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Tous las autres exemplaires originaux sont filmte an commenpant par ia pramlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant psr la darnlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols -♦• signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbols y signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmfo A des taux de reduction diff^rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dire reproduit en un seul ciich*, 11 est fiim« d partir de i'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant la nombre d'images n«cessairo. Les diagrammes suivants illustrant ia mAthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 A DISCOURSE. 2 Thess. ii. 4. — Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped ; so that he as God sHteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. PREACHED BEFORE THE SYNOD OF MONTREAL AND OTTAWA, MAY 9th, 1876. By REY. W. TAYLOE, D.D. Senior Minister of Erskine Church. MONTREAL. Printed by Direction of Synod. 1876. ^I L At Montreal and within St. Paul's Church there, on Tuesday the ninth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six years, which day the Synod of Montreal and Ottawa met and was con- stituted : Inter aUa,— It was Resolved,— That the thanks of the Synod be given to the ex-Moderator, the Reverend William Tnylor, D.D., for the excellent Sermon which he has delivered to the Court at this time, and that he be requested to allow the same to be published. , Subsequently the Synod Resolved, on motion of Dr. Macvicar, seconded by Mr. McLennan, of Cornwall -.—That the Sermon of Dr. Taylor be published in pamphlet form, by a Committee, consisting of Revds. N. McNi«h, L.L.D., J. S. Black, Peter Wright; and Messrs. J. Croil and \V. King. Extracted from Minutes of Synod of. Montreal and Ottawa, this Seventeenth day of May, one thousand ei<'ht hundred and seventy six. James Watson, A. M Clerh of Synod. TO THE READER. It will be seen from the Resolution of the Synod ou the preceding page, that this Discourse is printed at the request of Synod, and under ^ its direction. It wus not written with any design of publishing it. And in writing it again for press, I have found it necessary to make some changes, on words or modes of expression ; in some instances I have changed the order of the sentences, and where the connexion seemed to be obscure, I have, in a few places, introduced a clause for f the sake of perspicuity. But the Discourse is substantially the same as when it was preached before the Synod. The Reader is not to expect a discussion of the points of contro- versy between Protestant Christians and Roman Catholics : I have con- fined myself to the text. My sole object is to give a fair explanation of the words used by the inspired Apostle, and to show that they may be applied to the system of Romanism, and to no other that the world has ever seen. I disavow being actuated by enmity against any man, or body of men ; T desire humbly to call the attention of Protestants to certain portions of the " sure word of prophecy," which have been too much neglected of late years, perhaps through a mistaken senti mcnt of liberality, and which " the signs of the times" require should be more frequently and faithfully proclaimed. W. Taylor. Montreal, May 19, 1876. i i 9Gti7 I i*l ^'U:.ii\ : .1 ;.in » • \ ... i« \ V '» I ';•. SERMON. 2 Thess. ii. 4.— Who opposeth and exalteth himself above till thai is ciiUetl God, or that is worshipped ; so that he as (lod sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that ho is God. This is a very remarkable prediction. It has attracted the notice of the students of Scripture from the earliest times down to the present day. To enumerate the books that have been written, and give'even an outline of the various theories of interpretation that have been put forth, would itself form a large volume. Those interpreters, that have any right to be regarded as Evangelical, have been generally of the opinion that it is Antichrist that is here spoken of under ih.3 names of " the man of sin," and " the son of perdition" ; but who [Antichrist is, or where he is to make his appearance, orjwhat are his characteris- tics, are all questions on which there is a w^ide divergence. I shall not take notice of their various opinions, or hpyo- theses, farther than to express my accordance with what I may be here called " the unanimous consent of the Fathers," namely, that the Man of Sin is Antichrist. And without attempting, at present, to identify Antichrist [with any historical personage, or system w^hatever, let I lis first endeavour to understand the description which : is here given of him, by a careful analysis of the words «of the inspired writer. 