THE PROTESTANT'S Doom in POPISH Times. Protestants are Heretics. A Prince putting himself, and his Dominions under the Authority of the POPE, and admitting (as he must unavoidably) the Laws and Decrees of the Romish Church, all his Protestant Subjects being, by the Judgement and Sentence of that Church, HERETICS, (a) Distinct. 19 Cap. a Caus. 25 q. 1. Cap. 11. do forthwith lie under the Penalty which those Laws and Constitutions will have infl●cted upon Heretics; Heresy (b) Cap. Vegent. de Hereticis. being the highest degree of High-treason; called therefore by them, Laese Crimen Maj●statis Divinae: So the English Protestant must be a Traitor, and the worst of Traitors, and exposed to the Penalties of High Treason. The LAWS and Decrees of the Romish Church against HERETICS. Heresy (c) Cap. Infam. 6. q. 1. p 297. is denounced INFAMOUS, and the Heretic must be dealt with as such; which is many Penalties in one. 1. Forfeit Dignity and Office First▪ Whereby they are deprived of all Nobility, Jurisdiction and Dignity, and debarred from all Offices, and Public Councils, Parliaments as others; Being made uncapable of choosing, and being chosen: So that it reacheth all sorts (d) Suar. de Fide. disp. 12. §. 9 n. 5. l. 2. c. 29. of Clergy, Laity, Noble and Ignoble: Which is extended to their Children also. For, they say, The Issue of Traitors, Civil and Spiritual▪ lose their Nobility. And all that owe a●y Duty to such Infamous Persons, are discharged and exempted there from; as Subjects (e) Cap. de Haer. from their PRINCE, Servants (f) Aazov. Tom. 1. l. 8. c. 12. q 7. from their MASTERS, Children (g) Cap. 2. Sect. fin. de Haer. in 6. from their PARENTS; whom they also may lawfully Kill. Whereby we may see a little, to what Condition the Admission of the PAPAL Authority wo●ld reduce us, expelling both Nature and Humanity, and making the dearest Relatives unnatural and barbarous to one another: It would leave no Protestant either Dignity or Authority▪ either petty or Liberty; Nobles are sentenced to Peasants, and Peasants to Slaves. Secondly, 2. Goods and Estate. Another Penalty, to which Heretics are condemned by their Laws, is CONFISCATION of Goods and Estate; and this they incur I●s● jure, & ipso facto; that is, immediately as soon as they show themselves Heretics, before any legal Sentence have passed: For which there is an express Decree in the Canon-Law; (h) Cap. cum secundum Legis de Haer. Inno. III. Cap. de Vergentis. Bona Haeretico●um ipso jure d●scernemus Confis●ata; We decree the Goods of Heretics to be Confiscate by Sentence of Law. The Effects of this Confiscation, wherein they all agree, makes the Severity of the LAW apparent, ●iz. First, All the Profits made of the Estate from the first Day of their Gild, is to be (i) V●sq in Suar. disp. 22. S. 4 ●. ●●. refunded. Secondly, All Alienations (k) S. 1 〈◊〉. by Gif●, Sale, or otherwise, before Sentence, are null and void; and all Contracts for that purpose, (l) Cap. Vergent. de Haer. rescinded. Thirdly, Children, Heirs of Heretics, are deprived of their Portions; yea, though they be Papists. Whereby it appears, that as soon as the PAPACY is admitted, all Title and Property is lost and extinct among us: And therefore we must not think that Pope acted extravagantly, who declared, That all his Majesty's Territories were his own, as forfeited to the H●ly See for the Heresy of Prince and People. Not only Abby-lands lands are in danger, who ever possess them; but all Estates are forfeited to his Exchequer, and legally Confiscated: All is his own, which PROTESTANTS, in these Three Nations, have or ever had, if he can but meet with a Prince so wise, as to help him to catch it; whose process follows them beyond their grave, and ruins their Children, and Child's Children after them. And when they have stripped the Heretic of his All, they provide that no other▪ shall relieve him; viz. That none shall receive him into their Ho●ses, nor afford him any Help, nor show him any Favour, nor give him any Counsel. We are here in England zealous for Property; an● all the reason in the