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of the prophets was not, and could not be, the Roman Emperor.

I know indeed, that, when the empire became Chriftian, and factions sprang up in the church, the name of Antichrift, as a term of reproach, was not unfrequently bestowed on fuch of the emperors as had made themselves obnoxious to the orthodox party. But this flippancy of language proves nothing but the paffion of the men who indulged themselves in it, unless it be, that this term of reproach was thought better fuited to an ecclefiaftic, than a civil power; for, the Emperor being now the head of the Chriftian church, his perfecutions of the faith were deemed the more Antichriftian, as they especially disgraced his religious character. And how natural this idea was, I mean the idea of Antichrift, as intended by the prophets of a religious, not civil power, we may learn from the history of the fchifms, which afterwards diftracted the church under the papacy; C 2 when

when the Antipopes very liberally, and conftantly branded each other with the name of Antichrift: as if they had found a peculiar aptness in the prophetic language to express ecclesiastical tyranny and ufurpa

tion.

But, whatever ufe we may make of these facts, it is clear, on all hands, that the Roman Emperor, as fuch, was thought to have no concern in the predictions concerning Antichrift; at least, that the more intelligent Chriftian writers of the three firft centuries had no idea of his having any fuch concern in them: while, yet, they held very unanimously, that fome future power was to arise in the church, in which those predictions would be completed.

II. This, in general, was the ftate of the controverfy concerning Antichrift, till the down-fall of the Western empire; when the Bishop of Rome reared his head, and by degrees found means, amidst the

ruins of that mighty power, to advance himself into the fovereignty of Rome, and, at length, of the Chriftian world: fixing his refidence in the very feat and throne of the Cæfars. It remains to fee, in what light the reign of Antichrist was, thence-` forth, confidered by many eminent members of that church, which now called itfelf, and was, in a manner, univerfal. In other words, we are to inquire, now that the imperial power, which the fathers would not acknowledge to be Antichriftian, had deferted Rome, whether the papal power, which took its place on the Seven kills, did not, in the opinion of fober men, fill up all the measures of the prophetic characters, and perfectly correfpond to that idea.

1. So early, as about the clofe of the fixth century, Gregory the firft, or, the Great, as he is ufually called, the most revered, and in fome refpects not undefervedly fo, of all the Roman pontifs, in a famous difpute

C 3

pute with the Bishop of Conftantinople, who had taken to himfelf the title of Oecumenical, or Univerfal Bifhop, objects to him the arrogance and prefumption of this claim, and treats him, on that account, as the fore-runner, at leaft, of Antichrift. His words are remarkable enough to be here quoted. I affirm it confidently, says He, that whoever calls himself Univerfal Bishop, or is defirous to be fo called, demonftrates himfelf, by this pride and elation of heart, to be the fore-runner of Antichrift [k]. And, again, From this prefumption of his [in taking the name of Uuiverfal Bishop] what elfe can be collected, but that the times of Antichrift are now at band [l]?

It is to be observed of this Gregory, that he difclaimed, for himself, the title of Univerfal Bishop, as well as refused it to

[*] Quifquis fe univerfalem vocat, vel vocari defiderat, in elatione fuâ Antichriftum præcurrit. GREG. M. Op. Ep. 30. 1. vi. Par. 1533.

[] In hâc ejus fuperbiâ, quid aliud nifi propinqua jam Antichrifti effe tempora defignatur? Ep. 34. 1. iv.

his afpiring brother of Conftantinople. How confiftently he did this, when at the fame time he exercised an an authority, which can only belong to that exalted character, it is not my bufinefs to inquire. Perhaps, he did not advert to the confequence of his own actions: perhaps, like an able man, he meant to fecure the thing, without troubling himself about the name: perhaps, he was jealous of a rival to this claim of catholic authority, and would not permit the Bishop of Conftantinople to decorate himself with a title, which was likely to be favourable to the pretensions of that fee, and injurious to his own. Whatever the reafons of his conduct were, the fact is, as I here reprefent it; and clearly fhews that, in the judgment of this renowned Roman Bishop, Antichrift had not yet been revealed in the person of the Roman Emperor; and if ever he were to be revealed, that not a civil, but ecclefiaftical character, agreed beft with the prophetic descriptions of him [m].

[m] With all his merits, Gregory the Great, it is to C 4 2. Pope

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