Council thus speaks We have pronounced a definitive Sentence free from Error certain and Infallible by the assistance of the Holy Spirit inspiration of the Holy Ghost The Emperour 's mere will was thereby made a Divine Law obliging the Conscience under the notion of the immediate will of God whenever the things enjoyned were really no part of his declared will And thus came the Emperours to make good the Title of Their c Cod. Justinian tit Trinitat l. 3. Theodos Valentinian Hormisdae P. P. According to those Laws which have already been made by our Divinity How much Our Divinity abhors And Novell 126. A most manifest constitution Of Our Deity Nostri Numinis Baronius Anno. 419. Honorius the Emperour gives this order to Symmachus Praef. Urb. upon the information sent him about the Schism of Boniface and Eulalius We Command that Boniface forthwith depart and obey our Celestial Command And Symmachus in Answer to Honorius's further order to receive Boniface returns this We having published the Celestial Decree every one was rejoyced at it Pancirol Notit Imp. Orient p. 109. The Emperour did first subscribe his name to the Rescript before any else A. A. Manu Divina Ibidem p. 172. 6. And thus used the Prince to subscribe his Hand A. M. D. That is August Manu Divina Novel Valentinian l. de Homicidio casu And those who had the Emperours hand to their Letters are said to be pricked or pointed down by the Divine Hand lib. 4. c. de Advocat dicitur jamjam Justinian calls this A Divine Marking out Divinam subnotationem l. 1. in fin c. de Justin c. confirmand Accordingly had the Emperours Letters-Patents the name of Sacra in distinction to all other Licenses So Zeno Lib. penult c. de Re Militari We allow none for the future to be Listed either in their Horse or Foot without the Commendatory Letter of our Divinity sine numinis nostri sacra probatoria And afterwards That they only be listed on the Confines or in the Lists who have a License for it from Our Divinity Probatorias sc Sacras a nostra Divinitate And Pancirol Notit Imp. Orient pag. 255. Observes in general That the Actions and Affairs of the Emperours have every where in the Civil Law the epithete of Divine as His Divine Indulgence His Divine Delegation His Divine Sanction His Divine House c. Divinity which was before the stile of their common Edicts upon much more proper and real grounds than ever before was thought of and the obedience that was given to their will in such things under the notion of the dictate of the Divine Spirit and as necessary to Salvation to be believed was the giving them a Divine Honour and the worshipping of their will as the Will of God 2. All the honour and preference that is given to the Roman Church is said even by General Councels which did first distinguish this Church from the rest to be given it only because Rome was the Imperial City of the World All the Worship then that is given to the Roman Church is given it only in Honour of the Imperial Authority of that City and so the worshipping of that Church is the worshipping of that Authority d Concil Constantinopol sub Gratiano Theodosio Canon 5. So Socrates l. 5. c. 8. And Sozomon gives this Reason for it l. 7 c. 9. Because that Constantinople had not only the same name and a like Senate and Magistrates with Rome but did also carry the same Ensigns of Authority after the manner of Rome and was equal to old Rome in all Rights and Honours The second General Councel at Constantinople did decree That the Bishop of Constantinople should be the next in precedence to the Bishop of Rome because that City was new Rome And this is thus explained by the Fathers of the 4th General Councel of Chalcedon at their confirmation of equal Priviledges to the See of Constantinople with those of the See of Rome The Fathers say they gave the See of old Rome its Priviledges upon the account e Concil Chalcedon sub Mareiano Valentin Canon 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for its being the Reigning City Baronius Anno. 448 Cites Valentinian's acknowledgment of the See of Rome Novell 14. That the merit of St. Peter the Dignity of the City and the Authority of the Synod were the foundations of its Primacy If there had been a Divine Right it would have been a diminution to it to speak of the other And in the year 451. He quotes Galla Placidia's Letter to her Son Theodosius about that Affair who says there That it did become them to keep up a due reverence to the City of Rome because it is the Lady of all the rest A clear evidence of the ground of the Primacy of the See of Rome is that Law of the Emperour Leo l. 6. l. 15. and in sin c. de Sacros Eccles which was made a little while after the Councel at Constantinople when the Empire of Rome in the West was just falling We judge and ordain says he That the Most Holy Church of this Most Religious City of Constantinople the Mother of our Piety and of all Christians of the Orthodox Religion and the Most Holy See of this Royal City for ever have for the future in consideration that it is the Imperial City All Priviledges and Honours over the Creations of Bishops Right of Precedence before all others and all other things which they shall be known to have had either before or during our Reign And that this continued appears from l. 16. c. de Sacros Ecclesiis The Church of Constantinople is Head of all other Churches Upon this account also was it as Guicciardin observes l. 4. Histor That the Bishops of Ravenna and Constantinople so often disputed the Primacy with the Bishop of Rome because that it was thought that the chief Seat of the Church followed the residence of the Imperial Power And the Arch-bishop of Ravenna in particular refused to receive the Pall from the Bishop of Rome in acknowledgment of the superiority of the Pope for the Reign of four Popes together viz. Martin 1. Eugenius 1. Vitalian and Adeodat and they were therefore called Autocephali or Self-headed by the Popes in memory of it Anastasius Bibliothec. in these Popes lives says that it was against the Supremacy that they contended of the Imperial Authority of it upon the same account did the Hundred and fifty Bishops at Constantinople give the same Priviledges also to the See of New-Rome judging it in all reason fit That a City adorned with a Senate and an Imperial power should enjoy the same Priviledges with Old Rome 〈…〉 like unto it to have the tokens of Majesty in Ecclesiastical Affair The Synod in Trullo gives the general reason of this from 〈◊〉 Ancient Canon of the Church in its Thirty eighth Canon which was That the Ecclesiastical dignities should follow the Imperial Orders
by the dissention of two Popes we ought to summon the one and the other and to determine the difference by the Advice of the Orthodox at the day of meeting declares that the right of assembling them did belong unto him For so says he did Constantine Theodosius Justinian Charlemaigne Radevicus l. 2. Ã cap. 52. ad c. 65. Grotius Respons de Antichristo Gregory the Great acknowledges the Emperor to be His Lord and obeys his Edicts And the Imperial Power was very magnificently exercised upon the Popes themselves by the Otho's And Rome had its Magistrates set over it that were sworn to the Emperor Onuph Panvin l. de Fastis pag. 61. From the time of Justinian the Power of the Consuls ceased at Rome And it was governed by the Emperor's Exarchs and by a particular Duke over the City of Rome Hieron Rubeus Histo Ravennat Anno 590. Alberic de Rofat a Famous Lawyer shows in verbo Roma that Rome was under the Emperor's disposal to the time of Innocent the Second and that the Popes acknowledged the Emperors their Lords by the Bishops of Rome Their ordinary Style was Our Lords the Emperors and themselves their meanest Servants They got indeed not long after the Title of Vniversal Bishop over all the whole Church but it was then known to be got hh See Note m on Chap. 4. and the Note g ibidem Ludovic Bebenburg de jurib Reg. Imp. Rom. Edit