§. 8. alibi Vasquez d Examen praef monit R. Jac. p. 49 55 103 142 143. Coquaeus e Aphorism Confess in verb. Clericus princeps Tyrannus Emanuel Sa f De Haeres c. 30. p. 293 296. Santarellus g De Reg. Reg. instit l. 1. c. 6. p. 58 c. c. 7. p. 63 c. Mariana h Defens Bell. T. 2. col 1153 c. adv Reg. Brit. c. 6 7. def Apol. Gall. p. 591. Gretser i Tom. 3. disp 5. q. 8. punct 3. Valentia by Cardinal k Letter about Devent p. 27 28 30. in Resp pro Cathol adv persecut Angl. passim vid. c. 2 4 5. ext in concert Eccl. Cath. in Anglia Allen l Controv 3. q. 5. artic 2. p. 710 711. Stapleton m De Visib Monarch l. 2. c. 4. de clave David l. 1. c. 6. p. 26. c. 9. p. 57. l. 2. c. 10. p. 99. Saunders n Quiet sob reck p. 80. Letter of the Oath of Alleg. p. 18 19 80 85. Philopat sive ejus sit sive Creswelli p. 106 107. it §. 158 160 162 221. Parsons and hundreds more I shall a little more particularly instance in Bellarmin because he is the most profest Champion of the Papal cause and being a man of great wit and Learning express'd himself as cautiously as he well could in this matter yea so cautiously that Pope Sixtus V. was once resolv'd to have condemn'd and supprest his writings because attributing too little to the Papal authority as the Cardinals themselves told mine Author o Gu. Barcl de potest Papae edit 1609. c. 13. p. 101. c. 40. p. 329. and yet even he p De Rom. Pontif. l. 5. c. 6. col 889. c. 7. ib. c. sayes roundly that the political Power not only as 't is Christian but as 't is Civil is subject to the Ecclesiastical so that the Pope may in order to the good of souls govern and dispose of temporal Princes alter Kingdoms take them away from one and give them to another that if a King be an Infidel or an Heretic and we know what they mean by that nay he particularly reckons the Kings of England among his instances and seek to draw his Dominions to his sect it is not only lawful but a duty in his subjects to deprive him of his Kingdom And whereas sayes he the primitive Christians attempted not the like on Nero Dioclesian Julian or the rest it was not it seems that they boggled out of a sense of duty but only quia deerant vires temporales because they wanted means and power to effect it A bold piece of falshood Fuligat vit Bell. l. 1. c. 2. p. 17. and a sufficient confutation of what the Writer of his Life affirms that he could not remember that he had ever told a lye in his life or disguised the truth by fraud or sophistry If it be here said as sometimes they do when pincht with these objections that these are but the opinions of their private Doctors and not the public and standing declarations of that Church to this I shall briefly return these three things by way of answer 1. That this is a most gross and senseless evading of the argument for whether their Church publicly declare this or not 't is these private Doctors that steer mens Consciences conduct their practice and that diffuse the venom into all parts of the Christian world and if the mischief be done by vertue of these hellish Principles Princes murdered Kingdoms invaded and the foundations of Government overturned 't is little matter whether it be done by connivence or command as if the family be destroyed by the servants scattering of poyson in every corner 't is but a trifling excuse that the Master of the house did not command but only stand by and see them do it 2. These pernicious doctrines are publicly taught in their Schools and Universities and Books of them printed in all Countries approv'd licenc't and recommended and suffered to pass without controul the very worst of them never censur'd condemn'd or burnt by the supream authority of that Church which in all reason justice and equity they were oblig'd to do did they not allow and own them 3. And which will fully answer this matter Most of these detestable principles are extant in the body of their Canon Law See the Bishop of Lincoln's Book called Principles and positions approved by the Church of Rome which is their public rule and standard at this day are determined in the Breves and Bulls of their several Popes who have solemnly denounc't those things ex Cathedra and what 's higher yet are in effect found in the Decrees of their own General Councils I instance in two Ann. 1215. the Council of Lateran whereat were present the Pope the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Jerusalem seventy Arch-bishops four hundred and twelve Bishops eight hundred Abbots and Priors besides Embassadors from most Princes in Christendom this Council decreed that Heretical Lords and Rulers should be Excommunicated their Vassals absolved from their obedience their Lands seiz'd and dispos'd of to Catholics In the general Council at Lyons Ann. 1245. the Pope by advice of the Cardinals and Council and by a definitive sentence pronounc't there depos'd and depriv'd the Emperour Frederic discharg'd his sworn Subjects