It may be observed in the second place, that the man of sin was evidently to be an Ecclesiastical Personage. Such is the conclusion which Jerome arrived at from his being described as sitting in the temple of God; he says that "Anti"christ shall sit in the temple of God either at "Jerusalem, as some imagine, or in the Church, "as we more truly judge, showing himself that he "is Christ the Son of God."* This characteristic of the man of sin undeniably belongs to the Papacy.

It was further predicted of the man of sin that he should oppose and exalt himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.-In the Scriptures, civil rulers or magistrates are frequently denominated Gods in a relative sense. Thus in Deuter. x. 17.

"tained the ancient simplicity. But at length the ascendant of "Rome over the Western Churches drew them into her opinion, " and this worship prevailed every where until the Reformation, "when the Lutherans revived the doctrine of the Council of "Frankfort, and the Calvinists ran into the extreme of the "Iconoclasts. Histoire du Concile de Trente, Tome ii. p. "646, Note.

* Quoted by Bishop Newton.

Jehovah is called the God of gods, which signifies that He is the God of the princes of the earth:in Exod. xxii. 28. Ye shall not revile the gods, and shall not curse the ruler of thy people. And in Psalm lxxxii. 1. God judgeth among the gods, and ver. 6. I have said ye are gods, which last text is expressly referred to by our Lord, in John x. 34. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said ye are gods? If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken-Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of God?

The next words of the prophecy, that is worshipped," may also refer to the civil worship which was paid to kings, and especially to the Roman emperors under the title as "august"

or "venerable."

If then, it can be shown that the Papacy has insolently lifted itself above the highest kings and princes, and trampled under foot every earthly dignity, it will be sufficiently evident, that the whole clause which declares that Antichrist shall exalt himself "above all that is called God, or that is worshipped," is applicable in a strict and legiti

mate sense to the Papal power. Now that all these particulars were fulfilled in that power, I shall prove, by selecting various facts from history. In the details into which I shall enter on this subject, it will also be manifest, that the Papacy has not contented itself with trampling upon all human magistracies, but has blasphemously arrogated to itself, titles and an authority which belong to God only, so that the Pope has been as God, sitting in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

In the eighth century, Leo the Isaurian, emperor of the East, issued an imperial edict, proscribing the adoration and use of images, and commanding the images to be pulled down in the city of Constantinople. He afterwards extended the order to the Churches of Rome and Italy. The zeal of Gregory the II. who then filled the Papal chair, was moved by these circumstances, and he addressed two epistles to the emperor, in the first of which he uses the following language.

"When thou didst run well, who hath sounded "into thine ears and perverted thy heart like a "crooked bow; so that thou hast looked to those things that are behind. For ten years, through "the goodness of God, thou didst walk well, and

"madest no mention of the sacred images: but "now thou sayest that they are idols, and that

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they who honour them are idolaters; and hast

applied thyself to overthrow, and utterly destroy "them. Neither hast thou feared the judgment "of God, when offences should assail the hearts "not of the faithful only, but also of infidels."Christ truly warns thee, that thou shouldst not "offend one little child; and that men will for a 66 very small scandal, be cast into eternal fire; but "thou hast offended the whole world, as if thou "wilt not undergo death, and render an unhappy "account,"

In another part of the epistle, the Pope gives an account of the origin of the images worshipped by the professing Christians of that day. After mentioning the incarnation of our Lord, his entrance into Jerusalem, and the works he did there, he goes on thus: "Men from every part of the world, flying "like eagles, began to resort to Jerusalem as the "Lord said in the gospels, wheresoever the carcase "shall be, there will the eagles be assembled. Now "Christ is the carcase, and pious Christ-loving men

N

" are the eagles flying on high ;* who when they "had seen the Lord, painted him as they saw him, "for the purpose of looking at him; when they had "seen James the brother of the Lord, they paint"ed him as they saw him, &c." Having given this account of the origin of the images, the Pope abruptly asks, "Whether does it seem good to "thee, O emperor, to honour these images or the " errors of the Devil? When Christ dwelt at Je"rusalem, Agarus then king of Edessa, having "heard of his miracles, wrote to Him: and the "Lord sent an answer with his own hand, to

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gether with an impression of his sacred and glo"rious face. Wherefore, send to that image not "made with hands, and behold, thither there re"sort multitudes of people from the east to adore," &c." We beseech thee, as thy brethren, in "Christ, to return again into the truth, from "which thou hast departed; cast away thy lofty "imaginations, put off thy obstinacy, write to all

*This interpretation of Scripture, is no evidence of the Pa pal infallability! Lest the reader should feel sceptical, as to the fact of such an interpretation having been offered by the Head of the Church, I shall quote the original words," Chris"tus autem cadaver, aquila in sublime volantes religiosi sunt ho"mines et Christi amantes"!!!