Heidelbergi pag. 46. The Greeks a long while before the Translation of the Empire to Charlemaigne were departed from the obedience of the Roman Church setting up the Church of Constantinople for their Head And because that Church did write it self the first of all Churches Phocas the Emperor at the request of Boniface the Third decreed that the Church of Rome should be the Head of all Churches by the Emperor's Allowance and Protection in it And the very opening the Pantheon for the worship of the Saints was wholly ii Anastas Bibliothec. in Bonifacio Quarto At the same time he begg'd of the Emperor Phocas the Temple called Pantheon which he made the Church of the Blessed Virgin and all the Martyrs by the Emperor's Grant and Favour But notwithstanding this Grant we see kk See Note b c e x on this Chapter the Imperial Jurisdiction over the Councils still continuing ll See the Sixth General Council in Note b on this Chapter The Sixth General Synod is acknowledged in the Acts of it to be called by the Emperor Constantine to be wholly managed either by himself or such as he deputed in his absence to be confirmed by him and to be made an Imperial Law by his Edict for the observance of it Concil Univers 6. Action 18. Therein also do we find Pope Honorius anathematized for an Heretick But Justinian's Fifth Council with all the Extravagancies of it though called managed and enforced by the Emperor 's sole Power against the will of Pope Vigilius is there made a perpetual Concil 6. in Trullo Action 18. Edit Constantin Rule for the Church and of equal Authority with the first four famous Councils which Gregory the Great did reverence like the four Gospels and Justinian's Faith there celebrated by Pope Agatho as a great Pattern Thus did things continue till that famous Breach betwixt the East and the West about the Point of Image-worship and yet at that time did Gregory the Second who rebelled against the Emperor Leo Isaurus call him the King and Head of the Christians And long after that did the mm See Notes i l xx on this Chapter Platina in Pelag. 2. Pelagius having been elected by the Clergy and People without staying for the Emperor's leave because the Lombards did then besiege the City sent Gregory his Deacon to excuse it to the Emperor at Constantinople Because says Platina the Election of the Clergy signified nothing in those days without the approbation of the Emperor Blondus Decad. 1. l. 9. de Severino 1. Honorio Then was that Custom observed that he that was chosen Bishop of Rome was not crowned till the Exarch came from Ravenna to confirm him D. 63. c. Hadrianus 22. Sigonius de Reg. Ital. l. 4. By the Consent of all the Great Men of Rome there assembled it was agreed that Charlemaigne should have the power of electing the Pope and of ordering the Roman Church D. 63. c. in Synodo 23. Pope Leo the Eighth Anno 963. in a Synod at Rome consents to that Canon That none shall be elected Pope but by the Emperor's leave The Title of the Canon in Gratian is The Election of the Bishop of Rome belongs of right to the Emperor And also two years before at his reception at Rome Ann. 961. the Romans swear Fealty to him and that they would never elect a Pope without his leave nor ordain him without the Consent and Election of the Emperor Otho and the King his Son Luitprand l. 6. c. 6. Aventin l. 5. Annal. Boiar Till his time Gregory the 7th the Popes used to be chosen by the Clergy Nobility People and Senate and above all came in the Emperor's Authority to confirm it The Council of Worms says the same of Gregory Sigonius de Reg. Ital. lib. 9. The Diet of Ratisbonne 1322. published a long Decree against Pope John XXII and amongst other things declare against the Pope's Election without the Emperor Aventin l. 7. Popes not only continue to be confirmed by the Emperors but also to be chosen by them But since it was necessary for this universal conformity to the Roman Worship to be managed by a Church-Head after the division of the Empire into so many absolute Civil Sovereigns there can be no dispute in this case about the Imperial share in the worship of the Beast though the Papal Power should afterwards appear to be the almost only active thing in this Affair For it must necessarily be so to fulfil that which is said of the False-prophet that he did exercise all the power of the first Beast and caused the World to worship that Beast and made men make an Image to it which they must worship under pain of death For the power of the Roman Church under the Pope does exactly answer these things and this being all done in honour of the Imperial Command of the City of Rome makes it still the worship of the Imperial Power CHAP. VIII Rev. XIII The first date of the Idolatry of the Roman Church very early The worshipping of Images or Saints in honour of the True God Idolatry shown from Hosea 4. 15. and chap. 8. 13. compar'd with chap. 13. 2. So also chap. 8. 5. Idolatry begun in Justinian 's days proved from the Second Council of Nice The 82 d Canon of the Synod in Trullo From the Zeal of Serenus From the 26. c. Episc Clero Saint-worship in use before St. Augustin 's days and unquestionably in his time shown from the Accusation of
people that are given up to a reprobate mind for denying Babylon in the 2 Peter 5. 13. to be Rome and then shew us the almost unanimous Consent of the Fathers concerning it And Grotius who has used all the dexterity of his Wit to remove the Scene of these Visions from the Church of Rome yet does upon the 9th and 18th Verses of this Chapter affirm That there could not have been given more illustrious Marks of the City of Rome than those that are there expressed of it This positive Testimony for the unquestionable Evidence of this Proposition against the doubts and waverings of others is a great encouragement to expect as sufficient a proof of it from the grounds that are laid down for it in the Prophecy which are now therefore to be considered 1. And first The Angel's promise at the 7th Verse of this Chapter to explain to the Prophet the mystical expressions of the Woman and the Beast which he had invited him to the shew of in the beginning of the Chapter would make any judge he might with very good reason expect to see it performed by him in so clear a manner as might tolerably answer the promise that he had before made of it 2. The Angel may be found thereupon describing Babylon by such Characters as were the individual and peculiar Characters of the City of Rome v. 9 18. by its seven Hills and its Reign over the Kings of the Earth for there was no City in the World that ruled over the Kings of the Earth and that was seated upon seven Hills but that City only But Rome was very eminent for this It commanded the East the West the South and some of the parts of the North to the end of the then civiliz'd World And e Varro lib. 4. de LL. Dies septimontium nominatus ab his septem montibus in queis sita urbs est Varro informs us of a yearly Festival at Rome that was called Dies Septimontium to celebrate the memory of the seven Hills upon which the City was built 3. Rome was also at the time of this Explication generally known by the appellatives of The seven-hill'd City The Queen and Lady of the World It was not better known by the Letters of its own proper Name by persons of any fashion than by these Appellatives as may be seen amongst all the famous Poets especially of that Age and who were generally esteemed and read all over the Roman Empire as f Virgil Georg. lib. 2. Aeneid lib. 6. Septemque una sive muro circumdedit arces And all The seven-tow'r'd Hills has compass'd with one Wall Virgil g Horace in carmine saeculari Diis quibus septem placuere colles Dicere carmen To sing unto the Gods who love the place Which the sev'n Hills do grace Horace h Ovid. Fastor lib. 1. Sed quae de septem totum circumspicis orbem Montibus Imperii Roma Deûmque locus But Thou who from thy sev'n-hill'd Seat Seest the World crouching at thy feet Rome in thy Gods and Empire Great Ovid i Propertius Septem urbs alta juges toti quae praesidet orbi The Town that rules the World advanc'd upon The sev'n Hills for its Throne Propertius k Martial lib. 12. Epigr. 