from their Allegiance Excommunicating all such as should obey or favour him commanding the Princes forthwith to proceed to a new Election all which is inserted into the Acts of that Council To be short so evident is the case that some of their greatest Champions more candid and ingenuous than the rest have plainly confest that if the Pope have not such a power of Excommunicating and deposing Princes and absolving Subjects from their Fealty and Allegiance See Card. Perrons Harangue among his Works in French p. 635. Lessius seu Gu. Singletonus Discuss Decret Conc. Later p. 46 90 100 123. but especially the Jesuits Loyalty printed 1677. the first Treatise their Church having all along challeng'd and exercis'd it in her supremest Tribunals must be fallen into a damnable errour both in faith and practice and consequently must cease to be a true Church that therefore the belief of it is an article essential to it and to assert the contrary is an opinion erroneous in faith temerarious and impious But if their Church must needs stand or fall with this principle let them look to that 't is in the mean time evident enough that the principles they believe and teach are in the tendency of them immediately destructive of the safety and authority of Princes and the peace of humane society But alas that 's not all nor the worst of the case These pernicious doctrines are not meer Scholastic subtleties dry and barren speculations but impregnated with life and power and accordingly II. The practices of the men of that Church have been alwayes
nor should we stick now to obey your commands did not the laws of Christianity forbid us to worship devils and to approach the polluted Altars of your gods We see you are resolved either to defile us with Idolatry or to terrifie us with a decimation go on Sir as you have begun Know we are all Christians our bodies we subject to your power but we reserve our souls intire for Christ our Saviour Nor is it despair that makes us thus resolute against you we have armes you see and yet make no resistance choosing rather to dye than to overcome and to perish innocent than to live rebellious and revengeful Exasperated with this invincible resolution the Emperour orders a second decimation which doing no good upon them he commanded the whole Army Horse and Foot to break in who cut them off as in a moment And thus they died with their swords in their hands when being so many and so advantageously posted they might have preserved their lives by force of armes or to be sure have sold them at the dearest rate But alas the rising up against their Emperour the propagating the faith by fire and sword the deposing and assassinating Princes for the sake of God and holy Church were practices not more expresly condemned by the doctrine of the Gospel than they were strangers to those innocent and happy times And this brings me to the third thing I propounded to enquire into and that is III. Whether any part of the Christian Church at this day be justly guilty of this charge And here without further preface I lay down the charge at the door of the Church of Rome which in this great instance of Religion has so wofully debaucht the purity and simplicity of the Christian faith that it 's become now quite another thing than what it was when it first came from under the hands of its Author A Church that in this regard looks more like a Council of War or a School of the arts of Treason than the Court of the Prince of peace or the house of the God of order A Church the principles of whose Religion as they have now modelled it if heartily embraced and duly improv'd to their just and natural tendences are plainly inconsistent with the majesty and security of Soveraign Powers the happy government of the Civil State and indeed with the quietness and good order of mankind So true is the determination which the wise King James makes in this matter Speech to both Houses of Parl. p. 11. that as on the one part many-honest men seduc't with some errours of Popery may yet remain good and faithful subjects so on the other part none of those that truly know and believe the whole grounds and School-conclusions of their doctrine can ever prove either good Christians or faithful subjects But that I may not seem without just reason to fasten so heavy a charge upon them I shall as briefly as I can shew these two things First That the principles taught and belived in the Church of Rome are immediately destructive of the safety and authority of Princes and the peace of humane society Secondly That the practices of the men of that Church have been all along agreeable to their principles I. The principles taught and believ'd in the Church of Rome are immediately destructive of the safety and authority of Princes and the peace of humane society And here not to insist upon their doctrine of the Popes absolute Infallibility of the punishment of hereticks