will bee nothing dangerous to handle it probably against an other As for example if it were agreed vpon by all Catholikes that the Pope hath no power to depose his Maiestie then it were dangerous to his Maiestie that any Catholike should call this in question and dispute it probably but if on the contrarie side all Catholikes should agree in this that it were certaine vnquestionable and a point of faith that the Pope hath power to depose his Maiestie and to absolue his Subiects of their allegiance to command them to take armes against him c. then if a Catholike should call this in question or which is all one dispute it probably and maintaine that it is not certaine that the Pope hath such an authoritie but it is questionable and probable that hee hath it not no man of any sense or vnderstanding can affirme that such a manner of disputing this question probably against those Aduersaries who hold it for certaine can be any way dangerous or pernicious to his Maiestie 8 Now behold the manner that I haue taken in handling this Controuersie Card. Bellarmin Gretzer Lessius Becanus Suarez and other Diuines especially of the Society of Iesus whom this Authour doth in euery steppe as though he were their Creature follow haue laid this for a sure and vndoubted ground that it is a point of faith and to be beleeued as certaine and vnder paine of eternall damnation by all Catholikes that the Pope hath power to depose Princes to absolue Subiects from their Allegiance and thereupon to commaund them to beare Armes and raise tumults against their Prince so deposed So that you see that they already haue layd the danger and vndoubted ouerthrow to his Maiesties person and Crowne if the Pope should perchance depose him in that they affirme that all Catholikes are bound in conscience to forsake him and to fulfill the Popes commaund to the destruction of His Maiesties person and State This Doctrine to wit that it is a point of Faith and vndoubted principle of Catholike Religion that the Pope hath power to depose Princes and to inflict all temporal punishments by way of coercion and that all Catholikes are bound in conscience to forsake his Maiestie and to beare Armes against him in case the Pope should depose him I haue taken vpon me for two principall reasons to impugne and do not doubt cleerely to maintaine the same against the clamours of this Authour or any other whatsoeuer My first reason was for that it is against the truth and puritie of the Catholike Church She being the piller and ground of truth that doubtfull opinions and which among Catholikes are onely in Controuersie and by the Parliament of Paris haue beene condemned as scandalous seditious damnable and Pernitious should be enforced vpon English Catholikes as an vndoubted doctrine of the Catholike Faith to the vtter ouerthrow of themselues and their whole posterity by mē who are in no danger to loose but rather to gaine temporall aduancement thereby 9 My second reason was to assure His Maiestie that all English Catholikes may according to the grounds of Catholike Religion be true and constant Subiects and that notwithstanding any sentence of excommunication or depriuation denounced or to be denounced against his Maiestie by the Pope they may with a safe conscience marke well what I say and also in practise they are bound to adhere to his Maiestie and obey him in temporals as still remaining their true and lawfull Soueraigne and to resist any such sentence of Excommunication or depriuation The reason wherefore I affirmed that Catholikes might with a safe conscience adhere to his Maiestie and resist the Popes sentence of depriuation was for that it is a probable opinion and which with a safe conscience and without danger of Heresie error or temerity may bee embraced by Catholikes that the Pope hath no authority to depose Princes nor to inflict temporall punishments by way of coërcion but that the last punishment to which the Ecclesiasticall power is extended are onely Ecclesiasticall and spiritual censures Wherefore that which this Author affirmeth that I confesse that it is probable that the Pope can depose Princes is vntrue vnlesse he meane that I confesse it for disputation sake or as we vsually say Dato non concesso it being giuen not graunted for that it maketh nothing for or against the question which is in hand Therefore positiuely I neither affirme it nor deny it neither with that part of the contradiction Whether it bee probable that the Pope can depose and whether it be probable that the Oath may not be taken doe I intermeddle but whereas our Aduersaries doe with so great violence mayntaine that it is certaine and an vndoubted doctrine of Faith that the Pope can depose and that the Oath cannot bee taken I at this present doe affirme the contrary That it is probable that the Pope cannot depose and that the Oath may lawfully be taken Neither doe I as this Authour imposeth vpon me take probable in that sense as Cicero in his Paradoxes did take it when he affirmed That nothing is so incredible which by arguing may not be made probable taking probable for that which hath som shew or color of probability