An Essay in Universal History
AN ESSAY IN UNIVERSAL HISTORY From an Orthodox Christian Point of View VOLUME I. THE AGE OF FAITH (TO 1453) PART 2: from 800 to 1453 Vladimir Moss © Copyright Vladimir Moss. All Rights Reserved, 2017. 1 If the Emperor forgets the fear of God, he will inevitably fall into sin and be changed into a despot, he will not be able to keep to the customs established by the Fathers, and by the intrigues of the devil he will do that which is unworthy and contrary to the commandments of God, he will become hateful to the people, the senate and the Church, he will become unworthy to be called a Christian, he will be deprived of his post, will be subject to anathema, and, finally, will be killed as the ‘common enemy’ of all Romans, both ‘those who command’ and ‘those who obey’. Emperor Constantine VII, On the Government of the Empire. It is wonderful how, from the time when Pope Nicholas I tried to bring about the divorce between the two Churches, the downward course of Rome proceeded with such rapidity that one could not but recognize God’s finger on the wall, “Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin!” Joseph Overbeck. The judgement of God is higher than that of Rome… Pope Sylvester II (997). The Pope is truly the vicar of Jesus Christ, anointed of the Lord, set between God and man, lower than God but higher than man, who judges all and is judged by no-one. Pope Innocent III. The people should be led, not followed, as God has ordained… Those who say, ‘The voice of the people is the voice of God,’ are not to be listened to, for the unruliness of the mob is always close to madness.
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