A Treatise Concerning Antichrist, Book 2 · Chapter 9
The 9. Chapter: answering his sixt demonstration concerning the end of the world.
1. THe sixt and last demonstration, to proue that Antichrist is not yet come, is taken frō the end of the world. But because Bellarmine saw that this could not be made a signe of Antichrists comming without absurdity (for it is absurd thus to reason, the world hath not yet an end, therefore Antichrist is not yet come) therefore he changeth the question. For whereas he propounded this question to be concluded, that Antichrist is not yet come, he concludeth that he came not long since. So that for all this demonstration Antichrist may alreadie be come, although perhaps not so long since, as some doe imagine: But let vsus see how he proueth that he was not come long since. If Antichrist were come long since, then also the world long since should hauehave had an end: but the world hath not yet an end, therefore Antichrist was not come long since. The proposition he proueth, because Antichrist commeth a very little while before the ende of the world, and as it were immediately before the second comming of Christ. But this whole demonstration may easily be refuted by this one distinction: for we must distinguish betwixt the comming of Antichrist and his death, betwixt his beginning and his ende. Antichrist indeed is not vtterly to be destroied before the second comming of Christ: but this doth not proue that therefore he was not come long since. The Apostle Paul doth tell vsus that Antichrist is to be destroied at the second comming of Christ: notwithstanding both he doth insinuate and Iohn plainely professeth that the Antichrist which they had heard was to come in the last houre, was alreadie come in his time: and thereupon inferreth that euen then was the last houre or age of the world, which the holy ghost calleth an houre, that we should not thinke it long.
2. Now al the testimonies which Bellarmine alledgeth, if they were to be vnderstood of Antichrist (as indeede few of them are) do serue to proue, that the destruction of Antichrist shalbe in the end of the world, which we doe freely confesse. But of these places, as some make not for him so the rest are against him. The 7. of Daniel verse. 8. 9. 26. Apoc. 20 4. Mat. 24. 14. are altogether impertinent. For Daniel speaketh not of Antichrist or the last iudgement, but of Antiochus and Gods iudgements on the Seleucidae: Iohn speaketh not of the comming of Antichrist o… last iudgement, but of the binding and loosing of Sathan, and seats of iudgement erected for the faithfull, as Augustine also expoundeth: Christ in that place of Mat. speaketh not a worde of De ciuit. Dei. lib. 20. cap. …Antichrists comming or of the end of the world, but of the preaching of the gospel before the destruction of Ierusalem. The rest of the places make against him, & as he alledgeth them, against the trueth. For first Daniel 12. 12. Where Daniel (saith Bellarmine) after he had said that the kingdome of Antichrist should continue 1290. dayes, addeth, Blessed is he that expecteth and commeth to 1335. dayes. From whence the Papists would inferre, that Antichrist hauing reigned three yeares & a halfe, should be destroyed forty fiue dayes before the day of judgement. This place as I hauehave proued, is to be vnderstood of Antiochus. But suppose it spake of Antichrists reigne, and end of the world, see what would follow thereof. First, that the reigne of Antichrist is not three yeeres and a halfe precisely, or 1260. dayes; but 1290. dayes. Secondly, that Antichrist shalbe destroyed before the end of the world, whereas Paid telleth vsus, that Christ shall destroy him at his appearing, 2. Thes. 2. …and not 45. dayes before. Thirdly, then so soone as Antichrist is reuealed, men shalbe able certainly and distinctly to foretell the very day of judgement, to wit, the 1335. after Antichrists comming, and 45. after his death: which Christ denieth Math. 24▪ 36. And lastly, if this were true, then after the comming, or at least after the death of Antichrist, all men would be in expectation of Christs second comming. And therefore those dayes will not be (as Christ saith) like the daies of Noah: neither will his Ma…. 24. 37 38. 39.comming be suddaine & vnlooked for, as himselfe saith Mat. 24 if the very day of his comming be knowne before hand, & accordingly Mat 24. 44 1. Thes. 5. 2. 3.looked for. But let Christ be true, and all Papists lyars.
