The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

OSCILLATIONS OF THE SUPREMACY. 125the State.The popish element entered into the jurisdictionof the Church when spiritualinto spiritual supremacy.independence was transmutedThis happened about the sixth century,when the Bishop of Rome claimed to be Christ's vicar.From that time the popes began to interfere in temporalmatters by direction ;. for it is curious to note, that the supremacy,as defined in the modern theory, has come back to itsbeginnings, to run, of course, the same career, should thestate of the world permit. At the period of Gregory VII.it ceased to be direction, and became jurisdiction, and so continueddown till the Reformation. Since that time it hasbeen slowly returning through the intermediate stages of indirecttemporal power,—of purely spiritual jurisdiction,—toits original form of direction, at which it now stands.root of the matter is the claim to be Christ's vicar ;But theand tillthat is torn up, the evil and malignant principle cannot beeradicated. The supremacy may change shapes ; it maygo into a nutshell, as some philosophers have held the wholeuniverse may do ; but it can develope itself as suddenly ; and,let the world become favourable, it will speedily shoot upinto its former colossal dimensions, overshadowing all earthlyjurisdiction, and claiming equality with, if not supremacyabove, divine authority. We repeat, according to the moderntheory, to go no higher, all Christendom holds its conscienceas a fief of the Roman see ; and we trust pontificaldignities will forgive the homely metaphor by which we seekto show them the extent of their own power. The governingpower in the world is conscience, or whatever else mayoccupy its place ; and he who governs it governs the world.But the pontiff" is the infallible and supreme director of conscience.He sits above it, like the driver of a railway trainbehind his engine. An ingenious apologist might make out acase of limited powers in behalf of the latter, showing howlittle he has to do with either the course or velocity of the train." He does not drag the train," might such say; " he has notpower enough to move a single carriage; he but regulates thesteam.'" Here is the Pope astride his famous ecclesiastical