all the former magiftracies, and constituted a Duke of Rome, to govern the people, and to pay tribute to the exarchate of Ravenna. Rome had never experienced this form of government before and this I conceive to be the other, which in the apostle's days was not yet come, and when he cometh, he must continue a fhort Space. For Rome was reduced to a dukedom tributary to the exarch of Ravenna by Longinus, who was fent exarch (9) in the year 566 according to fome accounts, or in the year 568 according to others; and (1) the city revolted from the eastern emperor to the pope in the year 727 which is fhort Space in comparison of the imperial power, which preceded, and lafted above 500 years; and in comparison of the papal power, which followed, and hath now continued about a thousand years. But ftill poffibly you may hèfitate, whether this is properly a new form of government, Rome being still fubject to the imperial power, by being subject to the Greek emperor's deputy, the exarch of Ravenna and according as you determin this

et Pompeii Craffique potentia, cito in Cæfarem; Lepidi atque Antonii arma, in Auguftum ceffere: qui cuncta difcordiis civilibus feffa, nomine principis fub imperium accepit. Tacit. Annal. Lib. t. in initio.

point,

(8) Sigonius de Occcidentali Imperio.Lib.14.&c. Petavii Rat. Temp. Partis 1. Lib. 6. Cap. 18.

(9) Sigonius de Regno Ital. Lib. 1. Petav. Rat. Temp. Par. 1. Lib. 7. Cap. 10.

(1) Sigon. ibid. Lib. 3.

(2) Mr.

1

point, the beast that was and is not, was while idolatrous, and was not while not idolatrous, will appear to be the feventh or eighth. If you reckon this a new form of government, (2) the beaft that now is is the eighth; if you do not reckon this a new form of government, the beaft is of the Seven; but whether he be the Seventh or eighth, he is the laft form of government, and goeth into perdition. It appears evidently, that the fixth form of government, which was fubfifting in St. John's time, is the imperial; and what form of government hath fucceeded to that in Rome, and hath continued for a long space of time, but the papal? The beaft therefore, upon which the woman rideth, is the Roman government in its laft form and this, all must acknowlege, is the papal, and not the imperial.

Having explained the mystery of the Seven heads, the angel proceeds to the explanation

of the ten horns. (ver. 12, 13, 14.) The ten horns are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet: and confequently they were not in being at the time of the vifion; and indeed the Roman empire was not divided into ten kingdoms, till fome time after it was become Chriftian. But they receive power as kings one bour, (3) μiav ‘wgav, at the fame time, or for the fame length of time, with the beaft: It is true in both fenfes, they rise and fall together with the beast: and consequently they are not to be reckoned before the rife and establishment of the beaft; and accordingly when a catalogue was produced of these ten kings or kingdoms in a differtation upon Daniel, they were exhibited as they stood in the eighth century, which is the time of the rife and establishment of the beast. Kingdoms they might be before, but they were not before kingdoms or horns of the beast, till they embraced his religion, and submitted to his authority; and the beaft ftrengthened them,

imp jugum, quem anno fuperriore excommunicarat, prorfus excuffit Gregorius II, Romamque et regiones vicinas fibi fubjecit. Ex illo enim tempore papa rex octavus merito haberi poteft, cum gladio spirituali temporalem quoque dehinc adeptus. Scio effe, qui pulfo Leone imp negent Romam papæ fubjectam fuiffe, fed a Pipino A. VOL. III.

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as

D. 752 Exarchatum Ravenna &c papæ datum tantum cum aliis urbibus, non ipfam Ro mam; fed mihi videntur non de re, fed umbra tantum certare. M. S.

tring. Malim, ad unum idem(3) Uno eodemque tempore. Vique tempus, ut cum indentitate temporis durationem complectatur. Mr. Mann's M. S.

(4) Idque

as they again ftrengthened the beaft. It is upon the feventh or laft head of the beaft that the horns are seen growing together, that is upon the Roman empire in its feventh or laft form of government; and they are not, like the beads, fucceffive, but contemporary kingdoms. Thefe have one mind, and fhall give their power and Strength unto the beaft; which is easily understood and applied to the princes and states in communion with the church of Rome. However they may differ in other refpects, yet they agree in fubmitting implicitly to the authority of the Roman church, and in defending its rights and prerogatives against all oppofers. But where were ever ten kings or kingdoms, who were all unanimous in their fubmiffions to the Roman empire, and voluntarily and of their own accord contributed their power and ftrength, their forces and riches to fupport and maintain it? Thefe fhall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb fhall overcome them; they perfecute the true church of Chrift, but the true church fhall in the end prevail and triumph over them; which particulars have been fulfilled in part

(4) Idque hoc loco tanto magis appofite, quod ex populi reverentia et favore primô excrevit poteftas illa papalis, et per decem aut plura fæcula

al

populi Romani fuffragiis creati funt papæ. Mr. Mann's M. S.

(5) Prima Nota, eft ipfum Catholicæ Ecclefiæ & Chriftia

norum

already, and will be more fully accomplished hereafter.

In the former part of this defcription (ver. 1) the whore is reprefented like ancient Babylon, fitting upon many waters: and thefe waters are here (ver. 15.) faid exprefly to (4) fignify peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. So many words in the plural number fitly denote the great extenfiveness of her power and jurifdiction and it is a remarkable peculiarity of Rome, different from all other governments in the world, that her authority is not limited to her own immediate fubjects, and confined within the bounds of her own dominions, but extends over all kingdoms and countries profeffing the fame religion. She herself glories in the title of the Catholic church, and exults in the number of her votaries as a certain proof of the true religion. Cardinal (5) Bellarmin's firft note of the true church is the very name of the Catholic church: and his fourth note is amplitude, or multitude and variety of believers; for the truly catholic church, fays he, ought not only to comprehend all ages, but likewife all places,

norum nomen. Bellar. de Notis Ecclefiæ. Lib. 4. Cap. 4. Quarta Nota, eft amplitudo, five multitudo et varietas credentium. Ecclefiæ enim vere ca

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