"tin churches. The moft learned writers, and "those who are most remarkable for their know"ledge of antiquity, are generally agreed, that "Boniface III. engaged Phocas, that abominable "tyrant, who waded to the imperial throne through "the blood of the emperor Mauritius, to take "from the bishop of Conftantinople the title of "œcumenical or univerfal bishop, and to confer "it upon the Roman pontiff. They relate this "however upon the fole authority of Baronius, "for none of the antient writers have men"tioned it. If indeed we are to give credit to "Anaftafius and Paul Deacon, fomething like "what we have related was tranfacted by Phocas; "for, when the bishops of Conftantinople main"tained that their church was not only equal in dignity and authority to that of Rome, but also "the head of all the Chriftian churches, this ty"rant oppofed their pretenfions, and granted the

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pre-eminence to the church of Rome; and thus "was the papal fupremacy first introduced. The "Roman pontiffs used all forts of methods to main"tain and enlarge the authority and pre-eminence "which they had acquired by a grant from the moft "odious tyrant that ever disgraced the annals of " hiftory."

Page 321. "The progrefs of vice among the "fubordinate rulers and minifters of the church

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was, at this time truly deplorable; neither bi

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shops, prefbyters, deacons, nor even the cloifter"ed monks, were exempt from the general contagion, as appears from the unanimous confef"fion of all the writers of this century (the 7th) "that are worthy of credit. In those very places "that were confecrated to the advancement of piety and the service of God, there was little elfe "to be feen than ghoftly ambition, insatiable a"varice, pious frauds, intolerable pride, and a fuperftitious contempt of the natural rights of the

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people, with many other vices ftill more enormous. "There reigned alfo, in many places, the most bit"ter diffentions between the bifhops and the "monks. The former had employed the greedy "hands of the latter to augment the epifcopal "treasure, and to draw contributions from all parts "to fupport them in their luxury, and the in

dulgence of their lufts. The monks, perceiving "this, and alfo unwilling to ferve the bishops in "fuch a difhonourable character, fled for refuge "to the emperors and princes, under whofe civil

jurifdiction they lived; and afterwards, for their "further fecurity, had recourfe to the protection "of the Roman pontiff. This protection they

readily obtained; and the imperious pontiffs, "always fond of exerting their authority, exempt"ed by degrees the monaftic orders from the ju. "rifdiction of the bishops. The monks, in return "for this important fervice, devoted themfelves

" wholly

"wholly to advance the interefts, and to main-' "tain the dignity of the bishop of Rome. They "made his caufe their own, and reprefented him "as a fort of god to the ignorant multitude, over "whom they had gained a prodigious afcendant,

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by the notion that generally prevailed of the "fanctity of the monaftic orders. In the mean time, the monks were every where in high repute, and their caufe was accompanied with the "moft furprifing fuccefs, particularly among the

Latins, through the protection and favour of the "Roman pontiff, and their Pharifaical affectation "of uncommon piety and devotion."

Page 324. "In this barbarous age, religion lay "expiring under a motely and enormous heap of fuperftitious inventions, and had neither the cou

rage nor the force to raise her head, or to display "her native charms to a darkened and deluded "world. In the earliest periods of the church, the $6 worship of Christians was confined to the one fu

preme God, and his Son Jefus Chrift: but the "Chriftians of this century multiplied the objects "of their devotion, and paid homage to the re"mains of the true cross, to the images of faints," "and to bones whofe real owners were extremely

dubious. The primitive Chriftians, in order to ex"cite men to a courfe of piety and virtue, fet before "them. that heavenly ftate, and thofe manfions of "mifery which the gospel hath revealed as the difVOL. I. Q. q "ferent

"ferent portions of the righteous and the wicked: "while the Chriftians of this century (the 7th) "talked of nothing else but a certain fire which ef"faced the ftains of vice, and purified fouls from "their corruption. The former taught, that "Chrift by his fufferings and death had made a"tonement for the fins of mortals; the latter feem"ed, by their fuperftitious doctrines, to exclude "from the kingdom of heaven fuch as had not "contributed by their offerings to augment the "riches of the clergy or the church. The former "were only ftudious to attain to virtuous fimpli

city of life and manners, and employed their "principal zeal and diligence in the culture of "true and genuine piety; while the latter placed "the whole of religion in external rites and bodily "exercises. The methods alfo of folving the diffi "culties and diffipating the doubts that often a"rife in inquifitive minds, were of a piece with the "reft of the fuperftitious fyftem that now prevail"ed. The two great and irrefiftible arguments

against all doubts, were the authority of "the church, and the working of miracles: and "the production of these prodigies required no "extraordinary degree of dexterity in an age of "fuch grofs and univerfal ignorance."

It was in the end of the year 755, or the beginning of the year 756, that Pepin king of France made the famous grant of Rome and some neigh

bouring

bouring cities to Pope Stephen II. and his fucceffors; in confequence of which, he and they became temporal princes. From the year 606, in which the bishop of Rome became univerfal bifhop, to the year 756, when he became a temporal prince, is exactly 150 years, the five months in this prophecy. Of this event, thofe acquainted with the Latin language may fee a full and particular account in Sigonius de regno Italiæ, pages 79, 80, under the year 755 and 756.

On this fubject Mofheim thus writes, Hift. vol. I. pages 353, 354. "Nay, one of these monarchs, "named Aiftulphus, carried his views ftill farther. "Elated with these new acceffions to his domi "nions, he meditated the conquest of Rome and "its territories; and formed the ambitious pro

ject of reducing all Italy under the yoke of the "Lombards. The terrified pontiff, Stephen II. ad"dreffes himself to his powerful patron and pro"tector Pepin, reprefents to him his deplorable con"dition, and implores his affiftance. The French "monarch embarks with zeal in the cause of "the fuppliant pontiff; croffes the Alps, A. D. 754 “with a numerous army; and having defeated

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Aiftulphus, obliged him by folemn treaty to de"liver up to the fee of Rome the Exarchate of Ra"venna, Pentopolis, and all the cities, castles, and "territories which he had feized in the Roman "dukedom. It was not, however, long before the ૦૧. "Lombard