6 And first of all, he is called '• the opposer^ The first part of this word is the same that is found in the first part of the name Antichrist. It is rather feebly translated in our version ^'who opposeth,^* for, if strictly rendered, it means, *' one whose habit it is to oppose"; or who is so well known to be an opponent as to have gained for him- self the name and reputation of being such. The thing which he opposes is, mainly, the honour of Christ, as the name, Antichrist implies, but it is not necessarily confined to this. His object is to set himself above all authority recognized amongst men, whether it be human or divine ; and he sets himself in opposition to everything that stands in the way of his unholy ambition. Let it be a doctrine of Scripture, or a commandment of God, or a law of the State, he claims the sole right to sit in judgment upon it, and oppose and condemn it, if it is in any way derogatory to his power. He is next described as one *' that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped'^ ; literally, " above every one called God, or an object of reverence." This is the most important statement which the Apostle makes in this description of Antichrist ; it is indeed the key to the whole passage, and everything depends on the right interpretation of it. Does he mean to include the true God, under this expression, everi/ one that is called God ? There are some interpreters, of high name, who affirm that he does ; but we decidedly differ from them, and maintain that he alludes only to those who were called Gods in the current language of the heathen world, especially of the Roman Empire, in his day. In the second tcx n, an object of worship,* we think there is an allusion to the Roman Emperors, and the worship that was given them. The word occurs only here in the New Testament, as a substantive noun. As a verb, it occurs in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and is * ISebasma, an act, or object 0/ reverence, see Litld. and Scott. if' ■I gn aui W( of it Le firBt le first n slated ered, it o is so or him- e thing ;, as the onfined ithority divine ; it stands doctrine TV of the upon it, rogatory self above literally, rerence." Apostle deed the ds on the ilude the is called ame, who om them, who were en world, In the k there is irship that the New it occurs ,ns, and is Scott. there applied to the worship of the creature. As an adjec- tive, it is used only as the title of the lioman Emperor himself, Augustus, Acts xxv. 25 ; or as an honorary dis- tinction bestowed by him on a certain band of soldiers, callod Augustus' band, Acts xxvii. 1. These references seem to indicate that there is a tacit allusion here to Cesar Augustus. It is well known that the Boman Emperors claimed, and received, divine honours from their subjects; and all this goes to strengthen our opinion that the Apostle alludes only to such Gods as were called Grods, and to persons that were worshipped, especially within the bounds of the Roman Empire. There were many that wore called Gods. In his first epistle to the Corinthians, this same writer employs the same term, and the same mode of expression, in speaking of the false Gods of the heathen ; and that ought, we think, in all fairness, to decide the meaning of the expres- sion in the text. For though there are those that are called Gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are Gods many^ and Lords many. Now. it is never the practice of the inspired writers to include the true God in the same list with those who were called Gods, but rather to separate and distinguish him from them ; as in the above passage in 1 Cor. viii. 5, 6. He is not one that is merely called God, he is God, the living and the true God. Besides if we were to admit that the expression, every one that is called God, in the first clause of the verse, includes the true God, that w^ould be to set it at variance with the concluding clause, showing himself that he is God, for here he does not exalt himself above God, but only aspires to equality with him. In the Scriptures the name, God, is not unfrequently given to Magistrates, and other rulers, because of their authority and power ; as, for example, in these well-known words of Christ, if he called them Gods unto whom the word of God came ; and the Scripture cannot be broken ; that is, it cannot be set aside, it cannot be charged with mistake, in giving such a high title, in a qualified sense, to Kings and Rulers. They are God's ministers, and may therefore lay some claim to the name or authority of Him whom they represent. These are the only two classes of beings who, while they were not God, are yet acknowledged in Scripture to be called Gods; namely, false Gods, and lawful magis- trates, and the Ajjostle declares that Antichrist exalts himself above them both.'*^' Much light is thrown on the passage, by comparing it with the following language which the prophet Isaiah puts in the mouih of Lucifer, *' I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." A similar person- age, or perhaps the same personage in a prophetical sense, is spoken of by the prophet Daniel — " the King shall do according to his will, and shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every God, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods." f And, we think, it can scarcely be doubted, that the " Lucifer " of Isaiah, and the " King " of Daniel, and *' the Man of sin," of the Apostle Pavil, have all a tyi)ical relation to one another. It could not be charged against Antichrist as a sin, it' he were only to exalt himself above the false Gods of the heathen, for they were mere fictions; creatures of the imagination ; one living man or woman is more than the whole catalogue of them. But the Apostle goes on to inform us, that, while Antichrist sets them aside, it is only to substitute himself in their room ; for, $ as God he sittelh * It IS worthy <>t' iiotitc h ro, tluit Mm rciuliiiK 'n tho Viil},'(iti' is " cvc^ry tliinri Uiiit is called (rod." Tliiit was tlio rciuiinj; in Jcroiru-'s time, in tln' Jiittir part of Mu; 4tii cent my. Calvin prrf.'is it, and thinks that the reading in the authorized version is a corruption of I'ani's words. t As Danicd does not inelndo tlie true God in the expression every God, it Affords a strong' presumption tiiat the Apostle