nated against them*: treafonable plots, confpiracies, infur rections *There is no doubt," faith Auguftus Triumphus," but the Pope may "depofe all kings, when there is a reasonable cause so to do." And no caufe is reckoned more reasonable than that of pretended herefy. Bellarmine tells 18 U', that the church does not always execute her power of depofing here"tical princes, though the always retains it ;" and he gives a very good reason for it, because he is not at all times in a capacity to put it in execution." But a formal fentence of the church is not reckoned neceflary in this cafe to iava. lidate a fovereign's authority, and disqualify him to reign. The fact itself is fufficient to do it. "We have seen in our own age," fays the author of a fingular dialogue in defence of the Catholic league, "that heretics according to the law, are imprifoned, adjudged to death, ignominiously dragged on a dụng "cart to the place of public execution, and there burnt quick, and for horrar "of the crime confumed to afhes, and will you dare fay that a heretic may “lawfully inherit a crown, who is confumeable by fire?" Is there any law for recalling a criminal from punishment to fway the fceptre?-Pius IV. made an ordinance, which was figned by all the cardinals, by which "he renewed all "the cenfures and pains decreed by his predeceffors against heretics, and de clared that all prelates, princes, kings and emperors falling into herefy, "ought to be accounted as fallen from their benefices, eftates, kingdoms or empires, without any other or farther declaration, and that they could not be again restored by any authority, not even by the Apoftolic See, and that "their goods and poffeffions should be given to the fift occupant." But yet they have not refrained from publishing particular fentences against fuch, but have discharged all the train of ecclefiaftical artillery against them on many occafions. Several of those princes formerly enumerated in the lift of depofed princes incurred that fentence upon the charge of herefy. The first they began to try their strength upon, were attacked upon this ground. Leo Isaurus, emperor of the caft, for defacing some images, and making an ediết against the growing idolatry of worshipping them, was denounced a heretic by Gregory; and if we credit Baronius, "when the Pope could not make him defist from his "defigns by word or writ, nor refrain him by kindness, but he proceeded from "evil to worse, thinking the time now come that the axe fhould be laid to the root of the unhappy tree, by apoftolic authority, he cried cut it down! Excited by this thundering voice the faithful in the eaft, immediately and en"tirely forfook the government of Leo, adhering to the apoftolic Pope. Thus "Gregory left a worthy example to pofterity, that heretical princes fould not be suffered to reign in the church of Chrift, if, being often admonished they "are found to perfift in obftinate error. At the fame time as Theophanes, "Cedrenus, and all the Grecian hiftorians affirm, Gregory deprived him of "his revenues in Italy. Zonaras records that these things were fynodically "done at Reme, (as there is reafon to believe), and that the emperor by the "council was laid under an anathema."-The reader by this time will readily excufe us from the task of tracing down their proceedings in the fame ftile through rections and rebellions against their perfons and governments have been formed, religiously promoted, juftified, gloried in *. Such infernal defigns have been, with daring through the fabfequent ages. If he has yet any relifh for more of thefe papal bulis, he may find two very remarkable ones directed against two English crowned heads. After Henry VIII, had made his herefy notorious and intolerable by the burning bleffed Thomas's bones, the pontiff after,avouching in the ufual cant, his authority over all the kings in the world, to pluck up and to <deftroy, fummoned him to appear within 90 days at Rome, and his accom "plices within 60 days; and upon refufal, declared him to have fallen from "his crown, and them from their eftates. He put the whole kingdom under " an interdict, requiring all the clergy to go out of England within 5 days "from the time be limited, except fo many as might be neceffary for bap"tizing children, or giving the facrament to fuch as died in penitence. He "declared him and his accomplices infamous, and put their children under "incapacities: he abfolved all his fubjects from their oaths of allegiance, **charging them all to rife up in arms against him, and that none fhould as"fift him. He abfolved all other princes from their confederaries with him, " and obtefted them to have no commerce with him. He required, all chri"ftians to make war upon him, to feize the perfons and goods of his fubjects, ❝and make them flaves. He enjoined all bishops to publish the fentence