It is curious to observe the gradual rise of papal domination during the turbulent age, in which the three horns were successively eradicated. Under the reign of Odoacer, the Bishops of Rome had acquired so much influence, that even the victorious Theodoric found it prudent to pay court to them. Though he assumed the supremacy of the Church, he was not ignorant of the dignity and importance of the Roman pontiff. "The peace or the revolt of Italy might depend on the character of a wealthy and popular Bishop, who claimed such ample dominion both in heaven and earth."* Accordingly we find, that, toward the close of the Ostrogothic sovereignty, the Pope took a leading part in the revolution which once more brought Italy under the sway of the emperors. "The deputies of the Pope and clergy, of the senate and people, invited the lieutenant of Justinian to accept their voluntary allegiance, and to enter the city, whose gates would be thrown open for his reception." And afterwards, when the Ostrogothic monarchy for a short time recovered itself previous to its final subjection, the emperor Justinian was roused from his slumber "by the Pope Vigilius and the Patrician Cethegus, who appeared before his throne, and adjured him, in the name of God and the people, to resume the conquest and deliverance of Italy."

At this period, as Machiavel very justly remarks, the Papacy was greatly assisted in its acquisition of temporal authority by the circumstance of Theodoric king of the Ostrogoths making Ravenna his metropolis ; § for, "there being no other prince left in Rome, the Romans were forced for protection to pay greater allegiance to the Pope."

During the struggles between the Lombards and the imperial lieutenants at Ravenna, the power of the Popes continued gradually on the increase. Availing them

* Hist. of Decline and Fall, Vol. vii. p. 37.

+ Ibid. p. 223.

Ibid. p. 378.

§ Ravenna was the metropolis likewise even of the Western empire itself some years previous to its fall. Honorius first fixed his residence there in the year 404, aš a place of security against the inroads of the northern nations. (Hist. of Decline Vol. v. p. 207.) Thus was be who letted gradually taken out of the way, to make room for the Apostacy and the full revelation of the man of sin.

selves of those turbulent and unsettled times, and finding that their influence was sufficient to turn the scale whichever way they pleased, they began, as Machiavel observes, to treat and confederate sometimes with the Imperialists and sometimes with the Lombards, “not as subjects, but as equals and companions."

In short, throughout a period of anarchy, when the minds of men were kept in a constant ferment by the frequency of political changes, "the want of laws among the Romans could only be supplied by the influence of religion; and their foreign and domestic counsels were moderated by the authority of the Bishop. His alms, his sermons, his correspondence with the kings and prelates of the West, his recent services, their gratitude, and oath, accustomed the Romans to consider him as the first magistrate or prince of the city. The Christian humility of the Popes was not offended by the name of Dominus or Lord; and their face and inscription are still apparent on the most ancient coins. Their temporal dominion is now confirmed by the reverence of a thousand years; and their noblest title is the free choice of a people whom they had redeemed from slavery."*

Such was the state of the Papacy immediately before the subversion of the kingdom of the Lombards, the last of the three horns which stood in its way, and which was therefore destined to fall before it. When this horn was completely eradicated, the eleventh little horn attained to its full growth in temporalities, by the acquisition of the exarchate and a considerable part of the kingdom of Lombardy, and by the complete subjugation of Rome. It had already become a spiritual empire, when in the year 606 the saints were delivered into its hand.

Here then we behold a little horn springing up among and behind the first ten horns, and advancing itself upon the ruins of three of those horns, which were successively eradicated before it. No other power but the Papacy arose under similar circumstances, no other corresponds in every respect with the character of the little horn; whence it is concluded, that the symbol of the lit

* Hist. of Decline and Fall, Vol. ix. p. 144.

tle horn is designed to typify the Papacy and nothing but the Papacy. It is in vain, that the Romanists would persuade us, that the little horn is Antichrist, and that his reign is still remote. Since three of the first horns, into which the Roman empire branched out, were to fall before the little horn; if the prophecy has not been already accomplished, it is now impossible that it ever should be accomplished. From the various political changes which have taken place in the course of the last twelve centuries, the ten primary horns can no longer be pointed out; consequently no three of them can now be plucked up before any little horn, which the Papists may fancy will hereafter arise. By attending however to the voice of history we find, that it has been the fate of three of the primary horns successively to quit their original settlements for the purpose of fixing themselves in Italy, so as to stand "before" the Papacy: and we further find, that it has been the fate of exactly these three, and no more, to be completely eradicated "before" the growing power of the Bishops of Rome. None, except these three, were ever plucked up under such circumstances: that is to say, none; except these three, ever fell "before" an eleventh power perfectly distinct and perfectly different from the ten primary kingdoms. Exactly three however of the ten primary kingdoms did fall "before" the Papacy: it is incumbent therefore upon the votaries of the Church of Rome to shew, why we are not to conclude these three kingdoms to be the three horns of the beast and the Papacy to be the eleventh little horn, before they can expect a protestant to believe that the reign of this little horn is still remote.

