Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Antichrist · On the Roman Pontiff, Book III
Chapter 15: On the Miracles of 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).
Of the miracles of Antichrist three things are had in the Scriptures. First, that he will do many miracles. Secondly, of what kind they will be. Thirdly, three examples are set down. That Antichrist will do miracles, the Apostle teaches, 2 Thessalonians 2: Whose coming, he says, is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders. And the Lord in the Gospel, Matthew 24: They shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. They shall show, he says, not he shall show; because not only Antichrist, but also his ministers, will do signs — so much so that blessed Gregory says, Book 32 of the Morals, chapter 12, that even the torturers of the holy Martyrs will then do wonders and signs. Finally, Apocalypse 13: And he did great signs in the sight of men. Of what kind they will be, Paul explains, 2 Thessalonians 2, saying in one word that they will be lies: In all power, and signs, and lying wonders.
Now they will be lying signs by reason of all the causes — the final, efficient, material, and formal. For the end of those miracles will be to show that Antichrist is God and the Messiah, which will be a most pernicious lie. Chrysostom on this place teaches that those miracles are called lies because they will lead to a lie. And Ambrose too, on this place, teaches that the end of the miracles of Antichrist will be to prove himself God, just as our Christ by true miracles demonstrated His Divinity.
Next, the signs are called lies from the efficient cause; for the principal efficient cause will be the father of lies, that is, the Devil; for so says the Apostle: Whose coming is according to the working of Satan. And all the Fathers assert that Antichrist will be a signal Magician; nay, that the Devil, from his very conception, or at least from infancy, will dwell in Antichrist, and through him perpetrate signs. Cyril, catechesis 15, where he had said that Antichrist will be a Magician, and most instructed in poisonings, incantations, and evil arts, indicates that his miracles are called lies because they will proceed from the father of lies.
Many of them will also be lies by reason of the matter, in that they will be certain phantoms and illusions, as Cyril in the place above, and Theodoret on this place, teach. For he will seem to raise the dead and heal the sick, but they will be illusions of Demons, not true raisings or healings. On account of which, in Apocalypse chapter 13, Antichrist is said to be about to do miracles in the sight of men — that is, apparent, and deluding the sight of men, not solid and true, as Arethas noted on that place.
Finally, some of them will be lies by reason of the form, though true by reason of the matter, because sometimes he will work true things, but such as will not surpass the powers of all nature; and therefore they will not formally be true miracles. For those alone are called true miracles which can be done by God alone — that is, which have no natural causes, neither hidden nor manifest; and therefore are wonderful not only in the sight of men, but also in the sight of Demons and Angels. But the miracles of Antichrist will all have natural causes, though hidden from men.
Three examples of the miracles of Antichrist are set down, Apocalypse 13. One, that he will make fire descend from heaven; another, that he will make the image of the beast speak; a third, that he will feign himself to die and rise again — on account of which miracle chiefly almost the whole World will wonder at him. Of which miracles the two former will be true by reason of the matter, not by reason of the form; but the third in no way.
But it could be objected against these things, that all these miracles do not seem able to be attributed to Antichrist. For John in that place introduces two beasts: one, which has seven heads, and one of whose heads was seen to die and rise again; another, less, which made fire descend from heaven, and the image speak. If therefore Antichrist is the first beast, those two miracles of the fire and the image are not attributed to him; if he is the latter beast, the miracle of the resurrection cannot be attributed to him.
I answer: the first beast signifies either the Roman Empire, or the multitude of the impious, as we said above; but one, that is, its chief head, which was seen to die and rise again, is Antichrist; for Antichrist will be the supreme and last [head of the beast, because he will hold the Roman] Empire, yet without the name of Roman Emperor. And that this feigned miracle of the resurrection is also to be altogether attributed to Antichrist, teach Primasius, Bede, Haymo, Richard, Rupert, and Anselm on this place, and Gregory, Book 11, letter 3 — which is to be noted against Lyra, who expounds this of a certain son of Chosroes, King of the Persians, whom he feigns to have been wounded in a certain conflict, and yet not killed. For no approved history relates any such thing of the son of Chosroes; nor can that which follows in the Apocalypse suit the son of Chosroes: And all the earth was in admiration after the beast, saying: Who is like to the beast?