8. Terrarum Dea gentiumque Roma Cui par est nihil nihil secundum Rome the Worlds Godess by all Nations fear'd To whom no thing is like no thing to be compar'd Martial l Lucan Atque omnis Latio servit quae purpura ferro And every Crowned Head and State Who to the Roman Arms submit their Fate Lucan c. 4. And these Characters we find also expresly fixed to a certain time when they could not be understood of any other Place as The seven Hills where the Woman sitteth that is at this present time The City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth that is at Ver. 9 18. this moment or at that time when the Angel spoke to the Apostle all along that Chapter to unfold the Mystery to him From these plain Circumstances I could not think it would be any dangerous venture to be confident That Babylon must be Rome For who can think it possible for an Angel of God to promise in the first place to explain the mystical terms of a Prophecy to an Apostle of Christ then to go on immediately to perform it by Characters of them which were very peculiar and individual Properties of things that were alone known to have them and by which they were generally known and understood to be meant in the common conversation of the world and to fix them also to a certain time when they were so generally used and yet after all this that the Angel might understand them in a much different sense How then is it possible to know the meaning of the plainest words in Scripture if in such circumstances as these an Angel of God could have given such an invincible temptation to the world to deceive themselves without any possibility to prevent it I could not therefore judge it possible that Babylon here should be any thing else but Rome This I was still the more free in because I saw it the confidence CONSENT of those who tho' they make the outward Testimony of a Church their ordinary Rule to judge of any divine infallible Truth yet here speak with all imaginable assurance about a thing which their Church never defined upon the account of the over-bearing evidence of the Text for it and this also freed me from all fear of any partial prejudice against their Church that might make me too ready to join with the rest in this great assurance As for the wavering Opinions of others about it I knew it to be no strange thing to find Learned and Worthy Persons of different Judgments about the most certain and even the most undeniable Truths either upon the account of former prejudices or want of sufficient consideration or from an unaccountable indifference for some things or from some peculiar propension to others so as sometimes to maintain very plain Contradictions to the common sense of men as it was of old observed of the subtilest Reasoners in the world That there was nothing so absurd which was not maintained by some or other of the Philosophers I had read of very learned Scepticks that doubted of the Certainty of Mathematical Demonstrations had known many Judicious and Worthy Persons that could not see any absolute Contradiction in the most difficult Notion of Transubstantiation and much more easie is it for the best men to apprehend That in the clearest Explication of a Mystery as this is there may possibly be a further Mystery Let the reason of the indifference of others have been what it will we are sure That if any mystical Figure should be now said by an Angel to signifie the most Christian King with the Flower-de-Luces or the most Catholick
found to signify the City of Rome in its Antichristian Domination by Prop. 1. 3. And the desolation of Babylon in the Prophets for which the same Expressions with these here are used does signify the last end of that Monarchy or Ruling Power 4. And besides It is the general usage of the Prophetical Writings to set out the last Ruine of a Ruling People by the desolation of the chief City of that Nation at the same time Thus is the Ruine of the Kingdom of Israel Judah Egypt and of the Babylonians represented by the Desolations of Samaria Jerusalem Noph and Babylon 5. But more particularly is it set forth in this Prophecy that the desolation of Babylon is not after the end of that Monarchy which it here represents For The Beast whose Heads do represent this City and is himself called the King of it is not dethroned till after the desolation of Babylon in the 18th Chapter as appears Chapters 19 20. And Chap. 16. 14 19. The Judgment upon Babylon is betwixt the meeting of the Strength of that Monarchy in Harmageddon and the last end of it in the 19th Chapter From hence it appears That Babylon in none of the mentions of it in the Revelations can be Rome Corollar Pagan This may safely be concluded from the name of The Whore here given to Babylon For when a Nation or City is said in Scripture to commit Fornication or to be an Harlot It signifies that Nation or City to have apostatized from the True Religion to Idolatry see the three first Chapters of Hosea And therefore must Babylon here signify Rome Christian turned Idolatrous which was not till after the time of Rome Pagan The name of Harlot is indeed given to Nineveh Nahum 3. 4. But that Prophecy was after that of Jonah in whose time the people of Niniveh are said to have believed in God and to have repented Jonah 3. 5 10. And so the Idolatry of Nineveh after that time was her Apostacy from the true Faith But it is much more confirmed from the preceding Propositions For Babylon is in all the mentions of it the same Antichristian state of the Reign of Rome by Prop. 2. And in that state of it it is desolated by Fire by Propos praeced But this was never known to have been done in the time of the Reign of Rome-Heathen There was nothing that had the least appearance of the desolation of Rome or of the dissolution of the Roman Government at Constantine's Triumphs over Paganism much less was there any thing like the least part of the description of the desolation of Babylon by fire as it is here most remarkably signified But Grotius and Dr. Hammond to uphold their applications of these things to Rome-Heathen will have Rome to be Babylon two hundred years after it was come under the Christian Emperors because there were a part of the Senate and now and then a Consul that were Pagans for that space of time after Constantine's Triumph over Paganism and therefore that the last desolation of Babylon by fire was at the burning of Rome by Totila An. 546. where the storm of the Enemies fury lay almost wholly upon the Pagan Party and the Christians were most saved by flying to the Churches In the first place it may here by the way be observed what becomes of the ground of Dr. Hammond's confidence That the things in the Revelations were all to be fulfilled in the Times next to the Age in which they were seen from what is said Chap. 1. 1. Things that must shortly come to pass For here are near five hundred years time allowed by the Doctor for the fulfilling them And then he makes the Turks also to be foretold in them besides by Gog and Magog which requires some hundreds Chap. 20. 8. of years more and yet the Doctor speaks with a great confidence and assurance of the fulfilling of all soon after the time that the Prophecy was given But without further concern about that let us now observe the strange absurdities of this Explication 1. According to this Rome must be Babylon or Rome for 200 years after that the Baylonish Throne in it had been pulled down and when its conquering Enemy the Christian Church had been for all that time triumphing in its room in the Imperial Throne in the publick Laws in all parts of the Government and in the publick places of Divine Worship 2. And then Rome Christian whilst it was the possession of a Rev. 18. 