Church Fathers: Post-Nicene Fathers Vol 07: 27.01.18 Lecture XV Part 1

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Church Fathers: Post-Nicene Fathers Vol 07: 27.01.18 Lecture XV Part 1



TOPIC: Post-Nicene Fathers Vol 07 (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: 27.01.18 Lecture XV Part 1

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Lecture XV.

On the Clause, and Shall Come in Glory to Judge the Quick and the Dead; Of Whose Kingdom There Shall Be No End,

Daniel VII. 9-14.

I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit, and then, I saw in a vision of the night, and behold one like unto the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven,

1. We preach not one advent only of Christ, but a second also, far more glorious than the former. For the former gave a view of His patience; but the latter brings with it the crown of a divine kingdom. For all things, for the most part, are twofold in our Lord Jesus Christ: a twofold generation; one, of God, before the ages; and one, of a Virgin, at the close of the ages: His descents twofold; one, the unobserved, like rain on a fleecehyperlink ; and a second His open coming, which is to be. In His former advent, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes in the manger; in His second, He covereth Himself with light as with a garmenthyperlink · In His first coming, He endured the Cross, despising shamehyperlink ; in His second, He comes attended by a host of Angels, receiving gloryhyperlink . We rest not then upon His first advent only, but look also for His second. And as at His first coming we said, Blessed is fire that cometh in the Name of the Lordhyperlink , so will we repeat the same at His second coming; that when with Angels we meet our Master, we may worship Him and say, Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord. The Saviour comes, not to be judged again, but to judge them who judged Him; He who before held His peace when judgedhyperlink , shall remind the transgressors who did those daring deeds at the Cross, and shall say, These things hast thou done, and I kept silencehyperlink . Then, He came because of a divine dispensation, teaching men with persuasion; but this time they will of necessity have Him for their King, even though they wish it not.

2. And concerning these two comings, Malachi the Prophet says, And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His templehyperlink ; behold one coming. And again of the second coming he says, And the Messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in. Behold, He cometh, saithhyperlink the Lord Almighty. But who shall abide the day of His coming? or who shall stand when He appeareth? Because fire cometh in like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' herb; and fire shall sit as a refiner and purifier. And immediately after the Saviour Himself says, And I will draw near to you in judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulteresses, and against those who swear falsely in My Namehyperlink , and the rest. For this cause Paul warning us beforehand says, If any man buildeth on the foundation gold, and silver, and precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in firehyperlink . Paul also knew these two comings, when writing to Titus and saying, The grace of God hath appeared which bringeth salvation unto all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and godly, and righteously in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christhyperlink . Thou seest how he spoke of a first, for which he gives thanks; and of a second, to which we look forward. Therefore the words also of the Faith which we are announcing were just now delivered thushyperlink ; that we believe in Him, who also Ascended Into The Heavens, And Sat Down ON The Right Hand OF The Father And Shall Come IN Glory TO Judge Quick And Dead; Whose Kingdom Shall Have NO End.

3. Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, comes from heaven; and He comes with glory at the end of this world, in the last day. For of this world there is to be an end, and this created world is to be re-made anewhyperlink . For since corruption, and theft, and adultery, and every sort of sins have been poured forth over the earth, and blood has been mingled with bloodhyperlink in the world, therefore, that this wondrous dwelling-place may not remain filled with iniquity, this world passeth away, that the fairer world may be made manifest. And wouldest thou receive the proof of this out of the words of Scripture? Listen to Esaias, saying, And the heaven shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all the stars shall fall, as leaves from a vine, and as haves fall from a big-treehyperlink . The Gospel also says, The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heavenhyperlink . Let us not sorrow, as if we alone died; the stars also shall die; but perhaps rise again. And the Lord rolleth up the heavens, not that He may destroy them, but that He may raise them up again more beautiful. Hear David the Prophet saying, Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands; they shall perish, but Thou remainesthyperlink . But some one will say, Behold, he says plainly that they shall perish. Hear in what sense he says, they shall perish; it is plain from what follows; And they all shall was old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt. Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed. For as a man is said to "perish," according to that which is written, Behold, how the righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to hearthyperlink , and this, though the resurrection is looked for; so we look for a resurrection, as it were, of the heavens also. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into bloodhyperlink . Here let converts from the Manichees gain instruction, and no longer make those lights their gods; nor impiously think, that this sun which shall be darkened is Christhyperlink . And again hear the Lord saying, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass awayhyperlink ; for the creatures are not as precious as the Master's words.

