ied defense of the
principles of persecution." (See "Dictionary of Christian Biography," by
Smith and Wace, art. "Pope Pelagius.")

The prophecy declared that the Papacy would be given special supremacy
during a period of 1260 years.

In A.D. 533 came the memorable imperial declaration recognizing
that supremacy, and in A.D. 538 came the stroke with the sword
of Rome, cleaving the way; and there began the new order of popes--"men
of the state, and then rulers of the state."

Thus decisive events clearly mark the beginning of the prophetic period
of the 1260 years. And just 1260 years from the decree of 533, in
recognition of the papal supremacy, came a decree, in 1793, aimed
against that supremacy; and just 1260 years from that stroke with the
sword at Rome in behalf of the Papacy, came a stroke with the sword at
Rome against the Papacy.

[Illustration: STORMING OF THE BASTILLE PRISON IN PARIS

An event in the French Revolution which marked the ending of the old
autocratic order.]

FOOTNOTES:

[E] The exact date should be 538, as given in the quotation from
Schaff's history. "From the death of Silverius [June, 538] the Roman
Catholic writers date the episcopacy of Vigilius."--_Bower, "History of
the Popes," under year 538._

[Illustration: TAKING THE POPE PRISONER

This was accomplished by Berthier, the French general, in 1798.]

THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA

THE END OF THE 1260 YEARS

As the generation in which the papal power rose to supremacy was a
turning-point in the history of the world, so, too, was the generation
in which the 1260 years of its supremacy came to an end.

This measuring line of prophecy does more than run from date to date. It
connects two great crises in human history, the events of the first
tending to establish the papal rule over men, the events of the second
signalizing a breaking of those bands.

A Crisis in History

Papal supremacy came at that time of which Finlay says, "The changes of
centuries passed in rapid succession before the eyes of one generation."
The measuring line of 1260 years runs on through the centuries till, lo,
its end touches another time of crisis,--Europe in the convulsions of
the French Revolution, when again changes, ordinarily requiring
centuries, were wrought out before the eyes of men within the space of a
few years. Lamartine wrote of that time:

"These five years are five centuries for France."--_"History of
the Girondists,"