26 ftinct idea of it excites, in minds not enlarged by knowledge and ftudy, that must be much increafed in the breafts of those whole notions of it are fuller and more adequate, If its image at a distance, when imperfectly feen, is enough to ftrike the minds even of the moft inattentive obferver, with a mixture of difguft and terror, much more must it do fo, upon a nearer and more particular infpection. The features of this fhocking monfter appear ever more frightful and hideous, the more closely they are viewed, and the more minutely they are examined. To draw the complete form of Popery would require volumes, and an age would be neceffary to finish it. This is neither practicable, nor neceffary or competent to the prefent defign, which is not, the reader will remember, to prove it to be a falfe and Antichriftian religion,-nor to rehearse or refute its endless errors, idolatries and blafphemies, but fimply to treat the queftion concerning the propriety or impropriety, the lawfulness or unlawfulness of a political toleration of it in a Proteftant ftate. But as the principal objections against fuch a toleration must be taken ultimately from the nature of that religion, and as the decifion of the question in a great measure depends upon determining and fixing what are its true fpirit, genius and principles, we shall proceed to felect and sketch out a few of its difcriminating and leading features; touching only. at fome of thofe articles which more directly tend to the illuftration and decifion of the question in debate. And it will be more necessary to bestow greater attention on this part of the fubject, and to fearch it as near as poffible to the bottom, because now, for the first time since the sepa¬ ration from the Romish church, it is brought into controverfy among Proteftants, whether the men, of that faith, who act in the fpirit, and according to the genuine principles of Popery, are dangerous not only to the religion, but to the peace, liberties, properties and lives of Proteftants; and and in regard the true idea of Popery is induftrioufly exploded, and its real image kept carefully from view;-and a falfe and fictitious defcription of it, entirely different from what the world hitherto hath acknowledged and experienced it to be, obtruded upon the world in its ftead; not only by the artful Catholics themfelyes, but their late numerous friends and vindicators. In oppofition to thefe exculpatory pleas for the Church of Rome, fo unfair and deceitful, we doubt not but it may appear fufficiently from the following particulars, deduced both from their doctrines and practices, that the Popish religion ever hath been, is, and ever muft be, in proportion to the degree in which it prevails, deftructive of civil liberty, inconfiftent with the external peace, profperity and wealth of nations; the just authority, dignity and rights of Princes;-and in many things repugnant to the duties of fubjects and citizens, and to the eternal laws of justice and morality; and that its fpirit and principles are doubly dangerous to thofe who profefs a different religion. And after we have produced and proved the particulars on which the charge is founded, it will be neceffary to confider fome exceptions now made against the ufe and application of them in the prefent debate. Though to adduce fome particular proofs and illuftrations of the articles of charge, is rendered indifpenfibly neceffary, (though ufually among Proteftants at least they have been taken for granted, or confidered as proven)—yet as a number of quotations and authorities may be difgufting and tirefome to fome readers, and as to fome others they may be less neceffary, and left they fhould embarrafs or interrupt, too long, the profecution of the argument, we fhalt throw them into the notes, leaving the reader to confult them, or pafs them, as he fhall fee caufe. We We begin with the temporal dignity, power and dominion inlaid and interwoven with the papal conftitution, and made an effential part of it. As to this it is well known, that the Papacy is a fpecies of univerfal monarchy of a mixed nature, partly ecclefiaftical and partly civil, founded upon the pretence of divine right, and promoted under the colour of religion; that. it ever afpires to unlimited extent, univerfal dominion, and worldly wealth and grandeur *; that it claims a divine authority to govern the world, and fubject princes, not only in fpirituals but, directly or indirectly, in temporals allo; that the Roman Pontiffs confider themfelves as kings as well as priests, uniting the Imperial Diadem with the Mitre, and grafping the fword together with the keys of St, Peter; yea, as poffeffed of the power and prerogatives of Divinity, boafting that all power is committed to them in heaven and in earth; in confequence of which they claim a right to difpofe of crowns and kingdoms,-to fet up or depofe princes, and to pluck up and destroy at their pleafure t. In * Amplitude, univerfality and temporal profperity are always given by Popish writers as marks of the true church. Bellarm. de Notis Ecclef. Sanderus de vifib. Monarch. lib. 8. cap. 50. That this doctrine of the temporal fupremacy of the Pope, has been admitted and defended for ages by Popes, Confiftorics, Doctors, Cifuifts, Synods and Councils, is abundantly evident. The XXVII Sentences of Gregory VII. and his Council, called Di&tatus Papa, are exprefs to this purpose, in which it is declared," That the Pope ought to be called the Univerfal Bishop; that his name alone ought to be recited in the Church; that he alone ought to wear the tokens of imperial dignity; that all Princes ought to kiss his feet;—that he is to be judged by none; that he has power Richer. Hift. Concil. tom. 10. lib, 1. to depofe emperors and kings," &c. Binius-Baronius, -Onuphrius in Vita. Greg. VII. Spanh. Hift. Chrift. Baronius afferts, Sententias eas hactenus in Ecclefia Catholica ufu receptas