faithfull christians; so, certainely, is it altogether 66 necessary for you, most blessed sonnes. For, by this your charitie, the power of the deuill is weak"ened; who doeth so much assaile you, since that

66

66

We

power of his is especially vp-held by the contentions, and disagreement, of our sonnes. "exhort you, therefore, by the bowells of our Lord "Jesus Christ, by whose love, wee are taken out of "the lawes of eternall death; That, above all things, you would have mutuall charitie among you. "Surely, pope Clement the eight, of happy memory, "hath giuen you most profitable precepts of prac"tising brotherly charitie one to another, in his "letters, in forme of a breue, to our well-beloved 66 sonne, M. George, archpriest of the kingdome "of England, dated the 5th day of the moneth of 'October, 1602. Put them, therefore, diligently "in practise; and bee not hindered by any diffi"cultie, or doubtfulnesse. We command you, that

66

ye doe exactly obserue the words of those letters; 66 and that ye take, and vnderstand them, simply, "as they sound, and as they lie; all power to in

66

terpret them otherwise being taken away. In the "meane while, wee will never cease to pray to the "Father of mercies, that hee would, with pitie, "beholde your afflictions, and your paines; and "that he would keepe, and defend, you with his "continuall protection: whom we doe gently greet "with our apostolicall benediction. Dated, at "Rome, at S. Marke, vnder the signet of the Fish

erman, the tenth of the Kalends of October, 1606, "the second yeare of our popedome."

It appears, that, when the brief reached England, great doubts were entertained of its authenticity.This circumstance produced a second brief. It is translated, in the following terms, by the royal polemic :

"Beloued sonnes, salutation, and apostolicall "benediction. It is reported vnto vs, that there "are found certaine amongst you, who, when, as "wee have sufficiently declared by our letters, "dated the last yeere, on the tenth of the calends "of October, in the forme of a breve, that yee "cannot, with safe conscience, take the oath, which was then required of you; and when, as wee "have further straitly commaunded you, that, by "no meanes, ye should take it yet, there are 66 some, I say, among you, which dare now affirme, "that such letters, concerning the forbidding of "the oath, were not written of our own accord, or "of our owne proper will; but rather, for the

66

respect, and at the instigation, of other men. "And for that cause, the same men doe goe about "to persuade you, that our commands, in the said letters, are not to be regarded. Surely, this "newes did trouble us; and that so much the "more, because having had experience of your obe"dience, (most dearely beloved sonnes), who, to "the end ye might obey this holy see, have godly, "and valiantly, contemned your riches, wealth, "honour, libertie, yea and life itselfe; we should "never have suspected, that the trueth of our "apostolique letters could once be called into ques"tion among you, that by this pretence, yee might

66

66

"exempt yourselues from our commandements. But, we doe herein perceive the subtiltie, and "craft, of the enemie of mans saluation; and wee "doe attribute this your backwardnesse, rather to "him, than to your owne will. And for this cause, "wee have thought good to write the second time "vnto you; and to signifie vnto you againe, That "our apostolike letters, dated the last yere, on "the tenth of the calends of October, concerning "the prohibition of the oath, were written, not onely vpon our proper motion, and of our certaine knowledge; but also after long, and weightie, "deliberation, vsed concerning all those things, "which are contained in them; and that, for that cause, yee are bound fully to observe them; re'jecting all interpretation, perswading to the con66 trary. And this is our meere, pure, and perfect "will; being always carefull of your salvation, and alwayes minding those things, which are most profitable vnto you. And wee doe pray without "ceasing, that he, that hath appointed our lowlinesse to the keeping of the flocke of Christ, would enlighten our thoughts, and our counsels: whom "we do also continually desire, that he would in"crease in you, (our beloued sonnes), faith, con

66

66

stancy, and mutuall charitie, and peace, one to "another. All whom, we doe most lovingly blesse, "with all charitable affection."

"Dated at Rome, at Saint Marke's, vnder the signet of the Fisherman, the x of the calends of September, 1607; the third yeere of our pope"dome."

66

CHAP. XXVI.

THE CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE LAWFULNESS

OF THE OATH.

TO all, who are interested, either in the history of the times, to which these pages relate, or in the history of the pretensions of the popes to temporal power, this controversy is of singular importance. This, however, is not the place for detailing its particulars. The combatants, who principally distinguished themselves in it, were cardinal Bellarmine, and father Preston, an English benedictine monk, who assumed, in this controversy, the surname of Widdrington. Each wrote, as a scholar and a gentleman. The objections to the oath were numerous; but, as we have already said, and must repeat, in this place, the cardo causa, the hinge, on which the merits of the case principally rested, was, the lawfulness of the absolute denial, expressed in the oath, of the pope's divine right to the power, of deposing sovereigns from their kingdoms for heresy.

To lead the reader to a general view of the history of the controversy, we shall present to him, I. An account of the approbation of the oath, by Mr. Blackwell, the archpriest; and the letter addressed to him upon it by cardinal Bellarmine: II. Of James's apology for the oath: III. Of the

answers to it by cardinal Bellarmine,—with a mention of the cardinal's system on the pope's authority in temporals: IV. Of the answer to James's apology by father Parsons,—with a notice of his general character,—and of the work, on the succession to the crown, of which, under the name of Doleman, he is said to have been the principal author: V. And of the Præmonition, prefixed by James the first, to the second edition of his apology, and addressed by him to the emperor, and all other sovereign princes and states.

XXVI. 1.

Mr. Blackwell's approbation of the Oath.-Cardinal Bellarmine's letter to him upon it.

THE first publication on the controversy, was a letter, which Mr. Blackwell, the archpriest, addressed to the English catholics, declaring his opinion to be favourable to the oath; and advising them to take it. This produced a letter to the archpriest, from cardinal Bellarmine, expressing a contrary opinion; blaming the archpriest for having taken the oath; and exhorting him to retract it. Some individuals, among whom we may reckon the monarch himself-thought, that the cardinal had mistaken the oath of supremacy, enacted by queen Elizabeth, for the oath of allegiance, proposed by James :-Supposing, at the same time, that the former was the oath, taken and recommended, by Blackwell.