The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Reason of religion 38
Reaſon of Religion. 38 38. REASON OF RELIGION.
FInally, a Religion, (that we deſcend toaThey hauehave bin tedious enough already. no more particulars) which by more meanes, & ſtronger then any other kinde of religion, keeketh,bHow true this is appeareth in the anſwere. by the nature of her doctrine and holy ordinances, the ſubiectes allegeance to their temporall Lords; teaching that(a)D. Tho. 1.2 q 96. art 4 Cō cil Ephe to 4. ca. 16 Peltano interpr. the iuſt lawes of Princes doe binde in conſcience, and ſome kindes alſo of vniuſt lawes vponupon feare of ſcandall; and likewiſe decreeing(b)Con…il. To let. 5. cap. 1. & Concil. Meldenſe ca. 14. & 15. that all ſuch as moue ſedition againſt their Soveraigne, or obſtinatly impugne or diſobey his lawful commandements, ſhould becAnd why not preſently hanged? preſently excommunicated, and all the faithful debarred to keepe them companie. And a religiō, which hath evermore bleſſed the kin…s, that were herdThe lovers of the great whoore are made partakers of her plagues. lovers and children, with more peace, with more louelove of their ſubiects, with more proſperitie, with more victories, with more true glory, with more temporall and eternall renowne, then other Princes, who were her enemies, or aliens at any time attained to; as the regiſters of former ages, and the memorials of the preſent, are moſt cleere andeWe deny it and you can never proue it. vndeniable witneſſes.
Reſolution of the 38. Reaſon.
Popiſh Religion by more meanes and ſtronger then any other kinde of religion, keepeth by the nature of her doctrine and holy ordinances, the ſubiects in due alleageance to their temporall Lords.
Ergo:
Popiſh Religion is true, and conſequently to be tolerated.
ANSWERE.
I To the Antecedent.
1 THE vanity of this reaſon is detected in many places before, & eſpecially in the Anſwere vntounto the firſt reaſon of ſtate, pag. 6.7. But more particularly;
2 What dare not theſe braſen-faced Suppliants affirme, if happily thereby they may obtaine their deſires? They ſay Popiſh religion by nature of her doctrine keepeth the ſubiects in due allegeance to their temporall Lords, yea and that more then any other kind of religion. A bold aſſertion! This dependeth vponupon the triall. Let vsus open their bookes, and ſee what their Rabbiues teach.
3 Behould the whole torrent of their writers Cōmentators, Poſitiue writers, School-mē & Canoniſtes vniformely, with one and with open mouth proclaime theſe Suppliants impudēt Lyers, & diſſembling Hypocrites. For all of them hould this Poſition as an article of faith, Heretical & Apoſtaticalls Princes are to be depoſed; & not to be obeyed by their ſubiectes. Let vsus heare them ſpeake.
4 FIRST the Popiſh Commētators ſay. Our Kings may bee depoſed in many caſes, either by the Pope, or by their owne ſubiects. Alphonſus Toſtatus Com. in 3. Reg. cap. 11. queſt. 35.
5 SECONDLY, their Poſitiue writers ſpeake. The Pope by the fulnes of power which he hath over all Chriſtiā Princes, may for the ſin of hereſie deprive heretical Kings & Princes from their Kingdomes and Empires; & in temporal things exempt the Chriſtian an people from their obediēce & ſubiection vntounto thē. Ioanes Driedo Tom. 2 lib. 1. de Libert. Chriſtian. cap. 14. pag. 40. D edit. Lovan. Anno 1552. in fol.