or do I take probable for that which I hold for probable howsoeuer absurde it be as this Authour absurdly affirmeth that without doubt I doe but I doe take probable in that sense as Diuines doe take a probable opinion and which may be followed with a safe conscience as I declared out of Vasquez and hereafter against this Authour and his confused description of probable which serueth onely to intangle the consciences of the simple I will more at large declare in which sense no Heresie or erroneous doctrine can bee made probable the contrary being decided by the Church as this doctrin for the Popes power to depose neuer was but hath euer beene impugned by Catholike Writers vpon sufficient grounds and now lately condemned by the State of France as pernicious and damnable doctrine 10 But the second and principall reason which I brought for the securing of his Maiestie and which this Author T. F. fraudulently concealeth wherefore English Catholikes not onely may in speculation for the reason aforesaide but also in practise are bound to adhere to his Maiesty and to resist the Popes sentence of depriuation was for that supposing speculatiuely it be vncertaine whether the Pope hath any such power to depose a King or no it is an vndoubted rule among Lawyers and grounded vpon the light of nature and principles of Diuinity that in causa dubia siue incerta melior est conditio possidentis In a doubtfull and disputable case the state of him that is in possession is the better And againe Cum sunt iura partium obscura fauendum est reo potius quà m actori VVhen it is vnknowne which of the parties that are in suite hath right the defendant is to bee preferred before the
State of France hath condemned for scandalous seditious damnable and pernicious and also endeuoureth to perswade his Maiesty that no Catholick can according to the grounds of Catholike religion be a true and loyall Subiect to his Maiestie but at the Popes pleasure or which is all one so long onely as the Pope shall not depose him which hee may doe at his pleasure But we haue great affiance in his Maiesties singular wisedome and clement disposition wherof we haue had both by his Maiesties gracious Proclamation Published after the discouerie of the Gun-powder treason publike bookes and effectuall deeds sufficient triall that he will not bee drawne by the false suggestion of this Author who would haue all Catholikes to be of the same violent spirit as hee is to haue all his Catholike Subiects in the same degree of iealousie but that he will euer make a distinction betwixt them who are his true hearted Subiects and most loyall in all temporall affaires and wil aduenture all that they haue and are in defence of his Maiesties Royall person and dignitie against any sentence of depriuation whatsoeuer which shall be denounced against him by the Pope i For so much did those 13. Reuerend Priests Mr D. Bishop Mr Colleto the rest by a publik Act bear in date the la◠of Ianuary 1602. promise to Queene Elizabeth the copie wher of thou maist see my Appendix page 346. assuring themselues that it is conformable to the grounds of Catholike Religion which they professe and not repugnant to that spirituall obedience wherein they stand bound to the supreme Pastour of the Catholike Church and those other Catholikes who thinking it to bee a point of faith that the Pope hath authoritie to dethrone Soueraigne Princes will onely defend his Maiestie and yeeld him temporall obedience vntill the Pope after his sentence of depriuation shall command them the contrarie And therefore let this Author T. F. assure himselfe that all his clamorous words and threatning speeches shall nothing discourage mee from defending the truth neither am I prest on to write against him or any other to shew my wit as hee falsely affirmeth or for hope of any temporall lucre or preferment but meerely and sincerely for the loue I beare to God Religion the Catholike truth my Prince and Countrey for which causes I neither am nor euer vvill be ashamed to be prest on to write against this T. F. or any other such like Authour who liuing in other countreyes and out of danger to loose any thing but rather in hope to obtaine aduancement by their writings will presse English Catholikes to defend with danger of loosing all that they haue of incurring their Soueraigne his high displeasure that Doctrine to bee of faith which the State of France accounteth damnable and enioyneth the Iesuites vnder paine of treason to preach the contrarie as thou shalt perceiue by the Decree which followeth which is truely translated out of the French copie printed at Paris vvhich I haue conferred with this English A DECREE Of the Court of Parliament made the 26. and executed the 27. of Iune 1614. AGAINST A Booke printed at Cologne this present yeere entituled Francisci Suarez Granatensis Societatis Iesu Doctoris Theologi Defensio fidei Catholicae et Apostolicae aduersus Anglicanae sectae errores containing diuers maximes and propositions repugnant to the Soueraigne power of Kings ordained and established by God the safetie of their persons and the peace and tranquilitie of their States The place †where are set the Kings armes At Paris By F. Morel and Peter Mettayer the Kings Printers and Stationers in Ordinarie 1614. With his Maiesties priuiledge Extracted out of the Registers of the Parliament THE Court of the great Chamber Tournelle and of the Edict assembled hauing viewed the Booke printed at Cologne this present yeare entituled Francisci Suarez Granatensis è Societate Iesu Doctoris Theologi Defensio Fidei Catholicae et Apostolicae aduersus Anglicanae sectae errores containing in the third book Chapter 23. pages 376. 