Zion in Distress, Poem 1 · Part 15
Sion.
THis Beaſt above (a) twelve hundred years has bin
My Mortal Foe, he's call'd (b) The Man of Sin,
(a) The moſt diligent and induſtrious Searchers into the Epocha, or Beginning of Antichriſto as the learned Mede, Alſtedius, Mr. T. L. in his Book intituled A Voice out of the Wilderneſs, Mr. Brightman, Tillinghaſt, with ſeveral other Eminent Men, ſeem harmoniouſly to agree that the Beaſt began his forty two Months, or one thouſand two hundred and ſixty (Prophetical) Days or Years, between the years 365. and 455. and therefore must conſequently end in a ſhort time. See Mr. Mede, page 600, & 601. To confirm which, the witneſs of the best Chronologers, Hiſtorians and Antiquaries concur; as alſo the poſture of the Worlds Affairs, the unuſual working of things, and the awakening Providences of God; which makes us hope, as Mr. Withers affirms, That that glorious Revolution will be in this preſent Age. And though famous Du Moulin, and ſome Others, ſpeake not of the Popes claiming the Title of Univerſal Biſhop, till about the year 604. or 606. when the Traytor Phocas by the help …f Boniface the 3d. murdered the Emperour Mauritius, (in requital of which, the Vſurper Phocas gave the ſaid Boniface that blaſphemous Title, and decreed that the Roman Church ſhould be head of all Churches; Which Platina a Papiſt, and a Writer of the Popes Lives agrees to▪ as Beda, de 6 Aetat Mundi, Paul▪ Diacon. rer. Rom. 18. Hiſtor. Longob. lib. 4. 11. Anaſt. Bibl. Vit. Bon. 3. Ado. Aetat. 6. Reg. Chron. l. 1. Aimon. de geſt. Franc. lib. 4. c. 4.) Yet the ſame Du Moulin ſeems poſitively to affirm, that the Perſecution of the Church under the Pope, ſhall have an end in (or about) the Year, 1689. See his Book entituled, The Accompliſhment of the Prophecies, Pag. 4. 12. Thus Term once expired (ſaith he) the Truth that was appreſt ſhall lift up her head afreſh, and the Witneſſes ſhall be ſeen to ſtand up again, who ſhall aſtoniſh the Church of Rome, &c.
(b) 2 Thes. 2. 3. Man of Sin. foreign, is an Hebraiſm, and imports a perſon given up to Impiety and Wickedneſs, as Pro. 24. 5. foreign vir ſcientiae, a Man of knowledge, that is, Very Knowing, 2 Sam. 16. 8. foreign, vir ſanguinum, A Man of Bloud, that is, one arrived at a non ultra of impiety.
This introducer of blind Superſtition,
Is ſtil'd in Holy Writ, (c) Son of Perdition.
From Hells Abyſs, at firſt he did proc…ed,
As in the Revelations (d) you may read:
'Tis he whom Daniel calls (e) the little Horn,
By whom three more up by the Roots were torn.
(c) foreign, Son of Perdition, is alſo an Hebraiſm, and denotes, One deſigned for deſtruction, as a hopeleſs and graceleſs wretch. Chrysoſt. on 2 Thes. Hom. 3. tells us, he is called ſo becauſe he ſhall be deſtroyed Piſcator and Eraſmus think it may be expounded, one deſperate, and paſt all hope of Honeſty—the perfect Copy of his Original Judas, who is called the Son of Perdition, John 17. 12. for he ſeemed an Angel, yet was a Devil—he was no Heathen, quitted Judaiſm, followed Christ, was an Apoſtle, ſeemed to pity the Poor, pretended great affection to his Maſter, yet betrays him with a Kiſs, lov'd the Bag, hatcht a Villany able to rend the Rocks, and make the Earth quake—In which let all impartial men conſider whether the Romiſh Antichriſt does not exactly Parallel him,
(d) Rev. 11. 7. The Beaſt that a aſcendeth out of that Bottomleſs Pit, &c.
(e) Du Moulin, p. 379. amply demonstrates that the portion of the Roman Empire, which the Pope hath under him hath ſuch proportion in reſpect of the whole Extent of the Roman Empire, as there is of … to 10, that is little leſs than the third Part, agreeable to Dan. 7. 8.