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'of the Church, that Antichrist should be connected with the Jews, was expressed long before Julian's time, and that we still possess 'the works in which it is contained. We have the writings of two 'Fathers, both bishops and martyrs of the Church, who lived at 'least one hundred and fifty years before Julian, and less than one 'hundred years after St. John. They both distinctly declare 'Antichrist's connexion with the Jews.

'The one of them speaks as follows: "In the temple, which is at 'Jerusalem, the adversary will sit, endeavouring to show himself to 'be the Christ.""

...' cujus (Dei) jussu hoc, quod est in Hierosolymis, factum est 'Templum, ob eas caussas quæ a nobis dictæ sunt; in quo ad'versarius sedebit, tentans semetipsum Christum ostendere sicut et 'Dominus ait, "Quum autem videritis Abominationem desolationis,"" &c.-Iren. Hær. v. 25.

"Antichrist will be he who shall resuscitate

And the other says, 'the kingdom of the Jews."

...' ὅπερ δέδεικται οὐχ ἕτερον ἀλλ ̓ ἤ δ ̓ Αντίχριστος, ὁ ἐγειρόμενος, · ὅς και αὐτὸς τὴν Ιουδαίων βασιλείαν ἀναστήσει.--Hippol. de Antichristo, § 25. St. Cyril of Jerusalem also speaks of Antichrist 'building the Jewish temple; and he too wrote before Julian's 'attempt, and (what is remarkable) prophesied it would fail, because 'Julian was not the Antichrist, who alone could do it.' Vide Ruff. Hist. x. 37.

And if it be asked why Jerusalem should be expressly named in the Prophecy, and Rome only by the figurative name "Babylon ?" the reason is obvious-that the express mention of Rome would have attracted the notice of the Roman government and given an occasion for charging seditious principles on the Christians; while for the practical purposes of the Prophecy as it respected the Church, it could not, and has not, been mistaken, as far, at least, as the city intended.

I cannot forbear adding one more extract-a practical appeal from the last-mentioned Father:

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"There will be a time of affliction, such as never happened since 'there was a nation upon the earth till that time." The fearful mon'ster, the great serpent, the unconquerable enemy of mankind, ready 'to devour......The Lord knowing the greatness of the enemy, in mercy to the religious, says, "Let those who are in Judæa flee to 'the mountains." However, if any feel within him a strong heart to 'wrestle with Satan, let him remain (for I do not despair of the 'Church's strength of nerve), let him remain, and let him say, "Who 'shall separate us from the love of Christ ?"......" ..Thanks to God, who 'limits the greatness of the affliction to a few days, for the elect's 'sake those days shall be cut short. Anti-Christ shall reign only three 'years and a-half, "a time, times, and the dividing of a time"... Blessed surely he who then shall be a martyr for Christ! I consider that the martyrs at that season will be greater than all martyrs ; 'for the former ones wrestled with man only, but these, in the time ' of Anti-Christ, will battle with Satan himself personally. Perse'cuting emperors slaughtered the former; but they did not pretend 'to raise the dead, nor made show of signs and wonders; but here 'there will be the persuasion both of force and of fraud, so as to de'ceive, if possible, even the elect. Let no one at that day say in his 'heart, 'What could Christ do more than this? by what virtue 'worketh he these things? Unless God willed it, He would not have 'permitted it.' No: the Apostle forewarns you, saying beforehand, ""God shall send them a strong delusion,”—not that they may be ex'cused, but condemned; those, viz., who "believe not in the Truth," 'that is, the true Christ, "but take pleasure in unrighteousness," that 'is, in Anti-Christ...... Prepare thyself, therefore, O man! thou 'hearest the signs of Anti-Christ; nor remind only thyself of them, 'but communicate them liberally to all around thee. If thou hast a 'child according to the flesh, delay not to instruct him. If thou art 'a teacher, prepare also thy spiritual children, lest they take the false for the True. For "the mystery of iniquity doth already work." I 'fear the wars of the nations; I fear the divisions among Christians; 'I fear the hatred among brethren. Enough; but God forbid that it

'should be fulfilled in our day. However, let us be prepared.'—Cyr. Catech. xv. 16, 17.

(0.) Page 308.

ON BABYLON'S NAME "MYSTERY."

THERE is one title of Babylon or of the Symbolic Woman of these chapters which, it may be thought, I have not sufficiently noticed, and on which I would here make one observation-the name “ MYSTERY," frequently applied to the Papal power and system on the authority of this Prophecy and the words of the Apostle, 2 Thess. ii. "The MYSTERY of iniquity doth already work."

