Panorm. de of God's people'; for title, God, even the Lord God the Pope2; Transl. Præl. cap. quarto. for power, God; For Cere. Lib. I. c. 2. By him kings reign3; he may judge all men, but must Distinct. xl. of none be judged'; he can do what him list, as well as God, c. 5, Papa. Extravag de Transl. except sins. His jurisdiction is universal, even over the whole world. Ronit VIII. to obey 7. de Major, et Motive 40. Matt. xxvi. 52. And by his sovereign authority both all Papists in England were discharged from their obedience and subjection unto queen Elizabeth, and the same queen disabled to govern her own people and dominions 8. Proposition VI. By the laws of this realm Christian men for heinous and grievous offences may be put to death. The proof from God's word. As the natures of men be divers, and some sins in some countries more abound than in others; so are the punishments to be imposed upon malefactors, according to the quantity and quality of their offences; and any country and kingdom may punish offenders even with death, if the laws thereof, and their offence, do require it. For "All that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” [The Apostolique Bishop is...a spiritual and most loving parent and common Father of al Christians, and speciallie of Princes.-(Card. Alan's) Sincere and Modest Defence, &c. An Answer, &c. x. cap. vi. p. 121. ...our holie and highe Pastor. Ibid. p. 130. ...the cheefe Bishops of Christes Church, our supreme Pastors in earth, &c.-Ibid. cap. vII. p. 144.] [ See above, p. 38, note 2.] [ Sacr. Ceremon. Lib. Rom. 1500. Lib. 1. foll. 24, 5.] [* See above, Art. xx. Prop. 3. p. 191, note 5.] [ See above, p. 38, note 4.] [The title of universal Bishop refused, but universal jurisdiction always acknowledged and practised.—Test. Rhem. Rhemes, 1582. Marg. Annot. p. 280.] [See above, page 172, note 1.] [ And if at any time it happen, after long toleration, humble beseeching and often admonition, of very wicked and notorious apostates or heretics, no other hope of amendment appearing, but the filthy more and more daily defiling himself and others to the huge great heap of their own damnation, that after all this the sovereign authority of our common pastor in religion, for the saving of souls, do duly discharge us from subjection, and the prince offender from his dominion, &c.— Motives to the Catholic Faith by Richard Bristow. Antwerp, 1599, cap. xl. p. 153. b.] "Governors be sent of the king for the punishment of 1 Pet. ii. 14. evil-doers." "A wise king scattereth the wicked, and causeth the Prov. xx. 26. wheel to turn over them." "The magistrate beareth not the sword for nought, and is Rom. xiii. 4. the minister of God to take vengeance on them that do evil.” Which punishments testify to the world, that God is just, which will have some sins more severely punished than others, and the magistrates to cut off dangerous and ungodly members: God is merciful, and hath care both of his servants and of human society: God is all wise and holy, in that he will have it known who are just, who wicked, who holy, and who profane, by cherishing and preserving of the one, and by punishing and rooting out of the other. Our godly and christian brethren in other countries ap- Conf. Helv. 1. prove this doctrine". VII. Bohem. c. 16. Gal. Art. xxxix. Belg. Art. xxxvi. August. Art. xvI. The adversaries unto this truth. The adversaries of this doctrine be divers. For Art. XXIV. XXVI. & II. c. 30. Basil. Art. Saxon, Art. XXIII. Some are of opinion, that no man for any offence should be put to death. Such in old time were the Manichees and D. August. the Donatists, and such in our days be the Anabaptists". And some do think, that howsoever for other 12 offences [...officium ejus (sc. magistratus)...est...sortes pro delicti ratione mulctare, opibus, corpore, vita.-Harm. Conf. Sect. xix. p. 273. Conf. Helv. Prior. Art. XXVI. Stringat ergo Dei gladium in omnes maleficos, seditiosos, latrones, vel homicidas, oppressores, blasphemos, perjuros, et in omnes eos quos Deus punire ac etiam cædere jussit. Ibid. p. 272. