Hence this power of the pope, though indirect, is over all, and above all civil power, men, and things, in a Christian country. "Si autem tale, &c. If, however, any such thing may happen, the spiritual power can, and ought to restrain the temporal, by every means and way which shall seem necessary for that purpose."

Inas

Again,-" Quantum ad personas, &c. much as it regards persons, the pope cannot, as pope, ordinarily depose temporal princes, even for a just cause, in the same manner as he can depose bishops, that is, as an ordinary judge: however, he can change kingdoms, and take away the power from one, and confer it on another,-tanquam summus princeps spiritualis, as a spiritual supreme prince; if it be necessary to the salvation of souls."

Again;-"Quantum ad leges, &c. As it regards laws, the pope cannot, as pope, ordinarily enact a civil law, or confirm and abrogate the laws of princes, because he is not himself a political prince of the church; however, he can do all these things just mentioned (enact and abrogate civil laws) if any civil law be necessary for men's salvation, and yet kings will not enact it; or, if any civil law be injurious for man's salvation, and yet kings will not abrogate it."

I shall here quote the famous passage of this cardinal, in which he sets forth the pope's power in temporals, and in spirituals, with a witness. "Si autem papa erraret, &c. If the pope should err by enjoining vices, or prohibiting virtues, still the church is bound to believe vice to be virtue, and virtue vice, unless she would wish to sin against conscience. For the church is bound in

doubtful matters to acquiesce in the judgment of the chief pontiff: and do whatever he enjoins; and not do what he forbids: and under pain of mortal sin, she is bound to believe that whatever he enjoins is virtue; whatever he prohibits is vice." Bell. De Rom, Pont. Lib. iv. cap. 5.*

The sum of his argument is this:-When the good of the Roman church requires it, (and the pope is judge of that,) "the pontiff can enact civil laws for a people; he can confirm them; and abrogate them at his will, as supreme spiritual prince; he can erect kingdoms;† transfer thrones; depose magistrates, kings, and emperors; and by divine right, he can rescind all obligations of citi zens to their government; and all allegiance of a people to their chief magistrate."

These lines in Italics are omitted in my copy of Bellarmine, which, as appears from an inscription in it, belonged to the Jesuit College of Bamberg. But they are copied from the edition used by the Royal Commissioners in their 8th Report on Irish Education, p. 344.

+ The Duke of Dalmatia was created a king, and his dominions erected into a kingdom, by Pope Gregory VII. in A. D. 1076 he was proclaimed king, at Salona, by that pope's Legate! Thus a wretched priest at Rome dictated to a whole pation. its rulers. hat kind of government they should

CHAPTER III.

THE POPE CLAIMS TEMPORAL, AS WELL AS SPIR

ITUAL POWER.

“He shall speak great words against the Most High; and think to change times, and laws !"-DANIEL.

Second. LET us examine the Canon law on this point. This law is of the highest authority, in the Romish church. There is a bull of Pope Gregory XIII, prefixed to the Corpus Juris Canonici, solemnly ratifying these laws. Hence no orthodox papist can read, without indignation, the jesuitical answers of the Maynooth Romish professors, before the royal commissioners, in 1826, on this topic. Professor Slevin ventured, with astonishing assurance, to say, that "circumstances have undergone a great change; and these decretals of Pope Gregory XI. must fall, seeing the ground work of his decretals has been removed." See 8 Report, supra, p. 242, note. Does this unknown and obscure man, or his associates, take on them to rescind the solemn Canon Law of the Roman Catholic church? Have these men forgotten the claims of the pope, and church, to infallibility? Shall we abide by the Canon laws, the unrepealed statutes of the infallible pope, and church, or shall we listen to these obscure Jesuits of Ireland, who attempted to palm off on the British public, their private opinions for Canon Law? Can any man of the least reflection be deceived by these Jesuits, palming on the British public, their own private conjectures, and newly as

sumed liberalism, as the genuine popery of the Canon Law, and the Vatican?

We quote Canon Law, therefore, as having as solemn an obligation on every true papist, as the common laws of the land have upon us personally, as citizens.

This law vests in the pope, and church, A POWER

TO DISPENSE WITH OATHS AND VOWS OF ALLEGI

ANCE. Hence, it puts into the pope's hands, the supremacy of power to set the people of any nation free from allegiance to their government; and to set aside any oath, which a magistrate can administer. Here is an extract of the law. Can, auctoritatis, 2, caus. 15, quest. 6, part 2. "A fidelitatis etiam juramento, &c.-The Roman pontiff can absolve persons even from the oath of allegiance, when he deposes rulers from their dignity.'

We have also three canons to the same effect. See Gratian. Can. Alius, 3:-Can. Nos sanctorum, 4:--and Can. Juratos, 5, caus. 15, Quæst. 6. See Demoulin, p. 21.

The glossa of John Semeca in Gratian, asks,— "For what sins may the emperor (or a magistrate) be deposed?" The answer is this:- "Pro quolibet, &c.-For any sin, if he be incorrigible; and not only for his sins, but if he do unprofitably manage his regal power." See Glossa, ad Can. Si papa 6. Dist. 40. The power of judging when a magistrate does "manage his civil power unprofit ably," is also vested in the pope. See Can. Alius, 2. Caus. 15. Quæst. 6.-Demoulin, p. 21. Pope Zachary acted according to the letter of this law, when he deposed the king of France.

By Canon Law the pope is invested with power

to annul any civil law that may injure the papal interests. Here is the law. Corpus Jur. Canon Lib. vi. Decretal. cap. 9. "Non valeat, &c.-All laws by which the office of a heresy detector is obstructed, or retarded, are null and void."

Again, cap. 19, p. 142. "Bona, &c.-The goods of heretics are rightfully confiscated." Thus, in Austria, Spain, or in Mexico, whatever appeal the oppressed may make to the civil law, it is all in vain. The ghostly tribunal confiscates his goods; and not only is the father, and protector of a family, torn away by the spiritual ruffians; but every article of property, and even the last morsel of food, are abstracted from the mother, and her weeping children.

Again, cap. 6. p. 135,-" Ordinarii, &c.-Prelates, vicars-general, and their delegates, and inquisitors, may enforce persons who have secular jurisdiction to execute their sentence upon heretics." Thus, according to the very letter of the Canon Law, "priests are constituted judges in civil matters and kings, and magistrates, are 'the pope's hangmen !'"

The following I copy from the famous Decretal of Pope Gregory IX. Lib. v. Titul. 7. cap. 13. "Moneantur, &c.-Let the secular powers be admonished and induced; and, if necessary, let them be compelled by church censures, that, as they desire to be esteemed among the faithful, so for the defence of the faith, they publicly take an oath, that from the lands under their jurisdictions, they will, with all their might, study to exterminate all heretics denounced by the church, &c." "If they shall refuse, they shall be excommunicated: if they still