Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Antichrist · On the Roman Pontiff, Book III
Chapter 9: The Sixth Demonstration: The End of the World Follows Antichrist
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Antichristo, On Antichrist (On the Roman Pontiff, Book III). The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
The sixth demonstration is taken from the last sign following Antichrist, which will be the consummation of the World. For the coming of Antichrist will be a little before the end of the World; therefore if Antichrist had long since come, as the adversaries say, the World ought long since to have ended. Daniel, chapter 7, speaking twice of Antichrist — once narrating his vision, and once expounding the vision — both times subjoins that immediately after Antichrist the last judgment will follow: “I considered the horns,” he says, “and behold another little horn sprung out of the midst of them: and three of the first horns were plucked up at the presence thereof. I beheld till thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days sat, etc.” And below, explaining the vision: “The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom. And the ten horns shall be ten kings; and another shall rise up after them, and he shall be mightier than the former, and he shall bring down three kings, etc. And they shall be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time. And judgment shall sit, etc.”
Similar is the prophecy of John, Apocalypse 20: After these things he must be loosed a little time. And I saw seats; and they sat upon them; and judgment was given unto them, etc. And again the same Daniel, after he had said, chapter 12, that the reign of Antichrist would last a thousand two hundred and ninety days, subjoins: Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh unto a thousand three hundred and thirty-five days — that is, unto the 45 days after the death of Antichrist; for then the Lord will come to judgment, and will render the crowns of justice to the victors, as Jerome and Theodoret expound in their Commentary on this place.
Next, the same is gathered from Matthew 24: This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all nations, and then shall the consummation come — that is, a little after will be the end of the World. And below: And immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man, etc. The same from 2 Thessalonians 2: Then that wicked one shall be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall kill with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming, etc. Where the Apostle teaches that almost immediately after Antichrist Christ will come, because forsooth a most short time will intervene, and the deceits and frauds of Antichrist, which will have begun to be destroyed by Elijah and Henoch, will be utterly destroyed by the very coming of Christ, and the horrible signs preceding.
Finally, the same is had from 1 John 2: Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last hour. Where John says that this time from Christ to the end of the World is the last hour — that is, the last time, or the last age, as Augustine expounds. And he proves it most beautifully from this principle, that we know Antichrist is to come at the end of the World; for John makes this argument: We know that Antichrist is to come at the end of the World; but now we see that already many of his precursors, or lesser Antichrists, are present; therefore it is a certain sign that this is the last hour, or age. In the way that someone might so argue of the last hour of the night: We know that the Sun will rise at the very end of the night; but we see now that already many of its rays illumine the air; therefore we know that this is the last hour of the night.
Finally, the same is had from the common consent of the Fathers — Irenaeus, Book 5 at the end; Tertullian, in his book on the Resurrection; Augustine, Book 20 of the City of God, chapter 19; and others; and from the confession of the adversaries. For the adversaries confess that Antichrist will reign until the end of the World, and accordingly that a little after his destruction will be the end of the World.
