A demonstration of the first principles of the Protestant applications of the apocalypse together with the consent of the ancients concerning the fourth beast in the 7th of Daniel and the beast in the Revelations / by Drue Cressener.

CHAP. IV. * 1.1

An Account of the several changes of the form of the Government of Rome, from the time of the Vision. The two Emperours were joynt-partners in the Govern∣ment of the whole Empire, like the two Consuls. The 22d Proposition, the sixth Head was at latest at an end upon the Fall of the Western Empire in Augustu∣lus. The Barbarous Kings of Italy, The Absolute Masters of Rome. Objections Answered.

THE Imperial Power continued the same from the time of the mention of it in this Prophecy under the name of the King, that was then in Rule, till about the year 160 after Christ, When Marcus Aurelius made Aelius Verus a sharer with him in the Imperial Power under the name of Augustus, whereas there had never been before seen two Emperors with the names of Augustus at the same time. And this was taken notice of for so new a face of the Government, that some dated their Fasti * 1.2 Consulares from thence, as a new Epocha of time.

This way of taking others into the Society of the Empire with them, was followed by other Emperors afterwards; as Severus with his Son Caracalla; Caracalla and his Brother Geta, the Gordiani: And in their time was there another Government set up, at Rome it self, called, the Twenty Men, who were cho∣sen by the Senate to Administer the Affairs of the whole Com∣monwealth; and Ambassadors were sent to all the Provinces of the Empire to contain them under the obedience of the Senate. But this continued but a short time, and gave way to the exal∣tation of Balbinus and Papienus to the Imperial dignity, by the choice of those Twenty Men themselves; and with the Inter∣ruption of some single Emperors after them, The same Social Form of Empire returned again in Valerian, with his Son Gallien. And there were afterwards sometimes three, and sometimes four Augustus's together; which seems to be much like the change of a Dictator into two Consuls: And the Dictators and

Consuls are accounted two of the five Heads, or forms of Go∣vernment, which were said to be past at the time of the Vi∣sion.

Another change was there in the Imperial Government, When the Emperors became Christians, and when the Laws of the Empire were made to conform to the Christian Religion. This seems to some to be a change of the Government much more remarkable than any Political change, and to deserve to be one of the two forms of Government that we are in quest of; And besides, it seems to be plainly described in the 12th Chap. of the Revelations, as a very considerable change of the Government of the Empire under the show of the Fall of the Dragon, upon which the Beast ascends into the Throne present∣ly after in the 13th Chapter.

The change of Religion again by Julian the Apostate, does thereupon seem to put in for a title to another form; And thô the time of his Reign was very short, yet it was as long as that of the Decemvirs, who are determined by most of the approved Interpreters, to be one of the Five Heads that were past at the time of the Vision.

Besides, That his Reign was just almost the very same length of time, that the Beast is said to Reign, That is, Three years and an half.

The division of the Empire into the Western and Eastern seats, especially when it came to be setled by Theodosius, seems to have a very fair claim to the title of a new Head, or Change of the Imperial Government; And like to the succession of the Consuls to the Kingly Government of Rome, which are made two of the five forms of Roman Government, that were past at the time of the Vision.

If it be said that these Emperors were rather two Heads, than one, like the representation of two of the four Kingdoms in the Graecian Monarchy, by two distinct Horns succeeding to * 1.3 the first; It may be answered, That according to the account of all Historians, Thô they seemed to have a divided Empire, yet they acted in almost all the publick affairs, as but a 1.4 One Go∣vernment of the whole Empire; They had both their Authority confirmed at Rome, they owned the same Laws, and joyned together in the making of them; The Laws bear the names of both the Emperors; And no Laws could be made but by the

consent of both the Princes: And if either of them died with∣out Children, the other succeeded him in that part of the Em∣pire.