79. 80. 82. Chapter 29. pages 310 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Chapter 6. page 834. Chap. 8. pag. 844. and in other places many propositions against the Soueraigne power of Kings ordained and established by God the peace and tranquilitie of their States and that it is lawfull for their Subiects and strangers to attempt against their Persons Conclusions of the Kings Atturney Generall All this being considered The said Court hath declared and doth declare the Propositions and Maximes contained in the said booke to be scandalous and seditious tending to the subuersion of States and to induce the Subiects of Kings and Soueraigne Princes and others to attempt against their Sacred Persons and the speeches mentioning King Chlowis and Philip the faire to bee false and slanderous and hath also ordained and doth ordaine that the said Booke of Suarez be burned in the Court of the Pallace by the Executioner of high Iustice And it hath and doth inhibite and forbid all sellers of Bookes and Printers to print fell or disperse any of the said bookes and also all other persons of whatsoeuer calling or condition they bee to haue to write out to retaine or to teach in Schooles or elsewhere or to Dispute the said Maximes or propositions It also ordaineth according to the Decree of the 8 of Iune 1610. that the Decree of the Facultie of Diuinitie made vpon the 4. of Iune the same yeere concerning the renewing of the Doctrinall Censure of the said Facultie bearing date the yeere 1408. confirmed by the Councell of Constance together with this present Decree as also those of the yeere 1578 95. shall yearely be read the fourth day of Iune as vvell in the said Facultie as in the Colledge of the Priests and Schollers of the Colledge of Clermont and of the foure Orders of begging Fryars And that at the request of the Kings Attourney General informations shall bee taken of the contrauentions against the said Decrees and Prohibitions made against writing hauing or keeping the like bookes Giuen in Parliament the 26. day of Iune 1614. Signed Voisin Furthermore it is Decreed that the Fathers Ignace Armand Rector in this Citie Cotton Frorton and Sirmund shall bee summoned the first day to the Court and to them shall be shewed that contrarie to their declaration and Decree of their General of the yeare 1610. the Book of Suarez hath been printed and brought into this Citie impugning the authoritie of the King and against the safety of his Person and State and they shall bee enioined to cause their Generall to renew the said Decree and to publish it and to bring in an Act thereof within these six monethes and to prouide that no Books containing such damnable and pernicious propositions bee made or published by any of their company and also they shall be enioyned in their Sermons to exhort the people to the Doctrine contrarie to the said
and of my Countrey and for other more particular reasons which I related in the beginning of those Bookes without any respect of worldly fauour or fear neither with any obstinate mind but onely to finde out the Catholike truth in this most weighty Controuersie which belongeth to the yeelding of obedience due by the Law of Christ to God and Caesar to your Holinesse who is the supreame Pastour in Earth of our soules and to our King his most excellent Maiestie who in temporals is onely inferior to GOD and I did submit most humbly In Apolog. Lectâ—â— in fine whatsoeuer was contained in them to the iudgement and censure of the Catholike Romane Church whose Childe I professed my selfe to be and if perchance any thing through ignorance had escaped me which should not bee approoued by her I did disprooue it damne it and would haue it for not written In Disp in â—e 5 Besides I did professe In Dispuâ— Cap. 6. â— 3. Num. â— seq that with all due honour and respect I did reuerence all the Canons of the Catholike Church although I did freely confesse that betwixt the Catholike Church and the Pope who is onely the first and principall member thereof betwixt some Chapters or Decrees of the Cannon Law and betwixt others a great distinction was to be made and neuerthelesse I sincerely affirmed that to euery one in his degree and place I gaue dutifull but not equall credit For in the vast Corps of the Canon Law and in the Volumes of the Councels are contained eyther sayings or assertions of the Ancient Fathers or Decrees or sentences of Popes and Councels and these are either doctrinall and which are propounded as things to be beleeued by the faithfull or else morall and which in the external discipline of the Church