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. xxx. Idcirco magistratus ipsos gladio armavit (Deus) ut malos quidem plectant pœnis, &c.-Ibid. p. 281. Conf. Belg. Art. xxxvI. ...quod Christianis liceat magistratus gerere....supplicia jure constituere, &c.-Ibid. p. 282. Conf. August. Art. xvi. For the other references, see above, page 342, note 1.] [10 Isti etiam audent dicere quia persecutionem solent pati a catholicis regibus.— August. Opp. Paris. 1836-8. Tom. 111. col. 1812. c. In Joann. Tract. xr. § 13. Nam videte qualia faciunt et qualia patiuntur. Occidunt animas, affliguntur in corpore: sempiternas mortes faciunt, et temporales se perpeti conqueruntur.-Ibid. col. 1814. B. § 15. See also Ibid. Tom. 1x. col. 75. Contr. Epist. Parmen. Lib. 1. cap. 10.] ["Damnamus Anabaptistas, qui ut Christianum negant fungi posse officio magistratus, ita etiam negant quenquam a magistratu juste occidi.-Collect. Confess. Lips. 1810. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. xxx. p. 535.] [12 Their, the later editions.] in Johan. xi. Conf. Helv. 11. cap. 30. Display I. a. Ibid. Fam. 2, Letter unto M. Ro. 1bid. Eccles. iii. 8. against the second table malefactors may be put to death; yet for heretical and erroneous opinions in points of religion none are so to suffer. Of this mind are the Familists. For They hold that no man should be put to death for his opinion. They blame M. Cranmer and Ridley for burning Joan of Kent for an heretic1. It is not Christian-like that one man should persecute another for any cause touching conscience2. Is not that punishment sufficient (say they) which God hath ordained, but that one Christian must vex, torment, bely and persecute another3? Proposition VII. It is lawful for Christian men, at the commandment of the The proof from God's word. There is (saith K. Solomon) a time of war, and a time of peace and princes are, by war and weapons, to repress the power of enemies, whether foreign or intestine. For they are in authority placed for the defence of quiet and harmless subjects, as also to remove the violence of oppressors, and Prov. ii. 31. enemies, whatsoever they be. For these causes have they Rom. xiii. 6, horses prepared for the battle; tributes paid them as well of Christians as others; and subjects to serve them in their wars, of what nature soever. 7. Acts x. Cornelius, being a Christian, was not forbidden to play Luke iii. 14. the centurion, or bidden to forsake his profession; nor the soldiers that came unto John's baptism willed to leave the wars, but to offer no violence unto any man. Conf. Helvet. Bohein. c. 16. This truth is granted by the churches'. [' Displaying of the Family of Love. Lond. 1579. fol. I. a.] [ Second Letter of the Family to M. Rogers in the Displaying, L. 4. b. where, envy belie and persecute.] [ Ibid. fol. L. 5. b.] [Et si salus publica patriæve et justitia requirat, et magistratus ex necessitate bellum suscipiat, deponant (subditi) etiam vitam, et fundant sanguinem pro salute publica.-Harm. Conf. Sect. xix. p. 272. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. xxx. ...ad hac eos (sc. magistratus) peculiariter obligari...ut...subjectos pacificos suos, jura, facultates, vitam,...defendant: adversus eos qui hæc violant, in hæc grassantur, et damnis malisve hæc afficiunt, itemque contra Turcarum injustam vim, una cum aliis qui hoc agunt, defensionem eis præstent.-Ibid. pp. 275, 6. Couf. Bohem. The adversaries unto this truth. Many are against this assertion: whereof some doubt of the truth thereof; as "Ludovicus Vives". contr. Man. Others deny it altogether as untruc. So did in ancient D. Aug. time the Manichees, whose doctrine was, that no man might Lib. xxII. go to war c. 74. Vero Cultu, Lactantius thought it altogether unlawful for a good man Lact. de or a Christian either to go to war, or to bring any man to cap. 20. a violent death, though by law he were adjudged to die". In these days the Anabaptists think it to be a thing most Conf. Helv. execrable for Christians to take weapons or to go to war. 11. cap. 30. b. Land, c. The Family of Love also do so condemn all wars, as the Display, H.5, time was when they would not bear or wear a weapon": and they write first of themselves, how all their nature is love and peace, and that they are a people peaceable, concordable, set. 2. 