Selected quad for the lemma: doctrine_n
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A59242
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Reflexions upon the oathes of supremacy and allegiance by a Catholick gentleman, and obedient son of the church, and loyal subject of His Majesty.
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Sergeant, John, 1622-1707.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing S2588; ESTC R33866
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51,644
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98
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They are not carnal not externally coactive by attachments imprisonments banishments executions c. but far more powerful as being Spiritual binding and imprisoning in invisible chains banishing from the Communion of Saints delivering up to Satan c. It is a zeal to this Jurisdiction a Jurisdiction greater then any that the Angels injoy that forbids Catholicks to enervate it by adjoyning thereto with an opinion of making it stronger a carnal authority as knowing that Popes were never so powerful over mâ—ns souls as when they despised worldly advantages By hearkning to flattering Caâ—â—nists or Schoolmen who invested them with Temporal power Popes never gained any so much as temporal commodity to themselves but infinitely prejudiced their spiritual being often looked upon by Princes not as Fathers but as c. So that the Parliament of Paris in their censure did very justly say That such doctrines rendred the dignity of the Pope odious 137. This is that which Catholicks have been taught by Gods word by tradition by Counsels c. this they are ready with or without Oathes to professe and which God willing neither oathes nor lawes nor humane power shall force them to dâ—ny If this renders them obnoxious to the penalties of lawes as ill subjects yet it cannot make them ill subjects if this renders them disloyal subjects there is not a loyal subject in France Germany c. if humane tribunals condemn them God will in his time acquit them 138. In a word to demonstrate how little they deserve the imputation of being not most perfectly good Subjects Roman Catholicks are ready to subscribe to such a profession and oath of Loyalty as whosoever takes it will give all the security of Fidelity that honour conscience religion and the hope of eternal happinesse or fear of eternal damnation can lay upon a soul that is By Oath to protest not only an indispensable obedience and non-resistance in all things to his Majesty and his successours of what religion soever they be but also a firm perswasion or belief that it is absolutely unlawful upon any pretence or motive whatsoever either of ascribing to any other an undue power or even of defending religion for subjects actively and with armes or violence to oppose his Majesty By the same Oath they will oblige themselves to discover all secret plots or conspiracies against his Majesty or the State This Oath they will promise to keep inviolably from the obligation of whiâ—h no commands or perswasions of any person whatsover spiritual or temporal no private interpretations of Gods word no supposals of divine inspirations shall or ought to free them And lastly both in this and all other promises they will sincerely professe a detestation of the abominable doctrine of mental reservation and of the lawfulness of breaking faith given to Hereticks 139. If this will not serve to approve the loyalty of Roman Catholicks if there be no possibility of conjuring down the furious Calvinistical spiâ—it among us but that it must be suffered both in Protestant Churches to preach down Prelacy and Ecclesiastical Government and in the State to embitter lawes for their own advantage only to the prejudice both of Protestants and all other good subjects what will become of the reputation of the English Nation in forreign Countries It is too well known how strangely we are fallen of late in esteem abroad the dismal effects produced in this Kingdom by that ill spirit have been though unjustly imputed to the whole Kingdom English men have been looked upon as enemies both to God and their Kings as persons ready to admit any frenzies in religion the horriblest cruelties against their princes 140. But blessed be God his divine Providence hath wrought miracles to restore our reputation again which was almost forfeited All the world almost is now satisfied that the generality of Englishmen are the best Subjects in the world to the best of princes and therefore it is to be hoped that the Presbyterian spirit will not now that it is so well known be permitted to have that influence as to imprint again upon us this peculiar character That England is the only Nation in which pure religion is most pretended to and the way to make that challenge good is by the malignity of one faction to make the most sacred bonds of Religion snares and engins of unlawful passions where a just and peaceable Government is designed and the way to it is by unlawful however legal means to make peace impossible where oathes are framed against disloyalty which are ruinous only to good subjects and advantageous to the disloyal where loyalty and duty are only excluded from rewards or even INDEMNITY where lawes are made against crimes and the penalties of those lawes are insupportable only to those that are free and are known ever to have been free from any suspition of such crimes and are commodities and rewards only to the Nocent where persons of approved fidelity are condemned as traytors and both Jurors Witnesses Judges for the most part are Presbyterians very incompetent and unindifferent parties in such matters and especially against such accused persons Lastly where the only proof of tenderness of conscience is to sear their consciences and of no intention to disturb the publick peace is to take oathes with an intention yea an obligation in conscience to break them and openly to profess both by words and known practises that peace shall never be setled till the whole frame of the Kingdom both for Religion and government shall be first broken in pieces and then new moulded for their own only advantage And after all this if Rebellion and desolation follow we will wonder forsooth what demerit God can find in us to punish and how it could be possiblé that a desolation should happen in a Kingdom where piety justice and his sacred Majesties safety have been so well provided for 141. If among all Religions and Sects now swarming in this Kingdom there shall yet be any English Protestants that are still implacable against Catholicks only it will be more suitable to English dispositions which heretofore have been above all other Nations esteemed frank and sincere to discover their intentions clearly let them therefore say We will only destroy that Religion which all our forefathers professed which through all Christendom abounds most with learning civility and loyalty which gave to Protestancy our Baptisme Bishops Churches Estates and whatsoever affords us an advantageous appearance above all other Sects the professours of which only will assist us in the maintaining our priviledges against sacriledge and professed prophaness which will indispensably concur with us in preserving his Majesties person and prerogatives from the attempts and usurpations of all others these are the only persons we will destroy And because a publick promise is made of liberty to tender consciences we will annul or interpret it so as that only those shall have no right to it that dare not swear an ambiguous
