cursed sort of Politicks into the same quite contrary to that which the Law of God prescribes but suited indeed to her owâ—… Doctrine and Morals by which after she hath blinded the Eyes of Princes and People she leads them whither she pleases It is certain that if Princes and Magistrates applyed themselves as they ought if it were no more but for their own Temporal Interest and the good of the State to make the Laws of God to be observed by punishing Delinquents severely and if the Church concurring with the Magistrates did her best by Doctrine Example and Discipline and if every particular Person would also do their Duâ—…y they would see their Dominions Provinces Cities and Families flourish otherwise than ever they did hitherto If it were thus no Body would do to another what they would not have done to themselves Every one would have his own Industry and Diligence would be much more in Vogue than 't is Injustice which Reigns so much at present in Courts of Judicature and elsewhere Rapine Robbery Idleness Imposture Cozenage and Deceit in Matters of Religion which have rendred the Popish Clergy so powerful by the Ruin of the People Bankrupts Coiners Murders Knights of the Post Lying Unfaithfulness all of them so contrary to the Repose and Prosperity of Countries would be banish'd in a great measure Cruelty and Perfidiousness so essential to the Church of Rome Incontinence which at this day makes such a Ravage amongst Men and is look'd on as a meer trifle without Punishment or Publick Censure tho I make bold to say it is the root of all other Crimes and occasions more Disorders at present than Murder and Robbery both because those are in some measure punished Drunkenness Unfaithfulness in Treaties and publick and private Contracts the Spirit of Tyranny in Princes towards their Subjects the Rebellion of Subjects against their Princes the Disobedience of Children to their Parents c. all of them so contrary to Commerce Propagation and the Repose of People should be exterminated for the most part In a word Vice being either banished or repressed by the method of this true Policy Vertue would take place by which Nations should prosper at another rate than they do and Princes would be incomparably more Potent In this case also Men would be abundance more long-liv'd healthful and vigorous Marriages would become more numerous by which together with the mildness of the Government the Industry and Diligence of all sorts of People Countries would become infinitely more populous Once more still I will adventure to say that it is in the Holy Scriptures alone that those wise Politicks are to be found which are capable of enriching a Nation and making it potent So that the false Politicians of the World have sought for it in vain elsewhere for so many Ages and all of them complain that they could never hitherto find it This does not hinder but the Wisdom of God out of his profound and just Judgment suffers Tyrants sometimes to prosper in their wicked Designs by contrary Maxims as may be seen by the example of the Popes who making use of the Credit that they had acquird in the Quality of Bishops of Rome to domineer over Sovereigns and their People under pretence of Religion have subjected both the one and the other by Millions of Crimes of all sorts This is so far from destroying what I have said that it confirms the same for if they have rais'd themselves by those wicked methods they have done incredible Mischiefs to Mankind which is just the same as in every Country and City there are Villains who succeed in Robberies and Injustice though they be look'd upon with horror as the plagues of Society who violate the Laws of God and the State and deserve to be totally rooted â—…ut This is it which hath oblig'd the Popes in order to cover their Injustice as I have already said to corrupt and change the Law of God and to conceal the Scriptures from the People and after having established Morals contrary thereunto to over-turn the Doctrine of the Faith that so there might be a proportion betwixt the Maxims of their Government and their Opinions and that their Tyranny might not be discovered by the inequality betwixt them This is it that brought forth the Fine Doctrine of Transubstantiation of the Sacrifice of the Mass the Inâ—…allibility of the Church and many others For if they had not over-turn'd the Rights of God and Man in their Doctrine and Worship as well as in the Government and Discipline of the Church and if they had not extinguished all the Light of Revelation as well as that of Reason the Light that should have remained in the Doctrine would have discover'd their Tyranny and Injustice and the intention they had to make themselves Masters of the World and bring the same under their subjection So likewise if their Ecclesiastical Government their Maxims and Practice had been conformable to the Scriptures and good Sense and had contain'd nothing contrary to good Order and the Prosperity of People and Nations and that together with this the Doctrine and Worship of their Church had been extravagant and senseless as they are at present Men would have still preserved one of their Eyes and not have been altogether so blind but must have perceived the falshood and injustice of the one or the other that is to say either of the Doctrine which the Popes had impos'd upon them or of their Conduct in the Government of their Church and so would either have demanded a Reformation or shook off their Yoke so that it 's visible that it was absolutely necessary for the Interest of the Church of Rome that their Morals and also the External Government of their Church and in one word their whole Tyrannical Economy and their Doctrines should answer one another It is nothing but Ambition at the bottom w ch hath occasion'd all these Disorders and that also by degrees for no one Man could form the project thereof all at once but during the many Ages that this Mystery of Iniquity has been at work the Court of Rome has improv'd all Occasions and the Circumstances of Time Place and Persons All this is apparently come to pass very naturally and by the little that we know of the Corruption of Mens Hearts we may perceive that those who are very Ambitious are able to commit insensibly and by degrees proportionably to the Opposition they meet with whether it be by the Established Laws or by Men millions of Crimes and trample under Foot all Laws Humane and Divine We have all of us those Seeds of Injustice and Pride and if God did not restrain us by his Providence but presented such opportunities unto us as he hath done to the Popes to become Masters of the World we should by degrees become as wicked as they Nemo repente fit turpissimus No Man arrives to the height of Wickedness but by degrees and in