whom they devote to the most horrid penalties both in this and the other world their cancelling the most solemn oaths and that they bind no longer if dispenc't with by the Pope or than 't is for the interest of the Catholic cause and declaring that no faith is to be kept with heretics their doctrine of auricular Confession whereby they screw themselves into the secrets of Princes and that the most enormous villanies are to be concealed if delivered under the Seal of Confession Binet Jesuit ap Casaub Epist clxx ad Front Duc. p. 209. vid. p. 206. c. which is not to be broken up say some of them tho the lives of all the Kings in the World lay at stake their exempting the Clergy from the jurisdiction of the Secular Powers whereby infinite frauds murders and villainies are securely committed their doctrine of aequivocation and mental reservation in the most serious and important cases their vows of obedience to their Superiours whereby they are oblig'd to attempt the most horrid and unnatural actions without enquiring into the reason or boggling at the barbarity of them all which and abundant more instances that might be given strike at the very vitals of peace and order among men To pass by also the blasphemous titles and exorbitant preheminences which their Schoolmen and Canonists ascribe to the Pope as that Kings and Emperours are his Slaves and Vassals See multitudes of testimonies to this purpose cited by Dr. Crakanthorp in his Treatise of the Popes temporal Monarchy chap. 1. whom he may command cast down at pleasure that they are inferior to the meanest Priest who is as much above a King as a man is above a beast and that as much as God Almighty excels a Priest so much does a Priest excel a King Besides these they directly maintain and teach that the Government of the whole world both in temporals and spirituals is at least in order to the good of souls committed to the Pope all Regal authority depending on him that he may not only punish but deprive Kings of their Countries and bestow their Kingdoms upon others that if a King be an heretic he forfeits his title to his Crown and dignity yea though he be but negligent to extirpate heresie or to execute justice whereupon the Pope may absolve his Subjects from all duty and allegiance to him in which case they are bound not to obey that this Papal sentence once pass'd he may be expell'd or kill'd by any yea any one of his own sworn subjects may take away his life nay that in some cases the people are not bound to stay for the Popes decree and declaration but may of themselves rise up and dethrone such Princes and that they are obliged to do so in point of conscience and upon pain of their souls and that such proceedings as these are agreeable to Nature Law Scripture and the practices and precepts of holy men and that he that doubts of it wants common sence All which scandalous and damnable propositions and there are infinitely more and some worse perhaps than what I have mentioned are one or more of them in terminis maintained by a Defenssid Cath. l. 3. c. 23. n. 1 16 21. l. 6. c. 4. n. 14 18 19. Suarez b De rep Eccles l. 3. c. 4. § 48 49. Controv Angl. p. 115 133 135. alib saepe Becanus c Comment in 1.2 Aqu. dist 152.
they be apt to look shy upon any thing that has but the character of sedition and disloyalty tho' never so unjustly stampt upon it And this way has in all ages been found successful The Israelites in Egypt had a hard hand kept over them because suspected of attempts against the Government and that under a pretence of Religion and worshipping their own God they would rescue themselves from the cruelties of the house of bondage David was traduc'd to Saul as a Conspirator against his Crown and dignity and Elijah to Ahab as the troubler of Israel The Chaldean Courtiers represented Daniel and his Companions as peevish opposers of the King's Proclamation By the same artifice Haman laid a train to blow up the Jewish Nation by telling Ahasuerus Esth 3.8 they were a people that kept not the Kings Laws and that therefore it was not for his profit to suffer them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perverse and unsociable generation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ap. Joseph Antiquit. l. 11. c. 6. p. 375. