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with Hiftory, for the Papacy was fet up in the Latin Church, and never could Master the Greek Church totally.

But among other Characters, the Divifion of the Period into Time, Times and a Half, carries in it a strong Proof, that the whole is perfectly well adapted to the Bishops of Rome, under these three States, 1ft, their Rife, 2dly, their Greatness, and 3dly, their Decline.

The Western Roman Empire, fell with Valentinian III. in the Year 455, upon whofe Death Genferick came and killed Maximus the Ufurper, and facked Rome. This Valentinian III. had a little before, in 445 given Orders to Ætius his General in France, in which he fays, "That whereas the Bishop of Arles, had prefu"med to ordain Bifhops without the leave of Imperio. "the Pope of Rome. It is provided by the pag.306. « Apoftolick Authority, and by Ours, That "neither He nor any Other may be fuffered to "do the like for the future. And at the fame Time he published an Edict in Conjunction with Theodofius the II. Emperor of the East, by which it

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it was ordered, "That it fhould not be lawful Valenti. for the Bifhops of Gaul, or any others, to poft Cod Theodo. « undertake any thing (against ancient Custom,) Tit. 24. without the Authority of the Venerable Pope de Epifco. "of the Eternal Town. But that whatever "the Authority of the Apoftolical See fhall “Ordain, shall be a Law to all other Bishops. And Marcian the Emperor of the Eaft, did, in 450. write to the fame Pope Leo I. in these terms, "We write to your Holiness, who holds "the first place among the Bishops of the Divine Faith, that by your Orders a Council may fettle the Peace of the Church. And in

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may declare what is profitable for the Christian "Faith by their Act, as your Holinefs fhall "conftitute, according to the Rules of the «Church.”

So that the Popes had then that Power acknowledged to belong to them, by the Emperors both of the Eaft and Weft, which they have exercised, more or lefs, ever fince; and therefore it feems more reafonable to date the Rife of the Papacy,

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at this time, then from the year 606. when Boniface the III. obtained the Title of Universal Bishop from the Emperor Phocas, fince the Popes had been fuch, in effect, long before. The Bishop of Rome took his Rife therefore, as Head of the Church, when he became the Principal Perfon in Rome, immediately on Valentinian's Death, and Genferick's leaving Italy in 455. Then be that letteth was taken out of the way, and the Man of Sin, or Wicked, revealed: The Wefterm Empire was then Taken out of the Way; for the Mock Emperors, who were changed by Ricimer, the Gathick General, at Pleafure, for One and Twenty years after, had never the Power, but only the Name of Emperors. But thefe Bishops. of Rome were able, by their influence on Temporal Princes, even during their Rife, to destroy oneafter another, the three Kingdoms of the Herules, Goths and Lombards, and at laft by making: Charlemagne Emperor, they received from him their Temporal Sovereignty in Italy, but as he till kept them under him, by referving a Negative in Himself and his Succeffors, at the Election of Popes

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Popes, they did not come to their heighth till 815. when Lewis Le Debonnaire fucceeded his Father Charlemagne in the Empire, and being a weak Prince, confirmed and enlarged his Fathers Grants to the See of Rome, and neglected to infift on his Negative in the Election of a Pope, after they had ventured to elect one without his leave: And then expired the first Time or 360 Years of the Rife of the Papacy.

2dly, The Second Period, from 815 reached to 1535. in which Year the Reformation was at its Heighth in Germany, was just fixt in England, by abrogating the Popes Power by Act of Parliament, and first preached in France and Switzerland; and this Period was juft of 720 Years, or Two Times, which included the whole Term of the Greatnefs of the Papacy.

3dly, Its Decline was from the Reformation till the Death of Lewis the XIV.

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the last great Power that attempted to extirpate Herefie, as they called the Reformation, And how much the Authority of the See of Rome, then loft, appear plainly by the difrefpectful Treatment

of the Popes famous Constitution, Unigenitus, after that King's Death in the Kingdom of France, fo that with him fell the Ballance of Power, on the fide of the Church of Rome; for thofe Popish Princes, who in the laft Wars have fided with the Proteftants, have really hurt the Intereft of the Popish Caufe, as much as any Matth. others, according to our Saviours Expreffion, XLI. 26. If Satan caft out Satan, he is divided against himself, how shall then his Kingdom ftand? And this laft Period is of Half a Time, or 180 Years,. beginning at 1535. and ending in 1715. And if from the Death of Lewis XIV. the Kingdom of France fhall, as well as the Emperor, and other Popish Powers, continue in the fame Intereft with the Proteftant Ones, in oppofition to the Pretenfions and Claims of the Papacy, as it has hitherto done, It is certain, that the See of Rome has loft the Ballance of Power on its fide, of which that Court feems very fenfible, as appears by the late Popes Proteftation at Cambray, in 1723. where we find thefe Remarkable Words, Can Chriftian Princes flatter themselves with

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