The supream Authority of Rome was divided betwixt them; part of the Roman Senate did always sit at Constantinople; one of the Consuls did ordinarily belong to that City. There was in∣deed a promiscuous use of this right of chusing the Consuls be∣twixt the Two Imperial Seats, as Onuphrius Panurinus does show, Lib. Fastor, pag. 290. sometimes both the Consuls were made at Rome, sometimes both at Constantinople, sometimes none at all; sometimes one in the East, another in the West: So that as b 1.5 Pan∣cirollus does very properly express it, They seemed to be Two half Empires joyned together.

And accordingly in the Notitia Imperii, which was the Impe∣rial standard of all the Dignities and Offices of the Empire both Civil and Military; and was in use in the time of this division of the Empire; The Military Ensigns, and the Arms of the chief Dignities are there described, as representing the perfect Ʋnity of the Two Emperors in their design of Governing the whole World. All the greater Civil-Magistrates, as the Praefects, * 1.6 Consuls, Proconsuls, Vicarii, &c. had always the Two Emperors Heads raised upon gilded Pedestals, and carried before them, as the Ensigns of their Authority.

Pancirollus admires That of the Correctors of Apulia, and Calabria, as the most expressive of the intent of all the rest. Notit. dignitat. Occident. p. 87. And that of the President of Dalmatia was much the same, pag. 91. ibid. It was Two Princes upon the top of a gilded Pillar, with their backs to one another; but so close joyned together, that they ended in one common Body. And of all the publick Ensigns of Authority, he says, pag. 46. Notit. Orient. That the Heads, or Faces of the Princes, was the chiefest.

3. The Military Dignities had the same Figure of the Princes Heads conjoyned, Engraven on a Gilded Plate on the back-side of a Book. And c 1.7 every Legion had the same drawn toge∣ther with the Eagle in their Banners, besides the distinguishing Figure of the Legion. The distinguishing Ensigns d 1.8of every particular Legion had also generally the same signification; and that was shown most commonly by two circles of different co∣lours * 1.9 Rounding a Ball, which Augustus first ordered to signify the

Rule of the World by the Romans; sometimes by Two half Cir∣cles conjoyned, and yet distinguished; sometimes by a Circle or Ball, girt about with two different wreaths; sometimes by two half Snakes rising from a Basis, and meeting with their Heads in a Circle; Or by two half Horses, or Hawks, or Horns en∣closing a Ball, or some round figure; sometimes by Half-moons, &c. And the Sagittarii had this plainly expressed in theirs by a Cirlce about a Globe, and Two Eagles on each side of it, and the Two Emperors above it. The Mattiaci also by a White Globe encircled with two Rounds, Red and White, and above it the Faces of the Two Emperors: And much the same have the Tertia Dioclesiana Thebaeorum. Others that are more uncertain I will not mention. And these seemed all to be done in imitation of the impress of the old Coynes, made to signify the Two Con∣suls Governing the one Roman State, which was represented by Two Serpents joyn'd by their Tails, with this Inscription, e 1.10 The dou∣bled strength of the Two Consuls. The Coyns also of the Empire, in the time of this division, had both the Emperors Heads, with this Inscription, The mutual love of the two Augusti.

And whatever was there more like to the Consuls of Rome, which are said to be one of the five Heads, that were past at the date of the Prophecy, than these two Emperors?

After this came the Western Empire to be cut off by the Bar∣barous Nations. Odoacer, who cut off the last Emperor Augu∣stulus, Reigned with his Heruli Sixteen years in his stead; and how much he deserved to be accounted a new Head of Rome, may appear by the power he had there to have a Law made, f 1.11 That no Election of the Bishop of Rome should be valid, except it were confirmed by the King. And also, That in a Controversial Choice, The King should determine which of the Elected should stand. This Law continued also under g 1.12 Theodorick, who succeeded Odoacer, together with his Goths; and Theodorick was in the ex∣ercise of it till the year 502. h 1.13 And by his Authority were there frequent Synods of the Orthodox called at Rome, till some years after the year 501, thô he himself was an Arrian; which shows how absolute he was amongst them. And of the i 1.14 splendid receptions of both Odoacer, and Theodorick, at Rome, by the Pope, the Senate, and the People of Rome, and of the applauses and submissions that were shown them in acknow∣ledgment of their Sovereignty, There are sufficiene Testimonies

from the best approved Historians of those times; And the time of the Reign of these Barbarous Kings over Rome, was near 70 years.

