A Key for Catholics, Treatise 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Argum. 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 Hereticks by the Pope; yea or if they will not deſtroy and extirpate ſuch as he calleth Hereticks; 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 entituled An explanation of the Roman Catholikes Belief, and other the like, do ſeem to renounce the opinion of breaking faith with Hereticks, 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 Laterane under Innocent 3. as Binnius and others of their own record it. In the firſt Chapter they ſet down their Catholike 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 hereſie extolling it ſelf againſt this holy orthodox Catholike faith, which we have before exponed, condemning all hereticks by what names ſoever they be called—And being condemned, let them be left to the preſent ſecular Powers, or their Bailifs 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 ſuſpition, if they do not by congruous purgation demonſtrate their innocency, according to the conſiderations of the ſuſpition 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 hereticks. And let the ſecu'ar powers, in what Office ſoever, be admoniſhed and perſwaded, and if it be neceſſary compelled by Eccleſiaſtical cenſure, that as they would be reputed and accounted Believers, ſo for the defence of the faith, they take an Oath publikely, that they will ſtudy in good earneſt according to their power, to exterminate all that are by the Church denoted hereticks, 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 Countrey of heretical defilement, let him by the Metropolitan and other Comprovincial Biſhops be tyed by the bond of Excommunication. And if he refuſe to ſatisfie 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 Countrey to be ſeiſed on by Catholikes, who rooting out the hereticks, 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 hinderance hereabout, and oppoſe any impediment: and the ſame Law is to be obſerved with them that are not principal Lords. And the Catholikes that taking the ſign of the Croſs ſhall ſet themſelves to the rooting out of the hereticks, ſhall enjoy the ſame indulgences and holy priviledges, which were granted to thoſe that go to the releif of the holy land. Moreover we Decree, that the believers, receivers, defenders, and favourers of Hereticks, ſhall be excommunicate; firmly decreeing, that after any ſuch is noted by excommunication, if he refuſe to ſatisfie within a year, he ſhall from thence forth be ipſo jure infamous, and may not be admitted to publike 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 Heretick is found to dwell, and put all the Neighbourhood to their Oaths, whether they know of any Hereticks 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. expreſly ſtirs up the people to caſt off their Princes, ſaying [And for the conſpiracy of Hereticks and the King, we believe it is not unknown to you that are near them, how it may be impugned by the Catholike 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 favour them, and will keep our promiſe firm, &c.]
The ſum of all is, that all that the Pope calls Hereticks, muſt be condemned and deſtroyed, and all Kings, Princes or Lords, that will not execute his ſentence and root them out, muſt be diſpoſeſſed of their Dominions, and the ſubjects abſolved from their fidelity (whatever Oaths they had taken) and all others that do but favour 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 teſtifie. And the King of France, or any other that tolerate any of the ſuppoſed Hereticks, may ſee what a cenſure they are expoſed to, if meer 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 honoured, and our Neighbour to be loved, and Charity to be exerciſed, &c. The Creation, the Incarnation of Chriſt, his death, reſurrection, aſcenſion, glorification, interceſſion, his future Judgement, 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, any more then the Jeſuit. Caſuiſts do, that are cited by the Janſenian in his Myſterie 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 meer deceit.
Object. 2. But may we not be Roman Catholikes though we joyn 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 Hereticks 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 extirminate all as Hereticks, 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?