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the sprinkling of holy water, or a mixture of falt and common water, at going into and coming out of places. of public worship; the lighting up of a great number of lamps and wax-candles, in broad day-light, before the altars and ftatues of their deities; the hanging up of votive offerings and rich prefents as atteftations of fo many miraculous cures and deliverances from difeafes. and dangers; the canonization or deification of deceased worthies; the affigning of diftinct provinces or prefectures to departed heroes and faints; the worshipping and adoring of the dead in their fepulchres, fhrines, and relics; the confecrating and bowing down to images; the attributing of miraculous powers and virtues to idols; the fetting up of little oratories, altars and ftatues, in the ftreets and highways, and on the tops of mountains; the carrying of images and relics in pompous proceffions with numerous lights, and with mufic and finging; flagellations at folemn feasons, under the notion of penance; the making a fanctuary of temples and churches; a great variety of religious orders and fraternities of priests; the fhaving of priests, or the tonfure, as it is called, on the crown of their heads; the impofing of celibacy and vows of chastity on the religious of both fexes; all thefe and many more rites and ceremonies are equally parts of Pagan and of Popish fuperftition. Nay the very fame temples, the very fame altars, the very fame images, which once were confecrated to Jupiter and the other demons, are now reconfecrated to the virgin Mary and the other faints. The very fame titles and infcriptions are afcribed to both; the very fame prodigies and miracles are related of these as of thofe. In fhort the whole almost of Paganifm is converted and applied to Popery; the one is manifeftly formed upon the fame plan and principles as the other; fo that there is not only a conformity, but even an uniformity in the worship of ancient and modern, of Heathen and Christian Rome.

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III. Such an apoftafy as this of reviving the doctrins of demons and worthiping the dead, was not likely to fucceed and take place immediately; it fhould prevail and profper in the latter times. The phrafe of the latter times

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or days, or the laft times or days, as it hath been obferved upon (2) a former occafion, fignifies any time yet to come; but denotes more particularly the times of Chriftianity. So we find it ufed by fome of the ancient phets, as for example Ifaiah, Micah, and Joel. Ifaiah faith (II. 2.) And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's houfe fhall be eftablished in the top of the mountains, and fhall be exalted above the kills; and all nations fhall flow unto it. Micah to the fame purpose, and almoft in the fame words, (IV. 1.) But in the last days it fhall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord fhall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people Shall flow unto it. And Joel, as he is quoted by St. Peter, (Acts II. 16, 17.). But this is that which was fpoken by the prophet Joel; And it fhall come to pass in the laft days (faith God). I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh. The times of Chriftianity may properly be called the latter times or days, or the last times or days, because it is the laft of all God's revelations to mankind. Daniel alfo having measured all future time by the fucceffion of four principal kingdoms, and having affirmed that the kingdom of Chrift fhould be fet up during the laft of the four kingdoms, the phrafe of the latter times or days, or of the last times or days, may ftill more properly fignify the times of the Chriftian difpenfation. Thus it is applied by the author of the Epiftle to the Hebrews, (Heb. I. 1, 2.) God, who, at fundry times, and in divers manners, pake in time paft unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in thefe laft days fpoken unto us by his Son. Thus alfo St. Peter, (1 Pet. I. 20.) Chrift verity was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifeft in thefe last times for you.

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But there is a farther notation of time in the prophet Daniel; there are the laft times taken fingly and comparatively, or the latter times (as I may fay after Mr. Mede) of the last times, which are the times of the little horn or of Antichrift, (Dan. VII.) who fhould arife during the latter part of the laft of the four kingdoms,

(2) In Differtation IV.

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and fhould be deftroyed together with it, after having continued a time, and times, and half a time, What thefe times fignify, and how they are to be computed, hath been shown in a (3) former differtation: and it is in reference to thefe times efpecially, that many things under the gofpel-difpenfation are predicted to fall out in the batter times or days, or in the last times or days. So St. Peter fpeaketh (2 Pet. III. 3.) There shall come in the last days fcoffers walking after their own lufts. So too St. Jude, (ver. 17, 18.) Beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jefus Chrift; How that they told you, there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lufts. So likewife St. Paul, (2 Tim. III. 1.) This know alfo that in the last days perilous times fhall come. Thefe alfo are the latter times spoken of in the text. In thefe times the worship of the dead fhould principally prevail; and that it hath fo prevailed, all mankind can teftify. The practice might begin before, but the popes have authorized and established it by law. The popith worship is more the worship of demons than of God or Chrift.