4. The things then which are seen shall pass away, and there shall come the things which are looked for, things fairer than the present; but as to the time let no one be curious. For it is not far you, He says, to know times or seasons, which the Father hath put in His own powerhyperlink . And venture not thou to declare when these things shall be, nor on the other hand supinely slumber. For he saith, Watch, for in such an hour as ye expect not the Son of Man comethhyperlink . But since it was needful for us to know the signs of the end, and since we are looking for Christ, therefore, that we may not die deceived and be led astray by that false Antichrist, the Apostles, moved by the divine will, address themselves by a providential arrangement to the True Teacher, and say, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the worldhyperlink ? We look for Thee to come again, but Satan transforms himself into an Angel of light; put us therefore on our guard, that we may not worship another instead of Thee. And He, opening His divine and blessed mouth, says, Take heed that no man mislead you. Do you also, my hearers, as seeing Him now with the eyes of your mind, hear Him saying the same things to you; Take heed that no man mislead you. And this word exhorts you all to give heed to what is spoken; for it is not a history of things gone by, but a prophecy of things future, and which will surely come. Not that we prophesy, for we are unworthy; but that the things which are written will be set before you, and the signs declared. Observe thou, which of them have already come to pass, and which yet remain; and make thyself safe.

5. Take heed that no man mislead you: for many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and shall mislead many. This has happened in part: for already Simon Magus has said this, and Menanderhyperlink , and some others of the godless leaders of heresy; and others will say it in our days, or after us.

6. A second sign. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of warshyperlink . Is there then at this time war between Persians and Romans for Mesopotamia, or no? Does nation rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, or no? And there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. These things have already come to pass; and again, And fearful sights from heaven, and mighty stormshyperlink . Watch therefore, He says; for ye know not at what hour your Lord doth comehyperlink .

7. But we seek our own sign of His coming; we Churchmen seek a sign proper to the Churchhyperlink . And the Saviour says, And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one anotherhyperlink . If thou hear that bishops advance against bishops, and clergy against clergy, and laity against laity even unto blood, be not troubledhyperlink ; for it has been written before. Heed not the things now happening, but the things which are written; and even though I who teach thee perish, thou shalt not also perish with me; nay, even a hearer may become better than his teacher, and he who came last may be first, since even those about the eleventh hour the Master receives. If among Apostles there was found treason, dost thou wonder that hatred of brethren is found among bishops? But the sign concerns not only rulers, but the people also; for He says, And because iniquity shall abound, the love of the many shall wax coldhyperlink . Will any then among those present boast that he entertains friendship unfeigned towards his neighbour? Do not the lips often kiss, and the countenance smile, and the eyes brighten forsooth, while the heart is planning guile, and the man is plotting mischief with words of peace?

8. Thou hast this sign also: And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end comehyperlink . And as we see, nearly the whole world is now filled with the doctrine of Christ.

9. And what comes to pass after this? He says next, When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, standing in the Holy Place, let him that readeth understandhyperlink . And again, Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Lo, there; believe it nothyperlink . Hatred of the brethren makes room next for Antichrist; for the devil prepares beforehand the divisions among the people, that he who is to come may be acceptable to them. But God forbid that any of Christ's servants here, or elsewhere, should run over to the enemy! Writing concerning this matter, the Apostle Paul gave a manifest sign, saying, For that day shall not come, except there came first the falling away, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season. For the mystery of iniquity cloth already work, only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall the lawless one be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that are perishinghyperlink . Thus wrote Paul, and now is the falling away. For men have fallen away from the right faithhyperlink ; and some preach the identity of the Son with the Fatherhyperlink , and others dare to say that Christ was brought into being out of nothinghyperlink . And formerly the heretics were manifest; but now the Church is filled with heretics in disguisehyperlink . For men have fallen away from the truth, and have itching earshyperlink . Is it a plausible discourse? all listen to it gladly. Is it a word of correction? all turn away from it. Most have departed from right words, and rather choose the evil, than desire the goodhyperlink . This therefore is the falling away, and the enemy is soon to be looked for: and meanwhile he has in part begun to send forth his own forerunnershyperlink , that he may then come prepared upon the prey. Look therefore to thyself, O man, and make safe thy soul. The Church now charges thee before the Living God; she declares to thee the things concerning Antichrist before they arrive. Whether they will happen in thy time we know not, or whether they will happen after thee we know not; but it is well that, knowing these things, thou shouldest make thyself secure beforehand.

