to destroy and maffacre men for not believing fuch a Mass of palpable Contradictions? And yet for these, and fuch like caufes it is that Rome hath so often washed her barbarous Hands in Protestant Blood; imbroiled the Christian World, and by the Terrour of her awful Thunder-bolts, fcared Subjects into Rebellion against their lawful Sovereigns, and Sovereigns into Perfecution of their natural Subjects: Of the Truth of which I could give you a thousand foreign Instances; but in Compliance with the Time and Occafion, I fhall rather chufe to confine my felf at home: To destroy Mens Lives upon the Score of Religion, was a Pratice never known in England, till the time of Henry the 4th; who being an Ufurper, and fo liable to many Enemies, both foreign and do meftick, fought to endear the Pope to him, who was then Moderator of Christendom, by fending him, as a Token of his Love and Duty, the Blood of his Enemies: And for many Years after, this was the yearly Sacrifice our English Monarchs were fain to offer up to the Roman Idol

and

and whenfoever through their own Weakness, they either feared or were forced to flatter him, they had no other way to appease the angry Dæmon, but by causing their Children to pass through the Fire to him, and glutting his thirsty Vengeance with their Blood: But when afterwards our English Monarchs threw off the Roman Yoak, and would no longer be the Pope's Leeches; he immediately iffueth out his Bulls, and Excommunications to alarum their Subjects into a Rebellion against them : For immediately upon Queen Elizabeth's Coming to the Throne, Pope Paul the 4th refused to acknowledge her, pretending this Crown to be a Fee of the Papacy, and that therefore it was audaciously done of her, to affume it without his Leave; and because she would not turn out immediately, when her great Landlord had given her fuch fair Warning, Pope Pius the 5th takes out a Writ of Ejectment, iffueth out his Bull, and depofeth her; in which he thus expreffeth himself, Volumus, & Fubemus ut adverfus Elizabetham Anglie Reginam Subditi arma capessant; it is

Our

our Will and Command that the Subjects of England take up Arms against their Queen: Upon which followed the Northern Rebellion, and fundry private Attempts of the Papists to murder her: Afterwards Pope Gregory the 15th having two Baftards to provide for, one of his own, and another of the Emperor's, he bestowed the Kingdom of England upon the one, and that of Ireland upon the other: but neither of thefe prevailing, Sixtus the 5th curfes her afresh, and publishes a Crusade against her; and bequeaths the whole right of her Dominions to Philip the 2dKing of Spain: But when neither the Pope's Bounty nor the Bleffing of his Succeffors nor the Spanish Arms nor Italian Arts could prevail against God's Providence, which till the End of her Days pitched its Tents about her, Pope Clement the 8th seeing there was no other Remedy, refolved to let her go like a Heretick as fhe was,

and to take more Care that another Heretick might not fucceed her; for which end he fent over two Breves into England, one to the Clergy, and another to the Laity; commanding them

them not to fuffer any but a Catholick, though never fo near in Blood to fucceed her; the Defign of which was to exclude King James, who was the fole Heir apparent to the Crown; upon which the Papifts endeavoured to their utmost to prevent his coming in, and afterwards to throw him out again; and when neither took Effect, at laft they refolve to fend him to Heaven with a Vengeance, by a Blow of Gun-Powder; which was a Villany fo black and odious, that the Romanists themfelves do blush to own it: And indeed, were it not fo apparent from the Confeffions of the Traitors themfelves, who acknowledged the Jefuites to be their Confpirators that egged them on by their pernicious Counfels, fwore them to Secrecy by the holy Trinity, and gave them the Sacrament upon it, that they should neither withdraw themselves from, nor discover it to others without com mon Consent: I fay, were it not for these, and a thousand other notorious Circumstances, one would have thought it impoffible fuch a hellish Defign could ever have been acted G under

under the Wing and Patronage of the best Religion that ever was: But he that shall confider the bloody Princi ples with which the Roman Church hath fophifticated Christianity, must needs confefs that there is no Wickedness so horrid of which her Religion will not make her capable; for 'tis decreed by the Lateran Council, that in cafe any Prince be a Favourer of Hereticks, the Pope fhall discharge his Subjects from their Allegiance, and give away his Kingdom to fome Catholick, who upon rooting out those Hereticks, fhall poffefs it without Contradiction: And 'tis the general Doctrine of her most celebrated Divines, that the Pope hath Power to depofe Kings at his Pleasure; and this Father Parfons determines to be a Point of Faith, to believe it is in the Pope's Power to depofe Heretical Princes; and that Subjects are upon their being declared heretical, therePhilop. 1. by abfolved from all Duty of Obedience to him; and this Bellarmine P. 149. proves at large, by giving us fundry Examples of Popes, who have depofed Kings and Emperors as of Gregory the fecond, who deprived the

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