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making mention of these Masters of the Court, and the King's House.

Now the first beginning of the great Authority of these Præfecti Regii, was (as we told you before) during the Reign of King Clotha rius the Second, about the Year of our Lord 588. that is, about 130 Years after the conftituting the Francogallican Kingdom; which we may also learn from the before-mention'd Hiftorian, fo often quoted by Venericus.

Yet there are two other Hiftorians, (tho' not of equal Credit) Sigibertus and Trithemius, who refers the beginning of fo great a Power in the Mayor of the Palace, to the Reign of Clo tair the Third; whofe Magifter Palatii was one Ebroinus, a Man of extraordinary Wickedness and Cruelty: But however this may be, we find Hiftorians calling them by feveral other Appellations; fuchas Comites Domus Regia, Prafecti Aula, Comites Palatii, &c.

CHA P. XIII.

Whether Pipin was created King by the Pope, or by the Authority of the Francogallican Council.

HAY

Aving in the former Chapter given an Account, that after the Expulfion of Childeric, (a ftupid Prince, in whom the Line of the Merovingians ended) Pipin, from being Mayor of the Palace, was created King; It will be worth our Enquiry, to know by whofe Au

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thority the Kingdom was conferr'd upon him. For Pope Gelafius fays thus, Cap. 15.7 Quest. 6. A Roman Pope, viz. Zacharias, depofed the King of the Franks, not fo much because of his evil Actions, as because he was ftupid, "and unfit for the exercife of fo great a Truft; and in his ftead, fubftituted Pipin, Father of Charles the Emperor : Abfolving all the "Franks from their Oath of Allegiance to "Childeric.

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And there is fcarce an Author, who does not acquiefce in this Teftimony of one Pope, concerning the Power of another: Thus Ado, Lambertus, Rhegino, Sigibertus, Aimoinus, Laudul phus, nay, even Venericus Vercellenfis, (in the Book which we formerly quoted) cites thefe Words out of the Epiftle of Pope Gregory the VIIth. to Herman Bishop of Metz; viz. A certain Pope of Rome depofed the King of the Franks from his Kingdom, not fo much for his Wickedness, as his being unfit for fo great a Power; and after having abfolved all the "Franks from the Oath of Fidelity they had fworn to him, placed Pipin in his room.

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Which Otto Frifingius, lib. Chron. 5. cap. 23. "and Godfrey, Chron. Part. 17. laying prefently hold of, break out into this Exclamation From this Action, the Popes of "Rome derive an Authority of changing and depofing Princes, &c.

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But pray let us enquire whether the Truth of this Story, as to the Matter of Fact, be fufficiently proved and attefted. For in the first place, 'tis manifeft, That not one of all that great Number of Kings of the Franks, which we have inftanced to have been Elected or Abdicated, was either created or abdicated by the

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Pope's Authority. On the contrary, we have irrefragably prov'd, that the whole Right, both of making and depofing their Kings, was lodg'd in the yearly great Council of the Nation; fo that it feems incredible the Franks fhou'd neglect or forgo their Right, in this fingle Inftance of Pipin. But to make few Words of this Matter, Venericus Vercellenfis gives us the Teftimony of an ancient Hiftorian, who has written' of all the Francogallican Affairs; whereby that whole Story of the Pope, is prov'd to be a Lye: And 'tis clearly demonftrated, that both Chil derick was depofed, and Pipin chofen in his room, according to the ufual Custom of the Franks, and the Inftitutions of our Ancestors: That is to fay, by a folemn General Council of the Nation; in whofe Power only it was, to transact a Matter of fo great weight and moment; as we have before made it appear. The Words of that Hiftorian are thefe. That by the "Counfel, and with the Confent of all the Franks, (a Relation of this Affair being fent 66 to the Apoftolick See, and its Advice had) "the most noble Pipin was advanced to the "Throne of the Kingdom, By the Election of

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the whole Nation, the Homage of the Nobility, with the Confecration of the Bishops, &c. From which Words, 'tis moft apparent that Pipin was not appointed King by the Pope, but by the People themselves, and the States of the Realm. And Venericus explains this Matter out of the fame Historian. Pipin, Mayor of the "Palace (fays he) having all along had the "Administration of the Regal Power in his "Hands, was the firft that was appointed and "elected to be King, from being Mayor of the "Palace; the Opinion of Pope Zachary being

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"first known, because the Confent and Counst tenance of a Pope of Rome, was thought ne"ceffary in an Affair of this Nature. And presently after he tells us ; The Pope finding that what the Ambaffadors had depofed was just and profitable, agreed to it; and Pipin was made King by the unanimous Suffrages and Votes of the Nobility, &c.---- To the very fame purpose writes Ado of Vienna, Etat. 6. fub Anno 727.---- "Ambaffadors (fays "he) were fent to Pope Zacharias, to propofe this Question to him; Whether or no the Kings of the Franks, who had scarce any Power in their hands, but contented them.cc felves with the bare Title, were fit to continue to be Kings? To which Zacharias recs turn'd this Anfwer, ---- That he thought the Perfon who governed the Commonwealth, ought rather to have alfo the Title of King: Whereupon the Franks, after the return of "the Ambaffadors, caft out Childeric, who cc then had the Title of King; and by the Adઃઃ vice of the Ambassadors, and of Pope Zacharias, Elected Pipin, and made him King.

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Befides the above Proofs, we have Aimoinus's Testimony to the fame purpofe, lib. 4. cap. 61. where he concludes thus. "This Year Pipin

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got the Appellation of King of the Franks, "and according to their ancient Customs, was elevated to the Royal Throne in the City of Soiffons, &c. Nay, even Godfrey of Viterbo himself, Chron. part. 17. cap. 4. Pipin (fays "he) was made King by Pope Zacharias, (ex "electione Francorum) through the Election of "the Franks, Hilderic their flothful King being, by the Franks, thrust into a Monastery.

In like manner Sigebertus, fub Anno 752.---The Authors of the Mifcellany History, lib. 22. ----Otto Frifing. lib. 5. cap. 21, 22, 23. And the Author of the Book intituled Fafciculus temporum, do all clearly agree in the Account given of this Tranfaction. From which we may easily gather, that altho' the Franks did confult the Pope before they created Pipm King, yet it cannot, therefore be any ways inferr'd from thence, that he was made King by the Pope's Authority; for 'tis one thing to make a King, and another to give Advice touchin the making him: 'Tis one thing to have a Right of Creation, and another that of only giving Advice; nay, no Man has a Right of fo much as giving Advice in Matters of this nature, but he whofe Advice is first ask'd.

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Laftly, no Man has more clearly explain'd this whole Matter, than Marfilius Patavinus; who during the Reign of Lewis of Bavaria, writ a Book de tranflatione imperii, in which, Cap. 6. he has thefe Words. "Pipin, a very valiant Man, and Son of Charles Martel, was (as we read) raised to the Dignity of being King of the Franks, by Pope Zacharias. But Aimoinus more truly informs us, in his "History of the Franks, that Pipin was legally "elected King by the Franks themselves, and

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by the Nobility of the Kingdom was placed' "in the Throne. At the fame time Childeric,

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a diffolute Prince, who contenting himself "with the bare Title of a King, wafted both

his time and body in Wantonnefs, was by "them fhaven for a Monk: So that Zacharias "had no hand in the depofing him, but con"fented (as some fay) to thofe that did. For

fuch depofing of a King for just Causes,

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