of the Bi

Rome en

creased in

the fame

Age.

Part 2. Lafly, It is certain, that fo it was, that Pride The Pride was establisht in the Church in this and the followshops, and ing age. Then it was, that the Bishops, who particular- till that time had been all equat, through pride. ly of the Bishops of made themselves Arch-Bishops, and Patriarchs. Patriarchs, that are diminutive Popes, and confequently petty Antichrifts. Above all, the pride of the Bishops of Rome began to be very plain. 'Twas in the fourth age, that that noble Roman Conful lived, who faid, make me Bishop of Rome, and ISt. Jerome. will be a Chriftian. These Bishops caufed them-. felves to be carried in a Litter, kept fumptuous, tables, had great equipages, and lived like the great ones of the World. 'Twas at this time alfo, that they began to afcribe to themselves the primacy over other Bishops. Therefore bribery and violence, began to be used to climb up into that fee.

Ammian.

Marcellin.

age, fuper

Io the de

gree of

In less than an Age, this torrent of pride, fuperftition, and corruption fwelled to fuch a degree, that it became exceeding plain; in the 450 year fuperftition was already advanced to the degree of idolatry, corruption was very high, and pride very In the fifth great. To know to what degree idolatry was alfirion was ready advanced in the middle of the fifth age, we advanced need read but the 8th book of Theodoret, de Curandis Grecorum affectionibus. He faith, the ChriIdolatry. ftians called the Martyrs, their Phyficians and their Protectors. "The Temples ofthe Martyrs, faith "he, are remarkable for their greatness and their "magnificence, they are filled with all forts of ornaments, and they diffufe abroad the fplendor and "glittering of their beauty. We affemble there, "not only one, two, three, four, or five times a year; but we celebrate feafts therein very often, "yea, and every day we fing in them the praises and

"hymns

hymns of the God of the Martyrs. They that Part 2. "are well, defire the Martyrs to preferve them in "health; and they that have any disease, defire of "them to be cured of it. Men and barren Wo"men ask Children of them; and they that have "them, defire them to preserve um. They that "take a Voyage, pray to the Martyrs to accompa "ny them in the way, and alfo to guide them; "and they that return in health, thank them for it, "confeffing that 'tis from them they have recei"ved that benefit. Not that they look on the

Martyrs as Gods, but pray to them as divine "men, and invocate them as their interceffors with "God. Now that they who pray devoutly and with faith, receive that which they defire, ap"pears plainly enough by the gifts which they preient them, with acquitting themselves of their "Vows, which are the marks of the health which "they have recovered. For fome hang up figures "of eyes, others of feet, others of hands made of "gold and filver. All these things exposed to "view, fhew, that diseases have been cured, fee"ing they have been given by thofe that have been "cured. These things, I fay, fhew, how great is "the vertue of the Martyrs and of their Tombs.

of manners

age.

If any would be affured of the degree to which The great. corruption of manners was advanced in the fame corruption age, he may read Salvian Bifhop of Marseilles: in the fifth Speaking concerning the excellency of the territory of Aquitain, and that abundance wherein its 1.. de Inhabitants lived, he faith, that as they furpaffed Provid all others in riches, they furpaffed them alfo in vices; that neve, was there any where feen more infamous pleafures; that their life was exceeding filthy, and that difcipline was entirely corrupted. This is, faith he, the returns they have made to God for

Part 2.