20. Christian Prince must be supposed to be burnt to bear the vengeance of Rome Heathen for shedding the Blood of Christian Saints and Martyrs so many years after that Heathenism had been there publickly triumph'd over 3. The Christians also who did then defend their City against Rev. 18. 4. another Christian Prince must be supposed to be called upon from Heaven to come out of it and so to give up their Masters Right to the Enemy lest they should be made to partake of the punishment of Rome for its Heathenism 200 years before to which they were the greatest Enemies for none was more zealous against Paganism than Justinian who was at that time Lord of Rome as appears by the severity of his Laws against it 4. Of the same extravagant nature must it be to make the Rev. 18. 20. Heavens the Apostles and Prophets and all the faithful Christians in the City at that time to triumph with joy at the burning of the Houses and Goods of most Christians and a few Pagans together and at the taking of a City by the Christian Goths from the Christian Romans 5. And the burning not a third part of Rome as Grotius confesses of this Exploit of Totila's and the slaughter of a few Pagans in it must be made to be the giving Rome-Pagan double revenge for the Blood of the Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain upon the Earth by the Pagan Power of Rome Rev. 8. 6. all over the Empire It must be the giving Rome-Pagan the Cup of the Wine of the fierceness of the Wrath of God Chap. 16. 19 6. The Pagan Kings also of the Roman Empire which had committed Fornication with Rome-Pagan some hundreds of years before that is had complied with the Roman Idolatry must in this way be supposed to be alive to lament the sad condition Rev. 18. 9. of a Christian City at the taking it by a Christian Prince or at best the Heathen Kings then in the World no body knows when within many hundred miles of that City must grievously lament for the slaughter of some Pagan Romans with whom they had been used to comply in the Pagan Way Nothing indeed does make Grotius more to be suspected of intending only to play with this Prophecy or only to vex some hot Apocalyptical Men amongst his Adversaries than the seemingly-wilful Application of the Kings of the Earth that had committed Fornication with Babylon in the 18th Chapter
in any thing here by the Authority of his Judgment only And the most a Cornel. Ã Lapide in cap. 17. Apocalyps v. 2. Ex dictis patet non esse probabile c. From what has been said it appears That it is not probable what a Learned Man has imagined viz. That those things which we meet with in this and the following Chapter may be understood of the Sacking of Rome by Alaricus Gensericus Odoacer and Totila for those Exploits were not done by Ten Kings as it is in the Text but by single Kings Nor were they so considerable as that shall be which is described in the following Chapter that is the last and never-before-parallell'd Ruine of Rome So also Malvenda pag. 186. in cap. 19. v. 9. Apocalyp It is manifest That this denotes the burning of Babylon that is of Rome in the end of the World Idem pag. 187. Equidem si cuncta c. For if what the H. Evangelist has delivered from the 11th verse Chap. 18. Apocal. be observed one may see very plainly from thence That John did undoubtedly prophesie of that state in which Rome should be about the end of the World Bellarmin lib. 4. de Pontif. cap. 4. Nor is it any Objection against this That Rome is to be laid waste and burnt according to Rev. 17. 16. For this will not be till about the end of the World Ribera in cap. 18. Apoc. v. 21. But the Greatness of the Stone signifies something more viz. That Babylon is to be utterly destroyed so that there shall be no footsteps of it to be seen And v. 22. After this manner do the Prophets usually speak of Cities that are ruined Jerem. 25. Malvenda de Antichristo pag. 185. The first Opinion viz. That Rome will be an Idolatrous Harlot in the time of Antichrist is probable because Rome which is to be destroy'd about the end of the World must be destroy'd for some Crime against the Church of Christ Ribera pag. 455. in cap. 14. Apoc. num 44. For that Rome shall be utterly burnt not only for its former sins but also for those which it shall commit in the last times is so manifestly to be known from these words of the Apocalypse that the silliest man in the world cannot deny it Eminent of the Roman Interpreters do also agree in this Opinion and shew it to be the mind of the b Alcasar Notat 13. Prooemial The Ancient Fathers did agree That the Roman Empire shall continue till the City of Rome shall be burnt with corporeal Fire and that also by Ten Kings Ancient Fathers It is a great confirmation of the evidence of these inconveniences against the making Babylon Rome-Heathen That they have forc'd the most judicious and ingenuous of the Roman Interpreters rather to venture upon applying all to the City of Rome in an Apostacy from the Roman Church about the end of the World for three years and an half acording to the time of forty two months or twelve hundred and sixty days assigned for the Reign of the Beast tho' they have thereby manifestly endangered the Two Chief Notes of their Church that is Vniversality and Infallibility For Babylon must then seduce All Nations and All the Kings of the Earth which must at least signifie all the Nations within the bounds of the Roman Empire which must be vastly greater than the rest of the Roman Church and then it would have the Authority of Rome it self at that time and of all its Empire to make it a fallible and deluding Roman Church greater than any remaining part of that Church But the certain Obstacles against this are first That Rome must thus be supposed to get the Conquest of all Nations Rev. 17. 18. and of all the Kings of the Earth within three years time for that is made to be the time of her Reign and not only to get such a miraculous Conquest in that time but also to make all Nations own her Idolatry in that space of time which must be a far greater Miracle than ever God Rev. 17. 2. yet suffered the Devil to work in the World and that also against all the Light and Resolution of mens Consciences to the contrary which is a more difficult matter to bend against the Natural Course of it than the subject-matter of any other Miracle Rome must also by this be supposed to advance all Merchants to an incredible Stock of Wealth and Riches within Rev. 18. 15. the space of three years and an half by Foreign Traffique with her For these Merchants are to be all that trade by Sea and the Great Men or Princes of the Earth And how monstrous a thing is this to think of Foreign Merchants v. 17. within so short a time when the business of but one ordinary Voyage does take up the best part of one of those years This the chief Author of this Opinion Ribera does ingenuously confess to be a very hard thing to imagine the manner of and that He himself does account it a wonderful and miraculous thing and thereby does seem to allow us the liberty of taking it for a kind of incredible thing as Miracles before they are done are generally accounted to be And then this makes it at least very highly probable That the time of forty two months or of one thousand two hundred and sixty days of the Reign of Babylon with the Beast who carries her and to whose Seven Heads she is always fixed must be understood in such a mystical sense as will give time enough for the things that are described to be done in that Reign and according to the use of such parts of time in a mystical sense amongst the Prophets by Rule 3. which will make the time of Babylon to begin many Ages before the end of the World From hence then it appears That we have this encouragement already for our hopes of a clear Determination of the Application of this Prophecy viz. That there are but three ways yet pitched upon for the Application of it that is to Rome-Pagan to Rome-Christian and to Rome about the end of the World The first of which has been found to be very Absurd and the last Incredible And this is an inviting fore-tast of the satisfaction that may be expected from the more orderly and cautious Examination of the Grounds of all clear Determinations concerning these Visions CHAP. IV. Rev. XVII Inferences drawn from the former Chapter to discover the Nature of the Three last Heads of the Beast and the time of the Reign of the last called The Beast An Account of the Author's Method THE determination of the Reign of Babylon to the times after the end of Rome-Pagan which seems now to be unquestionable does offer a very fair light for some general discoveries about the Mystery of the Beast and his Heads which seem by the order of them to be designed to be the Clue to direct us in
