HOMILY IV.] HOMILIES ON THESSALONIANS. 389 the Roman empire would be dissolved, they would immediately have even overwhelmed him, as a pestilent person, and all the faithful, as liv ing and warring to this end. And he did not say that it will be quickly, although he is always saying it but what? "that he may be revealed in his own season," he says, " For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work." He speaks here of Nero, as if he were the type of Antichrist. For he too wished to be thought a god. And he has well said, " the mystery " ; that is, it worketh not openly, as the other, nor without shame. For if there was found a man before that time, he means, who was not much behind Antichrist in wickedness, what wonder, if there shall now be one? But he did not also wish to point him out plainly : and this not from cowardice, but instructing us not to bring upon ourselves unnecessary enmi ties, when there is nothing to call for it. So in deed he also says here. " Only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way," that is, when the Roman empire is taken out of the way, then he shall come. And natu rally. For as long as the fear of this empire lasts, no one will willingly exalt himself, but when that is dissolved, he will attack the anarchy, and endeavor to seize upon the government both of man and of God. For as the kingdoms before this were destroyed, for example, that of the Medes by the Babylonians, that of the Babylo nians by the Persians, that of the Persians by the Macedonians, that of the Macedonians by the Romans : so will this also be by the Antichrist, and he by Christ, and it will no longer with hold. And these things Daniel delivered to us with great clearness. " And then," he says, " shall be revealed the lawless one." And what after this? The con solation is at hand. " Whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of His coming, even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan." For as fire merely coming on even before its arrival makes torpid and consumes the little ani mals that are afar off; so also Christ, by His commandment only, and Coming. It is enough for Him to be present, and all these things are destroyed. He will put a stop to the deceit, by only appearing. Then who is this, whose coming is after the working of Satan, " With all power," he says, " and signs and lying wonders." These things he foretold, that the men of that time might not be deceived. That is, he will display all power, but nothing true, but for de ceit. "And lying wonders," he says, that is, false, or leading to falsehood. Ver. 10. "And with all deceit of unrighteous ness for them that are perishing." Why then, you say, did God permit this to be ? and what dispensation is this ? And what is the advantage of his coming, if it takes place for the ruin of our race? Fear not, beloved, but hear Him saying, " In them that are perish ing," he hath strength, who, even if he had not come, would not have believed. What then is the advantage ? That these very men who are perishing will be put to silence. How? Be cause both if he had come, and if he had not come, they would not have believed in Christ ; He comes therefore to convict them. For that they may not have occasion to say, that since Christ said that He was God, although He nowhere said this openly, but since those who came after proclaimed it, we have not believed. Because we have heard that there is One God from whom are all things, therefore we have not believed. This their pretext then Antichrist will take away. For when he comes, and comes commanding nothing good, but all things unlaw ful, and is yet believed from false signs alone, he will stop their mouths. For if thou believest not in Christ, much more oughtest thou not to believe in Antichrist. For the former said that He was sent from the Father, but the latter the contrary. For this reason Christ said, " I am come in My Father s name, and ye receive Me not : if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive." (John v. 43.) But we have seen signs, you say. But many and great signs were also wrought in the case of Christ ; much more therefore ought ye to have believed in Him. And yet many things were predicted concerning thisone, that he is the lawless one, that he is the son of perdition, that his coming is after the working of Satan. But the contrary concerning the other, that He is the Saviour, that He brings with Him unnumbered blessings. Ver. 10, n, 12. " For because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved ; for this cause God will send them a working of error, that they should believe a lie : that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." "That they might be judged." He does not say, that they might be punished ; for even be fore this they were about to be punished ; but " that they might be condemned," that is, at the dreadful Seat of Judgment, in order that they might be without excuse. " Who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteous ness." He calls Christ, " the Love of the Truth." " For because," says he, "they received not the love of the truth." For He was both, and came for the sake of both, both as loving men, and on behalf of things that were true. 1 " But had pleasure," he says, " in unrighteous- 1 Compare John xviii. 37.