10. The true Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, comes no more from the earth. If any come making false showshyperlink in the wilderness, go not forth; if they say, Lo, here is the Christ, Lo, there, believe it nothyperlink . Look no longer downwards and to the earth; for the Lord descends from heaven; not alone as before, but with many, escorted by tens of thousands of Angels; nor secretly as the dew on the fleecehyperlink ; but shining forth openly as the lightning. For He hath said Himself, As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man behyperlink ; and again, And they shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds with power and great glory, and He shall send forth His Angels with a great trumpethyperlink ; and the rest.

11. But as, when formerly He was to take man's nature, and God was expected to be born of a Virgin, the devil created prejudice against this, by craftily preparing among idol-worshippershyperlink fables of false gods, begetting and begotten of women, that, the falsehood having come first, the truth, as he supposed, might be disbelieved; so now, since the true Christ is to come a second time, the adversary, taking occasion byhyperlink the expectation of the simple, and especially of them of the circumcision, brings in a certain man who is a magicianhyperlink , and most expert in sorceries and enchantments of beguiling craftiness; who shall seize for himself the power of the Roman empire, and shall falsely style himself Christ; by this name of Christ deceiving the Jews, who are looking for the Anointedhyperlink , and seducing those of the Gentiles by his magical illusions.

12. But this aforesaid Antichrist is to come when the times of the Roman empire shall have been fulfilled, and the end of the world is now drawing nearhyperlink . There shall rise up together ten kings of the Romans, reigning in different parts perhaps, but all about the same time; and after these an eleventh, the Antichrist, who by his magical craft shall seize upon the Roman power; and of the kings who reigned before him, three he shall humblehyperlink , and the remaining seven he shall keep in subjection to himself. At first indeed he will put on a show of mildness (as though he were a learned and discreet person), and of soberness and benevolencehyperlink : and by the lying signs and wonders of his magical deceithyperlink a having beguiled the Jews, as though he were the expected Christ, he shall afterwards be characterized by all kinds of crimes of inhumanity and lawlessness, so as to outdo all unrighteous and ungodly men who have gone before him displaying against all men, but especially against us Christians, a spirit murderous and most cruel, merciless and craftyhyperlink . And after perpetrating such things for three years and six months only, he shall be destroyed by the glorious second advent from heaven of the only-begotten Son of God, our Lord and Saviour Jesus, the true Christ, who shall slay Antichrist with the breath of His mouthhyperlink , and shall deliver him over to the fire of hell.

13. Now these things we teach, not of our own invention, but having learned them out of the divine Scriptures used in the Churchhyperlink , and chiefly from the prophecy of Daniel just now read; as Gabriel also the Archangel interpreted it, speaking thus: The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall surpass all kingdomshyperlink . And that this kingdom is that of the Romans, has been the tradition of the Church's interpreters. For as the first kingdom which became renowned was that of the Assyrians, and the second, that of the Medes and Persians together, and after these, that of the Macedonians was the third, so the fourth kingdom now is that of the Romanshyperlink . Then Gabriel goes on to interpret, saying, His ten horns are ten kings that shall arise; and another king shall rise up after them, who shall surpass in wickedness all who were before himhyperlink ; (he says, not only the ten, but also all who have been before him;) and he shall subdue three kings; manifestly out of the ten former kings: but it is plain that by subduing three of these ten, he will become the eighth king; and he shall speak words against the Most Highhyperlink . A blasphemer the man is and lawless, not having received the kingdom from his fathers, but having usurped the power by means of sorcery.

14. And who is this, and from what sort of working? Interpret to us, O Paul. Whose coming, he says, is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wondershyperlink ; implying, that Satan has used him as an instrument, working in his own person through him; for knowing that his judgment shall now no longer have respite, he wages war no more by his ministers, as is his wont, but henceforth by himself more openlyhyperlink . And with all signs and lying wonders; for the father of falsehood will make a showhyperlink of the works of falsehood, that the multitudes may think that they see a dead man raised, who is not raised, and lame men walking, and blind men seeing, when the cure has not been wrought.

