ANTICHRIST, an adversary of || of Mahuzzim, deities to protect his Jesus Christ. Heretics who denied different dominions; as given to the the doctrine of the Trinity, or the vilest blasphemy, error, crueity, and divinity or incarnation of Christ, &c. persecution; as possessing a civil and were called Antichrist: of this sort ecclesiastic power over the ten parts there were many in the time of the of the Roman empire, and seizing apostle John, 1 John ii. 13, 22. and upon three of them for his proper doiv. 3. But one particular system of main; as establishing his abomina wicked persons, principles, and prac- tions, unnumbered by false miracles, tices, is chiefly so designated; in the and lying wonders; as excluding daily fear of which the primitive || from civil commerce such as do not Christians lived. The scripture re- more or less solemnly acknowledge, presents this ANTICHRIST as a very and submit to his power. man of sin, and son of perdition; as a strong delusion over-spreading the whole Roman empire; as a terrible judgment introduced by ignorance and hatred of the truth and apostacy from it; as springing from the bottomless pit, amid terrible smoke of superstition and error: as sitting in the temple or church of God; as exalting himself above magistrates, angels, and every thing called God; as a contemner of the gods of the idolatrous Heathen, and the God of his professed fathers, in the primitive church, and setting up a new class

The care these creatures take of their offspring is remarkable. Whenever a hill is disturbed, all the ants are found busied in consulting the safety, not of themselves, but of the eggs or those larger bodies enclosing the maggot or young ant; they carry these down any way so as to get them out of sight, and will do this over and over as often as they are disturbed. They carry away the eggs and vermicles together in their confusion; but, as soon as the danger is over, they carefully separate them, and place each sort in parcels by themselves under shelter of different kinds, and at various depths, according to the different degrees of warmth and coverture the different states require. In the warm season of the year, they every morning bring up the eggs, as they are usually called, to the surface, or nearly so; and from ten in the forenoon to five in the afternoon, or thereabouts, all these will be found just under the surface and if the hills be examined towards eight in the evening, they will be found to have carried them all down; and if rainy wea ther be coming on, it will be necessary to

:

United under one head, the destructive angel of the bottomless pit, the promoters of this delusion, were to be many and mischievous, as locusts and scorpions; ruinous to such as had not the true grace of God; having their conscience seared as with an hot iron; speaking lies in hypocrisy; propagating the doctrines of devils, forbidding to marry, or, on occasions, to use lawful and wholesome meats: while their hearers had itching ears, heaped up teachers, and gave heed unto fables: they were to be lovers of themselves, covetous,

dig a foot deep or more, in order to find them. All human precautions have not hitherto been able to supply that degree of warmth and minute attention which the ants put in practice to forward the instant of their last metamorphosis. The insect, issuing forth to a new life, tears its white transparent veil; it is then a real ant, destitute of wings, if it has no sex; winged, if it be male or female, always to be known by a small erect scale placed on the thread which connects the body and thorax. Ants transact their amours in the air.

In Switzerland, the ants are made subservient to the destruction of caterpillars. This is done by hanging a pouch filled with ants upon a tree; and they, making their escape through an aperture contrived on purpose, run over the tree without being able to reach down to the ground, because care has been previously taken to besmear the foot of the tree with wet clay or soft pitch; in consequence of which, compelled by hunger, they fall upon the caterpillars and devour them.

Encycl. art. FORMICA.

applied to the heathen emperors of Rome; much less to the fanciful Danitish Antichrist of Popish writers, the Armillus of the Jews, or the Daggial of the Mahometans. The Mahometan system may indeed be considered as a lesser and more improper Antichrist; but neither are the most of the characters applicable to it. It sits not in the church, nor contains any pretensions of men to power equal to God's: allows of no idolatry, nor is it noted for persecution of the saints; nor was it established by lying wonders, but by the power of the sword.

proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, waliowers in all manner of uncleanness, intemperate, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, creeping into houses, and leading captive silly women laden with sins. The chief residence of this monster was to be Rome; its name, Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the carth. The NUMBER of his name is 666, whose numeral letters constitute Latinus or Romiith, and whose square But every part of the above characroot is 25, the number of the articles ter is clearly applicable to the PAPAof faith, and of many other things in cv. In the apostolic age it began to the Romish church. This Antichrist work in the ambition and false docbegan to work in the apostolic age, trines of the pretended apostles; all but was checked by the power of the along, in the succeeding ages, it opeRoman empire till that was destroyed, rated more and more in the growth and a fearful apostacy from the faith of error and superstition; and in the happened in the church. His dura- aspiring temper of the clergy, chiefly tion is 1260 years; during which he of the bishops of Rome. The conpromotes idolatry, lies, and blasphe- tinued power of the emperors was my, treads the church under foot, and long a check to the pride of the Ropersecutes the saints, who all along man bishops; but when the seat of bear WITNESS against his abomina- the empire was removed to Constantions; nor do the terrible ravages of || tinople, about A. D. 330; when the the Turkish angels, loosed from the western empire was entirely dissolved Euphrates, in the least make his by the barbarians A. D. 476; and subjects to repent of their idola- finally, when in A. D. 566, the emtrics, murders, sorceries, fornications, peror Justin stripped Rome of her thefts. At the end of his reign, he consuls and senate and made it subshall, with craft and fury, almost en-ject to the Exarch of Ravenna, they tirely cut off faithful witnessing for had full opportunity to exert their Christ-but all of a sudden, by the ambition. pure preaching of the gospel; by the effusion of sevenfold plagues, or vials of divine wrath; by the revolt and opposition of his own subjects, shall he be terribly destroyed, to the consternation of his adherents, and the great joy of the saints, both Jews and Gentiles, Dan. vii. 8-12. 20-26. and xi. 36-40. 2 Thess. ii. 3-12. 1 Tim. iv. 1-3. 2 Tim. iii. 1-7. and iv. 3, 4. Rev. ix. 1-11. 20, 21. and xi. and xiii. to xix. chapters.

Seven forms of government, viz. by kings, consuls, decemvirs, tribunes, dictators, emperors, Heathen and Christian, and by Gothish kings, had already had their turns at ROME; and the empire was parcelled out into ten different sovereignties. The Christian clergy had heaped up the unscriptural dignities of lordly bishops, archbishops, metropolitans, patri archs, one over another. They still wanted an head to unite them into one The above characters, drawn from body. The bishops of Rome, by enthe scripture, can, with no justice, becouraging appeals to their bar, by

pretending deeds of council in their || authority, the Popes grasped at the favour, and a thousand other fraudu- civil. About 750, or 756, they be lent methods, struggled for the sove- came princes of Italy, lords of the reignty; nor were the patriarchs of three sovereignties of the dukedom Constantinople idle. Gregory the of Rome, the exarchate of Ravenna, Great filled the Romish see about A. and the region of Pentapoles. They D. 600. In opposition to John of gradually proceeded to claim a suConstantinople, he loudly maintained, preme authority over all the kings That whoever claimed an universal and emperors in Christendom; deheadship over the Christian church, posing the emperors of Germany, was doubtless the forerunner of Anti-kings of France, England, &c. at christ, if not actually HE. Mean-pleasure, and absolving their subjects while, he laboured with all his might from their allegiance. They pretento increase the fooleries of supersti-ded to dispose of the countries in tion; the multitude of which, along Asia, Africa, and America, to the with their attendant errors, now dark-Portuguese and Spaniards, who conened the face of the Christian church; quered them. They extended their and to procure preferment flattered power to the angels, charging them Phocas. About A. D. 606, or 608, to conduct to the celestial mansions, bishop Boniface the 3d, by flattering such departed souls as they pleased; of Phocas the emperor of Constanti-and ordering devils to leave the bonople, one of the vilest traitors and murderers, and one of the most inhuman and wicked wretches that ever breathed, procured himself the title of Universal Bishop. Deputies were immediately despatched through the western churches to introduce the new superstition, and procure submission to the Romish yoke. These deputies were often very ignorant, and quite incapable to officiate, in the language of the countries whither they came. A remedy was found: about A. D. 666, it is said Pope Vitalian appointed all religious worship in public to be performed in Latin. This at once concealed the ignorance of the deputies, and marked the churches with an implicit subjection to Rome.