6 THIRDLY, amongſt their Schoole-men; Thomas Aquin as diſputeth this Queſtion, Whether a Prince for his Apoſtaſie from the faith looſeth his dominion over his ſubiects, ſo that they are not bound to obey him farther? and concludeth it affirmatiuely, The. in 2.2. q. 12. a. 2. Petrus Aragonius holdeth the ſame point, as an article of faith. Arago. in. 2.2. Tho. q. 12. a. 2. pa. 363. col. 1. & 2. edition. Salmantica. 1584. And ſo doth Caietanus Com. in eundē locum. And Seraphinus Capponus, who addeth this reaſon thereof, Whoſoever violateth his faith vntounto God, muſt hauehave the faith of others violated vntounto him. Cappou. in 2.2. Tho. q. 12. a. 2. Gregorius de Valētia hath theſe words, For the ſin of Apoſtaſie any mā may be deprived of his dominiō over his ſubiects. There is *Note!no doubt of this aſſertion amongſt true Catholikes. Yet heretikes deny it, leaſt if they ſhould approve this, they might ſeeme to pronounce ſentēce againſt themſelues. Greg. de Valent. Tom. 3. Commentar. Theologic. q. 11. punct. 2. col. 439. D. And againe. They inourre the deprivation of their politique power de facto, who for hereſie are excommunicated by the ſentēce of an Eccleſiaſticall Iudge; ſo all the Devines do commōly hould, who alſo do abſolve the ſubiects from their oath & alleageance, forbidding them to obey them, to wit, if they can *Note well!deny their Kings ſuch obediēce without ſome notable detrimēt or loſſe, for ſo this is to be vnderſtood. Thus farre Greg. de Valentia tom. 3. Com. col. 444. C. who faith farther, Subiects may lawfully deny their obediēce to an Hereticall Prince. Ibid. E. And, Hoe that demieth his faith vntounto God, is worthy to whom his ſubiects ſhould deny their fidelity. Ibid. col: 446. A. Dominicus Bannes writeth thus. After that the declaratiue ſentēce is givē for hereſie, the Prince doth vniuſtly poſſeſſe his kingdome & princedome, & doth vniuſtly exerciſe iuriſdiction over his ſubiects: And the ſubiects are boūd to exempt themſelues from his obediēce, yea & to wage warre againſt him, *Oh note!if they hane ſufficient ſtrēgth. But if it be to their great hinderāce, as ioyned with the dāger of Death, loſſe of their goods &c? then ſuch ſubiects are not boūd to wage warre againſt their Prince, nor to exampt themſelues from his obedience, if they be not in mortall dāger to fall away frō the faith. Out of this Cōcluſiō it followeth that the *Note beſt of all!faithfull Catholikes in Englād, & in Saxonie are to be excuſed, who doe not exempt themſelues from the power of their Superiours, nor wage warre againſt them; for commōly they have not wealth & ſtrength inough to warre againſt their Princes, & they are in great danger. So ſaith Dominicus Bannes in 2.2. Tho. q. 12. a. 2. col. 479. A. B.C. edit Lugdun. 1588. Martinus Ledeſmius in 2.4. Tho. q. 15: a. 5. fol. 120. col. 4. is of the ſame iudgment.
7 FINALLY, their Canoniſts decree & ratifie the ſame Concluſions. Gregorie VII. ſaith, We keeping the ſtatuts of our holy predeceſſours, by our Apoſtolicall auctoritie do abſolve frō their oath & alleageance ſuch as are ſo boūd vntounto them that be excommunicated, & we forbid them by all meanes, that they obſerve no faithfulnes, nor obedience vntounto them, vntill ſuch come to make ſatisfaction Cauſ. 15. q. 6. c. Nos Sanctorū. Iac. Simancha writeth. For the Kings hereſie, not onelyonly the KING himſelfe is deprived of his kingdome, but alſo HIS *Note ſtill!SONNES cānot ſucceed after him. Iac. Sim. lib. de Catholic. Inſtitut. Tom. 11. tract. Illuſtr. in vtra que x Iuris facultate Iuriſconſultorū. part. 2. tit. 9. f. 132. nu. 259. The ſame Poſition houldeth Ioannes Lupus, Deture Navarra par. 1. §. 7. Alſo Antonius Corſetus ſaith, A Chriſtiā King becomming an Heretike, looſeth his Kingdom, which is given vntounto *Good again!a Catholike poſſeſſour. Corſ. de Pot. Reg par. 5. nu. 6. See Bald. in l. 1. in 13. Col. in repe. C. de emāci. libe. & Notat in C. 1. de praeſcr.
