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A61683 A letter sent to a friend containing some reflections upon a late book intituled, The Roman church vindicated, and M.S. convicted of a false witnesse against her Wherein is declar'd, that the Pope may excommunicate and depose Kings according to the judgement of their greatest doctors, decrees and practices of several Popes, and Canons of their most approved councils; and the author convicted of most notorious falsities, &c. By J.S. B.D. Stopford, Joshua, 1636-1675. 1675 (1675) Wing S5743; ESTC R222081 29,048 37

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A LETTER SENT TO A FRIEND Containing some Reflections upon a late Book Intituled The Roman Church Vindicated and M. S. Convicted of a false Witnesse against her Wherein is declar'd That the Pope may excommunicate and Depose Kings according to the Judgement of their greatest Doctors Decrees and Practices of several Popes and Canons of their most approved Councils AND The Author convicted of most notorious Falsities c. By J.S. B.D. PRINTED In the Year 1675. SIR ABout three Months ago I heard of an Answer to my Book sent from Priest to Priest for their Assistance and Approbation before 't was committed to the Press This News seconded with the Victoria's of some Romanists might well put such a Fresh-water Souldier as I am into a sad pickle But when the Book was published and I had cast an eye upon the very first Page where I found these comfortable Expressions That the Eagles of their Church scorn'd such a Flye and that the uncivilized Popish Priests would not vouchsafe to requite me with Ink and Paper nay that I was fallen into the hands of a poor home-bred Country-man who inherits his Mothers Compassionate Care for all that are in a longing Condition as he perceived I was and yet no Pope Joan and that can willingly part with a piece of his Heel to do them good p. 2. I say the perusal of these words so farre cheared me that I could not but smile when I had read a little further and came to that general Stop which he put to my Foord most wittily alluding to my Name with three or four false Quotations out of Luther Whitaker Stillingfleet c. After this I proceeded to the Body of his discourse stuffed with various Citations all which though true and pertinent make very little against me Yet having already discover'd him to be a true Son of the Roman Church one that will say any thing for the Honour of his Holy Mother I resolved to examine those Authors and see whether they do really affirm what they are urged for in the Places cited by him This I have done with great care and diligence and can assure you that most of his Quotations are absolutely false or wholly impertinent But I 'le come to particulars In his first Chap. he endeavours to vindicate the Roman Church from all Treasonable Doctrines in confuting this Position That the Pope hath power to excommunicate and depose Kings and absolve their Subjects from their Allegiance to them And for this the Canons of Councils Decrees of Popes and the Testimony of a few Doctors are urged by him He begins with the Canons of several Councils viz. 4 5 6. and 10. of Toledo the Council of Constance Aquisgrane and very confidently tells his Reader That these are a sufficient evide●ce of their Church's Judgement and enough to convince me of my blindness in asserting That the Pope hath power to excommunicate and depose Kings Were this Gentleman as dexterous in proving as he is confident in affirming certainly the Church of Rome never had a more worthy Champio● As to the Councils of Toledo three things may be offer'd which not only weaken but quite destroy the Authority of them 1. Where doth he find that the Pope called these Councils presided in them and gave them his Blessing I mean Confirmed them And you know without these Especially the two Latter they were no more then a few private Doctors and consequently their Decrees not to be accounted the Doctrine of the Church of Rome Besides in the greatest of these Synods we find not above 70 Bishops and Presbyters in and belonging to Spain And that these or at le●st their immediate Successors were none of the most profound Divines is clear from the eight Council of Toledo where Can. 4. they Decree That Bishop● shall not marry and urge these Scriptures 1 Pet. 1. 15. Be ye holy as I am holy and Col. 3. 