The Lieutenants of Justinian, Bellisarius, and Nurses, subdued those Kings of Italy; And thereby Justinian, who was but the Emperour of Constantinople, and which had been divided from the Authority of Rome for so many years, comes to be restored to the Royal Seat of the Empire at Rome, which was another Change of the chief Government of that place: And thus it continued under the Command of the Exarchs of the Greek Emperors for near Two hundred years.

The Lombards, and the Franks, and the Pope together, seem to make another Change of the Sovereign Power of Rome, by the ruine of the Greek Emperors interests in Italy; But thô the Lombards seemed to be the next Masters of that Jurisdiction, yet they never could succeed in their attempts to make them∣selves Masters of Rome: For they were checked in it, by the Power of the Franks, under Pepin and Charlemain.

But then upon a Confederacy betwixt the Pope and those Kings of the Franks, Rome was left wholly free to it self, and Charlemaine was made Emperor of the Romans; and from him the Title continued to this day in the French and German Line, with some small intervals of vacancies.

Who would make any question, whether here be not variety of Changes enough to make one conclude, That the Imperial Government, which was the Ruling Head in St. John's time; must have been long since at an end?

One would indeed be more apt to judge from hence, That there hath been not only a Change of the Sixth Head since that time; but also four or five Heads besides in succession to one another. But since we are already assured, That the next Change but one to the Imperial Sixth Head, was to be the Beast, (Prop. 20.) And that the Beast was to continue from his first rise under that Head, to the last coming of Christ in Glo∣ry, (by Prop. 6. and Corol. 1. Prop. 12.) It is manifest, that there can be but Two of these several Changes of Government, that can be Heads of the Beast; the latter of which must con∣tinue to the second coming of Christ.

Wherefore to be able to know from the account of these Changes of the Roman Government, whether we are now in

the times of the Beast, which is our chief concern; It is now to be enquired, Whether it can be assured from thence, that the Sixth Imperial Head has been at an end, since the time of the Vision.

Now leaving all the rest of the Changes to the particular de∣fenders of them, one may upon most undoubted grounds for it resolve himself, That

At the ruine of the Western Empire by Odoacer, and the Go∣thish * 1.15 Kings of Italy, The Sixth Head was at latest at an End.

For the Sixth Head was to be at an end, when another set∣led Government should be owned at Rome instead of the Impe∣rial Government (by Coroll. 2. Prop. 22.)▪

And at the ruine of the Western Empire by those Kings, their Authority was k 1.16 owned for supream at Rome; as has been already made appear, from the publick reception of those Conquerors at Rome, by the whole Authority of that City, the Pope, the Senate, and People of Rome, and their acclamations to them under the name of the King of Rome: And what other Authority does Bellarmin himself make necessary for such an end, * 1.17 but that of the Pope?

And the Exercise of this Power is manifest from the whole Book of Cassiodorus Variarum, who was the Chancellor and chief Minister of State to two or three of the Gothish Kings; For that whole Book is nothing but the several forms of the Letters Patents, as one may say, of the Gothish Kings for all the great Offices of the Roman Government, such as those of Consul, Praefectus Praetorio, &c. Prefect of the City, &c.

And the Office of the l 1.18 Praefectus praetorio was immediately depending upon the supream Imperial Power, and Command∣ing all under him with an Imperial Authority.

