the Cæsars. She no longer "wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented;" but all at once basked in the full smiles of public favour: splendid temples were erected for her, and her clergy were exalted to high rank, honour, and wealth. Then, quickly, that mystery of iniquity, that worldly and ambitious spirit which had been long at work, notwithstanding the checks which had opposed it, was more decidedly and openly manifested, in the struggles for worldly grandeur, and in the lust for pre-eminence among the clergy, and in the consequent corruption of Christian doctrine and morals. This state of things, which continued rapidly to advance, led the elegant and uncorrupted Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, to draw the following picture of the degenerated church of Christ in his days. "Long peace," he says, "had corrupted the discipline divinely revealed to us. Each was bent on improving his patrimony, and had forgotten what believers had done under the apostles, and what they ought always to do. They were brooding over the arts of amassing wealth; the pastors and the deacons each forgot their duty works of mercy were neglected, and discipline was at the lowest ebb. Luxury and effeminacy prevailed; meretricious arts in dress were cultivated; fraud and deceit were practised among brethren-Christians could unite in marriage with unbelievers-could swear, not only without reverence but without

veracity-bishops, neglecting the duties of their stations, gave themselves up to secular pursuits, they deserted their places of residence and their flocks, they travelled through distant provinces in quest of pleasure and gain, gave no assistance to their needy brethren; but were insatiable in their thirst of money," &c. Marcellinus, a heathen writer, who had witnessed, in the reign of Theodosius, the struggle between Ursinus and Damasus, two Christian bishops, for the see of Rome, in which one hundred and thirty-seven persons lost their lives, says" I must acknowledge, that when I reflect on the pomp attending that dignity, I am not surprised that those who are fond of parade should quarrel and fight, and strain every nerve to attain this office, since they are sure, if they succeed, to be enriched with the presents of the matrons, to appear abroad no more on foot, but in stately chariots, and gorgeously attired, to keep sumptuous tables, nay, and to surpass kings themselves in the splendour and magnificence of their entertainments. But how happy would they be, if, despising the voluptuousness and show of the city, which they plead in excuse for their luxury, they followed the example of some bishops in the provinces, who, by the temperance and frugality of their diet, the poverty and plainness of their dress, the unassuming modesty of their looks, approve themselves pure and upright to the eternal God and all his genuine worshippers."

Some have founded on facts, like those which have been stated, an argument against a national and legislative establishment of religion, as tending only to the corruption of Christianity. They contend that the corruption of the Christian faith and morals originated in the establishment of Christianity as the religion of the empire by Constantine and Theodosius, and that this prepared the way for Papal tyranny and ecclesiastical domination. The impartial student of ecclesiastical history, on the contrary, will not fail to remark, that the principles in which originated the abuses adverted to, were in operation long before, and that "the mystery of iniquity" was at work even in the apostles' days. The cause of that degeneracy must be sought for in the deep-seated and active depravity of human nature; in the influence of vain philosophy which early corrupted the simplicity of the Christian faith and morals; in the relaxation of that godly discipline which had preserved the purity of the church in former ages. The establishment of Christianity by Constantine and Theodosius, as the religion of the empire, was the legitimate consequence of their conviction of its truth and excellency, and of its superior adaptation to advance the glory of God and the best interests of their subjects. If it be the sacred duty of the head of a family (and God commended Abraham for this, Gen. xviii. 19) to establish and uphold, by his authority, the pure worship of God in his family, it would appear difficult to frame an argu

ment to prove that it was not the duty of Constantine and Theodosius to establish, and support by their authority, the Christian religion in that larger community, over which Providence had called them to preside, and the best interests of which they were under sacred obligations to promote. Merely to have tolerated Christianity, would not have come up to the standard of their duty. If they examined the sacred Scriptures for rules of conduct, under such circumstances, they would find direct sanctions for what they did, in the recorded examples of pious rulers, whose zeal in putting down idolatry, and in establishing the pure worship of God among their people, had received unequivocal marks of the divine approbation: they would also be encouraged and sanctioned by the announcement of the inspired prophet, that "kings should become nursing fathers, and queens nursing mothers" to the church. The abuse of that patronage extended to the church by Constantine, Theodosius, and others, is to be traced, not to that patronage itself, but to other causes; to the depravity of the human heart to that worldliness-to that corrupt state of Christianity so generally prevalent among all classes, both of the laity and clergy, which had made such lamentable progress prior to the events which have been noticed." *

Tacitus has justly observed, that such is human

* See this argument more fully stated in chap. i. of "Reasons for Attachment and Conformity to the Church of England," by the Author, p. 1-26.

infirmity, that remedies are more slow than evils ;* and thus it proved in reference to the church. There were but few found to oppose the growing corruptions of Christianity. "The mystery of

iniquity" continued to work unchecked, or but feebly resisted, and rapidly hastened on that great climax, the revelation of "the man of sin." Rome, being the mistress and capital of the world, and long the seat of the imperial government, the bishop of Rome would naturally be a prelate of great and increasing importance; he would naturally be regarded by the rest of the clergy with that degree of deference which the dignity of his see would inspire. Circumstances occurred in the course of events, which rendered him the most important personage in the western empire. The invasion of the western empire, by the barbarian tribes of the north, occasioned the removal of the seat of empire from Rome to Byzantium, now better known by the name of Constantinople; while this event hastened the fall of the Roman empire, it produced a large augmentation of civil and ecclesiastical power to the bishop of Rome. Thus raised to the dignity and authority of the first person in the west, the title of pope, or father, which had before been given to some of the metropolitan and patriarchal prelates, was soon ap

* "Naturâ tamen infirmitatis humanæ, tardiora sunt remedia, quàm mala."