594 A'eyelatton ofthe Apocalypse. C A z'. onéhoure onely ,who hath two and forty monethr to tyrannize it, Chap. 13. 5.) But this is therefore thus fpoken, becaufe their firft power should be for a time interrupted with fame notable calami- ty,that fhodld come upon them after force few yeares, and the ten Kings fhould fall into the fame mifhap with the Seaft, at their firft beginning, that fo the Beall might appeare the more evidently,who and what he is, and that to allthe world by this mifery of his, and the Kings endured together. Now therefore to come to applying of all this to the matter, we have (hewed on the i 3.Chap. that thefe Kings are thefirft Chri- ftianEmperours. Which (hall now he made plaine by the particula- rizi rig of them, and other matters belonging to them. Firú, thefe Howes be Kings,and tholeno ordinary or inferiour ones, but Empe- rours,that had the Sove raign and higheff power in their own hands, fceing they had `Diadems,wherein they differ from the Horner ofthe Dragon,as we haveobferved,Chap.13.t. For he had ten homes alfo. Thatis, fo many Kings, but yet filch as wanted crownes. For thefe were then belonging properly to the Heady, that is, to the City of Rome, where the higheff Majeftie of the Empire did refide, all the Provinces being fubje f to this great Oeen. But now the cafe fhould be altered at the firft beginningof tln- tich-rift, the Soveraigne should be elfewhere then at Rome, as we know it came to paffe when the Chriftian Emperours kept at Sizan- tium, or Mediolanum,or at Ravenna, who yet kept the height of their Government over the whole Chriftian world,kill in their Own power. For all this while they fpake like Lords and Kings; We have iudg_ ed thee worthyofthe Bi/lioprick ofoar City, becaufe than art a main- tainer of Chriftian Religion, as Conftantiniu fpake to Liberisu the Bifl opofRome; Theodor. Book z. Chap. t 6. Yea forne Ages after, in fixt Councell ofConsant. A. a. Lonftantine himfelf gave a gift to the Bi/hop ofRome, which they called his Sacra; in thefe words, Igive this to the Arichbiflsop ofour ancient Rome. And this thing alfo the Bi- (hops of Rome did willinglyacknowledge;Bonifacewriting to Mono- rim- the Emperour, diffinft.97. Ecelefiæ,faith; Rome is the City Which yea o fyour c-ntlenefehave given over to me.Gregory writing to Mau- ritiur,fignifieth his ready obedience in promulgatinghis law, though he did not allowof his judgment by anymeanes, laying, I that am fubieht to your commandment, have caufadyour laW to be tranfported through diverspartsofthe World; Book 2. Epii. 61. at the end. And thrgathe
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