and Religion of Rome and the Happiness and Prosperity of Princes States and People that the said Church and its Religion is false to the highest degree there never having been any Religion in the World so contrary to the good of Mankind It hath no remainders of old Christianity but just so much as is necessary to constitute the Form of Antichristianism by way of Excellence that is to say the most perfect Enmity against Jesus Christ by ascribing to him all sorts of Idolatry and Impiety making him the Author of their Tyranny and Cruelty and feigning an adherence to him like Judas in order to betray him and to dishonour him the more as an Adulterous Woman dishonours her Husband while at the same time they persecute his Followers with the height of Rage and fill the Universe with Blood and Confusion and trample under foot ruin and devour Princes and their Subjects and all in the name of Jesus Christ. The True Religion being come from God who is the Creator and Preserver of Men and Society cannot tend to the Ruin and Destruction of States except we establish with the Manichees two eternal Principles one good and the other evil which is so gross that it deserves no Conâ—…utation If the Romish Religion be good with all those Mischiefs and Disorders which we have seen it produces naturally and necessarily in all Countries where it obtains God who is all Just all Holy and Holiness it self the Preserver of Nations and Mankind and the Author of the Old and New Testament can neither be Just Holy Good Wise True nor the Author and Preserver of Humane Society and the Old and New Testament cannot have proceeded from any other but the wicked Spirit Absit Blasphemia God must likewise if the Religion of the Church of Rome be True be contrary to the Propagation of Mankind which it appears to be one of the favourite Designs of Providence He must also according to them approve of Deceit and Imposture and Cozenage in the Ministers of his Religion and in his Worship he must likewise love Injustice Impiety Perfidiousness Tyranny Laziness Idleness Cruelty Incontinence Robbery Profanity Perjury Hypocrisy Murder and Calumny which are so essential to the Popish Religion and the Roman Clergy I leave it to Divines to treat of the Idolatry Heresie Superstitions c. of this pretended Church which agree so well and are so very becoming to all the rest which we have seen and which cannot indeed be otherwise and are the natural Effects of the Ambition of those Mischievous Creatures as well as the rest for as Saint Chrysostome says well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that Ambition or a desire of Dominion is the Mother of Heresies and therefore St. Paul reckons Heresie amongst the Works of the Flesh. For the Popes not being able to establish their Authority in the World but by introducing those Practices into the Church and the Disorders of which we have spoke before that ruine all the Popish Nations have been oblig'd entirely to corrupt the Morals and Doctrine thereof and to suppress the Light of the Gospel which would have discover'd their Exorbitanciâ—…s and Iniquity to Mankind and have inclin'd them to oppose their Ambition For this reason they favoured all manner of Ignorance and Vice that they might the better extinguish amongst Men all Fear and Knowledge of God and all Generosity And seeing Men could not live without Religion good or bad they afterwards hurry'd them head-long into all sorts of Idolatry and Impiety If they had not intirely corrupted and falsified the Christian Religion and People had known the Doctrine of the Old and New Testament they would never have submitted to Practices and Customs so contrary to the Publick Good Princes and their Ministers would never have suffered a Religion to be Established among them which is so much contrary to their Rights Arts Husbandry Manufacture Commerce Propagation good Morals and the â—…ublick Peace of Nations Let us but read and consider the Old anâ—… New Testament or only the Ten Commandments of Gods Law we shall find nothing commanded therein but what is Excellent and Worthy of God and wonderfully suited not only to the Temporal good and advantage of every Man in particular but also to that of People and Countries and the whole World in general So that if the great Wits of this Age who pretend to be Men of Parts though they be indeed meer Fools would consider this sedately they would be obliged to own whether they would or not by comparing this with the Conduct of all the Politicians in the World and their Pretended Skill in the Government of their People that there are no oâ—…her Rules of True Policy for regulating of Morals and making every particular Man as profitable as can be to Society but those that the Law of God and the Gospel furnish us with and that every thing which does not agree with that and is not conformable thereunto is nothing else but Errour and Destruction I don't mean only the Political Laws of Moses as they are call'd to distinguish them from the Moral Law under which the Commonwealth of Israel became so flourishing and was Peopled in such a manner as seems Incredible to those that read their History but I mean also and chiefly the Moral Law which certainly contributed still more than the Political Laws of that People tho' but very ill observed to make them so rich and powerful I joyn also thereunto at present the Gospel which not only regulates our Actions but also our Thoughts and Words and hath giv'n us a Model of Incomparable Charity and furnish'd us with new and powerful Motives to this Vertue by revealing to us clearly the saving Grace of God that we may live all in general Princes and People and every one in particular Soberly Justly and Religiously which comprehends all our Duty to God our Neighbours and our selves wherein if we did acquit our selves Men would not only be happy in the Life to come but also in this and Nations would become incomparably more powerful populous and rich than they are For Godliness hath the promises of this Life and that which is to come Which of it self might be enough to convince our Deists many of whom value themselves highly on the account of their sense and ability and think they are able to Govern Kingdoms of the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures if there were no other proofs of it In that Divine Book alone are the true Rules of Policy to be found All the World agrees in this without thinking on it when they say that Honesty is the best Policy that is to say to observe the Law of God and cause it to be observ'd by others which is no less essentially Necessary for the good of the State than for Salvation But â—…he Church of Rome hath confounded all those Notions as I have already said and having govern'd the World for a long time hath introduced a
