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Title:  The iudgment of a Catholicke English-man, living in banishment for his religion VVritten to his priuate friend in England. Concerninge a late booke set forth, and entituled; Triplici nodo, triplex cuneus, or, An apologie for the oath of allegiance. Against two breves of Pope Paulus V. to the Catholickes of England; & a letter of Cardinall Bellarmine to M. George Blackwell, Arch-priest. VVherein, the said oath is shewed to be vnlawfull vnto a Catholicke conscience; for so much, as it conteyneth sundry clauses repugnant to his religion.
Author: Parsons, Robert, 1546-1610.
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him, as if it had beene written purposely to confute him in this our case. But let vs heare what it is. Agreable to the Scriptures (saith he) did the Fathers teach.Apol. pag. 23.Augustine speaking of Iulian,August. in Psal. 124. saith thus: Iulian was an vnbelieuing Emperour, was he not an Apostata? an oppressor, and an Idolatour? Christiā souldiours serued that vnbelie∣uing Emperour: when they came to the cause of Christ, they would acknowledge no Lord, but him that is in heauen: when he would haue them worship Idolls & sacrifice, they preferred God before him: but when he said, go forth to fight, inuade such a nation, they pre∣sently obeyed: they distinguished their eternall Lord from their temporall, and yet were they subiect euen vnto their temporall Lord, for his sake, that was their eternall Lord and Maister. Thus he.XLII. And can any thing be spoken more cleerly for vs,How farre we are bound to our tēpo∣rall Prince. and for our cause, then this? For euen thus do we offer to our King & Soueraigne: we will serue him: we will obey him: we will go to warre with him: we will fight for him: and we will do all other offices be∣longing to temporall duty: but when the cause of Christ commeth in hand, who is Lord of our Con∣sciences, or any matter concerning the same, or our Re∣ligion; there we do, as S. Augustine heere appoynteth vs, preferre our eternall King, before our Temporall.XLIII. And like to these are all the other places of Fathers cyted by him, who distinguish expresly be∣tweene the Temporall honour and Allegiance due to the Emperour, and the other of our Religion, & Con∣science, belonging only to God.Apol. pag. 23. And to that playne sense are Tertullians words cyted by the Apologer:Tertull. ad Scap.VVe honour the Emperour in such sorte as is lawfull for vs, and expedient for him▪ as a man second after God, and as hauing receyued from God, whatsoeuer he is, and only lesse then God. And will not the Catholicks of England vse this speach also vnto their King? Or will the Apologer himselfe deny that Tertullian0