15. And again he says, Who opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped; (against every God; Antichrist forsooth will abhor the idols,) so that he seateth himself in the temple of Godhyperlink . What temple then? He means, the Temple of the Jews which has been destroyed. For God forbid that it should be the one in which we are! Why say we this? That we may not be supposed to favour ourselves. For if he comes to the Jews as Christ, and desires to be worshipped by the Jews, he will make great account of the Temple, that he may more completely beguile them; making it supposed that he is the man of the race of David, who shall build up the Temple which was erected by Solomonhyperlink . And Antichrist will come at the time when there shall not be left one stone upon another in the Temple of the Jews, according to the doom pronounced by our Saviourhyperlink ; for when, either decay of time, or demolition ensuing on pretence of new buildings, or from any other causes, shall have overthrown all the stones, I mean not merely of the outer circuit, but of the inner shrine also, where the Cherubim were, then shall he come With all signs and lying wonders, exalting himself against all idols; at first indeed making a pretence of benevolence, but afterwards displaying his relentless temper, and that chiefly against the Saints of God. For he says, I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saintshyperlink ; and again elsewhere, there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation upon earth, even to that same timehyperlink . Dreadful is that beast, a mighty dragon, unconquerable by man, ready to devour; concerning whom though we have more things to speak out of the divine Scriptures, yet we will content ourselves at present with thus much, in order to keep within compass.

16. For this cause the Lord knowing the greatness of the adversary grants indulgence to the godly, saying, Then let them which be in Judaea flee to the mountainshyperlink . But if any man is conscious that he is very stout-hearted, to encounter Satan, let him stand (for I do not despair of the Church's nerves), and let him say, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ and the resthyperlink ? But, let those of us who are fearful provide for our own safety; and those who are of a good courage, stand fast: for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall behyperlink . But thanks be to God who hath confined the greatness of that tribulation to a few days; for He says, But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortenedhyperlink ; and Antichrist shall reign for three years and a half only. We speak not from apocryphal books, but from Daniel; for he says, And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a timehyperlink . A time is the one year in which his coming shall for a while have increase; and the times are the remaining two years of iniquity, making up the sum of the three years; and the half a time is the six months. And again in another place Daniel says the same thing, And he swear by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, and times, and half a timehyperlink . And some peradventure have referred what follows also to this; namely, a thousand two hundred and ninety dayshyperlink ; and this, Blessed is he that endureth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty dayshyperlink . For this cause we must hide ourselves and flee; for perhaps we shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man be comehyperlink .

17. Who then is the blessed man, that shall at that time devoutly witness for Christ? For I say that the Martyrs of that time excel all martyrs. For the Martyrs hitherto have wrestled with men only; but in the time of Antichrist they shall do battle with Satan in his own personhyperlink . And former persecuting kings only put to death; they did not pretend to raise the dead, nor did they make false showshyperlink of signs and wonders. But in his time there shall be the evil inducement both of fear and of deceit, so that if it be possible the very elect shall be deceivedhyperlink . Let it never enter into the heart of any then alive to ask, "What did Christ more? For by what power does this man work these things? Were it not God's will, He would not have allowed them." The Apostle warns thee, and says beforehand, And for this cause God shall send them a working of error; (send, that is, shall allow to happen;) not that they might make excuse, but that they might be condemnedhyperlink . Wherefore? They, he says, who believed not the truth, that is, the true Christ, but had pleasure in unrighteousness, that is, in Antichrist. But as in the persecutions which happen from time to time, so also then God will permit these things, not because He wants power to hinder them, but because according to His wont He will through patience crown His own champions like as He did His Prophets and Apostles; to the end that having toiled for a little while they may inherit the eternal kingdom of heaven, according to that which Daniel says, And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book (manifestly, the book of life); and many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and same to shame and everlasting contempt; and they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and of the many righteoushyperlink , as the stars for ever and ever.