IV. Another remarkable peculiarity of this prophecy is the folemn and emphatic manner in which it is delivered, The Spirit fpeaketh exprefly. Every one will readily apprehend, that by the Spirit is meant the holy Spirit of God, which, infpired the prophets and apoftles. So the Spirit (Acts VIII. 29.) faid unto Philip, Go near, and join thyfelf to this chariot. So the Spirit (Acts X. 19.) faid unto Peter, Behold three men feek thee. So the Spirit (Rev. XIV. 13.) faith, Bleffed are the dead who die in the Lord, that they may reft from their labors. But these things the Spirit only faid; it is not affirmed, that he faid them exprefly. The Spirit's fpeaking exprefly, as (4) Erafmus and others expound it, is his fpeaking precifely and certainly, not obfcurely and involvedly, as he was wont to fpeak in the prophets and Whitby argues farther, that in thofe times of pro

(3) In Differtation XIV.

(4) Plus præfcriptè five præcisè, non obfcurè et involutè, quemadmo

dum loqui folet in prophetis. Erafin. in locum Whitby ibid.

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and qualities of the authors and promoters of it. Caftalio therefore very properly (5) tranflates εν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων through the diffimulation of men fpeaking lies: I have added men, fays he, left fpeaking lies and what follows should be referred to demons or devils. It is plain then that the great apoftafy of the latter times was to prevail through the hypocrify of liars having their confcience feared with a hot iron: and hath not the great idolatry of Chriftians, and the worship of the dead particularly, been diffufed and advanced in the world by fuch inftruments and agents, who have (Rom. I. 25.) changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and ferved the creature more than the Creator, who is bleffed for ever? It is impoffible to relate or enumerate all the various falfehoods and lies, which have been invented and propagated for this purpofe; the fabulous books forged under the names of apoftles, faints, and martyrs; the fabulous legends of their lives, actions, fufferings, and deaths; the fabulous miracles afcribed to their fepulchres, bones, and other relics; the fabulous dreams and revelations, vifions and apparitions of the dead to the living; and even the fabulous faints, who never existed but in the imagination of their worthippers: And all thefe ftories the monks, the priests, the bifhops of the church, have impofed and obtruded upon mankind, it is difficult to fay, whether with greater artifice or cruelty, with greater confidence or hypocrify and pretended fanctity, a more hardened face or a more hardened confcience. The hiftory of the church, faith Pascal, is the hiftory of truth; but as written by bigotted papifts, it is rather the hiftory of lies. So well doth this prophecy coincide and agree with the preceding one, that the coming of the man of fin fhould be after the working of Satan with all power, and figns, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.

VI. A farther character of thefe men is given in the following words, Forbidding to marry. The fame hypocritical liers, who fhould promote the worship of demons, fhould alfo prohibit lawful marriage. Saturnius

(5) Per fimulationem hominum fal- quorum et fequentia referrentur ad floquorum] Hominum addi, ne falfilo- damonia. Caftal, in locum.

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or Saturnilus, who florifhed in the fecond century, was, as Theodoret (6) affirms, the firft Chriftian, who declared matrimony to be the doctrin of the devil, and exhorted men to abstain from animal food. But according (7) to Irenæus and Eufebius, Tatian, who had been a difciple of Justin Martyr, was the first author of this herefy; at least he concurred in opinion with Saturninus and Marcion; and their followers were called the Continents from their continence in regard to marriage and meats. The Gnoftics likewife, as Irenæus and Clemens Alexandrinus (8) inform us, afferted that to marry and beget children proceeded from the devil; and under pretence of continence were impious both against the creature and creator, teaching that men ought not to bring into the world other unhappy perfons, nor fupply food for death. Other heretics in the third century advanced the fame doctrins, but they were generally reputed heretics, and their doctrins were condemned by the church. The council of Eliberis in Spain, which was held in the year of Christ 305, was I think the first, that by public authority (9) forbad the clergy to marry, and commanded even those who were married to abftain altogether from their wives. The council of Neocæfarea, in the year 314, only (1) forbad unmarried prefbyters to marry on the penalty of degradation. At the firft general council of Nice, in

(6) τον δε γαμεν το πρώτο το διαβολο διδασκαλίαν ονομασε νομοθέλει δε και εμψυχών απεχεσθαι. Nuptias hic primus omnium diaboli doctrinam appellavit. Jubet autem et ab animatis abitinere. Theod. Hæret. Fab. Lib. 1. Cap. 3. p. 194. Tom. 4. Edit. Paris. 1642.

(7) Iren. apud Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. Lib. 4. Cap. 29.

(8) Nubere et generare a Satana dicunt effe. Iren. Lib. 1. Cap. 22. 97. Edit. Grabe. Tois de Evenμws εγκρατείας ασεβεσιν, εις τε την κλισιν και τον δημιυρίου, τον παντοκρατορα μονον Θεον, καὶ διδάσκεσι μη δειν παραδέχεσθαι γαμον και παιδοποιϊαν, μηδε αντεισάγειν τῷ κόσμῳ δυςυχήσοντας ἕτερος, μηδε επιχορηγείν τῷ θανάτῳ

VOL. II.

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