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That is no reason which Bellarmine pretendeth, that the Romane Church is by their out∣ward prosperitie knowne to be the true Church, and therefore it is giuen vnto them to pro∣sper: but these rather are the causes:
1. That herein Gods mercie may appeare, who for a long time tied vp and bound Sa∣••han, though for a while he be let loose: yet in that vntill the reuealing of Antichrist, he was
bridled, and not suffered hetherto to powre out all his malice against the Church of God, it must be ascribed to his mercie.
2. The Lord by this persecution vnder Antichrist will trie out the faithfulnes of his ser∣uants, that they may be discerned from the hypocrites: as it is shewed here in the former verse, that diuers were suffered to fall into affliction, to trie and purge them: both that they might be scuered and purged from hypocrites, as the wheat is from the chaffe and drosse; and that the Lord also might haue experience of the faithfulnes and constancie of his ser∣uants. Hereupon Hyppolitus thinketh, that the Martyrs vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist, shall be the most glorious Martyrs, that euer were in any persecution before: which verily may be affirmed of our holy Martyrs that suffered in the daies of Queene Marie in Eng∣land, and then and since in other places: for beside that their torments and cruell manner of death were equivalent,* 1.1 the cause for the which they suffered was more hard to be iudged of, and their enemies more subtle: for the Martyrs of the Primitiue Church died for not yeil∣ding vnto most grosse idolatrie of the heathen, which was most manifest impietie: and their aduersaries were professed enemies to all Christianitie: But these latter Martyrs suffered for matters of religion, euen controuerted among Christians, and their persecutors themselues pretending to be Christians.
3. A third reason is, that God by the hypocrisie and tyrannie of Antichrist, punisheth the sinnes of the world, which abounded at the reuealing of Antichrist. Hyppolitus thus well setteth forth the iniquitie of those times, wherein Antichrist shall come: omnes suo arbitratu vivent, silij manus inijcient in parentes, &c. all shall liue as they list, the sonnes shall lay vio∣lent hands vpon their parents: the wife shall deliuer the husband to death, the husband the wife: masters shall be cruell toward their seruants, and seruants shall be stubborne against their masters: no man shall reuerence the aged, nor haue pitie on the poore: then shall en∣chanters and sorcerie be in force: Pastours shall become wolues, and Monks shall couet and desire the things of the world, &c. All these vices and corruptions abounded in the world, when Antichrist beganne to shew himselfe, and these things are yet practised vnder the Ro∣mane tyrannie: Wiues doe accuse their husbands, and husbands their wiues, children the parents, and parents the children, one brother riseth against an other to put them to death for religion. So that for these and other sinnes, the hard yoke of Antichristian bondage yet lieth vpon the world. And S. Paul sheweth the reason thereof, 2. Thess. 2. 11, 12. God shall send them strong delusions to beleeue lies, that all they might be damned which beleeue not the truth, but had pleasure in vnrighteousnes. And so those nations, which are yet in bondage vnder Antichrist, because they desire not to leaue their superstition, and vnrighteous liuing, but still continue enemies to the truth, therefore they are by the iust iudgement of God kept still in ignorance and misbeleefe.
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