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will eafily appear by the Numbers in the Margin; fo in fact we may obferve that almoft all the things contain'd in this Prophe cy, are directed to,and fulfill'd on the Weftern or Latin part of the Roman Empire: which by thofe who liv'd where St. John wrote has been still ftil'd the Empire of the Latines, (especially after it was divided into ten Kingdoms in the fifth Century;) and was fo esteem'd by Irenaus himfelf. Take this notion from Mr. Mede and Peter Du Moulin in their own words as follows. Sum 666. Eft vero Bestia nomen, quod jam tum cum Apocalypfis adbuc recens fcripta effet nonnulli fufpicati funt, decantatum illud AATEINOZ. Hoc enim nomine poft imperii divifionem, & decem reges in provinciis ejus exortos, neque prius, Pfeudopropheta Romanus cum reliquis Occidentis Incolis, difcriminis ergo, appellatus eft; idque ab illis ipfis, quibus Apocalypfis fcripta eft, feptem Afia Ecclefiis. Namque Graci & reliqui Orientales, penes quos in dilaceratione illa Imperiinomen manferat, feipfos folos Romanos dici voluere; nos cum pontifice noftro, & fub eo Epifcopis, Regibus, Dynaftis, fatali quodam inftinctu LATINOS dixere. Med. Comment. Apoc. p. 634.

275.

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Irenaus obfervavit in literis vocabuli AATEINOE computatis See also Dr. effici precife 666. Non alio titulo aptiori Imperium Papale po- Creffener's Detuit defignari. Nam Graci Ecclefiam Occidentalem, que fub- monftration p. eft Pontifici Romano, vocant Latinam. Ipfi vero fe Romanos dicunt; unde & Thracia, in qua fita eft Conftantinopolis, Romana apellatur. In Synodo Florentina conftante Epifcopos Gracis & Epifcopis Occidentalibus fubjectis Epifcopo Romano, Graci Epif copos Occidentales non aliter appellant quam Latinos;& ipfa Synodus femper eos fic nuncupat. Calci Synodi fubjecta funt fubfcriptiones Patrum Latinorum diftincte a fubfcriptionibus Gracorum. Ac projecto Ecclefia Romana merito Latina appellatur, in qua omnia fcribuntur & dicuntur Latine. Miffa, Preces, Hymni, Litania, Canones, Decreta, Bulla, Latine concepta funt. Concilia Papalia Latine loquuntur. Ipfe Muliercula precantur Latine. Nec alio Sermone Scriptura legitur fub Papifmo quam Latino. Quapropter Concilium Tridentinum juffit folam verfionem vulgatam Latinam effe authenticam. Nec dubitant Doctores eam praferre ipfi textui Hebraico & Graco, ab ipfis Apoftolis & Prophetis exarato. Denique funt omnia Latina; Nempe Papa

K k

populis

populis a fe fubactis dedit fuam linguam, ut fui Imperii notam &characterem. Eft ergo fælix Irenæi conjectura, qui numerum & nomen Bestia dixit effe vocabulum AATEINOE : qui quidem etfi de Romano Epifcopo non cogitavit, nec putavit hæc ad eum pertinere; nondum enim corruptela Romanam Ecclefiam invaserat; ejus tamen interpretationem fequentium fæculorum experi entia comprobavit. Pet. Molinei Vates p. 500. 501.

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Scholium, (2) But if it be here wondred at, that the firft Beaft or Roman Empire should be noted by Al the Latin or Western Empire only, whereas the Roman Empire it felf, in its full extent, included much more; to take off this admiration, and to give light to several things in this Prophecy, I shall propose the remarkable Obfervation of a very great Man, and One not a little converfant in these Studies, viz. That all the four Monarchies are fuppos'd in the Prophecies to be as well diftinct from each other, Geographically as Chronologically: i.e. That the fame Tract of Land which the Babylonian Empire poffefs'd, was peculiar to that first Monarchy; and tho' Conquer'd by, yet never reckon'd a part of the fecond and that the fame Tract of Land which the Medo-Perfian Empire poffefs'd, not accompting therein, what before belong'd to the Babylonian, was peculiar to the fecond Monarchy; and never reckon'd as a part of the third. And that in the like manner the fame Tract of Land which the Grecian Empire poffef fed, not accompting therein what had belong'd to the two former, was peculiar to that third Monarchy, and never efteem'd as part of the fourth or Roman Monarchy. Which thing being rightly obferv'd, we fhall not at all wonder that by the Empire of the Latines is meant only fo much of the Roman Empire as was never a part of the three former; that being almoft all properly fo: and we fhall withal obferve, that when the Eastern or Greek Branch of the Roman Empire,is at any time mention'd in the Prophecy, or refer'd to in our interpretation, no other parts are to be understood thereof; than fuch as adjoin to the Western Empire; and were never any part of the Old Grecian Monarchy, to which the Romans fucceeded. And truly according to this excellent obfervation, many particulars in Daniel and St. John feem to be understood; and particu

larly

35.

larly, which the fame great Man inftanc'd in, where it is faid of the three former Monarchies, upon the fetting up of the Roman, that As concerning the rest of the beasts they had their do- Dan. vij. 12, minion taken away, yet their lives were prolong'd for a season, and a time; plainly implying that the conqueft of thofe Empires by the Roman, was efteem'd only as the taking away of their Dominion, but not of their lives: fo that the Beafts or Empires were made tributary to the Romans, but fo as they themselves were underftood to continue, diftinct and living Beafts or Empires ftill notwithstanding. And if I may be allow'd to add another inftance, it fhall be that in Daniel, where the whole Image reprefenting the four Monar- Dan. ij. 34. chies, is fuppos'd to be ftanding intire, till the ftone cut out of the mountain without hands fmote it upon its feet, and brake it to pieces; so that the iron, the clay, the brass, the filver and the gold were broken to pieces together. And in the interpretation v. 44the Kingdom of Chrift brake to pieces and confum'd all thefe Kingdoms. Which is no other way directly accountable but by the prefent Hypothefis, that each of the Monarchies are feparate and intire, and fo efteem'd in the Prophecies from their beginning, till the utter deftruction of them all together, at the laft fetting up of Chrift's Kingdom. And this Obfervation is all along to be regarded and born in mind, through the whole Prophecies relating to thofe Monarchies; and will frequently afford great affiftance to the right understanding of them.

