A Key for Catholics, Treatise 1 · Chapter 49
CHAP. XLIX.
Detect. 40. THeir laſt courſe when all other fail, is, To turn from Fraud to Force, and open Violence, ſtirring up Princes to wars and bloodſhed, that they may deſtroy the profeſſors of the Reformed Religion, as far as they are able, and do that by flames and ſword, by halters, and hatches, which they cannot do by Argument? Hence have proceeded the bloody butcheries of the poor Waldenſes and Albigenſes, formerly and now again of late; and the wars in Bohemia, the League and wars, and Maſſacres in France, the deſolating wars of Germany, the plots, invaſions and wars in England: Moſt of the flames in Chriſtendom of late ages have been kindled for the Pope by his Agents, that he might warm him by that fire that others are conſumed by. Hence his own pretenſes to the Temporal Sword, and ſo many volumes written to juſtifie it, and ſo many Tragedies acted in the execution. And yet theſe men cry up Antiquity and Tradition. I wonder what Biſhop in all the world for above three hundred years after Chriſt, did ever claim or exerciſe the temporal ſword, as much as to be a Juſtice of Peace? nay it was their judgement that it did not belong to them. Neither the Pope nor any Biſhop on earth, as ſuch, hath any thing to do with the coercive power of the ſword; nor may not inflict the ſmalleſt penalty on body or purſe, but only guide men by the Word of God; and the utmoſt penalty they can inflict is, to excommunicate them. And they have nothing to do to deſtroy men, when they have excommunicated them, nor to cauſe the Magiſtrate to do it: but rather ſhould ſtill endeavour their Converſion. Syneſius Epiſtol. 57. againſt Andronicus ſaith as followeth [foreign, &c. To join together ſecular government with the Prieſthood, is to tye together things that are incoherent (or ſuch as cannot be tyed together) The old times made the ſame men Prieſts and Judges: For the Aegyptians and Hebrems did long make uſe of the Government of Prieſts. But afterward, as ſeems to me, when Gods work began to be done in an humane manner, God ſeparated the two ſorts of life, and one of them was made ſacred, and the other appointed for Rule and Command. For ſome he turned to theſe Materiall (or common, ſecular) things, and ſome he aſſociated with himſelf: The former were appointed for ſecular buſineſs; the later for prayer. But from both doth God require that which is honeſt (or Good.) Why then doſt thou revoke this? Why wilt thou conjoin what God hath ſeparated? who wouldſt not have us indeed to do the work of ſecular Rulers, but by doing it to deprave (or marr) it; then which what can be more unhappy? Doſt thou need a Ruler? (or Patron) Go to him that manageth the Laws of the Commonwealth. Doſt thou need God in any thing? Go to the Biſhop (or Prieſt) of the City: not that thou ſhalt be ſure there to have all that thou deſireſt, but that I will afford thee the beſt aſſiſtance that I can (or will do my beſt in it.) So far Syneſius: Which I wonder how Petavius could paſs over without ſome diſtorting obſervation, conſidering how low it treads the Roman Kingdom. But Baronius had the cunning as to extract even from hence ſome advantage to his cauſe, even to ſhew the Power that Paſtors have to excommunicate Rulers (ad An. 411.) as Syneſius with the Council did Andronicus. But 1. He went not out of his own circuit to play the Biſhop in other mens Dioceſs. 2. Much leſs did he take up the Temporal Sword againſt him, but diſclaimeth and deteſteth any ſuch thing. Why doth not the Pope when he hath paſt his Excommunications, content himſelf that he hath done his part; but he muſt excite Princes, yea force them to execute his rage, and fall upon the Lives and Dominions of ſuch Princes as he will call Heretical? He knows how ſmall account would be made of his brutiſh thunderbolts, if he had not a ſecular Arm to follow them: Nay why is he and many of his Cardinals and Biſhops, ſecular Princes themſelves? Why joyneth he thoſe Functions of Magiſtracie and Prieſthood which Syneſius here tells us God hath ſeparated, and made incoherent in one and the ſame perſon? Let the Pope uſurp what Eccleſiaſtical power he pleaſe, he would not ſo much diſturb the Church by it, if he did not ſecond it by another power. It is violence that he truſteth too. He knows if it were not for Arms and Violence, he would ſoon be ſpewed out by the Chriſtian world. And yet many of his followers that ſeem more moderate, confeſs he hath nothing to do as Pope with any but the Spiritual Sword (which works no further then Conſcience doth conſent and yield.) And yet his Kingdom ſtandeth on thoſe legs, which the doctrine of theſe more moderate men do diſown.