and Religion of Rome and the Happiness and Prosperity of Princes States and People that the said Church and its Religion is false to the highest degree there never having been any Religion in the World so contrary to the good of Mankind It hath no remainders of old Christianity but just so much as is necessary to constitute the Form of Antichristianism by way of Excellence that is to say the most perfect Enmity against Jesus Christ by ascribing to him all sorts of Idolatry and Impiety making him the Author of their Tyranny and Cruelty and feigning an adherence to him like Judas in order to betray him and to dishonour him the more as an Adulterous Woman dishonours her Husband while at the same time they persecute his Followers with the height of Rage and fill the Universe with Blood and Confusion and trample under foot ruin and devour Princes and their Subjects and all in the name of Jesus Christ. The True Religion being come from God who is the Creator and Preserver of Men and Society cannot tend to the Ruin and Destruction of States except we establish with the Manichees two eternal Principles one good and the other evil which is so gross that it deserves no Conâ—…utation If the Romish Religion be good with all those Mischiefs and Disorders which we have seen it produces naturally and necessarily in all Countries where it obtains God who is all Just all Holy and Holiness it self the Preserver of Nations and Mankind and the Author of the Old and New Testament can neither be Just Holy Good Wise True nor the Author and Preserver of Humane Society and the Old and New Testament cannot have proceeded from any other but the wicked Spirit Absit Blasphemia God must likewise if the Religion of the Church of Rome be True be contrary to the Propagation of Mankind which it appears to be one of the favourite Designs of Providence He must also according to them approve of Deceit and Imposture and Cozenage in the Ministers of his Religion and in his Worship he must likewise love Injustice Impiety Perfidiousness Tyranny Laziness Idleness Cruelty Incontinence Robbery Profanity Perjury Hypocrisy Murder and Calumny which are so essential to the Popish Religion and the Roman Clergy I leave it to Divines to treat of the Idolatry Heresie Superstitions c. of this pretended Church which agree so well and are so very becoming to all the rest which we have seen and which cannot indeed be otherwise and are the natural Effects of the Ambition of those Mischievous Creatures as well as the rest for as Saint Chrysostome says well 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that Ambition or a desire of Dominion is the Mother of Heresies and therefore St. Paul reckons Heresie amongst the Works of the Flesh. For the Popes not being able to establish their Authority in the World but by introducing those Practices into the Church and the Disorders of which we have spoke before that ruine all the Popish Nations have been oblig'd entirely to corrupt the Morals and Doctrine thereof and to suppress the Light of the Gospel which would have discover'd their Exorbitanciâ—…s and Iniquity to Mankind and have inclin'd them to oppose their Ambition For this reason they favoured all manner of Ignorance and Vice that they might the better extinguish amongst Men all Fear and Knowledge of God and all Generosity And seeing Men could not live without Religion good or bad they afterwards hurry'd them head-long into all sorts of Idolatry and Impiety If they had not intirely corrupted and falsified the Christian Religion and People had known the Doctrine of the Old and New Testament they would never have submitted to Practices and Customs so contrary to the Publick Good Princes and their Ministers would never have suffered a Religion to be Established among them which is so much contrary to their Rights Arts Husbandry Manufacture Commerce Propagation good Morals and the â—…ublick Peace of Nations Let us but read and consider the Old anâ—… New Testament or only the Ten Commandments of Gods Law we shall find nothing commanded therein but what is Excellent and Worthy of God and wonderfully suited not only to the Temporal good and advantage of every Man in particular but also to that of People and Countries and the whole World in general So that if the great Wits of this Age who pretend to be Men of Parts though they be indeed meer Fools would consider this sedately they would be obliged to own whether they would or not by comparing this with the Conduct of all the Politicians in the World and their Pretended Skill in the Government of their People that there are no oâ—…her Rules of True Policy for regulating of Morals and making every particular Man as profitable as can be to Society but those that the Law of God and the Gospel furnish us with and that every thing which does not agree with that and is not conformable thereunto is nothing else but Errour and Destruction I don't mean only the Political Laws of Moses as they are call'd to distinguish them from the Moral Law under which the Commonwealth of Israel became so flourishing and was