or repugnant to the Kings Prerogative as now a new head of the Church or to the laws of God By which means without one single voice of the Clergy all former Ecclesiasticall Lawes might be abrogated 4. An authority was allowed to the King to represse and correct all such errours Heresies abuses and enormities whatsoever they were which by any manner of spirituall Jurisdiction might lawfully be repressed c. any forreign Lawes or any thing to the Contrary notwithstanding 5. All manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall was by Parliament ackowledged to belong to the King as Head of the Church So that no Bishop had any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction but by under and from the King 6. Supreme Power of dispensing with any Ecclesiastical Constitutions is ascribed to the King and Parliament as recognised Supreme Head of the Church and the Archbishop is made only the Kings Delegate So that in case he should refuse two other Bishops might be named to grant such Dispensations And after all the King and his court of Chancery are made the last Judge what things in such Dispensations are repugnant to Scriptures what not 7. Though the King did not personally himself exercise the power of the Keys yet this right he claimed that no Clergy man being a member of the English Church should exercise it in his Dominions in any cause or over any person without the leave and appointment of him the Supreme head Nor any refuse to exercise it whensoever he should require 8. It was moreover enacted that no speaking doing or holding against any spiritual Lawes made by the See of Rome which be repugnant to the Lawes of the Realme should be deemed heresies As also that whosoever should teach contrary to the determinations which since the year 1540 were or afterwards should be set forth by the King should be deemed and treated as a Heretick So that the King and Parliament are hereby constituted Judges of Heresy 9. In the dayes of King Edward the sixt an Act is made in which the King and Parliament Authorise Bishops c. by vertue of their Act to take informations concerning the not useing the Forme of Common Prayer then prescribed and to punish the same by Excommunication c. 10. There were also appointed six Prelates and six others nominated by the King by the same authority to frame a new forme of Consecration of Bishops c. 17. Hereby it is apparent that a Jurisdiction purely Spiritual was communicated to or assumed by King Henry the eighth this he further shewed by many practises For besides Jurisdiction as if he had the Key of divine knowledge given him by Christ he set forth Books of instructions in Catholick doctrine by his own authority declaring them hereticks that taught otherwise The labour indeed and we may say drudgery of composing those books as also of executing other spiritual functions was left either wholly or in part to the Clergy but when they had done he perused them and and made what additions and alterations he pleased in them and without remanding them to the Bishops caused them to be printed The Book with his Interlinings and Changes is still ex-tant 18. Indeed it was only spiritual Jurisdiction that he by his new Title of Head of the Church sought to deprive the Pope of for he feared not his pretended temporal Power which in those dayes the world was little troubled withal For he stood in need of a power to justify his Divorce and to dispense with the horrible Sacriledge designed by him He was unwilling to be looked on by his Subjects as a Heathen and a Publican and therefore to prevent this danger he devested the Pope and assumed to himself the power of Excommunication also that is not the execution of it but the disposing of of it by Delegation to the Arch-bishop who should execute it according to his will and directions only 19. A further irrefragable proofe that it was a power purely Spiritual which that King challenged by his new Title is taken from the Declaration of Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester the contriver of the Oath as we find it recorded by Calvin himself For saith he when Stephen Gardiner was upon the Kings affairs at Ratisbon he there taking occasion to expound the meaning of that Title of Supream head of the English Church given to King Henry the eighth taught that the King had such a power that he might appoint and prescribe new Ordinances of the Church even matters concerning Faith and Doctrine and abolish old As tamely that the King might forbid the marriage of Priests and might take away the use of the Chalice in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and in such things might appoint what he lâ—ft A Title thus interpreted the same Calvin vehemently inveighs against calling Gardiner and worthily an impestour and Archbishop Cranmer with his fellowes inconsiderate persons who make Kings too spirituall as if beside theirs there were no Ecclesiasticall Government and Jurisdiction 20. As for his Son King Edward the sixth the same Title with the plenitude of power was given him which he likewise as very a child as he was executed for he by his Authority made Ecclesiastical Lawes to be new reformed Church service and Administration of Sacraments to be changed and new Instructions in matter of Religion to be published quite contrary to what the foregoing Head though his Father had decreed to be Christian Doctrine And the reason was the same because new Sacriledge was to be committed by the Protectour for which he was loath to be excommunicated 21. His elder sister succeeding repealed and renounced this Jurisdiction and restored it to the Church But her younger sister repealed her repealings and took it again when it was in as high language yea higher confer'd on her by Parliament And there was a greater necessity for it than her Brother had For her Mothers Marriage was declared Null by the Pope and consequently her right to the Crown 22. And that this was the design intention of the Parliament in the first year of her Raign when they renewed the Title of her Supremacy in Church matters though they blushed to call a Woman Head of the Church may sufficiently be collected from a Speech yet extant and made in that Parliament upon that occasion by the then Lord Chancelour Nicholas Heath For arguing very strongly against the said Title and the Authority imported by it he takes it for granted that by giving the Queen such a Title they must forsake and fly from the Sea of Rome the inconveniencies of which he desires may be better considered In the next place he recommends to their Advice what this Supremacy is For sayes he if it consist in Temporal Government what further Authority can this House give her then she hath already by right of Inheritance and by the appointment of God without their Gift c. But if the Supremacy doth consist in