Page:Mahometanism in its relation to prophecy - or, an inquiry into the prophecies concerning antichrist, with some reference to their bearing on the events of the present day (IA mahometanisminit00philrich).pdf/287

 menting on these words of St. Paul's second Epistle to the Thessalonians, ii. 7, "only he, that now holdeth, doth hold, until he be taken out of the way," answers the question as to whom the Apostle there refers, thus: "," that is, "the Apostle refers to the Roman empire. And when that is removed, Antichrist cometh." Now the force of the words is very striking, "," "Antichrist cometh;" the saint might have said "Antichrist shall come," but he says "cometh;" that is, "cometh immediately." There was to be no delay, no sooner was the Roman empire to be removed, than Antichrist, the Man of Sin, was to be at once revealed, "." Now, bearing these remarkable words in mind, is it likely, assuming the accuracy of the Patristic tradition, that on the breaking up of the Roman empire Antichrist was speedily to appear; is it likely, I say, that his coming should have been delayed for more than twelve hundred years? All the fathers of the Church, with one consent, affirm that the existence of the Roman empire was what delayed the coming of Antichrist, and that. when that empire was removed, then he was to appear, and they all unanimously affirm that this was the meaning of the Apostle's words: now can anything be conceived more utterly at variance with such a statement, than the one we so often hear, that Antichrist is still to come? But if we look into another