with "due folemnities, and ordered it to be affixed at Rome, Tournay and Dun "kitk." In confequence whereof he wrote to the kings of France and Scotland to put the bull in execution. Another of the fame purport was published against Queen Elizabeth, and affixed to the gates of the bishop of London's palace in 1570 under this title; a declaratory fentence of our holy lord Pope Pius V. against Elifabeth, the pretended queen of England, and the heretics her adherents. In which also her fubjects are declared abfolved from their oath of allegiance and any other duty they owe to her; and whoever shall hence forward obey her are included in the fame anathema. In the bull, after large affertions of the Pope's fovereign power, "he pronounces her a heretic, and "all her adherents; excommunicating them from the church, out of which "there is no falvation; declares her to be deprived of her pretended right to "the kingdom, and of all titles, dominions, dignities and privileges whatfo " ever; commanding all her subjects that they prefume not to obey her, or "her orders, mandates and laws, under pain of the fame fentence."-August. Triumph. de poteft. Eccles. qu. 45. art. 2. Claude, Def. de. la. Reform. part. iii. p. 254. Baron. ad an. 730. Spanh. Hift. Imag. § 2. Ech. Hift. B. iii. ch. 1, 2. * The Popish doctrines concerning herefy, and the papal power of depofing princes and abfolving fubjects, neceffarily bring with them all these horrid evils in their train. By these the confciences of Roman Catholics are debauched from their allegiance and fidelity; and perverted from the duty of maintaining daring and blafphemous confidence, afcribed to the infpira tion and defending fuch governments, and not only fo, but obliged, trained up, and prepared to fet on foot, and promote, with all their might, every black and nefarious attempt to shake, to change, overturn and deftroy them. When a king is confidered in the light of an impious tyrant and ufurper, and a government as totally illegitimate, no defigns or practices against them can be reckoned unwarrantable; whether they be attempted under the fanction of a direct pontifi cal sentence or without it. "Thofe bishops," fays a certain Cardinal, "de "ferve no manner of blame or cenfure, who roll every ftone, (he might have “added, who would blow up ftones too) that they may not live under a hereti. "cal prince." Nothing but want of power is allowed as an excufe for Catholic Subjects not depofing their rulers. Bannes determines that when the knowledge of the fault is evident, fubjects may lawfully (if so be they have fufficient ftrength) exempt themselves from fubjection to their princes, be ore "6 any declaratory fentence of a judge. The faithful of England are hereby to "be excufed, who do not exempt themselves from the power of their fuperi❝ors, nor make war against them; because generally they have not power "fufficient to make fuch wars against princes, and great dangers are imminent "over them.”—There is fcarce a nation in Europe but has been thrown into war, combustion and danger by these pernicious principles. "Thefe," as one juftly complained in the time of the civil wars in France," have been "like fharp fwords fcattered up and down the kingdom, whereby citizens and "friends have been butchered one of another; from this fire was the torch "kindled which hath since spread through all France and almoft reduced it to "afies; and from hence have flowed the pernicious counfels of making the "kingdom a prey, and betraying it to foreigners: hence the deteftable con"fpiracy and league against the Most Christian and truly Catholis king Henry "III. and at last his death, perpetrated by an abominable parricide, tainted “with the poison of fich pernicious opinions; hence fire, blood, flaughter, "facrilege, pillage, barbarities, wonders, prodigies, and Iliads of evils, which "for the pace of feven years have prevailed through the wretched nation."If France had caufe thus to complain, Britain no lefs. Since the com mencement of the Reformation during the reigns of ten kings and princeffes (not including their favourite Mary and James, their only lawful fovereigns, who ruled according to their own heart, but whofe bloody days must ever be remembered with horror by Proteftants) the Papifts have never been at rett through one of them; but have been embroiling the ftate either by plots, confpiracies and cabals, or by infurrections and open rebellions. When the ftrength of the party at home, or their hopes and promises from abroad encou raged them to venture on the latter, they have often brought their armies to the field, they have not ceafed to be bufy in the former: in all which they have till pretended to be advancing the caufe of God and doing him good fervice, and when brought to fuffer for their evil deeds, have feldom been so untrue to their faith as