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Rome, the Antagonist of the Nation
II. ROME IS THE NATION ’S ANTAGON IST BE CAUSE IT IS A POLITICAL SYSTEM OF FOREIGN DESPOTISM. Rome Pagan persecuted the Christians. Rome Pagan be came Rome Christian under Constantine and ceased perse cuting. Rome nominally Christian became Rome Papal and persecuted more severely than before. The pope controlled the kingdoms of Europe for twelve centuries. How did he gain this power? After the’pope became universal bishop he longed to be free from the Byzantine yoke and wield civil power himself. His opportunity came at last to realize his ambition. Here it is. Clovis the Great entered Gaul and destroyed the Roman army in the battle of Soissons in 486. He then established the French monarchy and became the first of the dynasty of Merovingian kings. The Merovingian dy nasty continued two hundred and fifty years, when it was superseded by the Carlovingian dynasty. The change came thus: Childeric I I I was the last of the Merovingian kings, a weak, incapable prince. Charles Martel was “the Mayor of the Palace,” which placed him next to, but not on, the throne. The Saracens invaded France and threatened European civili sation. Charles Martel conquered them in a seven days’ battle between Tours and Poitiers in 732, and saved Europe from the scourge of Mohammedanism. The government of France was henceforth practically in his hands. His son and suc cessor, Pepin, wished to remove Childeric I I I and establish himself on the throne of France, but he must have a legal permit. He appealed to the pope at Rome for such authority. The pope’s opportunity had come. He offered to do as Pepin desired, providing Pepin would free the Holy See from the domination of Byzantium. So Pepin led his army across the Alps and conquered the provinces, entered Rome, made Stephen III a free Prince. The pope became the king of kings in 755. He girded on two swords, one on each side, emblems of
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