CHAP.

IV.

" weak people concerning the faith which I have taught in "the schools and elsewhere, and which by those who are " more than children has been conveyed beyond sea, even "to the Court of Rome, that Christians may not be scan"dalized on my account, I am willing to set down my

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sense in writing, since I am prosecuted for the same. "Which opinion I am willing to defend even unto death,

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as I believe all Christians ought to do, and especially the "Pope of Rome, and the rest of the priests of the Church. "I understand the conclusions according to the sense of "Scripture and the holy Doctors, and the manner of speak"ing used by them; which sense I am ready to explain, "and if it be proved that the conclusions are contrary to "the faith, I am willing very readily to retract them.

"I. The first conclusion is, that all mankind since "Christ's coming have not power simply or absolutely to " ordain, that Peter and all his successors should rule over "the world politically for ever. And it is plain, that it is "not in the power of men to hinder the coming of Christ " to the last judgment, which we are bound to believe ac"cording to that article of the Creed, from thence he shall " come to judge the living and the dead. For after that, "according to the faith delivered in Scripture, all human "polity will be at an end. But I understand that political "dominion, or civil secular government, does pertain to "the laity, who are actually living, whilst they are absent "from the Lord: for of such a political dominion do the "philosophers speak. And although it be styled periodi"cal, and sometimes perpetual, [or for ever;] yet because "in the holy Scripture, in the use of the Church, and in "the writings of the philosophers, perpetuum is plainly " used commonly in the same sense as eternal; I after"wards suppose that term to be used or taken in that

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more famous signification; for thus the Church sings, "Glory be to God the Father, and to his only Son, with "the Holy Spirit the Comforter, both now and for ever [in "perpetuum.] And then the conclusion immediately fol"lows on the principles of faith; since it is not in the

" power of men to appoint the pilgrimage of the Church to CHAP. "be without end.

" II. God cannot give civil dominion to any man for " himself and his heirs for ever; in perpetuum. By civil "dominion I mean the same that I meant above by poli“tical dominion, and by perpetual or for ever the same that " I did before, as the Scripture understands the perpetual

or everlasting habitations in the state of blessedness. I " said therefore, first, that God of his ordinary power can"not give man civil dominion for ever. I said, secondly, "that it seems probable that God of his absolute power "cannot give man such a dominion, in perpetuum, for

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ever, because he cannot, as it seems, always imprison "his Spouse on the way, nor always defer the ultimate "completion of her happiness.

IV.

" III. Charters of human invention concerning civil " inheritance for ever are impossible. This is an incident "truth. For we ought not to † reckon as Catholic all the † catholi" charters that are held by an unjust occupier. But if this care.

" be confirmed by the faith of the Church, there would be

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an opportunity given for charity, and a liberty to trust " in temporalties, and to petition for them. For as every "truth is necessary, so every falsehood is possible on sup" position, as is plain by the testimony of Scripture, and of "the holy Doctors, who speak of the necessity of things "future.

" IV. Every one being or existing in grace justifying "finally, has not only a right unto, but in fact hath all "the things of God. Or, has not only a right unto the "thing, but for his time has by right a power over all the "good things of God. This is plain from Scripture, Matt. "xxiv. because the truth promises this to those citizens "who enter into his joy; Verily I say unto you, that he

CHAP.

IV.

" shall make him ruler over all his goods. For the right " of the communion of saints in their own country is found" ed objectively on the universality of the good things of "God.

“ V. A man can give dominion to his natural or adopt"ed son, whether that dominion be temporal or eternal, min"isterially only. This is plain from hence, that every "man ought to acknowledge himself in all his works an "humble minister of God, as is evident from Scripture; “Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ. "Nay Christ himself so ministered, and taught his princi"pal Apostles so to minister. But in their own country "the saints will give to their brethren the dominion of "goods, as is plain from their acting in the body, or their "disposal of inferior good things by nature, according to "that of Luke vi. Good measure, pressed down and shaken "together, and running over, shall men give into your " bosom.

