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 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 *Gibbon's Hist. vol. ix. p. 131, c. 49. Ibid. p. 161. See above, p. 96, &c. † Ibid. p. 151. § Ibid. pp. 173-175. 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 emperor; 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 St. Peter, the coronation was performed by his successor; the voice of God was confounded with that of the people; and the public consent was declared in the acclamations of 'Long life and victory to our lord the pope! Long life and victory to our lord the emperor! Long life and victory to the Roman and Teutonic armies!' The name of Cæsar and Augustus, the laws of Constantine and Justinian, the example of Charlemagne and Otho, established the supreme dominion of the emperors; their title and IMAGE was engraved on the papal coins; and their jurisdiction was marked by the sword of justice, which they delivered to the prefect of the city, &c. Once, and once only in his life, each emperor, with an army of Teutonic vassals, descended from the Alps." The restoration of the western empire, or that of Rome, by the pope, scarcely requires any farther illustration; but the following extract from the pen of an able lawyer, shews so tersely and distinctly how the nations of Europe were connected, and forms so obvious an elucidation of the prophecy, as descriptive both of papal and imperial Rome, that * Gibbon's Hist. vol. ix. pp. 190, 191. such testimony may be associated with that of Gibbon. "There was no general connexion existing between the states of Europe, till the Romans, in endeavouring to make themselves masters of the world, had the greatest part of the European states under their dominion. From that time there necessarily existed a sort of connexion between them, and this connexion was strengthened by the famous decree of Caracalla, by the adoption of the Roman laws, and by the influence of the Christian religion, which introduced itself insensibly into almost all the subdued states. After the destruction of the empire of the west, the hierarchical system naturally led the several christian states to consider themselves in ecclesiastical matters as unequal members of one great society: Besides the immoderate ascendant that the bishop of Rome had the address to obtain, as spiritual chief of the church, and his consequent success in elevating the emperor to the character of temporal chief, brought such an accession of authority to the latter, that most of the nations of Europe showed for some ages so great a deference to the emperor, that in many respects Europe seemed to form but one society, consisting of unequal members subject to one sovereign." ""* And he doth great wonders, so that he maketh fire to come down from heaven upon earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell upon the earth by means of those miracles which he hath power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. It was a realm of darkness over which popery reigned; its power lay in the pretence of miracles, its art in deceiving the people; and not only did it restore the empire of Rome, and healed its deadly wound, but gave life also to the image of the beast, and re-established the idolatry of the pagan empe * Brewster's Encyclop. vol. xii. p. 618. Art. Law, by the late James Bell, Esq. Advocate. rors. The connexion between miracles and the revival of image-worship, may be seen in the very titles of immediately succeeding paragraphs of Gibbon's history, thus following in close order,"fabulous martyrs and relics-miracles-revival of polytheism-introduction of pagan ceremonies.” "In the long period of twelve hundred years, which elapsed between the reign of Constantine and the reformation of Luther, the worship of saints and relics corrupted the pure and perfect simplicity of the Christian model. The progress of superstition would have been less rapid and victorious, if the faith of the people had not been assisted by the seasonable aid of visions and miracles, &c. The tombs of the martyrs were the perpetual theatre of innumerable miracles. The sublime and simple theology of the primitive Christians was gradually corrupted; and the MONARCHY of heaven, already clothed with metaphysical subtleties, was degraded by the introduction of a popular mythology, which tended to restore the REIGN OF POLYTHEISM. The same uniform original spirit of superstition might suggest, in the most distant ages and countries, the same methods of DECEIVING the credulity, and of affecting the senses of mankind; but it must ingenuously be confessed, that the ministers of the Catholic church imitated the profane model, which they were impatient to destroy. The most respectable bishops had persuaded themselves, that the ignorant rustics would more cheerfully renounce the superstition of paganism, if they found some resemblance, some compensation in the bosom of Christianity. The religion of Constantine achieved, in less than a century, the final conquest of the Roman empire; but the victors themselves were insensibly subdued by the arts of their vanquished rivals." "The pagan rites of genuflexion, luminaries, and incense, again stole into the Catholic church."‡ The connexion between the establishment of images, the coronation of Charlemagne, and the restoration of the western empire is, in a similar manner, as manifest, even in these very words, from the index, or contents, of another chapter of the same history, when thus set down at length.. * Gibbon's Hist. vol. v. pp. 127-136, four concluding paragraphs of chap. 27. Ibid. Ibid. vol. ix. p. 115. Introduction, worship, and persecution of images.-Revolt of Italy and Rome.-Temporal dominion of the popes.-Conquest of Italy by the Franks.-Establishment of images.-Character and coronation of Charlemagne.-Restoration and decay of the Roman empire in the West.-Independence of Italy.-Constitution of the Germanic body." In the eighth century of the Christian era, a religious quarrel, the worship of images, provoked the Romans to assert their independence: their bishop became the temporal as well as the spiritual father of a free people; and of the western empire, which was restored by Charlemagne, the title and image still decorate (decorated) the singular constitution of modern Germany." Such is the rise and character of the second beast, the revival of the first, and their joint connexion. The power of popery lay in deceiving the nations. His coming was after the working of Satan, with all powers and signs, and lying wonders, and all deceivableness of unrighteousness. The pretended miracles were innumerable, and need not to be recorded. The causing of fire to come down from heaven is still a superstitious act, and is yet deceitfully practised, even where Jesus preached. "The same methods of DECEIVING the credulity of mankind," which pagans had originated, were adopted anew by "the ministers of the Catholic church, who imitated the profane model;" and deceived them that dwell upon the earth. The deadly wound of the first beast was healed. The emperorship of Rome was restored by the pontiff; and the existence of the authority and title was made dependant on coronation by his hand. It was he who elevated the emperor to the character of temporal chief, and set him over kings. The idolatry of paganism was renewed, and with it the persecution of the worshippers of God. They who refused to worship an image, became, as before, the martyrs of Jesus. The temporal power was sub *Gibbon's Hist. vol. ix. p. 115. c. 49. † Ibid. vol. xii. p. 257 |