DISSERTATION XXIII.

ST. PAUL'S PROPHECY OF THE APOSTACY OF THE LATTER TIMES.

ST. PAUL was a man of lively thought and strong imagination None of the apostles had a warmer zeal for Christ and the Christian religion. He was, as he saith himself, 2 Cor xi. 23 28, 29,- in labours more abundant;' he had the care of all the churches; Who is weak,' saith he, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not! It was natural for such a mind to be deeply affected with the foresight of the great apostacy of Christians from the true Christian faith and worship, and to lament it, and to forewarn his disciples of it, as often as there was occasion. He made this apos tacy one topic of his discourse to the Thessalonians, while he was yet with them and afterwards, in his second Epistle to them, he gave them to understand that the day of Christ was not at hand, as they apprehended; for there should come the apostacy first;* implying that it should be both extensive and of long duration. He mentions this apostacy again in his first Epistle to Timothy, and describes more particularly wherein it should consist, and at what time, and by what means it should be propagated and advanced ir the world, 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2, 3.- Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.' The passage, perhaps, may better be translated thus, but the Spirit speaketh expressly;' He had been speaking before of the mystery of godliness,' and now he proceeds to speak of the mystery of iniquity' in opposition to it, But the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall apostatize from the faith, giving heed to erroneous spirits and doctrines concerning demons, Through the hypocrisy of liars, having their conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving by the believers and them who know the truth.' This translation will be justified by the following considerations, wherein it is proposed to show the true interpretation and exact completion of this prophecy. But this subject

hath been so fully and learnedly discussed by the excellent Mr Mede,* that we must be greatly obliged to him in the course of this dissertation. The dress and clothing may be somewhat different, but the body and substance must be much the same; and they must be referred to his works, who are desirous of obtaining farther satisfaction. Not that we would make a transcript only of any writer; we should hope to enforce and improve the subject by some new arguments and new illustrations; as 'every scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, is like unto a man that is an householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new as well as old.'-Matth. xiii. 52.

I. The first thing to be considered is the apostacy here predicted, Some shall depart,' or rather shall apostatize from the faith.' The apostle had predicted the same thing before to the Thessalonians, The day of Christ shall not come, except there come a falling away' or rather the apostacy first.' In the original the words are of the same import and derivation, ἀποτασια and ἀποσηςονται, and they should have been translated both alike, as the same thing was intended in both places. An' apostacy from the faith' may be total or partial, either when we renounce the whole, or when we deny some principal and essential article of it. The writers of the New Testament frequently derive their language as well as their ideas from the Old: and by considering what was accounted apostacy under the Mosaical ceremony, we may form the better notion of what it is under the Christian dispensation. It doth not appear that the Jews or Israelites ever totally renounced and abandoned the living and true God; he never ceased altogether to be their God, or they to be his people: but they revolted from their allegiance to God, when they worshipped him in an image, as in the golden calves, which was the sin and apostacy of Jeroboam; and when they worshipped other gods besides him, as Baalim and the host of heaven, which was the sin and apostacy of Ahab and Manasseh, and for the same reason the idolatry of Ahaz is by the Greek interpreters called, 2 Chron. xxix. 19, aжоσтασia aуrs his apostacy,' and it is said of him, xxviii. 19, that aжεσтη añoσtaσɛl àño t8 Kupis, 'he apostatized greatly from the Lord.' Apostacy therefore was idolatry in the Jewish Church, and it is the same in the Christian. This argument may receive some illustration from a similar passage in St. Peter ;* There were false prophets also among the people,

* See Mede's Works, b. 3, p. 623-693.-See likewise Mons. Jurieu's Accomplishment of the Prophecies, part 1, chap. 18, 19, 20, 2

+ See Mede's Discourse XLIII upon this text, p. 238, &c.

even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them,'-2 Pet. ii. 1. As there were false prophets among the children of Israel, who seduced them to idolatry and the worshipping of other gods besides the true God; so there shall be false teachers among Christians, who by plausible pretences and imperceptible degrees shall bring in the like damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, professing themselves to be his servants bought with a price, and yet denying him to be their lord and master by applying to other lords and mediators. It is not every error, or every heresy, that is apostacy from the faith. It is a revolt in the principal and essential article, when we worship God by any image or representation, or when we worship other beings besides God, and pray unto other mediators besides the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' This is the very essence of Christian worship, to worship the one true God through the one trụe Christ: and to worship any other God or any other mediator, is apostacy and rebellion against God and against Christ. It is, as St. Paul saith, Col. ii. 19,-not holding the head,' but depending upon other heads it is, as St. Peter expresseth it, 'denying the Lord that bought us,' and serving other lords: and the denial of such an essential part may as properly be called 'apostacy,' as if we were to renounce the whole Christian faith and worship. It is renouncing them in effect, and not treating and regarding God as God, or Christ as Christ.

