Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A54320
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Pereat papa, or, Reasons why a presumptive heir, or popish successor should not inherit the crown
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1681
(1681)
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Wing P1465; ESTC R15701
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2,967
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4
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Pereat Papa OR REASONS Why a Presumptive HEIR or Popish Successor Should not Inherit the CROWN IT is conceived and that very candidly without prejudice to other Judgments or troubling our selves by reflecting on that so often baffled a Cause call'd Popery that a Papist or one Popishly affected ought not to Inherit or Succed in the management of the Crown Reason I. In strictness of Law because one so qualified hath wilfully disabled or rendred himself uncapable of that benefit which the Common Law after the usual course of Descent doth positively require for 't is presumable that he that succeds in the Office of the Crown should be Legally Adopted to execute so great a Trust and therefore if Minus Idoneus be not sufficiently ballasted with the Notion and Intrigues of State others are to govern in aid of him as in case of Idiocy Lunacy or the like and the Parliament is bound as intrusted to redress Grievances and secure the Nation to place it where Religion and Property shall be adjudged most safe There are several Presidents of this Nature 1. Edgar Atheling as Stories agree was the undoubted Heir yet William the Norman commonly called the Conquerer was called in to oppose Harold and invested with the Crown and Atheling for ever an Exile and dis-inherited 2. After him succeeded his Second Son William Rufus and not Robert the Eldest 3. King John not only laid aside after Plantaginet his Eldest Brothers Son but likewise put him to Death 4. In Sicily there was lately a great Contest between the two Sons of Charles the Second Mortelâ— and Robert and I find the Crown awarded to Robert the Younger as Magis dignis ad Regnandum 5. Alexander was demanded to whom he would bequeath his Scepter he said The Worthiest and to him whose Sword had the sharpest point meaning whose Vertues were most Luculent and of the brightest Integrity after the disposition of Jacob passing by Manasses and conferring the Blessing upon Ephraim the Younger as more deserving and acceptable to God 6. The State of France rejected the King of Navarr and appointed another to Reign over them because of his Religion And when afterwards the said King of Navarr came to be Henry the Fourth of France it was by his forsaking God and complying with the Church of Rome by means of which he thought to settle the Crown upon his head but was so much mistaken therein that he thereby lost both Crown and Life together Reason II. Can it be thought but that he that succeeds in the Crown should not succeed Concurrentâ—bus his qui injure requirunt as the Civil Law expresses it that is in all the concerns thereof which are the Laws principally those that relate to Religion not for one man led away with a blind perverseness renouncing the Religion he knows not why and so wilfully attainting himself to inthral the Nation in Superstition and Tyranny for regularly in all parts where Popish Lords are in the Church there Tyranny on course rages in the State Reason III. 'T is a maxim amongst Lawyers that Lex facit Regem and maxims must not be denied if so then to speak out after the true intendment of Law he that comes not to the Crown satiatim as the Laws notifies and prescribes 't is no lawful succession but down right Usurpation And without scruple 't is the endeavour of every good Christian to withstand an Usurper it being undoubtedly more pleasing to God to put one man by who thus wifully disables himself and withal most shamefully usurps than expose millions of souls to damnation and the streets to flow with blood by suffering that Religion to creep in whose reformation at the mildest rate will certainly prove Fire and Faggor For this very cause Maacha was removed from being Queen by her Son King Asa for making an Idol in a Grove incited thereunto by the the Prophet Azariah Reason IV. The Succession of the Crown and a common Descent much differ for if an Heir that 's a Subject prove loose and debauched it little damnifies the Publick more deserving persons may happily perchance step into his possessions and be more serviceable to the Publick the damage is still but private to his own Family but in case of the Crown there is none so senseless but must needs conceive the damage most fatal because universal The whole Nation must inevitably suffer Religion subverted and Popery destroyed and the whole People in danger of their Lives 'T is well known in a private case the Heir is usually thrown off and disinherited if an entail it may be destroyed and if Law justifies it the like in the Publick And therefore the grand Inquisitors of State and Conservators of the Liberties of England the Parliament may for weighty Causes refuse the Heir presumptive and for the Safety of the Nation settle it where they in Honour and Prudence shall conceive most proper Reason V. We read in Scripture which is the Golden Rule that we must walk by that Libnab revolted from Jehoram because he had forsaken the God of his Fathers so we had better forsake man and adhere to God in keeping our Religion than trust to man and lose God to be unavoidably destroyed here and hereafter irrecoverably damned in serving Baal and parting with the Divinity now established Reason VI. When Râ—boboam had prepared a great Army to redude the Israelites he was forbidden by the Prophet Thus saith the Lord Ye shall not go up nor fight against your Brethren for they are from me mark he calls them Brethren not Rebels Passive Obedience therefore is simple and fit for such that knows no better now God has discovered the Snare and the Pit of Ruine that the Pope and the Devil has prepared for us if we do not timely countermine it by Cautionary Laws to suppress those that digg'd it we may in a short space be thrown into it headlong and none pity us But the Right Line with some shallow pated Talkers is a Noli me tangere so sacred forsooth that we must rather venture Body and Soul in subjecting our selves to all the Curses imginable that Hell it self can inflict on us than in the least alter or controul it a very frivolous Cavear and not to be heeded by us for humane Examples as I shewed before have been noted against it and the Scripture warrants it Samuel foretold in the case of Saul that he would be rejected for his disobedience though not his Person degraded or deposed yet that the Kingdom should be removed both from his Line and Tribe which was done accordingly and transferred on David This proves very fully that the Heirs or the next in Succession are not so immovably placed but that they may lawfully on just cause be displaced if not legally qualified and other put up for God's Glory in their rooms God raised Jehu to purge Idolatry against the House of Ahab all the Sons of Ahab were beheaded and in a manner his whole Line cut off For his good service he had a promise of a special Blessing for his Issue to continue the Throne to the fourth Generation Several other Instances I could give but this may suffice In brief there 's no Reformed Church from the first Waldenses of Lyons and Languedock to this very day but have held it lawful Reason VII It 's conceited by half-witted States men that restrictive Laws may prevent all mischiefs and secure the Protestants a very vain Opinion and most fallacious for Laws will never bind but more intage thackle him as ye will and load him with never so many Laws when King he and his Parry will be restless till they have set themselves at Liberty to have the Protestants under for when King he 's not impeachable and the Post Regni will be at his disposal When the Wolf is Shepherd the Flock is very safe indeed and like to be well looked after all may devour that will for if his Party commit such out-rages that no Age can parallel what will they do then Now no man is safe in his bed then none safe at all they will adventure to murder people in their very houses for they hold it no more sin than to kill a Dog Reason VIII In fine be sure he and his Party which will increase daily and the Protestants decline will soon get an opportunity either by Stratagem or open Force to avoid all Laws though they are never so strong and wary and therefore it will be impossible to be safe without a Protestant Successor FINIS