CHAP. V. That deposing Kings that will not exterminate us, and absolving Subjects from their Allegiance,
CHAP. V. That deposing Kings that will not exterminate us, and absolving Subjects from their Allegiance, and giving their Dominions to others, is an Article of the Papists Faith.
A rgum. 3. That Doctrine which teacheth men to destroy or undo them whom Christ hath bound them to love as Christians, and absolveth
Subjects from their Allegiance to their Princes, and requireth the deposing of them, and committing the Government of their Dominions to others, because they are judged to be Heretics by the Pope; yea or if they will not destroy and extirpate such as he calleth Heretics; I say this Doctrine is not of God, nor such as Christian Princes should smile upon. But such is the Doctrine of Popery: therefore, &c.
I know that a Paper entitled An explanation of the Roman Catholics Belief, and other the like, do seem to renounce the opinion of breaking faith with Heretics, and of promise breaking with Magistrates (It seems they think they owe no more obedience to their Magistrates then they promise.)
But as I refer the Reader to what King James and his defenders have said on this point (besides many more) so I shall now give you but the words of one
of their own approved General Council 12, the fourth at the Lateran under Innocent 3, as Binius and others of their own record it. In the first Chapter they set down their Catholic faith, two Articles of which are, 1. That no man can be saved out of their Universal Church. And 2. That the bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Altar are transubstantiate into the Body and Blood of Christ, the appearances remaining. And in the third Chapter they say,
[We excommunicate and anathematize every heresy extolling itself against this holy orthodox Catholic faith, which we have before exponed, condemning all heretics by what names soever they be called—And being condemned, let them be left to the present secular Powers, or their Bailiffs to be punished, the Clergy being first degraded of their Orders; and let the goods of such condemned ones be confiscate, if they be Lay-men, but if they be Clergy men, let them be given to the Churches whence they had their stipends. And those that are found notable only by suspicion, if they do not by congruous purgation demonstrate their innocence, according to the considerations of the suspicion and the quality of the person, let them be smitten with the sword of Anathema, and avoided by all men, till they have given sufficient satisfaction; and if they remain a year excommunicate, let them then be condemned as heretics. And let the secular powers, in what
Office soever, be admonished and persuaded, and if it be necessary compelled by Ecclesiastical censure, that as they would be reputed and accounted Believers, so for the defense of the faith, they take an Oath publicly, that they will study in good earnest according to their power, to exterminate all that are by the Church denoted heretics, from the Countries subject to their Jurisdiction. So that when any one shall be taken into Spiritual or Temporal power, he shall by his Oath make good this Chapter.
But if the temporal Lord, being required and admonished of the Church,
shall neglect to purge his Country of heretical defilement, let him by the Metropolitan and other Comprovincial Bishops be tied by the bond of Excommunication. And if he refuse to satisfy within a year, let it be signified to the Pope, that he may from thenceforth denounce his Vassals absolved from his fidelity, and may expose his Country to be seized on by Catholics, who rooting out the heretics, may possess it without contradiction, and may keep it in the purity of faith; saving the right of the principal Lord, so be it that he himself do make no hindrance hereabout, and oppose any impediment: and the same Law is to be observed with them that are not principal Lord's. And the Catholics that taking the sign of the Cross shall set themselves to the rooting out of the heretics, shall enjoy the same indulgences and holy privileges, which were granted to those that go to the relief of the holy land. Moreover we Decree, that the believers, receivers, defenders, and favorers of Heretics, shall be excommunicate; firmly decreeing, that after any such is noted by excommunication, if he refuse to satisfy within a year, he shall from thence forth be ipso jure infamous, and may not be admitted to public Offices or Councils, or to the choice of such, nor to bear witness. And he shall be intestate and not have power to make a will, nor may come to a Succession of inheritance. And no man shall be forced to answer him in any cause: but he shall be forced to answer others. And if he be a Judge, his sentence shall be invalid, and no causes shall be brought to his hearing. If he be an Advocate, his Plea shall not be admitted. If a Notary (or Register) the Instruments made by him shall be utterly void, and damned with the damned Author. And so in other the like cases, we command that it be observed.] Thus they go on further commanding Bishops by themselves, or their Arch-deacons, or other fit persons, once or twice a year to search every Parish where any Heretic is
found to dwell, and put all the Neighborhood to their Oaths, whether they know of any Heretics there, or any private meetings, or any that in life and manners do differ from the common conversation of the faithful, &c. And the Bishops that neglect these things are to be cast out, and others put into their places that will do them.
