Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

of the church upon confcientious diffenters in fuch speculative and abstruse matters as these, and to deprive them of the necessary comforts of this life for it, and thus to over-awe them to take that for the inspired will · ' of God, which they would apprehend to be no more at best than the philosophical exercises of men's wits, ⚫ did plainly manifeft a fomewhat too affuming spirit in 'the government of the church in those days1o.'

[ocr errors]

Perhaps it will be urged, that the excellence of Conftantine's character forbids fuch an explication of the prophecy as Mr. Evanson has fuggefted. But the faft is, that a man may, by acts of perfecution and the exercife of spiritual tyranny, betray the genuine features of the man of fin, and come fairly within the line of the prophetic description, though his actions fhould be far from being particularly vicious. Besides, is it not true, that the excellency of this emperor's character is rather problematical"? It muft,' fays Mofheim, be confeffed, that the life and actions of this prince were not fuch as the Christian religion demands from those who 'profefs to believe its fublime doctrines". That he should have taken away the lives of fo many of his relations, had not his difpofition been cruel, feems fcarcely credible. He put to death, fays Dr. Lardner, Maximian Herculius, his wife's father; Baffianus, husband of his fifter Anaftafia; Crifpus, his own fon; Fausta, his wife; Licinius, husband of his fifter Constantia ; and Licinianus, or Licinius the younger, his nephew.' Crifpus, at the time when Conftantine deprived him of that life which he had once given him, was 25 years of

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Judgm. on the Rom. Ch. p. 56.

[ocr errors]

"The character of Conftantine, fays Mr. Gibbon,' has fixed the atten'tion, and divided the opinions, of mankind.' Decl. and Fall of the R. E. vol. III. p. 99.

2 Eccl. Hift. vol. I. p. 262.

age;

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

age; and, fays Dr. Lardner, a perfon of great qualifications, who had been ferviceable to his father in the wars with the Franks and with Licinius.-Eufebius

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

[ocr errors]

13.1

⚫ would have excused this thing, if he had been able; but he faw no other method he could take, but to pass it by in utter filence.-The younger Licinius could not then be more than a little above eleven years of age, if fo much: he is also spoken of as a hopeful youth 13.' Like most other members of the English hierarchy, bp. Newton applies the prophecy under confideration exclusively to the pope of Rome; and defçribes the man of fin as not having been fully manifefted before the eighth century 14, when Pepin and Charlemagne attacked and defeated the kings of Lombardy on behalf of the pontiffs, and laid the foundation of their independent authority 15. But furely the coming of the man of fin cannot be explained of the papal power; because he was already come, and had long been so, before the power of the pontiffs was established or acknowledged in Europe, One fhould be tempted to fufpect, were not the

There is reafon to
But his belief was

13 Lardner's works, 1788, vol. IV. p. 174, 176. think, that Constantine was a believer in Christianity. vain, for it produced not the fruits of virtuous conduct. When a Chriftian, he behaved far worse than he had before done when a pagan. Mr. Gibbon afferts, and the affertion is not entirely deftitute of foundation, that ' as he gradually advanced in the knowledge of truth, he proportion$ ably declined in the practice of virtue.' vol. III. p. 274. 'It is pro'bable,' fays archdeacon Paley, that Constantine declared himself on the fide of the Chriftians, because they were the powerful party.' Evid. of Christianity, vol. III. p. 37. Not very different is the language of Dr. Lardner. Speaking of Conftantine and Maxentius, he says, of those who * were contending for worldly power and empire, one actually favoured 'and flattered them, and another may be fufpected to have joined himself to them, partly from confiderations of intereft. So greatly had this

6

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

people increased under external disadvantages of all forts!' vol. IV. P. 161.

[ocr errors]

14 See vol. II. p. 389--385.

19 This was in the years 754, 755, and 774.

fact

fact known to be otherwife, that there was a wide chaẩm in ecclefiaftical history, and that the bp. of Bristol, and those who coincide with him in fentiment, had never read of the fundamental corruptions, which were incorporated with Christianity between the commencement of the Fourth, and that of the Eighth, century. In truth, the Fourth century was the period, in which almost every kind of spiritual ufurpation, and almost every fpecies of fuperftition, were introduced and encouraged. To those who doubt whether the ufurpations and fuperftitions of that century were tinged with the dark stain of antichriftianifm, I recommend, as worthy of their attention, firft the words of our apostle, who declares, that even in his days the mystery of iniquity was already working; and fecondly thofe of St. John, who fays in his first epiftle, many falfe teachers are gone out into the world, and again a verse or two farther, speaking of the fpirit of antichrift, that even now already is it in the world".

