Selected quad for the lemma: law_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
law_n	king_n	power_n	subject_n	18,588	5	7.0694	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15317	A copy of the decree wherein two bookes of Roger Widdrington an English Cathotholick [sic] are condemned, and the author commanded to purge himselfe: and a copy of the purgation which the same Roger Widdrington sent to his Holinesse Pope Paul the fift. Translated out of Latine into English by the author, whereunto he hath also adioined an admonition to the reader concerning the Reply of T.F. &c. and the condemnation of Fa: Suarez booke by a decree of the Parliament of Paris.; Exemplar decreti. English	Preston, Thomas, 1563-1640.	1614 (1614)	STC 25606; ESTC S119081	24,518	68

plaintiffe Seeing therefore that from the very first beginning of this Controuersie concerning the authority of Popes and immunity of Kings that is from the time of Gregory the seuenth who was the first Pope that challenged vnto him this temporall power ouer Kinges this authority of the Pope to depose Kinges call it temporall or spirituall as you please hath beene vncertaine disputable and euer contradicted by Catholikes both Kinges and Subiects and therefore it cannot be said that the Pope was euer in possession of this authority although we should grant that power right or authority may be said to be possessed in that sense as possession is taken in Law whereof in my Answere to this Authors Reply I wil more at large discourse it consequently followeth that what opinion soeuer any Catholike follow speculatiuely concerning the Popes power to depose yet in practise vntill this Controuersie concerning the Popes authority to depose Kings and the immunity of Kings not to be deposed shall be decided as yet it is not he cannot with a good conscience endeuour to thrust out a King so deposed from the Kingdome or Dominions which he lawfully possesseth Wherfore in the end of my Apologie I wrote these expresse words of which also in my Epistle Dedicatory to his Holinesse I made mentiō And therfore if eyther Pope Prince or any other forainer should attempt to thrust an hereticall Prince out of the Kingdome which he possesseth this Controuersie concerning the deposition of Princes being vndecided he should contrary to the rules of Iustice do himselfe most manifest wrong And much more a Subiect cannot be excused from manifest treason what opinion so uer hee doth speculatiuely maintain concerning the Popes temporall power who practically vnder colour perchance of deuotion to the See Apostolike not duly also considering the bond of his Allegiance towards his Soueraigne should endeuour to thrust his lawfull Prince out of his Kingdome which he possesseth notwithstanding any Excommunication or sentence of depriuation denounced by the Pope against him Wherefore it is apparant that in practise I taught it to bee absolutely false that the Pope hath authority to depose Princes 11 Consider now good Reader first the vnsincere dealing of this Author who concealeth the cheefest part of my opinion in securing his Maiestie of the constant loyalty and allegiance wherein all his Catholique Subiects are in conscience bound vnto him that thereby hee may cause his Maiestie to be iealous of my fidelitie and to account me no good Subiect as this Authour falsely affirmeth that I am neither a good Subiect nor a good Catholike or Childe of the Church But I trust in God that it will appeare to all men that Insurrexerunt in me testes iniqui mentita est iniquitas sibi That false witnesses are risen vp against me and wickednesse hath belyed her selfe ●al 26. and that I will euer prooue my selfe to bee both a good Subiect to his Maiestie and also a dutifull child of the Catholike Church 12 Secondlie consider the reason why this Authour is so greatly offended that I at this present doe onely take in hand by answering probably all the arguments which on the contrary side are to be obiected to shew that it is at least-wise probable that the Pope hath no authority to depose Princes and consequently that any man may with a probable and safe conscience take the Oath for that the doctrine concerning the Popes authority to depose is by this Authours owne confession the maine question betwixt him and me and the cheefe ground wherefore the Oath is iudged to be vnlawfull His reason therefore is for that hee saw right well what great aduantage I had against him and what little aduantage hee had against me in arguing or rather answering in this sort and therefore he calleth it in heat of his zeale The most deuolish deuice that any man could inuent And truly if I should at this first beginning haue treated of this Controuersie in any other manner then by handling it probably in that sense as I haue declared I might worthily haue beene censured of great