And besides this, certain it is till Gratian's time, they all kept the title of Pontifex maximus which was an honour belonging to the great Priest of Jupiter, or to the Devil; Only Gracian, and Theodosius after him, being tender in conscience, refused it, then the Senate of Rome said if he will not ⟨p. 88⟩be Pontifex maximus yet they will have him to Rome, and call him to Rome, and had it not been by a marvellous providence, they had wonderfully prevailed; for at the same time they did restore all the Temples as Julian had done, and established all the Revenues belonging to them, restored them all to the Priests, and the Devil had the place of worship as before; but the Lord putting them down by a mighty providence of his, through the prosperity of Theodosius, he utterly overthrew that title, and through the zeal of his spirit cast down the Temples, would suffer none of them to stand, rooted them out from East to West; Wherever there was any famous Temples, down he throws them; he utterly renounceth the Pontifex maximus, and will have no Temples; he doth confiscate the revenues to the Emperors treasury; and from that time forward indeed, they never recovered, there was no more place found in Heaven: It is true, Constantine began that war in the Empire: but war, it is not a Skirmish or a Battle, it is not soon done, but many times continues long, as between the house of David, and the house of Saul, and that for some scores of years: So in this case, the war began with Constantine, there holy Brightman takes it most right; but for the accomplishment of it, for the Devil to be wholly cast out, and no more place found in Heaven, that was not till Theodosius time; now from that time the Emperors renouncing the title of Pontifex maximus, the Popish sort thought it was a marvellous providence for the advancing of the Roman Catholic Church, that is this Beast; so the next year the Pope took up that name, and holds it to this day: what ever the Popes name be, it is Pontifex maximus, that is his ordinary style, not Bishop, or Arch Bishop, or Primate, or Metropolitan, these are but Images of the Beast, but the head of this Beast is Pontifex maximus, the chief Bishop of Rome: Now this was to the best observation that I can find, in the year 395. about 90. years after Constantine's time, or wanting one or two of that:
And besides this, certaine it is till Gracians time, they all kept the title of Pontifex maximus which was an honour belonging to the great Priest of Jupiter, or to the Devill; Onely Gracian, and Theodosius after him, being tender in conscience, refused it, then the Senate of Rome sayd if he will not ⟨p. 88⟩be Pontifex maximus yet they will have him to Rome, and call him to Rome, and had it not been by a marvelous providence, they had wonderfully prevailed; for at the same time they did restore all the Temples as Julian had done, and established all the Revenues belonging to them, restored them all to the Priests, and the Devill had the place of worship as before; but the Lord putting them down by a mighty providence of his, through the prosperity of Theadosius, he utterly overthrew that title, and through the zeal of his spirit cast down the Temples, would suffer none of them to stand, rooted them out from East to West; Wherever there was any famous Temples, down he throws them; he utterly renounceth the Pontifex maximus, and will have no Temples; he doth confiscate the revenues to the Emperors treasury; and from that time forward indeed, they never recovered, there was no more place found in Heaven: It is true, Constantine began that war in the Empire: but war, it is not a Skirmish or a Battell, it is not soon done, but many times continues long, as between the house of David, and the house of Saul, and that for some scores of yeares: So in this case, the war began with Constantine, there holy Brightman takes it most right; but for the accomplishment of it, for the Devill to be wholly cast out, and no more place found in Heaven, that was not till Theodosius time; now from that time the Emperors renouncing the title of Pontifex maximus, the Popish sort thought it was a marvellous providence for the advancing of the Roman Catholick Church, that is this Beast; so the next year the Pope took up that name, and holds it to this day: what ever the Popes name be, it is Pontifex maximus, that is his ordinary style, not Bishop, or Arch Bishop, or Primate, or Metropolitan, these are but Images of the Beast, but the head of this Beast is Pontifex maximus, the chiefe Bishop of Rome: Now this was to the best observation that I can finde, in the year 395. about 90. years after Constantines time, or wanting one or two of that:
