(4.) Where there is a lessening of the merits of Christ and hissatis- fiiction, as if it were not sufHcient for the expiation of sin without penal satisfactions of our own, there is the mystery of iniquity: ' For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified,' Heb. X. 14.
(5.) Where the new nature is little thought of, and all religion is made to consist in some external rites and adorations or indifferences, there the reducing of man to God is much hindered, and Christianity is adulterated, and the religion that designedly countenanceth these things is but the mystery of iniquity — To worship God, as the Papists ■do, with images, acjnus dei's, crucifixes, crossings, spittle, oil, candles, holy water, kissing the ])ix, dropping beads, praying to the Virgin Mary and other saints, repeating over the name Jesus five times in a breath, repeating such and such sentences so often, praying to God in an unknown tongue, and saying to him they know not what, adoring the consecrated bread as no bread, but the very flesh of Christ himself, fasting by feasting upon fish instead of flesh, choosing a tutelary saint whose name they will invocate, offering sacrifices for quick and dead, l)raying for souls in purgatory, purchasing indulgences for their de- liverance, carrying the bones and other relics of saints, going in pilgrimage to shrines or images, or offering before them, with a multitude more of such trashy devotions, whereby they greatly dis- honour God and obstruct the motions of the heavenly life, yea, quito kill it ; for instead of the power and life of grace, there are introduced beggarly rudiments or ritual observances in indifferent things, and vain traditions by Avhich Christian liberty is restrained, and these ])ressed with as much severity as unquestionable duties established by God's known law for the renewing and reforming mankind. We are to ' stand fast in the l-.berty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage,' Gal. v. 1 ; Col. ii. 16, ' Let no man judge you in meat or drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moons, or of a sabbath-day.' These things are left to arbitrament, to abstain or use them for edification. That physician may be borne with who doth only burden the sick Avith some needless prescriptions, if faithful in other things ; but if he should
54 THE FIFTH SEUMON. [2 ThES. II. 5-7.
tire out the patient with i)resciiption.s which are not only altogether needless, but troublesome, costl}-, and nauseous, and dntli extinguish and choke true religion by thousands of things inditlerent, making our bondage worse than the Jews', this is the mystery of iniquity, — to cheat us of the power of godliness by the show of it, burdening of men with unnecessary observances.
2. How did this work in the apostle's time ? Something there was then which did give an advantage to Antichrist, and laid the foundation of his kingdom, and did dispose men's minds to an ajws- tasy from pure Christianity ; as —
[1.] Partly the idolising of ])astors by an excess of reverence, sucli as was prejudicial to the interests of the gospel, setting them up as lieads of factions: 1 Cor. i. ]2, ' Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I am of Apollos, and I of Cephas; 1 Cor. iii. 22, ' Glory not in men, wlicther Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas,' &c. This in time bred tyranny and slavery in the church.
[2.] The ambition of the pastors themselves, and the spirit of con- tention for rule and precedency : Acts xx. 29, 30, ' Tiiere shall arise among you lavening wolves, speaking perverse things, to draw dis- ciples after them ;' which within {i little time began to affect not only a primacy of order, but of jurisdiction and authority ; so that then Antichrist did not exist in his proper person, but in spirit and predecessors.
[3.] The errors then set afoot corrupted the simjilicity of the gospel :
1 John ii. 18, ' Now there are many antichrists;' 1 John iv. 3, ' Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God ; and this is the spirit of Antichrist, whereof ye have heard it should come, and even now already is it in the world.' The spirit of Antichrist is even now in the world ; there was a spirit then working in the church to introduce this mystery of iniquity, only the seat was not em])ty, but filled by another ; the seeds of this mystery were sown in ambition, avarice, haughtiness of teachers, and their carnal and corrupt doctrines.
[4.] Some ke])t their Jewish, others their Gentile customs, so that the Christian religion was secretl}' tainted and mingled Avith the seeds of heathenism and Judaism, which afterwards produced the great apos- tasy. Paul, in all his epistles, complaineth of the Judaising brethren, and seeks to reduce them to the simi)licity of the gospel. In the Corinthians he complaineth of their resort to idol temples, their com- munion in idol-worship: 1 Cor. x. H, 'Wherefore, my dearly be- loved, flee from idolatry;' and ver. 20, 'But I say, that the things which the Gentiles i^icrifice they sacrifice to devils and not to God, and I would not that ye should have fellowshij) with devils,' and