But the most assured evidence of it is the Commands that we find from the Gothish Kings to the Senate, by the same name m 1.19 of Rerum Dominus, n 1.20 that the Emperors had in distinction from all other Sovereigns, and in such terms as these, By these o 1.21 presents we do ordain, By our Proclamation we do enjoyn, And know ye—lest any one incur the severity of our displeasure. Give ye your Suffrages according to our Command; And know ye that we have

given our special Order: But Especially, ⁿ when we see them minding the Senate and People of Rome, that not only by the general consent of all Goths and Romans, THEY were chosen their Kings and Governors, but that also they had taken an Oath of Allegiance to them; And if there should be any scruple of a Superiour Authority in the Pope at that time, We find an Ordinance of the Kings, That ^o Clergy-men should indeed go first to the Bishops-Court; But if they apprehended themselves not righted there, they should from thence appeal to the Civil Courts of Judicature, which shows which of the Courts was then accounted the Su∣periour Jurisdiction, even amongst the Clergy themselves; And this will not be much wondred at, as any strange thing, when it appeaas, That those Kings made Edicts to Regulate the Or∣dinations p 1.22 of the Popes themselves, and directed them to the Popes in such terms as these to publish,

May your Holiness know that we have at present decreed,—which we will have to extend to all Patriarchs and Metropolitans

—And in the substance of the Edict;

We allow no voice to any Clergy∣man, that shall be found to have been bribed for it. And then commands that a former decree of the Senate about it,

be observed—And with the desire of the Bishops Prayers, bids him take care to observe his Edicts; and commands him to intimate this to the Senate and People, by the Praefect of the City, and to make it known himself to all the Bishops under him; And to intimate a thing, was the Law-term, to signify the making a publick Act of it. Panciroll. notit. Imp. Orient. p. 33.

q 1.23 It was also an ordinary thing, for the Gothish Kings to send the Popes in Ambassy to the Greek Emperors.

If now it be replied, That the Imperial Government was still in being in the Constantinopolitan Emperor, because he had a part of the Senate of Rome, and one of the Consuls with him, which was the Supream Authority of that City:

The utmost that can be pretended from that, is, That that Greek Emperor had as much Roman Authority on his side after the fall of the Western Empire, as he had before it; but that be∣ing only one share of the Authority of Rome, It is plain, That those Kings, who had the real Sovereignty of the City of Rome, must at least be the other part of the supream Govern∣ment of it; And of the two, they must unquestionably be the most r 1.24 properly the Sovereign Authority of Rome,

which is the qualification of an Head of the Beast (Prop 21.)

This made Theodorick deal so harshly with Pope John, for Crowning the Emperor Justin Roman Emperor at Constantinople; * 1.25 For that did show that it was then generally thought, that the conferring that Honour by the chief Minister of Rome, was the giving him a Title to the Command of the Authority of Rome.

In short, one need but consider who was the Head of the Roman Empire before the fall of the Western Empire, to deter∣mine, whether that Head were changed or no by that fall. It is certain, that if it were but one of the Imperial Thrones that was then the Head of it, it must be the Western who had the chief Imperial Seat in his power, and then the Kings that suc∣ceeded him, must be a new Head; but if they were both toge∣ther the Roman Head, as is most likely, then at the fall of the Western Power, and the succession of a new Regal Government in the stead of it; the whole Government of the State must be acknowledged to have been changed, and a new Head set up in the room of it.

Wherefore instead of the whole Imperial Government in the Eastern and Western parts of the Empire, by this new con∣quest of Rome, There is a Succession of Kingly Government in the Western part, to share with the Imperial in the East: And of the Two, the Authority of the Kings must be acknowledged to be the most considerable part of the Head of Rome. But that the Imperial Government of Rome was then changed into another Form than what appeared before that conquest, is no ways to be questioned.

There must therefore necessarily be thereupon the appearance of a New Head; But whether it were the mixed form of Im∣perial and Kingly Government together, that made that Head, or the Kingly Government alone, need not yet be determined.