The ſame doctrine alſo Bernard taught the Pope himſelf. Ad Eugen. P. R. de Conſiderat. l. 2. Saying [Quid tibi dimiſit S. Apoſtolus? &c. What did the holy Apoſtle leave thee? Such as I have ſaith he, that give I to thee: And what was that? One thing I am ſure of; it was not gold, nor ſilver, when he ſaid himſelf, Silver and gold have I none. If thou canſt claim this by any other title, ſo let it be; but not by Apoſtolical right: For he could not give thee that which he had not: ſuch as he had, he gave, a care of the Churches, but did he give thee a domination? Hear himſelf [Not as Lords (or Ruling as Lords) ſaith he, in the Clergy (or heritage) but as examples of the flock. And leſs thou think that he ſpoke it only in humility, and not in verity, it is the voice of the Lord himſelf in the Goſpel: The Kings of the Gentiles rule over them, and they that have power over them, as called Benefactors, (or Bounteous) and he inferreth [Butlyou ſhall not be ſo] It is plain, that Domination is forbidden the Apoſtles. Go thou therefore, and uſurp if thou dareſt, either Apoſtleſhip whileſt thou Ruleſt as a Lord, or a Lordly Rule (or Domination) while thou art Apoſtolick. Plainly thou art forbidden one of the two: If thou wilt have both alike, thou loſeſt both.] So far Bernard. By whoſe verdict the Pope and his Biſhops are deprived of both; by graſping at both long ago.
Nay the Pope makes himſelf a Temporal Prince in every Princes Dominion on earth, where he is able to do it, and takes all the Clergy out of their Government into his own. So that actually he hath diſpoſſeſſed them of part of their Dominion already, by taking ſo conſiderable a part of their ſubjects from under their power, yea and thoſe that have ſo great an influence upon all the reſt: What by publick Preaching, and Churchgoverning, and ſecret Confeſſing, and dependance on them for the Sacraments, one would think it ſhould be no hard matter for a Romiſh allowed numerous Clergy, to be Maſters of any Kingdom where they are. And thus Princes are more then half conquered already, without a war. If any believe not that the Pope doth not thus exempt his Clergy from the ſecular power, it is becauſe he knows not their moſt notorious principles and practiſes. Nay even in England, in King Charles his Articles for the Spaniſh match, the Pope had the confidence to demand this Prerogative, and therefore himſelf added to the ſixteenth Article, which freed them from Laws about Religion, [Eccleſiaſtici verò nullis legibus ſubjaceant, niſi ſuorum ſuperiorum Eccleſiaſticorum] that is [Eccleſiaſtick perſons ſhall be under no Law, but of their Superiour Eccleſiaſticks (or Churchmen)]. Is not this plain Engliſh? See Prins Introduct. p. 6. So that no Church-man muſt be under any Law of the Land, or Government of Secular Princes. And when they have ſuch a ſtrength in our own Garriſons, a forreign Enemy is eaſily let in. To the exciting of whom they will never be wanting, having their Agents in one garb or other at the ears of the Princes and States in Chriſtendom, and of moſt of the Great and Noble perſons that are deeply intereſſed in the Government. Yea, and with Infidel Princes ſometimes, as Cyril the Patriarck of Conſtantinople proved, to the loſs of his life, for being ſo much againſt the Papiſts. And the more cauſe have all Chriſtian Princes and States to be vigilant againſt theſe incendiaries, 1. Becauſe they truſt to War and Violence, and build their Kingdom on it, and therefore ſtudy it day and night. 2. And becauſe they have ſuch a frie of politick Jeſuites all abroad continually upon the deſign; whoſe contrivances and endeavours are day and night to bring Princes and Nations to their will, and to kindle diviſions and wars among them to attain their Ends. They make a trade of this imployment. And expert prepared men, that follow a buſineſs all their days, are like enough to make ſomething of it at laſt; eſpecially while others ſleep, or ſilently look on, and let them alone to play their game. If the Papiſts can but get into the Saddle, either by deceiving the Rulers, or Commanders, or by bringing forreign force againſt us, they will give us leave to diſpute, and write, and preach againſt them, and laugh at us that will ſtand talking only, while they are working: And when the Sword is in their hand, they will ſoon anſwer all