"In the fever of the times," says Gibbon, " (A. D. 508518), the sense, or rather the sound of a syllable was sufficient to disturb the peace of an empire.-Vitalian, with an army of Huns and Bulgarians, for the most part idolaters, declared himself the champion of the Catholic faith. In this pious rebellion he depopulated Thrace, besieged Constantinople, exterminated sixty-five thousand of his fellow-Christians, till he obtained the recal of the bishops, the satisfaction of the pope, and the establishment of the council of Chalcedon, an orthodox treaty, reluctantly signed by the dying Anastasius, and more faithfully performed to the uncle of Justinian. And such was the event of the FIRST of the religious wars, which have been waged in the name, and by the disciples, of the God of peace." In tracing the connexion between historical events, Gibbon is the man who leads us on step by step in the illustration of historical predictions. And immediately consecutive to the preceding extract is a description of "the theological character and government of Justinian." It was always the object of that emperor to preserve the unity of the church, without which, such was the temper of the times, the empire in all likelihood would have been torn asunder by violent commotions, and the first religious war might have been the prelude to many more. Το have raised the patriarch of Constantinople to the supremacy of the church, would have set a rival, or more than a rival, close beside the throne. And when the authority of the emperor had ceased over Rome, or when Italy could only be a conquered province, nothing hindered the emperor from giving the church into the hands of the pope. And to become the judge of controversies," and "head of the churches," and "corrector of heretics," was to be armed with a power, and to exercise an authority, which future ages testified that the prerogative of kings did not equal. The pontifical power was not " Hist. vol. viii. p. 320, c. 47. then consolidated, nor the yoke fully imposed or even formed, as afterwards it hardened into iron; and a long period elapsed before the pope became a temporal prince, or ere his spiritual dominion was turned into blackness. But striking facts seem to warrant the conclusion, that at that time, in the age of Justinian, that wicked one was revealed, and that the church was given into his hands. His gradual rise is told by the prophet, and I beheld another beast COMING Up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Among the ten kingdoms of the Roman empire, another, diverse from them all, was to arise-another little horn. The papal power, though diverse from the rest, is symbolized by a horn, as well as the rest, which thus represents power, or a form of government, whether temporal or spiritual. And there is no greater incongruity-that is, there is none-between the representation of the spiritual and temporal power of the pope, by two horns, (each distinct of itself, and both united in his person) than between the little horn of the fourth beast, (so called before any of the others were rooted up before it) representing the papacy, and the ten other kingdoms, represented in like manner by ten horns. Spiritual as well as temporal power, when supreme, are both alike represented by a horn, or denominated a king. The pope possessed both. To his supreme spiritual authority an earthly kingdom was added, by the extirpation before him of three of the first kings. He had two horns. The ecclesiastical power that was obeyed in Sweden and Britain had been ultimately derived from the suffrage of the Romans. The same suffrage gave a prince as well as a pontiff to the capital,”* &c.—“ Ă Christian, a philosopher, and a patriot, will be equally scandalized by the temporal kingdom of the clergy," &c. "In an age *Gibbon's Hist. vol. xii. p. 260, c. 69. of superstition it should seem that the union of the regal and sacerdotal characters would mutually fortify each other; and that the keys of paradise would be the surest pledge of earthly obedience," &c.* pope subscribes Once every year, in He had two horns as a lamb. The himself the servant of servants. mock imitation of the meek and lowly Jesus, he washes the feet of twelve pilgrims. The name of pope implies that his government and authority are only paternal. And as prophecy adopted the arms of Macedon (the he-goat), and of Persia (a ram with two horns, the one higher than the other), and used the designation of eagle, in allusion to the imperial power, so the pope has adopted his own prophetic symbol of a lamb. Among the different flags of all the kingdoms of the world, as may be seen by reference to Danville's atlas, on the edge of a map, there is one, a lamb at the foot of the cross, thus, Pope But though a lamb was his adopted symbol, yet he spake as a dragon. The bulls that were subscribed "the servant of servants" were often interdicts to kingdoms, sentences of excommunication against princes, or deposition of kings. However meek the pretence, the words