"VI. If God is, temporal lords may lawfully and meri"toriously take away the goods of fortune from a delinquent "Church. That conclusion is correlative with the first ar"ticle of the Creed, I believe in God the Father Almighty. " I understand the word may as the Scriptures do, which "grant that God may of stones raise up children unto "Abraham; for otherwise all Christian princes should be "heretics. For the first conclusion the argument is thus "formed. If God is, he is almighty; and if so, he may "prescribe to temporal lords to take away the goods of "fortune from a delinquent Church; and if he does thus " prescribe to them, they may lawfully so take them away. "Ergo, from whence, in virtue of that principle, have "Christian princes put in practice that opinion. But God "forbid that from thence it should be believed that it was

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my meaning that secular lords may lawfully take them away when and howsoever they please, or by their bare "authority: but that they may only do it by the authority " of the Church in cases and form limited by law.

IV.

N. B. The next article in the Pope's schedule is here CHAP. omitted, and No. VIII. follows, which is here numbered the VIIth.

"VII. We know that it is not possible that the Vicar of " Christ merely by his Bulls, or by them together with his

own will and consent, and that of his College of Cardi"nals, can qualify or disable any man. This is plain from "the Catholic faith; since it behoves our Lord in every " vicarious operation to maintain the primacy. Therefore,

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as in every qualifying of a subject, it is first required "that the subject to be qualified be meet and worthy; so "in every disqualification there is first required a deserv"ing from some demerit of the person disqualified, and by

consequence, such a qualifying or disqualifying is not " made purely by the ministry of the Vicar of Christ, but "from above, from elsewhere, or from some other.

"VIII. It is not possible that a man should be excommu"nicated to his damage, unless he be excommunicated first " and principally by himself. This is plain; since such an " excommunication must be originally founded on the sin " of the party damaged. From whence Augustin in his "twenty-first sermon on the words of the Lord; Do thou,

says he, not misuse thyself, and man shall not get the bet"ter of thee. And to this day the faith of the Church "sings, No adversity shall do us any hurt, if iniquity "does not prevail. Notwithstanding, all excommunica"tion is to be dreaded on many accounts, even although "the excommunication of the Church be, to the humble " excommunicate, not damnable, but wholesome.

"IX. 1 Nobody ought, except in the cause of God, to ex"communicate, suspend, or interdict any one, or to proceed "according to any ecclesiastical censure by way of revenge. "This appears from hence; that every just cause is the

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cause of God, to which chiefly respect ought to be had. "Nay a love for the excommunicate ought to exceed a " zeal or desire of revenge, and an affection for any tempo"ral things; since otherwise, even he that excommuni

IV.

CHAP. "cates injures himself. To this ninth conclusion we add, "that it is agreeable to it, that a Prelate should excom"municate in human causes, but principally on this ac"count, because an injury is done to his God. 13. q. c. "inter querelas.

"X. Cursing or excommunication does not bind finally, "only so far as it is used against an adversary of the law "of Christ. This is plain, since it is God that binds abso"lutely every one that is bound, who cannot excommuni"cate, unless it be for a transgression of or prevaricating "with his own law. To this tenth conclusion we add, that "it is consonant to it, that the ecclesiastical censure be " used against an adversary of a member of the Church, "notwithstanding it does not bind absolutely, but second"arily..

"XI. There is no power granted or exemplified by Christ * precipue. " to his disciples, to excommunicate a subject [* chiefly] "for denying any temporalties, but on the contrary. This " is plain from the faith taught in Scripture, according to "which we believe, that God is to be loved above all "things, and our neighbour and enemy more than all the "temporalties of this world necessarily; and because the " law of God is not contradictory to itself.

"XII. The disciples of Christ have no power to exact by "civil compulsion temporalties by censures; as is plain " from Scripture, Luke xxii. where Christ forbade his Apo"stles to reign civilly, or to exercise any temporal domin"ion. The king's of the Gentiles, says he, exercise lordship "over them, but ye shall not be so. And in that sense it " is expounded by St. Bernard, St. Chrysostom, and other "saints. We add to this twelfth conclusion, that, notwith" standing, temporalties may be exacted by ecclesiastical " censures accessorie in vindication of his God.

" XIII. It is not possible by the absolute power of God, "that if the Pope or any other Christian shall pretend, that "he binds or looses at any rate, therefore he doth actually "bind or loose. The opposite of this would destroy the " whole Catholic faith; since it imports no less than blas