THE

MYSTERY

OF

INIQUITY

UNVAILED:

IN A

DISCOURSE,

Wherein is held forth

The Oppofition of the Doctrine worship, and Practices of the Roman Church,

ΤΟ

The Nature, Designs, and Characters of the Christian Faith.

By GILBERT BURNET, Chaplain in Ordinary to His MAJESTY.

LONDON,

Printed by W. Godbid, and are to be fold by M. Pitt, at the Angel over against the Little North Door of St.Pauls. 1673.

H

[1]

THE

Mystery of Iniquity

UN VAILED.

E that increaseth knowledge, increaseth forrow, is an obfervation which holdeth true of no part of knowledge, fo much as of the knowledge of Mankind: It is fome relief to him, who knows nothing of foreign wickednefs, to hope there are other Nations wherein Virtue is honoured, and Religion is in efteem, which allays his regrates, when he fees Vice and Impiety abound in his Country; but if by travelling or reading he enlarge his Horizon, and know Mankind better, his regrates will grow, when he finds the whole World lyes in wickedness. It argues a cruel and inhumane temper, to delight in beholding fcenes of horrour and mifery, and certainly none, who either honours his Maker and Redeemer, or is a lover of Mankind, can without forrow look

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look on, and see the indignities done to God and his Son Chrift, and see the Enemy of the humane race triumphing over the World, with fuch abfolute authority and fo much enraged cruelty, and that not only in the dark Regions of it, which the Sun of Righteoufnefs hath not yet vifited with his Gofpel, but that where Christ should have a Throne, Satans Seat fhould alfo be, is juftly surprising and aftonishing. That almost all Chriftendom hath fallen from their firft love, is what none whofe eyes are open can deny; and it is little less evident, that the greater part of it hath made fhipwrack, and erred from the Faith; and that the Church, whofe Faith was once spoken of throughout the world, is now become the Mother of the Fornications of the Earth. It is true, the Scriptures warned us of a falling away, of a mystery of iniquity, of an Antichrift to be revealed in due time, and of a Babylanish, Rome, which should bewitch the Earth with her Sorceries, but should be varnished over with fair colours and fpecious pretences, fo that mystery should be on her forehead:

Being then warned of fo much danger to the Chriftian Religion, it is a neceffary (though painful) enquiry to fee if this Antichrift be yet come, or if we must look for another.

But because fome have ftretched the Notion of Antichriftianism fo far, that things harmless and innocent come within its compass; and others have fo much contracted it, that they might scape free; we are to take a view of the Nature and Designs of the Chriftian Religion, and to conclude from that what must be Antichriftianifm: It being not only a bare contradiction to fome branches or parts of the Gospel (for then every errour or herefie were Antichriftianism) but a defign and entire complex, of fuch opinions and practices, as are contradictory to, and fubverfive of, the power and life of Chriftianity: And if we find any fuch thing to be broached and received in theWorld, we may with the leaft hazard of uncharitableness, pronounce it to be Antichriftianifm, and if it be acted or animated by any Head, he may be concluded Antichrift. A 3

The