destruction of the Species or Soul of it that is of the Society of that People either by Slavery or by Subjection only to a new Authority Artic. 4 5 6. Ibid. Artic. 8. As Grotius determines concerning the continuance of the same body of People in the See References 9th Chapter of his Second Book de jure Belli Pacis And therefore were they still the commanding Authority of the Roman Empire 9. This is very learnedly confirmed by b Thus were the People of Rome the same under Kings Consuls and Emperours And Artic. 11. are the same at this day because they still retain that Society in Civil Government which they had formerly and therefore the Imperial Power did always reside in them as in the Body in which it lived For whatever the People of Rome could have formerly done of right before the time of the Emperours the same had they power to do upon the death of any Emperour before there was another chosen The Election of the Emperours did also belong to the People of the City of Rome and was oftentimes performed by the People either alone or by the Senate for them And those Elections which were made by first one and then another Legion of the Army were not valid by the right of those Legions for in a flitting Body there could be no certain right but from the approbation of the People It is no Objection against this that by the Decree of Antoninus all the Subjects of the Roman Empire were made Citizens of Rome For the rest of the Roman Subjects got nothing more by that Decree than what the Colonies and free Cities of the Empire and the Roman Provinces used to have which was to be partakers of the Roman Honours and to have the privileges of Quirites not that the Seat and Fountain of Government should be in other parts of the Empire as it was at Rome For that was not in the power of the Emperour to give who could not change the Fundamental Laws for the exercise of the Governing Power Nor was it any diminution of the Right of the People of Rome that the Emperours chose rather to live at Constantinople afterwards than at Rome For then also did the whole People of Rome confirm and make valid the Election which was made by a part of them at Constantinople who for that are called the Byzantine Quirites by Claudian And those of Rome did still preserve the Prerogative of their City and the honour of the precedence of their Consul which was no small Monument of their Original Right Wherefore all the Right which those of Constantinople had to chuse the Roman Emperour did depend upon the Will of the People of Rome To this purpose is that of Hieron Balbus de Conventione c. 13. But sometimes the Emperour was chosen by the Army who was then accounted rightly chosen if the Authority of the Senate and People of Rome did confirm it Ludovic â Rebeuberg a Caesarian Writer cap. 3. de juribus Reg. Imp. Romanor Charlemaign never called himself Emperour before he was anointed and crowned by Pope Leo The Romans with one Consent did give the Imperial Acclamations to Charlemaign And when he was crowned by Pope Leo they called him Caesar and Augustus M. Fribeius in the Comment In which way of Acclamation says he the popular Election both at Rome and Constantinople did at that time consist As Paulus Diaconus in Histor Miscella Anastas Bibliothecarius do testify Grotius himself in that same Chapter and the Comment on it where he shews as a Lawyer That it was always acknowledged to be the right of the Senate and People of Rome to determine the next Succession to the Government of the Roman Empire in the time of every vacancy That therefore all Elections of Princes and Laws were to be confirmed by them So that the Constantinopolitan Emperours were generally so confirmed and their Laws ratified by the Authority of the City of Rome And to give authority to their Government they had one of the Consuls and a part of the Senate of Rome generally residing with them as delegated from that City to give authority to their Orders as long as there was a good correspondence betwixt the Eastern and Western Empires And to show which of the Seats of the Empire was the chief Fountain of the Roman Power the Consul of the City of Rome always had the precedence So that as long as the Power of the Roman Senate and Consuls did continue at Rome which was till the Conquest of Rome by Justinian the Sovereign Power of that City must come in for a share at least in the then Ruling Head of the Beast which is all that is necessary to be here established 10. And the way to make any man a Roman in distinction to others that were Subjects of that Empire was to make him a Citizen of Rome which did manifestly shew that no Power could be properly said to be the Head of the Roman Empire that was without any Authority from the City of Rome 11. The City of Rome had also a very peculiar acknowledgment from the whole Government of the Empire that it was the Head and Fountain of all the Power of the Roman Empire and in a more eminent way than we read of any other City besides For all the Governors of the Provinces at their return from their Office used to lay down the Ensigns of their Authority at the Gates of the City of Rome before they entred the Town in acknowledgment of the first Fountain of their Magistracy which they did therefore thus signify to be resigned up into her hands when they returned home again L. ult de Officio Procons 12. Besides That during the whole time of the division of the Empire to the Reign of c Cod. Justinian Praefat. Consuetudo Romanae Urbis sequenda ab omnibus quia Roma est Caput Orbis Terrarum To this purpose do the Eastern Emperours before give the precedence to the City of Rome So all over Cassiodorus's Varior p. 41 112 207 302 311 319 341 348 359 361 390 396. Rome has the name of the Head of the World with such Characters as these in that City where Honour does always reside in the most sacred City none can be greater than he to whose care Rome is committed not only Rome tho in it are contained all things whatsoever is done in that City is almost in the eyes of the whole World If the Head of the World rejoyces all the rest must do the same not in the Provinces but in the Head of all things And this was just before the Reign of Justinian Justinian at least the City of Rome though no longer the Seat of the Empire was called and accounted the Metropolis of it and therefore was it for all that time called The Head of the World the Head of all things Wherefore by the Head of the Roman Empire that is by any Head
