reference to such. Famines and
pestilences may have occurred many times without forming a part of the
Apocalyptic vision.

The greatest objection to giving this part of the vision such a literal
interpretation is, that it fails to bring out its symbolic character. To
what, then, does it refer? We have, as before, a horseman, indicating
that the agent is one of the same general character, differing mainly in
his features and mission. This horse was of a livid, cadaverous hue,
denoting an agent of ghastly, terrible nature. The living rider bore the
awful name of "Death," or as in the original, "The Death," by way of
emphasis. Death literally was not the agent--it is not so stated--but
the rider was termed The Death, or The Destroyer, because of his
terrible mission; and Hell followed with him.

Applying the laws of symbolic language as heretofore, it is evident that
this symbol represents a great persecuting ecclesiastical power. And
with this thought before us, we can scarcely fail to recognize it as a
true description of _the Papacy_. The great apostasy, described under
the preceding seal, prepared the way for the final and complete
establishment of the "man of sin"; but during the period there brought
to view the ministers of religion, power-seeking and apostate as they
were, were unable to enforce their claims by the power of persecution.
Under the present seal, however, is represented a later stage of their
corruption, when a great hierarchal system, sustained and upheld by the
arm of civil power, was able to bear tyrannical rule over a great
portion of the earth. During this period clerical ambition and
usurpation reached its greatest height.

After speaking of the power possessed by the metropolitans, Mosheim
says: "The universal church had now the appearance of one vast republic,
formed by a combination of a great number of little states. This
occasioned the creation of a new order of ecclesiastics, who were
appointed in different parts of the world, as _heads_ of the church, and
whose office it was to preserve the consistence and union of that
immense body, whose members were so widely dispersed throughout the
nations. Such was the nature and office of the Patriarchs." Church
History, Cent. II, part 2.

Thus, the bishops, or metropolitans, of certain of the most important
cities were exalted to a still higher position as special _heads_ of the
church. They were termed _Exarchs_ at first, after the title of t