imprudency in giuing my Aduersary more aduantage against mee then was needfull For this is the State of the question whether it can be cleerely conuinced by the authority of the holy Scriptures Ancient Fathers Generall Councels or by necessary inferences from any of them as our Aduersaries pretend to conuince that it is an vndoubted doctrine of Faith and the contrary not be defended by any Catholike that the Pope hath power to depose Princes and consequently that the oath cannot lawfully be taken This is the question Marke now the aduantage I haue for first I am not to prooue but onely to aunswer to defend not to oppose Secondlie it is sufficient for me that my answers be onely probable but there Replyes must not bee onely probable but also conuincing and which with any probabilitie cannot bee answered So that if I should goe about at the first to proue my opinion to be most true which my aduersary affirmeth not to be questionable I should as it is euident greatly disaduantage my selfe For in such Controuersies as are so violently maintained by the Aduersary that he will not grant the contrary part to bee questionable it is necessary to proceed by degrees first to make the thing questionable and disputable which the aduerse part will not haue to be called in question and after this is once agreed vpon then to examine whether opinion be the truest For perchance it may fall out that as the opinion for the immaculate Conception of our B. Lady before Scotus did oppose himselfe therein against S. Thomas and his followers was scarse accounted probable yet afterwards it was daily more and more followed so that now it is esteemed to be the farre more true opinion and as Alphonsus Salmeron f In cap. 5. ● Rem disp 51. Sect. D● inde and Fa. Suarez g Tom. ● disp 3. sec doe affirme Agreed vpon by the consent almost of the Vniuersall Church and of the Ecclesiasticall writers Bishops Religious Orders and Vniuersities and as that opinion which holdeth that the Pope hath not power to dispence in the solemne vow of religious chastitie neither in any lawfull marriage before it be consummate is accounted by very many learned men to bee the farre truer opinion notwithstanding the practise of many Popes to the contrary So it may fall out that in processe of time this opinion that denieth the Popes authority to depose Princes may bee embraced by almost all Ecclesiasticall Writers Bishops Religious Orders and Vniuersities notwithstanding the practise of many Popes and the vehement opposition of the Iesuites at this present time to the contrary 13 Thirdly consider how little beholding are English Catholikes to this Author T. F. who will needes enforce them euen with the temporall ouerthrowe of themselues and of their whole posteritie to defend that doctrine to bee of faith which the

contayned in the Oath are repugnant to faith and saluation 14. Now I beseech your Holinesse to iudge first whether I the authour of those bookes who haue professed my selfe to bee a Catholike and a child of the Catholike Romane Church and haue subiected all my writtings to her iudgment and Censure with that submission that whatsoeuer should not bee approoued by her I would disprooue condemne and haue it for not written ought bee adiudged by the Supreme Pastour and Father of the Catholike Church to bee no Catholike nor a child of the Catholike Church If I bee no Catholike doubtlesse I must bee an heretike defend obstinately seeing that heresie cannot be without obstinacy some Doctrine contrary to the Catholike faith But I to say nothing at this time of the Doctrine which I mainetained in those bookes which if it were cleerely hereticall why did not that sacred Congregation condemne those bookes as hereticall protested to write nothing obstinately but with an humble and submissiue mind and ready to recall my errour as soone as I should perceiue that I had erred in any thing I confesse indeed that I may erre but by God his assistance I will neuer be an heretik And if perchance in any thing I haue erred it is no errour of malice or obstinacy but of ignorance and infirmity For I will neuer by God his protection wittingly and willingly defend any thing at all which I shall know to bee contrary to sound Doctrine or to the Catholike faith 15. Secondly concerning that which some men to no small scandall to Catholike Religion and to the great disgrace of the See Apostolike especially among those who be Aduersaries to the Catholike Religion doe giue out that your Holinesse should say that you would not accept the Dedication of my disputation concerning the Oath or rather the most humble Supplication of me and of other Catholikes as I haue shewed before this onely at this present I will say that we English Catholikes are doubtlesse most miserable who dayly enduring so many discommodities of this life for the Catholike