Peopled in such a manner as seems Incredible to those that read their History but I mean also and chiefly the Moral Law which certainly contributed still more than the Political Laws of that People tho' but very ill observed to make them so rich and powerful I joyn also thereunto at present the Gospel which not only regulates our Actions but also our Thoughts and Words and hath giv'n us a Model of Incomparable Charity and furnish'd us with new and powerful Motives to this Vertue by revealing to us clearly the saving Grace of God that we may live all in general Princes and People and every one in particular Soberly Justly and Religiously which comprehends all our Duty to God our Neighbours and our selves wherein if we did acquit our selves Men would not only be happy in the Life to come but also in this and Nations would become incomparably more powerful populous and rich than they are For Godliness hath the promises of this Life and that which is to come Which of it self might be enough to convince our Deists many of whom value themselves highly on the account of their sense and ability and think they are able to Govern Kingdoms of the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures if there were no other proofs of it In that Divine Book alone are the true Rules of Policy to be found All the World agrees in this without thinking on it when they say that Honesty is the best Policy that is to say to observe the Law of God and cause it to be observ'd by others which is no less essentially Necessary for the good of the State than for Salvation But â—…he Church of Rome hath confounded all those Notions as I have already said and having govern'd the World for a long time hath introduced a
this case Ambitious Persons would reason with themselves much after the same manner as he did formerly who said Si violandum est jus regnandi causa violandum est If it be lawful to break through Law in any case it is lawful to do it for a Crown and a Scepter The Heart of Man is universally and at all times the same Let us suppose that some Ambitious Prelate had Authority enough among the Proâ—…estants to Form such Designs as were those of the Bishops of Rome to raise themselves in the first place above other Bishops and Priests and afterwards over Princes and People they would go near to make use of the same methods as the Popes and their Clergy did and as they should receive opposition from time to time from those that would endeavour to restrain and tie them up to the Laws of God and Men if they and their Successors should overcome those Oppositions they would by degrees suppress the Holy Scripture overâ—…throw all Morality and introduce an Universal dissoluteness of Manners so that the Protestant or Christian Religion without changing its Name for that to be sure they would not do should become in the first place like that of the Church of Rome in Government and Discipline and next in Doctrine and Worship that is to say a perfect Brigandage or Robbery and that Protesâ—…ant Pope should become a Tyrant over Protestant Princes and People by calling himself their Common Father and should likewise become Master of the States Honour and Repose of their Subjects without any hopes of Reformation but by a Miracle wrought by the Almighty They would also Establish an Inquisition and infinitely multiply the number of their Ecclesiasticks that is to say their Guard-men and would neither spare Perfidiousness nor Cruelty to accomplish their Designs and to maintain and augment their Authority They would pretend to Infallibility as well as the Pope and claim as much Right as he to change the Law of God and to make that sin which is no sin and sin to be accounted Duty They would pretend to all power in Heaven and Earth and would labour incessantly to divide Protestant Princes amongst themselves and with their Subjects weaken them by all means that they might keep a curb in their Jaws and hold them in dependance upon themselves They would raise wars for them without number massacre those that should oppose their Impieties and Ambition from time to time nor would they be wanting if they found it necessary to have Orders of Clergy-men resembling the Monks and Jesuites or worse than those if they could under other Names and would likewise Assemble Councils wherein they would Establish and Make Decrees like those of Constance Lateran and Trent Et totus Orbis Protestantium miraretur se esse Antichristianum so that the whole Protestant World should wonder at its being become Anti-christian So that while the Pope and the Romish Clergy are possessed of a power of Dominion and Rule and that they will always be unless God stir up some great and potenâ—… Prince to bring that rascally Crew to themselves as I hope he will but until that time they must always of necessity be cruel and perfidious by their Principles and Maxims and pretend to Infallibility in their Doctrine Worship and Moralâ—… because they have neither Titles nor Foundation for their Usurpations which are palpable and gross for if they had they could no more be charg'd with Usurpations and Injustice and if they were not Usurpers they would not maintain their own Rights nor Gods as they impiously pretend by committing so many Crimes and pretending to Infallibility with so much Impudence as they do when they find no other way to colour their Impieties There 's none but unjust and barbarous Usurpers who can make use of those pretences as they do The most clear sighted Protestants ordinarily look upon the Church of Rome in regard of its Doctrine as a Medly of Idolatries Heresies Superstitions Errors and Blasphemous Doctrines and in regard of their Morals as a Composition of Perfidiousness and Infideliy Cruelty Impurity and Pride and they Judge that all those together constitute and make up the esâ—…ential Form of that Church and they are not deceived But at the bottom it is Ambition alone as I have said