The preceding catalogue of the ten primary kingdoms, which is given us by Machiavel and Bp. Lloyd, very properly omits, as we have seen, the Greek province of Ravenna, and at the same time places all the ten kingdoms in the western parts of the Roman empire. Here therefore it may perhaps be asked, "Why must all the horns be sought for in the West? Although the exarchate cannot be esteemed a horn, why may not the Constantinopolitan monarchy ?" The reason is this. That empire, after the downfall of the Western empire, still

constituted under the government of its emperors, the sixth head of the beast ;* consequently it cannot be at once, and in the self-same capacity, both a head and a horn of the self-same beast. In this particular there is a striking difference between the political character of the ancient Roman emperors, and that of the modern emperors of the West whose dignity commenced with Charlemagne. The title of the ancient emperors was attached to their territorial possessions; whereas that of the modern emperors is entirely distinct: so that Charlemagne was emperor in one capacity, and king of France in another; in the same manner as the present head of the house of Austria would be king of Hungary and Bohemia, whatever family might be elected to the imperial dignity. On these grounds the Emperor of Constantinople cannot be esteemed one of the ten horns, without a manifest violation of the harmony of the prophetic vision; although, inasmuch as he was the sixth head, his dominions must be reckoned as part of the Roman empire, the whole of which is represented in the Apocalypse under the symbol of the earth and, on the same grounds, all the ten horns of the beast must be sought for in the West ; where accordingly Machiavel and Bp. Lloyd have found precisely that number of original Gothic kingdoms.†

I am aware, that both Sir Isaac Newton, and Bp. Newton, are of opinion, that the eastern half of the empire is not to be accounted a part of the body of the fourth beast: but I much doubt, whether this opinion rests upon any solid foundation for it neither agrees with the Revelation of St. John, which predicts the fortunes of the entire Roman empire as well eastern as western, and which describes it as one great whole by the symbol of the earth; nor does it even quadrate with the scheme upon which it is founded. Sir Isaac argues, that "the nations of Chaldea and Assyria are still the first beast; those of Media and Persia are still the second beast; those of Macedon, Greece, Thrace, Asia Minor,

* Rev. xvii. 10.

↑ "Ubinam hi decem reges quærendi sunt? Non in Oriente: neque enim Impcrium Græcum seu Orientale unum e decem cornibus erat, ut apparet, quia hæc dimidia pars fuit capitis sexti sive Cæsareani a Constantino bipartiti." Excid. Antic. apud Pol. Synop. in loc.

1.

тер

Syria, and Egypt, are still the third; and those of Europe, on this side Greece, are still the fourth. Seeing therefore the body of the third beast is confined to the nations on this side the river Euphrates, and the body of the fourth beast is confined to the nations on this side Greece we are to look for all the four heads of the third beast, among the nations on this side the river Euphrates; and for all the eleven horns of the fourth beast, among the nations on this side of Greece. And therefore, at the breaking of the Greek empire into four kingdoms of the Greeks, we include no part of the Chaldeans, Medes, and Persians, in those kingdoms, because they belonged to the bodies of the two first beasts. Nor do we reckon the Greek empire, seated at Constantinople, among the horns of the fourth beast, because it belonged to the body of the third."*

I fully agree with Sir Isaac Newton, though for a different reason which I have already stated,† that the eleven horns of the fourth beast must all be sought for among the nations on this side Greece, and that the Constantinopolitan empire cannot be esteemed one of those horns ; but his scheme of excluding that empire from the body of the fourth beast is manifestly inconsistent with itself. Sir Isaac maintains, that the four heads of the third beast are to be looked for in the countries on this side the Euphrates; namely in those of Macedon, Greece, Thrace, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt: for he affirms, that these regions form the proper body of the third beast, in the same manner as those westward of Greece form the proper body of the fourth beast, and constitute his ten horns. The four heads of the third beast are undoubtedly to be sought for in the regions which he specifies, but certainly not for the reasons which he assigns: for the countries of Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, cannot be considered as forming an exclusive part of the body of the third beast, because they were originally provinces belonging to the second beast. This will necessarily follow from Sir Isaac's own scheme. If, as he supposes, Greece and its de

Observ. on Daniel, p. 31, 32.

+ Namely, because the Roman emperor of Constantinople was the sixth bead of the brast, and consequently cannot be esteemed one of bis borns likewise.