In the fifth
Age, the

his holy liberality. He confeffes, the inundations
of the Barbarians, that had spoiled them of their
goods, could not take away their vices from them;
and that they remained unchafte to that degree, that
the very
Barbarians were fcandalized at their im
purities. For the Goths fuffer'd not among them-
felves, either impurity, fornication, or adultery.
Spain, faith he, is loft in the fame vices, if not in
greater. Speaking of the people of Africa, he
faith, that the City of Carthage was full of abo-
minations, that there was no place, nor freet with.
out a Whore-house. All the streets were full of fnares
and baits, as fo many ditches of impurity, in fuch a
manner, that they who difliked these forts of crimes.
could not prevent their falling into them. All the
Inhabitants of that great City were plunged into the
filthy mire of thofe infamous debauches. They breath-
ed from one to another the filthy smells of their mu-
tual unchastity; but none trembled at it, because
every one was plunged in it. He tells us, the
Clergy was engaged in the fame diforders, and that
there were no imaginable crimes, thefts, covetouf-
nefs, robberies, abominable extorfions,voluptuouf-
nefs, but what were in ufe: the corruption then
was an overflowing torrent. We must repeat the
whole work, to make an exact defcription of the
miferable state the Church then was in. This Bishop
feems perfwaded, that 'twas these horrible ex-
ceffes, that drew down the fad judgements of God,
and that open'd the dore to the barbarous nations,
which made the Empire defolate.

The tyranny and pride of the Clergy, and partityranny of Cularly that of Rome, were alfo found very high the Bishop in the fifth age. Leo the first, that held the fee of gan to be Rome in the year 450. hath diffufed abroad in his confider writings an air of pride and domineering, wherein

of Rome be

able.

affumpt. ad

tum

it appears, that he aspired after tyranny, and that Part 2. he defigned to make himself mafter of the Chriftian Churches. He exalted his See above all others; Jer. 2. in 'tis the Chair of St. Peter, who is called the rock and anniverf. the foundation. He faith, that God had exalted Pontificahim, viz. himself Leo, to a Soveraign degree. Humilitatem meam in fummum gradum provehit. After he had faid, that Saint Peter was called the rock, the foundation, the Porter of Heaven, the determiner and judge of those that are to be bound and loofed, he adds that the power of Peter lives in his See, and that his excellent authority refides there. And he faith afterwards, that Saint Peter was the Prelate and Primate of all the Bishops. The Sermon whence this is taken, fhews, that every year he celebrated the day of his exaltation to the Popedom, and made it be celebrated in his Church; which is great Pride.

Writing to Flavian Bishop of Conftantinople, he complains, that he had not acquainted him with what Eutyches had done,& pretends, that upon that account he had not been rightly condemned. He complains of this efpecially, that they did not fhew refpect to the appeal to Rome that Eutychus had put in. Sometimes to the title of Bishop of Rome, he adds that of Ecclefia Catholica. Ecclefia Catholica Ep. 22, Epifcopus urbis Roma; Bishop of the Catholick Church. He oppofes the decree of the general Council of Conftantinople, by which the fecond place was given to the Bishop of new Rome; and a power to exercife the fame jurifdiction within his district, as the Bishop of old Rome exercised in his. The Council of Chalcedon confirmed the de- Can, 28 cree of that of Conftantinople, and made the Church of Conftantinople equal in all things to that of Rome: He was vexed at it, and oppofed the execution of

Part 2. it as much as he was able. This I confess, was nothing in comparison of what was afterwards feen; however, it was much; and the Bishop of Rome did not long itay from proceeding further.

A pretty

on of Io.

CHA P. V:

That we must look for the point of the birth of Antichriftianifm in the fifth Age. It muft end about the year 1710, or 1715.

W

E have just before feen, in the extent of an age from the year 350, to the year 450, the idolatry, tyranny and corruption of manners that were establifht, and encreased. And 'tis in the extent of this Age, that one may feek for the point to which God would affix the beginning of the Antichriftian Empire, and whence he would have us reckon the 1260 years of Antichriftianifm. But the difficulty is yet to know the year precisely, or within a little of it. We must here again make ufe of the ingenious obfervation of fofeph Mede, which we have already mentioned. He thinks, that in the words of the 11th Chapter, Rife and measure the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worship therein. But the Court which is without the Temple, leave out, and measure it not; we have a fhort reprefentation of the Church, and its duration.

By the Altar and the Temple he understands the obiervati inward Court, and by this inward Court, he befeph Mede, lieves,is meant the primitive Church,pure in its manverfe of the ners, found in its Doctrine. And by the outward 11th Chap. Court he understands the Church corrupted by fuper

on the first

ftition