THE PAPACY by W. | AdventAI

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 16, 1888

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 14, No. 44.

THE PAPACY.

By W.

(Continued.)

"After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots; and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." Dan. 7:7, 8.

The name of this fourth kingdom is not given, but we have the data by which it may easily be ascertained. The four universal kingdoms, with the kingdoms into which the fourth was to be divided, cover the history of the world until the end of time, when the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which "shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." Dan. 2:44. Now, since there are but four universal monarchies from the days of Nebuchadnezzar till the end of time, and we have the names of three of them, it is evident that if anywhere in history we find mention of a universal kingdom, other than one of the three already found, it must be the one sought for, namely, the fourth. And here, as in the case of the other kingdoms, the Bible furnishes the desired information. In Luke 2:1, we read: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." The name Cæsar Augustus at once brings Rome to mind, and in Rome we find the fourth universal monarchy, the one represented by the "dreadful and terrible" beast of Dan. 7:25.

After the death of Alexander, his empire was divided into four parts, namely, Macedon, Thrace, Syria, and Egypt. The history of these divisions of the Grecian Empire, for the next two hundred years, is one of continual warfare for the supremacy. All this time Rome was developing, and enlarging her borders. The year 171 B. C. found Rome engaged in war with Perseus, king of the Macedonian division of the Grecian Empire. The war continued three years, and its result is thus described by Prof. Arthur Gilman:—

"In 168 the Romans met the army of Perseus at Pydna, in Macedonia, north of Mount Olympus, on the 22d June, and utterly defeated it. Perseus was afterward taken prisoner and died at Alba. From the battle of Pydna the great historian Polybius, who was a native of Megalopolis, dates the complete establishment of the universal empire of Rome; since after that no civilized State ever confronted her on an equal footing, and all the struggles in which she engaged were rebellions or wars with 'barbarians' outside of the influence of Greek or Roman civilization, and since all the world recognized the Senate as the tribunal of last resort in differences between nations."—Story of Rome (G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York), pp. 163, 164.

In "Prideaux's Connexion" (part 2, book 3) we find testimony to the same effect. In the record of the year 168 B. C. Prideaux tells of the embassy which the Roman Senate sent to command Antiochus to desist from his contemplated war upon Egypt. Popillius, the chief of the embassy, met Antiochus near Alexandria, and delivered to him the decree of Rome. "Antiochus having read the decree, told Popillius he would consult with his friends about it, and speedily give him the answer they should advise; but Popillius, insisting on an immediate answer, forthwith drew a circle round him [Antiochus] in the sand with the staff which he had in his hand, and required him to give his answer before he stirred out of that circle; at which strange and peremptory way of proceeding Antiochus being startled, after a little hesitation yielded to it, and told the ambassador that he would obey the command of the Senate."

Picture the scene—Antiochus fully armed, at the head of a vast army, surrounded by his generals, yet obeying the decree that was brought him by an unarmed citizen of Rome! How can such weakness be accounted for? Prideaux answers:—

"That which made him [Popillius] so bold as to act with him after this peremptory manner, and the other so tame as to yield thus patiently to it, was the news which they had a little before received of the great victory of the Romans, which they had gotten over Perseus, king of Macedonia. For Paulus Æmilius having now vanquished that king, and thereby added Macedonia to the Roman Empire, the name of the Romans after this carried that weight with it as created a terror in all the neighboring nations; so that none of them after this cared to dispute their commands, but were glad on any terms to maintain peace, and cultivate a friendship with them."

These quotations also serve to corroborate the conclusion already arrived at, that Rome was the fourth universal empire. A very few quotations, out of the many at hand, will suffice to show the extent and power of Rome. Says Gibbon:—

"A modern tyrant, who should find no resistance either in his own breast, or in his people, would soon experience a gentle restraint from the example of his equals, the dread of present censure, the advice of his allies, and the apprehension of his enemies. The object of his displeasure, escaping from the narrow limits of his dominions, would easily obtain, in a happier climate, a secure refuge, a new fortune adequate to his merit, the freedom of complaint, and perhaps the means of revenge. But the empire of the Romans filled the world, and when that empire fell into the hands of a single person, the world became a safe and dreary prison for his enemies. The slave of imperial despotism, whether he was condemned to drag his gilded chain in Rome and the Senate, or to wear out a life of exile on the barren rock of Seriphus, or the frozen banks of the Danube, expected his fate in silent despair. To resist was fatal, and it was impossible to fly. On every side he was encompassed with a vast extent of sea and land, which he could never hope to traverse without being discovered, seized, and restored to his irritated master. Beyond the frontiers, his anxious view could discover nothing, except the ocean, inhospitable deserts, hostile tribes of barbarians, of fierce manners and unknown language, or dependent kings, who would gladly purchase the emperor's protection by the sacrifice of an obnoxious fugitive. Wherever you are,' said Cicero to the exiled Marcellus, 'remember that you are equally within the power of the conqueror.'"—Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chap. 3, paragraph 37.