8 Note, I beſeech you in the bowels of our Saviour Chriſt Ieſus, marke I ſay, you illuſtrious & thrice renowmed Kings whoſe eies & harts GOD hath opened to behold his truth, and vnfeignedly to embrace the Goſpell of his Sonne; this is the king-quelling doctrine of Popety, this al their writers teach, profeſſing that all their Divines hould ſo, that al true Catholikes beleeve ſo, and calling them Heretiques that doubt of it. Behould Popiſh religion armed to cut your throates! And that you hauehave beene hitherto ſafely protected, it was no through the innocency of Popery, or defect of Papiſts malice & hatred againſt you, as Dominicus Bānes acknowled … eth, poiſon, to ſtab, & to murder you, & through the ſpecial bleſſing and preſervation of Almighty GOD, who never faileth ſuch as truſt in him, & faithfully call vponupon his name.
9 But that all men may ſee the vanitie & falſhood of this wicked and divelliſh doctrine of Poperie; What can all the Papiſts in the world, or all the Divels in hel ſay to this that followeth. No King by the lawe of Nature or by the law Divine can be deprived of his Kingdome or dominion over his ſubiects, for falling away frō the faith; the reaſon hereof is plaine; becauſe Faith is not the foundatiō of dominion, but ſome other politique title having force and ſtrength from the law of Nations; as the title of hereditarie Succeſſion, of Election, of Conqueſt or iuſt acquiſitiō by lawful warre &c. which titles may remaine and ſtand firme without Faith.
10 This I hauehave argued vponupon ſuppoſition: But our Kings and Princes hauehave not (by the mercies of GOD) fallen from the faith, they are no heretikes, as wee are ready to demonſtrate out of the word of GOD againſt al Papiſts & powers of Satan. The Popiſh Princes are they who fell frō the faith, and worſhip the Beaſt: and therefore their decrees ſtand in force againſt themſelves, not againſt vsus.
II To the Conſequence.
If Popiſh religion did teach nothing againſt the lawfull auctoritie of Kinges and Princes, yet were it not therefore true religion: for it might erre in the foundation of faith, & againſt other partes of the Scriptures; as it is manifeſt it doth: wherefore it is neither true nor to be tolerated in any Chriſtian ſocietie.
Nor are theſe (ô moſt gracious Soveraigne) the only reſpectes, that thus embolden vsus to become humble ſuiters at your Higneſſe foot, for toleration of Catholike religion;aYet more reaſons, but our manifoldbCauſeleſse complaintes. daungers vnderunder-gone, our ſeveral loſſes and indignities ſuſtained, and the ſtoore of Catholike blood that hath bin ſhed, for affecting your mothers Rightes and Title, and for ſeeking how to ſuccour her piteous diſtreſſes & perſon, (the worthieſt Queene that many ages enioyed living a long impriſoned Confeſſour, and dying a moſt glorious Martyr,) ſerue alſo to plead and cry to your Maieſtie, for commiſeration of our caſe, & grant of the Petition we make. And as our true louelove, zeale and tribute of ſervice, did not then dilate and extend it ſelfe on y towards your Highnes deare mother, but in & throu…h her, reached alſo tocSore against the Papiſts wils your ſacred Maieſty; ſo ſince the time of her happy Crowne of Martyrdome, our wiſhes indevours & actions, hauehave ever levelled, as much as lay in our power to the moſt advauncing of yourdProue that, Parſons denyeth it. Maieſties Title. Yea the preſſures and afflictions l…aded on vsus for this cauſe, were in a ſ…rt comfortable, or not diſcomfortable vntounto vsus, in h…pe of the relaxation and eaſe, we aſſuredly expected by your Highneſſe actuall arrivall to the Crowne. So that now, if your excellent Maieſtie may not bee mooued, to permit the free exerciſe of the Catholike Religion, Oh, our hopes fedde on, are not only fruſtrate, and our long expectations vaine; but our temporall lots, by reeſtabliſhing of penal laws againſt vsus, become more abiect, ſervile, deſperate and forl…rne, then euer before.
