The happiness of the church, or, A description of those spiritual prerogatives wherewith Christ…The happines of the church, or, A description of those spirituall prerogatiues vvherewith Christ…

There is no peace so indissoluble, as the peace of faith. So contrarily there is no Contention so violent and raging, as that is inflamed by erroneous Religion. ^eCyprian writes of Novatus, that he would not so much as allow his own Father bread whiles he lived, nor vouchsafe him burial being dead: that he spurned his own wife, and killed his own child within her body. O the unmatchable cruelty, that some mens religion, (if I may so call it) hath embloudied them to! What treasons, conspiracies, massacres, did or durst ever show their black faces in the light of the Sun, like to those of Papists; all vizarded under pretended Religion? The Pope hath a Canon, called Nos sanctorum Predecessorum, &c. We observing the statutes of our holy Predecessors, do absolve those that are bound by fidelity and oath to persons excommunicated from their oaths; and do forbid them to keep their fealty towards them, Quousque ipsi ad satisfactionem veniant: till they come to yield satisfaction. What malicious stratagems against suspended Princes, have not been kindled from this fire? Against what nation hath not this Canon shot the fury? Yea the more to embolden subjects to such pernicious attempts, the Pope makes ⟨p. 89⟩them believe that the very Apostles take their parts. For so it is manifest by the form of Gregory's sentence; that he commandeth S. Peter and S Paul, as if they were his bailiffs errant, to execute the writs of his pontifical and privative authority.

There is no peace so indissoluble, as the peace of faith. So contrarily there is no Contention so violent and raging, as that is enflamed by erroneous Religion. ^eCyprian writes of Nouatus, that he would not so much as allow his owne Father bread whiles hee liued, nor vouchsafe him buriall being dead: that he spurned his owne wife, and killed his owne childe within her bodie. O the vnmatchable crueltie, that some mens religion, (if I may so call it) hath embloudied them to! What treasons, conspiracies, massacres, did or durst euer shew their blacke faces in the light of the Sunne, like to those of Papists; all vizarded vnder pretended Religion? The Pope hath a Canon, called Nos sanctorum Predecessorum, &c. Wee obseruing the statutes of our holy Predecessors, doe absolue those that are bound by fidelity and oath to persons excommunicated from their oathes; and doe forbid them to keepe their fealtie towards them, Quousque ipsi ad satisfactionem veniant: till they come to yeeld satisfaction. What malicious stratagems against suspended Princes, haue not beene kindled from this fire? Against what nation hath not this Canon shot the furie? Yea the more to embolden subiects to such pernicious attempts, the Pope makes