VI. THE Members of the Gallican Church, and all others that may be included under the fame Denomination, do not pretend to build their Right of perfecuting Hereticks upon fuch Principles, but think they go upon furer Grounds, by afcribing to the Church, For to the Church and State, as profeffing the Catholick Religion the Right and Power of an earthly Parent over her Children. And as this Doctrine carries with it an Appearance of Regard for the Souls of Men, mixed with Tenderness and Affection to their Perfons, the Unwary and Well-intentioned are the more easily deceived into an Approbation of it, as they may not fee into the fatal Confequences of fuch a Claim. For under the Pretence of a Parent's ufing neceffary Difcipline, and wholefome Severities, for the Correction of a difobedient Child, all Kinds of Perfecution that do not extend to the taking away of Life itself. are allowed and juftified. Nay even Death is inflicted on the Proteftant Minifters of the Gofpel, who are confidered as the Corruptors of thefe Children, whenever they exercife auy Part of their holy Function. Moreover, if a Lay Perfon fhould occafionally officiate, for want of a Minifter, in any publick Affembly, or be inftrumental in calling it together, he is to be punished in the like Manner: It being the wicked Policy of the Romish Church to deprive the Proteftants of having publick Teachers of any Kind; hoping thereby, that when the Shepherds are fmitten, their Flocks will be fcattered, and become the more eafy Prey. And this Treatment, cruel and unchriftian as it is, is the very mildeft fhe vouchfafes to Proteftants. But before we enter more diftinctly into the Confequences, let us first examine the Foundation of this Doctrine.

VII. NOW

VII. NOW the very Terms made ufe of, [Mater & Magiftra] Mother and Governess, are figurative and metaphorical Expreffions, and therefore, should not be fuppofed to extend to all Cafes belonging to the Original from whence they are borrowed. Nay, if they baa bad been Scripture Phrafes, which I bumbly conceive they are not, they would not have juftified all the Conclufions the Romanists draw from them. For Doctrines of Importance, which have an immediate Reference to Practice, and on which bath the prefent and future Happiness of Mankind are fuppofed to depend, are not to be built on Tropes and Metaphors-efpecially where the Subject would admit of the plaineft and most exprefs Language, level to all Capacities. And yet there is not one Word in all the New Teftament, the Romanifts themselves being Judges, that directly, and ex profeffo, teaches or inculcates the Doctrine of Perfecution; though they must allow, that it would have been as easy to fay, Perfecute Hereticks, as Love your Enemies. And therefore, when they would defend thefe unchrif tian Tenets by Scripture Arguments, they are forced to feek out for strained Interpretations, and to have recourfe to very remote Conclufions, or ill founded Hypothefes.

AND as to the primitive Church, the very Circumftances of it under the Pagan Emperors, afford Evidence enough to fhew, what the Christians of thofe Times thought of Perfecution. But when the Empire

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The Church Triumphant in Heaven, the Jerufalem that is Above, is faid to be The Mother of us all; but this Appellation is never given in Scripture to any Church Militant upon Earth.

became Chriftian, the Sweets of Power, and Thirst of Dominion and Revenge, foon began to corrupt the Gofpel Doctrine of Love and Charity, and mutual Forbearance; and the Gentleness and Condefcenfion fo earneftly and pathetically recommended by St Paul to be fhewn to a weak Brother, were turned into Bitterness, and Wrath, and Evil-Speaking. And every Sect, when uppermoft, called upon the Secular Arm to fupport the good Caufe, by crushing their Adverfaries. Hence arofe new Claims of Right and Power; and fubtle Diftinctions were coined to justify the Perfecution of the one Side, and condemn that of the other. Thus the Church of Rome, who finds fuch Difficulty to prefs a fingle Text into its Service out of the Holy Scriptures, is enabled to produce Authorities in Abundance from the Fathers of the Fourth and following Centuries, in fupport of the worst of Caufes, the Caufe of Perfecution. Let us therefore now proceed to its Effects and Confequences.

VIII. IN the first Place, the Roman Church, as the Univerfal Mother, extends her Claim of Parental Jurifdiction, not only over her own Members, but over every other Sect of Chriftians in the World; and never fails to exercife this Power whenever he can: For all Hereticks are still to be confidered as ber Children, though difobedient and rebellious; and the more obftinately they perfift in their Crimes, the stronger are the Reasons why fhe fhould exert a Parent's Right in Chaftizing them, if they are not prevailed upon by gentle Methods.

IN the next Place, as the Church bath an unalieniable Right to the filial Obedience of all her Chil

dren,

dren, no temporal Prince, or civil Magiftrate, ought to covenant or agree with the Delinquents, that this Obedience should not be paid; for this would be doing an Injustice to the common Parent: And the civil Magiftrate, who is bound in Confcience, as a good Catholick, both to reverence and obey her bimfelf, and not to confent to the Violation of her Authority by bis own Subjects, cannot difannul this fuperior and prior Obligation by any pretended Engagements to the contrary

SUPPOSE therefore be took an Oath to grant Liberty of Confcience, and the free Exercife of Religion, to Proteftants or Hereticks; Suppose be stipulated, that he would bold facred the Rights of private Judgment, provided nothing was broached offenfive to good Manners and civil Society;-Suppofe this was made the exprefs Condition of his being admitted to reign over them;-Why, fuch Oaths, and fuch Conditions, are null in themfelves; and be ought not to perform what he had NO RIGHT to promife. A Catholick Prince, who comes under any Engagements with his Proteftant Subjects, inconfiftent with the Duty owing to the common Parent, was guilty of a Crime in coming under fuch Engagements, but will be guilty of a much worfe in keeping them.

IX. THE Confequences of fuch Pofitions are very plain and obvious;-and fill the more dreadful, when we come to view them exemplified in Practice. For it is obfervable of ALL the States and Kingdoms of the Romish Perfuafion, that they NEVER CEASE to perfecute the Proteftants in one Degree or other; fo

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that the mildeft Treatment they vouchsafe to give, would be reckoned barbarous and cruel in this happy Land of Liberty, if the Catholicks in England were to meet with fuch Ufage. Nor is it to be forgotten, that the Laws in force against the Protef tants Abroad, are not only fevere, and in fome InStances cruel and fhocking, but also that the great Body of the Romish Communion are led by the Spirit and Tenor of their Religion to efteem it meritorious to execute thefe Laws with the utmost Rigor. And the Doctrine of their Church, concerning the Piety of extirpating Herefy, joined to that of Pardons and Indulgences, bath a ftrange Effect in difpofing them to believe, that their perfonal Vices and favourite Sins may be atoned for by a warmer and fiercer Zeal for the Catholick Cause. As to the Popish Clergy in particular, it is their Unhappiness, not. only to have thefe Prejudices in common with others, but also to be fpurred on to act with the greater Violence by the Temptations of Self-Intereft and prefent Advantage. And I cannot omit obferving, that the Edits of the prefent King of France are framed with fo much Art and Policy, that they will in a great Measure execute themselves, both by the Encouragements given to Informers, and the Penalties which the new-converted Catholicks are fubject to, if they are obferved to favour in the leaft Degree the Meetings of Proteftants; nay, if they are not extremely vigilant in detecting and profecuting them, though they should happen to be their own Children, or nearest and dearest Relations. In short, the greatet Favour the Proteftants can expect from a Popish Government;

*See the Tract entitled, Popery always the fame, Printed for B. DoD in Ave-Mary Lane, London, 1746.