does not include the true God in the expression, ererii one, called God. It therefore corroborates our exe- gesis. J The words as God am thrown out of all the late recensions of the New Ttstaniont. W to Scj thil CI hi] be, hisl 9 to Kings therefore im whom ho, while ;ripture to ul magi 8- rist exalts wn on the language of Lucifer, one above rhts of the ar person- tical sense, ort of the Apostle's words; namely, that Paul does not '>tend to specify any temple in particular, but to teach lli;it Antichrist is not an enemy, who is to come aqrainst the Church from without, but is a dom- stic foe, wh) arises within the Church herself. As Jesus Christ has his seat above, in the Church triumphant, so Antichrist has his seat ))elow, in the Church on earth, where he affects to be Christ's vicar or representative, and to exercise supreme -authority in his name. Thus far, all that I have attempted is to explain the words which the Apostle employs in the text, according to the rules of Biblical criticism, comparing Scripture with Scri} are. And we havo found his words amount to this: That Ann 'irist is tli.' opponent of our Lord Jesus Christ, i' his L -nour anc' authority; that he exalteth himself above all < hjects oj human worship, whether it be a God, so called or a lawlul Magistrate; that he has his seat in the Cari^tian chi rch, and exhibits himself 10 there, to the gaze of the world, as if he were God, the very representative of Q-od on the errth. And now we come to the important question, " of whom speaketh the prophet this ? " And I put it to yourself, or to the judgment of any candid man, whether there is any other personage to whom these characters can possibly apply, except the Popes of Rome, as the Head and Repre- sentative of the Roman Church. I may possibly be re- minded ox the Pagan Roman Emperors, whose claims were almost equally blasphemous. And I admit that many of the early Fathers believed that the Apostle did refer, in this passage, to the Emperor Nero, whose wicked- ness was so enormous ; and, when Nero died without fulfilling their expectations, they supposed he would rise again from the dead, and appear in the true character of Antichrist. But there are these two fatal objections to the opinion that this personage is to be found in any Roman Emperor : First, that none of them ever sat in the temple of God. And second, that, whereas it is evident from the context in this chapter, that the Apostle is speak- ing of some one who had not made his appearance at the time of writing, but was still future ; the outrageous claims of the Roman Emperors were matters of history long before his day. We think it not improbable, however, that in drawing this picture, he had these Emperors in his eye ; perhaps, they suggested some of the traits ; per- haps, it was his design to teach that Antichrist would resemble them — would have seme connexion with them — would, in fact, be their successor. But, with the ex- ception of these Emperors, let me ask you to cast your eye back over the whole compass of history, sacred or profane, and tell me if you can find a single personage, to whom even the half of these characteristics are so ap- plicable, as the whole of them are to the Head of the Roman Church? <"^ First Identification: Antichrist is the opponent of Christ ; so are the Popes of Rome in their ofiice as the He Ch to: his Wo flai the the ofl in Chi pov tak( into Agr rity and alll the God now mea Kin sary all. thai day] do> the the the is dj decll bishi Pres Th( - *-;.. 11 God, the of whom ourself, or ere is any possibly nd llepre- bly be re- )se claims idmit that .postle did >se wicked- ed without would rise haracter of yections to irid in any ?r sat in the is evident ;tle is speak- •ance at the ^eous claims listory long ?, however, Emperors in ! traits ; per- hrist would 11 with them vith the ex- to cast your y, sacred or e personage, cs are so ap- Head of the opponent of office as the Heads of the Papal system. For that system deprives Christ of the place of honour and authority which belongs to him as sole King and Redeemer. It opposes him in all his offices, of prophet, priest and king. It suppresses the Word of Christ, or even commandr. it to be cast into the flames, and never allows it to have any other meaning than the Pope is pleased to assign to it. Christ claims to be the only Mediator between God and men, but the Church of Kome declares that there are many other mediators, and,, in point of practice, makes less upe of the mediation of Christ than that of the saints. Christ claims to have " all power in heaven and in earth," but the Church of Rome takes that power out of the hand of Christ, and puts it into the hand of the Pope, that he may use it as he pleases. Agreeably to the symbol of his triple crown, he has autho- rity in. Heaven, earth, and hell. Thus Christ is supplanted, and dethroned, and another reigns in his stead. Second Identification : Antichrist exalts himself above all human authority, civil or sacred, so does the Head of the Church of Rome. Of the two classes of beings, called Gods, that are spoken of in the text, one only remains now ; for the false Gods of the heathen have, in a great measure, passed away ; but civil Magistrates still continue ; Kings, and Princes, and Rulers ; and it is scarcely neces- sary for me to say, that the Pope exalts himself above them all. There is no other claim that is more zealously urged than this, by the adherents of that Church, at the present day. In fact, the world rings with it ; from the Vatican