ty to all kings and emperors,
received homage from them, and exercised all the rights of sovereignty;
but they were nominally dependent on the Emperors of the West till A. D.
1278, when the Emperor Rudolph released the people of the Papal States
from all allegiance they might still owe to the imperial crown. This act
was confirmed by the electors and princes of the empire. The Popes, in the
greatness of their power, crowned and uncrowned kings at their pleasure,
absolved subjects from all allegiance to their rulers, excommunicated
whoever they would, and compelled secular princes to put to death
heretics.

In A. D. 1294, Boniface VIII. became Pope. From his accession Hallam dates
the decline of the Papacy, which, for "more than two centuries, had been
on throne of the earth, and reigned despot of the world."--_Dowling_. This
was 1260 years from the death of Peter,--the earliest time from which they
can date. His bull of excommunication against Philip of France, being
disregarded by that monarch, who adroitly made the Pope his prisoner, his
rage brought on a fever, which caused his death. Only a few succeeding
pontiffs claimed, and none attempted to enforce, the prerogatives
exercised by the preceding Popes. For seventy years the successors of
Boniface resided at Avignon, in France, and paid great deference to the
monarch of that country. After this was the Western schism, which divided
the church for forty years,--two rival Popes claiming the mitre, and
thundering out their anathemas against each other. These events greatly
weakened the Papacy. About this time appeared Wickliffe and Huss, and
Jerome of Prague; and still later, in 1517, Martin Luther, in opposition
to the Papal pretensions, published his Thesis against Indulgences, 1260
years from the time of the arrogance of Pope Stephen.

In A. D. 1572, 1260 years from the removal of Constantine from Rome to
Constantinople, occurred the bloody massacre of St. Bartholomew, when in
one day 5000 Protestants were murdered in Paris, and in the same
proportion in other parts of France. The persecutions of the Papists
continued till near the close of the last century; and as late as
November, 1781, a woman was burned alive by the Inquisition in Spain.

In 1793, 1260 years from Justinian's letter to the Pope, the Papal church,
with all religion, was entirely suppressed in France. And in 1798, which
was the same length of time from the establishment of the papacy, by the
conq