our Arguments, with a fagot, a hatchet, or halter; Smithfield confuted the Proteſtants, that both the Univerſities could not confute. Their Inquiſition is a School where they diſpute more advantagiouſly then in Academies. Though all the Learned men in the world could not confute the poor Albigenſes, Waldenſes and Bohemians, yet by theſe Iron Arguments they had men that preſently ſtopt the mouths of many thouſands, if not hundred thouſands of them: Even as the Mahometans confute the Chriſtians. A Strappado is a knotty Argument. In how few days did they confute thirty thouſand Proteſtants in and about Paris, till they left them not (on earth) a word to ſay. In how few weeks ſpace did the ignorant Iriſh thus ſtop the mouths of many thouſand Proteſtants? Even in Ulſter alone, as is ſtrongly conjectured, by teſtimony on Oath, about an hundred and fifty thouſand men were mortally ſilenced: Alas we now find that the poor Iriſh commonly know but little more of Chriſt, but that he is a better man of the two then Saint Patrick: And therefore how long might they have been before they could have ſilenced ſo many Proteſtants any other way? There's nothing like ſtone-dead, with a Papiſt. They love not to tire themſelves with Diſputes, when the buſineſs may be ſooner and more ſucceſsfully diſpatcht.
Well, ſeeing this is the way that they are reſolved on, and no peaceable motions will ſerve for the preventing it, all men that have care of the Church and Cauſe of Jeſus Chriſt, and the happineſs of their poſterity, have cauſe to ſtand on watch and guard: Not to be cruel to them (leave that to themſelves,) but to be ſecured from their cruelty. I ſhould be abundantly more earneſt then I am, to preſs all men to ſuch a patience and ſubmiſſion in Cauſes of Religion, as leaves all to God alone, but that we all ſee how the Papiſts are ſtill at the dore with the Swords in their hands, and watching for an opportunity to break in. And if in modeſty we ſtand ſtill and let them alone, they will give us free leave when they have the day, to call them Traytors, or perfidious, or what we pleaſe. Let looſers talk: Let them have the Rule, and then make the beſt you can of your Arguments. If they can once get England and other Proteſtant Countries, into the caſe of Spain and Italy, their Treachery ſhall not be caſt in their teeth; for they will leave none alive and at liberty to do it. When we ſee in good ſadneſs that it is Navies, and Armies, and ſtabbings of Kings, and Powder-plots, and Maſſacres that we have to diſpute againſt, it's time to be able to Anſwer them in their own way, or we loſe the day. It is not a good Cauſe, or wit, or learning, or honeſty, that will then ſerveturn. I know God is al-ſufficient for his Church, and in him muſt be our Truſt: But he requireth us to expect his bleſſing in the uſe of lawful probable means. He can give us Corn without plowing, and ſowing: but we have little reaſon to forbear theſe and expect it: He can Convert men without preaching: But yet the bleſſing of God doth preſuppoſe Pauls planting, and Apollo's watering. He can Rule and Defend us without Magiſtrates, but it is not his appointed way. And he can ſave us from deceitful bloody men, without our care, and vigilancy and reſiſtance: but it is not his ordinary appointed courſe in which he would have us look to him for deliverance.
And therefore in the Name of God let Princes and Parliaments be vigilant: for they watch for the outward ſecurity of the Church and Common-wealth (as Miniſters do for our ſpiritual wel-fare) as thoſe that muſt give account. And let the people take heed what Parliament or Magiſtrates they chooſe: And let all that love the Goſpel, and the proſperity of the Chriſtian world, and of their poſterity, have their eyes in their head, and take heed of that bloody hand, that hath in England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Savoy, Low-countries, Germany, Bohemia, &c. already ſpilt ſo many ſtreams of Chriſtian blood. If the Wiſe, the Learned, Moderate Lord du Pleſſis, was ſo zealous for the Lawfulneſs of Neceſſary Defence, as Grotius chargeth him, as to put it into his Teſtament, (whom he makes alſo the Author of Junius Brutus, I know not on what ground) doubtleſs he knew with whom he had to do, and thought that every Guiſian League was not a Law of God or of the King.
