Human sagacity could by no means have conjectured such a character rising up among the people of God, and such deeds perpetrated in the name and form of religion. This required the prescience of the Infinite Mind. But we shall see them all in their dreadful enormity, as we pursue the history of the Romish Inquisition. CHAPTER II. PROGRESS OF ANTICHRIST. Spirit of Antichrist--Priests, Clergy, and Laity--Ceremonies--Mosheim--“Pious Frauds”--Splendour of Prelates--Constantine--the Hierarchy--Titles--Creeds--Arianism--Persecution--Rome and Constantinople--Pope John--Pope Gregory--Mohammed--Claims of the Pope--Henry IV.--Corrupt principles. Divine Wisdom having foreseen, and thus foretold, all the dreadful corruptions of the Christian church, we are interested in marking the steps by which the progress was made. The spirit of popery we behold in the conduct of the judaising teachers of the early Christians, as censured by Paul, and as seen in the proceedings of Diotrephes, who is believed to have been a pastor. John complained of his refusing to “receive the brethren,” the messengers of the apostle, and of his “malicious words,” persecuting some, and casting others out of the church.--(2 John 9, 10.) This ambitious spirit led the pastors in some of the larger churches, early in the second century, to assume the character and title of _priests_, as peculiar to their order. They claimed the privilege of being the Lord’s “heritage,” or clergy, which belonged to the faithful, as distinct from their ministers.--(1 Pet. v. 31.) But they persuaded the people that they had succeeded to the rights of the Jewish priesthood, as God’s clergy; and hence the distinction of _clergy_ and _laity_, which has no foundation in Christianity. This distinction being established, gave immense force to the spirit of popery, which advanced rapidly among the ignorant people. Dr. Mosheim states, “The Christian doctors had the good fortune to persuade the people, that the ministers of the Christian church succeeded to the character, rights, and privileges of the Jewish priesthood; and this persuasion was a new source of honour and profit to the sacerdotal order. This notion was propagated with industry, some time after the second destruction of Jerusalem [A.D. 135] had extinguished all hopes of seeing their government restored to its former lustre, and their country arising from its ruins. And, accordingly, the _bishops_ considered themselves invested with a rank and character similar to those of the _high priests_ among the Jews, while the _presbyters_ represented the _priests_, and the _deacons_ the _Levites_.”