Antichrist therefore is a mystical man, so made or begotten of the devil, and sent into the world, Satan himself being the chief and highest part of him.

Three things therefore go to the making up of antichrist:  the head, body, and soul.  The devil, he is the head; the synagogue of Satan, that is the body; that wicked spirit of iniquity, that is the soul of antichrist.

Christ then is the head of his church, the devil is the head of antichrist; the elect are the body of Christ, the reprobate professors are the body of antichrist; the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of life that acteth Christ’s body; that wicked spirit of iniquity is that which acteth the body of antichrist.

Thus therefore are the two great mighties set forth before us, who are the heads of those two bodies.

Rise and progress of antichrist.

The reason why Christ came into the world was, that he might destroy all the works of the head of antichrist, and them which he endeavors to complete by his wicked spirit working in his body.  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.  Further, he quickly got him a beast to ride on, far, for sumptuous glory, beyond—­though as to nature as assish a creature as—­that on which Balaam was wont to ride; and by this exaltation he not only became more stately, but the horns of the beast would push for him.