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. as that Emperours Edict represents them an ill-natured people cross to the Laws and disobedient to their Princes disaffected to Monarchy and the affairs of the Empire No man ever gave greater demonstrations of a just submission and deference to Authority than our blessed Saviour and yet was himself arraign'd condemn'd and executed as an enemy unto Caesar How oft were his Apostles accus'd for being ring-leaders of a faction men that talkt strange words of one King Jesus and acted contrary to the decrees of Caesar And in the primitive times nothing more common than to find the Heathens charging Christians to be traitors to the Government and the pests of humane society and that they were hostes humani generis the common enemies of mankind Vid. Justin Mart. Apol. 11. p. 58. Nor could they under their bitterest sufferings so much as comfort one another with the promises of a Kingdom reserv'd for them above but the officers that over-heard them immediately traduc't them to the Prince as ambitious affectors of the Empire A calumny than which nothing can be more absurd and senseless For Religion where 't is not more pretended than practised Adv. Colot p. 1125. is as Plutarch truly stiles it the ligature of all Communities and the security of Laws and a City sayes he may as well be built in the air without ground to stand on as a State be either constituted or preserved without the supportment of Religion Orat. ad Aug. ap Dion in Vit. Aug. p. 490. Upon this account the great Statesman Maecenas prudently advised Augustus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by all means and upon all occasions to advance Religion and the worship of the gods as the strongest Bulwark against conspiracy and treason Nor is this founded only in the nature of Religion but in the justice of the Divine Providence which usually rewards piety and vertue especially in public Societies with peace and plenty and a flourishing state and condition in this world To which purpose Cicero layes it down as a maxim of State Omnia prospera eveniunt colentibus Deos. Cicer. vid. de nat deor lib. 1. That a people that have a care of Religion must needs be prosperous and can never be unhappy till they become irreligious and he tells us that the arms and instruments by which the Romans conquered the World were not so much strength and policy as Religion and piety And 't is no more than what the Wise man observ'd long since Prov. 14.34 that 't is righteousness exalts a Nation while sin is the reproach of any people II. Christianity is so far from being justly obnoxious to this charge that of all Religions it best secures the interests of civil authority and the peace of the world Which will be abundantly evident if we consider these three things 1. The express and peremptory Laws which Christ and his Apostles have given in this matter commanding us in words as plain as words can tell us to study to be quiet to be humble and gentle 1 Thes 4.11 Rom. 12.18 Eph. 4.31 Rom. 14.49 and as much as in us lies to live peaceably with all men to put away strife and clamour and evil speaking and to follow after the things that make for peace to obey Rulers and Magistrates to honour their persons revere their power and quietly live under the protection of their Government to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars as well as unto God the things that are Gods Rom. 13.1 2. that every soul be subject unto the higher powers for that there is no power but of God and that the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation therefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Observe let every soul of what rank quality or degree soever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayes Chrysostome upon these words tho' thou art an Apostle tho' an Evangelist tho' a Prophet or whatsoever thou art thou must be subject it being plain sayes he that these things are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only to Laymen but to Bishops to Priests to Monks Persons under the severest discipline of Religion A man that considers how careful this good Father is to bring the Clergy within the verge of this command would be apt to think he clearly foresaw and particularly set himself against the tyranny and usurpations of the See of Rome And indeed he has so fenc't it in that unless the Bishop of that Church can pretend to be greater than Apostles Evangelists or Prophets there 's no starting-hole left for him to escape But what speak we of Apostles or Prophets when 't is now for several ages notorious to the world that he opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or is worshipped and has not scrupled to usurp the very titles and royalties of God himself And because whatever power the Bishops of Rome pretend to must be derived from S. Peter let us in the next place enquire what direction S. Peter himself gives us in this case and we shall find that both the Apostle of the Jews and the Doctor of the Gentiles write and speak the same things 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. Submit your selves unto every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as those that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God c. 'T is a Law that has a peculiar stamp and signature of divine authority upon it How far they who insolently claim to be S. Peter's Successors agree with this doctrine we shall see by and by But lest men who naturally love an unbridled liberty should take occasion to