to confefs a crime: The treasonable, rebellious, and in tolerant tion of Heaven *, the fmalleft fucceffes have been conftrued into unquestionable tokens of divine approbation, and no thing tolerant fpirit of Popery hath uniformly produced those mischiefs. It hath often laid the fatal train, and lighted the torch which hath threatened to confume all Proteftants to afhes, had not kind Providence as often interpofed, and neceffary penal laws been applied to check the fpreading evil. From the fame cause the fame effects must ever flow, in fimilar circumftances, and must render the fame preventives needful. The fingle reign of Elifabeth affords so many instances, as alone may serve for proof of what is afferted, without calling in those which are fo notorious fince. More efpecially, during the life and refidence of Mary queen of Scots in England, never a year paffed without producing fome new plot or attempt against the government. Ann. 1568. Intrigues between the duke of Norfolk and that Popish pretender. -Plot of Ridolph, a Florentine, employed by the Pope to animate the Papifts to an insurrection. ·1569. Practices of Morton, a priest; and rebellion in the north. 1570. Pope's bull dispersed.—Rebellion in Norfolk and Ireland. ∙1571. Plot of the duke of Norfolk and of Dr. Story to encourage the duke of Alva to invade England. -1572. Plot of Barnes and Mather.-Rebellion in Connaught, &c."· 1573. Plot of the bishop of Rofs. Great commotions in Ireland. ·1574. Negotiations of Sir Francis Englefield for the Popish interest in Spain. 1575. Tumults on the borders. 1576. Secret tampering of Meredith, a prieft, in Lancashire, etc. Tu mults in Ireland. -1577. Plot of marriage btween Mary and Don John of Austria. Treafon of Maine a priest. 1578. Design of the Pope and Spaniards to invade England.-Expedition of Stukely, &c. 1579. Rebellion in Ireland, raised by the Pope and Spaniards. 1580. Arrival of Fathers Parfons and Campian in England with bulls, &c. -1581. Jefuits and priests executed for treason. 1582. Execution of more priests and Jefuits for treafon. 1583. Plot of Sommerville to kill the queen, &c. 1584. Treafon of Throgmorton, &c.-of Mendoza the Spanish ambaffa dor. 1585. Confpiracy of William Parry against the life of the queen. 1586. Plots of Savage-of Ballard-of Babington, &c.Trial and death of Mary. Baron, ad an. 538, no. 84. Dominic. Bann. in Thom. 2. qu. 12. art. 2. Thuan. 114. Hift. of Engl. *The Pope, in his letter to the rebellious carls of Northumberland and Weftmoreland in 1570, fays, " Behold even now, he that of old things makes thing less than miracles *. To execute them, or die in the attempt, has been reckoned the most heroic pietyt, the infallible path to eternal felicity †, entitling perfons to the ho nours "new ones, and of new things old ones, our Lord Jesus Christ hath by you t But the great God of battles," (fays a memorial addressed to the deputies and estates of the kingdom of France, 1589, by the partizans of the Guises, with the approbation of doctors), " knowing the purpose and heart of that tyrant and "atheift Henry, who hoped, by the death of that prince, to plant herefy in "France, warded off the ftroke, and fo favoured that prince, that with a hand"ful of men he totally routed a powerful army.' "-"The connnivances and "fecret practices of those" (says another presented to the parliament of Paris) "who had it in their power wholly to crush the heretics, gave them, on the contrary, courage and opportunity to conduct into the heart of the kingdom " a formidable army of ftrangers, which were miraculously dispersed by super"natural means: God, who is pleased to make use of the ministry of men, "chused principally the dukes of Guise and Maine for the exploits of Villemory and Aulneau. But thofe who could eafily have extended the happy effects “ of such a divine victory, &c.”—“ You speak only of human means,” (says the fworn Catholic in the dialogue already referred to), "but as for me, I look ❝to the extraordinary works of God, who hath led them” (those of the league) "by the hand from the beginning and indeed when I confider their actions, "both before and fince the blockade of Paris, they are all miracles: för before, "they oppofed the enterprizes of a king, a tyrant, an abettor of heretics, and “a grand hypocrite; and fince, they have opposed the establishment of a here. "tical king, against the united forces of both the one and the other; and "if there was no appearance, humanly speaking, of fuch oppositions, if they "have, contrary to all human expe&ation, resisted, the one and the other, "God alone must be the author of fuch enterprizes." Sat. Menip. tome ii. . 297, 315. et tome iii. p. 445, 446. ++"But if in afferting the Catholic faith," (adds Pope Plus in the foreentioned letter), “ and the authority of this Huly See, you should fuffer death, " and |