Works, Treatise · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
That Idolatry is the main Character of the Churche's Apostasie, proved by Three Arguments.
HAVING therefore by so many Arguments made apparent (as I hope) what I endeavoured to prove; I desire we may observe, among so many Corruptions both now and heretofore overwhelming the Church of Christ, what that is wherein the Holy Ghost placeth the Essence, and accounteth as the very Soul of the Great Apostasie under the Man of sin, and would have us to make the Pole-star of our discovery thereof. Not every Errour, not every Heresie, how foul soever; but foreign, Idolatry and Spiritual Fornication. As for other Heresies, though accompanying this, yet are they but accidental, and not of the Essence of the Great Apostasie which was to come. Even as Whores are seldom without other foul faults, which yet are no parts of whoredom: so hath the Spiritual whore many other Heresies, but her Whoredom is only Idolatry and the Doctrine of Daemons.
Neither is Heresie of itself, no, though damnable Heresie, a character whereby the Great Apostasie can be known from other Sects and Blasphemies. Foul Heresies were in the first Ages of the Church, yet Antichrist and his time were neither of them yet come. When his time approched nearer, the Arrians, Macedonians, Nestorians, Eutychians, were abominable Hereticks; and the Arrians posses…ed for a time the face of the visible Church; yet was not theirs the solemn Apostasie looked for.
But Idolatry or Spiritual Whoredom, 1 Thes. 1. 9. Conversion to Christionity is described, … … from Idols to serve the true and living God, and to … Son Iesu… Christ; therefore Apostasie therefrom is a return to Idols from the living and true God and his Son Iesus Christ.which in that storm the Devil was a working, this is the only character and note whereby the Apostasie under the Man of sin is discovered and distinguished from all other Blasphemies, Sects and Heresies of what age or time soever.
Which that I may not seem to ground only upon the exposition of my Text, which whatsoever the probability thereof be, may yet be thought alone too weak to support the weight of so main a Conclusion; I desire you to take these Arguments for a full confirmation thereof: some of them have already been intimated, but now all are mus…red up together.
1. That Babylon is intituled in the Revelation of S. Iohn, not the Liar of Babylon, nor the Tyrant of Babylon, nor the Heretick of Babylon, nor the Murtheress of Babylon, but the Whore of Babylon, yea that Great Whore, and the Mother of the fornications and abominations of the earth. Doth not God (think we) give the name as he accounts the nature? Or is there any one will deny that this Babylon is that Mystery of iniquity which our Apostle so calleth, as being in opposition to the great foreign Mystery of true worship and Religion? If any should, foreign *Rev. 17. 5.Mystery Babylon, in her forehead, would help to reclaim him. And what Whore is that with whom*Vers. 2. the Kings and Nations and Kingdoms of the earth commit fornication? can it be any other but a spiritual Whore? Without question therefore S. Iohn means no other thing here than what he foretold in the eleventh chapter, That the Second and outmost court of the Temple, (which is the Second state of the Christian Church) together with the holy City should be troden down and overtrampled by the Gentiles forty two months, that is, overwhelmed with the Idolatry of the Gentiles, which is foreign, as long as power shall be given to the Beast to make war with the Saints, as long as the Witnesses must wear sackcloth, and the Woman which escaped the fury of the Ethnical Dragon be fed in the wilderness.
2. S. Paul tells us,2 Thes. 2. 9. &c. that the Great Apostasie should enter by strong delusions, by signs and lying wonders: Consider then what Corruptions of the Christian Faith were thus ushered in. To begin with the beginning and First Corruption of that kind. Invocation of Saints, with the Adoration of their Shrines and Reliques, how were these advanced in the Church? was it not by miraculous cures of the sick, healing of the lame, restoring of the blind, yea raising of the dead (as seemed) by the only touch and aire sometimes of the Shrines and Reliques of Souls deceased? was it not still confirmed by strange Apparitions and other means wonderful to hear, for discovery of Bones and Reliques unknown and forgotten, yea of men whose names they had never heard of before? and, which I shall shew better hereafter, no such experience for three hundred years together observed in the Church, until the fatal and fixed time began to enter. The worshipping of Images (the Second, for time, of the Churche's Fornications) was not this also allured and at length fully ratified by like Signs and Miracles shewed upon those who approached them in their devotions? Read the Legend, and see what store there is of strong delusions and lying wonders. That which for time came in last, but deserves a place among the foremost, I mean the Idolatry of Mass and Adoration of the Breaden God, search and see if it also be not thus attended. If all this be true, then would I know what Doctrine of theirs besides was installed with these solemnities. There is but one only left for exception, and that is Purgatory: But what if all the delusions of Purgatory, with all the Apparitions of Purgatorian Ghosts, were but an indirect device of Satan, aiming partly to advance the Mass into an Idol by the miraculous efficacy (as the Ghosts forsooth report) of the oblation thereof for them;2 Thess. 2. partly to instal the Son of perdition (a Daemon … yet spake not of, and yet a Daemon) to sit as God in the Temple and Throne of Christ, with the keys of*Apocal. 1. 18. Hades and death, to deliver them? What stronger presumption can there be of this than the Event, and that the errour of Purgatory had so long been working before the Devil seemed to know how to make this use of it, which at length he spied out and plied lustily with Signs and Wonders? If all this be true, then it follows still that it is Spiritual Fornication which the Holy Ghost in Scripture intendeth, and the Event hath marked out for the Soul of Antichristian abomination and impiety. But of the matter of Miracles and lying wonders more in the Second part of my Text, which is the proper place thereof.
3. And lastly, The Great Apostasie is a thing proper to foreign the Latter times; (which I will shew, when I come at it, to be the last times of the Fourth Kingdom of Daniel, Dan. 7. 25. & alibi.) But amongst all other Corruptions, only the Spiritual fornication of the Church and Spouse of Christ will be found proper to these times.