It cannot be here Objected, That the Gothish Kings could not be any part of a Roman Head upon the account of their being quite another Nation distinct from the Romans, and therefore not possible to be any part of the same Beast by which the Ro∣man Empire is represented; and that there was then no other Head of the Romans at their Conquest, but the Imperial Head at Constantinople, which continued the same for all the time of the Reign of those Barbarous Kings of Italy; and so was never put an end to by them.

For it is well known, That those Barbarous Nations were taken into s 1.26 the Society of the Romans, and had Kingdoms and Territories assigned them within the bounds of the Empire, long before this last Conquest of Italy, at the subversion of the Western Empire.

By the Decree of Antoninus, all that were within the bounds of the Roman Empire were made Citizens of Rome, as Grotius ob∣serves, c. 9. l. 2. de jure B. & P. And all over Cassiodorus Variar. t 1.28 the Gothish Kings stile themselves Roman Princes, and their Kingdoms Roman Empires: And Theodoric, who was the first of them, had this Commission from the Roman Emperor Zeno, and the Senate, as may be seen in pag. 284, 285.

Jornandes affirms, that the alliance betwixt the Romans and * 1.29 Goths began in the time of Maximinus; but it is certain, that in the time of Theodosius there was a very formal agreement be∣twixt them; The whole Nation of the Goths delivered them∣selves up into the hands of the Romans, and they had Lands of the Empire assigned them for their habitation, and so were Members of the Roman State. And such real Members were they of it in the time of Theodorick, that he was u 1.30 made Consul of the Empire by Zeno; and Eutharicus his Son in Law after him.

But that which gives the best satisfaction in this case, is, that the Goths of Italy must be either an Head, or an Horn of the Ro∣man Beast, according to the interpretation of all Protestants, who make the Ten Horns to be the division of the Roman Em∣pire amongst the Barbarous Nations; and then since the King∣dom of the Goths in Italy had the City of Rome for its share, it was much better qualified to be an Head, than an Horn (by Pro∣pos. 21.)

The continuance of the Imperial Roman Government at Con∣stantinople could not hinder the change of that Head, when there was a new face of Government at Rome: For besides that it has been demonstrated, that the essential Character of an Head of the Beast, is the Government owned at Rome (by Prop. 21.) It appears also by almost all the known examples besides, of the changes of Government in a Monarchy, either in Daniel or the Revelations; That the continuance of the former Government, together with a new face of the Soveraign Power, is made to be a New Succession of the Sovereign Power of that Nation: The

most plain instance of it is in the Figure of the Graecian Monar∣chy in the 8th Chapter of Daniel, where after the end of the first form of Government under the first King, there succeeds a fourfold Kingdom, notwithstanding that the Macedonian Sove∣reignty, which was the first King continued still in being; for it was one of those four Kingdoms. So also in the figure of the Persian Monarchy just before it, the successive changes of the So∣vereignty are represented by the Two Horns coming after one another, thô the first of them, That is, The King of Media was still in being when the latter was in Rule, because the King of Persia was also King of Media, and his Realm at that time called the Kingdom of the Medes and Persians. This also is confirmed from the Succession of this very same Imperial Head, which was a new head, notwithstanding that the x 1.31 Consulary Government continued with it, thô in subordination to the Imperial; much more must this Government be a new Head, when that which was only Imperial, is turned into a Regal form at Rome.

There is therefore no longer any question to be made, whe∣ther the Imperial Government, which was the Sixth Head at the time of the Vision be yet at an end.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Rev. XVII.
• * 1.2

  Spartian in Ve∣ro. Eutrop. 8.
• * 1.3

  Dan. 8.
• a 1.4

  BEllarmin de Translat. Imperii Occident. l. 1. c. 4.—Erat tamen, &c. But so common to them both was the whole Administration of the Empire (that is, to both the Western and Eastern Emperour) that the Laws were made for the whole Empire, by the Authority, and in the name of both the Emperours. And if one of them died without Children, the Government of the whole Empire fell to the other.
• b 1.5

