The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

3. A third sort of men that did hold a true resurrection of the body, and a general Judgement of all the world, did affirm before the Apostles were yet dead, that the Judgement would come upon the world within a short time after, even in the age of them that then lived, 2 Thess. 2. 1, 2, 3. Now these false teachers are both described and confuted by the Apostle: described both by the effect of their corrupt doctrine, viz. that it would draw men away from their minds both for the present, by making them less careful of their callings, and for the time to ⟨p. 504⟩come, when they should see that that day did not come as was foretold, they might then grow either impatient under their cross, or else to fall away from religion, believing nothing, because that they have believed in this point did not come to pass: and described they were, by the manner of confirming their doctrine: For they pretended first the Spirit, that they had revelations from the Spirit within. Secondly, the word, that is either some special arguments of their own, or some words which the Apostles had uttered. Thirdly, Epistles, either wresting the words of the Epistles of the Apostles, as that 1 Thess. 4. 7. or else counterfeiting Epistles, and saying they were written by the Apostles. The Apostle confutes them by showing that the kingdom of Antichrist must come before the day of Judgement.

3. A third sort of men that did hold a true resurrection of the bodie, and a generall Iudgement of all the world, did affirme before the Apostles were yet dead, that the Iudgement would come vpon the world within a short time after, euen in the age of them that then liued, 2 Thess. 2. 1, 2, 3. Now these false teachers are both described and confuted by the Apostle: described both by the effect of their corrupt doctrine, viz. that it would draw men away from their minds both for the present, by making them lesse carefull of their callings, and for the time to ⟨p. 504⟩come, when they should see that that day did not come as was foretold, they might then grow either impatient vnder their crosse, or else to fall away from religion, beleeuing nothing, because that they haue beleeued in this point did not come to passe: and described they were, by the manner of confirming their doctrine: For they pretended first the Spirit, that they had reuelations from the Spirit within. Secondly, the word, that is either some speciall arguments of their owne, or some words which the Apostles had vttered. Thirdly, Epistles, either wresting the words of the Epistles of the Apostles, as that