CHAP. 1. Newton. on Proph. 4. If he must needs reign, for the purpose of bringing every enemy into subjection, his reign must have begun long before this period; therefore the main question is, when did he begin to exercise that power by which he was exalted to so great a height? In order to open this matter in its proper light, the following facts are particularly worthy of notice, as relating to what has already been stated concerning the ambitious views of LEO the GREAT. 5. According to Mede and others, in the year 456, Dissert, the Roman empire was overrun by the Barbarians, vol. i. p. and the city of Rome sacked by Genseric king of the Vandals and the year following the empire was divided into ten kingdoms. 170. Eccl. History, vol. i. p. 27, 28. 6. Mosheim says, "The incursions and triumphs 6 of the Barbarians were so far from being prejudi'cial to the rising dominion of the Roman pontiff, 'that they rather contributed to its advancement. For the kings, who penetrated into the empire, were only solicitous about the methods of giving a sufficient degree of stability to their respective gov'ernments. And when they perceived the subjection of the multitude to the bishops, and the dependance of the bishops upon the Roman pontiff, they immediately resolved to reconcile this ghostly ruler to their interests, by loading him with benefits and 'honours of various kinds." 7. Likewise the wars and contentions that had long existed among the patriarchs, and their appealing for redress to the bishop of Rome, had most certainly given him an entire superiority over all the episcopal orders. The authority of general councils was, moreover, almost universally acknowledged; and what greater mark of superiority could be shown to the Roman pontiff than to adopt his letter to Flavianus as a rule of faith? 3. Mosheim also observes that, "The declining power and supine indolence of the emperors, left his authority almost without controul." Then add to all this, that in the year 457, the emperor Marcianus died; the same emperor who had yielded to the lordly demand of LEO. It must then appear very evident, that another emperor could not succeed him, who could possibly rise in the public esteem to an equal degree of dignity and power with the artful bishop of Rome. CHAP. 7. 1. 9. Upon the authority of these facts, it is doubt- Dan. vii. less, with the greatest propriety, that soine have re- Rev. xiii. ferred to this period, the rise of the ten horns of Daniel's fourth beast, and also of the first beast mentioned by John, which came up out of the sea. 10. This beast, as it appeared to Daniel, dreadful and terrible, was a figure of the Roman empire, in its tyrannical and persecuting power, under the Pagan emperors. To John, the same tyrannical power appeared as a be ast coming up out of the sea, which was evidently fulfilled in that motley change.of the empire, which took place under Constantine the Great. Rev.xvi 11. Here the monster, still more dreadful and terrible, and more unlike any thing that had ever been before it, rose up out of the sea of troubles, commotions and conflicts among different kindreds, tongues 15. and people. Not withstanding, through the whole reign of Constantine and his immediate successors, this beast exhibited a plurality of heads, and these heads inspired to the most beastly conduct. 12. Yet the monster was not complete in all his parts; and it was not till the period of which we are speaking, that his ten horns appeared, which the angel expressly interpreted to be ten kings: and it was not till these ten horns appeared, that the little horn could rise up among them. 8. 13. Now observe, this last horn, which had eyes Dan. vi like the eyes of a man,, and a mouth speaking great things, was little at first; and the same horn, which in another vision of the, same thing, is said to represent the last king, appeared at first a little horn, which vii. 9, 10. waxed exceeding great-even to (or according to the original against) the host of heaven. 14. Then as this last horn, which was a figure of the Papal hierarchy, was little in its rise, and afterwards waxed great, it answered well to the Roman pontiff, who in his rise, was scarcely visible among the ten ruling powers, who at first loaded him with benefits and honours, and over whom he afterwards exercised unlimited authority. 226 CHAP. J. Ecel. His tory, yol p. 398. 15. But however imperceptible in the beginning, he was certainly known and distinguished among the ten kings, and possessed a degree of power, in his very rising up, by which he might, with as great propriety be said to reign, as any of the other kings. 16. When a prince or governor can pursue his own measures, without any real obstruction, he may properly be said to reign. What then remained, after the death of Marcianus, that was any obstruction to the growing influence and dignity of Leo the Great? 17. Before this period, the bishops were continually rivailing each other; different systems and parties clashing, and emperors and ecclesiastics standing in each others way, rendered it doubtful which or who should be raised to the highest degree of promotion. But after the rise of LEO, all the strife and contention that abounded, only contributed the more to augment his power, and raise to higher degrees of respect, his growing authority. 