[2.] And sJioiving himself that he is God : that is meant, not of what he professeth in words, but what he doth in deed. It is not said that he saith he is God, but uTroSetKvvvra, he showeth himself, or sets forth himself as God. The reason of the thing showeth it : — (1.) Anticln-ist gets power by seduction, or the deceiveableness of unrighteousness ; therefore does not openly call himself the true and only God. He is represented as a false prophet, that speakcth lies in hy})Ocrisy. If one would openly and plainly profess himself to be God, he might be a frantic usurper, but could not be a cunning seducer, and few would be so stui)id and senseless as to be led by him. (2.) Antichrist, whoever he be, is to be a Christian by profession, and to have a high and great charge among the visible professors of Christianity. He is a s(^cret adversary, that groweth upon the apostasy or degeneration of the Chris- tian state. Now, such pretends observance and obedience to Christ, and therefore he would not openly declare himself to be God, and he sitteth in the temple and church of God, as before. And it is a mystery ; all which imply crafty conve3'ance, and tliat he doth not openly assume the godhead, but slily and secretly, which doth not mend the matter ; for tlie iufcinuating, devouring, unsusjjected enemy is the most perilous and
2 ThES. II. 4.] THE FOURTH SERMON. 43
pernicious ; as Joab to Amasa, and Judas to Christ. (3.) Antichrist is plainly a man. Now, for a man to disannul all religion, and set up himself directly as God, is improbable. Nero, Nebuchadnezzar, Simon Magus would be adored as gods ; they did not deny other gods, nor a -greater God above them ; therefore it is the arrogance of works is intended. If Antichrist will show himself as God, certainly he will sweeten his blasphemy with some hypocrisy, as that he is the vicar and vicegerent of God. (4.) His showing himself as God, is either accepting or doing such things, which if they did rightly belong to him, they would show that he is God. Two persons I find in scripture charged for usurping divine honours. The one, Herod Agrippa, who was smitten by an angel for not giving God the glory, when the people cried, ' The voice of God, and not of man,' Acts xii. 22 : his fault was accepting what yvas ascribed by others. The other is the prince of Tyre : Ezek. xxviii. 2, ' Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said I am God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seat ; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thy heart as the heart of God.' His fault was taking upon him, as if he were God, to accept divine honours, to do those things which would make him equalise himself to our Lord Christ, blessed for ever. So doth he show himself that he is God. (1.) His accepting Antichrist's disciples, who call him our Lord God the Pope, supremum numen in terris, a certain deity upon earth. That the Pope hath the same consistory with God, and the same tri- bunal with Christ ; that he is lord of heaven and earth ; that from him there are no appeals to be made, no, not to God himself ; that the Pope may do all that God doth ; that he is the husband of the church, and the foundation of faith {Council of Later an, sess. 4) ; Alter Deus in terra ; that the words of the Pope in cathedra are for certainty of truth equal to the scriptures ; that he can change the form of sacra- ments delivered by Christ, or decree contrary to scripture. If any do object thcit these were the applauses of his flatterers and claw-backs, it is true they were so uttered ; but those flatteries of the canonists and Jesuits do come to be received doctrines among them ; and whereas divers popes have directed special commissions for perusal of the works of the learned, with authority to expunge and purge out whatso- ever is not orthodox, many better things have come under censure, but these things stand still, as being very pleasing to his holiness 's hu- mility, and so not to be altered : besides, many of these things have been spoken to his face without rebuke. — Cone. Latt., sess. 2. He is called the high priest and king that is to be adored by all, and most like unto God — (sess. 9). It is said, the aspect of thy divine majesty dazzleth our eyes, and that of the 72d Psalm applieth to him, ' All the kings of the earth shall worship him, and all nations shall serve him.' Now, to accept and approve of these flatterers is to show himself that he is God : (2.) By doing such things as if he were God, not by the usurpa- tion of the formal name, as by arrogating to himself such things as belong to God, his right and property, to take upon himself to be lord of consciences, to command what faith is to be believed, suppressing the true doctrine of Christ, and setting up his own inventions, dis- pensing with God's laws, taking upon him to pardon sins. One article for which Luther was condemned is this : that it is not in the power