CAUSES ACCOUNTING FOR THE GROWTH OF THE PAPACY. 227 God's favour and eternal happiness; terrifyingthe other with menaces ofvengeance from heaven and endless misery;which ever quell reli- gious, superstitious, weak people, and often daunt men of knowledge and courage. It is presumed unchangeable and unextinguishable by any human power; and thence is not, as all other power, subject to revolutions. Hence, like Achilles, it is hardly vincible, because always immortal. If it be sometimes rebuffed or impaired, it soon will recover greater strength and vigour. The popes derive their authorityfrom divine institution;' and their weapons always are sentences of Scripture. They pretend to dis- pense remission of sins, and promise heaven to their abettors. They excommunicate, curse, and damn the opposers of their de- signs. They pretend they never can lose any power that ever belonged to their see; they are always stiff, and they never recede or give back. " The privileges of the Roman church," [say they,] " can sustain no detriment."' 4. Power is easily attained and augmented upon occasion ofdis- sensions. Each faction usually makes itself a head, the chief in strength and reputationwhich it can find inclinable'to favour it, and that head it will strive to magnify, that he may be the abler to pro- mote its cause; and if the cause prosper, he is rewarded with acces- sion of privileges and authority; especially those who were oppressed, and find relief by his means, become zealously active for his aggran- dizement. Thus, usually, in civil broils the captain of the prevalent party grows a prince, or is crowned with great privileges, as Cæsar, Octa- vain, Cromwell, &c. So, upon occasion of the Arian faction, and the oppression of Athanasius, Marcellus, Paulus, and other bishops, the pope, who, by their application to him, had occasion to head the catholic party, grew in power; for thereupon the Sardican synod decreed to him that privilege, which he infinitely enhanced, and which became the main engine of rearing himself so high. And by his interposai in the dissensions raised by the Nestorians, the Pelagians, the Eutychians, the Acacians, the Monothelites, the Image-worshippers and Image -breakers, &c., his authoritywas ad- vanced; for he, adhering in those causes to the prevailing party, was by them extolled, obtaining both reputation and sway. 5. All power is attended by dependencies of persons sheltered ' Dist. xxi. cap. 2, 3. 2 Privilegia Romana ecelesia nullum possunt sustinere detrimentum &c. P. Nie. L, Ep. xxxvi. 32.
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