a part of the Kingdom than a Cancer is which devours the Body that it seizes on or thaâ—… a Palsie which renders diverse of the Members of the Body useless can be a part of the same and this is so much the truer that the Clergy as I have already said acknowledge the Authority of and have sworn Obedience to another Sovereign Prince who must of necessity be a natural Enemy to France because of the Usurpations that he hath made and designs to make oâ—… that Kingdom in which he cannot maintain his old nor make new Usurpations without eâ—…feebling the Kingdom from time to time proportionably as he sees its power and the Authority of the Kings Increase and to this end he serves himself of his Ecclesiasticks who under a Cloak of Religion have attain'd a mighty Credit and are maintain'd on the Fat of the Land at the Expence of others and that which is a wonderful thing have their Generals in great number and Garrisons in all Ciâ—…ies consisting of diverse Regiments of diâ—…erent Liveries that is to say the different Orders of Ecclesiasticks who under Spiritual Pretences enjoy the Temporal Estates of the Kingdom keep Princes and Subjects under the Popes Yoke and so Constitute one formidable Empire within another Imperium in Imperio It is certain tho' it can't be denied that the Taxes in France are excessive that if the Clergy had contributed proportionably to their Revenues with the rest of the People the Kingdom had been worth one half more than 't is except the King had augmented the Taxes in proportion and in that case he would have almost doubled his Revenues If the Clergy had paid the share they ought to have paid of the Impositions the Kingdom would have been much less harras'd and ruin'd than it is so that this Article reaches a great way throughout the Kingdom That we may the better understand it suppose that any Man has two Slaves or two Carriage-Horses of equal streâ—…gth in his possession capable of working or carrying considerable burdens it is certain if he work them equally and load neither of them above their ability that both of them may hold out a long time but if he overcharge the one excessively to ease the other that which is overloaded cannot hold out but must languish by degrees and become unable either for Work or Carriage except it be little or nothing and does quickly die Suppose then that it does not hold out above half the time that it might have done had it been treated as the other or that it does not work half so much as it might have done otherwise there is one half lost or if it hold not out or work not above a 4th part that is three fourths loss Thus it is with the people of France they are much less profitable to the King and State than they would be if the Clergy bore one hâ—…lf of the charge of the Kingdom as they ought to do I believe this Article may amount to forty or fifty Millions per Annum for besides the Taxes from whence they are exempted they are not subject as I have already said to any of the Vexations which are committed in the Levying 'em nor to quartering of Soldiers nor are they pillag'd by Civil Officers Farmers general and their Underlings but on the contrary they pillage them Article XV relates to their Practice and Morals I mean those of the Clergy this occasions an infinite number of Crimes which are committed without Scruple nay they think they merit Heaven by the Commission of them for they Act them by a Principle of Conscience The Mischiefs which they have committed on the Account of their pretended Religion are to be ascribed to their Morals They have Consecrated and Canoniz'd Perfidiousness Cruelty Murther the Ravishing of Matrons and Virgins and the Stealing of Children and Estates It is not easie to compute this loss in Money but all people of Sense must needs perceive that this does ruin or very much incommode Trade Arts Manufactures Navigation and all sort of Handy-labour for the Persecutors as well as the Persecuted suffer incredibly thereby without mentioning the value of the Men and Women whom they Massacre and Kill in a hundr'd manners either all at once or gradually This doth moreover occasion a general and incredible Corruption in the whole Nation for people perceiving that the Crimes committed on the account of Religion which of all things in the World ought to be the most Sacred are not punish'd but applauded and rewarded by the Clergy or at their Suggestion by those who govern them they readily conclude that if it be lawful to Commit such things for the good of the Church it is more lawful to Commit them for other ends By this means the people become desperately wicked at the heart and if they were not afraid of Secular Justice would become a meer Society of Thieves and Robbers That we may the better understand this let us suppose that the Civil Magistrate should approve Crimes in the same manner promise Heaven to the Criminals and reward them also in this life as the Clergy have compensated those who were the most Zealous in committing all sorts of Cruelties and Indignities against the Protestants I say if the Civil Government should thus countenance the Destruction of Honest and Substantial Men all humane Society must be forthwith dissolv'd and unable to subsist Or otherwise let us suppose that a multitude of Villains should prevail over Mankind and commit all imaginable crimes out of a principle of Conscience in order to oblige Men to say that they believe an Onion a Tree a Stone or an Horse are adorable and deserve the Worship which the Papists call Dulia and Latria as well as God and force them in effect to Invoke and Adore those Creatures and that this numerous multitude of Villains should call themselves Infallible at the same time and by all sorts of Cruelty and Torture force people to acknowledge them as such and that none durst oppose them on pain of losing their Liberty Estate Honour and Life what unspeakable disorders would this occasion in a State For honest Men who would not be guilty of such unbecoming unmanly practices should be outragiously persecuted put to death by their Orders and the multitude would think themselves oblig'd to take party with those Villains to avoid their own Ruin and for fear of becoming suspected to those Wretches become as wicked themselves But the Divine Providence hath not permitted humane Justice to be deprav'd to that height as is the Religion of the Church of Rome which is abundantly more wicked than the most wicked of Men and herein it is directly opposite to other Religions which tho' they be wicked in themselves do nevertheless teach better Morals than those of the people that profess them whereas on the contrary the Laicks of â—…he Church of Rome are more honest and less Villainous than their Religion I think it