dies which they had possessed. They assumed a practical supremacy over the divine persons themselves, in pretending to form and divide the glorified body of Jesus at pleasure; in altering the divine laws; in issuing forth pardons, and indulgencies in sin; in cancelling the obligation of oaths, &c. What ignorant, proud, blasphemers, atheists, inchanters, murderers, whoremongers, incestuous and perjured persons, many of the popes were! and how ignorance, superstition, idolatry, and every other crime, abounded by their means, is obvious to every one acquainted with their history.

In the 10th and 11th centuries, things were in a most deplorable condition: the great part of the Romish The Popes exerted their sacred Christians were similar to beasts in power in promoting the idolatrous stupidity, and to infernals in impiety. worship of images, reliques, saints, In the subsequent age, the scholastic and angels; in adding to the former learning began. Its chief tendency superstition; in erecting new offices was to pervert and obscure the scripand orders of monks, till the nations ture, render the Christian principles groaned under the load of the nume- quite unintelligible, and to support the rous and oppressive clergy, who, by abominations then introduced. means crafty and base, appropriated render it impossible for the laics to to themselves the most part of the discover the errors and horrid vilwealth and power of the Christian lainies of the clergy, their reading of world. Not content with ecclesiasticthe scripture was represented as ex

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tremely dangerous, and enacted to be | who had formerly betrayed them, no less criminal. To prevent every took up arms in their favour, and remurmur against their conduct, courts covered their liberties about A. D. of inquisition were erected, by means 1551. After about three years and a of which, the least suspicion of pre-half persecution, have the Protestants tended heresy, or even the falsest accusation, exposed multitudes to the danger of confiscation of goods, of imprisonment, tortures and death.

of Savoy oftener than once got relief. Three years and a half the Protestant religion seemed almost ruined in England, under Queen Mary; and In every part of the Antichristian again under King James II. of Briperiod God had his witnesses for the tain; and at the end thereof, was retruth; and terribly were these perse- established by Elizabeth, and K. Wilcuted and murdered by the Papists. liam: nor was it much above three The Waldenses of Piedmont and years and a half, when relief from the France, in the 12th and 13th centu- massacres began to be granted to the ries; the Wickliffites of England, in Protestants in France and Ireland. the 14th; Bohemians in the 15th, But it is observable, all these slaughwere the most noted; and between a ters were particular; nor are the million or two, or perhaps more were kingdoms of this world yet become murdered on that account. In the the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his 16th century, the shocking impiety, Christ. We must therefore believe fraud, and oppression of the Roman- the last and most grievous conflict ists provoked vast numbers to throw with Antichrist to be still future. off their yoke. The Pope's authority The present abounding of ignorance, was abolished in Britain, in Sweden, the contempt of the scripture, the Denmark, Holland, and a great num- prevalent errors on the head of justiber of states in Germany and Swit-fication and free will, the attachment zerland. Multitudes in France, Po-to gaudy pomp in the worship of God, land, Hungary, and even in Italy and the pride, ambition, contention, and Spain were convinced of, and rejec- loose living of the Protestants, appear ted the Popish delusions. By an es-wide steps towards a return to Rome. tablishment of their abominations in Terribly have the Antichristians the council of Trent, but chiefly by already been plagued of God. About murderous wars and persecutions in A. D. 713, the Saracens, who hated Germany, Low-countries, France; the Papists for their idolatry, poured by horrid massacres in France and themselves into Spain, and rendered Ireland; by bloody persecutions in it almost a desart. They went on, Poland, Hungary, England, Scot- ravaging the south of France, till land, Savoy, &c. the Pope's agents, Charles Martel cut off Abdilrachman for about 150 years, attempted to re- their general, and 300,000 of his duce them. troops, A. D. 734.-From 830 to 980, the contentions between the descen

