avior. I prove it thus: It is a
Roman Catholic maxim, established not by private men, but by
public council, that 'No faith is to be kept with heretics.'
This has been openly avowed by the Council of Constance; but it
has never been openly disclaimed. Whether private persons avow
or disavow it, it is a fixed maxim of the Church of Rome. But
as long as it is so, nothing can be more plain than that the
members of that Church can give no reasonable security to any
government for their allegiance and peaceable behavior.
Therefore, they ought not to be tolerated by any government,
Protestant, Mohammedan, or Pagan. You say, 'Nay, but they take
an oath of allegiance.' True, five hundred oaths; but the
maxim, 'No faith is to be kept with heretics,' sweeps them all
away as a spider's web. So that still no governors that are not
Roman Catholics can have any security of their allegiance.

"Again, those who acknowledge the spiritual power of the Pope
can give no security of their allegiance to any government; but
all Roman Catholics acknowledge this: therefore they can give
no security for their allegiance. The power of granting pardons
for all sins--past, present, and to come--is, and has been for
many centuries, one branch of his spiritual power. But those
who acknowledge him to have this spiritual power can give no
security for their allegiance, since they believe the Pope can
pardon rebellion, high treason, and all other sins whatever.
The power of dispensing with any promise, oath, or vow, is
another branch of the spiritual power of the Pope: all who
acknowledge his spiritual power must acknowledge this. But
whoever acknowledges the dispensing power of the Pope, can give
no security for his allegiance to any government. Oaths and
promises are none: they are as light as air--a dispensation
makes them null and void. Nay, not only the Pope, but even a
priest has power to pardon sins! This is an essential doctrine
of the Church of Rome. But they that acknowledge this, cannot
possibly give any security for their allegiance to any
government. Oaths are no security at all; for the priest can
pardon both perjury and high treason. Setting their religion
aside, it is plain that, upon principles of reason, no
government ought to tolerate men who cannot gi