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Apoc. xij. 17.

In this fourth Vifion of the Open Codicil, we have a Dreadful and Terrible Beaft, raised up by the Dragon upon the Woman's arrival in the Wilderness. i. e. An Empire advanc'd into great Power, in order to diftrefs the Church, and to raise Perfecutions against the Pure and Undefil'd Members of it; according to the defign of the Dragon in the words immediately foregoing; when he was wrath with the Woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her feed, which keep the 18. commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jefus Chrift. The Beast has Seven Heads: 'tis an Empire founded on, and belonging to the feven-Hill'd City of Rome: and to be govern'd by feven feveral forts or Forms of Supream Governors. The Beaft has alfo in the State now defcrib'd, as he had once before, ten Horns, i. e. ten Supream Governors. In this State, which was not in the former; these ten Horns have ten Crowns upon them: i. e. they denote fo many Kings,or Crowned Heads, over fo many diftinct Provinces or Kingdoms, within the compafs of the fame Roman Empire. He has upon all his seven Heads names of blafphemy, i. e. All the feven Kings, or Forms of Government, under which the Em-pire had been, and was to be, were Idolatrous. This Beaft is made up of the three former Beafts in Daniel; the Leopard, the Bear, and the Lyon. i. e. This Roman Empire refembled, Dan. vij. 4•5. and had conquer'd, and contain'd in it felf, the Grecian, Me- 6. do-Perfian, and Babylonian Monarchies; represented by those Beafts. This Beaft receives his Power, and his Throne, and great Authority from the Dragon, i. e. The Devil feeing that he could no longer fupport grofs, and Pagan Idolatry in the Roman Empire, advances thefe ten Kings into the Throne; who, under the Chriftian Name, fhould yet really and effe&ually promote Idolatry ftill; tho' in a more covert manner, and by more cunning pretences. This Beaft had one of his Heads wounded, or, as it is in the Original, flain to death. i e. The former Head of the Cafars or Emperors was destroy'd, and the Empire utterly conquer'd by the Barbarous Nations. And yet this mortal wound was healed; and the Beast it felf,' tho' not its Head, reviv'd: (for we never meet with any mention of the revival of the Head,after its mortal wound, but of the Beaft's Revival only.) i. e. Thefe Barbarous Nations Apoc. xiij. 12.

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did not deftroy the Romans, and their Empire, but were gradually receiv'd into Society with them, became one united People, and fubmitted both to the Religion, and in great part to the Laws of the Roman Empire; and thereby only continued the fourth, and did not erect a fifth Monarchy. All the Subjects of this Empire fubmitted to them, or wondred after them, and thereby fubmitted to the Power of the Dragon, the great Erecter, and Supporter of the Roman, and all the other Worldly and Idolatrous Empires. This Empire under its ten Kings became very Large, and Proud, and Blafphemous, and Idolatrous: and was permitted by God to Perfecute his Saints, and Blafpheme his Name, for 42 Months, i. e. 1260 Prophetick Days, or fo many Yearstogether. So that fome few chofen Perfons only, whofe Names were written in the Book of Life, durft oppofe them, or refuse submission to their Wicked and Idolatrous Commands. And fuch as thofe are comforted, with the profpect of the end of their Faith and Patience, in the Deftruction of the Enemies; and thofe Perfecutors themselves are admonish'd to beware how they proceed in their Cruelties; left at the end, they be dealt with according to the Lex Talionis, and feverely repent of fuch unchriftian barbarity. This seems to me the plain, and obvious paraphrafe of this Prophecy and the chief thing that is farther neceffary, is to ftate the exact time of the Rife of thefe ten Kings, which is the great and principal Epocha and Characteristick, of the fo famous 1260 Years of this Book. For then it is both in Daniel and St. John, as the Fathers

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*Juftinian's Books continued in esteem and use in the Schools and Forum for 40 years, till Phocas the Emperor defpis'd all Law and Equity. Afterward they were in a little use and esteem, 200 Years And out of his Books were the Bafilica compos'd; which, with an Epitome of Juftinian's Code, continued to be the ftandard of Law at Conftantinople, till the end of that Empire. — By chance the Pandects were found about A. D. 1127, Since which time Juftinian's Law has revived, flourish'd, and continues to be indeed the general Law of Christendom, one single Kingdom excepted. Howel Pt. 3. p. 203. See also Pt. 3. p. 166. & 462. & 478 479. 480. & Pt. 4. p. 2. & 20. Pt. 4. p. 76. & Sigon. A. D. 1007. & 1137. & 1189.