of the Beast in distinction from an Horn all would then have understood That Authority which was owned for Supream by the Senate and People of Rome And it has been concluded that the Angel did so explain his Figures as all the World would understand the literal sense of them to be if there were nothing clearer against it Chap. 2. It does therefore necessarily follow from hence That every Head of the Beast is at the end of its Reign when the Authority Corollar 1 of the City of Rome does own another setled form of Government for Supream in the room of it For then there is a new Head of the Beast constituted by Prop. preced And this shews us the necessity of the following Consequence That The sixth Head was at an end when the City of Rome owned another Corollar 2 setled Authority in the room of that Imperial Government which had continued from the time of the Vision 1. For every Head of a Beast is at an end when another differing form of setled Government is owned for Supream by the City of Rome by Corol 1. praeced And therefore must the sixth Head end with the end of that form of Imperial Government which had continued from the time of the Vision For the sixth Head is that form of Imperial Government by Proposition 19. 2. Again The sixth Head and the Reign of the City of Rome are by the Angel declared to be the same Roman Rule that was in being at the time of the Vision For of both it is said Rev. 17. 9 10. 18. that they were then in Rule and joined with the seven Hills in their Reign And that Head was the Imperial Government at that time by Prop. 19. Wherefore whenever that Imperial Power should be so cut off from the City of Rome that another setled Form of Government should be owned in the stead of it by the Authority of that City who would not assure himself That the Imperial Rule which had continued the Head of that City from the time of the Vision and which was said by the Angel to be the same Ruling Power with which the City of Rome is described at that same time must necessarily have then been at an end It may therefore assuredly be concluded that that sixth Head was at an end at the time that another different Form of Government was owned in the stead of it at Rome This last Conclusion does invite ones curiosity to enquire from the Roman History whether the Imperial Government were ever changed or interrupted by any other setled Form of Government since the time of the Prophecy For since the next Form of Government to the Imperial or sixth King is said should continue but a short space and that then should arise that King Rev. 17. 10 11. or Government called the Beast which is the end of all our search one may easily see that the discovery of a Change in the Imperial Government will determine the time of the Rise of the Beast which is the next Form of Roman Government but one to the Imperial that was in Rule at the time of the Vision And the following Account have we from the Roman History of all the considerable Changes of the Form of the Chief Government from the time of the Revelations CHAP. IV. Rev. XVII An Account of the several changes of the form of the Government of Rome from the time of the Vision The two Emperours were joynt-partners in the Government of the whole Empire like the two Consuls The 22 d Proposition the sixth Head was at latest at an end upon the Fall of the Western Empire in Augustulus The Barbarous Kings of Italy The Absolute Masters of Rome Objections Answered THE Imperial Power continued the same from the time of the mention of it in this Prophecy under the name of the King that was then in Rule till about the year 160 after Christ When Marcus Aurelius made Aelius Verus a sharer with him in the Imperial Power under the name of Augustus whereas there had never been before seen two Emperors with the names of Augustus at the same time And this was taken notice of for so new a face of the Government that some dated their Fasti Spartian in Vero Eutrop. 8. Consulares from thence as a new Epocha of time This way of taking others into the Society of the Empire with them was followed by other Emperors afterwards as Severus with his Son Caracalla Caracalla and his Brother Geta the Gordiani And in their time was there another Government set up at Rome it self called the Twenty Men who were chosen by the Senate to Administer the Affairs of the whole Commonwealth and Ambassadors were sent to all the Provinces of the Empire to contain them under the obedience of the Senate But this continued but a short time and gave way to the exaltation of Balbinus and Papienus to the Imperial dignity by the choice of those Twenty Men themselves and with the Interruption of some single Emperors after them The same Social Form of Empire returned again in Valerian with his Son Gallien And there were afterwards sometimes three and sometimes four Augustus's together which seems to be much like the change of a Dictator into two Consuls And the Dictators and Consuls are accounted two of the five Heads or forms of Government which were said to be past at the time of the Vision Another change was there in the Imperial Government When the Emperors became Christians and when the Laws of the Empire were made to conform to the Christian Religion This seems to some to be a change of the Government much more remarkable than any Political change and to deserve to be one of the two forms of Government that we are in quest of And besides it seems to be plainly described in the 12th Chap. of the Revelations as a very considerable change of the Government of the Empire under the show of the Fall of the Dragon upon which the Beast ascends into the Throne presently after in the 13th Chapter The change of Religion again by Julian the Apostate does thereupon seem to put in for a title to another form And thô the time of his Reign was very short yet it was as long as that of the Decemvirs who are determined by most of the approved Interpreters to be one of the Five Heads that were past at the time of the Vision Besides That his Reign was just almost the very same length of time that the Beast is said to Reign That is Three years and an half The division of the Empire into the Western and Eastern seats especially when it came to be setled by Theodosius seems to have a very fair claim to the title of a new Head or Change of the Imperial Government And like to the succession of the Consuls to the Kingly Government of Rome which are made two of the five forms of Roman Government that were past at the
powers of it are acknowledged by the Authority of Rome to belong to them f Ludovic à Bebenburg tho on the German or Caesarian side de juribus Regni Imp. Rom. pag. 5. The Reason why he that is elected is called King of the Romans is both in reverence to the Most Holy Roman Church and in honour of the City of Rome whose People had formerly the Monarchy of the Empire M. Freherus in Commentario Hence that proud Voice of Rome at the Coronation of the Emperor Henry the VIIth I confirm unto the Prince the Sovereign Power with the Crown of Crowns and give him command over the Cities and Nations of the World Let the Eagles defend my Glory And in the Seal of Charles the IVth with which the Golden Bull the Instrument for the present manner of the Imperial Elections is sealed and other publick Instruments The City of Rome is in the stamp of it with this Motto Roma caput Mundi regit Orbis fraena rotundi Goldast Politic. Imperial pars 5. p. 349. Sed postquam Christiana Orthodoxa Religio c. But after that the Christian and Orthodox Religion prevailed so as to make a noise all over the World And that by this means the High-Priests at Rome came to be adored by Princes Kings and Emperors with the greatest humility and a singular kind of devotion it came to pass that by the common Consent of all Christian People that of the two several States of the Christian World The one should be govern'd by the Popes the other by the Emperors But yet so that the Emperors should acknowledg both their Imperial Dignity and Power to proceed from the Popes of Rome as the true Mediators and Intercessors for them But this is further confirmed by the Civil Law which suffers not the Imperial Majesty to be subject to any human Laws but on the contrary does openly declare it to be above all human Privileges and Laws Bellarmin shews Lib. 3. de Translat Imp. Roman in Germanos That the present way of electing the Emperor was setled by Pope Gregory the VIIth in the Golden Bull to confer the Power and Authority of Emperor of Rome upon the Person elected by them and chap. 12. lib. 1. says That all kind of Christian Princes whatsoever have acknowledged the Roman Empire