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abrogated the whole papal government, instituted in its place a republican form of govcrnment, and carried the pope a captive to France, where, in 1799, he died. Thus the

dominion of the little horn, which was to continue a time, times, and the dividing of time, continued 1,260 years; viz., from A. D. 538, to A. D. 1798. Therefore, a time is a year of 360 days; times, two years of the same length; and the dividing of time half a year; the whole making 1,260 days, and each day standing for a year; the whole period being 1,260 years. Again; the papal power existed just that time, and was then taken away; therefore, the papal power is the kingdom predicted by the little horn of Daniel's fourth beast.

6. From 1798, when the papal dominion was taken away, and God's great judgments were poured upon papal Europe, the papal power and influence, although nominally restored, have been steadily consuming up to the present time.

This point is so evident, and so fully before the community, that it is needless to present evidence on the point. Popery is the mere shadow of what it once was; nor can it by

any artifice ever again resume its formr vigor and power. It is a plant of darkness; it cannot live and flourish under the flood of light and liberty which irradiates almost every point of our earth. Protestants are now tolerated in every papal kingdom on the continent of Europe.

It only remains, then, that the body of the beast should be slain and given to the burning flames, to introduce the glorious, everlasting kingdom of God in all the earth.

But Mr. Dowling attempts, page 120 of his book, to ridicule the idea of dating the 1,260 days in 538,-as follows:

Now I should be willing to challenge the ingenuity of any one of my historical readers to guess the event' which Mr. M. has selected as the fulfilment of these prophecies, the commencement of the 1,260 years.

What do my readers imagine is this event? Risum teneatis, amici?

It is the establishment of the Emperor Justinian's celebrated code of civil law to regulate the jurisprudence of his empire!!!

Even this did not occur just at the date required, viz., 538, but in 534. There is, however, no other event so near to 538, by several years, as this is, which can by any possibility be made to serve the purpose; and, therefore, for want of a better, this must do.

In reply to this we wish to present a few facts.

1. That the supremacy of the church was given to the pope, in 533, by Justinian.

THE EPISTLE OF JUSTINIAN, TO JOHN, THE ROMAN PONTIFF, A. D, 533.

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Rendering honor to the apostolic see, and to your holiness, (as always was and is our desire,) and, as it becomes us, honoring your Blessedness as a father, we have laid without delay before the notice of your holiness, all things pertaining to the state of the church. Since it has always been our carnest study to preserve the unity of your holy see, and the state of the holy churches of God, which has hitherto obtained, and will remain, without any interfering opposition. Therefore we hasten to SUBJECT and to unite to your holiness, all the pricsts of the whole East. As to the matters which are presently agitated, although clear and undoubted, and, according to the doctrine of your apostolic see, held assuredly resolved and decided by all priests, we have yet deemed it necessary to lay them before your holiness. Nor do we suffer anything which belongs to the state of the church, however manifest and undoubted, that is agitated, to pass without the knowledge of your holiness, who are the head of all the holy churches. For in all things (as had been said or resolved) we are prompt to increase the honor and authority of your

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If the pope was not here entitled the head of all the holy churches, then he never cau

bc. This title was confirmed and acknowledged by Justinian in his epistle to Epiph anius, bishop of Constantinople, of date 25th March, 533. He acknowledges his epistle to the Roman pontiff, and maintains that he is the head of all bishops, and that "by decisions and right judgment of his venerable see, heretics are corrected."

2. The same power, Justinian, in his Novella, gives to Rome the supremacy of the pontificate, and gave to the pope the precedence of all the priesthood:

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"The authenticity of the title," as Mr. Croly well observes, "receives unanswerable proof from the edicts of the Novella' of the Justinian code. The preamble of the 9th states, that as the elder Rome was the founder of the laws; so was it not to be questioned, that in her was the supremacy of the pontificate.' The 131st, on the Ecclesiastical Titles and Privileges, chapter ii. states: We therefore decree that the most holy pope of the elder Rome is the first of all the priesthood, and that the most blessed archbishop of Constantinople, the new Rome, shall hold the second rank, after the holy apostolic chair of the elder Rome.'"*

But it may be asked, if the churches, bishops, and priests, were given into his hands,

* Keith's "Signs of the Times," pp. 95, 96.

and by him heretics were corrected, and even the emperor would decide no questions of faith, even settled questions, without the pope's consent, why did not the 1,260 days begin in 533, when this power was given him?

The answer is, because the dragon (imperial Rome, and the remains of imperial Rome were at Constantinople at the time,) was to "give to the beast (papal Rome) his power, his seat, and great authority." In 533, Rome, the seat of the dragon, was in the hands of the Ostrogoths. But 536, Rome was taken by the Greeks. The Ostrogoths, however, only retired without the walls, and in their turn besieged the city until March, 538, when the war ended, and Rome was in the hands of the emperor, and he could give it to the beast, which he could not do before he possessed it. Hence, 538 was the proper date for the 1,260 days.

Mr. Dowling has a long array of extracts, from learned authors, on the date of the 1,260 days: Scott's notes; Clarke's Commentary; Milner's Church History; Newton's Dissertations, &c. But what do they amount to after all? What show of argument do they

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