An expositio[n] upon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…An expositio[n] vpon the two epistles of the apostle S. Paul to the Thessalonians…

His coming shall be by the working of Satan: yet he shall make show as if he came in the name of Christ. He shall come with fatherly looks, with holy countenance, and shall set himself in the holy place: but his whole endeavour shall be to deface the kingdom of Christ: which he shall practise to do, not by the leading of any Angel or Archangel, or by the power of God, but by the effectual working of Satan. He shall allege the Doctors and Fathers: he shall allege Peter and Paul, the holy Apostles of Christ: he shall allege Christ, and God himself, as though his doings were warranted by them: he shall say, I am the buttress and pillar of the Church, my word is the word of God: he shall set up masses and sacrifices of his own: he shall take away the word of God: he shall teach the people to give divine honour to a weak creature.

His comming shall be by the working of Sathan: yet he shall make shew as if he came in the name of Christ. He shall come with fatherly lóokes, with holie countenance, and shal set himselfe in the holy place: but his whole indeuour shalbe to deface the kingdom of Christ: which he shall practise to doe, not by the leading of anie Angel or Archangel, or by the power of God, but by the effectuall working of Satan. He shall alleage the Doctours and Fathers: he shall alleage Peter and Paul, the holy Apostles of Christ: he shall alleage Christ, and God himself, as though his doings were warranted by them: he shall saie, I am the buttresse and pillar of the Church, my word is the word of God: he shal set vp masses and sacrifices of his owne: he shall take awaie the word of God: he shal teach the people to giue diuine honour to a weake creature.

But S. Paul in this place discloseth him, and his doings, and layeth them open to the eyes of ⟨p. 342⟩the faithful. He worketh not the work of an Evangelist as did Peter or other the Apostles, he taketh not power and authority either of God or of Christ: but his coming is by the operation of Satan. Therefore he foresheweth, Antichrist shall command to abstain from meats. He shall say, touch not, taste not. He shall also forbid to marry. He shall say, marriage is unholy, and unlawful, not convenient, nor meet for holy profession. Who would not think it a holy thing to abstain from meats, and to chastise the body? who would not think it a holy thing, to abstain from marriage, and to think of those things which belong to God? seeing holiness and devotion are a pleasant sacrifice to God: but yet it is not all so. Some shall speak lies through hypocrisy, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from