Weight and Moment; as we have before made it appear.  The Words of that Historian are these:—­“That by the Counsel, and with the Consent of all the Franks, (a Relation of this Affair being sent to the Apostolick See, and its Advice had) the most noble Pipin was advanced to the Throne of the Kingdom, By the Election of the whole Nation, the Homage of the Nobility, with the Consecration of the Bishops, &c.”  From which Words, ’tis most 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 same Historian. “Pipin, Mayor of the Palace (says he) having all along had the Administration of the Regal Power in his Hands, was the first that was appointed and elected to be King, from being Mayor of the Palace; the Opinion of Pope Zachary being first known, because the Consent and Countenance of a Pope of Rome, was thought necessary in an Affair of this Nature.”—­And presently after he tells us; “The Pope finding that what the Ambassadors had deposed 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 same Purpose writes Ado of Vienna, AEtat. 6. sub Anno 727.—­“Ambassadors (says he) were sent to Pope Zacharias, to propose this Question to him; Whether or no the Kings of the Franks, who had scarce any Power in their Hands, but contented themselves with the bare Title, were fit to continue to be Kings?” To which Zacharias return’d this Answer,—­“That he thought the Person who governed the Commonwealth, ought rather to have also the Title of King:  Whereupon the Franks, after the Return of the Ambassadors, cast out Childeric, who then had the Title of King; and by the Advice of the Ambassadors, and of Pope Zacharias, Elected Pipin, and made him King.”

Besides the above Proofs, we have Aimoinus’s Testimony to the same Purpose, lib. 4. cap. 61. where he concludes thus.—­“This Year Pipin got the Appellation of King of the Franks, and according to their ancient Customs was elevated to the Royal Throne in the City of Soissons, &c.”  Nay, even Godfrey of Viterbo himself; Chron. part. 17. cap. 4. “Pipin (says he) was made King by Pope Zacharias, (ex electione Francorum) through the Election of the Franks, Hilderic their slothful King being, by the Franks, thrust into a Monastery.”