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taries of Rome would have faid, It is not the Papal government which is intended, because the Exarch was the feventh, and therefore the Papal is the eighth or had he faid he is the eighth, they would have said the Exarch was but a depute himself, under the Grecian emperors, and therefore could not be counted a form of government, so that the Papal is the feventh, and therefore, cannot be the beaft to whom John refers. But, says John, in this key, to prevent all fuch quibbling, count the Exarchate a form of Roman government or not, as you please, and you shall find that this key opens the beast with the seven heads, fo as to discover the Papal form of Roman government, and no other one. For, if you count the Exarch one, then remember I have faid the beaft is the eighth ; but if you do not count the Exarch one of the seven, but one of a different kind, as I do, then remember that I have told you that the beaft is of the feCount therefore, as you please, you shall not derange this mark of the beaft which I have fixed upon the Papal government.

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Verse 12th. And the ten horns which thou fawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings, one hour with the beaft.

The

The ten horns are ten kings, that is, ten distinct independent rulers of kingdoms. None of them had received his kingdom in the days of John, but they were all to rife into existence as independent kingdoms, at the fame time with Papal Rome.

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"One hour with the beaft." Some commentators think that this phrafe fhould have been tranflated at the fame hour, or fame time, with the beaft. To this interpretation I could have had no objection, if par par had been in the ablative and not in the accufative cafe. But, whether we tranflate it at the fame time, or for one hour, that is, for a fhort time with the beaft, it will equally correfpond to the fact. For ten kingdoms rofe out of the western Roman empire, a very fhort time before the Papal became a temporal kingdom; and the complete number ten continued only for a very short time after the Papal government arofe. The greateft part of one of them was deftroyed in the very erection of the Papal kingdom: A great part of the kingdom of Ravenna was contained in the grant which Pepin made to Pope Stephen II. by which he and his fucceffors became temporal princes. Other two of these kingdoms, which had their feats alfo in Italy, were foon fwallowed up by the Papal kingdom, so that the ten kingdoms continued entire with the beast only for a very short time.

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The prophet Daniel gives a very minute account of these ten horns. With John he tells us, that they are ten kings who were afterwards to arife; but he tells us farther, that the Papal power was very foon to pluck up just three of them, and confequently, that all the ten were to exift only a fhort time with him Dan: vii. 8." I confidered "the horns, and behold there came up among "them another little horn, before whom there "were three of the first horns plucked up by the "roots; and behold, in this horn, were eyes, like "the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great "things." Verse 24th, "Aud the ten horns out "of this kingdom are ten kings that fhall arife: "and another fhall rife after them, and he fhall "be diverfe from the first, and he shall fubdue “three kings.". And then in, verfa 25th, he defcribes the Papal government most exactly.

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Let us now fee if it appears from hiftory, that ten kings rofe out of the Weltern empire, at the time the Pope became a temporal prince, a and if

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he soon swallowed up three of these..

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The ten following kingdoms rofe out of the Wettern empire, juft before the Pope became a temporal prince; the Franks and Burgundians in Gaul; the Goths and Vifigoths in Spain; the English and Scottish in Britain; the Lombards, the Normans, and the kingdom of Ravenna in Italy; and the Saracens in Africa. For thefe, confult

Sigonius

Sigonius de Occidentali imperio, p, 358. alfo Ibid. de Regno Italia. p. 2,-75. and Mofheim, Vol. i, P. 343. That a confiderable part of Ravenna was gifted by Pepin to the Pope when he was first created a temporal prince, Sigonius tells us, De Regno Italia, p. 79, 80. All Italy foon became fubject to the Roman pontiff, and hath long continued fubject to him. But, in Italy there were exactly three of these ten kingdoms, viz, Ravenna, and the kingdoms of the Lombards and Normans in Italy. Since that time, though the boundaries of these kingdoms, their number and names, have varied, the Western empire hath been still divided into many diftinct and independent kingdoms.

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Verfe 13th.-Thefe have one mind, and fhall give their power and ftrength to the

beast.

However much thefe kingdoms fhould differ in other things, they were to be unanimous in giving their firength and authority to the beaft. Accordingly, in fact, they all became Roman Catholic; they were all obedient to the nod of the Pope; and with the greatest alacrity, they devoted to his fervice and fupport their whole ftrength and authority. Whenever he pleafed, he called forth their whole frength, to execute his projects,

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and carry on his wars, however foolish and unjuft. In the time of the croifades, he called forth their kings, and all their forces and treasures, to fight against the Turks, until, by that mad project, he had almoft beggared and depopulated Europe.

Verfe 14th.-Thefe fhall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb fhall overcome them for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chofen, and faithful.

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These kings, like the Pope himself, fhall fight against Christ the Lamb of God, and perfecute Chriftians his followers. This, it is well known, they did. For this wicked purpofe, they frequently gave their ftrength and authority to Papal Rome.

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In this war they fhall be unfuccessful not one of them fhall be able to banifh true Chriftians entirely out of their dominions. The Lamb fhall overcome every one of them. Some of them he shall fubdue by his grace, and conquer by the fword of the Spirit, the word of God. They fhall abandon Popery, and fupport the kingdom of God in the world. And the few who fhall continue attached to Papal Rome to the laft, he fhall crufh with his rod of iron, as predicted of him in Pfalm ii. 9-12.

VOL. II.

Ff

"Thou

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