THE Political Mischiefs OF POPERY OR Arguments Demonstrating I. That the Romish Religion Ruines all those Countries where 't is Establish'd II. That it occasions the loss of above 200 Millions of Livres or 16 Millions Sterling per An. to France in particular III. That if Popery were Abolished in France that Kingdom would become incomparably more Rich and Populous and the King's Revenues would Advance above 100 Millions of Livres or 8 Millions Sterling per Annum IV. That it is impossible that France should ever be Re-established whilst Popery is their National Religion By a Person of Quality a Native of France Author of The Desolation of France demonstrated LONDON Sold by J. Harris at the Harrow in Little Britain 1698. TO The Honourable THE House of Commons THIS Treatise which I take the Liberty to Dedicate to your Honours with all imaginable Respect was published sometime ago in French and by several Persons of Great Judgment thought not Unworthy to be presented to your view in English because of the Importance of the Matter and the Profit which they thought might from thence redound to Church and State The design of it is to prove by Political Arguments a Method New and Extraordinary that the Romish Religion is the Falsest of any that hath hitherto appeared in the World because it is the destruction and plague of all Countries where it is Established and Ruins Nations more than any other False Religion that we have yet heard of This I demonstrate by the Instance of France and make it evident that Popery occasions the loss of above 200 Millions of Livres per Annum to that Kingdom whence it follows that even as to Temporals the Kingdom of England reaps unspeakable Advantages by the Reformation which hath delivered her from that Cruel and Unsupportable Yoke I have so much the greater Reason to hope that this Book will not be unacceptable to your Honours because it tends more and more to confirm the Protestant Religion in this Kingdom for the defence of which against the Tyranny of Popery you have on all occasions testified an ardent Zeal The tender Care and great Charity which you have manifested towards the poor Refugees who suffer for the said Religion but above all the Courage and Zeal you have discover'd in this last War by sparing nothing that was necessary for the preservation of the Protestant Interest have made it gloriously appear to all the Nations of the Earth that you value neither your Treasures nor your Blood when there 's a necessity of spending them in defence of your Religion And in effect there was no less at Stake than the loosing or preserving it for your selves and your Posterity nay I may say for the whole Protestant World and together with that you must have lost your precious Liberties and all that is dear to you as Men and Christians That it would please God that by your Genenerous Example and Sage Resolves you may transmit to all succeeding Parliaments that same Prudence Magnanimity and Zeal for the Mainteâ—…ance of the Protestant Religion and your Publick Liberties against all Attempts of Popery is and shall be the constant Prayer of him who is with all possible Submission and profound Respect Your Honours Most humble and most Obedient Servant De Soulignê Grandson to M. Du Plessis Mornay THE PREFACE TO THE READER ABout a Year ago I published a Treatise for the Service of this Nation upon the present State of France Entituled The Desolation of France Demonstrated And there in short I made it evident That Popery was the principal Cause of all the Misery and Ruin that hath befall'n that Kingdom The Book was pleasing to this Nation in general but some were apt to think I had aggravated Matters and that the Condition of France was not so bad as I had represented it Amongst others a certain Gentleman of great Parts was pleased to write a Manuscript upon that Subject full of Wit and diametrically opposite to what I had advanced but did not think fit to publish it The Events that happened since have confirmed in part what I then said whereupon that Ingenious Person hath acknowledged in a curious piece lately published That I had Reason on my side for what I had writ in general as to the Condition of France But diverse other Persons of Worth having wished that I would justifie the Proposition which I had advanced in the same Book viz. That Popery occasions the loss of 200 Millions per An. to France which to them seem'd a Paradox I thought my self obliged to saâ—…isfie their desire To this end I publish'd what I had writ upon that Subject sometime ago in French that by the Iudgment which others gave upon it I might be the better enabled to conjecture what was proper to be Added or Corrected in the English Edition which I nâ—…w present to the Publick with several Additions and had done it sooner but for some Reasons not fit to be here related But I supposed besides that People will have more Inclination to Read such Pieces now the War is over during which they lov'd to hear of nothing but bloody Battles and Princes Dethron'd according to the humour of the Romans in Horace his time as he expresseth it in the following Lines Pugnas exactos Tyrannos Densum humeris bibit aure vulgus I doubt not but some people will say That I write with too much heat against Popery To which I reply 1. That those Persons don't know Popery well enough nor have they ever examined it throughly They are misled by some common Prejudices and judge of that Religion not according to its essential Principles and constant Practise but only by the external Behaviour of some that profess it as Laicks who are sâ—…metimes as well Polished Civilized Learned and Honest in outward appearance as Protestants and here those People stop withâ—…ut consulting the Scripture or considering that the Dâ—…ctrine Morals and Tyranny of the Romish Clergy are more becoming Devils than Men. I confess that they are Men and Women as well as others and that there are People morally Honest among them as there are among Pagans Iews and Mahumetans and even among the Romish Clergy there are sone who are honester as to the matter of Society than their Religiâ—…n obliges them to be But those Gentlemen I speak of think there 's no hurt in their Idolatry nor don 't consider the Mischiefs their Religion does to ail Mankind in general because they think it never did them any so that according to this Maxim of theirs all Religions should be alike for there are Rational and Moral People of all Perswasions 2. I may Reply That there was never any Protestant that had more Reason than my self to write sharply against Popery there having been no Man hitherto who hath studied that Point so thoroughly as I have done in Regard of the infinite Mischiefs which it occasions to States as wiâ—…l appear by the following