which hath produc'd and maintains all those things and is the Soul of their Church One proof of this is that there 's no Men who do less believe their Doctâ—…ines than the Men of Parts amongst themselves who govern all but chiefly the Court of Rome In their Civil Conversation among other Men they don't appear much worse than they as has been said already and there 's no room to doubt but if the Pope and his Clergy could be assur'd by the Orthodox Church that in case they would embrace the pure Christian Religion of the Protestants they should have the same Dominion and Power over the Kings Princes and People of the Earth and the same Revenues Dignities and Means to advance all those who adhere to them there 's no doubt I say but they would prefer it how wicked so ever they may be because it is more conformable to Scripture Reason and the Natural Light of Conscience which oft pinches them notwithstanding their profound and inveterate Habits of Error and Crimes I confess that it were impossible for their Tyranny and Authority to subsist with that Religion which is pure Christianity and the only Religion becoming the Excellence of Man and therefore they were obliged to root it out of the Church of Rome that so they might reign in it But they have at least so much Equity that Men of Sense among them who would perswade others to embrace their Communion don't demand that they should believe their Doctrines which they have no esteem of themselves but only that they should go to their Church and for other things permit them to believe as they please It must then be purely and simply Ambition and a desire of Dominion which hath ruined the Church of Rome or the Clergy and which continues to ruin them still take but that Vice away from them their Tyranny will cease Christian Morality would reassume its place they would neither be Idolatrous Superstitious nor Heritical Cruel nor Perfidious Transubstantiation and the Infallibility of their Church and all other monstrous Opinions would fall their Discipline Observations Customs and Usages so pernicious to the Welâ—…are of People and Countries should be abolish'd and we sâ—…ould see Industry Arts Manufactures Commerce Agriculture Sciences flourish every where and their Clergy themselves would become Christians upon the matter and honest Men. Though there never was any Religion in the World more contrary to the Gospel and Reason than that of the Pope in regard of Doctrine and Worship yet I will adventure to say that it is still more detestable in regard of the Tyranny which is exercised therein by the Pope and his Clergy For the better understanding
of this I maintain that if it were possible there were but two Religions in the World one whose Doctrine was well Founded on Scripture and Reason but the Morals Impious and the Maxims of Ecclesiastical Government Tyrannical and tending to the Oppression and Ruin of Princes and their Dominions And that on the contrary the Doctrines of the other were Abominable contrary to Scripture and good Sense but its Moral Practise Good and its Ecclesiastical Government tending to the advantage of Sovereigns and their People to make Countries Flourishing Rich and Populous and maintaining Peace and Tranquillity in them There 's no Man of Sense but would confess the second Religion would deserve the Protection of the State better than the first So that if the Protestants should become Idolaters and Hereticks teach Transubstantiation Purgatory the Invocation of Saints Adoration of the half of one of the two Sacraments and that of Statues and Images or such like Doctrines their Morals and Maxims of Ecclesiastical Government remaining the same as they are at present that is to say allowing to God Princes and People all their Rights as to what relates to Morals and the Government of Church and State their Religion should better deserve the Protection of the State than that of a Church which should detest Transubstantiation Purgatory c. and at the same time by their Maxims Observations and Tyranny fill the World with Desolation and Vice and ruin Princes and People as the Roman Religion does So that it appears hence that the Church and Religion of Rome are yet more abominable by their Tyranny and Morals than by their Idolatries and Errors The Pope and his Clergy are more Antichristian by the Tyranny that they Exercise over the Souls and Bodies the Estates Honour Life and Repose of Princes and People than in regard of their Speculative Impieties and Worship But I confess that the one cannot be without the other Where there is such an horrible Tyranny Religion cannot long remain pure in Doctrine and where the Opinions are so monstrous their Morality and Church-Government must needs become detestable and tend to the ruin of States I confess that in relation to God it is equally impossible according to Scripture for private Idolaters and those that practise a Morality destructive to Society to be sav'd So that in that respect the matter is equal but it is not so with reference to the State Experience teaches us that there are Idolaters who are Morally Honest as to Dealings betwixt Man and Man and good Country-men who deserve the Protection of Magistrates and that there are ill Men amongst the Orthodox who deserve to be cut off or chastised severely as Murderers Fornicators Robbers c. As to Sovereigns and all Magistrates the good of the State is always preferr'd to that of the Church as Nature in order preceeds Grace and the Light of Reason that of Faith For the Church cannot subsist without the State but the State can subsist well enough without the Church hence it follows that Disturbers of the Publick Peace and those that plunder and ruin People deserve better to be cut off or banished out of a Country than Idolaters or Hereticks that don't trouble the State And that the Church of Rome who is guilty of both that is to say ruines States and is Idolatrous deserves more