  Panciroll. notit. Imp. Occident. p. 1.—But yet both the Princes (of the East, and West) did always administer the Affairs of the Empire by a joint consent; They made the Laws together, they governed the Army by consent, and chose the Consuls, one of which resided at Rome, and the other at Constantinople; so that they seemed to be two halves of the Empire joined together.
• * 1.5.1

  See Onuph. Panvi. Fastor. p. 61. and p. 290. where he gives a Chroni∣cle of the Ea∣stern and We∣stern Consuls.
• * 1.6

  Pancirol. Not it. Imp. Orient. pag. 40.
• c 1.7

  Panciroll. Notit. Imp. Orient. p. 56. de M. militum praesentali.—The Badges of the Authority of this Dignity was, a Book upon a Chest, covered with white Tapistry—In the middle of it is a golden Plate, with the two gilt Faces of the Princes engraven in it.
• d 1.8

  Panciroll. notit. Imper. Orient, p. 59. de Legionibus—Every Legion consisted of ten Companies, the first of which was called Milliaria—This had the charge of the Eagle (which was the chief Ensign in the Army) and the Faces of the two Princes. And pag. 46. Every Legion had the Princes Heads, with the Eagle, and they adored them upon the top of the Colours,—The first Company pay their veneration to the Images of the Empe∣rours; that is, to a Divine Representation of Authority, and present at hand.

  And Vegetius de re Militari—In the second Rank, after the Eagle, and the Images, stands the 6th Troop—And adds—The Imaginiferi are those that carry the Emperours Images.

  Panciroll. Notit. Imper. Orient. à cap. 50. usque ad cap. 60.

  Idem Notit. Imper. Occident. à cap. 20. ad cap. 28.

  Panciroll. Notit. Imper. Oriental. cap. 39. pag. 70. Defensores. The Old Coin, that has two Serpents joined by the Tails, is a Type of the one common Power of the two Consuls in both their Authorities.

  The Inscription is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The twofold Rule of the two Consuls.

  Prattica dalle Medaglie di Carlo Patino, pag. 150. The Romans used to comprehend their History in two or three words; as may be seen in these following Examples of Medals, Amor mutuus Augustorum, &c. and p. 161. among the Abbreviations of the Inscriptions of Medals, this is one, Augg. which is interpreted to be, Augusti duo.
• * 1.9

  Pancirol. Notit. dignitat. l. 1. 252. c. 2. p. 35.
• e 1.10

  Baronius, Anno 472. Odoacer made a Law, which he proclaimed by his Praefect Basilius, in a full Assembly of the Bishops in the Vatican, That after the decease of Simplicius (then Bishop of Rome) to avoid all disturbance in the City, and prejudice to the Church, none should be chosen without his knowledg. See also Petavius, Rationar. Temp. part. 1. lib. 7. cap. 3.
• f 1.11

  Petavius, Rationar. Temp. l. 7. c. 3.—To prevent which (that is, the Commotions in the City about the Election of Laurentius, and Symma∣chus, upon the death of Pope Anastasius) the whole Controversy was re∣mitted to the determination of King Theodoric, according to the Law made in that Case by Odoacer. And he pronounced Symmachus Pope. And ma∣ny Synods were about that Affair in the year 501, and some years after.
• g 1.12

  Hieron. Rubens. Histor. Raven. p. 131, 132. The year after was there another Council called by the Command of King Theodorick, from Ravenna.—The French Bishops mention their being called to Rome by his Command. And Pope Symmachus gives the King thanks, that he called the Council to meet at Rome.

  See Tom. 2. Concil. de Synodis Romae sub Symmacho.—Theodoric does there shew the Letters of Symmachus himself to request him to call the Fourth Synod.
• h 1.13

  Pompon. Laetus of Odoacer.—The Romans at his first entrance into the City, salute him King of Rome and Italy, and lead him to the Capitol with all the highest Honours. To the same purpose Blondus. Decad. l. 3. pag. 31.