5. Mortifie your members which are on the Earth And yet these Scriptures are as much against the Marriage of Priests as Rom. 8 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God once urged by Pope Siricius Epist 4. And Can. 9. they Decree That no man shall eat flesh in Lent and give these most powerful Reasons 1. Because the forty dayes of Lent are the Tithes of all the dayes of the Year and the Tithes should be consecrated to God 2. Because that Christ by fasting forty dayes expiated the Sinnes of Mankind If so to what end did he suffer death 3. Because 't is convenient that Man made of four Elements for breaking the ten Precept of the Decalogue should afflict his body four times ten dayes By these Reasons you may judge of the Learning of that Age. 2. These Places are not full to the point for the Question is Whether the Pope in certain Cases may not depose Kings and absolve their Subjects from their Allegiance And all that these Councils say is That whosoever shall go about by any means of Conspiracy to violate the Oath of his Fidelity which he hath taken for the preservation of his Country or the Kings life or who shal attempt to lay violent Hands upon the King or deprive him of his Kingly Power let him be accursed in the sight of God But when the Pope hath excommunicated and depos'd a Prince he ceases to be a Prince his Subjects are absolv'd from their Oath and may if Commission'd by his Holiness lay violent hands upon him 3. Most unfortunately hath he mention'd the 4 and 6 Council of Toledo Had he read them and understood the Histories of those Times certainly he had passed them over For in the 4. Council those Bishops and Presbyters acknowledge Sisenan●us or Sisnandus for their King who had rebell'd against Suintila or Suinthila their lawful Soveraign Grimston History of Spain lib. 5. p. 146. 147. Rodericus Histor Hispan lib. 2. p. 176. And as if this were not sufficient they denounce Curses against any that shall endeavour to distu●b him Can. 74. Not 47. as he found it quo●ed Thus you see he urgeth a vindication of Treason and Rebellion to be the Doctrine of their Church for Loyalty and Obedience And in the 6. Council of Toledo Can. 3. they Decree That no man should be tolerated to dwell in the Kingdom of Spain who did not profess the Catholick Faith and that Kings in all times to come before they were placed in their Royal Seat should be bound by the Obligation of a Solemn Oath to interpose their Authority that this Act might be obey'd Otherwise the King refusing to put this Act in execution shall be Anathema Maranatha in the sight of God and become Fewel for the everlasting Fire and likewise all that joyn with him This plainly shews in what sence and with what limitations the Canon he mentions is to be understood and consequently how little it makes for nay how much against his present purpose Can we imagine these Doctors to Decree Loyalty and
Rebellion with the same breath And to as little purpose is the Council of Constance urged for many of their Doctors more likely to understand the sense of it than a poor home-bred Country-man tell us That 't is to be understood of a private Person before Sentence is given Suarez defens Fidei Cathol lib. 6. cap. 4. Azorius Instit Moral Tom. 2. lib. 11. cap. 5. Quaest 10. Gregor de Valentia Tom. 3. Disput 5. Quaest 8. Cardinal Perrons Oration to the third Estate of France with many others And ●hat this is the sence of that Council is sufficiently clear from her own words which this Gentleman hath most prudently but knavishly passed over The words are these Non expectata sententia vel mandato Judicis So that all which the Council condemns is That Tyrants may be lawfully and deservedly killed by any of their Subjects non expectata sententia c. before the Judge hath passed Sentence or given his Command for it which is no more than what those Doctors which are most Zealous for the Popes deposing faculty do every where assert and urge many arguments for And if you desire to know what was the occasion of this Decree I must refer you to our learn'd King James in his Defence of the right of Kings p. 459 whose Historical Account my design'd Brevity will not permit me to transcribe In the next place p. 29. he tells his Reader that the Council of Aquisgrane under Ludovicus Pius and that of Rhemes speak to the same purpose But whether he means the first or second of Aquisgrane both which were held under Ludovicus Pius or the first second third or fourth of Rhemes he not out of an aversion from being too bulkish and tedious but for other weighty reasons very wisely leaves us to conjecture The two Synods of Aquisgrane and the first of Rhemes I have met with in Surius and cannot find any thing in them pertinent to his purpose After these Councils he musters up p. 34. a few Doctors Covarruvias Navar Salmeron Aquinas all which either affirm the contrary to what they are urged for or fay nothing to the purpose Covarruvias asserts That the Pope hath truly a temporal Power over Emperours so farre as it may be profitable and necessary to the Government of the Church and use of the Spiritual Power apud Bellarm. contra Barclaium p. 21. Navar. affirms