to be destroyed upon the former account than the latter History informs us that the Spirit of Domineering and Tyranny began first in the Church of Rome after which Vice and Ignorance and next Idolatries and Herefies infected her in Crouds and destroyed all her Doctrine and Worship For the Popes did first attack the Temporal Rights of Sovereigns and People before they made any attempt upon the Publick Worship Had they been chastis'd for their Ambition and kept undâ—… as they ought the Christian Religion had not been destroyed utterly among 'em and People and Princes would have preserved their Rights It is the Natural Order of the Ambition of the Popes and their Clergy that in order to promote their Designs upon the Temporal Rights of Sovereigns and People they make use of what they call Spiritual Methods to attain their end Whence it follows that Sovereigns ought to abhor them more for their Ambition and Tyranny than for their Doctrine tho' the one cannot subsist without the other and they ought not to delay one moment the exterminating of such a Religion out of their Dominions when it is so clearly demonstrated to 'em as I have done that it lays them desolate in such a terrible and amazing manner After so great a number of Political Reasons which so manifestly prove the falshood of the Romish Religion the Papists who henceâ—…orth continue obstinate must find out other Methoâ—…s to palliate it and not apply themselves to refuâ—…e all our Arguments from Scripture Reason and Sense against their Opinions and pretended Mysteries but to prove if they can that all the reâ—…sons I have broâ—…ght agâ—…inst them are false and that the XVIII Articles by which I â—…ave made it appear that they lay Countries desolate are supposititious or of â—…o 〈◊〉 But tho' they should be able to do it They will not find it easie to 〈◊〉 themselves from the Argumenâ—…s 〈◊〉 â—…aid dowâ—… which are so 〈◊〉 and obviouâ—… to Sense It will â—…e to no purpose for them to alledge the Iâ—…fallibility of their Church as they have successfully done to maintain Transubstantiation for here their Sophisms câ—…nnot so much as impose upon a Servant-Maid who of her self may Judge of my Arguments which relate to matters of Fact that they themselves touch and manage are visible and plain and proportioned to the Capacities of the most Ignorant and which may all be examined to the bottom in a very little time There 's no need of understanding Hebrew Greek or Latine for this nor Divinity and Philosophy nor so much as to read the Old and New Testament or those they call the Fathers The discussion of this Point is not â—…edious and it will be to no purpose for the Papists to alledge Prescription in this no more than it would be for a Troop of Highway-men Pickpockets or False Coiners who had been accâ—…stomed to the cutting of Purses without being taken Notice of or had for a long time cheated and ruined a senseless People who did not observe that their Money was Couâ—…terfeited The Mischiefs are too great and maniâ—…est not to have a remedy attempted assoon as possible when ever they are discovered otherwise Princes and People who are so much concern'd therein must have lost their Senses It appears plain by what I have said that so many Peâ—…sons who for diverse Ages have pass'd â—…or greaâ—… Ministers of State and Politicians in Popisâ—… States and Kingdoms were in reality nothing but on the contrary mean spirited Men that either did not perceive those Disorders of opery which are obvious to every Mans view nay as I may say leap on his Face
Authority only being excepted Besides such an Inconsiderable Change as this the rest of the Popish Religion being continued would neither have been Advantagious for the Salvation of Men Glorious to the King nor Profitable to the State For Idolatry and the other Heresies remaining there would have always been an Impossibility of being saved in that Religion and the greatest part of the Oppression attending it being also continued the people would have had but little relief by it nor would the King of France have reap'd the fourth part of the Advantage which he might expect from a thorough Reformation Neither is it to be thought that so small a change could be solid and durable for at the bottom it 's certain that it 's the Popes who have made the Religion of the Church of Rome to be what it is either by corrupting the Doctrine of the Apostles or Adopting the Idolatry and Worship of the Pagans or by Forging now and then new Articles of Faith for their own private Interest and that of their Clergy And it is certain that their Religion is founded on no other Authority but that of the Pope and therefore Cardinal Pallavicini had reason to say in his History of the Council of Trent call'd by some his New Gospel Tutti gli Articoli della Religione unitamente considerati non hanno altra certezza prossima ed immediata che l'Autorita del summo Pontefice i. e. that all the Articles of their Religion considered together have no other certain and immediate foundation but the Authority of the Pope So that if we reason consequentially from this Principle the Popish Religion cannot be preserved but by the preservation of the Papal Authority from which it derives all the Authority that gives it any value in the eyes of the World It is also probable that if a greater Reformation were not made immediately upon the Creation of a Patriarch the Popes Authority would be again Re-established â—…or he should without doubt have always a great Party in the Kingdom under the â—…avour of that horrid Darkness which must have continued therein if it had been no other but for the Jesuites and Monks who would be constantly Jealous that the Patriarch would pair their Nails One Party of the Nation would always have entertained a Correspondence with the Popes Friends being united by their Communion in the same Religion excepting the Opinion of the Authority of the Pope