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*alfo generally allow'd, that the Antichriftian State, or Tyranny of the Beaft with feven Heads and ten Horns, was to begin, when the Intireness of the Roman Empire was broken; and the Imperial Government ceas'd: or, more nicely, when the Number of the Kingdoms, into which that Empire was to be divided, amounted to the full and compleat number of Ten. Now in order to our fatisfaction, in this great Enquiry; it is first to be observ'd in general, that within a certain Period of about half a Century, this problem is beyond difpute,even on the most careless examination. For 'tis certain that for fome

Sed fcientes firmum numerum qui a fcriptura anunciatus eft, id est sexcentorum fexaginta fex; fuftineant primum quidem divifionem Regni in De cem; poft deinde illis regnantibus, & incipientibus corrigere fua negotia, & augere fuum Regnum, qui de improvifo advenerit Regnum fibi Vindicans, & terrebit prædictos, habens nomen continens prædictum numerum, hunc vere cognofcere effe. Iren. p. 448.

Manifeftius adhuc etiam de noviffimo tempore, & de his qui funt in co decem regibus, in quos dividetur quod nunc regnat Imperium, fignificavit Johannes Domini Difcipulus in Apocalypfi; edifferens quæ fuerunt decem Cornua quæ a Daniele vifa funt, &c. p. 440. Ubi fufius de iifdem difputat Ire

næus.

Tantum qui nunc tenet, teneat, donec de medio fiat. Quis nifi Romanus ftatus? cujus abfceffio in decem Reges dispersa Antichriftum super ducet; & tunc revelabitur iniquus. &c. Tertull. de Refurrect. Carnis Cap. 24. Vide ejusdem Apologet. cap. 32. 39. Et ad Scapul. cap. 2. Et Hieron Prafat. in lib. 8. Comment. in Ezek. Aug. De Civitate Dei lib. 20. cap. 19.

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Έρχεται δὲ ὁ στερημένο Αντίχρις όντα όταν πληρωθῶσιν οι καιροὶ της Ρωμαίων βασιλείας, και πλησιάζει λοιπὸν ταὶ τῆς τα κόσμε συντελείας δίκαι μα όμως Ρωμαίων ἐγείρονται βασιλεῖς, εν αμαφόροις μερες ίσως τόποις, κατὰ δὲ - αυτὸν βασιλέυεσι καιρον μετα δὲ τέτες ἀδέκα & ο Αντίχρις, ἐκ τῆς μαγικῆς κακοτεχνίας τὴν Ρωμαϊκην ἐξεσίαν ἁρπάσαις τρεις μαζύ των από αυτές βασιλευσάντων ταπεινώσει, τῆς ἐπεὶ τὸς ἐπιλοίπες ὑφ ̓ ἑαυτὸν ἔχων. &c. Cyril. Hierofol. Catec. 15.

Ζετήσειεν ἂν τὶς πρῶτον εικότως τί ποτέ ἐς τὸ κατέχον Σποκαλυφθῆναι αὐτὸν, τετέςι τὸ κωλύον. Οἱ μαρ τῇ πνεύματα τὴν χάριν φασίν, οἱ δὲ τὴν Ρωμαϊκην αρχήν τις ἔγωγε μάλισα τίθεμαι - Τότ' ἔαν ἡ ἀρχὴ ἡ Ρωμαϊκὴ ὅταν ἀρθῇ ἐκ Tör i in WEGY TOTE CHENCer &c. Chryfoftom ad 2 Theffal. 2.

Eum qui Tenet Romanum Imperium oftendit; nifi enim hoc destructum fuerit fublatumque de medio, juxta Prophetiam Danielis, Antichriftus ante non veniet. Hieron. Comment. in Hierem.25.Vide etiam ad Algafiam. Quest.

