ROMAN Catholics, in church history, a name given to those christians who be lieve the doctrines and submit to the dis cipline of the church of Rome. They are also called Papists, from papa, father, be cause the Bishop of Rome is not only styled supreme, but cecumenical, or universal bi shop; and they think they are entitled to the appellation of Catholics, because, as they assert, the Romish Church is not only a true church, but the only true church ; having all the marks of the true church : viz. unity, holiness, universality, and apos tolicity. Whether the Church of Rome has any exclusive right to these tour as. Burned marks It is not our business to in quire.
The Roman or Latin Church is a sys tem of goverment, whose jurisdiction ex tends to a great part of the known world ; though its authority has been circum scribed within narrower limits since the era of the reformation; and has been, parti cularly of late years, gradually decaying in every country in Europe.
Of the origin of this most extraordi nary power there are various accounts extant It appears, however, that after the Roman Empire became christian, it was greatly corrupted, till the empire tell, and made way for the dominion and gran deur of the Bishop of Rome, under whom the corruption rose to an amazing height. Early in the fourth century, in which the fathers, Cyril, Basil, Gregory, and Am brose, flourished, was instituted the mo nastic life. Notwithstanding the piety and sanctity to which this institution made pretensions, a manifest love of power, and riches, was predominant; and that, at best, the monastic life laid the founda tion of that superstructure of mystery, intolerance, and superstition, which in subsequent periods of the church made such havock with the peace and happi ness of mankind. It was from this time that the church became modelled by assuming priests ; the simplicity of truth was obscured by mystery ; and the king dom of Christ became a kingdom of this world. The popes, as bishops of Rome,
having laid the foundation of that mo. narchical power to which they afterwards rose, one of the first and most essential steps was the creation of the dignity of Patriarch, afterwards confirmed by the Council of Nice. Thus the hierarchy be came formed according to the constitu tion of the Roman Empire. After this it was resolved, that the precedence and authority of bishops over others should be determined by the rank of the cities where they resided ; and of consequence, in process of time, as it could he effected, the Bishop of Rome must have the su premacy; and this was managed with so much art, as to be confirmed in the next council without its appearingpreviously to have been made a point of.
Constantine the Great, who became a christian, A. D. 312, took the cause of reli gion into his hands, and defended his new friends against the rage of their heathen adversaries with so much success, that he restored peace and tranquillity to the christian world. When the church, un der this Emperor and his successors, en joyed the protection of the civil powers, the christians began to compare their pre sent with their past condition, and called to mind the sufferings of their predeces sors, and the patience and fortitude which they had exerted, particularly in the last and severest persecution. These consi derations raised in them a high, and indeed in some degree a just veneration for the martyrs. But it did not stop here ; what vas at first only a pious veneration, soon rose into a kind of adoration ; and it was discovered that considerable profit might be gained by the sale of bones and reli ques, that it were honourable, not to say miraculous, to possess, and meritorious to preserve. Athanasius and Gregory, Na. zienzen and Chrysostom, used all their power and eloquence to increase the po pular veneration and invocation of saints, the love of monkery, and the belief of miracles wrought by monks and reliques.