of the father of the church were the acts of him who spake marvellous words against the Most High, as those of a dragon, and of the man of sin who exalted himself above all. "In the ambitious contests which the popes maintained for the rights of the church, their sufferings or their success * Gibbon's Hist. vol. xii. p. 261. must equally tend to increase the popular veneration. They sometimes wandered in poverty and exile, the victims of persecution; and the apostolic zeal with which they offered themselves to martyrdom, must engage the favour and sympathy of every Catholic breast. And sometimes thundering from the vatican, they created, judged, and deposed the kings of the world; nor could the proudest Roman be disgraced by submitting to a priest, whose feet were kissed, and whose stirrup was held by the successor of Charlemagne." He had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him. "After the loss of her legions and provinces, the genius and fortune of the popes again restored the supremacy of Rome."-Under the sacerdotal monarchy of St. Peter, the nations began to resume the practice of seeking, on the banks of the Tiber, their kings, their laws, and the oracles of their fate."-" The sovereignty of Rome no longer depended on the choice of a fickle people; and the successors of St. Peter and Constantine were invested with the purple and prerogatives of the Cæsars."§ The first beast was wounded to death, but his deadly wound was healed; and the second beast causeth the earth, and them that dwell therein, to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. "On the festival of Christmas, the last year of the eighth century, Charlemagne appeared in the church of St. Peter's, and, to gratify the vanity of Rome, he had exchanged the simple dress of his country for the habit of a patrician. After the celebration of the holy mysteries, Leo (the pope) suddenly placed a precious crown on his head, and the dome resounded with the acclamations of the people 'Long life and victory to Charles, the most pious Augustus, crowned by God the great and pacific EMPEROR OF THE ROMANS!' The head and body of Charlemagne were consecrated by the royal unction; after the example of the Cæsars, he was saluted or adored by the pontiff; his coronation oath represents a promise to maintain the faith and privileges of the * Gibbon's Hist. vol. xii. pp. 261, 262. +Ib. vol. ix. p. 131, c. 49. Ibid. p. 151. § Ibid. p. 161. See above, p. 96, &c. church; and the first fruits were paid in his rich offerings to the shrine of the apostle. The appellation of great has been often bestowed, and sometimes deserved; but CHARLEMAGNE is the only prince in whose favour the title has been indissolubly blended with the name. That name, with the addition of saint, is inserted in the Roman calendar, and the saint, by a rare felicity, is crowned with the praises of the historians and philosophers of an enlightened age. Without injustice to his fame, I may discern some blemishes in the sanctity and greatness of THE RESTORER OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE. "When Otho, the king of Germany, restored and appropriated the western empire, (A. D. 962), after the fall of the Charlovignian race, at the head of a victorious army he passed the Alps, subdued the kingdom of Italy, delivered the pope, and (for ever) fixed the imperial crown in the name and nation of Germany. From that memorable era, two maxims of public jurisprudence were introduced by force, and ratified by time. I. That the prince who was elected at the German diet, acquired from that instant the subject kingdoms of Italy and Rome. II. But that he might not legally assume the titles of emperor and Augustus till he had received the crown from the hands of the Roman pontiff.”† "In the beginning of the twelfth century, the era of the first crusade, Rome was revered by the Latins, as the metropolis of the world, as the throne of the pope and the empe ror; who, from the eternal city, derived their title, their honours, and the right of exercise of temporal dominion. After so long an interruption, it may not be useless to repeat, that the successors of Charlemagne and the Othos were chosen beyond the Rhine in a national diet; but that these princes were content with the humble names of kings of Germany and Italy, till they had passed the Alps and the Appenines, to seek THEIR IMPERIAL CROWN on the banks of the Tiber. At some distance from the city, their approach was saluted by a long procession of the clergy and people, with palms and crosses; and the terrific emblems of wolves and lions, of dragons and eagles, that floated in the military banners, represented the departed legions and cohorts of the republic. The royal oath to maintain the liberties of Rome, was thrice reiterated, at the bridge, the gate, and the stairs of the Vatican; and the distribution of a customary donative feebly imitated the magnificence of the first Cæsars. In the church of * Gibbon's Hist. vol. ix. pp. 173-175. Ibid. pp. 190, 191. |