"exercise in the name of the Pope the same au"thority, which had formerly belonged to the “bishops, metropolitans, and provincial assem"blies *." In this passage mention is made of the oath of fealty exacted by Gregory the seventh from the bishops., A similar oath has been imposed, even since the Reformation, by Pius the fourth on all the beneficed clergy. He decreed, that they should all swear true obedience to the Roman pontiff, the successor of St. Peter, and vicar of Jesus Christ . In short, how completely the clergy under their bishops became one of the two ecclesiastical kingdoms of the papal beast, will best appear from the following oath, set forth by order of Pope Clement the eighth to be taken by all bishops at their consecration, and by all metropolitans at their instalment.

"I N. elect of the church of N. from hencefor"ward will be faithful and obedient to St. Peter "the Apostle, and to the holy Roman church, and to our lord, the lord N. Pope N. and to his suc

cessors canonically coming in. I will neither "advise, consent, or do any thing, that they may "lose life or member, or that their persons may be

seized, or hands any wise laid upon them, or any

injuries offered to them under any pretence "whatsoever. The counsel, which they shall intrust me withal, by themselves, their messen

འ

Introduc. to Hist. of Eur. cited by Whitaker P. 406.

" gers, or letters, I will not knowingly reveal to แ any to their prejudice. I will help them to de"fend and keep the Roman Papacy and the royal"ties of St. Peter, saving my order, against all

men. The legate of the apostolic see, going "and coming, I will honourably treat and help in "his necessities. The rights, honours, privileges, "and authority, of the holy Roman church, of our "lord the Pope, and his foresaid successors, I will "endeavour to preserve, defend, increase, and ad66 vance. I will not be in any counsel, action, or "treaty, in which shall be plotted against our said lord, and the said Roman church, any thing to "the hurt or prejudice of their persons, right, honour, state, or power; and, if I shall know any "such thing to be treated or agitated by any whatsoever, I will hinder it to my power; and, as soon as I can, will signify it to our said lord, or "to some other by whom it may come to his know

¢¢

ledge. The rules of the holy fathers, the apos"tolic decrees, ordinances, or disposals, reserva"tions, provisions, and mandates, I will observe "with all my might, and cause to be observed by "others. Heretics, schismatics, and rebels to our "said lord, or his foresaid successors, I will to my power persecute and oppose

As for the precise steps, by which this ecclesiastical kingdom was finally and perfectly organized, they are well pointed out by Lord Lyttelton in his

*Whitaker's Comment. P. 408.

history

history of Henry the second. established notion," says he,

"It was now an "that all metropoli

"tans were only the vicars or rather viceroys of "the Pope in their several provinces; and the pall was the ensign of their office. This was too lightly given way to by kings, and proved in its consequences one of the deepest arts, by which "the policy of the court of Rome supported its power. For thus all the greatest prelates, who might have affected an independence on that see, had another object of ambition set up, namely, an independence on their own sovereigns, and an imparted share of the papal do"minion over all temporal powers." And again:

Henry the first did not enough consider, how "much the design of detaching the clergy from any dependence upon their own sovereign, and "from all ties to their country, was promoted by "forcing them to a life of celibacy; but concurred "with the see of Rome, and with Anselm its mi"nister, in imposing that yoke upon the English "church, which till then had always refused it"He was also prevailed upon to suffer a legate a

latere, the Cardinal of Crema, to preside in a "council held at London upon this and other "matters, in derogation to the metropolitan rights "of the archbishop of Canterbury; thereby con"firming that dangerous and degrading subjection

to the Bishop of Rome, which his father had 'brought upon the church of England *.' There

Hist, of Henry II. cited by Whitaker P. 410, 411.

was yet another step, by which the second ecclesi astical kingdom of the papal empire was both completed, and kept in subjection. Well knowing the truth of the maxim Divide and rule, the artful pontiffs dexterously contrived to play off the one kingdom against the other, to govern the secular clergy by the instrumentality of the regular. "Whenever any bishop," says Puffendorff, "at

tempted any thing against the Pope's authority, "the mendicant friars with their clamour and "noise pursued him 'every where like so many

rr

hounds, and rendered him odious to the com

mon people, amongst whom they were in great "veneration through their outward appearance of "holiness; and from thence it came to pass, that "the bishops, who opposed the Pope's authority, never could make a great party among the common people. Besides this, the friars always kept a watchful eye over the actions of the bishops, giving continual advices concerning "them to their generals residing at Rome, whereby "the Popes were enabled to oppose timely any design intended against their authority. And these friars proved the main obstacle, why the bishops, "could not so effectually oppose the Pope's authority which he assumed over them; so that, being "destitute of means to help themselves, they were forced to follow the current

The regular and secular clergy then, under their

Hist. of Henry II. cited by Whitaker P. 416..

respective

respective generals and bishops, are the two horns or ecclesiastical kingdoms of the papal catholic empire. These horns appeared to the prophet to be of a different form from those of the first or temporal beast: they resembled the horns of a lamb. Now, when we recollect that the second beast is styled a false prophet, we can scarcely doubt but that the symbol was so constructed in allusion to his spiritual character. Accordingly the two ecclesiastical horns claimed to be the only servants of the Lamb of God, and affected to be like him in meekness and humility. Solemnly devoting themselves to a life of celibacy, and ever engaged in a round of religious ceremonies, they appeared to the deluded populace to be saints indeed, far removed from all the cares and vanities of this transitory world. And, in order that this impression might not be too soon worn off, new saints were at scasonable intervals added to the calendar; and their names enrolled along with those of the real servants of the Lamb, the holy Apostles of the primitive Church. Even the sovereign pontiff himself, who had a look more stout than his fellows, delighted nevertheless to style himself, with sanc-tified hypocrisy, the servant of the servants of God.

3. But, notwithstanding his lamb-like appearance, the beast spake as a dragon-The church of Rome, like a true child of that old serpent the devil, forcibly established and supported idolatry; claimed a proud superiority over all temporal do