World we should so be: But we must bid Adieu to this, when we once come under the Pope's Authority; for as soon as this is admitted. All the Protestants in these Nations are B●ggers by Law▪ viz. By the Laws of That Church; which will then be Ours, divesting us of all Property and Ti●●e to what ever▪ we count our own. 3. Lives. Thirdly, Another Penalty which their Law inflicts on Heretics, is Death, (m) Cap ad abolendum de Haer. Suar. Dis. 23. Bul. Urb. 4▪ & Inno. 4. which is the Sentence of the Canon-Law; and which i● so Absolute, that no Secular Judge can remit▪ and which is th● Judgement of all the Doctors. Ita docent omnes D●ctores: And from which Penalty, neither Emperor's no● Kings themselves are to be freed or exempt. And the Death they i●fl●ct is Burning Alive: By B●rning. N● Death more tolerable. ●r of less exquisite Torture, will satisfy the Mercy of that Church. The Canon saith thus; Decernimus ut vivi in conspectu hominum combu●antur; We decree, That they shall be Burnt Alive, in the Sight of the World. So our last Popish Successor, Queen Ma●y, practised upon near three hundred Persons, without regard either to Age, Sex, or Quality: The Scripture they urge for it, is Job. 15 6. (n) Jac de ●ra decis. l. 2. c. 9 n 2. If any one abide not in me, Men gather them, and cast them into the Fire, and they are Burnt. So that as soon as the PAPAL Authority is admitted among us, all the Protestants in th●se Nations are dead Men in Law; being under a LAW, that hath Sentence● us to be Burnt Alive; and under a Power that hath Declared it necessary, that no one of u● escape with Life. Fourthly, 4. Destroyed by War. Where legal Penalties cannot take place, b● reason of opposite Strength, they hold War necessary, and lawful to chastise Heretics. For which we might give you divers Authorities; (o) Bonacina Diana. Castro M●●anus▪ etc. Car. Allen. ad mon. to Nobl. & Peop. p. 41. but let Cardinal Allen, our Country man su●●●e; who asserts it is not only lawful, but necessary: His Words are these: It is clear (saith he) GOD's Church, with what Obligation so●ver▪ either of Kindred, Friendship, Loyalty, or Subjection, I be bound unto them; I may, or rather must▪ take up Arms against them: And then must we tak● them f●r Heretics, when our lawful Popes adjudge them so to be. And which (saith Cardinal Pool) is War more Holy than that against ●he Turk's. Fifthly, 5. By Massacre. To destroy them by Massacre●, is sometime hel● more adviceable▪ than to run the hazard of War; and which (they s●●) is both lawful and meritorious, for the rooting our a Pestilent Heresi● ●n● the promoting the Roman interest. This ●●ta ●oo● the ●●ish Massacre, that inhuman bloody Butchery▪ not so m●ch from the Savageness and Cruelty of ●hei● Nature's, as the Doctrines and principles which directed▪ and encouraged ●t: As also th●t of Paris; than which nothing w●s more grateful and acceptable to their P●●es, as their (p) Briefs of P G. 13. & Cl●m. 8. Bulls make manifest, and the picturing● it in the Pope's Chamber: and for which, 〈◊〉 a most Glorious Action, Triumphs were made, and public Tha●k●givings were returned to GOD. So in Savoy, and elsewhere, both in former and later Times. And this was that which the late Conspirators aimed at so fully, intending a Massacre Those that escaped a Massacre, ●uch (q) 5 J●●. Trial▪ p. 28. Dugdale must be cut off by the Army. And (r) Col. Lr. to the Internuncio. Coleman tells the Internuncio in his Letter; That their Design prospered so well, that he doubted not in a little ●ime, their Business would be managed to the utter Ruin of the Protestant P●rty: The effecting whereof was so desirable and meritorious, what if he had a Sea of Blood, and an hundred Lives, he would lose them all to carry on the Design. And if to effect This. i● were necessary to destroy an hund●ed Heretical Kings, he would do it. (s) Prance 's Nar. p. 4. Singl●ton the Priest affirmed, Tha● he would make no more to stab forty Parliament-men, than to eat his Dinner Gerard and Kelley, to encourage Prance to kill Sir E. B. G. told him, it was no Murder, no