The Name Mark and Number of the Beast, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. A brief Description of the Doctrine of S. Paul, 2 Thess. 2. And how he doth fully agree with the present Interpretation.
ALl Interpreters and Writers, in a manner, do agree in this, That the Beast, his Name, and Image, spoken of Rev. 13. are all one and the same in substance with the description of the Great Antichrist in the Thessalonians. Let us come to the words of the Text.
Vers. 1. & 2. Now we beseech you, Brethren, by the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by our gathering together to him, that ye be not soon shaken in minde, nor be troubled, neither by Spirit▪ nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as though the day of Christ were at hand. In these words, there is some darkness in our English Translation: for whereas the Translation hath it, We beseech you, Brethren, by the coming of the Lord; the word in the Original is, foreign, for the cause of the coming of the Lord. The Apostle in the former Epistle, having spoken of the coming of Christ to Judgement; of the Resurrection from the Dead; and the taking up of those that should remain, to meet the Lord in the air: Hereupon, certain among the Thessalonians mistaking the meaning of the Apostle, did conclude, That the Day of Judgement, and the general Assembly of the Saints, was then at hand. Now to diminish this opinion, the Apostle doth exhort them in these words, I beseech you, Brethren, foreign, for the cause of the coming of Christ to Iudgement, foreign, for the matter or cause of our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in minde, nor be troubled, either by Spirit, by word, or by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. This sheweth plainly, That they did mistake the Apostle in his former Epistle, and did understand his words, as though Christ should come presently to Judgement. Now for their better information, he proceedeth.
Vers. 3. Let no man deceive you by any means; for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and the Man of Sin be revealed, the Son of Perdition. He plainly sheweth, what things should precede the coming of Christ; to wit, A general defection from the Faith, and the revelation of the Man of Sin. And this, I take it, doth fully open the meaning of our Saviours words in the Gospel, concerning the woful state of the Church in the latter times. He speaketh plainly, that many false Christs shall arise, and shall deceive, if it were possible, the very Elect, Matth. 24. 5, 23, 24. Now to what times can we better refer this, then to the times of Antichrist, to the times of the Apostacy, in which men shall depart from the Faith, and shall give heed to the Doctrine of Devils? 1 Tim. 4. 1.
Now whereas the Apostle saith, That there shall come a falling away first: Some of the Ancients, as Hierom, did understand this, of the defection from the Roman Empire. Though this be a truth, yet it is not the meaning of the Text: For, the falling away here meant, is, foreign, a falling away from the true Faith, or from the pure Worship of God. So the word is used commonly in the New Testament: and the sense of the Text doth plainly shew, That God gave men up to delusions, to believe lies, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. The words then do not intend a Civil, but a Spiritual apostacy or falling away. Further, whereas it is said, And the Man of Sin shall be revealed, the Son of Perdition: Here is a great question, Whether the times of the Apostacy, and the Revelation of the Man of Sin, do begin all at one instant? Some will have this to be a Figure, which the Rhetoricians call Hendyadys: But they are deceived; for the words are plain, that a falling away from the Faith, should be by degrees: and when this Apostacy should come to some ripeness and maturity, then the Man of Sin should be revealed. For how is it possible, that the Christian Church should degenerate so far from Christ, to take Antichrist for her Head; but she must be moulded, prepared and wrought by degrees for such a rebellion? And for that expression, The Man of Sin; whereas the Romish Interpreters, and Hugo Grotius in his Tract de Antichristo, do take this for one individual Man, herein they are monstrous absurd. For if he be one Man, as they suppose, then the Apostle tells us, That he was secretly conceived in those first times, the Mystery of Iniquity did then begin to work. And he further addeth, that he shall continue till the last times, whom the Lord shall consume with the word of his mouth, and shall abolish with the brightness of his coming. Upon these grounds, if the Man of Sin be one individual Man, he must needs be very longlived, he must live in a manner from the first to the second coming of Christ. But leaving them to make good their own conceits, to speak positively, The Man of Sin meant in the Text, is, A State, or a Succession of Men in a State or Government: for Iohn in the Revlation doth call this Tyrannical Empire, by the Title of a Beast; which all do know, in the sense of the Prophets, doth intend an Idolatrous or a persecuting Empire. He is called, The Man of Sin, by a singular Emphasis, as being exceeding sinful, and the cause of sin to others: for so it is said in the Scriptures, Ieroboam the son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin. And if he be the Man of Sin, it is no hard matter to render a reason why he should be called, The childe of Perdition. This Title was sometimes given to Iudas: While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy Name; those that thou gavest me, have I kept, and none of them is lost, save the Son of Perdition, Joh. 17. 12. In the next words, the Apostle doth describe him according to his nature.