downwards, it is the great theme, — the supreme power of the infallible Pope. In the decrees of the late Council, in the Syllabus, and the Encyclical letters of the Pope, it is the main thing insisted on, and every one w-ho opposes it is doomed to destruction. Cardinals defend it ; apologists declare it to be a logical necessity ; Bishops and Arch- bishops proclaim it in their pastorals; and the Catholic Press is every where thrusting it on the public notice. The Governments of the nations, and the friends of human I m 12 «,! freedom, find it constantly rising up before them, and demanding submission to its dictates. In short, it is the question of the day, whether there should be any other authority in the world, except that of the Church of Rome, through its head, the Pope, or his subordinate represen- tatives. But, with these words of the inspired Apostle before us, we hold, that, the greater the boldness with w^hich the Church of Rome puts forward this claim, and publishes it, and discusses it, and inculcates it, through the length and breadth of the land ; the clearer is the evidence which she furnishes, that it is in her the person is to be found " who exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped." Third Identification : He sits in the temple of Grod. By this w^e understand that Antichrist is to arise in the church herself, and is to assume a Christian, not a heathen, name and profession. All this is true of the Popes of Rome. If it should be objected, that, by this, w^e concede the character of a true church to the Church of Rome ; I answer, that, while cheerfully admitting that there are many in the communion of that Church who are sincere followers of Christ, according to the light which they possess, it, does not by any means follow, that, as a church, she must be sound and true, in her organisation and administration. She may be a church " fallen." The following words of Calvin are equally candid and just : *' I admit she may be called the leu)))le of God, not because she possesses all the qualities of a Christian church, but because she still retains a residuum of them ; yet, if she is a temple, it is one that is polluted with many sacri- leges." The expression, the temple of God, may also be understood in connexion with the past, and as describing W'hat the Church of Rome was, and not what she con- tinues to be. The temple in Jerusalem was once the habitr.tion of God, but after Israel's apostacy, it became « den of thieves. And there is no denying, that, in tho early ages, the Church in the City of Rome was one o; ^^ETisr ;heni, and ;, it is the any other L of Rome, represen- d Apostle ness with ilaim, and t, through irer is the the person all that is 3f God. By the church then, name i of Home, oncode the if Rome; I t there are arc sincere A'hich they IS a church, isation and len." The d and ju^t : not because church, but ; yet, if sho many sacri- may also bt» ts describing at she con- as once the it became ii that, in tho was one oi 13 ' the most faithful, zealous, and energetic of all the churches ;— a true temple of God : but, carried away by her inordinate ambition, her character has suffered a complete transformation. She is now the seat of Anti- christ, Rev. xvii. 9. '• •'•'•' ••■ ■ '"'• ■ t Fourth Identification : Seated in this temple, he exhi- bits himself to men as if he were God. This does' not mean that he claims superiority over the true God, but only equality with him. Yet this is an assumption suffi- ciently daring to fill every mind with astonishment, and even to lead one to ask, if it can be possible that any mortal man can be guilty of such a blasphemous usurpation. It is admitted, indeed, that sach a claim is not put forth openly, and in so many words, either by Pope or Prelate. But it is undeniable that the Pope claims attributes and preroga- tives that belong only to the Divine Being ; nay, accord- ing to his own profession, he is, every day of his life, performing acts that can be performed only by the Most High. He avows himself to be infallible ; he maintains that he can forgive sins, and send men to Heaven or to hell as he thinks proper. He possesses the key of the gate of Paradise, and can admit or exclude whomsoever he pleaocs. He has power to change laws and ordinances at his pleasure. By his mere decree he can change the character of an action, so that what was unlawful before shall become lawful, and what was lawful shall become a sin. In these, and many other ways which I have not time to mention, he exhibits himself to the world as if he were God ; he claims to be next to God himself, a terrestrial divinity, who holds the destinies of men in his hand, and can send them to happiness or misery according to his sovereign will. I again appeal to yourself, Christian reader, whether you can find any person, in the whole compass of history, to whom these words in the text will apply, except the Head of the Roman Church. It seems to me that the Head of that Church has sat here for his picture. He is ■^1 w 14 here photographed in lineaments that are strikingly true, and that will never be obliterated. And the fact, that this strange prediction, written in the middle of the first century, at a time when, humanly speaking, it must have seemed exceedingly improbable, should have been so remarkably fulfilled, as it is in our day, in 1876, after the revolution of eighteen centuries and a half, must be held to be a clear proof, that the Apostle Paul, like other holy inijpired men, spoke and wrote as he was moved by the Holy