That the Pope may depose Kings that are negligent in governing their Subjects whereby they are kept from the attainment of eternal life Comment ad Cap. Novit de Judiciis Notab 3. n. 99. Salmeron in those Places cited by him sayes nothing to the purpose and elsewhere maintains the contrary Tom. 13. lib. 1. part 3. disput 12. That if a King be an Heretick or a favourer of Heretickes he may be justly deposed Nay Bellarmin himselfe must speak for him de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5 cap. 2 3 4. which discovers that either this Gentleman never read Bellar. or doth not understand him And as little to the purpose is Sylvesters Testimony p. 41. That none are oblig'd to obey the Popes Commands even under pain of excommunication when those that are so commanded know his Commands to ●e unjust unless he tel us as indeed he seems to do that Sylvester deny'd this do●●rine But this great Divine and learned Canonist is a zealous Asserter of it The Pope may excommunicate an Emperour that is worthy of Excommunication and depose him that is worthy of deposition Again The Pope hath an universal Jurisdiction over all Christian Kings and Princes in Spirituals and temporals Again He can dep●se for a reasonable cause In Summa ve●bo Papa num 11. From these Doctors he proceeds p. 41. to their Popes and very gravely tells us All those Popes whom vertue confin'd to the Primitive Rule have taught us Reverence and Loyalty to our temporal go●s by their own Example and some of them have upon occasion committed their faithful Thoughts to Writing for the I●struction of Posterity And here he instanceth first in Pope Innocent 3 who being consulted in a temporal Affair by a Subject of * This Pope excommunicated deposed the Emperour Otho and ●●r King Iohn France return'd Answer That he should make his Address to his King who had no Superior in Temporal Causes apud Bellarm. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 5. cap. 3. But this is not only impertinent but absolutely false as any one may see that will cast his eye upon Bellarmin Well but Pope Gregory the great will do his work whom he brings in uttering these words That though he was furnished with all temporal Power to have revenged the grievous Oppressions wherewith the Princes of Lombardy afflicted the Church for thirty five y●ars yet was he over swayed by the fear of God to decline all violent defence and recurre to that Apostolical Refuge of Prayers and tears as the sole Means of the Churches Redresse Epist 1. ad Sabian diacon Epist 45. 43 it should have been ad Phocam Imperator But in the first there 's not one Jota to the purpose And in the second no mention that Prayers and Tears are the sole means of the Church's Redress Then to prove that the Roman Church never claimed or knew of any temporal Sword or Prince-deposing Authority he brings in Pope N●colas Caus 33. Quaest 2. Cap. Inter haec But there he speaks of Husbands killing their adulterous Wives and condemns it for saith he Dei Ecclesia mundanis nunquam constringitur Gladium non habet nisi spiritualem And the Gloss hath these words Gladium quoa executionem Hoc ideo dico quia Imperator habet illud a Papa That is The Church can only excommunicate Offenders Temporal Punishments must be inflicted by the Civil Magistrate Then he brings in Pope John 8. Caus 16. Quaest 3. cap. porro But here we have not one word to the purpose for that Pope only saith That Clergy-men may not put on Armour and fight against their Enemies since Prayers and Tears are their Armour So the Gloss expounds it Then comes in Pope Celestin 3. Extravagant de Judiciis Cap. Cum ab homine But I cannot find any such Chap. or any such thing asserted by him Thus far he hath not brought one true and pertinent Testimony either from their Doctors Popes or Councils In his p. 44 he tells us That Lewis 12. in a Council at Tours had the Resolution of all the French Bishops that he might contemn the Popes unjust Censures And that the Doctors of Sorbon condem●ed this Position That the Pope hath power to punish Princes with temporal Penalties and cast them out of their Kingdomes p. 50 And these viz. The determinations of a few French Bishops and the Sorbonne Doctors he makes the most fundamental Decrees and Doctrines of the Roman Church p. 54. But to these I answer 1. In other Points when we urge several Councils against them their usual Plea is that either they were but
