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power, and his pastoral charge into a kind of empire: according to that observation of Socrates, that long before his time, the Roman episcopacy had advanced itself beyond the priesthood into a potentacy. The Popes being seated in the metropolis of the western empire, the head of all the Roman state, found interest sufficient to make themselves by degrees what they would be. For they, not only surpassing the provincial bishops in wealth and respect, but having power in court, who dared to pull a feather with them, or to withstand their encroachments? What wise man would not rather bear much than contest upon such disadvantages, and without probable grounds of success?'

The heathen writer, Ammianus Marcellinus, observes, that the Bishops of Rome had greater authority than other Bishops, because they were Bishops of the Eternal City, "Eternæ Urbis Episcopi." Rigaltius affirms that this was the reason why St. Cyprian called the Roman Church the principal church; because it was constituted in the principal city: Ecclesia principalis, id est, in urbe principali constituta.' Irenæus assigns the same reason for the great authority of the Roman See. To this church, saith he, it is necessary that all should resort, 'propter potentiorem principalitatem,' on account of its more powerful principality.' We may observe that the very expression, the great authority of the Roman See,' which is so common in ecclesiastical historians, is a comment on the words "And the Dragon gave him his Seat and great authority." Theodoret com

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pliments Pope Leo on the same grounds, namely, because he was Bishop of a City' which is the greatest and the most splendid, and presiding over the world, and flowing with a multitude of people, and, moreover, which hath produced the empire now governing.' It was expressly stated by the ancient Synod of Chalcedon, that the privileges which were granted to the Roman Bishop were conceded to him, as Bishop of the Imperial City, because that city reigned, δια το βασιλεύειν πολιν εκείνην :’which is the very language of the Angel to St. John: "the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth." The Empress Placidia urged the same plea in behalf of giving the Bishop of Rome precedence of other Bishops: 'It becometh us to preserve in all thing a reverence for this City, which is the mistress of all lands, DEσTOLVO

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πασων υπάρχει των γεων.

The reader will find in Dr. Barrow's Treatise much more to the same purpose; but what has been said above will suffice to shew that the great authority of the Roman Bishop is intimately connected with his See or Seat. It appears that the Pope had great authority, even during the existence of the Imperial Head, on account of his being Bishop of Rome. The Emperors, however, were obstacles to the Popes. But, when they were "taken out of the way," then "the Dragon gave "the Pope "his Seat." The reign of the Papacy did not commence till then. The Beast was not "the Eighth" till then. But when the Pope was not only Bishop of Rome, but

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pliments Pope Leo on the same grounds, namely, because he was Bishop of a City' which is the greatest and the most splendid, and presiding over the world, and flowing with a multitude of people, and, moreover, which hath produced the empire now governing.' It was expressly stated by the ancient Synod of Chalcedon, that the privileges which were granted to the Roman Bishop were conceded to him, as Bishop of the Imperial City, because that city reigned, δια το βασιλεύειν πολιν εκείνην :’which is the very language of the Angel to St. John: "the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth." The Empress Placidia urged the same plea in behalf of giving the Bishop of Rome precedence of other Bishops: 'It becometh us to preserve in all thing a reverence for this City, which is the mistress of all lands, is deσOLVO

πασων υπαρχει των γεων.

The reader will find in Dr. Barrow's Treatise much more to the same purpose; but what has been said above will suffice to shew that the great authority of the Roman Bishop is intimately connected with his See or Seat. It appears that the Pope had great authority, even during the existence of the Imperial Head, on account of his being Bishop of Rome. The Emperors, however, were obstacles to the Popes. But, when they were "taken out of the way," then "the Dragon gave the Pope "his Seat." The reign of the Papacy did not commence till then. The Beast was not "the Eighth" till then. But when the Pope was not only Bishop of Rome, but

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also a temporal prince; when he "plucked up by the roots" the exarchate of Ravenna, and afterwards the state of Lombardy, and the senate of Rome, then indeed the Beast was the eighth." Then "the Dragon gave him his power, and his Seat, and great authority. Rome once more gave laws to the world. 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.' (Gibbon, Vol. ix. p. 53.)

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The Seat in which the Pope sat was still "the Dragon's Seat." If the Beast was "the Eighth," he was still of the seven." If one of the old heathen Romans could have been brought back again to behold the new ruler of the eternal city,' when he cast his eyes on his scarlet dress, when he looked at his scarlet seat, his scarlet cardinals and their scarlet mules, when he surveyed the heathenish ceremonies of the Romish service, the lighted candles, the holy water, the votive offerings, the sacred images, the perpetual sacrifices, the train of priests and to crown the whole, the PONTIFEX MAXIMUS at their head, he would have felt at home and thought this the old religion slightly modified. The Pagan Emperors have disappeared. But their seat is still occupied by one who persecutes real Christians, who is " arrayed in purple and scarlet-colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls," whose distinguishing title is Chief Pontiff or PONTIFEX MAXIMUS.

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