Ghost ; for no human foresight could have antici- pated anything of the kind. I wish it, however, to be understood, that I do not refer to the Popes of Rome, either past or present, in their personal characters, but only as the Heads, or Re- presentatives of the Antichristian system. In personal character they have been very diiferent from one another ; some better, and some worse. According to universal report, the present Pope is one of exemplary moral char- acter ; according to the testimony of history, some of his predecessors have been monsters of vice. But, in their official capacity, they have all of necessity, put forth the same blasphemous assumptions ; claiming to be regarded as the Vicars of Chirst, — the Vicegerents of God on earth. It is not an uncommon thing, in the scriptures, to take the name of an individual, or a city, as the synonym of a class ; as, for example, Abraham, Moses, Sion, Babylon, &c. Now, there never was a system in the world which could be so fairly represented by an individual, as the Church of Rome by its Popes; for there never was a system to which a certain individual is so indispensable. The P'~ oe is every thing to the Church of Rome ; he is so necessary to her that her ministrations cannot be carried on without him ; he is the head, without which the body is dead ; he is (on Catholic principles) the last Jink of the chain by which the vessel is moored, if that link is wanting the whole becomes useless. The reason why I have chosen to address you on this ac( tht if I whi dist day their Bonn sujuic is "ill ■wr agly true, fact, that fthe first nust have > been so 1, after the st be held Qther holy ed by the ive antici- I do not )resent, in ds. or Re- n personal le another ; universal aoral char- ;ome ot his t, in their t forth the e regarded d on earth. es, to take lonym of a L, Babylon, orld which ual, as the ver was a ispensable. le ; he is so ; be carried jh the body link of the hat link IS 16 subject, is becpuse I feel persuaded the time has come, when Protestants in this Province must grapple with this question, and all questions connected with it. The encroachments of the Papacy are increasing from year to year ; the ambitious designs of the Vatican are becoming more and more clearly developed ; its claims are put forth with greater effrontery than ever before. The education of the people in this Province, is controlled by the Church of Rome ; public moneys are squandered in supporting her schools and monastic Institutions. She claims and enjoys exemptions from taxation,* and yet, with a strange inconsistency, she demands the right io tax her own adherents at her will. She overawes the Courts of Justice, so that persons who assault Protestants, ■or destroy their places of worship, can scarcely be brought to punishment. She fills Parliament with her own crea- tures, so that no law can be enacted which is not accept- able to her. The political franchise of the people is Tirtually in her hands ; for, in most constituencies, it is a Tain thing for a Protestant either to be a candidate or a voter. By the terrors of excommunication, the priest can turn the scale as he pleases. Our parliamentary franchise 18 " a delusion and a snare." I have no doubt that, in certain quarters, I will be accused of illiborality, perhaps of fanaticism, for bringing these things before the public, in the way I now^ do. But, if I am so accused, it will be only on the same ground on which the highwayman accused his victim of creating a disturbance, because he would not submit to be robbed quietly, but had the audacity to defend himself. When the intolerant pretensions of the Papacy are thrust every day before our face, often in an insulting and offensive you on this • In primitive times, it was the boast of tlie Cijiistians that they paid their taxes into tiiu public treasury, with greater faitiifniness than tho Bomans tiiemselves, excepting tiiose that were levied expressly for the 8U|inort of the idol temples : Now to ask [the Church of Komo to pay taxes is " impious " I : ■ 16 way, it cannot be thought an extraordinary thing if we should remonstrate, and attempt to defend the right. "We are willing, — we are desirous to live in peace with the adherents of the Church of Rome, and with all men ; but if they will not permit us to do so, we cannot help the breach. We have ever demanded the same rights for them as for ourselves; but if we were to consent they should have more, we would be unworthy of the place which we occupy, and the name which we bear. I trust that, while faithful to Protestant doctrine, in all our pulpits, and to Protestant discipline in all our Congregations, we shall be no less faithful to our Protes- tant liberties. And I think, the times demand that we should pay greater attention to the unscriptural claims, and the alarming encroachments of the Papacy, than we have been in the habit of doing for some time past. I remember being struck with a remark, made by one of the leaders of the General Assembly of the Church ol Scotland, in the debates which were raised, many years ago, by, what was called, the Papal Aggression ; he said, " the best way to meet that aggression" (and with his w^ords I shall conclude) " was for every minister to preach as their forefathers had done, who never thought they had done justice to their text, w^hatever it might be, if they did not show, before concluding, how it stood oppo- sed to the doctrines and claims of the Papacy." May the spirit of the fathers be rekindled in the children ! .51 CM or 5C t