Ver. 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or is worshipped: So that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. For his opposing himself, this is spoken in relation to Christ, as he is King, Priest and Prophet. So the Beast in the Revelat. is set in immediate opposition against the Lamb, as if he were another Christ, the Rival of his Kingly Power and Dignity. And whereas he doth exalt himself above all that is called God; Interpreters do ordinarily take this for Magistrates, whether Inferior or Superior; above all which, Antichrist must advance himself. The expression above all that is called God, is a style too diminuent to express the true God by: There be ma…y that be called Gods; yet to us there is but one God, 1 Cor. 8. 5. This is spoken of Magistrates, that they are called Gods; and above all these, Antichrist, as he doth pretend himself Universal Head of the Church, shall exalt himself. Further, whereas it is said, that he sits in the Temple of God; this is meant of the Church of God, where God is worshipped in the time of the New Testament, as he was in the Temple of Ierusalem of old. Now that the Church is called, The Temple of God, is clear from that of the Apostle, Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God? and, The Temple of God is holy, which ye are, 1 Cor. 3. 16. The result of the whole speech, is this, That Antichrist shall sit in the Universal Church, as in his Episcopal See: for so the word in the Original doth signifie, Cathedraticâ potestate praesidere. By these words it is plain, That the formality of Antichristianism, lies in the Universal Headship. For when the Apostle doth describe the Great Antichrist by his nature, he saith, That he sitteth in the Church of God, as the supreme Lord and Ruler. Therefore if that be true which I have so largely dispured in the Body of the Treatise, That the Name of the Beast is no other, but his Universal Power and Headship over the Church of God; then I will leave any man to consider, Whether one and the same thing is not here spoken by S. Paul, in the Epistle to the Thessalonians: He as God, sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. And hath not the Bishop of Rome for 1000 years, put himself in the place of Christ, as the Head and Law-giver to the Church of Christ? But the Apostle goes on.
Vers. 5. Remember you …ot when I was with you, I told you these things? We reade in Acts 20. when the … sent to Ephesus, he called for the E…ders of the Church; he told them, that grievous Wolves should come, and that they should not spare the stock. The same things in effect he spake among the Thessalonians, when he did foreshew the decay of the Christian faith, and the revelation of the Man of Sin. Now for the time of his coming, and the knowledge they had o… that time, he hath these words.
Vers. 6. And now ye know what with hol…eth, … he may be revealed in his time. …y the foreign the thing that doth withhold, all Interpreters, for the most part, … understand the Great Empire of the Romans. For as long as the M…jesty of that Empire did stand, it would keep … the dominion of Antichrist, who should ari…e. What knowledge the … Thessalonians had of this, is doubtful: yet there i… nothing more …ure, then that the Ancient Writers, … as lived before the fall of the Empire, did believe, That when this … … come, then the Man of Sin should be revealed▪ Among many others, when Hierom heard of the taking of Rome by the R…me, he did make application of this Scripture, that then the Man of Sin was at the doors. Now whereas some Interpreters think, that we cannot shew any precise time of the coming of Antichrist, they divide themselves into sundry opinions: And therefore some speak of his Conception, some of his Birth, some of his higher advancement into the Throne, and some of the full Perfection of his Power. Others there are, that take all these together, and tell us, That he was conceived in the Primitive Times, born about the times of Constantane, set up in the Throne under the Emperor Phocas, and raised to the high pitch, when he did assume the Power of both Swords. But all these are but conceits of mens own Commenting. For the time of the revelation of the Man of Sin, must not be as every one will feign it at his own pleasure, but as it is positively and plainly set down in the Word of Truth. Now if we go to the scope of the Context, the Great Empire of the Roman, the impediment that hindred must be taken away, and then after that, the Man of Sin must be revealed, foreign, in his definite and determinate time. There is then a precise. definite, and determinate time, for the revelation of the Man of Sin; and this must be after the fall of the old Empire. N…w according to these grounds, there can be no other time intended, but when he was installed Oecumenical Bishop under the Emperor Phocas. It is clear by the Stories of the Church, That the Empire fell, and the Kings arose in the fifth Century. And after that, in the year 606 from the birth of the Lord, and in the year 666 from the beginning of the Roman as the fourth Metal-Kingdome, the Bishop of Rome was declared Universal Head over all Churches in the times of the Emperor Phocas. In this year he was revealed, and declared to the world, in such a manner, as the Apostle doth describe him: for in this year he did begin to sit in the Church, or in the Temple of God, as in Cathedrá, as Oecumenical and Universal Bishop and Head of the Church. And so we have the particular time when Antichrist was revealed, foreign, in his definite time. This we take to be the natural sense of the Text: for if these two things be supposed, First, that the beeing of the Man of Sin lies essentially in his Headship over the Church and Temple of God. Secondly, that he did appear in his proper time, after the fall of the old Empire: What other thing can here be signified or decyphered, but that which we speak of, to wit, that the Number 666 in the Revelation, doth point out the time of the rising of this Spiritual Monarchy? For as we have formerly shewed, the year 606, according to the calculation of the times in Daniel, is the Number 666, the Number of the Name or Universal Headship of the Beast. And thus we see how the scope of the Apostle in this Scripture, doth fully answer our Interpretation, concerning the Name of the Beast, and the Number of the Name. Now let us go to the words of the Apostle, as they follow.