That the symbolic woman means the city Rome, as mistress of the Roman Empire, I have distinctly stated; and that "mystery" is the name of the city in reference partly, though not exclusively, to the period during which it has been the seat of the Papacy I moreover fully admit: but, it is strange that those who apply this title (and apply it exclusively) to Popery, should not have perceived that it disproves the application to it, made at the same time and often in the same sentence by those writers, of the titles "The Anti-Christ," and "The Man of Sin. For "The Man of Sin" is expressly said by the Apostle to be the revelation of the mystery of iniquity :-"For "the mystery of iniquity doth already work; only he who now "letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way, and then shall "that Wicked be revealed (arоkаλν0ησетαι)." Now the words "mystery" and "revelation," or "Apocalypse," are directly opposed the one to the other-the former denoting the latent-state or working of that which is destined to a manifestation in due time denoted by the latter, as proved by the invariable use of the terms in Scripture; whence it follows that both terms cannot at one and the same time apply to the same person, office, or system: or, in other words, the Pope or Popery cannot be, at one and the same time, "The mystery

of iniquity" and "The Man of Sin" or the Anti-Christ-the "Mystery" and the "Apocalypse" of the mystery.

Again, in the exclusive application of either title to Popery, another contradiction meets us: for "the Mystery of Iniquity," which was already at work in the Apostle's time, confessedly comprised all the various forms in which iniquity should be latent or lurking in the Church; and when revealed, we are told it is only in one of the many forms of Anti-Christianity now existing—namely, Popery! That, indeed, all the varied forms which the Spirit of Anti-Christ, and Iniquity working in Mystery, has taken, shall be Apocalypsed in one only, I fully believe, and have endeavoured to prove. But it will be only one and I ask any one who says that Popery is the Apocalypsed Mystery of Iniquity,-Does he believe it to be the Revelation of ALL the previously latent-working Anti-Christianity, and to comprise the "Iniquity" in its fulness? For, otherwise, though it may be fitly termed Anti-Christian, it is not "Antichrist;" and though it be part of "the Mystery of Iniquity," it is not "The Man of Sin" or "Wicked One."

And this, I would take occasion to say, is precisely what I believe to be the true designation of Popery. I believe it to be, as a system, Anti-Christian. I believe it also to be "the Mystery of Iniquity," not, indeed, in the whole or exclusively, but in a principal part and most prominent and widely extended form of that working, which, viewed in its fulness, embraces not only every perversion of the Truth, but all Christian profession that is merely nominal:—and from its prominence hitherto in the corruption of the Church, I cannot but fear that a greater and more evil prominence yet awaits it, and that it will yet take the lead in the setting up of the Anti-Christ when revealed;-not sincerely, however, or consistently with its principles or creed; (for, in its principles and creed, I maintain it still contains the elements of effective opposition to Anti-Christ's pretensions, as I am persuaded will be proved in the instances of many of its adherents when the test is put to them; as I am also that even now its pale numbers many of the Lord's people;)—but, bartering

both creed and principle for that which it has always aspired to with an untiring ambition, and which has already in our day extracted from it large compromises-Political power and worldly aggrandizement. If these baits be held out in larger measure, I will not say what may be the result, or what the ultimate fate of Popery: but it will be a fate affecting itself and its adherents only, and leaving in its full force the warning to those who least suspect they need it-yea, after Babylon's self is no more-" If any man worship the "Beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his "hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which "is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and "he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the "holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb." (Compare Rev. xiv. ver. 9, 10, with 8.)

[Since writing the above my attention was directed to a confirmation of the idea here thrown out, both as to Rome being the "Babylon" of the Apocalypse, and also her future destiny, where one would not have looked for it—in the work of a Roman Catholic, and a very zealous one as he shows himself to be, viz. :-'Exposition des Prédictions et des Promesses faites a L'Eglise pour les derniers temps de la Gentilité; Par Le Pere Lambert. A Paris, MDCCCVI. a valuable work as showing also the agreement of the early Church's teaching with that of Scripture on the subject of the Second Advent generally.

Having shown that Rome-Pagan is not the city intended (as asserted by modern Roman Catholic writers) from its situation, description, and antecedents, he thus states the conclusion arrived at

'Il y a donc lieu de croire, qu'en portant ses regards sur un avenir, dont il est encore séparé par un intervalle de tant siècles, le saint Apôtre nous y montre une Cité chrétienne, mais qui sera alors dépravée, corrompue, chargée d'iniquités, faisant servir la religion à son orgueil, à sa domination, à son avarice, et qui meritera que Dieu verse sur elle la coupe de sa colere." C'est elle a qui il attribue le funeste caractère d'etre, vers la fin du second monde, "le mere des

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