Some Princes think that it is their ſafeſt way to pleaſe the Pope and Jeſuites, and ſo will be Papiſts, on the terms as ſome of the Indians worſhip the Devill, becauſe he is ſo naught, that he may not hurt them. But theſe men were wiſer, if they underſtood, that the malice of Infernal Spirits is not to be avoided by pleaſing them, but by reſiſting them. They are too bad to be ever pleaſed by any means, but what will be your utter ruine: And they are not ſtronger then the Devil himſelf, who will flie if we reſiſt him. If the beſt were not the moſt Powerful, what would become of the world? And if God be ſtronger then the Devil, he ſhould rather be pleaſed then the Devil; for he is able to defend you from the Devils diſpleaſure: and he is moſt able to hurt you if you be diſpiſers of his power: which Juſtice will effect more certainly on the bad, then Satans malice can do upon the good. Men think themſelves wiſe, that ſhift for their ſafety by carnal and unlawful means: But they ſhall all find at leaſt, that plain honeſty is the beſt policy, and the favour of God the beſt ſecurity, and a life of faith the moſt prudent life; and that ſhifting for your ſelves in unbelieving ways, is the greateſt folly. It is the deſign of the Papiſts by the ſtrokes of Clements, Ravilliacks, Vauxes, and ſuch others, to terrifie Princes, that they may not dare to reſiſt them, but may ſee that they have no hold of their lives while they are under their diſpleaſure. But yet ſuch as have moſt diſpleaſed them have ſcaped beſt. It is recorded by one, that the great King Henry of France, being perſwaded to ſtand it out againſt the Jeſuites, anſwered, [Give me ſecurity for my Life then] And what a ſecurity did he find in his unbelieving way?
A thouſand pitties it is that Proteſtant Princes ſhould not be united among themſelves, that they might be ſtrengthened for their joynt Defenſe; But that the envious man ſhould be able ſo far to over-wit them, as to ſow among them the ſeeds of war, while they ſleep, or ſelfiſhly mind their own affairs and intereſts: And a greater pitty and ſhame it is, that the Miniſters of the Goſpel of peace ſhould be the cauſes of theſe diviſions, or ſhould not do their beſt to heal them: But it is the greateſt ſhame of all to us, that ſo many years experience of the calamitous effects of our Diviſions, and ſo much induſtry of many worthy peaceable men, ſhould do no more to a fuller Reconciliation then yet is done. The names, and pacifying Labors of ſuch as Duraeus, Davenant, Hall, Morton, Uſher, Hayne, Dr. Morin, Amyraldus, Hottonus, Conradus, Bergius, Johannes Bergius, Georgius, Calixtus, Jerem: Burroughs, and many more that have laboured for peace, do live as Monuments of their honor and our diſhonor, and do reflect much ſhame upon the faces of thoſe Reformed Miniſters and Churches that after all this are ſo much unreconciled: yea, that are not by the ſtrongeſt motives and perſwaſives, ſo much as excited to zealous endeavours for the healing of our ſad diviſion; no nor ſome of them reſtrained from the paſſionate proſecution of their increaſe.
If yet any Papiſt, believing ſuch falſe Hiſtories as [the Image of both Churches] doth contain, or really finding any Proteſtants culpable, ſhall ſay, that we are as bad as they in wars or cruelty, and that Illiacos intra muros peccatur, & extra. I again reply, 1. That true Hiſtory and experience tells the world, that there is no compariſon between their exceſſive cruelties and ours. 2. Yet it is none of my deſire or intent, to defend any perſon or people that have been truly guilty in the leaſt degree. 3. Our doctrine is againſt that which theirs doth own. 4. If either our Doctrine or practiſe have been amiſs, we deſire reproof and information, and are willing to reform them. The Word of God being our only Rule, if it appear that we have in any point miſunderſtood it, we deſire nothing more then to be rectified, and then we ſhall confeſs our former faults before the world, and promiſe reformation. For our Principles fix us not in Sin or Error. But the Papiſts are fixed in their Errors, and think there is a neceſſity lyeth on them never to amend. Now the Pope and a General Council hath already decreed that the Pope may depoſe Princes, and Abſolve their ſubjects, and give their Lands to others; to amend this abominable error, is with them to give away all their cauſe, and to ceaſe to be Papiſts. So that all Princes and People muſt neceſſarily deſpair of their amendment.