  In decretal. distinct. 69. Odoacer is called by Pope Symmachus, the Most Excellent King of the Romans.
• i 1.14

  De Translat. Romani Imper. in Germanos. Tit. Quâ ratione facta est Imperii translatio—The Roman Power was transferred upon Odoacer first by the Army, or by the submission of the Roman Legions to him. 2. By the Nobility, and Senate of Rome. 3. By the Right of Conquest. 4. By the Renunciation of Augustulus. 5. By the Consent of all Rome, and Italy, declared in the Capitol, as they used to acknowledg their Lawful Em∣perours.

  Blondus, Decad. l. 3. p. 37. He there shews—How Theodoric was re∣ceived at Rome by the agreeing Consent, and Applauses, and Acclamations of the Pope, the Senate, and People of Rome; And that he left Rome to its own Government by the Senate; but yet so as that his Praefect did preside over them.

  Bellarm. l. 1. de Translat. Imper. Rom. in Germanos, cap 9. says, that Theodoric enjoyed the Empire of all Italy.

  The style of Theodoric's Letters-Pattents represent him every-where as the Absolute Sovereign of the Romans, as much as ever the Emperours had been before him. In his Letter to the Senate of Rome, upon his Coronation Oath, Lib 10. Variar. Cassiodori—Our Goodness must be a very command∣ing thing, when we are overcome by our own Will, who are not bound to answer to any one else—because we owe th••se things to God only, and not to Man; Epistola 17. So also in the next Letter to the People of Rome—consider, How much kindness is intended you, when he swears to you, who cannot be compelled. And speaking of the Office of Praefect of the City of Rome, Epist. 4. lib. 6. says of himself in comparison with those Praefects—Hâc sold ratione, &c. In this only are we different from them, that we cannot be subject to any one else, who have none to judge us, or, to call us to account.

  Sigonias says of him, lib. 16. de Occident. Imper. That Theodoric set up a Kingdom in the West, every way most like the old Empire there.
• * 1.15

  Proposit. 22.
• k 1.16

  Cassiodor. Variar. Lib. 5. Epist. 3. de Praefecturâ Praetorianâ.—No Dignity is equal in power to it.—And although other Dignities have their set bounds, yet under that jurisdiction does almost every thing come that is done in our whole Empire.—And in the Comment there by Brossius.—Ammianus Marcellimus, lib. 21. affirms, That the Praefectura Praetoriana is much above all other Dignities, as Valentinian, Valens, and Gratian, have decreed, l. 1. c. de Officio Vicarii. And that with good reason; For the Praetorian Praefecture was a kind of Sovereignty of Command, but without the Purple; and that was the distinction betwixt the Sovereign, and the Praefectus Praetorio, that he had not the sacred Purple, nor the Imperial Badge of Authority.
• * 1.17

  Bellarm. de Translat. Imp. Occid.
• l 1.18

  Cassiodor. Variar. l. 1. Epist. 4. l. 11. Ep. 1. 8, 10. l. 12. Ep. 3. 56.
• m 1.19

  Cuspinian in Sextum Rufum, p. 8. De Imperatoribus.

  Appian writes in the Proem of his History, That Emperor was the name of the Generals of Armies of old; From whence he that Governed the Com∣monwealth at his own pleasure like a King, was called an Emperor. And they took that name upon them, because the name of Emperor was more acceptable at Rome, than any other Title, which had a show of Absolute Government.—And Julius Caesar, as Dion says, did take the name of Em∣peror upon him, as omnium Rerum Dominus, from whom the Emperors after him took the name.

  Thus were the Gothish Kings really Emperors of Rome under the name of Kings; They had the same Power, and differed only in Name.
• n 1.20

  Cassiodor Variar. Lib. 1. Epist. 29, 31, 32, 33, 44. Lib. 4. Ep. 45, &c.
• o 1.21

  Cassiodor. Variar. Lib. 8. Ep. 2, 3, 4. Lib. 10. Ep. 18. Lib. 11. Ep. 1. pag. 658.

