462 CHARGE AGAINST WILLIAM TALBOT. 



king ; but upon another point also, if these doctrines 

 be already, or shall be declared to be matter of faith. 

 But, my lords, there is little won in this : there may 

 be some difference to the guilt of the party, but there 

 is little to the danger of the king. For the same 

 pope of Rome may, with the same breath, declare 

 both. So as still, upon the matter, the king is made 

 but tenant at will of his life and kingdoms ; and the 

 allegiance of his subjects is pinned upon the pope s 

 acts. And certainly, it is time to stop the current 

 of this opinion of acknowledgment of the pope s 

 power &quot; in temporalibus ;&quot; or else it will sap and 

 supplant the seat of kings. And let it not be mis 

 taken, that Mr. Talbot s offence should be no more 

 than the refusing the oath of allegiance. For it is 

 one thing to be silent, and another thing to affirm. 

 As for the point of matter of faith, or not of faith, 

 to tell your lordships plain, it would astonish a man 

 to see the gulf of this implied belief. Is nothing 

 excepted from it? If a man should ask Mr. Talbot, 

 Whether he do condemn murder, or adultery, or 

 rape, or the doctrine of Mahomet, or of Arius, 

 instead of Suarez ? Must the answer be with this 

 exception, that if the question concern matter of 

 faith, as no question it doth, for the moral law is 

 matter of faith, that therein he will submit himself 

 to what the church shall determine ? And, no doubt, 

 the murder of princes is more than simple murder. 

 But to conclude, Talbot, I will do you this right, 

 and I will not be reserved in this, but to declare 

 that, that is true ; that you came afterwards to a 