18. The fact is, that no object or pursuit was, at this time, of so public and influential a nature as that in which the priesthood were engaged; and no revolution, either in civil or ecclesiastical affairs, was considered of any great importance, further than as it related to the affairs of that church, in which the bishop of Rome filled the highest seat. And this is doubtless sufficient to establish his supremacy, at this period; how much soever inferior incidents may be magnified by the ingenuity of designing men, and urged as arguments to the contrary. 19. We shall now consider the nature of this dominion of Antichrist, in its first beginning; and if every thing begets its own likeness, it can present nothing to view essentially different from the spirit and works of Constantine. 20. The doctrine of Three persons in one God, L L one Christ. And this catholic doctrine, (as observed CHAP. in the preceding chapter,) was established in the council of Chalcedon, assembled by the emperor MARCIANUS, upon LEO's demand. 21. And when this great fundamental doctrine was established, could there be any thing too mysterious to make a test of orthodoxy, or too contradictory to reconcile? Well might the Lion and the Lamb be united, Pugan and Christian, saint and sinner, yea, heaven and hell be blended together without change, mixture or confusion. 24. 22. Therefore it was well said of the little horn, or Dan. viii. last king, of fierce countenance, that he should understand dark sentences, and practise and prosper, and destroy the mighty and the holy people.* So far his power could extend, as to abuse and pervert what had been published abroad by the apostles, and thus tread the sanctuary or holy place under foot. 23. It is further observable, that although this king was mighty, yet it was not by his own power; but through the supine indolence of the emperors, the transgressions of the patriarchs and people which had come to the full, and the favour of the Barbarian kings, that he was exalted. or, the people of ones. See the holy Mar. Bi 10, 11. 24. And by such means, without any hostile exer- Dan. vi. tions of his own power, he waxed great, even against the host of heaven; and cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground; [such as had the brightest reflections of the true light,] and magnified himself against the prince of the host. 25. He even magnified himself in the character and stead of Christ, and from him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. Every occasion, either of sacrificing sin, or sacrificing for sin, was removed, as soon as the two distinct natures could be united without any change; and the very place of the sanctuary, or order of distinction between the holy and profane, was -cast down, to be trodden under foot of the Gentiles forty-two months. 26. Therefore an host [or time] was given him against the daily sacrifice, by reason of the proneness of the people to transgress; every rank of church CHAP. II. Eccl.His appear from the manner in which it was propaga ted. 6. A gospel can never be established or propagated among mankind, unless it brings with it sufficient authority to render it acceptable. The true gospel of Christ Jesus was intended to save mankind from their sins, by leading them into the practice of piety and virtue. 7. Therefore, when Christ and his followers set the example, the native excellence of their piety and virtue had the greatest authority that ever the gospel claimed over mankind, and was the principal and most salutary means by which it was propagated. 8. But far different was the case of Antichrist. Instead of a virtuous, upright and pious example, the civil sword was the salutary means which he employed to recommend his celestial light, and which tended only to increase unto more ungodliness, those barbarous works, which Christ Jesus came to destroy. 9. Great numbers of the Vandals, Sueves, Goths, and Burgundians, are said to have embraced christianity, of their own accord, in the fifth century. But from what follows, it is not difficult to judge what it was that they embraced. 10. Mosheim says, "All these fierce and warlike ory, volnations judged a religion excellent, in proportion to . p. 5. 'the success which crowned the arms of those that 'professed it, and esteemed, consequently, that doctrine the best, whose professors had gained the greatest 'number of victories. When therefore, they saw the 'Romans possessed of an empire much more exten'sive than that of any other people, they concluded that Christ, [or rather Antichrist] their God, was of all others the most worthy of religious homage." 11. CLOVIS, king of the Franks, was at this period, the most famous trophy of their Catholic grace. bid. p. 6. "His conversion to the Christian religion, is dated 'from the battle he fought with the Alemans, in the ' year 496-in which, when the Franks began to give ground, and their affairs seemed desperate, he implored the assistance of Christ, and solemnly enga'ged himself, by a vow, to worship him as his God, if he rendered him victorious over his enemies." |