fuisse, quibus reprimeretur audacia schismaticorum Principum, hoc tempore in Romanam Ecclefiam infurgentium. Baron. ad ann. 1076. The Gregorian Epiftles contain the fame fentiments and run in a like Qyle. In one of his Epistles to the King of England he magnifies the power, In confequence of that abfurd and monftrous fyftem, Rome gradually began to fhew herfelf with glory and -66 eclat power which, he faid, "God had given him to correct, as well as to admonish kings" telling him, that, "next under God, the royal dignity was un"der the care of the Apoftolic See" adding, that the two great powers by which God defigned to govern the world, were the Sacerdotal andt he Royal, of which the former refembled the fun, as the latter did the moon." Greg. Epift. lib. 7. Epif 25. Clement II. in an epistic, writes, that to the Romish Church every knee must bow of things on earth; that at his pleasure the door of heaven is opened and hut." Spanh. cx Bambergenf. Chronico. r. 7 and Upon the death of the Emperor Henry III. Cardinal Damiani, wrote, to Victor II. introducing Chrift as fpeaking, I have appointed thee to be as "the father of Emperors; I have delivered into thy hands the keys of the “whole Church universal, and placed thee my Vicar over her, G. And if "these things were fmall, I have alfo added, monarchies to them,—yea; by "the removal of a king, have granted thee the rights of the whole Roman "empire now vacant." Baron. ex Caffinenfi Biblioth. ad ann. 1057 - Spanki Hift. Chift fec. 1. col. 1521. "The Church my fpoufe," fays Innocent III." is not married to me with "out bringing me fomething. She hath given me a dowery of a price be "yond all price, the plentitude of fpiritual things, and the extent of things "temporal, Spiritualium plenitudinem, et latitudinem temporalium, the great"nefs and abundance of both. She hath given me the mitre in token of things fpiritual, the crown in token of the temporal; the mitre for "the priesthood, and the crown for the kingdom; making me the lieutenant "of him who hath written upon his vefture, and on his thigh, the King of 66 kings, and the Lord of lords: I enjoy alone, the plentitude of power, "that others may fay of me next to God, and out of his fulness have wo "received." Itinerar. Ital. part. 2. de Coron. Rom, Pont. The fame, in the bull granting the kingdoms of England and Ireland to king John, thus dea fcribes the authority of the Papacy, Rex regum et Dominus dominantium Jefus Chriftus, Sacerdos in æternum fecundum ordinem Melchizedeck, ita regnum et fas cerdotium in Ecclefia ftabilivit, ut facerdotale fit regnum et facerdotium fit regale, &c," Jefus Chrift the King of kings and Lord of lords, and Pricft accord. ing to the order of Melchizedeck, hath fo united the royal and facerdotal power in his Church, that the kingdom is but a royal Priesthood, and the "Priesthood the royal power." And- it hath pleafed God, so to order "the affairs of the world that thofe provinces which had anciently been fubject to the Roman Church in fpirituals, were now become fubject to it in temporals," Innoc. Epift. lib. 16. Epift. 131. p. 810. > He told King Richard, that," he held the place of God upon earth, and without diftinction of perfons he would punish the men and the nations E eclat among the nations, till that great, city actually became once more the mistress of the world, ruling over the kings of "that prefumed to oppofe his commands" Gervaf. Chron. Scrip. col. 1613! The bull of Clement V. giving a commiffion to certain Cardinals for crowning the Emperor Henry of Luxenburgh, begins thus; " Jesus Christ the King of kings, hath given fuch a power to his Church, that the king, dom pertains unto her, that he has the power of exalting the greatest Princes, and that emperors and kings ought to obey and ferve her." Hift. du Droit Eecl. Fran. tom. 2. p. 50. * Martin V. in the inftructions given to a Nuncio fent to Conftantinople, aflumes to himself the following blafphemous titles, The most holy and moft bleffed, who is invefted with heavenly power, who is lord on earth, "the fucceffor of Peter, the Chrift or anointed of the Lord, the Lord of "the univerfe, the Father of kings, the light of the world, the Sovereign' "Pontiff, Pope Martin.”—Raynold, all ann. 1422. Boniface VIII. fcruples not to pronounce it to be necessary to falvation, that every humah · creature be subject to the abfolute authority of the Pope.-Subésse Romano Pontifici omni hamana creatura declaramus, dicimus, definimus et pronuntiamus effe de neceffitate falutis. He further afferts, that though the papal authority was given to a man, and exercifed by a man, yet was it really divine: that fuppofing the papal power fhould be cor rupted, it cannot be judged of any man, but of God alone, because the “Apostle hath faid, the spiritual man judgeth all things, and he himself is *** judged of none:-That there are two fwords in the power of the church, "the fpiritual and the material; the one which is to be used for the church, “and another which the church her felf exerciseth; one which is in the “hand of the Pope, and another which is in the hand of kings and warriors, but whofe exercise depends upon the good pleasure and indulgence of the Pope. Sext. Decret. Extravag. lib. 1. de major. et obed. cap. 1. ar Clement VII. with his Cardinals of Avignon writing to King Charles VI. fáy, As there is but one God in the heavens, fo there cannot nor ought to he of right but one God on earth. Froifard. tom. 3. fol. 147. Angelus Politianus thus addreffes Alexander VI. We rejoice to fee you raifed above all human things, and exalted even to Divinity itself, feeing there is nothing, except God, which is not put under you. Among the other pompous ceremonies at the coronation of the Pope la mentioned under the pontifical arms, this diftich was infcribed; Cafare magna fuit, nunc Roma eft maxima, fextus The Canonifts often fpeak names and power of Chrift " |