nism. During this century the papacy
secured political recognition of its claims to direct jurisdiction
over all churches. This occurred during the pontificate of Leo I, who,
because of his success in furthering the interests of the popedom,
shares alone with Pope Gregory the title of "the Great." To quote from
the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, Leo "entered upon a pontificate
which was to be epoch-making for the centralization of the government
of the church." Political causes combined to advance the claims of the
papacy to universal recognition. Attila, with his fierce barbarians,
invaded Italy and laid waste many of her fairest provinces and then
advanced boldly on Rome, whereupon Pope Leo went out to the camp of
the invaders and secured the evacuation of Italy. The pope obtained
the full support of Valentinian III. In 445 Leo enforced authority in
the distant patriarchate of Alexandria. In 444-446 he was in conflict
with the Illyrian bishops. During this time in a letter addressed
to them he laid down the principle that St. Peter had received the
primacy and oversight of the whole church and that hence all important
matters must be referred to and decided by Rome. He also proceeded
to extend his authority over Gaul. In this effort he obtained from
Valentinian III the famous decree of June 6, 445, which "recognized
the primacy of the Pope of Rome based on the merits of Peter, the
dignity of the city, and the decrees of Nice (in their interpolated
form); ordained that any opposition to this rulings, which were to
_have the force of law_, should be treated as treason; and provided
for the forcible extradition by provincial governors of any one who
refused to answer a summons to Rome."

The apostle John was banished to the Isle of Patmos in 95. Regarding
that date as the close of the pure apostolic era, and 445, when the
pope received from the emperor of the West official recognition of his
claims to universal supremacy in the church, as representing one other
extreme, we have but to calculate the time half way between these
extremes to find the consistent starting-stake for the beginning of
that time prophecy which is to measure both lines of prophetic truth.
From 95 to 445 is a period of 350 years. Half of this period is
175 years. Therefore 175 years after 95, or 270, is the correct
starting-point.

Protestant church historians recognize the decline that came in the
early church. Many of them, as D'Aubigne, Marsh,