The opening of the sixth century witnessed the development of the great apostasy to such an extent that the man of sin might be plainly seen sitting in the temple of God.[784] The western Roman Empire had been broken up into ten kingdoms, and the way was now prepared for the work of the little horn.[785] In the early part of this century, the bishop of Rome was made head over the entire church by the emperor of the east, Justinian.[786] The dragon gave unto the beast his power, and his seat, and great authority. From this accession to supremacy by the Roman pontiff, date the “time, times, and dividing of time,” or twelve hundred and sixty years of the prophecies of Daniel and John.[787] The true people of God now retired for safety into places of obscurity and seclusion, as represented by the prophecy: “The woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”[788] Leaving their history for the present, let us follow that of the Catholic church, and trace in its record the history of the Sunday festival through the period of the Dark Ages. Of the fifth and sixth centuries, Heylyn bears the following testimony:— “The faithful being united better than before, became more uniform in matters of devotion; and in that uniformity did agree together to give the Lord’s day all the honors of an holy festival. Yet was not this done all at once, but by degrees; the fifth and sixth centuries being well-nigh spent before it came into that height which hath since continued. The emperors and the prelates in these times had the same affections; both [being] earnest to advance this day above all other; and to the edicts of the one and ecclesiastical constitutions of the other, it stands indebted for many of those privileges and exemptions which it still enjoyeth.”[789] But Sunday had not yet acquired the title of Sabbath. Thus Brerewood bears testimony:— “The name of the Sabbath remained appropriated to the old Sabbath; and was never attributed to the Lord’s day, not of many hundred years after our Saviour’s time.”[790] And Heylyn says of the term Sabbath in the ancient church:— “The Saturday is called amongst them by no other name than that which formerly it had, the _Sabbath_. So that whenever for a thousand years and upwards, we meet with _Sabbatum_ in any writer of what name soever, it must be understood of no day but _Saturday_.”[791] Dr. Francis White, bishop of Ely, also testifies:— “When the ancient fathers distinguish and give proper names to the particular days of the week, they always style the Saturday, _Sabbatum_, the Sabbath, and the Sunday, or first day of the week, _Dominicum_, the Lord’s day.”[792]