tho'some would have made semblance of rejecting that too for fear of their King yet they would effectually endeavour the Re-establishment of the Papal Authority And so much the more that the Court of Rome would have been prodigal of their Treasures and have spar'd nothing on this occasion to maintain their Tyranny And moreover iâ—… the King who had created a Patriarch should come to have died before the Reformation should have been compleated and a Prince of less Authority had Succeeded there would have been an end of the Patriarchat This erecting of a Patriarch would not have pleased the Popish Princes neither so that they would have joyned with the Pope and the Party that adher'd to him in France and would either have stirr'd up Civil Wars there or have made War upon it themselves Nor could this imperfect Change have satisfied the Protestant Princes who would always have look'd upon France as Idolatrous and Heretical and ready to return again to wallow in that mire whence she had made some Effort to get out and begun to lift up her head so that they would never put any confidence in her It should happen to France in this case as it always happens to Neutral Princes in the quarrels of Neighbouring Potentates their Neutrality does not reconcile them with their Enemies nor yet procure â—…hem any Friends Neutralitas neâ—… Amicos pariâ—… neque Inimicos tollit saith Tacitus In such cases we must be either t'one or t'other and avoid that which is call'd Consilia Media Such a faint Reformation would have serv'd for nought but to awake all the Malice of the Pope and the Mischievous Ecclesiasticks of the Kingdom who would have reap'd the same Advantage from this that a strong Man does from the Impotent Menaces of his Enemy which serve only to put him on his Guard and set him at Work to prevent the threatned Mischief according to the Italian Proverb Le Minaccie sono l'Armi del Minacciaâ—…o Threats sound an allarum to the threatned Man to take Arms either to deâ—…end himself or offend his Enemy as occasion requires Whereas if the King of France did not do things by halves but should together with his Subjects renounce all at once the false Doctrines Worship Superstition and Abuses of the Church of Rome and Free his Kingdom from that Tyranny by Establishing the light of the Gospel to enlighten his People amongst whom it is hid under a Candlestick he might assure himself that such an Evangelical Reformation would be followed by unexpressible Advantages to himself and his People both in regard of Temporal and Eternal Life Some may perhaps object that such a compleâ—…t and sudden Reformation must needs shake the Kingdom of France and that there 's no passing so suddenly from one Extream to another without danger that is to say from the thick darkness of Popery to the bright shining light of Christianity and therefore it muâ—…t be done gradually as our Saviour did when he restored sight to the Blind they did not at first see all Objects disâ—…inctly but Men walking like Trees and that God does not make us pass from the dark night to the bright day but by the dawning of the Morning and therefore according to that Wisdom it were proper first to Establish a Patriarchat in France before they endeavour a Gospel-Reformation To this I answer That as to the Authority of the Pope which the Creation of a Patriarch would have over-turn'd all the Parliaments of France and amongst others that of Paris all Persons of Learning Sense and Honesty ev'n amongst the Clergy themselves do not acknowledge that Authority in their heart nay they despise all other Doctrines contrary to those of the Protestants as being evidently false or unprofitable The Kings Authority and the Respect or Fear that they have for him are the only Ties which retain them lest he should destroy or ruine them if they did â—…urn Protestants They have had many Doctors of a long time who have opened their Eyes in regard of the Popes Authority and diverse other such Doctrines as the Chancellor Gerson and the Drs. Richer de Launoy the Author of the Book call'd Les Moyens Seurs Honnetes Sure and Honest Methods Elias Du Pin and many other without mentioning the Books of Protestants and besides the Jansenists the New Philosophy and the present Quietists do something of that Nature And there 's ground of hope that all the Nation will be moved at the infinite number of Mischiess which Popery occasions in the State when they are
And can any Society be more guilty of this than the Church of Rome who orders those of her Communion to violate all the Commandments of God all the Maxims of Christianity and all the Laws of Nature and Society to Convert Men as she calls it to her Religion Can there be any thing more effronted and impudent than that pretended Church when in her Debates with us she asserts also as I have said already her own Infallibility in Pillaging Ruining and laying Desolate those Nations that submit to her Yoke and likewise by denying that there was any Persecution in France or that their pretended Sacrament is Real Bread c. To what purpose is it to Dispute of Religion with such a Church which for several Ages hath impudently Anathematiz'd those who Communicate in both kinds though she own'd at the same time that Jesus Christ commanded we should do so when he instituted that Sacrament and that the Apostles and Primitive Church did the like It exceedingly delights the Popish Clergy so find the Protestants seriously Disputing against their Ridiculous Doctrines for they value themselves upon it as having Wit enough to make all their Extravagancies seem Problematical at least For it requires as much ingenuity to put a fair colour on their Follies as if a Man should undertake to prove that the Devil loves Truth Justice and Holiness or that that which is call'd Truth and Holiness is False and Sinful What delight would not the Devil take to hear Men Disputing whether he is to be Worshipp'd and