to have been amongst the Germans ever since the Year 800. Goldastus in his Politic. Imperial part 1. p. 76. sets down the particular form of the Oath that the Electors take before their choice to this effect I. N. by the help of God will chuse a Temporal or Secular Head for all Christian People that is a King of the Romans to be advanced to be Emperor And it is the Order of the Golden Bull That they should not depart from the City of Francfort till the major part of them have elected a Temporal Head for all Christian People that is A King of the Romans to be created Emperor Aventin l. 6. Histor Boior Pope Adrian in his Letter to the German Princes tells them That the Roman Empire was translated from the Greeks to the Almaines so as that their King was not called Roman Emperor till he was crowned by the Pope Before his Consecration he was but King after his Consecration he became Emperor From whence then says he had he the Empire but from Us And afterwards gives this reason for it For Rome is our Seat The Seat of the Empire is Aix in the Forest of Ardenne Radevicus l. 1. c. 16. Frederic the Emperour who had denied all Subjection to Pope Adrian yet in his very defence of himself for it says thus The first Voice in our Election we owe to the Archbishop of Mentz and then to the other Electors in their Order Our Regal Unction to the Bishop of Cologn and the last which is the Imperial Unction only we have from the Pope Ibidem And Pope Adrian presently after in his Subjection to the Emperour minds him That his Magnificence had acknowledged That it was the Pope that set the Imperial Crown upon his Head Cornelius à Lapide upon the 10th v. of the 17th chap. Apoc. To confute that Opinion that would have the seventh King succeeding the Emperours to be the Pope The seventh says he is here said should continue but a little while whereas the Pope and the Emperour have continued a long while together The Pope therefore did not succeed the Emperours in the Roman Empire but continues there together with Them as we see now the most Serene Ferdinand to be the Emperour of the Roman Empire and our most Holy Lord Paul V. to be the High-Priest or the Pope of the Roman Church Grotius in Respons de Antichristo The German Princes chuse the Emperour but their Choice must have the Approbation of the City of Rome which has conferred their Right and Power upon the Pope from that Approbation has the Emperour the Title of ROMAN EMPEROUR and many things in Italy which belonged to the ancient Roman Empire from whence comes the Homage that is done him for the Dutchies of Milan Montferrat Mantua and many other Privileges there besides Nor can it be said upon this account That the Emperour is made by the Pope for the Authority of the Roman Empire was always the same even when the Emperours were some Thracians some of Illyricum and some of Hungary And so was it afterwards with Charlemaigne and now with the Princes of Germany See Grot. c. 9. lib. 2. de Jure Belli Pacis and in the Commentary of it in Prop. 21. Lud. à Bebenburg cap. 5. It is apparent from History That Germany even after the Division of the Empire of the Franks was accounted a Kingdom by it self that is distinct from the Title of the Roman Empire M. Freherus in his Comment upon this Our Emperours at this time observe this in their Title Emperour of the Romans King of Hungary Bohemia Dalmatia c. Ludovicus the Emperour the Son of Pius was called King of Germany which was almost from the first times of the division of the Territories of Charlemaigne He does also in the next Chapter shew That the seven Electors chuse the Emperour as a College or as the Representatives of all the Princes and People that are subject to the Roman Empire which Authority is conferred upon them from the City of Rome by the Golden Bull of Charles IV. If it shall be objected That the Constantinopolitan Emperours were the only true Roman Emperours and were unjustly deprived of their Western Dominions by the Pope it is to be remembred That the Constantinopolitan Emperours themselves confirmed the Title of the Western Emperours Lud. à Bebenburg cap. 5. and M. Freherus in his Comment there proves that Transaction betwixt the Eastern and Western Emperours by the Authority of Ado Rhegino Philip of Bergamo Platina Voluterranus Egnatius especially that of the Eastern Emperour Michael which was published in St. Peter's Church at Rome and confirmed
both parts of the Roman Commonwealth by it and the Examples of all former Princes and sollicites the s Idem l. 10. Ep. 33. Magistro officior Vitiges R. For tho I may be thought to have deserved less of you yet have some regard to the Roman Liberties which by the Tumults of War are every-where violated concurrence of the great Men of that Court with him in that motion upon the account of the common Liberty of the Roman Nation The Senate also of Rome it self uses the same motive to Justinian for Peace t Cassiod Var. l. 11. Ep. 13. Justiniano Aug. Senatus Urbis Romanae It is a very just and necessary thing to petition for the security of the Roman Commonwealth of one that is a pious Prince of it because it is reasonable for you to desire all that may contribute to our Advantage or Liberty c. because Rome ought to be his care and therefore not to be suffered to be ruined upon his account And that it was his Agreement only with the Goths that made that City find favour with them because of his concern in the common Interest of the Romans And well worth the perusing for this purpose is u Ibidem Be not thou the cause of my Ruine who hast always contributed to the Joy of my Life Do not ruine by Discord whom thou oughtest to defend by War Joyn Councels with the King and unite your Forces that whatsoever may be to my Advantage may redound to your Glory That Prosopopaeia which the Senate represents to Justinian in the name of the City of Rome as his peculiar City that ought to be his care and concern and that he ought to maintain Peace and Unity with the Goths for her sake It is also a remarkable observation of Joh. Fersius Silesius to this purpose in his Book de Praefect Praetor That Justinian demanded of the Gothish King as the condition of the Peace That he should never set up his Statue without Justinian's in an higher eminency than his own and at the Right hand as the more Honourable place which confirms the former Custom of setting up both the Princes Statues to signify one Empire in common to them both thô the Emperour would have the precedence Again both the Eastern Emperours and Gothish Kings had the name of Rerum Domini or Lords of the World from the same City of Rome which was then called The Head of all things Of the Emperours it is unquestionable and x Idem l. 11. Ep. 1 8 10. l. 12. Ep. 3 5 6 11 18. of the Gothish Kings it is no less certain from Lib. 11. and 12. Cassiod Variarum in above Twenty several instances of that Title And both Emperour and King were represented together in Italy at least as the one conjoyned Soveraign Authority of the Roman Empire as appears from the before cited form of the Kings Letters to Pag. 186. the new elected Consulary Magistrate where the Heads of both the Princes are said to be carried before them And accordingly we find the Dates of the Pontificates in those times to have the King of the Goths as well as the Eastern Emperour signified in whose time the Popes lived The Wars betwixt the Goths and Justinian are no greater objection against their being One Head of the Romans than the Civil Wars betwixt the Two Consuls Sulla and Cinna c. Or the Wars betwixt the Two Emperours of the East and West who yet for a while at least are acknowledged by the chief Adversaries of my opinion to have been one of the Heads of the Beast From hence then it may be certainly concluded That so considerable a change of the Form of the Sovereign power of Rome is sufficient to give it the name of one of those two last Kings of the Eight Rev. 17. 