Such is the nature of apostacy from the faith' and it is implied that this apostacy should be general, and infect great numbers. For though it is said only Some shall apostatize,' yet by some' in this place many' are understood. The word 'some' may usually denote few' in English; but in the learned languages it frequently signifies a multitude, and there are abundant instances in scripture. In St. John's Gospel it is said, vi. 60, that many of Jesus his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying, who can hear it?' and again a little afterwards, ver. 66,—' Many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him:' but Jesus himself speaking of these 'many' saith, ver. 64,-'There are some of you that believe not;' so that 'some' are plainly the same as 'many.' St. Paul speaking of the infidelity and rejection of the Jews saith, Rom. xi. 17, that some of the branches are broken off :' but those 'some,' it is evident, were the main body of the nation. The same apostle informs the Corinthians, 1 Cor. x. 5, 6, that With many of the Israelites God was not well pleased; for they were

overthrown in the wilderness;' and their punishment were intend ed for examples to Christians. Wherefore, he concludes, ver. 7— Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play :' where 'some' are manifestly the same as the people.' Again, ver. 8, Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three-and-twenty thousand :' where' some' are equivalent to' many thousands.' Again, ver. 9,- Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents :' where 'some' are the same with much people;' for we read, Numb. xxi. 6, that the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people; and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died.' And again ver. 10,- Neither murmer ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer:' where some' are the same with all the congregation' except Joshua and Caleb; for we read, Num. xiv. 1, 2, that ⚫ All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night; and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses, and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this wilderness' and they had their wish, for except Joshua and Caleb, they all died in the wilderness. Some therefore, may signify many, but not all; as the apostle speaketh elsewhere, Heb. iii. 16,- For some when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.' The apostle might have the same meaning in this place; and the apostacy may be general and extensive, and include many but not all. If only some few persons were to be concerned and engaged in it, it was scarcely an object worthy of prophecy: nor could that properly be pointed out as a peculiarity of the latter times, which is common to all times, for in all times there are some apostates or other. It must necessarily be a great apostacy; and it is called, as it hath been shown, the apostacy' by way of eminence and distinction; but it would hardly have been distinguished in this emphatical manner, if only an inconsiderable number were to profess and embrace it. Other prophecies likewise intimate, that there should be a great and general corruption and apostacy in the Christian church; and the event will also confirm us in our opinion. For we have seen and still see a great part of Christendom guilty of the same sort of apostacy and defection as the Israelites were in former times. As the Israelites worshipped God in the golden calf and golden calves; for, Exod. xxxii. 5, they proclaimed a feast to the Lord,' and said, ver. 4, and Kings xii. 28,- Behold thy

gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt so there are Christians who worship their Creator and Redeemer in an image, or in a crucifix, or in the sacramental bread. As the Israelites worshipped Baalim or departed heroes, and as the Psalmist saith, Psal. cvi. 28.- ate the sacrifices of the dead;' so there are Christians who worship departed saints, and institute fasts and festivals, and offer up prayers and praises unto them. And as this apostacy overspread the church of Israel for many ages, so hath it for many ages too overspread the church of Christ. The apostacy therefore is the very same in both churches. The apostle foresaw - and foretold it; and upon the mention of Israel's provocation, very properly admonished the Christians to beware of the like infidelity and apostacy, Heb. iii. 12,-Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing, ev τwatosηvai in apostatizing from the living God.'

II. It is more particularly shown wherein this apostacy should consist, in the following words, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils,' or rather giving heed to erroneous spirits and doctrines concerning demons.' For I conceive not the meaning to be, that this apostacy should proceed from the suggestion of evil spirits, and instigation of devils. That would be no peculiar mark of distinction; that might be said of any wickedness in general, as well as of this in particular. The means too by which this apostacy should be propagated, and the persons who should propagate it, are described afterwards; so that this part is to be understood rather of things than of persons, rather of the matter wherein this apostacy should consist, than of the first teachers and authors of it. Spirits seem to be much the same in sense as doctrines, as Mr. Mede and other divines have observed the same word to be used also by St. John: 1 John iv. 1. Beloved, believe not every spirit,' that is, every doctrine, but try the spirits,' that is, the doctrines, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.' Spirits and doctrines, therefore, may be considered, the latter word as explanatory of the former and error, sometimes signifying 'idolatry, erroneous doctrines,' may comprehend idolatrous, as well as false doctrines.* But it is still farther added for explanation, that these doctrines should be doctrines of devils,' or 'of demons;' where the genitive case is not to be taken

Nyo et my i. e. wλavn, Chaldæis et Targumistis, est idolum; et aravaca est idola colere et scortari. [ny and v i. e. whavn an error, are used by the Chaldees and Targumists to signify an idol; and xyy wλaracas to err, is to worship idols, and to commit fornication.] Rom. i. 27. 2 Thess. ii. 14. 2 Pet, ii. 18 Mede, p. 626.