And Pope Gregory 7, l. 4. Epist. 7, expressly stirs up the people to cast off their Princes, saying [And for the conspiracy of Heretics and the King, we believe it is not unknown to you that are near them, how it may be impugned by the Catholic Bishops and Dukes, and many others in the German parts: for the faithful of the Church of Rome are come to such a number, that unless the King shall come to satisfaction, they may openly profess to choose another King, and observing Justice, we have promised to favor them, and will keep our promise firm, &c.]
The sum of all is, that all that the Pope calls Heretics, must be condemned and destroyed, and all Kings, Princes or Lord's, that will not execute his sentence and root them out, must be dispossessed of their Dominions, and the subjects absolved from their fidelity (whatever Oaths they had taken) and all others that do but favor or receive them be utterly undone.
I fetch not these things out of the writings of the Protestants, nor from any private Doctors of their own, but from the very words of a General Council confirmed by the Pope, and unquestionably approved by them. And abundance the like might be produced. And many ages saw this doctrine put in execution, when the Emperors of Germany were deposed by the Pope, and the Subjects absolved from their Allegiance, as the many volumes written in those times, and published together by Goldastus testify. And the King of France, or any other that tolerate any of the supposed Heretics, may
see what a censure they are exposed to, if mere necessity were not their security.
Perhaps some will say, that this Decree was not de fide, but a temporary precept. Answ. When a precept requireth duty, it may be a point of Faith to believe it. Precepts are the Objects of Faith, at least as they are assertions, that the thing commanded is our duty. It is an Article of faith, that God is to be loved and obeyed, and our Superiors to be honored, and our Neighbor to be loved, and Charity to be exercised, &c. The Creation, the Incarnation of Christ, his death, resurrection, ascension, glorification, intercession, his future Judgment, the Resurrection of the body, &c. are all matters of fact, and yet matters of faith too. If practicals be not Articles of faith, then we have no Articles of faith at all: for all our Theology and Religion is practical. Do Papists murder poor Christians by the thousands, and yet not fide divina believe that it is their duty so to do? Either it is a duty, or a sin, or indifferent. If a sin, woe to their Pope and Council (and if this be no sin with them, I know not why the world should be troubled by them with the name of sin.) If it be indifferent, what then shall be called sin? If they can swallow such Camels, as the blood of many thousand Christians, what need they strain at Gnats, and stick at private Murders, or Fornication, or Lying, or Slandering, anymore then the Jesuit. Casuists do, that are cited by the Jansenian in his Mystery of Jesuitism? But if these Murders and deposing
Kings be indeed a duty, how can they know it to be so, but by Believing?
And indeed if a General Council and the Pope are to be believed, who give it us with a Decernimus & firmiter statuimus, then it is doubtless a point of faith: and if they are not to be believed, then Popery is all but a mere deceit.
Obj. 2. But may we not be Roman Catholics though we join not with them in this point? Have not many such renounced it? And so may we. Answ. If
you renounce the Decrees of a Pope and General Council, you renounce your Religion in the very foundation of it, and cannot be Papists, if you know what you do; but are in the Roman account as errant Heretics as those that they have tortured and burnt to ashes: though here in England where they cannot handle you as they would do, they dare not tell you so. And if you may renounce the Decrees of a Pope and General Council, when they say, [It is a duty, or lawful to exterminate all as Heretics, that believe not Transubstantiation, and to seize upon the Lands of Princes that will not do it, and to deliver them to others that will, and absolve their Vassals from their fidelity] I say, if you may renounce them in this, why may not we have as free leave to renounce them in other things, as groundless?