times past; which also is done by a marvellous dispensation, that through one only thing both God's love and justice should be fulfilled. For the power of miracles being for a while taken away, the holy church appeareth the more abject and forsaken, and the reward of good men doth cease, who reverenced the same for the hope of heavenly riches, and not for any present signs; and that the minds of evil men against the same might the sooner be known, who neglect to follow the invisible things which the church doth promise, while they be led with visible signs."
Forasmuch then as the humility of the faithful is, as it were, destitute of the multitude and appearing of signs by the terrible working of God's secret dispensation, whereby mercy is given unto the good and just, wrath heaped upon the evil; forasmuch then, as it is truly said, that before this Leviathan shall plainly and manifestly come, poverty shall go before his face (for, before that time, the riches of miracles shall be taken away from the faithful), then shall that ancient enemy show himself against them by open wonders; that, as he is extolled through signs and wonders, so shall he the more manfully be vanquished of the faithful, without any signs or miracles. Also in his sixteenth book upon these words, which the blessed man Job [chap, xxiv.] said; "Who shall reprehend his way before him, or who shall cast in his teeth what he hath done?" While he did speak of the body of all evil, he suddenly converted his speech unto the head of all the wicked; for he did see that, towards the end of the world,The description of Antichrist out of St. Gregory.Satan should enter into man, whom the Scripture calleth Antichrist; he shall be extolled with such pride, he shall rule with such power, he shall be exalted with such signs and wonders, under the pretence of holiness, that his doing cannot be controlled of men, forasmuch as his signs and tokens are joined with power and terror, and with a certain show of holiness. Wherefore, he saith, "Who shall control his ways before him?" what man is he that dare once rebuke or check him? whose look or countenance is he afraid of? But, notwithstanding, not only Enoch and Elias, who are brought as example for his probation, but also the elect, do argue and reprove his way, while they do contemn, and by the force and power of their minds, resist his malice. But forasmuch as this thing is not done by their own power and strength, but by God's help and grace, therefore it is very well said: "Who shall argue or reprove his ways before him?" who, but only God, by whose help, the elect are aided and ade able to resist.
The proof of holiness.And, a little after, upon the same book of Job, Gregory saith, "Inasmuch as holy men do withstand his iniquity, it is not they themselves who do so rebuke his ways, but it is He through whose help they are strengthened." Also in his second book he saith, "Now the holy church doth not regard, but despise the signs and miracles of the heretics, if they do any; forasmuch as the church doth sufficiently understand, that it is no kind of holiness: for why? the proof of holiness is not to make signs or wonders, but to love every man as himself, to think truly of the very true God, and to think better of thy neighbour than of thyself: for true virtue and holiness consisteth in love, and not in showing of miracles. This the Verity declareth, saying; 'Hereby shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another:' but he saith not, that 'hereby men shall know that ye are my disciples, because ye work miracles;' but contrariwise, 'if ye love one another:' declaring plainly thereby, that it is not miracles, but the mere charity and love of God which maketh us the servants of God. Wherefore the chief testimony of being God's disciple is to have the gift of brotherly love." This throughout doth St. Gregory write, and oftentimes, in other places, he speaketh very much of miracles, how they shall cease amongst the just, and abound amongst the wicked.
Signs of common and indifferent to the ministers of Christ and Antichrist. Also Chrysostome, in his fifty-fifth homily, saith thus: "It is a common and an indifferent work between the ministers of God and the ministers of the devil, to cast out devils; but to confess the truth, and to work righteousness, is the only work of the saints and holy men: therefore, whomsoever thou dost see casting out devils, if he have not the confession of the truth in his mouth, neither righteousness in his hands, he is not a man of God: but if thou dost see a man openly confessing and declaring the truth, and doing justice, although he do cast out no devils, yet is he the man of God." And it followeth, The principal of miracles."Let us know, that like as at the coming of Christ, before him the prophets, and with him the apostles, wrought miracles, through the Holy Ghost; for such as the
