territory from this heretical defilement; let him, by the metropolitan and the rest of the bishops of the province, be tied up in the bond of excommunication: and if he difdain to make fatisfaction, let this within the year be fignified to the pope, that from that time he may denounce kis vaffals to be abfolved from fidelity to him, and expofe his country to be occupied by catholics; that they, having exterminated the heretics, may without any contradiEtion poffefs it, and keep it in the purity of the faith; with a falvo to the right of the principal poffeffor, provided that he yield no obstacle in this affair, nor fet up any impediment: the fame "law however to be obferved with regard to fuch as have no principal lords. And as for thofe catholics, who, taking the badge of the cross, fhall fet themJelves to the rooting out of heretics: they shall be favoured with the fame indulgence, and fortified with the fame holy privilege, which are granted to those who go to the aid of the holy land.

There is a variety of things in this decree, which very well deferve our notice. First, that all thofe in general are condemned as heretics, who venture to oppofe what the pope and his council pronounce to be the holy, orthodox, and catholic faith. Then, that the poor condemned heretics are delivered over to the fecular powers, to be by them punished with due animadverfion; the first act of which due animadverfion is ordered to be a deprivation of all worldly fubftance. All princes are obliged to take a folemn oath, that they will exterminate heretics out of their dominions. And if they do not perform what the clergy think to be their duty herein; they are to be excommunicated,

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municated, their fubjects discharged from allegiance to them, their country exposed to be poffefs'd by catholics, and the heretics for ever driven out. Moreover, there are encouragements, suited to fuperftitious minds, both in princes and people, to engage their whole power and influence for the deftruction of thofe, whom the priests are refolved to destroy. It is proper likewife to take notice of the intolerable flavery, to which the people are by this decree expofed, before they are delivered over to destruction; by being made fubject to anathema, when only marked with the fufpicion of herefy, if they do not (what in many cases it will be impoffible to do) prove their own innocency by what the priest fhall account a fuitable purgation: and of the dreadful mifery of being avoided by all, till they shall give what the priest fhall be pleased to acknowledge a fitting fatisfaEtion. Thus the people are left intirely at the mercy of the priests: who can, by virtue of fuch a decree as this, mark them with the fufpicion of berefy, at their own will and pleasure, whenever they venture in any refpect to disoblige them; and then impofe on them whatever methods of purgation they please, whether practicable or impracticable, for proving their own innocency; can demand whatever fatisfaction they shall in their great wisdom and tenderness judge proper; and for want of receiving fuch fatisfaction, can direct and oblige the magiftrate to deprive them of fubftance, and liberty, and life itself.

But without commenting any farther on this decree, it is fufficient to obferve: that in purfu

ance

ance of fuch orders, and fuch encouragements to those who would put them in execution, there have been many cruel maffacres in the christian world, whereby millions of human lives have been facrificed to Romish tyranny; many holy wars, falfely fo called, undertaken for the extirpation of heretics; and, befides innumerable other perfecutions, a standing inquifition, big with flaughter and cruelty, as well as fraud and treachery, to the reproach of the christian name, and the deftruction of thousands, who infinitely better deserved that name than their merciless inquifitors. And it is remarkable: that a little before the fitting of that council, from which this decree proceded, the fame pope Innocent, who prefided in it, published a *croifade against the poor Albigenfes; exciting catholic princes to a holy war against them; which war, after many bloody battles, ended at length in the ruin of the country: and that it was under the direction of the fame pope, that the † inquifiof tion began. I fhall not attempt to defcribe the cruelties of this barbarous inftitution; the massacres in France and Ireland; the ‡ flaughter of 40 millions of poor Americans, on pretence of converting them to the christian faith; or the invafions of our own country, particularly that by the Spanish Armada in 1588. Let it only be remembred; that all these cruelties proceded from that ruling principle of the church of Rome, the refolution of making all mankind submit to her

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*See Perrin's hift. of the old Albigenfes: lib. III and IV. † Limborch. hift. Inquifit. lib. I. cap. 10.

Bp of Chiapas's account of the voyages and cruelties of the Spaniards in America. Lond. 1699. 8vo.

her arbitrary decifions. From the corrupt do&trines and cruel practices of that church may the good Lord deliver us. And may we by his grace be more and more confirmed in our adherence to his facred word; more careful to acquaint ourfelves with it, and conform our lives to it; and more clear-fighted to diftinguish between his doEtrines and the commandments of men.

CONCLUSION.

NE would have thought, that enough in all confcience had been faid in the foregoing articles, to fecure a Romanist in the profeffion of his faith, if he were at all to be fecured. But what was briefly mentioned in the beginning of this effay, deferves to be more particularly obferved in the conclufion. Left the people and the inferior clergy should fail of taking fufficient care of themselves; the fuperior clergy, not excepting the heads of monafteries and convents, and the regulars of every order, and even those who have the care of the foldiery, under whatsoever name or title, are obliged to take a folemn oath in the following words:

This true catholic faith, without which no one can be faved, which at this prefent time I do of my own accord

profefs

profefs and fincerely bold; I the fame N. N. do promife, vow, and fwear, God affifting me, moft conftantly to retain and confefs, entire and unviolated, to the last breath of my life: and fo far as in me lies, I will likewife take care, that it shall be held, taught, and preached by my fubjects, or those, the care of whom belongs to me in the dif charge of my office.

Here it is first to be obferved; that the authority of pope Pius declares concerning the whole preceding creed, that without this faith no one can be faved: fo that, according to him, whether the common people * fwear to this creed or not, yet they are all damned if they do not adhere to it. And, to make it the more effectual, at the end of the Bull in which this creed is contained, his holiness adds: whofoever Shall prefume to infringe our will and command herein, or rafhly oppofe it; let him know, that he fhall incur the indignation of almighty God, and of St. Peter and Paul, his apoftles.

In

*N B. At the head of the book, upon which I have been remarking, next after St. Athanafius's damnatory clause, the whole creed of the Roman church (including the Nicene, and the 12 additional articles of pope Pius) is prefixed; and this oath along with the reft, excepting only the latter part, which is peculiar to the fuperior clergy and at the head of all are placed these words; a profeffion of catholic faith. Whence one would conclude, that the author of the catechifm which follows looked upon the oath itself as part of the profeffion to be made by every catholic without exception.