The man of fin is reprefented by St. Paul as not merely domineering in the church of Chrift, but domineering there as if he were a God. And which of the eftablished churches of Europe has not affumed claims, and exercised powers, which only omnifcience and infallibility would authorize? In fome refpects, indeed, the proteftant hierarchies have violated the rights of conscience and of private judgment in a more indecent manner than the church of Rome herfelf. The Papifts, fays archdeacon Blackburne, in the controverfies carried on between them and the Proteftants, alleged (what indeed was very true) that the most confiderable of the points in difpute among THEM had never been decided e ca

[ocr errors]

16 In the common verfion it is prophets; in Mr. Wakefield's, teachers. 17 IV. 1, 3. In ch. ii. of the fame epiftle he had said (v. 18), even now are there MANY ANTICHRISTS:

thedra,

1

thedra, and fo were left open to amicable debate with'out breach of unity; whereas the doctrines contro'verted among Proteftants were folemnly established in ' their feveral confeffions, and the confeffions themselves ' ratified by oaths, fubfcriptions, &c. and the belief of 'them thereby made an indispensable condition of com'munion 18.'

But I will again quote the words of the apostle, who describes the man of fin as a perfonage, who oppofeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, fo that he as God fitteth in the temple of God, fhewing himself that he is God. The dominion of the man of fin, fays Mr. Wakefield in his paraphrafe on this paffage, 'minion, directed to the

[ocr errors]

will not be a political docivil and fecular concerns of

'the community: his tribunal will not be placed in a ⚫ common court of juftice, but in the temple of God. He will feat himself on the throne of the Almighty, ' and act as his representative and fubftitute. His laws, 'like thofe of Jehovah, who knoweth the heart, will extend to the minds and confciences of his fubjects, fo that their faith and their very thoughts, fhall be reguflated by his dictates, and fubmit themfelves to his ' authority 19.'

Of fuch perfons as acknowledge this antichriftian authority, St. Paul fays, that they shall be under strong delufion, that they should believe a lie 20. And furely this is not a diftinctive mark of the church of Rome. Not only her members, but thofe alfo of the Greek church and of other hierarchies are deluded into the be

18 Confeffional, 3d ed. p. 10.

19 Four Marks of Antichrift, p. 13.

20 V. 11.

In another of his epiftles, St. Paul fays, the time will come, when profeffed Christians will not endure found doctrine, but-fhall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables. II. Tim, iv. 3, 4,

lief of opinions altogether false", and fervilely accommodate their faith to that of the priesthood. It is not in her creeds alone, but in those alfo of other churches, that doctrines, alike unfounded and pernicious, are not merely authoritatively enjoined, but are likewise reprefented as effential to falvation.

[ocr errors]

The general immorality of the apoftate Chriftians,' fays the writer of the letter to bp. Hurd, was also ' plainly intimated to the Theffalonians,' in the prophecy of the man of fin. Thus in v. 12 thofe deceived by him are fpoken of as having pleafure in unrighteousness. "And the whole world,' fays Mr. Evanson, is witness, how truly this predicted circumftance hath been fulfilled in the lives of nominal Chriftians of every country in Christendom, from the beginning of the fourth century to the prefent hour. From this mark ⚫ and character of Antichrift at least, (though it be, with

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

out doubt, the worst and most deplorable of all,) even Proteftant churches cannot plead exemption 22.2

But the authority of the man of fin, however firmly eftablished, and univerfally extended, is not deftined to be perpetual. The Lord fhall confume him with the Spirit of his mouth, and fhall deftroy him with the brightnefs of his coming. We are affured by the apostle, says Mr. Evanson in his paraphrase on these words,' that at length this impious tyranny would decline, and gra'dually be consumed, by the restoration of the genuine 'doctrine of Chrift's Gofpel, here metaphorically called the breath of his mouth: and will be finally deftroyed

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

at that grand revolution of human affairs, which is fo

21 Thofe of the Pretended Reformed Religion acknowledge,' fays Boffuet, the celebrated bifhop of Meaux, that the catholic church em'braces all the fundamental articles of the Chriftian religion.' Expos. of the Doct. of the Cath, Ch. translated into Eng. Lond. 1686. p. 2.

22 P.

31.

• fre

« AnteriorContinuar »