VISION VI.

The Image of the Beast.

the second beat deceives

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the means of thofe miracles which he had power to do in the &c. fight of the beast, faying to them that dwell on the earth that they Should make an Image to the beast which had the wound by a fword and did live.

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15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast ; that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beaft should be killed. In this fixth Vifion, or rather part of the former Vision, we have a plain account of the Rife of the New Empire of Charlemain A. D. 800. (Which is now become the Empire of Germany) and of its fubordinate Magiftrates. This is here call'd an Image of that beast which had the wound by a fword and did live: which wound is elfewhere faid to be in the head of the Apoc. xiij. 3. Beaft. i. e. It is a refemblance or picture of the Roman Empire when it was under the Old Roman Cafars, which had receiv'd the mortal wound by the Barbarous Nations; and yet the Empire, the Sacred Roman Empire did afterwards continue in being; and on the Rife of this imitation of the Cafarean Head, this Empire became a perfect Image or Likeness of the Old Roman Empire, before it had receiv'd that mortal wound: which hereby, as it were, reviv'd again, and appear'd afresh in the World. And that this Image of the Beast is the Empire of Germany, with its Subordinate Magiftrates, feems to me probable for the following Reafons. (1.) The German Emperor is the most proper Image or Likeness of that Cafarean Head, wich receiv'd a mortal wound by the Barbarians, that eyer was. Nay he takes himfelf, and many others take him to be a Continuation of the fame. And accordingly he is ftil'd to this very day Cafar, His Cafarean Majesty, and the Sacred Roman Emperor. (2.) He was created by the fecond Beast or the Pope of Rome, according to the exact purport of this ProAnno 800 & phecy. Hear Sigonius. His actis Leo [III Papa] cogitare inde exemplo Hadriani de referenda Carolo gratia cœpit. Quem ad liberandam maximo periculo ac turpi infamia Ecclefiam ex Francia venire non piguiffet. His igitur fic fe habentibus, quod Hadrianus facere prætermiferat, Leo, arrepta ex novis Romanorum turbis occafione, fibi explendum exiftimavit; ut Catholicum cundem ac potentiffimum Regem firmum fimul ac fidum Chriftianis, atque ipfa Romana Ecclefia tutorem ac Patronum pararet, ipfumque Imperatorio titulo infignirer: Diemque huic folenni proxima Domini Natalicia deftinavit. Res autem in hunc modum adminiftrata eft. Ubi dies Nataliciorum advenit, Carolus fummo.

801.

mane

mane Vaticanam Bafilicam adiit; atque ad confeffionem progreffus folennem Deo obfecrationem inivit. Qua perfecta, Pontifex, qui ex compofito aderat, Chlamydem Auguftalem, & Coronam Auream pretiofiffimam, quam de induftria comparaverat ei impofuit. Quo facto Populus univerfus ter voce clariffima latiffimus acclamavit, Carolo Augufto a Deo Coronato, Magno & Piiffimo Imperatori Romanorum, vita & victoria. Deo inde Divifque rite in auxilium invocatis, Imperatorius illi titulus a populo confirmatus eft. Populari inde acclamatione fedata Pontifex patrem [Carolum] & filium [ Pipinum] aftantes, illum Imperatorem Romanorum, hunc Regem Italia oleo fanito perunxit; ac deinde facris conficiendis fe tradidit. Videfis etiam eundem Sigonium ad A. D. 960 & 962.

This Hiftory is fo plain a paraphrafe of the Text, that the fecond Beaft faid to them that dwell on the Earth that they should make an Image to the Beast that had the wound by a fword and did live, that nothing can be more fo. (3) The time of the erecting this New Empire, was, agreeably to the Text, a confiderable space after the Pope was rifen,and after by his pretences to miracles and other arts, he had gain'd power to feduce and manage the Chriftian World. For we have already feen that the Popes rife is to be dated from A. D. 606. whereas this Coronation of Charles the Great was not till Christmas day in the end of the year 800. as we have juft now feen. (4) This appears by the Emperors particular Power, and Authority, and Bufinefs, viz. to unite feveral Princes in the upholding the remains of the Roman Empire, and in executing its fevere and fanguinary Laws on thofe who diffent from it, and will not fubmit to the Papal and Imperatorial Tyranny and Idolatry; to canfe that as many as will not worship the Image of the Beaft fhall be killed. Hear the Oath of the Emperor in Sigonins, compar'd with the paft Hiftory of the Church fince A.D. 850 and then judge how well this Character does agree. Caterum, inquit Sigonius, hunc dignitatis Imperatoriæ titulum in Ad annum. Occidente Pontifex renovavit, ut haberet Ecclefia Romana adver-801. fus infideles, hareticos ac feditiofos, tutorem. Indicat hoc ipfius Jurisjurandi formula quo Pontifex Imperatorem coronam impofiturus obftrinxit; que in antiquiffimo commentario, qui Or

do

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