Moreover that latter beast in the Apocalypse, according to Rupert, signifies the same Antichrist. For the same Antichrist is expressed by two beasts: by one, by reason of royal power and tyranny, by which he will compel men violently; by the other, by reason of the magic art, by which he will craftily seduce men. But according to Richard, and Anselm, and others, the latter beast signifies the preachers of Antichrist, who will try by miracles to show that Antichrist is the true Messiah. And so all these miracles will be either Antichrist's, or his ministers'. Hence it follows that the Pontiff is not Antichrist; for no Pontiff ever feigned himself to die and rise again, nor did he himself, or any of his ministers, make fire descend from heaven, or an image speak.
But the Magdeburgians object, Century 1, Book 2, chapter 4, column 436, that many lying miracles have been done by the Papists: “Such as,” they say, “are the visions of souls telling tales of purgatory, and asking that Masses be celebrated for them, and healings of diseases which have happened to those worshipping statues, or making vows to the Saints.”
I answer, first: these are not the miracles which John writes that Antichrist will do — but to die and rise again, to send down fire from heaven, to give an image the power of speaking; let them show, then, that these have been done by the Pope, or the Papists. Next, those three kinds of miracles were in use in the Church before that time which the adversaries say Antichrist appeared. For blessed Gregory writes, Book 4 of the Dialogues, chapter 40, that the soul of the Deacon Paschasius, who had lived in the time of Pope Symmachus, about the year of the Lord 500, appeared to Saint Germanus, Bishop of Capua, and asked him to pray for him, that he might be freed from the torments of purgatory. Certainly this miracle happened a hundred years before Antichrist had appeared, by the opinion of all the heretics of this time. For no one places the coming of Antichrist except after the year 600, and the death of Gregory I. The same Gregory relates of other apparitions of souls asking for Masses, in the same Book 4, chapter 55.
Of the miracles of healings on account of the veneration of images, there is an example in Eusebius, Book 7 of the history, chapter 14, where he relates that by that woman whom the Lord cured of an issue of blood, a bronze statue was erected to the Savior; and that a certain herb was wont to grow under that statue, which, when it had grown up to the fringes of the image and touched it, cured all kinds of ills. By which miracle it is evident that God wished to approve the cult of sacred images.
Of the healings divinely granted to those who had vowed something to the Saints, there are innumerable testimonies among the Ancients; but a signal testimony is in Theodoret, who, Book 8 to the Greeks, which is on the Martyrs, writes that in his time the temples of the Martyrs were full of little tablets or images of hands, feet, eyes, heads, and the other human members, by which were indicated the various gifts of healings which men had received, by force of vows, from the holy Martyrs.