Bishops and other prudent men gave a definitive Sentence that the King should be deposed And for the execution of that Sentence the Pope writ to the most Potent King of the French Philip that for the remission of his sins he should take that labour upon him Honorius 3. and Gregory 9. excommunicated and depos'd Frederick 2. Emperor of Germany and raised several Rebellions against him Platina in vit Honor. Greg. Matth. Paris in Henrici 3. Angl. vita Innocent 4. excommunicated and depos d the same Emperor Platina in vit Innocent Bellar. lib 5. c. 8. And the same Pope excommunicated and deprived Conrade Emperor of Germany Matth. Paris p. 825. Urban 4. prevailed with Charles Duke of Anjou to invade Sicilie and deprive Manfred the King Onuphrius Annotat. in Platin. p 214. Gregory 10. promoted the Rebellion of Michael Palaeologus against Baldwin 2. Emperor of Constantinople and gave him the Empire Bozius de Jure status lib. 3. cap. p. 287 Martin 4. deposed Peter King of Arragon and absolv'd his Subjects from their Allegiance to him K. James his Works p. 397. Becanus Controv Angl. p. 107. Boniface 8. subjected Philip of France and his Kingdom to the Emperor Albert. Azorius Tom. 2. p. 1663. And Platina gives this Character of him That he studied to give terror rather than Religion unto Emperors Kings Princes and Nations and labour'd to give and take away Kingdomes according to his pleasure In vit Bonif. John 22 or 23. excommunicated Lewis 5. Emperor of Germany and depriv'd him Platina And Benedict 12. did the same Platina in vit Joh. Benedict And the like was done by Clement 6. Platina Azorius Tom. p. 1610. And he excommunicated all the Bishops that adhered to him and fixed Bulls on all the Churches doors to raise Rebellion against h●m Julius 2. excommunicated Lewis 12. of France and gave his Kingdome to the first Conqueror De Serres p. 560. He excommunicated the V●netians and gave their Dominions to any that would take them He excommunicated the Duke of Ferrara and invaded his Country by Arms. De Serres And he excommunicated the King of Navar and gave his Kingdom to the King of Arragon who thereupon invades and takes it Azorius Tom. 2. p. 1670. Guicciardin lib. 11. p. 444. Onuphrius in ejus vita 'T is thought he was the death of two hundred thousand Christians in seven years time Pius 5. issued out a Sentence Declaratory against Q. Elizabeth of England wherein her Subjects are declar'd absolv'd from the Oath of Allegiance and every thing due unto her and those that adhered to Her are involv'd in the Anathema Sanders de Schismate Anglican● lib. 3. p. 815. de Visib Monarch lib. 7. p. 706. Hereupon a Rebellion was design●d Sanders ibid. Felton who fixed this Declaratory Sentence of the Pope upon the Bishop of Londons Gates and suffer'd for it is accounted a glorious Martyr Sanders de Visib Monarch p. 710. And so is the Earl of Northumberland who hereupon rais'd a Rebellion and was executed for it at York Sanders de Schism Angl. p. 310. Sixtus 5. excommunicated Henry 3. of France and all his Adherents Cicarella in vita Sixti Boucher p. 403. This Pope excommunicated the King of Navarre and absolv'd his Subjects from their Allegiance Cicarella ibid. And Gregory 14. sent great Summes of Money into France to pomote the Rebellion of the Leaguers Cicarella in vit Greg. Paul 5. excommunicated the Duke and Senate of Venice and depriv'd them of their Priviledges Bzovius in vit Pauli Paul 3. issued out a thundering Bull against our Henry 8. in which he deprives him of his dominions Onuphrius in ejus vita To this Catalogue of excommunicated and deposed Princes we might add Sanctius King of Portugal who left his Kingdom by the Command of Innocent 4. Greg. Tholosanus de Repub. Lib. 26. cap. 4. Ladislaus King of Hungary deposed by Alexander 5. ibid. Ferdinand deprived of the Kingdom of Naples by Innocent 8. ibid. Georg. Pogebracius King of Bohemia deposed by Paul 2. ibid. Desiderius King of Lombardy excommunicated by Pope Adrian Becanus Controv. Angl. p. 107. Rogerius King of Sicily excommunicated by Innocent 2. ibid. Here Sir you have above forty Emperors Kings and Princes excommunicated and depos'd by Roman Bishops and yet this Country-Gentleman hath the confidence to tell us p. 45. That the Popes are few that can be justly taxed with this over-reach of due limits 3. I will now in the last place produce their most approved Councils for the further confirmation of this truth If Practice may be admitted to speak in this Point which with our Romanists is none of the weakest Arguments we shall find that Princes may be lawfully deposed and that confirm'd by the Grandeur of such Meetings Gregory 7. in a Synod at Rome in which Arch-bishops Bishops Abbats and an infinite number of the Clergy were present solemnly excommunicated and deposed Henry 4. Emperor of Germany Baronius an 1080. Sect. 16. And this Decree or Sentence was confirm'd by Gregorie's Successors in several Councils By Victor 3. in a Council at Beneventum Leo Ostiensis in Chronico Cassinensi lib. 3. c. 7● By Urban 2. in a Synod at the same place an 1091. Bertoldus Constantiensis In another Synod at Placentia