Matthew — Chapter 24

1. The signe.) Our Maister knowing that it was not profitable nor seemly for them to know these secrets, gaue them by way of Prophecie warning of diuers miseries, signes, and tokens, that should fal, some further off, and some neerer the later day: by which the Faithful might alwayes prepare them selues, but neuer be certaine of the houre, day, month, nor yeare, when it should fal. Aug. Ep. 80.

2. Not left.) The Church can neuer faile. This was fulfilled 40. yeares after Christes Ascension by Vespasian the Emperour and his sonne Titus. Euseb. li. 3. c. 6. & seq. ex Iosepho. Vpon which words, There shal not be left &c, which threaten the destruction of the Iewes Temple; and those words, *vpon this Rock I wil build my Church, which promise the building of the Catholike Church of al Nations; **S. Chrysostome making a long comparison of these two Prophecies of Christ, saith thus: Thou seest in both, his great and vnspeakable power, in that he increased and built vp them that worshipped him, and those that stumbled at him, he abased, destroyed, and plucked them vp by the root. Doest thou see how whatsoeuer he hath built, no man shal destroy: and whatsoeuer he hath destroyed, no man shal build? He builded the Church, and no man shal be able to destroy it; he destroyed the Temple, and no man is able to build it, and that in so long time: For they haue endeauoured both to destroy that, and could not: and they haue attempted to build vp this, and they could not doe that neither, &c. *Mat. 16. **Li. adu. Gentes quod Christus sit Deus, prope finem.

4. Seduce.) Heretikes seduce vnder faire titles. The first and principal warning, needful for the faithful from Christes Ascension to the very end of the world, is, that they be not deceaued by Heretikes, which vnder the titles of true teachers, and the name of Christ and his Ghospel, wil seduce many.

5. I am Christ.) Not only such as haue named themselues Christ, as Simon, Menander, and such like; but al Arch-heretikes be Christs to their folowers, Luther to the Lutherans, Caluin to the Caluinists, because they beleeue them, rather then Christ speaking in his Church.

12. Iniquity abound.) The Ghospel now preached to Infidels. When Heresie and false teachers raigne in the world, namely toward the later day, wicked life aboundeth, and charitie decayeth.

14. Shal be preached.) The Ghospel hath been preached of late yeares, and now is, by holy Religious men of diuers Orders in sundry great Countries which neuer heard the Ghospel before, as it is thought.

15. Abomination of desolation.) The abomination of desolation. The abolishing of the holy Sacrifice of the Masse by Antichrist, and his ministers. This abomination of desolation foretold, was first partly fulfilled in diuerse prophanations of the Temple of Hierusalem, when the Sacrifice and seruice of God was taken away, but specially it shal be fulfilled by Antichrist, and his Precursours, when they shal abolish the holy Masse, which is the Sacrifice of Christes body and bloud, and the only soueraigne worship due to God in his Church: as S. Hypolitus writeth in these words: The Churches shal lament with great lamentation, because there shal neither Oblation be made, nor incense, nor worship grateful to God. But the sacred houses of Churches shal be like to cottages, and the pretious body and bloud of Christ shal not be extant (openly in Churches) in those dayes, the Liturgie (or Masse) shal be extinguished, the Psalmodie shal cease, the reciting of the Scriptures shal not be heard. Hippol. de Antichristo. By which it is plaine, that the Heretikes of these dayes be the special fore-runners of Antichrist.

22. Shal be shortned.) Antichrist. The raigne of Antichrist shal be short, that is, three yeares and a half. Dan. 7. Apoc. 11. Therfore the Heretikes are blasphemous and ridiculous, that say, Christes Vicar is Antichrist, who hath sitten these 1500. yeares.

24. Great signes.) These signes and miracles shal be to the outward appearance only: for S. Paul calleth them *lying signes, to seduce them only that shal perish. Wherby we see that if Heretikes could worke feyned and forged miracles, yet we ought not to beleeue them, much lesse when they can not so much as seeme to doe any. 2. Thes. 2.

26. In closets.) The secret conuenticles of Heretikes. Christ hauing made the Churches authority bright and cleare to the whole world, warneth the Faithful to take heed of Heretikes and Schismatikes, which haue their conuenticles aside in certaine odd places and obscure corners, alluring curious Persons vnto them. Aug. li. 1. q. Euang. q. 38. Catholike Christians secretly assembling in time of persecution. For as for the comming togeather of Catholikes to serue God in secret places, that is a necessarie thing in time of persecution, and was vsed of Christians for three hundred yeares togeather after Christ; *and the Apostles also and Disciples came so togeather in Hierusalem for feare of the Iewes. And Catholikes doe the same at this day in our countrie, not drawing religion into corners from the society of the Catholike Church, but practising secretly the same faith, that in al Christendom shineth and appeareth most gloriously. *Act. 1,12.

29. Immediatly.) Antichrist. If the later day shal immediatly folow the persecution of Antichrist, which is to endure but three yeares and a halfe, as is aforesaid: then is it mere blasphemie to say, Gods Vicar is Antichrist, and that (by their owne limitation) these thousand yeares almost.