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XV. De miraculis Antichristi. De miraculis Antichristi tria habentur in Scripturis. Primo, multa miracula eum fac¬ turum. Secundo, qualia illa erunt. Tertio, ponuntur tria exempla. Miracula facturum Antichristum, docet Apostolus II. Tliess. II : Cujus est , inquit, adventus secundum operatio- (1) Matth. XXIV, 5. — (2) II. Thessal. II, 4. nem Satanae in signis et prodigiis. Et Dominus inEvangelio, Matth. XXIV : Dabunt signa et prodigia magna , ita ut in errorem inducantur , si fieri potest, etiam electi (i). Dabunt, inquit, non dabit< Quia non solus Antichristus , sed etiam ministri ejus signa facient, adeo , ut B. Gregor, dicat, lib. XXXII Moral. cap. 12. etiam tortores ipsorum sanctorum Martyrum tunc prodigia et signa facturos. Denique Apoc. XIII : Et fecit signa magncL in conspectu hominum. Qualia erunt , explicat Paulus II. Thess. II uno verbo dicens, fore mendacia. In omni virtute , inquit, et signis , et prodigiis mendacibus (2). Porro mendacia signa erunt ratione om¬ nium causarum, finalis, efficientis, materiae, et formae. Finis enim eorum miraculorum erit ostendere , Antichristum esse Deum et Messiam, quod erit perniciosissimum men¬ dacium. Ghrysostomus in hunc locum docet, mendacia vocari ea miracula, quia ad men¬ dacium inducent. Et Ambrosius in lrunc etiam locum docet , finem miraculorum An- tichristi futurum , ut se probet Deum , sicut Christus noster veris miraculis Divinitatem suam demonstravit. Deinde, vocantur mendacia signa ab effi¬ ciente : nam causa efficiens principalis erit pater mendacii, id est , Diabolus ; sic enim ait Apostolus : Cujus est adventus secundum operationem Satance. Et omnes Patres asse¬ runt, Antichristum futurum insignem Ma¬ gum : imo Diabolum ab ipsa conceptione, vel saltem ab infantia in Antichristo habita¬ turum, et per eum signa perpetraturum. Cy- rillus Catech. 15. ubi dixerat, Antichristum futurum Magum, et veneficiis , incantationi¬ bus, ac malis artibus instructissimum , indi¬ cat miracula illius dici mendacia, quia a pa¬ tre mendaciorum proficiscentur. Erunt etiam mendacia multa ex illis ratio¬ ne materiae, qua erunt phantastica et praestigia quaedam, ut Cyrillus, ubi supra, et Theodo- retus in hunc locum docent. Yidebitur enim excitare mortuos et sanare aegrotos, sed illu¬ siones Daemonum erunt, non verae excitatio¬ nes, aut sanitates. Propter quod in Apoc. cap . XIII dicitur Antichristus facturus mira¬ cula in conspectu hominum, id est, apparen¬ tia, et deludentia conspectum hominum, non solida et vera, ut Arethas in eum locum an¬ notavit. Denique, erunt quaedam ex illis mendacia ratione formae, licet vera ratione materiae, quia . interdum res veras operabitur , sed quae non superabunt vires totius naturae ; et ideo non vera miracula erunt formaliter. Vera enim miracula sola dicuntur illa, quae a solo Deo fieri possunt, id est, quae non ha¬ bent causas naturales , neque occultas , ne¬ que manifestas ; et ideo non solum in con¬ spectu hominum, sed etiam in conspectu Daemonum et Angelorum sunt mirabilia : at miracula Antichristi habebunt omnia causas naturales, sed hominibus occultas. Exempla miraculorum Antichristi tria po¬ nuntur Apoc. XIII. Unum , quod ignem de coelo descendere faciet : alterum , quod fa¬ ciet ut imago bestiae loquatur : tertium, quod finget se mori, et resurgere; propter quod miraculum praecipue , totus fere Mun¬ dus eum admirabitur. Ex quibus miracu¬ lis duo priora erunt vera ratione materiae, non ratione formae : tertium autem nullo modo. Posset autem objici contra haec : quia non videntur haec omnia miracula posse tribui Antichristo. Nam Joannes in eo loco duas bestias introducit : unam, quae habet capita septem, et cujus unum caput visum est mori et resurgere : alteram minorem , quae fecit ignem de coelo descendere, et imaginem lo¬ qui ; si ergo Antichristus erit prior bestia, non ei tribuuntur duo illa miracula de igne et de imagine : Si erit posterior bestia, non potest ei tribui miraculum resurrectionis. Respondeo : priorem bestiam significare, vel Romanum Imperium , vel multitudinem impiorum, ut supra diximus : unum autem, id est, praecipuum ejus caput , quod visum est mori , et resurgere , esse Antichristum ; erit enim Antichristus supremum et ultimum perium Romanum tenebit , tamen sine no¬ mine Romani Imperatoris. Et hoc fictum mi¬ raculum resurrectionis , etiam omnino tri¬ buendum Antichristo, docent Primasius, Be- da, Haymo, Richardus, Rupertus et Ansel- mus, in hunc locum , et Gregorius lib. XI, epist. 