his church into an apostate church.

For Christ ex

pressly says, "My kingdom is not of this world." This event took place in the year 756.

SECTION II.

EVENTS PRECEDING, AND CONTRIBUTING TO, THE RISE OF POPERY.

ALTHOUGH the origin of popery was in the early part of the seventh century, yet the spirit and leaven of it had been previously working in the visible church, and the way had gradually been preparing for this apostacy. Paul says of his own time, "the mystery of iniquity doth already work." An ambitious spirit was even then creeping into the church, which the apostle foresaw would lead to the grand apostacy. But in the ages immediately preceding the rise of popery, several remarkable events occurred which greatly accelerated its advance to unlimited power. A few of these it may be profitable to mention.

1. The favor of secular power and influence under Constantine and his successors.

Until the conversion of Constantine, the visible church had to contend with the Beast of the Pagan Roman empire. By the persecutions of this power, the spirit of ambition in the visible church was in a great measure repressed, and the mystery of iniquity, which secretly worked in the breasts of individuals, was hindered from development. And thus according to the prediction of Paul: "He that letteth, (or hindereth,) will let, (or hinder,) till he be taken out of the way." But at length the Pagan empire, called the beast, received a deadly wound in the conversion of the emperor Constantine,

and the consequent subversion of paganism as the religion of the empire. This event occurred in the beginning of the fourth century. Then it was that worldly favor and wealth began to flow into the Christian church. Constantine built and endowed many churches in different parts of his dominions; he received the bishops into his confidence, and lavished upon them his gifts. To Sylvester, bishop of Rome, the emperor paid particular respect, and is said to have presented him with a rich crown, which he left to his successors. From that day, as every one will readily see, the bishop of Rome must have appeared in a new light in the view of the surrounding world. A crown of gold now took the place of the crown of martyrdom. And no one can be at loss which would most influence the carnal mind. Religion itself now put on a new and attractive dress, and was decked with the signals of imperial and courtly favor. Thus ample scope was given to ambition within the sacred enclosures of the church, and temptations were presented to unconverted men, those who were mere heathen in principle, to profess Christianity as a passport to places of power and honor. Especially were such men tempted to insinuate themselves into the ministry, that they might at least be candidates for the golden crown. The possession of a crown seems to have suggested to the bishops of Rome the idea of obtaining the power and authority of which the crown was an emblem. And certain it is that, from the days of Constantine, these bishops never lost sight of this object till it was fully attained.

But Constantine went still farther towards the introduction of clerical and papal supremacy, by uniting the civil and ecclesiastical power, or what is sometimes called church and state, in his own person. He declared himself the head of the church, especially as to the external administration of its affairs. He was present at the Council of Nice, and confirmed all its acts and decrees, and sent them back, thus confirmed, to the

bishop of Rome to be propagated. This course of the emperor, while it shows conclusively that the supremacy of the Roman bishop was not then admitted even at Rome, still suggests the possibility, and the temporal advantage, of uniting the secular and clerical powers in one person. And if the emperor might proclaim himself head of the church, much more might a bishop do it, if he could find a suitable occasion. And if the emperor might take the government of the church into his hands. why might not the bishop also grasp at secular power, and become a temporal prince, if he could? But Constantine did still more; he secularized the church, by fashioning its polity after the pattern of his empire. For the greater security of his government, he divided his empire into provinces, over which were placed princes that stood next in rank to himself. And he endeavored, we are told, to conform the government of the church, as much as possible, to that of the commonwealth. He divided the church into provinces, and thus had princes among the bishops. The bishops of Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople, after the imperial residence was transferred to that city, were denominated Patriarchs. Next to these came the exarchs, who presided over several provinces. And next were the metropolitans, who governed single provinces. After them were the archbishops, who had the oversight of particular districts; and last, the bishops, whose jurisdiction was more or less extensive according to circumstances. But first among the princes of the church was the bishop of Rome. And this pre-eminence was founded not only on popular feeling of long standing, but also on those grounds which commonly afford distinction. He lived in the imperial city, and from that single circumstance would be esteemed very naturally the primate of the church. He also exceeded all other bishops in his wealth and splendor, as being the companion and favorite of the emperor. And so attractive were these embellishments of

the office, that, even in this age, obstinate and bloody contests took place at Rome when a new Pontiff was to be chosen. Such was the contest in the year 366, between Domasus and Ursicinus, when many lives were lost, and many buildings burnt.

In the arrangements of Constantine we have the first example of a religious establishment, or an union of church and state. And it stands as a warning to all future generations. For, though well intended by the emperor, his system of church polity, and his favor injudiciously bestowed, was a greater calamity to the church, a greater injury to true religion, than all the preceding persecutions of paganism. A very natural consequence of the exaltation and grandeur of the officers of the church, and especially the bishop of Rome, was to lead them to desire an extension of power. And from being placed next to the emperor, the bishop of Rome would very naturally aspire to his place, and even to be exalted above him. In the course of events during a few succeeding centuries, the system thus put in motion resulted in popery.

2. Another event which prepared the way for the rise of popery was the decline of science.

Opulence in the church and among the clergy was followed by carnal indulgence, and that by sloth, and that by profound ignorance. The lamp of science began to grow dim just as soon as the treasures of the empire began to flow in upon the church. And as the cause and the effect continued to increase through successive generations, the lamp finally went out, and left the church in the gloom of the dark ages. Instead of mental cultivation, or useful knowledge, the minds of men were occupied and besotted with legendary tales of saints and their exploits, with traditionary records of visions. and miracles, and with absurd dogmas of whining monks. In this way, while the pretensions and assumptions of the bishop of Rome were constantly increasing, the

power of the human mind to withstand these encroachments, and to detect the various and gross impositions by which the Roman pontiff insinuated himself into supreme power, was proportionably diminishing. It has indeed become a favorite maxim with papists, that ignorance is the mother of devotion, of such devotion they mean, as makes and secures devotees to popery. And no wonder they teach this, when ignorance is one of the grand pillars on which their system rests. If men had not become extremely ignorant, the pope would never have been able to persuade them that he was the official successor of St. Peter, and the vicegerent of Christ; that he held the keys of the kingdom of heaven, to open and shut it at his pleasure; that he could forgive sins; that he was infallible; and that all the followers of Christ on earth are bound to bow down to him. A rational mind that can believe this of any man, must be extremely debased.

Popery, true to her own interests, has ever been the sworn enemy to learning and science, except so far as they might be made subservient to her own aggrandizement. True, she has colleges and schools in great numbers, and generously offers to educate the children of protestants, if they may be sent to her cloisters. But what is her education, but an education in the principles of popery? And what of science or literature is found in her colleges, is so alloyed with her superstitions, as completely to neutralize its power. To know, think and judge for himself, is the last thing which popery will allow to one of her votaries. For no other crime than discoveries in science, and the adoption of the copernican system, Galileo was condemned to the prisons of the Inquisition, and was in imminent peril of being burnt at the stake. As popery has ever found the atmosphere of ignorance so congenial, there can be no doubt that the decline of learning and science, in consequence of the external prosperity of the church, had a material influence