Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church Militant · The Church Spread Throughout the Whole World
Chapter 34: The Fourteenth Mark: Unhappy End of the Enemies
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia Militante, On the Church Militant (of the controversy On Councils and the Church). 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 fourteenth Mark is the unhappy issue, or end, of those who assail the Church. For although God punishes and scourges His own, yet at last He casts the rod into the fire. Deuteronomy 32: Praise his people, ye nations, for he will revenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to their enemies.
Of the wretched end of Pharaoh, the first persecutor of the Church, we read Exodus 14; of Dathan and Abiron, the first schismatics, we read Numbers 16; of Jezebel, 4 Kings 9; of Antiochus, 2 Maccabees 9; of Pilate, that he killed himself, Eusebius writes, Book 2 of the history, chapter 7. And in the last chapter he briefly relates the calamity of the Jews, which Josephus at large pursues in his book on the Jewish war. Of Herod of Ascalon, who died swarming with worms, after he had first killed his wife and sons and had wished to kill himself, Josephus writes, Book 17 of the antiquities, chapter 9. Of Herod the Tetrarch, that, his kingdom lost, relegated to perpetual exile, he lived most wretchedly, the same Josephus writes, Book 18, chapter 14. Of the daughter of Herodias, see Nicephorus, Book 1, chapter 20. Of Herod Agrippa, see Acts 12. That Nero, Domitian, and the rest of the Emperors who persecuted the Christians were all either killed cruelly by themselves or by others, or certainly perished wretchedly, is established from all the Chronicles and histories. For Trajan was extinguished by a horrible palsy and dropsy together. Diocletian laid down the Empire for grief that he could not destroy the Christians. Galerius, Maximian, and Maximinus were seized by such horrible pains that even the Heathen Physicians said that it was a divine plague. See Eusebius in the Chronicle, and Book 8 of the history, last chapter, and Book 9, last chapter. Maxentius perished in the river and left a bloodless victory to Constantine. Eusebius, Book 4, chapter 9, in the version of Rufinus.
Let us come to the Heresiarchs and Apostates. Simon Magus, when he wished to fly, cast down by the prayers of blessed Peter, broke his legs, and a little after died with the utmost ignominy. Hegesippus, Book 3, chapter 2, on the destruction of Jerusalem, and Arnobius, Book 2 against the Gentiles.
Manichaeus was flayed alive by the King of the Persians — not for the faith, but because, undertaking to cure the King's son, he killed him. Epiphanius, heresy 66.
Montanus, Theodotus, and their Prophetesses killed themselves with halters. Eusebius, Book 5 of the history, chapter 16. Certain Donatists, when they cast the Eucharist to dogs, were torn by those same dogs. Optatus, Book 2 against Parmenian.
Arius, when he wished to enter the Church, by a sudden motion of the bowels went to the public privies, and together with his excrements poured out all his entrails and his soul. Athanasius is witness, oration 1 against the Arians, and Rufinus, Book 10 of the history, chapter 13.
Julian the Apostate, slain by divine power, lacked even the common burial; for the earth opening of its own accord swallowed him, Gregory Nazianzen writes, in his oration on Athanasius near the end.
Valens the Arian, who succeeded Julian in the persecution of the Christians, was burned alive by the Goths, who also were Arians. Rufinus, Book 11 of the history, chapter 13.
Nestorius, his impious tongue consumed by worms, perished most wretchedly. Evagrius, Book 1 of the history, chapter 7.
Huneric, King of the Vandals, an Arian and persecutor of the Church, swarming with worms over his whole body, was consumed. Victor, Book 3 at the end.
The Emperor Anastasius, favorer of the Eutychian heretics, perished struck by lightning, as Cedrenus, Zonaras, and Paul the Deacon write in his life. In the time of Leo the Iconoclast, a pestilence following the burning of the images in the forum of Constantinople carried off three hundred thousand men at Constantinople. See the Chronicle of Matthew Palmerius, year 1241. Of Constantine Copronymus, see Paul the Deacon.
Luther was taken off by a sudden death. For when in the evening he had eaten a sumptuous supper, merry and well, and had by his jests provoked all to laughter, that same night he died. See Cochlaeus in the life of Luther.
Zwingli was slain in the war against the Catholics; and a little after, at Basel, his spiritual brother Oecolampadius, when in the evening he had gone to bed well, in the morning was found dead in bed by his wife. The author is Cochlaeus, in the acts of Luther, year 1531.
That Andreas Carlstadt was killed by a Demon, the Ministers of Basel write in the Letter which they published on the death of Carlstadt.