Sin, and that to kill twenty of them was nothing in that Case; which was both a charitable and meritorious Act. And (t) Caus● Ep. p. 189 Grant, one of the Massacring Gunpowder Traitors said, up●n his Execution to one that urged him to Repent of that wicked Enterprise; That ●e was so far from counting i● a Sin, that on the contrary, he was confident That tha● Noble Design had so muc● of Merit in i●, as would be abundantly enough to make Satisfaction for all the Sins of his whole life. Sir Everard D●gby speaking to the sure purpose also. The provincial, Garnet▪ did teach the Conspirators the same Catholic Doctrine; viz That the King, Nobility, Clergy, and whole Communality of the Realm of England (P●p●sts excepted) were Heretics; and, That all Heretics were Accursed and Excommunicated: and▪ That no Heretic could be a King: but that it was lawful and m●ri●orious to K●ll him▪ and all other Heretics within thy Realm of England, for the Advancement and enlargement of the Authority an● Jurisdiction of the Pope▪ and for t●● Restoring of the Romish Religion. T●is was that Garnet whom the Papists here honoured as a Pope, and kissed his Feet, and reverenced his judgement as an Oracle; and since his death given him the Honour of Saintship and Martyrdom (u) ● Jes. Trial p. 25. 1. The Popish Prince cannot, help, if he would. Oaths and Promises insignificant. Dugdale des●sed, That after they had dispattched the King, a Massacre was to follow. But surely, it m●y be supposed, that the Temper of such a Prince, or his Interest, would oblige him to forbid or restrain such violent Executions in England: ay, but what if his Temper be to comply with such Courses? Or if his Temper be better? W●at if it be Over ru●d? What if he be perswade● as ot●er Catholics are, that ●e must in Conscience proceed thus? What if he cannot do otherwise, without hazard of his Crown and Life? For he is not to hold the Reins of Government alone, he will not be allowed to be much more than the Po●es POSTILION; and must look to be unmounted, if he Act nor according to Order. The Law (x) Ca●● Offic●●. tells us, That it is ●o● in th● power of any Civil Magistrate, ●●r 〈◊〉 Penalty, or abate the Rigour of the Law. Nay, if the Prince should plight has Faith by O●th, that he would not suffer their Bloody LAWS to be executed upon his Dissenting Sbjects, this would signify nothing: For they would soon tell him, That (y) Bonncina de prim. prac. Disp. 3. q▪ 2. Contracts made against the Canon-Law are invalid, though confirmed by Oath; And, That he is not bound to stand to his promise's, tho' he had Sworn to it: And, That Faith is no mo●e to be kept with Heretics, than the Council of Constance would have it. So th●● Protestant's are to be Burnt, as Jo. Huss, and Jerom ●f Prague were by that Council, though the Emperor had given them his safe Conduct in that Solemn manner, which could secure them only (as they said) from the Civil, but not Church-process, which was the greatest. For 'tis their General Rule, That Faith is either not to be given or not kept with Heretics. Therefore saith Simanca, That Faith engaged to Heretics, though confirmed by Oath, is in no wise to be performed: For saith he, If Faith is not to be kept with Tyrants and Pirates, and others who kill the Body, much less with Heretics who kill the Souls; And that the O●th in savour of them, is but Vniculum Iniquita●is. A Bond of Iniquity. T●ough P●pish Princes the better to promote their interests, and to ensnare their Protestant Subjects, to get advantage upon them, to their Ruin, have made large promises, and plighted their Faiths to them, when they did not intend to keep it. As th● Emperor to John Huss and Jerom; Charles the Ninth of France to his Protestant Subjects before the Massacre; the Duke of Savoy to his Protestant Subjects, before their designed Ruin; and Qu. Marry, before her burning of them. But if there were neither Law nor Conscience to hinder, yet in point of Interest he must not show favour to Heretics, without apparent hazard, both (z) Person's Philop. p. 109. of Crown and Life, for he forfeits both if he doth. The Pope every Year doth not only Curse Heretics, but every favourer of them, from which none but himself can absolve. (a) Became. Cont. Aug. ●. 