or suffered a Religion so ridiculous and ruinous to Sovereigns and their People and so contrary to good Manners to take place and be the Religion of the State This Treatise which proves so evidently and in a Method suited to the Capacity of the most Ignorant and Unlearned Persons thé Falshood and Transcendent Malignity of the Church of Rome and her Religion and which I defie all or any of them ever to answer will hence-forward take off the Mask from all the Hypocritical Clergy of that Church who though they believe nothing of their Religion themselves yet they pretend to be sincerely of her Communion under a Counterfeit Allegation that the Holy Scripture is Obscure and that the said Church is Infallible whereas they are in good earnest retain'd in her Communion meerly by their Love of Ease and the World and a Spirit of Profanity that they may enjoy the Sensual Pleaâ—…ures and Carnal Delights which are the Lot or Inheritance of the Romish Clergy So that henceforward the Popish Clergy can't but be understood ev'n in Popish Countries themâ—…elves to be the greatest Enemies of the State and of Mankind And henceforward we shall have reason also to look upon all the other Papists who can read or have heard those Reasons Disâ—…ours'd of as Impious Profane People without Religion and that Love nothing but the World if they still continue in the unhappy Communion of that great Harlot seeing her Shame and Uncleanness cannot in any wise be conceal'd We shall moreover have more Reason now than ever to look upon all Protestants Great or Small Princes or Subjects that renounce the Reformation or rather Christianity to embrace Popery as declared Enemies of the State seeing Popery is so evidently prov'd to be the Bane of all Countries where it is the obtaining Religion Nor can we in particular entertain any more favourable Opinion of those English â—…rotestants who continue Jacobites though they do not change their Religion This should also make such Protestants blush who entertain or rather would bring others to entertain a good Opinion of the Church of Rome as if it were still a True Church and comparable in any degree to the Church of England or other Reformed Churches whereas there 's no more comparison to be made between them than between Christ and Belial the Temple of God and that of Idols I hope also by this way of writing to deliver the World from abundance of Disputes and Vain Questions about the Popes Supremacy whether he be the Center of Unity the Source and Fountain of Ecclesiastical Ministry that is of the Mission of all Bishops and Ministers to which Pretensions he has no more Right than the Muphti as also about the Insallibility of the Pope and his Church Transubstantiation Invocation and Adoration of Saints and Angels and a thousand Inanimate Creatures in which Vain and Foolish Disputes the Protestants lost abundance of Time in endeavouring to convince the Popish Clergy of the Folly and Falshood of those Opinions which they themselves know to be False as well as we and without Foundation and laugh at us in their sleeve that we should think them so simple as to believe those nonsensical and ridiculous Opinions If they believed their own Doctrines and pretended Mysteries they would not prosaâ—…e them as they do forcing People by a thousand torments to go to their Mass and to swallow down their pretended God of Bread which the Protestants profess publickly to abominate as they do their other Mysteries By this means I hope I have also delivered our Divines from a sort of Necessity they lay under by reason of their Controversies with the Papists to read again and again those Books call'd the Fathers Ecclesiastical History the History of Councils the School-Divines Canonists and Decretals of the Popes c. which are all of 'em Vain Studies for the most part yet they were oblig'd to spend a great deal of time in following them which might have been better improved in applying themselves only to Meditating and searching out the Meaning of the Holy Scriptures which haâ—… been much better understood since the Reformation than in all the Ages preceding and is the only Study in which a Mans whole Life can be profitably spent Hence we may also perceive of how little consequence it is to us in regard of our Controversies with the Church of Rome to know which of the two Histories of the Council of Trent is the Truest and most Faithful viz. that of the Incomparable Fra. Paolo or that of the Profane Candinal Pallavicini call'd of a long time his New Gospel which does not deserve to be read seeing we have a thousand other stronger Proofs of the Impiety of the Court of Rome and their pretended Religion than that History of Father Paolo though excellent in it self as to the Matter of Fact We may very well say that the Council of Constance and Lateran did Evidence and Establish as great Impieties as the Council of Trent diverse Ages before it That which was most fatal to Christianity in that Impious last Council was that all the Idolatries and Heresies of the Church of Rome as also her Tyranny were therein Consecrated and Established in Form of Laws with Anathemas so that if there were any remainder of Christianity in that pretended Church before the Council of Trent which is indeed very much to be doubted it was absolutely destroyed thereby especially if we consider that by Vertue of the Decisions of that pretended Council where the Protestants could not assist because it was not free and all was done therein by Bribes Violence and Treachery against the Protestations of almost all the Princes of Europe even Papists who had demanded a Free Council By Vertue I say of the Decisions of that Profane and Impious Assembly the Pope and his Clergy did afterwards put in practise all the Cruelties and Barbarities imaginable in order to quench the Light of the Gospel in the Blood of the Reformers and did also highly raise the fury of their Inquisition which Tribunal alone proves the absolute Reprobation of the Romish Church better than any thing that was done in the Council of Trent The Church of Rome has retain'd nothing of Christianity but the Name and some small Appearances of it in order to enrich her self by them just as the Rouers of Algiers who put out a Christian Flag when they design to enslave and swallow up the Christians for at the bottom there 's nothing in the Church of Rome but Idolatry Perfidiousness Cruelty and Tyranny It would seem reasonable also that after so many and so evident prooss that the Pope is the greatest Enemy of all the Christian States and of Christianity it self that Protestant Travellers should be more scrupulous to kiss the Popes Foot when they are at Rome For 't is not as a Temporal Prince that the Pope imposes upon them such as Ignominious and Abject Submission but as the Antichrist or Vicar of
