Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsMatthew 24

Not left.

This was fulfilled 40 years after Christ's Ascension by Vespasian the Emperor and his son Titus. Euseb. li. 3. c. 6. & seq. ex Josepho. Upon which words, There shall not be left &c. which threaten the destruction of the Jews' Temple: and those words, Upon this Rock I will build my Church ^[1], which promise the building of the Catholic Church of all nations ^[2]: S. Chrysostome ^[3] making a long comparison of these two prophecies of Christ, saith thus: Thou seest in both, his great and unspeakable power, in that that he increased and built up them that worshipped him, and those that stumbled at him, he abased, destroyed, and plucked them up by the root. Doest thou see how whatsoever he hath built, no man shall destroy: and whatsoever he hath destroyed, no man shall build? He builded the Church, and no man shall 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 have endeavoured both to destroy that, and could not: and they have attempted to build up this, and they could not do that neither. &c.

• 1 Mat. 16.
• 2 The Church can never fail.
• 3 Li. adv. Gentes quod Christus sit Deus, prope finem.

The sign.

Our Master knowing that it was not profitable nor seemly for them to know these secrets, gave them by way of Prophecy, warning of diverse miseries, signs, and tokens, that should fall, some further off, and some nearer the later day: by which the faithful might always prepare themselves; but never be certain of the hour, day, month, nor year, when it should fall. Aug. ep. 80.

Seduce.

^◦ The first and principal warning, needful for the faithful from Christ's Ascension to the very end of the world, is, that they be not deceived by Heretics, which under the titles of true teachers and the name of Christ and his Gospel, will seduce many.

• ◦ Heretics seduce under fair titles.

I am Christ.

Not only such as have named themselves Christ, as Simon, Menander, and such like: but all Arch-heretics be Christs to their followers, Luther to the Lutherans, Calvin to the Calvinists: because they believe them, rather than Christ speaking in his Church.

Iniquity abound.

When Heresy and false teachers reign in the world, namely toward the later day, wicked life aboundeth, and charity decayeth.

Shall be preached.

^◦ The Gospel hath been preached of late years, and now is, by holy Religious men of diverse Orders, in sundry great Countries which never heard the Gospel before, as it is thought.

• ◦ The Gospel now preached to Infidels.

Abomination of desolation.

^[1] This abomination of desolation foretold, was first partly fulfilled in diverse profanations of the Temple of Hierusalem, when the sacrifice and service of God was taken away, but specially it shall be fulfilled by Antichrist and his Precursors, when they shall abolish the holy Mass ^[2], which is the Sacrifice of Christ's body and blood, and the only sovereign worship due to God in his Church: as S. Hyppolytus writeth in these words: The Churches shall lament with great lamentations, because there shall neither oblation be made, nor incense, nor worship grateful to God. But the sacred houses of Churches shall be like to cottages, and the precious body and blood of Christ shall not be extant (openly in Churches) in those days, the Liturgy (or Mass) shall be extinguished, the Psalmody shall cease, the reciting of the Scriptures shall not be heard. Hippol. de Antichristo. By which it is plain that the Heretics of these days be the special fore-runners of Antichrist.

• 1 The abomination of desolation.
• 2 The abolishing of the holy sacrifice of the Mass by Antichrist and his ministers.

Shall be shortened.

^◦ The reign of Antichrist shall be short, that is, three years and a half. Dan. 7. Apoc. 11. Therefore the Heretics are blasphemous and ridiculous, that say, Christ's Vicar is Antichrist, who hath sitten these 1500 years.

• ◦ Antichrist.

Great signs.

These signs and miracles shall be to the outward appearance only, for S. Paul calleth them ^◦ lying signs, to seduce them only that shall perish. Whereby we see that if Heretics could work feigned and forged miracles, yet we ought not to believe them, much less when they cannot so much as seem to do any.

• ◦ 2. Thes. 2.

In closets.

^[1] Christ having made the Church's authority bright and clear to the whole world, warneth the faithful to take heed of Heretics and Schismatics, which have their conventicles aside in certain odd places and obscure corners, alluring curious persons unto them. Aug. li. 1. q. Evang. q. 38. ^[2] For as for the coming together of Catholics to serve God in secret places, that is a necessary thing in time of persecution, and was used of Christians for three hundred years together after Christ, ^[3] and the Apostles also and disciples came so together in Hierusalem for fear of the Jews. And Catholics do the same at this day in our country, not drawing religion into corners from the society of the Catholic Church, but practising secretly the same faith, that in all Christendom shineth and appeareth most gloriously.

• 1 The secret conventicles of Heretics.
• 2 Catholic Christians secretly assembling in time of persecution.
• 3 Act. 1, 12.

Immediately.

^◦ If the later day shall immediately follow the persecution of Antichrist, which is to endure but three years and a half, as is aforesaid: then is it mere blasphemy to say, God's Vicar is Antichrist, and that (by their own limitation) these thousand years almost.

• ◦ Antichrist.