Vers. 7, 8. For the Mystery of Iniquity doth already work: onelyonly he who now letteth, will let, till he be taken out of the way; and then shall that wicked one be revealed. Here Interpreters do inquire, what is meant by the Mystery of Iniquity. Some do think, that the Apostle doth refer to those Heresies in the first times, that were previous to the bringing in of the Man of Sin. But how could those gross Heresies be so called? The Mystery of Iniquity did incroach upon the Church, and upon godly men, under the appearance of the greatest holiness. Secondly, suppose that in those first times there were some beginnings of Free-will, Justification by the Merit of Man; yet these things are not to our purpose: for we are here specially to look after such a working of the Mystery of Iniquity, as makes way for the Papacy, or the Papal Government, or the Universal Headship of Antichrist, that he shall sit as Lord, or chief Ruler in and over the Church and Temple of God. The question is, What previous workings were there in the Apostles days, and so downwards, towards the setting up of the Universal Headship. For this is to the scope of the Text, and this doth answer the matter in hand. Let us therefore consult with other Scriptures. S. Iohn saith, Ye have heard that Antichrist shall come: even so the spirit of Antichrist is already in the world, 1 Joh. 4. 3. What doth he mean by this, that the spirit of Antichrist was already in the world? He doth explain himself in his third Epistle, and the 9th verse, I would have wrote unto the Church, but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the pre-eminence, suffereth us not. It appears from hence then, that in those first times men did affect that foreign, that Primacy or Headship in and over the Church of God. Here then the Mystery of Iniquity did begin to work in those first times. But lest any man might alledge, that these incroachments were too gross; and that the Mystery of Iniquity must be carried on with greater shews of holiness, that very godly men themselves might be deceived by it: For the clearing of this, let us consider, That the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome, is built upon the Primacy of Peter over the rest of the Apostles: and for the Primacy of Peter, there were some beginnings thereof in the very Apostles days. His Authority was so great, that it seemed to be a Law. Paul chargeth him, that he did compel the Gentiles to be circumcised, Gal. 2. 13, 14. I demand then, How did he compel them? Not by Precept or Command; not by any coercive Power, but by his Example. His Authority was so great in the Consciences of the People of those times, that is seemed to be a Law: And Barnabas himself also was drawn away with their dissimulation. S. Paul also, an eminent Apostle, seemed to be nothing in comparison of Peter: for so he expresseth himself; Iames, and Iohn, and Cephus, which seemed to be Pillars, Gal. 2. 9. Such credit had Peter with the Faithful in those first times. And truly, after his death it was not diminished: for the ancient Fathers of the Church, conceiving him to be Bishop of Rome, did ascribe more then too much to his Successors, and to that Succession for his sake: At least, the Bishops of Rome themselves did take too much upon them, under that consideration. And this did go on, and increase so by degrees, that it did never leave, till it came at that pitch at last, that the Bishop of Rome was declared Universal Head of the Church. And this Universal Headship, we call the Name of the Beast; and the time of the Institution, and remarkable appearance thereof, the Number of the Name. And look as the ancient Church, having a Promise of the coming of Christ, were held in expectation about the time of his coming: So the Christian Church, being forewarned of the coming of Antichrist, were also bu…ied about the times of his coming. Now for the means to understand the time when it should be: First, they were to look to the Revolution of Empires: Secondly, to the Number of years, to the setting up of that State or Government. For the Revolution of Empires, the Apostle saith, He that letteth, will let, till he be taken out of the way. All the Ancients did understand this of the fall of the Empire; and when the Empire should be removed, then they did believe that the Man of Sin should be revealed in his time. Again, we have further proved, That the time of his coming is not onelyonly discoverable by the Changes and Revolutions of Empire, but by the Number of years. For if you reckon 666 years from the beginning of the Roman as the fourth Metal-Kingdome, you will come punctually, prec…ely, and determinately, to the Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome, under the Emperor Phocas. And this is that which the Apostle d… mainly treat of in this Chapter, That when A… …, …e shall sit as God in the Temple of God; that is, he … sit in the Church, as in his Ep…opal …ee. From the …ope of the whole, it is clear, That the formality of …, d…h lie in the Universal Headship. And for the time of the revelation thereof, the Apostle saith, It must be after the removal of the old Empire, and then the Man of Sin shall be revealed in his time. Now this time can be no other, but in the decree of the Universal Headship, under the Emperor P…ocas, 666 years from the beginning of the Roman as the fourth Metal-Kingdome. And so Iohn in the Revelation, and Paul in the Thessalonians, do agree in one and the same sense; and both Scriptures do facere paria.
Now then, to gather up all into one sum. Seeing the truth of our Interpretation is verified in all the particulars of the Text, Rev. 13. Seeing also it is confirmed by the whole sense of the Chapter, Rev. 17. Seeing also it agreeth with all the Principles and Grounds throughout the whole Prophecy. And last of all, seeing it doth fully con…ent with the scope of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Th…ssalonians: We may safely conclude, That we have given a right Exposition of the meaning of the Spirit; and have truly shewed, what is meant by the Beast, his Name, Image, Mark, and the Number of his Name. Now we will come to the practical part, to the use of the Point.