Christ for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fignifies a Viceroy and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Proconsul The Pope I say and all his Court take it to be a Religious Worship and an acknowledgment of his Almighty Power both in Heaven and Earth as being the Vicar of Christ or the Antichrist not as Enemy of Christ which the word fignifies also by the special Providence of God tho' he be such a one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I know Travellers commonly have but a mean Idea of Religion and do this meerly out of a base Covetousness to get the Popes Golden Medal and fancy that 't is only a civil aspect which they pay to him as to a Temporal Prince and not a Religious one But it s a horrid mistake For the Pope pretends it is due to him by Vertue of a Prophecy in the Old Testament by which it 's said of the Messias That all Nations shall bow down and submit to him and lick the dust of his Feet Otherwise the Pope has no ground to pretend to that excessive and shameful Submission above so many Princes in the World who have a greater Temporal Power and Revenue are of a far nobler Pedegree and are infinitely better in all respects than he is So that all those Travellers who are guilty of that commit besides the sin against God a horrid baseness against ' emselves and Christianity and in truth I should think that those who will be so base hereafter as to stoop to that Villany for the Golden Medal would make no great scruple to prostitute themselves also for Money to the other Roman Prelates at Rome Muliebria pati There is nothing in my Opinion more capable of inspiring one with low and abased Thoughts of Mankind than to see Kings and Princes and their Counsels who ought to be the most clear-sighted and prudent of all Men as to what concerns the Welfare of their Dominions and People to suffer themselves to be led by the Nose by the most Vile and Abject Rascals in the World who have imposed such a Foolish and Shameful Religion upon them under pretext of which they pillage ruine and lay waste their Countries without their perceiving it or at least endeavouring to deliver themselves from that Yoke of Slavery The Church of Rome is not contented thus to treat those that she hath already brought under but would also swallow up all others and yet if you 'l believe her she is as I have said Infallible and there 's no Salvation to be hop'd for but in her Communion and by submitting to her Yoke which is all one as if the most dissolute Prostitute in a City should alledge that all the honest Women are debauched and cannot learn how to behave themselves except they come to her School Or just as if a multitude of Profligate Impious Debauchees Thiefs False Coiners and Murderers pretended to impose a new Religion upon Men to Administer Justice to all the World under pretence that some of their Ancestors from whom they claim a Direct and Legal Succession were honest Men and acted in those Stations a thousand years ago For it is just the same the Popes pretend to be Successors to the Bishops of Rome who were as they pretend the Successors of Saint Peter but what consequence can they draw from it if it were true seeing they are now all Idolaters Hereticks and the greatest Tyraâ—…s in the World and have been such for several Ages Is it not certain that Judas tho he was an Apostle himself forfeited his Right to his Office by betraying his Master how much more have the Popes and the Popish Church forfeited it who out-do him as much as the Prototype useâ—… to out-do it's Type Let 's suppose that the Mahometan 〈◊〉 who are a kind of Christians as well as the Popes since they acknowledge Christ for a great Prophet did pretend that they are the Successors of those Bishops of Asia to whom St. Iohn in his Revelation directs some Admonitions who had at least as much Right to pretend to be the Successors of the Apostles as the now Bishops of Rome Let us suppose I say that those muphtis did pretend now not only to have their Mission from Christ but to be the Center of Unity amongst Christians and under that pretence oblige us to 〈◊〉 Mahometans would the Popish Church think their Arguments good and yet they have as much Right to such Pretensions as the Pope and his Clergy who are more Antichristian than they The Pope then and his Clergy being without Controversy as I have demonstrated the greatest Enemies to Jesus Christ and to the Christian Church is it not a horrid piece of Impudence and Folly to pretend that they are or may still be the Fountain of the Ecclesiastical Mission and Ministry It is against God's Holiness Truth and Wisdom to think so and Blasphemy to speak so For did ever any wise Prince trust his Authority his Person and Family to Rebels and his greatest Enemies does not he on the contrary deprive them of all their Offices and of all his Favours for otherwise he should countenance their Rebellion and Crimes but when they have submitted and sworn Fidelity afresh then if he thinks fit to pardon them and give them their Offices again there must be new Patents and a new Commission on else he would be guilty of Folly against his own Crown and Dignity just the same as if our Lawful Sovereign King William did trust his Authority Person and People to the Irish who are in the late Kings Service in France and his own greatest Enemies and that they should exercise that Authority without renouncing Popery Idolatry and the late King This might justly be called a trusting the Sheep to the Wolves Unless Peter after the abjuring of his Master had repeated of that great sin and been also restor'd by his Master to the Apostleship by a thrice repeated Commission to feed his Sheep as he had three times abjured him Unless I say Christ had so sealed his Pardon and renew'd his Commission he had forfeited his Apostleship How much more then hath the Popish Church forfeited all her pretended Priviledges by the multitude of her Idolatries Heresies Execrable Morals and by her Tyranny over Princes and Nations It 's a Folly in Protestants to dispute seriously with the Roman Clergy and quote Scripture or bring Reason against them for they know very well that the Scripture is against them otherwise they would not prohibit the Reading of it nor speak with that disrespect of the same as they do it is just the same as if you would endeavour to dispute Highway-men or Prostitutes out of their way of Living which they have chosen before all others with a Resolution never to abandon the same It 's a Maxim in Logick that one ought not to dispute with those who deny Principles nor with those who impudently Controvert certain Truths