Puritaniſme differing from Proteſtācy ineMere ſlanders and impudent calumniations. 32 articles of doctrine (as their owne bookes and writings doe witneſſe) looketh vp, ſpreadeth, & is neither ſuppreſſed with penalties, nor oppreſſed with indignities, but her profeſſour… receiue grace, and holde high auctority in the government: only the Catholike Religion whoſe profeſſours ſuffred moſt for your good Mothers ſake, and euer leaſt offended your Maieſtie, is deſpiſed troden vnderunder foote, maligned, puniſhed, and muſt bee, alas, by all violencefAmen. aboliſhed, without regard of her venerable antiqu…ty, or reſpect of the large dominions ſhee other-where hath to her dowery, or of the innumerable conqueſts ſhee hath made ouer all other Sects, frō Chriſts time hitherto, or of the multitude and impregnableneſſe of her proofes, which her profeſſors are ready, yea, preſſe, and doe moſt earneſtly long to bring in publike Diſpute, for teſtimonie of the doctrine ſhee teach…th And that which moueth not the leaſt admiration here in is; for that neither the inward beleefe of the Catholike Romane faith, nor the outward profeſſion or defence thereof in words, ſeeme to bee the tranſgreſſions which are ſo ſharpely animadverted; but rather the only fault which is puniſhed, and neuer ſufficiently, as ſome thinke, puniſhed in vsus, is the vndiſſembled profeſſion of our inwarde faith, in refuſing to go to the Proteſtant Church A neceſſity, which vnderunder guilte of dead y ſin, & breach of our Churches vnity, all are bound vntounto, that beleeue the verity of the Catholike Religion, and purpoſe ſtil… to keepe themſelues her children: becauſe the vnity conſiſteth in theaAug. de doctr. Christian. li. 3. cap. 6. & epiſt. 118. cap. 1. & Baſil. in exhort. ad baptiſm. connexiō of the members togither, by an external reuerence and vſe of the ſame ſeruice and ſacraments, and is broken by having communion in either, with any other contrary religion. And it is an axi…me among all Divines, thatbAug. de vnit. Eccl. cont. Petil. ep. cap 2. & cont. lit. Pet. l 2. c 38 & in Evangel. Ioan. tract. 118 & in ſer. ſap. geſt. cum Emerito vltramed, & epist. 152. Cypr de Simplie. Praelatorum. extra eccleſiam non eſt ſa…us. there is no hope of ſalvation but of the Church. To which La…tantius moſt plainely ſubſcribeth, ſaying; cLib. 4. ca. vlt. divi. Inſtit.Sola eccleſia catholica eſt templum dei, quo ſi quis non intraverit, vel à que ſi quis exierit, à ſpe vitae ac ſalutis aeternae alienus eſt. The Catholike Church is only the temple of God, into which if any ſhall not enter, or out of which if any ſhall depart, hee is an alien from hope of life and eternall ſalvation Neither doth the Apoſtle affirme leſſe in ſenſe, where he ſaith thatdEpheſ. 5.23. Christ is the Saviour of his body, & thateEpheſ. 1.23. Epheſ. 4.5. & Cantic. 6.8. the Church is his body. Nor is it poſſible to be conceiued in any vnderſtanding, that two ſuch repugnant and contradictory manners of ſeruing God, there beeing but one Lord, one truth, one faith, one Church, as the Catholike and Proteſtante obſerue in their Churches, can be both good, or not one of them, very vngodly, and in no caſe to be communicated with vnderunder paine of eternall damnation.