18. Guard thyself then, O man; thou hast the signs of Antichrist; and remember them not only thyself, but impart them also freely to all. If thou hast a child according to the flesh, admonish him of this now; if thou hast begotten one through catechizinghyperlink , put him also on his guard, test he receive the false one as the True. For the mystery of iniquity doth already workhyperlink . I fear these wars of the nationshyperlink ; I fear the schisms of the Churches; I fear the mutual hatred of the brethren. But enough on this subject; only God forbid that it should be fulfilled in our days; nevertheless, let us be on our guard. And thus much concerning Antichrist.



Footnotes



1 Matt. xxiv. 30.



2 Ps. civ. 2.



3 Heb. xii. 2.



4 Cyril's contrast of the two Advents seems to be partly borrowed form Justin M. (Apol. i. 52; Tryph. 110). See also Tertullian (Adv. Judaeos, c. 14); Hippolytus (De Antichristo, 44).



5 Matt. xxi. 9; xxiii. 39.



6 Ib. xxvi. 63.



7 Ps. l. 21.



8 Mal. iii. 1-3.



9 The Benedictine Editor by omitting le/gei, obtains the sense, He cometh, even the Lord Almighty. But le/gei is supported by the Mss. of Cyril, as well as by the Septuagint and Hebrew.



10 Mal. iii. 5.



11 1 Cor. iii. 12.



12 Titus ii. 11. The Benedictine Editor adopts tou= Swth=roj instead of h 9 swth/rioj against the authority of the best Mss. of Cyril.



13 nu=n paredo/qh. Cyril means that at the beginning of this present Lecture he had delivered to the Catechumens those articles of the Creed which he was going to explain. Compare Cat. xviii. 21, where we see that Cyril first announces (e'pagge/llw) the words which the learners repeat after him (a'pagge/llw).



The clause, Whose Kingdom Shall Have No End, was not contained in the original form of the Creed of Nicaea, A.D. 325, but its substance is found in many earlier writings. Compare Justin M. (Tryph. § 46: kai\ au'tou= e 9stin h 9 ai'w/nioj basilei/a); Const. Apost. vii. 41; the Eusebian Confessions 1st and 4th Antioch, and the Macrosich, A.D. 341, 342, 344. Bp. Bull asserts that the Creed of Jerusalem, containing this clause, was no other than the ancient Eastern Creed, first directed against the Gnostics of the SubApostolic age (Judicium Eccl. Cathol. vi. 16).

14 The Benedictine Editor suggests that Cyril "is refuting those who said that the Universe was to perish utterly, an opinion which seems to be somehow imputed to Origen by Methodius, or Proclus, in Epiphanius (Hoeres. lxiv. 31, 32)." On Origen's much controverted opinions concerning the beginning and end of the world, see Huet. Origeniana, II. 4-6: and Bp. Westcott, Dictionarry of Christian Biography, "Origen," pp. 137, 138.



15 Hos. iv. 2.



16 Is. xxxiv. 4.



17 Matt. xxiv. 29.



18 Ps. cii. 25, 26; Heb. i. 10-12.



19 Is. lvii. 1.



20 Joel ii. 31.



21 Cat. vi. 13; xi. 21.



22 Matt. xxiv. 35.



23 Acts. i. 7.



24 Matt. xxiv. 42, 44; Ib. v. 3.



25 Ib. vv. 3 and 4.



26 Cat. vi. 14, 16.



27 Matt. xxiv. 6. The war with Sapor II.. King of Persia, which broke out immediately on the death of Constantine, and continued throughout the reign of Constantius, was raging fiercely at the date of these Lectures, the great battle of Singara being fought in the year 348 A.D.



28 Luke xxi. 11. Jerome in the Chronicon mentions a great earthquake in 346 A.D., by which Dyrachium was destroyed, and Rome and other cities of Italy greatly injured (Ben. E.).



Cyril substitutes xeimw=nejfor shmei=a, the better reading in Luke xxi. 11.

29 Matt. xxiv. 42.



30 e'kklhsiastiko/j, when applied to persons means either, as here, an orthodox member of the Church in contrast to a heretic, pagan, or Jew (Origen, in Job xx. 6), or more particularly a Cleric as opposed to a layman (Cat. xvii. 10).