And can any Society be more guilty of this than the Church of Rome who orders those of her Communion to violate all the Commandments of God all the Maxims of Christianity and all the Laws of Nature and Society to Convert Men as she calls it to her Religion Can there be any thing more effronted and impudent than that pretended Church when in her Debates with us she asserts also as I have said already her own Infallibility in Pillaging Ruining and laying Desolate those Nations that submit to her Yoke and likewise by denying that there was any Persecution in France or that their pretended Sacrament is Real Bread c. To what purpose is it to Dispute of Religion with such a Church which for several Ages hath impudently Anathematiz'd those who Communicate in both kinds though she own'd at the same time that Jesus Christ commanded we should do so when he instituted that Sacrament and that the Apostles and Primitive Church did the like It exceedingly delights the Popish Clergy so find the Protestants seriously Disputing against their Ridiculous Doctrines for they value themselves upon it as having Wit enough to make all their Extravagancies seem Problematical at least For it requires as much ingenuity to put a fair colour on their Follies as if a Man should undertake to prove that the Devil loves Truth Justice and Holiness or that that which is call'd Truth and Holiness is False and Sinful What delight would not the Devil take to hear Men Disputing whether he is to be Worshipp'd and Religiously Served as well as God This comparison is not too harsh for in many places of the Scripture the Adoration of Creatures both Animated and Inanimated such as the Papists are guilty of is call'd The Adoration of Devils to drink the Cup of Idols is call'd a drinking the Cup of Devils to Sacrifice to Idols as the Papists do when they Invoke and Adore so many Creatures in Heaven or Earth and when they offer the Sacrifice of their Mass to pretended Saints who are dead and meer Idols that 's call'd in Scripture a Sacrisice to Devils the Adoration of Images of Gold and Silver is joyn'd with the Adoration of Devils And several Doctrines which seem to be none of the most Impious of the Romish Church are call'd the Doctrines of Devils such as is their prohibiting their Ecclesiasticks to Marry and eating such and such sorts of Meat c. I mention all this by the by without quoting the places of Scripture because I am no Divine but those who read the Scriptures know what I say is true They know also that the Romish Church is call'd in Scripture by the Names of Sodom Egypt and Babylon as if the Spirit of God had fought for the harshest Terms to denote to us in some degree the infinite Malignity of the Romish Church which is beyond all Expression and Idea Their Clergy I say take a great delight to see our Divines busied in confuting their Opinions as those who undertake the Apology of Folly do when they see others seriously confuting their foolish Arguments If it were not for the Riches of Popery and the Princes and the numbers of People who follow that Beast and false Prophet according to the Prophecies of the New Testament it would appear to the Judgment of the Papists themselves the most Execrable Religion that ever was and I hope there will come a time when all the World will be amazed to understand by History that there hath ever been in the World such a Portentous and Monstrous Religion as that is I promis'd at the beginning of this Work to demonstrate the great Advantages which the King and Kingdom of France might reap by abolishing Popery in order to shew by that single example what Advantage other Popish Nations might reap by the same and the great ones that England and other Protestant Countries enjoy by the Reformation I shall therefore now say that should it please God to put it into the heart of the K. of France who Reigns at present and who of a long time seems to a great many people to be destin'd to do great things to deliver his Kingdom from the Tyranny of the Pope he would reap abundance of more true glory from it before God and Man than he would have done had he been able to conquer the whole World That would be an Action truly Heroick infinitely greater than any thing he hath done hitherto and would be a clearer demonstration to the World that he â—…ath a Great and Noble Soul This return to God to Himself and to his People would compensate for all the past Miscarriages of his Reign and preserve those great Titles which have either been given him by others or assum'd by himself as also the Glory of all the great things that he may have done Then indeed he would deserve the Title of Most Christian King which can never be properly given to a Popish Prince because Popery and Christianity are Antipodes to one another at least as much as darkness is to ligâ—…t It is well known that ever since he ascended the Throne the honester sort of Papists in that Kingdom have entertain'd hopes that this great and glorious Prince would deliver it from the Popes disgraceful Yoke by creating a Patriarch But the Court of Rome by the pernicious Counsels of her Clergy who have sold themselves to Iniquity diverted him from that design by inspiring him with false Ideas of the Glory and Grandeur he would acquire by extirpating the Protestant Religion which they call Heresie out of his Kingdom that is to say to persecute such True Christians as were in the same with all manner of Fury in order to subject them to the Pope instead of making War upon that Grand Enemy of Jesus Christ the greatest that ever he had or can have It must be confessed that the design of establishing a Patriarch in France was very considerable seeing by that means they had design'd to deliver the Kingdom from a Foreign Yoke as ruinous as possible but it must be acknowledged on the other hand that it would be abundantly and more assuredly Glorious and Advantagious to Reform the National Religion entirely from so many frightful Errors in Doctrine and so great a number of Customs and Superstitions that are pernicious to the State and were introduc'd into the same under the favour of that profound darkness which the Tyranny of the Pope hath spread therein and which in their turn maintain and support that Tyranny For if we consider things duly that horrid Darkness and Ignorance could not have been dissipated by the meer Creation of a Patriarch for notwithstanding that most of those ruinous Disorders represented in the forementioned 18 Articles would still have continued because they are the natural Dependances and Necessary Consequences of the other Principles of the Romish Religion which would have remain'd entire notwithstanding the Creation of a Patriarch the Abolition of the Papal