Religiously Served as well as God This comparison is not too harsh for in many places of the Scripture the Adoration of Creatures both Animated and Inanimated such as the Papists are guilty of is call'd The Adoration of Devils to drink the Cup of Idols is call'd a drinking the Cup of Devils to Sacrifice to Idols as the Papists do when they Invoke and Adore so many Creatures in Heaven or Earth and when they offer the Sacrifice of their Mass to pretended Saints who are dead and meer Idols that 's call'd in Scripture a Sacrisice to Devils the Adoration of Images of Gold and Silver is joyn'd with the Adoration of Devils And several Doctrines which seem to be none of the most Impious of the Romish Church are call'd the Doctrines of Devils such as is their prohibiting their Ecclesiasticks to Marry and eating such and such sorts of Meat c. I mention all this by the by without quoting the places of Scripture because I am no Divine but those who read the Scriptures know what I say is true They know also that the Romish Church is call'd in Scripture by the Names of Sodom Egypt and Babylon as if the Spirit of God had fought for the harshest Terms to denote to us in some degree the infinite Malignity of the Romish Church which is beyond all Expression and Idea Their Clergy I say take a great delight to see our Divines busied in confuting their Opinions as those who undertake the Apology of Folly do when they see others seriously confuting their foolish Arguments If it were not for the Riches of Popery and the Princes and the numbers of People who follow that Beast and false Prophet according to the Prophecies of the New Testament it would appear to the Judgment of the Papists themselves the most Execrable Religion that ever was and I hope there will come a time when all the World will be amazed to understand by History that there hath ever been in the World such a Portentous and Monstrous Religion as that is I promis'd at the beginning of this Work to demonstrate the great Advantages which the King and Kingdom of France might reap by abolishing Popery in order to shew by that single example what Advantage other Popish Nations might reap by the same and the great ones that England and other Protestant Countries enjoy by the Reformation I shall therefore now say that should it please God to put it into the heart of the K. of France who Reigns at present and who of a long time seems to a great many people to be destin'd to do great things to deliver his Kingdom from the Tyranny of the Pope he would reap abundance of more true glory from it before God and Man than he would have done had he been able to conquer the whole World That would be an Action truly Heroick infinitely greater than any thing he hath done hitherto and would be a clearer demonstration to the World that he â—…ath a Great and Noble Soul This return to God to Himself and to his People would compensate for all the past Miscarriages of his Reign and preserve those great Titles which have either been given him by others or assum'd by himself as also the Glory of all the great things that he may have done Then indeed he would deserve the Title of Most Christian King which can never be properly given to a Popish Prince because Popery and Christianity are Antipodes to one another at least as much as darkness is to ligâ—…t It is well known that ever since he ascended the Throne the honester sort of Papists in that Kingdom have entertain'd hopes that this great and glorious Prince would deliver it from the Popes disgraceful Yoke by creating a Patriarch But the Court of Rome by the pernicious Counsels of her Clergy who have sold themselves to Iniquity diverted him from that design by inspiring him with false Ideas of the Glory and Grandeur he would acquire by extirpating the Protestant Religion which they call Heresie out of his Kingdom that is to say to persecute such True Christians as were in the same with all manner of Fury in order to subject them to the Pope instead of making War upon that Grand Enemy of Jesus Christ the greatest that ever he had or can have It must be confessed that the design of establishing a Patriarch in France was very considerable seeing by that means they had design'd to deliver the Kingdom from a Foreign Yoke as ruinous as possible but it must be acknowledged on the other hand that it would be abundantly and more assuredly Glorious and Advantagious to Reform the National Religion entirely from so many frightful Errors in Doctrine and so great a number of Customs and Superstitions that are pernicious to the State and were introduc'd into the same under the favour of that profound darkness which the Tyranny of the Pope hath spread therein and which in their turn maintain and support that Tyranny For if we consider things duly that horrid Darkness and Ignorance could not have been dissipated by the meer Creation of a Patriarch for notwithstanding that most of those ruinous Disorders represented in the forementioned 18 Articles would still have continued because they are the natural Dependances and Necessary Consequences of the other Principles of the Romish Religion which would have remain'd entire notwithstanding the Creation of a Patriarch the Abolition of the Papal