  Cassiodor. Lib. 8. Epist. 24. Clero Ecclesiae Romanae Athalaricus Rex. We decree by our Authority at this present, That if any one has an Action against any belonging to the Roman Clergy, That he Cite him to the Court of the Most Blessed Pope.—And if the Plaintiff has not right done him there, then he may go to the Secular Courts.
• p 1.22

  Cassiodor. Variar. Lib 8. Epist. 15. King Athalaricus to the Senate of Rome concerning their Agreement in the choice of that Pope, which his Father had named to them after the Imprisonment of Pope John by him, He calls it, their Obeying his Command in it.

  Idem, Lib. 9. Epist. 15. To Pope John.
• q 1.23

  Anastasius Bibliothecarius records this of Pope John the first, in the time of Theordoric; and of Pope Agapetus in the time of Theodahat.
• r 1.24

  Bellarmin, in his 9th Chapter, De Translatione Imp. Rom. Lib. 1. does show that Odoacer was King of Rome and Italy, against the Emperors will, and so had no dependance upon him; and that Theodoric after him was made King of Rome and Italy, by the consent of Zeno, as one Emperor did usually create another; so that these Kings must unquestionably be qualified to be the Sovereigns of Rome, both for their independance on any other, and their possession of it by the same way that the Western Emperors used to have it.
• * 1.25

  Petav. l. 7. c. 3. Part 1.
• s 1.26

  Grot. in cap. 17. Apoc. v. 12.—The Goths were the first that were made the Confederates of the Roman Empire, as Procopius shows, Gothic. l. 4. And that before the time of Maximinus, as we learn out of Jornandes.

  To the same purpose Onuphrius Panuvinus, Lib. Fastor. pag. 307.—The Romans a little before (that is before the time of Augustulus) had taken the Scythians, Alans, and Gothish people into Society with them—The Dig∣nity of the Roman Princes was so diminished about that time, That they were even forced by these Strangers, against their will, under the decent Name of Associates and Confederates, to let them share all the Italick parts of the Empire with them.

  Grot. de jure Belli & pacis, Lib. 2. c. 9. Art. 11. By the Decree of An∣toninus, All within the bounds of the Roman Empire were made Citizens of Rome.

  Petavius shows out of Idatus, That in the year 38. The whole Nation of the Goths were taken into Society with the Romans, and had Lands assigned them. Petav. Rationar. Temp. Lib. 6. c. 8.
• * 1.27

  N. B.
• t 1.28

  So also all over Cassiodorus's Variar. The Gothish Kings stile themselves Ro∣man Princes.

  Cassiodor. Variar. Lib. 3. Ep. 16. 18. Lib. 11. Ep. 1, 2. pag. 658, 659, 669.
• * 1.29

  Petavius in Theodor.
• u 1.30

  Jornandes de Reb. Geticis, Sect. 86. Zeno Adopts Theodorit for his Son—And he was made one of the Yearly Consuls, which is the highest Office, and the greatest Honour in the World.

  Cassiodori Chronicon. p. ult. D. N. Eutharicus Cillica & Justinus Aug. Caes.
• x 1.31

  Onuphr. Panuvinus, lib. Fastor. p. 61.—But the Consulary Dignity continued at Rome to the time of Justinian.

  Joh. Fersius Silesius protonotarius de p. Praet.

  Justinian. Novell. 105. calls the Consulship, a Dignity that goes alway with the Imperial Power; so that the Consulary Power seems to be so inter∣woven with the Sovereignty, that it follows it of its own accord, and is ta∣citly included in it, as soon as the Scepter of the Empire is taken.

  L. 6. Cod. Theodos. The Emperors Decree, That all other Dignities shall give place to that of Consul.

  Prattica dell. Medagglie de Carlo Pattin. Pag. 67. The greatest part of the Money which the Emperors, Julius Caesar and Augustus, caused to be stamp∣ed, was called Consular Money, for the respect that they bore to that Su∣pream Dignity.