before an innumerable Multitude an 1095. And the same year in another at Claremont Matth. Paris ad an 1095. p. 22. By Paschal 2. in a general Council at Rome an 1102. Abbas Vrspergensis By Gelasius 2. in a Council at Cologne Idem an 1118. By Callistus 2. in a Council at Rhemes in which 400. Fathers were assembled Abbas Vrsperg Sugerius in Vita Ludovici Reg. Francon Rogerius in Annal. Angl. All which we have attested by their great Bellarmin contra Barclaium p. 108 Alexander 3. in a Synod at Claremont excommunicated Frederick 1. Emperor of Germany Platina in vit Alex. And Vrban 2. did the like to Philip of France in a Council held at the same place Spondanus p. 969. And Innocent 4. in a Council held at Lyons excommunicated Frederick 2. Emperor of Germany and absolv'd his Subjects from all Homage and Fealty due unto him And further declar'd That if they for the future own'd him for their Emperor or any other assisted him they were ipso facto involved in the same Curse Sexti Decret lib. 2. Tit. 14. cap. 2. I will pass by other Instances of this nature and proceed to the Decrees of their General Councils which justify such severe proceedings against Kings and Princes Gregory 7. in a Council at Rome with the consent of those Fathers made this Decree That it was in the Pope's power to depose Emperors and absolve Subjects from Obedience to their Princes Baronius an 1076. Sect. 31. In the Lateran Council under Alexander 3. we find it decreed That the Subjects of Princes favouring Hereticks are absolv'd from their duty of Homage and Fealty so long as those Princes Continue in such impiety cap. 27. And in the next Lateran
eminent S. Austin de Civit. dei lib. 20 c. 8. in Psal 70. Calvin Instit lib. 4. c. 2. n. 12. All most false That there was no visible Church but the Popish Church for 1260 p. 95. years before Luther Napper upon the Revel p. 145. Perkins upon the Creed p. 400. and in his Reformed Catholick p. 307. All false That the Hebrew Doctors have corrupted the Scriptures Calvin Instit p. 97. lib. 1. c. 13. n. 9 False That S. Hierom thought it not safe to recur to those Hebrew Copies where the Septuagint differs from them In Epist ad Gal. cap. 3. False That the first Reformers and their Successors have entirely condemned p. 117. and rejected the Fathers both in general and particular as blind ignorant and full of Errours Luther de servo Arbitrio p. 434. Calvin in Heb. c. 7. v. 9. Instit lib. 4. c. 12. n. 19. 30. Humsred de vita Jeweli p. 212. Fulkes Retentive against Bristow p. 55. Wotton defence of Perk us p. 491. Whitaker contra duraeum lib. 6. p. 423. All false That the ten Commandements belong not to Christians Luther Serm. p. 124. de Mose and approved by Whitaker contra duraeum lib. 8. Sect. 91. Luther in Gal. cap. p. 227. That it is Heresy to require good works to Salvation Luth. Serm. de piscat Petri p. 154 All false in this Gentleman's sence for they constantly affirm that the ten Commandements belong to Christians as a Rule of life and that good works are necessary to salvation That the Church of England doth acknowledge in her Marginal Notes p. 164. upon Joh. 14. 12. That Believers in every Age have power to work Miracles False That infinite Miracles have been wrought by the Reliques of Saints p. 168. Whitaker contra duraeum lib. 10 p. 866. False That the real Presence is confirm'd by many Miracles acknowledged p. 169. by Dr. Humfrey in his Jesuitisme p. 2. rat 5. p. 626. and Centurists Cent. 4. col 431. And that famous one in the Town of Knoblock an 1510. is related as a certain truth by Osiander ●ent 16. cap. 14. p. 28. All most false That several Miracles are confessed by the C●n●urists to prove the p. 170. Mass to be a true Sacrifice Purgatory and Prayer for the dead Cent. 6. Col. 819. Cent. 7. Col. 577. All most false That the Miracles wrought by S. Oswald and others are approved by p. 179. Holinshead in his Chron. Vol. 1. p. 115. 170. False That the formentioned Miracles and many others of the seventh Age p. 180. are acknowledged by the Centurists Cent. 7. cap. 10. Col. 533. and Osiander Epitom Cent. 7. False That many undoubted Miracles were wrought in the 8. 9. 10. and 11. Ages in confirmation of the use of Images the Veneration of holy Reliques Invocation of Saints and the Sacrifice of the Mass offered for the Living and the Dead Osiander Epit. Cent. 8. p. 47. and 92. Item p. 24. 25. The Centurists Cent. 8. cap. 13. Cent. 9. cap. 13. Osiander Epit. Cent. 9. p. 63. All most false That the Miracles of S. Dunstan are recorded and approved by Holinshead Vol. 1. 165. and others in the same Age by the Conturists Cent. 10. cap. 13. and Osiander Epit. Cent. 10. p. 125. All most false That the Miracles wrought in the Eleventh Age by S. Ansolm O●●●o p. 181. and others in confirmation of the Sacrifice of the Mass and Invocation of Saints are confessed by Osiander Epit. Cent. 9. 