faith which wee professe and hauing prouoked his Maiesty a Prince otherwise most mercifull who professeth the contrary Religion to take displeasure against vs which of all the rest wee account most greeuous and hauing therefore for a long time beene and are dayly made a pittifull spectacle to this whole Kingdome now by humble petition crauing to be instructed by your Holinesse in those things which you by your Apostolical Breues haue to our most great temporall preiudice declared to be cleerely repugnant to the Catholike faith doe not onely not deserue so much at your hands as to bee heard herein but your Holinesse also doth forbid and condemne our petition and doth threaten the Authour to be punished with Censures and other Ecclesiasticall punishments vnlesse he purge himselfe very speedily yet after an vnusuall maner impeacheth him of no crime whereof hee should purge himselfe 16. For behold most blessed Father how miserable and to bee pittied is our case Our Kings most excellent Maiesty to whom by the law of Christ wee owe temporall obedience doth demaund of vs vnder paine of incurring most greeuous penalties an Oath which hee affirmeth to bee onely a temporall Oath and of Alleagiance your Holinesse to whom by the law also of Christ we are bound to obey in spirituals hath by your Breues altogether condemned the same as containing in it many things flat contrary to faith and saluation and hath withall declared that all those Priests who either doe take the said Oath or doe teach or shall teach that it may lawfully bee taken shall bee depriued of their faculties Wee English Catholikes being betweene these two narrow streights and fearing least that by auoyding the gulfe of Charybdis we should fall vppon the rocke of Scylla that is least that wee should not render to God or Caesar that which is their due doe most instantly request your Holinesse who is our Supreme Pastour in spiritualls and whose proper office is to instruct confirme the sheep of Christ in the Christian faith that you will bee pleased to shew vnto vs those many things or at least-wise one among those many which in this Oath are so repugnant to faith and saluation to the end that wee may both satisfie our owne consciences and also fulfill your Holinesse and his Maiesties command as much as in vs lyeth and Catholike Religion will permit And neuerthelesse your Holinesse doth not onely not admitte our petition wherein with all dutifull submission wee doe propound the reasons and arguments which are vsually obiected against and for the taking of the Oath to bee examined by your Holinesse and affirming nothing of our owne opinion but you doe also by the euill information of others as wee thinke wholely condemne the same without alleadging any crime either in perticular or in generall against it and doe declare that the Authour thereof or your humble petitioner except hee purge himselfe forthwith shall bee greeuously punished and neuerthelesse you make no mention of any crime at all whereof hee should purge himselfe 17 Is it perchance a crime for those that are in ignorance errour and doubt to haue recourse to the Supreme Pastour and Doctor of the Church to be instructed by him in faith and to propound with due submission the doubts and difficulties which trouble both their owne and other mens consciences to bee answeared and satisfied by him and that not in things of small moment but in such as vnder paine of incurring great penalties do belong to they eelding of due obedience to God and Caesar Is it a crime for childrē that are hungry to craue bread of their Father for sheepe that want Pasture to require foode of their Shepheard for Disciples that are ignorant to beseech humbly instruction of their Maister and Teacher Wee English Catholikes doe acknowledge your Holinesse to bee our spirituall Father Pastour and Maister and doe most humbly request to bee instructed by your Holinesse in the Catholike faith and in those many things which your Holinesse by your Breues hath declared to be cleerely repugnant to faith and saluation and your Holinesse doth damne and forbid our petition and doth ordaine after a maner altogether vnusuall that I the Authour thereof who in the name of the rest haue written and composed the same except I purge my selfe very speedily shall bee punished most seuerely For as I thinke in no tribunall on the earth this custome is to be found that any man is compelled by sentence of the iudge to purge himselfe vnder paine of incurring most greeuous punishments vnlesse the Iudge doe make knowne vnto him the crime for which if hee doe not purge himselfe hee is to be condemned Besides that it is impossible for one to purge himselfe of that crime whereof he is ignorant 18 And to speake freely the truth for now I being summoned before the highest tribunall on earth to purge my selfe am