13. Now these things we teach, not of our
own invention, but having learned them out of the divine Scriptures
used in the Church ἐκκλησιαζομένων.
Cf. Cat. iv. 35, 36, where Cyril distinguishes the Scriptures
ἃς καὶ
ἐν ᾽Εκκλησίᾳ
μετὰ
παρρησίας
ἀναγινώσκομεν
from ὅσα ἐν
᾽Εκκλησίαις
μὴ
ἀναγινώσκεται., and chiefly from
the prophecy of Daniel just now read; as Gabriel also the Archangel
interpreted it, speaking thus: The fourth beast shall be a
fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall surpass all
kingdoms Dan. vii. 23: (R.V.) shall be diverse
from all the kingdoms.. And that
this kingdom is that of the Romans, has been the tradition of the
Church’s interpreters. For as the first kingdom which
became renowned was that of the Assyrians, and the second, that of the
Medes and Persians together, and after these, that of the Macedonians
was the third, so the fourth kingdom now is that of the Romans Irenæus (V. 26)
identifies the fourth kingdom with “the empire which now
rules.” Hippolytus, de Antichristo, §
25: “A fourth beast dreadful and terrible: it had
iron teeth and claws of brass. And who are these but the
Romans?”. Then Gabriel goes on to interpret,
saying, His ten horns are ten kings that shall arise; and another
king shall rise up after them, who shall surpass in wickedness all who
were before him Dan. vii. 24.; (he says, not only
the ten, but also all who have been before him;) and he shall subdue
three kings; manifestly out of the ten former kings: but it
is plain that by subduing three of these ten, he will become the eighth
king; and he shall speak words against the Most High Dan. v. 25. Dean Church compares Rev. xvii. 11: And the beast that was,
and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into
perdition. See also Iren. V. 26, § 1.. A blasphemer the man is and lawless,
not having received the kingdom from his fathers, but having usurped
the power by means of sorcery.