Wherefore, although it seem good unto this church to assume imto itself the sole conduct of the souls of all men, in the matters of reli- gion, which hath thrived in its hands unto an incredible grandeur, in dominion, power, and wealth ; yet other men of an ordinary wisdom and capacity, who are not yet taken alive by them at their pleasure, will be ready to judge (especially now the cave of Cacus is opened) that it is necessary for them to take more care of their own souls. ' The reference is to the Spanish Annada of 1588. — Ed.
612 THE CHURCH OF ROME NO SAFE GUIDE,
Some will say that all these things, principles, and practices, are separable from their religion, and that they will take sufficient heed unto themselves that they give admittance unto none of them, espe- cially such as are against the light of nature and the known rules of common honesty. Both the goodness of their own natural temper, and the principles of morality, which they will never part withal, will give them and others security herein.
God forbid I should ever charge any persons with any thing that is criminal, whereof they are not or may not be easily convicted. Those who make these professions shall pass with me at the rate and upon the credit of their professions; as shall all men in this world, until they contradict and disprove themselves by their actions. But even such persons had need be very careful that they are not de- ceived herein. The resignation which they are to make of themselves and their consciences unto the conduct of this church doth quite change both their light and rule; for it includes a renunciation of all principles and persuasions, in things divine and moral, that do or may in the least interfere with that conduct. It is true that neither that church nor any else can change the nature of things moral in them- selves: for although they may call good evil, and evil good,— light darkness, and darkness light, — yet they cannot make that which is good evil, nor that which is evil good ; but they may make a false representation of the one and other unto the minds of men. Hence, what was evil unto them antecedently unto this resignation of them- selves,^ — as the firing of cities, the murder of innocent persons, the overthrow of governments and nations for their own ends, — shall be imposed on them by this pretended infallible guide as things good and meritorious with reference unto their Catholic ends. These are the two most pernicious devices in all their superstition: — 1, That the consciences of men are exempted and taken off from an imme- diate dependence on and subjection unto the authority of Christ, and put in immediate subjection unto the priest's; seeing he neither pro- miseth any thing unto them, nor commands any thing but by the church. 2. That their commands, because they are theirs, do regidate their consciences even as unto moral good or evil. Nor is it safe for these men to trust too much unto the goodness of their own natures, nor, it may be, unto others who are concerned in what they shall do. For as it is the glory of the doctrine and grace of the gospel to change the wolf, the lion, and the leopard, Isa. xi. 6-9, persons of the fiercest and most violent inclinations, into quiet associates of lambs and children ; so it is to be feared, from many instances, that by virtue of their conduct they can change appearing sheep, at least as unto their natural tempers, into that which is violent, bloody, and poisonous.
Sixthly, Under pretence of being tliis guide, and to impose their
THE COERCION EMPLOYED BY IT. 513
pretensions thereunto on the minds and consciences of men, this church hath filled most nations of Europe with hlood and slaughter; making homble devastations of innumerahle persons, both fearing God and living peaceably in the world. Ten times more blood of Christians hath been shed by them unto this end than was shed in all the primitive Pagan persecutions. All that dissent from them may say, " Quoe regie in terris nostri non plena cruoris ? " — " Is there any nation in Europe that is not filled with our blood V The last day alone can discover the blood that hath been shed secretly or with little noise by the Inquisition, in the Spanish and some of the Italian territories. England, France, Germany, Flanders, Hol- land, Ireland, can speak for themselves, in the cruelties which unto this end have been executed in them. The sole reason of all tliis inhuman violence hath been, that men would not submit their souls and consciences unto that absolute power over them and conduct of them wliich their church claimeth unto itself
And it is most probable that their absolute conduct is of the same nature with the ways and means. whereby they do attempt it or have obtamed it. When men by force and fraud, blood and slaughters, do endeavour to impose their rule upon us, we are not to expect but that the rule will be answerable unto the means that are used for the attaining it. As in the first planting and propagation of Christian religion the way and means of them were spiritual light, and the evi- dent exercise of all graces, especially meekness, humihty, patience in sufferings, and contempt of the world, hereon men had just grounds to believe and expect that the conduct which they were invited and called unto, under the rule of Christ, would be of the same nature, —meek, holy, just, and good, — whereof by experience they found full assurance : so where the rule of our souls and consciences is attempt- ed and carried on by violence, blood, cruelty, and desolation of na- tions, we have just ground to believe that if those who use them do prevail therein, their leading and rule will be of the same nature.