the Monks and the Jesuites will render themselves Masters of all under a weak Prince and the Kingdom will be more expos'd to the Cheats Impostures and Scandalous Vices of the Clergy than ever The King of France should hereby gain the Affection of all Protestant Princes and States intirely which would be much more useful to him than that of the Popish Princes because they are honester in their Treaties and at present much more powerful especially by Sea and more able to hurt or help him And moreover France cannot subsist without Commerce with them and the King knows very well that they have no thoughts of regaining any thing from France as the Popish Princes have because she hath never taken any thing from them nor have they any thoughts of making Conquests upon him as being more Sage and Judicious than that comes to Neither has he any reason to fear that the Court of Rome will employ them to do Mischief to France as they have imployed and may still imploy Popish Princes to do But if France neglect such a fair opportunity as this is to shake off the Yoke of Popery when there is such an Indispensible Necessity â—…o do it for the fafety of the Kingdom which must otherwise perish after having seen so evidently that Popery is the ruin of States and by consequence a false Religion all the World will have reason to believe that His Majesty does not only hate the Protestant Religion but the very Persons of all Protestants especially if he does not Re-establish his Subjects of the Reformed Religion in the free Exercise of the same and in a full and entire Liberty in all Respects as his other Subjects and with all possible Assurance for time to come seeing no Man can reproach them with Disloyalty towards the King nor on the account of their Doctrine which the most Learned of the Papists themselves acknowledge to be very Sound and Conformable to the Scripture and make their boasts that they believe the same things as they do having nothing else to reproach them with but only that they don't believe enough because they don't believe Transubstantiation nor fifty other Fooleries of the like Nature nor adore the half of one of the two Sacraments which has not so much as the Honour to be Bread but is only an Elil Elilim a Nothing an Idol which according to St. Paul is a meer Nothing of this number of Learned Men is the Bp. of Meaux as appears by his Exposition of the Catholick Doctrine Without â—…his Reformation France will become as desolate in 30 years time as Spain and Portugal is at present though there should be a continued Peace all that while For the Women and Girls who are at present three thirds of the People of France will for the most part be dead without Children because there are not Men enough at present to Marry them so that this want of People will be much more apparent then than now It may very well be said that the Kingdom of France hath for 30 or 40 years had a great Ascendant over all the other Nations of Europe by means of the Kings Vigour and Absolute Power But the Kingdom will lose that Ascendant come to nothing and be despicable to all the World and especially to the Court of Rome without hopes of being ever able to recover it self if such a Reformation be not made And I dare venture to say that without this the Kingdom is in danger to be torn into pieces by Civil Wars ere it be long or involved in short in another new War on the account of Religion by the Jesuites at the secret Suggestion of the Pope who are still afraid of that Kings great Authority tho his Kingdom is ruined There 's no other Method left as I have intimated already to put the King in a condition to pay his numerous Debts but this Evangelical Reformation and because diverse Persons of great Merit have desir'd of me to give some Account of the Ways and Means they take to find Money to borrow and Places to sell in a Kingdom so much ruined as France I could not refuse to obey them in imparting what is publickly known of that Matter in France therefore I shall here make a little digression We must observe then that the Court entertains a great number of People in Provinces and Towns who make it their business to discover those who have yet any Money left ' em Whereupon the Intendant Governour or other Chief Men of the Place have orders either to call for such Persons or to go to their Houses and tell them that the King has a mind to sell such and such new Places or Augmentations of Salleries to all Civil Officers who are already in Place or Letters of Nobility to Commoners or some other Priviledges or to create Rents upon the Town-House of Paris or to alienate the Revenues of the Post-Office or some part of his Demain c. Then they are acquainted Civilly that they will oblige the Court to lay out their Money on such thingâ—… and do a piece of good Service to the State that their Principal and Interest will both be sure and their gain considerable If they answer that they have no Money after being desir'd thus to lay it out then they find it to be as Tacitus says Preceserant sed quibus resisti non poterat They were Prayers indeed but such as they could not resist Those Officers inform themselves more particâ—…larly of the Staâ—…e of their Affairs from Scriveners and Notaries who are oblig'd to tell all they know of it After this they proceed to threaten the Persons that so they may squeeze Money out of them But there are few who let it come to this extremity because they see so many Examples before them of People ruined by such Refusals for either they are tax'd extraordinarily as rich Persons or are accused that either they themselves or their Friends whose Estates they Inherit robb'd the Publick when they were in Office and thereupon despoil them of their Estates Otherwise all the Actions of their whole Life are Canvass'd or if that fail the Conversations of their Children and other Relations are enquired into on purpose to vex them and their Tenants are over-whelm'd with Impositions or Quartering of Soldiers There are a hundred other such Methods and their Children and Relations are never advanc'd neither in the Church in the Army nor otherwise And they are besiâ—…es accounted at Court Enemies to the Government sometimes imprisoned and if they have any Suit at Law the adverse Party is sure to find favour c. It 's true there are some who are known to be extreamly Rich or in great business â—…hat prevent â—…he Court on purpose â—…o gain Favour and lend their Money upon the Town-house of Paris nor do they know how to dispose of their Money otherwise Trade being quite ruined Houses and Land being of no value and all people almost being