An Inquiry into the History and Theology of the Ancient Vallenses and Albigenses

imperfection and sinfulness; yet, if any particular branch of the Church Catholic shall have become palpably corrupt both in doctrine and in practice, we shall, on any intelligible principles, find it difficult to believe that Christ has still never ceased to be spiritually present with such a branch.

For instance, some particular Pastor at the head of some particular Church or Ecclesiastical Communion is clearly intended by the Man of Sin A reference to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.: because he is described as sitting in the temple of God, or as presiding in a See of the Visible Church of Christ; because he is stigmatized as the governing ringleader of a great collective apostasy from the faith; and because he is awfully exhibited to us as being the Son of Perdition—a graphic name, the very same as that which our Lord himself bestowed upon a fallen Apostle, even upon the mercenary wretch who turned away from him and, for filthy lucre's sake, betrayed him to his enemies.

Now, with an Ecclesiastical Community thus characterized—a Community whose head and instructor is said to have come after the working of Satan himself, and is thence doomed to be destroyed by the brightness of the Lord’s advent—with such an Ecclesiastical Community, apostate under an apostate...