10 11. which should come immediately after that Imperial Sixth Head which Ruled at the time of the Vision for it has all the qualifications of one of those Kings That is it is a change of the Supreme Government of Rome And to know what kind of change of that Government is sufficient for the Title of one of these Kings one must consult the Examples of those which were past before it It is certain That the five first changes called the five Kings past and one in being could be nothing but the change of the name of the Civil Sovereign power let them be what they will in particular For there was one and the same Religion in them all There are then five plain instances in the same Figure to justify the making of this change of the name of the Civil Roman Government at the ruin of the Western Empire to be one of those Two Kings of the Eight which were to come after the Imperial Sixth Head that was the King at the time of the Vision Besides There is also the example of the Ten Horns or Ten Kings represented by them to show the difference betwixt the Supreme powers which they signified to be nothing but outward civil differences For those Ten Kings are said to be of one and the same Religion to be of one mind and to agree together in false Worship Rev. 17. 13 17. Here are then Sixteen instances in the same Figure to show that the change of the Civil Form of Roman Government by the Gothish Kings was sufficient to make them to be accounted one of those Two Kings that were to come after the Sixth King that Ruled in St. John's time If further we consult the usages of the Figures in Daniel that signify Kings we shall find there that the only note of distinction to know different Kings by is some outward civil difference either upon the account of a different Dominion or for being another name of the Civil Government in the same Dominion and the number of the instances of that kind in that Prophecy are about Thirty So that there seems to be no manner of reason why this change of the name of the Sovereign Power of Rome by the Goths succeeding the Imperial should not be one of those Two Kings that were to come after the Imperial since All the Eight Kings are agreed to be so many changes of the Roman Government And thô it should be said That the change of the Religion of the Empire by Constantine was one of those Kings yet since the different kind of the Civil Government under the same Religion have been found to be the difference betwixt all the Kings besides that are figuratively mentioned in Daniel or the Revelations This constant usage of Prophetical expressions in above Sixty Instances is surely warrant enough to make that remarkable change of the Civil Form of the Sovereign Power at the fall of the Western Empire to be another King thô the Religion might continue the same Now if this change of the name of the Civil Government by the Goths were either the Seventh or Eighth King after the Imperial
of the Roman Church is dated from by Protestants Baronius's Testimony concerning it is a sufficient Answer to that who as * Divers Discourses p. 119. Dr. Barnard observes does acknowledg That there was not an Age in which some Learned Man or other did not appear in this charge of Antichristianism upon the Church of Rome And we have already seen the Charge of the Donatists and Arrians and if that should be esteemed to be nothing but the unreasonable clamours of Hereticks Pope Gregory's Lib. 4. Epist 38. complaint of the same nature against that Antichristian Supremacy of the Bishop of Constantinople which came afterwards to be the Title of the Bishop of Rome is unexceptionable Lib. 6. Ep. 28. But presently after that Age when Baronius himself says An. 900. Art 1 2 3. That the Abomination of Desolation seemed to have been brought into the Church Arnulphus Bishop of Orleans in his Speech to the Synod of Rheims appeals to the whole Synod whether Synod Rheim Cap. 25 26 27 28. A. D. 991. Mornay Myster Iniquity p. 213. the behaviour of the Bishops of Rome did not in their opinion fully answer the Character of Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God And thereupon applies the 2 Thess 2. 4 6 7. to the Falling in pieces of the Roman Empire and the Elevation of the Papacy upon the ruines of it But after that Pope Gregory the 7th called Hildebrand had a while shown himself there were frequent clamours of this nature Aventinus an Historian of that Church says That the Lib. 5. Greatest part of Good Ingenuous Faithful and Clear-spirited Writers did hold That THEN begun the Empire of Antichrist And accordingly do we find the whole Clergy of the Diocess of Liege in their Answer to Pope Paschal's Letter who had been Hildebrand's Scholar applying the Rage of the Devil in 2. Vol. Concil p. 809. Edit Colon. the Apocalypse against the true Church to the Popes Actions And the Emperour Henry who was with them in his Letters to the Christian Princes does also in express words apply the Characters of Antichrist in the Thess 1 Ep. 2. to Paschal The Bishop of Florence also at the same time did publickly Preach that Antichrist was then born which made Pope Paschal go in person Platina in Paschal 2. to Florence and call a Council there to admonish him to desist Their own St. Bernard tells us first That he had heard Norbart About the Year 1125. Epist 56. of great repute for Holiness affirm with a protestation That he did most certainly know that Antichrist should be revealed in that Generation And Bernard himself does also call In Cantic Serm. 33. Epist 125. the Pope Antichrist and says That the Beast of the Apocalypse to whom was given a Mouth speaking Blasphemies and to make War against the Saints does sit in the Chair of St. Peter But Everhard Bishop of Saltzburg in the time of Gregory the About A. D. 1230. 9th at the Assembly at Ratisbonne doth the most particularly prove the Time of the Beast as the 8th King of the Romans to have been come ever since the time of Hildebrand at least from the end of the Imperial Power that was the Sixth Head and the division of the Empire amongst the Ten Kings Aventin Lib. 7. 545. This was the judgment of such as were of the Roman Communion But ever since the first great appearance of the Albigenses which was before the year 1170. there has been a continuation of this Accusation against the Roman Church by whole Bodies of Churches divided from that Communion Those that have the curiosity to see a more particular account of the Tradition of the Charge of Antichrist upon the Roman Church from the best Learned of its own Members may consult Du Plessis Mornay in his Mystery of Iniquity and Dr. Bernard in his Fourth Discourse from page 119. where there is an account more particularly of the Learned Men of this Opinion in the Church of England both in the times of its Papal state and since the Reformation FINIS Books Printed for Thomas Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultrey THE Works of the Late Reverend Divine Mr. Stephen Charnock B. D. sometimes Fellow of New Colledge in Oxon. Folio 2 Vol. Speculum Theologiae in Christo or A View of some Divine Truths which are either practically exemplified in Jesus Christ set forth in the Gospel or may easily be deduced from them By Edward Polhill of Burwash in Sussex Esq 4o. Precious Faith considered in its Nature Working and Growth By Edward Polhill Esq in 4o. Geography Rectified or A Description of the World in all its Kingdoms Provinces Cities Towns Seas Rivers Bays Capes Forts their Ancient and present names Inhabitants Scituation Histories Customs Governments c and also their Commodities Coins Weights and Measures with those of London illustrated with about 80 new Maps the whole Work perform'd according to the Accurate Discoveries of Modern Authors In 4o. 2 d Edition Christus in Corde or The Mystical Union between Christ and Believers consider'd in its Resemblances Bonds Seals Priviledges and Marks By Edward Polhill Esq in 8o. 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