And the reason
why antichrist came into the world was, that the church, which is
the body of Christ, might be tried and made white by suffering under
his tyranny, and by bearing witness against his falsehoods. For, for
the trial of the faithful and for the punishment of the world,
antichrist was admitted to come. But when he came, he first appeared
where one would have thought there had been no place nor corner for
his reception.
Here therefore was his first appearance, even in the church of God.
Not that the church did willingly admit him there to sit as such; he
had covered his cloven foot; he had plums in his dragon's mouth, and
so came in by flatteries, promising to do for Christ and his church
that which he never meant to perform; for he showed himself that he
was God, and in appearance set his heart to do as the heart of God.
And who could have found in their heart to shut the door upon such a
one? True, he came, when he came thither, out of the bottomless pit;
but there came such a smoke out thence with him, and that smoke so
darkened the light of the sun, of the moon, of the stars, and of the
day, that had they been upon their watch, as they were not, they
could not have perceived him from another man. Besides, there came
with him so many locusts to usher him into the house of God, and
they so suited the flesh and reason of the godly of that day, that
with good words and fair speeches, by their crafty and cunning
sleights whereby they lay in wait to deceive, they quite got him in,
and set him up and made him a great one, even the chief, before they
were aware.
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