The Online Library of Liberty

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• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§12

It is vain to attempt a Reconcilement between the Protestants and Papists. From these Things it is easie to collect, that those who have busied themselves about reconciling the Differences in Religion, by reason that they did not observe the Difference between meer Principles, and the Emoluments of the Hierarchy, and between the Things Solid and Superficial, have not taken a reasonable Course, nor have been able to do any thing that was worth their Labour. And thus have all these lost their Labour, and such are still likely to do so, who have endeavour’d a compounding of Matters between the Protestants and Papists, so as that something being yeilded on both Sides, the Protestants should again come into the Communion of the Papists. For he that considers well the Frame of the Popish Religion will easily see that the Papists can yeild nothing, at least for this Reason, because they cannot do it without acknowledging they have been in an Errour. Forasmuch as the Infallibility of the Pope and of the Church is a chief Corner-stone upon which their State depends, and this being away, the whole Building will fall to the Ground. And if all those Doctrines of the Roman Church, which belong to the Superficial Religion, and are invented for the raising of Revenues should be taken away, in a little time the greatest part of the numerous Clergy of that Church would be famish’d. But neither can it be expedient to the Papal Kingdom to be reconcil’d with the Protestants upon this Condition, that the Protestants shall have their Churches distinct, and no Ways depending upon the See of Rome, and that there shall be Friendship maintain’d between them without Subjection. For in this Way the great Secret of State in the Roman Dominion would be betray’d by themselves: Which is, that only the Roman Communion, which acknowledges the Pope for the Head of it, is the true Church; and thus they must be brought to acknowledge that there are other true Churches which are not subordinate to that of Rome. Since therefore there is no way left of making a Reconciliation between these Two Parties, unless the Protestants would again submit themselves to the See of Rome, and retract all that they have said hitherto against such Submission, which they cannot do either in Conscience, or according to the State which they are now in, it must be concluded, that an Ecclesiastical Concord between the Protestants and Papists is morally impossible, and so, that Rome is altogether irreconcileable. And if any of the Papal Party should propose, in order to a Reconcilement, that there should be nothing said about restoring the Revenues of the Church to those who return to the Roman Religion, we ought to beware of them, and to believe, that nothing but meer Shows and Snares are intended in such Proposals, and they are made to bring again under the Yoke such whom they can catch in their Net. And it is also very manifest that those Divines do not well consult the Interests of the Princes of Germany, who diminish and alleviate the Controversies with the Papists, as if they were such as might without any great Difficulty be compos’d. For when some of those Princes would wish there could be a Way open’d, by which their numerous Offspring might share the Dignities and Benefices of the Church, which is quite obstructed by the Protestant Religion, they might be very apt to entertain a Desire of returning to the Roman Religion, if they were perswaded that there is no great Difference between that of the Protestants and it. And tho’ the Heads of the Families should account it Foolish to lose Part of their Dominion to become again the Slaves of the Priests, yet if the Younger Sons should change their Religion, when in process of Time these might succeed to the Dominion by the Extinction of the Elder Family, their Provinces must come under the same Danger.