The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

JESUITICAL DISCLAIMERS.S93and i6here. Renounced it she has not, and cannot, withoutoverthrowing the infallibility, on which her whole system isfounded.In truth, when popish divines abjure the doctrinethat no faith is to he kept icith heretics^ they are guilty of practisinga wretched quibble. Their meaning is, that so longas the oath exists it must be kept ; but the Pope, in virtueof hisdispensing power, may declare, on just grounds,—ofwhich " the necessity and utility of the ChurcK''^' is one,—thatthe oath is null, and does not exist, and consequently is notto be kept. They then triumphantly ask, How can an oathbe said to be violated that does not exist \ Were it theirobject to release the subjects of Great Britain from theiroaths of allegiance, the procedure adopted would be as follows: the people would be taught, that so long as the oathexisted, it must be respected ; but then nothing is easier thanto put it out of existence ! The Pope has only, on some'''just ground^'' to declare our Queen no longer sovereign,and the oath would no longer exist.We know not which isthe more astonishing,—the impiety of those who can jugglein this way, or the simplicity of those who can be deceivedby such juggling. If those statesmen who are so desirousto form relationswith Rome, can find comfort in this verypeculiar mode of keeping faith, they are abundantly welcometo it. But plain it is, that when Romish priests disclaim onoath the lawfulness of the doctrine of not keeping faith withheretics, so plainly taught in those canons to which theyhave sworn, they are just exhibiting, as Dr Cunninghamstrikingly remarks, " in its most aggravated form, the veryenormity which they profess to abjure."-f-This doctrine strikes at the foundation of society. Ifoaths do not bind,—if vows and treatiespossess force onlyso far as it accords with the will and interests of one of theparties,—there is an end of society, and men must return tothe condition of savages. And if saved from falling into this* Theol. Mor. et Dog. Petri Dens, torn. iv. pp. 134-138.•j- Stillingfleet's Popery, by Dr CuDniugham, p. 232.