31 Matt. xxiv. 10.



32 "S. Cyril here describes the state of the Church, when orthodoxy was for a while trodden under foot, its maintainers persecuted, and the varieties of Arianism, which took its place, were quarreling for the ascendancy. Gibbon quotes two passages, on e from a pagan historian of the day, another from a Father of the Church, which fully bear out S. Cyril's words. What made the state of things still more deplorable, was the defection of some of the orthodox party, as Marcellus, into opposite errors: while the subsequent secessions of Apollinaris and Lucifer show what lurking disorders there were within it at the time when S. Cyril wrote. (Vid. infr. 9.) The passages referred to are as follows: `The Christian Religion,


0' says Ammianus, `in itself plain and simple, he (Constantius) confounded by the dotage of superstition. Instead of reconciling the parties by the weight of his authority, he cherished and propagated, by vain disputes, the differences which his vain curiosity had excited. The highways were covered with troops of Bishops, galloping from every side to the assemblies, which they called synods; and while they laboured to reduce the whole sect to their own particular opinions, the public establishment of the posts was almost ruined by their hasty and repeated journeys.


0' Hist. xxi. 16. S. Hilary of Poictiers thus speaks of Asia Minor, the chief seat of the Arian troubles: `It is a thing equally deplorable and dangerous, that there are as many creeds as opinions among men, as many doctrines as inclinations, and as many sources of blasphemy as there are faults among us; because we make creeds arbitrarily, and explain them as arbitrarily. The Homoousion is rejected and received and explained away by successive synods. The partial or total resemblance of the Father and of the Son is a subject of dispute for these unhappy divines. Every year, nay, every moon, we make new creeds to describe invisible mysteries. We repent of what we have done, we defend those who repent, we anathematize those whom we defended. We condemn either the doctrine of others in ourselves, or our own in that of others; and reciprocally tearing one another to pieces, we have been the cause of each other's ruin,


0' ad Constant. ii 4, 5. Gibbon's translations are used, which though diffuse, are faithful in their matter. what a contrast do these descriptions present to Athanasius' uniform declaration, that the whole question was really settled at Nicaea, and no other synod or debate was necessary!" - (R. W. C.). Compare, for example, the account of the seditions in Antioch and in Constantinople, in Socrates, Eccles. Hist. i. 24; i., 12-14; and Athanas. Hist. Arianorum, passim.



33 Matt. xxiv. 12.



34 Matt. xxiv. 14.



35 Ib. v. 15.



36 Ib. v. 23.



37 2 Thess. ii. 3-10.



38 The prediction was supposed by earlier Fathers to refer to a personal Antichrist whom they expected to come speedily. See Justin M. (Tryph. § 110: o 9 th=j a'postasi/aj a!nqrwpoj; ib. § 32: "He who is to speak blasphemous and daring things against the Most High is already at the doors." Iren. Hoer. V. 25. Cyril in this passage regards the heresies of his time as the apostasy in general, but looks also for a personal Antichrist: (§§ 11. 12).



39 ui 9opatori/a. On this contemptuous name for Sabellianism, see Cat. iv. 8; xi. 16. The Third (Eusebian) Confession, or Third of Antioch, A.D. 341, anathematizes any who hold the doctrines of Marcellus of Ancyra or Sabellius, or Paul of Samosata (Athan. de Synodis, § 24 note 10, p. 462, in this Series, and Mr. Robertson's Prolegomena, p. xliv.). In the Ecthesis, or Statement of Faith, § 2. Athanasius writes: "Neither do we hold a Son-Father, as do the Sabellians, calling Him of one but (a sole and?) not the same essence, and thus destroying the existence of the Son." As to Marcellus, see Athanasius, Hist. Arian. § 6 (p. 271), and the letter of Julius in the Apologia c. Arian. § 32 (p. 116): also notes 3, 4 on § 27 below.



40 See Athanasius, De Synod. § 15 "Arius and those with him thought and professed thus: `God made the Son out of nothing, and called Him His Son


0'" and Expos. Fidei, § 2: "We do not regard as a creature, or thing made, or as made out of nothing, God the Creator of all, the Son of God, the true Being form the true Being, the Alone from the Alone, inasmuch as the like glory and power was eternally and conjointly begotten of the Father." The 4th (Eusebian) Confession, or 4th of Antioch, A.D. 342, ends thus: "Those who say that the Son was from nothing,. . . . the Catholic Church regards as aliens."



