is peculiarly applicable to Rome, although it was long untainted by other heresies. The iniquity [atop/a, ver. 7] chiefly con sisted in the most deadly sin of pride, ver. 3, 4. The beginning of man's pride was his apostatizing from God ; since his heart withdrew itself from Him who made him. Fon* pride is the be ginning of all sin.1 Sir. x. 14, 15. The seeds and commencing fibres lay concealed in the elevation of human authority, in Petrism [" I am of Cephas"] ; 1 Cor. i. 12, note. Hence by degrees arose the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, and the whole system of the papacy.
XVIII. A Iso, now and then, the Pope very closely approaches the characteristics of the Man of Sin himself. — The Pope is in some respects the Man of Sin, while he eagerly promotes the transgression of the Divine law and the Divine commandments, and greatly impedes the observance of them, but defends with the utmost severity his own decrees : he is the son of perdition, in that (whilst) he has plunged innumerable souls into destruc tion, and has delivered to death immense multitudes of men either devoted to himself or in any way resisting him : he is opposed [ver. 4] to the majesty of Caesar, formerly his master, and is exalted above all that is called God or worshipped, by the fact of his claiming as his right the highest authority, the highest worship, by his commanding angels, and subjecting the Emperor to himself. It is not merely once that the paroxysm of pontifical pride has broken out to such degree, that he called, or permitted himself to be called, god or vice-god [vicegerent of God] ; and the solemn titles, Most Holy Lord (for godhead and holiness are synonymous in the language of Scripture), and, Most Blessed Father, have the same meaning : comp. Matt. xix. 17. Sometimes the Pope, as if he were the divine image2 [or pageant representing God], is placed with his chair [comp.
1 The Wisdom of Sirach, x. 12, 13 ; ' Ap%q vvepqQouiias, avOpvirov Atpiara.-
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2 The Latin word isferculum, one of whose meanings is, " bearing in the hands the images of the gods." Csesar had a ferculum decreed to him, which implies, that his statue was to receive the same honour as those of the gods. If I understand this passage aright, it means, that the Pope, as the earthly image or representative of God, was to be placed on the altar of God, to receive the same honour as God. — TEANSL.