10. 11. p. 213. False That infinite Miracles were done by Malachias in the twelveth Age whereof some were seen and acknowledged by many hundreds of People Holinshead Chron. p. 55. False That many Miracles were done by S. Bernard and acknowledged by the p. 182. Centurists Cent. 12. col 1634. 1635. 1649. and Osiander Cent. 12. lib. 4. cap. 6. p. 310. And that these moved Whitaker to give him the just Character of a true Saint De Eccles p. 369. All most false He further tells us That signal Miracles were wrought in the thirteenth Age by S. Dominick and S. Francis even while they were preaching against the Albigensian Errours whom Satan had seduced to deny those known Doctrines of Gods Church viz. Purgatory Prayers for the dead Confession Extream Unction the Popes Authority Images Traditions And in the next page assures us That the Miracles wrought in the 15 th Age are admired and reverenced by Protestants themselves But for both these we must take his bare word and how can he in reason expect this from us who stands convicted of above a hundred notorious Lyes Perhaps here you 'l say That the Printer has mistaken many of the Quotations and therefore we cannot in justice charge them on the Author Or that he hath taken them upon the Credit of other Writers But to the first I answer 1. That the Printer cannot be charged with any mistake in reference to many nay most of the Quotations I have mention'd 2. That about two Months ago I writ to this Gentleman and have great assurance that my Letter came to his Hands and desired him that if there were any Errata's in the Citations he would be pleased to send me a corrected Book and it should be faithfully return'd But to this day I never heard from him And to the second Plea viz. That he hath taken these Citations upon the Credit of other Writers which I believe to be a great truth I answer That to take things upon trust in Controversial Points argues much weakness and imprudence but to do this and not give his Reader the least intimation of it argues great unfaithfulness and dishonesty that will not admit of any Excuse And to evidence his great Proficiency in this Catholick Vertue I could give you many other Instances but for Brevity's sake I 'le mention but one which you may find p. 190. and will appear most notorious upon your comparing of it with p. 127. of my Book Here he confidently tells the World that all that the Bishops of Bononia as they are alledged in the last page but one of my Book do affirm i● That private mens constructions of the Bible have raised great storms and differences and that the Doctrines preached by Christians or the Romish Church se●m contrary to those contained in the Bible But the advice of those Bishops to the Pope was related by me in these words Let that little suffice which is wont to be read in the Mass and more then that let no Mortal be allow'd to read For so long as men were content with that little your affairs succeeded according to desire but quite otherways since so much of the Scriptures was publickly read In short this is the Book which above all others hath raised these storms and ten pests And truly if any one read that Book the Scriptures and observe the Customes and Practices of our Church will see that there is no agreement betwixt them and that the Doctrine which we preach is altogether different from and sometimes cont●●ry to that contained in the Bible Now can any Man pick out of these Words or will any one but a frontless Romanist affirm that the sense of them is That private mens constructions of the Bible have raised great storms and differences c. I grant we are to put the most favourable construction upon another's Words and Actions Yet I take that Caution in their Canon-Law to be extravagant viz. That if a P●p●st see one of their Priests k●ssing a Woman he 's bid to believe that the Priest is only giving her good Counsel For though Charity be can did and ingenuous yet 't is not blind and block●sh And that their Charity must have these debasing Qualifications who endeavour to excuse this Gentleman is obvious to any I hav found him guilty of about an hundred and fifty false Quotations and observed near halfe that number that are wholly impertinent besides many that I have not time to examine Sir if these Roman Factors dare publish such notorious Falsities to the World we may easily guess what pretty Stories they tell their deluded Proselytes in secret Let us commiserate their Condition who have committed their Souls to the Conduct of these Spiritual Mountchancks and admire Gods discriminating Mercy who hath delivered us from their Fatal delusions Sir I am Your most Obliged and faithful Servant I. S.