131, 132. In Fowlis. p. 60. Becanus very elegantly tells us, If a Prince be a dull Cur, and fly not upon Heretics, he is to be beaten out, and a kee●er D●g must be got in his stead. Henry the Third, and Henry the 4th, were both Assassinated upon this account, and because they were suspected to favour Heretics. And are we not told by the Discoverers (b) Ores' N●r. p 4. N. 5 etc. of the Popish Plot, That after they had dispatched the King, they would depose his Brother also, that was to succeed him, if he did not answer their Expectations, for rooting out the Protestant Religion. 2 Parliaments cannot prevent Ruin to Protestants. But may not Parliaments secure us by Laws and provisions restraining the power which endanger us? Not possible, if once they secure and settle the Throne for Popery: For, First, They can avoid Parliaments as long as they please, and a Government that is more Arbitrary and Violent, is more agreeable to their designs and principles: It being apparent, that the English Papist have lost the Spirit of their Ancestors, who so well asserted the English Liberties, being so generally now fixed for the Pope's Universal Monarchy, Sacrificing all to that Roman moloch; being much more his Subjects than the Kings: and though Natives by Birth, yet are Foreigners as to Government, Principle, Interest, Affection and Design; and therefore no Friends to Parliaments, as our Experience hath tol● us. 1. They may be avoided. But Secondly, If their Necessity should require a Parliament, ther● is no question but they may get such a one as will serve their turns. For so have every of our f●rmer Princes in all the changes of Religion, that have been amongst us: As Henry the VIII. when he was both for and against Popery, Edward the VI when he was wholly Protestant, Qu. Marry, when she was for Burning Alive, and Qu. Elizabeth when she ran so counter to her Sister. And the reason is clear that he who has the making of the public officers and the Keys of preferment and profit, 2. May be made to serve a Popish, not a Protestant Interest. influenceth and swayeth Elections and Votes as he pleaseth. And by how much the Throne comes to be fixed in Popery, the Protestants must expect to be excluded from both Houses, as they have excluded the Papists: For as Heretics and Traitors, they, as Ignominous Persons, etc. you have heard, forfeit all Right either to choose, or be chosen in any public Council: And then all Laws, which have been made for the Protestants, and against the Popish Religion, will be null and void, as being enacted by an Incompetent Authority, as being the acts of Heretics, Kings, Lords and Commons, who had forfeited all their rights and privileges. But Thirdly, 3. Good Laws insignificant. Suppose our Laws were valid, as enacted by competent Authority, and such good and wholesome provisions, as were those Statutes made by our Popish Ancestors, in those Statutes of provisoes in Enward the I. and Edward the III Time; and that of praemunire in Richard the II. and Henry the IV. for Relief against Papal In roachments & Oppressions: Yet being against the Laws & Canons of Holy Church; the Sovereign Authority, they will be all superseded: For so they determine, That when the Canon and the civil Laws cl●sh, one requiring what the other allows not, the Church-law must have the observance an● that of the State neglected: And Constitutions (they say) made against the Canon● & Decrees of the Roman Bishops are of no moment: Their best Authors are positive in ●t. And o●r own Experience & Histories ●estifie the truth thereof: For how were those good Laws beforementioned, defeated by the Pope's authority, so that there was no effectual Execution thereof till Henry the VIII. time, as Dr. Burnet (c) Hist. Ref p. 110. tells us? And how have the good Laws, to suppress and prevent Popery, been very mach obstructed in their Execution, by POPISH Influence? THE END.