IN the supremacy of the Papacy, Justinian holds the same place as do Constantine and Theodosius occupy in the establishment of the Catholic Church. “Among the titles of greatness, the name ‘Pious’ was most pleasing to his ears; to promote the temporal and spiritual interests of the church was the serious business of his life; and the duty of father of his country was often sacrificed to that of defender of the faith.” (Gibbon.) “The emperor Justinian unites in himself the most opposite vices,—insatiable rapacity and lavish prodigality, intense pride and contemptible weakness, unmeasured ambition and dastardly cowardice.... In the Christian emperor, seem to meet the crimes of those who won or secured their empire by assassination of all whom they feared.” (Milman.)PTUK December 2, 1897, page 758.1

Pope Felix was succeeded by Boniface II., A.D. 530-532, who was chosen amidst the now customary scenes of disturbance and strife, which in this case were brought to an end, and the election of Boniface secured, by the death of his rival, who after his death was excommunicated by Boniface. On account of the shameful briberies and other methods of competition employed in the election of the popes, the Roman Senate now enacted a law against bringing votes and influence in papal elections. Laws of the same import had already been enacted more than once, but they amounted to nothing; because as in the days of Cesar, everybody was ready to bribe or be bribed. Accordingly, at the very next election, in 532, “Votes were publicly bought and sold; and notwithstanding the decree lately issued by the Senate, money was offered to the senators themselves, nay, the lands of the Church were mortgaged by some, and the sacred utensils pawned by others or publicly sold for ready money.” (Bower.) As the result of seventy-five days of this kind of work, a certain John Mercurius was made pope, and took the title of John II., December 31, 532.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 758.2

CIVIL POWER AGAIN ENFORCING RELIGION

In the year 532, Justinian issued an edict declaring his intention “to unite all men in one faith.” Whether they were Jews, Gentiles, or Christians, all who did not within three months profess and embrace the Catholic faith, were by the edict “declared infamous, and as such excluded from all employments both civil and military; rendered incapable of leaving anything by will; and all their estates confiscated, whether real or personal.” As a result of this cruel edict, “Great numbers were driven from their habitations with their wives and children, stripped and naked. Others betook themselves to flight, carrying with them what they could conceal, for their support and maintenance; but they were plundered of what little they had, and many of them inhumanly massacred.” (Bower.)PTUK December 2, 1897, page 758.3

There now occurred a transaction which meant much in the supremacy of the papacy. It was brought about in this way: Ever since the Council of Chalcedon had “settled” the question of the two natures in Christ, there had been more, and more violent, contentions over it than ever before; “for everywhere monks were at the head of the religious revolution which threw off the yoke of the Council of Chalcedon.” In Jerusalem a certain Theodosius was at the head of the army of monks, who made him bishop, and in acts of violence, pillage, and murder, he fairly outdid the perfectly lawless bandits of the country. “The very scenes of the Saviour’s mercies ran with blood shed in His name by his ferocious self-called disciples.” (Milman.)PTUK December 2, 1897, page 758.4

In Alexandria, “the bishop was not only murdered in the baptistery, but his body was treated with shameless indignities, and other enormities were perpetrated which might have appalled a cannibal.” And the monkish horde then elected as bishop one of their own number, Timothy the Weasel, a disciple of Dioscorus. (Milman.)PTUK December 2, 1897, page 758.5

THE “TRISAGION” CONTROVERSY

SOON there was added to all this another point which increased the fearful warfare. In the Catholic churches it was customary to sing what was called the Trisagion, or Thrice-Holy. It was, originally, the “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts” of Isaiah 6:3; but at the time of the Council of Chalcedon, it had been changed, and was used by the council thus: “Holy God, Holy Almighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.” At Antioch, in 477, a third monk, Peter the Fuller, “led a procession, chiefly of monastics, through the streets,” loudly singing the Thrice-Holy, with the addition, “Who wast crucified for us.” It was orthodox to sing it as the Council of Chalcedon had used it, with the understanding that the three “Holies” referred respectively to the three persons of the Trinity. It was heresy to sing it with the later addition.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 758.6

In A.D. 511, two hordes of monks on the two sides of the question met in Constantinople. “The two black-cowled armies watched each other for several months, working in secret on their respective partisans. At length they came to a rupture.... The Monophysite monks in the church of the Archangel within the palace, broke out after the ‘Thrice-Holy’ with the burden added at Antioch by Peter the Fuller, ‘who wast crucified for us.’ The orthodox monks, backed by the rabble of Constantinople, endeavored to expel them from the church; they were not content with hurling curses against each other, sticks and stones began their work. There was a wild, fierce fray; the divine presence of the emperor lost its awe; he could not maintain the peace. The bishop Macedonius either took the lead, or was compelled to lead the tumult. Men, women, and children poured out from all quarters; the monks with their archimandrites at the head of the raging multitude, echoed back their religious war cry.” (Milman.)PTUK December 2, 1897, page 758.7

RIOTING ABOUT THE FAITH

These are but samples of the repeated—it might almost be said the continuous—occurrences in the cities of the East. “Throughout Asiatic Christendom it was the same wild struggle. Bishops deposed quietly; or where resistance was made, the two factions fighting in the streets, in the churches: cities, even the holiest places, ran with blood.... The hymn of the angels in heaven was the battle cry on earth, the signal of human bloodshed.” (Milman.)PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.1