From this sign, then, joined with the foregoing, is made an insoluble demonstration, by which it is proved that Antichrist has not yet come, nor is the Roman Pontiff. For if immediately after the death of Antichrist the World will be ended, and Antichrist will not live, after he has appeared and begun to reign, but three years and a half, then he will not appear, nor begin to reign, but three years and a half before the end of the World; for what will intervene between the death of Antichrist and the end of the World is so little that it is reckoned for nothing. But the Pope has now reigned with both swords, even by the opinion of the adversaries themselves, above 500 years; and yet the World still lasts.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT IX. Explicatur sexta demonstratio. Sexta demonstratio sumitur ex ultimo sig¬ no consequente Antichristum , quod erit Mandi consummatio. Nam Antichristi ad¬ ventus erit paulo ante finem Mundi ; ergo si Antichristus jamdudum venisset , ut adver¬ sarii dicunt, deberet Mundus jamdudum esse finitus. Daniel cap. VII bis loquens de Anti- christo ; semel narrans visionem suam, et semel exponens visionem, utraque vice sub¬ jungit; post Antichristum statim secuturum ultimum judicium : Considerabam , inquit, cornua , et ecce cornu aliud parvulum ortum est , et tria de cornibus primis evulsa sunt a facie ejus. Aspiciebam donec throni positi sunt , et an¬ tiquus dierum sedit etc. Et infra, explicans vi¬ sionem : Bestia quarta , inquit, quartum reg¬ num erit : Porro cornua decem , decem Reges erunt , et alius consurget post eos, et ipse poten- tior erit prioribus , et tres Reges humiliabit etc. Et tradentur in manu ejus per tempus , et tem¬ pora , et dimidium temporis , et judicium sedebit etc. (1). Similis est prophetia Joan. Apoc. XX : Post hcec oportet illum solvi' modico tempore, et vidi sedes, et sederunt super illas , et judicium datum est eis etc. (2). Et rursum idem Daniel postquam dixerat cap. XII. Antichristi reg¬ num duraturum diebus mille ducentis et no¬ naginta subjungit : Beatus qui expectat et per¬ venit usque ad dies mille , trecentos et triginta- quinque (3), hoc est, usque ad dies 45, post mortem Antichristi : tunc enim Dominus ve¬ niet ad judicium, et coronas justitiae victori¬ bus reddet; ut exponunt Hieronymus, et Theodoretus in Com. hujus loci. Deinde idem colligitur ex Matth. XXIV : Prcedicabitur hoc Evangelium regni in uni¬ verso mundo in testimonium omnibus gentibus, et tunc erit consummatio , id est, paulo post erit finis Mundi. Et infra : Statim autem post tribulationem dierum illorum sol obscurabitur, et luna non dabit lumen suum ; et tunc appare¬ bit signum filii hominis etc. Idem ex II. Thess. II : Tunc revelabitur ille iniquus , quem Dominus Jesus inter f ciet spiritu oris sui, et des¬ truet illustratione adventus sui etc. (4). Ubi Apostolus docet , fere immediate post Anti¬ christum venturum Christum, quia nimirum intercedet brevissimum tempus , et doli ac fraudes Antichristi, quae destrui coeptae erunt per Eliam et Henech, destruentur penitus per ipsum Christi adventum, et horribilia signa praecedentia. Idem denique habetur ex I. Joan. II : Fi¬ lioli, novissima hora est , et sicut audistis quia Antichristus venit, et nunc Antichristi multi facti sunt ; Unde scimus quia novissima hora est (5). Ubi Joannes dicit, hoc tempus a Christo usque ad finem Mundi esse novissi¬ mam horam, id est, novissimum tempus, si¬ ve ultimam aetatem, ut Augustinus exponit. Et probat pulcherrime ex hoc principio, quia scimus Antichristum venturum in fine Mun¬ di : facit enim Joannes hoc argumentum. Scimus Antichristum venturum in fine Mun¬ di : at nunc videmus jam adesse multos ejus praecursores, sive minores Antichristos; ergo signum est certum , hanc esse novissimam horam, sive aetatem. Quomodo posset aliquis sic argumentari de ultima hora noctis. Sci¬ mus Solem oriturum in ipso fine noctis : vi¬ demus autem nunc multos ejus radios jam illustrare aerem ; ergo scimus hanc esse ul¬ timam horam noctis. Denique idem habetur ex communi con¬ sensu Patrum ; lrenaei lib. V in fine, Tertul¬ liani lib. de Resurrect. Augustini lib. XX de Civit. Dei, cap. 19. et aliorum ; et confes¬ sione adversariorum. Nam adversarii faten¬ tur, Antichristum regnaturum usque ad fi¬ nem Mundi ; ac proinde paulo post ejus in¬ teritum finem Mundi futurum. Ex hoc igitur signo conjuncto cum supe¬ riori, efficitur demonstratio insolubilis, qua . probetur Antichristum nondum venisse, nec esse Romanum Pontificem. Nam si continuo post mortem Antichristi Mundus finietur, et Antichristus non vivet, postquam apparue¬ rit et regnare coeperit, nisi tribus annis cum (1) Dan. VII. 3 et 23. — (2) Apoc. XX, 3 et 4. — (3) Dan. XII, 12. — (4) Matth. XXIV, 14 et 29; II. Thessal. II, 8. — (5) I. Joan. II, 18. dimidio ; org’0 non apparebit, neo regnare incipiet, nisi tribus annis cum dimidio ante Mundi finem : quod enim intercedet inter mortem Antichristi et finem Mundi, tam modicum est, ut pro nihilo reputetur. At Papa regnavit jam cum utroque gladio, etiam ipsorum adversariorum sententia, supra 500 annos ; et tamen Mundus adhuc durat.