are commanded to be obserued 6 And first I did acknowledge that the doctrine which the Ancient Fathers either in expounding the Holy Scriptures or in Questions belonging to Faith haue with vniforme consent deliuered I did also vndoubtedly beleeue as being certainly perswaded that it was inspired by the Holie Ghost 7 Secondly I also with Melchior Canus and other Diuines affirmed that the doctrine also of all the holie Fathers in thinges which do not appertaine to Faith may piously and probably be beleeued by Catholikes yet that it ought not of necessity to be followed as certaine and infallible 8 Thirdly I did professe that the definitions of Generall Councels lawfully assembled and confirmed by the Pope wherein any doctrine is propounded to the whole Church to be beleeued of al men as of Faith are to bee receiued by Catholikes as infallible rules of Faith Neuerthelesse I did freely affirme with the aforesaid Melchior Canus and Card. Bellarmine that those opini ns which in the said Councels are defined or else supposed onely as probable and those assertions which either incidently and by the way are inserted or for better declaration or proofe of their decisions bee produced are sometimes subiect to error and may be Catholikes without any wrong to the Catholike Faith bee reiected This withall obseruing of which also in other places I haue admonished the Reader that although I professing my selfe to be a childe of the Catholike Romane Church doe most willingly embrace whatsoeuer General Councel confirmed by the Pope which doe represent the Catholike Church doe propound to the faithful as necessarily to be beleeued of faith and which certainely and euidently is knowne to bee the true sense and meaning of the Councels neuerthelesse I do not vndoubtedly beleeue euery doctrine which either Card. Bellarmine speaking with due reuerence or any other Doctour seeing they are not appointed by God to be an vndoubted rule of the Catholike Faith doe cry out to bee Catholike doctrine to be the voyce of the Catholike Church to bee the meaning of the Scriptures and Councels if especially some Catholike Doctours doe hold the contrary Then truely as it is meete I doe reuerence with all dutifull respect and I doe much attribute to their authority but that all those collections which they in their iudgements doe imagine to be euidently concluded out of holy Scriptures or Councels considering that oftentimes they are deceiued and do deceiue and what they haue written when they were younger they may recall when they grow elder e For Carâ— Bell. himselfe in his old age haâ— recalled many thinges which he wrote whâ—â— he was yonger pâ—â— chance hâ— now being elder will recall moâ—â— are to bee accounted for vndoubted assertions of faith and the contrary opinion of other Catholikes to be rather esteemed an heresie then an opinion this truly I cannot take in good part 9 Fourthly concerning the Canons or Decrees of Generall Councels belonging to manners and to the externall gouernment of the Church I promised to bee most ready to receiue willingly all those Decrees which in places where I shall liue shal be generally receiued for these are properlie called the Decrees or Canons of the Catholike or Vniuersall Church which are by common consent admitted by the Vniuersall Church Neither doubtlesse is any man bound to admit those Lawes and precepts which in the Country where he liueth are not obserued by the people as according to the receiued opinion of Deuines and Lawyers I there affirmed And the same I there auouched was to be vnderstood proportionally of the decrees of Popes and Prouinciall Councels For as concerning the Popes definitions belonging to faith if he define without a Generall Councell I confesse that I haue oftentimes auerred that very many especially Ancient Diuines of the Vniuersity of Paris whose names I there related Cap. 10. sec â— num 27. are of opinion that such Definitions vnlesse they bee receiued by the Catholike Church aâ— definitions of the Catholike Faith are subiect to errour whose opinion both for the authority of so famous men and also for the reasons and grounds whereon that opinion is founded I with later Deuines to whose opinion also Card. Bellarmine himselfe doth plainly enough incline Lib. 2. de â—oncil cap. â— howsoeuer he would seeme to auerre the contrary Lib. 4. de â—om Pont. â—p 2 lib. de concil â—p 17. haue also oftentimes affirmed is not to be condemned of heresie errour or temerity which also now againe speaking with all dutiful submission I feare not to confirme 10 Lastly concerning my Disputation of the Oath and the Dedication therof which seemeth to be that stone of offence and rocke of scandall to some Deuines especially of the Society of Iesus and to those Catholikes who adhere to them I cannot to speake vnfaignedly in any wise vnderstand what can iustly bee obiected against it or what fault I haue committed either in making it or else in dedicating it to your Holinesse of which I should purge my selfe For first of all I the Authour of that Disputation and Dedication haue therein professed That I did not write it with any obstinate