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(3.) Others would have the unbelieving Jews, who perfecuted the Chriftians before the deftruction of Jerufalem, and made many of them apoftatize to Judaism, to be the Man of Sin, &c. But this interpretation appears to me to be not well-grounded. For, tho' the unbelieving Jews, did, indeed, perfecute the Chriftians; yet they were not united under any one eminent head, or leader. They were never able to exalt themselves above all, that is called a God, or an Emperor, i. e. above all the kings and potentates upon earth. Nor had they, after this time, any one perfon among them, who fate in the temple of GOD, fhewing and manifefting himself to be a God, or to be poffeffed of the power of a king, or temporal monarch.

Nor doth St. PAUL appear to me to be, by any means, he that leted, Ver. 6, 7. For the unbelieving Jews perfecuted the Chriftians after his converfion, as well as before it; nor could he prevent the Apoftafy of the Jewish Chriftians, by laboring (as he generally did) among the Gentile Churches.

Befides, in the Prophesy of St. PAUL, the Apoftafy was (in a great Degree, at least,) to precede the Revelation of the Man of fin; whereas, the perfecuting antichriftian fpirit of the unbelieving Jews was reveled, or mani

fefted,

• See Mr. La-Rache's new Memoirs of Literature, for Sept. 1726.

fefted, before the Apoftafy of the Jewish Chriftians.

And, finally, it is a grand Objection with me against that interpretation, that by the Man of Sin's appearing, and being reveled, is understood his perishing and deftruction. In as much as St. PAUL hath clearly distinguished his coming, and the continuance of his power, from the punishment and perdition, which would be, at laft, inflicted on him by the LORD.

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(4.) "Others, again, would have the unbelieving Jews, who revolted from the Romans, together with the Jewish Converts, who apoftatized from the Chriftians to the Jewish Religion, to be the perfons here " prophefied of." Whereas, what the Apo STLE is here fpeaking of, was an Apoftafy from the true Religion. For fo the Word f αποςασία fignifieth in other places of the New Teftament: And what will lead us to understand it so, in this place, is, that it was to be carried on by "fham miracles, and all the "deceit of unrighteoufneffe; and should pre"vail only among vicious perfons, who had

ἐσ

an enmity to truth, and loved lies and "wickedneffe." But the unbelieving Jews could not apoftatize from the Chriftian Religion; because they had never imbraced it; and the Jewish Chriftians, who did apoftatize,

f Acts xxi. 21. 1 Tim. iv. I. Heb. iii. 12.

had

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had no eminent head or leader, that deferved the name of the Man of Sin, &c.

Dr. Whitby, who is the moft confiderable advocate for this interpretation, plays between the two; and brings in the unbelieving Jews revolting from the Romans, or the Jewish Chriftians falling away from Chriftianity; just as may beft help him out in his hypothefis. But the prophesy itself is uniform, and describes one fort of Apoftafy, quite throughout.

(5.) As Mahomet himself did never profeffe the Chriftian Religion, he could not be called an Apoftate. However, as he made many Chriftians to apoftatize, and built his Religion partly upon the ruine and corruption of Chriftianity, fome think he might (in some fenfe) be faid to fit in the Temple of God. He likewife (tho' he pretended to be an extraordinary Prophet) fhewed himself to be in reality no Prophet, but a temporal Prince; and he arofe after the downfal of the Roman Empire. Which I take to have been the (To xalexov) that which hindered the appearance of the Man of Sin. All this may be said in favor of them who understand this as a prophefy of Mahomet. But then (1.) Suppofe that St. JOHN and St. PAUL prophefied of the fame thing (as I think they did) it is evident that Rome must be the Seat of the grand Impoftor. For Rev. xvii. 9; 18. the City, which food upon feven hills, and then reigned over the Kings of the earth, was to

be

be the feat of this tyrannical Power. (2.) It is a fufficient argument against applying this prophefy to Mahomet, that this wicked one was to come after the working of Satan, with all power and figns and lying wonders, i. e. with great pretenfions to miracles. Whereas Mabomet did not pretend to establish himself and his Imposture by miracles. For, tho' several miracles are afcribed to him, by the fabulous and legendary Writers among the Mahometans; yet their learned men renounce them all. Nor doth Mahomet himself, in the Koran, lay any Claim to them.

(6.) Tho' Rome heathen oppofed Chriftianity very much, and the Emperors exalted themselves above all the Kings and Princes upon the earth; yet this their exaltation was not a thing then to be reveled. Neither did they apoftatize from Christianity, nor fit in the Temple of GOD, nor pretend to establish their power by miracles.

(7.) The Papifts, in their Annotations on the Rhemish New Teftament, interpret this Apoftafy to be" the falling away of the Pro

teftants from the Church of Rome." And fo (by a strange Legerdemain) we are to be the Man of Sin, or his Foreruners at least. Whereas it doth not certainly appear that there was any Chriftian Church at Rome, when St. PAUL wrote this fecond Epistle to the Thefa

See Dr. Prideaux's Life of Mahomet, p. 31. and Mr. Sale's Tranflation of Al Koran, p. 203; 236; 473

Theffalonians. Nor are we united under any one common Head upon earth; nor do we pretend to establish our doctrine by miracles. These and many other things planely fhow, that it is ridiculous to apply this prophesy to the Reformation from Popery.

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As we have rejected thefe Mifinterpretati ons, the next thing is to point out the ApoSTLE'S meaning. And, however difficult it may appear, upon a tranfient reading, to fix the fenfe of fo fhort and general a Prophely as this; I will venture to fay, that no Prophefy could have been more exactly accomplished, than this hath been, in the Bishop of Rome, and his adherents. And therefore, as it agrees to them, and the whole of it to them only; there is the greatest reafon to think, that it was defigned for them; efpecially as it is a fingular event, the like to which never happened before, and (moft probably) never will happen again.

But let us go over the feveral Parts of the Prophesy.

Ver. 3. "Before the coming of the day "of the Lord, there was to happen a Falling away, or an Apoftafy." And, accordingly, what an Apoftafy from the true Chriftian worship, doctrine, and practice, hath happened; and is fupported by the Church of Rome? Inftead of worshiping GOD with fimplicity, and in spirit and truth, they have introduced

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