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time after the beginning of the fifth Century, the "Roman Empire was very entire; not fo much as one Permanent Kingdom being then fettled within its jurifdiction: and its Eastern and Western branches poffeffing as many, or more Countries and Provinces, than ever the Roman Empire had before contain'd. And 'tis withal equally certain, that long before the end of that Century, the Roman Empire was wholly parcell'd out into Kindoms among the Barbarians: infomuch that the Western Empire, Name and Thing was utterly extinct; and the Eastern had afterward enough to do to fecure to it felf its Neighbouring Provinces, with the Exarchate of Ravenna in Italy, as a fmall remnant of that Ancient Empire, which had been fo long before in that Countrey. So that our Problem is reduc'd to this, at what time exactly of the fifth Century, the Roman Empire is to be look'd upon as having loft its Integrity in general? or more particularly at what time exactly did the New Kingdoms in the compafs of that Empire, amount to the compleat Number of Ten? And of the firft Character, or of the Period of the Intireness of the Roman Empire, almoft' all the Ancients, as well as Moderns expound the Tà 2 Theff. ij. 6. in St. Paul, that which with-held, or hindred the appearance of the Man of Sin, or the Rife of Antichrift. And as for the latter character, that then precifely the Antichriftian State was to arife, when the New Kings rais'd up in the Roman Empire amounted to the compleat Number of Ten, it very clear in Daniel and St. John, and the great purport of their Prophecies hereto relating; as we have frequently hinted. And if there could be any doubt in fo clear a cafe, the Angel takes care to prevent it; by exprefly affuring us, Apoc.xvij. 12. that thefe ten Kings were to recieve their Kingdoms, or Power See Mr. Gar-as Kings one hour, or at the very fame time with the Beaft ret's Difcourfe himself, whereto they belong; for tho', as Dr. Creffener Obconcerning Antichrist, p. 74. jects, one hour might fignify a fhort Space, if it had been join'd &c. & Apoc. with a Verb that imply'd duration; as to exercife Power with 3. 3. Demonft. the Beast one hour might denote exercising it a short time p.216. 244. with him; yet when the Verb is receiving Power one hour

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with the Beast; I know no other fair conftruction the words are capable of than that of its commencement the very fame time

with the Beaft, as we have expounded it. And fince this Beaft is a Beast with ten Horns, 'tis clear by the Nature of the thing, that he cannot be fueh till there be fo many Kings rifen as are thereby reprefented and as clear is it, that as foon as ever all the ten Kings or Horns are rifen He must be a Beast or Empire with that Number of Horns. Now if we go the first way to work we fhall plainly find, that the Western Em pire, founded on and confin'd to the feven Hills of Rome, ceafed, as we have already noted, if we regard its real Power and compleat Imperial Authority, at the Death of † Valentinian III. March 18. A. D. 455. or however at the Burning of the City by Genferick the Vandal, at the middle of June the fame year. And that it ceafed as to the very shadow, and pretence, and Name of Power twenty one years afterwards, under Momyllus Auguftulus, A. D. 476. as is own'd by all Hiftorians; and has been particularly prov'd in the fourth Trumpet foregoing, which relates to that matter. So that there are but thefe two Epocha's that can be pitch'd upon by that General Method; that the Antichriftian State muft be

+ To be fure Valentinian III. was the laft that may feem to have been an Emperor indeed: in whom true Imperial Majefty refided. For thofe that followed him in the Weft were Upstarts, Ufurpers, or like Apparitions that foon appear'd and foon vanish'd. Howel. Hift. p. 693.

Eo Imperante Occidentale Imperium, quod defidere fub Honorio cœperat, labi, ut dixi ab initio,cœpit. Valentinianum inde Imperatores illi per tempora exceperunt quibus dominantibus foeda ac miferabilis ipfa demum Occidentalis Imperii labes eft fubfecuta. Hi funt enim qui ipfas prorfus Occidentis provincias amiferunt: Hi funt qui Romam iterum atque iterum a Barbaris captam atque incenfam viderunt: Hi qui Italiæ dominatione exuti, nomen glo. riamque Romanam funditus everterunt. Hi denique qui clariffimum Imperii Romani lumen atque inveteratam populis nobiliffimæ gentis auctoritatem penitus extinxerunt. Nam barbaris jam late omnia ditione libidineque tenentibus, non folum antiqua Imperii Majeftas, fed vetus etiam literarum atque ingenii dignitas omnino evanuit. Sigonius.

Ita Vir bellicofiffimus Aëtius, & quondam Attile Regis potentiffimi terror occubuit [A. D. 454.] cum quo pariter & Occidentis Imperium Salufque Teipublicæ corruit: nec hactenus ultra potuit relevari. Paul. Diac, lib. 15. verfus fin.

Quo extincto fimul omne Occidentalis Imperii præfidium concidit. Sig

nius.

gin

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