SERMONS ON ANTICHRIST FOR ADVENT: Of Antichrist's Hatred Of God, And Religion, And Particularly Of The Mass. And By Whom He Will Be Most Received.

4. POINT. 

Of Antichrist's hate of God, and Religion, and particularly of the Mass. And by whom he will be most received. 

THE Apostle calleth him the Man of sin, the son of perdition, an Adversary, the mystery of iniquity, the wicked one, &c, By all which names is signified, that he shall surpass all former impieties beyond all comparison, as in whom (say S. Hierome and S. Gregorie) the greatest Devil will inhabit corporeally, & replenish him with all exorbitant malice against God, and man. To which according S. John in the Apocalypse, and S. Paul to the Thessalonians, saying: And he opened his mouth unto blasphemies toward God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, and those that dwell in heaven. So that he sits in the temple of God shewing himself, as though he were God. & (as saith the prophet Daniel) he will speak mighty things against the God of Gods; and he will not esteem the God of his Fathers; nor will he care for any of the Gods, As one that is extolled above all that is called God, or that is worshiped. 

But in particular, his principal rage will be against the Mass. Robur datum est ei contra iuge facrificium propter peccata. Force is given him against the continual Sacrifice for sins. By which is understood the Mass, as I have showed by explication of all ancient Interpreters. The place of the sanctification whereof, he shall destroy, saith the Prophet, namely all Churches, Altars, together with ceremonies, and whatsoever belongeth to piety, & religion. So that in those times which great difficulty will Masses be found even in secret caves under the grown; as well for the extremity of penalties, as for the infinite number of Promoters more they ever before. Which our Savior forewarns, saying: And you shall be delivered up of your parents, and brethren, and kinsmen, and friends, and they will put 10 death of you And you shall be odious to all men for my sake. But note well this comfortable promise following. And a hair of your head shall not perish. In your patience you shall possess your souls. 

The most forward to receive him will be the Jews whom also he will most favor. The greatness of which malediction, to be so much in his favor, together with the cause thereof, St. Paul thus declares: Therefore God will send them the operation of error believing, that all may be judged which have not believed the truth, but have conſented to iniquity The same our savior did Prophecy: I am come in the name of my Father, and you receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive which text St. Auguſtin, and all holy fathers do expound of Antichrist. The rather will they receive the greatest enemy of Christ, by how much they hate Christians above all others: they teaching in their Talmud theirs daily to blaspheme Christ three several crimes; to ruin, & destroy Christians alone, sparing all others; to accompt their Churches for many houses of perdition, and all their gospel for iniquity. &c.