Authority only being excepted Besides such an Inconsiderable Change as this the rest of the Popish Religion being continued would neither have been Advantagious for the Salvation of Men Glorious to the King nor Profitable to the State For Idolatry and the other Heresies remaining there would have always been an Impossibility of being saved in that Religion and the greatest part of the Oppression attending it being also continued the people would have had but little relief by it nor would the King of France have reap'd the fourth part of the Advantage which he might expect from a thorough Reformation Neither is it to be thought that so small a change could be solid and durable for at the bottom it 's certain that it 's the Popes who have made the Religion of the Church of Rome to be what it is either by corrupting the Doctrine of the Apostles or Adopting the Idolatry and Worship of the Pagans or by Forging now and then new Articles of Faith for their own private Interest and that of their Clergy And it is certain that their Religion is founded on no other Authority but that of the Pope and therefore Cardinal Pallavicini had reason to say in his History of the Council of Trent call'd by some his New Gospel Tutti gli Articoli della Religione unitamente considerati non hanno altra certezza prossima ed immediata che l'Autorita del summo Pontefice i. e. that all the Articles of their Religion considered together have no other certain and immediate foundation but the Authority of the Pope So that if we reason consequentially from this Principle the Popish Religion cannot be preserved but by the preservation of the Papal Authority from which it derives all the Authority that gives it any value in the eyes of the World It is also probable that if a greater Reformation were not made immediately upon the Creation of a Patriarch the Popes Authority would be again Re-established â—…or he should without doubt have always a great Party in the Kingdom under the â—…avour of that horrid Darkness which must have continued therein if it had been no other but for the Jesuites and Monks who would be constantly Jealous that the Patriarch would pair their Nails One Party of the Nation would always have entertained a Correspondence with the Popes Friends being united by their Communion in the same Religion excepting the Opinion of the Authority of the Pope tho'some would have made semblance of rejecting that too for fear of their King yet they would effectually endeavour the Re-establishment of the Papal Authority And so much the more that the Court of Rome would have been prodigal of their Treasures and have spar'd nothing on this occasion to maintain their Tyranny And moreover iâ—… the King who had created a Patriarch should come to have died before the Reformation should have been compleated and a Prince of less Authority had Succeeded there would have been an end of the Patriarchat This erecting of a Patriarch would not have pleased the Popish Princes neither so that they would have joyned with the Pope and the Party that adher'd to him in France and would either have stirr'd up Civil Wars there or have made War upon it themselves Nor could this imperfect Change have satisfied the Protestant Princes who would always have look'd upon France as Idolatrous and Heretical and ready to return again to wallow in that mire whence she had made some Effort to get out and begun to lift up her head so that they would never put any confidence in her It should happen to France in this case as it always happens to Neutral Princes in the quarrels of Neighbouring Potentates their Neutrality does not reconcile them with their Enemies nor yet procure â—…hem any Friends Neutralitas neâ—… Amicos pariâ—… neque Inimicos tollit saith Tacitus In such cases we must be either t'one or t'other and avoid that which is call'd Consilia Media Such a faint Reformation would have serv'd for nought but to awake all the Malice of the Pope and the Mischievous Ecclesiasticks of the Kingdom who would have reap'd the same Advantage from this that a strong Man does from the Impotent Menaces of his Enemy which serve only to put him on his Guard and set him at Work to prevent the threatned Mischief according to the Italian Proverb Le Minaccie sono l'Armi del Minacciaâ—…o Threats sound an allarum to the threatned Man to take Arms either to deâ—…end himself or offend his Enemy as occasion requires Whereas if the King of France did not do things by halves but should together with his Subjects renounce all at once the false Doctrines Worship Superstition and Abuses of the Church of Rome and Free his Kingdom from that Tyranny by Establishing the light of the Gospel to enlighten his People amongst whom it is hid under a Candlestick he might assure himself that such an Evangelical Reformation would be followed by unexpressible Advantages to himself and his People both in regard of Temporal and Eternal Life Some may perhaps object that such a compleâ—…t and sudden Reformation must needs shake the Kingdom of France and that there 's no passing so suddenly from one Extream to another without danger that is to say from the thick darkness of Popery to the bright shining light of Christianity and therefore it muâ—…t be done gradually as our Saviour did when he restored sight to the Blind they did not at first see all Objects disâ—…inctly but Men walking like Trees and that God does not make us pass from the dark night to the bright day but by the dawning of the Morning and therefore according to that Wisdom it were proper first to Establish a Patriarchat in France before they endeavour a Gospel-Reformation To this I answer That as to the Authority of the Pope which the Creation of a Patriarch would have over-turn'd all the Parliaments of France and amongst others that of Paris all Persons of Learning Sense and Honesty ev'n amongst the Clergy themselves do not acknowledge that Authority in their heart nay they despise all other Doctrines contrary to those of the Protestants as being evidently false or unprofitable The Kings Authority and the Respect or Fear that they have for him are the only Ties which retain them lest he should destroy or ruine them if they did â—…urn Protestants They have had many Doctors of a long time who have opened their Eyes in regard of the Popes Authority and diverse other such Doctrines as the Chancellor Gerson and the Drs. Richer de Launoy the Author of the Book call'd Les Moyens Seurs Honnetes Sure and Honest Methods Elias Du Pin and many other without mentioning the Books of Protestants and besides the Jansenists the New Philosophy and the present Quietists do something of that Nature And there 's ground of hope that all the Nation will be moved at the infinite number of Mischiess which Popery occasions in the State when they are