37, amiable, loving, and living peaceably "; but all other men in sect. 31. the world besides they do wage war, kill, and destroy; for bid. chap. 5, which ends they have divers sorts of swords, halberds, spears, bows and arrows, guns, pellets and gunpowder, armour, a Arma Christianum virum tractare nescio an fas fit.-Lud. Vives, Institut. Foem. Chr. Lib. I. cap. xvi. Sunt igitur res suo genere bona...gerere bella legitima, et esse militem in bellis legitimis, &c. Et potest his rebus uti homo Christianus, &c.—Ibid. p. 285. Conf. Saxon. Art. xxi.] [The passage has not been found.] [ Quid enim culpatur in bello! An quia moriuntur quandoque morituri, ut domentur in pace victuri? Hoc reprehendere timidorum est non religiosorum. Nocendi cupiditas, ulciscendi crudelitas...culpantur: quæ plerumque at etiam jure puniantur...gerenda ipsa bella suscipiuntur a bonis.... Alioquin Joannes cum ad eum baptizandi milites venirent, dicentes, Et nos quid facimus? responderet iis, Arma abjicite, militiam ipsam deserite, neminem perentite, vulnerate, prosternite....Sed quia Manichæi Joannem aperte blasphemare consueverunt, &c.-August. Opp. Paris. 1836-8. Tom. v111. col. 625. Contr. Faust. Manich. Lib. xxi. cap. 74.] [ Ita neque militare justo licebit, cujus militia est in ipsa justitia; neque vero accusare quenquam crimine capitali.—Lact. Opp. Div. Inst. Lib. v1. cap. 20. p. 618.] [a Damnamus Anabaptistas, qui...negant...magistratum bellum gerere posse.Collect. Confess. Lips. 1840. Conf. Helv. Post. cap. xxx. p. 535.] [They did prohibit bearing of weapons, but at the length, perceiving themselves to be noted and marked for the same, they have allowed the bearing of staves. -Displaying of the Fam. Lond. 1579. fol. H. 5. b.] [10 All their nature and mind is nothing else but love, peace, (Gal. 5. c.) and righteousness.-H. N. Spirit. Land of Peace, cap. xxxvII. § 2.] [" ...so have we...found a lovely land (Esa. 26. 60. b. Zach. 8. a. b.) or a peaceable city, whose people (and none other) is a peaceable, concordable, and lovely people, agreeably-minded, living peaceably, &c.-Ibid. Pref. § 31.] Ibid. Præf. § 9. harness, and gorgets'; none of which the Familists do use or allow of. ARTICLE XXXVIII. Of Christian men's Goods, which are not common. The riches and goods of Christians (1) are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast. Notwithstanding (2) every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to his ability. The propositions. 1. The riches and goods of Christians, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, are not common. 2. Every man is to give liberal alms to the poor of that which he possesseth, according to his ability. Proposition I. The riches and goods of Christians, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, are not common. The proof from God's word. Against community of goods and riches be all those places (which are infinite) of holy scripture, that either condemn the unlawful getting, keeping, or desiring of riches, which, by covetousness, thievery", extortion, and the like wicked means, many do attain; or do commend liberality, frugality, If any one that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, &c. with such an one eat not, 1 Cor. v. 11. Covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as it becometh saints, Ephes. v. 3. с Let none of you suffer as a thief, &c. 1 Pet. iv. 15. With a brother that is an extortioner, eat not, 1 Cor. v. 11. Neither thieves, nor covetous (persons), nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi. 10. d It is a blessed thing to give rather than to receive, Acts xx. 35. Yea, and that thing ye do unto all the brethren throughout all Macedonia, 1 Thess. iv. 10. If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute [ Ibid. cap. v. § 9, where, ordinance or guns,...armour or harness.] |