3. quod est notandum contra Lyra- num, qui exponit hoc de filio quodam Chos- roae Regis Persarum , quem esse fingit in quodam conflictu vulneratum, et tamen non occisum. Nec enim ulla historia probata tale aliquid refert de filio Chosroae : neque pot¬ est filio Chosroae convenire, quod sequitur in U) II. Thessal. II, 9; Matth. XXIV, 24. — (2) Apoc. XIII, 13; II. Thessal. II, 9. / Apoc. : Et admirata est universa terra post bestiam dicens : Quis similis bestia; ? (1). Porro posterior illa bestia in Apocalypsi secundum Rupertum significat eumdem An- tichristum. Idem enim Antichristus per duas bestias exprimitur : per unam, ratione regiae potentiae et tyrannidis , qua coget homines violenter : per alteram , ratione magicae ar¬ tis, qua callide homines seducet. At secun¬ dum Richardum, et Anselmum, et alios, posterior bestia significat praedicatores Anti- christi, qui miraculis ostendere conabuntur, Anti christum verum esse Messiam. Itaque haec omnia miracula erunt , vel Antichristi, vel ministrorum ejus. Hinc sequitur, Ponti¬ ficem non esse Antichristum : nunquam enim ullus Pontifex finxit se mori et resur¬ gere, nec vel ipse, vel ullus ejus minister fe¬ cit ignem de coelo descendere, vel imaginem loqui. At objiciunt Magdeburgenses Cent. I, lib. II, cap. 4, coi. 436. Miracula mendacia multa facta esse a Pontificiis : « Qualia sunt , in¬ quiunt, visiones animarum fabulantium de purgatorio , et petentium Missas pro se ce¬ lebrari, et sanitates morborum , quae acci¬ derunt colentibus statuas , aut voventibus Sanctis. » Respondeo in primis : non sunt ista mira¬ cula quae Antichristum facturum scribit Joan- nes : sed mori, et resurgere, ignem de coelo demittere , dare imagini vim loquendi ; os¬ tendant ergo, ista facta esse a Pontifice , vel Pontificiis. Deinde illa tria genera miraculo¬ rum fuerunt in Ecclesia usitata ante id tem¬ pus , quod adversarii Antichristum appa¬ ruisse dicunt. Scribit enim B. Gregorius lib. IY Dial. cap. 40. Paschasii Diaconi, qui vixe¬ rat tempore Symmachi Papae , circa annum Domini 500, animam apparuisse S. Germano Capuano Episcopo , ac ut pro se oraret pe¬ tiisse, ut a purgatorii tormentis liberaretur. Certe hoc miraculum contigit centum annis antequam Antichristus apparuerat , ex sen¬ tentia omnium haereticorum hujus temporis. Nemo enim ponit adventum Antichristi, nisi post annum 600, et Gregorii I obitum. Idem Gregorius refert de aliis apparitionibus ani¬ marum Missas petentium, eodem lib. IY, cap. 55. De miraculis sanitatum propter imaginum venerationem, exstat exemplum apud Euse- bium, lib. YII hist. cap. 14. ubi refert, ab ea muliere, quam Dominus curavit a sanguinis fluxu, statuam aeream Salvatori erectam : herbam autem quamdam sub ipsa statua nasci consuevisse , quae ubi crevisset usque ad fimbrias imaginis, eamque attigisset, om¬ nium malorum genera curabat. Quo miraculo evidens est, Deum approbare voluisse sacra¬ rum imaginum cultum. De sanitatibus concessis divinitus iis , qui Sanctis aliquid voverant, sunt innumerabilia apud Veteres testimonia, sed insigne testi¬ monium exstat apud Theodoretum, qui lib. VIII ad Graec., qui est de Martyr, scribit; suo tempore templa Martyrum fuisse qfiena tabellis vel simulacris manuum, pedum, ocu¬ lorum, capitum , et caeterorum humanorum membrorum, quibus indicabantur varia dona sanitatum, quae homines vi votorum a sanc¬ tis Martyribus acceperant.