John Calvin, consumed by worms, expired, like Antiochus, Herod, Maximinus, and Huneric, Jerome Bolsec testifies in his life; who also adds that he died, having invoked demons, blaspheming and execrating.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XVII. Nota decimaquarta. Decimaquarta Nota est infoelix exitus, seu finis eorum, qui Ecclesiam oppugnant. Etsi enim Deus punit suos, et flagellat, tamen tandem projicit virgam in ignem. Deut. XXXII : Laudate Gentes populum ejus , quia sanguinem servorum suorum ulciscetur , et vin¬ dictam retribuet in hostes eorum (1). De misero fine Pharaonis, primi persecu¬ toris Ecclesiae, legimus Exod. XIV ; de Da- than et Abiron primis schismaticis legimus Numer. XVI ; de Jezabel, IV. Reg. IX. De Antiocho, II. Machab. IX; de Pilato, quod seipsum interfecerit, scribit Eusebius lib. II hist. cap. 7. Et cap. ult. refert breviter cla¬ dem Judmorum, quam Josephus late prose¬ quitur in lib. de bello Judaico. De Herode Ascalonita, qui obiit scatens vermibus cum prius occidisset uxorem, et filios, et seipsum occidere voluisset, scribit Josephus 1. XVII antiquitat. cap. 9. De Herode Tetrarcha, quod amisso regno, in exilium relegatus per¬ petuum, miserrime vixerit, scribit idemtlo- sephus lib. XVIII , cap. 14. De Filia Iiero- diadis, vide Nicephorum lib. I, cap. 20= De Herode Agrippa vide Actor. XII ; Neronem, Domitianum, et coeteros Imperatores , qui Christianos persecuti sunt, omnes vel a se- ipsis, vel ab aliis crudeliter necatos, vel certe misere periisse, constat ex Chronicis et historiis omnibus. Nam Trajanus horrenda paralysi, et simul hydropisi extinctus est. Diocletianus Imperium deposuit prae dolore, quod Christianos delere non posset. Gale¬ rius, Maximianus et Maximinus tam horren¬ dis doloribus correpti sunt , ut etiam Medici Ethnici dicerent, divinam esse plagam. Vide Eusebium in Chronico , et lib. VIII histor. cap. ult. et lib. IX, cap. ult. Maxentius in flumine periit et incruentam victoriam Con¬ stantino reliquit. Euseb. lib. IV, cap. 9 ex varsione Ruffini. (1) Deut. XXXII, 43. 406 LIBER IV, Veniamus ad Haeresiarchas et Apostatas. Simon Magus cum volare vellet, orationibus B. Petri dejectus, tibias fregit, et paulo post cum summa ignominia obiit : Hegesippus lib. III, c. 2. de excidio Hierosolymitano, et Arnobius lib. II contra Gentes. Excoriatus est a Rege Persarum Mani- chaeus vivus, non ob fidem , sed quia filium Regis curaturus occidit : Epiphanius hae¬ res. 66. Montanus, Theodotus, et Prophetissae eo¬ rum laqueis seipsos necaverunt. Eusebius lib. V hist. cap. 16. Donatistae quidam cum canibus Eucharistiam projicerent, ab iisdem canibus lacerati sunt : Optatus lib. II contra Parmenianum. Arius cum in Ecclesiam intrare vellet, su¬ bito motu alvi ad latrinas publicas accessit, et simul cum excrementis intestina omnia et animam effudit : Testis Athanasius orat. 1 . contra Arianos, et Ruffinus lib. X histor. cap. 13. Julianus Apostata divinitus occisus, com¬ muni etiam caruit sepultura ; nam a terra sponte aperta , absorptum scribit Grego- rius Nazianzenus orat, in Athanasium circa fin. Valens Arianus, qui Juliano in persecutio¬ ne Christianorum successit , vivus a Gothis etiam Arianis crematus est : Ruffinus lib. XI hist. cap. 13. Nestorius lingua impia a vermibus con¬ sumpta, miserrime interiit : Evagrius lib. I hist. cap. 7. Hunericus Rex Wandalorum Arianus , et persecutor Ecclesiae, vermibus toto corpore scatens, consumptus est : Victor lib. III ex¬ tremo. Anastasius Imperator, fautor haereticorum Eutychianorum, fulmine ictus interiit, ut scribunt Cedrenus, Zonaras , et Paulus Dia¬ conus in ejus vita. Tempore Leonis Icono- machi, pestilentia consecuta combustionem imaginum in foro Constantinopolitano , tre¬ centa millia hominum sustulit Constantino- poli : Vide Chronica Matthaei Palmerii anno 1241. De Constantino Copronymo, vide Pau¬ lum Diaconum. Lutherusmorte repentina sublatus est. Nam cum vesperi opiparam coenam sumpsisset laetus, et sanus, et facetiis suis omnes ad ri¬ sum provocasset, eadem nocte mortuus est : Vide Cochlaeum in vita Lutheri. Zwinglius in bello contra Catholicos truci¬ datus est, et paulo post Basileae frater ejus spiritualis QEcolampadius, cum vesperi sanus cubitum ivisset, mane inventus est ab uxore mortuus in lecto : Auctor Cochlaeus in actis Lutheri anno 1531. Andream Carolstadium a Daemone inter¬ fectum , Ministri Basileenses scribunt in Epistola, quam ediderunt de morte Carol- stadii. Joannes Calvinus vermibus consumptus, expiravit, ut Antiochus, Herodes, Maximi¬ nus, et Hunericus, testatur Hieronymus Bol- secus in ejus vita. Qui etiam addit, eum dae¬ monibus invocatis , blasphemantem et exe- crantem obiisse.