Antichrist the Pope of Rome, Treatise 3 · Answer 5 – Mark 1
Anſwere.
This conſequence is fri…olous; ſeeing Daniel ſpeaketh not at all of Antichriſt, as we meane to proue: and beſides, doth it follow, that becauſe S. Iohn repreſenteth Antichriſt as one King, therefore he muſt needs bee one ſingular perſon? The Prophet Daniel repreſenteth the Kingdomes of the Perſians, and Medes, and Babylonians, by ſeuerall Beaſts and yet there is none ſo blockiſh as to conclude, that therefore theſe Kingdomes are no other then ſingular Perſons, or Kings. As touching the three yeares and an halfe, during which they affirme Antichriſts kingdome ſhall endure, wee ſhall hauehave fit occaſion to ſpeak heereafter, and therefore here paſſe it ouer in ſilence.
It remaineth now that I ſhould heere giuegive ſatisfaction to ſome teſtimonies of the Fathers which they vſe to produce for this purpoſe. But they that hauehave caſt but their eyes neuer ſo little vponupon the writings of the Ancient Fathers, ſhall find them to hauehave ſo,Sulp…t. Seuer. …ib 2 hiſtor. ſac. as it were, groped in the darke, about this matter, that it is hard to draw out of them any ſolid concluſion. For ſome of them hauehave thought that N…ro was the Antichriſt, who ſhould riſe againe before the end of the world, or at leaſt ſhould bee preſerued aliue till then, and be reuealed and reeſtabliſhed in his kingdome: which opinion was taken from the Author of thoſe verſes which goe vnderunder the name of Sybills: as is to bee ſeene in the fift booke of the Sybilline Oracles. Others hauehave beene of opinion, that he ſhould bee the diuell who ſhould appeare in humaine ſhape,Hipp…litus Martyr. and faine himſelfe to bee borne of a Virgine. Others hauehave thought that he ſhould be begotten of a woman by the Deuill. S. Ierome affirmeth, that he ſhould be a man in whom the Diuell did inhabite corporally. Papius, Iuſt…n Martyr, Lactantius, and others, referre the comming of Antichriſt, till after the reſurrection of the Saints. For they ſay that after Sixe Thouſand yeares accompliſhed, all the Saints ſhall riſe againe out of their graues, and that our Lord Ieſus ſhall deſcend vponupon the earth, and reigne with them in great glory and aboundance of all things for the ſpace of a Thouſand yeares.Lactant…b. 7. cap 24. In ſuch ſort (ſaith Lactantius) that the earth ſhall then display her fr…itef…lneſſe, and of it owne accord bring forth all aboundance and plenty, that the Rocks and Mountaines ſhall ſweat Honey, the Riuers run with Wine, and the ouer-flowing flouds ſhed forth Milke. In breefe, that there ſhalbe ſuch an Age, as the Poet's fanſied of an Age of Gold, during the which the Saints ſhould marry and beget Children like to themſelues in holineſſe: But that after the expiration of theſe Thouſand yeares, Sathan ſhould be vnbound and let looſe, and raiſe vp a greeuous perſecution againſt the Elect, by the meanes of Antichriſt, and that after that ſhould follow the generall iudgement.Hieron. in Ierem. lib. 4. This opinion hath found heeretofore ſuch ſtrong Defenders and Abetters, that S. Ierome albeit he doth not approue it, yet dares not condemne it: and S. Auguſtine confeſſeth, that hee had beene ſometimes of that minde. In ſumme, looke how many heads,Aug. d… ciuit. Dei. i. e. 7. ſo many differing opinions ſhall wee finde, as it commeth ordinarily to paſſe in matters propheticall and farre remoued. Albeit in the midſt of theſe doubts, the Ancients hauehave manifeſted, that by that which they ſpoke concerning Antichriſt, they neuer intended that he ſhould abſolutely bee but one ſingular perſon: but rather an eſtate and gouernment, as witneſſeth S. Auguſtine when hee ſaith:Idem. Ibid. lib. …. cap. 19. That diuerſe doe not thinke that by Antichriſt is to be vnderstood the Prince alone: but all his whole b…dy in generall; that is, all the multitude of his adhere…s together with their Prince. Aug. hom. 3. in Apoc.And in another place (he ſaith) that the Whore and the Beaſt are one, and the ſame thing; to wit, the whole body of the wicked fighting againſt the Lambe, and all the true Babylon. R…per. com…n Ap. ca. 8.To which agreeth Rup… tus, when he affirmeth, That the Beaſt (by which he meaneth Antichriſt) and the Dragon are all one, to wit, the Deuil vvith his bod…; that is, with all the congregation of the wicked. Lyra. in Apoc. 17.And Lyra ſaith, That the Beaſt is the vvhole body of the wicked.
So then by this that hath bene ſaid, is vtterly ouerthrown one of their Arguments whereby they labour to proue that the Pope is not Antichriſt; namely, becauſe Antichriſt muſt be one ſingular perſon, and the Popes hauehave beene many in number. For we auouch cleane contrary; that ſeeing Antichriſt muſt be one indiuidual perſon at one time, but v…rying by ſucceſſion, and that the Pope is ſuch a perſon: therefore there is no let heereby, but that he may be truely Antichriſt, foraſmuch as this marke fitly agreeth vntounto him, together with all the reſt, as we hauehave already proued before.
2. Queſtion. Whether Antichriſt be come, or no.
The Romiſh Proctours, to the end to make men beleeue that the Pope is not Antichriſt, auerre and maintaine that he is not yet come, neither ſhall come vntill about the end of the world, the preciſe time whereof cannot bee knowne. For the proofe hereof, they produce ſix reaſons, which Bellarmine calleth demonſtrations: for ſay they, the holy Ghoſt giueth vsus ſix markes or ſignes of the comming of Antichriſt: of which two goe before …ntichriſt, to wit, the preaching of the Goſpell through the whole world, and the deſtruction of the Romane Empire: two accompany him, namely the preaching of En…ch and Elias, and an extreme perſecution, by the which all the publick ſeruice of God ſhall ceaſe: and two ſhall follow him, to wit, the deſtruction of Antichriſt after three yeares and an halfe, and the worlds end, none of all which markes are as yet arriued, therefore Antichriſt is not yet come.
Firſt marke: the preaching of the Goſpell through the whole world.
Viega… in Apo…. cap. …3. ſect. 17.The Scriptures (ſay they) beare witneſſe, that the Goſpell ſhall be preached through all the world, before the laſt perſecution, which ſhall be rayſed vp by Antichriſt: Mat. 24.14. and this Goſpell of the kingdome ſhall bee preached in all the habitable earth, Remond. cap. 8.in witneſſe to all Nations; and then ſhall the end come. Now this Prophecy was not accompliſhed about the yeare 600. or 700 where ſome fix the time of Antichriſts comming: nor in the time of S. Bernard, whither others referre it: nor is yet fulfilled in our time; for eueryevery day new Countries are found out both in the Eaſt and Weſt, where there is no ſigne or token of the preaching of the Goſpell. It followeth therefore, that Antichriſt is not yet come.