De Quincey says:—

"That imperatorial dignity . . . was undoubtedly the sublimest incarnation of power, and a monument the mightiest of greatness built by human hands, which upon this planet has been suffered to appear."—Essay on the Cæsars, chap. 6, last paragraph.

But Daniel was not completely satisfied with the general answer given by the angel, that the four beasts were four kingdoms. He wanted to know more than this and said, "Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows." Dan. 7:19, 20.

The answer to this request was given as follows:—

"Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, . . . and the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings." Dan. 7:23, 24.

The fourth beast was the fourth kingdom,—Rome,—and the ten horns, it is plainly stated, "are ten kings that shall arise," that is, ten parts into which the Roman Empire should be divided. This division is mentioned in Dan. 2:41. It was effected by the incursions of the barbarous tribes which dismembered the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries, the history of which is so graphically described by Gibbon.

After the division of the Roman Empire was completed, which was in A. D. 476, another power was to arise, and in its rise was to pluck up three of the first kingdoms by the roots. There is so general an agreement by all commentators in regard to this "little horn" which had "eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things" (Dan. 7:8), that we risk nothing in saying at once that it represents the Papacy. The characteristics given in Dan. 7:8, 20, 21, 25, are met in the Papacy, and in no other power. It uprooted three kingdoms to make room for itself; and as if to show the fulfillment of the prophecy, the Pope's tiara is a triple crown. Such a crown is worn by no other ruler. The three kingdoms that were plucked up will be named a little further on.

"And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change times and laws." Dan. 7:25.

If we find that these three specifications apply to the Papacy, then it will be useless to look further for an application for the little horn. We will consider them in detail.

1. "He shall speak great words against the Most High." It is a notorious fact that the Pope is styled the "Vicar of the Son of God," indicating that he fills the office of Christ. Paul, speaking of the Papacy, which he calls the "man of sin" (2 Thess. 2: 3, 4), says that he "exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped." This is a parallel to Dan. 7:25. It is fulfilled in the Pope's claim to have power to grant indulgences, a thing which God himself has never promised to do. Further, it is fulfilled in the Papal dogma of infallibility. This dogma was ratified by the council of 1870, and the following is a portion of the decree:—

"And since by the divine right of apostolic primacy the Roman pontiff is placed over the universal church, we further teach and declare that he is the supreme judge of the faithful, and that in all causes, the decision of which belongs to the church, recourse may be had to his tribunal, and that none may reopen the judgment of the apostolic see, than whose authority there is no greater, nor can any lawfully review its judgment."—The Vatican Decrees, by Dr. Philip Schaff.

Although this dogma was ratified in 1870, it has been held for centuries, as is shown by the following monstrous assertion in one of the Roman decretals:—

"If the Pope should become neglectful of his own salvation, and of that of other men, and so lost to all good that he draw down with himself innumerable people by heaps into hell, and plunge them with himself into eternal torments, yet no mortal man may presume to reprehend him, forasmuch as he is judge of all and to be judged of no one."—Quoted by Wylie, History of Protestantism, book 5, chap. 10.

Monsignor Capel, who was private chaplain to Pope Pius IX., in a pamphlet entitled "The Pope; the Vicar of Christ; the Head of the Church," gives a list of titles and appellations that have been given the Pope in various church documents, and from this list we select the following:—

"Most Divine Head of all Heads." "Holy Father of Fathers, Pontiff Supreme over all Prelates." "The Chief Pastor; Pastor of Pastors." "Christ by Unction." "Melchizedek in Order." "High Priest, Supreme Bishop." "Key-Bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven." "Supreme Chief; Most powerful Word." "Vicar of Christ." "Sovereign Bishop of Bishops." "Ruler of the House of the Lord." "Apostolic Lord and Father of Fathers." "Chief Pastor and Teacher and Physician of Souls." "Rock, against which the proud Gates of Hell prevail not." "Infallible Pope." "Head of all the Holy Priests of God." "Chief of the Universal Church." "Bishop of Bishops, that is, Sovereign Pontiff."

These titles, and many others equally blasphemous, including "The Lion of the Tribe of Judah," the Pope receives as his own by right. In our own enlightened age, this title has been given to Pope Leo XIII., by his servile flatterers, in whose eyes "His Holiness" is a divine being. No other power on earth has ever so opposed and exalted itself against all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that the Pope sitteth in the temple of God, "setting himself forth as God." 2 Thess. 2:4, revised version.

(To be continued.)