the Monks and the Jesuites will render themselves Masters of all under a weak Prince and the Kingdom will be more expos'd to the Cheats Impostures and Scandalous Vices of the Clergy than ever The King of France should hereby gain the Affection of all Protestant Princes and States intirely which would be much more useful to him than that of the Popish Princes because they are honester in their Treaties and at present much more powerful especially by Sea and more able to hurt or help him And moreover France cannot subsist without Commerce with them and the King knows very well that they have no thoughts of regaining any thing from France as the Popish Princes have because she hath never taken any thing from them nor have they any thoughts of making Conquests upon him as being more Sage and Judicious than that comes to Neither has he any reason to fear that the Court of Rome will employ them to do Mischief to France as they have imployed and may still imploy Popish Princes to do But if France neglect such a fair opportunity as this is to shake off the Yoke of Popery when there is such an Indispensible Necessity â—…o do it for the fafety of the Kingdom which must otherwise perish after having seen so evidently that Popery is the ruin of States and by consequence a false Religion all the World will have reason to believe that His Majesty does not only hate the Protestant Religion but the very Persons of all Protestants especially if he does not Re-establish his Subjects of the Reformed Religion in the free Exercise of the same and in a full and entire Liberty in all Respects as his other Subjects and with all possible Assurance for time to come seeing no Man can reproach them with Disloyalty towards the King nor on the account of their Doctrine which the most Learned of the Papists themselves acknowledge to be very Sound and Conformable to the Scripture and make their boasts that they believe the same things as they do having nothing else to reproach them with but only that they don't believe enough because they don't believe Transubstantiation nor fifty other Fooleries of the like Nature nor adore the half of one of the two Sacraments which has not so much as the Honour to be Bread but is only an Elil Elilim a Nothing an Idol which according to St. Paul is a meer Nothing of this number of Learned Men is the Bp. of Meaux as appears by his Exposition of the Catholick Doctrine Without â—…his Reformation France will become as desolate in 30 years time as Spain and Portugal is at present though there should be a continued Peace all that while For the Women and Girls who are at present three thirds of the People of France will for the most part be dead without Children because there are not Men enough at present to Marry them so that this want of People will be much more apparent then than now It may very well be said that the Kingdom of France hath for 30 or 40 years had a great Ascendant over all the other Nations of Europe by means of the Kings Vigour and Absolute Power But the Kingdom will lose that Ascendant come to nothing and be despicable to all the World and especially to the Court of Rome without hopes of being ever able to recover it self if such a Reformation be not made And I dare venture to say that without this the Kingdom is in danger to be torn into pieces by Civil Wars ere it be long or involved in short in another new War on the account of Religion by the Jesuites at the secret Suggestion of the Pope who are still afraid of that Kings great Authority tho his Kingdom is ruined There 's no other Method left as I have intimated already to put the King in a condition to pay his numerous Debts but this Evangelical Reformation and because diverse Persons of great Merit have desir'd of me to give some Account of the Ways and Means they take to find Money to borrow and Places to sell in a Kingdom so much ruined as France I could not refuse to obey them in imparting what is publickly known of that Matter in France therefore I shall here make a little digression We must observe then that the Court entertains a great number of People in Provinces and Towns who make it their business to discover those who have yet any Money left ' em Whereupon the Intendant Governour or other Chief Men of the Place have orders either to call for such Persons or to go to their Houses and tell them that the King has a mind to sell such and such new Places or Augmentations of Salleries to all Civil Officers who are already in Place or Letters of Nobility to Commoners or some other Priviledges or to create Rents upon the Town-House of Paris or to alienate the Revenues of the Post-Office or some part of his Demain c. Then they are acquainted Civilly that they will oblige the Court to lay out their Money on such thingâ—… and do a piece of good Service to the State that their Principal and Interest will both be sure and their gain considerable If they answer that they have no Money after being desir'd thus to lay it out then they find it to be as Tacitus says Preceserant sed quibus resisti non poterat They were Prayers indeed but such as they could not resist Those Officers inform themselves more particâ—…larly of the Staâ—…e of their Affairs from Scriveners and Notaries who are oblig'd to tell all they know of it After this they proceed to threaten the Persons that so they may squeeze Money out of them But there are few who let it come to this extremity because they see so many Examples before them of People ruined by such Refusals for either they are tax'd extraordinarily as rich Persons or are accused that either they themselves or their Friends whose Estates they Inherit robb'd the Publick when they were in Office and thereupon despoil them of their Estates Otherwise all the Actions of their whole Life are Canvass'd or if that fail the Conversations of their Children and other Relations are enquired into on purpose to vex them and their Tenants are over-whelm'd with Impositions or Quartering of Soldiers There are a hundred other such Methods and their Children and Relations are never advanc'd neither in the Church in the Army nor otherwise And they are besiâ—…es accounted at Court Enemies to the Government sometimes imprisoned and if they have any Suit at Law the adverse Party is sure to find favour c. It 's true there are some who are known to be extreamly Rich or in great business â—…hat prevent â—…he Court on purpose â—…o gain Favour and lend their Money upon the Town-house of Paris nor do they know how to dispose of their Money otherwise Trade being quite ruined Houses and Land being of no value and all people almost being