41 Athan. Aaversus Arianos, Or. i. 1: "One heresy and that the last which has now risen as forerunner of Antichrist, the Arian as it is called, considering that other heresies, her elder sisters, have been openly proscribed, in her craft and cunning affects to array herself in Scripture language, like her father the devil, and is forcing her way back into the Church's paradise, &c." The supposed date of this Oration is 8 or 10 years later than that of Cyril's Lectures.



42 2 Tim iv. 3.



43 A reading supported by the best Mss. and approved by the Benedictine Editor gives a different sense, "and rather choose to seem than resolve to be," inverting the proverb "ese quam videri."



44 In the passage quoted above in note 5 the Arian heresy is called a "forerunner" (pro/dromoj) of Antichrist.



45 fantasiokopw=n, a rare word, rendered "frantic" in Ecclus. iv. 30: its more precise meaning seems to be "making a false show," which is here applied to a false Christ, and again in § 14 to the father of lies who makes a vain show of false miracles.



46 Matt. xxiv. 23.



47 Ps. lxxii. 6. Cf. § 1, note 1.



48 Matt. xxiv. 27.



49 Matt. xxiv. v. 30.



50 se'n ei'dwlolatrei/a may mean eithe "in idol-worship," or "among idolaters," the abstract being used for the concrete, as in Rom. iii. 30: dikaiw/sei peritomh/n.



51 e'fo/dion, "provision for a journey," is here equivalent in meaning to a'formh/, "a starting point," or "favourable occasion."



52 Antichirst is described by Hippolytus (De Christo et Antichristo, § 57, as "a son of the devil, and a vessel of Satan," who will rule and govern "after the manner of the law of Augustus, by whom the Roman empire was established, sanctioning everything thereby." Cf. Iren. Hoer. V. 30, § 3; Dictionary of Christian Biography, Antichrist: "The sharp precision with which St. Paul had pointed to `the man of sin,


0' `the lawless one.


0' `the adversary,


0' `the son of perdition,


0' led men to dwell on that thought rather than on the many yeudo/xristoi of whom Christ Himself had spoken.


0'



53 to\u 0Hleimue/non, Aquila's rendering of xy#$m



, adopted by the Jews in preference to to\n Xristo/n, from hatred of the name Christ or Christian. Hippolytus, ubi supra, § 6: "The Saviour came into the world in the Circumcision and he (Antichrist) will come in the same manner:" ib. § 14: "As Christ springs from the tribe of Judah, so Antichrist is to spring from the tribe of Dan." This expectation was grounded by Hippolytus on Gen. xlix. 17.

54 The fourth kingdom in the prophecy of Daniel (vii. 7, 23) was generally understood by early Christian writers to be the Roman Empire; and its dissolution was to be speedily followed by the end of the world. See § 13 below; Irenaeus, V. 26; and Hippolytus, ubi supra, §§ 19, 28.



55 Dan. vii. 24: and he shall put down three kings (R. V.).



56 The Jerusalem Editor quotes as iron Hippolytus a similar description of Antichrist (§ 23): "In his first steps he will be gentle, loveable, quiet, pious, pacific, hating injustice, detesting gifts, not allowing idolatry, &c." But the treatise is a forgery of unknown date, apparently much later than Cyril.



57 Iren. V. 28, § 2: "Since the demons and apostate spirits are at his service, he through their means performs wonders, by which he leads the inhabitants of the earth astray."



58 Iren. V. 25, § 4: "He shall remove his kingdom into that city (Jerusalem), and shall sit in the Temple of God, leading astray those who worship him as if he were Christ."



According to the genuine treatise of Hippolytus Antichrist was to restore the kingdom of the Jews (De Antichristo, § 25), to collect the Jews out of every country of the Dispersion, making them his own, as though they were his own children, and promising to restore their country, and establish again their kingdom and nation, in order that he may be worshipped by them as God (§ 54), and he will lead them on to persecute the saints, i.e. the Christians (§ 56). compare the elaborate description of Antichrist and his cruelty in Lactantius, Div. Inst. vii. 17; Epit. § 71.

59 2 Thess ii. 8. Cf. Iren. V. 25, § 3: Hippol. § 64.



60 e'kklhsiazome/nwn. Cf. Cat. iv. 35,36, where Cyril distinguishes the Scriptures a#j kai\ e'n 0Ekklhsi/a meta\ parrhsi/aj a'naginw/skomen from osa e'n 0Ekklhsi/aij mh= anaginw/sketai.