In A.D. 512 one of these Trisagion riots broke out in Constantinople, because the emperor proposed to use the added clause. “Many palaces of the nobles were set on fire, the officers of the crown insulted, pillage, conflagration, violence, raged through the city.” In the house of the favorite minister of the emperor there was found a monk from the country. He was accused of having suggested the use of the addition. His head was cut off and raised high on a pole, and the whole orthodox populace marched through the streets singing the orthodox Trisagion, and shouting, “Behold the enemy of the Trinity!”PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.2

In A.D. 519, another dispute was raised, growing out of the addition to the Trisagion. That was, “Did one of the Trinity suffer in the flesh? or did one person of the Trinity suffer in the flesh?” The monks of Scythia affirmed that one of the Trinity suffered in the flesh, and declared that to say that one person of the Trinity suffered in the flesh, was absolute heresy. The question was brought before Pope Hormisdas, who decided that to say that “one person of the Trinity suffered in the flesh” was the orthodox view; and denounced the monks as proud, arrogant, obstinate, enemies to the Church, disturbers of the public peace, slanderers, liars, and instruments employed by the enemy of truth to banish all truth, to establish error in its room, and to sow among the wheat the poisonous seeds of diabolical tares.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.3

Now, in 533, this question was raised again, and Justinian became involved in the dispute.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.4

This time one set of monks argued that “if one of the Trinity did not suffer on the cross, then one of the Trinity was not born of the Virgin Mary, and therefore she ought no longer to be called the mother of God.” Others argued: “If one of the Trinity did not suffer on the cross, then Christ who suffered was not one of the Trinity.” Justinian entered the lists against both, and declared that Mary was “truly the mother of God;” that Christ was “in the strictest sense one of the Trinity;” and that whosoever denied either the one or the other, was a heretic.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.5

This frightened the monks, because they knew Justinian’s opinions on the subject of heretics were exceedingly forcible. They therefore sent off two of their number to lay the question before the Pope. As soon as Justinian learned this, he, too, decided to apply to the Pope. He therefore drew up a confession of faith that “one of the Trinity suffered in the flesh,” and sent it by two bishops to the Bishop of Rome. To make his side of the question appear as favourable as possible to the Pope, Justinian sent a rich present of chalices and other vessels of gold, enriched with precious stones; and the following flattering letter which was used to show that the emperor acknowledged the Pope of Rome to be the head of all churches:—PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.6

“Justinian, pious, fortunate, renowned, triumphant; emperor, consul, etc., to John, the most holy archbishop of our city of Rome, and patriarch:—PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.7

“Rendering honor to the apostolic chair, and to your Holiness, as has been always and is our wish, and honoring your Blessedness as a father, we have hastened to bring to the knowledge of your Holiness all matters relating to the state of the churches. It having been at all times our great desire to preserve the unity of your apostolic chair, and the constitution of the holy churches of God which has obtained hitherto, and still obtains.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.8

“Therefore we have made no delay in subjecting and uniting to your Holiness all the priests of the whole East.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.9

“For this reason we have thought fit to bring to your notice the present matters of disturbance; though they are manifest and unquestionable, and always firmly held and declared by the whole priesthood according to the doctrine of your apostolic chair. For we can not suffer that anything which relates to the state of the church, however manifest and unquestionable, should be moved, without the knowledge of your Holiness, who are the head of all the holy churches; for in all things, we have already declared, we are anxious to increase the honour and authority of your apostolic chair.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.10

Following out the line of this acknowledgment the arms of Justinian were soon to be used to crush Arian opposition to the pretensions of the Roman bishopric and to fully establish the temporal power of the Papacy. The Herulian kingdom had been already destroyed. Two others were to be “plucked up” before the Papacy could take its place of temporal sovereignty (Daniel 7:8).PTUK December 2, 1897, page 759.11

A. T. JONES.

“Eternal Verities” The Present Truth 13, 48, p. 761.

ATJ

“THE eternal God is thy refuge.” Deuteronomy 33:27.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.1

He “whose goings forth have been from the days of eternity” is your Saviour. Micah 5:2., margin.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.2

“The eternal Spirit guides you into the knowledge of “the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:11.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.3

Through Him “whose goings forth have been from the days of eternity,” “the eternal God” gives to you “eternal life,” in order that “the eternal Spirit” may guide you into the knowledge of that “eternal purpose,” in which He “hath called us unto His eternal glory.” Romans 6:23; 1 Peter 5:10.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.4

And our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh—is working—for us an eternal weight of glory, while we look at things which are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.5

And, “Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, ... I dwell in the high and holy place,—with Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.” Isaiah 57:15. “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.” Isaiah 43:1.PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.6

Do you not see, then, that the Christian belongs to eternity, and not at all to time?PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.7

Oh, then stand up, and be a Christian in the full enjoyment of the presence of eternity and the consciousness of “the power of an endless life.”PTUK December 2, 1897, page 761.8

A. T. JONES.

November 25, 1897

December 9, 1897