Papists hold and practice against this, and for this, 1and beyond this; as they see they may serve their own turns: in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people, yea, and into Princes an opinion of their absolute power, as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends, who have preached up that all is the Kings, that his will is our Law, that whatsoever he commands must be obeyed, either by doing or suffering. Prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine, so that to question this was dangerous enough, yea not to be zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan. And the reason why the Popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary Government in Kings, is, because their being but few, they hope to gain some of them at least to them, and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth, and upholding Popery: In gaining one King they gain almost the whole Kingdom, if this King may rule by his absolute power; if once he be a Papist, then this absolute power is the Popes absolute power, it is the Prelates absolute power, for if he useth it not as they please, they can excommunicate him, they can free their Subjects from their allegiance: yea, being by them excommunicated. Mark what follows, it is one of the Canons of Pope Urban's, We take them not 2in any wise to be man slayers, who in a certain heat of Zeal towards the Catholic Church their mother, shall happen to kill an excommunicated person. This they teach and practice, if they do not gain them to ⟨p. 41⟩be full Papists, yet if they can by popish matches, or by any popish party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them, or remiss in the profession of the truth, they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the King; the Prelates have upheld their tyrannical power by infusing this principle of the absolute power of Kings into their ears and the cares of the people; but if the Papist sees he hath no hope to gain the King, or advantage by him, then he turns his tenets another way, and says that for the promoting of the Catholic cause, yea, although Kings do govern by the Laws of their Kingdom, yet because they are against the Catholic Religion, Subjects may rise up against their King and kill him.
Papists hold and practice against this, and for this, 1and beyond this; as they see they may serve their own turns: in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people, yea, and into Princes an opinion of their absolute power, as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends, who have preached up that all is the Kings, that his wil is our Law, that whatsoever he cōmands must be obeyed, either by doing or suffering. Prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine, so that to question this was dangerous enough, yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan. And the reason why the Popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary Government in Kings, is, because their being but few, they hope to gain some of them at least to them, and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth, and upholding Popery: In gaining one King they gaine almost the whole Kingdome, if this King may rule by his absolute power; if once he be a Papist, then this absolute power is the Popes absolute power, it is the Prelates absolute power, for if he useth it not as they please, they can excommunicate him, they can free their Subjects from their allegiance: yea, being by them excommunicated. Marke what follows, it is one of the Canons of Pope Urbans, We take them not 2in any wise to be man slayers, who in a certaine heate of Zeale towards the Catholique Church their mother, shall happen to kill an excommunicated person. This they teach and practice, if they doe not gaine them to ⟨p. 41⟩be full Papists, yet if they can by popish matches, or by any popish party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them, or remisse in the profession of the truth, they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the King; the Prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power by infusing this principle of the absolute power of Kings into their eares and the cares of the people; but if the Papist sees he hath no hope to gaine the King, or advantage by him, then he turnes his tenets another way, and sayes that for the promoting of the Catholique cause, yea, although Kings do governe by the Laws of their Kingdom, yet because they are against the Catholique Religion, Subjects may rise up against their King and kill him.
- 1Ans.
- 2Can. Excom. caus. 23. qu. 6. cited by K. James, in his Answer to Perror.