By the little which is ſaide, your princely Wiſedome may eaſily perceiue, that cur abſtaining from Church, is in vsusgMoſt falſe. Rom 14.14. & 23. Chryſoſt hom 26. in ep. ad Rom. & eſt ſententia cō munis omniū Theolog. in 2 Diſt 30. & D. Tho. 1.2. qu 10 art. 5. no formall act of diſobedience, much leſſe of ſelfe-wilfulneſſe or contempt of your Maieſties laws (aſperſiōs, with which, many would diſtaine our refuſal) but a true reall obligation of meere conſcience, eſpecially for ſo long, as we hold the inward perſwaſion we do: in reſpect an erroneous conſcience bindeth as ſtrongly, and vnderunder equall paine, as doth the conſcience that is beſt and moſt rightly informed
To draw to anhJ… is full time I thinke, they hauehave babbled long enough. end; we moſt ſubmiſſiuely beſeech your Maieſtie, to conceaue no otherwiſe of vsus, then of your moſt dutiful and loyal vaſſals: acknowledging iniNothing but ſo: & yet not ſo neither, Reade Bozius his book de Temporali Eccl Monarc. all politike and civil affaires, no other Superior thē the ſacred authority of your Highnes, & reſting ever moſt ready to accompliſh al your commādements touching the ſame, were our liues never ſo certainly engaged in the executiō; Only requeſting, that in matters of ſoule & conſcience, we may hauehave leaue, to diſtinguiſh an eternal Lord, for a temporal Lord, & to preferre ourkThey cal dark neſse light. obedience to the one, before our obedience to the other, if obedience to Princes▪ againſt God, may be tearmed obedience; & not rather irreligious puſillanimity. And as wee hauehave preſumed, mo… precious Soveraigne, vponupon confidence of your true royal diſpoſitiō & benignity, to make known to your Princely conſideration & wiſdome our gr efes, our hopes, the favor & connivence we deſire, togither with ſome few reaſons, aſwel of ſtate as of religiō, for ſhewing the cōcordance that our requeſt hath with the good of ſtate, & alſo the grounds of our perſwaſion in conſcience, why the religiō we beleeue in is true. So do we carry a moſt tender regard of yeelding all ſatiſfaction to your Maieſtie, and to all other in authority, yea, even to thoſe who ſtande moſt iealouſly conceited of the true affection & loyalty of Prieſts, the Paſtours of our ſoules, towards your Highneſſe perſon, Crowne, & the weale of the Realme. In whoſe behalfe, welTheſe men wil preſcribe the King what to doe. doe therefore confidently and moſt aſſuredly vndertake, that they all ſhall willingly & readyly take theirmBut cannot the Pope diſpenſe with theſe at his pleaſure? corporall oaths, for continuing their true alleageance to your Maieſtle and the State: or in caſe that bee not thought aſlurance enough, they ſhall giuegive in ſufficient ſuerties,nAvāt knaues▪ what? are one or two treacherous Papiſts ſufficient hoſtages for the ſecuritie of of a Prince, &. ſafety of a realme? one or moe, who ſhall ſtand bound, life for life, …or the performance of the ſaid alleageance, and of their fidelity and faithfulnes in the premiſſes. Yea, they moſt volunta…ily offer yet further, that it ſo any of their number be not able to put in ſuch ſecuritie for their loyall cariages, that then they will all ioine in one ſupplication to the Pope, for recalling ſuchoHis Maieſtie needeth not the Popes helpe for effecting this buſineſse. prieſts out the Land, whoſoever they be, or how many ſoever.
We feare to be tedious, and therfore we wil ſhut vp all in few words, Our hearts, our ſoules, and both, with deepeſt cries doe moſt humbly & alike inſtantly beſeech your moſt excellent Maieſtie to take pitie of our afflictions, to compaſſionate our ſufferings, and to relieue our long indured preſſures, either by licenſing the free vſe of our Catholike Religion; or if we may not be ſo happy, yet at leaſt by graunting a publike Diſputation to the end we may be heard, our cauſe tryed, & our teachers receiue confutation, and the deſerved ſhame of their ſalfe doctrine, if in caſe they hauehave miſled vsus. A favour which the adverſaries of our Religion hauehave obtained in other Countries, and which our Country-oppoſitors ſeeme in their bookes to be very deſirous of, and is alſo of it ſelfe, of all other meanes, the moſt potent, to reunite all parties in one, the deceived being hereby let to ſee their errors. So that by the grant here of, no doubt your Maieſtie ſhall get eternall praiſe over the Chriſtian world, the Proteſtant Religion everlaſting fame if ſhee prevaile; the neighbour Countries great edification; the waverers, and ſuch as are doubtfull in faith, a ſtay and worthy ſatiſfaction, as none greater; al poſterity a right noble example and preſident to follow: And we your Maieſties loyall ſubiects muſt and ſhall alwaies, as our bounden duety exacteth, reſt, through the delivery out of the blindnes (if ſo wee liue in blindnes) for ever moſt ſtrictly oblieged to pray inceſſantly for your Highnes long life, and proſperous Raigne over all your Dominions, with multiplication of immortall renowne in this world, and of endles ioies in the next.
God ſaue the King. O Lord, open the eies of theſe Men.