love of which God is the object, more naturally than to fignify that love of which he is the Author. We fay, the knowledge of bodies, to fignify that knowledge of which bodies are the objects; the knowledge of the stars, to exprefs Aftrology; a treatise of Angels, to exprefs a book, not made by the Angels, but treating of them. The fame æquivocal speech, and the fame ufage that have their ob ject. ufage is to be met with in the facred books. In the fixth Chapt. of the Epistle to the Hebrews the Heb. 6. 2. Apostle speaks of the Doctrine of Baptifms, i. e. of the Doctrine, that hath Baptifm for its object. Act.13.12, St. Luke faith, that the Pro-conful Sergius was aftonished at the Doctrine of the Lord, i. e. the Gal.2.20. Doctrine treating of the Lord. The faith of the Son A&ts 3. 16. of God, and faith of his name, is the faith,not which By the Do. &rine of Damon's, hath Jefus Chrift for its Author, but its object. And thus you fee, we have already gain'd one point, viz. that Grammar can put in no obstacle to this Interpretation. II. My fecond reason is, because explain it how you will, I am perfwaded that by the Domust be un- Etrine of Devils, or of Damons, is meant the Idothe Idola batry which Antichrift was to re-establish in the try of Po- Church. For this is that which diftinguishes that derstood pery. Religion from the Chriftian Religion, and which renders it abominable. It will be faid, that there are fome things in the Papifm, which are not lefs abominable than its Idolatry, that is, the ufurpation of Jefus Chrifts power by the Pope. Iconfefs it. But befides, that this ufurpation is joined with Idolatry, feeing they make an Idol of the Pope, I fay, there is in Antichriftianifm an Empire and a Religion. The Empire is Diabolical, Tyrannical, Antichriftian, and may well be called an Empire of Devils, as having them for its Authors. And 'tis in this refpect of an Empire and a Tyranny, that St. Paul principally confiders Antichriftianifm in the fecond Chapter of the fe'cond Epistle to the Theffalonians. For there he reprefents the head of this Empire, as a Tyrant that fits himself down on the Throne of God, and was to poffefs the Empire, when he that then held it, was caft down. 'Tis true, that he con fiders it also a little as a Religion; for he calls it a Mystery, and faith, it fhall be eftablifht by falfe figns and falfe miracles. But in this fourth Chap. of the firft Epiftle to Timothy, he confiders Antichriftianifm purely as a Religion, and not as an Empire. Therefore he speaks only of Apoftacy, Spirits, Deceivers, and of Doctrines. Now, that which is most abominable in the Papifm, as 'tis a Religion, is without doubt its Idolatry, and not its herefies; and confequently, this is what we must here understand by the Doctrine of Devils, or of Damons. For the Apostle intends by that to note that which is most criminal in the Papifm. Seeing therefore we must neceffarily understand by these words Doctrine of Damons, the Antichriftian Idolatry, why fhould we not believe, that the Apostle Saint Paul calls it fo by way of allufion, and comparing it with the heathen Religion and Theology? ftianifm is gion, fom I have juft before made a diftinction, which I Antichridefire may be obferved, becaufe 'tis of great ufe confidered for the understanding the Prophecies of the Reve- in the Prophecies, lation, on this argument of the eftate of Anti- fometimes chrift; 'Tis this, that the H. Spirit fometimes as a Relifpeaks of it as of a Religion, fometimes as of an times as an Empire. Indeed, he confiders it much oftner Empire. under the notion of an Empire, than under that of a Religion. In the 13, 14, 16, 17, and 18th of the Revelation, where Antichriftianifm is reprefented as a Beast with two horns or seven heads and ten horns, and as a City called Babylon, 'tis under the Idea of an Empire. For in the Prophetical vifions: Beafts always fignify Kings and Empires: But in the 11th Chap. Antichriftianifm is reprefented as a Religion; for it is called Paganifm, and is fhadowed forth under the emblem of |