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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 per¦son? 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 there∣fore 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 haue fit occasion to speak heereafter, and therefore here passe it ouer in silence.
It remaineth now that I should heere giue satisfaction to some testimonies of the Fathers which they vse to produce for this purpose. But they that haue cast but their eyes ne∣uer so little vpon the writings of the Ancient Fathers, shall find them to haue so, as it were, groped in the darke, about this matter, that it is hard to draw out of them any solid conclu∣sion. For some of them haue thought that N••ro was the Anti∣christ, 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 ta∣ken from the Author of those verses which goe vnder the name of Sybills: as is to bee seene in the fift booke of the Sy∣billine Oracles. Others haue beene of opinion, that he should bee the diuell who should appeare in humaine shape, and faine himselfe to bee borne of a Virgine. Others haue thought that he should be begotten of a woman by the De∣uill. 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 af∣ter Sixe Thousand yeares accomplished, all the Saints shall rise againe out of their graues, and that our Lord Iesus shall descend vpon the earth, and reigne with them in great glory and aboundance of all things for the space of a Thousand yeares. 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 them∣selues
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. 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, so many diffe∣ring 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 haue manife∣sted, 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 wit∣nesseth S. Augustine when hee saith: 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. 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. 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. And Lyra saith, That the Beast is the vvhole body of the wic∣ked.
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 haue beene many in number. For we auouch cleane contrary; that seeing Anti∣christ 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 vnto him, together with all the rest, as we haue already proued before.
Sulp••t. Seuer. ••ib 2 histor. sac.
Hipp••litus Martyr.
Lactant••••••b. 7. cap 24.
Hieron. in Ie∣rem. lib. 4.
Aug. d•• ciuit. Dei. i. e. 7.
Idem. Ibid. lib. ••••. cap. 19.
Aug. hom. 3. in Apoc.
R••per. com••n Ap. ca. 8.
Lyra. in Apoc. 17.