CHAPTER VI.

THE POPE CLAIMS TEMPORAL AS WELL AS SPI

RITUAL POWER.

Proof of this continued:-Fourth:-From the decrees of General Councils-Eight of these Councils have invested the pope with this unlimited power over civil rulers-Rucellai on the Bull In coena Domini.

"The canons of General Councils I indubitably receive and profess."

Pope Pius' Creed.

Fourth. We shall adduce the testimony of general councils on this point. The pope's bull, when once received by his bishops, and consented to, establishes the matter of that bull into a genuine article of faith; and is, thenceforth, as binding upon every papist, as any text of God's Holy Scriptures.

Another class, however, demand evidence somewhat different from this. "It requires," say they, "the pope, and a council, to enact articles of faith.. If the dogma comes from a council and a pope, then it has on its face the stamp of divinity." This evidence I am now to produce on the subject before us.

Eight General Councils have issued decrees; in which they invest the pope with supreme temporal power. And the canons of these councils, each bishop and priest are sworn, by a solemn oath, "to receive; and to cause them to be held, taught, and preached by others." A copy of this oath I shall subjoin presently..

I mention this to put my reader on his guard against the usual Jesuitism of the papists, who cease

power to inflict civil pains, upon civil rulers. And this canon has never been revoked.

3d. The Council of Vienna, in 1311, decreed that:- -"The emperor is bound to the pope, from whom he receives consecration, unction, and coronation, by an oath of fealty." And Pope Clement, the presiding "god," thus expounded the mind of the holy council,-"The king of kings has given such a power to his church, that the kingdom belongs to her; that she can elevate the grandest princes; and that emperors, and kings, ought to obey her." See Bruys, Histoire Des Papes, iii. 373. Edgar, p. 228.

4th. The Council of Constance in its 17th session, decreed the "anathema, and deposition, on all persons, be they kings, princes, priests, or prelates, who should throw any obstacle or hinderance in the way of the Emperor Sigismond, in his journey to Arragon, to confer with King Ferdinand, for the extinction of schism in the church." Here is an instance of a council, with a pope at its head, offering an insult, in the most public manner, to a sov ereign nation, and government. Without consult ing France, or her king, this council of priests enacts a decree, giving a right, and authority to another sovereign, with his armed men, to pass through the country, without leave asked or given! Maimburgh, 247. Edgar, p. 229.

This council, in its 20th session, also took cogni zance of the Duke of Austria. He had, in war, stripped the bishop of Trent of some of his large dominions. And they enacted against him a de cree of deposition from office and honours, if he did not restore what he had acquired! This sen

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tence extended even to his heirs, and his accomplices. So completely had the enacting power in Rome, which forms new articles of faith, placed the ghostly power above all civil authority!

5th. The Council of Pisa having deposed two popes, issued the spiritual ban of deposition on all emperors, kings, princes, and magistrates, who should presume to aid, counsel, or favour the deposed popes! Labbeus, xv. p. 1219.

6th. The Council of Basil, in its 40th session, issued a similar decree against, "any emperor, king, ruler, or officer, who should refuse to obey the newmade pope." Here we have an instance of the Court of Rome exercising power over all officers in the state, civil and military.

7th. In the Council of the Lateran, held in 1512, Cardinal Cajetan, thus uttered the sentiments of the fathers:-"The pope has two swords; the one is common to his supremacy, and other earthly princes; the other is peculiar to himself, as pope. And this is precisely what is taught in the canon law." See Extravag. Comm. I. 8. 1. "In hac po-. testate, &c.-We are instructed in the gospel, that in the pope's power there are two swords; to wit, the spiritual and the temporal. Each of these, then, is in the power of the church." Edgar's Variations, p. 225.

Lastly: The Council of Trent, the last held by Romanists, has in like manner, interfered with the internal regulations, and laws of civil governments. In the 25th session it decreed, that "if any emperor, king, or other civil prince, should permit a duel in his dominions, he should be excommunicated, and solemnly deprived of his city, castle, or

pensing in oaths, simply to spirituals!" He could produce none! See 8 Rep. p. 173.

The same question was put to Dr. McHale, another professor of Maynooth, who, after some jesuitical evasions, in the use of his “DISTINGUO!" added this singular observation: -"A decree

setting bounds to this power, and confining it to spirituals, is not necessary. The church herself will always point out the limits." See 8 Rep. p. 285. Yes, verily! Holy Mother will point out the limits! Her benefit will decide when it is to be extended to temporals, in absolving all subjects from allegiance to their princes; and all citizens from their government and laws! Her benefit will determine when "the spiritual subjects" of the pope are to be absolved from all bonds, leagues, and treaties with Protestant heretics! This remark of Dr. McHale has put Protestants into the possession of an extraordinary secret of Jesuitism.

The following quotation from the bull of Pope Sixtus V., in 1585, will exhibit a specimen of papal absolution from an oath. He is issuing the thunder of the Vatican against the King of Navarre, and the Prince of Condè, and absolving their subjects from their oaths of fealty. "By the authority of these presents, do we absolve and set free all persons, jointly and severally, from any such oath; and from all duty whatsoever, in regard of dominion, fealty, and obedience; and we do charge and forbid all, and every one of them, that they do not dare to obey them; or any of their admonitions, laws, and commands !" Bulla Sixti V. Contra Henr. Nav. R., Barrow's Pope's Supre

macy, 19. Will Dr. McHale say that this was absolution from oaths in things spiritual?

This is not all: there is another dogma laid down in the same Text Book of Maynooth, which must satisfy every patriot that no court of justice, that no civil government, can trust a papist's oath. Here is the extract;-"Et fit sub illa, &c. And an oath is always taken under that silent and understood condition, from the nature of the law itself, that it is dependent on the act of the person who has the right of contradicting it." See 8th Rep. p. 165.

Now the pope is every papist's master and lord; he has the absolute power and right to contradict his subjects' oath in any court of justice; or to any government. The pope has only to say the word, and his subject may take any oath for Holy Mother's good! Again, he has only to utter his will, and any oath to a civil power, and any oath in a civil court, is set aside, and he is absolved from all sin; whether it be that of deception, prevarication, or even wilful perjury!

We shall close this branch of our argument, by an anecdote or two, illustrative thereof, and a notice of the recent case of the present pope, and Don Pedro of Portugal.

It is narrated of Philip III., King of Spain, that he was, on one occasion, so much overcome by the piteous cries of the condemned innocents at an Auto da fe, that he was heard to say, "How hard is it for men to die for their opinions and belief!"

One of the spies of the Inquisition reported his majesty's exclamation to the Inquisitor General. Acting on the principle that the supreme head of