Page:An Index of Prohibited Books (1840).djvu/193

 Church for his loyalty to his sovereign, James I. He defended the Oath of Allegiance to that prince against the pontiff and his party, who justly feared, that if England were peaceable and happy, even the sons of Roman darkness would gradually and imperceptibly enter the light of reformed Christianity. A considerable portion of the works of Widdrington was upon this important subject. That which has the last date of any is, his Last Rejoynder to Fitz-herbert, Permissu Superiorum, 1633, without place or printer, in 4to. Most of his works were condemned by a decree (indeed, by several decrees) of the Congregation of the Index; and in the Preface to the work just mentioned, he writes of his adversaries —   They have caused his holiness to condemn our books, which, in our judgment, do plainly discover their forgeries, and to forbid all Catholics, as well learned as unlearned, to read them, without signifying unto us any one thing in particular which we have written amiss," &c. The particular Decree and the Purgation of the author by himself are to be found pp. 625 to the conclusion. The enemies of this honest man — at least so far — knew they had an engine in their hand not perfectly powerless.