THE new-time theory of 1854 is producing considerable excitement in many places. Their advocates have started a paper at Lowell, called The World's Crisis. It is rather surprising that so many intelligent preachers have become advocates of this theory upon such weak evidences, in comparison to the historical facts presented in 1843. Were it not for multitudes who do not think for themselves, their arguments would hardly be worth noticing. Notice a few facts.
1. The time of the papal rule, when the saints, times and laws were given into his power, is fortified with such a mass of indisputable evidence, that there is no room for mistake. First, "the dragon gave him his power." This was fulfilled in A. D. 533, according to the prophecy, by an imperial decree from the emperor, Justinian which constituted the Pope, "The head of all the holy churches." "Head of all bishops, and the true and effective corrector of heretics." "We therefore decree that the most holy Pope of elder Rome is the first of all the priesthood." "The authenticity of the title receives unanswerable proof from the edict in the Novelle and the annals of Baronius, the chief Romish ecclesiastical historian."—Advent. Manual. The Novelle were "the novel constitutions of Justinian."—Blackstone.
2. The dragon gave him "his seat," (Rome) fulfilled A. D. 538, "and great authority," [Rev. xiii, 2.] fulfilled 540. "The consular power of Rome was recognized by Justinian "in his laws of 533; but in 540 he made a rescript of those laws, in which no recognition of the consular power exists. So that between 533 and 540 the consular power of Rome ceased, and the Pope succeeded."—Butler's Ch. Hist. "Pope Vigilus was elected A. D. 537, by an ecclesiastical council, called for the purpose by the emperor. The next and all succeeding popes have been elected without the authority of the Emperors. So that since 538, the church of Rome has acted independently of the Emperors."—Midnight Cry, Vol. IV, p. 196.
3. Notice the time, and the order in which the papal authority was abolished. In 1703, just 1260 years from the time the Pope received his power, the papal government of France, the main pillar of papacy was "abolished," and all ecclesiastical domains, such as abbies, monasteries, convents, &c., were deemed national property.—Moore's Gazette. In 1748 the French overran Italy. In 1798 the papal government of Italy was abolished. In 1801 a concordat was completed between Napoleon and the Pope. "The high Catholic party considered the concordat the destruction of the authority of the church."—Lockhart, Vol. I, p. 207-8. Alison says the concordat of July 1801 passed into a law April 8, 1802. Scott says, when the ratifications were published, "it was singular to behold how submissively the once proud See of Rome lay prostrated before the power of Buonaparte."—Life of Napoleon Vol. I, p. 357.
Thus about the same number of years were occupied in the destruction of the papal supremacy. Great stress is fixed upon 1809 by the Timeists, as the time the Pope's power was taken away. Although the papal government of Italy was destroyed the second time by Napoleon in 1809, yet the Pope had no power to yield but what he had before received from Napoleon. Dr. Moore in 1808 says of the papal power, "This power was gradually diminished until it was totally extinguished by the present Emperor of France. Since the accession of Buonaparte to the supreme power in France, he has wisely judged that some religion60was absolutely necessary to the support of Empire and has restored the Pope to the nominal authority over the ecclesiastical states, and permit him to hold the keys of St. Peter, under a concordat, or tenure which he has been pleased to prescribe."—Moore's Gazette, Jan. 1808. O. NICHOLS. Dorchester, Mass.