Great men have thought, that Antichrist's general slaughter of the wit-dants of Charles the Great, emperor nesses, and their death of three years and a half, have already happened. Some things similar have indeed taken place. After the council of Constance, about 1414, sat three years and a half to ruin them, and establish Popery, the Bohemians remarkably prevailed. After the affairs of the Protestants had been three years and a half in a ruined condition, Maurice,

of Germany and king of France; and the ravages of the Hungarians and Saracens in Italy, deluged these countries with blood.-From 1090 to 1290, prodigious multitudes were cut off in the sacred war, which the Popes, for the establishment of their power at home, instigated the Christian princes to wage with the Seljukian Turks and Saracens, for

ces of Popery, shall be plainly exposed, their cardinals, bishops, and priests, shown to be murderers of souls, and many of them cut off by untimely deaths; or the well-watered countries of Switzerland, North Italy, and South

the recovery of Palestine. Scarce a kingdom in Europe but suffered exceedingly by this mad exploit. From 1200 to 1370, the contentions of the Guelfs and Gibellines, or the Pope's and emperor's party, deluged Italy and Germany with blood.-France, where the Waldenses and From 1370 to 1447, the schism of other saints were murdered, shall be the Popes occasioned terrible wars in deluged with Antichristian blood. Spain, France, Germany, and Italy. Under the fourth, poured on the sun, The Bohemians too, for a considera- we hope the instructive light and ble time, terribly mauled the Papists.spiritual warmth of divine truth, shall, Between 1486 and 1534, a sweating to the terrible vexation of Papists, sickness, and other pestilential disor- draw off the German emperor, or ders, carried off vast multitudes in French king, and others, who have England, Germany, and France.-been long their glory and support, to From about 1370 to 1698, the Otto-the Protestant side; and perhaps the man Turks proved a terrible scourge natural sun with his heat, may proto the Antichristians who inhabited duce some very destructive plague. Hungary, Poland, the east of the A- Under the fifth, poured on the seat of driatic sea, the isles of the Mediterra- the beast, we suppose, the frame of nean, Italy, and Germany. the Papal kingdom will be broken to These disasters, the judicious Low-pieces, and filled with disorder and man, Doddridge and Guise, suppose to confusion; and the whole system of comprehend the first five vials of Popery appear abominable and devilwrath appointed for Antichrist; we ish; or Rome itself be turned into an rather, with Newton and Gill, sup- horrible desart, which shall occasion pose them all to be future, and to terrible pain, blasphemy, and grief, happen immediately after the slaugh- among the Papists; chiefly these ter of the WITNESSES: though we who had enriched themselves by her readily grant the above, and other superstition. Under the sixth, pourthings, to have been prelibations | ed into the Euphrates, we expect Mathereof. Under the first vial, poured hometism to be abolished, and the on the earth, we expect, the infallibi-conversion of the eastern nations belity and supremacy of the Pope; the gun; and that the Papists and their authority of traditions; the doctrine auxiliaries, shall receive a terrible deof justification by works; and other feat at the battle of Armageddon, till earthly and carnal foundations of Po- a great part of the ecclesiastic state pery to be overthrown; or the Papal in Italy be almost covered with carpower in the inland countries of Ger- cases, the rivers swelled with blood, many, Poland, and Hungary, to his the beasts fattened with dead bodies, and his friends shame and vexation, and the Protestant victors enriched quite overturned. Under the second with the spoil; and many, by means poured into the sea, we expect, the hereof, turned to the Lord. Under credit of the Romish religion will be the last vial, poured into the air, we signally blasted, and its bloody and expect, the remains of the Popish damnable nature clearly discovered, doctrine, worship, discipline, and goor the maritime countries of Portu-vernment, monasteries and dignities, gal, Spain, and Naples, plagued with will be entirely abolished; and that famine, pestilence, earthquakes, and obstinate Papists, who had fled to the sword. Under the third, poured on isles of Sicily, Malta, &c. shall be the rivers, we suppose, the nakedness cut off by the vengeance of God, of the Popish doctors, and their defen- Rev. xvi. VOL. I.

M