3. 2. Mat. 24. 29 Shortly after the tribulation of those dayes, the sunne shall be darkened, &c. In this chapter of Mathew our Sauiour speaketh not at all of Antichrist vntill the 23. & 24. verse, which diuers of the Fathers, yea and the Papists themselues vnderstand as spoken of Antichrist. There shall arise false Christs, and false Pr… phets, and they shall worke great signes & wonders, &c. From whence it appeareth, that Antichrist is not one onelyonly man, as Bellarmine saith, & that the signes of Christs cōming are to follow the tribulations vnderunder Antichrist, which we do confesse. 3. 2. Thes. 2. 8. And then shall that out-law be reuealed, whom the Lord Iesus shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, &c. Whence Bellarmine would prooue that the second cōming of Christ shall follow very shortly after the comming of Antichrist. But we must distinguish betwixt the first comming of Antichrist, and his reuelation and acknowledgement. And it cannot be denied, but … there is a great distance betwixt his reuelation, and destruction. For he w… to be reuealed as the Apostle saith, when that which hindered was taken out of the way, which we hauehave proued to hauehave beene done many hundred yeeres since: and consequently that Antichrist appeared long since, howsoeuer he shall not vtterly be destroyed vntill the second comming of Christ. And lastly, we are to distinguish betwixt Christs consuming him with the spirit of his mouth, and his vtter destroying him at his glorious appearance. There are therefore these degrees to be noted betwixt the first comming of Antichrist and his destruction. For after he is come, he sheweth himselfe in his colours, and that by degrees, more & more aduancing himselfe, vntill he come to his full pitch & height of his Antichristiā pride. After he is come to his height, he is acknowledged, and that by degrees: after he is acknowledged, Christ consumeth him by the spirit of his mouth, that is, by the preaching of the euerlasting gospel, Apo. 14. 6. 7. After which followeth the destruction of Babylon, that is, Rome, Apoc. 14. 8. effected and brought to passe by the Kings of the earth, who assisted the beast vntil Christ laid him open & consumed him with the breath of his mouth: & after that in the last place followeth the vtter destructiō of Antichrist at the second cōming of Christ. 4. Lastly, 1. Ioh. 2. 18. Children, this is the last houre, and as you hauehave heard that Antichrist co…meth, &c. Where Bellarmine maketh the Apostle reason thus, We know Antichrist shall come in the end of the world, and now we see many petite Antichrists, as it were his fore-runners: therefore we know that this is the last houre and age of the world. But if this reason of Bellarmines framing were good, we might vponupon his former grounds conclude thus. At the fulnesse of time, Christ was to come: But euer since the beginning there hauehave bin Patriarchs & Prophets, which Bellarmine calleth the fore-runners of Christ; therfore the fulnesse of time hath bin euer since the beginning. But whether shall we say that Bellarmine is so ignorant that he knoweth not how to make a syllogisme, or so shamelesse as to make the Apostle argue sophistically. The Apostles reasō is this, When the Antichrist commeth it is the last houre: Now (saith he) Antichrists are come, (meaning by Antichrists the same with the …. Iohn. 4. 3. …. …. 7.antichrist, which else where he affirmeth was thē entred into the world, or else there are 4. termini foure termes in th'Apostles argument) therfore now is the last houre. And if then were the houre of Antichrist his comming, what reason hauehave the Papists to restraine his comming, vntill three yeeres & a halfe before the end of the world? And thus, as you see, Bellarmines allegations are either altogether impertinent, or else against himselfe.
4. But as I said before, suppose they all spake of the day of judgement, & end of the world following vponupon Antichrist: yet none of them joineth the end of the world with his comming & birth, but with his death & destruction. And the like may be said of his allegation frō the common consent of the fathers & confession of his aduersaries, For our aduersaries (saith he) confesse, that Antichrist shall raigne (we say he shall continue) vntounto the end of the world: & therfore sh…rtly after his death shalbe the end of the world. Yea we further confesse, that his destruction shall concurre with the consummation of the world: for Christ at his cōming shall destroy him▪ But this proueth not that his cōming shalbe within three yeers & a halfe before the end of the world. For Iohn saith, He was come in his time, & Paul saith, he should be reuealed, whē that which hindered was done out of the way, which was done many hundred yeeres ago. Therfore though his end concur with the end of the world, yet there shall be a greater distance then Bellarmine imagineth, betwixt his comming and the end of the world. This Bellarmine foreseeing, perceiued very well, that i… this demonstration by it selfe alone, there is no force at all. And therfore he joyneth it with the fift, of both which together he saith, an vnanswerable demonstration may be made, to prooue that Antichrist is not yet come, & that the Pope is not Antichrist. For, saith he, if presently after the death of Antichrist the world shall hauehave an end, and Antichrist shall dye, after he hath raigned but three yeeres & a halfe; then it followeth, that Antichrist shall not appeare nor begin …o raigne til within 3. yeers & a halfe before the end of the world. But the Pope hath raigned longer then 3. yeers & an halfe, and yet the world cōtinueth, therfore the Pope is not antichrist. The vanity of the former demonstratiō which is made the groūd of the last, I hauehave sufficiently shewed before: & therfore that which is said of two ciphers in ciphering, the same may be said of these two demonstrations ioyned together, that naught to naught makes naught. For now I will not stand to tell you, how the three yeares and a halfe which in the former demonstration were 1260. dayes precisely, are now growne to 1335. dayes. For Antichrist shall not begin to reigne, saith Bellarmine, vntill within three yeares and a halfe before the end, and yet from the beginning of his reigne, vntill the end of the world, shall be 1335. dayes; so that in Bellermines precise account of halfe a yeare, 75. dayes, that is 10. weekes, and 5. dayes are nothing.
Thus hauehave we answered these sixe demonstrations, which we hauehave shewed to hauehave beene farre from proouing demonstratiuely, either that Antichrist is not yet come, or that the Pope is not Antichrist. Wherefore to conclude, if the Papists demonstrations in so weighty a cause, whereupon all Poperie dependeth, be such trifling trumperie, as is scarse worth the answering, what shall we thinke be their ordinary arguments in other causes of lesse importance. And this was his third principall argument, wherein he hath spent seauen whole chapters.