Sulpicius Severus (396) Life of St. Martin of Tours.

Various features about St. Martin's teaching concerning the end of the world (as Sulpicius reported Gallus stating it) were condemned by St. Jerome and by the so-called Gelasian

Decree. But this section of the works of Sulpicius has been consistently read by responsible Catholics. As is evident, we are net the first generation to fear that Antichrist was very near.

a. "In Spain ... a young man who had made a name for himself through many signs and wonders . . . gave himself out to be Elias ... He (then) went further and said that he was Christ . . . Again, many . . . reported to us that ... in the East someone boasted that he was John. From the appearance of pseudo-prophets of this kind, we can conjecture that the coming of Antichrist is imminent, those persons serving as advance agents for him of the Mystery of Iniquity". (Ch. 14, Life of St. Martin)

b. "One day we asked Martin about the end of the world. He said that Nero and the Antichrist would come first. Nero would subdue ten Kings and rule in the regions of the West. A persecution he was to impose would go so far as to require the worship of heathen idols.

"The Antichrist would first seize the empire of the East ; he would have Jerusalem as his seat and imperial Capital. Both the city and its temple were to be rebuilt by him. His persecution would require the denial of Christ's divinity (he himself pretending to be Christ) and would by law impose circumcision on all. Finally, Nero himself was to perish at the hands of the Antichrist. In this way the whole world and all its people would be brought under the latter's yoke, until, at Christ's coming, the impious imposter would be overcome.

"There was no doubt (in Martin's mind) that Antichrist, begotten by the Evil Spirit, was already born and had now come to the years of boyhood, awaiting the legal age to assume his empire. This we heard Martin say eight years ago (i. e. in A. D. 396). It is for you to judge how near to us now are those fearful events to come". (Ch. 14, Second Dialogue)