61 Dan. vii. 23: (r.v.) shall be diverse from all the kingdoms.



62 Irenaeus (V. 26) identifies the fourth kingdom with "the empire which now rules." Hippolytus, de Antichristo, § 25: "A fourth beast dreadful and terrible: it had iron teeth and claws of brass. And who are these but the Romans?"



63 Dan. vii. 24.



64 Dan. v. 25. Dean Church compares Rev. xvii. 11; And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. See Also Iren. V. 26, § 1.



65 2 Thes. ii. 9. Lactantius (a.d. 300 circ), Div. Inst. vii. 17: "that king. . . . will also be a prophet of lies; and he will constitute and call himself God, and will order himself to be worshipped as the Son of God; and power will be given him to do signs and wonders, by the sight of which he may entice men to adore him." Cf. Epilome, lxxi.



66 "Vid. Iren. Hoer V. 26, 2" (R.W.C.). The passage is quoted by Eusebius (Ecc. Hist. iv. 18), from a lost work of Justin M. Against Marcion: "Justin well said that before the coming of the Lord Satan never dared to blaspheme God, as not yet knowing his own condemnation, because it was started by the prophets in parables and allegories. But after our Lord's advent having learnt plainly from His words and those of the Apostles that everlasting fire is prepared for him, . . . . he by means of such men as these blasphemes the Lord who brings the judgment upon him, as being already condemned."



S. Cyril seems to expect that Antichrist will be an incarnation of Satan, as did Hippolytus (de Antichr. § 6): "The Saviour appeared in the form of man, and he too will come in the form of a man."

67 2 Thess. ii. 4.



68 See § 12, notes 3, 4, and Hippolytus, ubi supra: "The Saviour raised up and shewed His holy flesh like a temple; and he will raise a temple of stone in Jerusalem." "Cyril wrote this before Julian's attempt to rebuild the Jewish Temple" (R. W. C..).



69 Matt. xxiv. 2. Cyril refers the whole prophecy to the time of Christ's second coming at the end of the world, not regarding the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by Titus as fulfilling any part of the prediction.



70 Dan. vii. 21. Here again Cyril follows Hippolytus, § 25. "And under this (horn) was signified none other than Antichrist.



71 Ib. xii 1.



72 Matt. xxiv. 16.



73 Rom. viii. 35.



74 Matt. xxiv. 21.



75 Ib. v. 22.



76 Dan. vii. 25. By "apocryphal" books Cyril probably means all such as were not allowed to be read in the public service of the Church: see Cat. iv. 33. note 3; and Bp. Westcott's note on the various meanings of the word a'po/krufoj, Hist. of the Canon, P. III. c. 1. That the Apocalypse of St. John is included under this term by Cyril, appears probable from the following reasons suggested by the Benedictine Editor. (1) It is not mentioned in the list of the Canonical Scriptures in iv. 36 (2) The earlier writers whom Cyril follows in this Lecture, Irenaeus, Hoer V., 26, § 1, and Hippolytus, De Antichristo, § 34, combine the testimony of the Apocalypse with that of Daniel. The omission in Cyril therefore cannot have been accidental.



77 Dan xii. 7.



78 Ib. v.11.



79 Ib. v. 12.



80 Matt. x. 23.



81 au'toprosw/pwj. See above, § 14, note 2. Some Mss. read a'ntiprosw/pwj, "face to face," as in xii. 32 a'ntipro/swpoj.



82 See above, § 14, note 3.



83 Matt. xxiv. 24.



84 2 Thess. ii. 11, 12: (.r.V.) That they all might be judged. Cyril has katakriqw=si.



85 Dan. xii. 1, 2: (r.v.) they that turn many to righteousness. Cyril follows the rendering of the Septuagint, a'po\ tw=n dikai/wn tw=n pollw=n, which gives no proper construction.



86 Compare 1 Cor. iv. 15: I begat you through the gospel. Clem. Alex. Strom. iii. c 15: tw= dia\ th=j a/lhqou=j kathxh/sewj gennh/santi kei=tai/ tij mioqo/j.



87 2 Thess. ii. 7.



88 See above, §§ 6, 7.



89 1 Thes. iv. 16.